2018 NFL Draft Recap, pick-by-pick: AFC East
6 min read
AFC EAST
| Buffalo Bills |
 Notable picks: The Bills didn’t waste their first round picks. Allen will be tough to keep off the field despite the presence of A.J. McCarron. Will his right shoulder hold up? The pick who may end up being the game changer though is Edmunds. The two slot wide receiver selections –McCloud and Proehl- will battle for playing time. |
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| Round,
Selection,
|
Player | School | DN Big Board
Rank/ Grade |
‘Nasty’ Take: |
| 1 (7) | Josh
Allen QB-6’5 237 |
Wyoming | 34 (2nd Round) | Steam thrower can work through the snow and winds of Buffalo. All the talk of his inaccuracy overshadowed durability concerns in college. |
| 1 (16) | Tremaine
Edmunds OLB-6’4 253 |
Virginia
Tech |
8 (1st Round) | Edmunds contributed 35 tackles for losses in school. He will provide versatility on either inside or outside. |
| 3 (96) | Harrison
Phillips DT-6’3 303 |
Stanford | 217 (4th Round) | Phillips’ activity offset an occasional lack of elite balance. He’s quick off the ball and has an element of |
| 4 (121) | Taron
Johnson CB-5’11 192 |
Weber State | 85 (3rd Round) | Johnson has the look of Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Brent Grimes. |
| 5 (154) | Siran
Neal S-6’0 206 |
Jacksonville St. | 139 (3rd Round) | Neal will bring a physical presence to sub-packages and he is one of the more explosive gunners in the 2018 NFL Draft. |
| 5 (166) | Wyatt
Teller OG-6’4 314 |
Virginia
Tech |
236 (4th Round) | He’s an experienced player with above average movement skills. The former DE has balanced a difficult medical condition (off the field) to become a pro prospect. |
| 5 (187) | Ray-Ray
McCloud WR-5’9 191 |
Clemson | 249 (4th Round) | McCloud’s ability to catch the ball away from his body was clouded by some concentration lapses in both the return game and at receiver. He may become a better professional. |
| 7 (255) | Austin
Proehl WR-5’10 175 |
North
Carolina |
429 (5th Round) | Proehl has a chance to become a fixture in the slot if he can prove capable of adding special teams to his resume. His 4.07 time in the 20-yard short shuttle lays credence to his quick nature. |
| Miami
Dolphins |
 Comment: Fitzpatrick brings a level of flexibility to a Dolphins secondary that finished with just nine interceptions in 2017. Baker’s presence aids an improving young defense. Gesicki will have a chance to earn a starting role early in his career if he can commit to any level of consistency as a blocker. |
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| Round,
Selection,
|
Player | School | DN Big Board
Rank/ Grade |
‘Nasty’ Take: |
| 1 (11) | Minkah | Alabama | 5 (1st Round) | Fitzpatrick began his career as a cornerback and was a consistent presence at the nickel position in each of his seasons in Tuscaloosa. |
| 2 (42) | Mike | Penn State | 83 (3rd Round) | Sky riser with major confidence. Can he contribute as an in-line tight end? Impressed during the Senior Bowl in one-on-one passing drills. |
| 3 (73) | Jerome
Baker LB-6’1 229 |
Ohio State | 69 (3rd Round) | His ability to match TEs will diversify a team’s nickel package on passing downs. Of his 158 career tackles, 17.5 were tackles for losses. |
| 4 (123) | Durham
Smythe TE-6’5 253 |
Notre Dame | 220 (4th Round) | Smythe has more to give than given credit for as a receiver. He is already adept as a blocker. |
| 4 (131) | Kalen
Ballage RB-6’1 227 |
Arizona State | 175 (4th Round) | Ballage may have gone higher if he had been more instinctive as a runner. His pass-catching skills are advanced for a 227-pounder. |
| 7 (227) | Quentin
Poling LB-6’2 239 |
Ohio | 114 (3rd Round) | Poling surprised scouts with his sub-4.6 speed in individual workouts prior to the draft. It shouldn’t been have a surprise. He returned three interceptions for TDs in school. |
| 7 (229) | Jason
Sanders PK-5’11 190 (E) |
New
Mexico |
N/A | Missed just one field goal in 2016. Posted enormous touchback percentages as a kickoff specialist. |
| New
England Patriots |
