NFLTR Review: First-Round Draft Grades

This draft was predicted to be a wild one and it largely lived up to that expectation. In this week’s issue of NFLTR Review: 

• Grading all 32 picks and trades from an action-packed first round
• The wide receiver frenzy continued, with six in the top 18 and two blockbuster trades
• Only one first-round QB, what happens to the others?

First Round Grades & Reactions

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Georgia DE Travon Walker

A couple of weeks ago, this would have qualified as a much bigger surprise. But it’s clear this was the way the wind was blowing in Jacksonville. Walker is a phenomenal athlete — a 6-5, 272-pound pterodactyl that’ll be faster than half the receivers who line up on the other team in the NFL. He also has, by all accounts, high football character and a relentless motor. Look no further than this play in the national title game. 

The issue with Walker is he’s a huge projection. He didn’t have gaudy stats in college, finishing his career with just 9.5 sacks. Georgia’s defense was loaded with NFL talent and they did some unique things with their scheme, asking Walker to set up teammates. So there’s reason to believe he could be a much better pro than college player. It was notable that Walker was announced as a “linebacker” instead of a defensive line. However, there’s no getting around the fact that the Jaguars are taking a risk. 

I just think it will work out. 

Grade: A

2. Detroit Lions: Michigan DE Aidan Hutchinson

The Lions waited maybe 10 seconds before turning this card in, which suggests there really wasn’t much to consider when the presumptive No. 1 pick for most of the past few months fell to No. 2. There are some questions about Hutchinson’s ceiling and whether he’s the same caliber of pass rusher we’ve seen go at the top of the draft like the Bosa brothers. He could still be damn good, though. He get labeled a try-hard, and he does have a great work ethic. But don’t get it twisted. Hutchinson tested like an elite athlete with the exception of his arm length. The production in college last year was obviously outstanding as well. Hard to shoot too many holes in this pick for the Lions. 

Grade: A

3. Houston Texans: LSU CB Derek Stingley Jr.

The first surprise if you don’t count the No. 1 pick, but there was even a fair amount of buzz for Stingley in the past week or given Texans HC Lovie Smith’s comments about how badly they needed cornerback help. Two years ago, this would have looked just about right for Stingley after he turned in a brilliant season as a true freshman in the Tigers’ national championship season. The past two years have gone off the rails for him just like LSU, though, with injuries and inconsistent play. The Texans looked past all of that, though, and are betting on that talent he showed all the way back in 2019. I think this could backfire compared to some of the other options on the board but the upside is undeniable. 

Grade: B-

4. New York Jets: Cincinnati CB Ahmad Gardner

Jets HC Robert Saleh’s system has traditionally prioritized linemen over players in the secondary. So does GM Joe Douglas, especially on offense. So it says a lot that the Jets took Gardner over all of the top tackles and guys like Thibodeaux and Johnson. Gardner astoundingly didn’t allow a touchdown in college at Cincinnati. He’s huge for a cornerback at 6-2, but he’s not just a guy you leave in a zone. He’s got 4.4 speed to stick with receivers down the field. This could be a home run pick for the Jets given there’s no one else in the secondary with this kind of physical ability. 

Grade: A-

5. New York Giants: Oregon DE Kayvon Thibodeaux

Thibodeaux vs Gardner in New York is going to be fascinating to monitor over the next few seasons. You can be sure that comparison won’t be lost on the tabloids, as just about the only thing we knew for certain about the draft this past week was that the Jets were not going to draft Thibodeaux. 

There was a ton of noise this draft cycle about Thibodeaux’s personality and how much he really loved football. It was a little reminiscent of the narratives about Panthers QB Cam Newton over a decade ago. The Giants did quite a bit of work on Thibodeaux though and felt comfortable ensuring his slide stopped at five. Just like Carolina, they could reap the benefits with one of the best pass rushers they’ve had in years. 

Grade: A

6. Carolina Panthers: N.C. State OT Ikem Ekwonu

Unbelievably, the Panthers had their pick of all three of the top tackles on the board. They went with Ekwonu, an athletic mauler who played his college ball locally. There are some scouts who think Ekwonu’s fit is better inside at guard where his aggressiveness can be harnessed more and not taken advantage of but he does have the athletic tools to stick at tackle. Carolina has shown a predilection for athletes they can coach up, and Ekwonu fits that mold. 

