Dallas Cowboys
16. Zack Martin OT Notre Dame
34. Demarcus Lawrence DE Boise St.
119. Anthony Hitchens OLB Iowa
146. Devin Street WR Pittsburgh
231. Ben Gardner DE Stanford
238. Will Smith ILB Texas Tech
248. Ahmad Dixon S Baylor
251. Ken Bishop DT Northern Illinois
254. Terrance Mitchell CB Oregon
Immediate Impact: OL Zack Martin, DE Demarcus Lawrence
Martin is a versatile lineman and he could line up at RT or inside at OG and Cowboys have needs in both spots. Martin may have the chance to unseat veteran RT Doug Free but if Free holds him off he can start inside at guard and he’ll be a major upgrade there. The Cowboys traded up in round 2 to grab Lawrence, the pass rusher out of Boise St. They desperately need someone to get pressure and Lawrence is one of the better pass rushers in this draft he should have no problem getting playing time, forget that he’s a starter.
Best Value: OL Zack Martin
The Cowboys needed help on their offensive line and when Taylor Lewan went 11th overall there was a chance Martin wouldn’t make to #16 but they waited and ended up not have to reach for a need. Martin’s versatility will come in handy and the Cowboys didn’t have move up to get the guy they wanted.
Sleepers: LB Anthony Hitchens, WR Devin Street, CB Terrence Mitchell
The Cowboys have a nice starting unit of Justin Durant, Sean Lee and Bruce Carter at LB but all three of those guys have missed time in the past and they don’t have much depth. Hitchens was a tackling machine in college and he is a good enough athlete to fill in at any of the spots. Street was Tom Savage’s big play guy at Pitt last year and while the ‘Boys have Dez Bryant and Terrance Williams starting Street will give Dwayne Harris and Cole Beasley a run for their money backing them up. Mitchell was a steal in the seventh round, he was the forgotten man at Oregon and he may only be a fifth CB this year but down the road he could be a good nickel guy for them.
Overall Analysis:
The fact that Jerry Jones didn’t snag Johnny Manziel at #16 overall makes this draft a winner for the Cowboys. While Tony Romo is 34 years old grabbing Manziel would have been a luxury pick and getting Romo a new blocker was a far better choice. The choice of Lawrence addressed a huge need and even though they had to trade up to do it I think Lawrence will prove worthy of the cost. Hitchens is going to surprise people down the line and until then he can make his way on special teams but if Bruce Carter or Justin Durant miss time Hitchens will be a natural replacement. Devin Street is still a bit raw but he will make this team’s WR corps. Ahmad Dixon and Terrance Mitchell add depth to the secondary. They could have used a little more help on the defensive line besides Lawrence and I don’t think DE Gardner and DT Bishop are going to push the veterans that are just hanging on.
New York Giants
12. Odell Beckham Jr. WR LSU
43. Weston Richburg OC Colorado St.
74. Jay Bromley DT Syracuse
113. Andre Williams RB Boston College
152. Nat Berhe S San Diego St.
174. Devon Kennard OLB USC
187. Bennett Jackson CB Notre Dame
Immediate Impact: WR Odell Beckham Jr, C Weston Richburg
Beckham will step right in to the spot vacated by Hakeem Nicks and he will take a lot of pressure off of Victor Cruz. The Giants like Rueben Randle too but they needed another outside WR to allow Cruz to continue in the slot where he excels. Richburg is a technician at center and he will beat out veteran free agent JD Walton who was signed in the offseason.
Best Value: RB Andre Williams
Williams was a Heisman finalist last year after a stellar season at Boston College and while he isn’t a pass catching threat he is a powerful runner they can use to take some pressure off of Eli Manning and the passing game. The Giants dealt with a lot of injury problems (Andre Brown, David Wilson) and underachieving (Wilson again) last year so they signed Rashad Jennings who was good in spots for the Raiders. Jennings has never been the full-time starter anywhere so Williams is their way of hedging their bet.
Sleepers: DT Jay Bromley, LB Devon Kennard
The Giants have a way of finding talent on the defensive line and they need help on the interior and Bromley is a run-stuffing demon. Cullen Jenkins and Mike Patterson aren’t getting any younger and Jonathan Hankins didn’t do much last year so Bromley can come in and contribute. The Giants never invest high draft picks in linebackers and that’s why they don’t have much home grown talent at the position. Kennard lined up all over the front seven at USC so his versatility will serve him well and he might just find a place to play.
Overall Analysis:
I love the choices of Beckham, Richburg, Bromley and Williams and they got good value out of each of those picks. The one glaring omission here is the offensive line. Richburg is an immediate starter but where’s the rest of the help? The Giants didn’t have a lot of picks but they had one major need and that was to upgrade a line that was terrible last year. Eli Manning has proven to be a very good QB but he can’t be one while lying on his back.
