Welcome Back Dirtbags! We are now less than 12 hours away from the start of the most unique NFL draft of the century. Thanks for coming back to check out how the last third of Round 1 will shake out.
#22- Minnesota is now on the clock with the first of their selections acquired from shipping out WR Stephon Diggs to Buffalo. When you hand your mediocre QB a fully guaranteed contract to be about as vanilla average as they come, there will be cap casualties. The Vikings have seen an exodus of talent because of the lack of financial flexibility Kirk Cousins has created. At 22, the Vikings will be pleased to see CB A.J. Terrell still on the board. He has prototypical size and athleticism for a CB1. Technique issues helped him get roasted by the NFL-caliber WR at LSU in the national title game as well so this pick should also make Mr. Rodgers happy in Green Bay.
#23- The most stable team in the league for 2 decades now has many question marks going into the post-Tom Brady era. Most mocks have the Patriots selecting a QB at #23 to replace Brady. I just don’t see Jordan Love fitting into Bill Belichek/Josh McDaniels offense. I can see them waiting until later to take a chance on the once highly touted Jake Fromm in round 2. Additionally, there are a ton of QB available still in free agency (Newton, Winston) and the trade market (Dalton). Bill will look to continue to win games the same way as always, through solid defense. DE A.J. Epenesa did not have the best combine, but the guy is a player and just feels like a Patriot-type of guy. He was very productive in the Big Ten and has positional flexibility across the defensive line that the Patriots covet. This will not be a sexy pick, but is definitely the type of pick the Patriots tend to make.
#24- With the signing of Emmanuel Sanders, the Saints took care of their biggest offseason need. By now, Mel Kiper will be yelling at the TV, spit dripping from his chin for the Saints to take QB Jordan Love to have someone in house to replace Drew Brees when he retires. Again, he would be wrong. Tampa Bay and Atlanta will be serious threats in the NFC South and they will need to improve their defense to get beat on a last play of the game in the playoffs again this year. LB Patrick Queen at pick 24 is a local product (LSU) with great coverage skills to help improve an underrated defense, and match up better against the new Tampa Bay offense. This is another not-so-sexy pick, but the type of pick that keeps them among the best teams in the league.
#25- On the clock for the second time at #25, the Vikings will look to add to their WR room and WR Denzel Mims out of Baylor will be the man here. Mims has all the tools, size, speed, athleticism you look for in a WR1. Word is he played through a broken hand last year which contributed to drop issues. In a couple years, I would not be surprised that Mims winds up being the most productive WR in this class in the right situation. I would also not e surprised if he winds up going down the Laquon Treadwell route as well…
#26- Miami finds themselves on the clock for the third time tonight. After spending the first 2 picks on their QB and WR with Tua and Justin Jefferson, the Dolphins will likely go best player available or trade back. In this scenario, they are ecstatic to see DE Yetur Gross-Matos still on the board and give coach Brian Flores a young weapon to add to their Free Agent haul to improve the defense. I have said before, Miami’s offseason has been underrated and adding a pass rushing prospect like Gross-Matos will help expedite the rebuild.
#27- At 27 Seattle will be looking to restore some talent in their defensive backfield. The Legion of Boom days have been dead for a couple years now, but S Xavier McKinney will come in to help fill the void the Seahawks have had since Earl Thomas manned the secondary. Though he’s not the same caliber in coverage, McKinney is a willing tackler and great blitzer and will help improve a Seattle secondary that lacked much bite last year.
#28- The Ravens have a roster loaded with talent at all levels who are young and fast. They don’t have a glaring need on offense, but will take WR Brandon Aiyuk at 28 overall. DE of LB are bigger needs, but the value is not there in this scenario, so the Ravens take another playmaker for the league MVP. Aiyuk can pair with Marquis Brown to form one of the most explosive WR units outside of Kansas City with a threat to score any time they get the ball. Aiyuk has some work to do on his route tree but is a nice piece to add to an already potent offense. Lamar Jackson definitely becomes a first-round fantasy pick now.
#29- Many will say Tennessee overachieved last year, making it to the AFC championship game. Since then, they have had to pay Ryan Tannehill and franchise-tagged Derrick Henry. Tennessee wins through solid defense and controlling the clock, though they surprising did have a top-5 offense once Tannehill took over as starter last year. The Titans lost a huge piece of their run game though when OT Jack Conklin signed a big money deal in Cleveland. OT Josh Jones out of Houston will come in to fill the hole on the right side of the line to help keep their philosophy rolling. Jones has room to improve his strength and could be a mauler for years to come.
#30- Much like the Titans, the Packers were not expected to make it to the NFC championship game last year, especially with the injuries they dealt with throughout the year. They also lost a long-time cog on their offensive line as Bryan Bulaga went to the Chargers during free agency. OT Ezra Cleveland out of Boise State has been shooting up boards based on his potential. Very athletic, Cleveland could develop into a perennial Pro-Bowler with added strength. A WR to pair with Davante Adams is badly needed, but with the overall depth of this class, that can be found later on in the draft where OT talent cannot.
#31- At 31, the 49ers are back on the clock. It is almost guaranteed that QB Jordan Love will be the target of teams trying to trade up to select here. Should they stay and make a selection here, S Grant Delpit would be a wise choice to add to their secondary. Kyle Shanahan now has a history of blowing big leads in Super Bowls so it is time to bring in a playmaker who may be able to help him hang on to those leads. Delpit has positional versatility as well that will mesh well with the talent already on the roster.
#32- By now, the entire world is likely asleep and tired of the fillers being used by the TV crew until the pick is announced. Reigning Super Bowl Champions Chiefs remain stacked on offense but the defense could use some help. The Chiefs figure to be in positive game script most of the time this year, playing with leads and draining the clock in the second half. A strong cover corner can help give an underrated D-Line to get to the QB. CB Kristian Fulton fits well with the Chiefs style of defense and fills a big need with Kendall Fuller leaving town after the victory parade. The Chiefs remain Super Bowl favorites again.
Stay tuned all night long as we give you up to date analysis and fantasy impact on all 32 first round picks tonight as they are made.