2018 NFL Draft recap, pick-by-pick: NFC East
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Vander Esch hopes to bring championships to the Cowboys over the next few years.
NFC EAST
| Dallas Cowboys |
 Notable picks: Vander Esch may prove to be the difference-maker that the Cowboys envision with his versatility. Armstrong’s uneven pre-draft workouts are not at all an indication of his on-field burst and athleticism. Williams adds some swing backup insurance and could outplay his original draft position. |
|||
| Round,
Selection,
|
Player | School | DN Big Board
Rank/ Grade |
‘Nasty’ Take: |
| 1 (19) | Leighton
Vander Esch 6’4 256 |
Boise State | 36 (2nd Round) | Athletic former basketball player has to become better in his stack-and-shed. Underrated range in coverage. |
| 2 (50) | Connor
Williams 6’5 296 |
Texas | 3 (1st Round) | Williams’ injury in 2017 following an inauspicious start to his junior campaign. When he’s on top of his game, the finish is in place. |
| 3 (81) | Michael
Gallup WR-6’1 205 |
Colorado St. | 145 (3rd Round) | Gallup wins outside the numbers and plays with a physical style that is even stronger than his sturdy 205-pound nature suggests play-to-play. |
| 3 (82) | Tracy
Walker DB-6’1 195 |
Louisiana-Lafayette | 191 (4th Round) | Walker has enough length that he could even get looks at a cornerback spot. A solid tackler, his best football may be ahead of him. |
| 4 (116) | Dorance
Armstrong, Jr. OLB-6’4 257 |
Kansas | 49 (2nd Round) | Armstrong, Jr. has an 84-inch wingspan and produced 20 tackles for loss in 2016. |
| 4 (140) | Dalton Schultz
TE-6’4 249 |
Stanford | 296 (4th Round) | Schultz is an underrated route runner despite producing just 11 third down receptions in school. |
| 5 (171) | Mike
White QB-6’4 223 |
Western Kentucky | 155 (3rd Round) | White has all of the tools of an NFL starting quarterback minus the mobility. |
| 6 (208) | Cedrick
Wilson WR-6’3 194 |
Boise State | 78 (3rd Round) | Wilson produced like a first-round wideout in the MWC. Will his 4.55 speed translate to the perimeter or will he be relegated to the slot? |
| 7 (236) | Bo
Scarbrough RB-6’1 228 |
Alabama | 308 (5th Round) | It may have been a long wait on draft day, but the bruising runner could be a change-of-pace power back if he can contribute on special teams. |
| New
York Giants |
 Notable picks: Hernandez is a mammoth blocker who wins on man blocks. If he can win as an angle blocker, it will increase the diversity of the running game. Hill and McIntosh both will add diversity to a defense that finished 27th against the run in 2017. |
|||
| Round,
Selection
|
Player | School | DN Big Board
Rank/ Grade |
‘Nasty’ Take: |
| 1 (2) | Saquon
Barkley RB-6’0 233 |
Penn State | 2 (1st Round) | Barkley’s lateral agility is top-notch. How much will he contribute as a check down threat? Based on his collegiate film, he should line up at a number of spots. |
| 2 (34) | Will
Hernandez OG-6’2 327 |
UTEP | 21 (2nd Round) | A behemoth bar room brawler with mass and underrated quickness, Hernandez has to distribute his weight evenly to reach his immense potential. |
| 3 (66) | Lorenzo
Carter OLB-6’5 250 |
Georgia | 68 (3rd Round) | Carter has some similarities to current Carolina Panthers DE Mario Addison. Can he create speed-to-power off the edge? |
| 3 (69) | B.J. Hill
DL-6’3 311 |
NC State | 22 (2nd Round) | Hill’s dependability is aided by an ability to play a bit longer than his 77-inch wingspan would suggest. Makes plays laterally in the run game. |
| 4 (108) | Kyle
Lauletta QB-6’3 222 |
Richmond | 154 (3rd Round) | Lauletta –the 2017 CAA Offensive Player of the Year- maintains good posture in the pocket and excels on the hit-and-throw concepts. Posted a 4.07 time in the 20-yard short shuttle at the NFL Combine. |
| 5 (139) | RJ
McIntosh DT-6’4 286 |
