Dallas Cowboys
(12) Micah Parsons LB Penn St
(44) Kelvin Joseph CB Kentucky
(75) Osa Odighizuwa DL UCLA
(84) Chauncey Golston DE Iowa
(99) Nahshon Wright CB Oregon St
(115) Jabril Cox LB LSU
(138) Josh Ball OT Marshall
(179) Simi Fehoko WR Stanford
(192) Quinton Bohanna DT Kentucky
(227) Israel Mukuamu CB South Carolina
(238) Matt Farniok OG Nebraska
Immediate Impact: LB Micah Parsons, CB Kelvin Joseph
Sean Lee finally retired and the Cowboys passed on Leighton Vander Esch’s fifth-year option signaling they don’t intend to keep him long-term. Parsons might be the best defender in this draft and he can step in immediately for the Cowboys and start. He’ll be an impact defender due to his speed and playmaking ability. New defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will love the way Parsons plays. Joseph isn’t Patrick Surtain II but he’s a pretty good CB. He’s long and athletic which fits Quinn’s preferred type. The Cowboys’ secondary leaves a lot to be desired so Joseph has a chance to steal a starting spot.
Best Value: LB Jabril Cox
Cox has a good chance to be a starter down the line. He’s an excellent coverage LB and he just needs to play with a little more physicality against the run. If you told me two years from now the Cowboys starting LBs would be Jaylon Smith, Micah Parsons and Jabril Cox, I would completely believe it. They got Cox in round four and for now he’s a great sub-package LB against the pass and a potential starter.
Sleeper: OT Josh Ball
Ball has a rough past, in 2017 he was accused of multiple domestic violence charges while playing at Florida St. Deals were made and he moved on to junior college and then eventually to Marshall. He seemingly hasn’t had any issues since then and the Cowboys have never had a problem giving players second chances (along with third chances, fourth chances and so on if you’re talented enough). Assuming Ball stays out of trouble he’s a very solid OT prospect with the size and athleticism to be a starter at LT in the future. He needs some development but the team has Tyron Smith for now. Smith is getting older; he’s played a lot of football and he’s coming off an injury so Ball was a solid future investment.
Overall Analysis
I didn’t agree with every pick the Cowboys made but I certainly agree with their strategy to attack their weaknesses through the draft. The team needed help in the secondary, they took three guys. They needed help along the defensive line, they took three guys. They drafted two potential starters at LB, a position that was actually a bit of a sneaky need. And they took two developmental offensive linemen. Oh, and a WR. They traded down in round one because the CB they wanted was gone, they picked up a pick and still got the best defender in the draft, well done. I love both the Micah Parsons pick and the Jabril Cox pick.
At CB, Joseph is a good choice for Dan Quinn’s defense. I do think they reached a lot on Nahshon Wright; he wasn’t a third-round pick. His size, he’s 6’4, was enticing but his skill isn’t there. They doubled down on the 6’4 CB with Israel Mukuamu in round six, he’s a developmental guy but at least they waited until round six. They badly needed help on the defensive line and in round three they got two guys to help. Osa Odighizuwa can play both inside and outside. He isn’t very big but he uses leverage well. Chauncey Golston is long and lean at DE and while he isn’t a twitchy athlete, he wins with great hand usage and great technique. He will contribute. They also drafted DT Quinton Bohanna in round six and while I would usually think he would have a hard time making the roster, he’s a gigantic human which they really don’t have inside.
WR Simi Fehoko is a tall WR from Stanford and the only offensive skill position player they drafted. He will have a hard time making this roster with the Cowboys pretty set at WR. Usually a developmental seventh-round offensive lineman would be headed for practice squad but Matt Farniok offers positional flexibility all over the line and the Cowboys don’t have much depth. Farniok could play himself into a backup spot because he covers so many spots on the line.
New York Giants
(20) Kadarius Toney WR Florida
(50) Azeez Ojulari OLB Georgia
(71) Aaron Robinson CB UCF
(116) Elerson G. Smith OLB Northern Iowa
(196) Gary Brightwell RB Arizona
(201) Rodarius Williams CB Oklahoma St.