Grade: A

7. New York Giants: Alabama OT Evan Neal

This is a pretty great situation for the Giants to land a top defender and still come away with a starting tackle with their second first-rounder. Neal has played all over the line at Alabama and should slot in immediately at right tackle to (hopefully) give the Giants bookends on the offensive line. He’s enormous at over 6-7 and 330 pounds, but he carries that weight extraordinarily well. The Giants are rebuilding their foundation and Neal can be a sturdy piece of that. 

Grade: A

8. Atlanta Falcons: USC WR Drake London

What the Falcons are telling us with this pick is that size matters to them. They had their pick of the receiving prospects on the board and they took one whose trump card is his size and contested catch ability. That doesn’t mean London is just a plodder, he’s got surprising wiggle for a receiver his size. He teams up with TE Kyle Pitts and RB/WR Cordarrelle Patterson to make a tall group of skill players in Atlanta. 

As for the Falcons, they really could have picked just about anyone and had it fill a need. Their roster is that threadbare. You can make an argument for a pass rusher like Jermaine Johnson as having more positional value, though that’s undercut by the contracts receivers have been signing. What I think should be more of a consideration is diversifying your offense with speed and different body types. 

Grade: C+

9. Seattle Seahawks: Mississippi State OT Charles Cross

It seems like most of the Seahawks fans I know hold their breath when on the clock for their team to screw it up somehow. The organization is known for proudly marching to the beat of its own drum and ignoring the consensus. That’s why I thought they could take Penning, either here or in a trade down the board. But they nab the consensus No. 3 tackle in the class and a replacement on the blind side for Duane Brown. Cross is possibly the best pass blocker in the class and ensures Seattle doesn’t have to go into 2022 with the pairing of Stone Forsythe and Jake Curhan protecting whoever ends up starting at quarterback. 

Grade: A

10. New York Jets: Ohio State WR Garrett Wilson

The Jets add another weapon for QB Zach Wilson, as if he doesn’t work out almost nothing else they do matters. They nabbed the second receiver off the board with Wilson out of Ohio State, who’s known as an outstanding route runner who’s also competitive for the ball in the air despite not being the biggest. I mocked them Williams out of Alabama and I think that would have been a better pick even if he missed a chunk of the season while recovering from a torn ACL. His speed would have added something unique to the Jets’ group, while I’m not sure how much Wilson gives you that Elijah Moore doesn’t. 

Grade: B-

11. TRADE – New Orleans Saints: Ohio State WR Chris Olave

Back-to-back Ohio State receivers off the board here, with the Saints coming up to make sure they land Olave in the middle of a receiver run. In terms of the player, Olave is a tremendous fit for the Saints, assuming their offense looks similar to what they ran with Sean Payton. He’s the best route runner in this class, better than his teammate Wilson and plays faster. 

If the pick works out, that’s all that matters. But the Saints paid a premium to get this pick, first giving up a third and a future second to move their 2023 first to this year, then third and fourth-round picks to the Commanders to move up to this pick. That’s not great draft process. Receiver is becoming a premium position, though, that teams will stretch like this to obtain. 

Grade: B

12. TRADE – Detroit Lions: Alabama WR Jameson Williams

The Lions make a huge move up the board from the last pick of the round to make sure they land Williams, who has incredible speed and might have been the first receiver off the board if he hadn’t torn his ACL in the national title game. That said, Williams’ doctors are striking an optimistic tone and the first six or so games of the 2022 season don’t really matter compared to the long term for the Lions. 

We should ask the same questions about the Lions that we asked about the Saints in terms of compensation to move up for a receiver. Detroit gave up the No. 34 and No. 66 picks and got back No. 46 from the Vikings. Based on the traditional trade value chart, the Lions actually came out slightly ahead. Minnesota paid the discount to move down. 

Grade: B+

13. TRADE – Philadelphia Eagles: Georgia DT Jordan Davis

The Eagles made it three straight trades, leapfrogging the Ravens with a pair of Day 3 picks as the price to the Texans to nab the absolutely monstrous Davis out of Georgia. Davis’ value comes from the fact that there just aren’t many people on the planet, period, who are that big and that athletic. He has the size of an old-school 3-4 nose tackle but the burst and athleticism of a three-tech. He really is a one-of-a-kind player. 

The downside is that if a defensive tackle isn’t a great pass rusher, the returns on a first-round pick aren’t always great. Still, Davis is the type of player who can have a lot of value outside the stat sheet. 

