The first day of the NFL draft are in the books. Friday will be Rounds 2 and 3. I kind of like the speed at which the draft went as it seemed to be quicker than normal. I do feel bad for the players who didn't get their moment in the sun on the national stage physically in front of the fans but they are first round draft picks, they'll get over it.
"Winners" Kliff Kingsbury (and the Cardinals)The Cardinals got Isaiah Simmons at No. 8. A few weeks back, former Eagles personnel director Louis Riddick said he would “fall off his chair” if the Clemson defensive star was still on the board at No. 5. While there is a lot of pressure on Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph to properly utilize him (Simmons played nearly every position at Clemson but will likely settle into an everyday role as a Derwin James-type hybrid) the Cardinals now have a player who can both match up well with a mobile quarterback like Russell Wilson or mark some of the better tight ends and second receivers in the division (George Kittle comes to mind). This is also an avenue to get into the shots we were able to get of Kliff Kingsbury’s living room, which looks like something out of a menswear catalogue (the kind with the clothes so expensive that normal people like us can’t get it in the mail). Seriously, how nice is this place? Is he the only one allowed to wear shoes there? Look at the landscaping and ... is that a cabana with mountain views? Broncos Whether or not Drew Lock is the quarterback of the future, the Broncos have done a better job of making him feel that way (and providing him with the proper resources) than any passer they’ve had since Peyton Manning. Pre-draft receiver rankings are largely meaningless and while I would not put any stock into the fact that many believed Jerry Jeudy would be the first receiver off the board but wound up in Denver’s lap at 15, it’s significant that they were able to get a receiver like Jeudy in that spot. Jeudy ran a diverse route tree (16 unique routes) at Alabama, caught 90% of the catchable balls thrown in his direction and is a monster after the catch. All of these things are good for a developing quarterback. Dolphins This is the fun part of a rebuild. Armed with three first-round picks, the Dolphins came out of the first round with high-upside talent that can grow with the roster. Neither Tua Tagovailoa nor Austin Jackson will have to play right away, but by the time the roster is primed for contention in 2021, both should be either fully recovered or rounding into their frames. Being able to accumulate more assets by dealing the 26th pick (instead of spending a mid-20s pick on a running back) was also a bonus, seeing as Brian Flores still exited with a coverage piece in Noah Igbinoghene. Cowboys Jerry Jones welcomes Mike McCarthy to Dallas by giving the former Packers head coach the first Round 1 pick of a wide receiver he’s ever had. CeeDee Lamb was not a player the Cowboys necessarily needed, but he turns the receiving corps into a multi-dimensional unit and instantly upgrades one of the worst aspects of Dallas’s offense. The weapon set at Dak Prescott’s disposal is impressive and good enough to score on any defense in the NFC East. Tom Brady The Buccaneers traded up one spot to land Tristan Wirfs, an outstanding and versatile offensive lineman out of Iowa, believed by some to be the best in the class. Brady’s grip on Tampa Bay’s win-now roster building strategy is evident, as Tampa moves to give the legendary quarterback all of the luxuries he was never gifted in New England. Dave Gettleman While there was an expectation that Gettleman needed to accumulate more picks in this draft (I was driving that train), the action wasn’t there and he acquired a piece that benefits both of the previous offensive first rounders he selected. Andrew Thomas can be a stabilizing force up front for the Giants after years of patchworking at the position. Gettleman also gets props for being responsible during the COVID-19 pandemic, wearing a mask in his own home due to the fact that he was in the same room as a Giants IT employee. Gettleman, who is in remission from lymphoma, showed everyone how seriously the current crisis should be taken. "Losers" Tradecraft No trades were logged in the top 10 for the first time since 2015. No high-profile veterans were dealt, either. While the latter half of the first round began to satisfy the itch for some wheeling and dealing, most of what we thought about the virtual draft—that the relative uncertainty of this year’s class without pro days may lead to more movement—didn’t happen. This was especially disappointing given the late round of smokescreen buzz that included Atlanta and Jacksonville both trying to move up the board. Two quarterbacks were neatly drafted at No. 5 and No. 6, despite neither team knowing which one the other preferred. Cam Newton and Jameis Winston A lot of starting spots and high-profile backup gigs are being filled at an alarming rate if you’re either one of these two former No. 1 overall picks. The Chargers were a sensible landing spot for Newton but are likely closed at the position after