The Daily Briefing Monday, April 27, 2020
AROUND THE NFLDaily Briefing |
| So there were 270 million Americans who didn’t watch the NFL Draft? We don’t believe it. NFL.com:
The 2020 NFL Draft was unique and historic in more ways than one. Not only was this year’s version of the annual Player Selection Meeting the first completely virtual operation, it was the most watched ever.
Broadcast on NFL Network, ESPN, ABC, ESPN Deportes and digital channels, the draft reached a total of more than 55 million viewers over the three-day event, according to a league press release, with the average audience for the weekend of over 8.4 million viewers growing 35 percent over the 2019 draft.
Each day of the 2020 NFL Draft established new highs as an average audience of over 15.6 million viewers watched Round 1 on Thursday (+37 percent vs. 2019), over 8.2 million viewers watched Rounds 2 and 3 on Friday (+40 percent vs. 2019), and over 4.2 million viewers watched Rounds 4-7 on Saturday (+32 percent vs. 2019).
With the help of donations made during “NFL Draft-A-Thon Live,” the NFL family has raised more than $100 million in COVID-19 relief.
Funds raised during Draft-A-Thon will help support six national nonprofit organizations and their respective COVID-19 relief efforts. Fans can continue to donate at NFL.com/Relief. Scattered with each team are the grades of Mel Kiper Jr. Most everyone gets a B+, B or C+ and the comments don’t seem to match the grades in some cases. We also mix in the 1 to 32 rankings of Dane Brugler. One difference, veterans acquired for picks like MINKAH FITZPATRICK or TRENT WILLIAMS count for Kiper, but Brugler just looks at the draft haul Both liked the Ravens the best. – – – And this about the National Champs from Chase Goodbread of NFL.com: LSU placed 14 players in the three-day draft, a record-tying total that was by far the most of any school. Ohio State produced 14 draftees in 2004 to set the mark for the draft’s seven-round era. LSU also tied a record for the most players picked in the first three rounds with 10, again knotting them with Ohio State (2016).
It began with QB Joe Burrow as the No. 1 overall pick to the Cincinnati Bengals, followed by four more first-rounders: LB K’lavon Chaisson (Jaguars, No. 20), WR Justin Jefferson (Vikings, No. 22), LB Patrick Queen (Ravens, No. 28) and RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Chiefs, No. 32). Also selected from LSU: S Grant Delpit (Browns), CB Kristian Fulton (Titans), OL Damien Lewis (Seahawks), OL Lloyd Cushenberry (Broncos), LB Jacob Phillips (Browns), OL Saahdiq Charles (Redskins), DT Rashard Lawrence (Cardinals), LS Blake Ferguson (Dolphins) and TE Stephen Sullivan (Seahawks).
Ohio State and Michigan had 10 players each selected, followed by Alabama with nine, and four more with seven each (Florida, Georgia, Clemson, and Utah).
As it has for many years, the Southeastern Conference led all college leagues in draft selections with 63, including a record 15 first-round selections. The Big Ten contributed 48, followed by the Pac-12 (32), ACC (27) and Big 12 (21). The American Athletic Conference led the Group of Five leagues with 17 picks. Michigan with 10 players drafted! Five were in the 6th round. Chances are none of them will be the most famous Michigan player ever drafted in the 6th round. 1 24 NOR Cesar Ruiz C 2 60 NWE Josh Uche LB 4 143 BAL Ben Bredeson G 5 162 WAS Khaleke Hudson LB 5 177 KAN Michael Danna DE 6 182 NWE Michael Onwenu G 6 187 CLE Donovan Peoples-Jones WR 6 192 GNB Jon Runyan OT 6 205 MIN Josh Metellus S 6 213 IND Jordan Glasgow LB – – – Peter King liked the optics of the remote draft:
What the 2020 NFL Draft would have been like, Vegas style: Roger Goodell, from an island in the middle of the luxe pond just off the Strip in Las Vegas, announces to the crowd of 750,000 and to America: “With the 24th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints select Cesar Ruiz, center, Michigan.” . . . The ESPN camera posted on a high wall in the Saints draft room shows a grainy coach Sean Payton and GM Mickey Loomis high-fiving . . . As three cameras zoom in on him, Ruiz, in his $3,000 custom-made suit, steps onto a little boat to take him to a red carpet . . . He puts on a Saints cap, climbs onto the red carpet to fireworks overhead, fountains pulsing on all sides of him . . . Ruiz approaches Goodell, and though he is a humble kid who’d never do this in real life, chest-bumps the NFL commissioner. They bearhug. For the cameras, Goodell holds up the black-and-gold Saints jersey with RUIZ on the back. The crowd of 750,000 goes nuts. A fist-pumping Ruiz beams in this manufactured moment.
What the 2020 NFL Draft actually was, pandemic style:
Roger Goodell, tie-less, from his wood-paneled basement 15 miles north of New York City, announces with not much verve: “With the 24th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints select Cesar Ruiz, center, Michigan.” . . . An iPhone on a portable tripod shoots Ruiz, in a camo T-shirt, live in his modest family home in rugged Camden, N.J. He dons a Saints cap and bawls, overcome by the moment. His mom, the rock of the family after his good-Samaritan dad was struck and killed by a car when he stopped to help a stranded driver change a tire in 2007, envelops Cesar as he weeps . . . Saints coach Sean Payton—in a hoodie, son Connor to his side, a bag of Twizzlers in front of him—watches the pick on TV in his living room. Across town at his home, GM Mickey Loomis gets a hug from son Sam, with daughter Lucy beaming nearby . . . A small group of friends and family in the Ruiz home whoop it up . . . There is no Saints jersey, no crowd of 750,000. There is middle-class America, as a family celebrates its finest hour.
Glitzy/glamorous NFL, or humble/Americana NFL. What’s better?
We saw this weekend what’s better.
It took a murderous virus to humanize the money machine that is the NFL, and to humanize a cold man who might have had his finest moment as commissioner, and to humanize the steely coach feeding treats to his miniature Husky. But that’s exactly what happened in this technologically scotch-taped 85th NFL Draft. For three days in the sports-starved United States, it was just what we needed—the one thing on the sports calendar that wasn’t cancelled, presented with the humility these times demanded.
One story: This was Joe Douglas’ first draft as the GM of the New York Jets. He’d risen through the scouting departments of the Ravens and Bears and Eagles to this mountainous gig. He’d have to draft from the impromptu setup in his New Jersey home, not in his comfort zone of the Jets draft room. His wife, Shannon, offered to keep their three children in the basement, away from his temp draft room, but he said no, he wanted them to experience it. Shannon used her iPhone to video his first pick—tackle Mekhi Becton—from just outside the room Thursday night, and when it was done, the kids burst in. His 13-year-old daughter, Addison, hugged him and said, “I am so proud of you, Dad!”
“All right, Addison,” Douglas said. “You’re making me misty here.”
The burly Douglas got misty on national TV, with about 16 million people watching. There was a lot of emotion in the best NFL draft I’ve ever seen. – – – And give credit to Goodell. This was the best achievement of his 13-year term since the midnight CBA agreement in late July 2011. He thought the technology was there for teams to handle drafting from their homes; it was. He thought America needed three days of sporting normal; it did. He thought a more humble, lower-key draft was the way to go; it was.
“I want you to quote me on this,” Denver GM and VP John Elway told me Friday night. “Roger Goodell had a lot of pressure on him entering this draft. I will tell you a lot of GMs and some owners didn’t want it to happen right now, but Roger held strong. He had forethought about what this country was going through, with people quarantined, missing sports, needing some normalcy. I just think he deserves a hell of a lot of credit for standing up and going forward with this. That’s great leadership.”
I wouldn’t call the 2020 NFL Draft a healing moment for the country, or something that sappily dramatic. Rather, it was a needed event, done well, hitting the right notes. As Loomis said: “It was just . . . [pause] . . . human.” Great to see. |
| NFC NORTH |
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CHICAGO KIPER’S GRADE Chicago Bears: C+ Top needs: WR, OT, TE, CB I’ll admit, this one is tough for me. How do we grade the draft for a team that has no picks in Rounds 1, 3 or 4? Luckily it had an extra second-rounder from the Khalil Mack trade. And it gets credit for using one of those picks on quarterback Nick Foles, even if the Bears have to eat his hefty contract.
The Bears are trying to win now, bringing in Foles and veterans Jimmy Graham and Robert Quinn. But do they have the roster to win now? How good is this team really? Coming off an 8-8 season and big-time regression from former No. 2 overall pick Mitchell Trubisky, the Chicago defense still has a ton of talent. If the quarterback doesn’t turn the ball over, it could try to ride the defense to the playoffs again, but the NFC North is really tough, and Foles and Trubisky haven’t shown that they can consistently play at more than an average level.
So with limited draft capital, I do like the two second-round picks. Cole Kmet (43) is the clear best tight end in this class, and he will help Foles or Trubisky in the passing game and has the potential to develop into a solid blocker in the run game. Yes, the Bears brought in Graham, but they had zero tight ends gain 100 yards last season. And I thought cornerback Jaylon Johnson (50) had a chance to be picked at the end of Round 1, but a shoulder injury hampered his 2019 season and hurt his evaluations. Still, this could be two starters for Chicago.
BRUGLER RANK: 22
Favorite pick: Jaylon Johnson, CB, Utah I don’t think Johnson has an elite trait, but he is solid across the board and doesn’t really have a fatal flaw as a cover man. He can play inside-outside, press-man or zone and he owns the mentality that could earn him a starting role in training camp.
NAME POS COLLEGE 2/43 Cole Kmet TE Notre Dame 2/50 Jaylon Johnson CB Utah 5/155 Trevis Gipson OLB Tulsa 5/163 Kindle Vildor CB Georgia Southern 5/173 Darnell Mooney WR Tulane 7/226 Arlington Hambright OT Colorado 7/227 Lachavious Simmons OT Tennessee State |
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DETROIT KIPER’S GRADE Detroit Lions: B Top needs: CB, Edge, DT, G it needed to fix a D that gave up 4,551 passing yards, the most in the league, and also had only seven interceptions, which was tied for fewest in the league.
Top pick Jeff Okudah (3) will fit; he’s a physical, athletic man-to-man cover guy who has some swagger and should be the Lions’ top corner as a rookie. I know Patricia and Quinn were tempted by defensive tackle Derrick Brown there, but they stuck with their biggest need and got the best cornerback in the class.
On Day 2, Detroit added the best running back in the class with D’Andre Swift (35). This team hasn’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Reggie Bush in 2013, the longest active drought by any team in the NFL, and Kerryon Johnson now has serious competition. Swift will also help in the passing game, and Matthew Stafford should love him. Edge rusher Julian Okwara (67), who is coming off a broken fibula, had 12.5 tackles for loss in 2018 and fits at defensive end here.
The Lions also got my third- and fourth-ranked guards in the class, as Jonah Jackson (75) and Logan Stenberg (121) could be asked to play early. Quintez Cephus (166) got lost a little bit in a deep wide receiver class, but he could be a nice Day 3 find.
Overall, for a coaching staff and front office that needs to win now, the Lions did about the best they could, though this class won’t wow you.
BRUGLER RANK: 11
Favorite pick: D’Andre Swift, RB, Georgia
NAME POS COLLEGE 1/3 Jeff Okudah CB Ohio State 2/35 D’Andre Swift RB Georgia 3/67 Julian Okwara OLB Notre Dame 3/75 Jonah Jackson G Ohio State 4/121 Logan Stenberg G Kentucky 5/166 Quintez Cephus WR Wisconsin 5/172 Jason Huntley RB New Mexico State 6/197 John Penisini DT Utah 7/235 Jashon Cornell DT Ohio State |
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GREEN BAY Here are the explanations and justifications and hopes being offered in Green Bay over the decision to draft QB JORDAN LOVE. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: The Packers’ decision to trade up and select quarterback Jordan Love in the first round of the draft raised some questions about how long Aaron Rodgers will be in Green Bay, but head coach Matt LaFleur isn’t putting any timeline in place at this point.
