| Green Bay Packers | Notable picks: DC Mike Pettine’s 30-front background makes sense considering we feel Gary is better versus the run or pass the closer he moves down inside. Savage won’t be handed anything, but we think he could challenge for a starting role relatively early in his career. Summers fits the profile of the linebackers currently on the roster. | |||
| Round,
Selection, |
Player | School | DN Big Board
Rank/ Grade |
‘Nasty’ Take: |
| 1 (12) | Rashan Gary | Michigan | 26/2nd Round | Gary’s effort was commensurate with what you would expect from a top pick, but he still needs work rushing from the outside. As he proved in 2017, he may be a better fit rushing the passer from an interior DL spot on third downs. He will be an effective four-technique DE. |
| 1 (21) Acquired from Seattle | Darnell Savage | DB/Maryland | 25/2nd Round | Savage could allow the Packers to use his multi-dimensional skills on first and second down in man coverage if he wins the starting spot opposite free agent signee Adrian Amos. Incumbent starter Josh Jones has started 12 games in two seasons. |
| 2 (44) | Elgton Jenkins | OL/Mississippi State | 18/2nd Round | Jenkins projects to center (and enjoys the position), but he has also started at tackle and guard. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get some looks at a couple of spots in training camp as the team seeks to play its best five linemen. |
| 3 (75) | Jace
Sternberger |
TE/Texas A&M | 112/3rd Round | Sternberger can run through the catch and is solid after the grab. The team has enough depth at tight end to employ some Ace personnel (2 TE, 2 WR, 1 RB) now that he has joined the mix. He has some similarities to New York Jets TE Chris Herndon. |
| 5 (150) | Kingsley Keke | DL/Texas A&M | 128/3rd Round | Keke has all of the tools to develop into a multi-purpose DL. As he has done in school, we think he is capable of lining up over the center in sub-packages in reduced fronts. He has a chance to compete for a four-technique position in their base fronts. |
| 6 (185) | Ka’dar Hollman | CB/Toledo | 299/4th Round | Hollman went from former walk-on to steady hand within the Rockets program. His feel for the game gives him a chance and his special teams ability could help him compete for a fifth or sixth DB role. |
| 6 (194)
Acquired from Seattle |
Dexter Williams | RB/Notre Dame | 260/4th Round | Williams has the ability stick his foot in the ground to get north-south. Despite running in the high 4.5-range, he proved capable of finishing long runs in school. He could provide a change of pace option to Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones. How he performs on special teams could determine his fate. |
| 7 (226) | Ty Summers | LB/TCU | 118/3rd Round | Summers’ 4.51 speed is a big reason he produced 121 tackles back in 2016. The team used him in more of a pass rush role this past season and his numbers don’t reflect his ability to play the exchange LB. He could surprise in training camp. Summers finished with the second-most tackles in the Gary Patterson-era at TCU. |
| Chicago Bears | Notable Pick: The team came into the 2019 NFL Draft with a couple of goals. One of them was finding a complement to Tarik Cohen and the selection of Montgomery was a step in the right direction. The team drafted a receiver from Georgia for the second straight year. Whyte often played second-fiddle to Devin Singletary at FAU, but he may been the Owls best home run threat in 2018. | |||
| Round,
Selection, |
Player | School | DN Big Board
Rank/ Grade |
‘Nasty’ Take: |
| 3 (73)
Acquired from New England |
David
Montgomery |
RB/Iowa State | 62/2nd Round | Montgomery is the rare running back with the peripheral vision and foot quickness to make five-yard highlight film runs. He will complement Tarik Cohen well and make up for the loss of Jordan Howard. |
| 4 (126) | Riley Ridley | WR/Georgia | 86/3rd Round | Ridley’s 199-pound frame supplements sufficient play strength. He is an efficient route runner who works the sidelines well. We think he is physical enough to play a hold-up position on punt return, possibly run down from a wing or tackle on the punt team and he should be able to contribute in kick coverage. With all of that said, he had just one career tackle in school. |
| 6 (205)
Compensatory pick acquired from New England |
Duke Shelley | CB/Kansas State | 439/6th Round | This is a pick that continues to account for the loss of stud nickel Bryce Callahan (Broncos) in free agency. Shelley is tough, quick and plays bigger than his size. He finished his career with 8 interceptions and 31 pass break-ups. |
| 7 (222)
Acquired from Philadelphia via Denver |
Kerrith Whyte | All-Purpose/FAU | 380/5th Round | Whyte, a junior-entry, ran 4.36 (40-yd) and posted a 42-inch vertical on FAU’s Pro Day. He accounted for 8 rushing TDs and averaged 28.7 yds/KR in 2018. |
| 7 (238) | Stephen
Denmark |
