AFC East Draft Review

Buffalo Bills

• Josh Allen (7^th, 1^st)   QB   Wyoming
• Tremaine Edmunds (16^th, 1^st)   LB   Virginia Tech
• Harrison Phillips (96^th, 3^rd)   DT   Stanford
• Taron Johnson (121^st, 4^th)   CB   Weber St.
• Siran Neal (154^th, 5^th)   S   Jacksonville St.
• Wyatt Teller (166^th, 5^th)   OG   Virginia Tech
• Ray-ray McCloud (187^th, 6^th)   WR   Clemson
• Austin Proehl (255^th, 7^th)   WR   North Carolina

Immediate Impact:  QB Josh Allen, LB Tremaine Edmunds

The Bills signed QB AJ McCarron but they are going to give Josh Allen every chance to win this job.  Allen is a work in progress and he has to get his accuracy corrected or he’ll be of no use to anyone.  Tremaine Edmunds is young but uber-talented and by far the best choice they have at MLB.  They didn’t trade up for these two to let them watch.

Best Value:  DT Harrison Phillips

Some people aren’t huge fans of Phillips but I like him.  He’s not flashy but he’s a worker and he’ll be a great replacement for Kyle Williams eventually.  Williams won’t be around too much longer and Phillips would work well next to new free agent DT Star Lotulelei.  He’ll be a nice rotation player for now.

Sleeper:  CB Taron Johnson

The Bills don’t have much at CB outside of starters Tre’Davious White and Vontae Davis.  Johnson profiles as a nickel corner and he could fill that role quickly.  A small school prospect who has only played CB since his freshman year in college could develop into a solid player.

Overall Analysis

I really like the Edmunds, Phillips and Johnson picks and I completely understand the Allen pick.  Allen’s arm strength could be a huge advantage in the Buffalo weather.  S Siran Neal might add depth in the secondary and should help on special teams.  I’m a little surprised that the team waited until their last three picks to address offensive line and wide receiver.  Those two spots could have used far more help and McCloud and Proehl are unlikely to make a difference for the offense.

Miami Dolphins  

• Minkah Fitzpatrick (11^th, 1^st)   DB   Alabama
• Mike Gesicki (42^nd, 2^nd)   TE   Penn St.
• Jerome Baker (73^rd, 3^rd)   OLB   Ohio St.
• Durham Smythe (123^rd, 4^th)  TE   Notre Dame
• Kalen Ballage (131^st, 4^th)   RB   Arizona St.
• Cornell Armstrong (209^th, 6^th)   DB   Southern Miss
• Quentin Poling (227^th, 7^th)   LB   Ohio
• Jason Sanders (229^th, 7^th)   K   New Mexico

Immediate Impact:  DB Minkah Fitzpatrick, TE Mike Gesicki

Fitzpatrick will likely start at strong safety and team with Reshad Jones to give the Dolphins a pretty good safety duo.  He’s a playmaker in the secondary and he has CB like coverage skills so he’s a great weapon to have on that defense.  Gesicki becomes the most dynamic TE on the Dolphins in quite some time.  He’s a fantastic athlete that should give returning QB Ryan Tannehill a nice safety net over the middle and down the seam.

Best Value:  LB Jerome Baker

Baker is underrated because he’s a bit undersized.  He’s got great speed and I could see him replacing Kiko Alonso at strongside LB sooner rather than later.  Between getting Raekwon McMillan back to take over MLB and bringing in Baker the Dolphins LB corps should be seriously upgraded.

Sleeper:  RB Kalen Ballage

Ballage looks the part of a freakish RB at 6’2 228 lbs. but his production didn’t match the package.  He’s inconsistent but if someone, like say head coach Adam Gase, can unlock his potential he could be incredible.  Ballage is indecisive and dances too much for a guy his size.  If a coach can get him to pick a hole and run through it every time he’s a beast to take down.  Kenyan Drake was pretty solid last season after Jay Ajayi was traded but he needs a running buddy.  The free agent signing of Frank Gore does not count.

Overall Analysis

Fitzpatrick, Gesicki, Baker and Ballage are all really good choices and good value picks.  The other guy I like is Durham Smythe the TE from Notre Dame.  Gesicki is going to be the playmaker and get all the pub but Smythe will do all the dirty work and make the offense, especially the running game, better.  Smythe is the blocker that Gesicki isn’t so they make a good team.  If the team gets five solid contributors from one draft that’s a pretty solid haul.

