| New England Patriots | Notable picks: Williams could be a chess piece when the team has to defend the Travis Kelce-types at tight end and the A.J. Green-types at wide receiver. Cajuste has more talent than his draft position indicates, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him push for playing time. Bailey will challenge incumbent Ryan Allen in one of the training camp battles to watch. Harry’s size is similar to Josh Gordon. | |||
| Round,
Selection, |
Player | School | DN Big Board
Rank/ Grade |
‘Nasty’ Take: |
| 1 (32) | N’Keal Harry | WR/Arizona State | 65/2nd Round | Harry won’t be asked to take the top off of defenses, but he will be tasked with adjusting to a variety of passes outside the numbers. We think some of his best work came in the slot, where his superior run after the catch skill comes into full focus. His overall style fits the offense and adds a bit of pizzazz. |
| 2 (45) | Joejuan Williams | CB/
Vanderbilt |
31/2nd Round | Williams will be able to match up with bigger WRs one week and then can cover the TE the next week, if needed. While his 40-yard dash times didn’t impress in the postseason, he did demonstrate strength and explosion. He was arguably the SEC’s most competitive corner in 2018. |
| 3 (77) | Chase Winovich | DE-OLB/ | 93/3rd Round | Winovich provides a versatile nature capable of rushing from a number of spots. He plays longer than his length would suggest and is adept at causing havoc with his hand in the dirt. |
| 3 (87) | Damien
Harris |
RB/Alabama | 56/2nd Round | Harris will have a role in this offense but it may be according to game plan. The Patriots continue to evolve into a team capable of running the ball to take pressure off of Brady. He will compete for snaps with Rex Burkhead behind 2018 rookie sensation Sony Michel. |
| 3 (101)
Compensatory pick acquired from Los Angeles via New England |
Yodny
Cajuste |
OT/West Virginia | 67/2nd Round | If not for his injury issues, Cajuste likely would have challenged for a spot in the second round. Many of the DL we talked to said Cajuste was the best tackle they faced in the Big 12. He provides insurance at the outside tackle spots, particularly if Isaiah Wynn is not fully recovered from his knee injury. |
| 4 (118)
Acquired from Los Angeles |
Hjalte
Froholdt |
OG/ | 302/4th Round | Froholdt’s mobility ranks as one of his strengths, as does his upper body strength and ability to latch. The former DL’s lack of length is the one reason he lasted this long, but he has experience at both guard and center. |
| 4 (133)
Acquired from Los Angeles |
Jarrett
Stidham |
QB/Auburn | 114/3rd Round | Stidham’s 2017 performance against Alabama landed the Tigers in the SEC Championship game. We spotlighted his upside in our feature on him in the 2018 Music City Bowl. |
| 5 (159)
Acquired from Minnesota via Seattle |
Byron
Cowart |
DL/
Maryland, Auburn |
251/4th Round | Cowart’s dramatic improvement after transferring to Maryland came after the former five-star recruit didn’t have a lot of success with the Auburn Tigers. His size affords him the team the flexibility to line him up at the zero, one, two, three or four-technique DL spots. He is an ideal scheme fit for the team. |
| 5 (163) | Jake Bailey | P/Stanford | 401/5th Round | Bailey -our top-ranked punter- pinned opponents in school, never had a punt blocked and flipped the field with directional punts that still produced hang time averages in the 4.8-to-5.0-second range. In addition, he may be able to handle kickoff duties if needed. |
| 7 (252) | Ken Webster | CB-Ole Miss | 294/4th Round | The knee injury from 2016 lingered into other ailments but Webster seemed to recover slowly in 2018. At his best, he is an explosive athlete capable of challenging WRs in press-man. Could he be a late-round find for the team? |
| Miami
Dolphins |
Notable picks: The Dolphins draft is required to add Josh Rosen, who they traded their 62nd overall pick in the second round for while giving up a 2020 fifth-round pick. Add Wilkins and Deiter, two potential starters, and you have a pretty good start to the proceedings. The two final picks, Cox and Gaskin, both have questions to answer about their potential contributions on special teams. | |||