In his first public comments since Love’s selection, LaFleur said Saturday that he anticipates Rodgers will be the team’s starter for “a really long time.” That fits with Rodgers’ feeling that he’s not going to have a problem beating out another quarterback, but the choice didn’t mesh with the quarterback’s desire to see the team add players who can “come in and help us right away.”
While Love doesn’t fit that profile, LaFleur said he doesn’t think it will get in the way of Rodgers setting the right example for his new teammate.
“I can’t say enough about his leadership, his value, his importance to this football team,” LaFleur said, via ESPN.com. “He is the one that leads us out there. I know he’s going to be a great mentor and I’m excited to get back to work with all these guys.”
Left tackle David Bakhtiari thinks the choice will provide a motivational boost to his longtime teammate and we’ll have to see if that boost will come alongside an effort to make sure that his possible heir is learning as much as possible as an apprentice. More from Peter King: Green Bay: Did the Packers backstop Aaron Rodgers too soon?
1992: GM Ron Wolf trades a first-round pick to Atlanta for backup quarterback Brett Favre, a second-round pick in the 1991 draft.
2005: GM Ted Thompson uses a first-round pick on Cal QB Aaron Rodgers, with Favre, 35, having some prime years left.
2020: GM Brian Gutekunst trades up to use a first-round pick on Utah State QB Jordan Love, with Rodgers, 36, having some prime years left.
I sense a trend among the last three Green Bay franchise stewards.
Had I written live Thursday night, or even Friday morning, I’d have been highly critical of this. I’d have said the Packers should have sat at 30 in the first round and taken the best receiver (Michael Pittman? Tee Higgins?) available. And I’m absolutely not sure, still, that they shouldn’t have done that. The Packers have done a terrible job, capital T, in surrounding one of the great quarterbacks of recent times with receiving talent in mid and late-career (more on that later in the column). This was the second straight year that Gutekunst, with a major receiver need, didn’t draft a receiver at all, and didn’t sign a prime one in free agency.
But let’s look at the Love pick this way: Rodgers turns 37 in December. He told me in 2018 he wanted to play till he was 40 if he could continue to meet the athletic demands of the position. “My goal is be able to move like I do or close to how I do and still be able to do that at 40 . . . just because nobody’s been able to do that,” he said. He’d be near the end of his fourth season from now when he turns 40. What’s the worst thing that happens if Rodgers is a top-five quarterback for the Packers for the next four years? Green Bay, maybe, pulls a Garoppolo and deals Love for what it can get in 2023. If Rodgers, motivated by this cattle-prod of a draft pick, plays great for the next four years and Love never gives Green Bay anything but a future second or third-round pick, that would mean Green Bay bought an insurance policy for Rodgers that it never had to cash in. And if Rodgers continues to be great, Gutekunst said Sunday, regardless of the Love pick, “That’d be great for the Packers.”
Of course, there are other angles to consider. Rodgers is a prickly guy at times, and whenever the team gets ready to practice or play, how he accepts this new reality as the leader of the team will be something to monitor. Could Rodgers think second-year head coach Matt LaFleur is not as all-in on him for the future as he thought? And if the Packers are going to exercise Love’s fifth-year option—likely to be around $22 million in 2024 if he doesn’t play much in the next three seasons—aren’t they going to want to see something from Love on the field before then?
Gutekunst told me Sunday that the Packers didn’t enter the draft thinking they’d pick Love; he thought Love might be gone in the teens or early twenties. But they had him ranked so well on their board that once he started falling through the twenties, he became a target. With significant intel that a team drafting high in the second round—perhaps Indianapolis, at 34—was trying to trade up for Love, Gutekunst felt he had to trade up to have a chance at Love. He traded up four slots, with Miami.
“I’m very hopeful Aaron continues to play at a high level for years to come,” Gutekunst said. “I know a lot of people are saying this puts a clock on Aaron, but I don’t see that at all. We prioritize the quarterback position, and have for a long time with this franchise. I remember one year in camp they had Brett Favre, Ty Detmer, Kurt Warner and maybe Mark Brunell. It’s one of the most important positions in sports, and if you don’t have one, you can’t win.”
Gutekunst, like Wolf and Thompson, views the draft as a continuum. As they did, he’s concerning himself with 2028 as well as 2021. Again: You can differ with his thought process and the major receiver he could have addressed with the 30th pick. But the importance of the position, to Gutekunst, overrode that.
“Ron traded a one in 1992 for Brett, who’d been a second-round pick and wasn’t even starting for Atlanta,” Gutekunst said. “Imagine the media fervor if that happened today. I believe if you’re going to sit in this chair, you have to accept that you’ll be heavily criticized. I watched my father go through it [John Gutekunst was the head coach at the University of Minnesota in the eighties] as a college coach. I know what Ted went through in 2008 with Brett. But I’m trying to do the right thing for the organization. That’s my sole focus.”
One last note: Gutekunst said the Packers had two receivers they were targeting in early and middle part of the second round. They tried to move up with several teams, he said, until the second receiver they preferred got picked, and then they stopped. Seven wideouts went in the first 27 picks of the second round; Green Bay, with pick 30, took running back A.J. Dillon. Not good. As much as the draft pick itself, the price for Love included not addressing that big need at receiver. We’ll see if that comes back to haunt the team this year or next. – – – KIPER’S GRADE Green Bay Packers: C Top needs: WR, TE, OL, LB, DL I didn’t expect the Packers to take a quarterback in Round 1. I don’t think many did. But I applaud the team’s long-term thinking here, as I wrote Thursday night. Aaron Rodgers is 36 and isn’t going to be around much longer. Why not go and make sure you have a contingency plan for after he’s gone? Matt LaFleur was enamored with Jordan Love (26), and now the young coach gets a young signal-caller to groom. Love also gets the stability he really needs to thrive. He played for three different offensive coordinators in college, and he needs to be coached up. He has elite potential but needs time, and he should be able to get that time with Rodgers still around.
What I do have a problem with is Green Bay not getting a wide receiver on Day 2. In an extremely deep wide receiver class, how can you not take one? Rodgers has a reason to be upset about that. Instead, the Packers went with running back AJ Dillon (62) and tight end/H-back Josiah Deguara (94). Though Dillon is OK, this team has Aaron Jones as its main back; how many snaps per game is Dillon going to play? As for Deguara, I had a late fourth-round grade on him, and I don’t see him as an impact pass-catcher in 2020.
Green Bay also gave up its fourth-round pick in the move to get Love, so it didn’t have much capital to get help on Day 3, and I don’t love any of these late picks. Packers fans are probably not happy with this class, and I can see why.
Let’s look back on this group in a couple of years and see where Love and Rodgers are; this is a tough class to grade at the moment. But I’m just left shaking my head with the Packers adding only Devin Funchess at wide receiver this offseason. Really? You just made the NFC Championship Game. I don’t get it.
BRUGLER RANK: 28
Favorite pick: Jordan Love, QB, Utah State
NAME POS COLLEGE 1/26 Jordan Love QB Utah State 2/62 AJ Dillon RB Boston College 3/94 Josiah Deguara TE Cincinnati 5/175 Kamal Martin ILB Minnesota 6/192 Jon Runyan G Michigan 6/208 Jake Hanson C Oregon 6/209 Simon Stepaniak OT Indiana 7/236 Vernon Scott S TCU 7/242 Jonathan Garvin DE Miami |
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MINNESOTA KIPER’S GRADE Minnesota Vikings: A- Top needs: WR, CB, OT, DL Minnesota came into Thursday night with 12 picks and ended Saturday night with 15 picks, plus an extra fourth-rounder and two extra fifth-round picks in the 2021 draft. With that much capital, it takes a lot not to get at least an A- grade from me. And really, I like the value the Vikings got throughout, starting with extracting a first-round pick for wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who was disgruntled in Minnesota. General manager Rick Spielman was able to get the No. 22 pick from the Bills, and he was able to directly address the hole at wideout, taking Justin Jefferson, who is a perfect fit. He’s going to catch a ton of passes from Kirk Cousins out of the slot.
The Vikings also got a starting cornerback in Jeff Gladney (31), even if he was a little lower on my board. Teams reached for cornerbacks in Round 1, but I can live with this one; we know how much Mike Zimmer likes to mold defensive backs, and Gladney had an early Day 2 grade from me. Offensive tackle Ezra Cleveland (58) has a chance to start immediately. He was Boise State’s left tackle this season, and he’s an athlete. Cornerback Cameron Dantzler (89) ran slow at the combine, but Minnesota got good value in the third round. And again, let Zimmer get a chance to work with him.
Defensive tackle James Lynch (130) is a high-motor guy with some upside, while end D.J. Wonnum (117) should rotate in as a rookie. Safety Josh Metellus (205) and defensive end Kenny Willekes (225) are good values late in Day 3. It’s going to be tough for all 15 of these picks to make the Vikings, but I like the selections in the first two days and the depth on Day 3.
BRUGLER RANK: 4
Favorite pick: Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU My No. 3 ranked cornerback, Gladney isn’t tall, but he is long with quick feet and the bulldog mentality to challenge receivers up and down the field. Under the tutelage of Mike Zimmer, he will continue to iron out the kinks in his game and be a valuable inside-outside performer.
NAME POS COLLEGE 1/22 Justin Jefferson WR LSU 1/31 Jeff Gladney CB TCU 2/58 Ezra Cleveland OT Boise State 3/89 Cameron Dantzler CB Mississippi State 4/117 D.J. Wonnum DE South Carolina 4/130 James Lynch DT Baylor 4/132 Troy Dye ILB Oregon 5/169 Harrison Hand CB Temple 5/176 K.J. Osborn WR Miami 6/203 Blake Brandel OT Oregon State 6/205 Josh Metellus S Michigan 7/225 Kenny Willekes DE Michigan State 7/244 Nate Stanley QB Iowa 7/249 Brian Cole II S Mississippi State 7/253 Kyle Hinton G Washburn University |
| NFC EAST |
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DALLAS KIPER’S GRADE Dallas Cowboys: B+ Top needs: DB, DE, WR, C I was pleasantly surprised Thursday night when the Cowboys stuck to their draft board and took the best player available, with wide receiver CeeDee Lamb falling into their laps at No. 17. “You can’t have enough playmakers,” new coach Mike McCarthy said. And I agree. Now Cooper, Lamb and Michael Gallup will form one of the most talented wide receiver corps in the league, and this offense should once again be one of the league’s best. The Cowboys have made some upgrades on defense in free agency but still have holes. It’s going to be interesting. But credit McCarthy and the Dallas front office for stacking a strength on a strength and deciding to figure out the defense on Day 2.
I wasn’t as high on cornerback Trevon Diggs (51), but I’m fine with him in the middle of Round 2. He would have been a reach in the first round, which is where some teams graded him. Neville Gallimore (82) has some potential as a penetrating 1- or 3-technique tackle. Cornerback Reggie Robinson (123) was rocketing up draft boards over the past few weeks, and he was one of the most improved players in the country in 2019. Bradlee Anae (179) is one of my favorite Day 3 picks — I had him ranked 89th overall and he went 90 spots lower. Dallas also added a potential Frederick replacement in Tyler Biadasz (146).
Again, credit Dallas here for sticking to its board and getting value. If Anae and/or Biadasz develop into starters, this could be an A-plus in a couple of years.
BRUGLER RANK: 2
Favorite pick: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma Drafting my No. 7 overall player at No. 17 was fantastic value for the Cowboys, giving Dallas a dynamic trio at receiver with Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and Lamb. The organization also deserves credit for passing on K’Lavon Chaisson and staying true to their board. Chaisson was their realistic No. 1 target, but the front office scrapped that plan when Lamb fell to them
NAME POS COLLEGE 1/17 CeeDee Lamb WR Oklahoma 2/51 Trevon Diggs CB Alabama 3/82 Neville Gallimore DT Oklahoma 4/123 Reggie Robinson II CB Tulsa 4/146 Tyler Biadasz C Wisconsin 5/179 Bradlee Anae DE Utah 7/231 Ben DiNucci QB James Madison |
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NEW YORK GIANTS KIPER’S GRADE
New York Giants: B Top needs: OT, Edge, DB, WR I would have gone with Jedrick Wills Jr. or Tristan Wirfs at No. 4, but Andrew Thomas fits what Gettleman wants in his hog mollies. Thomas is an experienced, athletic, smart player who doesn’t commit penalties. He played left tackle at Georgia but could play right tackle in New York with Nate Solder on the left side. Third-round pick Matt Peart (99) started 48 games for UConn and has the potential to start down the road. There’s no question the Giants’ offensive line is better now.
