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NYG – 5 Overall
Arvell Reese – Ohio State ILB / EDGE
I thought there was no chance Reese made it to the 5th pick (In my opinion the Jets made a mistake taking Bailey over Reese) and even less of a chance of the Giants being willing to take him considering the assets they’ve already sunk into EDGE and ILB over the past few seasons. With that being said I absolutely loved this pick. This situation is perfect for Reese as the Giants have talent at both ILB and EDGE that frees Reese up to play both positions depending on the situation on the field. Early or short downs and distances you can have Reese play along side Tremaine Edmunds as a WILL LB that plays in a see ball get ball way as that will allow his elite athleticism and play wrecking nature to shine. In later downs and more obvious passing situations you can do so many things with not only Reese but Abdul Carter, Brian Burns, and Kayvon Thibodeaux as well. Both Reese and Carter are incredibly versatile players that you can line up anywhere across the line because of their strength and athleticism along with their unique skill sets that will create problems for opposing offenses that no other team can. While he may not be able to fix the issues along the IDL with the loss of Dexter Lawrence at NT Reese will have a huge impact on this teams run defense (the Giants ranked last in both EPA per rush and yards per carry last season).Reese’s ability to shoot gaps and hold his own anywhere along the line with his strong hands, phenomenal play strength, and unbelievable ability to peek and shed off of blocks will make up for a lot of what the Giants were missing last season.
WAS – 7 Overall
Sonny Styles – Ohio State ILB
From a pure value standpoint this is a phenomenal pick as Styles ranked as the third prospect on my board. Even more so than the value of the pick to the prospect rank Styles will be a perfect fit in Dan Quinn’s defense and a major improvement from what they had this past season. With the last few years of an aging Bobby Wagner in the middle of the defense the Commanders have always in order pre snap but the lack of athleticism in the middle of the field last season could not be anymore glaring. Quinn asks a lot from his LBs and while Styles is only going into his 3rd year as a full time LB (Started as a Safety prospect at OSU) his unreal athletic profile and unique frame really allow him to make up for any rawness at the position, which is little to begin with. He has the athleticism and feel in coverage to play match zone and man along with great instincts, a long frame, phenomenal play strength, and sideline to sideline speed to flush out and shut down run plays. On top of it all he wore the green dot for and was one of the leaders of an Ohio State defense that had Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs, and multiple other high end talents on it. Styles can do it all from an on the field perspective and is about as perfect as a prospect can be off it as well. A home run pick for a defense and team that desperately needed a young talent influx immediately.
DAL – 11 Overall
Caleb Downs – Ohio State S
Once again the league undervalued the Safety, Nickel, and/or Star defender role as my 2nd player in the draft (1st Defensive) fell all the way to 11. Similar to his former teammates Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles Downs was simply put a great value do where he was drafted but that’s far from my favorite part of this pick. Downs is tailor-made to match where the league is headed on the offensive side of the ball. With traditionally heavier formations being altered by bringing in WRs in place of TEs to maintain a threat in the downfield passing attack while showing more run heavy alignments Downs’ ability to be everything from a Single High Safety to a Will LB and everything in between will be invaluable for the Cowboys. Despite having a different frame/body type I expect Downs to have a similar role and impact to guys like Derwin James and Kyle Hamilton as “Star” defenders which for a Cowboys defense that lacked talent at both Safety and LB last season that versatility and playmaking influence at multiple positions cannot be overstated in importance. The Cowboys Defense gave up 54 plays last year that went for 25 or more yards (League high last season) and while Downs can’t be everywhere on the field at once his demeanor and personality within that defense I believe will have just as much of an impact as him playing in whatever spot he is in at any given time. This pick isn’t just a solution for one position or role like most prospects but rather why I believe to be a transformative player for that entire defense. I believe in ten years that we’ll all look back on this draft and shake our heads at the fact the league let this talent slip to 11 and outside of injuries I just don’t see a way Downs isn’t an immediate impact and long term a All Pro level player for new DC Christian Parker. Downs truly reminds me of Tyrann Mathieu more than anyone and I believe he will end up with an even better career.
- One thing I have to point out as well with Downs falling is the fact the Chiefs traded up to take Mansoor Delane over him. I believe that will haunt the Chiefs down the road as I liked Delane but to pass on Downs for him was terrible decision making in my opinion.
TB – 15 Overall
Rueben Bain Jr – Miami EDGE
Whether it was due to the lack of arm length or overall lacking a wow factor as a prospect the league let Bain slip down the draft board right into the team that needed him the most, the Buccaneers. With a stout frame Bain’s power profile, heavy hands, and elite effort shine which make him a perfect fit as an EDGE/3T within the Buccaneers attacking/aggressive front. Adding Bain to the front alongside Vea, Kancey, and Diaby creates a really well rounded group along the line and even more so adds a consistent winner that they’ve lacked for the past few years. While Bain may not be an elite level pass rusher at the next level the upgrade to the Buccaneers EDGE room can’t be overstated and will certainly change how effective this defense will be in comparison to last season.
CHI – 25 Overall
Dillon Thieneman – Oregon S
While Thieneman wasn’t the top ranked Safety in this draft in just about any other year he would have been and is by no means a consolation prize for the Bears. Thieneman is a phenomenal Safety that can not only play in both single and two high structures at depth but he also comes downhill with great discipline and pursuit angles to fit into the run game no matter his assignment pre snap. The combination of Thieneman and FA signing Coby Bryant to the Safety room takes what was a below average group last season that was reliant on turnovers to a versatile and stable room of Safeties that will allow to play any and all coverages and structures effectively.
NYJ – 30 Overall
Omar Cooper Jr – Indiana WR
While the value here isn’t anything to write home about as this is right around where I had Cooper going the fit is absolutely perfect. The Jets receiving corps needed work to say the least as they were coming off a year where their receiving room felt like it was Garrett Wilson against the world. While Cooper doesn’t solve all of their issues his attitude and effort as a blocker will immediately shine in a presumably run heavy offense. That same attitude and effort will almost certainly have a huge impact in the locker room on the culture of this team as HC Aaron Glenn continues to try and establish a winning mentality back in New York. On top of all of the great mental makeup and effort from Cooper his effectiveness as a WR will have just as much of an impact on this offense as his value and profile as a WR has been oversimplified by many coming out of the draft. Cooper isn’t just a slot WR that will be an underneath target with solid RAC contributions. While this past season he majored in the slot for Indiana’s offense Cooper has ability to step outside as well just as he did in his previous college seasons. While he’s not the biggest WR nor the fastest player on the field he can absolutely threaten down the field and has the body control along with great ball tracking to be effective there. While I want him as an off the ball WR that works great as you can stick AD Mitchell at X (Garret Wilson as well if you want to utilize Sadiq in the slot and Cooper at the Y) and let Wilson, Cooper, and newly added (Pick 16 in this draft) TE/Big Slot Kenyon Sadiq can mix and match positions to exploit matchups. Cooper may never be an All Pro level guy but he fits into this Jets offense perfectly and provides a much needed steady pair of hands along side Garrett Wilson to give Genius Smith and subsequently this Jets offense their best chance at success in this upcoming season.
