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NFC West, 2022, 2022, NFC, NFL, Articles, NFL Draft Recap

Arizona Cardinals 2022 NFL Draft/UDFA recap

May 9, 2022 DraftNasty Staff Reports Leave a comment

The Cardinals felt that former Ravens WR Marquise Brown was worth the 23rd overall pick in the first round. He reunites with former college quarterback Kyler Murray. What should be noted is the move may have created more value within the draft. They picked up a second third-round pick as part of the trade, Cincinnati’s Myjai Sanders, and he could challenge for a starting job in a two-year period. In 2021 Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Cameron Thomas, the team secured a player quite capable of playing inside on third downs, if necessary.

Cameron Thomas DE Arizona Cardinals — Cameron Thomas won the MWC Defensive Player of the Year award in 2021.

Arizona may have also improved the depth of its interior offensive line late in the process. Two guards, Lecitus Smith and Marquis Hayes, were both still on the board in the seventh stanza. Can they provide competition for the team’s backup positions and add depth?

Arizona Cardinals
Round, Selection,	Player	School	DN Big Board Rank/ Grade	‘Nasty’ Take:
2 (55)	Trey McBride	TE/Colorado State	46/2nd Round	The John Mackey Award winner brings an advanced understanding of the position to the Cardinals. He can threaten defenses vertically or horizontally. Can he become a factor in the Red Zone?
3 (87)	Cameron Thomas	DE/San Diego State	100/3rd Round	Thomas, the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year, could bring a multi-faceted aspect to DC Vance Joseph's third down packages. Don't be surprised if he finds a way to create mismatches with Thomas.
3 (100)	Myjai Sanders	OLB/Cincinnati	81/2nd Round	Did Sanders take the next step in school? Perhaps. But even if he didn't there is the possibility that the best is yet to come. The offsides penalties have to become a thing of the past.
6 (201)	Keaontay Ingram	RB/USC, Texas	328/5th Round	Ingram not so quietly averaged nearly six yards per carry (5.8 YPC) in 2021. This included a 138-yard effort against Notre Dame in late October.
6 (215)	Lecitus Smith	OG/Virginia Tech	148/3rd Round	The 6-foot-3, 320-pounder moves well enough and simply has to watch stay square in pass protection. There is an ability to create forward movement with leverage as a run blocker.
7 (244)	Christian Matthew	CB/Valdosta State, Samford, Georgia Southern	N/A	Matthew certainly moved around quite a bit in school, but he found a rhythm for the Division II national runner-ups. The 6-toot-2 corner broke up three or more passes in three different contests. He contains OT-type length for the cornerback spot.
7 (256)	Jesse Luketa	LB/Penn State	282/4th Round	Luketa's move to pass rusher full-time ended with a strong performance in the postseason. His quick speed combines with upper body power to frustrate tackles and overcomes average natural bend.
7 (257)	Marquis Hayes	OG/Oklahoma	212/4th Round	Hayes was accurate as a puller on the move from the left guard spot in the plethora of gap-schemed runs the team used during his time in school. Size gives him a chance to earn at the least a practice squad spot.
2022 UDFA signings
Rank	Player	Positions	School	Grade	Round	‘Nasty’ Take
276	Darrell Baker, Jr.	CB-S-Nickel	Georgia Southern	5.42	4th Round	Not many players are available after the draft with the combination of speed and size that Baker has in his tool kit. Gaining a feel outside at CB will be necessary, but he has also played safety effectively.
490	Chandler Wooten	LB	Auburn	4.72	5th Round	Wooten’s final year in school flashed improved instincts and feel for the exchange LB spot. He possesses solid blitz capability with length.
156	Ronnie Rivers	RB	Fresno State	5.72	3rd Round	Rivers was banged on for a lack of height and undesirable measurements. He excels as an option route runner and flashes unique vision as a runner.
552	Manny Jones	DE-DT	Colorado State	4.491	6th Round	Jones was largely ignored during the postseason after finishing his career with 33 tackles for losses. Why? It may have been due to playing out of position inside for the better portion of a two-year period. He brings some redeemable qualities in terms of one-gap potential.
451	Javonta Payton	All-Purpose (Gunner-WR)	Tennessee, Mississippi State	4.85	5th Round	We felt that Payton’s all-purpose potential as a gunner made sense for some team late. He finished with 20 special teams tackles despite not playing them much as a senior at Tennessee. He flashed big play potential during that final year with 4.4 speed out wide (6 TDs).
369	Chris Pierce	WR/H-back	Vanderbilt	5.11	5th Round	Pierce largely operated outside the numbers in school and had some contests (i.e. Florida in 2020, Colorado State ’21) where he looked like a draft pick. The team’s inconsistent passing game did him no favors.
705	Jontre Kirklin	All-Purpose (WR-Ret)	LSU	3.56	7th Round	He’s played quarterback, WR and stood out on special teams in school. The explosive athlete could find his way if he impresses on special teams in camp.
428	Kekaula Kaniho	Nickel	Boise State	4.95	5th Round	The nickel back’s instincts, change of direction and ball skills have never been the issue. The weight (181 pounds) contributed to him not getting picked late in the draft.
	Cole Bentley	OC	Louisville	N/A	N/A	Versatile. He has started at OC, RG, RT and LG while in school. He can stay frontal in pass protection but gave ground as a run blocker.
	LaRon Stokes	DT	Oklahoma	N/A	N/A	Stokes largely went quiet the last two seasons from a statistical standpoint, but offers potential as a DE in three-man fronts at 280 pounds.
	Stephon Robinson	WR	Northwestern, Kansas	N/A	N/A	Could Robinson ever match his 2019 production at Kansas? During a dominant two-game stretch in that season, he posted six touchdowns.
	Will Miles	DE	Central Methodist	N/A	N/A	Miles’ size certainly translates to the next level and could land him an opportunity on the practice squad. The two-sport athlete has upside as a pass rusher with 36-inch arms.
	Changa Hodge	WR	Virginia Tech, Villanova	N/A	N/A	Hodge’s 2019 season still reverberates with teams. At Villanova, he went for 13 TDs during that season. Two season-ending injuries hurt his overall standing.

