Thursday, April 27, 2023

2023 Draft Recap

Panthers choose Alabama QB Bryce Young with No. 1 pick of NFL draft | The  Japan Times

The first round of the NFL draft is in the books, so here are my thoughts on every selection that was made tonight.

 

1) Carolina Panthers – Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

No surprises here. Young is the first player off the board, and I think he’ll become a good quarterback down the road, just one with some limitations. I think he’ll have a rocky start as well, but Carolina is in a good position, in a weak division and a conference with very few other young quarterbacks. They still have a lot of work to do with this roster (particularly the offense) and not a lot of capital to work with, but Young is a good start.

 

2) Houston Texans – CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State

There has been a lot of smoke over the past couple weeks that the Texans might go in a different direction, but in the end they made the smart decision and took the best player on the board. Stroud is a very similar level prospect to Young, with more pure physical talent and just less creativity in his game. Stroud will need to work to adjust to an NFL offensive system, but once he gets up to speed, he has the arm, accuracy, and intelligence to tear defenses apart.

 

3) Houston Texans – Will Anderson, EDGE, Alabama

I don’t love what just happened here. Houston’s top priority should have been to build up talent around Stroud on offense, and instead they threw a bunch of draft capital at a defender. Anderson is very good and very versatile, but not the sort of freakish athlete that typically dominates as a pass rusher. Anderson at three isn’t a tremendous reach, but Houston trading up to get him is questionable.

 

4) Indianapolis Colts – Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

The Colts have been very clear that they want to get a quarterback this year, and they had their pick of two of the top four here. They went with Richardson, the high-upside freak athlete who is more polished than more people think. He knows how to operate an NFL offense, and he just needs experience to speed up his process. There are some reasons to be concerned about his accuracy, but I think he should be able to get that up to at least average, which will be enough when combined with his arm strength and athleticism.

 

5) Seattle Seahawks – Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois

This is the first huge surprise of the draft. I don’t think I saw any mock drafts with Witherspoon going this high, but Pete Carroll does love his defensive backs, especially defensive backs that can hit people like Witherspoon can. I think he’ll be a good pro, but he isn’t particularly big or athletic, and there were better options available at this spot.

 

6) Arizona Cardinals – Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State

Johnson was rumored for Arizona a lot over the past week as a possibility for the third overall pick, apparently under pressure from Kyler Murray. Getting him three slots lower is better, though it’s still a bit of a reach. He’s a very good athlete who still has some holes in his technique, and the Cardinals certainly need help on the defensive side too. But it’s hard to be too mad about anything they’ve done after adding all that draft value from Houston.

 

7) Las Vegas Raiders – Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech

Wilson’s projection has been all over the place the past couple weeks, with some speculating the high-upside edge rusher could go as high as number two, or slide out of the first round because of medical concerns. This feels like a good spot for him though. He’s physically spectacular, with incredible size and strength and the sort of flexibility you just don’t see from guys his size. The big concern is that he’s not that explosive, but he’s a good complement with the speedy Maxx Crosby.

 

8) Atlanta Falcons – Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas

I saw people speculating about this for a while, but it still comes as a huge surprise. Robinson is a great player, one of the best running backs I’ve studied. But he’s also a running back, going to a team that just got a good rookie season from a fifth round running back. I get that Arthur Smith wants a run-first offense, but this team has so many other pressing needs to throw a top ten pick at a luxury like this.

 

9) Philadelphia Eagles – Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia

I guess I get why some teams would be scared away from Carter, but it feels like the entire NFL just made a mistake letting a team that was just in the Super Bowl get the best player in the draft at a major position of need. Carter is a game-wrecking force who will elevate a defensive line that is talented but aging, and allow them to make the best use of last year’s first-round selection Jordan Davis.

 

10) Chicago Bears – Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee

Wright wasn’t my favorite lineman on the board, but this isn’t an egregious reach. He tested as a very good athlete despite looking middling on the field, and he has the experience to slide without much trouble into the starting lineup right away. He’s inconsistent but has moments on tape where he shut down elite pass rushers, and the Bears don’t have to juggle their offensive line too much to put him in at right tackle.

