Disclaimer: There is something everyone needs to know about this draft. Somewhere around the middle of round five this draft took a serious dive in quality. There were somewhere around 150-160 good prospects in this draft and then there was a cliff. Some teams reached before the 150th pick so the depth goes a little farther but by the time rounds six and seven came around, it got pretty bleak. There were a few contributing factors. One is the covid year has given players the opportunity to stay in college for an extra year and plenty of guys are taking that opportunity. Second is the name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities for guys to make money in college. Being a late round pick isn’t as attractive if you can get paid to be a good player in college. Finally, the transfer portal (coupled with NIL) means guys don’t have to go pro to cash in. If another school wants you more than the one you’re at (this is especially true for small school guys), just transfer somewhere and take the payday. There are usually between 100-130 early entry candidates for the draft, this year, there were less than 60 and it showed.
Baltimore Ravens
(30) Nate Wiggins CB Clemson
(62) Roger Rosengarter OT Washington
(93) Adisa Isaac Edge Penn St.
(113) Devontez Walker WR North Carolina
(130) TJ Tampa CB Iowa St.
(165) Rasheen Ali RB Marshall
(218) Devin Leary QB Kentucky
(228) Nick Samac OL Michigan St.
(250) Sanoussi Kane S Purdue
Immediate Impact: CB Nate Wiggins, OT Roger Rosengarten
The Ravens have Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Stephens at CB but their depth isn’t great and everybody uses a third CB plenty. Humphrey and Stephens both have versatility so Wiggins can come in and play the outside CB spot while Humphrey moves to the slot or Stephens plays more like a safety. He will be used a lot and he’s an excellent outside cover guy even if he isn’t great against the run game. Rosengarten is pretty light for a RT at 6’6 300 lbs. so that’s a change from Morgan Moses who was over 330 lbs. He was a good player at Washington who was overshadowed by higher profile teammates but he’s a worthy day one starter with this team.
Best Value: OT Roger Rosengarten
He wasn’t just overshadowed at Washington; he was also underappreciated in this draft class including by me. He’s not flashy but he’s a solid starting RT and to get him at 62nd overall was huge for this team. The Ravens offensive line was decimated in the off season and they needed to find help in the draft. Getting a starting RT late in round two was a steal.
Sleepers: WR Devontez Walker, CB TJ Tampa
Walker has some deficiencies, he’s a little stiff and not real fluid in his movements and he prefers to cradle the catch instead of snatching out of the air with his hands, which leads to drops. That said, he’s got electric downfield ability and knows how to beat guys deep. He’s a younger and slightly upgraded version of Nelson Agholor, Lamar Jackson may find him useful. I almost went with Tampa as my Best Value but there’s a few guys ahead of him and he’s going to have to fight his way onto the field. However, if you told me four years from now the team was re-signing Tampa as one of their starting CBs and letting Wiggins walk, I won’t be surprised. He brings all the physicality to the position the Ravens like and Wiggins lacks. Wiggins has the speed and coverage ability; Tampa is the tougher player.
Overall Analysis
The Ravens always do very well in the draft overall. Their lack of getting some help at interior offensive line (only took one late on day 3) was a little concerning but good overall. Wiggins and Rosengarten are a good start and were value picks. Adisa Isaac is another athletic pass rusher with an underdeveloped game and I guess the Ravens are just going to keep picking guys like this until one finally hits. He was a solid value in round three so I can’t complain. Walker and Tampa were amazing value as fourth round picks, I have no idea how they both feel that far.
RB Rasheen Ali and QB Devin Leary were the fifth and sixth round picks and they are both talented guys who are just depth pieces. The Ravens lost Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins in free agency and added Derrick Henry. That still leaves them with Henry, Keaton Mitchell, and Justice Hill but injuries have ravaged their RB room before so Ali is a good pick. Leary is a better bet than you might think to make this team. Josh Johnson is the backup at the moment and he’s going to be 38 and has played on 157 different teams (that number might be off slightly). Malik Cunningham is the other QB and he couldn’t make the Patriots active roster last year at QB, that doesn’t bode well for him. Leary had a rough year at Kentucky last season but if he’s healthy he’s the most talented backup QB they have. Nick Samac might make the roster because their interior o-line is pretty weak. I don’t think Kane makes the roster.
