NFC East Draft Review

The Cowboys are always an interesting team when it comes to the draft and this year, they had a very good draft. They drafted quite a few players who were fantastic value picks. Jerry Jones was drafting from his yacht but clearly, he was still being heavily influenced by the smarter and less impulsive members of the front office and probably by Mike McCarthy. The Giants had quite a few picks and did a hell of job mixing immediate help with some truly talented developmental players. While most of the focus of Philly’s draft was on them taking a QB in the second round they did pretty well overall if you look beyond that. The Redskins took their one true blue-chip guy in Chase Young and they hope he can have a huge impact on their defense, and I think he will. The rest of the guys are developmental players and that’s okay since they are clearly in rebuilding mode.

Dallas Cowboys

(17) CeeDee Lamb    WR    Oklahoma
(51) Trevon Diggs    CB    Alabama
(82) Neville Gallimore    DT    Oklahoma
(123) Reggie Robinson II    CB    Tulsa
(146) Tyler Biadasz    C/G    Wisconsin
(179) Bradlee Anae    DE    Utah
(231) Ben DiNucci    QB    James Madison

Immediate Impact: WR CeeDee Lamb, CB Trevon Diggs
The Cowboys re-signed Amani Cooper and they still have Michael Gallup who had a breakout season last year but they don’t have much beyond them after losing Randall Cobb in free agency. Lamb was arguably the best WR in the draft and while the Cowboys didn’t expect him to be available at 17th overall they didn’t hesitate when he fell to them. He makes their offense that much more explosive. Diggs was a potential 1st round pick and they got him 51st overall. They need a top CB and Diggs has that type of potential. He gives them a bigger CB who can match up with the better WRs in the league. He should quickly ascent to the top of their CB depth chart.

Best Value: WR CeeDee Lamb, CB Trevon Diggs, DT Neville Gallimore
Like I said, Lamb was arguably the top WR in the draft and yet he was the third one off the board and the 17th overall pick, that’s good value. Diggs had a first-round grade by many teams and he fell all the way to 51st overall, again a great value pick for the Cowboys. DT Neville Gallimore was widely considered a potential first-round pick and for sure a second-round pick and yet he fell all the way to the 82nd pick. The Cowboys got amazing value with all three of these guys. Gallimore may not have the biggest impact this year with Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe set to start but he will make a fantastic rotational piece and he’s a future starter with both McCoy and Poe aging.

Sleeper: C Tyler Biadasz
The Cowboys unexpectedly lost Travis Frederick to retirement and for now they turn to Joe Looney at center. Looney filled in two years ago when Frederick missed the season but Looney is going to be 30 this season and he’s just a replacement level guy, he’s better suited to be a backup. Biadasz has some holes to his game and he needs some work but he’s been a multi-year starter at Wisconsin and that means something. It may not happen this year but sooner rather than later I expect Biadasz to replace Looney as the Cowboys starting center.

Overall Analysis
The Cowboys had one of the better drafts, perhaps Jerry Jones should draft from his yacht all the time. They lucked into CeeDee Lamb but they were smart enough to pass on filling a major need to take the best available player. Diggs was a potential choice for them in round one so getting him in the second was another lucky selection. Finally, having Gallimore still available in round three worked out for them too. Having a good draft usually takes a little luck and this year the Cowboys had lots of it. CB Reggie Robinson II was a bit of a reach but he’s a supreme athlete who brings great size to the CB spot and they can hope he develops over time. They hope Diggs develops as a #1 CB but the team has plenty of depth to give Robinson time to develop overall. Biadasz is a very solid prospect at center, a position they were not necessarily expecting to need to fill. DE Bradlee Anae was another guy many expected to go higher. He’s not a great athlete at DE but he’s a solid prospect who was very productive in college. Ben DiNucci is unlikely to make the roster and looks like a potential practice squad player.

New York Giants

(4) Andrew Thomas    OT    Georgia
(36) Xavier McKinney    S    Alabama
(99) Matt Peart    OT    UConn
(110) Darnay Holmes    CB    UCLA
(150) Shane Lemieux    OG    Oregon
(183) Cam Brown    LB    Penn St.
(218) Carter Coughlin    LB    Minnesota
(238) TJ Brunson    LB    South Carolina
(247) Chris Williamson    CB    Minnesota
(255) Tae Crowder    LB    Georgia

Immediate Impact: OT Andrew Thomas, S Xavier McKinney
Andrew Thomas is the best OT in this class right now. He may not have the ceiling of Mekhi Becton or Tristan Wirfs but on day one Thomas is a ready-made starter. He will likely step in at RT this season but eventually I see him replacing Nate Solder at LT, and by eventually, I mean in 2021. Thomas has Pro Bowl talent and he’ll be Daniel Jones’ favorite teammate. McKinney is a do-everything type of safety. In today’s NFL he’s exactly what you need because he can be a free safety and cover deep, he can come up and support in the run and he can actually excel in the nickel role. The team has Julian Love penciled in at FS but I think there’s a very good chance McKinney takes that job.

Best Value: S Xavier McKinney
He should have been a first-rounder and while he didn’t fall very far into the second round, he’s still a steal there. The fact is the Giants went secondary quite often in the draft taking three different prospects but only McKinney can fill a couple of roles.

Sleeper: CB Darnay Holmes
Like I said the Giants were looking to fill some holes in the secondary and as much as I like McKinney, he won’t be asked to do it alone. The team has Deandre Baker at one CB and signed big-money free agent James Bradberry to be the #1 outside guy. They still needed to upgrade the nickel spot and that happens to be Holmes best position. He’ll have to fight for the job but I think he can win it and excel at it.

Overall Analysis
Clearly, GM Dave Gettleman had some specific needs he was looking to fill in this draft. Andrew Thomas is a no-doubt starter from day one but he didn’t stop there on the offensive line. He drafted a developmental OT with great upside in Matt Peart. Peart is long and agile and really just needs a little physical and technical development to be a very good OT. Gettleman also drafted OG Shane Lemieux and while he isn’t a flashy guy, he can be a starter at some point in the near future. The team has Will Hernandez at LG but RG Kevin Zeitler is over 30 and center Spencer Pulley isn’t the best. Lemieux can spend some time working at center while waiting to potentially replace Zeitler. He’s already a good run blocker so if he ends up playing on the right side with Thomas Saquon Barkley will love running behind those guys. Gettleman got some serious secondary help with McKinney and Holmes and there is nothing wrong with taking a shot on Williamson in the seventh round. The team didn’t invest high picks at LB but they invested heavily in terms of numbers. Cam Brown, Carter Coughlin, TJ Brunson and Tae Crowder were all brought in during the 6th or 7th rounds meaning they were looking for depth. It’s hard to blame them considering how weak the position has been in the past but most of these guys are special team’s players at best.

Philadelphia Eagles

(21) Jalen Reagor    WR    TCU
(53) Jalen Hurts    QB    Oklahoma
(103) Davion Taylor    LB    Colorado
(127) K’Von Wallace    S    Clemson
(145) Jack Driscoll    OL    Auburn
(168) John Hightower    WR    Boise St.
(196) Shaun Bradley    LB    Temple
(200) Quez Watkins    WR    Southern Miss
(210) Prince Tega Wanogho    OT    Auburn
(233) Casey Toohill    LB    Stanford

Immediate Impact: WR Jalen Reagor
The Eagles went into the draft with a major need at WR and they took Reagor in the first round. He is a talented WR with a skill set they will find quite useful. He has speed to go deep and the type of change of direction skills that make him hard to cover. Considering the team lost Nelson Agholor in free agency, Alshon Jeffrey’s health is unreliable and Desean Jackson is aging Reagor should step in immediately.

Best Value: OT Prince Tega Wanogho
Wanogho is a kid with a lot of upside as a developmental OT. He probably could have gone in the fourth round instead of the sixth and no one would have batted an eyelash. He probably isn’t going to step in immediately but there have been rumblings that the Eagles have reservations about last year’s first round pick LT Andre Dillard stepping in as the starter for Jason Peters. Wanogho is a bit of a hedge against betting on Dillard.

Sleeper: K’Von Wallace
Wallace is a safety prospect who can come up and cover the slot, that makes him a valuable player in NFL today. He isn’t the biggest guy and he doesn’t have great length or deep speed but he knows how to cover and he does it well. Philly isn’t exactly teeming with great safeties; they have Rodney McLeod and they re-signed Jalen Mills with the intent of moving him from CB to safety. Wallace has a chance to end up a starter with the next few years.

Overall Analysis
The Eagles needed WR help desperately and they spent their first-round pick on one just like everyone expected and Jalen Reagor was a solid choice. They didn’t stop there. John Hightower and Quez Watkins are two later round picks that bring a whole lot of speed to the WR corps even if they aren’t high level prospects. You can’t judge the Eagles only on their picks though, they also made a trade during the draft to pick up Marquise Goodwin from the 49ers. Goodwin is a solid pickup who can be a reliable player. One thing all these guys have in common is they all bring a lot of speed to the team that is looking for playmakers. The most talked about pick they made was their second-round choice of QB Jalen Hurts. Hurts isn’t your typical QB prospect considering he’s known more for his running ability. He doesn’t have the type of strong throwing arm you need in the NFL although he is a pretty accurate intermediate passer. He’s an interesting draft pick because the Eagles already have a franchise QB in Carson Wentz who is still quite young and signed to a massive contract. How they fit Hurts into the equation should be quite interesting. The team needed help at LB and they took Davion Taylor in round three and Shaun Bradley in round six. They both bring speed to the position but they use that speed in different ways. Taylor is more the run and chase LB against the run and the coverage guy against the pass while Bradley is better attacking the line of scrimmage. They do fit one major theme of the Eagles draft, speed. They also got Casey Toohill out of Stanford but he’s more of a pass rusher off the edge. The team also took both Auburn OTs in the draft in Jack Driscoll and the afore mentioned Prince Tega Wanogho. Both are solid investments moving forward.

Washington Redskins

(2) Chase Young    DE    Ohio St.
(66) Antonio Gibson    RB/WR    Memphis
(108) Saahdiq Charles    OT    LSU
(142) Antonio Gandy-Golden    WR    Liberty
(156) Keith Ismael    OG    San Diego St.
(162) Khaleke Hudson    LB    Michigan
(216) Kamren Curl    S    Arkansas
(229) James Smith-Williams    DE    North Carolina St.

Immediate Impact: DE Chase Young
Well this is a no-brainer. Young has Julius Peppers type athleticism and he will be a monster as a pass rusher. He doesn’t have to be rushed because the team has both Montez Sweat and Ryan Kerrigan on the edge but Young is better than both of them. They hope he makes a dynamic pass rushing duo with Sweat for the next decade. Ron Rivera will make this kid a star.

Best Value: WR Antonio Gandy-Golden
A WR out of Liberty seems like a strange choice here but Gandy-Golden could have gone in the late second round and that would have been acceptable. He’s actually a great complement to the young receiving corps the team is building. Terry McLaurin was fantastic last season as the deep threat. Kelvin Harmon is a big-bodied receiver with some skills and Trey Quinn works well in the slot. Gandy-Golden is the big, power WR who is 6’4 and knows how to use his size and may end up an upgraded version of Harmon. No matter what he’s a great addition to a team that is looking to help out their young QB.

Sleeper: OT Saahdiq Charles
Charles has some red flags from his time at LSU. He’s definitely not a choir boy but he started at LT for a team that had a pretty impressive offensive line. If Ron Rivera and company can keep him on the straight and narrow Charles has plenty of talent to like. The Redskins finally traded LT Trent Williams and they really need someone better to step up. Charles might be their best choice. If they can tap into his potential, he could end up taking the LT job as early as right now.

Overall Analysis
The team got the best prospect in the draft with the #2 overall pick so that’s always a good start. Chase Young has All-Pro potential and is working with the right coaching staff to get him to that level. Antonio Gibson was a strange pick given he doesn’t have a defined position, is he a RB or a WR? And his best assumed position, RB, is pretty stacked with Adrian Peterson, Derrius Guice, Peyton Barber, and a couple of young guys Bryce Love and Josh Ferguson. The team also has Trey Quinn and Kelvin Harmon who can play the slot, Gibson’s next best position. Charles was worth a shot on a fourth-round pick. If he works out, he could be the starting LT, if he doesn’t, they only burned a fourth-round pick. Gandy-Golden is a steal and I think he’s a perfect complement that will make Terry McLaurin that much more dangerous. Keith Ismael is a solid addition as depth on the interior offensive line. LB Khaleke Hudson is a small LB with nominal speed and not great athleticism. If he makes the roster it will be because he shows he can really help on special teams and they don’t have a ton of depth at LB. Kamren Curl comes in as a safety but he might actually transition to LB, Hudson better hope he doesn’t because he might be a better prospect at LB than he is. Smith-Williams is a developmental DE who will likely end up on the practice squad.