Immediate Impact: WR Kadarius Toney, OLB Azeez Ojulari
The Giants wanted DeVonta Smith but the Eagles traded up a head of them so they moved down, picked up a 1st round pick from Chicago (who came up to get Justin Fields) and then drafted Toney at 20th overall, fantastic move by Dave Gettleman. That’s how you adjust in the draft and make the best of a situation. Toney will drop a few more easy catches than you would like but he’s an electric playmaker when he gets the ball. He only has to outplay John Ross and Sterling Shepard for playing time as the slot receiver, that’s easy competition for him. Toney is also a gadget guy who can add a lot of different plays to the offense, assuming Jason Garrett can come up with some inventive plays.
Azeez Ojulari was my favorite pass rusher in the draft and apparently a previous knee injury scared some teams off. He fell to the second round and Gettleman made another nice move taking advantage. The Giants need pass rush help and Ojulari will start at OLB and bring a lot of speed off the edge. He’s just what the Giants defense needs to get a lot better.
Best Value: Ojulari
Ojulari might be the steal of the draft. I might say that about a few prospects but I really mean it with him. The knee injury scared teams off but if he’s healthy he’s a force off the edge. He can get to the QB and he can actually be an all-around player.
Sleeper: CB Aaron Robinson
The Giants have James Bradberry as their #1 CB and Darnay Holmes is locked in as the slot guy. They signed Adoree’ Jackson to be their #2, and while they gave him a three-year deal, I’m skeptical of Jackson. He has had injury issues over the last two seasons and in four year in Tennessee he has two total interceptions. If Jackson flames out, I could see Robinson stepping in. He has the size and skill to play outside, which would allow Holmes to stay inside. I think Robinson is good enough now to push Isaac Yiadom and/or Quincy Wilson right off the roster. Most see Robinson as a nickel back, I think he can play both inside and out.
Overall Analysis
Dave Gettleman really surprised me with this draft. He moved down, a move he has never actually done, and he did it quite well. He picked up a 1st round pick next year, still got a playmaking WR he needs to help his hand-picked QB and he ended up with a steal in round two. Toney and Ojulari will determine the success of this draft but the rest can help too. Robinson is a very good CB who can become a starter. Between Robinson and sixth rounder Rodarius Williams the Giants added depth and competition to the secondary, that’s a good thing. Elerson Smith is a solid developmental edge rusher and the Giants need all the help they can get at getting to the QB. If Ojulari and Smith are the starting OLBs for the Giants in three years, that won’t be surprising at all. The Gary Brightwell pick is a little peculiar considering the team has Saquon Barkley coming back from injury, the signed Devontae Booker to be the backup, and Brightwell wasn’t really seen as a draftable prospect. He’s really raw and I’m pretty sure there were better backs available who could help more right now.
Philadelphia Eagles
(10) DeVonta Smith WR Alabama
(37) Landon Dickerson C/G Alabama
(73) Milton Williams DT Louisiana Tech
(123) Zech McPherson CB Texas Tech
(150) Kenneth Gainwell RB Memphis
(189) Marlon Tuipulotu DT USC
(191) Tarron Jackson DE Coastal Carolina
(224) JaCoby Stevens S/LB LSU
(234) Patrick Johnson DE Tulane
Immediate Impact: WR DeVonta Smith
The Eagles made a trade with the Cowboys to move up two spots so they could beat the Giants to the punch and take DeVonta Smith. He’s an elite technician at WR with great speed, he’s only lacking bulk. He will make life easier for Jalen Hurts because he knows how to get open and that makes him better than every other WR on the Eagles roster. If he can hold up physically, he’s a star.
Best Value: RB Kenneth Gainwell
I really like Gainwell’s skill set in today’s NFL. He can be a RB but he’s more of a weapon all over the field. He can play the slot, he can be in the backfield, and he’s just going to get yards. The Eagles have Miles Sanders who is a very good starting RB. Boston Scott is a decent backup but they also just claimed Kerryon Johnson off waivers and they signed Jordan Howard as a free agent. Johnson has trouble staying healthy and Howard has become a one-dimensional back, he’s a power guy. The Eagles need playmakers on offense and they somehow found Gainwell in round five.
Sleeper: DE Patrick Johnson
Patrick Johnson is an undersized DE prospect but that doesn’t scare the Eagles. They have Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett, and Josh Sweat, they specialize in undersized DEs. Johnson has a motor that never shuts off and it’s hard to bet against a guy like that, even if he was a seventh-round pick.
