This pick is a lock at this point barring them being comfortable enough to trade down again. I just think Darnold is the safest quarterback prospect between the size, the talent, and his mental makeup. He is confident enough and has the drive to make the Browns relevant again. They land their quarterback of the future here for the next 10 years.
If I were the Giants, I would draft a quarterback and groom him behind Eli Manning for a year. This roster is not bad enough to really be picking this high again unless if it all goes wrong like last season. However, they believe they are piece or two away from another Super Bowl run. I do not believe, but they do and are looking at Barkley to solve their running back problem. I think he is more like Reggie Bush than a Zeke, Gurley, or Fournette. He has only posted 100 yards a handful of times and had the most negative yardage in the Big 10 last year. People saying he is a can't miss prospect are just sipping the kool-aid too much.
There was rumors dating back to the middle of the season that the Jets love Josh Allen. Makes sense since in Metlife Stadium they need a bigger and strong armed quarterback to survive there. Allen can be a similar starter to a Big Ben, or at the very worst a mobile Joe Flacco. If I were the Jets and I know the fans will hate it, but he needs to sit a year to work on his mechanics. If Allen is thrown to the fire too soon I can see him struggling mightily.
Trade Alert!!! The Dolphins give the Browns their 11th, and 73rd pick this year as well as a 1st and a 2nd next year. If Adam Gase puts together another mediocre season down in Miami he will get fired. Coaches do not last long down here so I doubt he is going to roll one more year with Ryan Tannehill. He needs to go get his guy to buy himself a little more time as he develops him. Rosen is a great fit here where in the warmer weather his size will not be a problem. He can also start right away with his high floor talent.
The Broncos could go after a quarterback, but if they truly liked one I do not think they would have signed Case Keenum to sizable contract. Instead, they can find their replacement for Aqib Talib after they traded him to LA. Ward is a quickly rising prospect who has firmly taken a hold of the top corner spot in the draft. Also, partially thanks to Marshon Lattimore's success. I am skeptical of Ward who is undersized as a corner and the poor track record of their other defensive backs who went were highly drafted.
Many are going to think that the Colts go with Bradley Chubb, but if they run a 3-4 front he is not an ideal fit at all. Instead, they can look towards giving Luck a lock down guard to protect him for the next 10 years. To go along with either Matt Slauson or Jack Mewhort who signed for cheap contracts and can both play well when healthy. Nelson is also a local guy who just fits the region.
The Bucs would have taken Chubb if they hadn't already traded for JPP and took up most of his contract. Instead, they can head into another direction with Fitzpatrick to solidify their secondary. He is not the fastest, most athletic, or strongest defender in this draft. Instead, he has the highest IQ and best instincts of any secondary player in this draft. Not often does a freshman earn the responsibility of the secondary at Alabama under Nick Saban who personally coaches the unit.
The Bears have to make a decision on either trading down here or take Chubb who is not exactly a perfect scheme fit. I would lean towards Chubb being too good to pass up on. He is such a talented pass rusher that I sort of think he would be good in any system you put him. Vic Fangio is a top defensive mind who can work with him and find a way to make him the most effective. A tandem of Leonard Floyd and Bradley Chubb is just a lovely young duo to build around.
Trade Alert!!!! The Bills give the 49ers their 12th pick, 53rd pick, and a 1st next year to move up. The Bills seem hesitant to move both of their picks otherwise they would have moved up with the Colts. Instead, they can keep one and only need to sacrifice next year's first rounder for a possible franchise quarterback. I doubt they sit back and watch the Jets and Dolphins find their future signal callers and not do anything. If you read my article you already know what I think of Mayfield, but he does have great leadership qualities and grittiness that can play well up in Buffalo.
The Raiders need to help out their atrocious secondary and give Khalil Mack a compliment to clear out blockers from him. Bringing in another small school upside stud like Davenport is just what they need. Unless, of course John Gruden takes over and needs to draft a blocking receiver here. Davenport has the versatility and a skill set very similar to Mack who can mentor him moving forward.
The Browns keep loading up on picks and still land a top talent here if they sit back. They can go in many different directions here, but if I were them I would take the best player available. That would be Da'Ron Payne who can definitely out play last year's rookies Larry Ogunjobi or Caleb Brantley. Payne is not like previous Bama players with injury or worn out issues. He was only a full starter last year and with that said has a lot of upside to develop out of him. Putting him along side Myles Garrett is a scary proposition.