Overall, the fabric of the team’s roster only added pieces that complement what was already in place. The strategy seemed to be finding multi-year starters on the collegiate level to aid a roster full of burgeoning talent.

Hence the undrafted free agent signings of Darrell Baker, Jr., Ronnie Rivers and Kekaula Kaniho. Many of these may or may not make the team’s roster, but could add depth to its practice squad.

For a team that has endured depth issues in the second halves of seasons, it may prove to be a wise strategy.

AFC North, NFL, Articles, NFL Draft Recap, 2019, 2019

2019 NFL Draft recap, pick-by-pick: AFC North

May 1, 2019 Neverthere Leave a comment

Ferguson, pictured, totaled 26 tackles for losses in 2018 while also posting 17 quarterback sacks. He ended his career as the FBS’ all-time sack leader.

Baltimore Ravens	Notable picks: First-year GM Eric DeCosta did a very good job of adding layers to the Baltimore offense. Brown’s challenge will be to hold his weight at the 175-pound mark while not losing his decisive speed. Ferguson has more pressure to produce than most third-rounders because of the loss of Terrell Suggs in free agency. Boykin will compete with holdovers Jaleel Scott, Chris Moore, and Jordan Lasley for playing time. Powers helps improve the depth of the interior line. Will Marshall move to safety? The addition of Hill provides the team with a home run threat at the running back position. He will, however, have to fight for playing time.
Round, Selection,	Player	School	DN Big Board Rank/ Grade	‘Nasty’ Take:
1 (25) Acquired this pick from the Philadelphia Eagles for its 22nd overall pick	Marquise Brown	WR/ Oklahoma	77/2nd Round	Brown has a chance to become dynamic in the Ravens offense in a different type of way than he was at Oklahoma. Expect to see him used on fly sweeps, seam routes, shallow crossers, nine routes and post patterns. Will he be a fit with fellow Florida native Lamar Jackson? Physical cornerbacks have competed well against him in the past.
3 (85)	Jaylon Ferguson	DE/ Louisiana Tech	20/2nd Round	After a subpar postseason, Ferguson saw his stock slide despite breaking former Ravens’ OLB Terrell Suggs’ all-time NCAA sack record. Ferguson plays even longer than his size would indicate and he may have to bully tackles early on. He has a 10-yard burst.
3 (93)	Miles Boykin	WR/Notre Dame	48/2nd Round	Boykin is an upside pick after just one year of high-level production, but he did draw as many pass interference calls as any receiver in this year’s draft. Can he build on his breakout final year in school?
4 (113) Acquired from Minnesota	Justice Hill	RB/ Oklahoma State	55/2nd Round	Hill has the burst to slip-and-slide in-between the tackles on gut runs. His 4.4 speed is aided by an underrated ability to at least compete in pass protection.
4 (123)	Ben Powers	OG/ Oklahoma	136/3rd Round	If Powers can sustain blocks with more efficiency, then his ability to gain position can be effective in the NFL. He excels with hand placement initially and passes off line games well. His experience gives the team comfort he can translate to the next level.
4 (127) Acquired from Philadelphia	Iman Marshall	DB/USC	120/3rd Round	It is hard to find cornerbacks who have started 48 games in school. The Ravens found Marshall, who is physical enough to perhaps transition to the safety spot. In a crowded cornerback room, he may be asked to shift to the safety spot in nickel/dime packages.
5 (160)	Daylon Mack	DT/Texas A&M	185/3rd Round	The former five-star recruit’s big knock didn’t revolve around power or explosion at 330-plus pounds. It basically comes down to endurance. We think he can give the team a solid 20 snaps a game if needed and those snaps can be impactful.
6 (197)	Trace McSorley	QB/Penn State	101/3rd Round	We felt McSorley was one of the better quarterbacks in this year’s draft, but his final year at Penn State included a knee injury that affected his accuracy. While most expect him to play a variety of roles for the team, we think he can be productive under center in at least a backup capacity.

Finley’s experience includes stints at two different schools. He led the ACC in completion percentage (67.4%) in 2018.

