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FOOTBALL · SCOUTING · NEWS
Pittsburgh Steelers
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(49) Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame
(102) Alex Highsmith, OLB, Charlotte
(124) Anthony McFarland, RB, Maryland
(135) Kevin Dotson, G, Louisiana-Lafayette
(198) Antoine Brooks Jr., S, Maryland
(232) Carlos Davis, DT, Nebraska
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UDFA
Trajan Bandy, CB Miami-Fl
Calvin Taylor, DT Kentucky
Josiah Coatney, DT Mississippi
John Houston Jr., LB USC
James Pierre, CB Florida Atlantic
Leo Lewis, OLB Mississippi State
Christian Montano, OC Tulane
Corliss Waitman P South Alabama
Spencer Nigh FB Auburn
James Lockhart LB Baylor
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GM Colbert thinks his team can take WR Claypool from a college workout warrior to a solid starting NFL WR opposite JSS. It's a tall task despite the obvious tools. Claypool has great length and occasionally makes the acrobatic catch, but didn't show the suddenness or consistent ball skills to be big factor at ND. I felt 3rd rounder Highsmith was a similar reach. He's productive and physical but glaringly stiff.
RB McFarland was a streaky big play threat at Maryland but I'm not sure he's a better change of pace than Whyte. OG Dotson is a typical solid Steelers assembly line lineman. S/LB Brooks was solid value. DT Davis is a solid late round flier. He can flash explosive dominance at the poa but too often gives way to poor leverage and technique.
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Baltimore Ravens
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(28) Patrick Queen, LB, LSU
(55) J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ohio State
(71) Justin Madubuike, DT, Texas A&M
(92) Devin Duvernay, WR, Texas
(98) Malik Harrison, LB, Ohio State
(106) Tyre Phillips, G, Mississippi State
(143) Ben Bredeson, G, Michigan
(170) Broderick Washington, DT, Texas Tech
(201) James Proche, WR, Southern Methodist
(219) Geno Stone, S, Iowa
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UDFA
Trystan Colon-Castillo, OC Missouri
John Daka, LB James Madison
Jake Breeland, TE Oregon
Chauncey Rivers, DE Mississippi State
Eli Wolf, TE Georgia
Tyler Huntley, QB Utah
Bronson Rechsteiner, FB Kennesaw State
Josh Nurse, CB Utah
Ty'Son Williams, RB BYU
Dom Maggio, P Wake Forest
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The division champs had gaping needs going into the draft at ILB and IOL and used nearly half their picks on those positions. Queen was a highly rated prospect but I think he's a stretch as a 1st round talent. The upside is the speed, coverage potential and youth but I thought he was largely a hit or miss guy as a tackler/playmaker.
RB Dobbins is a hit the ground running guy that should back up Ingram well. The only issue being he carries the exact same skill set as Ingram and doesn't really diversify the backfield. I wasn't a big fan of Madubuike as a prospect. He's small and late off the ball. In truth, I thought Queen and Madubuike were two of the most overrated guys in this draft class.
That said, the Ravens hit on most of the rest of their picks, imo, finding great value all the way into the last round. Duvernay's a clutch slot guy with gears. OG's Phillips and Bredson look like future starters. I was a bigger fan of LB Harrison than Queen. WR Proche is another solid slot guy with elite lateral quickness. And S Stone is awfully similar to Chuck Clark. DT Washington was the only guy I had much lower. UDFA TE Breeland is a sleeper and DE Rivers was considered a mid round prospect.
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Cleveland Browns
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(10) Jedrick Wills, T, Alabama
(44) Grant Delpit, S, LSU
(88) Jordan Elliott, DT, Missouri
(97) Jacob Phillips, LB, LSU
(115) Harrison Bryant, TE, Florida Atlantic
(160) Nick Harris, C, Washington
(187) Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Michigan
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UDFA
A.J. Green, CB Oklahoma State
Alex Taylor, OT South Carolina State
Kevin Davidson, QB Princeton
Benny LeMay, RB Charlotte
Brian Herrien, RB Georgia
Jovante Moffatt, S Middle Tennessee
Drake Dorbeck, OT Southern Mississippi
Solomom Ajayi, LB Liberty
George Obinna, DE Sacramento State
Elijah Benton, S Liberty
Jeffery Whatley, DE South Alabama
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HC Stefanski & GM Berry's goal in their first season as the primary decision makers is to lessen the burden of their would be franchise QB after a disastrous sophomore slump. That meant bolstering the OL and adding situational pieces to the offense to compliment the playmakers this off season.
OT Wills had a dominant season at Bama as the RT protecting Tua's blindside. He has the talent and the athletic ability to switch to the left side but he's never lined up there in his entire football career. S Delpit's stock dropped after a shaky tackling season but he remains a high upside centerfielder. Tackling generally improves as a pro although durability does not. It ought to be interesting to track Bucs S Antoine Winfield, taken the very next pick, vs Delpit as they mature as pros.
In the 3rd the Browns hit key needs at DT and LB but I'd probably have taken different prospects than Elliott and Phillips. Both carry enough upside though to contribute and eventually start. TE Bryant was a solid value in the 4th and should push Njoku for snaps, if not off the roster entirely. Washington OC Harris is a scraper who should grind his way onto the field. WR Peoples-Jones was overrated by a few, but he's a solid returner and traffic catcher that could push incumbent Higgins. UDFA QB Davidson has an opportunity. I thought he showed well at pre draft events as a performer and leader.
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Cincinnati Bengals
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(1) Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
(33) Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson
(65) Logan Wilson, LB, Wyoming
(107) Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB, Appalachian State
(147) Khalid Kareem, DE, Notre Dame
(180) Hakeem Adeniji, G, Kansas
(215) Markus Bailey, LB, Purdue
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UDFA
Isiah Swann, CB Dartmouth
Kendall Futrell, LB East Carolina
Marcel Spears Jr., LB Iowa State
Josh Knipfel, OG Iowa State
Devwah Whaley, RB Arkansas
Mitchell Wilcox, TE Southern Florida
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Bengals enter essentially phase 2 of their rebuild by releasing mainstay Dalton and taking breakout guy Burrow as their new franchise QB. Burrow's an all-intangibles guy with especially good mobility. He'll need it in his first season. The Bengals punted their needs along the OL in lieu of bolstering the middle of the defense and adding a playmaker.
WR Higgins is a long 50/50 catcher that's kind of a poor man's A.J. Green but I'm not convinced he'll help the offense as well as a blue chip OL would have. LBs Wilson and Gaither are steals and should hold down the LB group for years to come. Both are rangy safety/LB types with instincts and animosity.
DE Kareem is a great tools guy that just never put it all together at ND. OG Adenjii will get an early opportunity to start and really, he's a better talent then some guys taken before him. LB Bailey's a flier that will easily contribute if he stays healthy. I was a big fan of UDFA Spears but he'll have a challenge to carve a spot alongside all the other rooks.
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