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Bryce Callahan CB-Denver Broncos: DraftNasty Throwback

May 17, 2021 Corey Chavous Leave a comment

Current Denver Broncos cornerback Bryce Callahan started his career as a relative unknown in Chicago. Despite going undrafted, Callahan has started 10 or more games in three of the last four seasons. As we learned when we sat down with Callahan years ago, his speed comes from his family lineage. In each of the last three seasons, the former Owl has posted two or more interceptions. After four solid seasons in Chicago, the Bears were forced to make moves in 2019 after he left the Windy City to go Mile High in free agency. We dive back into Callahan’s scouting report from our 2015 NFL Draft Manual.

Bryce Callahan 2015 NFL Scouting report — We look back at our 2015 NFL Draft scouting report on current Denver Broncos defensive back Bryce Callahan.

AFC West, 2021, AFC, NFL, NFL, DraftNasty Throwbacks (Videos, Photos, Articles), Articles

Darren Waller TE-Las Vegas Raiders: DraftNasty Throwback

May 17, 2021 Peter Worilther Leave a comment

When former Georgia Tech wide receiver Darren Waller came out of school in an option-based offense back in 2014, he was largely an afterthought for many NFL teams. This despite standing 6-foot-6, weighing 238 pounds and running in the 4.4-range. After all, he started just 12 games over his last two seasons for the Yellow Jackets. His first few seasons in the NFL as a Baltimore Raven were largely unproductive, but Waller has become one of the NFL’s most versatile tight ends. We revisit our report on Waller from DraftNasty’s 2015 NFL Draft Manual.

Darren Waller 2015 NFL Draft Scouting report — Former Georgia Tech wide receiver Darren Waller, a 2020 Pro Bowl selection for the Las Vegas Raiders, has transformed himself into one of the NFL’s best tight ends.

2021, 2021, NFL, NFC, Articles, NFC North, NFL Draft Recap

2021 NFL Draft Recap: NFC North

May 4, 2021 Troy Jefferson Leave a comment

The 2021 NFL Draft Recap: NFC North breaks down the selections of all the division teams. The Detroit Lions prioritized the trenches under new HC Dan Campbell. While, the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings look to the future at quarterback with Justin Fields and Kellen Mond. Can Eric Stokes (pictured) help the backend in Green Bay?

Detroit Lions
Selection	Team	Player Selection	Position- School	DN Big Board Rank/ Grade	Notes
1st round, 7th overall	Detroit Lions	Penei Sewell	6’5 331 OT-Oregon	3/1st Round	Sewell’s nastiness made him one of the best picks in this year’s draft and fits what the Lions are trying to do with a physical running game.
2nd round, 41st overall	Detroit Lions	Levi Onwuziurike	6’3 297 DT-Senior	41/2nd Round	Despite not being an elite interior pass rusher, there is room for Onwuzurike to develop into more in that facet of his game.
3rd round, 72nd overall	Detroit Lions	Alim McNeill	6’2 317/DT-NG-NC State	72/2nd Round	McNeill has all of the tools to be a legitimate first and second down force as a zero-technique nose guard. His strength is sudden, particularly after establishing hand placement inside the numbers of centers or guards. The All-ACC defensive tackle can win laterally or to a spot, but there are questions about his ability to finish as a pass rusher.
3rd round, 101st overall	Detroit Lions	Ifeatu Melifonwu	6’3 213/CB-Syracuse	187/3rd Round	His tackling was solid for the most part, but he did not attack stalk blocks with a dominant mentality. Overall, Melifonwu played with awareness and attacked the three-step passing game. After a solid Senior Bowl week, he should hear his name called early on Day 3 of the draft process.
4th round, 112th overall	Detroit Lions	Amon-Ra St. Brown	5’11 197/WR-USC	21/2nd Round	Traffic. How do prospects play within the high traffic areas on the field? St. Brown attacks traffic as a route runner or blocker.
4th round, 113th overall	Detroit Lions (from Carolina Panthers)	Derrick Barnes	6’0 245/LB-Purdue	169/3rd Round	Barnes’ value depends on where a team decides to play him. In 2019, he was more than capable as a rush outside linebacker. We feel the former All-State running back’s feel for the game should be used in a multitude of roles. His experience on special teams helps his overall value.
7th round, 257th overall	Detroit Lions (from Cleveland Browns)	Jermar Jefferson	5’10 206/RB-Oregon State	222/4th Round	Jefferson is a smooth effortless runner who is light on his feet with good contact balance. He squirts through holes, picks his feet up and uses subtle slide steps that cover distance going laterally.
Minnesota Vikings
Selection	Team	Player Selection	Position- School	DN Big Board Rank/ Grade	Notes
1st round, 23rd overall	Minnesota Vikings (from New York Jets)	Christian Darrisaw	6’5 314 LT-Virginia Tech	4/1st Round	The Vikings get one of the draft’s best offensive line talents after sliding back in the first round. Good moves again by the Vikings front office.
3rd round, 66th overall	Minnesota Vikings (from New York Jets)	Kellen Mond	6’3 211/QB-Texas A&M	147/3rd Round	Overall, the Aggies’ all-time leader in total offense has a dual-threat game that largely translates to today’s NFL game. To put it all in perspective, he had 18 games with a rushing and passing touchdown in school.
3rd round, 78th overall	Minnesota Vikings	Chazz Surratt	6’2 227/LB-North Carolina	132/3rd Round	Surratt is a converted QB and has limited reps as a linebacker although he did play safety in high school. The Tar Heels converted QB will be judged by his ability to learn the intricacies of the position, but in a short time he has shown the raw talent is there.
3rd round, 86th overall	Minnesota Vikings (from New York Jets)	Wyatt Davis	6’3 315/OG-Ohio State	63/2nd Round	The Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year has paved the way for Ohio State’s running game and likely a spot for himself early in the 2021 NFL Draft. We were probably most impressed with his ability to re-anchor in the pass protection aspect of his game. His ability to play with a base gives him a chance versus some of the quicker leverage-based defensive tackles he will face at the next level.
3rd round, 90th overall	Minnesota Vikings	Patrick Jones II	6’4 268/DE-Pittsburgh	97/3rd Round	We think the first-team All-American’s future in the NFL is as either a right defensive end or 30-front rush outside linebacker. As an outside linebacker, he will be able to operate with a little room to set up his pass rush moves. The former Virginia high school product has a game that blossomed the last two years after serving an apprenticeship role back in 2018 (23 tackles, 4 QB sacks, 7.5 TFLs, FF).
4th round, 119th overall	Minnesota Vikings	Kene Nwangwu	6’0 212/RB-Iowa State	171/3rd Round	Nwangwu, a former prep level track and field star, has battled injuries while in school. He bounced back positively from an Achilles tendon injury in 2017 to embody what the Iowa State program currently represents from a leadership perspective. Even though he played second-fiddle to first-team All-American Breece Hall, it should not be a reflection of his own diverse talent.
4th round, 125th overall	Minnesota Vikings (from Chicago Bears)	Camryn Bynum	6’0 198/CB-California	236/4th Round	There may be questions about Bynum’s flat-out speed, but we think those may concealed if used in a Vonn Bell-type roll at the next level.
4th round, 134th overall	Minnesota Vikings (from Buffalo Bills; conditional)	Janarius Robinson	6'5 266/DE-FSU	134/3rd Round	Games like the Clemson contest in 2019 display the potential of Robinson, who is a big defensive end with very good field speed. We even think he has the upside to potentially play an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. His quickness is tough to handle.
5th round, 157th overall	Minnesota Vikings	Ihmir Smith-Marsette	6'0 181/WR-Iowa	146/3rd Round	His foot speed is probably best represented with how well he carries his pads on Saturday afternoons. The instincts with the ball in his hands are first-rate, as is his peripheral vision to feel defenders around him in space.
5th round, 168th overall	Minnesota Vikings (from Pittsburgh Steelers through Baltimore Ravens)	Zach Davidson	6'7 248/TE-Central Missouri	250/4th Round	Plays TE and punts for the Mules. The team aligns him in the No. 2 slot, No. 3 slot, Y-TE and offset FB. If he can improve as an in-line blocker and eliminate the drops, his foot speed and athleticism gives him a chance to become even more.
6th round, 199th overall	Minnesota Vikings	Jaylen Twyman	6’2 301/DT-Pittsburgh	316/4th Round	It was impressive that he pumped out 40 repetitions at 225 pounds on his Pro Day in March. However, that really isn’t his game when you turn on the film. The 2019 second-team All-American has some lower body strength, but he is most satisfied winning with arm overs and swim moves.
Chicago Bears
Selection	Team	Player Selection	Position- School	DN Big Board Rank/ Grade	Notes
1st round, 11th overall	Chicago Bears (trade from New York Giants)	Justin Fields	6’3 227 QB-Ohio State	31/2nd Round	Fields goes to a football team where he can add arm strength to pierce balls through the wind and add diversity to the team’s running team.
2nd round, 39th overall	Chicago Bears (from Carolina Panthers)	Tevin Jenkins	6’6 317/OT-Oklahoma State	20/2nd Round	Jenkins needs more technique work, but he has improved for the most part during his career.
5th round, 151st overall	Chicago Bears (from Carolina Panthers)	Larry Borom	6’5 327/OL-Missouri	183/3rd Round	He should not have a problem with the power of the NFL game due to his wide base and strong trunk. Dealing with the speed of NFL pass rushers, however, could become an issue.
6th round, 217th overall	Chicago Bears (via Tampa Bay Buccaneers (compensatory selection)	Khalil Herbert	5’8 204 RB-Virginia Tech, Kansas	203/4th Round	It was a bit of a surprise that Herbert never returned kickoffs while at Kansas, but he became a hit at Virginia Tech in that regard. In addition, his ball security ranks as a plus entering the NFL. Herbert never fumbled in the Big 12 or ACC. He may not have a dominant trait, but his smooth nature makes him difficult to get a grasp on down-to-down.
6th round, 221st overall	Chicago Bears (compensatory selection)	Dazz Newsome	5’10 190/All-purpose-North Carolina	190/4th Round	His 188 career receptions are supported by a nine yard per carry average and over 11 yards per punt return. Newsome is an all-purpose weapon with upside in the slot or the return game.
6th round, 228th overall	Chicago Bears (compensatory selection)	Thomas Graham, Jr.	5'10 193/CB-Oregon	112/3rd Round	Prior to opting out of the 2020 season, he had already put together a full career’s worth of film for NFL teams to devour. He’s tough, competitive, sturdy and generally displayed good technique week-to-week in the Pac-12. He works to stay aligned in the team’s coverage concepts and is rarely out of position.
7th round, 250th overall	Chicago Bears (from Seattle Seahawks)	Khyiris Tonga	6’2 325/DT-BYU	171/3rd Round	Did 35 bench press reps at 225 pounds. In today’s NFL, the splash interior defensive line prospects typically are able to work to half a man for quick penetration. This is not Tonga’s game. Where he does flash in the passing game revolves around his timing to cloud passing lanes. He finished his career with 12 pass deflections.
Green Bay Packers
Selection	Team	Player Selection	Position- School	DN Big Board Rank/ Grade	Notes
1st round, 29th overall	Green Bay Packers	Eric Stokes	6’1 194/CB-Georgia	35/2nd Round	Stokes continued to get better year-to-year, but prior to 2020 he hadn’t finished on the ball. The 10.39 100-meter sprinter finished with four interceptions as a senior.
2nd round, 62nd overall	Green Bay Packers	Josh Myers	6’5 310/OC-Ohio State	168/3rd Round	10 1/2” hands. Myers is capable of getting to most of his spots but his hand placement is a question mark. He is a fit in a zone blocking scheme and it might be at a guard position as opposed to center.
3rd round, 85th overall	Green Bay Packers (from Tennessee Titans)	Amari Rodgers	5’9 212/WR-Clemson	99/3rd Round	Rodgers was just five months removed from a spring ACL tear (knee injury) in 2019, so did Tigers fans truly see the best he had to offer? If 2020 was any indication, then probably not. He looked stronger, more decisive and faster as a senior. In addition, his route-running savvy took another step forward. At 211 pounds, he is more than willing as a blocker, runs well after the catch and separates with timely cuts on option patterns.
4th round, 142nd overall	Green Bay Packers (compensatory selection)	Royce Newman	6’5 306/OL-Ole Miss	234/4th Round	He has started at OG (LG) and moved to RT in 2020. Allowed just one QB sack at OG in 2019. Plays with hot feet. We think he has positional versatility as a backup at three-to-four different line spots.
5th round, 173rd overall	Green Bay Packers	Tedarrell Slaton	6’4 330/DT-Florida	416/5th Round	He seemed to get his weight down to around the 340-pound range in 2020 and it helped him play with more consistency. The projected two-down defender has upside as a zero-technique in three-man fronts and one-technique in four-man schemes.
5th round, 178th overall	Green Bay Packers (compensatory selection)	Shemar Jean-Charles	5'10 184/CB-Appalachian State	171/3rd Round	Team captain. One of the areas which stands out with Jean-Charles is his ability to accelerate in the move area (12-to-16 yards). Whether it is playing off-man or using a bail-and-run, he accelerates with energy once the receiver makes a decision to go vertical.
6th round, 214th overall	Green Bay Packers	Cole Van Lanen	6’5 304/OT-Wisconsin	156/3rd Round	Van Lanen has enough length to keep defenders at bay, but he is somewhat narrow overall. It will be import for him to unlock his hands with increased urgency to handle NFL-style pass rushers.
6th round, 220th overall	Green Bay Packers (compensatory selection)	Isaiah McDuffie	6'2 225/LB-Boston College	248/4th Round	Collegiately, McDuffie was able to outrun a number of his mistakes. We don’t anticipate that remaining the same at the NFL level. The second-team All-ACC linebacker is a run-and-chase type who will need to be covered up as a Will linebacker.
7th round, 256th overall	Green Bay Packers	Kylin Hill	5’10 214/Mississippi State	83/3rd Round	His low center of gravity allows him to slide and dart with square-stance cuts to get back north-south. In 2020, no one was expecting to see Hill get 20 carries per game in first-year head coach Mike Leach’s air raid system. He never received more than seven (in a game).