Cincinnati Bengals	Notable picks: The Bengals were fixated on finding more competition along its offensive line and Williams will be asked to move back to his original spot in college, right tackle. Sample is underrated as a receiver, but his true value comes as a blocker for a team intent on running the ball effectively. Pratt’s foot speed will give him an opportunity to compete for a spot in DC Lou Anarumo’s schemes. Can Finley’s experience and maturity actually challenge Andy Dalton?
Round, Selection,	Player	School	DN Big Board Rank/ Grade	‘Nasty’ Take:
1 (11)	Jonah Williams	OT/Alabama	46/2nd Round	Williams’ experience includes starts at both the right and left tackle spots. He is an outstanding run blocker with positive bend and mobility. After whiffing on a number of outside tackles in prior drafts, the Bengals hope to strike gold with the former ‘Tide stalwart.
2 (52)	Drew Sample	TE/ Washington	277/4th Round	Sample amplified his draft stock when he ran in the low 4.7-range at 255 pounds. He is getting better at the little things when it comes to running routes (sinking his weight, using his size, etc..). He can play multiple spots.
3 (72)	Germaine Pratt	LB/North Carolina State	223/4th Round	If Pratt -a former safety- can improve his stack-and-shed, we think he can compete early for a spot. He has had some shoulder issues in the past, but is a fine blitz threat with good ball skills to finish interception opportunities.
4 (103)	Ryan Finley	QB/NC State	64/2nd Round	Finley’s accurate and flexible nature is demonstrated with a quick release when his feet stay quiet in the pocket. His playing style could fit well in Zac Taylor’s offensive schemes.
4 (125) Acquired from Denver via Houston	Renell Wren	DT/Arizona State	280/4th Round	Wren played his best football late in his career but was quietly productive over a two-year stretch. He gives the teams options in terms of moving their defensive fronts.
4 (136) Compensatory pick acquired via Dallas	Michael Jordan	OG/Ohio State	131/3rd Round	Jordan will get the opportunity to move back to the guard spot and play alongside former Buckeye teammate and Bengals center Billy Price. It could prove to be a winning combination for the Bengals.
6 (182)	Trayveon Williams	RB/ Texas A&M	71/2nd Round	It is hard to find players who rush for over 1,700 yards available in the sixth round, but there were questions surrounding Williams’ true change of direction after ordinary postseason workouts. A closer look reveals a back capable of slipping in-and-out of tight quarters with burst and power packed into a 206-pound frame.
6 (210)	Deshaun Davis	LB/Auburn	150/3rd Round	Davis is an instinctive linebacker who fits, wraps and seeks to inflict pain on opponents. He got knocked for a bit of stiffness in pass coverage. He finished his career with 266 tackles and 29 tackles for losses.
6 (211)	Rodney Anderson	RB/ Oklahoma	246/4th Round	Anderson’s talent has never been in question, but his injury history is concerning. He is a pick that could reap major rewards if he is able to stay unscathed over the next year and a half. The former Sooner has soft hands and is good in pass protection.
7 (223)	Jordan Brown	CB/South Dakota State	90/3rd Round	For the team to pick up one of the draft’s better cornerbacks in terms of size and footwork is a potential heist. Brown, an FCS All-American, trusts his instincts, tackles well enough and may be able to play multiple spots on the backend.

