The NFL Draft might be a little bit different this year, but PFF will still be with you every step of the way. As always, we’ll be here to give you up-to-the-minute analysis of every pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Follow along below as we provide a summary and proper analysis for what every pick means for each NFL team.
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Round 1
Pick 1: Cincinnati Bengals — QB Joe Burrow, LSU
Cincinnatians should be jumping for joy in their living rooms right now because they just got the best QB prospect PFF has ever evaluated. What Joe Burrow did in 2019 was unlike anything we have ever seen in the PFF College era. He broke the record for single-season PFF grade by a quarterback and also had the most valuable season we have ever seen, per PFF WAA.
Accuracy, decision-making, ability to create outside of structure, composure under pressure, the ability to throw with anticipation — you name it, Burrow has got it. He’ll give Bengals head coach Zac Taylor something he didn’t have at the quarterback position last year.
Pick 2: Washington Redskins — Edge Chase Young, Ohio State
Burrow is the best prospect we have ever seen, but Chase Young is easily the best non-quarterback we have ever evaluated. He’s quite literally a freak of nature — he broke the record for the highest PFF pass-rush grade ever earned by a defensive lineman at 96.4, and he was rarely shut down. Young is everything you could want in an edge rusher. With his burst, power, hands and size, he should be a nightmare for NFC East tackles for years to come.
Pick 3: Detroit Lions — CB Jeffrey Okudah, Ohio State
Since they didn’t trade back — as some rumors were suggesting — taking Jeff Okudah was absolutely the best move for the Detroit Lions. He can play in any scheme you ask, but my goodness is he stingy in press-man coverage. Okudah allowed under half a yard per coverage snap in press coverage in 2019 and didn’t allow a single explosive play (both of which are by far the best marks in the 2020 draft class). As we at PFF have said in the past, Okudah is the Michelangelo’s David of cornerbacks. He was built for the position, and he’s going to fit like a glove in Matt Patricia’s man-heavy defense.
Pick 4: New York Giants — T Andrew Thomas, Georgia
Don’t listen to anyone who says, “this should have been Mekhi Becton!” Andrew Thomas was the highest-ranked offensive lineman on the PFF Draft Board, and he has put forth elite production against some of the stiffest competition in college football. In 2019, Thomas posted an elite 92.5 overall grade that ranked third in the FBS, and he was one of the few to produce top-10 grade both in pass protection and as a run-blocker. Dave Gettleman and the Giants got themselves the best offensive tackle in the draft.
Pick 5: Miami Dolphins — QB Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama
After months of speculation, we finally got our answer — Tua Tagovailoa is a Miami Dolphin. Even with the injury, Tagovailoa was the second-ranked player on the PFF Draft Board because he does everything you want at an elite level. Tagovailoa’s accuracy, decision-making and pocket presence are light years ahead of Justin Herbert, who was reportedly also in the mix at Pick No. 5. Still, Tua was the only quarterback to post back-to-back 90.0-plus passing grades over the last two seasons. Sure, the injury is something to be worried about, but this was 100% the best possible scenario for the Dolphins.
Pick 6: Los Angeles Chargers — QB Justin Herbert, Oregon
Although the Chargers’ quarterback situation was murky, taking Justin Herbert sixth overall is a huge reach. He may have a legit rocket launcher for an arm that’s easy to fall in love with, but there is a lot to be concerned about with Herbert. One of those areas for concern is his panicky performance when under duress — Herbert actually posted the fourth-worst negatively graded throw rate when under pressure in 2019. His accuracy is also suspect and was a roller-coaster at Oregon. As PFF Data Scientist Eric Eager said, the Chargers should have let someone else take the risk on Justin Herbert.
Pick 7: Carolina Panthers — DI Derrick Brown, Auburn
Picking Derrick Brown over someone like Isaiah Simmons isn’t something we can condone. While he is one of the most powerful interior defensive linemen we have ever evaluated, we just didn’t see it on an Aaron Donald-like level of dominance on a rep-to-rep basis to warrant this early of a selection. He was a great player at Auburn — he earned 85.6 and 90.4 pass-rush grades and 91.1 and 84.7 run-defense grades in the last two seasons — but again, the price is just too steep here.
Pick 8: Arizona Cardinals — LB/S Isaiah Simmons, Clemson
As much as Kyler Murray wanted CeeDee Lamb, he has to be happy with Simmons on his squad because guys like Simmons don’t come around often. By now we all know how versatile he is — he was one of just three FBS players to record at least 100 snaps on the defensive line, in the slot, in the box and at free safety, and he was the only one of three to have any kind of success. Heck, he was the only off-ball linebacker and safety who posted 80.0-plus grades against the run, as a pass-rusher, as a tackler and in coverage. Play him like Derwin James and Jamal Adams and prosper.
Pick 9: Jacksonville Jaguars — CB C.J. Henderson, Florida
Cornerback was an absolute must for Jacksonville after traded away Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye. While he is coming off a down year at Florida in which he gave up a whopping five receptions that resulted in a 40-plus yard gain — three more than any other top-10 cornerback in this class — C.J. Henderson is right behind Okudah in terms of man-coverage skills. In single coverage at outside corner since 2018, Henderson allowed a minimal 20 catches on 44 targets while making as many plays on the ball as the number of first downs allowed (16).
Pick 10: Cleveland Browns — T Jedrick Wills, Alabama
There was still work to be done for the Browns at offensive tackle, even after signing Jack Conklin. They filled that void with one of the nastiest run-blockers in this draft class in Jedrick Wills. He is an absolute unit with elite explosiveness and agility and can wreck defenders in the run game. He posted an elite 90.5 run-block grade — sixth in the FBS last year — and had more big-time blocks (PFF’s highest-graded blocks) than anyone in the class. Wills’ pass protection isn’t on someone like Andrew Thomas’ level, but new Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is going to love watching this guy pave holes for his rushing attack.
Pick 11: New York Jets — T Mekhi Becton, Louisville
I wish I had good news for Jets fans, but taking Mekhi Becton over a wide receiver like Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb or Henry Ruggs III is a head-scratching move. At 6-foot-7, 364 pounds with 35 5/8-inch arms and a 40 time of 5.1 seconds, there’s no question that Becton is just a different animal than anyone on the field and has the athleticism and physical tools you want at the position. The only issue is that there is no production to show for it — he’s really all potential at this point. Not only did he face a rather weak slate of pass-rushers in 2019, but he was also protected in Louisville’s scheme. The fact he saw only 73 true pass sets is one concern, but the fact he allowed eight pressures on those reps is an even larger concern. Becton is a monster who can toss guys around, but we were hesitant to call him a first-round prospect before the night started.
Pick 12: Las Vegas Raiders — WR Henry Ruggs III, Alabama
The Raiders couldn’t have gone wrong with any of these wide receiver prospects, but they got a guy who is going to fit perfectly in Jon Gruden’s West Coast offense. Ruggs’ ability to make plays in traffic is extraordinary. On slants, crossers and in-routes in 2019, Ruggs caught 15 of his 20 targets for 11 explosive plays, averaging of 26.5 yards per catch and 15.2 yards after the catch per reception. Utilizing that 4.27 speed of his, Ruggs is lethal after the catch and an explosive-play machine. Jon Gruden, Mike Mayock and Las Vegas hit a home run here.
Pick 13: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (via San Francisco 49ers) — T Tristan Wirfs, Iowa
Tampa got one physical freak earlier this week when they traded for Rob Gronkowski, and they just got another in Tristan Wirfs. At 6-foot-5, 320-pounds, Wirfs tore up the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. He has all the physical tools to stick at tackle, and when you mix all of that with his production, you get yourself a top-10 prospect in this draft class. Wirfs posted a 91.8 overall grade — fourth-best in college football a season ago — and he was near-flawless over his last seven games, allowing only one pressure over that span. He was the only Power 5 tackle to earn elite grades in both pass protection and run blocking — Tom Brady is going to love having this guy blocking for him.
Pick 14: San Francisco 49ers (via Tampa Bay Buccaneers) — DI Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina
After hitting a home run by trading down with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — a trade that wins trade 54% of the time according to PFF data scientists — the Niners struck out by taking Javon Kinlaw over Jerry Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb. Firstly, Kinlaw is an exceptional player at his position — we had him higher than Derrick Brown on our draft board — and what he did this past year as a pass-rusher was exceptional. Kinlaw managed to put up an elite 90.7 pass-rush grade, and he did that while playing over a third of his snaps at nose tackle. Kinlaw possesses unreal athleticism, explosiveness and power at 6-foot-6, 310 pounds, but wide receiver is a far more valuable position than interior defensive line.
Pick 15: Denver Broncos — WR Jerry Jeudy, Alabama
If I were John Elway right now I would be popping a bottle of champagne — Jerry Jeudy just fell right into his lap. Getting a player like Jeudy — who is the second-best wide receiver prospect we have ever evaluated behind Amari Cooper — at the 15th overall pick is an incredible value. Jeudy is a refined route-runner and is a threat to take it to the house on any play where he gets a step on his defender. Over the last two years, Jeudy picked up 53 explosive plays of 15-plus yards when he had a step or more of separation, which was eight more plays than anyone else. The Broncos just got the fifth-best prospect on the PFF Draft Board at the 15th overall pick — cheers to you Mr. Elway.
Pick 16: Atlanta Falcons — CB A.J. Terrell, Clemson
This is a bit of a reach here by the Atlanta Falcons. Taking a cornerback here is a great decision, but we had Kristian Fulton and Jaylon Johnson higher up on our draft board. That said, Terrell does have fluid hips and great speed for his size, as well as all the tools needed to become a high-level starter in a man-heavy scheme like Atlanta’s. There were just a few too many times where his play strength failed him, like in the national championship game when he gave up four catches on seven targets for 137 yards and two touchdowns to Ja’Marr Chase. Again, this isn’t completely bad, but we would have taken Fulton over Terrell.
Pick 17: Dallas Cowboys — WR CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma
There wasn’t much CeeDee Lamb to Dallas discussion leading up to the draft, but that is only because no one expected him to fall this far. Lamb came in at sixth on the PFF Big Board, a verifiable steal at the 17th overall pick. He has been one of the best receivers in all of college football with the ball in his hands after the catch, averaging 9.2 yards after the catch per reception (tied for second) and forcing 38 missed tackles after the catch since 2018 (second). With Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup already in Dallas, Lamb’s addition immediately gives them one of the best wide receiving corps in the NFL.
Pick 18: Miami Dolphins — OT Austin Jackson, USC
The excitement surrounding Miami after selecting Tua Tagovailoa is dampened a little bit here with the biggest reach of the draft so far in our eyes. Jackson comes in at 94th on the PFF Big Board, and it all comes down to his on-field production. The length and physical profile is that of a Day 1 offensive tackle, but Jackson was carved up last season by the three NFL-caliber edge defenders that he faced (Julian Okwara, Bradlee Anae and A.J. Epenesa) and managed just a 74.1 grade overall for the season. With Josh Jones still on the board, it’s hard to justify this selection.
Pick 19: Las Vegas Raiders — CB Damon Arnette, Ohio State
This is the first real wild card of the draft so far. While Arnette is a solid all-around cornerback prospect, there is nothing that really excites you to the tune of a Round 1 selection. He has graded between 70.0 and 75.0 in each of the last three seasons, will be 24 as a rookie and has some off-the-field concerns. As a Day 2 pick, this would have made sense for the Raiders, but there were simply better cornerback options on the board (namely Kristian Fulton and Jaylon Johnson) than PFF’s CB14.
Pick 20: Jacksonville Jaguars — EDGE K'Lavon Chaisson, LSU
K’Lavon Chaisson’s physical tools and high-end traits were always going to get him drafted in the first round, and the Jaguars are the team to pull the trigger here at the 20th pick. The problem is that he was never able to turn that freakish athleticism into dominant production at LSU. He had the impressive reps against quality opponents that make you fall in love, but he never picked up an 80.0 pass-rushing grade in a single game over the course of his career. He’s still young and the tools are there, but the question becomes whether he can translate that to on-field production.
Pick 21: Philadelphia Eagles — WR Jalen Reagor, TCU
The Eagles needed downfield separators at wide receiver like they needed air to breathe. When your running back (Miles Sanders) leads the team in receiving yards on receptions 20 or more yards downfield, it’s time to make a change. There is no question that Reagor has some serious juice to add to this offense, and his limited production can be attributed largely to just how bad the quarterback play was at TCU. Only 61% of his targets were catchable last season. He comes in as PFF’s top deep threat in the class at wide receiver, and he immediately adds a complement to the bigger bodies of Alshon Jeffery, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside and Zach Ertz.
Pick 22: Minnesota Vikings — WR Justin Jefferson, LSU
After shipping Stefon Diggs to Buffalo, the Vikings created a clear need at wide receiver — a need that was not filled by the presence of Tajae Sharpe. In that regard, Jefferson is a solid addition as the 32nd player on the PFF Big Board. He has legit ball skills; he showed he was a high-end athlete at the NFL Combine; and he put up silly numbers on LSU’s offense last season. The question becomes how much of that production was scheme-based with Jefferson finding holes in zone from the slot on a great offense while facing very little press coverage? Regardless, Minnesota gives Kirk Cousins and Adam Thielen some help in the form of another talented playmaker.
