2017 AFC South Draft Review

2017 AFC South Draft Review

Houston Texans

• Deshaun Watson QB Clemson
• Zach Cunningham LB Vanderbilt
• D’Onta Foreman RB Texas
• Julie’n Davenport OT Bucknell
• Carlos Watkins DT Clemson
• Treston Decoud CB Oregon St.
• Kyle Fuller C Baylor

Immediate Impact:  QB Deshaun Watson, LB Zach Cunningham

There are plenty of people that think Watson will sit behind Tom Savage and learn this year but I don’t think that’s the case.  I like Savage more than most but this team was pretty good last year even with terrible QB play and they didn’t move up to get Watson so he could sit.  Watson will play and this team will go as far as he takes them.  Cunningham should slip into an ILB role on the 3-4 defense and he may be the end of Brian Cushing’s time with the Texans.

Best Value:  LB Zach Cunningham

Cunningham had first round talent and the Texans got him late in round 2.  He’s a guy that can be an immediate starter and impact player and getting him at #57 overall is a massive steal.

Sleeper:  OT Julie’n Davenport

This kid is long and talented but he needs to add some functional strength.  He may take a little time to gain that strength and get used to the competition level in the NFL but he’s loaded with potential.  He could play RT soon out of necessity but he may also be the eventual replacement for 32-year old LT Duane Brown.

Overall Analysis

It’s unfortunate that this draft will eventually be measured almost exclusively by the success or failure of Deshaun Watson because it’s a pretty solid draft.  I’m skeptical about Watson’s fit in Bill O’Brien’s offense but if he can adjust the offense to suit Watson’s abilities there is no telling where Watson can take them.  Cunningham is a star and he will lead this team in tackles next season and probably for the next 8-10 years.  Foreman is a power back that will take a lot of pressure off of Lamar Miller and make their running game a whole lot better.  This wasn’t a good offensive line draft and the Texans took the one OT prospect I think has a lot of potential as long as he isn’t thrown to the wolves immediately.  Davenport has a lot of the things you need to be a successful OT.  Watkins is joining a team that needs depth behind his former Clemson teammate DJ Reader at NT because of the loss of Vince Wilfork.  Watkins also has the versatility to fill in at DE if JJ Watt’s back acts up again.  Decoud is a big, raw CB prospect with a sketchy history so that may not work out so well.  Fuller adds depth to an offensive line that had too many injuries last year.  As a three-year starter at Baylor Fuller is probably better equipped to help out immediately than Davenport he just doesn’t have Davenport’s upside.

Indianapolis Colts

• Malik Hooker FS Ohio St.
• Quincy Wilson CB Florida
• Tarell Basham DE Ohio
• Zach Banner OG Southern California
• Marlon Mack RB South Florida
• Grover Stewart DT Albany St.
• Nate Hairston CB Temple
• Anthony Walker Jr. ILB Northwestern

Immediate Impact:  FS Malik Hooker, CB Quincy Wilson

The Colts secondary needs a major overhaul and Hooker and Wilson are a very good start to improving the talent.  Hooker will become the Ed Reed-like figure in Chuck Pagano’s defense and Wilson can take the starting CB job opposite Vontae Davis.  The Colts were in the bottom five in pass defense last season so these two are welcome additions.

Best Value:  LB Anthony Walker Jr.

I am clearly higher on Walker than teams were considering he fell to round 5 but he has starting ability and given the state of the Colts ILB group I think Walker can grab a starting job immediately.  Antonio Morrison and Sean Spence are just guys and Walker is a tackling machine.

Sleeper: OLB Tarell Basham

The Colts knew they needed to overhaul their OLB group so they brought in Jabaal Sheard, John Simon and are even taking a chance on Barkevious Mingo but Sheard is really the only one with a chance to be a good pass rusher.  Basham was a menace off the edge at Ohio as a DE and he’s perfectly suited to make the move to OLB.  He might start the year as the designated pass rusher but he has a higher upside than any of these other guys.

Overall Analysis

The Colts clearly understand that they have to fix their defense and Hooker, Wilson, Basham and Walker should all contribute heavily to doing so.  Stewart is a developmental prospect from a Div. II school but you can’t teach a guy to be 6’4 347 lbs. so he’s worth taking a chance on, the fourth round was a little high to take him considering there were other prospects at that point that could have helped sooner but to each his own.  CB Nate Hairston is also a raw prospect because he’s only been a CB for a year.  The two offensive players they took could help out, OG Zach Banner is a gigantic human being at 6’8 353 lbs. Banner adds depth on the offensive line and RB Marlon Mack can help out the running game.  Their running game was in the bottom half of the league and Frank Gore isn’t getting any younger and Robert Turbin scares no one.  Mack has a chance to at least earn some playing time.