 

AFC West Draft Review

Generally, I don’t like Denver, I’ve never been a John Elway fan, but if he got the QB pick last year right he did an excellent job of building around him this year. He never found him a LT but Garrett Bolles is going to be challenged so Elway has to hope someone rises to the challenge. The Chargers were bold and when the ceiling you’ve been working with was losing in the first round of the playoffs it’s time to be bold. They betting big on Justin Herbert to be a franchise QB and they traded two picks to get the help they need at LB in Kenneth Murray. I like their draft overall but it’s going to hinge on Herbert, it always hinges on the 1st round QB pick. It’s hard to judge the Chiefs draft overall simply because they only had six picks and none of them are going to be counted on to better the team. Pretty hard to do for anyone when you’re talking about the Super Bowl Champs. The Raiders’ drafts are always interesting. I’m pretty sure Al Davis’ ghost made them pick Ruggs because he’s the fastest player in the draft. The joke is on Al though, Ruggs isn’t just fast, he’s actually a good WR. The Arnette pick was the curveball early and then having two picks back-to-back in round three and taking two WRs was unorthodox to say the least, especially when that gave you three WRs in your first four picks. The draft isn’t going to change the balance of power in the division, the Chiefs still own it. However, Denver gets closer if they were right on Lock last year, the team is better around him. The Chargers get better if Herbert shines. And finally, the Raiders might be better if Derek Carr has the arm strength to take advantage of Henry Ruggs III’s speed (that’s not very likely).

Denver Broncos

(15) Jerry Jeudy    WR    Alabama
(46) KJ Hamler    WR    Penn St.
(77) Michael Ojemudia    CB    Iowa
(83) Lloyd Cushenberry III    OL    LSU
(95) McTelvin Agim    DL    Arkansas
(118) Albert Okwuegbunam    TE    Missouri
(178) Justin Strnad    LB    Wake Forest
(181) Netane Muti    OG    Fresno St.
(252) Tyrie Cleveland    WR    Florida
(254) Derrek Tuszka    DE    North Dakota St.

Immediate Impact:  WR Jerry Jeudy,  WR KJ Hamler,  CB Michael Ojemudia
The Broncos had Courtland Sutton and not much else at WR going into this draft and they rectified that quickly using their first two picks at WR. Jerry Jeudy was my favorite player in this draft and he is going to be a star. He can play inside and outside and he can run every route with precision. He’s faster than he gets credit for but he wins with technical proficiency. KJ Hamler is a smaller receiver who probably fits better in the slot but he’ll have to play on the outside some because Jeudy does such great work inside. The Broncos are getting weapons for Drew Lock and that is hard to argue with although I would argue there were better WRs available when they took Hamler. Ojemudia wasn’t as highly thought of going into the draft process as he was after a great showing at the combine. He showed great speed, size and agility and teams took notice. The Broncos traded for AJ Bouye but then lost Chris Harris in free agency. They hope Bryce Callahan is back healthy this year but he’s better suited as the slot corner. Ojemudia has a very good chance to become the starting outside CB opposite Bouye, he only has to beat out Isaac Yiadom and that’s not going to be a huge task.

Best Value:  G/C Lloyd Cushenberry III,  OG Netane Muti
I’m putting both of these interior offensive linemen here because I’m not totally sure which one of them might take the RG spot and both of them were drafted lower than they were ranked. Cushenberry was the starting center for the National Champion LSU Tigers. The Broncos spent a lot of money to sign C Graham Glasgow from Detroit which means Cushenberry, who was a third-round pick will have to compete for the RG spot where Elijah Wilkinson was penciled in but now, he will likely compete with Garrett Bolles at LT. The problem is Muti who was a sixth-round pick is going have to compete for that spot too and he might be better. The only reason Muti fell to the sixth round is because he’s spent much of the last two years injured. If he’s healthy he might actually be a better fit for the Broncos offense. Glasgow is set at center and Dalton Risner seems pretty secure at LG but either one of these two could win the RG job.

Sleepers:  TE Albert Okwuegbunam,  OLB Derrek Tuszka
The Broncos drafted Noah Fant at TE last year and he had a pretty solid rookie year and should have a better sophomore one with Drew Lock the full-time starter. However, after Fant the Broncos have a bunch of guys that really haven’t produced over the years regardless of their talent. They did bring in Nick Vannett in free agency but the team is looking to find playmakers for Lock. Albert Okwuegbunam isn’t going to block a lot of pass rushers but he’s a dangerous athlete down the seam. When you’re taking a chance on another TE prospect it might as well be the one that’s 6’6 258 lbs., can run 4.5 and has a history with Lock. Albert O was one of Lock’s favorite targets at Missouri. Derrek Tuszka was a beast for North Dakota St.’s FBS dynasty and while he may have been a seventh-round pick this guy is an athlete who is looking to prove he belongs. He played DE in college but he will be an OLB for the Broncos. He won’t play early with Von Miller and Bradley Chubb in the starting lineup but I wouldn’t bet against him making the team and Von Miller is 31 so Tuszka is a nice investment in the future.

Overall Analysis
If you want to see a team do a draft right, this is the one. The Broncos got the best WR in the draft and did it just by waiting for him to fall to them. Jeudy will be a star but the team didn’t panic because they knew one of the top three guys would fall to them. I may disagree with their choice of KJ Hamler but drafting a second WR was a good choice when you only have one legitimate NFL starter on your roster and you want to give you franchise QB a real shot to succeed. They didn’t stop there; they added a real pass catching threat at TE to help take pressure off of Noah Fant and then later they took a flyer on another WR with some upside, Tyrie Cleveland. They also added two value picks for the interior of the offensive line to help better protect their franchise QB. They needed a potential starting CB or at least someone who could push the guys on their roster so they took a guy with a high upside that could take the job, Ojemudia. McTelvin Agim was a solid prospect for their defensive line who can back up at all three positions and both Justin Strnad and the Derrek Tuszka add depth to the LB corps.

Kansas City Chiefs

(32) Clyde Edwards-Helaire    RB    LSU
(63) Willie Gay Jr.    LB    Mississippi St.
(96) Lucas Niang    OL    TCU
(138) L’Jarius Sneed    S    Louisiana Tech
(177) Michael Danna    OLB    Michigan
(237) Thakarius Keyes    CB    Tulane

Immediate Impact:  RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Edwards-Helaire was a dynamo on LSU’s high-powered offense led by a generational QB, sound familiar. The Chiefs have Damien Williams at RB and he did a solid job for them last season but he’s not a game breaker. It’s not as if the Chiefs need another game breaker but the truth is you can never have too many. Edwards-Helaire wasn’t my top RB but he really fits what the Chiefs offense is all about and being the Super Bowl Champs means you can take a RB in round one and no one gets to question you.

Best Value:  OT Lucas Niang
The Chiefs have Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz at OT so they don’t need a starter but they don’t have a lot behind those two and Fisher is 29 while Schwartz will be 31. Good teams know what needs they will have in the future and Fisher or Schwartz are getting older and more expensive. Niang is has some technique work to do and he’s coming off a season where he had some health issues so giving him some time would be good. He has starter potential and he can be their swing tackle now, that’s a solid pickup towards the end of round three.

Sleeper:  LB Willie Gay Jr.
It’s hard to call a second-round pick a sleeper but Gay wasn’t even a full-time starter in college because he had some off the field issues but he’s a fantastic athlete who can run and cover. The Chiefs need help next to Anthony Hitchens at LB and the reason I’m calling Gay a sleeper is because I think he could be a starter sooner rather than later. He’s very modern version of an NFL LB.

Overall Analysis
This is a small draft class with only six picks but the first three could prove to be valuable pieces. Edwards-Helaire gives the Chiefs a dynamic option at RB as opposed to Damien Williams who is steady but unspectacular. Willie Gay Jr may be just what the team needs a LB. He’s an athletic guy who can run and can cover in the passing game. They are a little thin there either way. I like the value Lucas Niang brings. If he had been healthy and had the chance to develop a little more last season there is no way he makes it to the end of round three. He won’t be rushed to play unless there’s an injury and if there is, he’s a better option as the third OT than anyone else they have. They got a S, CB and an OLB who are all developmental prospects that are more likely to make the practice squad than the active roster. That’s the way it goes on Super Bowl winning teams.

Los Angeles Chargers

(6) Justin Herbert    QB    Oregon
(23) Kenneth Murray    LB    Oklahoma
(112) Josh Kelley    RB    UCLA
(151) Joe Reed    WR    Virginia
(186) Alohi Gilman    S    Notre Dame
(220) KJ Hill    WR    Ohio St.

Immediate Impact:  QB Justin Herbert,  LB Kenneth Murray
If you think the Chargers are going to go all season with Tyrod Taylor at QB and keep Justin Herbert on the bench in their new stadium I have some oceanfront property in Iowa to sell you. Herbert is no sure thing; he might be the biggest lottery ticket pick in this draft but the Chargers are not going to sit on him long. He will have to take the job from Taylor but Taylor has made a career out of being the guy who gets his job taken away by high draft picks. The Chargers made a big move trading a second and third round picks to move back into the first round to get Murray. Murray is immediately the most talented LB on the Chargers roster and they didn’t make the bold move up to get him to watch him sit. The team has an excellent defensive line and great secondary and now Murray helps improve the middle of the defense. He’s a major candidate for defensive rookie of the year.

Best Value:  RB Josh Kelley
Kelley was one of the lesser talked about RBs but that’s because he played at UCLA and they haven’t been good in a while. He is essentially a bigger version of Austin Ekeler with a similar skill set that we know works well for the Chargers offense. Getting a guy that could become your starting RB in the fourth round is a very good value pick. I think Kelley brings great value for a team that needs some depth after losing Melvin Gordon to Denver.

Sleeper:  WR KJ Hill
The Chargers grabbed two WRs but I’m going with their last pick KJ Hill as the one that has a chance to help. Hill isn’t an explosive playmaker and he isn’t going to wow you with his athleticism but he’s smart and skilled and knows how to get open. Keenan Allen does a lot of his work from the slot but he’s a guy that can make big plays, Hill is the guy to do the dirty work underneath. He will work the middle of the field, use his route running ability to get open and make a nice security blanket as a third WR for whichever QB the Chargers go with.

Overall Analysis
Justin Herbert looks the part of a franchise QB and it’s understandable why the Chargers are taking their shot with him. He could be the next great QB in the league or he could be the next big bust and that is the issue with him, the range of his potential future is either exciting or frightening. He’s going to a good situation with an offense that has several good WRs, a talented TE and a RB with the type of talent that really helps out a young QB. I love the Murray pick; he could be the missing piece that takes the Chargers defense from really good to great. They haven’t had that great talent at the LB level in a while and Murray is going to be fantastic. It was a bold move and one I think will work out well. RB Josh Kelley was a really good get who helps their depth. He’s a talented kid who deserves a chance to play on a team better than UCLA has been in his time there. The two WRs, Joe Reed and KJ Hill, could both stick around. Reed is more in the mold of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams so he can back up there and I think Hill could be a huge steal. He fills a need. Alohi Gilman is a bit of a one-dimensional safety but he brings valuable depth and he should excel on special teams.

Las Vegas Raiders

(12) Henry Ruggs III    WR    Alabama
(19) Damon Arnette    CB    Ohio St.
(80) Lynn Bowden Jr.    WR    Kentucky
(81) Bryan Edwards    WR    South Carolina
(100) Tanner Muse    S    Clemson
(109) John Simpson    OL    Clemson
(139) Amik Robertson    CB    Louisiana Tech

Immediately Impact:  WR Henry Ruggs III,  CB Damon Arnette
The Raiders had one major need on offense and one major need on defense. They needed a deep threat WR and they got Ruggs who can absolutely fly. On defense they took Arnette, who can play CB but was a bit of a surprise pick as a mid-first rounder. Ruggs has elite speed and while I think Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb are better prospects Ruggs complements Tyrell Williams and Nelson Agholor very well. Arnette seemed more like a second-round pick at best and while I’m not a fan of the pick, he will play a lot. The Raiders are in desperate need of a CBs so Arnette is going to get plenty of opportunities to prove everyone, including me, wrong about his ability to be a top NFL CB.

Best Value:  WR Bryan Edwards
The Raiders clearly needed WR help and they just couldn’t help themselves as they drafted three WRs. Lynn Bowden Jr. can actually be a versatile offensive piece so he’s not a pure WR but he will still play in the slot. However, it was their next pick, Bryan Edwards who is the more intriguing WR to me. Edwards was a machine at South Carolina and then he had a foot injury during the pre-draft process that hurt his stock. He’s a big WR at 6’3 212 lbs. with lots of skills and he could be a really great complement to Ruggs well into the future.