Overall Analysis
The paid a high price (a third-round pick) to move up just two spots and get DeVonta Smith but they felt it was necessary. With their WR corps, I can’t blame them for feeling that way. Smith has legitimate #1 WR ability. C/G Landon Dickerson is talented enough to warrant his selection in the second round but I have serious concerns about his ability to stay healthy. For now, he’s the backup at every interior spot and he’s probably C Jason Kelce’s eventual replacement, assuming he stays on the field. DL Milton Williams was a solid third round choice. He’s a bit of a tweener, he’s undersized for DT and not really fast or twitchy enough for DE. The Eagles will have to find the best way to deploy him.
They definitely should have addressed their secondary with a bit more urgency but if you’re going to take a flyer on a fourth-rounder you can do worse than a fast, solidly built corner like Zech McPhearson. He’s not solving the problem today but he brings competition to the roster. In the sixth round they took two developmental defensive linemen, DT Marlon Tuipulotu and DE Tarron Jackson, I don’t expect them to make the roster but they are some training camp competition. They also drafted JaCoby Stevens, a very large safety from LSU who will likely move to LB and maybe end up on the practice squad. I like seventh round DE Patrick Johnson.
Washington Football Team
(19) Jamin Davis LB Kentucky
(51) Sam Cosmi OT Texas
(74) Benjamin St-Juste CB Minnesota
(82) Dyami Brown WR North Carolina
(124) John Bates TE Boise St
(163) Darrick Forrest S Cincinnati
(225) Camaron Cheeseman LS Michigan
(240) Will Bradley-King DE Baylor
(246) Shaka Toney DE Penn St
(258) Dax Milne WR BYU
Immediate Impact: LB Jamin Davis, LT Sam Cosmi
Washington had a good defense last season built around their fantastic front four. The LB corps left something to be desired but Jamin Davis is going to help a lot. He should take over the weakside and add speed and tackling ability to the second level. Cosmi didn’t get a lot of attention as a prospect but he started a lot of games for Texas and he has experience at LT. Right now, Geron Christian and Cornelius Lucas are the potential starting LTs, Cosmi is a better option than those two.
Best Value: WR Dyami Brown
They got Terry McLaurin a running partner at WR. Brown is a dynamic, down-the-field option who will help Washington take their offense vertical. Ryan Fitzpatrick throws a nice deep ball and now he has two guys who can go deep. Brown will help open up the underneath part of the field for RB Antonio Gibson and WR Curtis Samuel. Brown was a really good choice late in round three.
Sleeper: WR Dax Milne
This is a bit of a deep sleeper. Milne was a highly productive WR for Zach Wilson at BYU. He doesn’t possess elite speed or quickness but he knows how to get open. The team has Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel with Dyami Brown as a potential big play guy, they need someone reliable over the middle. They are counting on either Kelvin Harmon to come back from injury or Adam Humphries to get back to being productive but Milne might be a better bet. He’s not strictly a slot receiver but if he works on his footwork, he might be a solid inside receiver.
Overall Analysis
Jamin Davis and Sam Cosmi fill two major holes on the roster. Davis is the playmaker they need at LB while Cosmi is an upgrade to the options at LT. He’s not the best LT prospect but he will get the job done. Benjamin St-Juste is an interesting CB prospect because he brings incredible size, he’s 6’3, and Washington needs some depth there. Kendall Fuller and William Jackson are a solid starting duo but there isn’t much depth beyond them. St-Juste will get plenty of playing time. They added depth at WR with Dyami Brown and Dax Milne and considering Kelvin Harmon and Adam Humphries are question marks, that’s a good thing. John Bates is a developmental TE who could stick because they don’t have much at TE on this team.
Darrick Forrest is a safety prospect who’s most likely path to the roster is through special teams. They spent a draft pick on Camaron Cheeseman, he was arguably the best long snapper available but he’s a long snapper, don’t draft one. They are taking a shot on two undersized pass rushers, Will Bradley-King and Shaka Toney. One of them might make it as a designated pass rusher but I find it hard to see the Football Team keeping two undersized DEs to rush the passer when they have no intention of taking Chase Young or Montez Sweat off the field unless absolutely necessary. Solid draft by Washington, it could keep them on top of the division if Ryan Fitzpatrick doesn’t implode. Except he always implodes.
The Hott Read 