The 49ers are said to be in love with Sutton, which is why moving down a bit makes sense for them. I doubt it really matters to John Lynch who has shown to take players regardless of whether people think its a reach or not. For Jimmy Garoppolo to be successful they need a better target for him to throw to than Marquise Goodwin or Pierre Garcon who are nice, but not dominant number ones at this point. Sutton has that potential and brings along a Brandon Marshall skill set that will allow Jimmy not to be perfect on every throw.
The Redskins literally just signed Pernell McPhee to lighten the loss of both Trent Murphy and Junior Gallette. However, I know McPhee is not the same force he once was and bringing in more depth on the edge is a smart idea. Edmunds at only 19 is an extremely raw athlete who can dominate as he ages and builds up his strength. His instincts need work also, but again that is due to his age. He would give the Redskins a long term pass rusher to compliment Ryan Kerrigan moving forward.
The Packers are confusing to me their roster is one of the worst in the league, but they have one of the worst salary cap situations. Why did everyone label Ted Thompson as a great GM? Now after seeing Casey Hayward, and Micah Hyde be successful else where they also let Morgan Burnett walk. Now they need to find a better safety to pair with Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix their only quality defensive back. James has a ton of potential and athletic versatility that can be a big help where ever they use him on this defense.
Now that the Rams have been loading up along with the 49ers landing their franchise quarterback and the Seahawks still being led by Russell Wilson I think moving up for a quarterback this year would be a waste of time. Even with a rookie quarterback with upside this roster is not ready to win now. Instead, I think they should (whispers) tank the season while loading up on good draft picks and talent for the next two drafts. Plus, who knows maybe they get a franchise quarterback next year. McGlinchey would be a perfect fit for them with their needs at both tackle spots. Personally I think going back to right tackle would be best moving forward for him.
The Ravens smartly let Ryan Jensen get overpaid and move down to Tampa. The issue is that they have no succession plan in place for it. Joe Flacco is as mobile as a bar stool so finding better blockers in front of him is paramount if they want to be in the playoffs again. Daniels to me is as safe a prospect as Quenton Nelson on the o-line. He has a high floor skill set with great technique, athleticism, and size. I think there is more there too as he continues to develop being a pedestal in the middle of the line long term.
The Chargers would sprint to the podium to land Vea here with how badly they need defensive tackles. Last year the duo of Corey Liuget and Brandon Mebane were two of the worst defenders in the league. Bringing in a rare talent like Vea who is as big as a nose tackle, but as quick as a three-technique can be a great weapon inside to pair with Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. I just have him being taken after Payne due to his more versatile size.
Many would say a blocker here should be the pick, but Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider are two defensive guys who always lean on that side when finding talent. After letting Richard Sherman go they need to find a new corner in a bad way to take the vacant spot left by the All-Pro talent. Josh Jackson is a similar big corner with nice length and ball skills who can have them forget about Sherman. Of course, he needs to develop some in his technique and IQ, but he should be a solid player moving forward.
Sadly, I think the attempt to resurrect Jaylon Smith's career has not worked. So sad, since he was once seen as a game changing linebacker. Now he is just a liability and when Sean Lee is out he is just totally exposed. Roquan Smith is a roving linebacker with a ton of speed and the ability to command a defense. He should fit perfectly in their cover 2 system under Rod Marinelli and give them a better emergency captain if Lee goes down again.
I would not advice this pick, but this is a good fit for the Lions compared to a lot of the other remaining prospects on the board at this juncture. They desperately need a new back to help them balance out their offense and give them their first 100 yard rusher since Reggie Bush. Guice is clearly the second best back with his strength, balance, and vision to get down field. I do worry about his overall drive taking many games off last year and his lack of pass catching opportunities. Maybe he has more upside away from LSU's offense.
The Bengals have never found a proper compliment to A.J. Green and to me that has stunted their offense from being less predictable in the passing game. If they drafted a talented route runner with good speed and savvy technique like Ridley they may finally have their guy. I think this is an ideal spot for Ridley since his talent is not really a straight up number one receiver caliber, but he is a strong 1A. At the very least he will have easier opportunities across from Green garnering a lot of attention.
The Bills could very well use this pick to move up, but I would try not to if I were them since their roster does need a few upgrades to make sure they make the playoffs again. One spot of need is their corner depth where last year's first rounder Tre'Davious White is their only player of worth there. Davis is a long armed corner with great technique and is very similar to White skill wise. He should fit right in with their scheme that is very corner friendly.
Trade Alert!!! The Giants give the Rams Odell Beckham Jr and the 108th pick for the Rams 23rd, 87th and a 3rd rounder next year. The Rams are going all in on this year with their recent addition of Ndamukong Suh so this makes a lot of sense. They are trying to make noise in LA and they will certainly do it with this move. As for the Giants they get rid of a headache and land an ideal Dave Gettleman "Hog Mollie" to take the spot of the departed Justin Pugh. Hernandez should be a great addition to pair with Barkley with their first pick.