 

11) Tennessee Titans – Peter Skoronski, OT/OG, Northwestern

This pick makes a lot of sense, which is why I had it in both of my mock drafts. When Tennessee was a playoff team a couple years ago it was on the strength of an overwhelming offensive line, but that line has fallen to pieces over the past couple years. Skoronski may end up being a guard in the long-term because of his short stature, but it’s worth giving him a shot at left tackle for an offensive line that desperately needs help at pretty much every position.

 

12) Detroit Lions – Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama

If Atlanta’s pick is bizarre, this one is utterly baffling. I saw a few people speculate Gibbs might sneak into the very end of the first round, but nothing that had him going anywhere near this high. He almost certainly would have been available when the Lions picked later, and I can’t imagine what they were thinking with this selection. He’s a fun player with good athletic ability and receiving skills, but the Lions already have a decent option there in D’Andre Swift.

 

13) Green Bay Packers – Lukas Van Ness, EDGE, Iowa

Apparently Green Bay’s unwillingness to invest in receiving talent wasn’t some personal vendetta against Aaron Rodgers. With every wide receiver and tight end still on the board, they decided to grab the freakishly athletic but totally raw defensive end out of Iowa. Van Ness put up numbers at the Combine that are rare for a person of his size, and that matters at edge rusher more than at any other position. But in college he mostly just ran forward and slammed into the blocker in front of him, which isn’t a great strategy against NFL linemen.

 

14) Pittsburgh Steelers – Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia

It’s normally not a great idea to trade up in the first round for a non-quarterback, but with three of the top four linemen off the board the Steelers decided to grab the last of the elite players there. Jones is a freakishly gifted athlete who is still figuring out the position, and he’ll have to learn on the fly protecting Kenny Pickett’s blind side. In a couple years this will pretty much look like either a brilliant pick or a catastrophic mistake, depending on how the Steelers can develop this talent.

 

15) New York Jets – Will McDonald, EDGE, Iowa State

We did it! A first-round pick from Iowa State! The first since 1973, giving Indiana the longest drought among power-5 teams (since 1994). This is too high for McDonald, especially with better edge rushers on the board. But he’s athletic and has a history of production, and will just have to figure out how to play in the NFL with such a small frame.

 

16) Washington Commanders – Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State

The cornerbacks have been sliding down the board all night, and it is a surprise that, with their pick of the position, the Commanders decided to go with Forbes. Forbes has great coverage skills and incredible interception production, and the big red flag about him is that he’s that he’s built like a twig. If he can hold up though, this isn’t the most insane reach of the night.

 

17) New England Patriots – Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

This is a less surprising cornerback selection. I’m not as a big a fan of Gonzalez as most people, but I think his athletic upside is worth grabbing here. He goes to a good situation in New England where he’ll be trained to make the best use of these attributes while also being put in position to not expose his vulnerabilities.

 

18) Detroit Lions – Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa

The Lions seem committed to destroying whatever goodwill they’ve built up with the NFL media over the past year. Campbell is another player who impressed me in what limited tape I’ve seen of him, but because of his position value no one expected him to go this high. An elite linebacker can be huge for a defense, but getting those coverage skills to translate from college to pro is very difficult and very hard to project.

 

19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh

This is maybe a little too rich for someone with as much downside as Kancey, but it’s hard not to get excited by what he brings as a pass rusher. He is incredibly quick in tight spaces and has excellent hands, but it’s hard to know whether or not he can hold up in run defense. I worry that he may just be a situational player, but in those situations he will be absolutely lethal.

 

20) Seattle Seahawks – Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State

Smith-Njigba should have gone higher than this, and he’s basically a perfect fit in Seattle. He can jump in immediately as a slot wide receiver and create easy separation underneath, while developing his game to become a complete receiver by the time Tyler Lockett is done. The only real weakness in his game is the lack of elite straightline speed, and the Seahawks have that covered with DK Metcalf. This may be the best pick in the draft so far.

 

21) Los Angeles Chargers – Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU

The talk all offseason has been that the Chargers need to get some speed to go along with their towering receivers on the outside. So they went out and drafted the one big receiver available in the draft. Johnston plays smaller than he is though, and he’s actually at his best working over the middle of the field and making plays after the catch. He was the best receiver available after Smith-Njigba, though I do question the fit in what should be transitioning to a more vertical offense.