Redwine (No. 22 pictured), a former cornerback, impressed teams with 4.44 speed, a 39-inch vertical jump, 10-foot-10-inch broad jump and 4.14 20-yard short shuttle at the 2019 NFL Combine.

Cleveland Browns	Notable picks: Williams and Takitaki both have question marks surrounding different aspects of their games. Redwine has a load of talent and the former cornerback should be able to operate effectively in man coverage versus tight ends. Mack Wilson’s eye control will determine his ultimate place on the roster, but his kickoff coverage ability will be a bonus while he develops. An uncertain kicking situation led to the pick of Seibert, who hasn’t had a number of pressure-packed kicks on his resume’. Forbes’ selection indicates the team is still looking for competition on the flanks of its offensive line.
Round, Selection,	Player	School	DN Big Board Rank/ Grade	‘Nasty’ Take:
2 (46)	Greedy Williams	CB/LSU	45/2nd Round	Williams has to play more physical to survive in a division that prides itself on that style of play. His cover skills, short memory and outstanding ball skills give him an opportunity to earn playing time opposite Denzel Ward.
3 (80)	Sione Takitaki	LB/BYU	191/3rd Round	Although his space tackling is an issue, he did improve in pass coverage slightly as a senior. The Browns linebacker corps features a ton of speed, hard hitters and undervalued prospects coming out of the college ranks. Takitaki fits the bill, but his discipline in pass coverage will ultimately determine whether he can find a role.
4 (119)	Sheldrick Redwine	S/Miami (Fla.)	196/4th Round	The former CB has the hip flexibility to cover most tight ends and occasionally matches up with slot WRs effectively (UNC ’18). His skill-set is very similar to current Browns safety Damarious Randall.
5 (155)	Mack Wilson	LB/Alabama	42/2nd Round	Despite starring in pass coverage in 2017, Wilson’s inconsistent eye control caused a precipitous fall on draft weekend. His pad level needs to improve stacking-and-shedding OL (see SEC Champ ’18). We think he is one of the best kickoff cover guys in the entire 2019 NFL Draft class.
5 (170) Acquired from New England	Austin Seibert	PK/ Oklahoma	596/6th Round	Seibert carries a slight right-to-left drift on some of his shorter field goals in the NFL’s extra point range (33-yd GW FG miss, Army ’18). In addition, he has left some returnable kickoff opportunities for opponents (TCU ’18). On the plus side, he connected on 80-percent of his career field goal attempts, has range up to about 60 yards and can even be an effective punter in a pinch. He placed 65 punts inside the 20-yard line during school.
6 (189)	Drew Forbes	OG/ SE Missouri State	N/A	Forbes ran in the 4.9-range, pumped out 28 reps at 225 pounds, and posted a 30 1/2-inch vertical jump on his Pro Day. His footwork may give him an opportunity to play the tackle spot, the position he played at in school.
7 (221) Acquired from Jacksonville	Donnie Lewis	CB-Nickel/Tulane	158/3rd Round	Lewis was one of the more active cornerbacks in the AAC over the last two seasons. He routinely challenged WRs in man coverage. Postseason injury issues caused him to fall in the draft. He also has experience covering in the slot.

