2019 Post Draft Thoughts - Round 2
This is a continuation of my draft notes. These notes provide context for the 2019 NFL draft picks - who was a reach, who was a value, and the scenarios that various teams had when they were making these picks. Hopefully it will provide a handy reference point in future years. Here are the notes for Round 2:
33. Arizona Cardinals - Byron Murphy, CB, Washington. This was a really solid value. Byron Murphy was generally regarded as the #1 zone corner in this class, and most draft pundits had him projected as a first round pick. This also fills a huge need for Arizona, which had been looking for a cornerback to pair with Patrick Peterson for years.
34. Indianapolis Colts - Rock Ya-Sin, CB, Temple. Draft projections for Ya-Sin ranged from late first to anywhere in the second round. He had only played one year at Temple, so it’s somewhat difficult to project him to the NFL, as his competition wasn’t elite and there isn’t a lot of tape to go on. Still, he’s seen as a physical corner, and Indianapolis needed help at every level of the defense.
35. Jacksonville Jaguars - Jawaan Taylor, RT, Florida. Steal of the draft? It was near-universal consensus leading up to the draft that Taylor would be selected by the Jaguars . . . in the first round. For them to fill their biggest position of need with the prospect generally regarded as the best run blocker in the draft is great value. Rumors started swirling after round 1 that Taylor had fallen because of injury concerns, specifically with his back and knees. Time will tell.
36. San Francisco 49ers - Deebo Samuel, WR, South Carolina. Samuel was solidly in the Round 2 discussion throughout the draft process. He’s a guy that can line up inside and outside and is a terror with the ball in his hands. A decent comparable might be Golden Tate.
37. Carolina Panthers - Greg Little, LT, Ole Miss. Carolina really telegraphed this pick. They had a desperate need at left tackle, and met with Little FOUR times leading up to the draft. No other player met with a single team more.
38. Buffalo Bills - Cody Ford, RT, Oklahoma. Great pick for the Bills. He was getting some first round love, and rumors were that the Bengals would have taken him at #11 overall if Jonah Williams hadn’t been on the board. This also fills a huge area of need for the Bills, who are trying to rebuild their offensive line to protect sophomore QB Josh Allen. Earlier in the offseason they solidified the center position by signing Mitch Morse away from the Chiefs, and the overhaul continues with the selection of Ford to lock down the right side.
39. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Sean Bunting, CB, Eastern Michigan. Probably the first “reach” of the second round, but many considered Bunting to be the best slot corner in this draft. Tampa Bay had a horrendous defense in 2018, so at least they are acknowledging the problem by selecting defenders with their first two picks.
40. Oakland Raiders - Trayvon Mullen, CB, Clemson. Jokes have been circulating that GM Mike Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden’s pre-draft scouting consisted only of watching the Alabama-Clemson national title game in January. The team had four picks in the top 40, and used three of them on guys who played in that game. Mullen certainly fills a need for Oakland, whose corners are abysmal, but still - their draft lacked star power, given all the picks they had. It seemed like their philosophy with the early picks was “hit doubles.” That is, they weren’t swinging for the fences on guys with high upside, but instead opted for “safe” players who are likely to be able to get on the field quickly. I doubt any of their first four picks becomes an All Pro, but all should at least make it to a second contract in the NFL.
41. Denver Broncos - Dalton Risner, OL, Kansas State. Risner was seen as a potential mid-to-late first round pick who was one of the top right tackle prospects in the draft. Denver apparently loved him because of his versatility and plans to play him on the interior of their offensive line.
42. Denver Broncos - Drew Lock, QB, Mizzou. Denver traded up with the Bengals to get Lock, who was their third player selected in this draft. Rumors throughout the pre-draft process were that GM John Elway was smitten with Lock, but he had also just traded for Joe Flacco earlier in the offseason. By selecting him where he did, he can let the rookie naturally develop without any pressure to take over for Flacco right away. There were many who thought Lock could go in the Top 10 picks, so this certainly represents a value.
43. Detroit Lions - Jahlani Tavai, LB, Hawaii. This pick was a real head-scratcher. Tavai was not projected to be selected on the first two days of the draft, so it was a real surprise to see him chosen within the Top 50 picks. The modern NFL just doesn’t have much value for two-town linebackers who can’t cover.
44. Green Bay Packers - Elgton Jenkins, C, Mississippi State. Many thought Jenkins was the best center in the draft. Aaron Rodgers has to be breathing a sigh of relief to get more protection up front. This was a good value pick by the Packers.
45. New England Patriots - Joejuan Williams, CB, Vanderbilt. He fits the mold of “big” corners that New England covets, even if he doesn’t have an ideal 40 time. They met with him a couple times throughout the predraft process and it was pretty clear they were interested in him.
46. Cleveland Browns - Greedy Williams, CB, LSU. The best “man” corner in the draft goes to a “zone” scheme. Seems like an odd marriage. Also, there were rumors that when asked to list the best players on the team, LSU coaches didn’t mention Williams. He also didn’t have a single pre-draft visit with any teams, which is unusual. It makes me wonder if the guy has character issues or is difficult to get along with.
47. Seattle Seahawks - Marquise Blair, S, Utah. Typical Seahawk pick - overdrafting a guy most other teams wouldn’t consider until Day 3.
48. New Orleans Saints - Erik McCoy, C, TAMU. With the unexpected retirement of Max Unger, center suddenly became a major area of need for the Saints. They were fortunate to be able to snag the last of the top-ranked centers.