 

22) Baltimore Ravens – Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College

Another wide receiver. The Ravens managed to lock up Lamar Jackson earlier today, and now they make him even happier by giving him a receiver he can count on to get open. Flowers has the best pure speed of the top receivers in the draft, but it’s still just okay speed, not the sort of player who can fundamentally shift opposing defenses. He’s small as well and struggles with press coverage, but his ability to create separation with his subtle route-running will make him a quality number two option for a long time.

 

23) Minnesota Vikings – Jordan Addison, WR, USC

Make that four straight receivers. Addison is a very similar player to Flowers, an elite route-runner who doesn’t have great size and didn’t test superbly. He’ll be a great addition alongside Justin Jefferson, who should help take most of the coverage focus away. Personally I would have addressed the defense here, with good options available at pass rusher and cornerback. But if the Vikings wanted to improve their offense, Addison was the best option available.

 

24) New York Giants – Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland

I doubt the Giants expected Banks to be available for them, so they are pleased to be able to add an elite athlete on the defensive back end. Banks has elite speed but I worry about his ability to change direction and his age. In the right scheme he can be a solid player, maybe even with superstar potential. But ask him to do much outside his comfort zone and you could run into problems.

 

25) Buffalo Bills – Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah

I haven’t watched much film of Kincaid, so I can’t comment on him too much except to say he’s a phenomenal athlete who is more of a receiver than a tight end. It’s an interesting choice for Buffalo, who already has a few pretty good weapons including tight end Dawson Knox. And tight end is a position that has historically been difficult to select in the first round, which makes me even warier of this selection.

 

26) Dallas Cowboys – Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan

I haven’t really watched Smith, and I think it’s a bit of a stretch for a team to take a run-first defensive tackle in the first round unless he is an absolutely dominant player. But the Cowboys do need help on the defensive side, especially against the run. There were other players I liked available here, but it’s hard to fault them too much for this pick.

 

27) Jacksonville Jaguars – Anton Harrison, OT/OG, Oklahoma

This is a quality selection by the Jaguars. They need to do a better job protecting Trevor Lawrence, especially with the news that left tackle Cam Robinson is facing a suspension to start the year. Harrison could take over for him at that spot, bounce to right tackle, or slide into guard. He isn’t the elite athlete like the linemen who went higher in the draft, but he’s an experienced and skilled player who will turn into a solid if unspectacular starter.

 

28) Cincinnati Bengals – Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson

This is another of the best selections in the draft. Murphy never developed more than a pure speed rush in college, but his speed rush is impressive, and players with his combination of size and athleticism simply aren’t available this late in the draft. Pass rush isn’t the biggest need the Bengals had, but there weren’t any glaring holes they needed to fill, so grabbing the best player available is perfectly fine.

 

29) New Orleans Saints – Brian Bresee, DT, Clemson

Another run-stuffing defensive tackle, though with Bresee I think there’s some potential to develop into a more dynamic player down the road. He doesn’t have the biggest range, but he plays well with his hands and does a good job shedding off contact. And the Saints desperately need youth on their defense. I would have targeted a more valuable position like pass rush or cornerback, but Bresee is a good high-upside selection at this point.

 

30) Philadelphia Eagles – Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia

I’m not as big a fan of Smith as most people, but this isn’t too ridiculous of a value here. He is absolutely explosive with every step he takes, and he just needs to figure out how to make these steps actually worthwhile. He’s a bit on the small side, but with the massive and powerful players the Eagles have on the interior, they can afford being a little light on the outside.

 

31) Kansas City Chiefs – Felix Anudike-Uzomah, EDGE, Kansas State

I don’t know much about Anudike-Uzomah. His athletic testing doesn’t jump off the board, and this is higher than I saw him going in most mock drafts. But with so many people expecting Kansas City to try to add an offensive weapon here, I kind of like them addressing the defensive side of the ball. They’ve scrounged together talent there the past few seasons and managed to come together at the right time, but they could certainly use some youth to help them get after opposing quarterbacks to keep all the weight from being on their offense’s shoulders.

 

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

2023 Mock Draft: This Time for Real

 Bryce Young Hints at Panthers No. 1 Selection

Only one day remains until the draft, so it’s time for my attempt to predict what is actually going to happen. There are always wild rumors flying around at this time of year, and I’m probably a little too plugged-in for my own good. I did my best to sort through all this nonsense however, to try to lay out what I think is the likeliest scenario for tomorrow night.

