TALKDRAFT
FOOTBALL · SCOUTING · NEWS
Dallas Cowboys
​
(19) Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise St
(50) Connor Williams, OG, Texas
(81) Michael Gallup, WR, Colorado St
(116) Dorance Armstrong, DE, Kansas
(137) Dalton Schultz, TE, Stanford
(171) Mike White, QB, Western Kentucky
(193) Chris Covington, LB, Indiana
(208) Cedrick Wilson, WR, Boise St
(236) Bo Scarbrough, RB, Alabama
UDFA
​
Assuming Vander Esch checks out without any lingering effects concerning his 2016 neck injury, he's a perfect fit for Dallas. He's rangy and should help in the intermediate pass defense but he lacks some strength and isn't a lights out open field tackler yet. Only a one year starter at Boise he still has plenty of growing to do but his ceiling is up there. OG Williams was another solid pick. An athletic OT at Texas but his sluggish feet and inconsistencies suggested he might be better inside. Gallup is essentially a baby Dez. He uses his size to high point and snatch passes and has the physicality and burst to hurt you as a yac threat. Armstrong should work the edge as a situational rusher. He physically looks like another DeMarcus Ware but wasn't especially productive his final season at Kansas. He can clean up but he sticks to blocks and isn't explosive off the ball.
​
Schultz is a project TE with a balanced game as a blocker and receiver but did very little at Stanford before declaring early. Spending a year learning from Witten would've been invaluable, but that's not likely happening. I was pretty high on QB Mike White and felt he was the best of the 2nd tier passers. He's got an opportunity to be a longtime backup in Dallas and eventually challenge for a starting spot somewhere in the league. Covington's a quick backer with size that's also a project but worth a look late. Wilson's not to dissimilar from last year's late rounder Noah Brown. Wilson has length and wiggle but isn't explosive. He'll need to master the subtleties and get stronger to contribute. Scarbrough's a Texas sized guy that's well worth a look late. He's got a complete game but just wasn't very productive at Tuscaloosa. I'm not terribly familiar with any of their UDFA's but I'd wager CB Nichols and TE Vollert could stick.
​
Overall I think the Cowboys basically killed this draft. Gallup, Williams and Vander Esch are solid prospects that could stick in Dallas for a long while. And QB White and Scarbrough could be valuable depth down the road.
----------------------------------
New York Giants
​
(2) Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
(34) Will Hernandez, OG, UTEP
(66) Lorenzo Carter, LB, Georgia
(69) B.J. Hill, DT, NC State
(108) Kyle Lauletta, QB, Richmond
(139) R.J. McIntosh, DT, Miami
UDFA
​LB Tae Davis, Chattanooga
S Sean Chandler, Temple
CB Aaron Davis, Georgia
TE Stephen Baggett, East Carolina
OC Evan Brown, SMU
WR Jawill Davis, Bethune-Cookman
WR, Davon Grayson, ECU
​
With the hot dog & a pretzel quote Gettleman revealed post draft that he didn't really consider offers for the #2 pick when the Browns took Mayfield. Many consider this a glaring mistake and it very well could be but what the Giants did come away with in this draft looks really good. Barkley at #2 in lieu of a trade down is questionable given the RB depth in this class, the financial obligation it carries and the 14 seasons their starting QB is carrying...the but is that Barkley is an elite passing game weapon out of the backfield who could be a dangerous outlet and screen guy. And while he doesn't run behind his pads in the way his weight room strength says he could, there's no reason he can't learn to as a pro. Hernandez is a plug and play guy who had no business getting out of the 1st and is exactly what the OL needed.
Carter is blazing fast but likely a longshot to stick as a solid full time starter. He lacks instincts and strength and sticks to blocks. He's a situational rusher that's something like a poor man's Bruce Irvin. DT Hill is a productive interior guy with a good motor who should contribute but I had 5th rounder McIntosh higher. The Miami DT is gifted athletically and beats most OL off the snap inside. He's also stout and can stack and shed effectively. I'll think he'll clearly outperform his draft position. Lauletta's a solid get in the 4th. His arm isn't as strong as Nassib's but he's got a better feel for the game and better mobility. Still a likely carrer back up but he'll push Davis Webb and make them both better. Short but pretty sweet for the Giants this year.