slotting Justin Herbert behind Tyrod Taylor. While the Patriots are still lingering out there, both are not only competing with the remaining top quarterbacks in the class, but some veterans who may be on the move like Andy Dalton. The Zac Taylor home cam The draft was also quietly a forum for the NFL’s elite to flex their home decor. Outside of Kingsbury, Mike Zimmer was another significant winner, phoning in his first-round pick in front of a majestic, roaring stone fireplace. And then there was Zac Taylor, the Bengals’ head coach, who appears to have been banished to some far-reaching corner of the house so as not to wake anyone up. This looks like the room where you register for your nametag at a work conference. Raiders This was a great opportunity for the Raiders to turn their two first-round picks into a bigger bounty, but instead they made a tremendous reach with Ohio State corner Damon Arnette at No. 19. While, again, mock drafts should not dictate reality (and oftentimes they do not), this feels like the second straight year where Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock stayed at a place and picked a player who may have been available to them at a later slot. While you can call this conviction, you can also call it a missed opportunity given that Mayock has actually found some solid contributors after Day One. Lovers of peace in Green Bay Jordan Love is the first offensive skill position player the Packers have taken in round one since … Aaron Rodgers. While this was perfectly in line with the organization’s philosophy, one cannot imagine this went over well with Rodgers, who is 36 and has some good football ahead of him. The shift to general manager Brian Gutekunst was supposed to signify a pivot toward maximizing Rodgers’s remaining years via free agency and the draft. Instead, they selected his replacement just a few months after the Packers were exposed in a playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers. This was a team that went 13-3 a year ago and was potentially one or two players away from returning to that spot in 2020. Unless they know something about Rodgers’s near future plans that we don’t, this will be a decision both Gutekunst and LaFleur will have to tamp down with regularity all season. Rounds 2 and 3 Although the first round gets most of the attention from media and fans, the next two days of the draft are even more important, as the vast majority of players in the league weren’t first-round picks. In fact, former first-rounders made up only 14.3% of NFL rosters entering the 2019 season. Day 2 players made up a total of 22.1%—11.0% for Round 2 and 11.1% for Round 3—as a comparison. By trading out of the first round with the Chargers, the Patriots now have the most picks (five) on Day 2 while the Chargers don’t pick again until Saturday (Round 4, 112th overall pick). With that said, here is how Day 2 of the 2020 NFL draft could play out: ROUND 233. Cincinnati Bengals: Yetur Gross-Matos, EDGE, Penn State With his length, agility and first step, Gross-Matos was a productive pass-rusher for Penn State. He had 17 sacks and 34.5 tackles for loss over the past two seasons. 34. Indianapolis Colts: Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson Higgins has a large catch radius, high-points the football well and wins as a vertical receiver. He ended his collegiate career tied with DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins for the most receiving touchdowns (27) in Clemson history. 35. Detroit Lions: Ross Blacklock, IDL, TCU Often utilized in a two-gap role at TCU, Blacklock displays impressive burst and lateral agility to be a disruptive one-gap penetrator at the next level. His pass-rushing upside makes him an intriguing option at the top of Round 2. 36. New York Giants: Zack Baun, LB, Wisconsin He lacks the ideal size to be a full-time NFL edge rusher, but Baun trailed only Chase Young in sacks (12.5) and tackles for loss (19.5) among Big Ten defenders. With sideline-to-sideline range to go along with his coverage and blitzing ability, Baun should transition smoothly into his new role as an off-ball linebacker at the next level. 37. New England Patriots: Cole Kmet, TE, Notre Dame Now that the Patriots have moved back into Round 2, the former dual-sport (with baseball) athlete could be New England’s target here. Kmet has reliable hands, runs good routes and tested well at the combine. 38. Carolina Panthers: Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU With lots of experience in press coverage, Fulton is a patient and physical corner with decent size. While he may not have elite long speed, he checked the box with a 4.46 forty at the combine and he's quick, fluid and sticky in coverage. 39. Miami Dolphins: D'Andre Swift, RB, Georgia With a compact frame, low center of gravity and powerful lower body, Swift is a patient runner with exceptional lateral agility and balance. While he has rushed for 1,000-plus yards in back-to-back season, Swift really shines as a receiver out of the backfield. 