By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell
May 2, 2019
Winners
New York GiantsI really like what the Giants did on the final day of the 2019 NFL Draft. Landing Julian Love in the fourth round was an absolute steal. The Notre Dame cornerback could have gone in the second round and has the ability to play quickly in the NFL. I think he could become a starter and form a talented young trio with first-round pick DeAndre Baker and sixth-round pick Corey Ballentine. The Washburn corner Ballentine has a skill set and upside, he was a steal in the sixth round. Fifth-round linebacker Ryan Connelly was okay, as he should be a good backup and special teams player. Fifth-round pick Darius Slayton has a nice combination of size and speed. He is a sleeper receiver who could become a nice contributor for New York. The media has gone over board with their criticism of the Giants’ draft, and their wise picks on Day 3 could end up helping the Giants to have the last laugh.
Philadelphia EaglesHowie Roseman is one of the best general managers in the NFL, and he made the most out of only two picks on Day 3. Penn State edge rusher Shareef Miller was a steal in the fourth round as he had second-day potential. Miller could contribute quickly as a designated pass-rusher.
In the fifth round, Roseman landed a steal with Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson. Thorson has a first-round skill set along with a ton of experience, intelligence, and great character. He slipped in the 2019 NFL Draft because of some accuracy issues and being injured throughout the leadup to the draft. But Thorson is special, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he thrives under the tutelage of Doug Pederson. It would not shock me at all if Thorson plays well as a backup and the Eagles end up flipping him to another team for early-round picks. At worst, Thorson should be a good backup for Carson Wentz, and that is an excellent value in the fifth round.
Cleveland BrownsThe Browns did not have a first-round pick after the Odell Beckham trade, but they managed to make some excellent selections to further bolster their roster. In the fourth round, Miami defensive back Sheldrick Redwine could be a really nice developmental safety. He played well last year and has upside as a cover safety in the NFL. Cleveland’s fifth-round pick was an absolute steal in Alabama linebacker Mack Wilson. He slid because of makeup concerns, but there is no doubt that Wilson is talented. He plays like a second-day pick and is a skilled pass-coverage linebacker. Before long, I could see Wilson being a starter for Cleveland and really being an asset in pass coverage. These two picks were superb values for the Browns and could end up being long-term players for them.
Losers
Tennessee TitansIt’s hard to really label any team a loser on the third day of the draft because over 60 percent of third day picks don’t work out in the NFL. In the late rounds, those odds go up even higher with 80-90 percent not panning out for sixth and seventh-rounders. Thus, I don’t have serious criticism of Tennessee for Day 3.
That being said, I didn’t like what the Titans did on Day 3. In the fourth round, they reached on Iowa safety Amani Hooker. Other teams had him graded as a late-round or undrafted free agent, but Tennessee took him in the top half of the fourth round when other really good players were available. Hooker has coverage limitations that I think will lead to him being just a backup quality player in the NFL. He also had too many missed tackles for a safety who does not offer much in terms of being able to cover. After Hooker, the Titans made a decent pick in D’Andre Walker, but Walker has some issues with makeup that limited him in college, and for the NFL, he could be limited to just being a backup designated pass-rusher. The Titans’ final pick of West Virginia linebacker David Long was okay, as he is a backup and special teams player.
There were still some good talents available on Day 3 when the Titans picked, and I don’t like their passing on the likes of Georgia wide receiver Riley Ridley, West Virginia wide receiver Gary Jennings, Ohio State center Mike Jordan, Alabama linebacker Mack Wilson and Penn State edge rusher Shareef Miller. I think Tennessee could have done better during the third day of the 2019 NFL Draft.
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