Pick 23: Los Angeles Chargers (via New England Patriots) — LB Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma
The Chargers compounded the mistake made with the Justin Herbert selection by reaching again at 23 for the 62nd ranked player on the PFF Big Board, Kenneth Murray. They did so by trading back into the first round, no less. There is no doubting that Murray is a tremendous athlete, and if you want a linebacker to come downhill and limit YAC or make splash plays in the backfield, he’s your guy. He just doesn’t have a great feel in coverage, though, and that is what you really want in a linebacker in today’s NFL. The talent around him on that Chargers defense puts him in one of the better positions to succeed, but it’s still hard to get behind this move as a whole for Los Angeles.
Pick 24: New Orleans Saints — OL Cesar Ruiz, Michigan
The Saints going Cesar Ruiz a year after selecting Erik McCoy and shortly after re-upping Andrus Peat to a massive deal at left guard comes as a bit of a surprise. The plan appears to be to put Ruiz in the wings behind Larry Warford, who is on the last year of his deal, at right guard. This is the complete opposite of the win-now moves we have grown accustomed to from New Orleans. That said, Ruiz is an all-around solid player who is a natural athlete with a terrific base in both the run and pass game. We just don’t know what his path to the field is on a team that has a championship window open right now.
Pick 25: San Francisco 49ers (via Minnesota Vikings) — WR Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State
By trading up for Brandon Aiyuk with plenty of wide receiver prospects still on the board, the 49ers are signaling that they are confident that this is their man and they had to get him at all costs. It’s not hard to see why they would covet a player like Aiyuk. He’s an ultra-dynamic athlete, putting up 90th percentile marks in both the vertical jump (40 inches) and broad jump (10 feet, eight inches), and he averaged 10.9 yards after the catch per reception in 2019. Do you guys know who loves guys who are explosive after the catch? Kyle Shanahan. I fully expect him to put Aiyuk in the best position to exceed, whether San Francisco should have traded up to snag him or not.
Pick 26: Green Bay Packers (via Miami Dolphins) — QB Jordan Love, Utah State
Jordan Love is to Aaron Rodgers as Aaron Rodgers is to Brett Favre — at least, that is the pipe dream for the Green Bay faithful. The inconvenient truth is that people have fallen in love with what Love can do rather than what he has shown on the football field. Whether it was missing open receivers or throwing the ball straight to defenders, Love simply brings too many negatives with him to consider him a first-round talent. There’s a reason he came in as QB6 on our Big Board. Having to trade up to grab him is the cherry on top of one of the worst moves of the night.
Pick 27: Seattle Seahawks — LB Jordyn Brooks, Texas Tech
Rather than getting a cornerback who may or may not be able to play the slot instead of continuing to trot out base defense at a ridiculous rate, the Seahawks add another linebacker to the fold in Jordyn Brooks. Not only that, but Brooks doesn’t project to be a plus player in coverage for the position. He was listed as the top off-ball linebacker in the class as a run defender and tackler, but is that what Seattle wanted out of a first-round pick? This selection doesn’t address a big need for the Seahawks, nor does it come in as a value that was too good to pass up.
Pick 28: Baltimore Ravens — LB Patrick Queen, LSU
The Baltimore Ravens had a need at linebacker, and as the top off-ball linebacker remaining on our board (27th overall), Patrick Queen makes a lot of sense for that Baltimore defense. He is athletic, explosive and smooth in coverage, something he showed with an 81.8 coverage grade in 2019. That is a winning combination for NFL linebackers. On a Ravens defense that likes to move players around and mix up how they blitz and drop players into coverage, Queen is a perfect fit. It’s a role he can thrive in.
Pick 29: Tennessee Titans — OT Isaiah Wilson, Georgia
There was a sense that Josh Jones was going to slide in favor of guys like Austin Jackson and Isaiah Wilson, who had the more favorable physical tools, and that has come to fruition. Wilson is not a first-round prospect on PFF’s board, with lead draft analyst Mike Renner listing him as one of the top tackle-to-guard converts in the class. He cited his slow feet in pass protection and struggle to handle speed off the edge. The play-action heavy offense Tennessee ran in 2019 could help assuage some of those concerns, but it’s hard to ignore that there were better options on the board.
Pick 30: Miami Dolphins (via Green Bay Packers) — CB Noah Igbinoghene, Auburn
Repeat it with me: You can never have too many coverage players. The Dolphins added Byron Jones to Xavien Howard in the cornerback room already this offseason, and they show here that they’re not done. Brian Flores’ man-heavy scheme, brought over from his days in New England, prioritizes speed and movement skills at the cornerback position. Igbinoghene has those things in spades. It’s the other aspects of the cornerback position that concern you. He doesn’t have great ball skills or instincts, but he is still very young and has the things you can’t teach.
Pick 31: Minnesota Vikings (via San Francisco 49ers) — CB Jeff Gladney, TCU
Gladney is battle-tested unlike any cornerback in this draft class, and much of that came in quarters — similar to what he’ll be playing in Minnesota. It’s not just the experience, either. Gladney was super productive when targeted down the field, allowing just 19 receptions on his 78 targets 10-plus yards downfield since 2018. For a Vikings team that clearly needed a difference-maker at cornerback after parting ways with Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander, this pick hits on all of need, fit and solid value.
Pick 32: Kansas City Chiefs — RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, LSU
The horse is already dead — I am aware. I can’t give Kansas City a pass here, though. We couldn’t quite sneak out of the first round without a running back selection. There are simply other options out there at positions of need that could have added more to this Chiefs’ team and helped them chase another Lombardi Trophy. Clyde Edwards-Helaire is a talented running back and arguably the best receiver at the position in the class. Additionally, he enters an offense where he is poised to shine as teams must worry about dynamic athletes all over the field. The value at 32 just isn’t there.
Round 2
Pick 33: Cincinnati Bengals — WR Tee Higgins, Clemson
Cincinnati hit back-to-back home runs with taking Joe Burrow first overall and Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins 33rd overall. His size and ball skills would make him the WR1 in non-loaded wide receiver classes like this one. Higgins has sure-fire hands and an enormous catch radius that allows him to routinely make highlight-reel snags. Over the past two years on targets of 10 or more yards, Higgins hauled in 88.2% of catchable passes, dropped only 2.6% of them, and reeled in over half of the contested throws that came his way. He didn’t need open separation to win deep — he’d dominate any corner in tight coverage with his size. Higgins produced the best grade against tight coverage since 2018. Burrow plus A.J. Green plus Tee Higgins plus Tyler Boyd!? Get ready for fireworks, Cincinnati.
Pick 34: Indianapolis Colts (via Washington Redskins) — WR Michael Pittman Jr., USC
This is exactly who Philip Rivers needed in Indianapolis. Just like Higgins, Pittman stands at 6-foot-4 and owns near-flawless ball skills. He dropped just 2.8% of his career catchable targets, possesses an insane catch radius and can adjust to any off-target throw to snag what would typically be an incomplete pass. Pittman’s underneath and intermediate route-running makes him a phenomenal possession receiver prospect who will fit nicely in Indy.
Pick 35: Detroit Lions — RB D'Andre Swift, Georgia
And there goes our string of picks we love to start out Day 2. We all know 35th overall is way too early in PFF’s eyes for a running back — there’s just not enough value there. While the value is incredibly poor, the Lions did get PFF’s RB1 and one who can get the job done in the receiving game, which we like in running backs. Swift can route routes from any alignment and has sure-fire hands with only three drops on 76 career catchable targets. Still, this doesn’t remotely justify the pick this early.
Pick 36: New York Giants — S Xavier McKinney, Alabama
What an absolute steal by Dave Gettleman in getting Xavier McKinney, PFF’s 19th overall prospect, at 36th overall in the draft. There have been only five safeties to play over 450 snaps in the box, slot and at free safety over the past two years, and only one of those five produced 70.0-plus grades at all three of those alignments — Xavier McKinney. Regardless of alignment or role, McKinney performed at a high level in each of the past two seasons, producing grades above 79.0 against the run, as a pass-rusher and in coverage. He’s a legit Swiss Army knife.
Pick 37: New England Patriots (via Los Angeles Chargers) — S Kyle Dugger, Lenoir-Rhyne
This is an interesting selection by defensive mastermind Bill Belichick. Dugger was only 51st on the PFF Draft Board as a product of Lenoir-Rhyne, but he is one of the most athletic players in the draft (first in vertical, second in broad jump and sixth in 40-yard among safeties at NFL Combine). Dugger was a playmaker in college, and he proved at the Senior Bowl that it wasn’t just a result of weak competition. There, he forced two incompletions and intercepted one pass on five of his one-on-one reps that week.
Pick 38: Carolina Panthers — EDGE Yetur Gross-Matos, Penn State
We weren’t fans of Carolina taking Derrick Brown over Isaiah Simmons seventh overall, and we definitely aren’t fans of them taking Yetur Gross-Matos 38th overall, as he was 68th on the PFF Draft Board. While he has the length, size, power and flexibility you want on the edge, he had subpar production and never really dominated in any game (ranked just 85th in pressure rate in 2019). That makes you really confused considering the tools he has.
Pick 39: Miami Dolphins — T Robert Hunt, Louisiana-Lafayette
PFF Lead Draft Analyst Mike Renner has said that Hunt has the size and power to be a future Pro Bowl guard. He obliterated defensive linemen as a run-blocker and was just nasty — at right tackle in 2019, Hunt posted a great 86.0 run-blocking grade. Hunt spent time at both guard and tackle for the Ragin’ Cajuns, but considering his subpar agility, kicking him inside to guard might be the best bet for the Dolphins.
Pick 40: Houston Texans (via Arizona Cardinals) — DI Ross Blacklock, TCU
Cornerback would have been a far better route to go, but Houston did have a need on the interior defensive line, and Ross Blacklock is a good person to fill it. He’s one of the more athletic interior defenders in the class, but the lack of pass-rush moves is a bit of a concern. Blacklock may not be an immediate impact player in the NFL, but he'll be able to develop his pass-rushing over time with his elite agility and explosiveness.
Pick 41: Indianapolis Colts (via Cleveland Browns) — RB Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin
And there’s the next running back domino to fall. Taylor’s lack of receiving ability is something to be concerned about, but the Colts are going to run the damn ball with him. His size, speed and explosiveness are what you want in a ball-carrier. He got plenty of opportunities to carry the ball at Wisconsin and posted an 85.0-plus rushing grade in each of his three seasons with the Badgers.
Pick 42: Jacksonville Jaguars — WR Laviska Shenault Jr., Colorado
The Jaguars were the beneficiary of teams being overly concerned with the injury history of Laviska Shenault Jr. and got an absolute steal. Shenault is filthy after the catch and looks more like a running back with the ball in his hands with the way he sheds tackles. He’s actually broken the most tackles in college football since 2018 with 44. Assuming he is 100% healthy, as reports indicate, Shenault ought to be an immediate impact player for the Jaguars' depleted receiving unit.
Pick 43: Chicago Bears (via Las Vegas Raiders) — TE Cole Kmet, Notre Dame
With a bunch of incredibly talented cornerbacks and safeties still on the board where the Chicago Bears actually have a need, taking tight end Cole Kmet was not a great move. He has a great catch radius that will help out whoever is under center for the Bears, as well as impressive straight-line speed for his huge size — but he’s not the dynamic tight end the modern-day NFL calls for. He broke only six tackles on his 60 career catches and performed poorly against single coverage with just a 54.0 receiving grade.
Pick 44: Cleveland Browns (via Indianapolis Colts) — S Grant Delpit, LSU
Delpit was the highest-ranked safety on the PFF Draft Board and the 15th-best prospect overall. In other words, the Browns getting him 44th overall is a huge steal. He has NFL-ready coverage ability and short-area quickness that make him the best in the class. Delpit combined for 27 interceptions and forced incompletions in his three years with LSU, which tied for the most in the FBS. You can live with the missed tackles because of his otherwise elite coverage play.
Pick 45: Tampa Bay Buccaneers — S Antoine Winfield Jr., Minnesota
Tampa Bay continues its stellar offseason by taking an absolute play-making safety who is going to be an immediate impact player. He intercepted a whopping seven passes and forced two incompletions while allowing only nine first downs on his 379 coverage snaps in 2019. Winfield also has tremendous instincts and tackling ability, reminiscent of his father. This is a great pick for Tampa Bay.
Pick 46: Denver Broncos — WR K.J. Hamler, Penn State
First Jerry Jeudy and now K.J. Hamler!? Denver isn’t messing around, and we are here for it. Like Jeudy, Hamler is a separation-getter and an explosive play waiting to happen in the slot. His 41 plays of 15-plus yards in the slot since 2018 are the third-most in the FBS. He has an incredibly concerning drop rate (17% in 2019 that ranked 345th of 361 qualifying wideouts), but the 5-foot-9 speedster’s ability to separate trumps that concern.
Pick 47: Atlanta Falcons — DI Marlon Davidson, Auburn
Davidson is a tweener — he played on the edge at Auburn at 280 pounds and decided to go all-in and put on the weight needed to move to the inside the past few months. Davidson wasn’t a dominant pass-rusher and didn’t win at an impressive rate, but it was solid considering he was playing out of position. Davidson’s hands and use of leverage were both fantastic last year, and his Senior Bowl showing — where he posted the second-highest win rate among interior players — gives optimism he can thrive on the inside for the Falcons.
Pick 48: Seattle Seahawks (via New York Jets) — EDGE Darrell Taylor, Tennessee
Taylor’s bull-rush is menacing and helped lead him to a great 87.5 pass-rush grade in 2019. Throw in his versatility, size and length, and Taylor clearly looks the part. However, there is a big concern with the fact he went up almost exclusively against right tackles. Seattle is getting a solid edge rusher, but they would have fared much better with someone like Julian Okwara or Curtis Weaver.