CB/Valdosta State | 102/3rd Round | It was encouraging that Denmark was such an aggressive tackler as a former college wide receiver, but not much of a surprise considering his 6’3, 215-pound frame. He posted a 43 1/2-inch vertical jump and ran in the 4.4s on his Pro Day. He has excellent late vision ball skills. |
| Minnesota Vikings | Notable pick: The team understood value in this year’s draft and didn’t reach for any of its picks. Smith, Jr. may serve as insurance as Kyle Rudolph enters the last year of his contract. Mattison is an explosive insurance commodity and relief pitcher for Dalvin Cook, who has struggled to stay upright. Keep an eye on Watts. He was one of the nation’s best interior pass rush artists in 2018 after being invisible for most of his career. | |||
| Round,
Selection, |
Player | School | DN Big Board
Rank/ Grade |
‘Nasty’ Take: |
| 1 (18) | Garrett
Bradbury |
OC/NC State | 10/1st Round | One of the safest players in the 2019 NFL Draft, the former tight end has unique athletic traits for the center position. He is a perfect fit for the Vikings zone-based run scheme. |
| 2 (50) | Irv Smith, Jr. | TE/Alabama | 80/2nd Round | If there is a knock on Smith, it could revolve around his relative lack of length. He is an effective on the move blocker who excels creating room at the top of his routes. He is reminiscent of New York Giants tight end Evan Engram, but enters the league as a slightly better blocker. |
| 3 (102) | Alexander Mattison | RB/Boise State | 156/3rd Round | The former high school wrestler is more elusive than he is given credit for running in-between the tackles. One aspect of his game that was slightly underrated was pass protection. He contains legitimate lift-and-rise in that aspect. Mattison also posted 60 career receptions. |
| 4 (114) | Dru Samia | OG/
Oklahoma |
142/3rd Round | Samia’s experience at multiple spots boosts his value. He has the right element of ‘nasty’ in his game but quicker defenders have caused him to lose his poise at times. He will have an opportunity to grab a fifth or sixth OL spot. |
| 5 (162) | Cameron Smith | LB/USC | 304/4th Round | Smith surprised many in the postseason when he put together explosive pre-draft testing numbers. He hasn’t always been consistent in man coverage, but his eye speed and football intelligence give him a chance to fight for a backup role in camp. |
| 6 (190) | Armon Watts | DT/
Arkansas |
307/4th Round | Watts came on strong in 2018 and could have gone much higher if not for one year of production. He could vie for a pass rushing role if he can play more consistently with his hands. |
| 6 (191) | Marcus Epps | S/Wyoming | 382/5th Round | The Burlsworth Trophy Award finalist often drew secondary marks to safety-mate Andrew Wingard, but his ability to trigger when he sees the action stood out. He was the safety often in coverage when Wingard roamed the field. 325 career tackles, 9 INTs and 22 PBUs. |
| 6 (193) | Oli Udoh | OL-Elon | 104/3rd Round | It is not often that a player with an 85 1/2-inch wingspan lasts this long in the draft. Some teams projected him to guard, but we think he has enough quickness to stay outside if he can improve his hand placement. |
| 7 (217)
Pick acquired from New York Jets |
Kris Boyd | CB-Texas | 99/3rd Round | For the second consecutive year, the Vikings traveled to Texas to pick up a cornerback. Boyd has one of the shorter memories in this year’s draft at cornerback, but he has to control his hands better in man coverage. |
| 7 (239)
Acquired from New England via Philadelphia |
Dillon Mitchell | WR-Oregon | 132/3rd Round | The quick-twitched former high school basketball standout could have been played the spot at the collegiate level. He uses that level of shiftiness to win in the slot and on the perimeter. He didn’t stand out as a punt returner, but that could be his key to grabbing a roster spot. |
| 7 (247) | Olabisi
Johnson |
WR-Colorado State | 317/4th Round | He never caught up to his breakout performance in the 2016 Idaho Potato Bowl, but he still finished his career with 125 receptions (16.2 YPR) and 11 TDs. He posted six tackles in 2018 and adds potential as a punt return option. |
| 7 (250) | Austin
Cutting |
LS-Air Force | 708/7th Round | Cutting has posted long snap times as low as 0.65 seconds and generally averages in the low 0.7-second range. He has excellent size at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds. |
| Detroit
Lions |
Notable picks: The selection of Hockenson could open up opportunities in the middle of the field for Stafford with Golladay and Jones on the outside flanks. Fulgham -a receiver built in the mold of Golladay- had third-round value late in the draft. Tavai fits the type of inside linebacker the team covets, but he has also been a good pass rusher in school. Although Bryant went in the fourth round, he could be expected to contribute some edge presence in a room that needs to create more of a pass rush. | |||
| Round,
Selection, |
Player | School | DN Big Board
Rank/ Grade |
‘Nasty’ Take: |
| 1 (8) | T.J.