The Panthers pass rush was all a farce in my opinions headed by former defensive coordinator Steve Wilks' ability to generate schemes to create a pass rush. They need actual good players outside of Julius Peppers, and Mario Addison. Key is a perfect fit in my opinion skill wise to their system. They love long armed and quick players around the edge in their system. He is just what they need and if he stays healthy he can be a major steal here.
The Titans are a hard judge here with what direction they go in under this new regime and relatively young roster across the board. A new pass rusher never hurt with Derrick Morgan always being a very disappointing high first rounder and Brian Orakpo showing signs of age. They need more bite too to help out their young back seven. Landry is a nice designated pass rushing option to start his career similar to Shane Ray while he bulks up his strength.
The Falcons have expressed an interest in bulking up their defensive line further even after taking Tak McKinley in the first round. Grady Jarrett has been a one man show inside throughout most of his career thus far and has shown signs of wearing down towards the end of games. If they can get a better rotation to lighten the load it can help the defensive pass rush overall. Bryan is a raw talent with a lot of upside and athleticism. I am increasingly skeptical of Gators coming into the NFL lately since many have struggled. However, I cannot see a talent like Bryan slipping into the second round.
I would not be shocked if New Orleans makes a trade for OBJ seeing as how he is from the area and would fit nicely in Sean Payton's offense with Drew Brees. If not a versatile linebacker is a good move also. Their defense finally showed up last year, but they should continue to improve it to carry over that success. Evans is a versatile linebacker with great instincts and natural skill as an edge rusher along with good speed to play off the ball. He should be a good weapon for them on defense.
The Steelers really do not have many glaring needs so finding a perfect fit for them here is difficult. I would lean towards continuing to improve this secondary that has been a real issue for the over the years. Joe Haden has not been able to stay healthy for a full season and Artie Burns has not been very consistent still as he develops. Another highly athletic corner who can bring some more talent to the mix is Mike Hughes who has a ton of speed to burn. Like Burns though he still needs to develop his technique to be a more sound defender.
The Jags have said they are confident with Blake Bortles as their starter, but let's be real when every quarterback is healthy in the AFC South he's the fourth best starter. If they really want to maximize this roster they need a stronger option to emerge and pull them over the hump. Jackson has a ton of potential between his athleticism and rocket arm. He does need to bulk up a bit and continue to work on his mechanics. However, I would not be shocked if he emerges as the starter at some point this season.
The Vikings were torched defensively in their match up with the Eagles and throughout the season no one outside Xavier Rhodes at corner was able to give them any solid production. The duo of Mackensie Alexander and Trae Waynes have just not been good enough to help out Rhodes and have been a big weak point on an otherwise solid defense. Donte Jackson is another talented corner out of LSU with the potential to be a lock down corner. His speed just needs to be married with better technique to make him more reliable.
Brady has only ever been behind either Nate Solder or Matt Light at left tackle so in what may be his last year in the NFL he will be starting over at that spot with a new blindside protector. Out of all the Patriot departures I think that one is going to hurt the most next season. However, they found Solder here in a similar range and skill set to Connor Williams. I am down on him due to his finesse style of playing and lack of good tape. However, he does have a ton of talent to turn into a very nice blocker.
The Eagles really do not have many needs and if they were sneaky would try to pry OBJ away from their divisional rivals instead. However, I doubt the Giants will be willing to do that the Eagles can look into the draft for a new target. Alshon Jeffrey just underwent a Rotator Cuff surgery right after the Super Bowl and that injury takes about a year or so before you are totally back at 100%. Bringing in another towering target on the other side like St.Brown along with Mike Wallace to take the top off defenses can make this a very hard receiving corp to defend.
It's a new day in Cleveland without Joe Thomas on the roster for the first time in about 10 seasons. Sad, since they may finally find their franchise quarterback in Sam Darnold. Brown had a terrible Combine, but came back with a much better Pro Day. His tape is still very strong and proves how good of a player he can be over how fast he can run in a straight line. I think he should turn into a good steal here in the top of the second round.
The Giants are now moving into a 3-4 front that will require them to have stand up edge rushers that they currently do not have besides a mediocre Kareem Martin. They are going to try out Olivier Vernon there, but I do not think he is a perfect fit there for such a bigger end. Hubbard is a versatile athlete who can rush standing up or with his hand in the dirt. He does need to work on his technique and stamina, which is why he falls to the second round here.