Eric Stokes CB Green Bay Packers — **2021 NFL Draft Recap: NFC North:** Eric Stokes was drafted by the Green Bay Packers with the 29th pick overall.

NFC West, 2021, 2021, NFL, NFC, Articles, NFL Draft Recap

2021 NFL Draft Recap: NFC West

May 4, 2021 Troy Jefferson Leave a comment

The 2021 NFL Draft Recap: NFC West edition featured more than a few diminutive but exciting all purpose receiver selections. The Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams had limited picks in this year’s draft but opted to select smaller receivers in D’Wayne Eskridge and Tutu Atwell. San Francisco had to figure out the quarterback position after years of injuries to their signal callers, with that said, they traded up for Trey Lance. However, as Arizona showed, defensive picks can still be worthy of a first round selection (Zaven Collins- 16th overall). But as the trend seems to be, the Cardinals like LA and Seattle, drafted a short receiver in Rondale Moore (pictured above).

San Francisco 49ers
Selection	Team	Player Selection	Position- School	DN Big Board Rank/ Grade	Notes
1st round, 3rd overall	San Francisco 49ers	Trey Lance	6’4 226/QB-North Dakota State	34/2nd Round	Lance goes to an offense that should spotlight his ability to operate on the edges or from inside the pocket.
2nd round, 48th overall	San Francisco 49ers (from Las Vegas Raiders)	Aaron Banks	6’5 338/OG-Notre Dame	177/3rd Round	Inside, he can move bodies with thump at the point of attack. His base will get too wide in pass protection and the challenge for him surrounds improving hand placement. Pass rushers have a tough time moving him if he can form a lockout and sit down in the chair.
3rd round, 88th overall	San Francisco 49ers (from Los Angeles Rams)	Trey Sermon	6'0 216/RB-Ohio State, Oklahoma	57/2nd Round	His strength is very good, as is his ability to pick his feet up through trash around his ankles and feet. We expect him to improve in pass protection due to his natural lower body explosiveness. He has upside as a receiver out of the backfield because he can make the first tackler miss in space. Durability issues aside, Sermon has starting potential in the NFL as a Melvin Gordon III-type (Denver Broncos).
3rd round, 102nd overall	San Francisco 49ers	Ambry Thomas	6’0 187/CB-Michigan	53/2nd Round	On the outside, he needs to be technique-sound because he is not necessarily a long corner. Thomas has lost quite a bit of practice time over the past two seasons and the fact that he has been able to still perform at a high level bodes well for his future prospects.
5th round, 155th overall	San Francisco 49ers	Jaylon Moore	6’4 311/OT-Western Michigan	164/3rd Round	Moore is durable and strong. This is where you have to begin with him because he has the ability to sit in the chair and grapple with opponents. Overall, he provides the ability to potentially backup three-to-four line positions.
5th round, 172nd overall	San Francisco 49ers (from New Orleans Saints)	Deommodore Lenoir	5’10 199/CB-Oregon	137/3rd Round	Finished his career with 34 straight starts. Lenoir wore three different numbers during his career and the results were largely the same in each year. We think he is physical enough as a tackler that he could possibly move inside to safety.
5th round, 180th overall	San Francisco 49ers (compensatory selection)	Talanoa Hufanga	6’1 215/S-USC	182/3rd Round	Hufanga is an intense junior-entry who flies all over the field and brings quite a bit of juice when he unloads on contact. It is a big reason he was able to force four fumbles in school. We think his best attribute is an ability to blitz off the edge, either by disguise or when coming down late off of movement by the offense
6th round, 194th overall	San Francisco 49ers	Elijah Mitchell	5’10 215/RB-Louisiana-Lafayette	143/3rd Round	He runs with power, contains a vertical style and rarely is caught moving side-to-side if unnecessary. Every three-to-four carries, he will bust a long carry (see Georgia State ‘20) due to his churning style. He does not mind taking the three-or-four-yard runs to set up the bigger carries.
Arizona Cardinals
Selection	Team	Player Selection	Position- School	DN Big Board Rank/ Grade	Notes
1st round, 16th overall	Arizona Cardinals	Zaven Collins	6’4 260 LB-Tulsa	13/1st Round	Collins’ skills can now pair with Simmons to give the Cardinals defensive flexibility in spades. The team adds a player who creates difficult one-on-one matchups for teams on third down.
2nd round, 49th overall	Arizona Cardinals	Rondale Moore	5’7 180/WR-Purdue	40/2nd Round	Strong in the lower body. Squats over 600 pounds. His ability to track the football overcomes a somewhat limited catch radius. Overall, he is a first-round talent with enough durability question marks to last until Day 2.
4th round, 136th overall	Arizona Cardinals (from Baltimore Ravens via Kansas City Chiefs)	Marco Wilson	6'0 187 Nickel/Florida	131/3rd Round	The former Freshman All-SEC defender can cover multiple spots, play as a big nickel and even contribute outside at corner. Injuries were an issue in school. 4.38 speed. 43 1/2” VJ.
6th round, 210th overall	Arizona Cardinals (from Baltimore Ravens)	Victor Dimukeje	6'2 262/DE-OLB-Duke	259/4th Round	Dimukeje is a leverage-based pass rusher with experience both standing up and playing with his hand in the dirt. His bend will be questioned by NFL teams, but he overcomes that by attempting to lean on the offensive tackle's upfield shoulder.
6th round, 223rd overall	Arizona Cardinals (from Minnesota Vikings; compensatory selection)	Tay Gowan	6’1 186 CB/UCF	341/5th Round	Gowan is a tall, angular cornerback with positive football instincts and very good length for the outside cornerback spot. We were impressed with his balance and footwork when using a bail-and-run technique.
7th round, 243rd overall	Arizona Cardinals	James Wiggins	5’11 209	26/2nd Round	He has everything NFL teams desire in flex-safeties with his combination of foot speed, short-area quickness and explosiveness on contact. In addition, he has extensive experience covering slot receivers in school. If there is a question on Wiggins, it revolves around some tightness in the lower half. Despite first-round talent, can Wiggins stay healthy?
7th round, 247th overall	Arizona Cardinals (from Chicago Bears through Las Vegas Raiders)	Michal Menet	6’4 312/OC-Penn State	207-4th Round	Menet is one of the more balanced centers in this year’s draft class. Rarely out of control, Menet’s overall football awareness for blitzes, stunts and line games is very sound.
Los Angeles Rams
Selection	Team	Player Selection	Position- School	DN Big Board Rank/ Grade	Notes
2nd round, 57th overall	Los Angeles Rams	Tutu Atwell	5’9 155/WR-Louisville	141/3rd Round	If there is a more electric, elusive, fully-charged offensive player in the draft we haven’t found him. NFL teams just have to know what they’re purchasing. Is it former Louisville wide receiver and two-time Pro Bowler Ernest Givens (Houston Oilers) or former West Virginia star Tavon Austin?
3rd round, 103rd overall	Los Angeles Rams	Ernest Jones	6'2 230/LB-South Carolina	258/4th Round	Jones, a junior-entry in the 2021 NFL Draft, has many tools worth taking a long look at for NFL teams. One of the things he has to improve at is getting offensive linemen off of his defensive linemen. We think he would fit best as a run-and-chase Will linebacker at the next level because he still has to room to grow reading the triangle.
4th round, 117th overall	Los Angeles Rams (from San Francisco 49ers)	Bobby Brown III	6'5 323/DT-Texas A&M	96/3rd Round	The first-team All-SEC defender contains lateral quickness, upper body strength and ankle flexibility. His inconsistent hand usage and up-and-down intensity are two drawbacks for teams looking for a consistent disruptor.
4th round, 130th overall	Los Angeles Rams	Robert Rochell	6’0 195/CB-Central Arkansas	129/3rd Round	4.4 speed. 43 VJ. He tackles well enough and has thrown his body around with force and intent to clip the legs or wrap up ballcarriers. Rochell has all of the tools, but his technique simply has to get better for him to have a chance on Sunday afternoons.
4th round, 141st overall	Los Angeles Rams (compensatory selection)	Jacob Harris	6'5 219/WR-UCF	230/4th Round	In watching and studying fellow receiver Gabriel Davis (Buffalo Bills) a season ago (2019), Harris kept showing up. The former soccer player’s stride sneaks up on unsuspecting cornerbacks and UCF quarterback Dillon Gabriel often had problems keeping up with it.
5th round, 174th overall	Los Angeles Rams (from Buffalo Bills)	Earnest Brown IV	6’4 1/2” 270/DL-Northwestern	217/4th Round	Blessed with an 82 1/4-inch wingspan and 34 1/2" arms, Brown IV can keep blockers away from him. We were impressed that he was able to drop into zones effectively and consistently affected the three-step passing game.
7th round, 233rd overall	Los Angeles Rams (via Houston Texans (rom Cincinnati Bengals)	Jake Funk	5’10 204/All-Purpose-Maryland	301/4th Round	Since Funk came out of high school, he has gotten bigger, stronger and faster in school. All of this occurred while enduring two torn ACLs to the same knee in consecutive seasons. This speaks to his work ethic and overall football character. Despite playing RB and averaging 8-plus yards per carry, Funk had 28 tackles in school on special teams.
7th round, 249th overall	LA Rams (via Jacksonville Jaguars from Tennessee Titans)	Ben Skowronek	6'2 211/WR-Notre Dame	276-4th Round	Skowronek’s wasted movement has improved dramatically since his freshman year at Northwestern. He closes the cushion of defenders with an underrated stride off the ball. Most Northwestern fans will remember his game-winning diving touchdown grab that put the Wildcats in the 2018 Big Ten title game. He beat Denver Broncos starting cornerback Michael Ojemudia on the play.
Seattle Seahawks
Selection	Team	Player Selection	Position- School	DN Big Board Rank/ Grade	Notes
2nd round, 56th overall	Seattle Seahawks	D’Wayne Eskridge	5’9 184/All-Purpose-Western Michigan	115/3rd Round	Despite standing just 5-foot-9, he packs a solid 188 pounds on his frame. He breaks arm tackles and excels when he runs through the reception point, particularly on quick slants. His toughness is also exemplary, especially considering that he has played the cornerback position respectably and stood out crack blocking safeties. The 2020 MAC Special Teams Player of the Year fits the definition of an all-purpose prospect.
4th round, 137th overall	Seattle Seahawks	Tre Brown	5'9 184/CB-Oklahoma	179/3rd Round	Brown is an ultra-quick cornerback with good transition ability to drop his weight on intermediate routes. Physically, he may have to deal with the physical rigors of a nickel position to secure a spot in a Seattle’s defensive back rotation.
6th round, 208th overall	Seattle Seahawks (from Chicago Bears)	Stone Forsythe	6’8 307/OT-Florida	452/6th Round	NFL bloodlines. Has started at RT and LT. Also has seen time at OG. Looks the part. During the postseason, it was important for the former Gator to prove that his ability to hold down a starting spot on the blindside in the SEC had as much to do with his movement as it did his size. Mission accomplished.

