2020 Post Draft Thoughts: Day 3
This is a continuation of my draft notes. These notes provide context for the 2020 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 some of the Day 3 picks. For these rounds, I focused on players who were highly regarded entering the draft and fell, or players who may have an opportunity to become fantasy contributors:
Round 4, Pick 1 (107 overall). Cincinnati Bengals - Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB, Appalachian State. ADG was getting some second-round buzz heading into draft weekend, so the linebacker-needy Bengals had to be ecstatic that he fell to them on Day 3. Their top linebackers heading into draft weekend were sophomore Germaine Pratt and 30-year-old free agent signee Josh Bynes. The Bengals hope that the third round selection of Logan Wilson and the 4th round selection of Davis-Gaither solidify their linebacker room for years to come.
Round 4, Pick 6 (112 overall). Los Angeles Chargers - Joshua Kelley, RB, UCLA. This is what the post-Melvin Gordon era will look like in LA. Austin Ekeler should shoulder most of the load, but Kelley offers some ability as an early-down and goal line thumper.
Round 4, Pick 14 (120 overall). New York Jets - La’Mical Perine, RB, Florida. Perine wasn’t a huge name on the draft radar, but he finds himself staring at a great opportunity behind 28-year-old Le’Veon Bell in New York. Gang Green signed 37-year-old Frank Gore after the draft, but time will tell who slots in as the immediate backup to Bell. Perine is obviously the better add in dynasty formats, as Frank the Tank may not even survive final cuts this summer.
Round 4, Pick 18 (124 Overall). Pittsburgh Steelers - Anthony McFarland, RB, Maryland. McFarland had some off the field issues, which probably accounts for his slight fall in the draft, but he lands in a pretty good situation in Pittsburgh. Although it’s a crowded backfield with James Conner, Jaylen Samuels, and Benny Snell, none of that trio has proven to be an irreplaceable player. Pittsburgh may very well let Conner go after the 2020 season, so it’s not hard to see a path to carries for McFarland - as long as he can hold off former UK stalwart Benny Snell.
Round 4, Pick 22 (128 overall). Buffalo Bills - Gabriel Davis, WR, UCF. This pick is noteworthy because of the other players on the depth chart. Although Stefon Diggs, John Brown, and Cole Beasley are locked in as the top three for Buffalo, Davis is intriguing because he offers size - 6’2” - that the others just don’t. Diggs is 6’0”, John Brown is 5’10”, and Beasley is a towering 5’8”. It would not be a shock to see Davis on the field in red zone situations (likely at the expense of Beasley) or on third downs (at the expense of Brown).
Round 4, Pick 36 (142 overall). Washington Redskins - Antonio Gandy-Golden, WR, Liberty. Talk about a great landing spot. Washington is set in the slot with Trey Quinn and and one outside receiver spot with Terry McLaurin, but the other starting spot is wide open. Gandy-Golden will only need to fight off last year’s sixth round pick, Kelvin Harmon, for starting duties. The potential is there for fantasy production in year one due to volume alone, as long as he can nail down a starting job.
Round 4, Pick 38 (144 overall). Seattle Seahawks - DeeJay Dallas, RB, Miami. It is always noteworthy whenever Seattle takes a running back, because they have shown a willingness to give starter’s duties to Day 3 picks (7th rounder Chris Carson and 6th rounder Travis Homer). This pick is either an indictment of former first-rounder Rashaad Penny, or it suggests that the team is concerned about the availability of Chris Carson following last year’s late-season hip injury. Either way, he makes for an interesting dart throw in rookie/dynasty drafts this year.
Round 4, Pick 40 (146 overall). Dallas Cowboys - Tyler Biadasz, C, Wisconsin. Early in the process, Biadasz was getting some buzz as a potential first round pick, so Dallas has to love getting him with the last pick of Round 4. Wisconsin has a long and storied history of putting quality offensive linemen in the NFL. Dallas may have gotten their Travis Frederick replacement straight out of Frederick’s alma mater.
Round 5, Pick 13 (158 overall). New York Jets - Bryce Hall, CB, Virginia. Outstanding pick for the Jets. Hall was seen as a late first round prospect heading into the season, but he tumbled down draft boards due to a broken ankle suffered in October. He has a legitimate chance to earn a starting role for the Jets.
Round 5, Pick 16 (161 overall). Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Tyler Johnson, WR, Minnesota. Johnson was a favorite of the analytics community heading into the draft, and this couid be a really good landing spot. The third wide receiver spot should be up for grabs behind Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, and he’s now got Tom Brady throwing him the rock.
Round 5, Pick 19 (164 overall). Miami Dolphins - Curtis Weaver, EDGE, Boise State. Weaver didn’t wow anyone with his athletic testing, but he got a lot of hype as a potential Day 2 pick due to his stellar production in college. He is the Mount West Conference’s all-time sack leader, with 34.
Round 5, Pick 21 (166 overall). Detroit Lions - Quintez Cephus, WR, Wisconsin. First round picks Jeff Okudah and Damon Arnette agreed that the toughest player they were ever asked to cover was Quintez Cephus. If he gave first round corners fits, he just might make it in the NFL … despite his 4.73 speed.
Round 5, Pick 22 (167 overall). Buffalo Bills - Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia. Fromm is a really smart player whose football IQ vastly exceeds his physical gifts. Although he had some first round buzz, his physical limitations were always bound to knock him down the draft board. This guy is either going to last for a decade in the NFL as a reliable game-manager type, or he’ll wash out quickly and wind up in the coaching ranks a la Kellen Moore.
Round 6, Pick 2 (181 Overall). Denver Broncos - Netane Muti, G, Fresno State. On talent alone, Muti may have been the best guard in the class. But the guy just couldn’t stay on the field. He played only 19 games across four years of college. He sat out his freshman season with an Achilles’ injury; started all 14 games as a sophomore; missed all but two games as a junior due to another Achilles injury; and started only three games as a senior before a Lisfranc injury ended his season. If this dude can stay healthy - a huge if - he could be a steal for the Broncos.
Round 6, Pick 31 (210 overall). Philadelphia Eagles - Prince Tega Wanogho, OT, Auburn. Wanogho was viewed as a potential Day 2 heading into the draft based upon his physical traits, so it was somewhat surprising to see him available this late on Day 3. Jason Peters is no longer in Philly and last year’s first round pick, Andre Dillard, is being elevated to the starting left tackle role. Wanogho slots in nicely behind him as a developmental reserve.
Round 7, Pick 8 (222 overall). Arizona Cardinals - Eno Benjamin, RB, Arizona State. Benjamin has some pass-catching chops and could actually compete for a meaningful role with the Cardinals out of the gate. Plus, I’ve never been enthused by Kenyan Drake - the guy hasn’t been a feature back for a full season since high school - so it wouldn’t surprise me if his workload is less than people think. That could open up opportunities for Benjamin.
Round 7, Pick 40 (254 overall). Denver Broncos - Derrek Tuszka, EDGE, North Dakota State. This pick doesn’t fit the criteria for most of the other guys I’ve talked about, but I include him because I absolutely loved his athletic testing. Tuszka posted a 6.87 3-cone drill, which is an elite time for an edge rusher. He shows the sort of quick twitch that could make him a valuable pass rusher on third downs for the Broncos.