Arizona Cardinals
29. Robert Nkemdiche DT Mississippi
92. Brandon Williams CB Texas A&M
128. Evan Boehm C Missouri
167. Marqui Christian SS Midwestern St.
170. Cole Toner OT Harvard
205. Harlan Miller CB Southeastern Louisiana
Immediate Impact: DT Robert Nkemdiche, C Evan Boehm
Nkemdiche will have the chance to play at multiple positions both as a DE and NT in the Cardinals 3-4 defense. Rodney Gunter was a find last season as a NT but they need a backup and Frostee Rucker is nothing special at DE so Nkemdiche could take over that spot. Boehm is highly likely to take the starting C job from A.Q. Shipley who is a career backup.
Best Value: C Evan Boehm
One of the reasons why you have to be quite exceptional at C to get drafted very high is because there are many capable centers later in the draft like Boehm. Getting a starting offensive lineman at a position of need with the 128th pick in the draft is the definition of value.
Sleeper: CB Brandon Williams
This pick felt like a bit of a reach at the end of the third round because Williams is a converted RB that has only played CB for a year. The thing is he is an exception athlete that could turn out to be a heck of a CB. He has good size but is extremely raw, however, if he can develop his skills he could be quite a find.
Overall Analysis
The Cardinals took a shot on Nkemdiche because he’s a physical freak with great talent and they have a history of keeping knuckleheads like him on the straight and narrow and if they can harness his talent they got a steal. He needs to keep his nose clean and stay motivated for that pick to pay off. I can’t knock the team for not getting a better outside pass rusher because they traded their 2nd round pick for Chandler Jones and he fits the bill very nicely. Williams may have been a bit of a reach but when your roster is pretty solid you can take a flyer once in a while. Boehm is an immediate starter and fills the one big hole they have on offense while Cole Toner is a smart OT that should make for a nice swing tackle option. Marqui Christian and Harlan Miller will come in and compete in camp but the Cardinals’ secondary is pretty solid so they might find it hard to make the roster.
Los Angeles Rams
1. Jared Goff QB California
110. Tyler Higbee TE Western Kentucky
117. Pharoh Cooper WR South Carolina
177. Temarrick Hemingway TE South Carolina St.
190. Josh Forrest ILB Kentucky
206. Mike Thomas WR Southern Mississippi
Immediate Impact: QB Jared Goff
Well he better make an immediate impact or trading away all of those picks to get him will seem foolish. The Rams have a solid defense and a top notch RB but they need a QB to make it all go. Goff will have a bit of a transition moving from his shotgun style spread attack to a pro style game with a heavy run influence but he should still beat out Case Keenum and if he doesn’t Jeff Fisher will be looking for a new job come January.
Best Value: WR Pharoh Cooper
Cooper was overshadowed in this draft class because there were a number of good WR rated similarly to him. He also played on a South Carolina team this last season that didn’t exactly make the most of his talents. He’s not the tallest WR but he’s well-built and has talent. He will make the Rams roster pretty easily, there isn’t a ton of competition, and he might develop right alongside Jared Goff for the future.
Sleeper: WR Mike Thomas
Not to be confused with Michael Thomas of Ohio St. this one is from Southern Miss and he was highly productive there. The Rams have Kenny Britt and Tavon Austin and now Cooper but Thomas knows how to get open and he has nice size which means he could impress pretty easily compared to his competition and become a weapon for Goff.
Overall Analysis
Obviously this draft leans heavily on Goff and I think he will do well because even though he is the #1 pick they are not leaning the franchise on him, it’s Todd Gurley’s team at the moment. Goff is a smart player who will do what he needs to do to make the transition and if he can find some weapons he will excel. TE Tyler Higbee could be one of those weapons but he has a big off-the-field issue to deal with, an assault charge. If he gets through that he could be quite important as the Rams TE depth is pretty lacking. The Rams continued their draft strategy of getting Goff some help with Cooper, Thomas and TE Temmarick Hemingway and like I said the TE group isn’t great. The one defensive player they took, LB Josh Forrest, is a developmental player that probably won’t make much of a difference.