Sleeper:  CB Amik Robertson
Robertson was a fourth-round pick and I was a little surprised the Raiders didn’t take a shot on Bryce Hall instead because they need plenty of CB help and Hall has more upside but Robertson is a fighter. He’s a small but feisty CB who can fill the nickel back spot and the team needs help there too. At his size he could struggle against bigger WRs but he won’t quit and he won’t back down, those are traits Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden appreciate.

Overall Analysis
The Raiders addressed their LB problems in free agency which left them with two major areas of concern, WR and CB. They attacked those deficiencies with gusto. Ruggs was an obvious first-round talent and they prioritized his skill set over Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb; I don’t agree with it but I understand it. Lynn Bowden Jr. played RB, WR and QB at Kentucky and while some are not convinced of his position in the NFL, whether he lines up at RB or in the slot he helps the passing game. Bryan Edwards was a great value pick if he recovers from his foot injury and there is no reason to think he won’t. They liked Damon Arnette best amongst the CBs left on the board when they picked, I disagreed with that one too but given the state of their CB position I can’t argue Arnette won’t play. Amik Robertson could also fill in nicely moving forward. Tanner Muse and John Simpson are two more guys out of Clemson and clearly Mayock and Gruden like Clemson players. Muse played safety in college but he might have to move to LB in the NFL given his lack of great coverage skills which is becoming more and more important at the safety position. Simpson is a guard prospect that seems a bit limited but Richie Incognito is going to be 37 this season and the Raiders need to look to the future. With some good coaching Simpson could be a starter down the line. The Raiders knew what they needed and they went at it with a vengeance. I think they passed on more talented players at WR and CB in the first round but I actually like many of their later choices, although Muse seems like a major project.

NFC North Draft Review

After a tough year on the field the Detroit Lions had a pretty good draft. Their first four picks should pay dividends pretty early on. Jeff Okudah is a legitimate star at CB, which they desperately need. D’Andre Swift might finally be the answer at RB they have been seeking for the last couple of decades. Julian Okwara and Jonah Jackson have starting potential. Matt Patricia needs this draft to pay off big. The Vikings were clearly looking for quantity over quality. I guess if you throw enough you know what at the wall, some of it is bound to stick. Their top four picks look damn good to me and the just by the law of averages some of the 15 guys they drafted have to work out. The Bears certainly found help with their two second-round picks but it’s a tough go when those are the only two picks you have the top 155 overall selections. I like Kmet and Johnson and they were solid value picks. I’m not even going to begin to try to understand what the Packers were doing. Trading up to take a QB, a move that is almost certainly going to piss off your future Hall of Fame QB, is questionable in and of itself. To follow that up with taking a power back who is sort of the opposite of the way the league is trending is worrisome. When you factor in that your offensive line is not really built for the power running game, it’s a downright dangerous gamble. Finally, you follow that up with drafting a TE that isn’t likely to make an immediate impact and you completely pass on any WR to help out your future Hall of Fame QB and that seems like a dereliction of duty. If Aaron Rodgers gets pissed enough to force his way out of Green Bay or simply retires than the GM and head coach are staking their very young careers on Jordan Love being the next….um…Aaron Rodgers.

Chicago Bears
(43) Cole Kmet   TE   Notre Dame
(50) Jaylon Johnson   CB   Utah
(155) Trevis Gipson   OLB   Tulsa
(163) Kindle Vildor   CB   Georgia Southern
(173) Darnell Mooney   WR   Tulane
(226) Arlington Hambright   OL   Colorado
(227) Lachavious Simmons   OL   Tennessee St.

Immediate Impact: TE Cole Kmet, CB Jaylon Johnson
It’s not as if the Bears didn’t try to address the TE and CB positions in free agency but Jimmy Graham is past his prime and Artie Burns never had one. Cole Kmet was the best TE prospect in a less than impressive TE class. He is big and fast and he certainly looks the part of an NFL TE. He wasn’t as productive at Notre Dame as his skill set would have you think but he should get more opportunities with the Bears. Jaylon Johnson is one of the better CBs in the draft and I think he will be a starter sooner rather than later. After Kyle Fuller the team really doesn’t have much at the position. Beating out Burns should prove fairly easy unless Chuck Pagano and the Chicago defensive staff have some magic potion to unlock Burns’ potential.

Best Value: CB Jaylon Johnson
Beauty was in the eye of the beholder when it came to the CB position after Jeff Okudah and CJ Henderson. Johnson was in the mix as the third guy yet somehow, he fell to 50th overall. There are a number of teams that will be kicking themselves for passing over Johnson for a different CB. I like Johnson and he landed in the perfect situation where he won’t be handed the job but he will go out and earn it.

Sleeper: WR Darnell Mooney
Mooney is a skinny WR at only 175 lbs. but he has a lot of playing time under his belt and he’s proven to be a playmaker. The Bears are in pretty good shape at WR with Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller, Riley Ridley and even Cordarrelle Patterson but Mooney is a versatile guy who could become their fifth WR, hang on to a roster spot while he tries to fill out a bit and he offers the inside/outside versatility to backup several positions for now. Down the road his playmaking prowess gives him a chance to become a real asset in the passing game.

Overall Analysis
When your draft consists of no first-round picks, two second round picks and then you don’t pick again until the fifth round it’s hard to have a great draft. I love the Cole Kmet and Jaylon Johnson picks, they got two guys that can help right away. Both guys will have to earn their playing time because there are veterans ahead of them but that just means they will be challenged and that’s not a bad thing. I do think the Gronkowski comparisons are unfair to Kmet, no one is Gronk but Gronk. I think a better projection for Kmet is Kyle Rudolph, and Rudolph is a pretty good TE. When your third pick doesn’t come until #155 overall it’s hard to find true impact players but the Bears traded their first-round pick in the Khalil Mack trade, it would be hard to believe they wouldn’t pull that trigger every time. Everyone else is a developmental guy and I’m not real sure the two seventh round lineman stick around but at that point in the draft you’re just hoping to find a diamond in the rough. My only issue is that the team didn’t really find any legitimate candidates to replace retired OG Kyle Long. They have some run of the mill veterans but they benefited greatly from Long’s presence. When they took Trevis Gipson in round five there were still some legitimate starting caliber OGs left (Netane Muti, Nick Harris and Jon Runyan just to name a few).

Detroit Lions

(3) Jeff Okudah   CB   Ohio St.
(35) D’Andre Swift   RB   Georgia
(67) Julian Okwara   DE   Notre Dame
(75) Jonah Jackson   OG   Ohio St.
(121) Logan Stenberg   OL   Kentucky
(166) Quintez Cephus   WR  Wisconsin
(172) Jason Huntley   RB   New Mexico St.
(197) John Penisini   DT   Utah
(235) Jashon Cornell   DL   Ohio St.

Immediate Impact: CB Jeff Okudah, RB D’Andre Swift
Okudah walks into training camp as the best CB on the team and this team has Desmond Trufant and Justin Coleman, two legitimate NFL veteran CBs. Okudah checks all the boxes of a #1 CB and he will be tested in a conference where he plays Allen Robinson, Adam Thielen and Devante Adams twice a year. Swift was arguably the best RB in this draft and his overall game is outstanding. The team still likes Kerryon Johnson but he can’t stay healthy and Swift is the better overall talent. I think Swift has the starting RB job by week four and he’s the best RB on the Lions’ roster since Barry Sanders. And in case you’re wondering Barry Sanders retired in 1998.

Best Value: DE Julian Okwara
Okwara was on his way to being a first-round pick until he got hurt during the season. Okwara’s loss is the Lions’ gain. He’s a very talented player and it was a pretty cool scene when he got drafted to the Lions on Friday night because that also happens to be where his brother Romeo plays. The bad news is Julian is good enough to take his brother’s starting spot at DE opposite Trey Flowers. Getting a guy that has first round ability in the early third round is very good value.

Sleeper: OG Jonah Jackson
People don’t usually get too excited about interior offensive linemen so I’m calling Jackson my sleeper. He’s not the prettiest looking blocker but he is highly effective. The team has veterans Joe Dahl and Oday Aboushi penciled in at OG. Jackson could beat out either one of them to be a starter and Matthew Stafford would appreciate the help up front and so will D’Andre Swift (and Kerryon Johnson if he stays healthy).

Overall Analysis
Detroit had a really excellent draft with their first four players capable of being starters right away or at least pretty early in the season. Okudah is a star at CB and Swift will take the starting job sooner rather than later. In a pass happy NFL, a top CB is a necessity and while the Lions traded one away this off season (Darius Slay) they drafted another one. Kerryon Johnson is a solid back but Swift has immense talent and will likely be more durable. Okwara is a bit of a ‘tweener, a little undersized to be pure DE but not quite versatile enough to be an OLB. He went to the perfect place because Matt Patricia learned from Bill Belichick that versatile defenders make the best defenders. Okwara should excel under Patricia. I think Jonah Jackson steals a starting job immediately and Logan Stenberg has some holes in his game but he’s a solid prospect who brings some versatility as a backup interior lineman. WR Quintez Cephus and RB Jason Huntley are going to have to earn roster spots by playing special teams and bringing something to the table others on the depth chart don’t. The Lions have Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones, Danny Amendola and Geronimo Allison as their top four WR, Cephus has one good trait, his physicality. If he shows that as a useful trait he sticks as the fifth receiver. At RB the team now has Swift, Johnson, Bo Scarbrough and Ty Johnson. Huntley is small but fast, can he make that skill more useful than others on the depth chart? Penisini and Cornell have a chance to stick around because the Lions are not all that deep on the defensive line. Penisini is a good run-stopper at DT while Cornell has the versatility to back up at both DT and DE.

Green Bay Packers

(26) Jordan Love   QB   Utah St.
(62) AJ Dillon   RB   Boston College
(94) Josiah Deguara   TE   Cincinnati
(175) Kamal Martin   LB   Minnesota
(192) Jon Runyan   OL   Michigan
(208) Jake Hansen   C   Oregon
(209) Simon Stepaniak   OL  Indiana
(236) Vernon Scott   S   TCU
(242) Jonathan Garvin DE/OLB Miami

Immediate Impact: RB AJ Dillon????
I’m not completely certain how quickly Dillon will make an impact but he has the best shot to do it early. Love is going to be the backup for the foreseeable future unless the Packers picking him completely sends Rodgers into a tailspin and he feels like forcing a trade out of town. I also don’t see Deguara moving ahead of Mercedes Lewis or Jace Sternberger. Dillon brings a different skill set than Aaron Jones but he isn’t going to take Jones’ starting spot this year. Dillon will be the short yardage back and insurance against Jones and Jamaal Williams getting injured.

Best Value: DE/OLB Jonathan Garvin????
Garvin isn’t really big enough to line up at DE in the Packers 3-4 defense and he’s not really quick enough to be a highly effective pass rusher as an OLB. He is a talented kid he just seems to be without a defined position. I think he makes the team and for a seventh rounder that’s pretty solid. This is also my way of saying they didn’t really get anyone beyond where they should have.

Sleeper: OL Jon Runyan
Runyan has a ton of experience from his college days but he played OT at Michigan and he really isn’t suited for it in the NFL. He should spend this year transitioning inside and working to gain strength to be more effective. The Packers are aging on the interior and I think they probably experiment with Runyan at both OG and OC. He showed great athleticism at the combine but he generally doesn’t look as athletic on the field. If he can translate that to the field, he can be good.

Overall Analysis
If I didn’t make this clear I don’t like this draft overall. The Packers were certainly looking towards the future since most of their top picks won’t contribute much this year and the later ones might not at all. The Packers had the most talked about first-round pick when they traded up to get QB Jordan Love. They can control Love for up to five years on his first contract but there is no guarantee Aaron Rodgers is done before that. They may run into the Tom Brady/Jimmy Garoppolo situation. It looks like we won’t know Love’s value for a minimum of 3-4 years. I do like AJ Dillon as a RB but I question where took him, I think there were better all-around RBs available and not a lot of teams are looking for power backs that don’t add much else. Also, with Jones and Williams around Dillon isn’t looking at a lot of carries, that limits his value. The Packers must really have loved something on Deguara’s film because they took him over quite a few TEs that were rated higher and I’m not sure why. They got some LB depth with Kamal Martin and Jonathan Garvin which they needed and they got interior offensive line depth with Runyan, Jake Hansen and Simon Stepaniak, which they also needed. I’m pretty sure they don’t want to count on any of those guys this year but they can hope at least some of them develop. I would say my biggest concern with this draft and I’m fairly certain Aaron Rodgers would agree with me is, where is the help at WR? Any help would have been appreciated coming from the deepest WR draft in modern NFL history.

