Atlanta Falcons
(8) Drake London WR USC
(38) Arnold Ebiketie OLB Penn St.
(58) Troy Andersen LB Montana St.
(74) Desmond Ridder QB Cincinnati
(82) DeAngelo Malone OLB Western Kentucky
(151) Tyler Allgeier RB BYU
(190) Justin Shaffer OL Georgia
(213) John FitzPatrick TE Georgia
Immediate Impact: WR Drake London, OLB Arnold Ebiketie
I am admittedly not the biggest Drake London fan but compared to the rest of the WR corps in Atlanta he might as well be Jerry Rice. He’ll be a starter and he will be the most productive WR on the team. He may not light up the league but that will largely be due to his QB who will either be Marcus Mariota or rookie Desmond Ridder. Ebiketie is likely to start at OLB and be their top pass rusher. That’s not setting the bar very high on this team considering their other top edge rusher is free agent pickup Lorenzo Carter. These are good players who are in situations where they will be relied upon.
Best Value: QB Desmond Ridder
He was the one QB in this class that I actually kind of liked, that’s high praise in this group. He was the second QB off the board and it didn’t come until round three. He’s got plenty of talent to work with and the only guy standing in his way of being the starter is Marcus Mariota. People have pointed out that Mariota played in Arthur Smith’s offense in Tennessee so he has familiarity, but he also got benched for Ryan Tannehill while playing in that offense. Ridder could be their starter.
Sleeper: RB Tyler Allgeier
I could have gone with Troy Andersen or DeAngelo Malone but Allgeier has a shot here to really make a difference. Cordarrelle Patterson emerged last year as an unexpected RB for them but he’s 31 and probably not the long-term solution. They signed Damien Williams and he’s a solid back but he’s 30 and not really a full-time back. Allgeier has good size, he’s a great scheme fit, and he’s a pretty talented guy. He’s not going to win a lot of foot races but he’s a good back that they can count on. I think he plays more this year than people think and he could be good long-term.
Overall Analysis
While Drake London wasn’t my favorite receiver in the draft, he’s a talented guy who is going to have a lot of opportunities. Ebiketie is in the same boat, not the best edge rusher in this draft but he’s going to have every opportunity to make plays for this defense. LB Troy Andersen is a great athlete who is just scratching the surface as a LB because he has only been playing the position for a few years. He could end up making Deion Jones or Rashaad Evans expendable very soon. Ridder was worth the gamble in round three, at worst he’s a high-end backup for the next decade.
DeAngelo Malone is another small school guy like Andersen but he could actually have immediate value as a pass rush specialist. He’s a little skinny but he plays with power and has plenty of pass rushing talent. Allgeier has a chance to be the RB on this team now and into the future. OL Justin Shaffer is an interior offensive lineman who’s a little limited but the team doesn’t have a lot of depth so he could make the roster. TE John FitzPatrick is a blocking TE who has a steep hill to climb but maybe his blocking gets him noticed.
Carolina Panthers
(6) Ikem Ekwonu OT North Carolina St.
(94) Matt Corral QB Ole Miss
(120) Brandon Smith LB Penn St.
(189) Amare Barno DE Virginia Tech
(199) Cade Mays OG Tennessee
(242) Kalon Barnes CB Baylor
Immediate Impact: OT Ikem Ekwonu
My favorite OT in the draft was Ekwonu, he’s not just a huge upgrade at LT from a skill perspective, he brings the nasty demeanor an offensive line needs. He has some work to do in pass protection but it’s all coachable, he’s a monster as a run blocker. Christian McCaffrey will love running behind this guy and whomever lines up at QB will be a lot safer.
Best Value: QB Matt Corral
I didn’t love the QB class when people were talking about these guys in round one but it’s hard to argue with taking a shot in round three. When your QB depth chart is Sam Darnold and PJ Walker, it’s almost required to take a shot. Corral has his flaws but he has plenty of upside and at worst, he’s your backup for the next four years. At his best, he replaces Sam Darnold as your starter during training camp, that’s good value.
Sleepers: DE Amare Barno, OG Cade Mays
The Panthers actually took two guys in round six that could turn out to be real players. Barno is a bit skinny for a DE but he’s got great speed, he knows how to set the edge against the run and if he learns some actual pass rush moves, look out. He has some work to do but the talent is there. Mays was a highly recruited offensive lineman who has some questionable injury history but he can be a beast. He’s likely an OG and the Panthers aren’t stacked there. They signed Bradley Bozeman at center and Austin Corbett for one guard spot but the rest of the roster isn’t scaring off Mays. He could do what his former Tennessee teammate Trey Smith did in Kansas City last year. Come in as a late round draft pick and beat out some veterans for the starting job. If he’s lining up at LG next to Ekwonu, Christian McCaffrey will find plenty of running room to the left.
Overall Analysis
The Panthers didn’t have their full complement of picks because they traded for Sam Darnold. They did the smart thing and took the LT they desperately needed in Ekwonu and he should be the long-term solution there. I really like that they also took Cade Mays in round six. His medicals certainly pushed him down a bit and he probably never really lived up to his recruiting hype but he’s a player. I could see Ekwonu and Mays ending up the starting left side of the Panthers offensive line this year. They made a move to trade a pick next year to get into the round three and grab Matt Corral as he was falling. It may prove to be costly but I think it was worth the gamble.