​
-----------------------------------------
Philadelphia Eagles
​
(49) Dallas Goedert, TE, South Dakota St
(125) Avonte Maddox, CB, Pitt
(130) Josh Sweat, DE, Florida St
(206) Matt Pryor, OT, TCU
(233) Jordan Mailata, OT, South Sydney Rabbitohs
UDFA
S Jeremy Reaves, South Alabama
DT Bruce Hector, South Florida
DE Joe Ostman, CMU
WR Ray Bolden, Stony Brook
WR Jordon Gandy, Murray State
S Asantay Brown, Western Michigan
OG Aaron Evans, UCF
S Ryan Neal, Southern Illinois
OG Ian Park, Slippery Rock
S Stephen Roberts, Auburn
QB Jeremiah Briscoe, Sam Houston State
​
Eagles came into this draft with a loaded roster and very few weaknesses. Another TE was needed, particularly one that could help in the run game and Goedert has that potential. He's agile with great hands as a receiver but flashed some strength to be effective as a blocker. Overall though I didn't have him as high as many others and think his game lacks explosion. CB Maddox was one of my favorite sleeper corners in this class. He's small but gets after it as a run defender and consistently challenges at the catch point. He's similar to a Buster Skrine or Jason Verrett ...but I'm not sure how great a need CB actually was with last year's pick Jones returning.
Sweat is a Danielle Hunter like guy with athleticism and upside but his med check flagged his old knee injury for many teams. He's a solid gamble on day 3 but it's a little boom or bust...essentially the theme of much of this Eagles class. OL was arguably the team's biggest need and they didn't address it until late with OT Pryor from TCU and monster project Mailata. Both are projects with higher end athletic ability and sub par technique. Rugby star Mailata in fact has less than just sub par technique but he's a legitimate physical freak and just 2oyrs old.
​
I'm a fan of a few of the UDFA pickups. CB Chandon Sullivan and DB Jordan Thomas have the ability to stick in the league. Thomas posted one of the quickest 3-cone times ever recorded but lackluster straight speed and I think he's better suited for safety. He needs more strength but his face up tackling, ball skills and short area quickness would work well there. WR Mahoungou is similar to ASU's Devin Lucien in that he came on late after a nondescript college career.
​
---------------------------------------
Washington Redskins
​
(13) Da'Ron Payne, DT Alabama
(27) Derrius Guice, RB, LSU
(74) Geron Christian, OT, Louisville
(109) Troy Apke, S, Penn State
(163) Tim Settle, DT, Virginia Tech
(197) Shaun Dion Hamiliton, LB, Alabama
(241) Greg Stroman, CB, Virginia Tech
(256) Troy Quinn, WR, SMU
UDFA
S Quin Blanding, UVA
RB Martez Carter, Grambling
WR Simmie Cobbs, Indiana
WR Micah Holder, SDSU
DT Davon Durant, Marshall
WR Shay Fields, Colorado
LB Jerod Fernandez, NC State
WR De’Mornay Pierson-El, Nebraska
WR Cam Sims, Alabama
OG Ty McCulley, CSU Pueblo
FB Elijah Wellman, FB, WVU
CB Mackenro Alexander, Iowa State
​
Somebody in DC likes his Bama players. Interior DL was the biggest need and the Skins tabbed Payne and 5th rounder Settle. Both are unusually athletic big men but both also don't consistently play to that size. If Payne could play something like he did in his final Bowl game as a pro he'd be a pro bowler. But that was the best game of his career. Settle had a breakout year and declared but he lacks fundamentals and spends much of his time getting up off the ground. Character concerns may have also dropped his stock.
Speaking of character concerns...Guice was considered by most the 2nd best RB in the draft with some liking him even more than Barkley. But uncertainty about what kind of person you'd be bringing into the locker room and what kind of hangers on are coming with him appeared to knock his stock. I think there's a better than good chance he'll make teams that passed him up pay. He'll be the next Clinton Portis in DC if he can stay out of the trainers room.
Christian's an athletic underachiever who's purely a boom or bust. Apke was generally a surprise to come off the board ahead of more highly touted guys. The workout warrior's athleticism and upside stand out but it's all a projection after one year starting and just decent production.
I think it's debatable whether their final 3 picks, Hamiltion, Stroman and Quinn are any better than their UDFA pickups of WR Cobbs, CB Johnson, S Blanding and OG Welsh. There's good and bad in that. Cobbs has a wide catch radius and snatches balls but is speed challenged. Blanding can tackle and get to the ball but isn't fast or particularly strong. Parris is a good practice guy with starter upside. Pitt TE Flannigan flashed in the games I watched. He's a typical Pitt TE, well coached and versatile.
​
---------------------------------------