2021, 2021, AFC, NFL, Articles, NFL Draft Recap, AFC East

2021 NFL Draft Recap: AFC East

May 3, 2021 Corey Chavous Leave a comment

The AFC East 2021 NFL Draft recap features a Patriots team that kept up with the Joneses and a Jets squad who picked its franchise quarterback. The Bills got longer on defense while the Dolphins increased its team speed.

Buffalo Bills
Selection	Team	Player selection	Position-School	DN Big Board Rank/Grade	Notes
1st Round, 30th overall	Buffalo Bills	Gregory Rousseau	6’6 5/8” 266/DE-Miami (Fla.)	8/1st Round	The Bills take a pass rusher with 11-inch hands and an 83” wingspan. Rousseau had 15.5 QB sacks in 2019 and was tough to latch while working from a number of spots.
2nd Round, 61st overall	Buffalo Bills	Carlos “Boogie” Basham	6’3 1/2” 274 DE-Wake Forest	36/2nd Round	From a technical perspective, Basham is pretty advanced with his pass rush moves working off the edge. Some teams won’t like his hand size and arm length, but he is slippery and strong in the lower body. Few players in the ACC matched Basham’s production.
3rd Round, 93rd overall	Buffalo Bills	Spencer Brown	6’8 314/OT-Northern Iowa	100/3rd Round	The former eight-man Iowa high school football standout transitioned impressively to 11-man football. He’s gained nearly 100 pounds (94) since his high school days. His chest exposure is simply due to leverage, but his ability to sit down can be seen in the pre-snap, when his body is lower than the rest of his offensive line.
5th Round, 161st overall	Buffalo Bills (from Las Vegas Raiders)	Tommy Doyle	6'8 320/OT-Miami (OH.)	184/3rd Round	As a taller tackle, he will always be challenged by his posture versus leverage-based defensive ends. He compensates with a heavy punch to widen them in either the run or pass game.
6th Round, 203rd overall	Buffalo Bills (from Washington Football Team via Houston Texans, Las Vegas Raiders and Miami Dolphins)	Marquez Stevenson	5'10 182/All-Purpose-Houston	256/4th Round	Stevenson has been a game breaker for the Cougars working in the slot or as a return specialist. He endured a number of major injuries in school and there are questions on how he responds to the physicality of the NFL.
6th Round, 212th overall	Buffalo Bills (from Houston Texans via New Orleans Saints)	Damar Hamlin	6’0 201/S-Pittsburgh	176/3rd Round	Good length. Smart. Communicates with fellow safeties using hand signals. He has decent feet and enough movement skills. He’s almost like an extra nickel back in their schemes.
6th Round, 213th overall	Buffalo Bills	Rachad Wildgoose	5'11 197/CB-Wisconsin	238/4th Round	We project him as a nickel defender on the next level because of his experience in a pro-style scheme under creative Wisconsin defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. He has some physical similarities to Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Rashad Fenton.
7th Round, 236th overall	Buffalo Bills (from Carolina Panthers)	Jack Anderson	6’4 309/OG-OC-Texas Tech	165/3rd Round	You can turn on the video from 2018 to see that he was going to be an NFL prospect. His awareness, footwork and balance all rank among the best in this year’s class of interior linemen.
Miami Dolphins
Selection	Team	Player selection	Position-School	DN Big Board Rank/Grade	Notes
6th overall	Miami Dolphins	Jaylen Waddle	WR-Alabama	28/2nd Round	Waddle is the next receiver to go off the board to be re-united with his former college QB. His foot speed expands the Dolphins’ vertical passing game.
18th overall	Miami Dolphins	Jaelen Phillips	6’5 260 DE-Miami (Fla.), UCLA	43/2nd Round	Phillips has all of the tools to become an instant contributor opposite Emmanuel Ogbah. Can he stay healthy?
36th overall	Miami Dolphins	Jevon Holland	6’1 207/S-Oregon	15/2nd Round	The All-Pac-12 defender, and our top-ranked S/NB, is a former high school wide receiver with the instincts to anticipate ball location. It is a big reason why he made a number of plays versus fade patterns when defending slot receivers.
42nd overall	Miami Dolphins (from New York Giants)	Liam Eichenberg	6’6 303 OT-Notre Dame	32/2nd Round	Whenever a collegian has outstanding technique NFL teams begin to wonder about upside. Maybe it should be the other way around. Continued flexibility gains should be in order for the Saint Ignatius High School product, who earned All-American honors because he reduced the pre-snap mistakes.
81st overall	Miami Dolphins	Hunter Long	6'5 253/TE-Boston College	116/3rd Round	Based on the Eagles’ run-heavy schemes, he often got behind defenses because he was used as a hand in the dirt tight end. A solid in-line blocker with good, but not great strength, Long exudes a smoothness on the field that translates to Sundays. We were not necessarily impressed with the suddenness in which he got of his breaks, but at his size he doesn’t have to really be open. His 83-inch wingspan affords him to only have to get a step on the defender on tightly contested throws.
6th Round, 231st overall	Miami Dolphins (from Houston Texans)	Larnel Coleman	6’6 308/OT-UMass	319/4th Round	84 3/8” wingspan. Primarily a tackle-only prospect, he does have experience at both tackle spots. The Massachusetts native is not a consistent bender, but plays with hot feet. He has the ability to mirror yet doesn’t truly sit in the chair. The former basketball standout has technical flaws but competed well in the film viewed.
7th Round, 244th overall	Miami Dolphins (via Washington Football Team from Las Vegas Raiders)	Gerrid Doaks	6'0 230/RB-Cincinnati	182/3rd Round	For a running back weighing in the 230-pound range, Doaks is athletic, fast enough and tough. We were perhaps most impressed with his hands out of the backfield as a receiver and his pass blocking skill in blitz pickup.
New England Patriots
Selection	Team	Player selection	Position-School	DN Big Board Rank/Grade	Notes
1st Round, 15th overall	New England Patriots	Mac Jones	6’2 217 QB-Alabama	39/2nd Round	Jones goes to the Patriots to develop in a system that could spotlight all of his respective strengths.
2nd Round, 38th overall	New England Patriots (from Cincinnati Bengals)	Christian Barmore	6'5 310/DT-Alabama	14/2nd Round	The Philadelphia native is more of a heavyweight boxer than anything else. For him to truly evolve into a consistent disruptor at the next level, he has to master the intricacies of footwork versus different run blocking schemes.
3rd Round, 96th overall	New England Patriots	Ronnie Perkins	6’2 1/2” 253/DE-OLB-Oklahoma	65/2nd Round	Standing 6-foot-2, he is able to play with a forward lean while keeping good balance. Rarely is he extended too far over his toes. Academic warrior. Plays in a three-point, two-point or four-point stances on the edge.
4th Round, 120th overall	New England Patriots	Rhamondre Stevenson	6’0 230/RB-Oklahoma	289/4th Round	The good thing for Stevenson is that there are not a lot of miles on his tires. This bodes well for his 2021 outlook and beyond when it comes to the NFL. He may get more carries in his first NFL season than he did in all of college.
6th Round, 177th overall	New England Patriots (compensatory selection)	Cameron McGrone	6’3 236/LB-Michigan	179/3rd Round	His field speed is unquestionable and we saw him contribute on special teams. Special teams will be his lifeline as he adjusts to the fast-paced nature of the NFL game. Or, if healthy, will the NFL have to adjust to his fast-paced nature?
6th Round, 188th overall	New England Patriots (from Houston Texans)	Joshuah Bledsoe	5’11 201/S-Missouri	321/4th Round	There were some missed tackles in the film viewed as a result of the aforementioned stiffness. The former multi-position prep level standout has a good feel for the game and is a competitive player. He played his best in critical moments (see Arkansas, LSU in 2020).
6th Round, 197th overall	New England Patriots	William Sherman	6'3 304/OL-Colorado	264/4th Round	He successfully made the switch from left tackle to right tackle and then back to left tackle as a senior. At just one-half inch over 6-foot-3, New England may envision Sherman moving inside to guard. He even worked out at the center position on his Pro Day.
7th Round, 242nd overall	New England Patriots	Tre Nixon	6’1 187/WR-UCF, Ole Miss	188/4th Round	In just four games in 2020, Nixon averaged 65 yards per contest and this was in an offense that spread the ball around quite a bit. His size, speed and route-running remind us of former Pittsburg State wideout John Brown (Cardinals, Bills) coming out of college.
New York Jets
Selection	Team	Player selection	Position	School	Notes
1st Round, 2nd overall	New York Jets	Zach Wilson	6'2 214/QB-BYU	25/2nd Round	Wilson could be a BYU mix of former Cougar standouts Jim McMahon and Steve Young.
1st Round, 14th overall	New York Jets (from Minnesota Vikings)	Alijah Vera-Tucker	6’4 302/OT-USC	6/1st Round	Vera-Tucker could pair with Becton on the left side to potentially power an offensive line that could develop into one of the AFC’s best.
2nd Round, 34th overall	New York Jets	Elijah Moore	5’9 184/WR-Ole Miss	44/2nd Round	From the opening week breakout performance against Florida (10 receptions, 227 yards) through the rest of the season, he found ways to extricate Ole Miss out of trouble.
4th Round, 107th overall	New York Jets	Michael Carter	5’8 201/RB-UNC	60/2nd Round	Carter, who won UNC’s Strength and Conditioning Award for Outstanding Lifter, makes it happen in a powerful fashion. How often do you hear that statement made about a 5-foot-7, 202-pound running back? He is built low to the ground and contains outstanding contact balance.
5th Round, 146th overall	New York Jets	Jamien Sherwood	6’2 204/S-Auburn	369/5th Round	He played a number of roles for the Tigers, but the nickel LB spot was where he showed a lot of skills. Sherwood finished his career with 10 tackles for loss and posted 75 tackles in 2020.
154th overall	New York Jets (from New York Giants)	Michael Carter II	5’10 184/Nickel-Duke	360/5th Round	Due to his plus play speed and instincts, Carter II earned third-team All-ACC honors in 2020. He struggled with torn knee ligaments in 2018 and struggled the rest of the year.
5th Round, 175th overall	New York Jets (via Kansas City Chiefs)	Jason Pinnock	6’0 1/2” 204/CB-Pittsburgh	233/4th Round	Pinnock, a former high school wide receiver, played with confidence when on the field. He was able to perform at either nickel or cornerback with equal parts bravado. He tackled adequately and -despite getting spun around in press-man too easily at times- held his line in the sand more often than not.
6th Round, 186th overall	New York Jets	Hamsah Nasirildeen	6’3 213/S-FSU	59/2nd Round	Long. 34 1/2-inch arms. Fluid enough. Positive knee bend for a taller DB. Has played DB and LB while in school. As a 6-foot-3, 213- pounder, is he going to be used as a sub-package matchup player? If so, he could find a home at the linebacker spot.
6th Round, 200th overall	New York Jets (via Las Vegas Raiders)	Brandin Echols	5'10 179/CB-Kentucky	138/3rd Round	His size remains a question mark. The movement skills, instincts and body control are not question marks. Neither is his effort. The former state champion long jumper has the potential to be a starting nickel back in the NFL.
6th Round, 207th overall	New York Jets (from Kansas City Chiefs via Pittsburgh Steelers through Miami Dolphins)	Jonathan Marshall	6’3 309/DT-Arkansas	223/4th Round	Marshall is a former prep level basketball player with positive movement skills on the field. He impressed with his power and strength in the film viewed at the zero-technique nose guard spot.

AFC West, 2021, 2021, AFC, NFL, Articles, NFL Draft Recap

2021 NFL Draft Recap: AFC West

May 3, 2021 Corey Chavous Leave a comment

In the AFC West, the Raiders got defensive in hopes of trying to solidify its defense and the Chiefs added a Bolton to its defensive front seven. The Chargers added a slayer to its offensive line and the Broncos are Surtain their choice could help the D. Overall, the AFC West had one of the most interesting draft weekends in the conference.