San Francisco 49ers
7. DeForest Buckner DE Oregon
28. Joshua Garnett OG Stanford
68. Will Redmond CB Mississippi St.
133. Rashard Robinson CB LSU
142. Ronald Blair DE Appalachian St.
145. John Theus OT Georgia
174. Fahn Cooper OT Mississippi
207. Jeff Driskel QB Louisiana Tech
211. Kelvin Taylor RB Florida
213. Aaron Burbridge WR Michigan St.
249. Prince Charles Iworah CB Western Kentucky
Immediate Impact: DE DeForest Buckner, OG Joshua Garnett
The lines used to be a strength of the 49ers but they aren’t at the moment. Buckner is a star and he’ll be better than his former Oregon teammate and last year’s rookie Arik Armstead. He will be a starter in short order and one of the best players on a rebuilding defense. I’ll get to my thoughts on trading up for Joshua Garnett later but he’s an immediate starter at OG after they lost Alex Boone in free agency and aren’t exactly teeming with talent at the position.
Best Value: DE Ronald Blair
He’s a small school player from Appalachian St. but he’s a talent. He should fit well in the 49ers defense and he was a very good prospect to get at 142nd overall. The defense could use some new blood up front and Buckner and Blair are a solid start.
Sleeper: WR Aaron Burbridge
Anquan Boldin is a free agent that hasn’t been re-signed leaving deep threat Torrey Smith as the only proven player at WR. Burbridge doesn’t wow you with his physical skills but he has a great knack for getting open and making tough catches. He will be a favorite of whomever wins the QB job.
Overall Analysis
The Buckner pick was fantastic but it was blunted by the decision to trade a couple of picks to move back into the end of the 1st round to grab an OG. Garnett is a nice player but the 49ers could have waited for him or even gotten a different OG in the second round. The middle round choices of CBs Will Redmond and Rashard Robinson were peculiar because Redmond is coming off an ACL tear and Robinson was suspended last year at LSU, a bit high for both guys. OTs Theus and Cooper should add depth and competition on the offensive line. QB Driskell is a solid choice but he really only muddles the Blain Gabbert/Colin Kaepernick competition because he might be a better choice. RB Kelvin Taylor is talented player that can’t stay healthy, he should fit right in. The seventh round CB isn’t making the roster.
Seattle Seahawks
31. Germain Ifedi OT Texas A&M
49. Jarran Reed DT Alabama
90. CJ Prosise RB Notre Dame
94. Nick Vannett TE Ohio St.
97. Rees Odhiambo OG Boise St.
147. Quinton Jefferson DT Maryland
171. Alex Collins RB Arkansas
215. Joey Hunt C TCU
243. Kenny Lawler WR California
247. Zac Brooks RB Clemson
Immediate Impact: OT Germain Ifedi, DT Jarran Reed
Ifedi isn’t my favorite OT in this draft but he’s far better than anything they have on the roster and he give Tom Cable some talent to work with. He may be a better RT long term but he could hold down the left side next season if need be. Reed is an immediate replacement for free agent defection Brandon Mebane at DT. He’s a versatile player which will make him quite valuable to the Seahawks defense.
Best Value: RB Alex Collins
Collins is the perfect RB for the Seahawks power running game and I like his fit better than third round pick CJ Prosise, I like Prosise too but Collins could actually replace Marshawn Lynch and make Thomas Rawls recovery from his ankle injury less important.
Sleeper: DT Quinton Jefferson
Reed is the obvious choice to step into Mebane’s shoes but the Seahawks are a little short at DT and Ahtyba Rubin isn’t getting any younger. Jefferson can bring pressure from inside and he should make for a great rotational player right away. He could team with Reed as the starting duo in the future.
Overall Analysis
Ifedi and Reed addressed two major needs right away. Collins is the right fit at RB but CJ Prosise is a talented player too and he’ll bring a different skill set which should help the offense. TE Nick Vannett could be a nice complement to Jimmy Graham and if Graham gets banged up again Vannett is a better alternative than they have had in the past. Odhiambo and Hunt are developmental interior offensive line players that the team hopes Tom Cable can turn into contributors. WR Kenny Lawler and RB Zac Brooks probably aren’t making the team which is understandable for two 7th round picks trying to make a playoff team.
The Hott Read 