The New Orleans Saints picked UCF WR Tre’Quan Smith with the 91st overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Monthly Archives: April 2018
Ravens | Mark Andrews lands in Baltimore
The Baltimore Ravens selected Oklahoma TE Mark Andrews with the 86th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Footballguys View: A receiver in a tight end’s body, Andrews is a huge mismatch against linebackers and safeties. He;s not much of an in-line tight end, and not a proven blocker.
49ers | Fred Warner to play middle linebacker?
San Francisco 49ers LB Fred Warner said he is capable of playing inside or outside linebacker but believes he will play middle linebacker based on the conversations he had with the coaching staff prior to the 2018 NFL Draft.
Footballguys View: Warner has good instincts and cover skills, and could be a good fit in the middle especially on passing downs. He may make his bones on special teams to start, and if he can add to his toolbox, might be more than a role player.
Ravens | Orlando Brown heads to Charm City
The Baltimore Ravens picked Oklahoma OT Orlando Brown Jr. with the 83rd overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, following in the footsteps of his late father.
Footballguys View: Brown really only does one thing, but he does it incredibly well. His ability at the right tackle is tremendous but you can’t move him anywhere else. That limits his upside, but if he’s good at right tackle, does it matter?
Cowboys | Michael Gallup lands in Big D
The Dallas Cowboys selected Colorado State WR Michael Gallup with the 81st overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Footballguys View: Mike Mayock called him a “poor man’s DJ Moore” and the shoe fits. A natural athlete with the burst and athleticism to get open, Gallup is really raw and struggles with keeping on his routes and not drifting, has his focus wane at times but he has improved and the best could be yet to come.
Bengals | Cincy goes back-to-back defense
The Cincinnati Bengals selected Ohio State DE Sam Hubbard with the 77th overall selection and Texas LB Malik Jefferson with the 78th overall pick.
Footballguys View: The Bengals needed help everywhere and improve their defense with Hubbard – a solid but unspectacular end with a big motor who can blitz – and Jefferson 1 who has the physical traits teams like but rarely seemed to produce with them. Both are upside picks, but their floors are significantly low.
Steelers | Pittsburgh selects Mason Rudolph
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Oklahoma State QB Mason Rudolph with the 76th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Footballguys View: Fans and drafticks seemed to like Rudolph more than the NFL did, and you can see it in the reactions after this pick. There are some who feel Rudolph is immediately the heir apparent to Ben Roethlisberger, while others feel like he is a slightly younger version of Landry Jones. Roethlisberger said he intends to play about three more years, which means the team has a very slim margin – and not many independent snaps – to determine whether to extend Rudolph’s four year rookie contract.
Chargers | Uchenna Nwosu to fill OTTO role
Los Angeles Chargers LB Uchenna Nwosu will likely play the OTTO role, according to defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.
Broncos | Royce Freeman goes to Denver
The Denver Broncos selected Oregon RB Royce Freeman with the 71st overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Footballguys View: Freeman was the leading rusher in Oregon school history and given the uncertainty in the backfield for Denver, could start towards that goal with the Broncos this season. A back with really good size, who has natural vision, if he can lock down his third down duties, Freeman could be hard to get off the field.
Vikings | Brian O’Neill brings athleticism to line
Minnesota Vikings OT Brian O’Neill was ‘probably the best athlete of all the offensive linemen’ in the 2018 NFL Draft, according to director of college scouting Jamaal Stephenson.
Footballguys View: The team is betting he can add the strength he needs to without sacrificing that athleticism, and if so, he could become a mainstay on that line.