Minnesota Vikings

(22) Justin Jefferson   WR   LSU
(31) Jeff Gladney   CB   TCU
(58) Ezra Cleveland   OT   Boise St.
(89) Cameron Dantzler   CB   Mississippi St.
(117) DJ Wonnum   DE   South Carolina
(130) James Lynch  DL   Baylor
(132) Troy Dye   LB   Oregon
(169) Harrison Hand   CB   Temple
(176) KJ Osborn   WR   Miami
(203) Blake Brandel   OL   Oregon St.
(205) Josh Metellus   S   Michigan
(225) Kenny Willekes   DE   Michigan St.
(244) Nate Stanley   QB   Iowa
(249) Brian Cole II   S   Mississippi St.
(253) Kyle Hinton   OL   Washburn

Immediate Impact: WR Justin Jefferson, CB Jeff Gladney, OT Ezra Cleveland, CB Cameron Dantzler
The Vikings lost important players this off season and they did a nice job replacing most of them here. WR Justin Jefferson was drafted to step into the role vacated by Stefon Diggs who was traded to Buffalo. Jefferson isn’t exactly like Diggs but he’s a really outstanding WR who can play any of the positions and catches everything. He’s even used to being overshadowed by a teammate after playing opposite Ja’Marr Chase last year. He should complain less than Diggs about getting the ball. CBs Jeff Gladney and Cameron Dantzler should step in next to Mike Hughes to fill the void created by the free agent defections of Trae Waynes and Mackenzie Alexander and Xavier Rhodes being cut. They also picked up an OT in Ezra Cleveland who has loads of potential and should work very well in the Vikings offense.

Best Value: OT Ezra Cleveland
Cleveland was trending up the draft boards late because he’s got great size and his athletic ability makes him a natural LT. He needs some work on his technique and to work on his strength but he can play early. The Vikings are looking to improve their line and one way to do that might be to put Cleveland in at LT and move Riley Reiff inside to LG to replace Pat Elflein who has struggled the past couple of seasons. Cleveland will work well in the zone blocking scheme the team prefers.

Sleeper: DE Kenny Willekes
The Vikings lost Everson Griffin this off season and they need someone to play opposite Danielle Hunter so he doesn’t face triple teams. They drafted three defensive linemen and while Willekes was the last one they took, if I had to bet on one, I’m betting on him. Willekes started out as a walk-on at Michigan St. and proved to be an All-Conference player by the end of his career. He’s not the most athletically gifted guy but no one will out work him and he never stops coming.

Overall Analysis
Generally, when teams go into a draft with 12 picks as the Vikings did this year, they look to package some of them together to move up but the Vikings went the other way. They turned 12 picks into 15 this year and added some for next year. I’m not sure it’s a great strategy because the odds of 15 rookies making your roster is pretty low. The first four picks were spot on, good players that fit major needs and will help immediately. I also really like the James Lynch and Troy Dye picks as they add really good depth on the d-line and at LB respectively. DE DJ Wonnum and CB Harrison Hand also could make the team as depth pieces in need areas but they are developmental projects. WR KJ Osborn might find it a little more difficult to find space on the roster. After that, QB Nate Stanley has a shot to unseat Jake Browning as the third QB but it would take a herculean effort to take the backup job from Sean Mannion, he’s a trusted veteran presence. Kenny Willekes is a pretty solid bet to at least contribute as a high-end backup and a special team’s guy. The rest of the picks were some potential depth pieces for the offensive line and safety spot but are longshots for the roster.

 

 

2020 NFL Mock Draft 4.0 (Last One)

This is my final mock draft for 2020 as the draft starts April 23^rd.  It seems strange to have an actual sporting event even if there is no actual game being played.  I’ve always said the NFL Draft is my favorite sporting event of the year and now every sports fan will be tuned in because there is nothing else to do.  Right now, it’s lying season when it comes to the draft as everyone puts up smokescreens to hide their intentions.  It has been a strange draft prep as teams haven’t been able to bring in players for workouts and can only conduct interviews virtually.  Athletes haven’t been able to have pro days or individual team workouts to show off, this will hurt players that either didn’t attend the combine, didn’t work out at the combine or had a bad combine.  Teams are going to have to rely pretty heavily on their scouting reports generated from game film, perhaps this draft will have the least busts ever.

Round 1

1. Cincinnati Bengals (2-14): Joe Burrow      QB       LSU

This pairing was decided once the Bengals locked up the #1 overall pick last season.  Andy Dalton was never the Bengals long-term QB plan once they let Marvin Lewis go and hired Zac Taylor to be their head coach last off season.  Burrow went from a likely late round draft pick when the college football season started to the presumptive #1 overall pick because of an incredible season at LSU.  A Heisman trophy, a National Championship and a Tua Tagovailoa hip injury later and Burrow was the clear choice for the QB needy Bengals.  Burrow had a senior year for the ages at LSU and now he will return to his native Ohio to be the face of the Bengals franchise.  Burrow checks all the boxes of a top QB prospect with great size, a strong arm, good mobility, exceptional accuracy and a high football IQ.  The Bengals have some very good skill position players for Burrow to work with; RB Joe Mixon, WRs AJ Green, Tyler Boyd and John Ross, if he’s healthy.  They need to get some help on the o-line and a new TE would be a great help to a rookie QB.

2. Washington Redskins (3-13): Chase Young      DE      Ohio St.

I had the Redskins trading out of this spot with the Dolphins moving up in my last two mock drafts but it looks like the Dolphins are content to stay at five and see what happens with either Tua or Justin Herbert.  That leaves the Redskins with less options to trade out and that means they stick here and just take the best overall prospect in the draft.  Young is a freak athlete coming off the edge and as new head coach Ron Rivera and new defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio look to reshape the Redskins’ defense Young gives them an excellent building block on the line.  I’m not sure if Young will have the immediate impact former Ohio St. alumni Joey and Nick Bosa had but he’s a fantastic prospect who will only get better with great coaching and better defenders around him.  The team will transition from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3 defense and Young should work will with veteran Ryan Kerrigan and pair well long-term with Montez Sweat.

3. Detroit Lions (3-12-1): Jeff Okudah      CB      Ohio St.

Detroit could be a spot where teams look to trade up to move ahead of the Dolphins and Chargers to grab a QB.  However, given the unknowns about Tua’s injury because of the pandemic limiting teams’ ability to check him out for themselves I think the appetite to move up may vanish.  If the Lions don’t get a good offer they can stay put and draft the CB they so desperately need.  They traded Darius Slay, who is such an underrated and underappreciated player, and they need a new #1 CB.  They signed Desmond Trufant but he is probably better suited to be a #2 at this point.  Okudah would be a great player to have to cover guys like Devante Adams, Adam Thielen and Allen Robinson, three guys this team sees twice a year.  Matt Patricia has to improve this teams and his defense is a good place to start.

4. New York Giants (4-12): Tristan Wirfs      OT      Iowa

I said before that I expect GM Dave Gettleman to take an offensive lineman and I had Mekhi Becton as that guy but now I’m giving him Wirfs.  The rumors have been the Giants taking Isaiah Simmons and while Simmons would be an understandable pick this smells like a smokescreen to me.  Gettleman has to have Daniel Jones work out at QB if he wants to continue running the team and Jones needs better protection.  Wirfs is an immediate starter at RT and could be the eventual successor to Nate Solder at LT and that could be as soon as a year from now.  I’m switching from Becton to Wirfs because I think Wirfs is farther ahead of Becton in his development and I think Gettleman will trust an Iowa offensive lineman before one from Louisville.

5. Miami Dolphins (5-11): Tua Tagovailoa      QB      Alabama

Miami is engaged in the ultimate smokescreen as we head towards the draft.  They have simultaneously leaked that they are worried about Tua’s injury issues, they might take Justin Herbert instead of Tua and that they might take an offensive lineman instead of a QB here and look to take Jordan Love with one of their later 1^st round picks.  They may be trying to force the Chargers to try to move ahead of them to get a QB which would mean they don’t have to make a choice between Tua and Herbert, they just take whoever is left.  Or they are trying to convince Washington or Detroit to take less to move up by pretending they don’t care.  Either way, I think they take Tua if he’s there.  They didn’t make all the moves they made to end up with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jordan Love at QB.  They need a franchise QB and while Tua’s injury history is scary, he simply has far too much potential to be a franchise changing QB to pass up.  The Dolphins have been starved for a franchise QB since Dan Marino retired and if they pass on Tua their fans may revolt.

6. Los Angeles Chargers (5-11): Justin Herbert      QB      Oregon

The Chargers are saying they are content with Tyrod Taylor as their starting QB and that’s good but it doesn’t preclude them from drafting Herbert.  Herbert might be best served not being forced into the starting job for a team that is looking to improve quickly.  If Taylor is at least a viable option than Herbert would have to play well enough to beat him out.  I don’t think that’s how it will go but that’s the scenario the Chargers are working on.  I will say, if there is one team that might pass on Herbert despite a real QB need it might be the Chargers.  Taking Isaiah Simmons would make their already formidable defense outstanding, adding his playmaking to Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram, Casey Hayward, Chris Harris and Derwin James would be scary.  When you have to play against Pat Mahomes and the Chiefs twice a year, having an exceptional defense is enticing.

7. Carolina Panthers (5-11): Isaiah Simmons      LB      Clemson

The Panthers are in a position to reap the rewards of someone great falling in the draft because three QBs go in the top six and Dave Gettleman takes an offensive lineman instead of a defender.  There are three elite defenders in this draft; Young, Okudah and Simmons, the Panthers get the one that’s left.  Simmons is a game changing player that would slide right into the Panthers defense and replace the retired Luke Kuechly.  The Panthers defense needs an infusion of talent wherever they can find it and Simmons is the type of swiss-army knife defender that any defensive coordinator would love to have.  He can rush the passer, stop the run and cover like a corner.  He fits whatever Matt Rhule and his defensive coordinator Phil Snow want to do.

8. Arizona Cardinals (5-10-1): Jedrick Wills      OT      Alabama

The Cardinals pulled off the trade heist of the century when they robbed Bill O’Brien and the Texans in the DeAndre Hopkins trade.  That gives Kyler Murray his #1 WR for quite some time and the team still has Larry Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk, and some young guys like Andy Isabella, Hakeem Butler and KeeSean Johnson.  That means they can focus elsewhere; the offensive line needs attention and so does the defense.  DJ Humphries was resigned at LT but the team still needs a RT and Wills made his reputation playing the right side at Alabama.  He would be more comfortable there than at LT so this is an excellent fit.  It’s possible the Cardinals take a defender like Derrick Brown but I think protecting Kyler Murray will be the more important to the team’s success.

9. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-10): Derrick Brown      DT      Auburn

The Jaguars need help on their defensive line after cutting Marcel Dareus and trading Calais Campbell along with the fact that Yannick Ngakoue is very unhappy especially after being franchised.  They also need help in the secondary after trading Jalen Ramsey and AJ Bouye and having their free agent deal with Darqueze Dennard fall through.  Brown is the next best defensive prospect on the board after the top three (Young, Okudah and Simmons).  There has been some talk that CB CJ Henderson is climbing up the boards as the second-best CB prospect so it’s possible the Jaguars might like him better.  For now, I think they go with Brown as he fills a huge need and is still considered a better prospect than Henderson.  The other possibility is an offensive tackle but I think there are prospects they could pick up later to compete with Cam Robinson at LT.

10. Cleveland Browns (6-10): Andrew Thomas      OT      Georgia

The Browns signed RT Jack Conklin and that solves a huge hole on the offensive line but there is an even bigger one at LT that they have to fill or all their good off-season work will be for not.  Baker Mayfield needs some time in the pocket to use his plethora of skill position players and Thomas is the best pure LT in this draft.  In this mock, it comes down to Thomas vs. Becton and while Becton has a very high ceiling it’s Thomas who should have the more immediate impact.  Thomas steps in on day one at LT and he can dominate.  His experience in the more pro-style offense at Georgia should make his transition to the NFL smoother and Cleveland needs their offense to get going now to give Baker Mayfield a chance to succeed.

11. New York Jets (7-9): Mekhi Becton      OT      Louisville

The Jets have two major holes to fill, #1 WR and OT.  They could have their pick of any of the fantastic WRs in this draft including CeeDee Lamb or Jerry Jeudy but here they take Becton because he’s the last of the elite OTs and he slides right in at LT.  Becton is still learning and is a little raw but this offense is still a work in progress and Becton has time to grow while he watches Sam Darnold’s blind side.  The WR position is stacked so the team can afford to wait to grab a new WR.  Taking Becton would also allow them to swing free agent OT George Fant to RT and that would improve two positions with one draft choice, that’s just smart math.

