Buffalo Bills
50. Ronald Darby CB Florida St.
81. John Miller OG Louisville
155. Karlos Williams RB Florida St
188. Tony Steward OLB Clemson
194. Nick O’Leary TE Florida St.
234. Dez Lewis WR Central Arkansas
Immediate Impact: WR Sammy Watkins
The Bills didn’t have a first round pick in 2015 because they traded it to Cleveland last year to move up and draft Sammy Watkins. Watkins had a solid rookie year on a team that had a less than stellar offense. I’m fairly certain Watkins would be a much bigger playmaker if he had a great QB throwing to him and whether Matt Cassel is an upgrade or not over the now retired Kyle Orton he isn’t going to morph into a great QB. Watkins already made an immediate impact and he’s poised to be their #1 WR for years to come now they just need a legitimate QB.
Best Value: RB Karlos Williams
Williams is a 6’1 230 lbs. beast that should make a nice complement to LeSean McCoy and he should fit new offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s scheme pretty well. Roman made a living having Frank Gore run everyone over in San Francisco and while McCoy is a more multifaceted player Williams’ style is running through people. Williams has some red flags both on and off the field and he wasn’t always a RB at Florida St. but he’s just scratching the surface and if Rex Ryan can keep him in line he’s a steal at #155 overall.
Sleeper: CB Ronald Darby
It may seem strange to pick the Bills’ first pick (their second rounder) as a sleeper but the Bills aren’t getting a lot of credit on the Darby choice because he probably isn’t going to contribute much this year unless there’s an injury. The Bills have Stephon Gilmore, Leodis McKelvin and Corey Graham at CB but there are issues with each of them. Gilmore just had his fifth year option picked up but he could price himself out of Buffalo if he has a good year. McKelvin and Graham are both pushing 30 years old and McKelvin has a tendency to get hurt. Darby may only be the fourth CB this year but he could easily be starting two years from now opposite Gilmore or in place of him.
Overall Analysis:
The Bills only had six picks and when you don’t have a lot of choices you can’t afford to miss on any of them. They did pretty well but there isn’t a lot of room for error. While CB wasn’t their top need Darby was a solid selection in round 2. OG John Miller wasn’t a flashy pick (guards rarely are) he could earn playing time due to his strength and the Bills need to improve inside to aid their running game. If Rex Ryan and Greg Roman want a power running game Miller fits the bill and Williams will get more carries then most will expect. OLB Tony Steward adds depth at a position where they need it. TE Nick O’Leary looks a lot like free agent signee Charles Clay minus the athleticism. O’Leary isn’t going to wow anyone but he can make the team by playing TE, fullback, H-back and working his tail off on special teams. The choice of WR Dez Lewis is a team taking a shot on a small school player and while the Bills WR corps looks solid with Watkins, Percy Harvin, Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin not a single one of them is over 6’1. Lewis is 6’4 so he could bring a dimension they don’t have.
Miami Dolphins
14. DeVante Parker WR Louisville
20. Jordan Phillips DT Oklahoma
114. Jamil Douglas OG Arizona St.
145. Bobby McCain CB Memphis
149. Jay Ajayi RB Boise St.
150. Ced Thompson S Minnesota
156. Tony Lippett WR/CB Michigan St.
Immediate Impact: WR DeVante Parker
My second least favorite part of the draft (the least favorite is coming up) was watching a team that might actually be able to compete with the Patriots get a guy that can kill the Patriots. Parker is big, fast and talented and he will make Ryan Tannehill a much better QB. Parker can line up outside, opposite Kenny Stills with Jarvis Landry in the slot and teams can’t double cover them all. Greg Jennings signed with the Dolphins because he thought he’d have a chance to play but now he’s the wily old veteran 4th WR if he makes the roster.
Best Value: RB Jay Ajayi
Ajayi lasted until the fifth round because teams had questions about the longevity of his knees. Well the Dolphins need to win now if head coach Joe Philbin wants to stick around so it doesn’t matter if Ajayi’s knees hold up down the line because he can help now. Lamar Miller played well last year behind a slightly improved line but he had no legitimate backup going into this season. Ajayi is going to help a lot and Miller is in a contract year so if the Dolphins don’t want to pay him they already have a replacement. Ajayi has great size and a fantastic skillset and getting a potential starting RB in the fifth round is very good value.