Pick 49: Pittsburgh Steelers — WR Chase Claypool, Notre Dame
Few players helped themselves more than Chase Claypool did at the NFL Combine, putting up marks above the 80th percentile at the position in every drill he tested in. Recording over a 40-inch vertical and a 4.42-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds is special. He adds a different element to the offense than players such as JuJu Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson. While his exact spot — whether that be more of a move tight end or a traditional wide receiver — is unknown, he certainly gives Ben Roethlisberger another viable weapon in 2020.
Pick 50: Chicago Bears — CB Jaylon Johnson, Utah
This is a home run for the Bears. Johnson was the 24th-ranked player on our big board for a reason, and he projects as a nice fit in Chicago’s secondary. He has some of the best instincts and playmaking ability in the class, and he didn't allow a passer rating higher than 58.0 in any of his three seasons at Utah. It keeps the Bears from having to run out Artie Burns as a starting option opposite Kyle Fuller.
Pick 51: Dallas Cowboys — CB Trevon Diggs, Alabama
Is anyone having a better draft than the Dallas Cowboys? After knocking it out of the park in Round 1 with CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys once again get strong value with Diggs falling to them at 51. He’s not a fit for every scheme, but he should flourish in Dallas’ press-heavy zone scheme. He allowed just 14 of the 47 10-plus yard targets into his coverage to be completed over the last two seasons.
Pick 52: Los Angeles Rams — RB Cam Akers, Florida State
The Rams sat out of the action all yesterday but joined the party by selecting the 108th overall player on our big board at 52 — it's not exactly an ideal start to the draft. To be fair, Akers is an impressive runner who explodes laterally out of his cuts, and he’s used to running behind shaky offensive lines at Florida State. The unfortunate truth is that he’ll likely have to again in Los Angeles. With plenty of other needs, the value isn’t here for the Rams in the middle of the second round.
Pick 53: Philadelphia Eagles — QB Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma
The Eagles aren't really a “quarterback-needy” team, but I like this spot for Hurts. Carson Wentz does have an injury history and Hurts is athletic enough to be implemented in a variety of packages with Wentz on the field. There is also the upside that he could develop into a quality starter with his accuracy, propensity to limit mistakes and mobility. This isn’t a move that will yield immediate returns, but not every move needs to be that.
Pick 54: Buffalo Bills — Edge A.J. Epenesa, Iowa
There goes one of the highest-ranked players left on our big board — A.J. Epenesa (20th). Sure, there are concerns about Epenesa’s athleticism limiting his ability to beat NFL tackles off the edge, but it’s hard to ignore his production. His hand usage and power opens up a pathway to success. That’s exactly what he did with overall grades of 84.0 or higher in 2018 and 2019 for the Hawkeyes. There could be a Deforest Buckner-like transition to the interior once he gets to Buffalo.
Pick 55: Baltimore Ravens — J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State
Dobbins’ best attributes are his vision and his cutting ability. The tricky thing with the fit in Baltimore is that those things aren’t at as much of a premium on a Ravens offense that creates so much space with Lamar Jackson and their offensive line. Getting past the fact that a running back isn’t a great value here, Dobbins seems a little redundant despite a history of strong rushing production at Ohio State.
Pick 56: Miami Dolphins — DI Raekwon Davis, Alabama
Raekwon Davis comes in at just 115th on the PFF Big Board, the lowest player taken to this point. Davis has all the length that you could want inside, and he has put up run-defense grades of 87.0 or higher in each of the past three seasons. The reason he comes in so low for us is that there isn’t much at all in the way of pass-rushing moves or quickness that leads you to believe he’ll ever be an impact player in that phase of the game.
Pick 57: Los Angeles Rams — WR Van Jefferson, Florida
It makes for the Rams to take a wide receiver here, given that they parted ways with Brandin Cooks earlier this offseason. The question becomes whether Van Jefferson was the right guy — and we’re going to lean towards no. Jefferson has some speed and is already a terrific route-runner, but his highest career grade came at 71.0 last season. The high-level production just hasn’t been there. With Jefferson turning 24 before next season starts, that is concerning.
Pick 58: Minnesota Vikings — T Ezra Cleveland, Boise State
The Vikings continue to make intriguing moves. Cleveland was a massive riser after his showing at the Combine that saw him put up silly numbers, and there is the grading profile (85.3 grade in 2018 and 82.5 in 2019) at Boise State that shows he can play. He may not be a finished product technically, but this is where you want to take those players. Cleveland could potentially play guard early in his career before kicking out to tackle as a potential replacement for Riley Reiff.
Pick 59: New York Jets — WR Denzel Mims, Baylor
You could question the Jets passing on all the top wide receivers in favor of Becton at pick No. 11, but they get value here on Mims, who was the 36th overall player on PFF’s Big Board. Mims’ production and limited route tree at Baylor leave you wanting more, but he is clearly a dynamic athlete and he absolutely lit up the Senior Bowl on a diverse route tree. Sam Darnold gets a weapon who has the potential to turn into a No. 1 option down the line.
Pick 60: New England Patriots — Edge Josh Uche, Michigan
You could not draw up a better landing spot for Uche. There are questions as to whether he has the size to win consistently off the edge, but he is someone who Jedrick Wills said was his toughest blocking assignment. Uche has some serious juice off the edge and put up a 91.7 pass-rushing grade across the 2018 and 2019 seasons — his versatility to stand up and line up over interior offensive linemen as a blitzer will certainly be utilized by Bill Belichick.
Pick 61: Tennessee Titans — CB Kristian Fulton, LSU
The 12th overall player on the PFF Big Board has finally been taken. This is a home run for Tennessee. Fulton has allowed a completion percentage of 45% or lower in each of the last two seasons, and he has earned coverage grades of 85.0 or higher in each of those years, as well. Sure, there are concerns about cheating on a drug test several years ago, and some still worry about his size, but that production at LSU can’t be ignored. There is a reason he was listed as the best zone corner in this class in the PFF Draft Guide.
Pick 62: Green Bay Packers — RB A.J. Dillon, Boston College
A.J. Dillon was not among our top 250 players in this draft class — that tells you about all you need to know about this pick. The PFF Draft Guide says that Dillon is coming to the NFL a few decades too late, and I agree wholeheartedly. He adds nothing in the way of receiving ability, and his running style is straight-line or bust with limited cutting ability and agility.
Pick 63: Kansas City Chiefs — LB Willie Gay Jr., Mississippi State
There is no doubt that Willie Gay Jr. becomes the most talented linebacker on this Kansas City roster by far. He lit the NFL Combine on fire — he's a physical freak of nature. That athletic ability paired with a strong grading profile in coverage (87.1 or higher across limited snaps in 2017, 2018 and 2019) is a winning combination at the NFL. Now, we haven’t seen him do it on a large sample and there are some off-field concerns, but it’s hard to not like this pick for the Chiefs.
Pick 64: Carolina Panthers — S Jeremy Chinn, Southern Illinois
Chinn has all the athletic tools you could want. He comes in at 107th on the PFF Big Board because, despite his physical profile, he doesn’t play overly physically. He also just looked a tick slow when reacting to plays in coverage, and had a timidity to his game that is concerning. He’s more of an athlete at this point than he is an NFL player — this is a project for the Panthers.
Round 3
Pick 65: Cincinnati Bengals — LB Logan Wilson, Wyoming
Cincinnati’s need at linebacker was one that had to be addressed, and the Bengals did so with a guy who dominated the Mountain West in Logan Wilson. He actually posted the fifth-highest grade at the position in 2019 at 90.6. Wilson was 110th on the PFF Braft Board because of his so-so agility and good but not elite overall athleticism. This clearly didn’t affect him in his coverage performance at Wyoming, but it's one that bears watching at the next level.
Pick 66: Washington Redskins — RB Antonio Gibson, Memphis
If you were going to draft any running back (kind of) on Day 2, it should be someone like Antonio Gibson. His receiving ability, explosiveness and elusiveness make him a nightmare to defend. Gibson hauled in 38 catches in 2019 and broke a tackle on 17 of them. He only got 33 opportunities as a ball-carrier in 2019, but he broke a tackle on 16 of those and produced a 10-plus yard run on 11. The Redskins got two freaks of nature in Chase Young and Antonio Gibson.
Pick 67: Detroit Lions — Edge Julian Okwara, Notre Dame
Getting a first-round talent in the third round is always a great thing, and that’s exactly what happened with the Lions and Julian Okwara. Matt Patricia has to love Okwara’s explosiveness off the line, overall athleticism and long arms. Before he got hurt in Week 11, Okwara was having one of the best seasons by an edge rusher by owning an elite 90.4 pass-rush grade. This is highway robbery for the Lions.
Pick 68: New York Jets — S Ashtyn Davis, California
This really wasn’t a huge need for the Jets at all and kind of a bit of a surprise (and also a move the Dolphins have to be furious about), but they sure did get a great safety in Ashtyn Davis. As a matter of fact, he’s the best single-high safety in this draft class. Davis was great in that role at Cal, posting the fifth-best coverage grade over the past two seasons on those reps and gathering a couple of interceptions and pass breakups in the process. Again, this really isn’t a great fit or need, but Davis is a great player.
Pick 69: Seattle Seahawks (via Carolina Panthers) — iOL Damien Lewis, LSU
Seattle’s offensive line is a liability, and the addition of Damien Lewis will help prevent them from retaining that status on their line in 2020. His pass-pro needs some work, but his run-blocking is filthy. The 330-pounder put up the fifth-best run-blocking grade in the FBS last year at 82.3. If you clean up his base in pass-pro, he’ll be a starter in no time.
Pick 70: Miami Dolphins — S Brandon Jones, Texas
After missing out on several of the top safeties that were available earlier on Day 2, the Dolphins picked up Brandon Jones — who was 182nd on the PFF Draft Board — to help fill that void. Yikes. Whenever he was playing free safety, Jones was a problem for the Texas defense as he was exposed far more than he should have been. He might be a better option for slot corner than deep safety in Miami’s defense.
Pick 71: Baltimore Ravens (via New England Patriots) — DT Justin Madubuike, Texas A&M
Getting Madubuike this late in the game was getting great value — he was the 47th ranked prospect on the PFF Big Board and fourth-ranked interior defensive lineman. Madubuike’s quickness and overall athleticism are precisely what you want for an interior defensive lineman. He has a great get-off and was a threat to push the pocket on every rep with his bull-rush. The only issue is the fact his production was stagnant from 2018 to 2019. Still, this was a solid pickup by the Ravens.
Pick 72: Arizona Cardinals — OT Josh Jones, Houston
This is like taking candy from a baby for the Arizona Cardinals — they got the 14th-best prospect on our draft board at the 72nd overall pick. Josh Jones is going to be an immediate upgrade on the Arizona Cardinals offensive line. He has the most advanced hand usage of anyone in the draft class, and pass-rushers had no answer for Jones all year long in 2019. He allowed only two hurries on 325 pass-block snaps and not one sack or hit. He actually posted the highest single-season grade we have ever given to a Group-of-5 tackle at 93.4. And he did that with virtually no technique. Just imagine what he will be with the right coaching.
Pick 73: Jacksonville Jaguars — DT Davon Hamilton, Ohio State
This was a solid pick for the Jags and right around where we valued Davon Hamilton, as he was 71st on our draft board. Hamilton can play anywhere along the interior and has all the tools to be a run-stuffer at the next level. In each of the last two years, Hamilton has posted run-defense grades of 90.1 and 83.4. His pass-rushing still needs a lot of work, though.
Pick 74: New Orleans Saints (via Cleveland Browns) — LB Zack Baun, Wisconsin
New Orleans gets great value with Zack Baun at the 74th overall pick. We actually had him as the fourth-best off-ball linebacker in this draft class. Baun played edge in college, but with his size and athleticism we love him at off-ball — and the Saints will, too. He moves fluidly and was lights-out when dropping into coverage for Wisconsin, posting 80.0-plus grades in each of the last two years on those reps. With his explosiveness, he’s going to bring a lot of value as a blitzer, too.
Pick 75: Detroit Lions (via Indianapolis Colts) — OG Jonah Jackson, Ohio State
Jonah Jackson was a PFF favorite all draft season, and the Lions got him more than 30 spots later than we had him at on our draft board. Jackson’s pass sets are the best in the entire draft class. He gets on interior defenders lighting-quick and did it regardless of alignment. Jackson has lined up all across the interior for Ohio State and Rutgers the last few years and had incredible production — his grade on true pass sets since 2017 is well above the 90th percentile. This was a great pick by Detroit.
Pick 76: Tampa Bay Buccaneers — RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn, Vanderbilt
It was known that the Buccaneers had their eyes set on a receiving back in this draft, and they got a decent one in Ke’Shawn Vaughn. And they did so without getting horrendous value (like the Chiefs did in Clyde-Edwards-Helaire at the 32nd overall pick). Over the last two years, Vaughn hauled in 41 targets and averaged 12.9 yards after catch per reception with nine broken tackles. His vision is exceptional and his explosiveness is legit.
Pick 77: Denver Broncos — CB Michael Ojemudia, Iowa
We weren’t nearly as high on Michael Ojemudia as some others — he was just 176th on our draft board — but he has solid instincts in zone coverage and plus athleticism. One of the reasons we don’t value Ojemudia as much is because he played virtually no man coverage at Iowa. He posted a great 85.5 coverage grade in 2019 and had a solid rate of plays made on the ball, but he’s one of the riskier prospects taken on Day 2.