40. Houston Texans: Josh Uche, EDGE, Michigan He’s a bit undersized at only 245 pounds, but Uche has explosive athleticism off the edge. 41. Cleveland Browns: Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama An instinctive and versatile defender, McKinney has the skill set to play either safety spot and has no glaring weaknesses whether in coverage or run defense. A fluid mover with excellent range, the junior safety tied for the team lead in interceptions (three) in 2019. 42. Jacksonville Jaguars: Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor Few players helped their draft stock more than Mims during the pre-draft process. After an outstanding week at the Senior Bowl, Mims ran a sub-4.4 forty with a position-best 6.66 in the three-cone drill at the combine. Per PFF stats, the 207-pound wideout led the nation with 20 contested catches. 43. Chicago Bears: Jeremy Chinn, S, Southern Illinois Built more like a linebacker than safety, Chinn is physical as a run defender, but he showed off his elite athleticism—4.46 40-yard dash with a 41" vertical jump at 221 pounds—at the combine as well. The nephew of Hall-of-Fame safety Steve Atwater, Chinn had a minimum of three interceptions in all four seasons for the Salukis. 44. Indianapolis Colts: Jacob Eason, QB, Washington Eason has started in two of the past four seasons—2016 at Georgia and 2019 at Washington—as he transferred from Georgia after 2017. Eason has prototypical size and elite arm strength, but he has struggled under pressure. Eason would have an adjustment year as he learns behind Philip Rivers and Jacoby Brissett, both of whom are free agents in 2021. ADVERTISING45. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin Rushing for more than 6,100 yards and 50 touchdowns in his three-year collegiate career, Taylor has the size, power and speed to break tackles and run away from defenders. He also was more involved as a receiver as a junior. But Taylor has had some issues with ball security and handled a massive workload—968 touches—while in Madison. 46. Denver Broncos: Josh Jones, OT, Houston Starting 45 games at left tackle, Jones may have some work to do in terms of cleaning up his technique but he steadily improved over his four seasons for the Cougars. Light on his feet, Jones has the movement skills that allow him to reach blocks at the second level with ease. 47. Atlanta Falcons: A.J. Epenesa, EDGE, Iowa The former Hawkeye wins with a blend of power, length, technique and heavy hands and has the versatility to rush from the inside as well. While he started the 2019 season slowly, Epenesa closed with eight sacks and four forced fumbles over his final five games. 48. New York Jets: Laviska Shenault, WR, Colorado Shenault remains an unrefined route-runner, but he turns into a running back with the ball in his hands. With his ability to break tackles, he flourishes in the open field due to his strength, size, burst, vision and elusiveness. 49. Pittsburgh Steelers: J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ohio State Possessing excellent vision and balance, Dobbins broke Eddie George’s single-season school rushing record in 2019. He’s a complete back that has been productive as a receiver (22-plus catches in all three seasons) and competes well in pass protection as well. 50. Chicago Bears: Lloyd Cushenberry III, IOL, LSU Cushenberry has started the past few seasons at center for the Tigers, but he has the versatility to play guard as well and he’s the best-available interior lineman heading into Day 2. 51. Dallas Cowboys: Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama Diggs has an elite combination of size and length for the position that suits him well at the line of scrimmage and when challenging at the catch point. The younger brother of Bills receiver Stefon Diggs, Trevon also played wide receiver early in his Alabama career and has outstanding ball skills. 52. Los Angeles Rams: Ezra Cleveland, OT, Boise State While he needs to get stronger, the ultra-athletic (4.93 forty) left tackle has 40 career starts to his name. 53. Philadelphia Eagles: Grant Delpit, S, LSU The biggest concern with Delpit is his inconsistency as a tackler, although he dealt with a high-ankle sprain for part of his junior year. When healthy, Delpit is a long and rangy playmaker on the back end—he had eight interceptions and 24 passes defended over his three seasons in Baton Rouge. 54. Buffalo Bills: Jaylon Johnson, CB, Utah A fluid athlete, Johnson has started 29 games over three seasons and has seven career interceptions and 28 passes defended. 55. Baltimore Ravens: Marlon Davidson, IDL, Auburn A four-year starter, Davidson primarily played on the edge for Auburn and recorded a team-high 7.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss as a senior. Weighing in 25 pounds heavier at combine than his listed weight at Auburn, Davidson has some inside-out versatility and excellent first-step quickness for an interior defender. 56. Miami Dolphins: Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Minnesota Winfield Jr. lacks ideal height and length and missed all but four games each in the 2017 and '18 seasons, but he is an instinctual “student of the game” with an NFL pedigree. A sure tackler with outstanding ball skills, he led the Golden Gophers in both tackles (88) and interceptions (seven) in 2019. 