Jacksonville Jaguars 

• Leonard Fournette RB LSU
• Cam Robinson OT Alabama
• Dawuane Smoot DE Illinois
• Dede Westbrook WR Oklahoma
• Blair Brown ILB Ohio
• Jalen Myrick CB Minnesota
• Marquez Williams FB Miami

Immediate Impact: RB Leonard Fournette, OT Cam Robinson

The Jaguars decided to make this draft about helping Blake Bortles not replacing him.  I’m admittedly not the biggest Fournette fan but he’s a far better player than TJ Yeldon and Chris Ivory combined.  Having a legitimate running game will go a long way toward making Bortles life easier.  The team traded for veteran LT Branden Albert from Miami but when he gets hurt, and he will get hurt, Robinson will be the best alternative to step in at LT and he will be fine.

Best Value:  CB Jalen Myrick

The Jaguars defense was good last year and they even added CB AJ Bouye to the secondary giving them two good CBs with him and Jalen Ramsey.  What they don’t have is a great nickel corner and Myrick is a speedy undersized guy that would excel in that position and they got him in the seventh round.

Sleeper:  DE Dawuane Smoot

Dante Fowler Jr. hasn’t been the pass rushing star the team was hoping they drafted two years ago.  Last year they did pretty well with an undersized DE out of a Big Ten school with Yannick Ngakoue so they are trying it again.  Smoot will be a pass rushing specialist and he should help them get pressure on the QB more often.

Overall Analysis

Fournette is the major addition to the offense at a need position.  Robinson might start the year either playing OG or maybe RT but he has a shot to be the eventual LT, maybe sooner rather than later.  Both of these guys were added to help Blake Bortles play better.  WR Dede Westbrook is not a major need because WR is the one offensive position the Jags have covered pretty well.  He’s a talented, deep speed WR so he has an added dimension to his game but Westbrook is also a serious character question.  There were a few WR available when they took Westbrook that would have been less of a headache and the real question is why didn’t they grab a TE in round 4 instead given that is a much bigger need.  Smoot and Myrick will add some nice depth to a defense that was in the top 10 last year so that’s pretty good.  ILB Blair Brown is undersized but he adds depth considering Myles Jack has had knee issues in the past and Paul Posluszny is 32-years old.  Brown will also help on special teams and perhaps that is where the Jaguars expect a 280 lbs. FB, Marquez Williams, to help out too.

Tennessee Titans

• Corey Davis WR Western Michigan
• Adoree’ Jackson CB Southern California
• Taywan Taylor WR Western Kentucky
• Jonnu Smith TE Florida International
• Jayon Brown OLB UCLA
• Corey Levin OG Chattanooga
• Josh Carraway DE  TCU
• Brad Seaton OT Villanova
• Khalfani Muhammad RB California

Immediate Impact:  WR Corey Davis, CB Adoree’ Jackson

The Titans have been putting together a pretty solid offense but there was one major missing piece and that was a #1 WR and they filled that hole with the best WR in the Corey Davis.  Davis checks all the boxes and he’ll be a big time big play WR for Marcus Mariota to grow old with.  The team’s secondary was terrible last year and even with the signing of CB Logan Ryan and SS Jonathan Cyprien they needed more help.  Adoree’ Jackson is still a better athlete than CB but he’s never concentrated solely on football until now, he could be outstanding in a short period of time.

Best Value: TE Jonnu Smith

Smith was underrated in this really talented TE class but he can be very nice addition to Titans.  Mariota has shown he knows how to use a TE because he’s relied on Delanie Walker to be his top target for the past two years.  Walker will still be a favorite but he’s 32-years old so planning for the future at the position is quite smart.  Smith can be a second TE for now and grow into the top role over the next couple of years.

Sleeper:  WR Taywan Taylor

If I’m Harry Douglas I’m feeling a little heat at the moment.  Taylor can be a top slot receiver for this offense and he could push Douglas out of a job.  He comes from a small school, Western Kentucky, so it may take him a little bit to adjust but he’s a talented player.

Overall Analysis

The Titans have been drafting well for a few years now and building their offense around Marcus Mariota.  They have a good offensive line in place and a good running game with Demarco Murray and Derrick Henry, this draft was about supplementing the passing game for Mariota.  Davis, Taylor and Smith upgrade the talent Mariota has around him.  It’s a bit strange that Jackson was the only player the Titans grabbed for their secondary considering they still need help.  Jayon Brown has a solid skill set and could make this team as a sub package LB.  Leven and Seaton might provide depth for the offensive line but there are not many snaps to go around behind the starters.  Carraway and Muhammad are special teams guys at best.