The Browns continue to bring in new talent for their secondary to compliment their strong front seven. Damarious Randall is more of a move around and use in match ups type of defensive back than a true safety. For that they can bring in Justin Reid who is a high floor prospect similar to Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix when he came out. He along with Jabrill Peppers in the box can give them a nice versatile duo in the back of their defense.
The Colts found a solid corner in Quincy Wilson who should continue to get better, but they still need a few more corners to fill out the depth. Especially, after cutting Vontae Davis and not resigning Rashaan Melvin after his solid season has left the cupboard a little empty at the position. Alexander would be a first round if he did not have nagging injuries from last season that plagued him. When healthy he has a ton of speed and upside to be an excellent corner.
The Colts have had a lack of talent at linebacker for a long while now and have been throwing a bunch of mediocre players at hoping one would stick. So far none has done so. Vander Esch is a gritty linebacker with an old school nose for the football. He has good size, speed, and coverage ability also. I just worry about his one year of good production and if he has the ability to do it again moving forward.
The Bucs continue to work on their secondary by bringing in a corner to compete with Vernon Hargreaves who has been incredibly disappointing at this point of his career. I am sure they will give him another shot, but they need a better back up to groom behind Brent Grimes who is not getting any younger. Oliver much like last year's Buffalo corners who were highly regarded he is a talented athlete with very raw technique.
The Bears moved on from Josh Sitton as I predicted to go younger and save some money. Ryan Pace has actually shown a good eye for o-line talent since his time in New Orleans and now in Chicago. Last year's fifth rounder Jordan Morgan can be in the mix for the open spot, but bringing in more competition is never a bad idea. Plus, Wynn is a versatile talent who can fit well with them since they have had difficulties with everyone staying healthy.
The Broncos could use a better pass rush across from Von Miller to really round out this defense back to it's glory days. Shane Ray is a nice player, but he has never been that dominant and now he has had trouble staying healthy. Carter is a rapidly rising prospect as his raw natural talent has really displayed itself at the work outs leading up to the draft. He did look much better his final year at Georgia after being a highly sought after prospect. Maybe he can continue that upward arc into the NFL.
The Raiders continue to juice up their defensive front by landing another versatile pass rusher. Just adding Marcus Davenport is enough in my opinion. Especially, since they have invested so much in a weak secondary maybe it's time to focus on the front to help the back end out. Green is a favorite sleeper of mine with his versatility to play inside or outside. As well as his incredibly high IQ and awareness to be an active player up front at all times. He has a high floor and a nice amount of upside to be a good player right away.
The Dolphins tried to rekindle Julius Thomas' career with a reunion with Adam Gase, but it failed in spectacular fashion. If they want their new quarterback to survive it would be useful to give him an easy pass catcher to throw to in the middle of the field. Hurst is a talented athlete with a lot of upside as he continues to learn the position. He is a tad older at 25 after being in the minor leagues in baseball, but to me that just means he has less wear and tear on his tires.
The Patriots need to find better pass rushers to get after the quarterback going into next season. Even if they do get production out of Derek Rivers next year I would still look to bring in new player to rotate in or play opposite of him. Armstrong is a talented player and one of my other favorite sleeper picks. He had a slow year last season due to him being the only player of note on a poor Kansas defense. In the NFL, he has a ton of upside to groom out of him.
The Redskins corner unit is going through a bit of an upheaval after trading away Kendall Fuller and not resigning Bashaud Breeland. They still have Josh Norman and signed a perpetual injured Orlando Scandrick. They can do better across from Norman in a tough NFC East. Averett is a solid corner with a very high floor due to his sound technique. The drawback is his lack of turnovers and overall top end athleticism. In a weak corner draft he is most likely going to go sooner than he should.
I knew signing Nick Perry was a bad idea after his "breakout" year coming on his contract season. He is a lazy player who only shows up maybe twice a year with good games. Meanwhile, Clay Matthews has nothing left in the tank at this point after so may injuries and the fact he never really had top end athleticism to begin with. Thomas is an underdeveloped talent out of Miami who finally looked good under Mark Richt and should continue to improve in the NFL.
The Bengals need to improve their corner unit even after using a handful of first round selections at the position. The likes of Dre Kirkpatrick and Darqueze Dennard have just not been good enough. In a division with Antonio Brown and possibly Josh Gordon you need at least a good enough corner to slow them down. Jackson is a red flag off the field, but he has a ton of talent and athleticism to be a shut down corner. If he is clean off the field and continues to improve this could be a big steal.
