By Charlie 2ampbell – @draftcampbell
May 5, 2016
Winners
Chicago BearsI love what the Bears did on the third day of the 2016 NFL Draft. They started it off with a linebacker who a lot of teams really liked in West Virginia’s Nick Kwiatkoski. They don’t need him to start, but Kwiatkoski has three-down starting potential with surprising athleticism to go with good instincts.
Later in the fourth round, Chicago landed two good defensive backs in Deon Bush and Deiondre’ Hall. Bush could be a third safety quickly and develop into a starting free safety. Hall (6-2, 199) had a lot of fans in the scouting community as a big, gritty corner who battles receivers.
The good picks didn’t stop there as Indiana running back Jordan Howard should be a good backup for Jeremy Langford. Western Michigan wide receiver Daniel Braverman also is a natural receiver who could turn into a nice slot receiver for Chicago.
With what Chicago did on the first two days of the 2016 NFL Draft, I think the Bears had a very effective draft at upgrading the talent on their roster.
Baltimore RavensThe Ravens set a record with five selections in the fourth round and did a good job of finding values at each selection. Tavon Young led it off, and he has real potential to be a good nickelback to cover up slot receivers. Cincinnati wide receiver Chris Moore is a vertical receiver to pair with Joe Flacco’s big arm and serve as depth behind Steve Smith. Nebraska’s Alex Lewis should be a swing tackle or potential guard. Willie Henry is a good nose tackle backup, and Kenneth Dixon is a do-it-all running back who will be a nice complement to Buck Allen.
Later in the sixth round, Virginia cornerback Maurice Canady can get burnt, but Canady (6-1, 193) has tools to develop and is worthy of a late-round pick. Baltimore did some real damage and fortified its roster depth on Day 3 of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Cincinnati BengalsThe Bengals have built one of the best rosters in the league in large part because they nail excellent value picks on the second and third day of NFL drafts. This year was no different as the Bengals landed Baylor nose tackle Andrew Billings in the fourth round. Billings was graded by most teams as a second-rounder. He could be the replacement and an upgrade over aging veteran Domata Peko. Cincinnati was thin at tackle, and Billings was a steal.
Aside from Billings, Arizona State guard Christian Westerman, Ole Miss wide receiver Cody Core, and Illinois safety Clayton Fejedelem provide more good depth competition for Cincinnati. The Bengals don’t get enough credit for being one of the best drafting teams in the NFL, and they proved it again in 2016.
Jacksonville JaguarsJacksonville got another steal at the top of the fourth round with Notre Dame defensive tackle Sheldon Day. Day was one of my top value picks in the 2016 NFL Draft. Day is a fast, disruptive tackle that can get after the quarterback and fire into the backfield to stop runs. Day goes to a team with a crowded depth chart at tackle, but I think he could thrive if given the opportunity.
In the sixth round the Jaguars got an edge rusher with some upside in Montana’s Tyrone Holmes. He had a whopping 18 sacks last year. Jacksonville also added Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen in the sixth frame. I don’t think Allen will be a starter, but I do believe that he could turn into a good backup behind Blake Bortles. The Jaguars added some very good depth on the last day of the draft.
Houston TexansThe Texans were able to come away with two players that have the potential to start early on day three and another player that could be a good contributor as a rotational running back. In the fourth round Houston added more explosion to their offense with Tyler Ervin. The speedy back can help them carrying the ball, as a receiver, and on special teams as a returner. He should be a good backup to Lamar Miller.
Houston has a competition at safety for a starter and fifth-rounder K.J. Dillon could factor into that immediately. Dillon was a potential third-rounder that has shown to be a physical hitter with some ball skills.
Their final fifth-round pick could end being the best of the bunch in a year. Clemson nose tackle D.J. Reader (6-3, 327) was dominant at the Senior Bowl and he overwhelms centers at the point of attack. In a typical draft, Reader would have gone in the second round. He is a great understudy for Vince Wilfork and in a year should be ready to be Houston’s starting nose tackle. This was a great pick by Houston.
Indianapolis ColtsThe Colts have had some bad drafts in recent years, and I think Ryan Grigson did a much better job in 2015. On day three he added two players with starting potential in the fourth round with Hassan Ridgeway and Antonio Morrison. Ridgeway could be a starting nose tackle or five technique defensive end. Given who they have, it wouldn’t surprise me if Ridgeway started quickly. If healthy, Morrison also could replace Jerrell Freeman instantly. Morrison is a good run stuffer and a physical defender that is tough as nails.
Tackle Joe Haeg and center Austin Blythe were added in the fifth and seventh rounds respectively. Each one could be a nice backup for the Colts and their offensive line really needed to improve their depth. Indianapolis needed a good draft and they came through with a number of quality picks including on day three of the draft.
Losers
Dallas CowboysI like what the Cowboys did on day one and two, but I think they didn’t do well adding talent on the third day of the draft. They had four sixth-round picks and all of them are undrafted free agent quality rather than players that had mid-round grades and managed to slide. I think Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott is an okay pick in the fourth round, but he needs development to be a functional backup. I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot if not all of their other day three picks end up getting cut at the end of the preseason.
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