Pick 78: Atlanta Falcons — C Matt Hennessy, Temple
Matt Hennessy’s change of direction comes in huge in his run-blocking. He also has great ability to engage, maintain and control blocks on the move, which was largely why he posted an 87.6 run-block grade in 2019. He has posted pass-block grades above 80.0 in each of the last three seasons, which is great to see, but he did this against really weak competition. That’s really the biggest concern with projecting him to the NFL. He has a high-ceiling but low floor.
Pick 79: New York Jets — Edge Jabari Zuniga, Florida
This was a bit of a surprise to see — a freak athlete, but Zuniga couldn’t come close to dominating the better tackles in college football like he would do to the bad ones. Over the course of his career, Zuniga posted just a 13% win rate against Power-5 tackles. He’s a project and one who would be worth taking on Day 3, but at the 79th overall pick? That’s a huge stretch.
Pick 80: Las Vegas Raiders — WR Lynn Bowden Jr., Kentucky
Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock are just feeding Derek Carr with dangerous offensive weapons with Henry Ruggs and now Lynn Bowden Jr. We all know the type of versatile player Bowden was for Kentucky in his career — he’s a Swiss Army Knife and dynamic with the ball in his hands. He’s not a true wide receiver, but rather a slot/running back type of weapon who will create mismatches all day long.
Pick 81: Las Vegas Raiders (via Chicago Bears) — WR Bryan Edwards, South Carolina
We absolutely love to see the Raiders being as aggressive as they are at the wide receiver position. This pick, however, was way too early considering the inconsistencies we saw from Edwards in his collegiate career. Despite having the size, he never was great in contested situations. Throw in the fact he has subpar athleticism and speed, and there’s cause for concern.
Pick 82: Dallas Cowboys — DT Neville Gallimore, Oklahoma
The Cowboys get a great deal for Gallimore this late in the draft considering we had him 51st on our board. His power his hard for any offensive lineman to handle — he’s a people-mover. There’s some inconsistency to his game, but he still made great strides over the course of his career by raising his grade from 69.5 to 82.2 to 87.8. Get him the right coaching and some time to learn more pass-rushing moves and Gallimore will be an impact player.
Pick 83: Denver Broncos (via Pittsburgh Steelers) — C Lloyd Cushenberry III, LSU
With Joe Brady's change in scheme at LSU this past year, the offense was almost exclusively in five-man protections, which left their offensive linemen on islands and exposed some of their athletic limitations. Cushenberry was one of them. After posting a respectable 85.6 pass-blocking grade in 2018, 11th among centers, Cushenberry's grade dropped to a 108th-ranked 55.8 in 2019. Taking him even at the 83rd overall pick isn’t getting a whole lot of value in our eyes.
Pick 84: Los Angeles Rams — LB Terrell Lewis, Alabama
Lewis’ size, length, explosiveness, athleticism, etc., are all the traits you want in an NFL edge rusher. That being said, injuries have held him to only 685 snaps. Combine that with a lack of power and his streaky play when on the field and he was too big of a risk to take early. Luckily, the Rams got him right where we would have taken him.
Pick 85: Indianapolis Colts (via Detroit Lions) — S Julian Blackmon, Utah
We had Terrell Burgess as the 57th prospect in the class and Julian Blackmon as the 180th prospect in the class. And Blackmon is the one to go first as the 85th overall pick to the Indianapolis Colts. In other words, this wasn’t a great move on Indy’s part. Blackmon once played corner, but he played it incredibly poorly. When he moved to safety, Blackmon lacked physicality like he did at corner. That said, he did display great range at deep safety and sharp instincts. Hopefully more experience at the position helps Blackmon develop into the safety the Colts want him to be.
Pick 86: Buffalo Bills — RB Zack Moss, Utah
Zack Moss was one of the PFF favorites in this class. The 40-yard dash time doesn’t excite you, but Moss does the things that matter well at the running back position. He is the most elusive running back in this class in space, forcing the third-most missed tackles of any running back in college football since PFF began tracking college games in 2014 (214). In all honesty, he has a pretty similar profile to Devin Singletary, albeit in a larger frame, which makes the fit interesting.
Pick 87: New England Patriots — EDGE Anfernee Jennings, Alabama
The Patriots continue to address their defense, going back to edge with Jennings this time. He has some athletic limitations that worry you with a lack of burst off the edge, but there is no question he can produce in the run game. As the PFF Draft Guide says, a lot of his success in 2019 can be chalked up to the physical advantage of being a redshirt senior. Coming in at No. 129 on our big board, the Jennings’ selection here doesn’t project to move the needle all that much.
Pick 88: Cleveland Browns (via New Orleans Saints) — DI Jordan Elliott, Missouri
The Browns are getting an absolute steal here. Elliott recorded the highest overall grade of any interior defender in this class since 2018, and he is coming off a 2019 campaign where he recorded 90.0-plus grades against the run and as a pass-rusher. The fact that he fell this far is a head-scratcher, but it ends up working out for Cleveland, which has now collected the Nos. 11, 15 and 23 players on our board.
Pick 89: Minnesota Vikings — CB Cameron Dantzler, Mississippi State
Cameron Dantzler’s tape this past season at Mississippi State was some of the best in the class. The speed he showed at the NFL Combine was certainly not, but there is reason to believe that was largely because he put on bad weight before getting to Indianapolis. There is reason to be concerned with how thin his frame is, but Dantzler consistently won in press and has legitimate ball skills when the ball comes his way. This is tremendous value at a position of need for Minnesota, something they have been finding throughout the draft.
Pick 90: Houston Texans — EDGE Jonathan Greenard, Florida
Greenard is one of the lower-ranked players to come off the PFF Big Board thus far at 167th overall. He’s not exactly a dynamic athlete, and his inability to get around the edge against better tackles is what drops him down our board. There are some things to get behind with Greenard technically. His hand usage is some of the best in the country, and he has a natural feel for setting up offensive tackles. It’s just hard to win consistently against NFL tackles with his burst and bend. Greenard projects to slide in as edge depth for the Texans.
Pick 91: New England Patriots (via Las Vegas Raiders) — TE Devin Asiasi, UCLA
The Patriots got their tight end. Asiasi is one of the few tight ends in this class who has the size and blocking chops to be an option inline. He also has some soft hands with just one drop on his 45 catchable targets this past season at UCLA. There doesn’t seem to be a great chance that he turns into a legit number one tight end, but it’s not hard to see why New England targeted a tight end at this point in the draft.
Pick 92: Baltimore Ravens — WR Devin Duvernay, Texas
The Ravens have a clear need for speed on offense, and they add more right here with Duvernay (4.39 second 40-yard dash). His after-the-catch ability and reliable hands project him as one of the better slot options around the line of scrimmage in the NFL. You love the production from this past season with nearly 1,400 receiving yards and an 89.6 overall grade, as well. The questions come with his routes, particularly downfield, but I trust Greg Roman and this Ravens’ offense to play to his strengths.
Pick 93: Tennessee Titans — RB Darrynton Evans, Appalachian State
The Titans are taking a stab here on the lightning to Derrick Henry’s thunder. Evans’ 4.41 second 40-yard dash is at the upper end of the position, and he absolutely needs that speed as an undersized running back who doesn’t break tackles or play well after contact. As the 221st player on our PFF Big Board heading into the draft, this sticks out as poor value for Tennessee.
Pick 94: Green Bay Packers — TE Josiah Deguara, Cincinnati
Deguara is a player who we like as a future H-back in the NFL, comping to Charles Clay in the PFF Draft Guide. He has been a willing and above-average blocker in the run game each of the past three seasons at Cincinnati with grades of 67.0 or higher every year. His limited size/length may limit him from being an inline blocker, though. From a receiving standpoint, Deguara has some interesting route-running ability but unimpressive ball skills.
Pick 95: Denver Broncos — DI McTelvin Agim, Arkansas
Agim is an interesting projection. He has the pedigree as a former five-star recruit coming out of high school, but he never turned that into dominant production at Arkansas, maxing out at a 78.6 overall grade this past season. It’s not necessarily for a lack of pass-rushing moves, but Agim hasn’t shown the power or hands to win consistently. This is a decent portion of the draft for Denver to take a shot on him in the hopes that he figures it all out and realizes that talent.
Pick 96: Kansas City Chiefs — T Lucas Niang, TCU
Niang is a project — no doubt. There are a lot of things that need to be fixed with his pass sets, but the promising thing is that Niang has actually graded out well despite some of those technical flaws. He has picked up overall grades of 77.2, 83.5 and 81.0 in the past three seasons, respectively, for TCU. Coming into Kansas City, this is a good situation to develop behind Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz with NFL coaching.
Pick 97: Cleveland Browns — LB Jacob Phillips, LSU
The Cleveland Browns taking a linebacker here is not shocking. However, the fact that it was Phillips is. There were simply better options (Troy Dye and Akeem Davis-Gaither, for example) on the board. Phillips showed at the NFL Combine that he was explosive with his jumps, but the three-cone/change of direction numbers weren’t great. That shows up on the tape. He is a straight-line player who got lost in coverage — a project at this point.
Pick 98: Baltimore Ravens — LB Malik Harrison, Ohio State
The Ravens double up with Malik Harrison here at off-ball linebacker, and like Patrick Queen, it’s reasonable value for them at this portion of the draft. He is much more of a downhill player as opposed to Queen’s sideline-to-sideline ability. One of the most exciting things about this pick is his ability as a blitzer (38 pressures the past two seasons on 168 rushes) on the team that utilized blitzes more than anyone else in 2019.
Pick 99: New York Giants — T Matt Peart, Connecticut
After taking Andrew Thomas early on, the Giants go back to the tackle well with Peart at the back end of the third round. Peart has the size and length that you want at the tackle position with a history of strong play in pass protection. He had grades of 75.0 or higher as a protector in all four seasons as a starter for Connecticut. The next step at the NFL level is to add some strength, something he can do as he doesn’t project to step in and start right away for New York.
Pick 100: Oakland Raiders — S Tanner Muse, Clemson
Muse just seems like a Raiders type of pick. He played safety at Clemson, but ultimately, Muse projects as a linebacker at the NFL level. He is at his best in the box, showing the ability to take on blocks coming down in the run game and make a difference as a blitzer. This is a little early for Muse, who sits at No. 169 on the PFF Big Board, but he should add some nice depth at linebacker for Las Vegas.
Pick 101: New England Patriots (via New York Jets) — TE Dalton Keene, Virginia Tech
Tight end has sufficiently been addressed in New England. Keene was criminally underutilized at Virginia Tech, but his athletic testing numbers and after-the-catch ability interest us in his potential as a receiver, even with the limited looks he saw there at the college level (71 career targets). There’s a lot of polishing that needs to be done as a route-runner, but the tools are there. He should get opportunities with the Patriots.
Pick 102: Pittsburgh Steelers — EDGE Alex Highsmith, Charlotte
Highsmith was listed as the sleeper in this edge class in the PFF Draft Guide, and as a walk-on for Charlotte, that is one hell of an accomplishment. He has grades of 85.0 or higher in each of the past two seasons, but then again, that was at Charlotte. That doesn’t mean he can’t succeed at the NFL, though. There are some physical traits and pass-rushing moves to work with there. He definitely needs time to refine his game, however, and he’ll have that opportunity behind T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree in Pittsburgh.
Pick 103: Philadelphia Eagles — LB Davion Taylor, Colorado
Taylor’s athletic testing was superb, and his ability to close on a moving target and tackle at a high level sticks out as a clear strength. The grading was inconsistent at Colorado (62.4 overall grade in 2019), though, and he is closer to safety size than linebacker size. He didn’t exactly play a traditional linebacker role for Colorado, either. While the athletic tools are there, the Eagles are doing a fair amount of projection here.
Pick 104: Los Angeles Rams — S Terrell Burgess, Utah
Coming in at 57th on the PFF Big Board, this is tremendous value for the Rams at the back end of the third round. Burgess brings versatility with him — something that is becoming increasingly valuable in today’s NFL — having played the slot and both safety positions at Utah. He has some of the best man coverage skills of any safety in this class, and that shows with one of the best slot coverage grades for the position last season. For a team that lost Eric Weddle and Nickell Robey-Coleman this offseason, this is a home run.
Pick 105: New Orleans Saints (via Minnesota Vikings) — TE Adam Trautman, Dayton
As the PFF Draft Guide says, Trautman is the closest thing that exists to a complete tight end in this class. He has some legitimate route-running chops and doesn’t look out of place as a blocker. That said, he doesn’t have the speed to really threaten defenses as a downfield option, which limits his ceiling. That’s not necessarily the worst thing in the world on a Saints’ passing offense that is all about the short and intermediate range.
Pick 106: Baltimore Ravens — T Tyre Phillips, Mississippi State
There is a good chance that the Ravens attempt to move Phillips to the interior, where they have a stronger need than at the tackle position. He doesn’t play with consistent leverage as a pass protector and could face serious trouble against NFL edge defenders if thrown on the outside. He is a big guy who can move bodies in the run game, however, and that fits what the Ravens like to do.
Round 4
Pick 107: Cincinnati Bengals — LB Akeem Davis-Gaither, Appalachian State
Cincinnati had a big need at off-ball linebacker and filled that with Logan Wilson yesterday. But they are continuing to fill that need in Day 3 with Davis-Gaither, who is a tremendous athlete. He has great instincts in coverage, has strong skills against the run and is a legit weapon as a blitzer.