12. Las Vegas Raiders (7-9): CJ Henderson      CB      Florida

There is a lot of talk about the Raiders going for a new QB like Jordan Love but I think Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden are smart enough to realize they desperately need help in the secondary.  Their top CBs are Nevin Lawson and Trayvon Mullen, that’s not good in a division that has Pat Mahomes.  Henderson has seemed to separate himself from the rest of the CBs fighting for position behind Jeff Okudah and that’s understandable.  The more teams watch his film the more they will see a great cover guy who doesn’t seem to like to tackle.  Of all the missing traits a CB can have, an aversion to tackling is the most acceptable one.  There have been plenty of CBs in the league that don’t relish tackling that have done just fine, Henderson can hold up in coverage against the best WR, that’s what you draft him to do.

13. San Francisco 49ers (from Indianapolis): Jerry Jeudy       WR      Alabama

The 49ers picked up this pick from the Colts after dealing DeForest Buckner there so they could afford to re-sign Arik Armstead.  They dealt from a position of strength and now they can use this pick to get the best WR in this draft.  I’m a huge fan of Jeudy and I think his considerable skill set would be amazing in San Francisco.  His precision route running would be a better fit than CeeDee Lamb who is more of a deep ball threat.  When you’re coming off a Super Bowl appearance it means your roster is pretty good.  Having the luxury of the 13^th overall pick after a Super Bowl means you can go luxury shopping, getting the best WR in the draft is a very nice luxury when the one thing you need to do is improve your passing game.

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9): Josh Jones      OT      Houston

Taking a RT is still the most likely scenario for the Bucs after signing Tom Brady as their new QB.  Demar Dotson is a free agent they are not looking to bring back which leaves free agent pickup Joe Haeg, who is better suited inside, as the leader for the job.  That’s not good enough when you have a QB that will be 43 this season and wasn’t exactly fleet-of-foot when he was 23.  Jones is a good athlete with nice length and he can step in immediately as a starter.  He still has some rawness to his game and he will benefit from NFL coaching because he has plenty of talent to work with.  The team could look to grab a defender but securing Tom Brady is priority #1.

15. Denver Broncos (7-9): CeeDee Lamb      WR      Oklahoma

The Broncos think they finally found their QB in Drew Lock and they are looking to surround him with a proper offense to find out.  They have WR Courtland Sutton, TE Noah Fant, RB Phillip Lindsay and they signed RB Melvin Gordon.  Sutton stepped up to show the makings of a legitimate #1 WR last year but he needs a complement.  Lamb is a deep ball specialist who can take the top off the defense and will make the intermediate area less crowded for both Sutton and Fant to work.  He will also make the safeties have to play deep which should open up running room for Gordon and Lindsay.  Lamb is one of the best deep ball trackers you’ll ever find and that makes him very valuable an offense overall.  Points come in the passing game and Lamb is a game breaker.

16. Atlanta Falcons (7-9): Javon Kinlaw      DT      South Carolina

The Falcons desperately need a CB and there are rumblings that they are going to make a play to move up to draft CJ Henderson.  Henderson has separated himself from the pack that is behind Jeff Okudah.  Henderson has a high upside and if they make a move it is completely understandable.  If they don’t, and they stay here at 16 they could grab any one of a number of CBs; Kristian Fulton, Trevon Diggs, Jeff Gladney and so on.  The problem is none of them truly stand out from the rest.  I have them taking Kinlaw because he provides another pass rusher up front and he is far more valuable than any CB left on the board.  His presence would make Grady Jarrett, Takk McKinley and Dante Fowler Jr. that much more effective.  They can wait until the second round to address CB at this point and take a chance a guy like Bryce Hall falls to them and turns out to be a #1 CB.

17. Dallas Cowboys (8-8): Kristian Fulton      CB      LSU

The Cowboys have taken care of just about everything on their list of needs, if you consider franchising Dak Prescott “taking care of him”.  Well, everything except their CB needs.  I’m not sure counting on the reinstatement of DEs Aldon Smith and Randy Gregory is really addressing that need but they should be okay there overall.  At CB they have Anthony Brown, Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis and while that’s solid depth they lack anything resembling a #1 CB.  Fulton isn’t necessarily going to step right into the top CB role but he has potential to fill that spot and unless the Cowboys pull off a major trade to move up to get Okudah or Henderson this is about the best they can do.  I like Fulton and he has good CB size and instincts.  Is he going to shut down top WRs like Michael Thomas or Julio Jones? No.  But he can hold his own against guys in their division like Terry McLaurin, Alshon Jeffrey and Golden Tate.

18. Miami Dolphins (from Pittsburgh): Austin Jackson      OT      USC

The Dolphins spent quite a bit of money in free agency, most of it on the defensive side of the ball.  Then they took Tua Tagovailoa with their first pick in this mock draft, now they have to protect him.  They did sign OG Ereck Flowers and OC Ted Karras but it’s the edges of the offensive line that still need help.  Jackson is a young guy who needs a little time to mature but he has all the makings of an excellent LT.  They need both a LT and a RT so I sort of doubt this is the last offensive lineman they draft but Jackson is a solid start.

19. Las Vegas Raiders (from Chicago): Henry Ruggs III      WR      Alabama

There’s a real chance if Jordan Love is still available here, they Raiders won’t be able to pass him up.  However, Mike Mayock made it pretty clear in an interview that he sees Derek Carr as a pretty good QB and doesn’t plan to replace him.   What they do need to do is get him more weapons in the passing game.  Ruggs III is the third best WR behind Jeudy and Lamb and if he’s still around at 19 he makes a whole lot of sense for the Raiders.  They have Tyrell Williams but he’s more of a big WR who works well in the intermediate area as well as the red zone.  Ruggs III is the definition of deep threat with his electric speed.  The question will be if Carr has the arm to take advantage of Ruggs’ speed.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars (from LA Rams): Trevon Diggs      CB      Alabama

The Jaguars have traded Jalen Ramsey and AJ Bouye since the trade deadline and now they have Rashaan Melvin and DJ Hayden slated to start at CB, that’s not good.  Head coach Doug Marrone and GM David Caldwell didn’t get fired with Tom Coughlin but that means they don’t have a long leash either.  Caldwell’s might be a little longer because he would likely have the power to jettison Marrone if things go bad but that’s not a great place to be as a GM.  Caldwell has to help Marrone succeed and drafting a zone corner like Diggs would help their defense tremendously.  Diggs is a good corner who should get better with more experience, he hasn’t always been a CB.  As he gets more experience, he should improve quite a bit.

21. Philadelphia Eagles (9-7): Justin Jefferson      WR      LSU

The only thing that’s a bigger lock in this draft than Joe Burrow going first overall is the Eagles drafting a WR.  It might not be Jefferson if they like Laviska Shenault or Tee Higgins better or if they trade up to get one of the top three but they will take a WR.  They needed CB help too but they addressed that in a big way with Darius Slay.  The team is solid just about everywhere else but WR is a major problem spot.  Alshon Jeffrey doesn’t seem like a long-term fit, DeSean Jackson isn’t getting any younger or healthier, Nelson Agholor is now a Raider.  Jefferson has almost become the consensus fourth WR in this draft after Lamb, Jeudy and Ruggs III, and it’s understandable considering his overall skill set.  He can play inside or out, he has reliable hands, and he runs good routes.  He would be a nice security blanket for Carson Wentz and he easily replaces Agholor.

22. Minnesota Vikings (from Buffalo): Jaylon Johnson      CB      Utah

The Vikings have a few holes to fill and another spot or two they should fill but there is no bigger hole than there is at CB.  The team cut Xavier Rhodes for salary cap purposes and lost Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander in free agency.  That’s their top three CBs leaving former #4 CB Mike Hughes as their top guy, that’s a problem.  There are a number of CBs that could go at this spot and beauty is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to Johnson, Jeff Gladney, AJ Terrell or even Noah Igbinoghene or Bryce Hall.  The Vikings go with Johnson who comes from a pretty good defense at Utah and can be a top CB.  I would usually say that the depth of the position means the team can wait but the truth is they need more than one CB in this draft so they better start early.

23. New England Patriots (12-4): AJ Epenesa      DE      Iowa

This isn’t just a double homer pick for me, it actually makes sense.  I just don’t buy into the idea that Bill Belichick will draft a QB in the first round and I certainly don’t believe he’ll draft Jordan Love.  The Patriots have lost quite a bit on defense the last couple of years and they have taken quite a few hits in the front seven.  Belichick has never been much of speed rusher type of guy on the front line, he likes power guys that can play the run and use their power to get in the backfield.  Epenesa is that exact type of player.  Belichick also likes guys up front that are versatile, he likes guys who can move inside and out.  Another thing Epenesa will be able to do in that defense.  The Pats could go with one of the better LBs but Epenesa might present too much value and Belichick has always liked hard working Iowa players.

24. New Orleans Saints (13-3): Jordan Love      QB      Utah St.

This would make more sense than the Patriots taking Love.  The Saints are still in Super Bowl mode and they filled their biggest holes with WR Emmanuel Sanders and S Malcolm Jenkins, two good veterans.  They can afford to take Love and give him time to learn.  Brees should have one or two more years and anyone who thinks Taysom Hill is the heir apparent is crazy.  Hill is going to be 30 years old and he’s a gadget player, not a QB.  His value is in his ability to do many things and playing QB full-time is not one of them.  Love needs coaching and Sean Payton is an excellent offensive coach.  Love has all the physical tools to be an NFL starter but he needs to learn the intricacies of the position and no one knows them better than Brees.  Also, Brees has reached the stage where he knows the end is near so he shouldn’t be threatened by Love.  Teams have control over first round picks for five years, Brees knows he isn’t sticking around that long.

25. Minnesota Vikings (10-6): Laviska Shenault      WR      Colorado

There are teams that I’m sure have downgraded Shenault because of his less than stellar workout at the combine and the fact they can’t check out the injury that led to it (core muscle injury that required surgery).  I’m hoping the fact that teams had plenty of time to go back to the game film will make them appreciate this kid.  Shenault did everything at Colorado including playing wildcat QB, RB and being one of the best WRs in the country.  The Vikings need to replace Stefon Diggs and Shenault is another multifaceted receiver who can take the ball the distance every time he touches it, kind of like Diggs.  Kirk Cousins needs someone other than Adam Thielen to throw to and Shenault deserves to be a first rounder.  No offense to Denzel Mims, Jalen Reagor or KJ Hamler but if any of those guys go ahead of Shenault those teams will regret it.  The only other viable option here is Tee Higgins, I like Shenault better.

26. Miami Dolphins (from Houston): K’Lavon Chaisson      OLB      LSU

The Dolphins are stacked with three picks in the first round and if they don’t have to trade up to get their QB they will have a chance to set themselves up quite well.  They spent a lot of money on their defense getting CB Byron Jones, LBs Kyle Van Noy and Elandon Roberts, and DE Shaq Lawson.  Brian Flores is going to run a multiple front defense and he still needs someone to get to the QB.  This will be a bit of a fall for Chaisson but he might be a guy who suffers from not being able to work out and having teams have to go back to the film to evaluate.  He flashes elite tools but they just don’t show up as much as you would like to see from such a phenomenal athlete.  The Dolphins have made themselves better but they aren’t looking to be great right now, they just want to make progress, get better and be good going forward.  Chaisson needs some work but the Dolphins can invest time into his development.

27. Seattle Seahawks (11-5): Yetur Gross-Matos       DE      Penn St.

The Seahawks have yet to re-sign Jadeveon Clowney and it doesn’t look like they will.  They also let Ziggy Ansah walk and right now their starting DEs will be LJ Collier and Bruce Irvin.  Collier was their first-round pick last season and didn’t exactly impress his rookie year and Irvin has circled back around to Seattle after floating around multiple teams in the NFL, he’s the definition of journeyman.  Gross-Matos isn’t the most polished pass rusher around but I like his upside over Collier and I like anyone more than Irvin.  The Seahawks could also address their offensive line and I wouldn’t object if they took C/G Cesar Ruiz and I don’t think Russell Wilson would be upset by that either.

28. Baltimore Ravens (14-2): Kenneth Murray      LB      Oklahoma

The Ravens won 14 games last season so clearly, they’re a pretty good team.  The offense could still use an upgrade at WR to pair with Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin.  They could also use a replacement at RG for future Hall of Famer Marshall Yanda who retired after the season.  However, the biggest hole on the team is at ILB where LJ Fort and Chris Board are slated to start with former Packer Jake Ryan recently signed for depth.  For a team that has had guys like Ray Lewis and CJ Mosley leading the way in the middle in the recent past it’s a pretty precipitous drop off to Fort and Board.  Murray is a the top interior LB in this draft and he would be an excellent choice to fill the ILB spot for the future.  Murray is a do-everything LB who doesn’t have to come off he field and he’s a heck of field general for the defense.  If anyone in this draft is going to live up to the legacy of LB for the Ravens, it’s Murray.