New England Patriots

• Isaiah Wynn (23^rd, 1^st)   OL   Georgia
• Sony Michel (31^st, 1^st)   RB   Georgia
• Duke Dawson (56^th, 2^nd)   CB   Florida
• Ja’Whaun Bentley (143^rd, 5^th)   LB   Purdue
• Christian Sam (178^th, 6^th)   LB   Arizona St.
• Braxton Berrios (210^th, 6^th)   WR   Miami
• Danny Etling (219^th, 7^th)   QB   LSU
• Keion Crossen (243^rd, 7^th)   CB   Western Carolina
• Ryan Izzo (250^th, 7^th)   TE   Florida St.

Immediate Impact:  RB Sony Michel, CB Duke Dawson

The Patriots lost Dion Lewis in the offseason and Rex Burkhead and James White are not really suited to be every down backs.  They signed Jeremy Hill from the Bengals but if he doesn’t resurrect his career in New England they hedged their bets by drafting Michel in round one.  He has a great chance to make a major impact early and often.  My Dawson pick for immediate impact is as much wishful thinking as anything.  The Patriots signed Jason McCourty to play one CB opposite Stephon Gilmore but that meant Eric Rowe would still be the nickel guy, Dawson is built to be a nickel corner.  After the Super Bowl anyone playing ahead of Rowe is a good thing.  I hope Dawson can step in immediately.

Best Value:  WR Braxton Berrios

Berrios probably wouldn’t be a best value on any other team in the league but in New England they probably just drafted a future Pro Bowler in the 6^th round.  He isn’t your typical WR prospect but he fits the mold of Wes Welker, Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman.  It might take Berrios some time to break through but I’m not betting against a small, scrappy slot receiver in New England.

Sleeper:  Berrios

Clearly, he fits the sleeper designation too.

Overall Analysis

1^st round draft pick Isaiah Wynn could play a number of positions along the line and it looked like he might end up at LT despite his lack of classic OT size and length.  However, the Patriots made a trade for the 49ers OT Trent Brown which makes Wynn’s position a little murky.  He might replace someone at OG or he could fight Brown and Marcus Cannon to be one of the OTs.  At worst he is likely Joe Thuney’s replacement in 2019.  Michel and Dawson should contribute early even though there is depth at their positions.  Only the Patriots would draft two thick-built LBs who don’t run very well in the middle rounds, Bentley and Sam, they’ll make it work.  QB Danny Etling was a wasted draft pick as far as I’m concerned, the Patriots have Brian Hoyer as a backup and Etling will be lucky to stick on anything other than the practice squad, he’s certainly not a legitimate candidate as Brady’s eventual replacement. TE Ryan Izzo might make the team if he can excel on special team’s units.

New York Jets

• Sam Darnold (3^rd, 1^st)   QB   USC
• Nathan Shepherd (72^nd, 3^rd)   DL   Fort Hays St.
• Chris Herndon (107^th, 4^th)   TE   Miami
• Parry Nickerson (179^th, 6^th)   CB   Tulane
• Foley Fatukasi (180^th, 6^th)   DT   UConn
• Trenton Cannon (204^th, 6^th)   RB   Virginia St.

Immediate Impact:  TE Chris Herndon

The Jets traded away a number of picks to move up from #6 to #3 so they didn’t have a ton of picks and the one they used on Sam Darnold probably isn’t going to pay off immediately.  Herndon is a solid TE who is going into a bad TE situation so he could make some noise.  The Jets could use any help in the pass catching department so Herndon is the guy.

Best Value:  DL Nathan Shepherd

The Jets use a three-man defensive line and in the last few years they have lost Damon Harrison, Sheldon Richardson and Muhammed Wilkerson.  That has left Leonard Williams feeling like the last man standing.  Shepherd is a small school prospect but he’s one big dude.  At 6’5 315 lbs. he brings the right profile for a 3-4 lineman.  Once he adjusts from playing at Fort Hays St. he could be a pretty solid player, for now he’s a rotational guy.

Sleeper:  Herndon

On a team that is led at WR by the constantly in trouble Robby Anderson, the disappointing Terrell Pryor and the underwhelming Jermaine Kearse whomever lines up at QB is going to need someone to throw to.  The TE corps is even worse, Herndon might put up some big numbers.

Overall Analysis

This draft class isn’t likely to turn the tide for the Jets this season but they made a bold move up before the draft to get a QB and ended up with Darnold.  If they have more luck with him than they had with their last top 5 USC QB pick it might just work out.  Darnold will start at some point this season but with Josh McCown and Teddy Bridgewater on the roster he won’t be forced to play before he’s ready.  Some defensive line depth in the form of Shepherd and Fatukasi will help this team out.  CB Parry Nickerson should add some speed to the secondary as Morris Claiborne, Trumaine Johnson and Buster Skrine push 30.  Herndon should be a big help but Cannon will struggle to make the roster.