Denver Broncos
Selection	Team	Player selection	Position-School	DN Big Board Rank/Grade	Notes
1st Round, 9th overall	Denver Broncos	Patrick Surtain II	6’2 208 CB-Alabama	7/1st Round	The Broncos take the second consecutive CB off of the board and his technique is arguably the best.
2nd Round, 35th overall	Denver Broncos (from Atlanta Falcons)	Javonte Williams	5'10 212 RB-UNC	33/2nd Round	His physicality, ball skills, short yardage capability and lack of mileage make him a very attractive option as a potential fourth quarter closer.
3rd Round, 98th overall	Denver Broncos	Quinn Meinerz	6’3 320/OL-Wisconsin-Whitewater	225/4th Round	There is no doubt that his explosion, play strength and even hand usage can impress down-to-down. However, the top-heavy nature finds him on the ground when the detonations are launched at the wrong entry points to connect on opponents. Finding a balance will be key for Meinerz whether he stays at offensive guard or moves to center, where he performed admirably in the postseason.
105th overall	Denver Broncos	Baron Browning	6’3 240/LB-Ohio State	26/2nd Round	Browning is a prospect who can rush versus offensive tackles off the edge, play the exchange linebacker and line up over tight ends. As a pass rusher out of his two-point stance on the edge, his speed can be too much to handle for offensive tackles.
5th Round, 152nd overall	Denver Broncos	Caden Sterns	6’0 202/S-Texas	38/2nd Round	Sterns benefits from the reputation he garnered after producing an All-American freshman campaign. Since that season, he has been like an appetizer leaving you wanting more. In the games viewed, he was a willing, if inconsistent, tackler who produced very good laps to get over the top of his cornerbacks as a deep middle safety.
5th Round, 164th overall	Denver Broncos (via Chicago Bears)	Jamar Johnson	6’1 197/S-Indiana	105/3rd Round	The athleticism and movement are evident when watching Johnson play in the deep zones or blitzing from depth. The tackling techniques have been inconsis-tent and left something to be desired when he doesn’t keep his head up to tackle.
6th Round, 219th overall	Denver Broncos (from Atlanta Falcons via compensatory selection)	Seth Williams	6’2 211 WR-Auburn	91/3rd Round	On more than one occasion, he has leapt over defenders in one-on-one situations to post highlight-film wor-thy grabs. The level of consistency in all phases of his game is missing at times.
7th Round, 237th overall	Denver Broncos	Kary Vincent, Jr.	5’10 185/Nickel-LSU	202/4th Round	Vincent, Jr. actually manned the tough nickel back position for the Tigers during their 2019 national championship season and did so admirably. While he did jam wide receivers on occasion, he was much more frequently seen playing off-man coverage in the slot.
7th Round, 239th overall	Denver Broncos (from New York Giants)	Jonathon Cooper	6’2 254/DE-OLB-Ohio State	279/4th Round	Cooper is a natural knee bender who competes at a high level no matter where he lines up. His ordinary width gets him tied up on the perimeter by longer offensive tackles. Don't be surprised if he earns reps as a sub-package three-technique defensive tackle.
7th Round, 253rd overall	Denver Broncos (from Cleveland Browns)	Marquiss Spencer	6’4 301/DT-Mississippi State	414/5th Round	Spencer has shown in flashes capability as a four-technique defensive end, left defensive end and occasional three-technique defensive tackle in the film viewed. His durability concerns will get vetted by NFL teams.
Kansas City Chiefs
Selection	Team	Player selection	Position-School	DN Big Board Rank/Grade	Notes
2nd Round, 58th overall	Kansas City Chiefs	Nick Bolton	5’11 237/LB-Missouri	77/3rd Round	The positives include down-to-down intensity, pass coverage instincts and blitz capability. His treks on outside runs, varied depending on whether he took the backdoor on his angle to the ball. He is a quick-twitched, fast athlete with pop on contact.
2nd Round, 63rd overall	Kansas City Chiefs	Creed Humphrey	6’4 312/OC-Oklahoma	51/2nd Round	The 2020 Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year is a left-handed snapper with some flaws, but his technique, guile and football intelligence ensure him a good chance of becoming an NFL starter.
4th Round, 144th overall	Kansas City Chiefs (compensatory selection)	Joshua Kaindoh	6’6 260/DE-OLB Florida State	212/4th Round	He has operated from a two-point alignment and with his hand in the dirt. Is his best football ahead of him? Time will tell. It was unfortunate he got injured in the first game of the season (Georgia Tech '20) and never seemed to fully recover.
5th Round, 162nd overall	Kansas City Chiefs (via Las Vegas Raiders from Miami Dolphins)	Noah Gray	6'3 240/H-back-Duke	358/5th Round	Team captain. Classroom warrior. Plays the down TE, U-off TE, flexed-out slot and FB spots for the Blue Devils. It is evident that he has a wide receiver-like feel for separating in tight quarters with his quickness.
5th Round, 181st overall	Kansas City Chiefs (compensatory selection)	Cornell Powell	6’0 205/WR-Clemson	217/4th Round	Strong hands. Snatches the football on routes outside of his frame. He simply needs to prove that he can contribute on special teams, as he did not record a career tackle.
6th Round, 226th overall	KC Chiefs (from New York Jets via Carolina Panthers; compensatory selection)	Trey Smith	6’5 338/OG-Tennessee	54/2nd Round	Smith had medical concerns and some issues concerning his overall balance. If he can keep his weight at a manageable level, then he may be able to provide versatility for the Chiefs, as he’s started both inside and outside in school.
Las Vegas Raiders
Selection	Team	Player selection	Position-School	DN Big Board Rank/Grade	Notes
1st Round, 17th overall	Las Vegas Raiders	Alex Leatherwood	6’5 312 OL-Alabama	104/3rd Round	The 2020 Outland Trophy winner may make a move to the inside, where he was a second-team All-SEC player at RG in 2018. If he can eliminate the penalties and concentration lapses, the Raiders could look back on this pick with a smile on their faces.
2nd Round, 43rd overall	Las Vegas Raiders (from San Francisco 49ers)	Trevon Moehrig	6’1 202 S-TCU	30/2nd Round	Moehrig’s smooth nature on the field hides any minor deficien-cies that may illuminate from some questionable tackling angles in space. His communicative nature is much-needed for a secondary that lacked it in 2020.
3rd Round, 79th overall	Las Vegas Raiders	Malcolm Koonce	6’2 249/DE-OLB-Buffalo	102/3rd Round	Koonce, a former rugby star, was unable to perform for NFL teams this postseason after hurting his foot. After a couple of seasons where he was painstakingly difficult for offensive tackles to block, teams did not get to evaluate him further versus NFL-caliber competition. There are instances where teams can extrapolate his play against tougher offensive tackles (i.e. Penn State ‘19, Charlotte ‘19).
3rd Round, 80th overall	Las Vegas Raiders	Divine Deablo	6'3 226/S-LB-Virginia Tech	78/3rd Round	Players like Deablo can become valuable pieces in today’s NFL. He may not quite have the fluidity to man a position off of the hash marks, but at 6-foot-3, 226 pounds, he may very well be positioned to play in sub-packages as a linebacker when teams use dime (six defensive backs) personnel. His experience will pay dividends, but he has to become more consistent as a tackler.
5th Round, 143rd overall	Las Vegas Raiders from New York Jets (via Minnesota Vikings-compensatory selection)	Tyree Gillespie	5’11 207/S-Missouri	232/4th Round	Gillepsie developed from a solid special teams player in 2017 into a productive safety for the Tigers the last two seasons The former high school tailback is active, fast and instinctive in run support. Special tams work may be able to keep him on the game day roster, but his skills give him a chance to compete at safety.
5th Round, 167th overall	Las Vegas Raiders (from Seattle Seahawks)	Nate Hobbs	5’11 189/CB-Illinois	224/4th Round	Hobbs has a chance to make it in the NFL playing cornerback due to his movement in coverage. The 5-foot-11 former high jumper has good feet and can squeeze routes from the outside-in or plant to close back downhill at 45-degree angles out of his zone turns. The Raiders are hoping he challenges more routes in coverage.
7th Round, 230th overall	Las Vegas Raiders (from San Francisco 49ers via New York Jets)	Jimmy Morrissey	6’3 303/C-Pittsburgh	154/3rd Round	The academic warrior passed up a number of Ivy League offers to walk-on at Pittsburgh and that says all anyone needs to know about how much he loves the game. After all, how many players walk on at an ACC school and become a four-year starter? Morrissey could surprise in training camp to grab a seventh or eighth OL spot on game day.
Los Angeles Chargers
Selection	Team	Player selection	Position-School	DN Big Board Rank/Grade	Notes
1st Round, 13th overall	Los Angeles Chargers	Rashawn Slater	6’4 304 OT-Northwestern	16/2nd Round	Slater’s technique gives the Chargers added flexibility on its offensive lineman, as the former OL has started at both RT and LT.
2nd Round, 47th overall	Los Angeles Chargers	Asante Samuel, Jr.	5’10 184/CB-FSU	90/3rd Round	Samuel, Jr’s journey to the NFL follows in his father’s footsteps and the comparisons are valid. Samuel, Jr. may not be quite as sudden, but he does have similar instincts in zone coverage. Samuel, Jr.’s ability to read through the quarterback while using a skate-bail technique is eerily similar to his father’s while with the Patriots and Eagles.
3rd Round, 77th overall	Los Angeles Chargers	Josh Palmer	6’1 210/WR-Tennessee	118/3rd Round	Palmer displayed all of the necessary tools during his final two seasons to suggest he can become a better pro than collegian. His stride closed the cushion on de-fensive backs. Palmer exhibited the length/dexterity to snag passes away from his frame and won against players who are going to be NFL draft picks.
3rd Round, 97th overall	Los Angeles Chargers	Tre’ McKitty	6'4 246/TE-H-back-Georgia, FSU	193/4th Round	McKitty is a muscular H-back/TE-type who has moved around in a variance of roles for two different programs. We have seen him understand angles in the blocking game, show run after the catch skill and attack the seams of defenses. Despite never being the lead receiver at either Georgia or FSU, McKitty has frequently been a legitimate third down target.
4th Round, 118th overall	Los Angeles Chargers	Chris Rumph II	6’2 244/DE-OLB-Duke	102/3rd Round	Is he stout enough to be used as a stand-up outside linebacker or even a Sam linebacker? In spots, he has shown enough strength to handle the action versus “some” tight ends. On third downs, he has the ability to drop into coverage or rush from multiple positions. We think he can add positive weight and become a consistent rotation rusher for new DC Renaldo Hill’s defense.
5th Round, 159th overall	Los Angeles Chargers	Brenden Jaimes	6'5 300/DT-Nebraska	214/4th Round	40 consecutive starts in school. Not many true freshman start along the offensive line in the Big Ten, much less at offensive tackle. Jaimes did so at the right tackle spot in 2017 before sliding over to the left tackle position he’s manned for the last three seasons.
6th Round, 185th overall	Los Angeles Chargers (from Jacksonville Jaguars through Tennessee Titans)	Nick Niemann	6'3 234/LB-Iowa	174/3rd Round	Niemann is a former high school wide receiver from a family full of Hawkeyes. In fact, his brother Ben, finished the 2020 season with 44 tackles for the Kansas City Chiefs. It seemed like Nick was following in big brother Ben’s footsteps well after a 10-tackle performance against Wisconsin in 2018, but a leg injury curbed his development during that season.
6th Round, 198th overall	Los Angeles Chargers	Larry Rountree III	5’10 216/RB-Missouri	239/4th Round	Rountree III tallied nearly 4,000 yards rushing and fumbled just five times on over 800 career touches. This despite being somewhat right-hand dominant as a runner at times. He has active feet that can step in-and-out of tackles.
7th Round, 241st overall	Los Angeles Chargers	Mark Webb	6’1 210/S-Georgia	274/4th Round	Webb is a former wide receiver who seemed to have a pretty good feel for route combinations working at the team’s Star position the last two seasons. While he frequently was asked to cover tight ends and wide receivers, he also showed some ability to play off the hash marks on occasion.

