AFC East Draft Review

AFC East Draft Review

The AFC East is home of the Super Bowl winning New England Patriots and until Tom Brady and Bill Belichick retire the division belongs to them. The Dolphins, Bills and Jets didn’t do enough to take the division away from the Patriots yet so they have to just keep trying to get better and hopefully compete for a wild card spot. All three teams do have young QBs to build around and coincidently they all entered the league a year ago. Buffalo (Josh Allen, not the DE the Jags just drafted), the Jets (Sam Darnold) and the Dolphins (Josh Rosen, arrived in a trade) were all top 10 picks in the 2018 draft, for reference Tom Brady was pick #199 in 2000 (in case you’re wondering Bill Belichick is riding that pick all the way to the Hall of Fame).

Buffalo Bills

(9) Ed Oliver DT
(38) Cody Ford OL
(74) Devin Singletary RB
(96) Dawson Knox TE
(147) Vosean Joseph LB
(181) Jaquan Johnson S
(225) Darryl Johnson Jr. DE
(228) Tommy Sweeney TE

Immediate Impact: DT Ed Oliver, OL Cody Ford
Ed Oliver has been compared to Aaron Donald but that’s not really fair, no one is Donald and he doesn’t actually play like him he’s only slightly built like him. A more apt contemporary comparison is Geno Atkins or if you want an older comparison, John Randle. Randle is a Hall of Famer and Atkins is a fantastic player for Cincinnati, Oliver is that good and he’ll start immediately replacing Kyle Williams. Cody Ford could end up the starting RT or the starting RG, too bad he can’t play both. I think he gets the RT job and he’ll make their line much better. He’s a beast and he’ll make Josh Allen’s life a lot easier.

Best Value: Ford
The stole Ford in round 2. He has first round talent and there are going to be a few teams that passed on him that are going to regret it (I’m talking about you Houston). He may not always be the prettiest looking player out there but he can dominate.

Sleepers: LB Vosean Joseph, S Jaquan Johnson
The Bills did a nice job adding a couple of day three picks that could really help on defense. Joseph is a run-and-chase LB with solid coverage skills and isn’t blocked easily. He will give them someone to take some of the load off of 35-year-old Lorenzo Alexander whom they like to use as a pass rusher. Johnson is a smaller safety but he’s got good coverage skills and he’ll be a nice matchup piece for the defense, he can play some slot corner. Beyond starter Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, the Bills aren’t stacked at safety and while Poyer had a solid year last year but he’s been inconsistent in his career.

Overall Analysis
The Bills had an excellent draft, they aren’t quite ready to take the division from the Patriots but they could compete for the wild card. Oliver fills a huge hole on the defensive line left by the retirement of stalwart Kyle Williams. Ford upgrades the offensive line no matter where he ends up lining up and that will only make Josh Allen better and will improve the running game. Devin Singletary is a nice pickup at RB and while they already have LeSean McCoy and they added Frank Gore and TJ Yeldon, Singletary’s skill set will come in handy. McCoy is over 30 and Gore may be ageless but he’s not as effective as he once was. Singletary might make TJ Yeldon redundant because he’s a very good receiving back. TE Dawson Knox should find some playmaking opportunities he never got in college as they team looks to make Josh Allen’s life easier. Knox has more skills than he ever got to show at Ole Miss. Joseph and Johnson are really solid additions to what was a pretty solid defense last year. Not sure DE Darryl Johnson Jr. or TE Tommy Sweeney are going to make the roster but if there are two positions the Bills can use some young competition it’s at DE and TE so the picks are worthwhile.

Miami Dolphins

(13) Christian Wilkins DT
(78) Michael Dieter OL
(151) Andrew Van Ginkel LB
(202) Isaiah Prince OL
(233) Chandler Cox FB
(234) Myles Gaskin RB

Immediate Impact: DT Christian Wilkins
Wilkins is a beast and the Dolphins defensive line is pretty brutal at the moment. They lost a lot in the off season but Wilkins is a very solid cornerstone piece to start to rebuild around. He isn’t the flashiest player but he’s exceptionally talented and very experienced after starting many years at Clemson and winning multiple National Championships.

Best Value: QB Josh Rosen
Rosen was the 10th overall pick of last year’s draft and the Dolphins stole him from the Cardinals for a late second round pick. The Cardinals already paid him the bulk of his contract so the Dolphins only owe Rosen about $6 million over the next three years with an option on his fifth year in the league. I love Rosen and he could finally be the long-term QB the Dolphins have been looking for since Dan Marino retired. That’s incredible value.

Sleeper: RB Myles Gaskin
Gaskin is undersized but that didn’t stop him form being a work horse for four years at Washington. The man wears like iron. He has a lot of miles on his tires so his career could be short but the Dolphins only have Kenyan Drake and Kalen Ballage at RB right now. Gaskin is a jack-of-all-trades and can fill in doing anything they need him to do. He could also carry the load if needed. He’s a good 7th round pick.

Overall Analysis
The choice of Christian Wilkins was fantastic and he’s an immediate starter but this draft will be remembered for them trading for Josh Rosen. They sat back and waited and eventually the Cardinals had to pull the trigger on trading Rosen after they had no leverage left when they took Kyler Murray 1st overall. The Dolphins were all set to wait until next year’s draft to find their QB of the future but Rosen came at such a cheap price they couldn’t pass him up. They will give him the year to show if he is their guy going forward and if they don’t think he is his contract is so cheap he just makes for a really solid backup. OL Michael Dieter isn’t spectacular but he is versatile and he could play OG or OT and he gives the Dolphins some much needed help up front. Andrew Van Ginkel might be a bit of a specialist for now because he’s pretty slight for a LB but he has potential. OL Isaiah Prince might make for a decent backup lineman but I’m not sure he’s going to stick on the roster. Not sure why they drafted a FB since most teams don’t use them but maybe new coach Brian Flores and new offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea wanted their own version of the Patriots’ James Develin. Gaskin is, at worst, great depth on a team that doesn’t have much at RB.