Snell, the Steelers fourth-round selection, was a major factor for Kentucky in the fourth quarters of games. His style fits the personality of the AFC North.

Pittsburgh Steelers	Notable picks: GM Kevin Colbert and his scouting department apparently came into this draft looking to increase the team’s speed at the linebacker spot and on special teams. Bush, Gilbert and Smith go a long way towards reaching that goal. For the second straight year, the team drafted an Alabama defensive lineman on Day 3 of the draft process. Justin Layne adds a long corner to a group really devoid of size on the edges. If Johnson can duplicate former WR Antonio Brown’s younger years as a punt return specialist, it could amplify his role within the offense.
Round, Selection,	Player	School	DN Big Board Rank/ Grade	‘Nasty’ Take:
1 (20) Acquired in a trade from the Denver Broncos that sent them the 20th overall pick in the first round	Devin Bush	LB/Michigan	11/1st Round	Bush, our top-ranked linebacker, brings 4.43 speed and plenty of explosion to the Steelers defense. The Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year’s mentality brings a tone-setting edge to the team’s defense.
3 (66) Acquired from Oakland	Diontae Johnson	All-Purpose/Toledo	189/3rd Round	Johnson’s instant nature gives the team the hope that they may have found yet another gem from the MAC. We think he offers major upside in the return game. The 2018 MAC Special Teams Player of the Year averaged 18.5 yards per punt return as a junior and 20.2 yards per punt return in his career (2 TDs). He also returned two kickoffs for scores while in school.
3 (83)	Justin Layne	CB/Michigan State	53/2nd Round	Layne is a smooth bail-and-run corner with decent fluidity. The former WR got better as his career went along, but his sense of urgency has to improve when playing off of wideouts.
4 (122)	Benny Snell	RB/ Kentucky	146/3rd Round	The fourth quarter finisher will compete with James Connor to finish off games. Snell’s attitude and energetic style will be a complement to the team’s running back by committee-approach. He finished his career with 48 touchdowns. Controlling his emotions will be a big key.
5 (141) Acquired from Oakland	Zach Gentry	TE/Michigan	448/5th Round	The former New Mexico high school four-star QB recruit didn’t develop into a prized signal-caller, but he did become one of the best tight ends in the Big Ten working from the inside-out on pass patterns. Ordinary workouts likely caused a bit of a slide, but he averaged 16.1 yards per reception for the Wolverines in 2018.
6 (175) Acquired from Oakland	Sutton Smith	LB/Northern Illinois	143/3rd Round	Smith’s impressive work in terms of flexibility gives the team hope that he can develop into an exchange linebacker. With such a knack for rushing the passer off the edge, the hope for the Steelers is his knack for timing can develop from a number of spots. He finished his career with 30 QB sacks and 58 tackles for losses in just 39 games.
6 (192)	Isaiah Buggs	DL/Alabama	319/4th Round	Buggs is an intense two-gap defender who relies on power, but he is actually more efficient with his angles as a pass rusher. He could line up as a three-technique in some of their fronts or the inside shade defensive end in others. He has value at this spot in the draft.
6 (207) Compensatory pick acquired from Arizona	Ulysees Gilbert	LB/Akron	313/4th Round	The Zips playmaker finished with 112 tackles in a breakout junior campaign but took a bit of a step back in 2018. He runs in the high 4.4-to-low 4.5-range and will get plenty of opportunities as a core special teams player.
7 (219) Acquired from Tampa Bay	Derwin Gray	OT/Maryland	368/5th Round	Gray has shown that he can sit in the chair and he often plays with an offensive guard’s demeanor. He possesses adequate length to remain on the edge, but he has to stay healthy.