2021, 2021, NFL, NFC South, NFC, Articles, NFL Draft Recap

2021 NFL Draft Recap: NFC South

May 3, 2021 Troy Jefferson Leave a comment

The 2021 NFL Draft: NFC South recap features the selections of the Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints. As veteran quarterbacks age and retire in the case of Drew Brees, the division opted to bring in youthful talent on the offensive side of the ball like Kyle Pitts, Kyle Trask, Terrace Marshall Jr. and Ian Book. However, defense wasn’t ignored in the 2021 NFL: NFC South recap. A lot of the players selected by the division were already playing in the South: Houston’s Payton Turner and Grant Stuard, South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn and UCF’s Richie Grant won’t have to travel far to help out their new professional teams.

Atlanta Falcons
Selection	Team	Player Selection	Position- School	DN Big Board Rank/ Grade	Notes
1st round, 4th overall	Atlanta Falcons	Kyle Pitts	6’6 245/TE-Florida	10/1st Round	New HC Arthur Smith adds to Ryan's vast array of weapons in hopes of recapturing MVP form.
2nd round, 40th overall	Atlanta Falcons (from Denver Broncos)	Richie Grant	5’11 197/S-UCF	23/2nd Round	Grant finished his career with 10 interceptions largely as a result of his ability to steal bases on the football field.
3rd round, 68th overall	Atlanta Falcons	Jalen Mayfield	6’5 326/OT-Michigan	68/2nd Round	Despite limited film, Mayfield was solid in the games viewed. Like former Philadelphia Eagles first-round pick Andre Dillard coming out of school, he takes a lot of the heat but wins most of his matchups due to his footwork.
4th round, 108th overall	Atlanta Falcons	Darren Hall	6’0 189/CB-San Diego State	98/3rd Round	Hall’s ball skills have improved each season. We’ve always felt that he contained a good pace for playing off-man coverage, but his press-man improved in 2020. He still has issues being comfortable locating the ball down the field versus bigger receivers, and this could be a problem versus some of the receivers he’ll face on Sundays.
4th round, 114th overall	Atlanta Falcons (from Denver Broncos)	Drew Dalman	6’3 300/OC-Stanford	119/3rd Round	Dalman has seen time at guard and provides at least a viable backup at any interior line position. His home will be center and the challenge revolves around being able to occasionally handle interior defensive linemen with no help.
5th round, 148th overall	Atlanta Falcons	Ta’Quon Graham	6'3 290/DT-Texas	113/3rd Round	The Temple High School (Tex.) product is a burgeoning talent capable of winning with quickness versus interior defensive linemen. His pad level needs to straighten itself out.
5th round, 182nd overall	Atlanta Falcons (compensatory selection)	Adetokunbo Ogundeji	6’4 256/DE-Notre Dame	132/3rd Round	Up until 2020, he was a productive backup who had garnered significant playing time along the defensive line. This past season, he began to learn how to more effectively keep distance from opponents when setting up his pass rush moves off the edge. We still think he needs to fully grow into his frame.
5th round, 183rd overall	Atlanta Falcons (compensatory selection)	Avery Williams	5'9 193/All-Purpose-Boise State	252/3rd Round	The former Bronco set the all-time record for combined punt and kickoff return touchdowns in a career (nine). Physical enough as a tackler, the former walk-on also found time to force five fumbles in his career.
6th round, 187th overall	Atlanta Falcons	Frank Darby	6'0 194/WR-Arizona State	303/4th Round	Darby did not run quite as fast as expected, but the charismatic former Sun Devil got behind plenty of defensive backs in school despite inconsistent hand-eye coordination.
Carolina Panthers
Selection	Team	Player Selection	Position- School	DN Big Board Rank/ Grade	Notes
1st round, 8th overall	Carolina Panthers	Jaycee Horn	6’1 205 CB-South Carolina	19/2nd Round	The Panthers needed a big corner and they took one of the draft’s longer ones in Horn.
2nd round, 59th overall	Carolina Panthers (from Cleveland Browns)	Terrace Marshall, Jr.	6’3 205/WR-LSU	29/2nd Round	Smart. Lines up at each of the receiver spots for the team. There are instances where he wins on the perimeter by not giving away catch indicators for the defensive back in man coverage (see Auburn 2019 vs. Igbinoghene). Prior to fracturing his foot against Vanderbilt, Marshall led the nation with six touchdown receptions.
3rd round, 73rd overall	Carolina Panthers (from Philadelphia Eagles)	Brady Christensen	6’5 302/OT-BYU	115/3rd Round	For the most part, Christensen has been steady. There are some occasions where players get the best of him due to a questionable anchor (see Boyles, USF ’19; Wiley, UTSA ’20). In those instances, he has even been knocked to the ground. Christensen plays more with his feet than with his hand placement, so his strong postseason helped his value.
3rd round, 83rd overall	Carolina Panthers (from Chicago Bears)	Tommy Tremble	6'4 248/H-back-Notre Dame	79/3rd Round	Tremble’s tempo will catch the eye of an evaluator. Quite simply, he plays the game at the right clip. The team moved him around all over the place and probably could have used him much more in the passing game. He is fluid in-and-out of cuts and displays quickness to go along with very good foot speed. It will be interesting to see how Carolina decides to use his skill-set.
4th round, 126th overall	Carolina Panthers (from Tennessee Titans)	Chuba Hubbard	6'0 210/RB-Oklahoma State	95/3rd Round	If the former world class youth sprinter can regain his 2019 form, the sky could be the limit. For that to happen, he has to hang on to the ball.
5th round, 158th overall	Carolina Panthers (via Houston Texans (from New England Patriots)	Daviyon Nixon	6’3 304/DT-Iowa	89/3rd Round	Operates as a one-technique DT, three-technique DT and DE on occasion. Positive foot speed. He’s fast enough to play behind the front side of the run-ning play and make plays in chase mode. The slippery nature, however, will only be supported by better lower body synchronization at the next level.
5th round, 166th overall	Carolina Panthers (via Tennessee Titans)	Keith Taylor	6’2 191/CB-Washington	240/4th Round	The smaller, savvy quicker receivers can still beat him to the spot on possession concepts when he doesn’t disrupt their releases at the line of scrimmage. We envision him getting looks from teams that like bigger corners capable of using press-man or bail techniques on the outside lanes.
6th round, 193rd overall	Carolina Panthers	Deonte Brown	6’3 364/OG-Alabama	286/4th Round	Experienced 26-game starter. Has started at both guard spots. Mammoth. Completely wins wrestling matches on man blocks. For a big man, he showcases decent footwork as a pulling guard.
6th round, 204th overall	Carolina Panthers (from Chicago Bears)	Shi Smith	5’10 186/WR-South Carolina	76/2nd Round	During his final campaign, he maintained his field speed and continued to improve as a route runner. He still left some catchable passes on the field from time-to-time and that will be a concern for a player who has to overcome questionable size.
6th round, 222nd overall	Carolina Panthers (compensatory selection)	Thomas Fletcher	6’1 237/LS-Senior	563/N/A	Started every game of his Alabama career. He’s capable of snapping at a 75-to-85-degree angle for directional kick purposes. Registers very good long snap times, ranging as low as 0.66 seconds (1st QTR/10:11, Citrus Bowl ‘20).
7th round, 232nd overall	Carolina Panthers (from Tennessee Titans via Atlanta Falcons through Miami Dolphins)	Phil Hoskins	6’5 313/DL-Kentucky	486/6th Round	Hoskins -a sixth-year player- impressed with his movement for a longer, taller defender. We were surprised he didn’t control the action more with his hands. There were times when he wanted to get up the field. Perhaps it was a result of his initial production at Kentucky rushing the passer (2018).
New Orleans Saints
Selection	Team	Player Selection	Position- School	DN Big Board Rank/ Grade	Notes
1st round, 28th overall	New Orleans Saints	Payton Turner	6’5 290/DE-Houston	111/3rd Round	Turner impressed on his Pro Day with a 4.33 20-yard shuttle time at 290 pounds. Turner got better during his career week-to-week.
2nd round, 60th overall	New Orleans Saints	Pete Werner	6’2 240/LB-Ohio State	103/3rd Round	Werner -a solid wrap tackler with range- offers NFL teams plenty of options. He can cover tight ends and line up as an off-or-on the ball linebacker. The former Buckeye contains comfort walking out over slot receivers (in zone or man). In fact, he was seen dropping into the deep middle one-third, as a two-deep safety and in a quasi robber position.
3rd round, 76th overall	New Orleans Saints (from New York Giants)	Paulson Adebo	6’1 198/CB-Stanford	47/2nd Round	Adebo put together one season of production in his career (2018) that essentially matched the career totals of the other highly-ranked cornerbacks in the 2021 NFL Draft. Aside from a Pro Day workout, he hadn’t been seen from NFL teams in person in over a year and a half. Staying more square -in press or off-man coverage- could help Adebo develop into a front line starter.
4th round, 133rd overall	New Orleans Saints	Ian Book	6’0 210/QB-Notre Dame	290/4th Round	Some of his fundamentals have to improve. He will drop his elbow and it severely affects his down-to-down accuracy. This is a big reason why he was inconsistent on out-breaking patterns. Interestingly, he actually was better on third down than first down as a senior.
6th round, 206th overall	New Orleans Saints (from Indianapolis Colts)	Landon Young	6'7 305/OT-Kentuccky	218/4th Round	The former state championship wrestler has no problem grinding it out on the perimeter. He is a solid run blocker and rarely did he struggle to finish blocking assignments in that regard. NFL evaluators will nitpick about his lack of elite foot speed, but it is satisfactory.
7th round, 255th overall	New Orleans Saints	Kawaan Baker	6’1 210/All-Purpose-South Alabama	242/4th Round	South Alabama moved him into the slot, motioned him, aligned him outside and even used his skills at the quarterback position in Wildcat formations. His stride is easy and smooth. Although he plays the game in a very calm manner that allows him to make a number of difficult things look easy.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Selection	Team	Player Selection	Position- School	DN Big Board Rank/ Grade	Notes
1st round, 32nd overall	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Joe Tryon	6’5 252/DE-Washington	69/2nd Round	Tryon has played from a two-point stand-up OLB or with his hand in the dirt. This was a perfect scheme-fit for the Buccaneers.
2nd round, 64th overall	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Kyle Trask	6’5 236/QB-Florida	158/3rd Round	Trask is solid on in-breaking throws to tight ends, slants to his wideouts and crossing patterns. His uptick in production in 2020 largely involved an increased efficiency on fades, posts and out-breaking patterns. Much of this revolved around enhanced timing and anticipation. His physical skills are solid, if unspectacular.
3rd round, 95th overall	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Robert Hainsey	6’4 302/OG-Notre Dame	127/3rd Round	During school, he often won with the shock in his punch on the perimeter. He would get into trouble with pad level (where he could get out-leveraged) or when he stopped his feet (forcing him to crossover in pass pro). Overall, his down-to-down consistency stood out in the film viewed.
4th round, 129th overall	Tampa Bay Buccaneeers	Jaelon Darden	5'8 174/All-Purpose-North Texas	262/4th Round	Former North Texas wide receiver Jaelon Darden put in some serious work during school. He finished his career with a resounding 39 touchdowns (38 receiving, one punt return) and he mostly did it with flair. He’s fast, slippery and smooth.
5th round, 176th overall	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	K.J. Britt	6’0 239/LB-Auburn	160/3rd Round	Britt is a true head banger with good feet, explosiveness through the hips and a high football IQ. We have seen him produce with violent collisions on special teams as well. Special teams may be where he initially makes his mark, but do not underestimate his potential impact on first and second down.
7th round, 251st overall	Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Pittsburgh Steelers)	Chris Wilcox	6’2 198/CB-BYU	372/5th Round	Much like former BYU cornerback Michael Davis (Los Angeles Chargers), Wilcox is a height/weight/speed prospect who has flashed on video over the years. Like Davis, his length is what will intrigue NFL teams. There have been times that his confidence has been below average, yet it is not due to his physical skill-set. Wilcox has length, foot speed and decent footwork.
7th round, 259th overall	Tampa Bay Buccaneeers	Grant Stuard	5’11 230	344/5th Round	Stuard’s biggest challenge moving forward will be proving to NFL evaluators that he can break down to tackle versus runners with wiggle. In addition, he has to also show that his stiffness can be overcome in man coverage. Due to outstanding field speed, he often corrected his angles at the collegiate level. There is no doubt with his non-stop, energetic approach that he can most certainly add a physical special teams element.