Miami (Fla.) | 161 (3rd Round) | McIntosh has the size to play either DE or DT. His 83-inch wingspan complements a light-footed nature. He needs to anticipate snap counts with more consistency. |
| Philadelphia Eagles |
 Notable pick: Maddox is a player who went undervalued due to size and slight durability concerns. His ability to cover the slot could increase some of the packages by DC Jim Schwartz. Schwartz typically likes to rush with four players and Maddox could increase coverage disguises. The Eagles got three of our top 60 players with their first three selections. |
|||
| Round,
Selection,
|
Player | School | DN Big Board
Rank/ Grade |
‘Nasty’ Take: |
| 2 (49) | Dallas
Goedert 6’4 260 |
South Dakota St. | 56 (2nd Round) | Goedert gives the Eagles two tight ends who can attack vertically in the seams of the field. And he weighs in the 260-pound range. |
| 4 (125) | Avonte
Maddox CB-5’9 183 |
Pittsburgh | 53 (2nd Round) | Maddox’s 4.39 40-yard dash at the Combine was only outdone by his 6.51 time in the 3-cone drill. He’s even better on the field than in T-shirts and shorts. |
| 4 (130) | Josh
Sweat DE-6’5 251 |
Florida St. | 58 (2nd Round) | Sweat fell due to lingering question marks about his knee. When he’s feeling good, he can translate speed-to-power with one-hand posts and collapses the edge vs. tackles. |
| 6 (206) | Matthew
Pryor OT-6’6 343 |
TCU | 375 (5th Round) | Pryor sits on run defenders with his mammoth size. He often wins in the first phase of block. 11 ½-inch hands. |
| 7 (233) Acquired from New England Patriots | Jordan
Mailata OL-6’8 346 |
Australia Rugby player | N/A | Mailata never played college football, but he ran in the 5.1-range for NFL scouts. |
| Washington Redskins |
 Notable picks: Christian will help alleviate the issues the Redskins had last year when injuries beset the offensive line. Can he swing to the center position to challenge incumbent Chase Roullier? Settle is a player who was once thought of as a potential second-round pick before an uneven postseason. |
|||
| Round,
Selection,
|
Player | School | DN Big Board
Rank/ Grade |
‘Nasty’ Take: |
| 1 (13) | De’Ron
Payne DT-6’2 311 |
Alabama | 30 (2nd Round) | Payne will help to control the action as a fire-plugging two-gap specialist and occasional one-gap penetrator. Expect to see him aligned over the center in DC Greg Manusky’s three-man fronts. |
| 2 (59) | Derrius
Guice RB-5’11 224 |
LSU | 24 (2nd Round) | Guice will have to balance his bullish running style to avoid the injury scrapes that took away time from him as a junior. |
| 3 (74) | Geron
Christian OT-6’5 298 |
Louisville | 79 (3rd Round) | Christian’s versatility in school saw him move around during games. He was seen snapping the ball on his Pro Day and it could be a possible transition to a starting role. |
| 4 (109) | Troy
Apke S-6’1 200 |
Penn State | 147 (3rd Round) | Apke didn’t make a number of plays off the hash, but he demonstrated range during the week of the 2018 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and versus Pittsburgh in 2017. |
| 5 (163) | Tim
Settle DT-6’3 329 |
Virginia Tech | 200 (4th Round) | Settle’s quickness is aided by power. He will win versus guards or centers and could be a rotational piece on first and second down. |
| 6 (197) | Shaun
Dion Hamilton LB-6’0 228 |
Alabama | 231 (4th Round) | Crimson Tide team captain has battled major lower extremity injuries, but he can locate, identify and close once he’s made his reads. |
| 7 (241) | Greg
Stroman CB-5’11 174 |
Virginia Tech | 381 (5th Round) | With Stroman’s level of return ability, it is easy to forget that he also broke up 27 passes and picked off 9 passes in school. |
| 7 (256) | Trey Quinn | SMU, LSU | 227 (4th Round) | Mr. Irrelevant caught 114 passes in 2017 after an unsettling stint at LSU. His savvy and quickness earn high marks. |
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