We move on to the AFC North Edition of the 32 Bold Calls series! Which drafted players in this division will shine, and which will fail?
Welcome to the NFL Draft Recap for the Say It Again Network. For those of you that followed my Mock Draft series throughout the year, I genuinely thank you. This draft season was one of the more unpredictable ones in quite some time, and it was cool to take a prediction-only spin on the draft process.
However, now we get into the nitty-gritty; seeing what players have the best chance to succeed based on the situations they went to. Some call their draft recap articles “Draft Grades,” but that concept is, forgive me for being blunt, inherently stupid. Anyone’s draft grades are strictly based on their own evaluation of players and team needs. It doesn’t take into account a player that you disliked going to a perfect situation or vice versa. In short, draft grades are just the biases of the draft analyst showing up in article form.
This is why my recap articles on the NFL Draft look a little different. I’m not giving silly letter grades to show who I think had a successful draft and who did not. Instead, I’ve created a bold prediction for each team based on the players they have selected.
Now you’ll get my draft thoughts in the breakdown of each team. However, I wanted to create a draft recap article where there was no confusion about how I came to my conclusions. Unlike my mock draft, these are my predictions based on my thoughts on players and where they wound up.
In short, draft grades don’t prognosticate which players stand the best chance to be successful at the next level. This NFL Draft Recap will do just that.
Baltimore Ravens: Kyle Hamilton, Tyler Linderbaum, David Ojabo, Travis Jones, Daniel Faalele, Jalyn Armour-Davis, Charlie Kolar, Jordan Stout, Isaiah Likely, Damarion Williams, Tyler Badie
The Prediction: David Ojabo Becomes an All-Pro Despite the Achilles Injury
If the consensus “best draft,” was had by the New York Jets, then “1A,” was the Baltimore Ravens. After stealing Kyle Hamilton at 14, the Ravens moved Marquise Brown, who is in need of a new contract and not worth what he will receive, to get back into the first round and select Tyler Linderbaum. Both Hamilton and Linderbaum are excellent scheme fits in Baltimore and should be stellar pros.
Perhaps the most interesting selection came on day two. David Ojabo was a top 20 lock heading into his pro-day, but he ruptured his Achilles during a positional drill. Despite the injury, the Ravens still selected him in round two, knowing that he will miss the upcoming year. It seems a little early for that kind of selection, right?
However, a pass rusher was a need for Baltimore, and Ojabo is a phenomenal talent. He’s still learning the finer points of playing off the edge, but he runs the arch incredibly well. He shows good hip and ankle flexibility off the edge; he just needs to become better at setting the edge and working back to the quarterback if he’s re-routed. In Baltimore’s aggressive style of defense, Ojabo should shine off the edge when he’s healthy, and when he turns into a well-rounded player because Baltimore’s developmental staff is excellent, the sky is the limit
Cincinnati Bengals: Dax Hill, Cam Taylor-Britt, Zachary Carter, Cordell Volson, Tycen Anderson, Jeffrey Gunter
The Prediction: Dax Hill Will Be the Reason the Bengals Do Not Pay Jessie Bates
This is the first prediction that has other elements to it besides the prospect’s play on the field. Before diving into the prediction, let’s recap a very straightforward draft for the Bengals. They are a team that loves to rotate in a number of defensive backs. Therefore, they selected two defensive backs with a lot of versatility. Cincinnati then took two swings in the trenches because they need to bolster that area as well. The Bengals did a decent job of hitting their needs, even if the order they chose to address them confused some fans.
Migrating back to the prediction, Dax Hill is an incredibly versatile player. He can play single high, he can make plays near the line of scrimmage, and he shines as a nickel corner. Now the chances that he’s able to replace an All-Pro in Jessie Bates right away are slim. However, the Bengals are going to have to pay a number of talented young players like Jonah Williams, Ja’Marr Chase, and of course, Joe Burrow. You can’t pay everyone, so could Jessie Bates be the odd man out because he plays a non-premium position?
It requires Hill to make a major impact in his rookie year, but Hill was one of the premier defensive prospects in this draft because of his versatility. If he’s successful out of the gate, the Bengals could definitely let Jessie Bates walk.
Cleveland Browns: Martin Emerson, Alex Wright, David Bell, Perrion Winfrey, Cade York, Jerome Ford, Michael Woods II, Isaiah Thomas, Dawson Deaton
The Prediction: David Bell is a Bust, but Perrion Winfrey Shines From Day One
A two-part prediction here! David Bell is a really trendy pick to be a breakout player from day two of this draft. He will get plenty of reps in the Browns’ offense and he has a lane carved for him out of the slot.
Despite this, Bell didn’t test well athletically and has some double catches on tape. He separates really well with quality footwork, but he can be veered off track. His catch radius is also not spectacular. Bell will probably be a decent slot receiver, but there’s a chance he fails to separate enough at the next level because of his average athleticism.
The player to be excited about in this draft class is Perrion Winfrey. Winfrey dominated at the Senior Bowl. He has an elite first step and gets off of blocks nicely in the run game. Winfrey has a high motor as well. He has a great chance to start out of the gate because the interior of the Browns’ defensive line is subpar.
The bottom line is, if you’re betting on an immediate impact from this draft class, bet on Winfrey, not Bell.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Kenny Pickett, George Pickens, DeMarvin Leal, Calvin Austin III, Connor Heyward, Mark Robinson, Chris Oladokun
The Prediction: A Wide Receiver Shines From This Class, But It’s Not George Pickens
Creating a bold call around Kenny Pickett seemed a little uninteresting. The Steelers draft class will clearly be judged by Pickett’s success, but he is what he is. Pickett is a modern-day game manager; he’s going to get the ball out quickly, make plays with his legs, and not turn the ball over. The goal for him is to not be the reason the Steelers lose, and that’s something he can do.
Instead, we venture to the receivers selected by Pittsburgh for the bold prediction. George Pickens is going to get most of the attention. He’s a big-body receiver with impressive straight-line speed and a great catch radius. However, Pickens struggles to separate at times, and he struggles with physicality in the route.
Look for Calvin Austin to make a greater impact immediately. Austin is a big-time athlete with elite quickness in and out of cuts. He’s a dynamic playmaker with the ball and there are a number of ways to feature him in an offense. Austin is the kind of player that the Steelers’ offense is missing. Expect head coach Mike Tomlin and company to find creative ways to allow Austin’s impact to be felt each and every week.
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