I loved the value of safety Xavier McKinney (36) early on Day 2. There were teams looking at him in the 20s, but he lasted until the second round. He’s a good fit next to Jabrill Peppers. Darnay Holmes (110) is a really solid slot corner. Guard Shane Lemieux (150) could be a future starter. The Giants had four seventh-round picks, and I’m intrigued by what linebacker Carter Coughlin (218) turns into after he develops more in the NFL.
With a new coach in Judge, I’m not sure what to expect from New York in 2020, but I do think this is a good start to fixing the offensive line issues that Gettleman mentioned, and McKinney has Pro Bowl potential.
BRUGLER RANK: 20
Favorite pick: Xavier McKinney, SS, Alabama
NAME POS COLLEGE 1/4 Andrew Thomas OT Georiga 2/36 Xavier McKinney S Alabama 3/99 Matt Peart OT UConn 4/110 Darnay Holmes CB UCLA 5/150 Shane Lemieux G Oregon 6/183 Cam Brown OLB Penn State 7/218 Carter Coughlin OLB Minnesota 7/238 T.J. Brunson ILB South Carolina 7/247 Chris Williamson CB Minnesota 7/255 Tae Crowder ILB Georgia |
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PHILADELPHIA Peter King makes a good point about the drafting of QB JALEN HURTS: I’m befuddled about something. I hear all this criticism of the Eagles for taking Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts with the 53rd pick in the draft. If there’s one team in football, over the past three years, that’s demonstrated the need for a very good backup quarterback, it’s Philadelphia. The Eagles missed Carson Wentz for six games in 2017 and seven games in 2018; Nick Foles saved the day. Now Foles is gone. Nate Sudfeld was due to be the backup, till Hurts got picked Friday night.
On a good team (which Philadelphia is) with a quarterback who has missed significant time (which Wentz is), the backup quarterback is one of the 10 most important players on the team. Let’s compare the need for a strong backup quarterback to the other Eagle needs when they picked at 53: They could have picked the ninth cornerback or the fifth safety or the sixth linebacker or the fifth running back with the 53rd pick. Or they could have picked a quarterback who you’d think would give Philadelphia a chance to win big games in December and January if he had to play. (A chance, I say; not a certainty.) Hurts, too, can be active and play some role—not altogether like a Taysom Hill, but some sort of role—as a changeup in Doug Pederson’s scheme. Look at the Packers when Rodgers got hurt in 2017, the Niners when Jimmy Garoppolo went down in 2018, the Lions when Matthew Stafford was gone in 2019. All sank like stones.
I don’t know if Hurts would win a playoff game, but I’d sure like his chance to do so more than Sudfeld. And for the 53rd pick, it’s a smart investment. After all, the Eagles QB depth chart right now literally starts with: WENTZ HURTS. So true of recent history. – – – KIPER’S GRADE Philadelphia Eagles: B- Top needs: WR, DB, LB, G/C So what do you want to talk about with this Eagles class? The Day 3 guys? OK, fine, let’s talk through the Jalen Hurts (53) pick some more. I wrote about it on Friday night, including it among my head-scratching picks, and I want to give a couple of more stats to back that up, with some help from my friends at ESPN Stats & Information. The first:
The Eagles have made the playoffs three consecutive seasons. Carson Wentz has thrown a total of four passes in the playoffs.
Health is a big issue for Wentz. He hasn’t been able to stay on the field, and the Eagles are covering their bases in taking a quarterback in Round 2. Hurts could legitimately get a start or two in 2020. At the same time, though …
According to NFL Next Gen Stats data, the Saints ran 206 plays last season with at least two quarterbacks on the field. The rest of the NFL ran 10 combined.
That’s why it’s not realistic to think that Hurts is going be used as some sort of Taysom Hill-type weapon on offense, at least on a consistent basis. Hurts isn’t the same kind of athlete. He’s a quarterback with running skills, but he’s not going to play receiver. He’s not going to cover kicks.
Ultimately that’s why I can like the range in which Hurts was selected but not like the fit in Philadelphia, which just gave Wentz a huge contract extension. This isn’t even close to the same as what the Packers did in drafting Jordan Love to learn from Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers is 36 and declining; Wentz is 27 and should be ascending. And yes, the Eagles are a contender in the NFC East, but they’re not without roster holes. There were defensive backs on the board who could have helped right away. I would love to see Doug Pederson get Hurts involved on run-pass options a few snaps per game, and he’s creative enough to do it, but Wentz is still the guy.
In non-Hurts Eagles picks, they did get some help for Wentz in Round 1 with Jalen Reagor (21), an explosive receiver whom some teams coveted in the first round and others saw as more of a mid-second-rounder. I had him at No. 41 overall on my Big Board. Wide receiver was a clear need, so they must expect him to contribute early and often. They also traded with the 49ers to take a flier on veteran wideout Marquise Goodwin on the cheap.
Linebacker Davion Taylor (103) is extremely raw and built like a safety, but he has some potential. John Hightower (168) isn’t consistent on film, but he has some fans inside the league. Offensive tackle Prince Tega Wanogho (210) and defensive end Casey Toohill (233) are solid Day 3 dart throws.
This Philadelphia class is going to be remembered for Hurts, but if Reagor develops into a star and Wentz gets healthy, we might never see the former Oklahoma and Alabama quarterback at his full potential in Pederson’s offense.
BRUGLER RANK: 25
Favorite pick: Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU
NAME POS COLLEGE 1/21 Jalen Reagor WR TCU 2/53 Jalen Hurts QB Oklahoma 3/103 Davion Taylor OLB Colorado 4/127 K’Von Wallace S Clemson 4/145 Jack Driscoll G Auburn 5/168 John Hightower WR Boise State 6/196 Shaun Bradley ILB Temple 6/200 Quez Watkins WR Southern Miss 6/210 Prince Tega Wanogho OT Auburn 7/233 Casey Toohill DE Stanford |
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WASHINGTON KIPER’S GRADE Washington Redskins: C+ Top needs: Edge, OT, TE, WR You shouldn’t be surprised when I say I like that Washington got my top-ranked overall prospect in edge rusher Chase Young, one of the most NFL-ready pass-rushers to come out of college in the past decade. Yes, this team has now drafted a defensive lineman in the first round in each of the past four years (Young, Sweat, Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen), but it couldn’t afford to pass on Young, who has All-Pro talent. Rivera is a defensive coach, and he has a really good front seven to build around. “It would have been very, very hard to convince me that somebody else would be as impactful as the guy that we drafted,” Rivera said on Thursday night. I agree, though really Young fell into their laps.
The Redskins also got an interesting running back/wide receiver prospect with Antonio Gibson (66), who caught 44 passes and also averaged 11.2 yards per carry on 33 rushes last season. A smart playcaller will get him 10 touches a game. Antonio Gandy-Golden (142) is a 6-foot-4 raw wideout with a massive 77-inch wingspan. He attacks the ball in the air, though he’ll need some time to develop. Saahdiq Charles (108) looks like a starting-caliber NFL offensive tackle, but the tape didn’t match his talent.
Young was a bit of a gimme pick at No. 2, and without a second-rounder I’ll stick with a C-plus for Washington.
BRUGLER RANK: 8
Favorite pick: Chase Young, Edge, Ohio State
NAME POS COLLEGE 1/2 Chase Young DE Ohio State 3/66 Antonio Gibson RB Memphis 4/108 Saahdiq Charles OT LSU 4/142 Antonio Gandy-Golden WR Liberty 5/156 Keith Ismael C San Diego State 5/162 Khaleke Hudson OLB Michigan 7/216 Kamren Curl S Arkansas 7/229 James Smith-Williams DE NC State |
| NFC SOUTH |
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ATLANTA KIPER’S GRADE Atlanta Falcons: C Top needs: CB, Edge, RB, DT The pick that stunned me the most on Day 1 was Atlanta taking cornerback A.J. Terrell at No. 16. It’s one of the biggest reaches of the past few years. Think of it this way: At No. 16, many teams can get a top-10 player on their own board. The Cowboys did that at No. 17 with CeeDee Lamb. Instead, Atlanta forced a pick for a position of need. Sorry, Falcons, but you’re not a cornerback away from the Super Bowl.
I have said for the past few weeks that there were likely to be a couple of Round 1 reaches for cornerbacks; it’s a priority position, there was a drop-off after the top two guys, and teams want to make sure they get their guy. But Terrell was the No. 7 corner on my board (No. 61 prospect overall), and Noah Igbinoghene, Jeff Gladney and Jaylon Johnson were still available. Those are all better prospects than Terrell. This is just way too high.
Marlon Davidson (47) is a solid pick, and he could move inside to defensive tackle, and interior offensive lineman Matt Hennessy has some versatility. Linebacker Mykal Walker (119) went almost 100 spots before I had him in my rankings.
This comes down to a big-time reach in Round 1, and I just don’t see Terrell as worth it.
BRUGLER RANK: 32
Favorite pick: Marlon Davidson, DL, Auburn
ROUND/PICK NAME POS COLLEGE 1/16 A.J. Terrell CB Clemson 2/47 Marlon Davidson DT Auburn 3/78 Matt Hennessy C Temple 4/119 Mykal Walker ILB Fresno State 4/134 Jaylinn Hawkins S California 7/228 Sterling Hofrichter K Syracuse |
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CAROLINA KIPER’S GRADE
Carolina Panthers: B Top needs: DL, LB, DB, G/C With a new coach and a whole lot of roster turnover (longtime starters Cam Newton, Greg Olsen, Trai Turner, Luke Kuechly, Mario Addison and James Bradberry are all gone), the Panthers are in the beginning stages of a serious rebuild. They have their quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater, just gave running back Christian McCaffrey a big extension, and now coach Matt Rhule can start fresh with the way he wants to shape the roster.
That’s why it was nice to see Rhule & Co. take the best player available with the team’s first three picks. Get talent, don’t reach for a need, particularly when you don’t have to win immediately. Derrick Brown (7) is the best defensive tackle in this class, and he’ll create an outrageously talented interior duo with Kawann Short. He’s not Aaron Donald, but he’s going to be a really good player for years. Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (38) and safety Jeremy Chinn (64) are nice Day 2 picks and potential early starters. Carolina gave up an NFL-worst 5.2 yards per rush last season, and these are picks to get the defense back on track. In fact, it finished with seven draft picks and seven defenders.
Overall, the Panthers went all-in on their defense and didn’t reach. I can get behind that. This is a solid if unspectacular class.
BRUGLER RANK: 12
Favorite pick: Jeremy Chinn, FS, Southern Illinois
NAME POS COLLEGE 1/7 Derrick Brown DT Auburn 2/38 Yetur Gross-Matos DE Penn State 2/64 Jeremy Chinn S Southern Illinois 4/113 Troy Pride Jr. CB Notre Dame 5/152 Kenny Robinson S West Virginia 6/184 Bravvion Roy DT Baylor 7/221 Stantley Thomas-Oliver III CB FIU |
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NEW ORLEANS The Saints have signed QB+ TAYSOM HILL to a two-year deal for good money, even as they reportedly close in on QB JAMEIS WINSTON. First, Jelani Scott of NFL.com on Hill: The “Swiss Army Knife” is staying in the New Orleans Saints’ cupboard.
Quarterback Taysom Hill has agreed to a two-year, $21 million extension that’ll keep him with the Saints through 2021, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Sunday. He added that the deal includes $16M in guaranteed money, and can reach up to $22M with incentives.
The team later confirmed the news.
Hill, who signed a first-round level tender worth $4.66M back in March, signs this new contract on the heels of New Orleans opting to add former Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston on a one-year deal in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The move signifies that the Saints aren’t losing faith in the versatile Hill despite bringing in Winston, and are preparing to have the two battle it out to see who will be Drew Brees’ backup this upcoming season and potential replacement in the seasons beyond 2020.