| Round,
Selection, |
Player | School | DN Big Board
Rank/ Grade |
‘Nasty’ Take: |
| 1 (13) | Christian Wilkins | Clemson | 12/1st Round | Wilkins’ positional versatility could very well shine in Brian Flores’ multiple schemes. His flexibility is outstanding, as is his ability to win going sideways. |
| 3 (78) | Michael
Deiter |
OG/ | 129/3rd Round | It can be argued that Deiter can provide backup options at three-to-four spots on an offensive line. He frequently wins wrestling matches once he latches the opponent. |
| 5 (151) | Andrew Van Ginkel | LB/ | 513/6th Round | Van Ginkel is an above average blitzer with solid flexibility. There are still questions regarding his efficiency as an exchange linebacker. We think he can be a core special teams player in Year 1. It may be his road to earning a roster spot. |
| 6 (202)
Acquired from New Orleans |
Isaiah Prince | OT/Ohio State | 219/4th Round | Prince’s length (35 1/2-inch arms) allowed him to cover up for a number of technique errors on the perimeter in school. Consistency is the word that comes to mind when evaluating whether or not he can earn a roster spot. His best work comes as a run blocker. |
| 7 (233)
Acquired from Tennessee |
Chandler Cox | FB/Auburn | 332/4th Round | Cox demonstrated a unique feel for hitting opponents on the move from a number of spots when blocking for a multitude of runners. The former U.S. All-American started 41 games for the Tigers, but contributed just one career tackle. |
| 7 (234)
Acquired from Cleveland via Pittsburgh |
Myles Gaskin | RB/
Washington |
130/3rd Round | Aside from question marks surrounding his size, Gaskin’s high volume (945 career carries) in school likely caused him to slide into the seventh round. Despite weight in the 205-pound range, Gaskin has contact balance. He did 24 repetitions at 225 pounds. |
| Buffalo Bills | Notable picks: The first two picks, Oliver and Ford, chart a direction for the team. Both players have a physical presence at their respective positions. If Singletary gives the team the juice expected as a backup, then the rest of the draft could simply be evaluated for the purposes of depth. With that said, Knox could become a starter in due time. Of their Day 3 picks, it could be argued that Johnson has a chance to become the best of the group. | |||
| Round,
Selection, |
Player | School | DN Big Board
Rank/ Grade |
‘Nasty’ Take: |
| 1 (9) | Ed Oliver | DT/Houston | 4/1st Round | Oliver’s pad level and leverage could be a perfect fit as an under tackle in the team’s 4-3 schemes under Sean McDermott. |
| 2 (38)
Acquired from Oakland via Jacksonville |
Cody Ford | OG/
Oklahoma |
23/2nd Round | Ford’s finish drew high marks from several evaluators, but the injury history is rather extensive. The Bills may end up slotting him opposite left tackle Dion Dawkins or they could decide to move him to the guard spot. He’s started at either spot in school. Playing lower will only help his development. |
| 3 (74) | Devin
Singletary |
RB/FAU | 105/3rd Round | Singletary’s low center of gravity and short area change of direction draws comparisons to the Pro Bowl running back in front of him, LeSean McCoy. Learning the nuances of the game as a smaller back from an All-Pro will likely aid the former Owl’s development. |
| 3 (96)
Compensatory pick acquired via Washington |
Dawson Knox | TE/Ole Miss | 134/3rd Round | A quick glance at Knox’s statistics don’t take into account that he had three receivers with significantly more targets. He runs in the low 4.6-range and plays at a fast clip. At 254 pounds, he can line up with his hand in the dirt or flex-out (as he did quite a bit at Ole Miss) for the Bills. |
| 5 (147) | Vosean Joseph | LB/Florida | 379/5th Round | Joseph’s overall lack of size showed up on occasion but he did impress as his career went along when it came to matching routes. He is also a positive blitz threat (four sacks in 2018). |
| 6 (181) | Jaquan Johnson | S/ | 176/3rd Round | Johnson was dinged for his lack of timed speed, but he generally played faster than his teammates on Saturday afternoons. Something to ponder is whether the hamstring injury that forced him to miss time in 2018 lingered over into the postseason. His instincts and special teams contributions in school only add to his overall value. |