They moved up a bit to get LB Brandon Smith and that was less bold but also worth it. I’m not willing to hand Smith a starting job but beyond Shaq Thompson the LB depth chart is pretty fluid. Barno is a pretty good prospect to get in round six. He could end up just a pass rush specialist at DE or he could play some LB, he’s got good physical gifts. Speaking of physical gifts, CB Kalon Barnes was the fastest man at the combine. He doesn’t play as fast as his track speed and he’s a bit underdeveloped but Carolina has the ability to be patient with him.
New Orleans Saints
(11) Chris Olave WR Ohio St.
(19) Trevor Penning OT Northern Iowa
(49) Alontae Taylor CB Tennessee
(161) D’Marco Jackson LB Appalachian St.
(194) Jordan Jackson DE Air Force
Immediate Impact: WR Chris Olave, OT Trevor Penning
The Saints got aggressive before the draft and they kept it up during the draft by moving up to get Olave. He’s a great complement to Michael Thomas (assuming Thomas plays this year) and he’s the best #2 WR they have had in a long time. He’ll make Jameis Winston a better QB. Penning fills the LT spot vacated by Terron Armstead. Those are big shoes to fill but Penning doesn’t have to be everything Armstead was. He just has to be one piece of the puzzle for their very good offensive line.
Best Value: None
The Saints made some moves to get up and get Olave and Penning about where they were supposed to go or a little higher. None of the other picks were valued higher than they went.
Sleeper: LB D’Marco Jackson
Jackson is an undersized LB out of a small school who’s very smart and great leader. He’s basically Demario Davis 2.0, and now he gets to learn directly from Davis. Davis is 33 so he’s not going to be around forever and it is completely possible Jackson becomes his eventual replacement. He’s a good player who can be a starter eventually.
Overall Analysis
The Saints think they at least have a chance to compete for a playoff spot in the NFC and it’s hard to argue against them, the NFC isn’t exactly deep. They made some bold moves to fill some major holes with Olave at WR and Penning at LT. If they work out (and Jameis Winston is solid) they can be a playoff team. The moves cost them a chance to get more picks but they made the most of the guys they got. CB Alontae Taylor is a solid depth piece at CB and he has some potential to be a starter if needed. D’Marco Jackson isn’t going to change the defense this year, but he’s got potential. Jordan Jackson is a depth piece on a defensive line, which they need.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
(33) Logan Hall DL Houston
(57) Luke Goedeke OL Central Michigan
(91) Rachaad White RB Arizona St.
(106) Cade Otton TE Washington
(133) Jake Camarda P Georgia
(157) Zyon McCollum CB Sam Houston St.
(218) Ko Kieft TE Minnesota
(248) Andre Anthony OLB LSU
Immediate Impact: DL Logan Hall
Tampa Bay hasn’t brought back Ndamukong Suh even though he’s still available as a free agent. He’s basically aged out and Hall is his likely replacement at DE on their three-man line. Hall is a bit of a tweener on the defensive line which makes him a solid fit at end. He isn’t going to light it up as a pass rusher but he’s a good player that fills big need.
Best Value: Hall
The Buccaneers traded down with Jacksonville to pick up extra draft capital and still took the guy they probably would have taken in round one. Hall was a late one/early two type of prospect but it’s always a good idea to get value if you can and the extra draft capital plus the player you want is the best of both worlds.
Sleeper: RB Rachaad White
They lost Ronald Jones, Giovani Bernard will be 31 this season, and Leonard Fournette shouldn’t have to play every down. White wasn’t the biggest name at RB but he’s a good prospect. He’s a good pass catcher out of the backfield and he has Tom Brady as his QB, he loves pass catchers out of the backfield. It may not happen this year for White if Fournette and Bernard stay healthy but that’s far from a given. He’s a solid bet to be a good back for this team at some point.
Overall Analysis
The Buccaneers have Tom Brady coming back which means they are going for it. They moved down a bit to get extra draft capital and then started filling holes. Hall will be a starter right away at DE. OL Luke Goedeke is a small school prospect who gives them some versatility but also has the potential to be a starter inside at OG right away. White brings value moving forward. TE Cade Otton is an intriguing prospect for a team that doesn’t have Rob Gronkowski back and could use his blocking. Otton is a solid pass catcher but he will bring a lot of value as a blocker and that’s where they are going to miss Gronk the most if he doesn’t return.
They drafted a punter in round four which is a little high but Camarda should start for them. On a team with only a few major holes to fill I won’t hold the punter pick against them too much. I like the Zyon McCollum pick a lot, he’s got a lot of upside. He’s 6’4 and very athletic. Under Todd Bowles tutelage, he could really excel. They doubled down on blocking TEs with Ko Kieft from Minnesota, he’s basically a small tackle. Andre Anthony is a pass rushing LB prospect from LSU I don’t see making this roster.
The Hott Read 