New England Patriots

(32) N’Keal Harry WR
(45) Joejuan Williams CB
(77) Chase Winovich DE
(87) Damien Harris RB
(101) Yodney Cajuste OT
(118) Hjalte Froholdt OG
(133) Jarrett Stidham QB
(159) Byron Cowart DT
(163) Jake Bailey P
(252) Ken Webster CB

Immediate Impact: WR N’Keal Harry, DE Chase Winovich
The Patriots have Julian Edelman but not much else at WR unless you count Phillip Dorsett, and I don’t. Josh Gordon might come back and I might win the lottery, neither of those things should be counted on. N’Keal Harry is a big-bodied WR who wins jump balls and gives the Patriots a legitimate red zone threat on the outside. They didn’t replace Gronk with a TE but they may have gotten someone who can replace some of his production in the red zone. Winovich isn’t likely to start but the Pats need help rushing the passer and Winovich is a productive player. He also just seems like Belichick guy, he could be the new Rob Ninkovich.

Best Value: RB Damien Harris
Harris was one of the better backs in the draft and the Patriots got him in the third round. Sony Michel was really good last year but he had some injury issues at times and it’s not a bad idea to have someone to take the load off of him. The team still has James White as the pass catching back but Harris may make Rex Burkhead expendable. Harris brings more power than Burkhead and he played for Nick Saban so Bill Belichick loves that fact.

Sleepers: OT Yodny Cajuste, DT Byron Cowart

I would really like to put QB Jarrett Stidham here, the Patriots did once turn Matt Cassell into a legitimate NFL starter but I’m not sure on Stidham, he needs to work on his accuracy. Instead I’ll throw Cajuste and Cowart in this category. The Patriots are counting on last season’s first round pick Isaiah Wynn playing LT but he missed last year with an Achilles tear. If Wynn can’t hold up it’s possible Cajuste ends up playing LT. He played it just fine in college. Cowart was a high school star who never really lived up to the hype. The Pats could use some depth at DT and maybe a disruptive guy to get some pressure, perhaps Belichick can turn Cowart’s talent into actual production.

Overall Analysis
If you’re one of the three teams in the division chasing the Patriots you really don’t like this draft. Harry brings an outside dimension in the passing game they have been missing. The team was already deep in the secondary and the added Joejuan Williams who could play corner or he could be Devin McCourty’s eventual replacement at safety. DE Chase Winovich and RB Damien Harris are depth pieces that could pay dividends in the short-term and the long-term. Cajuste along with OG Hjalte Froholdt add depth to an offensive line that returns four good starters, that’s not making the Patriots easier to beat. The scariest part for everyone in the NFL is the possibility that the Patriots could turn Jarrett Stidham into their next starting QB, they got Brady at pick #199, Stidham came at #133. Cowart has talent, what he does with it is up to him. They even drafted competition for their punter Ryan Allen with Jake Bailey. The Patriots secondary is pretty deep and seventh-round pick Ken Webster will have a hard time making the team.

New York Jets

(3) Quinnen Williams DT
(68) Jachai Polite OLB
(92) Chuma Edogu OL
(121) Trevon Wesco FB/HB
(157) Blake Cashman LB
(196) Blessuan Austin CB

Immediate Impact: DT Quinnen Williams
Williams is arguably the best player in this draft and the Jets defense is looking to transition to more of a 4-man front that will now feature him and Leonard Williams at DT. That’s a hell of a starting block up front and Quinnen Williams is a freak on the field. He’s powerful, disruptive and dominant.

Best Value: LB Blake Cashman
The Jets signed CJ Mosley and they already have Avery Williamson so they have some expensive LBs. Cashman came cheap as a fifth-round pick. He’s not the sexiest player out there but he’s always around the ball. When Cashman plays, he will make plays. Kid is a baller.

Sleeper: OLB Jachai Polite
Polite put on a clinic on how not to handle the pre-draft process. He had a horrible combine and then perhaps a worse pro day. He didn’t interview well and apparently didn’t receive glowing recommendations from the coaching staff at Florida. He went from a surefire 1st round pick to luckily getting drafted in the 3rd round. He has talent and the Jets need pass rushers so he can find a place here if he gets his act together. Gregg Williams has put together some great defenses in his career, if he can get something out of Polite, he will be on the right track to another good one in New York.

Overall Analysis
It’s a small draft class so it’s tough to say it’s going to turn around their fortunes but they did well on the defensive side of the ball. Williams is a stud and he could be an unstoppable force inside. Polite is a talented kid who needs some direction and some discipline. Gregg Williams can give him both it’s just up to him to accept it and be his best self. I like the Cashman pick a lot, he’s the type of LB that produces for a long time. The sixth round CB Blessaun Austin has an uphill battle to make the roster but you can do worse things than take a big, athletic CB with a sixth rounder. On the offensive side OT Chuma Edogu is a solid pass blocker but his run blocking leaves a lot to be desired. He’s a developmental guy. FB Trevon Wesco is basically an extra offensive guard who will line up in the backfield, not a lot of those guys in the league anymore, maybe he sticks due to special teams.