 

1) Carolina Panthers – Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

This has been down to Bryce Young or CJ Stroud for a while, and most recent signs point to Young. I still think there’s a better chance than most prognosticators are giving that they’ll end up taking Stroud, but in the end I think the scale is still slightly tipped towards Young. This isn’t the pairing I think makes most sense on paper, but Young has the skills to be an exciting playmaker, if he can overcome his other limitations.

 

2) Houston Texans – CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State

This is where the draft gets interesting. Because there is a clear top-two among the quarterbacks, and the Texans have a desperate need at that position, but every recent report has them pointed away from Stroud, perhaps even to a non-quarterback. I’m not sure I buy that, but I’m also not sure what they would gain from putting false information out there. If the Texans really are out on Stroud though, I think there’s a decent chance they’ll be able to sell this pick to someone who does consider him a top prospect.

 

3) Arizona Cardinals – Will Anderson, EDGE, Alabama

This spot is hot trade territory, especially if one of the top two quarterbacks fall. But if the Cardinals end up staying here, I think Anderson is the pick. I don’t love his fit in their defense, but it will be intriguing to see how they manage a group of athletic and versatile young linebackers to try to put something together on a defense that has been neglected for several years. There have also been a couple other names here rumored lately, the main ones being the higher-upside Tyree Wilson or else Paris Johnson to help their offense.

 

4) Indianapolis Colts – Will Levis, QB, Kentucky

The Colts have made no secret that they plan to use this pick on a quarterback, but at this point it remains very unclear which quarterback they prefer. There’s been so much smoke around the position over the past couple weeks, and at this point it feels like an exercise in futility to try to predict where they’re going to go. But it’s easy to imagine a team falling in love with Levis, with his impressive physical tools and experience in an NFL-style offense.

 

5) Seattle Seahawks – Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia

Carter is a difficult one to predict because he fits with basically every team between 5 and 10, but any one of them could decide he’s not worth the risk with his off-field concerns. I don’t think he’ll have much of a slide though, as Seattle is a team that has shown a willingness to take on risks in the past.

 

6) Detroit Lions – Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois

Detroit rebuilt their cornerback room in free agency, but they may not be done yet. Witherspoon has tremendous tape in coverage, and he brings an attitude and physicality to the field that it’s easy to see Dan Campbell falling in love with. I worry that lack of elite athleticism may limit him to being just a pretty good outside cornerback, but that’s still a valuable player, and if the Lions want to they can probably turn him into a very dangerous weapon in the slot.

 

7) Las Vegas Raiders – Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

The Raiders could use a quarterback, but most indicators are pointing to them going cornerback at this spot. Gonzalez is a superb athlete who showed moments of elite coverage on the field, and in the long-run he has the potential to be one of the best players in this class. The Raiders have been a disaster in coverage for a decade now, so it’s hard to blame them for prioritizing someone with genuine talent on the outside.

 

8) Atlanta Falcons – Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech

Atlanta would be a great destination for Wilson. With his size and strength the current NFL player he most resembles is Calais Campbell, who just so happens to be in Atlanta now. They would form an excellent rotation—the rookie still learning the position and the veteran needing a breather so he can continue to go all-out—and Campbell can teach Wilson some tricks for when he takes over full-time.

 

9) Chicago Bears – Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State

The Bears hold their breath and manage to come out with the best linemen in the class. Johnson’s stock has been rising lately, and there are reports he could go as high as three, or that some team could try to trade up for him. If he isn’t available, I still think the Bears address the offensive line here, either with the versatile Peter Skoronski or the athletic but raw Broderick Jones.

 

10) Philadelphia Eagles – Lukas Van Ness, EDGE, Iowa

Van Ness is going to go a lot higher than he deserves, and Philadelphia feels like a team that could fall in love with him. He has elite athleticism like other pass-rushers they’ve targeted, and at times he uses that speed and strength to make stunning plays shedding blockers to get into the backfield. Most of the time though he just charges straight ahead into an offensive lineman’s chest, and it will take a lot of work to turn him into a player worthy of this selection.