2018, Team previews, NCAA FB, 2018, Articles

2018 Season Preview: Oklahoma Sooners

August 12, 2018 Troy Jefferson Leave a comment

Season outlook

Lincoln Riley will enter his second year as the Sooners head coach with a new quarterback under center. Junior quarterback Kyler Murray (5’10, 195) threw three touchdowns and zero interceptions behind Baker Mayfield last season and will assume the responsibilities as the new signal-caller in Norman. Around Murray is running back Rodney Anderson (6’1, 220) and wide receivers CeeDee Lamb (6’2, 189) and Marquise Brown (5’10, 168). All three have made their respective position groups’ preseason watch lists. On defense, junior linebacker Caleb Kelly (6’3, 231) moves to the inside linebacker position and will be asked to quarterback the defense.

DC Mike Stoops’ unit allowed opponents a 38-percent conversion rate on third downs in 2017 (fourth in the Big 12).

Defensive coordinator Mike Stoops’ unit has to replace Ogbonnia Okoronkwo on the edge as well as five other starters. The defense’s new faces could very well decide the fate of the Sooners in a conference that features some of the best offenses in all of college football.

Troy’s player to watch

72 Ben Powers OG 6’4 313

Powers, a senior interior offensive lineman, has experience at both the left guard and right guard positions. Powers has started 22 games over the last two seasons and was named to the All-Big 12 second team by conference coaches in 2017. With the exception of Kansas State’s Dalton Risner, the other four linemen, who were named first team All-Big 12, have graduated on to the pros. Look for Powers to take the next step and lead the Sooners linemen in 2018.

Game of the season

November 23rd at West Virginia

Oklahoma will face its stiffest competition during the last week of the regular season. West Virginia and Oklahoma are both favorites to win the Big 12 and their meeting in Morgantown could decide the conference’s champion. Oklahoma defeated West Virginia last season in Norman 59-31. The Mountaineers haven’t defeated the Sooners since 2008 and the last few contests haven’t been close.

DraftNasty’s Prospect Watch

75 Dru Samia 6’5 303 RG-Senior

Samia came to Oklahoma as a highly-regarded recruit and has lived up to the billing for the most part. The Academic All-Big 12 selection has started 34 games at three different positions (RG, LG, RT) in his first three years on campus. He’s capable of finding color on the move when the team runs its plethora of power run game concepts. For him to take his game to another level, he needs to become more consistent handling inside movement by defensive ends (in pass protection). In addition, he has to stand his ground better when fighting pressure in 2018. The former River City Raiders (Calif.) product should once again challenge for all-conference honors in his final year in Norman.

Prediction: 10-2

According to Draftnasty’s Troy Jefferson, Oklahoma will fall twice against two rivals in 2018. Texas will defeat the Sooners in the Red River Showdown and West Virginia will end Oklahoma’s regular season with another loss. The Sooners always replace talent with talent. While Jefferson is predicting a 10-win season, he is not forecasting a College Football Playoff Appearance.

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