Cincinnati Bengals
(18) Amarius Mims OT Georgia
(49) Kris Jenkins DT Michigan
(80) Jermaine Burton WR Alabama
(97) McKinnley Jackson DT Texas A&M
(115) Erick All TE Iowa
(149) Josh Newton CB TCU
(194) Tanner McLachlan TE Arizona
(214) Cedric Johnson Edge Mississippi
(224) Daijahn Anthony S Mississippi
(237) Matt Lee OL Miami
Immediate Impact: OT Amarius Mims
The roster doesn’t have major holes but if anyone thinks Trent Brown is going to hold up at RT, you haven’t been paying attention. As a guy who watched Brown go in and out of the Patriots lineup the last few years, I know Mims will end up the starter. He’s a massive human being and he’s inexperienced, but he’s truly talented. I think he starts pretty quickly at RT and he may be the eventual replacement for Orlando Brown Jr. at LT.
Best Value: DT Kris Jenkins
Jenkins isn’t a pass rushing DT but the Bengals got Sheldon Rankins to do that. Rankins is 30 and BJ Hill is 29 and this team needs depth. Jenkins is also arguably the best run stuffing DT in this draft class, something this team sorely needs after losing DJ Reader. They got him at 49th overall and while he may not technically be a starter, he’s going to play starting level snaps at a premium position.
Sleeper: OL Matt Lee
I could have picked WR Jermaine Burton, TEs Erick All or Tanner McLachlan, or CB Josh Newton but I’m going with the seventh rounder Matt Lee. Lee played center at Miami and Ted Karras is 31. They also have Trey Hill backing up Karras but I think Lee has a chance to be Karras’ eventually replacement. Lee is a little taller for a center at 6’4 and he needs some refinement but there’s talent there and give him a few years of NFL coaching, I think he has starter quality traits.
Overall Analysis
This is quietly one of the better drafts that is getting overlooked a bit because there were a couple of dice rolls that could kill it. Mims is a special physical talent but he played eight games in college and needs plenty of reps if he’s going to fulfill his potential. The Jenkins picks was as solid as they come, he’s a starting NFL DT for 7-10 years. The Jermain Burton pick is another massive dice roll. Burton is one of the truly gifted WRs in the draft but he also might be a total headcase. He has a reputation as being un-coachable both from his time at Georgia and at Alabama. If they can get him to buy-in, he’s a legitimate talent who could replace Tee Higgins when he leaves. DT McKinney Jackson is the big body type more so than Jenkins and can replace DJ Reader as the nose tackle.
They took TEs Erick All and Tanner McLachlan in rounds four and six because they basically only have Mike Gesicki at the position. All has every tool you want as a three-down TE but he has an injury history that is concerning. McLachlan is an older player who looks like he can threaten defenses over the middle. These two should actually work well together moving forward and this team needed TE help. Sandwiched between them was CB Josh Newton. He’s not the most fluid or explosive CB but he’s a competitor and he’s a tough press man cover guy. Cam Taylor-Britt and DJ Turner haven’t exactly established themselves as unquestioned starters so Newton can compete. Johnson and Anthony are depth pieces at edge and safety.
Cleveland Browns
(54) Michael Hall Jr. DT Ohio St.
(85) Zak Zinter OL Michigan
(156) Jamari Thrash WR Louisville
(206) Nathaniel Watson LB Mississippi St.
(227) Myles Harden CB South Dakota
(243) Jowon Briggs DL Cincinnati
Immediate Impact: None
The Browns’ lineup is pretty stacked with veterans and what they need is for those veterans to get healthy and stay healthy. RB Nick Chubb has to come back from his knee injury and the offensive line needs to get better. Of course, none of this will matters at all unless Deshaun Watson gets healthy and actually starts to play like he once did in Houston. That proposition becomes less and less likely the farther away from that time we get.
Best Value: DT Michael Hall Jr.
Hall has a lot of fans in the scouting world. He’s an undersized penetrating tackle with great athleticism who isn’t as great against the run. He’s going to play in the tackle rotation because he brings a different skillset than most of the other players they have. He can be the eventual replacement for Shelby Harris but since the team is trying to win now, they will still rely on the veteran.