Again, a rookie quarterback to this team and where the roster is right now is not going to be good enough to compete with the teams in their division. Continuing to improve the roster overall for the future requires landing a new number one receiver for when Larry Fitzgerald finally hangs it up. Cain is my favorite among this second tier of receivers with his well rounded game of speed, quickness, hands, and ability to run any route. I can see him as a faster version of Jarvis Landry at the next level or maybe a T.Y. Hilton type receiver.
If I were the Chargers I would resign Tre Boston on a cheap deal after how well he played, but for some reason he remains unsigned. If they decide to go fill the role through the draft they should have their pick of second tier guys in the second round or later. Ronnie Harrison reminds me a lot of Landon Collins when he came out of Alabama. Both are better in the box at the moment with upside to develop into a versatile play maker. So far, it has been true with Collins so maybe the same can happen to Harrison.
The Colts miss out of Saquon Barkley at the top of the draft, but land an equally good back with 80 percent of the same production at a cheaper price. Michel is everyone's favorite mid-tier back thanks to his similarities to Alvin Kamara who broke out in a big way. Much like the current Rookie of the Year, Michel has the same versatile pass catching and shiftiness in the open field that made Kamara so successful. Michel could be a gem with a healthy Andrew Luck.
The Cowboys just signed Allen Hurns who has shown some sparks, but has been inconsistent throughout his career thus far. From what it sounds like Dez Bryant could finally be cut as well so adding more pass catchers should continue. Chark is a darling this off season displaying a ton of ability at the Senior Bowl, Combine, and now at his Pro Day. Like many previous LSU offensive players held back by their incompetent play calling he could break out in the NFL where he will be properly utilized.
The Lions need a better pass rusher across from Ziggy Ansah who has been a one man show to this point and with him seeing so many double blocks it has sort of stunted his growth. If they find a better base end then they could even kick Anthony Zettel inside where his size and speed can be a better mismatch to defend. Hand is a big and strong kid who has had a lack of opportunities at Alabama, but has a lot of talent to develop. Maybe Matt Patricia can coach him up to get the most out of him.
The Ravens continue to beef up their offensive line to give Joe Flacco the best possible chance to return to his playoff glory form. Losing Ricky Wagner hurt a lot and the fact they never properly replaced him did not help either. Kolton Miller is an athletic blocker with nice length and size to be a versatile blocker. I do worry about his slight frame that needs to bulk up a bit, but his footwork and hands are up there with the best in this draft.
Well, all the worries about Reuben Foster only took a year to come to fruition. First it was his nagging injuries then it was his questionable behavior of the field that can get him suspended for a few games at the best. They already needed a better linebacker to compliment him, but now they will really need one in case if he misses games again. Leonard is a talented backer with a lot of speed and great instincts to always be around the ball. He could be another solid gem here in the second round.
The Chiefs really need to work on this defensive front to generate a more consistent pass rush outside of Justin Houston who's health is hard to depend on. McIntosh is a versatile talent on the inside with good size, length, and speed to be a handful to slow down when he is on. Much like many Miami players in this draft he was sort of under developed under Al Golden and the previous regime until Mark Richt's arrival. He should continue to get better in the NFL.
The Panthers gave up on Daryl Worely and traded him up the coast to Philly in exchange for Torrey Smith that sort of solves their receiver need. Now they have a hole across from James Bradberry who is a nice defender, but is not a true shut down number one. Nelson is a terrific talent who looked great at the Combine with his fluid movement and speed. His issue is his lack of turnovers like Averett, but again in a weak class he can be a tad of reach.
With how bad Zay Jones was last year and with how injury prone Kelvin Benjamin can be they should look to draft another receiver with their abundance of picks in this draft. Moore is a smaller receiver at 5'11" that can add a nice little wrinkle among their taller receiving corp. He has nice speed, hands, versatility, and open field vision to be a home run threat any time he catches the ball. Adding him can be a nice weapon for their new quarterback to utilize.
The Titans o-line is one of the better ones in the league, but that is coming from former head coach Mike Mularkey who was a former o-line guru. Now without him they may take a step back especially on the interior that lacks really over powering talent. Price if not for his injury at the Combine would have been a first rounder. He is expected to be ready by the start of the season so landing him here can be a nice steal for the Titans and be a quick upgrade over Ben Jones.
Under Dan Quinn the Falcons have been trying to emulate a similar defense to the one he was in charge of up in Seattle. They found their thumper safety in Keanu Neal to be their Kam Chancellor. Now they need to find their roaming center fielder to emulate Earl Thomas. Jessie Bates is a big and talented safety with high end instincts coupled with solid play making ability. However, he is still incredibly raw and young, which is why he slides to the bottom of the second round.