2021, 2021, NFL, Articles, NFL Draft Recap, NFC East

2021 NFL Draft Recap: NFC East

May 3, 2021 Troy Jefferson Leave a comment

As you will see in our 2021 NFL Draft Recap, each team selected at least one edge rusher. You could say, The NFC East got defensive in the 2021 NFL Draft! Philadelphia and New York used first round draft picks (DeVonta Smith and Kadarius Toney) to help their young quarterbacks. The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Football Team already have veteran quarterbacks and they chose to add linebackers with versatility: Micah Parsons and Jamin Davis. However, there was more than just linebackers and receivers targeted, Washington, Philadelphia and Dallas selected offensive linemen. Will any of these players propel a division that didn’t have a team finish with over a .500 record in 2021?

Philadelphia Eagles
Selection	Team	Player Selection	Position- School	DN Big Board Rank/ Grade	Notes
1st round, 10th overall	Philadelphia Eagles (From Dallas Cowboys)	DeVonta Smith	6’0 166 WR-Alabama	1/1st Round	The 2020 Heisman Trophy winner will get an opportunity to re-unite with his former QB too, just like Waddle and Chase earlier in the draft.
2nd round, 37th overall	Philadelphia Eagles	Landon Dickerson	6’6 326/C-Alabama	56/2nd Round	Dickerson presents a unique multiple skill-set for NFL teams, having started at four different offensive line positions. Availability has always been the concern for the former five-star recruit.
3rd round, 73rd overall	Philadelphia Eagles (From Carolina Panthers)	Milton Williams	6’3 284/DT-DE Louisiana Tech	42/2nd Round	Due to Louisiana Tech’s lack of size on the three-man defensive front, he was used most frequently at the four-or-five-technique defensive end positions. He was also seen occasionally standing up to rush from an outside linebacker spot on third downs. There was a comfort level exhibited in his play to overpower some tackles and interior guards by dropping his shoulder, but he can play effectively with his hands to disengage.
4th round, 123rd overall	Philadelphia Eagles	Zech McPhearson	5'11 195/CB-Texas Tech, Penn State	152/3rd Round	McPhearson, a former four-star recruit, was seen inside as a nickel. McPhearson displayed a good feel of reacting to motion, breaking downhill on the football and running with crossing routes.
5th round, 150th overall	Philadelphia Eagles	Kenneth Gainwell	5’8 203 All-Purpose/Memphis	125/3rd Round	Gainwell is the mini-sized version of former Memphis running back/wide receiver Antonio Gibson (Washington Redskins). Whether he will have the type of impact at the next level is debatable, especially due to his relative lack of bulk.
6th round, 189th overall	Philadelphia Eagles	Marlon Tuipulotu	6'1 308/DT-USC	320/4th Round	Tuipulotu flashes in spots. Never was that more evident than in the first two games of the 2020 campaign, where he flashed improved quickness and burst getting off the snap. Too many times, however, he struggled to hold the point of attack versus double teams
6th round, 191th overall	Philadelphia Eagles	Tarron Jackson	6'2 260/DE-Coastal Carolina	124/3rd Round	Jackson has a strong enough lower base and enough juice to handle run game assignments versus most tight ends and some offensive tackles. The All-Sun Belt defender contains enough length to jolt linemen with one-hand posts and uses those to set up his inside or outside arm-overs.
6th round, 224th overall	Philadelphia Eagles	JaCoby Stevens	6’2 216/S-LB-LSU	266/4th Round	Stevens, a former collegiate wide receiver, brings an intriguing skill-set to the NFL. As a linebacker, he clearly is still learning the nuances of the position but -while doing so- can offer the ability to match tight ends. For that to happen, he has to attack run game concepts the same way he attacks blitz assignments.
7th round, 234th overall	Philadelphia Eagles	Patrick Johnson	6'2 240/OLB-Tulane	251/4th Round	Tulane’s all-time career sack leader does a fine job of creating angles and getting his feet pointed in a path towards the quarterback as a pass rusher. Offensive tackles have a tough time gaining an area on his frame to pin and prevent his upfield charge. 24.5 career QB sacks.
Dallas Cowboys
Selection	Team	Player Selection	Position- School	DN Big Board Rank/ Grade	Notes
1st round, 12th overall	Dallas Cowboys (from Philadelphia Eagles)	Micah Parsons	6’3 246 LB-Penn State	2/1st Round	Parsons’ speed goes with rare size at the position. He has a chance to develop in Dan Quinn’s system.
2nd round, 44th overall	Dallas Cowboys	Kelvin Joseph	5’11 1/2” 197/CB-Kentucky, LSU	37/2nd Round	Joseph’s ability to squeeze routes from the outside-in in man or zone coverage is extremely impressive. There will be few cornerbacks in this year’s draft class with his level of fluidity. There were problems with communication in coverage.
3rd round, 75th overall	Dallas Cowboys	Osa Odighizuwa	6’2 280/DT-UCLA	106/3rd Round	His feel for blocking schemes is inconsistent and he is still searching for secondary pass rush counters. Balance is something that needs to be monitored moving forward. At 280 pounds with 10 3/4-inch hands, it seems that he is destined for a role at defensive end in a three-man front.
3rd round, 84th overall	Dallas Cowboys (from Philadelphia Eagles)	Chauncey Golston	6’4 268/DE-Iowa	74/3rd Round	Golston is easily one of the most valuable defensive lineman in this year’s draft. He can play the three-technique defensive tackle on passing downs, possible four-or-five-technique defensive end (three or four-man front) or rush as a stand-up outside linebacker. A veteran defensive coordinator may attempt to use the first-team All-Big Ten defender in all of the above-referenced roles.
3rd round, 99th overall	Dallas Cowboys (Compensatory Pick)	Nahshon Wright	6’4 188/CB-Oregon State	357/5th Round	Wright is a tall corner with good feet and a solid backpedal. His challenge will be to constrict his movements in tight areas when it is time to transition versus quicker receivers. For him to do that, he must find a happy medium between being comfortable and not playing too low. His feet don't always stay planted in the ground when flipping to open or break at 45-or-90-degree angles.
4th round, 115th overall	Dallas Cowboys	Jabril Cox	6’3 233/LB-LSU, North Dakota State	46/2nd Round	He has a number of similarities to former Washington LB Cory Littleton (Rams, Raiders) There were questions about Littleton’s pure physicality coming out of school. Cox’s size, body composition and pass coverage skills point to him being further advanced at this same stage.
4th round, 138th overall	Dallas Cowboys (Compensatory Pick)	Josh Ball	6’7 308/OT-Marshall, FSU	215/4th Round	Ball’s entire career has featured a number of up-and-downs, but his final two years at Marshall represented a modicum of consistency. He is quick-footed, balanced and massive.
5th round, 178th overall	Dallas Cowboys (Compensatory Pick)	Simi Fehoko	6'4 224/WR-Stanford	142/3rd Round	We are impressed with how sudden Fehoko uses his stick moves to move the cornerback off the spot; particularly for a man of his size. 16 reps-225 lbs, 4.47 40-yd, 34 1/2” VJ
6th round, 192nd overall	Dallas Cowboys (from Detroit Lions)	Quinton Bohanna	6'4 345/DT-Kentucky	262/4th Round	NFL bloodlines. For a 350-pound defensive lineman, Bohanna will surprise with his quickness laterally to escape blockers. As a result, he has a tendency to get tied up leaning on interior offensive linemen due to inconsistent hand usage.
6th round, 227th overall	Dallas Cowboys (Compensatory Pick)	Israel Mukuamu	6'4 212/CB-South Carolina	162/3rd Round	Has started at both safety and CB. Very good ball skills have shown up throughout his career.
7th round, 238th overall	Dallas Cowboys	Matt Farniok	6’5 311/OL-Nebraska	326/5th Round	It was really no surprise that Farniok, a two-time team captain and four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, displayed positional versatility in 2020. The team’s 2019 Offensive Lineman of the Year had developed into at least a serviceable right tackle before making the switch to right guard full-time in 2020.
New York Giants
Selection	Team	Player Selection	Position- School	DN Big Board Rank/ Grade	Notes
1st round, 20th overall	New York Giants (from Chicago Bears)	Kadarius Toney	5’11 189 All-Purpose/Florida	49/2nd Round	His ability to get in-and-out of traffic with the ball in his hands makes him a threat as an all-purpose prospect and slot WR.
2nd round, 50th overall	New York Giants (from Miami Dolphins)	Azeez Ojulari	6’2 249/DE-OLB Georgia	45/2nd Round	Ojulari is a defensive end/outside linebacker with underrated strength and positive hand usage. There were occasions where his size created limitations, but he generally exhibited satisfactory upper body strength.
3rd round, 71st overall	New York Giants (from Denver Broncos)	Aaron Robinson	5’11 190/Nickel-UCF, Alabama	58/2nd Round	Robinson fits the bill of what you need at the nickel back posi-tion in today’s NFL. Some of the most popular NFL route concepts feature crossers, in-breaking dig patterns. Of all the corners or nickel backs in this year’s draft class, he closes distance on these types of concepts with the most urgency.
4th round, 116th overall	New York Giants	Elerson G. Smith	6’6 262/DE-Northern Iowa	107/3rd Round	We feel he gives teams options because he may be able to slide inside on third downs and play some three-technique defensive tackle. A viable argument can be made that his skill-set could actually be best served as a stand-up rush outside linebacker for 3-4 teams.
6th round, 196th overall	New York Giants	Gary Brightwell	6’1 218/RB-Arizona	413/5th Round	Brightwell brought attitude to the table as a runner at the collegiate level. He combines decent vision with enough awareness in pass protection.
6th round, 201st overall	New York Giants (from Arizona Cardinals)	Rodarius Williams	6'0 189/CB-Oklahoma State	197/4th Round	Playing off-man could be a bit of a challenge as he has to transition from the junction limit in college football to the NFL. A solid prospect with NFL bloodlines, he is following in the footsteps of his younger brother, ‘Greedy’ Williams (Cleveland Browns)
Washington Football Team
Selection	Team	Player Selection	Position- School	DN Big Board Rank/ Grade	Notes
1st round, 19th overall	Washington Football Team	Jamin Davis	6’4 234 LB-Kentucky	61/2nd Round	HC Ron Rivera finds a linebacker who has the traits to become like the LBs he had in Carolina.
2nd round, 51st overall	Washington Football Team	Samuel Cosmi	6’6 314/OT-Texas	62/2nd Round	Cosmi has reserved a spot in scouts’ attention for the better portion of a two-year period. He’s balanced, quick and fluid in his movements at the left tackle spot.
3rd round, 74th overall	Washington Football Team	Benjamin St. Juste	6’3 205/CB-Minnesota, Michigan	192/4th Round	His footwork is clean, and this is why he was able to defend so effectively in the Red Zone. Ball skills are important. St. Juste didn’t have any interceptions, but he played through his inside shoulder to stay in-phase with wideouts in this part of the field.
3rd round, 82nd overall	Washington Football Team	Dyami Brown	6’1 189/WR-UNC	86/3rd Round	The former prep level 200-meter sprinter tracks the football over either shoulder and has shown good spatial awareness along the back end lines or sidelines. He has solid body control to adjust to poorly thrown passes. The biggest issue teams will have regarding the first-team All-ACC speedster revolves around the concentration lapses. They came in the form of penalties and dropped passes.
4th round, 124th overall	Washington Football Team	John Bates	6’5 259/TE-Boise State	226/4th Round	Bates is a smooth tight end with excellent size, deceptive stride length and good catch radius for the position. He has been used as an insert blocker in school, down tight end and occasional flexed-out slot receiver.
5th round, 163rd overall	Washington Football Team	Darrick Forrest	6'0 200/S-Cincinnati	136/3rd Round	While teammate James Wiggins has received quite a bit of attention while in school, Forrest was a steady hand with the Bearcats. Forrest is instinctive, plays fast, disguises coverage and contributes on all four downs.
6th round, 225th overall	Washington Football Team (from Philadelphia Eagles compensatory selection)	Cameron Cheeseman	6’4 237/LS-Michigan	565/N/A	Posted a 0.69 second long snap on his first snap of the 2020 Citrus Bowl (1st QTR/14:09). Posted a .72 long snap on his second punt (1st QTR/11:56, Alabama ‘20). Challenged by pure foot speed in coverage.
7th round, 240th overall	Washington Football Team (from Philadelphia Eagles)	William Bradley-King	6’3 254/DE-OLB-Arkansas State	161/3rd Round	One of the things that Bradley-King will have to do better at the next level revolves around timing snap counts. This is something that we think he should be able to correct. We think his effort and tenacity have been first-rate dating back to his time at Arkansas State.
7th round, 246th overall	Washington Football Team	Shaka Toney	6’3 238/DE-Penn State	195/4th Round	There is some polish to Toney's pass rushing skill-set, but his size gets him swallowed up by bigger tackles. The positive is that he has enough wingspan and length to go to pole moves from time-to-time and that may be able to set up some of his counters.
7th round, 258th overall	Washington Football Team (from Miami Dolphins)	Dax Milne	6’0 193/WR-BYU	266/4th Round	In studying Milne, it is important to watch him as he gets into the fourth or fifth steps of his route. Often times, he begins to idle his stride to gauge the defensive back’s technique before re-accelerating.