29. Tennessee Titans (9-7): Jeff Gladney      CB      TCU

The Titans have a big hole at RT and they need depth on the defensive line but the one spot no one seems to mention that is a pretty big need for them is replacing veteran CB Logan Ryan.  Now, Ryan is still available in free agency so he could be re-signed but the Titans haven’t made it seem like they even want to re-sign him.  Ryan is one of the smarter CBs in the league and he can play inside or outside but he really excels in the nickel.  Gladney isn’t the biggest guy around so he doesn’t bring the length or strength Ryan has but that’s fairly unusual for a nickel back.  Gladney can play the slot pretty well and he could also slide outside and replace Malcolm Butler if need be and that’s a distinct possibility.  Gladney probably isn’t a star CB but he’s a solid starter with some versatility.

30. Green Bay Packers (13-3): Jalen Reagor       WR      TCU

There are plenty of teams that needs a WR or two from this incredibly strong WR class but not a lot of teams that need one as much as the Packers.  They also need a TE but the TE class is pretty poor this year.  The group the Packers have at WR behind Devante Adams isn’t exciting anyone, including the fan base, the coaching staff, and most importantly Aaron Rodgers.  The team has let Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb leave in the past several years leaving Rodgers more and more reliant on Adams to make plays.  Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Equanimeous St. Brown, Jake Kumerow, Allen Lazard and especially the newly signed Devin Funchess are a pu-pu platter of crap that no one should have to live with.  Jalen Reagor would be a great complement to Adams as he possesses plenty of skills and would fit outside opposite Adams where he can use his deep speed or even play some slot where he can use his quickness.  This team needs to give Rodgers better weapons and stop relying on late round picks and bad free agent signings.

31. San Francisco 49ers: Ezra Cleveland      OT      Boise St.

The 49ers have the luxury of a roster that got them all the way to the Super Bowl and a trade that got them an early pick where they addressed their one major need, WR Jerry Jeudy.  I have had the 49ers interested in S Xavier McKinney before but the re-signing of Jimmie Ward makes that less of a priority.  GM John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have always been forward thinking and they have an aging LT in Joe Staley.  Staley will be 36 at the end of August and they need a plan for when he calls it a career.  Cleveland is a developmental prospect who has been climbing the boards.  He has the size and athleticism teams want in a LT.  He needs to work on his functional strength and refine his technique, he can’t get by in the NFL on being 6’6 310 lbs. and athletic like he did in the Mountain West.  Give him a year or two to learn behind Staley and he has a chance to be one of the better OTs to come out of this draft.

32. Kansas City Chiefs (12-4): Cesar Ruiz      C/G      Michigan

The Chiefs need help at CB but they re-signed Bashaud Breeland and I think they might just sign another veteran or two since there is still some value out there.  I have had them taking a RB before but one other area this team needs help is the interior offensive line.  The offense is fantastic but he one thing that could undermine that is if the offensive line falls apart.  C Austin Reiter and LG Nick Allegretti are not great and Ruiz has risen to the top of the interior OL group.  Andy Reid was once an offensive line coach so he knows the importance a good blocking up front.  Ruiz could start out at LG and eventually move to center or he could push Reiter to LG and take over at center immediately.  Either way he’s an upgrade in the middle of the line.

Round 2

33. Cincinnati: Patrick Queen      LB      LSU

The Bengals can go a lot of ways here and drafting an o-lineman would be a smart investment in Joe Burrow’s safety.  However, the Bengals defense needs its own “QB”, Queen would be a great start at rebuilding their LB corps.

34. Indianapolis: Tee Higgins      WR      Clemson

This is the Colts first pick after trading #13 overall to the 49ers for DL DeForest Buckner.  Buckner fills a huge need up front on the defense so now they can address the offense.  The team signed QB Phillip Rivers t give them a small window to try to compete for a Super Bowl.  Rivers needs weapons to be affective and outside of WR TY Hilton and RB Marlon Mack there isn’t a ton to work with here.  Higgins has been a top WR prospect out of Clemson for a while but he’s slipped a bit in the pre-draft process.  Higgins is big, physical and fast, that’s a good place to start.  He isn’t the most advanced route runner but he has a huge catch radius and he won’t lose a lot of contested catches.  With Hilton drawing the defenses best DB, Higgins could easily find room to operate.  The team would love to grab a WR and get last’s years rookie Parris Campbell going and have a legitimate WR corps for Rivers to work with.

35. Detroit: Ross Blacklock      DT      TCU

The Lions need to address a few areas but the defense should take priority.  After taking Okudah to fill their CB need they shift to the defensive line where they need help everywhere.  Blacklock can step in right away in the middle next to Danny Shelton and give the Lions some versatility up front.

36. NY Giants: Denzel Mims      WR      Baylor

Golden Tate will be 32 this season, Sterling Shepard can’t stay healthy, and while the team likes what they saw out of Darius Slayton none of these guys are very big.  Slayton is the only one over 6’0 and he is under 200 lbs.  Mims is a fast player who is 6’3 206 lbs. and would give Daniel Jones a different kind of weapon.

37. LA Chargers: Lucas Niang      OT     TCU

The Chargers signed Bryan Bulaga and for now he’s penciled in as the starter at LT but they would be best served to find a LT and let Bulaga stay on the right side where he’s excelled for the Packers.  Niang isn’t a surefire bet but he’s better than anyone else they can get here.  I wouldn’t be surprised if the Chargers make a trade up into the back of the 1^st round to grab a guy like Ezra Cleveland.

38. Carolina: Xavier McKinney      S      Alabama

Carolina is in rebuilding mode so they are in a position to draft the best player available.  It will be a bit of a surprise if McKinney is still around at this point, he has first-round talent.  They are looking for playmakers on defense and between McKinney and Isaiah Simmons they would have two very versatile ones for Matt Rhule and defensive coordinator Phil Snow.

39. Miami: D’Andre Swift      RB      Georgia

The Dolphins signed Jordan Howard but they don’t have much beyond him at RB.  He’s not the most versatile back but he does bring the power.  Swift is a versatile back who can both complement Howard or simply take his job.

40. Houston: Zack Baun      OLB      Wisconsin

The Texans haven’t adequately replaced Jadeveon Clowney at OLB since they traded him last year.  Baun is a versatile LB who will give them some juice off the edge.  JJ Watt is still an effective pass rusher and Whitney Mercilus is okay too but they will be 31 and 30 respectively this season, time for some new blood.

41. Cleveland: Jordan Brooks      LB      Texas Tech

The evaluations of Brooks are all over the map, some think he could go in the first round some think the fourth round.  The Browns lost Christian Kirksey and Joe Schobert in free agency and they need a downhill LB who can stop the run.  Brooks has holes in his game but he’s a sure tackler and would be a better option at MLB than anyone the Browns currently have.

42. Jacksonville: Jonathan Taylor      RB      Wisconsin

There are rumors the Jaguars want to move on from Leonard Fournette and are looking to trade him.  Who can blame them?  He’s a malcontent who is routinely injured and coming to the end of his contract and is going to want big money.  Taylor is great value here and he would easily replace Fournette and would likely be more reliable.

43. Chicago: AJ Terrell      CB      Clemson

If the Bears plan on going into the season with Artie Burns lining up as a starting CB in a division where you play Aaron Rodgers, Matt Stafford and Kirk Cousins twice a year, they are in serious trouble.  They need help at safety and they should look to replace the retired Kyle Long at guard but if a guy like AJ Terrell falls this far it’s a no-brainer to grab him.  The Bears can certainly wait to take a guard later as it is a pretty deep position and you can get a starter in the later rounds.  They may be tempted to take a safety here but they have another pick in this round and they should be able to get a good one then.

44. Indianapolis: Cole Kmet      TE      Notre Dame

The Colts let Eric Ebron go because apparently everyone eventually gets tired of him despite his physical gifts.  Frank Reich likes to use the TE position and Phillip Rivers made a career out of throwing to Antonio Gates.  Jack Doyle is a solid all-around TE but Kmet would give them a dynamic athlete who could be even better in the pros than he was at Notre Dame.

45. Tampa Bay: KJ Hamler      WR      Penn St.

Tom Brady has to love the talent he has outside in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and while Godwin has lined up in the slot at times, they do not have a true slot receiver.  Brady built a legacy making slot receivers great, Wes Welker and Julian Edelman anyone?  KJ Hamler would be an excellent inside complement to Evans and Godwin while also being able to hold his own outside if they want to switch up the alignment from time to time.

46. Denver: Grant Delpit       S      LSU

Not the biggest need on the team with veteran Kareem Jackson at one spot and the franchised Justin Simmons at the other but Delpit is a great value here and Jackson is 32.  Delpit slips because he had a rough year last season at LSU but some of that was due to an injury.  He can be the third safety allowing Jackson and Simmons to move around and eventually replace Jackson.  Good player, great value.

47. Atlanta: Bryce Hall      CB     Virginia

Atlanta needs to get a top CB after going for the best value in round one.  Most of the guys left at CB are not likely to be #1 caliber guys but Hall has that potential.  The only reason he is still around is he is coming off a brutal ankle injury.  If he had been healthy all year, he likely would be challenging to be the best CB not named Jeff Okudah in this draft.  He’s well worth taking a shot here, he could pay off huge.

48. NY Jets: Brandon Aiyuk      WR      Arizona St.

The Jets filled their LT hole in round one, now they look to their other big need, WR.  Robby Anderson left for Carolina and the team needs help there.  Aiyuk isn’t built like Anderson but he has similar skills and is a good deep ball receiver.  He needs some refinement but in the mean time he can be a fantastic return man.

49. Pittsburgh: Isaiah Wilson      OT      Georgia

The Steelers traded their first-round pick for Minkah Fitzpatrick and after the way he turned their defense around last year they don’t have any regrets about it.  That does make this their first pick and they need to fill a couple of holes.  They need a better #2 WR, they should look to fill their NT position after losing Javon Hargrave, and they need a better option than Stefan Wisnieski to replace Ramon Foster at OG.  Wilson could very well be gone by this point but I have him still here because he’s really a RT prospect only.  He isn’t really quick enough to be LT and he’s so massive he might not have the agility to really excel inside.  That said, he has a really high ceiling as a RT, he could be one of the best in the league.  If he fills the RT need in Pittsburgh, they can move Matt Feiler inside to fill Foster’s spot at guard.

50. Chicago: Antoine Winfield Jr.      S      Minnesota

The Bears let Ha Ha Clinton-Dix leave in free agency and while they already took a CB with their first second-round pick they need help at safety.  Right now, Deon Bush is penciled in next to Eddie Jackson but he’s better as the third safety.  Winfield isn’t a very big guy but he’s extremely versatile and he and Jackson would be a pair of dynamic playmakers for Chuck Pagano to deploy in the deep middle.

51. Dallas: Neville Gallimore      DT      Oklahoma

This may seem strange considering the team just signed Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe at DT but McCoy is 32 and Poe will be 30 just before the season.  The only reason the Cowboys would sign two aging DTs is if they are not sure about youngsters Antwaun Woods and Trysten Hill.  Gallimore would be a steal here and can spend the year learning from McCoy and Poe while being an excellent rotational player.

52. LA Rams: Curtis Weaver      OLB      Boise St.

The Rams traded their first-round pick for CB Jalen Ramsey and they can’t really complain because he’s a far better option than anything they would have gotten where they were picking.  However, this team has mismanaged their salary cap overall and Ramsey will cost plenty to retain.  They either lost players to free agency because they couldn’t afford them or they cut guys to save money.  RB Todd Gurley, LBs Corey Littleton, Clay Matthews, and Dante Fowler Jr, along with WR Brandin Cooks were all lost for financial reasons.  They signed Leonard Floyd but he isn’t going to replace the pass rush of Matthews and Fowler so this team has to find someone to get to the QB so Aaron Donald isn’t working alone.  Weaver is a good OLB who can get to the QB and he would immediately start for the Rams.  He’s a stout player who needs some refinement but he would be a steal here, he has been talked about as a possible first round pick.

53. Philadelphia: Lloyd Cushenberry III      C/G      LSU

The Eagles have a very solid offensive line but when you dig a little deeper there are some issues.  During the upcoming season C Jason Kelce turns 33 while RG Brandon Brooks will turn 31.  Throw in the fact that LG Isaac Seumalo is just a guy and there is a definite need inside.  The Eagles were forward thinking last year when they drafted OT Andre Dillard and now, he replaces Jason Peters at LT.  Here they draft Cushenberry early and he could eventually replace either Kelce or Brooks and could actually compete with Seumalo this season.