More help for Jimmy Garoppolo, which has to be one of the main issues that the 49ers want to solve. They have two former first round guards on their roster between Josh Garnett and Laken Tomlinson neither have shown any signs of life in the NFL to be relied on. I really like Braden Smith who looked great against Clemson's defensive line in their match up this past season. He is a gritty player with great technique and balance.
Unfortunately, the Steelers are going to be in the market for a linebacker after Ryan Shazier's injury that may never let him come back to the NFL. Even before that I thought they could use a new linebacker to replace Vince Williams who is just an okay talent. Baker is a similar style speed linebacker to Shazier minus the size. He is a tad smaller than you like at the position, but in the modern NFL his size has become in vogue. His active style in the middle can maybe lighten the loss of Shazier.
The Jags tried out Julius Thomas at the tight end spot, but that was a big time washout and waste of money. Gesicki has enjoyed a great pre-draft period flashing at the Combine and all the work outs. He has displayed his athletic gifts and his impressive size very nicely. However, many have stated he has shown to be a bit soft when battling for jump balls and has given up on drives. If he is coached up he could be a nice weapon for the Jags in the red zone and the middle of the field.
Minnesota can lose three starting tackles this off season between Shamar Stephen and Tom Johnson in free agency along with Shariff Floyd to retirement after his injury. They did add Sheldon Richardson, but he has always been a tad lazy and could go back to his slacker ways after a new contract. Settle should be a nice rotational piece to take Linval Joseph's nose tackle spot when he needs a breather. He has massive size and good footwork to mold into a more well rounded player.
More defense for the Patriots who need to slow down opposing offenses this season if they want to repeat a trip to the Super Bowl again. Jefferson is an intriguing prospect who has a lot of talent and athleticism. However, he just has not put it all together on the field between his drive, instincts, and awareness. He always seemed to be a step late or a tad out of position while at Texas. If he can get coached up and utilized in one spot that fits his skill set he may be a lightning rod on the defensive side of the ball for the Patriots.
The Browns added Carlos Hyde who can be a nice savvy pick up if he can stay healthy and produce on the field. In the likely case he gets hurt again the Browns should have a better every down back in place to take his spot. Chubb is a big and powerful back with good downfield speed to make big plays. His hands and pass blocking ability needs work after differing to Sony Michel at Georgia. Luckily for him the Browns have Duke Johnson in place for that.
The Bills should look into improving their offensive line in the draft this year. Jordan Mills is a below average right tackle and we still really don't know how good Dion Dawkins really is. I am a big fan of Jamarco Jones due to his very high floor as a blocker. He will not wow you in terms of athleticism or technique, but he does everything really well. He has the ability to be a high end right tackle and even be a solid left tackle if need be.
The Giants continue to build up this o-line to protect Eli better and open holes for Saquon Barkley. They lost Weston Richburg their solid center to the 49ers and should look to upgrade it. Ragnow is a sleeper favorite of mine due to his solid ability to hold down the line. He rarely gave up pressure while at Arkansas and up until last year never missed a game in his career. Adding him to the line along with Will Hernandez and Nate Solder will solidify their biggest issue from last season.
The Colts could use more weapons to help out Andrew Luck since his only reliable receiver is still T.Y. Hilton who puts up a lot of empty stats like OBJ. If I were them giving him a compliment on the other side of the formation can make it easier for Hilton to work and allow Luck to spread the ball around more. Kirk is a similar explosive and smaller type receiver to Hilton who can give defenses a ton of headaches.
There's no question that the Texans need to really focus on the offensive line if they want to keep Deshaun Watson healthy next season. Rankin is a finesse style of blocker and kind of reminds me of Duane Brown when he came out of Virginia Tech all those years ago. He does need to bulk up a bit and get better at maintaining his base if he wants to be more reliable. However, he is a major upgrade to anyone the Texans currently have at either tackle spots.
The Giants just cut DRC prior to free agency and the futures of Eli Apple and Janoris Jenkins are still up in the air going forward. If I were the Giants I would find more solid talent to fill out the depth. Plus, both of those guys have terrible history with staying on the field lately. Nickerson is a fast rising corner who looked solid at the Combine and has nice athleticism. He is gritty and has some of the best ball skills in the class. For the Giants he should start out as a solid slot corner.
Adding Richard Sherman to that dumb deal was just too good to pass up for the 49ers and if he plays about 80% of what he was than they won the deal. However, that is a big "if" and they should find some more depth options to fill out a weak spot on their roster. Dawson reminds me a lot of Jourdan Lewis from Michigan last year where he is plenty talented enough to play, but his small size will cause him to slide. He should be a high end slot corner for them with good twitchy talent to cover the faster receivers.