Hill stated on February 10 that he sees himself as a franchise quarterback and entertained the idea that he would leave New Orleans to achieve that goal. About a week later, following the news that Brees would return for Year 20, Hill said that having the chance to make plays as a multi-talented backup, and not necessarily just as a QB, is an “invaluable” experience.
After joining New Orleans in 2017, the “Mormon Missile” burst onto the scene in 2018 and proved he could contribute in any role coach Sean Payton needed him in.
In 2019, Hill registered his second-straight 16-game campaign, and completed three of his six pass attempts for 55 pass yards while compiling 156 rushing yards and a touchdown on 27 carries and 19 catches for 234 yards and six TDs.
Hill turns 30 in August.
Even as this dropped from Charles Robinson of YahooSports.com: Jameis Winston, one of the biggest remaining question marks in free agency, is finalizing a one-year deal to play for the New Orleans Saints in 2020, sources tell Yahoo Sports.
The deal is expected to be completed quickly now that the NFL draft has wrapped, bringing Winston’s surprisingly long free agency trek to an end. Sources told Yahoo Sports that Winston’s 2020 salary will be very economical, fitting inside the Saints’ already tight salary cap for next season.
As for his role, the sources told Yahoo Sports that Winston’s signing won’t guarantee him the backup job behind starter Drew Brees. Instead, the best case scenario for Winston may ultimately be competing for the No. 2 quarterback spot with Taysom Hill, who the Saints retained this offseason via a first-round tender offer, suggesting he will have an opportunity to be the heir apparent to Brees as soon as 2021. New Orleans also added a quarterback in the seventh round of the draft on Saturday, selecting Mississippi State’s athletic signal-caller Tommy Stevens.
Between Hill, Winston and Stevens, it appears the Saints are loading up the QB depth chart to give themselves options in 2021, when Brees will likely retire to a lucrative analyst job with NBC Sports. That opportunity may be why Winston sees the Saints as an ideal landing spot, giving him the chance to replicate the career resurrection that Brees’ last backup, Teddy Bridgewater, engineered over the past two seasons. Bridgewater left the Saints in March, signing a three-year, $63 million deal with the Carolina Panthers in March.
What’s clear is that the 26-year-old Winston had virtually no traction for starting jobs in 2020, following a rough season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that saw him turn the ball over a staggering 35 times (30 interceptions and five lost fumbles). His opportunities weren’t helped by a glut of experienced starting quarterbacks in free agency or on the trade market this offseason, along with a draft that featured three QBs selected in the top six picks and four total in the first round.
A source close to Winston told Yahoo Sports in March that the quarterback was going to be patient and wait for the right opportunity — most likely after the NFL draft had provided the best clarity on where Winston could be paired with the right offense or coaching staff. The Saints’ liberal use of Hill all over the field (and even on special teams) has factored heavily into that, given that most NFL teams are reluctant to expose a backup to heightened injury opportunities by playing him in multiple roles.
With Winston in the fold, the Saints will be able to continue maximizing Hill’s use as an offensive weapon without worrying about what would happen if he were to be injured. In turn, that would also give Winston the chance to compete for a share of the “traditional” backup quarterback role behind Brees. Not to mention the upside of spending a season under head coach Sean Payton and the Saints’ offensive staff, giving Winston an opportunity to step back and work on the mistakes that ultimately scuttled his career in Tampa Bay.
More from Ian Rapoport: @RapSheet As the #Saints and FA QB Jameis Winston close in on a 1-year deal, worth noting Winston turned down a more lucrative offer elsewhere to learn from some of the best. The former #Bucs starter put the emphasis on his future in a smart choice. Some are saying the other team was Pittsburgh – which if true, makes it interesting that Drew Brees and Sean Payton were considered to be better mentors than similarly tenured and accomplished Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Tomlin. KIPER’S GRADE
New Orleans Saints: C+ Top needs: CB, LB, WR, Edge, QB The Saints treat drafts differently than every other team. Not worse, just differently. They’re totally fine trading future picks to move up to get the guy they want. They did it for Alvin Kamara a few years ago, dealing a 2018 second-round pick to get into the third round in 2017. They did it in 2018, too, trading a 2019 first-rounder to get pass-rusher Marcus Davenport in the top half of Round 1. And they entered this draft with only five picks, tied for fewest in the league, because of other trades. How did they fare? Well, they ended up with only four total picks because of more maneuvering.
I’m high on center Cesar Ruiz (24), whom I ranked as the clear top interior offensive lineman in this class, and he has some experience at guard. He could end up there with last year’s second-round pick, Erik McCoy, playing so well at center as a rookie. One thing that bothers shorter quarterbacks like Drew Brees is interior pressure, and New Orleans is trying to shore that up as it goes all-in for 2020. I have other needs higher for the Saints — particularly wide receiver — but I do like Ruiz.
The Saints used trades for their other three picks, including adding next year’s third-rounder, to move up to get outside linebacker Zack Baun (74) and tight end Adam Trautman (105). Baun is an interesting fit in Dennis Allen’s defense; is he a defensive end or a versatile linebacker? I thought he’d be great as an OLB in a 3-4. Either way, it’s good value for Baun, who is my No. 31 overall player. The 6-foot-5 Trautman, my second-ranked tight end, caught 70 passes last season and is really just a jumbo wide receiver at this point, but that could be useful in Sean Payton’s offense.
New Orleans tried for quality over quantity here, but it’s tough for a class with four picks to break into the B range.
BRUGLER RANK: 15
Favorite pick: Zack Baun, LB, Wisconsin I also loved the Adam Trautman selection, but Baun gets the nod as my favorite Saints’ pick because he was drafted a full round later than he should have been and gives New Orleans much-needed athleticism and youth at the position.
NAME POS COLLEGE 1/24 Cesar Ruiz C Michigan 3/74 Zack Baun OLB Wisconsin 3/105 Adam Trautman TE Dayton 7/240 Tommy Stevens QB Mississippi State |
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TAMPA BAY Peter King was in on the Buccaneers draft and he recounts the team’s frantic efforts to trade up for a tackle. In timeline and techie form, how the Bucs made their first-round pick:
9:12 p.m. ET Trading is tough. Licht made about 30 calls during the week, up and down, to see which teams might want to go up or down in the top half of the draft. Tonight, Carolina (picking seven) is a no. “I don’t think they’d deal even if we offer next year’s one,” McCartney, who’d been the Panther contact, tells Licht. Arizona (eight) has to be a no. GM Steve Keim won’t pick up Licht’s call. Licht: “He’s one of my best friends, and he told me, ‘If you want to come up, gimme a call.’ Now he doesn’t answer.” Someone on the videoconference says to Licht: “Got a hold of Jacksonville yet?” Jacksonville (nine) has not been eager to move out.
Carolina takes defensive tackle Derrick Brown.
9:13. Licht picks up his cell and calls Jacksonville GM Dave Caldwell. “We’ll give you our three and four. [Picks] 76 and 117 . . . all right . . . call me back.” Licht tells his Cisco Webex crew: “Jacksonville’s thinking about it. Straight up, 76 and 117.”
Quickly, Arizona, entertaining nothing, takes versatile defender Isaiah Simmons. 9:15. R-r-r-r-ringggggg! The alert on Licht’s phone sounds like the old-fashioned ringer on the Perry Mason Show. “Hello,” Licht said, answering it. “Okay. Okay . . . Okay.” Hangs up. Says to Cisco crew: “Jacksonville’s out. They’re taking [cornerback] C.J. Henderson.”
9:17. (Voice from Cisco) “Who you talking to in Cleveland?” GM Andrew Berry is Licht’s contact. Licht: “What I’m worried about is these two teams are tackle teams.” Cleveland (10), the New York Jets (11) are next. In pre-draft calls, both seem motivated to trade down.
9:19. Licht calls Berry. “Andrew, how you doing? You gonna sit there and pick?”
Jacksonville takes C.J. Henderson.
9:21. Licht calls Jets GM Joe Douglas on his cell. “Joe, how you doing? . . . Okay, call me back . . . Yeah . . . It’ll be for what we talked about. We’ll come up.” Off the call, Licht reports to the Cisco gang: “Joe says they got two guys here. If Cleveland doesn’t take one, he might move. I’m guessing Joe wants [Louisville tackle Mekhi] Becton.
9:23. Staring at screens. The waiting is the hardest part.
9:24. Licht: “Somebody get ready to call the Raiders.” McCartney calls GM Mike Mayock of Las Vegas (12) to find out his status.
Cleveland takes Alabama tackle Jedrick Wills.
9:25. Two tackles left. Pretty easy to see now that Tampa Bay wants a tackle. But which one? Licht calls Douglas. “Hey,” Licht says, “what are you doing?” Off the phone in 12 seconds. Licht to the Cisco gang: “They’re picking. Says they’re picking the guy large and in charge. Must be [364-pound] Becton.”
9:26. Frustration. Licht stays pretty cool, but he’s tensing up. Nobody wants to trade—for anything! When’s the last time the draft was 11 picks deep without a trade? The Raiders (12) are next. The Bucs are sure they’ll take a receiver, which makes them a good target. Mayock knows the Bucs, at 14, won’t want a receiver. To the Cisco gang Licht says: “I like giving ‘em the three and four and getting back their three. (Tampa trading 14, 76 and 117 and getting 12 and 81 back.) Much debate back and fourth. Just offer the four, someone suggests. Our three, five and six and they give us their three back, another suggests.
Jets take Louisville tackle Mekhi Becton. Raiders on the clock.
9:29. Voice on Cisco: “Minnesota [22] just called.” Licht, suddenly: “Too far back. No.”
9:30. Suddenly, a distant “MOMMY!!!!!!” Seriously. One of the three kids yelled for Mom, and it’s audible in the room. Licht stares at a screen. He never heard it.
9:32. Licht takes a moment. Raiders on the clock. Should he up the offer? Yes. He will. He calls Mayock and offers three, five and six while getting a three back. “Okay. Okay. Thanks Mike.” Licht hangs up and tells the Cisco group: “Doesn’t matter what we offer. They’re staying.” You can sense the disbelief. Later, Licht said: “Everybody was looking at each other on the videoconference, kind of putting their hands up, like, I don’t know what the hell’s going on here. Nobody wants to give us their pick. I was getting a little bit antsy, I should say.”
9:33. Thinking. Staring. No talk. Two minutes go by. Niners are next.
Raiders take wide receiver Henry Ruggs.
9:36. “I don’t think we can mess around here,” Licht says, as San Francisco (13) goes on the clock. But why? Why not just sit at 14 and pick the last tackle of the great prospects, Tristan Wirfs of Iowa? Licht had some intel that Niners starting left tackle Joe Staley was going to retire. So the free world was certain this next pick for the Niners was a great wide receiver or Javon Kinlaw, the defensive tackle who could replace the traded DeForest Buckner. Licht said: “Call A.P.” John Spytek, the personnel director, had been talking with San Francisco VP of player personnel Adam Peters during the week. Licht wanted this deal, and he wanted it now. “The Staley stuff scared me,” Licht said later. “The Niners could definitely be a tackle team.”
9:37. The GM side of Licht’s brain didn’t want to move up one spot and surrender a good pick (fourth round, 117 overall), while getting a seven in return. He know it might take that, but he wasn’t ready to make the offer yet. “A six,” he tells Spytek. “Start with that.” Spytek calls Peters.
9:39. Spytek calls Peters again. Is on hold with him. “They’re thinking,” Spytek tells the group.
9:40. Still on hold.
9:41. R-r-r-r-ringggggg! Licht’s phone. He answers it, annoyed. “Nothanksnothanks,” he says quickly and hangs up. Trade offer he had no interest in. All that matters now is the Niners. Spytek has made the final offer: San Francisco trades a one and a seven (13 and 245) to Tampa Bay for a one and a four (14, 117).
9:42. Waiting.
9:43. Niners say yes, Spytek reports. “Do it,” Licht says. Licht looks at the clock. Just 1:31 remains in the Niners drafting period. Now Greenberg calls NFL trademeister Ken Fiore to report the deal; a Niners counterpart does the same to another member of Fiore’s team.
9:44. “We good?” Licht says to the Cisco group. Yes, he’s told; trade accepted. Mike Biehl fills in the card for the league office, notifying them of the pick. Licht looks at the clock . . . 45 seconds left in the period. Plenty of time!
