Baltimore Ravens
26. Breshad Perriman WR UCF
55. Maxx Williams TE Minnesota
90. Carl Davis DT Iowa
122. Za’Darius Smith DE Kentucky
125. Buck Allen RB USC
136. Tray Walker CB Texas Southern
171. Nick Boyle TE Delaware
176. Robert Myers OG Tennessee St.
204. Darren Waller WR Georgia Tech
Immediate Impact: WR Breshad Perriman, TE Maxx Williams
The Ravens made the wise decision to not overpay Torrey Smith but it meant they had to get some WR help in the draft; enter Breshad Perriman. Perriman was a little overshadowed by Amari Cooper, Kevin White and DeVante Parker until he broke out at his pro day. His blazing fast 40 time made him all the rage and he vaulted up the draft boards, luckily for everyone the hype settled down and he went later in the first round where he belonged. He needs a chance to settle in and learn and now he gets to learn from Steve Smith and provide Joe Flacco with a deep receiver, as always the Ravens did well. Maxx Williams was a steal because no one is certain of Dennis Pitta’s long-term status and Williams can step in and start if need be. He’s not going to be the next Jimmy Graham but he might be the next Jason Witten. As always the Ravens did well.
Best Value: DT Carl Davis
The Ravens do the best job every year of consistently getting good value at almost every pick. It’s hard to pick one so I’m going with Davis. He was a potential late first rounder and getting him in the third is highway robbery. The one knock on Davis is that he takes plays off and he really didn’t do a great job of convincing teams he won’t be that way in the pros but I have another prospective. When Davis got to Iowa he was a big kid that was soft and just used his sheer size but over his first couple of years he transformed his body from a soft overweight kid to a powerful man. He’s going to be fantastic in Baltimore’s system because he can move around on the line and give them many looks. The Ravens did well.
Sleeper: RB Buck Allen
I debated putting Za’Darius Smith or Nick Boyle here but Allen could make a difference sooner than either one of them. The Ravens resigned Justin Forsett but until last season he hadn’t really accomplished much other than being a reliable backup. If Forsett’s season was a one year wonder Allen could step in and make a huge difference. New offensive coordinator Marc Trestman likes backs with skills like Matt Forte had for him in Chicago and that’s Allen. If Forsett falters or doesn’t react well after having so many carries last year I’d put my money on Allen to step into the lead back role. Again, well done.
Overall Analysis:
The Ravens are the best drafting team in the league and they have been since they have been in Baltimore. I always seem to like their drafts and this year is no exception. Perriman fills a huge need, Williams too and he was a steal, Davis was such great value, Za’Darius Smith is the type of player they get and turn into a good contributor and Buck Allen is a fourth rounder that has starting ability. Two guys they took late that I like are TE Nick Boyle and WR Darren Waller. Boyle was a small school TE with great athleticism that can develop behind Williams and I suppose if you’re going to take a shot in the 6th round you might as well take it on a 6’6 240 lbs. receiver, Waller, you might strike gold. My only question here would be that they had nine picks and the only defensive back they took was a raw CB out of a small school Tray Walker. Their secondary could have used some help and someone that could have helped a little sooner. But like I said, they did well.
Cincinnati Bengals
21. Cedric Ogbuehi OT Texas A&M
53. Jake Fisher OT Oregon
85. Tyler Kroft TE Rutgers
99. Paul Dawson LB TCU
120. Josh Shaw DB USC
135. Marcus Hardison DT Arizona St.
157. CJ Uzomah TE Auburn
197. Derron Smith S Fresno St.
238. Mario Alford WR West Virginia
Immediate Impact: TE Tyler Kroft
The Bengals need help at TE as Tyler Eifert is pretty much all they have and he’s coming off an injury. Eifert isn’t known for his blocking regardless of his health and Kroft can actually excel there. A team that has Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard at RB and Andy Dalton at QB should be looking to run more so while Kroft isn’t going to put up big numbers or get noticed much I think he contributes quite a bit this year and makes an impact.