2021, 2021, AFC, NFL, AFC South, Articles, NFL Draft Recap

2021 NFL Draft Recap: AFC South

May 3, 2021 Peter Worilther Leave a comment

The AFC South’s 2021 NFL Draft featured a new quarterback in Houston, a new cover corner in Tennessee and a pass rusher for the Colts. Kwity Paye and Caleb Farley will be expected to provide immediate dividends for the Texans and Titans. In Jacksonville, new head coach Urban Meyer brought two former teammates back together in hopes of reinvigorating the fan base.

Houston Texans
Selection	Team	Player selection	Position-School	DN Big Board Rank/Grade	Notes
3rd Round, 67th overall	Houston Texans	Davis Mills	6’4 225/ QB-Houston	166/3rd Round	The trend of injuries dates back to his high school days, where he was once ranked ahead of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in 247Sports’ 2017 rankings. So what does he bring to the table? Mills is an inexperienced quarterback with a smooth delivery, good mobility and an even-keeled nature. That calm in the face of the storm helped him deliver after falling behind in games as a junior.
3rd Round, 89th overall	Houston Texans (from Cleveland Browns)	Nico Collins	6’4 215/WR-Michigan	157/3rd Round	Above all else, it is his tremendous high-wire acts that grabbed the attention of scouts. In order to maximize those flurries of splashes, Collins has to play with more attention to detail.
5th Round, 147th overall	Houston Texans	Brevin Jordan	6’3 247/TE-H-back-Miami (Fla.)	66/2nd Round	He has operated as a fullback, flexed-out slot receiver, outside receiver, down tight end and even off the ball tight end. Injuries may have caused his draft slide.
5th Round, 170th overall	Houston Texans (via Jacksonville Jaguars from Cleveland Browns)	Garret Wallow	6’2 220/LB-TCU	120/3rd Round	There is little wasted motion and he fires his frame downhill in a burst that is reminiscent of a gun fighter in an old Western movie. His quick-twitch reactions also show up in the passing game to get into position versus quick route concepts
6th Round, 195th overall	Houston Texans (from Dallas Cowboys through New England Patriots)	Roy Lopez	6’2 304/DT-Arizona, New Mexico State	462/6th Round	Lopez, a former state heavyweight wrestling champ, was a factor creasing gaps throughout two different stops. He finished with 23.5 career tackles for loss. 36 bench press reps at 225 pounds on his Pro Day.
Indianapolis Colts
Selection	Team	Player selection	Position-School	DN Big Board Rank/Grade	Notes
1st Round, 21st overall	Indianapolis Colts	Kwity Paye	6’3 270 DE-Michigan	9/1st Round	Paye was one of the draft’s best run defenders and he should get better as a pass rusher. With all of that said, however, the Colts need him to be a front line player from Day 1 on a roster that no longer features Justin Houston.
2nd Round, 54th overall	Indianapolis Colts	Dayo Odeyingbo	6’5 285/DE-Vanderbilt	52/2nd Round	A recent Achilles injury may hold back his draft stock, but the Colts went ahead and took a chance on Odeyingbo, who could end up as one of the best players in this year’s draft class. Their defense may allow them to sit him for a redshirt year while he recovers. His profile is similar to Colts DL DeForest Buckner.
4th Round, 127th overall	Indianapolis Colts	Kylen Granson	6’2 245/H-back/SMU	307/4th Round	Those run after the catch skills were apparent at SMU whenever he got the ball in his hands. He actually may have been faster with the ball in his hands than when running routes. A viable NFL comparison could be drawn to NFL free agent H-back/fullback Trey Burton (Eagles, Bears, Colts).
5th Round, 165th overall	Indianapolis Colts	Shawn Davis	5’10 199/S-Florida	318/4th Round	Davis is a well-built, muscular safety who brings a load down-to-down as a hitter. He can tend to play a step too fast and not break down consistently in space. We think his play speed is adequate and it allows him to overcome any lower body stiffness.
6th Round, 218th overall	Indianapolis Colts (from New Orleans Saints via compensatory selection)	Sam Ehlinger	6'1 222 QB-Texas	304/4th Round	Over the course of his career, he has improved his accuracy. Ehlinger’s adequate arm strength is offset by inconsistent footwork. Speeding up the efficiency of his drops could help timing on possession route concepts. To earmark Ehlinger’s effectiveness as a goal line runner, look no further than his production against Oklahoma in his career. In those contests alone, he rushed for nine touchdowns.
7th Round, 229th overall	Indianapolis Colts (from New Orleans Saints via Jacksonville Jaguars)	Michael Strachan	6’5 226/WR-Charleston (West Virginia)	237/4th Round	The Division II All-American tends to get choppy in-and-out of his routes while counting some of his steps. Those are the technical flaws, but he gives an NFL wide receivers coach plenty to work with this summer. One possibility that could be intriguing is moving Strachan to an H-back position.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Selection	Team	Player selection	Position-School	DN Big Board Rank/Grade	Notes
1st Round, 1st overall	Jacksonville Jaguars	Trevor Lawrence	QB-Clemson	5/1st Round	Lawrence's underrated athleticism works for an offense that already features a 1,000-yard rusher and two 1,000-yard receivers.
1st Round, 25th overall	Jacksonville Jaguars	Travis Etienne	5’10 215/RB-Clemson	22/1st Round	Etienne re-unites with Trevor Lawrence in what could prove to be a game-changing backfield combination. He will team with James Robinson for a powerful one-two punch.
2nd Round, 33rd overall	Jacksonville Jaguars	Tyson Campbell	6’2 194/CB-Georgia	126/3rd Round	A big corner with good foot speed and at least satisfactory quickness. His balance is a characteristic that needs to improve.
2nd Round, 45th overall	Jacksonville Jaguars	Walker Little	6’7 313/OT-Stanford	167/3rd Round	Little has not played for a two-year period. When he was on the field, his smooth nature stood out. Rarely did he get overwhelmed with the pace of the defensive end. Can he stay healthy?
3rd Round, 65th overall	Jacksonville Jaguars	Andre Cisco	6'0 203/FS-Syracuse	54/2nd Round	The fact that he can make a number of tough tackles hides some of the flaws on the makable misses. Nevertheless, his middle of the field instincts and overall activity are similar to former Wake Forest safety Jessie Bates (Cincinnati Bengals). Due to the ACL knee injury he suffered in October, his final draft position does not reflect his overall value.
4th Round, 106th overall	Jacksonville Jaguars	Jay Tufele	6’2 305/DT-USC	75/2nd Round	Tufele is a strong player. We have even noted repetitions where he overpowered guards to make tackles when he didn’t even get lined up prior to the snap (3rd QTR/11:07, Colorado ‘19). Versus double teams, he works to defeat one blocker to prevent the chip from the other blocker.
4th Round, 121st overall	Jacksonville Jaguars	Jordan Smith	DE-OLB/UAB, Florida	185/3rd Round	Fluidity at his size. Rushes from the two-point ROLB/LOLB spots and has lined up at both defensive end spots. Plays the Sam in a number of their packages. He was one of the C-USA’s best players for a two-year period and still found time to run down on kickoffs after off the field issues at Florida.
5th Round, 145th overall	Jacksonville Jaguars	Luke Farrell	6’6 250 (E)-TE-Ohio State	377/5th Round	Farrell is a player who accepted his role in school and did it with a good amount of attitude as a blocker. He aligned at a number of spots, moved in motion and was asked to block both in-line and in space.
6th Round, 209th overall	Jacksonville Jaguars (from Los Angeles Rams)	Jalen Camp	6’2 226/WR-Georgia Tech	199/4th Round	Muscular. 33 3/4” arms. Reportedly bench presses 400 pounds and squats nearly 550 pounds. Stride length can get on top of CBs in the move area. His one-hand grab vs. Alcorn State in 2018 showed his catch radius.
Tennessee Titans
Selection	Team	Player selection	Position	School	Notes
1st Round, 22nd overall	Tennessee Titans	Caleb Farley	6’2 207 CB-Virginia Tech	17/1st Round	One of the draft’s most talented corners has ball skills, instincts and health concerns. His skills fit Tennessee’s defensive
2nd Round, 53rd overall	Tennessee Titans	Dillon Radunz	6’6 300/OT-North Dakota State	50/2nd Round	He has worked on keeping a bent posture over the last year, and this despite appearing in just one game in 2020. There were never any question marks regarding the All-American’s pace, foot speed, or quickness.
3rd Round, 92nd overall	Tennessee Titans (from Green Bay Packers)	Monty Rice	6’0 235/LB-Georgia	93/3rd Round	There were still the flash outstanding athletic plays from Rice in 2020 (see Tennessee), but a nagging foot injury hampered his effectiveness for stretches. The overall range and speed in his play are both in place. Rice plays a little bit narrow in his stance and tends to get too thick versus offensive linemen.
3rd Round, 100th overall	Tennessee Titans	Elijah Molden	5'9 1/2" 192/Nickel-Washington	74-2nd Round	Numbers may not tell the entire story for Molden, who seems to be a player capable of filling a myriad of roles for an NFL defense. Despite being primarily a nickel back during school (even on first/second down), there are possibilities for him working off the hash. Molden has very good quickness, change of direction and elite eye speed.
4th Round, 109th overall	Tennessee Titans (from Houston Texans via Carolina)	Dez Fitzpatrick	6'2 204/WR-Louisville	244/4th Round	Fitzpatrick helped himself with a second-team All-ACC performance as a senior. His career was full of big moments sprinkled in spots. In fact, he was one of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s favorite targets all the way back in 2017.
4th Round, 135th overall	Tennessee Titans (from Green Bay Packers)	Rashad Weaver	6’4 265/DE-Pittsburgh	122/3rd Round	It is impressive that he was able to come back from a knee injury with so much success in one year. We expect him to be a step quicker by the fall. The consensus All-American has somewhat of an unorthodox style in that his initial hand usage sets up his counter moves.
6th Round, 205th overall	Tennessee Titans	Racey McMath	6’2 224/WR-H-back-LSU	329/5th Round	Former TE moved to WR and never really was able to fully cut loose with his 4.4 speed. He was seen running down on kickoffs at inside positions, played gunner in school on the punt team and was used as a hold-up blocker on punt return.
6th Round, 215th overall	Tennessee Titans (from Kansas City Chiefs)	Brady Breeze	5’11 204/S-Oregon	336/5th Round	When discussing Oregon’s talented secondary, Breeze is often the player forgotten about. It is hard to believe considering he was the team’s Defensive MVP in the 2020 Rose Bowl. The first thing teams will like about Breeze is the energy he plays with snap-to-snap. Breeze overcomes any rigidness with his play speed.

2021, 2021, AFC, NFL, Articles, AFC North, NFL Draft Recap

2021 NFL Draft Recap: AFC North

May 2, 2021 Corey Chavous Leave a comment

In the AFC North’s 2021 NFL Draft recap, the Ravens picked a couple of receivers to provide competition, the Bengals gave Chase his former QB and the Browns added another corner. In Pittsburgh, the Steelers decided to get back to playing bully ball with an emphasis on its lines and picked up a bruising running back along the way.