9:45. Licht dials Tristan Wirfs, in Mount Vernon, Iowa, to tell him (not in so many words) that he’d better get ready to block for Tom Brady. “Tristan!” he says. “Jason Licht with the Bucs. We just moved up to San Francisco’s pick here. We’re gonna take you . . . Okay? . . . Yeah . . . Coach is gonna call you. FIRED UP!”
9:48. Kids rush in. Charlie wants to know the deal. “They got our fourth-round pick, we got their seventh-round pick, we got Tristan Wirfs,” Dad says to son. On TV, the words come up. “TAMPA BAY. THE PICK IS IN.”
9:50. Kids hopping around. Licht says to Cisco: “Just got a text from a GM: ‘Our highest-rated tackle.’ “ – – – KIPER’S GRADE Tampa Bay Buccaneers: B Top needs: OT, RB, Edge, DT If you look at the Bucs’ depth chart, it’s remarkably similar to the 2019 team. They have had very little turnover … except for two massive additions at quarterback and tight end. So for a 7-9 team that thinks it is now a Super Bowl contender, the draft was extremely important. General manager Jason Licht and coach Bruce Arians needed to find instant-impact players with their first two picks. The result? Two prospects I really like, one who will help protect Tom Brady (and allow Rob Gronkowski to run a few more routes) and another who could be a Swiss Army knife in the secondary.
Tampa traded up one spot to make sure it got offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs (13) — it had to throw in a fourth-rounder to move — and I love the fit. Wirfs played both left and right tackle at Iowa, and I expect him to have a long career. This was the biggest hole on the roster, and don’t forget that Brady, who turns 43 in August, really struggled under pressure last season, completing just 32% of his passes under duress, which ranked 30th in the NFL. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (45) is only 5-foot-9, but he just makes plays. Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles can use him as a deep safety, as a slot corner or even down closer to the line of scrimmage.
I had running back as a need for the Bucs, and they picked up Ke’Shawn Vaughn (76), but I liked Zack Moss more. Tyler Johnson (161) is an inconsistent wide receiver, and I don’t see how he helps them anytime soon.
The Bucs have missed the playoffs in 12 consecutive seasons, the second-longest active drought in the NFL. They didn’t have much depth here, but they got two good players at the top.
BRUGLER RANK: 14
Favorite pick: Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa The Buccaneers didn’t leave it to chance, trading up one spot to make sure they landed Wirfs, one of the best offensive tackles in this draft class. He should win the starting right tackle job during camp and can fill in at left tackle if needed, helping to stabilize Tampa’s offensive line as it looks to keep Tom Brady upright and healthy.
NAME POS COLLEGE 1/13 Tristan Wirfs OT Iowa 2/45 Antoine Winfield Jr. S Minnesota 3/76 Ke’Shawn Vaughn RB Vanderbilt 5/161 Tyler Johnson WR Minnesota 6/194 Khalil Davis DT Nebraska 7/241 Chapelle Russell OLB Temple 7/245 Raymond Calais RB Louisiana |
| NFC WEST |
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ARIZONA KIPER’S GRADE
Arizona Cardinals: B Top needs: OT, DT, TE, RB, LB Kyler Murray was sacked 48 times, tied for most in the NFL. That’s why, when Arizona was on the clock at No. 8, I thought for sure it was going to go with one of the offensive tackles on the board — there is a huge hole at right tackle right now, and Jedrick Wills Jr., Mekhi Becton and Tristan Wirfs were available.
Instead, general manager Steve Keim chose to go with the best player available, ending Isaiah Simmons’ brief fall. As I said Thursday night, I like Simmons, but this was the spot to help Murray (and the run game), and I’m not sure where Simmons fits in the Cardinals’ defense. The reason I can’t fault it too much is that Keim and Kingsbury did get a starting tackle with their next pick. Offensive tackle Josh Jones (72) is No. 40 overall on my board, and I thought he could sneak into the bottom of Round 1. He was a four-year starter at left tackle in college, but he could move over to the right side in the NFL.
I also liked run-stuffing tackle Leki Fotu (114) and running back Eno Benjamin on Day 3, and of course, I have to factor in the Cardinals getting Hopkins. My only knock on this class is passing on all the tumbling tight ends. That’s a hole that wasn’t filled. This is a nice class — though I still don’t quite see Arizona as a contender in the NFC West.
NAME POS COLLEGE 1/8 Isaiah Simmons OLB Clemson 3/72 Josh Jones OT Houston 4/114 Leki Fotu DT Utah 4/131 Rashard Lawrence DT LSU 6/202 Evan Weaver ILB California 7/222 Eno Benjamin RB Arizona State
BRUGLER RANK: 18
Favorite pick: Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson |
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SAN FRANCISCO Peter King approved of the 49ers draft. The 49ers started the weekend with seven picks: 13, 31, 156, 176, 210, 217, 245 . . . and one curveball. All-decade left tackle Joe Staley told the team he was retiring last week, and so the team had to place some urgency on getting a left tackle on draft weekend. Which meant they needed a left tackle, a defensive tackle to replace the traded DeForest Buckner, and a game-breaking receiver to pair with Deebo Samuel.
GM John Lynch had a crafty weekend. He traded down one spot with Tampa in the first round and still got the guy the Niners had targeted, defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw. In that deal, Lynch picked up the Bucs’ fourth-round pick—the key element in allowing the Niners to move from 31 to 25 with the Vikes to draft the best receiver on their board (surprisingly), Arizona State’s Brandon Aiyuk. Then Lynch went to work to replace Staley. He phoned Washington and got a very good player, left tackle Trent Williams, for the 156th pick and next year’s third-round choice. Then Lynch dealt his third or fourth back, Matt Breida, to Miami for a fifth-round pick that became a potential swing tackle—West Virginia’s Colton McKivitz.
In sum, Lynch filled his three vital needs on one weekend with playoff-caliber players. That’s what excellent GMs do. No franchise-manager of a playoff team had a better weekend than Lynch.
More praise from Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:
While plenty of teams have figured out how to play chess while others are playing checkers, the 49ers are beating a tag team of Kasparov and Karpov in 4D chess.
And the recipe is fairly simple, thanks to one of “the two greatest things in life,” as explained by Jimmy Conway to Henry Hill: Always keep your mouth shut.
Of course, it’s more than simply keeping your mouth shut. Sometimes, you have to actively contribute to the misdirection process. That’s what G.M. John Lynch did last week, when telling reporters that the 49ers expect tackle Joe Staley to return for another season.
“We’ve heard nothing that would lead us to believe that Joe is not going to play,” Lynch said, adding that “we are encouraged that Joe will be a part of us, moving forward.”
He definitely was “part of us,” in that he was part of the ruse that allowed the 49ers to get Trent Williams from Washington for only a 2020 fifth-round pick and a 2021 third-rounder. Unless Staley had a dramatic change of heart from Monday to Thursday night, Lynch knew at the time that Staley wasn’t coming back, and the 49ers were painting a false picture regarding Staley’s future, for strategic reasons.
Of course, the 49ers couldn’t have done it without the cooperation of Staley, who kept his mouth shut about his plans long enough to pull it off. But when a team enjoys a great relationship with a player, the player becomes willing to participate in the misdirection.
And an impressive misdirection it was, including a willingness to flip-flop No. 13 and No. 14 in round one with Tampa Bay, despite the Buccaneers’ extreme need for players to block for Tom Brady. Unless the 49ers quietly had a line on Williams, they quite possibly wouldn’t have handed Tristan Wirfs to Tampa Bay.
Then came Friday night. As the Vikings joined the Bucs, Jets, and Cleveland in exiting the pursuit of Trent Williams by using high picks on tackles, the 49ers were basically the only team left as of Saturday morning.
That’s when it got even more tricky, and where it would have been harder to pull off if Williams’ camp hadn’t put out the word that Williams wanted a big raise as part of a trade. By all appearances, that ended up being a subtle but very real part of the effort to engineer a path to San Francisco, something Washington owner Daniel Snyder wouldn’t have done if he’d known he had other options, given the bad blood between Snyder and the Shanahans.
In the end, there was only one other option: The Rams. Per Chris Simms, the Rams wanted Williams to play guard for a year, before moving back to left tackle after the expected retirement of Andrew Whitworth. Williams didn’t want to do that, so the Rams weren’t a viable alternative to the 49ers, who weren’t even known to be one of the teams pursuing Williams until the deal was done.
Some will wonder whether and to what extent the 49ers worked behind the scenes with Williams and his agent to create a plan for preemptively putting the kibosh on potential trades elsewhere. Unless someone can prove it, however, nothing will ever come of it — especially since the NFL exercises significant discretion when it comes to letting the world know that cheaters populate the league (even though they do).
And so, by keeping Staley’s plans under wraps until the trade was done, the 49ers kept other teams from more aggressively pursuing Williams, and the 49ers kept Washington from wanting more for him because, with Staley supposedly planning to play, the 49ers were less desperate to get the deal done for a tackle after three rounds of the draft had transpired.
Then there’s the pièce de résistance. Despite a clear and unchallenged notion the Williams wants his $12.5 million salary for 2020 to be dramatically escalated, Williams accepted the trade with no assurance or promises that he’ll get a raise. That’s possibly a testament to the relationship that coach Kyle Shanahan had with Williams during their time together in Washington, a relationship that not only prompted Williams to force his way to San Francisco but also caused him to not want more money on the way through the door to a new team.
There’s a valuable message in all of this. Often, coaches, General Managers, owners, and players lie to the media and the fans, for strategic reasons. Which is why it’s always important to be willing to not take things at face value, whenever there’s evidence that something more may be going on. In this case, the 49ers’ handling of the situation even prevented that from happening. – – – KIPER’S GRADE San Francisco 49ers: B- Top needs: CB, WR, OL, DT With just five selections, this 49ers class is difficult to evaluate. But for a team that played in the Super Bowl and has mostly kept its team intact, apart from trading defensive tackle DeForest Buckner for a first-round pick and losing wideout Emmanuel Sanders in free agency, it does have two defined needs. Credit general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan for doing all they could to fill those needs on Day 1.
San Francisco scooped up interior penetrator Javon Kinlaw (14), and he’ll be a Buckner fill-in. He’s cheaper than Buckner, of course, but does he have Buckner’s ceiling? Then the 49ers traded into the 25th pick to get wideout Brandon Aiyuk, a fantastic athlete who dominated in the Pac-12 last season. Shanahan is already fired up about how he’ll use Aiyuk, and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will love him.
After that, though? I don’t see much. Offensive tackle Colton McKivitz (153), tight end Charlie Woerner (190) and wide receiver Jauan Jennings (217) are all NFL backups. What keeps this in the B range is that the 49ers were able to use picks to get left tackle Trent Williams in a trade with Washington, and it cost them only a fifth-rounder this year and next year’s third-rounder.
BRUGLER RANK: 21
Favorite pick: Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State
NAME POS COLLEGE 1/14 Javon Kinlaw DT South Carolina 1/25 Brandon Aiyuk WR Arizona State 5/153 Colton McKivitz OT West Virginia 6/190 Charlie Woerner TE Georgia 7/217 Jauan Jennings WR Tennessee
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LOS ANGELES RAMS KIPER’S GRADE Los Angeles Rams: B- Top needs: OL, RB, DL The Rams’ cap issues are well known at this point, and they had to clear space for a looming mega contract extension for cornerback Jalen Ramsey and get younger (and cheaper) at other positions. And they had to do it without a first-round pick, which they gave up to get Ramsey (and still owe another in 2021). That means they have to hit on their Day 2 picks, of which they had two extras, thanks to the Cooks trade with Houston and a comp pick.
Running back Cam Akers (52) got very little help from his offensive line at Florida State, but he has big-play ability. Yes, Gurley is gone, but the Rams spent a Day 2 pick on Darrell Henderson just last year. That’s a strong, young tandem, but this team has a bigger need along the O-line. Wide receiver Van Jefferson (57) is one of the best route runners in this class; he just knows how to get open. Edge rusher Terrell Lewis (84) had some injury issues, but he’s a good fit in this 3-4 defense. Safety Terrell Burgess (104) is a converted wide receiver and cornerback who could play alongside Taylor Rapp in the secondary.