Philadelphia Eagles
26. Marcus Smith OLB Louisville
42. Jordan Matthews WR Vanderbilt
86. Josh Huff WR Oregon
101. Jaylen Watkins CB Florida
141. Taylor Hart DE Oregon
162. Ed Reynolds S Stanford
224. Beau Allen DT Wisconsin
Immediate Impact: OLB Marcus Smith, WR Jordan Matthews, WR Josh Huff
The Eagles reached for Marcus Smith in the first round but he’ll immediately help them as a pass rushing OLB. Trent Cole is miscast in the Eagles 3-4 defense, Connor Barwin isn’t much of pass rusher and Brandon Graham has been a bust, they hope Smith can reverse their fortunes. DeSean Jackson was released so the Eagles need someone opposite Riley Cooper and while they hope the return of Jeremy Maclin will solve the problem they got Matthews who is ready to contribute on day one. Jason Avant has been their slot receiver for some time but he has moved on and Josh Huff is poised to take his place. He’s small and shifty which is just what he needs to be.
Best Value: WR Jordan Matthews
I’m a huge fan of Matthews and getting him #42 overall is a steal. He’s polished and he’ll pick up the offense quickly. If Maclin’s injury lingers Matthews will step right in.
Sleeper: S Ed Reynolds
The Eagles signed Malcolm Jenkins in the offseason because their secondary was a mess last season especially at safety. Reynolds is a heady player that could pair with Jenkins to give the Eagles a major upgrade at the position.
Overall Analysis:
I understand that the Eagles had to get a pass rushing OLB but they reached quite a bit for Marcus Smith in the first round. I didn’t see anywhere where he was rated as a first or even second round guy. He’ll play for them but they didn’t get a lot of value there because he would have been available later. He’s a terrific athlete but he will be making a transition from DE so he’ll just be a pass rusher to begin with. I love this draft after Smith though. Matthews and Huff are great choices while CB Jaylen Watkins and Reynolds add some nice pieces to a bad secondary. DE Taylor Hart is a known commodity to Chip Kelly and a perfect fit as a five-technique end in the 3-4 defense. Beau Allen could be just what they are looking for as a NT and at the very least he adds great depth. If Smith pans out this could be a huge draft for the franchise.
Washington Redskins
47. Trent Murphy OLB Stanford
66. Morgan Moses OT Virginia
78. Spencer Long OG Nebraska
102. Bashaud Breeland CB Clemson
142. Ryan Grant WR Tulane
186. Lache Seastrunk RB Baylor
217. Ted Bolser TE Indiana
228. Zach Hocker K Arkansas
Immediate Impact: OT Morgan Moses, OG Spencer Long
One of the major reasons RGIII and Alfred Morris both regressed from their amazing rookie campaigns was the poor play of the Redskins offensive line. Morgan Moses will step right in at RT to replace the unimpressive Tyler Polumbus and Spencer Long will push newly signed free agent Shawn Lauvoa or veteran Chris Chester out of their guard spot. These two additions should have a major impact on the health of RGIII and the effectiveness of Alfred Morris
Best Value: RT Morgan Moses
Morgan Moses was taken early in the third round and I thought he had a chance of getting pushed up into the first round because of the lack of quality players at the tackle position. Getting a starting tackle in the third round is the definition of value.
Sleepers: CB Bashaud Breeland, RB Lache Seastrunk
DeAngelo Hall is 30 years old and the Redskins have to start looking for his eventual replacement. Breeland left Clemson a year too early so he still has some maturing to do but eventually he could be a starting CB and if the Redskins have some patience he will pay off down the line. Seastrunk brings a different element than starter Alfred Morris and back up Roy Helu because he has incredible speed.
Overall Analysis:
The Trent Murphy pick in the second round looks a bit strange with Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan already lined up at OLB but Orakpo is on a one-year franchise player deal and the Redskins might not be able to pay both him and Kerrigan. Murphy is a relentless player and while he isn’t the athlete Orakpo is I wouldn’t bet against him. Love both Moses and Long although I though there were better guards on the board than Long (Gabe Jackson and Trai Turner for sure) when he was picked. Breeland and Seastrunk were solid value picks and TE Ted Bolser might be a steal too. The Redskins have Jordan Reed and Logan Paulsen but Bolser is a good athlete and a solid TE so if either of them go down he could step in and help. They also drafted a kicker and I have no idea if he can beat out their current kicker or not but it’s worth a try.
The Hott Read 