49. Indianapolis Colts - Ben Banogu, EDGE, TCU. This was a difficult class to evaluate EDGE defenders. Banogu was seen as a tweener type best suited as a 3-4 OLB.
50. Minnesota Vikings - Irv Smith, Jr., TE, Alabama. Smith was projected to go in the second round range, so from that perspective it wasn’t a surprise. The team that selected him certainly was, though. They still had massive needs on the offensive line, and have a useful 29-year-old Kyle Rudolph entering the final year of his contract. This seemed like a luxury pick for the Vikings - a luxury they couldn’t afford.
51. Tennessee Titans - A.J. Brown, WR, Ole Miss. Brown was getting a bit of first round love by draft pundits. Many thought he was the most complete receiver in the draft, with the ability to play both inside and outside. He outperformed more-heralded (and more jacked) teammate D.K. Metcalf at Ole Miss, and ultimately got drafted before him. This seems like a bad landing spot, though. The Titans offense is low-volume in the passing game, and Marcus Mariota has regressed. We may not truly know what AJ Brown can do until the Titans move on from Mariota.
52. Cincinnati Bengals - Drew Sample, TE, Washington. If not for Jahlani Tavai, this would be the reach of Round 2. The Bengals defended the pick on the basis that Sample was the best blocking tight end in the draft - which shows they know nothing about positional value. The best blocking tight end in the draft - if he’s not a good pass catcher - should be a fifth round pick, not a second. This looks like yet another pick that was Bungled.
53. Philadelphia Eagles - Miles Sanders, RB, Penn State. This is a weak running back class, but Sanders has all the tools of a potential three down back. He was stuck behind Saquon Barkley at Penn State and only got to start for one year, but appears to have above-average athleticism. He has a problem with fumbling, though, which will keep him on the bench in Philly if he can’t correct it.
54. Houston Texans - Lonnie Johnson, CB, Kentucky. Johnson was viewed as a Day 2 prospect and fills an immediate need for the Texans after the team lost former first round corners Kevin Johnson and Kareem Jackson in free agency.
55. Houston Texans - Max Scharping, RT, Northern Illinois. Doubling down on the small-school offensive tackles, Houston appears determined to protect Deshaun Watson, even if it means reaching. Sharping is probably more of a third round prospect, but the pick makes sense because, like most years, the top tackles went off the board quicker than expected.
56. Kansas City - Mecole Hardman, WR, Georgia. From a college production standpoint, this was a surprise pick. However, with Tyreek Hill likely to be suspended due to horrendous allegations of domestic violence against his girlfriend and his three-year-old child, Kansas City needed to replace the speed element he brought to their offense. If there’s one aspect in Hardman’s game you can count on, it’s speed.
57. Philadelphia Eagles - J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, WR, Stanford. What an outstanding pick. JJAW has talent that could have landed him at the end of Round 1, but lasted all the way until the end of Round 2. He plays much bigger than his 6’2 size, as he often appears to tower over defensive backs on contested catches. He does a great job using his body in the end zone and in contested catch situations. He is likely the heir apparent to Alshon Jeffery in Philadelphia. He might not get many targets in year 1 due to Jeffery, Desean Jackson, and Nelson Agholor being ahead of him on the depth chart in 2019, but he should probably take off in 2020.
58. Dallas Cowboys - Trysten Hill, DT, Central Florida. Admittedly, I had never heard of this player before the draft. Reach.
59. Indianapolis Colts - Parris Campbell, WR, Ohio State. Campbell showed off decent deep speed at the combine, but it wasn’t matched by his college tape, where he only caught two passes that traveled more than 20 yards in the air. Just because he hasn’t been deployed as a deep threat doesn’t mean he “can’t” be one, but it certainly makes you wonder if he’s just another regurgitated version of Percy Harvin and Curtis Samuel, both of whom had the same role in Urban Meyer’s college offenses. He may just be a shallow crossers/gimmick type of player. Working in his favor is the landing spot; if Andrew Luck can make Chester Rogers and Dontrelle Inman look good, he can probably make Campbell look good too.
60. Los Angeles Chargers - Nasir Adderley, FS, Delaware. Adderley likely would have been chosen higher if he had gone to a school in a Power 5 conference. He seems to have elite ball skills and is a great fit for the Chargers secondary.
61. Los Angeles Rams - Taylor Rapp, S, Washington. Rapp is classic example of trying to hit a double with your draft picks. He likely will not ever be a Pro Bowler, but he’s probably going to stick on this roster, either as a safety or as a hybrid linebacker. Apparently he has good football character and coaches love his effort.
62. Arizona Cardinals - Andy Isabella, WR, UMass. This is the “Josh Rosen” pick, the selection that Arizona got for trading last year’s first rounder to the Dolphins. Isabella can flat out fly, but he really struggles with press coverage. He’ll likely see less of that playing in Kliff Kingsbury’s Air Raid offense, so there may be an opportunity for him to have success right away. The Cardinals very quietly did a nice job of assembling the pieces necessary to run Kingsbury’s offense in this draft (Murray, Isabella, and then Hakeem Butler).
63. Kansas City Chiefs - Juan Thornhill, S, Virginia. There were some rumors that Kansas City might shift Thornhill to cornerback, given their lack of quality options at that position. Thornhill was widely regarded as one of the better safety prospects in this class and was expected to go higher than this.
64. Seattle Seahawks - D.K. Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss. Seattle ends the slide of the most impressive physical specimen in the draft. Metcalf has the size and speed that makes teams salivate at wide receiver, but his subpar 3-cone drill at the combine left many scouts with concerns over his lateral quickness and ability to run the full route tree at the NFL level.