Baltimore Ravens
Selection	Team	Player selection	Position-School	DN Big Board Rank/Grade	Notes
1st Round, 27th overall	Baltimore Ravens	Rashod Bateman	6’0 190/WR-Minnesota	18/2nd Round	Bateman gives Jackson yet another weapon after the signing of Sammy Watkins. The team is continuing to attempt to get it right at the position.
1st Round, 31st overall	Baltimore Ravens	Jayson Oweh	6’5 252/DE-Penn State	143/3rd Round	The Ravens bet on Oweh’s upside, which includes 4.3 speed and very good upper body strength.
3rd Round, 94th overall	Baltimore Ravens	Ben Cleveland	6’6 354/OT-Georgia	92/3rd Round	In today’s NFL, however, he is going to have to make sure that he becomes more efficient in pass protection. This becomes even more paramount when you weigh in the 355-pound range. It is at least pretty well-distributed on his 6-foot-6 frame. His experience and anticipation of how teams would attack on line games was much better in 2020.
3rd Round, 104th overall	Baltimore Ravens	Brandon Stephens	6’1 219/CB-SMU	277/4th Round	Stephens is a former running back who transitioned to cornerback in college and did so admirably. One of the things that makes that transition so hard is you’re seeing the game from the outside-in as opposed to inside-out. Technically, he is going to have to work on some things if he plans to stay on the perimeter.
4th Round, 131st overall	Baltimore Ravens	Tylan Wallace	5’11 193 WR-Oklahoma State	82/3rd Round	The best projection for Wallace, who is a smooth route runner with body control, could be to the slot position. He is a bit of an enigma due to his build and injury history. He projects as a solid No. 3 receiver initially with an opportunity to grow into a No. 2 receiver.
5th Round,160th overall	Baltimore Ravens (from Arizona Cardinals)	Shaun Wade	6’1 195/Nickel-Ohio State	87/3rd Round	Unlike many of the Buckeyes’ pure cover corners, Wade had more experience playing the nickel back spot. At that spot, he has shown the ability to blitz, tackle, read route combinations, play man coverage and pass off routes in zone.
5th Round, 171st overall	Baltimore Ravens	Daelin Hayes	6'3 261/DE-OLB-Notre Dame	139/3rd Round	Hayes is a very good athlete with plenty of opportunity to become a better pro than collegian. Right when he was about to take off in 2019, he went down to injury against Virginia. His versatility is intriguing.
5th Round, 184th overall	Baltimore Ravens (compensatory selection)	Ben Mason	6’2 256/TE-H-back-Michigan	282/4th Round	Mason is sort of a Patrick Mekari-clone. He could take the place of former Hayden Hurt in some of the team’s three tight end sets.
Cincinnati Bengals
Selection	Team	Player selection	Position-School	DN Big Board Rank/Grade	Notes
5th overall	Cincinnati Bengals	Ja’Marr Chase	WR-LSU	12/1st Round	Chase re-unites with his former Heisman QB in hopes of re-igniting their 2019 national championship rhythm.
46th overall	Cincinnati Bengals (from New England Patriots)	Jackson Carman	6’5 317/OT-Clemson	88/3rd Round	Some of his blocks in space were highlight film worthy. He can lean on defenders with his mass. Managing his weight, however, could help alleviate some of the technical flaws. Did the weight contribute to the former five-star recruit's recent back surgery in January 2021?
69th overall	Cincinnati Bengals	Joseph Ossai	6’3 255/LB-Texas	120/3rd Round	The notes kept piling up for Ossai as we broke down his game. In 2019, we were not at all that impressed with his work at the exchange linebacker position. In 2020, he turned it on as a defensive end. He set the edge versus tight ends, flattened on run away and used hip swivel to turn the corner on occasion versus offensive tackles.
111th overall	Cincinnati Bengals	Cam Sample	6’2 274/DE-OLB-Tulane	67/2nd Round	While he has played some as an inside-shade defensive end, the team is now using him to stand up and rush (as it has in the past) with his hand in the dirt. His increased feel of influencing the offensive tackle off of his third step up the field now complements his unique combination of power and hand usage.
122nd overall	Cincinnati Bengals	Tyler Shelvin	6’2 350/DT-NG/LSU	112/3rd Round	He was not capable of being single blocked by one man and routinely required two blockers as the zero-technique or one-technique defensive tackle. His athleticism should not be underestimated. While at Northside High School (La.), he punted, kicked and played defense.
139th overall	Cincinnati Bengals (via New England Patriots (compensatory selection)	D’Ante Smith	6’5 305/OT-ECU	81/3rd Round	The ECU lineman does provide some positional versatility, having seen action at both left guard and left tackle in school. He combines with current Bengal Hakeem Adeniji to give the team added swing versatility.
149th overall	Cincinnati Bengals	Evan McPherson	5’11 177/PK-Florida	407/5th Round	The last Gators kicker to leave early for the NFL Draft was Eddy Pineiro, who actually is nearly identical in size to McPherson. Like McPherson, Piniero was extremely accurate while at Florida (88-percent). McPherson will compete with former Oklahoma PK Austin Seibert for the job in Cincinnati.
190th overall	Cincinnati Bengals	Trey Hill	6’4 330/OC-Georgia	331/5th Round	Hill is a true junior who was forced to play early in his career and responded favorably. The clean-up procedures that he went through on his knees in 2020 were due to pain, but prior to this year he had been relatively durable. Hill has a number of interior line veterans to compete with for a roster spot.
202nd overall	Cincinnati Bengals (from Miami Dolphins through Houston Texans)	Chris Evans	5'10 219/RB-Michigan	293/4th Round	Smooth. Deceptive. Capable of stopping his charge to plant laterally when the ball has been cupped by the defense. Evans catches the ball, does not have a lot of mileage on his tires and fumbled just four times in school. Can he beat out Samaje Perine or Trayveon Willliams for the backup spot?
235th overall	Cincinnati Bengals (from Detroit Lions through Seattle Seahawks)	Wyatt Hubert	6'2 265/DE-OLB-Kansas State	186/3rd Round	Athletic bloodlines. Has some dawg in him. Will talk noise to the opponent. Instinctive. Plays at one speed. Positive knee bender. Spins back to regain contain if he loses it initially. Finished his career with 20 QB sacks and 33 TFLs. Can he earn the third or fourth pass rusher’s role in Cincinnati?
Cleveland Browns
Selection	Team	Player selection	Position-School	DN Big Board Rank/Grade	Notes
26th overall	Cleveland Browns	Greg Newsome II	6'1 190/CB-Northwestern	64/2nd Round	Newsome’s technique goes along with smooth on-field movement. The Browns now have three cornerbacks to match up with the AFC’s fast-paced offenses.
52nd overall	Cleveland Browns (from Chicago Bears)	Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah	6’1 220/LB-Notre Dame	24/2nd Round	Owusu-Koramoah plays the game as if blockers aren’t on the field. His skill at triggering allowed him to overcome some lower body stiffness. We thought he was the best special teams player we saw on film (see Georgia ‘19).
91st overall	Cleveland Browns	Anthony Schwartz	6’0 186/WR-Auburn	297/4th Round	Schwartz displayed all of the foot speed (4.28) and flashes to get NFL teams excited if they project him as a gadget-type prospect. We think he can be used in fly motion on speed sweeps, speed shovel passes and even on end-arounds. Despite not doing it collegiately, he could be an option as a kickoff returner.
110th overall	Cleveland Browns (from Philadelphia Eagles)	James Hudson	6'4 313/OT-Cincinnati	80/3rd Round	In 2020, the first-team All-AAC selection performed like a seasoned veteran. He displayed easy feet in pass protection, aggressiveness as a run blocker and positive down-to-down intensity. The former Michigan Wolverine is somewhat over-aggressive in some of his movements, but he naturally compensates with quickness winning to the spot.
132nd overall	Cleveland Browns	Tommy Togiai	6’2 300/DT-Ohio State	362/5th Round	Maintaining his original gap control was something he did with far more consistency as a junior, but are there still some questions about his overall anticipation of blocking schemes. It seemed as if he made a decision in 2020 to sit down and play with increased torque.
153rd overall	Cleveland Browns (via Detroit Lions)	Tony Fields II	6’1 222/LB-West Virginia, Arizona	306/4th Round	Durable. Started all 47 games of his college career at two different stops. Lines up all over the field as an edge rusher, ILB and OLB. Communicates to line up defensive personnel in the pre-snap. Instinctive. Fields II has to be productive on special teams to beat out some of the Browns current linebackers.
169th overall	Cleveland Browns (from Los Angeles Rams)	Richard LeCounte III	5’11 190/S-Georgia	151/3rd Round	It has been slightly hit-or-miss -literally- for LeCounte III as a tackler in the film viewed. We do, however, think it is an area he improved in 2020. There are some instances (see Notre Dame ‘19, 4th QTR; Kentucky ‘20) where he wraps with the correct intent. A midseason motorcycle accident hurt his charge. LeCounte III adds depth in the team’s safety room and will compete for the third or fourth safety spot.
211th overall	Cleveland Browns	Demetric Felton	5’9 184/All-Purpose-UCLA	207/4th Round	Ball security. Fumbled just twice in 358 combined touches in school. Former WR with excellent toughness running in-between the tackles as a dot RB. Carries his pads well. His meal ticket in the NFL will be as an all-purpose performer. The key for the All-Pac-12 performer is to have his game day field speed from college translate to the NFL. Can he beat out D’Ernest Johnson for the kickoff return role?
Pittsburgh Steelers
Selection	Team	Player selection	Position	School	Notes
24th overall	Pittsburgh Steelers	Najee Harris	6’1 231 RB-Alabama	11/1st Round	The Steelers get the former five-star recruit whose game continues to grow, both as a receiver and blocker. They get one of the better prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft.
55th overall	Pittsburgh Steelers	Pat Freiermuth	6’5 251 TE-Penn State	85/3rd Round	Freiermuth, the 2020 Big Ten Tight End of the Year, earned the honor despite missing over half of the year due to a shoulder injury. Prior to that, he averaged nearly six catches and 78 receiving yards per game.
87th overall	Pittsburgh Steelers	Kendrick Green	6'2 305/OL-Illinois	48/2nd Round	Green is one of the top interior offensive lineman available in this year’s class due to his combination of speed and pad level. The All-Big Ten guard excels with a low and balanced approach; particularly on combination blocks. He exhibits a level of savvy to cut-off backside defenders on run action away.
128th overall	Pittsburgh Steelers	Dan Moore, Jr.	6’5 309/OT-Texas A&M	148/3rd Round	Moore did not have to be an outstanding technician in school. He was a good enough as an athlete to get away with setting short corners. He often used his width to widen defensive ends over the top of the pocket. Now with that said, we felt he played much better in 2020 than he had in 2019, where he was inconsistent in the film viewed.
140th overall	Pittsburgh Steelers (compensatory selection)	Buddy Johnson	6’0 228/LB-Texas A&M	71/2nd Round	The former high school quarterback is a natural leader with very good football awareness and instincts. He usually offers up one highlight film worthy hit per game in inside-out pursuit or in the box.
156th overall	Pittsburgh Steelers (from Miami Dolphins via Dallas Cowboys through Philadelphia Eagles)	Isaiahh Loudermilk	6’6 274/DE-Wisconsin	325/4th Round	In sub-packages, he may be able to provide an occasional change-up by working at a zero-technique because his width can make the pocket cloudy for the quarterback. The 6-foot-6 defensive lineman uses his prep level All-State basketball skills to bat passes as well as anyone in this year’s draft (nine career pass deflections).
216th overall	Pittsburgh Steelers (from Tampa Bay Buccaneers)	Quincy Roche	6’2 238/DE-OLB-Miami (Fla.), Temple	128/3rd Round	There may be some questions about Roche’s size, but his activity should not be underestimated. Keep in mind that this is a prospect with 54 career tackles for loss to go along with 30.5 sacks, eight forced fumbles and three blocked kicks.
245th overall	Pittsburgh Steelers (from Miami Dolphins)	Tre Norwood	6’0 189/DB-Oklahoma	360/5th Round	Norwood is a hard-working player who concentrates on his technique and attempts to be where he is supposed to be down-to-down. There is a level of detail in his play that is commendable. The big question comes down to how NFL teams view his upside. Is he quick enough to be a full-time nickel? Does he have the necessary bulk to move inside to free safety full-time?
254th overall	Pittsburgh Steelers (from Baltimore Ravens)	Pressley Harvin III	5’11 263/P-Georgia Tech	215/4th Round	What a year it was for Harvin III. He made history by becoming the first African American to win the Ray Guy Award and it was not even close. Consider this. Harvin III’s 44-yard net punting average as a senior would have been tied for fifth with Buffalo Bills punter Corey Bojorquez in the NFL. The accomplished musician’s touch on pooch punts is equally impressive, mainly due to his superb ability to execute drop punts. He’ll compete with Jordan Berry for a roster spot.

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