2020 NFL Draft recap: NFC East
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| Dallas Cowboys | Notable picks: With the deflection of former starter Byron Jones, the team went with a player who contains similar length in Diggs. He is certainly more of a ballhawk, but can he provide the consistency in coverage that Jones gave them over a two-year period. It will be worth monitoring the development of Robinson II. His profile may actually be closer to Jones’ than Diggs. | |||
| Round, Selection, | Player | School | DN Big Board Rank/ Grade | ‘Nasty’ Take: |
| 1 (17) | CeeDee Lamb | 6’2 198 WR-Oklahoma | 11/1st Round | Lamb has all of the requisite tools to win with both savvy and quickness as a route runner. He has a solid set of tools to be a complement within the Dallas passing game initially. We expect him to see some time in the slot. |
| 2 (51) | Trevon Diggs | 6’1 205 CB-Alabama | 84/2nd Round | Diggs brings more than NFL bloodlines to the table. He is aggressive getting his hands on WRs at the line of scrimmage. Finding a balance in that aggression and bringing it to run support will ramp up his development. |
| 3 (82) | Neville Gallimore | 6’2 304 DT-Oklahoma | 143/3rd Round | Gallimore had some issues with balance in school and that is probably why he lasted until this spot in the draft. For a player with his level of quickness and power, it was a bit surprising that he didn’t make more plays in school. |
| 4 (123) | Reggie Robinson II | 6’1 205 CB-Tulsa | 93/3rd Round | Robinson II didn’t get the ink of some of the other big CBs in this year’s draft and maybe that should not come as a surprise. He has always been competitive in coverage and finished better in 2019. |
| 4 (146) | Tyler Biadasz | 6’4 314 OC-Wisconsin | 59/2nd Round | Biadasz was not a dominator in school but he was assignment-sound. The former prep level baseball player led an offensive line that was ravaged by graduation from 2018 and did so admirably. |
| 5 (179) | Bradlee Anae | 6’3 257 DE-Utah | 100/3rd Round | Due to sub-standard edge rusher workout times Anae fell in the draft. This came after a dominant Senior Bowl showing that showcased his feel for getting off the ball. |
| 7 (220) | Ben DiNucci | 6’2 210 QB-James Madison, Pittsburgh | 555/7th Round | DiNucci’s moxie may have influenced this selection. The former Pitt Panther quietly was a couple of inches away from leading the Dukes to a national championship in 2019. |
| New York Giants | Notable pick: The team would be satisfied if Holmes can come in and lock down a nickel role within their scheme. The team has quietly assembled enough size on the edges, so it will be imperative for him to learn the various roles of an inside position while also contributing on special teams. | |||
| Round, Selection, | Player | School | DN Big Board Rank/ Grade | ‘Nasty’ Take: |
| 1 (4) | Andrew Thomas | 6’5 317 OT-Georgia | 6/1st Round | Thomas has the occasional top-heavy look but he remains relatively consistent establishing a lockout on the perimeter. He won’t be able to get by with relatively in the NFL and his overall |
| 2 (40) | Xavier McKinney | 6’0 201 S-Alabama | 41/2nd Round | McKinney will be able to play a variety of roles for the Giants just like he did with the Crimson Tide. His best characteristic comes from his pre-snap cognitive ability in diagnosing the opposition’s intentions. |
| 3 (71) | Matt Peart | 6’5 312 OT-UConn | 72/2nd Round | Peart is by no means a finished product, but that doesn’t mean starting is out of the question. He is most comfortable at RT, but he has started on both sides of the OL in school. |
| 4 (110) | Darnay Holmes | 5’10 195 CB-UCLA | 112/3rd Round | Holmes lack of width (69-inch wingspan) hurt his cause and forced him to fall. Penalties were a bit of an issue in 2019 but he found a way to compete week-to-week. |
| 5 (150) | Shane Lemieux | 6’4 310 OG-Oregon | 299/4th Round | You will not find many arguments surrounding Lemieux’s work ethic and determination. He was a consistent presence at OG for the Ducks over a four-year period. He finished his career with 52 consecutive starts. |
| 6 (183) | Cam Brown | 6’5 233 LB-Penn State | 210/4th Round | Brown has been used to run up the seams with TEs, cover down over the slot and off the edge as an occasional rush artist. He seemed to be most comfortable in school filtering back inside from an overhang LB spot. |
| 7 (218) | Carter Coughlin | 6’3 236 LB-Minnesota | 286/4th Round | Coughlin finished his career with 22 QB sacks and 40 TFLs. When you combine that with his 4.57 speed, then the team may have gotten a core special teams contributor. He starred on the kickoff team way back in 2016 (see Holiday Bowl). |
| 7 (238) | Tremari “T.J.” Brunson | 6’1 230 LB-South Carolina | 392/5th Round | Brunson may not completely fit the bill in terms of size, but he does play bigger than his measurements. He had some lower body extremity issues in school, but he appeared in 49 games (283 tackles, 21 TFLs). |
| 7 (247) | Chris Williamson | 6’0 205 NB/S-Minnesota, Florida | 421/5th Round | Williamson was often tasked with covering fast slot WRs one-on-one and held his own. Hand placement is an issue but his work as a blitzer shows promise. The former Florida Gator should compete favorably in training camp. |
| 7 (255) | Tae Crowder | 6’3 235 (E) LB-Georgia | 463/6th Round | Crowder showed time-and-time again that he is capable of chasing plays down laterally. He leaves some tackle opportunities on the field because he does not always get his head across the bow of the opponent. |
| Philadelphia Eagles | Notable pick: Reagor has a role to fill in the team’s offense as the Wild Card type of player. If he can execute a variety of different responsibilities, then the Eagles will be able to use his elusive skill set to maximize one-on-one matchups on a down-to-down basis. | |||