Sleeper: WR/CB Tony Lippett
Lippett mostly played WR at Michigan St. but he did get some action at CB and while his skills are very raw there he is almost 6’3 which makes him an intriguing possibility at CB. It will take some time and a lot of coaching but I think his physical gifts and natural athleticism will allow him to become a starting CB in a year or two. With WRs seemingly getting bigger every year having a 6’3 corner would be nice.
Overall Analysis:
The Dolphins drafted two of my favorite offensive players in this draft with DeVante Parker and Jay Ajayi and really improved their offense with these two. Parker is the type of #1 WR that can make a good QB great and Ajayi might be the steal of the draft. DT Jordan Phillips was a nice get in the second round, he has first round talent and fourth round ambition but there are only so many people on the planet that are 6’5 329 lbs. that can move like he can. The biggest knock on Phillips is that his motor doesn’t run all the time and he takes plays off but something tells me that might change when he lines up daily next to Ndamukong Suh. Suh is despised throughout the league for his style of play but no one ever accused him of slacking off or not giving full effort. The first time Phillips doesn’t go hard the coaches will be the least of his worries. OG Jamil Douglas gives them another option on the inside and they need competition there. Bobby McCain and Ced Thompson can add depth in the secondary and Lippett adds versatility if nothing else.
New England Patriots
32. Malcolm Brown DT Texas
64. Jordan Richards S Stanford
97. Geneo Grissom DE Oklahoma
101. Trey Flowers DE Arkansas
111. Tre Jackson OG Florida St.
131. Shaq Mason C/G Georgia Tech
166. Joe Cardona LS Navy
178. Matt Wells OLB Mississippi St.
202. AJ Derby TE Arkansas
247. Darryl Roberts CB Marshall
253. Xzavier Dickson DE Alabama
Immediate Impact: DT Malcolm Brown, OG Tre Jackson
The Patriots lost long time NT Vince Wilfork to the Texans after they cut him for salary cap purposes and then they were handed a gift at the end of the first round when Malcolm Brown was still available. It was such a great gift that not even Bill Belichick himself could trade the pick. Brown has a ton of different skills and can line up and do pretty much anything Belichick wants him to including replacing Wilfork. He’s a day one, no doubt starter and he’ll work very well with last year’s 1st round pick Dominique Easley. The interior of the offensive line had many issues to start last year and it wasn’t until they got healthy and had Bryan Stork, Ryan Wendell and Dan Connolly starting that things clicked. Connolly is gone but Tre Jackson is a fantastic replacement and the fact that he was a teammate at Florida St. with Stork hopefully means he’ll pick things up quickly and not miss a beat.
Best Value: DT Malcolm Brown
Brown was a legitimate candidate to be taken in the draft as early as Cleveland’s first pick at #12. He wasn’t a player that was going to excite every fan base because he’s not a big name and he doesn’t play a glamour position but for a team like the Patriots that actually needed a guy like him he’s gold. I usually go a little deeper in a draft for value but you can’t beat a legitimate top 15 prospect at an absolutely critical need at #32 overall.
Sleeper: OG/C Shaq Mason
Mason is a fantastic run blocker and he probably dropped to the fourth round only because he’s 6’1 and not 6’3-6’4. He’s strong and powerful but he needs to work on his pass blocking. He’s also versatile because he could play any of the three interior positions which makes him an ideal backup and very likely to make the roster. Last season when Stork got hurt the Patriots had to shuffle things but now Mason gives them a guy that can plug in if needed. Mason also gives the Patriots a possible replacement for Wendell if they decide to move on from him.