Grade: B+

14. Baltimore Ravens: Notre Dame S Kyle Hamilton

Classic Ravens pick, sitting put and capitalizing on players slipping down the board. They’re also a team that values safeties more than just about any other team and knows how to use them. Hamilton slid due to the lesser positional value of safeties and some really bad workouts, including a 4.7 40 time at his pro day. Still, the tape shows a rangy player who could have a lot of value in the right hands. 

Shortly after this trade, the Ravens also traded WR Marquise Brown to the Cardinals for the No. 23 pick. More on that below. 

Grade: B+

15. Houston Texans: Texas A&M G Kenyon Green

It’s a little interesting that the Texans elected to go with a guard over another higher value position like pass rusher (Johnson) or receiver (Burks). Not to shade Green as a prospect, as he’s pretty clean and was pretty widely regarded as someone who would go later in the round. It’s also a weird class with not a lot of distinction once you get out of the top 10 or so picks. Still, you can find guards a lot easier than you can other positions. 

Grade: C

16. Washington Commanders: Penn State WR Jahan Dotson

This is way higher than anyone had Dotson going but the Commanders seemed determined to add to their receiving corps to help set QB Carson Wentz up for success as much as possible. Dotson is fairly small at around 5-11 and 180 pounds. But he’s fast and more importantly has some of the best hands in this class. His tape contained some of the craziest grabs of anyone wideout this season, especially factoring his size. The biggest criticism of this pick is the value, and this is a weird class for that anyway. 

Grade: C+

17. Los Angeles Chargers: Boston College G Zion Johnson

Another guard going off the board earlier just because the projections for everyone else are all over the place. In the case of the Chargers, though, it makes a little more sense. This is a contending team without many holes. One of the exceptions is the right side of the offensive line. Johnson can either slot in on the right side or on the left with Matt Feiler moving over. This pick might be a double or even just a single but some teams will settle for that this week. 

Grade: B-

18. TRADE: Tennessee Titans: Arkansas WR Treylon Burks

Wow. The Titans traded WR A.J. Brown to the Eagles in exchange for the No. 18 pick and a third-rounder. Tennessee then turned around and used this pick on Burks, while the Eagles gave Brown a four-year, $100 million deal with $57 million guaranteed. 

The short answer is this is a solid deal for the Eagles and a horrendous deal by the Titans. For Philadelphia, Brown is clearly better than any receiver they could have drafted. The deal is a lot of money on the surface but the guarantee structure is strong for the team compared to some of these other deals. In a few years when the cap goes up and $25 million is a lesser percentage of the cap, odds are it will look better. 

For the Titans, this doesn’t make a lot of sense. Brown is the definition of a young building block, the type of player you’re dreaming Burks becomes — and it’s worth noting Burks isn’t nearly as polished as Brown was coming out. This feels like the team saw $25 million and got sticker shock, not factoring in how the cap is going to grow. The Titans are facing a closing window and there are a lot of stalwarts who are about to hit the wrong combination of aging and expensive in 2023, so some kind of rebuild feels like it’s coming. You just figured Brown would have been a part of that. 

Grade: D

19. New Orleans Saints: Northern Iowa OT Trevor Penning

The Saints were able to address two of their biggest needs by getting a receiver and a tackle. Penning might not be ready to start right away but he’s athletic and nasty — an OL coach’s dream. It might not work out but it’s worth the swing by New Orleans. 

Grade: B

20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Pitt QB Kenny Pickett

Pickett ends up as the first quarterback off the board, and you have to think there wasn’t a place he would have preferred more than to stay in Pittsburgh and just move other to the other side of the facility. The Steelers get their first stab at a quarterback of the future in a post-Ben Roethlisberger era and there are a lot of things to like about Pickett. He’s got good size, solid mobility, an arm that’s good enough and solid accuracy. He’s a high-floor prospect, the questions about him revolved around how good he could be in a league with aliens like Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes moonlighting at quarterback. Pittsburgh has always been a defense-first organization, however, and Pickett won’t be asked to be an alien. 

Grade: B

21. TRADE – Kansas City Chiefs: Washington CB Trent McDuffie

The Chiefs gave up third and fourth-round picks to move up eight spots and snare McDuffie. Given they began the draft with 12 picks, they had the capital to make a move like this. As far as McDuffie, nobody questions the tape or the character. He’s as clean a corner in that regard as anyone in this draft. Size is the question mark with him, particularly arm length. A lot of teams have athletic thresholds for players and McDuffie’s sub-30-inch arms would have failed a lot of those. It seems like a small thing, but those traits can matter at positions like corner. It didn’t for the Chiefs, though. 

