I love Day 2 of the NFL draft. Maybe even more so than Day 1, mainly because the value you get down here. There are still some very good players available for Day 3 of the draft, but let's get down to which teams did well yesterday and which teams didn't.
At the outset, I want to reiterate again that a true grade for any draft will come at least two years after the draft itself giving the players time to develop and a chance to contribute. There will be many players that "experts" and bloggers like me will hail as steals or condemn as reaches but in the end we have no idea how these players are going to perform at the next level because much of that depends on the players themselves. All we can do is try and project how they'll do based on the body of work they have shown us thus far. With that disclaimer out of the way, here is my Day 2 analysis.
WINNERS
Rams: I really liked what the Rams did on Day 2 of the draft. I think they rebounded well after a lackluster round 1. Brian Quick is a physical phenomenon who would've been a first round pick had he played at a major conference school. Janoris Jenkins, many think, might have been the best corner in this draft based on pure talent - it was his off-the-field issues that pushed him out of the 1st round. Jeff Fisher is a coach that will demand discipline and he's had experience in the past with talented but misguided players like Jenkins (see Adam "Pacman" Jones). Isaiah Pead is an all around running back who can stay on the field all three downs as long as he gets his pass-blocking down. And Trumaine Johnson is a physical corner that has the size, speed, and athleticism to match up with the top receivers in the NFL. I think the Rams got themselves 4 starters on day 2, and that's a heck of a rebound from their missed opportunities on Day 1.
Colts: They got Andrew Luck some weapons, and a familiar face on Day 2 of the draft. Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen were the two top tight ends in this years draft and now they'll be catching passes from Luck. T.Y. Hilton is an extremely productive receiver from Florida International. He's more of a speedy slot guy at 5'9", 183 lbs, but he's pro ready and will likely compete for a starting job right away.
Giants: I can't believe Rueben Randle from LSU lasted till the last pick of the 2nd round. I thought he'd be gone in round 1, early round 2 at worst. He's got great ball skills and he can take it to the house on any play. He's kind of a long-strider which hurts him in trying to get separation from DBs but overall he's an excellent value pick at the end of the 2nd round. On the other side of the ball, Jayron Hosley is a hard-working competitive corner that will likely factor into their nickel packages with the ability to compete for more.
Eagles: I thought Kendricks and Curry were great additions to their front seven. There's not a lot of separation between Curry and 1st round pass rushers like Ingram, in my humble opinion. Nick Foles is a project at QB that has tremendous physical tools but he needs a lot of work on his footwork and decision making - something Andy Reid loves to coach.
OTHER STEALS
LB Lavonte David at 58 to the Buccaneers
OT Cordy Glenn at 41 to the Bills
DT Jerel Worthy at 51 to the Packers
CB Josh Robinson at 66 to the Vikings
OG/C Peter Konz at 55 to the Falcons
LOSERS
Patriots: For as well as the Pats did on Day 1, I was underwhelmed by Day 2. They picked safety Tavon Wilson at 48th overall and he was a very average safety, in my opinion, who probably would've been available in round 4 or 5 today. I like DE Jake Bequette as a player, but not at 90th overall. I thought he was a slight reach and was probably a 4th round pick in my opinion. It's hard to say though as nobody is better at finding players that fit the scheme than Bill Belichick. I don't think he's that good of a drafter, but he is an excellent evaluator of talent.
Bears: I wasn't a big fan of the trade up by the Bears to pick undisciplined WR Alshon Jeffery; especially when receivers like Rueben Randle were still available. It's not Jeffery's skills I worry about, it's his inability to keep his weight down and his "me-first" mentality in the locker-room that worry me. He would've been a 1st round pick if he had his head screwed on straight, but now he'll be joining another clown in Chicago (see Brandon Marshall) in the WR meetings. I don't think he's being set up for success. I thought safety Brandon Hardin at 79 was a solid pick, but overall I couldn't get over Jeffery.
Browns: I know this is nitpicking at this point, but I couldn't get behind the Mitchell Schwartz pick when higher-rated prospects Cordy Glenn, Jonathan Martin, and Mike Adams were still available. I'm not complaining though as Glenn got snatched up by my Bills at 41. But its not like Schwartz was a bad pick, its just that, in my opinion, there were better players available. The real head-scratcher for me was DT John Hughes from Cincinnati. His tape was very average and I thought belonged in round 5 or later.
OTHER REACHES
Hillman at 67 to the Broncos
OT Lamar Holmes at 91 to the Falcons
That's it for now. Here's to your favorite team finding a gem on Day 3 of the NFL Draft!