Sleeper: OG Zak Zinter
He’s not really a sleeper as most teams like him but I don’t like the rest of the class so I’ll spotlight Zinter. He’s very experienced and he was the leader of Michigan’s offensive line and a major team leader. He’s coming off a late season leg injury that’s going to set his timeline back but the Browns have Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller so he’s not needed right away if they’re healthy. Zinter is the future at the position though, Bitonio and Teller will be 33 and 30 respectively this next season.
Overall Analysis
This is the least consequential draft class this year. They traded away picks for veterans like Jerry Jeudy and they are still paying off the Watson trade, that’s finally done. This is a make-or-break year for them and they won’t be counting on rookies to get them where they want to be. Hall will help as a rotational DT and Zinter will basically take a redshirt year. The other guys will be lucky to make this roster. WR Jamari Thrash might have a chance to make the roster behind Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, and Jeudy but he’s going to have to beat out guys like Cedric Tillman, David Bell, and James Proche II. It’s a tough road ahead. Watson, Harden, and Briggs face even longer odds.
Pittsburgh Steelers
(20) Troy Fautanu OT Washington
(51) Zach Frazier C West Virginia
(84) Roman Wilson WR Michigan
(98) Payton Wilson WR North Carolina St.
(119) Mason McCormick OL South Dakota St.
(178) Logan Lee DT Iowa
(195) Ryan Watts CB Texas
Immediate Impact: OT Troy Fautanu, C Zach Frazier, WR Roman Wilson
The Steelers needed to address their offensive line and they did that quite well. Fautanu has versatility and could end up at either OT spot. For now, I think he takes the left side and they leave Broderick Jones on the right where he started to play better by the end of last season. They may feel otherwise during training camp and flip Jones to the left but Fautanu gives them options. Zach Frazier steps in immediately as the starting center and he continues the legacy of Steelers centers like Mike Webster, Dermontti Dawson, and Maurkice Pouncey. WR Roman Wilson gets to step into the role vacated by the trade of Diontae Johnson. No offense to the other guys on the roster but Wilson is immediately the second-best weapon behind George Pickens and he’s a natural fit in Johnson’s old role. Imagine having a Johnson-like weapon without the headaches.
Best Value: WR Roman Wilson
This guy is going to get lots of targets next year assuming one of the QBs is remotely adequate. He’s a high character guy with a great work ethic and he’s going to slot right into the offense. The Steelers are going to be a run heavy team but they will need someone to move the sticks and Wilson will excel at that.
Sleeper: OG Mason McCormick
The Steelers didn’t just address their offensive line needs in the present. Isaac Seumalo will be 31 this year and he offers a chance for some cap savings next off season. McCormick is a small school player with a lot of playing experience who may need little time to adjust to the NFL and if he’s ready in a year, he could be a readymade replacement at LG.
Overall Analysis
This is a really good class overall as they addressed current needs and found some solid developmental pieces. Fautanu, Frazier, and Roman Wilson will start immediately but that’s not all the help they got. LB Payton Wilson was a star in college who played a lot of football and had a lot of injuries. He may have a short career but it may still make an impact. He’s very fast, very smart, and an excellent coverage LB. The team signed Patrick Queen to increase their team speed at ILB and Wilson does the same. Also, Queen was better in Baltimore once Roquan Smith showed up and became the play caller on defense. Wilson has enough experience that he could be that same type of partner for Queen.
Mason McCormick, DT Logan Lee, and CB Ryan Watts are all picks for the future. Okay, Watts might find playing time sooner. McCormick can be the future at one guard spot but that isn’t the only aging position on this team. The defensive line has Cameron Heyward, he’s 35, Larry Ogunjobi, he’ll be 30, and Dean Lowry, he’ll also be 30. They need some youth and Logan Lee can play DE in their 3-man front. He’s a better athlete than he gets credit for and he has the size to hold up at that spot. Watts is a tall CB with length and might give the secondary another option over Darius Rush. He could play outside, opposite Joey Porter Jr. and let Donte Jackson play inside the slot.
The Hott Read 