| 7 (225) | Darryl
Johnson |
DE/North Carolina A&T | 481/6th Round | Johnson didn’t stand out against ECU tackle and 2020 NFL prospect D’Ante Smith, but even in that game he displayed his long nature. The MEAC Defensive Player of the Year finished with 10.5 QB sacks and 19 TFLs in 2018. |
| 7 (228) | Tommy Sweeney | TE/Boston College | 262/4th Round | Sweeney’s portfolio dates back to the 2016 campaign, when he was used as a Swiss army knife. He can align as a FB, Y-tight end or H-back depending on formation. He will likely end up getting snaps on the punt unit, where he will have to prove capable of running down effectively in coverage. |
| New York Jets | Notable picks: The Jets needed to come out of this draft with a legitimate pass rusher after Jordan Jenkins and Henry Anderson tied for the team lead in sacks a year ago. There has been talk of Gregg Williams sticking with the 30-front scheme that has fit the Jets for the better part of over a decade. Expect to see elements of his 4-3 background, but most of the remaining parts and additions suggest elements of the 3-4 defense will be in play. At offensive tackle, Edoga will have the opportunity to challenge for playing time. | |||
| Round,
Selection, |
Player | School | DN Big Board
Rank/ Grade |
‘Nasty’ Take: |
| 1 (3) | Quinnen Williams | DT/Alabama | 1/1st Round | Williams is able to attack gaps two-to-three gaps over with outstanding lateral agility. Despite being a one-year wonder, he did post 6.5 tackles for loss in a secondary role back in 2017. |
| 3 (68) | Jachai Polite | DE-OLB/Florida | 103/3rd Round | Polite uses a combination of inside posts with clubs, dips his weight and can take his surface area away from tackles. Nevertheless, his power component is largely unearthed at this stage of his development. In 2018, he posted 17.5 tackles for loss while forcing six fumbles because he is tough to grasp. |
| 3 (92)
Acquired from the Minnesota Vikings |
Chuma Edoga | OT/USC | 121/3rd Round | Edoga’s disposition on the field is probably a bit more erect than what you’d expect from a 6-foot-3-inch tackle, but his light-footed nature draws high marks. His profile matches the team’s current starting left tackle Kelvin Beacham. |
| 4 (121) | Trevon Wesco | TE/West Virginia | 392/5th Round | The former high school QB has all of the intangibles to continue to improve as a receiving threat. His 267-pound frame was often used as an insert blocker in the Mountaineers rushing attack. |
| 5 (157) | Blake Cashman | LB/
Minnesota |
187/3rd Round | Cashman’s breakout year came at just the right time, as he forged his way into the NFL Draft. We think he is one of the top kickoff cover men in the 2019 NFL Draft. His instincts either off the ball or when rushing downhill are solid. |
| 6 (196)
Acquired from Oakland via Chicago Bears |
Blessaun Austin | CB/Rutgers | 151/3rd Round | The Jets didn’t travel far to grab the former New York high school product. Despite two consecutive years of knee injuries, he still finished his career with four interceptions and 19 career pass break-ups. Few cornerbacks get their hands on wide receivers with the efficiency of Austin. If he can return to full health, he’ll have a chance to earn playing time. |
T.Y. Hilton 25 yards down the field. The front five cares about their quarterback, multiple linemen sprinted after the play to see if quarterback Andrew Luck was fine after a late hit from Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso. Luck has benefited from the improved offensive line play, throwing for 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions this season. He has also been sacked just 11 times, which is tied for a league low.
For the game, Tannehill finished with two touchdowns and zero interceptions while completing 17-of-25 passes. The former Texas A&M quarterback is an upgrade over Brock Osweiler, who started in his absence, but that may not be enough to keep his starting job going into next season. As the Dolphinsn enter the final month of the season, look for the quarterback position to be closely evaluated.