At the outset, I want to reiterate again that a true grade for any draft will come at least two years after the draft itself giving the players time to develop and a chance to contribute. There will be many players that "experts" and bloggers like me will hail as steals or condemn as reaches but in the end we have no idea how these players are going to perform at the next level because much of that depends on the players themselves. All we can do is try and project how they'll do based on the body of work they have shown us thus far. With that disclaimer out of the way, here is my Day 2 analysis.
WINNERS
Rams: I really liked what the Rams did on Day 2 of the draft. I think they rebounded well after a lackluster round 1. Brian Quick is a physical phenomenon who would've been a first round pick had he played at a major conference school. Janoris Jenkins, many think, might have been the best corner in this draft based on pure talent - it was his off-the-field issues that pushed him out of the 1st round. Jeff Fisher is a coach that will demand discipline and he's had experience in the past with talented but misguided players like Jenkins (see Adam "Pacman" Jones). Isaiah Pead is an all around running back who can stay on the field all three downs as long as he gets his pass-blocking down. And Trumaine Johnson is a physical corner that has the size, speed, and athleticism to match up with the top receivers in the NFL. I think the Rams got themselves 4 starters on day 2, and that's a heck of a rebound from their missed opportunities on Day 1.
Colts: They got Andrew Luck some weapons, and a familiar face on Day 2 of the draft. Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen were the two top tight ends in this years draft and now they'll be catching passes from Luck. T.Y. Hilton is an extremely productive receiver from Florida International. He's more of a speedy slot guy at 5'9", 183 lbs, but he's pro ready and will likely compete for a starting job right away.
Giants: I can't believe Rueben Randle from LSU lasted till the last pick of the 2nd round. I thought he'd be gone in round 1, early round 2 at worst. He's got great ball skills and he can take it to the house on any play. He's kind of a long-strider which hurts him in trying to get separation from DBs but overall he's an excellent value pick at the end of the 2nd round. On the other side of the ball, Jayron Hosley is a hard-working competitive corner that will likely factor into their nickel packages with the ability to compete for more.
Eagles: I thought Kendricks and Curry were great additions to their front seven. There's not a lot of separation between Curry and 1st round pass rushers like Ingram, in my humble opinion. Nick Foles is a project at QB that has tremendous physical tools but he needs a lot of work on his footwork and decision making - something Andy Reid loves to coach.
OTHER STEALS
LB Lavonte David at 58 to the Buccaneers
OT Cordy Glenn at 41 to the Bills
DT Jerel Worthy at 51 to the Packers
CB Josh Robinson at 66 to the Vikings
OG/C Peter Konz at 55 to the Falcons
LOSERS
Patriots: For as well as the Pats did on Day 1, I was underwhelmed by Day 2. They picked safety Tavon Wilson at 48th overall and he was a very average safety, in my opinion, who probably would've been available in round 4 or 5 today. I like DE Jake Bequette as a player, but not at 90th overall. I thought he was a slight reach and was probably a 4th round pick in my opinion. It's hard to say though as nobody is better at finding players that fit the scheme than Bill Belichick. I don't think he's that good of a drafter, but he is an excellent evaluator of talent.
Bears: I wasn't a big fan of the trade up by the Bears to pick undisciplined WR Alshon Jeffery; especially when receivers like Rueben Randle were still available. It's not Jeffery's skills I worry about, it's his inability to keep his weight down and his "me-first" mentality in the locker-room that worry me. He would've been a 1st round pick if he had his head screwed on straight, but now he'll be joining another clown in Chicago (see Brandon Marshall) in the WR meetings. I don't think he's being set up for success. I thought safety Brandon Hardin at 79 was a solid pick, but overall I couldn't get over Jeffery.
Browns: I know this is nitpicking at this point, but I couldn't get behind the Mitchell Schwartz pick when higher-rated prospects Cordy Glenn, Jonathan Martin, and Mike Adams were still available. I'm not complaining though as Glenn got snatched up by my Bills at 41. But its not like Schwartz was a bad pick, its just that, in my opinion, there were better players available. The real head-scratcher for me was DT John Hughes from Cincinnati. His tape was very average and I thought belonged in round 5 or later.
OTHER REACHES
Hillman at 67 to the Broncos
OT Lamar Holmes at 91 to the Falcons
That's it for now. Here's to your favorite team finding a gem on Day 3 of the NFL Draft!
I agree with the Rams being a big winner on day 2 of the draft. Each player selected should be a starter and contribute.
ReplyDeleteI also think the Eagles had solid picks which addressed thier needs
I was really hoping the giants would at least get the TE from Clemson considering both of our TE's tore their ACL's in the super bowl but getting Randle that late was definitely a steal.
ReplyDelete