Pick 108: Washington Redskins — T Saahdiq Charles, LSU
Washington traded Trent Williams away and picked up the 172nd-ranked player on the PFF Draft Board at the 108th overall pick — not necessarily an ideal situation. Saahdiq Charles has the tools to succeed, but he’s far from a polished product. He gave up over 20 pressures in all of his three seasons at LSU.
Pick 109: Las Vegas Raiders — iOL John Simpson, Clemson
John Simpson just doesn’t have the athleticism or balance that we are confident in when projecting players to the NFL. He can toss guys around when he gets his hands on them, but he just didn’t do that on a consistent basis. Simpson’s career-high overall grade sat at just 70.5.
Pick 110: New York Giants — CB Darnay Holmes, UCLA
This is a really good move by the New York Giants, and it continues their fantastic draft. Darnay Holmes had a down year in 2019, seeing his PFF coverage grade drop from 80.3 in 2018 to 61.8, but he has the athleticism and tools you want at the position. Some of his high-end reps make him look like one of the top cornerbacks in the game. The only issue is that he was just so hot and cold. Holmes was 86th on the PFF Draft Board — the Giants got great value at a valuable position.
Pick 111: Miami Dolphins — iOL Solomon Kindley, Georgia
Solomon Kindley didn’t even crack the top 250 on our board, and we didn’t view as anything more than a late Day 3 product. He has slow feet and balance issues that give us a cause for concern about his pass protection at the NFL level.
Pick 112: Los Angeles Chargers — RB Joshua Kelley, UCLA
Joshua Kelley has great straight-line speed, but that’s about the only category he is great in. His elusiveness, vision and receiving ability were all pretty subpar. As a result, he didn’t even crack the top 250 on the PFF Draft Board.
Pick 113: Carolina Panthers — CB Troy Pride Jr., Notre Dame
This is going to be one of the best picks of Day 3. Pride has the kind of elite speed that prevents any open downfield throw — in his career, Pride saw 38 deep targets of 20-plus yards and he allowed only six catches. He’s a bit of a project due to his inability to play the catch point, but his athleticism and mam-to-man ability is up there with the best in the entire draft. Troy Pride Jr. was 61st on the PFF Draft Board and should have been off the board far earlier.
Pick 114: Arizona Cardinals — DI Leki Fotu, Utah
Leki Fotu is almost certainly going to be a run-stuffer in the NFL, but he doesn’t bring much in the pass-rush. He had just 19 pressures on 298 pass-rushes in 2019 en route to a 61.0 pass-rush grade. Fotu was one of college football’s most physically dominant interior defenders in 2019 — his size, length and burst are quality.
Pick 115: Cleveland Browns — TE Harrison Bryant, FAU
Harrison Bryant is a tweener. He doesn't have enough athleticism to play receiver and he's not quite strong enough to play traditional tight end. If he can bulk up some, however, he can become a quality tight end in Kevin Stefanski’s scheme with his ball skills and after-the-catch ability. Bryant has posted elite 90.0-plus receiving grades in each of the last three seasons.
Pick 116: Jacksonville Jaguars — T Ben Bartch, St. John's
If you’re a Jaguars fan and find yourself asking if your team actually just drafted a D-III player, just know that you got an absolute steal. Bartch wrecked his weak competition for a 97.3 pass-blocking grade and allowed only four pressures on 541 pass-block snaps. You should take those numbers lightly considering the level of competition, but Bartch dominated the Senior Bowl just as he did at St. John’s by posting one of the highest win rates in one-on-ones of anyone in attendance.
Pick 117: Minnesota Vikings — EDGE D.J. Wonnum, South Carolina
Wonnum didn’t even crack our list of top-250 prospects and has no production to warrant a selection this early in the draft, especially when Curtis Weaver is still on the board. In his four years at South Carolina, Wonnum never cracked a pass-rush grade above 65.0 and generated only 69 pressures on 903 reps.
Pick 118: Denver Broncos — TE Albert Okwuegbunam, Missouri
We love the fact that Denver is dedicating the draft to giving Drew Lock receiving weapons, but this isn’t a great value pick — Okwuegbunam was 193rd on our big board. Okwuegbunam clearly has the speed — as he proved at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine — but he just isn't a great route-runner and has some serious drop issues (10.3% drop rate in his career).
Pick 119: Atlanta Falcons — LB Mykal Walker, Fresno State
Walker is a solid athlete and a physical player, but he is an edge/off-ball tweener and should have either gone at the end of Day 3 or as a UDFA. He has no pass-rushing moves to speak of and generated only 55 pressures on his 560 pass-rushes at Fresno State.
Pick 120: New York Jets — RB La'Mical Perine, Florida
Perine isn’t elusive, carries average speed and lacks any explosion in his game. The 0.17 broken tackles per attempt of his over the last three years is an incredible concern.
Pick 121: Detroit Lions — iOL Logan Stenberg, Kentucky
This was a nice pickup by the Detroit Lions. Stenberg is a nasty run-blocker (perhaps too nasty, as he racked up 24 penalties over the last two years) and his 79.9 run-block grade reflects that. Throw in the fact he plays under control in pass protection and allowed only one pressure on 285 pass-block reps and you get pretty good bargain early on Day 3.
Pick 122: Indianapolis Colts — QB Jacob Eason, Washington
The first quarterback domino has fallen of Day 3, and the Colts got themselves a guy with an absolute cannon. He has great zip on the ball and you see it when he’s kept clean. On his clean-pocket dropbacks last season, Eason earned a top-10 passing grade and produced the 13th-most big-time throws. One concern with Eason, though, is his atrocious play under pressure, as he generated the second-worst negatively grade play rate under pressure in all of college football in 2019. We would have rolled with Jake Fromm or Anthony Gordon over Eason here.
Pick 123: Dallas Cowboys — CB Reggie Robinson, Tulsa
Reggie Robinson has great press traits that fit the Cowboys' scheme, but his technique and production against his rather subpar competition is a pretty big concern. When he went up against the better teams in Memphis and SMU, Robinson got beat up for nine catches and nearly 180 yards.
Pick 124: Pittsburgh Steelers — RB Anthony McFarland Jr., Maryland
McFarland is clearly undersized at 5-foot-8, and if you’re that undersized you better break a lot of tackles. Unfortunately, he just doesn’t check that box. He’s an incredibly hard runner for his size and unafraid to try and run over guys who have 50-plus pounds on him, but he was just 223rd on the PFF Draft Board — there were several other better running backs to choose from.
Pick 125: New York Jets — QB James Morgan, FIU
Wow — James Morgan over Jake Fromm and Anthony Gordon? We have over seven quarterbacks higher than Morgan on our board. He may have the big arm, but his 115th-ranked turnover-worthy play rate and accuracy issues are too big of a concern for us.
Pick 126: Houston Texans — T Charlie Heck, UNC
At 6-foot-8 with arms over 34-inches and great athleticism, Heck looks like he’d be a menacing tackle to face — but he really isn’t. There are numerous issues with his pass-pro. Heck produced just a 74.1 pass-block grade in 2019.
Pick 127: Philadelphia Eagles — S K'Von Wallace, Clemson
K’Von Wallace has ideal slot cornerback traits with his physicality, instincts and quicks that should translate to the NFL. He fits well as a safety in the box, too. The Eagles continue to beef up their secondary with talented players this offseason.
Pick 128: Buffalo Bills — WR Gabriel Davis, UCF
Davis was massively productive at UCF last season with over 1,200 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns, but that production came on an extremely limited route tree. Even those routes were on the sloppy side. He has the physical tools and ball skills to be a productive NFL wide receiver, but he’s a project at this point.
Pick 129: New York Jets: OT Cameron Clark, Charlotte
The Jets continue to throw resources at the offensive line this offseason, this time going to small-school product Cameron Clark out of Charlotte. Clark has graded well the last two seasons (79.9 in 2018; 79.1 in 2019), and he is relatively sound technically. This is a decent Day 3 bet for New York.
Pick 130: Minnesota Vikings — Edge James Lynch, Baylor
This is the second edge defender taken by Minnesota in the round. Despite coming off the board later than Wonnum, we view Lynch as the much better prospect (99th overall on the PFF Big Board). He has the power to add value as a run defender and pass rusher but needs to find his spot on the defensive line as a tweener between the interior and edge.
Pick 131: Arizona Cardinals — DT Rashard Lawrence, LSU
After going Leki Fotu earlier, the Cardinals go back to the well at interior defender with Lawrence. Lawrence isn’t going to look out of place on an NFL field, but it’s tough to say he’ll ever be anything better than average. He has graded between 70.0 and 80.0 in each of the past three seasons for the Tigers.
Pick 132: Minnesota Vikings — LB Troy Dye, Oregon
This is great value for Minnesota, something they have done a good job of getting throughout the draft. Dye isn’t going to be a hard-nosed run defender, but he’s a linebacker who can use his length and smooth movement skills to positively impact the game as a coverage defender. Dye has coverage grades of 70.0 or higher in each of his four seasons as a starter for the Ducks.
Pick 133: Seattle Seahawks — TE Colby Parkinson, Stanford
When it comes to red zone threats with a massive catch radius, Colby Parkinson is your man at 6-foot-7. The problem is that he isn’t much more than that at this point. He didn’t play inline at Stanford, and he doesn’t offer the explosiveness or route-running ability to think he’ll have much of an impact as anything other than a 50/50, jump ball target in the NFL.
Pick 134: Atlanta Falcons — S Jaylinn Hawkins, California
Hawkins is coming off two solid years in coverage at the safety position, earning coverage grades of 80.0 in 2018 and 2019. His transition, particularly as a coverage defender, to the NFL is a little bit of a concern, though, without high-end speed or coverage traits. He is going to fit best in the box for Atlanta with his physicality and size.
Pick 135: Pittsburgh Steelers — OG Kevin Dotson, Louisiana
Interior offensive line was a position we figured the Steelers would address at some point, and here it is with Dotson. He has the strength and power to fit well in Pittsburgh’s offense, particularly as a run blocker (92.3 run-blocking grade in 2019), but there are some pass protection concerns that he’ll need to clean up at the next level.
Pick 136: Los Angeles Rams — TE Brycen Hopkins, Purdue
When it comes to Hopkins, the strength is clear — speed. The 4.66 40-yard dash time was strong for a tight end, but still a little disappointing considering what you saw from him on tape. Drops are the big issue, with 22 in 152 catchable targets over his career, but he adds another receiving threat to the tight end group in Los Angeles.
Pick 137: Jacksonville Jaguars — CB Josiah Scott, Michigan State
Josiah Scott projects as one of the top slot cornerbacks in this class, with outstanding quickness, instincts and ball skills. This past season at Michigan State, he combined for nine interceptions and pass breakups. There isn’t a direct path to the field with D.J. Hayden already playing well in the slot, but it’s a strong pick for Jacksonville, nonetheless.
Pick 138: Kansas City Chiefs — S L'Jarius Sneed, Louisiana Tech
Sneed is a former cornerback turned safety, but Kansas City could look to move him back to corner to maximize his value. Athletically, he’s top notch with a 4.37 40-yard dash and jumps in the 96th percentile for safeties. He needs to clean up some things technically, but there’s no doubt he’s talented.
Pick 139: Las Vegas Raiders — CB Amik Robertson, Louisiana Tech
Amik Robertson was a PFF favorite during draft season, grading as one of the best cornerbacks in all of college football in obvious passing situations. He may be undersized, but he’s feisty. He isn’t afraid to mix it up with much larger players. This is a strong move by Las Vegas to sure up the slot.
Pick 140: Jacksonville Jaguars — LB Shaquille Quarterman, Miami
Quarterman came in at just 244th on the PFF Big Board despite four years of starting experience on Miami’s defense. When it comes to size, physicality and play against the run, there is a lot to like with him. He doesn’t project to have the range or coverage ability to be an impact starter, though.
Pick 141: Houston Texans — CB John Reid, Penn State
The Texans needed to upgrade their secondary at some point, and Reid is good value here at Pick 141 as the 100th player on our big board. This is an interesting fit with how much man coverage the Texans have run. He fits best in an off-zone/slot role. The slot is where the Texans might utilize him — an area where they struggled last season.
Pick 142: Washington Redskins — WR Antonio Gandy-Golden, Liberty
Antonio Gandy-Golden put up some silly downfield receiving numbers at Liberty. His 923 receiving yards on passes 20 or more yards downfield since 2018 are third-most among all wide receivers in this class. He projects more as a big-bodied possession receiver at the next level, however, after poor athletic testing. His catch radius and releases will serve him well in that role.
Pick 143: Baltimore Ravens — G Ben Bredeson, Michigan
This is a pretty good spot for Bredeson to come off the board to the Ravens. He’s put up good pass-blocking grades in each of the last two seasons (above 85.0 both years). That is the best aspect of his game by far, but the area of concern is that he doesn’t play with great leverage and never showed much as a run blocker.
Pick 144: Seattle Seahawks — RB DeeJay Dallas, Miami
Dallas makes a lot of sense as a late-round flyer. He breaks tackles at a high rate and has the wide receiver background that indicates he could be a threat out of the backfield. His running back instincts still aren’t great, though. He’s definitely a work in progress.
Pick 145: Philadelphia Eagles — G Jack Driscoll, Auburn
Driscoll’s size and strength have many projecting him to kick inside to guard, but he has the kind of athleticism and technique that leads us to believe he could have success at tackle. He has pass-blocking grades above 80.0 in the SEC each of the last three seasons. That’s not something to take lightly.