Best Value: LB Paul Dawson
Dawson was the 99th pick and he is a starting caliber middle LB so it’s hard to argue with the value there. The Bengals don’t appear to need Dawson right now but starting MLB Rey Maualuga is a limited player and free agent signee AJ Hawk isn’t any better. Maualuga has the experience but Dawson will eventually unseat him.
Sleeper: DB Josh Shaw
Shaw is best known for idiotic lie he told last year when he injured himself and tried to pretend he was a hero (Google it if you want to know more) but he’s actually a pretty solid prospect. He played CB and safety in college but he’s probably best suited to be a FS and Reggie Nelson isn’t getting any younger. Shaw could eventually replace Nelson and I think he’ll make a pretty solid safety.
Overall Analysis:
The Bengals are so good their first two draft picks were for the future and not a single player in this draft is needed to start this year. I never thought I would write that sentence. I’m not a huge Cedric Ogbuehi fan but I see some of the skills and physical gifts that make teams think he can be a future LT. He’ll spend the season rehabbing his ACL injury and there is no pressure for him to play this year. Jake Fisher could certainly contribute but with LT Andrew Whitworth, RT Andre Smith and backup OT Eric Winston around he probably won’t be needed. There is a chance Winston could call it a career and Fisher becomes the swing tackle but it’s remote. Kroft, Dawson and Shaw can all contribute as backups and on special teams but they are unlikely to be needed otherwise. TE CJ Uzomah could make the team simply because of a lack of depth at TE and his ability to be used as an H-back. Alford only makes the team if he’s an unbelievable return man and the Bengals can actually afford to carry someone for that specific role. S Derron Smith was one of my underrated guys and if Josh Shaw finds a place at CB instead of safety Smith may be Nelson’s eventual replacement. He’s a ball hawk and playmaker so don’t count him out.
Cleveland Browns
12. Danny Shelton DT Washington
19. Cameron Erving C Florida St.
51. Nate Orchard OLB Utah
77. Duke Johnson RB Miami
96. Xavier Cooper DT Washington St.
115. Ibraheim Campbell S Northwestern
123. Vince Mayle WR Washington St.
189. Charles Gaines CB Louisville
195. Malcolm Johnson TE Mississippi St.
198. Randall Telfer TE USC
219. Hayes Pullard ILB USC
241. Ifo Ekpre-Olomu CB Oregon
Immediate Impact: DT Danny Shelton, OL Cameron Erving
The Browns need help on both lines but getting a run-stuffing NT was priority #1 given how bad they were stopping the run last year. Shelton is a whole lot of man to plug into the middle and he’s far more athletic than someone his size should be. He will make the entire front seven better just being on the field. Erving was an interesting choice for the Browns given the fact that his best position is probably C and they already have Alex Mack but Erving has versatility. He could take over at RT or inside at OG depending on where they need him. This may have been the Browns way of hedging their bet with Mack coming off an injury and having an out clause in his contract coming up but Erving will help somewhere next season.
Best Value: RB Duke Johnson
Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West were solid rookies last year and they could form a nice duo but Johnson may make it a trio. He’s not big so he probably isn’t going to be an every down back but he has skills that Crowell and West don’t have and depending on the offense they run he may fit better. He’s a talented RB and getting him in round three was good value.
Sleepers: OLB Nate Orchard, DT Xavier Cooper, CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (not this year)
Orchard is a DE/OLB that is more comfortable rushing with his hand on the ground but he’ll be a stand-up OLB for the Browns. He was a highly productive player at Utah and he has superior pass rush skills compared to Barkevious Mingo. Orchard could steal the OLB job from Mingo. Cooper is a good pick and on the Browns line that was less than stellar last year he could make some noise. Cleveland signed veteran Randy Starks and they have Desmond Bryant but Cooper could make for a nice rotation player. Ekpre-Olomu would have been a second or third rounder if he hadn’t torn up his knee during practices for the College Football Playoff games. He will sit out this season rehabbing but he’s a natural corner with great instincts and fluid movement that won’t be out worked by anyone. The Browns spent a 2014 1st round pick on Justin Gilbert and they were less than enthused with his work as a rookie. They are hoping for a turnaround in year two but if I were a betting man I would bet Ekpre-Olomu is a starting CB for the Browns in two years not Gilbert.