57. Los Angeles Rams: Terrell Lewis, EDGE, Alabama Missing virtually all of 2017 (elbow) and 2018 (ACL), Lewis recorded 11.5 tackles for loss, six sacks and had a team-high 16 QB hurries in 2019. Even though he's a little raw in his development given the amount of time he has missed, Lewis has explosive burst off the edge, tremendous length and plenty of upside as he continues to develop. 58. Minnesota Vikings: Neville Gallimore, IDL, Oklahoma Combining freakish athleticism (4.79 forty at 304 pounds) and a non-stop motor, Gallimore explodes off the ball and has outstanding short-term agility for his size. While he spends a lot of time in the backfield, he doesn't always finish as he has a total of just seven sacks over the past two seasons. 59. Seattle Seahawks: Julian Okwara, EDGE, Notre Dame Okwara’s season was cut short (fibula) and he has lacked consistency, but he’s a long and explosive athlete that has racked up 13.5 sacks and 19.5 TFL in 22 games over the past two seasons. 60. Baltimore Ravens: Robert Hunt, IOL, Louisiana Hunt was a four-year starter at right tackle at Louisiana, but he’ll likely kick inside at the next level. With the retirement of Marshal Yanda, the team has a need at guard. 61. Tennessee Titans: K.J. Hamler, WR, Penn State Hamler has elite quickness, acceleration and elusiveness in the open field and offers the versatility to contribute as a return specialist. 62. Green Bay Packers: Michael Pittman Jr., WR, USC The son of former NFL running back Michael Pittman, Pittman Jr. excels in contested-catch situations, has strong hands and is a physical receiver. The USC wideout finished his senior season with 101 catches for 1,275 yards and 11 touchdowns. 63. Kansas City Chiefs: Bryce Hall, CB, Virginia While the Chiefs re-signed Bashaud Breeland to a one-year deal, several of the team’s corners left via free agency. Hall is a physical corner with outstanding size, length and ball skills. 64. Seattle Seahawks: Cam Akers, RB, Florida State While he ran behind a shaky offensive line, Akers averaged 3.9 yards after contact last season, per PFF, and posted back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns. The nation’s top running back recruit out of high school, he ran a 4.47 forty at 217 pounds at the combine. ROUND 365. Cincinnati Bengals: Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame 66. Washington: Lucas Niang, OT, TCU 67. Detroit Lions: Curtis Weaver, EDGE, Boise State 68. New York Jets: Cameron Dantzler, CB, Mississippi State 69. Carolina Panthers: Willie Gay Jr., LB, Mississippi State 70. Miami Dolphins: Jonathan Greenard, EDGE, Florida 71. New England Patriots: Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma 72. Arizona Cardinals: Matt Peart, OT, Connecticut 73. Jacksonville Jaguars: Kyle Dugger, S, Lenoir-Rhyne 74. Cleveland Browns: Malik Harrison, LB, Ohio State 75. Indianapolis Colts: Adam Trautman, TE, Dayton 76. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ashtyn Davis, S, Cal 77. Denver Broncos: Amik Robertson, CB, Louisiana Tech 78. Atlanta Falcons: Matt Hennessy, IOL, Temple 79. New York Jets: Bradlee Anae, EDGE, Utah 80. Las Vegas Raiders: Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia 81. Las Vegas Raiders: Jordan Elliott, IDL, Missouri 82. Dallas Cowboys: Justin Madubuike, IDL, Texas A&M 83. Denver Broncos: Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB, Appalachian State 84. Los Angeles Rams: Troy Pride Jr., CB, Notre Dame 85. Detroit Lions: Zack Moss, RB, Utah 86. Buffalo Bills: Darrell Taylor, EDGE, Tennessee 87. New England Patriots: Terrell Burgess, S, Utah 88. New Orleans Saints: Troy Dye, LB, Oregon 89. Minnesota Vikings: Prince Tega Wanogho, OT, Auburn 90. Houston Texans: Ben Bartch, OT, St. John's (Minn.) 91. Las Vegas Raiders: James Lynch, IDL, Baylor 92. Baltimore Ravens: Bryan Edwards, WR, South Carolina 93. Tennessee Titans: Jabari Zuniga, EDGE, Florida 94. Green Bay Packers: Logan Wilson, LB, Wyoming 95. Denver Broncos: Raekwon Davis, IDL, Alabama 96. Kansas City Chiefs: Darnay Holmes, CB, UCLA 97. Cleveland Browns: Devin Duvernay, WR, Texas 98. New England Patriots: Van Jefferson, WR, Florida 99. New York Giants: Tyler Biadasz, IOL, Wisconsin 100. New England Patriots: Jonah Jackson, IOL, Ohio State 101. Seattle Seahawks: Damien Lewis, IOL, LSU 102. Pittsburgh Steelers: Davon Hamilton, IDL, Ohio State 103. Philadelphia Eagles: K.J. Hill, WR, Ohio State 104. Los Angeles Rams: Netane Muti, IOL, Fresno State 105. Minnesota Vikings: Khalid Kareem, EDGE, Notre Dame 106. Baltimore Ravens: Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Michigan Tonight is the key night as the teams that choose well in the 2nd and 3rd rounds are the teams that stay good long term. We'll do our pick chat on here tonight for those of you interested in chatting with us.
Comments
|
NFL ChattersArchives
January 2022
CategoriesOur sister sites:
NCAA Chatters ncaachatters.weebly.com/ Patriots Place patriots-place.weebly.com/ MLB Chatters mlbchatters.weebly.com/ Garbage Time garbage-time.weebly.com/ |