I didn’t have high grades on any of L.A.’s Day 3 picks, and I’m pretty surprised the Rams took only one offensive lineman late, particularly with a 38-year-old starting left tackle. That seems like a clear miss here, even if I’m a fan of the first three picks.
BRUGLER RANK: 31
Favorite pick: Terrell Burgess, FS, Utah
NAME POS COLLEGE 2/52 Cam Akers RB Florida State 2/57 Van Jefferson WR Florida 3/84 Terrell Lewis OLB Alabama 3/104 Terrell Burgess S Utah 4/136 Brycen Hopkins TE Purdue 6/199 Jordan Fuller S Ohio State 7/234 Clay Johnston ILB Baylor 7/248 Sam Sloman K Miami (OH) 7/250 Tremayne Anchrum G Clemson |
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SEATTLE KIPER’S GRADE Seattle Seahawks: B Top needs: Edge, OL, WR, DT They needed some help in the front seven in this draft.
So it should be no surprise that they went defense with their first two picks, taking inside linebacker Jordyn Brooks (27) in Round 1 and defensive end Darrell Taylor (48) in Round 2. Brooks really popped on the Texas Tech tape, and I had him No. 32 overall in my rankings. Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright aren’t on rookie contracts anymore, so I like the pick to get a young sideline-to-sideline defender and tackling machine. As for Taylor, I thought this was a reach, but he has some solid bend off the edge. He was a late riser on many teams’ boards and had surgery on a stress fracture in his shin in January. He certainly fits the Seahawks’ type, though, as I wrote on Friday night.
I’ll stick with the same grade I gave the Seahawks last year, though I like their first pick more than I did in 2019.
BRUGLER RANK: 29
Favorite pick: Deejay Dallas, RB, Miami (Fla.)
NAME POS COLLEGE 1/27 Jordyn Brooks ILB Texas Tech 2/48 Darrell Taylor DE Tennessee 3/69 Damien Lewis G LSU 4/133 Colby Parkinson TE Stanford 4/144 DeeJay Dallas RB Miami 5/148 Alton Robinson DE Syracuse 6/214 Freddie Swain WR Florida 7/251 Stephen Sullivan TE LSU |
| AFC WEST |
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DENVER Dane Brugler of The Athletic liked the Broncos draft much more than Peter King: KIPER’S GRADE Denver Broncos: C+ Top needs: WR, OT, CB, DL, LB All along, I leaned wide receiver for the Broncos at No. 15. It just made too much sense to get some help on the other side of Courtland Sutton, who had a breakout 2019 season, accounting for 33% of the Broncos’ receiving yards. And if Denver is all-in on giving the reins to second-year quarterback Drew Lock, it needs to give him more weapons to get a fuller evaluation. That’s why one of my favorite picks was Jerry Jeudy falling into the laps of the Broncos at No. 15. He is my top-ranked wideout, a big-play machine, a smooth route runner and a plug-and-play starter. He’s exactly what this team needs.
My problem with this class is what happens afterward. The Broncos added another wideout with their second-round pick: KJ Hamler (46), a 5-foot-9 speedster who has gotten compared to DeSean Jackson. I like Hamler, and he could serve a role as the third wideout here, but he has a high range of boom-or-bust possibilities. I probably would have gone with an offensive tackle — I had an early second-round grade on Josh Jones, who was available — but again, this is about Lock and making sure he has tools to help him succeed.
With three third-round picks, Denver also added help at cornerback (Michael Ojemudia, 77), interior offensive line (Lloyd Cushenberry III, 83) and defensive tackle (McTelvin Agim, 95). None is a clear starter as a rookie, but they’re going to compete. Agim, in particular, has a higher ceiling than most Day 2 DTs, but this is high on my board. The Broncos added Lock’s former teammate in tight end Albert Okwuegbunam (118), but his tape was poor last season. Guard Netane Muti (181) is powerful, but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy.
This class has too much bust potential for my liking, with Ojemudia, Hamler and Okwuegbunam as low-floor prospects. So while I love the Jeudy fit in Round 1, I’m going to knock the rest.
BRUGLER RANK: 9
Favorite pick: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama
NAME POS COLLEGE 1/15 Jerry Jeudy WR Alabama 2/46 KJ Hamler WR Penn State 3/77 Michael Ojemudia CB Iowa 3/83 Lloyd Cushenberry III C LSU 3/95 McTelvin Agim DT Arkansas 4/118 Albert Okwuegbunam TE Missouri 5/178 Justin Strnad OLB Wake Forest 6/181 Netane Muti G Fresno State 7/252 Tyrie Cleveland WR Florida 7/254 Derrek Tuszka DE North Dakota State |
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KANSAS CITY KIPER’S GRADE Kansas City Chiefs: C+ Top needs: CB, RB, G/C, DL . So while cornerback could have been addressed at the final pick in Round 1, I have predicted the Chiefs would take the first running back off the board there for the past few weeks. It made too much sense to get Patrick Mahomes another premier playmaker. And it turns out I just went with the wrong back.
Kansas City clearly liked Clyde Edwards-Helaire (32) over the other backs in this class, and I had the top four all rated within 20 spots on my Big Board. The 5-foot-7 Edwards-Helaire, the first back taken by the Chiefs in Round 1 since Larry Johnson in 2003, is a weapon in the passing game (he had 55 catches last season) and a powerful runner. He’s a perfect fit for Andy Reid’s offense, which will be scary again in 2020.
Linebacker Willie Gay Jr. (63) is a stellar athlete with some positional flexibility, but he had some off-field issues in college that caused him to drop.
Edwards-Helaire is going to get a lot of snaps as a rookie, but I don’t see early contributors after that.
NAME POS COLLEGE 1/32 Clyde Edwards-Helaire RB LSU 2/63 Willie Gay Jr. ILB Mississippi State 3/96 Lucas Niang OT TCU 4/138 L’Jarius Sneed S Louisiana Tech 5/177 Mike Danna DE Michigan 7/237 Thakarius Keyes CB Tulane
BRUGLER RANK: 13
Favorite pick: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, LSU One of the best team-player fits in this draft class, Edwards-Helaire is a perfect addition to the Chiefs’ backfield. A Brian Westbrook style player, his ability as a pass-catcher is going to make him a monster in PPR leagues in fantasy football this season. |
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LAS VEGAS KIPER’S GRADE
Las Vegas Raiders: B Top needs: WR, CB, S, G, Edge
This is a very Raiders draft, right? They reached for the fastest prospect in the class in the first round. They took three wide receivers in their first four picks. And coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock took two more Clemson prospects, making that five total over the past two drafts.
They clearly needed help at wide receiver, but I still thought they could take quarterback Jordan Love in Round 1 — he was on the board for both of their picks. Instead, they’re going to try to help incumbent starter Derek Carr as much as possible in 2020. Henry Ruggs III (12) is an underrated route runner, and he can score any time he gets the ball in his hands. And with Carr averaging a league-low 6.2 air yards per attempt last season, expect Ruggs to get a lot of those short targets. I scratched my head a little bit at taking the next two wideouts in Lynn Bowden Jr. (80) and Bryan Edwards (81), even if Gruden and Mayock see Bowden as more of a versatile running back. This team has more needs than wide receiver.
Las Vegas reached a little bit with its other first-round pick — marking the end of the first-rounders from the Khalil Mack trade — as cornerback Damon Arnette (19) fills a need position but is lower on my board. He is my sixth-ranked corner, and I had him No. 51 overall, though it’s not as big of a reach as Atlanta taking A.J. Terrell at No. 16. Arnette is a fine player, but could Gruden and Mayock have traded down to get him? I heard they had a deal ready and the other team backed out, so I can’t fault them too much. I do like Day 3 cornerback Amik Robertson, an instinctive player who had 14 interceptions in college.
The Raiders made offensive weapons a priority, and Carr is now under pressure in Year 3 under Gruden. If he jells with his new receivers and has a big year, he could play his way into a contract extension. If not? Gruden might regret passing on Love — twice.
BRUGLER RANK: 19
Favorite pick: Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama
NAME POS COLLEGE 1/12 Henry Ruggs III WR Alabama 1/19 Damon Arnette CB Ohio State 3/80 Lynn Bowden Jr. WR Kentucky 3/81 Bryan Edwards WR South Carolina 3/100 Tanner Muse S Clemson 4/109 John Simpson G Clemson 4/139 Amik Robertson CB Louisiana Tech |
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LOS ANGELES CHARGERS KIPER’S GRADE Los Angeles Chargers: B Top needs: QB, OL, LB, CB Coach Anthony Lynn and general manager Tom Telesco have said all the right things about the quarterback position since they decided to part ways with Philip Rivers, who started 224 consecutive games for the Chargers from 2006 through 2019. They were happy with Tyrod Taylor, and Taylor was the front-runner to be the 2020 starter. No one really was quite sure whether they would take a quarterback at No. 6. They needed an offensive tackle, but would they really pass on Justin Herbert or Tua Tagovailoa there?
The answer turned out to be no, and the 6-foot-6 Herbert can now become the face of the franchise, though it might not be immediately. After an inconsistent 2019 season, Herbert nailed the pre-draft process, and there were several teams that had him rated above Tagovailoa. He’s a big-time physical talent who could flourish in an L.A. offense that already has solid weapons. I’m a fan of what he can do when he gets coached up, and so I like this pick for the long term.
The Chargers also chose to move up in the first round, trading away both of their Day 2 picks to get Kenneth Murray (23), a run-and-hit middle linebacker who should slot right in as the starter. They also added help at running back on Day 3, taking Joshua Kelley (112), who could play the Melvin Gordon role next to Austin Ekeler, who is likely to get more snaps this season. I had down safety Alohi Gilman (186) as more likely to be a special-teams contributor, but he could play in sub packages. K.J. Hill (220) is a dart throw on a potential slot target.
For a team that went 5-11, the Chargers acted like a team that was only two players away from a title on Thursday, but I really like both of their first-rounders. L.A. has some talent on both sides of the ball, and it could challenge in the AFC wild-card race in 2020. There’s still a hole at left tackle, but maybe the Chargers can find a veteran free agent to plug in there for a year.
BRUGLER RANK: 27
Favorite pick: K.J. Hill, WR, Ohio State
NAME POS COLLEGE 1/6 Justin Herbert QB Oregon 1/23 Kenneth Murray ILB Oklahoma 4/112 Joshua Kelley RB UCLA 5/151 Joe Reed WR Virginia 6/186 Alohi Gilman S Notre Dame 7/220 K.J. Hill WR Ohio State |
| AFC NORTH |
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BALTIMORE KIPER’S GRADE
Baltimore Ravens: A Top needs: ILB, WR, G/C, DT Look at this Ravens roster. Where are the holes? Definitely middle linebacker. Maybe wide receiver. Probably a guard to replace Marshal Yanda. But that’s it. So I liked that the Ravens got an off-ball linebacker at No. 28 whom Lamar Jackson called “Ray Lewis Jr.,” and I liked that they didn’t have to move up to get him. Patrick Queen started only 16 games in his LSU career, but his talent bursts on the tape. He’s a fit as a long-term C.J. Mosley replacement. (By the way: Baltimore has now drafted three linebackers in the first round: Lewis in 1996, Mosley in 2014 and Queen. Those first two were/are pretty good.)
The Ravens entered this draft with three picks in the first two rounds, and they ended up with five total picks on Day 2. Here are those picks, along with where I had them in my overall rankings:
55. J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ohio State (27 on my board)
71. Justin Madubuike, DT, Texas A&M (42)
92. Devin Duvernay, WR, Texas (64)
98. Malik Harrison, LB, Ohio State (74)
106. Tyre Phillips, OT Mississippi State (83)
So as you can see, all five of them were at least 20 spots higher on my final Big Board. That’s outstanding value. Baltimore fortified the middle of its defense — it gave up 4.4 yards per carry last season, most in franchise history — got a playmaker to help Jackson in the slot, and picked a tackle with guard experience who could compete to take over for Yanda, along with fourth-round pick Ben Bredeson (143). I’m also a big fan of James Proche (201), a super-productive pass-catcher who could fill a role, and safety Geno Stone (219) could be a special-teams menace as a rookie. Getting him in the seventh round is stellar.