54. Buffalo: Terrell Lewis      DE/OLB      Alabama

This is the first pick for the Bills because they dealt their first-rounder o Minnesota for WR Stefon Diggs.  Diggs fills a huge need so it’s understandable.  Diggs becomes the #1 WR that Josh Allen needs.  The Bills have done a nice job over the last several years building their roster and they have supplemented good draft picks with solid veteran free agents.  This year they added Mario Addison at DE to give them a little more punch than Trent Murphy provides as a pass rusher, the problem is that Addison will be 33 this year.  Jerry Hughes is also over 30 so the team needs to get younger on the edge.  Lewis isn’t a typical 4-3 DE, he lined up as an OLB at Alabama.  He does have great length and he should be able to add weight and get to a point where he can hold his own up front.  He has some nice pass rush skills that he can utilize as a designated pass rusher in the meantime.

55. Baltimore: Marlon Davidson      DL      Auburn

Free agent DE Derek Wolfe is 30, NT Brandon Williams is 31, and Calais Campbell who came over in a trade with Jacksonville will be 34 and there isn’t a lot of depth behind these three.  Davidson was overshadowed at Auburn by Derrick Brown but he’s a pretty solid prospect on his own.  He should play well as a 3-4 DE.

56. Miami: Matt Peart      OT      UConn

The Dolphins need help on the offensive line and Austin Jackson isn’t going to be the end of it.  Matt Peart could certainly be a RT for them or he could move inside.  At the very least he is going to make Julie’n Davenport earn a starting spot.  Pretty sure Jackson will be the LT, Davenport and Peart can duke it out for the RT spot.

57. LA Rams: Noah Igbinoghene      CB      Auburn

The team has Jalen Ramsey but they did lose a CB this off season in Nickell Robey-Coleman.  It might not seem like the biggest need but Igbinoghene might just be too good to pass up.  He does need some development because he’s still a bit raw.  He hasn’t been a CB that long but he has all the physical tools to excel.

58. Minnesota: Julian Okwara      DE      Notre Dame

The Vikings lost Everson Griffin after they cut him for salary cap purposes and then failing to get him to re-sign at a lower number.  They need a DE opposite Danielle Hunter. They like Ifeadi Odenigbo but he needs a partner to rotate with and Okwara needs some time to grow into the DE spot.

59. Seattle: Justin Madubuike      DT      Texas A&M

The Seahawks have a solid starting duo at DT with Jarran Reed and Poona Ford but they have absolutely no depth behind them.  Madubuike has a lot of good traits and he could eventually be a starter.  The Seahawks could also use his ability to rush the passer considering they don’t have an elite edge guy.

60. Baltimore: Michael Pittman Jr.      WR      USC

Pittman is often one of the forgotten men in this draft at WR because it’s such a deep group.  Pittman doesn’t wow you with his speed or suddenness he just gets the job done.  He has great size and fantastic hands.  His lack of speed shouldn’t be a problem with Marquise Brown lining up opposite him.

61. Tennessee: Robert Hunt      OT      Louisiana

The Titans have a huge hole at RT and if they wait to address it here instead of in the first round it could get dicey.  Hunt is generally seen as a guy that played OT at a smaller school who will move inside in the pros but I think he can play RT.  He would fit in Tennessee’s scheme because he plays with great power and is a strong power run blocker which would fit well with the Titans run heavy offense.

62. Green Bay: Damon Arnette      CB      Ohio St.

Green Bay loves Jaire Alexander and Kevin King has proven to be a legit outside CB.  Josh Jackson has been a disappointment and the team doesn’t have much depth at safety either.  Arnette would give them a guy that can play outside, allowing Alexander to slide into the slot, and he could also play safety if need be.

63. Kansas City: JK Dobbins      RB      Ohio St.

Dobbins would be an excellent addition to an already ridiculous offense.  He will probably be gone by this point but he’s a perfect fit.  They have Damian Williams but they could use the depth.

64. Seattle: Matt Hennessy      C/G      Temple

The Seahawks signed BJ Finney because Justin Britt’s future is up in the air, however, I’m not sure Finney is the answer at center.  If the Seahawks finally invest a little in the offensive line Hennessy would be a great get here.  He’s a technician in the middle who would be quite good at center and bump Finney to compete at guard.

 

 

 

 

2020 Iowa Hawkeye Football

With the exception of the NFL continuing their off season in the midst of the current Covid-19 pandemic, all other sports are shut down and that includes college football’s spring practice.  This would normally be about the time we hear about the Iowa Hawkeyes progress during spring practice and we get ready for their spring scrimmage.  That’s not happening which means I will just have to make an educated guess about the 2020 team and how it’s shaping up, assuming of course we actually get to have a 2020 college football season.  In case you’re wondering I just really have nothing better to do so I’m doing this.  (This depth chart is conjecture at this point, it’s all subject to change)

Offense

Quarterback

Starter: Spencer Petras (Sophomore)

Backup: Alex Padilla (RS Freshman)

Depth: Deuce Hogan (Freshman)

There’s good news and bad new for Spencer Petras.  The good news is that Kirk Ferentz named Petras the starter as soon as last season ended and with no spring practice Alex Padilla won’t have any opportunity to compete for the job until the fall.  The bad news is that without spring practice he can’t lock down the starting job and begin to really develop his chemistry with Iowa’s fantastic receiving corps.  Petras is a big dude at 6’5 225 lbs., he’s not quite as big as Stanley but that’s not a bad thing.  As good as Stanley was over the course of his career, it was the up and down nature of his work week-to-week that was frustrating.  If Petras can be more consistent week in and week out he has an opportunity to have a fantastic career.  He has all the weapons in the world to work with and plenty of talent to get it done.

Padilla came in last year as an early entrant and was the fourth string QB.  With Stanley graduated and Payton Mansell transferring out he is the only other QB on scholarship this spring.  That should have worked to his advantage as he would get the chance to compete with Petras one-on-one but that opportunity is gone.  The likely scenario was Padilla ending up the backup anyway but now by the time fall camp rolls around he will have to compete with incoming freshman Deuce Hogan who will arrive with quite a bit of fanfare.  It should be a spirited competition for the backup role next season.

Running Back

Starter: Tyler Goodson (Sophomore)

Backups: Mekhi Sargent (Senior) Ivory Kelly-Martin (Junior)

Depth: Shad Byrd (RS Freshman) Gavin Williams (Freshman) Leshon Williams (Freshman)

Goodson came in last year as a true freshman and while he didn’t start right away, he did play early.  It took a little while but his talent took over once he really got a feel for the offense and he eventually took over as the starter.  He became the first true freshman to lead Iowa in rushing and I’m looking forward to seeing what he does for an encore.  Goodson has a different gear than most of Iowa’s other backs and he has great vision to find the holes and an uncanny ability to get through them.  He’s going to be the featured player in Iowa’s offense as they break in a new QB and now that they don’t have the 15 spring practices to help get Petras more comfortable as the starter you may see Iowa lean on Goodson even more early in 2020.

Mekhi Sargent was the starter early last season and he just simply wasn’t as effective as he was in 2018 which opened the door for Goodson.  Sargent never really was the work horse as he shared carries with Toren Young and to a certain extent, Ivory Kelly-Martin when he’s been healthy.  With Toren Young not returning for his fifth year the team is looking to Kelly-Martin to be the third RB, he will be if he can stay healthy.  That’s a big if considering Kelly-Martin’s last two seasons.  The team will have other options with Shad Byrd coming off his redshirt season and two true freshman, Gavin Williams and Leshon Williams, joining the team.  The team could be looking for a power back to replace Young and Shad Byrd has a shot to be that guy.  I should probably mention fullbacks Turner Pallissard and Monte Pottebaum.  They are both walk-ons who will get some time at the position but with the deep WR corps and an improving TE position the fullback has taken on less of a role in Iowa’s offense and with Brady Ross graduating that role will likely diminish even more.

Wide Receiver

Starters: Brandon Smith (Senior) Ihmir Smith-Marsette (Senior) Nico Ragaini (Sophomore)

Backups: Tyrone Tracy (Sophomore) Max Cooper (Senior) Oliver Martin (Junior)

Depth: Calvin Lockett (Sophomore) Desmond Hutson (RS Freshman) Diante Vines (Freshman) Charlie Jones (Junior)

If I had told you three years ago that the best position group at Iowa in 2020 would be the WRs you would have laughed your ass off.  Well, here we are and this is the best position group at Iowa and it is really deep with talent.  Both Brandon Smith and Ihmir Smith-Marsette had excellent years and both are looking to have exceptional senior seasons.  Smith was a handful for opponents early last season until an ankle injury slowed him down later in the year.  In the bowl game against USC Smith-Marsette broke out as the star on the national stage as he made USC’s defense look like they were standing still.  These two didn’t do it alone as Nico Ragaini was masterful in the slot and that’s why Iowa now plays with a three-receiver set much of the time.  It’s a little unfair to call Tyrone Tracy a backup because he started a number of games last season when others were hurt.  He basically plays as many snaps as the other three even if he doesn’t technically start the games.  Tracy can play any of the three spots so he’s an invaluable player because he rotates in and keeps everyone playing with fresh legs.  He’s an exceptional playmaker with the ball in his hands and the only thing he has to work on is the consistency of his hands.

The real backups are led by Max Cooper, a guy who could start except for the fact that Ragaini is locked into the slot role and Tracy can fill in there if needed.  Oliver Martin is a well-known name who has found the WR rotation hard to crack.  He’s a talented kid but after transferring in last year from Michigan he just isn’t as well versed in the offense as the guys who have been here longer.  Calvin Lockett and Desmond Hutson are talented youngsters who are just waiting their turn.  I mention Diante Vines and Charlie Jones not because I expect them to really contribute as WRs this season (barring a whole lot of injury issues) but because they may compete as kick/punt returners.  Vines is a playmaker coming in as a true freshman and Jones is a transfer from Buffalo who sat out last season.  I could see the Hawkeyes using these guys in the return game just to get them on the field.

Tight End

Starter: Sam LaPorta (Sophomore)

Backup: Shaun Beyer (Senior)

Depth: Josiah Miamen (RS Freshman) Elijah Yelverton (Freshman) Luke Lachey (Freshman)

Sam LaPorta came on strong late last season and looks like the best TE on the team at the moment.  He isn’t the blocker TJ Hockenson or George Kittle were when they were here but LaPorta was a true freshman last season who still has some physical maturing to do, I think he’ll be fine there.  He really came on as a pass catcher in the back half of the season and having another weapon over the middle really helps Smith and Smith-Marsette work the outside.  I think you are going to see a lot of 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 RB sets by Iowa as they get their best offensive playmakers on the field at once (Brandon Smith, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Nico Ragaini, Sam LaPorta and Tyler Goodson).  This is the best group of skill position players Iowa has had in a very long time.

Shaun Beyer was supposed to be the breakout TE last season but once again he was slowed by injury and was passed up by LaPorta.  Beyer will be a fifth-year senior looking to make a splash and contribute his last year and he wouldn’t be the first Ferentz player to have a great fifth-year.  He is certainly capable if he can stay healthy.  No one is going to mistake this TE group with the one led by Hockenson and Fant a couple of years ago but there is some young talent to be excited about.  Josiah Miamen came in last year with LaPorta, played some but ended up redshirting.  He’s a talented athlete who just wasn’t quite ready last year.  This year’s freshman class features Elijah Yelverton and Luke Lachey.  Yelverton was an Under Armor All-American and Lachey is the son of former NFL offensive lineman Jim Lachey who is most well known for being a member of the Redskins famed offensive line known as the “Hogs”.  These two have plenty of talent and are fantastic athletes.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see either of them earn playing time and the coaches didn’t shy away from using a true freshman last season I don’t think they will this year either.