 

11) Tennessee Titans – Peter Skoronski, OT/OG, Northwestern

Tennessee would make a lot of sense as a destination if Will Levis falls. He’s basically a younger version of Ryan Tannehill, and they seem mostly done with Malik Willis after an awful rookie year. But this team has much bigger problems, specifically an offensive line that has fallen to pieces over the past couple years. Skoronski may have some vulnerabilities as a pass protector, but he blows people off the ball in the running game, and it’s fun to imagine Derrick Henry charging downhill behind him.

 

12) Houston Texans – Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State

This has become a popular pick in a lot of mock drafts. Smith-Njigba has the best tape of any wide receiver in the draft, but he’ll likely slide outside of the top ten because of concerns about his health and his lack of experience playing outside the slot. Whoever Houston ends up taking at quarterback, they’re going to need to give him someone better to throw to than Nico Collins and Noah Brown.

 

13) Green Bay Packers – Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia

The Packers jumped up two spots as part of the Aaron Rodgers trade, which makes a lot of sense if they are targeting an offensive lineman. Jones has plenty of rough patches and little experience as a starter, but the Packers appear to be entering a year or two of rebuilding, so they can let him work through his issues before eventually replacing David Bakhtiari as the cornerstone of their offensive line.

 

14) New England Patriots – Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland

The Patriots should probably address their offense to give some help to Mac Jones, but there aren’t really great values at either wide receiver or offensive line here. So they are the team to go for Banks, a long and athletic cornerback who would slide in perfectly in a secondary that has seen a lot of talent walk out the door the past few years.

 

15) New York Jets – Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson

Murphy ends up sliding down the board some on draft night with concerns that his tape doesn’t match the player he appears to be on paper. He is big and explosive but doesn’t have much in the way of pass-rushing technique. But the Jets could use someone like that on defense, someone to show up on passing situations and try to win with pure speed while their cornerbacks play physical and aggressive on the back end.

 

16) Washington Commanders – Joey Porter, CB, Penn State

Porter is a big, aggressive, physical cornerback, something Washington desperately needs on their defense. They’ve put a ton of resources into building their front seven, but they still haven’t been able to put forth a consistent performance on that side of the ball, largely because they can’t trust their coverage on the back end. With their pass rush, they should have the freedom to walk Porter up to the line and let him fight receivers where he’s at his best, without too many concerns about his middling speed leaving him vulnerable to deep passes over his head.

 

17) Pittsburgh Steelers – Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee

Pittsburgh is one of the most consistently readable teams prior to the draft, and they’ve been very clear that they are targeting an offensive lineman in the first round. In this scenario one of the top four is still available to them, but if an early run starts on draft night, they could move aggressively to make sure they lock down a selection. They may have to do some juggling on the line if they select Wright, who played his best football after switching to the right side at Tennessee. But he’s a good athlete with solid technique who can start right away.

 

18) Detroit Lions – Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas

Robinson is going to go in the first round, and it’s just a question of which team is willing to throw wisdom to the side and gamble that this running back is different. Detroit seems like a good fit, with a front office and coach that bring an old-school mentality and a roster that has young players at most other positions that could convince them they don’t have too many other holes to fill.

 

19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

I have a feeling one of these quarterbacks is going to slide farther than we expect. Maybe not all the way to 19 (there are several teams in this range I could see jumping up by 5 to 10 spots if someone starts to fall), but I don’t think all four will go in the top ten. Richardson is a bit of a gamble, and it’s easy to imagine general managers and coaches being scared to tie their future to him. It’s also easy to imagine someone falling in love and taking him as high as second overall, so once again the quarterback position is kind of a nightmare to predict.

 

20) Seattle Seahawks – Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame

Mayer is an interesting prospect with a wide range out of outcomes. He comes out of college as one of the most consistent and productive tight end prospects we've seen, but he doesn't have the athleticism of other tight ends who could jump him like Dalton Kincaid or Darnell Washington. Seattle is another team that could take a run at a quarterback if he slides, but with the best options off the board they decide to give another weapon to Geno Smith instead.

 

21) Los Angeles Chargers – Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College

The Chargers desperately need speed at wide receiver, and Flowers is the best speed option in the draft. His biggest drawback is that he’s tiny, but with Mike Williams and Keenan Allen the Chargers have plenty of size on the outside. Flowers can work in the slot or on the edge, with route-running to create separation underneath and speed to force defenses to finally respect Justin Herbert’s cannon of an arm.