General manager Eric DeCosta had another really strong draft. Expect Baltimore to be a Super Bowl contender again.
BRUGLER RANK: 1
Favorite pick: JK Dobbins, RB, Ohio State It was tough to pick just one player here because the Ravens had a great haul. But Dobbins really stood out due to the value at No. 55 overall and the talent he adds to an already dynamic Baltimore backfield. I could have easily said Queen or Duvernay, but landing Dobbins outside the top-50 picks was a steal.
ROUND/PICK NAME POS COLLEGE 1/28 Patrick Queen ILB LSU 2/55 J.K. Dobbins RB Ohio State 3/71 Justin Madubuike DT Texas A&M 3/92 Devin Duvernay WR Texas 3/98 Malik Harrison ILB Ohio State 3/106 Tyre Phillips OT Mississippi State 4/143 Ben Bredeson G Michigan 5/170 Broderick Washington Jr. DT Texas Tech 6/201 James Proche WR SMU 7/219 Geno Stone S Iowa |
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CINCINNATI KIPER’S GRADE Cincinnati Bengals: B+ Top needs: QB, OL, LB, DL, TE
OK, so the Bengals haven’t won a playoff game since 1990, the longest active drought in the NFL. And they haven’t drafted a future Pro Bowler at any position since 2013, tied for the longest active drought in the NFL (with the Patriots!). And last year’s first-round pick, offensive tackle Jonah Williams, played zero snaps. And they went 2-14. But this team isn’t in that bad of shape, and I don’t agree that the organizational culture is the issue (sorry, Stephen A.). Cincinnati is in a rut, for sure, but it’s trying to get out of it — that’s why it has the No. 1 pick in the draft.
Joe Burrow is the quarterback to help the Bengals move forward. Every team I talked to loved him, and his rise from potential fifth- or sixth-rounder is amazing. He improved so much throughout 2019 that it was clear by the end of the season that he was going to be the top pick. He has the “it” factor, and I can’t wait to see what he does in 2020. I also like that coach Zac Taylor & Co. were able to get Burrow some help at the top of Round 2. Wide receiver Tee Higgins (33) caught touchdown passes the past two seasons from Trevor Lawrence, the potential 2021 top pick, and now he’ll catch passes from the 2020 No. 1.
Linebackers Logan Wilson (65) and Akeem Davis-Gaither (107) improve one of the league’s worst units from a year ago, and Wilson in particular could be a steal. Khalid Kareem (147) had 26 tackles for loss over the past two seasons.
Cincinnati probably isn’t going to win many games in 2020, but it’s going to be fun to watch. This draft and offseason has set the stage for improvement, and I’m excited to see where it goes next.
BRUGLER RANK: 6
ROUND/PICK NAME POS COLLEGE 1/1 Joe Burrow QB LSU 2/33 Tee Higgins WR Clemson 3/65 Logan Wilson ILB Wyoming 4/107 Akeem Davis-Gaither OLB Appalachian State 5/147 Khalid Kareem DE Notre Dame 6/180 Hakeem Adeniji OT Kansas 7/215 Markus Bailey ILB Purdue |
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CLEVELAND KIPER’S GRADE
Cleveland Browns: B+ Top needs: OT, S, LB, CB New general manager Andrew Berry spent huge money on a new right tackle (Jack Conklin) and tight end (Austin Hooper) in free agency, and the Browns got their left tackle of the future in Jedrick Wills Jr. at No. 10. He is my top-ranked offensive tackle and No. 7 overall prospect. These tackles are serious upgrades over Greg Robinson and Chris Hubbard from last season, and Hooper should get a bunch of targets. Now it’s on new coach Kevin Stefanski, who put Kirk Cousins in a great position to succeed in Minnesota.
Cleveland also got some nice players on Day 2. Grant Delpit (44), who at one point I thought might be a top-10 pick, has a chance to start. Jordan Elliott (88) has some juice as an interior penetrator. Jacob Phillips (97) didn’t get the pub of his teammates at LSU, but it was him, not first-round pick Patrick Queen, who led the Tigers in tackles. On Day 3, tight end Harrison Bryant (115) caught a ton of passes for Florida Atlantic the past couple of years, and wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones is an upside pick.
Berry also added an extra fifth-round pick by trading down three spots early on Day 2, plus a 2021 third-round pick after the Saints traded up. This is a really solid class, with a couple of starters and intriguing late-round picks.
BRUGLER RANK: 3
Favorite pick: Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama A top-five ranked player on my board, the Browns drafted the best tackle in the class at No. 10 overall. I took some heat last fall when he shot to the top of my tackle rankings, but that reflects the tape and the Browns were able to get him. There is a projection with him moving from the right side to left tackle, but he has all the talent to do so and make Pro Bowls while on his rookie contract. My only gripe with the Browns’ class was their decision to draft Jacob Phillips over Malik Harrison, but I loved every other pick.
NAME POS COLLEGE 1/10 Jedrick Wills Jr. OT Alabama 2/44 Grant Delpit S LSU 3/88 Jordan Elliott DT Missouri 3/97 Jacob Phillips ILB LSU 4/115 Harrison Bryant TE Florida Atlantic 5/160 Nick Harris C Washington 6/187 Donovan Peoples-Jones WR Michigan |
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PITTSBURGH KIPER’S GRADE Pittsburgh Steelers: B- Top needs: RB, CB, QB, DL After they traded their first-round pick for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in September — he looked to be worth it; he was named first-team All-Pro — they didn’t have a pick until the middle of the second round in this draft.
I would have loved to have seen Pittsburgh take Jalen Hurts to sit behind the 38-year-old Roethlisberger and take over in a couple of years, but it went the opposite route of the Packers and drafted a wide receiver to help Big Ben and the offense. Chase Claypool (49) is a 6-foot-4 physical specimen who was inconsistent at Notre Dame, but he has some slot experience, and there were a few teams that thought he’d move permanently to tight end. I don’t see that in Pittsburgh, which brought in Eric Ebron in free agency, but Claypool has the speed and physicality to move around the offense. He’s just a little enigmatic for my taste.
Outside linebacker Alex Highsmith (102) is a great fit as an outside linebacker in the Steelers’ 3-4 defense, and they even took two Maryland guys in running back Anthony McFarland Jr. (124) and safety Antoine Brooks Jr. (198). McFarland has some durability issues but stellar straight-line speed, and he’ll fit a need if he can stay on the field.
All in all, Fitzpatrick saves this class from a C.
BRUGLER RANK: 23
Favorite pick: Alex Highsmith, Edge, Charlotte
NAME POS COLLEGE 2/49 Chase Claypool WR Notre Dame 3/102 Alex Highsmith OLB Charlotte 4/124 Anthony McFarland Jr. RB Maryland 4/135 Kevin Dotson G Louisiana 6/198 Antoine Brooks Jr. S Maryland 7/232 Carlos Davis DT Nebraska |
| AFC SOUTH |
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HOUSTON KIPER’S GRADE Houston Texans: C+ Top needs: CB, WR, OL, Edge Bill O’Brien has been aggressive with trades in his short time in charge of the front office. Two first-round picks to Miami to get Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills. DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals for a second-round pick and David Johnson. A second-round pick to the Rams for Brandin Cooks. And that’s not all. But that left the Texans’ 2020 draft stock depleted, and that’s tough, particularly for a defense that declined noticeably in 2019. Houston could have used one of the defensive backs on the board at No. 26.
As for what the Texans got this weekend, Ross Blacklock (40) is a defensive tackle whom Todd McShay really liked, but there were mixed opinions around the league. He played as a nose tackle often for TCU, but he has some pass-rush ability. Could he could slide out to end in this 3-4 defense and get after passers, or is he going to be a nose tackle? At the very least, he’s going to be stout against the run.
This isn’t a special class, and you have to factor in O’Brien’s worth on trades as well, which is why it gets a C-plus from me.
BRUGLER RANK: 26
Favorite pick: Ross Blacklock, DT, TCU
NAME POS COLLEGE 2/40 Ross Blacklock DT TCU 3/90 Jonathan Greenard OLB Florida 4/126 Charlie Heck OT North Carolina 4/141 John Reid CB Penn State 5/171 Isaiah Coulter WR Rhode Island |
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INDIANAPOLIS KIPER’S GRADE Indianapolis Colts: A- Top needs: QB, WR, Edge, CB general manager Chris Ballard has done a good job of stocking the roster with talent since he took over in 2017. The Colts have some young stars, highlighted by a tremendous 2018 draft class, and Ballard dealt the No. 13 overall pick in this draft for defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, who has emerged as one of the best interior defenders in the league. Ballard also has a new starting quarterback, with veteran Philip Rivers taking the reins for at least the next year, and he also has an extra second-round pick from Washington, which traded up into Round 1 in last year’s draft.
So, how did Ballard fare this year? I’m a huge fan of 6-foot-4 wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., who has legitimate No. 1 potential. He reminds me of former USC wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster, and they ran similar 40 times at the combine. For a wide receiver corps that struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness last season, Pittman will provide a spark. The Colts traded up three spots to snag Jonathan Taylor (41), one of the most prolific running backs in college football history. I thought he might sneak into the first round.
Then there’s quarterback Jacob Eason (122), whom Indianapolis was able to snag in the fourth round. I thought he was a fit for the Colts with one of their second-rounders, so that’s another good value, and I’m surprised no other team took a chance on him on Day 2. He has some consistency problems, but you won’t find many quarterbacks ever with his physical tools and 6-foot-6 frame. He’s raw, but there’s no reason he has to play anytime soon. This is a good spot for him. Local kid Danny Pinter (149) is an intriguing developmental tackle for Day 3, and wide receiver Dezmon Patmon (212) is another big, 6-foot-4 pass-catcher with some tools. Isaiah Rodgers (211) has some juice in the return game.
Will this class get Indy back to the playoffs? It’s certainly possible. It should challenge for the AFC South title with Tennessee and Houston.
BRUGLER RANK: 17
Favorite pick: Michael Pittman, WR, USC In almost all of my second-round mock drafts, I connected the Colts and Pittman because of the natural fit. Complementing TY Hilton’s speed, Pittman is a power forward who is physical to the ball and wins the catch point. And with his character and intangibles, he fits the Colts’ culture.
ROUND/PICK NAME POS COLLEGE 2/34 Michael Pittman Jr. WR USC 2/41 Jonathan Taylor RB Wisconsin 3/85 Julian Blackmon S Utah 4/122 Jacob Eason QB Washington 5/149 Danny Pinter G Ball State 6/193 Robert Windsor DT Penn State 6/211 Isaiah Rodgers CB UMass 6/212 Dezmon Patmon WR Washington State 6/213 Jordan Glasgow OLB Michigan |
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JACKSONVILLE KIPER’S GRADE Jacksonville Jaguars: B Top needs: CB, DL, TE, RB, OL This team had an underrated Round 1, adding my second-ranked cornerback CJ Henderson (9), and second-ranked edge rusher, K’Lavon Chaisson (20). With Ramsey and former starter A.J. Bouye gone, Henderson has big shoes to fill, but he’s super talented, even if he had a down 2019 season.
The Jaguars reached a little bit on Day 2 with wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. (42) and defensive tackle Davon Hamilton (73), but you can see the logic behind both moves.
Jacksonville isn’t a playoff team in 2020, no matter whether Minshew proves he’s the guy or not. But this is a solid haul as the team looks to get back on solid footing. This stays at a B because the Jaguars should have taken a running back late, particularly with the unrest around Leonard Fournette.
BRUGLER RANK: 5
Favorite pick: K’Lavon Chaisson, Edge, LSU I don’t think the Jaguars expected to get Chaisson after they elected to go with CJ Henderson at No. 9 overall, but Lamb falling to Dallas helped push the pass rusher to No. 20. In back to back years, Jacksonville has been able to draft an SEC pass rusher in the first round who wasn’t supposed to fall to them.