Pick 146: Dallas Cowboys — C Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin
We view this is as strong value for Dallas here with the last pick of the fourth round. Biadasz came in at 87th overall on the PFF Big Board, and he’s one of the most accomplished run-blockers who we’ve graded at PFF with grades above 80.0 all three years as a starter. The step back in pass protection this past season is concerning, though. He’ll have a chance to make an impact early with the retirement of Travis Frederick.
Round 5
Pick 147: Cincinnati Bengals — EDGE Khalid Kareem, Notre Dame
This was a really nice pickup by the Cincinnati Bengals. Kareem doesn’t do anything really at an elite level nor does he have a considerable amount of jaw-dropping reps on tape, but he is an all-around solid player who can plug right into Cincinnati’s scheme — he’s NFL-ready physically and from a technical standpoint.
Pick 148: Seattle Seahawks — EDGE Alton Robinson, Syracuse
Robinson is a pocket-pusher with his explosiveness and power, but the concerning part is that we saw him do this against only weaker competition. He lacked consistency when he went up against the big dogs. Against Group-of-5 schools in 2019, Robinson had a nearly 26% win rate. Against Power-5 schools, that win rate was cut in half. That's is concerning.
Pick 149: Indianapolis Colts — iOL Danny Pinter, Ball State
Pinter converted from tight end to tackle in 2018 and became one of the FBS' best tackles in 2019, posting an elite 91.2 overall grade. Most of his success came as a run-blocker, as he posted the fifth-highest run-blocking grade in college football in his second season ever at tackle. This was a nice selection by Indianapolis and is going to add to their already great offensive line.
Pick 150: New York Giants — iOL Shane Lemieux, Oregon
The 6-foot-4, 316-pound Lemieux is feisty as a run-blocker. In pass protection, though, he’s got a lot to work on. His punch was our biggest concern and continuously got worse over the course of the 2019 season. On top of that, his base gets way too wide, which kills his change of direction. All in all, he posted an abysmal 41.1 pass-blocking grade on true pass sets.
Pick 151: Los Angeles Chargers — WR Joe Reed, West Virginia
Reed does his best work with the ball in his hands underneath and offers great value as a returner, but his route-running has to improve. Reed has incredible physical tools and athleticism, but you can’t see it with his route-running. Not to mention, his ball tracking downfield is well below average.
Pick 152: Carolina Panthers — S Kenny Robinson Jr., West Virginia
What a steal by the Panthers. After spending a couple of years at West Virginia and displaying great playmaking ability, Robinson had to leave college football for the XFL to help his mother who was fighting cancer. He then played five games for the Battlehawks and showed the same instincts we all fall in love with when he was with the Mountaineers. In college, Robinson combined for 14 plays made on the ball while allowing just 23 catches in coverage (181 snaps at outside corner, 186 snaps in the slot, 216 snaps in the box and 771 at free safety). In the XFL, Robinson allowed just four catches in coverage while intercepting two (almost exclusively at free safety). He’s a proven, versatile player and is just flat-out lethal in coverage.
Pick 153: San Francisco 49ers — T Colton McKivitz, West Virginia
McKivitz looks like a monster at 6-foot-7, but he plays like a teddy bear. His play strength was poor for his size — he’d get beat by undersized edge rushers at times. McKivitz allowed the seventh-lowest pressure rate over the last three years, but as PFF Lead Draft Analyst Mike Renner said, he’d be in the quarterback's lap constantly if he were on an NFL field tomorrow.
Pick 154: Miami Dolphins — DI Jason Strowbridge, UNC
Strowbridge has throwback 3-4 defensive end traits and will be effective against the run at the next level, but there are concerns with how much value he’ll generate in the pass-rush. He’s stiff as a pass-rusher and stands upright when the ball is snapped. That said, he’s an athletic player and can be developed far more as a pass-rusher.
Pick 155: Chicago Bears — EDGE Trevis Gipson, Tulsa
There were other positions and players available that Chicago probably should have considered, but they got one of the most undervalued players in the draft in Trevis Gipson, who was 92nd on the PFF Big Board. He has the athleticism, size and length needed for an NFL edge rusher, and we can't ignore the relatively poor situation he was in at Tulsa. Gipson saw the third-most pass-rushes in a three-man rush last year but still managed to own a 19.8% win rate, which was the second-best on such pass-rushes. There’s some development needed, but there’s a lot to love with Gipson’s tools.
Pick 156: Washington Redskins — iOL Keith Ismael, San Diego State
With his current play strength, Ismael isn’t ready to be thrown into game action. The fact that we saw it pop up against Group-of-5 competition is a big concern. He does have great balance and patience, but it doesn’t matter when you get bullied due to a lack of play strength.
Pick 157: Jacksonville Jaguars — S Daniel Thomas, Auburn
Thomas has been a solid player the past couple of seasons by posting coverage grades of 88.5 and 76.5 and is a sharp tackler with only 12 misses on 155 attempts in that span. But he might be role-limited at the next level and was not much more than a late Day 3 pick in our eyes.
Pick 158: New York Jets — CB Bryce Hall, Virginia
What an absolute steal by the New York Jets. If it weren’t for an injury he suffered while covering a punt earlier in the 2019 season, Hall would have been off the board far earlier. Heck, if he came out last season, he would have likely been a first-round pick. Hall’s ball skills have been excellent throughout his career with the Cavaliers. Over the past three seasons, he has forced an incompletion on 24.8% of his targets, which tied for fourth among cornerbacks who saw 100 targets in coverage. He has a knack for the ball and rarely lost on the bevy of contested targets he forced. Of his 44 contested targets since 2017, Hall allowed just 18.2% to be caught (first) and forced an incompletion on 70.5% (first by nearly five percentage points)
Pick 159: New England Patriots — K Justin Rohrwasser, Marshall
This is a bit too early to be grabbing a kicker, but Rohrwasser was a solid one in 2019 by making 18 of 21, including going 2-for-2 on 50-plus yarders.
Pick 160: Cleveland Browns — iOL Nick Harris, Washington
The Browns got a steal in Nick Harris, who was 93rd on the PFF Big Board, and are going to love what he brings to the table as a run-blocker. As said in the PFF Draft Guide, he had some gorgeous reach blocks on outside zones (i.e. Stefanski’s bread and butter). He’s steadily improved in each season of his career and is only scratching the surface technique-wise.
Pick 161: Tampa Bay Buccaneers — WR Tyler Johnson, Minnesota
Tom Brady already has an elite receiving group in Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Rob Gronkowski, and adding Tyler Johnson to that is just unfair. Johnson was 48th on the PFF Big Board and is one of the most refined route-runners in the entire class. His speed his incredibly poor, but he doesn’t need it to create separation — he would constantly set defensive backs up to get himself open. Dating back to 2018, Johnson has generated a step or more of separation against single coverage 55.1% of the time, a figure that ranks 14th among 154 qualifying wide receivers and is 14 percentage points above the FBS average. His route breaks are absolutely filthy, and defensive backs have had no answer. One of the biggest steals of Day 3.
Pick 162: Washington Redskins — LB Khaleke Hudson, Michigan
With his size, Hudson should be more of a safety than a linebacker, but his coverage skills would not serve him well at safety. He was picked on in 2019 and surrendered 340 yards en route to a 60.6 coverage grade.
Pick 163: Chicago Bears — CB Kindle Vildor, Georgia Southern
Vildor has been up and down throughout his career, flashing “wow” reps to ones where he got toasted — he had an elite 90.4 overall grade in 2018, but that dropped to 65.1 in 2019. He is incredibly instinctive and an explosive, physical player who is a low-risk, high-reward prospect.
Pick 164: Miami Dolphins — Edge Curtis Weaver, Boise State
In our eyes, this is the best value pick of the draft so far. Weaver was 26th on our draft board, and the Dolphins get him here all the way at pick No. 164. Yes, he doesn’t have the ideal build for the edge position, but he has good bend and absurd production at Boise State over the past two years. Weaver had pass-rushing grades of 92.0 or higher in both 2018 and 2019.
Pick 165: Jacksonville Jaguars — WR Collin Johnson, Texas
Collin Johnson has all kinds of size at 6-foot-6 and 222 pounds. With that comes a massive catch radius paired with some nice flexibility and fluidity for his size. There isn’t much separation happening on his routes, though, and physical cornerbacks have had success against him on his routes. Late in the fifth round, this is a decent chance taken by Jacksonville to add a different type of wide receiver to the team.
Pick 166: Detroit Lions — WR Quintez Cephus, Wisconsin
Cephus has some things you like to see as a route-runner, and he is also adept at handling press coverage. He’s graded out well each of the past two seasons with 80.0-plus grades at Wisconsin. There are clear athletic limitations that will likely pigeonhole him to the slot, however. With Marvin Jones and Kenny Golladay already manning spots outside, that seems to be where he will fit best with the Lions.
Pick 167: Buffalo Bills — QB Jake Fromm, Georgia
The Bills' backup quarterback position was shaky, so getting Fromm this far down the board in the fifth round is strong value. There are a lot of things to like from an accuracy standpoint and his ability to protect the football. That has led to three consecutive seasons grading above 80.0 as the starter for Georgia, culminating in an 87.6 grade in 2019. The limitation is arm strength. It’s hard to see him developing into much more than a game manager.
Pick 168: Philadelphia Eagles — WR John Hightower, Boise State
The Philadelphia Eagles took the whole needing fast wide receivers thing and went crazy with it. They took Reagor in Round 1, they traded for Marquise Goodwin and now they select Hightower in Round 5. As the 101st player on our big board, this is a good value pick for Philadelphia. He not only has the wheels to run past defensive backs, but he also tracks the ball well downfield. Philadelphia’s offense certainly isn’t lacking speed anymore.
Pick 169: Minnesota Vikings — CB Harrison Hand, Temple
Hand doesn’t have an overly impressive grading profile, turning in overall grades of 62.0 in 2017 and 59.4 in 2018 before finishing his career at Temple with a career-high mark of 71.9. He showed that he has the speed and explosiveness at the NFL Combine, but the production up to this point hasn’t been overly exciting. He projects more as a depth piece in Minnesota’s secondary than someone who has a chance to contribute on defense early.
Pick 170: Baltimore Ravens — DI Broderick Washington Jr., Texas Tech
Washington played on the edge at Texas Tech, but he probably fits better on the interior at the NFL level. There’s not all that much to get excited about in the way of his pass-rushing ability — he never graded above 65.0 as a pass-rusher in his four collegiate seasons. He could be a serviceable run defender for Baltimore, but it’s hard to expect much more.
Pick 171: Houston Texans — WR Isaiah Coulter, Rhode Island
Coulter is an interesting target for the Texans and a good value pick as the 116th player on our big board. Physically, Coulter has the tools to separate at the NFL level. The speed is real, and he should fit right in with the speed in that Houston wide receiver room. The question becomes whether he has the strength to deal with NFL physicality.
Pick 172: Detroit Lions — RB Jason Huntley, New Mexico State
Coming out of New Mexico State, Huntley is very small at 5-foot-9 and 188 pounds. He finished last season with an 86.1 rushing grade, averaging nearly seven yards per carry. Huntley caught 37 passes, as well, but he only averaged 4.9 yards per reception. The Lions could also look to use him in the return game where he also saw action for the Aggies.
Pick 173: Chicago Bears — WR Darnell Mooney, Tulane
Darnell Mooney was the 126th player on our big board and could be a sleeper at wide receiver in this loaded class. He has sub-4.40 speed with some explosiveness — he's someone who could be a mismatch weapon out of the slot similar to a K.J. Hamler. Mooney has averaged over 15 yards per reception in each of the past three seasons for Tulane.
Pick 174: Tennessee Titans — DI Larrell Murchison, NC State
Murchison has a solid grading profile in run defense with grades of 75.0 or higher in both 2018 and 2019 for NC State, and he can hold his own anywhere on the line. He has been uninspiring as a pass-rusher thus far — his career pressure rate is under 8% — but there is some hope there given some of the moves he has flashed on tape.
Pick 175: Green Bay Packers — LB Kamal Martin, Minnesota
Kamal Martin has the athleticism that you want to see at linebacker and experience in covering the slot, but his grading profile leaves a lot to be desired. He misses too many tackles, and he had a career-high overall grade of just 70.6 in 2019. There is the hope he can turn that athletic ability into production, but we haven’t seen it just yet.
Pick 176: Minnesota Vikings — WR K.J. Osborn, Miami (FL)
Osborn is probably best served in the slot with the Vikings despite playing outside at Miami in 2019. He became less of a big play and after-the-catch threat in 2019 as he saw his yards per reception mark drop from 16.8 at Buffalo in 2018 to 10.9 this past season. Similarly, his yards after the catch per reception fell from 6.7 to 2.9.
Pick 177: Kansas City Chiefs — Edge Mike Danna, Michigan
Danna had some success playing the run and collapsing the pocket in Michigan by beating up weaker offensive tackles, but he’s not a special athlete. He’s just not going to have as much of a strength advantage in the NFL, and he's going to be pitted against much better tackles. However, this is still a decent value pick for the Chiefs at this stage of the draft given how well Danna has graded throughout his career.
Pick 178: Denver Broncos — LB Justin Strnad, Wake Forest
Strnad didn’t test all that well at the NFL Scouting Combine, particularly in explosiveness drills like the jumps. And the fact that he’ll be 24 years old prior to the start of next season makes us think he’s not going to improve a whole lot once he gets to the NFL. He did grade in the 70s all four years of his career at Wake Forest and has made plays in coverage throughout his career, but it’s hard to see him being much more than depth in the NFL.