| Round, Selection, | Player | School | DN Big Board Rank/ Grade | ‘Nasty’ Take: |
| 1 (21) | Jalen Reagor | 5’11 205 All-purpose-TCU | 49/2nd Round | Reagor simply needs to find his way as a route runner to take advantage of his outstanding physical tools. He runs well after the catch, tracks the ball down the field and makes defenders miss in space. |
| 2 (53) | Jalen Hurts | 6’1 222 QB-Oklahoma, Alabama | 127/3rd Round | Hurts earned kudos at both collegiate stops for his leadership, poise and overall strength. It would not be a shock to see him involved in a number of packages as a rookie. |
| 3 (103) | Davion Taylor | 6’0 224 LB-Colorado | 225/4th Round | The Pac-12 100-meter sprinter runs in the 4.4s, closes ground on routes in front of him and actually finds a way to be active week-to-week. He simply needs more repetitions. We think he has special teams core (all four teams) potential at the next level. The team will likely incorporate him into some of its nickel/dime packages. |
| 4 (127) | K’Von Wallace | 5’11 206 DB-Clemson | 82/2nd Round | Wallace didn’t always finish interception opportunities in school, but he did often put himself into good position in one-on-one situations. His ability to time his entries in the run game was subsidized by consistent one-on-one coverage in the slot. |
| 4 (145) | Jack Driscoll | 6’5 307 OT-Auburn, UMass | 221/4th Round | Driscoll continued to get better during school and his footwork was an area of focus. Now he needs to concentrate on gaining more core strength to handle speed-to-power in the NFL. This will be the case at either OG or OT, where he hopes to win a seventh or eighth role in 2020. |
| 5 (168) | John Hightower | 6’1 185 All-purpose- Boise State | 259/4th Round | Hightower continued to improve every year in school but finally put it all together in 2019. For a team that went into the draft wanting to add speed at WR, Hightower has some capabilities. |
| 6 (196) | Shaun Bradley | 6’1 235 LB-Temple | 196/4th Round | Bradley has some footwork issues to clean up at the exchange LB spot. However, he will add plenty of speed to a defense and special teams unit that values quality backups. |
| 6 (200) | Quez Watkins | 6’0 185 WR-Southern Miss | 124/3rd Round | Speed is the name of the game in the pass-happy NFL, and Watkins brings plenty of it to the table. He seemed to build to an even different top gear with the ball in his hands on quick RPO slants and posts. Now he needs to work on getting off of press coverage. |
| 6 (210) | Prince Tega Wanogho | 6’5 308 OT-Auburn | 141/3rd Round | Tega Wanogho did not have a chance to show off his impressive tools in the postseason. At this point in the process, the team could afford to take a flyer on a player who may not reach his peak for another three-year period. |
| 7 (233) | Casey Toohill | 6’4 250 OLB-Stanford | 260/4th Round | Toohill is a fast, athletic long LB with enough speed to play multiple spots. Coverage is a question mark, as is his ability to transfer speed-to-power as a pass rusher. |
| Washington Redskins | Notable pick: Although the Redskins have a number of different types of receivers on its roster, there is no one other than Cam Sims that contains Gandy-Golden’s size. If he can transition effectively to the NFL, it could open up the team’s Red Zone offense. | |||
| Round, Selection, | Player | School | DN Big Board Rank/ Grade | ‘Nasty’ Take: |
| 1 (2) | Chase Young | 6’5 264 DE-Ohio State | 2/1st Round | The Redskins are hoping that Young turns into not only a transformational player but that he can also open up possibilities for the talented Montez Sweat and Ryan Kerrigan on the other side. He may see time at DT on third downs. |
| 3 (66) | Antonio Gibson | 6’0 223 All-Purpose-Memphis | 25/2nd Round | There simply aren’t players with the size/speed quotient that Gibson brings to the table at 228 pounds. It would not be a shock to see the team use im in the backfield as a dot RB, slot WR or even outside receiver. The all-purpose dynamo produced without a lot of touches in school. |
| 4 (108) | Saahdiq Charles | 6’4 303 OT-LSU | 189/4th Round | Charles bends, latches and slides effectively. What he hasn’t been able to do is stay on the field. Whether it was a suspension, injury or otherwise, the former Tiger was not dependable week-to-week. Perhaps the NFL opportunity will change his tunes. |
| 4 (142) | Antonio Gandy-Golden | 6’4 223 WR-Liberty | 95/3rd Round | Gandy-Golden didn’t necessarily perform as well during the testing portion of the postseason as he did on the field. It will not come as a shock if he develops into the team’s primary Red Zone threat early in his career. |
| 5 (156) | Keith Ismael | 6’3 309 OC-San Diego State | 113/3rd Round | Ismael -a junior-entry- probably would have not gone much higher in next year’s draft and that may have influenced his decision to come out early. His quickness (and experience at three positions) will add another layer to the Redskins running game. |
| 5 (162) | Khaleke Hudson | 5’11 224 S/LB-Michigan | 263/4th Round | Hudson may have gotten dinged because he doesn’t really have a true position at the next level. At least, not yet. We think he can be a sub-package LB with enough zone capability to cover the flats and beyond. |
| 7 (216) | Kamren Curl | 6’1 206 S-Arkansas | 150/3rd Round | Curl – a former cornerback- plays faster on the field than he times in T-shirts and shorts. He reacts to what he sees on the football field and plays with anticipation. |
| 7 (226) | James Smith-Williams | 6’3 265 DE-NC State | 310/5th Round | Smith-Williams was probably as accomplished off the field as he was on it. A subpar senior year caused the workout warrior to slip in the draft, but injuries were probably more of the cause. However, Ron Rivera has had success with these types of DL (see Mario Addison) in the past. |
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