NAME POS COLLEGE 1/9 CJ Henderson CB Florida 1/20 K’Lavon Chaisson OLB LSU 2/42 Laviska Shenault Jr. WR Colorado 3/73 Davon Hamilton DT Ohio State 4/116 Ben Bartch G St. John’s (MN) 4/137 Josiah Scott CB Michigan State 4/140 Shaquille Quarterman ILB Miami 5/157 Daniel Thomas S Auburn 5/165 Collin Johnson WR Texas 6/189 Jake Luton QB Oregon State 6/206 Tyler Davis TE Georgia Tech 7/223 Chris Claybrooks CB Memphis |
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TENNESSEE KIPER’S GRADE Tennessee Titans: C+ Top needs: Edge, CB, DT, OT, RB The Titans made a surprise run to the AFC title game last season, taking down the Patriots and Ravens on the way, and they did it with an efficient quarterback, bruising running game and steady but unspectacular defense. Well, their first-round pick is clearly designed to continue that offensive trend in 2020. Offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson (29) was a little bit of a reach, but I see the traits that put him at the end of Round 1, even if I question whether he could start right away over Dennis Kelly and replace Jack Conklin at right tackle. At 6-foot-6, 350 pounds, Wilson is a project, and he needs to clean up his technique, but that could come with NFL coaching.
Opinions on cornerback Kristian Fulton (61) were all over the map inside the league, but it’s decent value getting him at the end of Round 2. He is my eighth-ranked corner, just after A.J. Terrell, who went No. 16 overall. It’s a little risky, though, just because of his inconsistencies. Darrynton Evans (93) opened up some eyes at the combine with a 4.41 40-yard dash, and he could be the favorite to spell Derrick Henry as the No. 2 running back.
I was surprised the Titans didn’t take an edge rusher, and Wilson was a reach on my board.
BRUGLER RANK: 16
Favorite pick: Darrynton Evans, RB, Appalachian State Isaiah Wilson and Kristian Fulton were a solid two-round haul, but the addition of Evans was my favorite pick for Tennessee. With Derrick Henry on the franchise tag, there isn’t much depth behind him at running back and Evans could prove to be a productive complementary option due to his speed and vision when given a runway.
NAME POS COLLEGE 1/29 Isaiah Wilson OT Georgia 2/61 Kristian Fulton CB LSU 3/93 Darrynton Evans RB Appalachian State 5/174 Larrell Murchison DT NC State 7/224 Cole McDonald QB Hawai’i 7/243 Chris Jackson S Marshall |
| AFC EAST |
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BUFFALO KIPER’S GRADE Buffalo Bills: B+ Top needs: Edge, RB, CB, OT Buffalo gave up its first-round pick to get 26-year-old wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who should help quarterback Josh Allen. But that means general manager Brandon Beane and coach Sean McDermott sat back and waited on Day 1.
After the Bills lost their two leading sackers from 2019 (Jordan Phillips and Shaq Lawson), I thought they should go with a defensive end in Round 2, even after adding veteran Mario Addison in free agency. And that’s what they did at No. 54, taking AJ Epenesa, a hulking 275-pounder who fits this scheme. Epenesa was inconsistent at the start of 2019, but he played like a first-rounder down the stretch. I don’t know that he’ll ever be a consistent double-digit sack guy in the NFL, but he should be a good starter.
Buffalo also added some help in the backfield with running back Zack Moss (86), whom I had at No. 50 on my board. This team has a solid one-two punch with Moss and Devin Singletary. On Day 3, the Bills stopped quarterback Jake Fromm’s (167) slide, and it’s a decent landing spot for him. Fromm had some supporters within the league, but he faded last season and his accuracy dropped. Is he ever going to be more than a solid backup? It’s unclear, but Buffalo will take that in Round 5. It also got my top-ranked kicker in Tyler Bass (188), and cornerback Dane Jackson is good value late in the draft.
We need to count Diggs as a part of this class, and he’s the top-tier wideout who will help further evaluate Allen in Year 3. And with two excellent picks on Day 2, the Bills are high on my list.
ROUND/PICK NAME POS COLLEGE 2/54 AJ Epenesa DE Iowa 3/86 Zack Moss RB Utah 4/128 Gabriel Davis WR UCF 5/167 Jake Fromm QB Georgia 6/188 Tyler Bass K Georgia Southern 6/207 Isaiah Hodgins WR Oregon State 7/239 Dane Jackson CB Pittsburgh
BRUGLER RANK: 24
Favorite pick: A.J. Epenesa, Edge, Iowa |
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MIAMI KIPER’S GRADE
Miami Dolphins: B Top needs: QB, OL, DL, RB With extra first-round selections from the trades of Minkah Fitzpatrick and Laremy Tunsil, the Dolphins came into this draft with three picks on Day 1 and two more in the second round. They had to get their quarterback of the future. I also thought they needed to get their blindside protector for their quarterback, along with help at running back, with those five picks.
That they ended up with Tua Tagovailoa (5) is outstanding. As I wrote on Thursday night, he’s an elite talent when he’s healthy, but his injury history is worrisome. I said on air Thursday that Miami should try to redshirt him, just to get his body right. It’s not as if the Dolphins are going to compete for a playoff spot. Tagovailoa is a pick for the long term, so they should wait it out and make sure he’s good to go.
Miami took its left tackle with its next pick, but Austin Jackson (18) is a little inconsistent for me. I can’t get over watching him get beaten by AJ Epenesa when USC played Iowa. He’s going to need some time. Cornerback Noah Igbinoghene is also a developmental player, but he has the raw physical tools that make coaches drool. The upside here is that as I mentioned, Miami can afford to take developmental players with priority picks, just because of where it is in its rebuild.
Guard Robert Hunt (39) is going to be an immediate upgrade, and safety Brandon Jones (70) has some versatility as a potential slot defender. I wasn’t as high on edge rushers Jason Strowbridge (154) and Curtis Weaver (164), but I don’t mind them in Round 5. This is a good class that is going to be remembered for how Tagovailoa ends up, but it could swing to a C or A based on the players picked after the left-handed signal-caller.
BRUGLER RANK: 7
Favorite pick: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
NAME POS COLLEGE 1/5 Tua Tagovailoa QB Alabama 1/18 Austin Jackson OT USC 1/30 Noah Igbinoghene CB Auburn 2/39 Robert Hunt G Louisiana 2/56 Raekwon Davis DT Alabama 3/70 Brandon Jones S Texas 4/111 Solomon Kindley G Georgia 5/154 Jason Strowbridge DE North Carolina 5/164 Curtis Weaver DE Boise State 6/185 Blake Ferguson LS LSU 7/246 Malcolm Perry WR Navy |
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NEW ENGLAND The Patriots still don’t seem to have their QB future nailed down, but Peter King has a theory: Bill Belichick could take 10 punters and he’d have enough juice built up to evade any criticism—and rightfully so. (He wouldn’t care if if the ghosts of Grantland Rice and Paul Zimmerman said his draft stunk.) But this was one weird draft for the Patriots. They started with 13 picks, ended up picking 10 players, and took zero at positions of headline need: quarterback and wide receiver. To fill their big holes in the four months since the end of the season, Belichick has acquired Brian Hoyer and Marqise Lee.
“Didn’t work out the last three days. That wasn’t by design,” Belichick told reporters about not picking a quarterback in the draft.
To be fair, this is an offseason like no other in the NFL, because of the uncertainty caused by COVID-19 and because the Patriots are in salary cap jail. And I’m sure Belichick looks at the landscape and thinks, What’s the rush? I might be able to steal a Jadeveon Clowney for a one-year Walmart deal. Not saying Belichick did the right thing on draft weekend, but he knows no one’s going to be practicing football, most likely, till August at the earliest. Four months is plenty of time to remake one’s roster. Three other quarterback thoughts:
1. Belichick took Jarrett Stidham with the 133rd pick last year, and the Patriots like him a lot; is there really any sense to draft a quarterback you don’t love in the fifth round this year, knowing that guy might take away reps from a quarterback you’ve had for a year and want to give a real chance to?
2. I’ve been on the Andy Dalton-for-the-Pats bandwagon. But now that the Patriots have come this far, would it be smarter to sign a Dalton type for a bridge year? Or to give Stidham a real shot and then know for sure whether you’ll need to highly prioritize quarterback in the 2021 draft? Maybe it’s smart to give the gig to Stidham and Brian Hoyer, let the best man win, and just see what you’ve really got.
3. The Patriots signed a Michigan State free-agent, Brian Lewerke, In undrafted free agency Saturday night. He might be more than just a camp arm. (If, of course, there’s a camp.) Impressive guy to some at the combine. – – – KIPER’S GRADE New England Patriots: C+ Top needs: QB, TE, LB, WR, OL This roster is more depleted than I can remember. Bill Belichick loves a challenge, of course, and had 12 picks entering the draft, including three in Round 3, to try to fill some holes. So what did Belichick do with the No. 23 pick on Thursday night? He traded back.
Yes, the Patriots picked up the second-round pick they lost when they traded for Mohamed Sanu at midseason, as the Chargers traded their second- and third-rounders to get back into Round 1. Then the Pats loaded up on Day 2 picks, taking safety Kyle Dugger (37), linebackers Josh Uche (60) and Anfernee Jennings (87) and tight ends Devin Asiasi (91) and Dalton Keene (101). Dugger dominated at the Division II level, then ran a 4.49 40-yard dash at the combine. He could be a versatile player for the New England defense. Uche and Jennings have some edge rushing upside. I was lower on the tight ends — I wrote about it after Day 2 — but it is a clear need area with the offense struggling sans Gronk in 2019. I just had better ones available in my rankings.
My biggest issue with this class is no quarterback; the Patriots passed on Jalen Hurts, Jacob Eason and Jake Fromm throughout. I’m not sold that 2019 fourth-rounder Jarrett Stidham should be the unquestioned starter. I could look silly in a couple of weeks when the Pats trade for Andy Dalton or sign Cam Newton, but this is a whiff for me.
BRUGLER RANK: 30
Favorite pick: Josh Uche, Edge, Michigan Can he play on early downs? Can he drop in space? Uche comes with question marks, but his edge speed isn’t one of them. And he is going to a defensive system that will put him in a position that will highlight his strengths as a player.
NAME POS COLLEGE 2/37 Kyle Dugger S Lenoir-Rhyne 2/60 Josh Uche OLB Michigan 3/87 Anfernee Jennings OLB Alabama 3/91 Devin Asiasi TE UCLA 3/101 Dalton Keene TE Virginia Tech 5/159 Justin Rohrwasser K Marshall 6/182 Michael Onwenu G Michigan 6/195 Justin Herron OT Wake Forest 6/204 Cassh Maluia ILB Wyoming 7/230 Dustin Woodard C Memphis |
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NEW YORK JETS KIPER’S GRADE New York Jets: B Top needs: WR, OL, Edge, CB The Jets hired a new general manager after the draft last year, so this is Joe Douglas’ first time in charge of a draft board, and I thought he had a good first two days, particularly without premium picks.
You can argue about whether they should have gone with a wide receiver at No. 11, but they ended up with offensive tackle Mekhi Becton, a 6-foot-7, 364-pound mountain of a man who should be an instant starter. There aren’t many guys that athletic at that size anywhere. Douglas and Gase then addressed the hole at WR in Round 2, and Denzel Mims (59) went 20 spots lower than I had him rated. Can he be the Jets’ No. 1 right away? No. But with 4.38 40-yard dash speed and a 6-foot-3 frame, the tools are there long term. Sam Darnold needs Mims to be good.
The Jets traded down twice on Day 2, adding extra picks. I liked safety Ashtyn Davis (68) early in Round 3; the former Pac-12 hurdling champion worked his way from walk-on to starter, and he’s a great athlete. Safety doesn’t look like a clear hole, but teams always need extra defensive backs in today’s NFL. Edge rusher Jabari Zuniga (79) played only six games last season, but he has some upside.
This is a B class because New York was able to get starters at its top two needs early.
BRUGLER RANK: 10
Favorite pick: Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor
NAME POS COLLEGE 1/11 Mekhi Becton OT Louisville 2/59 Denzel Mims WR Baylor 3/68 Ashtyn Davis S California 3/79 Jabari Zuniga DE Florida 4/120 La’Mical Perine RB Florida 4/125 James Morgan QB FIU 4/129 Cameron Clark OT Charlotte 5/158 Bryce Hall CB Virginia 6/191 Braden Mann P Texas A&M |