Pick 179: Dallas Cowboys — Edge Bradlee Anae, Utah
The athletic concerns with Anae are real, but this is where a team like the Cowboys should be taking a chance on him. He is one of the best edge defenders in this class from a technical standpoint, and he’s racked up 40 or more pressures each of the past three years for Utah.
Round 6
Pick 180: Cincinnati Bengals — T Hakeem Adeniji, Kansas
The Bengals got pretty good value here. Adeniji is going to be a developmental prospect, as he is sloppy in a number of technical aspects. That said, he has the athleticism to play in the NFL and is worth taking a chance on.
Pick 181: Denver Broncos — iOL Netane Muti, Fresno State
The Broncos got the 37th best prospect on our big board at the 181st overall pick in Netane Muti. That right there may be the steal of the draft. Sure, he has his fair share of injuries that are cause for concern, but Muti is one of the nastiest and most powerful run-blockers you will see. Because of injury, he could only do the bench press at the Combine, but he managed to put up 44 reps of 225 pounds. Throughout his career as a run-blocker, he posted an 81.4 grade. He was PFF’s No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Pick 182: New England Patriots — iOL Michael Onwenu, Michigan
At 6-foot-3, 350 pounds, Onwenu may not be able to match NFL quicks, but he sure as heck can match NFL power. Very rarely did someone go through him in pass-pro — he’s allowed only 13 pressures the last two seasons and posted top-15 pass-block grades among guards each season. And the Patriots got pretty good value for him, as he was 128th on our board.
Pick 183: New York Giants — LB Cam Brown, Penn State
Once again, the Giants got a player for great value in Cam Brown. His athleticism is off the charts. He has the traits for a modern-day NFL coverage linebacker — tall, lengthy — but is still piecing it all together and could thrive in a much more simplified role than what he had to do at Penn State. He is a guy you take a chance on late in day three given those traits.
Pick 184: Carolina Panthers — DT Bravvion Roy, Baylor
Bravvion Roy will be reuniting with Matt Rhule, and we love the pick. We were far higher on Roy than most (120th on our board), largely because of how productive he has been at Baylor. He has posted 83.0-plus grades as a run-defender in each of the last three seasons and broke out in 2019 as a pass-rusher by putting up an 83.7 pass-rush grade and 51 pressures. That’s unreal for a nose tackle. His frame and length isn’t anything special, but he has incredible quicks for a 330-pound guy.
Pick 185: Miami Dolphins — LS Blake Ferguson, LSU
Ferguson has posted a 77.9 grade on special teams in his career, but long snapper isn't something you should take in the sixth round.
Pick 186: Los Angeles Chargers — S Alohi Gilman, Notre Dame
Gilman isn’t one you want roaming over the middle of the field and is best suited to a box-only type of role, where he plays with great balance. You don't want him getting exposed by wide receivers (allowed 11 of 14 targets against WRs in 2019 for 175 yards).
Pick 187: Cleveland Browns — WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, Michigan
Peoples-Jones is explosive and has the physical tools to make him look like a complete wide receiver, but then you see him actually run routes and you can see he’s far from that. His inability to separate is a huge concern, but getting a receiver with the kind of tools Peoples-Jones has at pick 187 is pretty good value.
Pick 188: Buffalo Bills — K Tyler Bass, Georgia Southern
Tyler Bass has been a solid kick over the last three years with above-average PFF grades. He made 54 of his 68 attempts. His collegiate career was highlighted by his 2018 when he had one of the highest grades in the nation at 90.2, made 19 of his 21 attempts and went two for three on 50-plus yarders.
Pick 189: Jacksonville Jaguars — QB Jake Luton, Oregon State
Luton is a quality backup for Gardner Minshew. This past season, Luton had a turnover-worthy play rate that was the 12th-best in college football. He was charged with only four pressures all season long, which was the third-fewest among starters, and he was among the few who didn’t have a single fumble. Standing at 6-foot-7, Luton has a solid arm, too.
Pick 190: San Francisco 49ers — TE Charlie Woerner, Georgia
Woerner is a tremendous run-blocker and one of the best in the class. That being said, you’re not getting much from him in the passing attack. He caught only 20 total passes over the last two years and went 0-for-5 on contested balls. If he fits in any offense, though, it’s Kyle Shanahan’s.
Pick 191: New York Jets — P Braden Mann, Texan A&M
Braden Man has easily been one of college football’s best punters the last couple years. He won the Ray Guy Award in 2018 when he posted an FBS-best 95.3 punting grade. In 2019, he put up another elite grade of 90.4 that ranked fifth.
Pick 192: Green Bay Packers — G Jon Runyan, Michigan
Runyan lacks consistency in his technique and is a guard, if anything, at the next level. He tested exceptionally well at the NFL Scouting Combine, but the testing and him being the son of pro bowl tackle Jon Runyan are the only huge things in his favor. His pass sets are pretty poor — he’s going to be a project.
Pick 193: Indianapolis Colts — DT Robert Windsor, Penn State
Indy got a pretty good deal with Robert Windsor at pick 193. He’s likely to move to the edge given his size. With his pass-rushing moves and active hands, he should translate to the NFL just fine. If he continues to add strength, he can really add to his game.
Pick 194: Tampa Bay Buccaneers — DT Khalil Davis, Nebraska
Khalil Davis is an unreal athlete for a 310-ponuder — his get-off jumps off the tape. He’s far from a finished product, though. His pass-rush move repository is pretty scarce and his hand usage was limited. In his career, Davis hasn’t eclipsed a single-season pass-rush grade above 67.0.
Pick 195: New England Patriots — OT Justin Herron, Wake Forest
Herron has some of the best hand usage in the class, but it doesn’t matter when his play strength is as subpar as it is — that will expose him in the NFL. If he can get his play strength up, Herron can be a starter down the road.
Pick 196: Philadelphia Eagles — LB Shaun Bradley, Temple
Bradley is an elite athlete, and that will help him at the next level, but he lacks any type of instincts or playmaking ability in coverage (only two pass breakups in three years). His range and speed is exceptional, though, making this a solid pick considering how late we are in the draft.
Pick 197: Detroit Lions — DT John Penisini, Utah
Detroit got great value in Penisini this late in the draft. He was 104th on our board — he's going to be a run-stuffer at the next level. There isn’t much pass-rush skill to speak of and he’s certainly not going to be a pocket pusher in the NFL, but that was known and perhaps part of the reason he fell this far. Regardless, the Lions got a great run-stuffing interior defender in Penisini, who is coming off a season in which he posted an elite 90.6 run-defense grade.
Pick 198: Pittsburgh Steelers — S Antoine Brooks Jr., Maryland
Brooks is extremely comfortable playing around the line of scrimmage from the safety position. He’s extremely physical and has been a weapon as a blitzer, notching 28 pressures on 147 pass rushes in 2018 alone. All that points to linebacker being his best position in the NFL, especially with his weight getting up to 220 pounds at the NFL Combine.
Pick 199: Los Angeles Rams — S Jordan Fuller, Ohio State
Fuller has some nice versatility, being able to play both deep and box safety at a decent level. We’ve seen him grade well in a box role in 2018 (76.0 overall grade) and deep this past season (83.7). His range and speed aren’t great when projecting a free safety role in the NFL, which likely dropped him down some boards. But this is a reasonable spot for him to go off the board to the Rams.
Pick 200: Philadelphia Eagles — WR Quez Watkins, Southern Mississippi
There is no doubting Watkins’ speed, but the problem is it is largely straight-line speed. His showings in the three-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle were poor. Watkins’ straight-line speed led to nice production at Southern Miss, but in the NFL he’ll struggle to win on any sort of legitimate route tree. At least early, any sort of success in Philadelphia will have to come via schemed looks.
Pick 201: Baltimore Ravens — WR James Proche, SMU
This is a good fit for Baltimore and a complement to some of the speedsters they've added to that offense. His ball skills are elite, attacking the football and rarely dropping a pass. He has dropped just nine passes on 456 targets over the course of his career at SMU. He won’t wow athletically, but there is a path to success in the slot for the Raven
Pick 202: Arizona Cardinals — LB Evan Weaver, Cal
Weaver has been one of the most prolific tacklers in college football over the past two seasons at Cal, and he has been an all-around productive player in the middle of that defense. Athletically, though, it’s hard to see him meeting the threshold to be a quality starter. That will be an uphill battle, but he should contribute immediately on special teams.
Pick 203: Minnesota Vikings — iOL Blake Brandel, Oregon State
From a technical and hand usage standpoint, Brandel is one of the more advanced tackles in this class. That led to a 2019 season where he earned an elite 90.0 overall grade at Oregon State. But that only takes you so far in the NFL, as he has a below-average athletic profile. Brandel looks thin on tape, and he’s not necessarily fast or agile with that smaller frame.
Pick 204: New England Patriots — LB Cassh Maluia, Wyoming
There are some things to work with Maluia athletically, but the production just hasn’t been there at Wyoming. He is a three-year starter for the Cowboys, earning overall grades of 52.4, 66.6 and 65.3 in those seasons. He’s particularly struggled in coverage, where he maxed out at a 55.7 grade in 2019.
Pick 205: Minnesota Vikings — S Josh Metellus, Michigan
Metellus has been a solid, albeit unexciting, all-around player for Michigan over the course of his career there, particularly as a tackler, where he rarely misses to give up additional yardage. He simply knows where to be on the field. That’s something Mike Zimmer will surely love. This is a decent late-round pick for the Vikings.
Pick 206: Jacksonville Jaguars — TE Tyler Davis, Georgia Tech
There’s not a whole lot to get excited about with Davis. He’s notched more run-blocking snaps over his career than routes run, but he hasn’t been particularly effective as a run blocker with four straight seasons of run-blocking grades of 62.0 or lower. As a receiver, his career-high reception count was 22 in 2018, although six of those were touchdowns.
Pick 207: Buffalo Bills — WR Isaiah Hodgins, Oregon State
I love this pick for Buffalo. You look at a receiving corps headed by Stefon Diggs, John Brown and Cole Beasley and the clear missing element is size. Hodgins pairs the best hands in this wide receiver class (three drops in 179 catchable passes in his career) with excellent body control and a big-time catch radius. As the 143rd player on the PFF Big Board, this is good value for the Bills.
Pick 208: Green Bay Packers — iOL Jake Hanson, Oregon
Hanson was a four-year starter for the Oregon Ducks, but interestingly, his career-high overall grade came as a true freshman in 2016 (74.6). The fact that he regressed rather than improved is concerning, to say the least. Hanson still never dropped below a solid grading profile, and he should be able to stick on the roster as a swing backup with all his experience.
Pick 209: Green Bay Packers — iOL Simon Stepaniak, Indiana
Stepaniak has some legitimate power behind him. He made Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List,” which cited his ability to bench 515 pounds and get up 41 reps of 225 pounds. That lends itself to some impressive blocks in the run game, but his play in pass protection is inconsistent at best.
Pick 210: Philadelphia Eagles — T Prince Tega Wanogho, Auburn
Prince Tega Wanogho is someone who we thought would take a step forward this past season at Auburn, but his overall grade actually fell from 84.0 to 77.0. At this point in the draft, he still comes as a decent value for Philadelphia. He uses his length well, but slow foot speed hurts him in pass protection.
Pick 211: Indianapolis Colts — CB Isaiah Rodgers, Massachusetts
Rodgers fits into the mold of cornerbacks who are solid in the run game that Indianapolis has liked to target recently. He picked up run-defense grades of 70.0 or higher in each of his four seasons with the Minutemen. His coverage grades have been much more up and down, ranging from 61.8 in 2018 to 90.3 in 2017.
Pick 212: Indianapolis Colts — WR Dezmon Patmon, Washington State
At 6-foot-4 and 228 pounds, Patmon is a big wide receiver with solid speed and explosiveness. He’s been relatively productive at Washington State the past two years with overall grades of 77.2 and 72.7. He’s not someone who is going to consistently separate in the short and intermediate range, though.
Pick 213: Indianapolis Colts — LB Jordan Glasgow, Michigan
Glasgow is nearly 24 years old already with only one year of significant playing time (in 2019) under his belt. He was effective as a starter on that Michigan defense last year, earning a 78.1 defensive grade and missing only two tackles all season. His play in coverage was a little shaky, however.
Pick 214: Seattle Seahawks — WR Freddie Swain, Florida
From a measurables standpoint, Swain is intriguing. He has maxed out at fewer than 400 snaps in a season, though. Swain is coming off a career year in 2019 where he put up 517 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. One thing you won’t have to worry about with him is drops. Swain has dropped just three passes in 115 targets over his career at Florida.
Round 7
Pick 215: Cincinnati Bengals — LB Markus Bailey, Purdue
The Bengals are giving themselves plenty of opportunities at the linebacker position, and they got Markus Bailey here for a bargain due to his multiple ACL injuries. When healthy, he’s one of the most productive and versatile players in the draft class. In 2017 and in 2018, he posted grades above 70.0 as a run defender, pass-rusher and in coverage en route to overall grades of 81.3 and 83.3. We might be looking back at this one as a huge steal if Bailey gets back to form.
Pick 216: Washington Redskins — S Kamren Curl, Arkansas
We don't think Kamren Curl should have declared early, but we are also much higher on him than the rest of the NFL apparently is. He was 157th on our board and has developed into a versatile player who can do it all. He isn’t going to do anything at an elite level, though. Curl posted an 89.6 coverage grade in 2019, which was by far better than what we saw from him in 2017 and 2018 (52.7 and 64.3).