Grade: B

22. Green Bay Packers: Georgia LB Quay Walker

Green Bay’s ignorance of the receiver position has gotten a lot of buzz, but they’ve arguably paid less attention to off-ball linebacker when factoring the lack of even Day 2 picks there over the last decade-plus. That makes breaking the drought with Walker notable. One of a battalion of talented Georgia defenders, Walker has a rare combination of size and speed but the technical aspects of the positon can elude him at times. Packers DC Joe Barry has a decent track record as a LB coach, however, which is a positive. 

Grade: B-

23. TRADE – Buffalo Bills: Florida CB Kaiir Elam

Buffalo tossed a fourth-round pick to the Ravens to leapfrog the Cowboys and land Elam. This roster didn’t have many holes but a second outside corner was a glaring one. Elam has enticing tools as a larger corner (6-2) with rare fluidity. Consistency was an issue but from a talent perspective Elam’s highs are as good as any corner in this class. Hard not to like this pick for Buffalo. 

Grade: B+

24. Dallas Cowboys: Tulsa OT Tyler Smith

Smith had received some buzz as a potential under-the-radar first-round selection as a toolsy developmental offensive lineman. The key word is developmental. Smith is not — or should not — play right away. This is a pick with an eye on the future at tackle for Dallas, however. 

Grade: B

25. Baltimore Ravens: Iowa C Tyler Linderbaum

Once again the Ravens scoop a player who was sliding down boards due to questions about positional value and athletic thresholds. Linderbaum has OL scouts who rave about his tape and technical ability that he displayed at Iowa. But he’s a center-only prospect who is light (under 300 pounds) and has short arms. That dropped him down boards a little but the Ravens capitalized with a player people in their front office have compared to legendary Baltimore G Marshal Yanda. 

The Ravens traded down with this pick from the first they initially got for trading away Hollywood Brown, which is interesting. The Ravens do have some depth at receiver and are a run-first offense. Brown was due for a contract extension in the final year of his deal. On the surface, a receiver matters more than a center, but if Linderbaum is as good as the Ravens think he might be, cashing out on Brown for another first-round pick after getting three years out of him isn’t bad. 

Grade: A (for the pick)

26. TRADE – New York Jets: Florida State DE Jermaine Johnson

Rumors this past week claimed the Jets were considering taking Johnson as high as No. 4 and had him higher on their board than Thibodeaux. It appears they were on an island in that assessment but it’s still a huge win to be able to get a player that high on their board at No. 26 overall. They gave up a third and a fifth to move up nine spots and get a fourth back, which is strong value. 

Grade: A

27. TRADE – Jacksonville Jaguars: Utah LB Devin Lloyd

Jacksonville spent big on LB Foye Oluokun in free agency but they still needed a running mate for him after trading away Myles Jack. So the Jaguars moved up and ended Lloyd’s fall down the board, giving up fourth and sixth-round picks to go from No. 33 to No. 27. Lloyd has excellent range and fits the modern linebacker mold of a run and chase player to cover ground horizontally. He can also rush the passer a little bit like Cowboys LB Micah Parsons, although that kind of comparison probably isn’t fair to either player. 

Grade: B

28. Green Bay Packers: Georgia DT Devonte Wyatt

Gutey gonna Gutey. Packers GM Brian Gutekunst turned in a vintage draft, going off-ball linebacker first and following it up with a defensive tackle while ignoring receiver yet again. Wyatt has some juice as a pass rusher but he’s old for a prospect (just turned 24 in March) and there are some character concerns related to a domestic dispute that had some teams take him off their boards. It’s not a sexy pick for the Packers, that’s for sure. 

Grade: C

29. New England Patriots: UT-Chattanooga OL Cole Strange

This pretty much says it all about the pick. 

Rams reaction to Patriots selection of Cole Strange at #29.

This is hysterical. pic.twitter.com/ADzqt4lizQ

— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) April 29, 2022

The Patriots needed offensive line help but man… 

Grade: D

30. Kansas City Chiefs: Purdue DE George Karlaftis

The Chiefs needed a pass rusher and they got someone with a really high floor who should be able to plug in as a starter right away. Karlaftis wins with strength and a humming motor. There are questions about if he can be a consistent, double-digit sack presence, but at the worst Kansas City should have someone in the mold of Sam Hubbard who can be a consistent starter and capitalize off the attention drawn by DT Chris Jones. 