Case Keenum needs a tight end to be successful like he did in Minnesota with Kyle Rudolph. The Broncos have not had a solid tight end since Julius Thomas broke out with Peyton as his quarterback. A talented pass catcher like Mark Andrews can bring a whole new element to the middle of the field for them. He is a bit of a move tight end better out in the passing game than blocking, but he is a mismatch in the open field.
Robby Anderson may be seeing jail time at some point and Terrell Pryor is what he is at this point. The Jets need to give their new quarterback of the future a better option to grow with. Pettis is a dynamic option who has great speed and vision in the open field. In fact, he was the designated returner ahead of John Ross while they were together at Washington. The only drawback is Pettis' hands being some what unreliable at times.
The Browns have added a lot of third tier corners this off season who can fill out the depth nicely, but none of them are that good to really be a permanent number one starter. Stewart has enjoyed a fantastic pre-draft season so far displaying great talent, a nose for the ball, and a grittiness that will endear him with a coaching staff. His size may be a hindrance, but he plays bigger than that and reminds me a lot of Malcolm Butler with the same sort of upside.
Jamon Brown played well enough at right tackle last year, but I am always skeptical of really tall blockers being consistently effective. Christian is a raw blocker who many scouts love and expect him to be one of the better blockers from this class in a year or two. The 49ers are an up and coming team that can afford to let him develop and fill out his frame.
More and more defensive talent in their front seven for the Raiders who are in desperate need for it. They have had some of the worst linebackers in the league for the past few years and even after adding Tahir Whitehead the Raiders can do more at the position. Burks is a close representative to what Gruden loves in a grinder with his gritty and instinctive play. He should fit right in with what Gruden wants to do in his second stint in Oakland and should be a solid starter from day one.
I avoided corner for a bit with the Packers since they have invested some higher draft picks in recent years at the position so I looked to improve their front first. Now they can land a similar long armed and athletic corner to develop across from Kevin King. Tolliver's technique and gambling tendencies need a lot of work before he should be a lock down starter. The pedigree is here for him to turn into a top talent.
The Bengals added a great when healthy Cordy Glenn to solve their left tackle spot. However, their right tackle spot and overall talented depth on the line needs work. O'Neill a former tight end is a highly athletic prospect at the tackle spot. However, he needs to build up his technique and strength before he is ready to start. Luckily he has time to develop here since the Bengals are usually happy to remain mediocre overall.
Adding Kendall Fuller and David Amerson on a 1 year deal sort of softens the blow of losing Marcus Peters, but they should still try to find better depth. Campbell is a work out warrior with a lot of strength, speed, and potential. However, like a lot of athletes who relied on their talents never really worked on his technique and instincts. If he gets coached up he has the potential to being a solid starter.
I would not mind if the Cardinals drafted a back up quarterback here to maybe develop long term. Especially, since Sam Bradford is bound to miss some time they would be better off trotting out a potential surprise franchise qb rather than a disappointing Mike Glennon. Rudolph has a lot of talent, size, and a solid arm. The issue is the offense he is coming out of that allowed him to get away from actually reading defenses or work on his accuracy. If given some time to develop he can compete for a starting gig.
Lamar Miller has soured on the current regime and they have made it known they are open to shopping him or finding his replacement sooner rather than later. My favorite back in this class is Kerryon Johnson who has good all around ability to run the ball inside or out along with great hands and blocking ability. His grittiness and balance also helps him stand out to me as a potential gem in the later rounds.
I think moving Byron Jones to corner is a dumb idea and if it were me I would keep him at the position he has done so well at. There is no reason to upset the apple cart and potentially making him a worst player by putting too much on his plate. White like a lot of former West Virginia players is a terrific athlete with great speed and skills. However, his technique is so raw that it will take a year or two before he is ready to really contribute.
Honestly, I kind of forgot to mock Hurst earlier, but I would not be shocked if he slid due to his heat condition that could scare teams away. Not only that, but they were already skeptical of how his size would hold up in the NFL. I think he could fit in nicely in Detroit where they can use a new tackle after letting Haloti Ngata leave via free agency and A'Shawn Robinson being only good at stopping the run. Hurst can give them an inside pass rushing threat.
The Ravens stocked up on some solid receivers in free agency between Michael Crabtree and John Brown, but they can do even better. Adding a speed threat like Washington can give them a proper replacement to Mike Wallace who went up the I-95 to Philly. Washington is a bit of a one trick pony in just only ever running slants and go routes coming from a simple Oklahoma St offense. If he can develop a more refined route tree it will only serve to make him more valuable long term.