Pick 217: San Francisco 49ers — WR Jauan Jennings, Tennessee
Kyle Shanahan is going to love Jauan Jennings in his offense. He was 70th on our big board and was a monster after the catch in college, breaking tackles at an incredible rate (30 broken on 59 catches) while posting the eighth-most yards after contact. That should translate to the NFL just fine. Jennings is far from a polished product, too.
Pick 218: New York Giants — Edge Carter Coughlin, Minnesota
Lacking size, length and power, Coughlin is going to be playing off-ball at the next level. He has the athleticism and excellent change of direction to play the position, but the fact he didn’t play much off-ball linebacker at Minnesota makes him a huge unknown at the NFL level. Even so, we would have had Coughlin off the board 50 picks sooner, so this is a great pickup by the Giants.
Pick 219: Baltimore Ravens — S Geno Stone, Iowa
We were clearly the only ones who liked and valued what Geno Stone brought to the table at Iowa, as he was 53rd on our big board and somehow ended up as a seventh-round pick. Stone’s instincts are top-notch, and he is just so quick to make plays. Over the past two seasons, the Iowa safety produced the third-best PFF coverage grade in the FBS. He’s been responsible for minimal big plays downfield and made more plays on the ball (11) than first downs allowed (9) while also allowing the lowest yards per coverage snap average among safeties (0.25). The Ravens got an absolute steal here.
Pick 220: Los Angeles Chargers — K.J. Hill, Ohio State
Hill sliding this far in the draft is a huge surprise, but the Chargers certainly shouldn’t be mad. The Ohio State pass-catcher has been a reliable slot receiver for the Buckeyes throughout his career, dropping only nine of his 266 targets and generating an explosive play on well over a quarter of his catches from the slot. He’s not going to kill you with speed, but he can do damage on underneath routes, where he has averaged 8.6 yards after the catch per reception since 2018.
Pick 221: Carolina Panthers — CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver III, FIU
Thomas-Oliver came to Florida International as a wide receiver and ended as a cornerback, but you can see how much his time playing offense has helped him hone his skills as a defensive back. He has solid ball skills and thrived in his first season at corner in 2018, posting an 84.6 coverage grade. Thomas-Oliver took a step back in 2019 and earned a coverage grade of 64.2, but this isn’t a bad pick to make this late in the draft.
Pick 222: Arizona Cardinals — RB Eno Benjamin, Arizona State
Benjamin is electric with the ball in his hands — especially in an open field — but he doesn’t have the power behind him to carry an NFL workload. The fact that he never takes what's there is maddening to watch at times, and that style isn’t going to do him any favors in the NFL.
Pick 223: Jacksonville Jaguars — CB Chris Claybrooks, Memphis
Claybrooks has performed pretty poorly when on the field for Memphis over the last two years after coming over from Coahoma Community College. He gave up a whopping 500 yards on 256 coverage snaps, with four of his 30 catches allowed resulting in a 40-plus yard gain. If anything, he’s a likely special-teamer in the NFL.
Pick 224: Tennessee Titans — QB Cole McDonald, Hawaii
Tennessee needed a backup quarterback, so this was a great value pick this late. McDonald has a legit rocket launcher for an arm and has a playstyle reminiscent of Jameis Winston — he’ll go from delivering a strike downfield to throwing a wildly inaccurate ball. McDonald posted the 12th-worst turnover-worthy play rate but also the 18th-best big-time throw rate a season ago, so with that type of decision-making, he’s going to be a project. He’s also a top-tier athlete for a quarterback — he posted a blazing 4.58 40-yard at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine.
Pick 225: Minnesota Vikings — Edge Kenny Willekes, Michigan State
Willekes was 83rd on the PFF Draft Board, so you have to love this pick here by Minnesota. There’s a lot of concern with how Willekes projects to the NFL because of poor play strength, subpar athleticism and reliance on just a few moves (he does have a nice bull-rush). Willekes did produce an 86.2 pass-rush grade in 2018, but he didn’t come back as the same player after breaking his leg to close out the season, and he managed just a 74.3 pass-rush grade in 2019. All of this would normally scream “buyer beware” and “risky,” but on Day 3, there’s really not a whole lot of risk involved.
Pick 226: Chicago Bears — T Arlington Hambright, Colorado
After struggling with Oklahoma State in 2018, Hambright went to Colorado and was solid across the board in 2019. He’s still got a lot to clean up, but he’s a versatile player and will likely be kicking inside to guard at the next level.
Pick 227: Chicago Bears — IOL Lachavious Simmons, Tennessee State
Simmons flipped back and forth between left tackle and left guard in 2019 for Tennessee State. He remained a fairly stout pass-protector, posting an 84.4 pass-block grade over the season. His run-blocking is shaky, however. A move inside to guard appears to be in his future.
Pick 228: Atlanta Falcons — P Sterling Hofrichter, Syracuse
Hofrichter was the best punter in college football in 2019. He posted an FBS-high 92.7 grade and an absurd 4.51 average anytime — the longest in the FBS by over a tenth of a second.
Pick 229: Washington Redskins — EDGE James Smith-Williams, NC State
Smith-Williams has the ideal power, length and burst on the edge but just has no feel for the position. His production is also lacking — he generated only 64 pressures on 692 pass-rushes and eclipsed a 70.0 single-game pass-rush grade just twice.
Pick 230: New England Patriots — iOL Dustin Woodward, Memphis
Woodard is a versatile guy who showed he could play anywhere along the interior at Memphis. In his first full season starting at center in 2019, Woodard actually put up a 90.1 run-blocking grade. However, the big concern with him is his size.
Pick 231: Dallas Cowboys — QB Ben DiNucci, James Madison
Taking a flier on a quarterback this late in the draft is a great move to make. Ben DiNucci had an elite 90.4 overall grade going up against weak competition, and he's got a solid, accurate arm that can deliver downfield.
Pick 232: Pittsburgh Steelers — DI Carlos Davis, Nebraska
Davis’ get-off and overall speed is absurd for his size, just like his brother. Outside of that, though, there’s really not a whole lot there for the soon-to-be 24-year-old. He refuses to use his hands as a pass-rusher and is just inconsistent with his leverage. Davis never produced a grade above 70.0 in any of his four seasons as a Cornhusker.
Pick 233: Philadelphia Eagles, Edge Casey Toohill, Stanford
Toohill has great burst, bend and overall athleticism, but he has virtually no pass-rush moves. He never managed to produce a single-season PFF pass-rush grade above 70.0, and he didn’t do particularly well on his one-on-one matchups.
Pick 234: Los Angeles Rams — LB Clay Johnston, Baylor
This was a great pickup this late in the draft for the Rams. Although Johnston is short and undersized with relatively poor length and athleticism, the way he plays the game is worth taking a chance on. He has short-area quicks and is excellent at reacting to route concepts underneath.
Pick 235: Detroit Lions — Edge Jashon Cornell, Ohio State
There isn’t a huge sample of play to look back on for Cornell, as he maxed out at 393 defensive snaps in 2019, but there was promise with his performance in 2019. He earned a 90.2 overall grade with 80.0-plus grades as a run defender and as a pass rusher. That pushed him into the back-end of our top-250 big board (249th).
Pick 236: Green Bay Packers — S Vernon Scott, TCU
Scott played a career-high 539 defensive snaps for TCU in 2019. He played a diverse role on the defense with at least 150 snaps in the slot, in the box and deep at free safety, and he was at his best in coverage, where he earned a grade of 84.7 on the season.
Pick 237: Kansas City Chiefs — CB Thakarius Keyes, Tulane
Keyes has started each of the last two seasons at outside cornerback for Tulane, and he has a solid yet unexciting grading profile. Keyes allowed fewer than 50% of the passes into his coverage to be completed in both 2018 and 2019, earning coverage grades of 68.1 and 69.5, respectively.
Pick 238: New York Giants — LB T.J. Brunson, South Carolina
Brunson’s tackling is a mess. There is no getting around that. He does have three years of starting experience and projects as a good enough athlete to play linebacker at the NFL level, but there just isn’t a whole lot to get excited about from a production standpoint with no overall grades above 65.0 at the college level.
Pick 239: Buffalo Bills — CB Dane Jackson, Pittsburgh
Dane Jackson has one of the best press coverage cornerback profiles of any player in this class. The problem is that he probably isn't big enough at 187 pounds for that physical play-style to translate to the NFL. He is not afraid to mix it up in the run game, either, with back-to-back run-defense grades above 89.0 in 2018 and 2019.
Pick 240: New Orleans Saints — QB Tommy Stevens, Mississippi State
After sitting in the wings at Penn State for several seasons, Stevens got his opportunity as a starting quarterback at Mississippi State this past season. An injury limited his playing time, and he turned in a 69.2 overall grade in just over 400 offensive snaps. His eight big-time throws in comparison to 11 turnover-worthy plays weren't a great ratio. Could the Saints be finding their next Taysom Hill?
Pick 241: Tampa Bay Buccaneers — LB Chapelle Russell, Temple
Russell has several seasons of starting experience for the Temple Owls, and he boasts a solid grading profile, earning overall grades between 64.5 and 70.8 in the last three seasons. There are some questions about his consistency against the run and his durability after multiple ACL tears.
Pick 242: Green Bay Packers — Edge Jonathan Garvin, Miami
Garvin is — as many players in this portion of the draft are — a developmental prospect. He graded out well this past season with an 88.2 pass-rushing grade, but that was largely a product of beating up on bad offensive tackles. He disappeared against the better competition he faced. Still, it's a decent shot to take for Green Bay in this portion of the draft.
Pick 243: Tennessee Titans — S Chris Jackson, Marshall
Coming out of Marshall, Jackson is a sure tackler and has provided solid support against the run throughout his career. He’s shown improvement in coverage the last two years as well, with 70.0-plus coverage grades in both 2018 and 2019.
Pick 244: Minnesota Vikings — QB Nate Stanley, Iowa
Stanley is one of the “looks the part” quarterbacks with the ideal size, a rocket arm and quick release. His accuracy has not been up to par throughout his career, though, and he doesn’t move well in the pocket. He is coming off a career-high 87.1 overall grade in 2019.
Pick 245: Tampa Bay Buccaneers — RB Raymond Calais, Louisiana
Calais is listed in the PFF Draft Guide as the home-run hitter in this running back class. He has 4.42 speed, and it shows on the tape as he attacks holes with reckless abandon. That’s about where he caps out, but his speed could make him useful at some point on a talented Tampa Bay offense.
Pick 246: Miami Dolphins — WR Malcom Perry, Navy
Perry was one of the best players in all of college football as the quarterback in Navy’s triple-option offense. Like predecessor Keenan Reynolds, he’ll attempt to make it in the NFL at wide receiver. His 4,397 rushing yards since 2017 are third-most among all college football players.
Pick 247: New York Giants — CB Chris Williamson, Minnesota
In his first season of starting action for the Gophers, Williamson put up a 61.2 overall grade and a 58.9 grade in coverage, allowing 73% of the passes into his coverage in the slot to be completed on the season. He also missed quite a few tackles (13 in 68 tackling opportunities).
Pick 248: Los Angeles Rams — K Sam Sloman, Miami (OH)
Last season, Sloman made 22 of his 25 field goals within 50 yards and earned a 91.1 kicking grade.
Pick 249: Minnesota Vikings — S Brian Cole II, Mississippi State
After being dismissed from Michigan and going the junior college route, Cole finally saw FBS action on defense in 2018 with Mississippi State. He played slot cornerback, but his best role is probably in the box given his lack of feel on defense and poor performance in the slot in 2019 (59.2 overall grade).
Pick 250: Los Angeles Rams — G Tremayne Anchrum, Clemson
Anchrum was a tackle at Clemson, but he will be an interior offensive lineman at the NFL level. There are some things to like about his game (good pass-blocking grades, good leverage, strong hand usage), but he will be limited by his strength and athleticism. This is a good move at this portion of the draft for the Rams.
Pick 251: Seattle Seahawks — TE Stephen Sullivan, LSU
Stephen Sullivan was one of the highest players remaining on our Big Board (134th overall). It comes down to his big wingspan and plus speed that can be utilized as a weapon running down the seam. There is next to no production to speak of in college, though, and Seattle shouldn’t be expecting him to run a full route tree.
Pick 252: Denver Broncos — WR Tyrie Cleveland, Florida
Cleveland showed he has the requisite speed and explosiveness to get down the field at the NFL Combine. The production at Florida doesn’t really excite you, though, with a single-season career high of 410 receiving yards and as many drops (10) as broken tackles (10) in his career.
Pick 253: Minnesota Vikings — G Kyle Hinton, Washburn
Hinton was a three-year starter on the interior offensive line for Division-II Washburn University in Kansas, starting 34 games in total. He was a three-time All-American selection in his time there.
Pick 254: Denver Broncos — LB Derrek Tuszka, North Dakota State
Tuszka showed some real athletic ability at the NFL Combine, and he ended the 2019 season with a 91.8 pass-rushing grade for North Dakota State, picking up 56 pressures on just 266 pass-rushing snaps. He’s a tough projection to the NFL, though, given his slight build and lack of power to his game.
Pick 255: New York Giants — LB Tae Crowder, Georgia
Crowder played a career-high 500 defensive snaps and earned an overall grade of 70.5 for Georgia last season. He has graded well each of the past two seasons in coverage (79.0 in 2018 and 82.5 in 2019).
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