Tennessee Titans select Josh Uche, LB, Michigan Not sure why Uche is still on the board. He’s an extremely versatile OLB with high potential. Not necessarily top tier at anything but very solid in multiple phases of the game. I’d say his biggest impact will be as a pass rusher but he’s also promising in the run game and in passing coverage. He will at bare minimum be a superb special teams player with the ability to be a starter in year 2.
DL or LB could be food here. We went offense the first two rounds for them so maybe better value on the other side of the ball.
Got around to watching some more tape tonight. Nevermind what I said. Patrick Queen at 20 is a great value haha. I've been cautious not to overrate LSU players because the team as a whole was so dominant... but Queen is gonna be awesome in the NFL. Not disappointed with him at all if we can't get Simmons. -He's pretty fast - I'd bet 4.58-4.6 - and his pursuit / chase effort is off the charts. -He attacks the LOS confidently, and has excellent timing & length for shedding blocks. -Great play recognition - he's often ahead, attacking running lanes right when they open. -His footwork / technique is sound, he takes great angles, no wasted steps, rarely misses tackles. -He's a well rounded 3 down linebacker who can cover, blitz, chase, and stack-and-shed. When you have both superb range and the ability to get off blocks, that tells me he's starting middle LB material. You never see him get bullied - I'm positive he'll be good, if not great, against the run. He isn't experienced enough to read the QB yet, but his agility and his proficient technique gives him high potential in coverage too, if coached well. He reminds me of Jaylon Smith tbh. Simmons is more of a rare talent, but Queen actually more so fits the archetype of what we need. I would use the word "ideal" to describe his skillset as a MLB for a cover 3-base, 4-3 defense like ours. We put a lot of pressure on our LBs in space - we need a guy who can handle that, and who also can handle blockers & runs up the middle, because Myles Jack clearly can't.
The Buffalo Bills select Ashtyn Davis, S, California. Had to do some studying here but this is a pretty good fit. TDN's scouting reports have him as a decent tackler who will best succeed as a Cover 2 free safety and/or playing primarily deep halves/thirds. Sean McDermott is something of a DB whisperer at this point, going back to the Carolina days. It seems like he's able to plug just about anyone into a spot in his secondary and when you think it's going to be a liability based on past performance, somehow they become a decent enough player. Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer are examples here, nothing special with GB and CLE but really blossomed as a tandem here over the last few seasons. As I'm mentioning them, Poyer's been the SS but Hyde has rolled over there and vice versa based on injuries. Poyer's deal is up after I believe 2020 and to be honest he deserves a HUGE payday as he's one of the best bargains in the league right now. I'm going to pretend Poyer leaves as a UFA after this season, Hyde moves to SS and Davis is the heir apparent at FS