Hockenson |
TE/Iowa | 2/1st Round | Hockenson, the 2018 Mackey Award Winner, has proven capable of excelling as a run blocker. In addition, the former Hawkeye improved dramatically as a route runner during his redshirt sophomore campaign. |
| 2 (43) | Jahlani Tavai | ILB/Hawaii | 159/3rd Round | The former rugby star has underrated pass rush skills but an even better feel for how to adjust his outside-in charge. His game against Army in 2018 displayed his ‘want-to’ when it comes to getting to the ball. |
| 3 (81)
Acquired from Minnesota |
Will Harris | S/Boston College | 141/3rd Round | An experienced 41-game starter, Harris brings strong safety potential to the team. His special teams capability stretches back to time earlier in his career. |
| 4 (117)
Acquired from Atlanta |
Austin Bryant | DE/
Clemson |
238/4th Round | Bryant is a power rusher with just average bend. Despite that, he was just as productive in stretches as many of the other Clemson DL who went in Round 1. Durability is a concern. |
| 5 (146) | Amani Oruwariye | CB/Penn State | 102/3rd Round | The biggest key for Oruwariye in transitioning to the next level will come down to trusting his eyes. He left a number of potential interception opportunities on the ground even after producing slick plant-and-drives. The team will ask him to re-route receivers and play multiple coverages. He has the skills to do both. |
| 6 (184) | Travis
Fulgham |
WR/Old Dominion | 84/3rd Round | Fulgham has 34-inch arms and jumps well to time passes outside the numbers. Perhaps just as impressive is his ability to stem the defensive back on short-to-intermediate routes. His body control is a big reason he caught a touchdown in six straight games in 2016 and nine straight games in 2018. |
| 6 (186)
Acquired from Atlanta |
Ty Johnson | All-
Purpose/ Maryland |
111/3rd Round | The Lions have an outstanding kickoff returner in Jamal Agnew, but he played in just six games in 2018. Johnson is one of the draft’s best kickoff returners and he runs in the 4.4-range. Expect him to battle it out for return opportunities in training camp. |
| 7 (224) | Isaac Nauta | TE/Georgia | 193/4th Round | Postseason workouts didn’t do Nauta any favors, but he does everything better on the field than in T-shirts and shorts. In a deep tight end room, he will have to showcase sufficient field speed on special teams to find a roster spot. |
| 7 (229)
Acquired from Detroit |
P.J. Johnson | DT/
Arizona |
N/A | Johnson posted tackles for losses in six of his ten appearances in 2018. He has enough upper body strength to clog the middle but can also win on occasion with surprising quickness. |
Cohen can make plays in the passing game, the running game and through his return ability. Cohen (5’6 179) is one of the smaller players in the league but he is built well and has very strong legs. The back isn’t afraid to lower his shoulders and run behind his pads and between tackles. Coupled with his acceleration, Cohen is a hard cover. His running back mate, Jordan Howard, runs most of the power running plays between the tackles but Cohen can run the same concepts but at a lower rate. The former North Carolina A&T running back makes his money on the outside and in space. The Bears running back finished with 111 all-purpose yards, and the team as a whole put up 336.
The Rams best player offensively, Todd Gurley, carried the ball just 11 times and he finished with just three receptions despite being targeted seven times in the passing game. The passing numbers aside, Gurley should’ve seen more touches in the running game. On 2nd and 15 to start the third quarter, McVay opted for a shotgun set when his team was on its own five-yard line. Bears defensive lineman Eddie Goldman capitalized and sacked Goff for a safety.