Another tackle for the Chargers who's roster has very little overall needs anywhere else. Phillips did not look great at the workouts, but I doubt a man his size will ever look that athletic outside of Vita Vea in this draft. Even after adding Vea who is versatile enough to move out of the nose tackle spot to allow Phillips to do what he does best stopping the run. Phillips does have some upside rushing the passer as his technique continues to develop.
Greg Olesen has hinted at retiring this off season and moving up to the booth calling games. At his age and increasing nagging injury history the Panthers should be looking for a secession plan anyways since Cam loves throwing to tight ends. Schultz is a similar talented all around tight end like many former Stanford tight ends to come out. He should be a solid option in the middle of the field for them.
I love Eric Berry and so do many around the league, but at his age and injury history the Chiefs need to find a new option next to him to groom into the next leader. Edmunds another Va Tech defensive back to add to this secondary can be a nice steal here. Like his brother Tremaine he is really young and raw in his technique. His athletic ceiling is not as high as his brother which is why slides, but he has talent to be a solid all around safety.
This roster is loaded and will be even more so if my trade in the first round for OBJ actually happens. That will allow them to take some luxury picks here late in the draft with their remaining picks. One can be Josh Sweat who has first round talent as a pass rusher, but his knee injuries throughout his career at Florida St will most certainly cause him to fall. He can work in a rotation here that will allow him to avoid more opportunities to get injured.
The Panthers are going to need a new guard after letting Andrew Norwell sign for a fortune else where. If I were them I would have at least franchise tagged him, but that ship has sailed. Tony Adams is a nice sleeper guard to take the spot of the departed All-Pro talent. He has good athleticism, feet, and is a rising talent as he continues to work as a former tennis player throughout most of his youth. His lack of length and size is a bit of an issue, but in today's space game he could be a perfect fit.
The Titans need to continue to upgrade the receiver unit after the lack of life that the position showed last year. Corey Davis needs to show improvement, Taywan Taylor is just a slot guy, and so is Rishard Matthews to a lesser degree. Adding another true outside option to open up more space is a smart idea. Hamilton is a similar style receiver to Chris Godwin with deceptive speed and height on the outside.
The Falcons need to diversify their receiving corp to clear out space for Julio Jones and give Matt Ryan somewhere else to go with the ball. I think the addition of Anthony Miller would be a big upgrade over the highly overrated Mohammad Sanu who is good for a fake pass highlight every so often. Miller is a slot machine in the intermediate range to move the chains and be a reliable safety valve for Ryan to dump the ball to.
The Saints are in a similar spot to the Falcons in the fact that they need a new receiver to take attention away from Michael Thomas who is still a young player who is developing. Giving him more space to run will only serve him to develop even better. Gallup is a do it all type of receiver with solid size, speed, and hands with the ability to play inside or outside. His lack of a second gear drops him a bit, but he should be a reliable target with the ceiling of a very good number two target.
I really do not see Le'Veon Bell being on the roster after this season on another franchise tag. He will have had the most carries in the league the past few seasons and is only going to continue to get older. I am not really sold on James Conner who is kind of an old school running back who came to the league a decade too late to be truly effective in his plodding smash mouth style of running. Penny is a one-cut type of runner who reminds me a lot of Arian Foster and should be a nice back to spell Bell who can eventually take over the reigns.
Losing Aaron Colvin is going to hurt more than people think due to his high end play as a slot corner that is becoming more and more important. McFadden is a scheme specific corner who needs in a press man scheme to better utilize his length and size. The Jags sort of run a similar style and he could learn from a similar sized corner to him in A.J. Bouye. He has upside to be a really good corner if he develops.
The Vikings offensive line played light years better than it did the year before, but it still needs better talent. Especially, on the inside where it got really thin down the stretch with injuries. Corbett has shown great versatility and technique to be a useful piece across the whole line. He is listed as a center, but he has the talent to play guard very well with good size and balance. I would not be shocked if he turns into a really high end player at some point.
Bill Belichick has actually been planning on losing Malcolm Butler for awhile with acquiring Eric Rowe and Stephon Gilmore who fit his scheme better. Then he added Jason McCourty the twin of Devin to their secondary. Obviously, length is a big key for Belichick now in the secondary. Tony Brown is a long athlete who has had a lot of up and down play for Alabama. However, he will be coming with the Nick Saban seal of approval that Bill loves.
LeSean McCoy is the heart and soul of this offense. However, when he is out this offense just went in reverse it seemed like. Now that he has hit 30 it will only be sooner or later that the wheels start to really come off. Especially, with how many carries he has had over his career. Royce Freeman is a solid back with good hands, size, and speed to be a breakaway threat on every touch. I think he is getting a little overlooked and has a shot at being a solid find here.
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