 

22) Baltimore Ravens – Jordan Addison, WR, USC

Baltimore’s inability to add quality receiving targets has been a big part of the frustrations that have developed with Lamar Jackson, so this could mollify him a little. They have a new offensive coordinator they are hoping will open the offense up some to take advantage of Jackson’s skill as a passer, hopefully a more sustainable path for the rest of his career than the run-first approach he’s had to this point. Addison will certainly be a useful piece to this puzzle, a receiver who may not have superstar upside but consistently is able to generate separation with his skill as a route-runner.

 

23) Minnesota Vikings – Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh

I can’t buy into the Hendon Hooker hype. I just can’t. He may very well go in the first round, but Minnesota isn’t going to be the place. They just spent the entire offseason targeting free agents who are 25 or younger, so there’s no way they are going to go after the oldest first-round quarterback since Brandon Weeden. They have too many needs on the defensive side of the ball, where I’ll give them a young, athletic pass-rushing force on the interior.

(I decided to go for the vocal denial over the reverse-jinx. I hope it works.)

 

24) Jacksonville Jaguars – O’Cyrus Torrence, OG, Florida

Jacksonville continues to build out their offense. What they really need is a genuine top receiver, but there isn’t someone like that to be found at this point in the draft, so they’ll settle for their deep corps of number twos. Torrence will offer some stability directly in front of Trevor Lawrence, as a very strong, very smart pass protector who will form a strong pocket in front of their young quarterback.

 

25) New York Giants – Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU

The Giants invested a ton of money in Daniel Jones this offseason, so now would be a good time to get him some weapons. Johnston is a very strange prospect—a giant wide receiver in a class of tiny options, who excels at the things you normally expect a small receiver to excel at while playing far smaller than his size at the catch point. He’ll take some time to develop, but I think his talent is too much to let slide out of the first round.

 

26) Dallas Cowboys – Brian Branch, CB/S, Alabama

Dallas has a very good pass rush, but their coverage has been inconsistent for the past two years. Trevon Diggs is up and down on the outside, but they’ll live with his mistakes if he can continue to produce turnovers. Adding someone like Branch in the slot will help, taking away easy completions and forcing quarterbacks to be more aggressive attacking Diggs on the edge.

 

27) Buffalo Bills – Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State

One of the first things the Bills did after drafting Josh Allen was to build a solid offensive line in front of him. That line has faded over the past couple years, and at this point it’s on the verge of becoming a genuine liability. Jones is a phenomenally gifted player with size that makes him a challenge for any pass-rusher that comes his way, and the skills to be truly physically dominant with a couple years of development.

 

28) Cincinnati Bengals – Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State

Forbes is pushed down the board because he’s as skinny as it is possible to be (only 166 pounds while standing 6-1, he looks like he might snap in half on every play). But he put together excellent tape in coverage, to go along with interception numbers that the other cornerbacks in this class can’t touch. Cincinnati will happily take a productive threat on the outside, and see in the long-run whether his ludicrous frame poses any issues.

 

29) New Orleans Saints – Will McDonald, EDGE, Iowa State

This is as much a wish as it is a prediction. I like McDonald as a player, but more importantly, I like him as a first-round Cyclone. Iowa State hasn’t had a first-round pick since 1973. The only other “Power 5” school who hasn’t had a first-round pick in the past 15 drafts is Indiana, and even they only go back to 1994. The Saints could use a young pass-rusher as well, and McDonald has the athletic ability to develop into a really good one.

 

30) Philadelphia Eagles – Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia

Ringo’s stock has been sliding since the season ended and people started really diving into his tape. Some scouts think he would be better moved to safety, but I think he’ll at least get a chance early on at cornerback. He has good size and ran a 4.36 in the forty, and in college he seemed to turn it on to produce big plays at crucial moments. His tape as a whole is pretty disappointing, but Philadelphia has the luxury to wait a year or two to let him develop while their veteran cornerbacks run out their careers.

 

31) Kansas City Chiefs – Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee

Kansas City won the Super Bowl on the back of an explosive offense, so it feels weird to say they struggled at receiver, but it was a position of consistent problem. The combination of Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid is enough to make any offense go, but I think they’d still like another downfield threat. Hyatt isn’t Tyreek Hill fast, but he was a dangerous deep threat in college, with the athletic ability to develop more parts of his game with good coaching at the next level.