Grade: B+

31. Cincinnati Bengals: Michigan S Daxton Hill

Cincinnati looks ahead with this pick, as both starting safeties Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell are in contract years. Hill isn’t just a safety as he really played nickel corner for Michigan this past season. He’s fast, versatile and aggressive and should be a big plus for the Bengals’ secondary. 

Grade: B+

32. Minnesota Vikings: Georgia S Lewis Cine

Back-to-back safeties to end the round, Cine is bigger and more of an enforcer than Hill. His tackling highlight reel includes some beauties. He’s not just a box safety though as he has the athleticism to be deployed in Minnesota’s split safety defense with all of the disguises it asks from the position. There are a lot of similarities between Cine and current Vikings S Harrison Smith in fact, so perhaps the torch will be passed without much dropoff. 

Grade: B+

This Week In Football

• The draft has a way of reigniting a lot of trade rumors given it’s the last chance for teams to acquire more picks they can use before next year. More deals are talked about than actually made, and that seems to be the case with the Packers and their interest in Raiders TE Darren Waller. Back when Green Bay dealt WR Davante Adams to Las Vegas, there were some rumors the Packers initially wanted a player in addition to a first-round pick. The Raiders balked at the time and it turns out NFL rules prohibit players being included when a player who hasn’t signed the franchise tag is being traded. That player apparently was Waller. Now obviously there are plenty of reasons why the Packers would want Waller. It makes less sense for the Raiders to trade their star tight end, at least this year. The Raiders have told Waller he’s not being traded. 
• Two more big names in limbo are Browns QB Baker Mayfield and 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo. Both are unlikely to be traded this weekend judging by the current tenor of the situation, as both are due tens of millions of dollars that suitors can leverage their current teams into picking up. The Panthers have been linked to both but there’s reporting that indicates they might prefer Garoppolo to Mayfield, which I buy a lot more than the reports that they had the inside track for Mayfield. Seattle still makes the most sense to me as a landing spot for him. There’s also now a dark horse team to consider: the Texans. Texans GM Nick Caserio was a part of the Patriots front office when they drafted Garoppolo and in 2018 when they were rumored to like Mayfield a lot. 
• Less than a year after he was a first-round pick by the Giants, WR Kadarius Toney is already the subject of trade rumors. It’s not a question about talent when it comes to Toney. He showed rare ability in limited appearances last season. The issue is reliability. There always seems to be something with Toney, dating back to his time in college at Florida. He had an uneven rookie season, then did not report to the start of OTAs — which are admittedly voluntary but still put him behind in learning the new offense. One source who works for the Giants had this to say about him: “Not a guy you can trust, Likes the NFL lifestyle, but not the NFL work.” That’s eye-opening, even if all the Giants did was listen to offers on Toney. For now, though, the Giants are probably more likely to trade WR Darius Slayton, who they’re shopping presumably to save a little bit of cap space because their finances are that dire. Plenty of gifts from the Dave Gettleman era that just keep on giving. 
• Another name to keep an eye on for a potential trade is Commanders DT Daron Payne, as the team has reportedly been checking the trade market for the former first-rounder. Payne is a solid player but it’s a question of resource allocation for the Commanders when they have three other first-round picks on the defensive line, one of whom has already been paid handsomely. It doesn’t seem like Washington is looking to give Payne away but if they can pick up another Day 2 pick and plug in someone like Star Lotulelei without a ton of dropoff, it makes sense if they’re not planning to re-sign him right now. 
• After receiving a franchise tag for the second straight season, Jaguars LT Cam Robinson cashed in big once again with a three-year, $54 million extension from Jacksonville. All three were relatively big surprises, as Robinson is generally viewed as an average at best left tackle around the league. Pro Football Focus isn’t the gospel of offensive line play, but in Robinson’s four years as a starter he’s rated 72nd, 70th, 62nd and 48th in the league out of usually around 80 tackles who are graded. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that he’s improved every season. But once again, it looks like the Jaguars have paid premium money for a non-premium player (Robinson’s average annual salary ranks just outside the top five at the position). That’s going to drive up the price for other teams. 
• In a move that was met with very little surprise, the Giants officially declined the fifth-year option for QB Daniel Jones. What this means is 2022 now becomes a contract year for Jones with New York deciding not to guarantee $22.3 million for Jones in 2023. This isn’t the end for the former No. 6 pick in New York. He could still have a strong season with new HC Brian Daboll helping to engineer a big step forward like he did in Buffalo with Josh Allen. The odds are definitely against it, though. 
• As expected, the Buccaneers and QB Tom Brady restructured his deal to add a little bit more cap space to navigate this season as Tampa Bay pushes for a second Super Bowl in three seasons. The deal also notably still ends after this season and includes no-tag and no-trade clauses, like it did before. That means, if Brady decides to keep playing, he will be an unrestricted free agent once again this offseason. 
• Sometimes teams and players will wait until after the draft, as it can provide more clarity on what roles and needs are. Other times, it makes sense to lock up a job and fill a need, though. That’s what the Steelers and Broncos did by re-signing S Terrell Edmunds and RB Melvin Gordon respectively. Both players were starters for their teams last year and could fill the same role in 2022, meaning Pittsburgh and Denver don’t have to draft a rookie at those positions. They still can, though, given both are just on one-year deals. Also a side note. It’s not a coincidence both players got $2.5 million deals, as that’s underneath the qualifying threshold for the compensatory pick formula. 