Overall Analysis:
Shelton, Erving, Orchard, Johnson and Cooper should all contribute this season and that’s a pretty solid haul in one draft. The Browns aren’t exactly stacked at safety so fourth round pick Ibraheim Campbell could see some action too. They drafted two blocking TEs in Malcolm Johnson and Randall Telfer so that could help the running game. There was one big issue the Browns didn’t address and that was the passing game. They didn’t grab a WR until they got Vince Mayle in round four and while he has nice size he isn’t exactly an upgrade over the middling veterans they signed in free agency. They also didn’t address a pass-catching TE to replace the departed Jordan Cameron leaving veteran Rob Housler that job. I suppose when you’re trotting out either Josh McCown or Johnny Maziel at QB you must figure it doesn’t matter who’s running the routes.
Pittsburgh Steelers
22. Bud Dupree OLB Kentucky
56. Senquez Golson CB Mississippi
87. Sammie Coates WR Auburn
121. Doran Grant CB Ohio St.
160. Jesse James TE Penn St.
199. Leterius Walton DT Central Michigan
212. Anthony Chickillo DE Miami
239. Gerod Holliman S Louisville
Immediate Impact: OLB Bud Dupree, CB Senquez Golson
The Steelers are counting on an aging James Harrison, an ineffective Jarvis Jones and an unspectacular Arthur Moats at OLB so while Bud Dupree will need some refinement he won’t find playing time hard to come by. Dupree is a gifted athlete with great size and this is a perfect situation for him. The only position worse off for the Steelers than OLB is CB and while Golson isn’t the biggest CB he is tough and talented. He’s an upgrade over their current depth chart and he’ll be starting sooner rather than later.
Best Value: OLB Bud Dupree
Dupree had been climbing the draft boards late in the process due to his combination of size and athleticism but he slipped a bit because teams addressed other needs. The Steelers could not have expected him to fall to their pick at 22 and had to be ecstatic when he was there. He could have been a top 10 pick and no one would have questioned it so #22 overall is good value.
Sleepers: CB Doran Grant, S Gerod Holliman
I said CB was worse off than OLB but it’s actually the entire secondary that needs help. Cortez Allen was benched last season and William Gay isn’t getting any younger or any better so the door is open for Senquez Golson and fourth round pick Doran Grant. Grant is more cerebral and more technician than he is athlete but he has starting ability and he certainly can’t be much worse than what the team has had the last few years. Troy Polamalu’s retirement is a blessing in disguise because his play had fallen off quite a bit. Holliman isn’t replacing Polamalu, that job falls to Shamarko Thomas for now, but the Steelers could use a playmaker in the secondary and that’s all Holliman does. He’s a horrific tackler but he can cover and he makes great plays on the ball which is why he had 14 INTs last season. The Steelers could use that kind of ball hawk.
Overall Analysis:
Dupree, Golson, Grant and Holliman should all contribute to a defense that needs an infusion of youth and talent. Leterius Walton and Anthony Chickillo are interesting developmental prospects that I really like. Walton is long and powerful and he could develop into a very good five-technique DE in a couple of years. Chickillo is a bit of a tweener and teams weren’t sure if he should be a DE or a DT so he fell in the draft. The Steelers might be best served by having him slim down a bit and trying him at OLB. He may not be a great edge rusher but he can be a solid backup and a good run stuffer at that position. While the Steelers rightfully concentrated on their defense their two offensive picks have a chance to really work out. WR Sammie Coates drops too many passes but he was definitely worth the 3rd round pick they spent on him. He brings a different look with his size and physicality and while he’s at best going to compete for the 3rd WR spot he has potential down the road. TE Jesse James isn’t a fluid athlete and he’s not a natural pass catcher but he’s 6’7 261 lbs. and has potential. The Steelers depth chart has Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth at the top and neither one is a spring chicken so James is a nice developmental prospect.
The Hott Read 