 Notable picks: Wynn’s tool kit can translate to multiple positions. Dawson adds another cover guy to help combat the departure of Malcolm Butler (Titans). The team made a concerted effort to add depth at the linebacker spot. |
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| Round,
Selection,
|
Player | School | DN Big Board
Rank/ Grade |
‘Nasty’ Take: |
| 1 (23) | Isaiah
Wynn OL-6’2 308 |
Georgia | 6 (1st Round) | Wynn’s footwork should not be discounted if given a chance to earn playing time at a left tackle spot. Either way, he can play four different positions. |
| 1 (31) | Sony | Georgia | 33 (2nd Round) | Michel found time to rush for over 1,000 yards twice in school despite being the team’s feature runner just once in a four-year period. |
| 2 (56) | Duke
Dawson DB-5’10 197 |
Florida | 73 (3rd Round) | Dawson’s ability to cover the slot showed up when covering shifty receivers (see Kirk, Texas A&M ’17). In addition, he was a threat to score anytime he got his hands on the football. |
| 5 (143) | Ja’Whaun
Bentley LB-6’1 253 |
Purdue | 288 (4th Round) | Bentley recovered from a 2015 ACL injury to the same knee he injured in high school. He has enough girth to handle an inside linebacker spot, but he also has a chance as an outside linebacker. |
| 6 (178) | Christian
Sam LB-6’2 250 |
Arizona
State |
266 (4th Round) | Sam can make plays in space but he’s also able to fall back in the box. Sudden gear shifts from runners have affected him on occasion. |
| 6 (210) | Braxton
Berrios WR/PR-5’9 186 |
Miami (Fla.) | 230 (4th Round) | Berrios is a tough player who played much bigger than his size in 2017 in the Red Zone. His comfort tracking punts gives him a chance to earn playing time in the slot with the departure of Danny Amendola (Dolphins). |
| 7 (219) | Danny
Etling QB-6’2 222 |
LSU, Purdue | 337 (6th Round) | Etling got a lot of negative heat based on everything but his improvement in 2017. He posted the second-best TD:INT ratio in SEC history. |
| 7 (243) | Keion
Crossen CB-5’10 180 |
Western
Carolina |
N/A | Improved in each season on campus. Notched 21 starts the last two seasons. |
| 7 (250) | Ryan Izzo
TE-6’5 256 |
Florida
State |
383 (5th Round) | Izzo was a big factor for the Seminoles on third downs when given opportunities. He is not sudden as a route runner but he has a feel for finding opening |
| New
York Jets |
 Notable picks: Darnold may get time to develop behind Josh McCown and Teddy Bridgewater. How long will the team allow him to sit? Shepherd and Fatukasi beef up an interior front that finished 24th in the NFL versus the run in 2017. |
|||
| Round,
Selection,
|
Player | School | DN Big Board
Rank/ Grade |
‘Nasty’ Take: |
| 1 (3) | Sam
Darnold QB-6’3 221 |
USC | 19 (2nd Round) | Darnold’s energy rarely wavers during games. He wins with ball placement, foot quickness and command. Will his arm strength translate to December on the East Coast? |
| 3 (72) | Nathan
Shepherd DT-6’3 315 |
Fort Hays St. | 35 (2nd Round) | Packs some of the heaviest hands in this year’s draft. He has the juice to run over NFL guards or centers. |
| 4 (107) | Chris
Herndon IV TE-6’4 250 |
Miami (Fla.) | 238 (4th round) | Herndon IV is sort of the poor man’s version of David Njoku (Browns). He’s proven as a flex option, but his sense of urgency has to increase as an in-line blocker. |
| 5 (179) | Parry
Nickerson CB 5’10 182 |
Tulane | 150 (3rd Round) | Nickerson’s 16 interceptions are just a small measure of his tremendous eye speed. He shocked the masses by running in the low 4.3-range at the NFL Combine (4.32). |
| 5 (180) | Foley
Fatukasi DL-6’4 318 |
UConn | 97 (3rd Round) | Fatukasi provides tremendous value because he’s gotten reps at a four-technique DE and zero-technique NG. This experience will benefit him in the Jets defensive schemes. |
| 6 (204) | Trenton
Cannon AP-5’10 182 |
Virginia
State |
523 (6th Round) | Cannon has the burst and explosion to contribute immediately in the return game. He’s underrated as a receiver. Runs with a ferocious attitude at just 182 pounds. He averaged 7.7 yards per carry in 2017. |
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