Overall Analysis:
The Patriots had a fantastic 1st round of the draft with Malcolm Brown and the 4th round of their draft was incredible too. The two potential starting guards in the fourth round was a smart move because they needed to get younger and improve their run blocking inside. DE Trey Flowers was also a nice pickup as their first 4th rounder. He is stout against the run and is a solid pass rusher and he can fit into multiple fronts and he’ll make an excellent backup for now because of his versatility. The rest of this draft is atrocious. I like Jordan Richards out of Stanford as a player, he’s smart and he could make a nice duo with Devin McCourty. He’s a better overall safety than Patrick Chung but taking him in the second round was completely unnecessary, he was a fourth round value. DE Geneo Grissom would have been a reach in round five and taking him in the third was ludicrous. Grissom looks great getting off the bus but he’s a complete wreck on the field. I love the story of the Patriots taking a player out of Navy but drafting a long snapper in round five is borderline crazy add in the fact that he may have a five year commitment to fulfill before he could start his career and you’re not getting great value there. Matt Wells, AJ Derby, Darryl Roberts and Xzavier Dickson are all good athletes that may have a chance in the NFL but they are all long shots to make the defending Super Bowl champs unless they can absolutely dominate on special teams.
New York Jets
6. Leonard Williams DE USC
37. Devin Smith WR Ohio St.
82. Lorenzo Mauldin OLB Louisville
103. Bryce Petty QB Baylor
152. Jarvis Harrison OG Texas A&M
223. Deon Simon DT Northwestern St.
Immediate Impact: DE Leonard Williams
The Jets picked sixth in the first round and somehow ended up with the best player in the draft. When the Washington Redskins selected Brandon Scherff 5th overall I was overjoyed for him and completely pissed because I knew what was coming. Williams is a beast and he just joined the best defensive line in the league. DEs Sheldon Richardson and Muhammed Wilkerson and NT Damon Harrison are the cornerstone of the Jets defense and now they have added Williams and are being coached by new head man Todd Bowles. Williams will rotate at DE with both Richardson and Wilkerson (unless the Jets make the boneheaded move of trading Wilkerson) and while he won’t play as many snaps as a lot of guys that just means he’ll be fresher and cause more havoc. Oh and he’s skilled enough that if they need him to he could play some NT to give Harrison a break.
Best Value: DE Leonard Williams
I just debated this in my head because how is the 6th overall pick great value when you have to use the 6th pick to get him, well when he’s the best player in the draft and you can sit at #6 and still get him that’s great value. Five years from now when people look back on this draft and see the player Williams has become they are going to ask “How did he last until 6th?” He might be the next JJ Watt.
Sleeper: OLB Lorenzo Mauldin
I’ve been beating the Mauldin drum for a few weeks and of course he went to the team I hate the most. He couldn’t have ended up in better spot because head coach Todd Bowles knows how to coach pass rushers and veteran OLB Calvin Pace is still around and he could be a good guy to learn from but Pace also needs someone to take a lot of snaps to keep him fresh. Mauldin is going to be my dark horse candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year because he’s an excellent pass rusher, he should get plenty of playing time even if he doesn’t start and he plays behind the best defensive line in football.
Overall Analysis:
I said before that when you don’t have a lot of picks you don’t have a lot of room for error and the Jets just had a draft with not a lot of picks and absolutely no errors. I could write another 1000 words about Williams but it’s depressing me because he’s a Jet and I could probably do 500 more words on Mauldin but I don’t feel like torturing myself. WR Devin Smith is a phenomenal deep ball catcher and wouldn’t you know it the Jets need one. Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker are big-bodied guys that don’t have great deep speed and Jeremy Kerley has never beaten anyone deep. Smith adds a dimension the offense needs. OG Jarvis Harrison is huge and he isn’t a very fluid athlete but the Jets are counting on Willie Colon at one guard spot and he’s not getting any younger, Harrison could be his eventual replacement. Now we get to the one guy that could really ruin it for me, QB Bryce Petty. My saving grace after looking at the Jets defense, which looks really good on paper, is the fact that the Jets have Geno Smith and Ryan Fitzpatrick at QB. Those two don’t scare me at all, although Smith might be better with Devin Smith around because he hasn’t had a deep threat yet in his career (Stephen Hill didn’t count because he couldn’t catch). People say Petty has a long way to go to be an NFL QB but for the Jets that bar is a lot lower. Marshall, Decker, Kerley and Smith (Devin not Geno) could make for a nice WR corps that a QB like Petty could manage. If Geno doesn’t win the job early watch out for Petty because giving him a chance is a better bet than wasting another year watching Geno implode. Watching the Dolphins draft DeVante Parker was the second worst moment of the draft, the Jets entire draft (especially the Williams and Mauldin picks) was easily the first.
The Hott Read 