Offensive Line

Starters:

LT: Alaric Jackson (Senior)

LG: Mark Kallenberger (Junior)

C: Tyler Linderbaum (Sophomore)

RG: Kyler Schott (Junior)

RT: Coy Cronk (Senior)

Backups:

LT: Jack Plumb (Sophomore)

LG: Justin Britt (Sophomore)

C: Cole Banwart (Senior)

RG: Cody Ince (Sophomore)

RT: Tyler Endres (RS Freshman)

Depth:

Mason Richman, Tyler Elsbury, Josh Volk (Freshmen), Noah Fenske, Nick DeJong (RS Freshmen) Coy Kirkpatrick (Junior)

One of the biggest issues that won’t be resolved is Iowa’s offensive line.  Losing Tristan Wirfs is a major blow, having Alaric Jackson decide to return for his senior season is huge.  Jackson was hurt early last season and even though he returned he was never completely healthy.  He returns to try to get healthy and show how good he can be and this year he won’t be overshadowed by Wirfs.  Tyler Linderbaum was fantastic at center and he returns as a rock in the middle.  The guard positions will be a competition in the fall with Mark Kallenberger, Cole Banwart, Kyler Schott and Justin Britt all competing for time.  Schott was a walk-on last year who stepped in and played really well.  The offense was much better with him at RG and Schott earned a scholarship with his play.  He seems like the most likely to start at RG.  Mark Kallenberger was penciled in at RT until Coy Cronk transferred in from Indiana (more on him in a second).  Kallenberger played guard last year and by the end of the season he was starting on the left side.  He is the leader in the clubhouse for the job but he and Schott will have plenty of competition.  I listed Cole Banwart as the backup at center for one reason, Jeff Jenkins was the backup but he gave up football and Banwart is really the only guy on the team with any experience playing the position since he has practiced there in the past.  He will compete for a position at guard but unless the coaches identify a young guy they really like at center, Banwart will get some practice time there.   He missed most of last season with an injury but he has started at guard before so he won’t go away quitetly.  Justin Britt was a true freshman last season and he actually got quite a bit of playing time at OG.  He will also compete for a job but Kallenberger and Schott are older and more experienced players so he’s really going to have to outplay them to start.  Coy Cronk was a three-year starter at Indiana at LT before he was injured last season and missed the year.  He transferred to Iowa and he looks like a good bet to start at RT in place of Tristan Wirfs.  He played the left side pretty well at Indiana but the coaches wouldn’t move Alaric Jackson to the right side for Tristan Wirfs so I would find it hard to believe they move Jackson for Cronk.  Cronk will likely get a challenge from Mark Kallenberger who looked like the heir apparent until Cronk showed up but Kallenberger can play LG and the coaching staff likes to get the five best linemen on the field.

Banwart and Britt are both going to compete to be starters so whoever ends up not starting at OG will make for fantastic depth on the interior of the line.  I listed Jack Plumb and Tyler Endres as the backup OTs but that’s really just a place holder.  There are a lot of guys who could end up being the back ups but the truth is the top three OTs are Jackson, Cronk and Kallenberger.  If there is an injury the coaches will move these three around to fill the spots.  Plumb could be the fourth OT, so could Endres, so could Nick DeJong who was a walk-on last year the coaches really like or it could be a number of other youngsters.  Cody Ince is listed as the other back up at OG but between Schott, Kallenberger, Britt and Banwart he will either have to play out of his mind or there will need to be a number of injuries for him to get on the field.  Iowa also has Mason Richman, Noah Fenske, Tyler Elsbury and Josh Volk.  There is good depth and some nice developmental pieces coming up.  There was a stretch of time where Iowa struggled recruiting offensive linemen, especially offensive tackles, those days appear to be over.

Defense

Defensive Line

Starters:

DE: Chauncey Golston (Senior)

DT: Daviyon Nixon (Junior)

DT: Noah Shannon (Sophomore)

DE: Logan Lee (RS Freshman)/Joe Evans (Sophomore)

Backups:

DE: Zach VanValkenburg (Senior)

DT: John Waggoner (Sophomore)

DT: Austin Schulte (Senior)

DE: Taajhir McCall/Jake Karchinski (Freshmen)

Depth:

Chris Reames (RS Freshman) Isaiah Bruce, Logan Jones, Deontae Craig, Lukas Van Ness, Yahya Black (Freshmen)

Okay, so there’s a lot of conjecture on my part when it comes to the defensive line.  That’s going happen when you lose three out of the four starters from last season (AJ Epenesa, Cedrick Lattimore and Brady Reiff).  That means Iowa is looking for one starting DE to play opposite the only returning starter Chauncy Golston and two new DTs.  It would be helpful if Golston has a breakout year and becomes a dominant pass rusher.  He’s a talented guy but opponents are going to focus on him up front until someone else proves to be a threat.  Daviyon Nixon is a load inside at 6’3 and over 300 lbs.  He played quite a bit last year so he’s not new to this but he needs to be more consistent and he’ll have to play more snaps.  It’s a good thing Nixon is big because for now Noah Shannon feels like the other starting DT and he’s on the smaller side.  Iowa has never shied away from starting an undersized DT (just last year Brady Reiff wasn’t the biggest guy around) but it helps if the other guy is Nixon’s size (kind of like Lattimore last year).  Shannon has played some, but he needs to step up if he’s going to hold off his competition.  There is no clear-cut starter at the other DE spot because Joe Evans is an undersized DE that is really just a pass rushing specialist at this point and Zach VanValkenburg is better suited to a utility role.  I’m listing Logan Lee with Evans as a starter because while he spent last season practicing at DT there were reports the coaches planned to move him to DE and I think he’s talented enough to start.  He won’t have spring practice to work out at DE but I like the idea of him playing there.

As far as the backups go, I mentioned VanValkenburg is better suited to a utility role.  What I mean is he really isn’t a great pass rusher but he’s solid and he can slide inside on certain downs.  I don’t think he’s as naturally talented as some of the other guys but he works hard and plays smart.  Austin Schulte is another unspectacular player that works hard and gives the coaches everything he’s got.  That makes the senior a solid backup but not much more.  The interesting case is John Waggoner. He was a highly recruited DE who hasn’t really shown anything great so far and the reports were that the coaches were going to try him at DT in spring practice, that’s out the door, but I like the idea.  I remember seeing Waggoner last season and thinking he looked really big, he reminded me of Matt Nelson.  A wide-bodied player who is very tall.  He might just find a home at DT and he might be the guy to give Noah Shannon a run for the starting job.  The other DE spot is going to be a competition between two redshirt freshmen, Taajhir McCall and Jake Karchinski for now.  They might have to fight off incoming freshman Deontae Craig come this fall.  Craig looks like a guy who could give the Hawkeyes some juice as a pass rusher and while he might be a bit small to be a full-time starter, if the coaches think he can help they will play him.  The other youngsters have to pack on some weight and figure out where they are going to play.  Chris Reames is tall dude and Iowa has tried those guys at both DT (Matt Nelson) and DE (Anthony Nelson) with success.  Isaiah Bruce and Logan Jones looked ticketed for the inside at DT and Jones should be excellent. Lukas Van Ness and Yahya Black look like DEs for now.  Although there might be a fight over whether Black plays defensive line or offensive line.

Linebacker

Starters: Nick Niemann (Senior) Dillon Doyle (Sophomore) Djimon Colbert (Junior)

Backups: Jestin Jacobs (RS Freshman) Jack Campbell (Sophomore) Barrington Wade (Senior)

Depth: Seth Benson (Sophomore) Logan Klemp (Sophomore) Yahweh Jeudy (RS Freshman) Ethan Hurkett (Freshman) Jay Higgins (Freshman)

The LB position at Iowa is in a state of flux, not necessarily personnel wise but more in the way it’s used.  Nick Niemann and Djimon Colbert bring plenty of experience and they are both talented players but two years ago Amani Hooker changed the game.  Hooker stepped into a hybrid position that played like a LB with coverage skills or a safety with LB skills, take your pick.  Hooker left for the NFL and Iowa looked to fill the spot now known as the Cash position, it wasn’t as easy as it looked.  I’ll get to the Cash position in a minute.  At LB, this left only two spots but last year when Iowa’s initial Cash candidate, DJ Johnson, failed to fill Hooker’s considerable shoes Iowa reverted a bit to a three LB alignment.  Kristian Welch was the MLB but he graduated so now it’s up to Dillon Doyle to fill his spot when Iowa uses a MLB.  Niemann and Colbert will both play when Iowa uses the Cash position but Doyle will fill in the middle when Iowa uses three LB.  Niemann is a senior who has played quite a bit and can play all three LB spots and Colbert is a very athletic and talented player.  This doesn’t mean there won’t be competition for these three and it’s sort of ironic that Iowa is sometimes only using two LBs when they are actually quite deep at the position.

Barrington Wade played quite a bit last season as he stepped in when there were injuries and when some guys struggled.  It took Wade some time to find his way at LB but he proved to be pretty effective last year and if Niemann or Colbert faulter Wade can play either of their spots.  If Doyle doesn’t step up and the coaches feel more comfortable moving Niemann inside and playing Wade that’s another way for him to get on the field.  Jack Campbell got some playing time at MLB last season when Kristian Welch was hurt and he and Doyle filled in.  He will give Doyle a run for his money, if Doyle leaves an opening Campbell could take the job.  Jestin Jacobs redshirted last year while he got healthy and worked to fill out his frame a bit.  He’s a tall, lanky kid with great athleticism that the coaches have to be excited about.  I would guess he’ll spend the year learning the ropes from the veterans and contributing on special teams until the Hawks need him.  Like I said before, Iowa has plenty of depth and it’s a pretty talented young group too.  Seth Benson and Logan Klemp should be pushing for spots in the two-deeps this year and Yahweh Jeudy could too.  Incoming freshmen Ethan Hurkett and Jay Higgins are more than likely going to redshirt unless either of them can really prove they can help on special teams.

Defensive Backs

Starters:

Cash: Dane Belton (Sophomore)

CB: Matt Hankins (Senior)

CB: Julius Brents (Sophomore)/Riley Moss (Junior)

SS: Kaevon Merriweather (Sophomore)

FS: Jack Koerner (Junior)

Backups:

Cash: DJ Johnson (Sophomore)

CB: Terry Roberts (Sophomore)

CB: Riley Moss/Julius Brents

SS: Sebastian Castro (RS Freshman)

FS: Dallas Craddieth (Sophomore)

Depth:

Daraun McKinney (RS Freshman) Jermari Harris (RS Freshman) AJ Lawson (Freshman) Brenden Deasfernandes (Freshman) Reginald Bracy (Freshman)

Last year the Cash position was a bit of a roller coaster.  DJ Johnson started the year at the position and he was not very effective.  The team moved to a more traditional three LB set until some injuries took their toll and then they inserted freshman Dane Belton into the role.  Belton proved to be quite adept at it even as a true freshman and he should be the guy for the position this season, unless Iowa needs him elsewhere.  This is where things start to get interesting.  With the early departure of SS Geno Stone to the NFL the SS spot is a question mark.  Belton would traditionally be looked at to fill the spot but if he’s the Cash then he won’t start at SS.  For now, I have Kaevon Merriweather penciled into the SS spot.  Merriweather started last year as the FS alongside Stone but he got hurt early and was replaced by then walk-on Jack Koerner.  Koerner proved he was quite good there and with Merriweather never fully getting healthy he ended up redshirting since he actually played as a true freshman two years ago.  Now I think it’s possible the Hawkeyes use Merriweather at SS and with Koerner keeping his FS spot.  The CB position should be in good hands even without Michael Ojemudia as Matt Hankins returns for his senior season and Riley Moss and Julius Brents should battle it out for the other starting job.  Brents missed almost all of last season and ended up taking a redshirt like Merriweather after he had to play as a true freshman two years ago.  Moss was the third CB most of last year but he struggled with some injuries also.  If they are both healthy Iowa should have three good CBs and I’m expecting a big senior year out of Matt Hankins.  I also expect Brents to start if he’s healthy but that’s just a hunch.  It is also completely possible that Brents or Moss moves to safety if the coaches aren’t keen on the idea of Merriweather at SS and if no one else steps up there.

The backup jobs should be interesting too.  While DJ Johnson struggled at Cash last year and was replaced, I don’t think the coaches are giving up on him any time soon.  If Johnson could step up there it would allow the team to move Belton to SS, I don’t see him making that kind of progress but he’s still young so anything is possible.  Terry Roberts had to play some as the third CB last year due to injuries and he wasn’t great, hopefully this year he’s the fourth CB at best.  He’s not bad there but if the team has to count on him more than that it would be a long year.  Obviously, the loser of the Brents/Moss competition is the third CB, that’s a pretty good third CB.  I have high hopes for Sebastian Castro at SS, his high school film was pretty impressive.  I think he could give Merriweather a run for the SS spot and end up the starter if he plays up to his potential and proves his understanding of the defense, Phil Parker likes smart DBs.  Dallas Craddieth is a third-year safety who came in with plenty of hype as a four-star recruit but has been passed up by younger players.  The team has to hope the light comes on and he lives up to his considerable talent.  Two redshirt freshman and three true freshmen are going to try to define their spots and move up the depth chart.  Daraun McKinney was a late scholarship offer last year that Phil Parker liked, that’s usually a good sign.  I like the potential of AJ Lawson as a CB down the road.  Reginald Bracy looks like a solid safety prospect.  I’m not completely certain where Harris and Deasfernandes will end up.

Punter

Ryan Gersonde or Tory Taylor

Either Gersonde finally gets healthy and wins the job or the 6’4 225 lbs. 26-year-old out of Australia, Tory Taylor takes the job.  Hopefully one of them is worth a damn.

Kicker

Keith Duncan

Duncan got screwed out of the Lou Groza Award last year as the nation’s best kicker, I expect him to go out and win it this year.