Best Of The Rest

Like always, the first round closed with a bunch of talent still left on the board. Here are some of the names to know before Day 2 kicks off tonight:

Quarterback

The headliner is obviously Liberty QB Malik Willis after just one quarterback was selected in the first. But Ole Miss QB Matt Corral and Cincinnati QB Desmond Ridder have received some buzz, with North Carolina QB Sam Howell another name to keep in mind. 

The Seahawks and Falcons both have multiple second-round picks and no real long-term options on the roster. You could see other teams like the Colts, Titans, Lions, Saints, Giants, Commanders and even Vikings look at the position as well. 

Running Back

As was pretty widely expected, no running backs came off the board in the first round. That’s expected to change today with Iowa State’s Breece Hall and Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker strong contenders to come off the board as second-round selections. Others who could crack the second or third round include Texas A&M RB Isaiah Spiller, Georgia RB James Cook or Alabama RB Brian Robinson. 

Wide Receiver

If the first round is any indication with six wideouts going in the top 18 picks, we’re in for another run at the position. Georgia WR George Pickens, Western Michigan WR Skyy Moore, North Dakota State WR Christian Watson, Cincinnati WR Alec Pierce and Alabama WR John Metchie all could come off the board in a rush in the first 20 picks or so of the second round. It’s a weak class at the top for tight ends, but keep an eye on Colorado State’s Trey McBride as well. 

Edge Rusher

This is really where the depth of the pass-rushing group is going to shine. There are a host of edge rushers who can help teams still on the board, including Minnesota’s Boye Mafe, Penn State’s Arnold Ebiketie, Michigan’s David Ojabo, Houston’s Logan Hall, Kentucky’s Josh Pascal, Ole Miss’ Sam Williams, USC’s Drake Jackson and San Diego State’s Cameron Thomas. And I’m probably leaving off a few. 

Linebacker

Off-ball linebacker might be almost as deep as edge rusher. There’s the heart of the Georgia defense, Nakobe Dean, who slipped to Round 2 due to size and injury concerns. Teammate Channing Tindall could also hear his name called Friday. Alabama’s Christian Harris, Wyoming’s Chad Muma, Oklahoma’s Brian Asamoah, Montana State’s Troy Anderson and Wisconsin’s Leo Chenal are other names to know. 

Cornerback

There are a pair of corners who had first-round buzz still on the board in Clemson’s Andrew Booth and Washington’s Kyler Gordon. Baylor S Jalen Pitre could also be a nice consolation for any teams in the early second who were hoping Daxton Hill slid a little further. Penn State S Jaquan Brisker, Auburn CB Roger McCreary, Nebraska CB Cam Taylor-Britt and UTSA CB Tariq Woolen round out what should be Day 2 locks. 

Offensive Line

There are a lot of gems on the offensive line in this class, but the depth could push teams to wait on the position. Some intriguing players are Central Michigan OTs Bernhard Raimann and Luke Goedeke, both who are toolsy athletes relatively new to the sport. Nebraska C Cameron Jurgens could be a nice fit for a team still looking for help at the position. And there are other interesting developmental tackles like Washington State’s Abraham Lucas, Minnesota’s Daniel Faalele and Penn State’s Rasheed Walker.