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Day 3 is not the most looked forward to part of the draft, but it is important to team building.
Day 3 is not the most exciting part of the NFL draft, but it is important to teams, as there are many diamonds in the rough to find, along with potential starters and key backups.
Last year, the Arizona Cardinals drafted defensive linemen Rahsard Lawrence and Leki Fotu, linebacker Evan Weaver and running back Eno Benjamin
Who might be on their radar this week on Saturday for rounds 4-7?
Below are eight offensive players to know for the Cardinals who would fit well in their offense.
Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez releases his latest four-round projections where Los Angeles goes corner in the first-round.
With the 2021 NFL draft just under three weeks away, predictions are spreading like wildfires.
The Chargers have made it clear the positions that they need to address to fill out the roster based on the acquisitions made via free agency.
With that being said, here are my last predictions before completing my annual final seven-round projections the day before the draft.
I’ve made it clear that the Chargers would be wise to take one of the top offensive tackles with their first-round pick, but given the fact that secondary play is vital in Brandon Staley’s system and the pressing need for a boundary corner, Horn is too good to pass up on here.
Horn has been in contact with the Chargers a couple of times, according to Chargers Brawl Podcast. He said that he has a connection with defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley and shares the same agency (Athletes First) as safety Derwin James.
Capable of playing both coverages at a high level, Horn is the type of playmaker who would do wonders in the secondary due to his combination of size, athleticism, competitiveness, football IQ, smoothness and ball skills, projecting as an All-Pro corner.
The Chargers gets their left tackle of the future after fulfilling the cornerback spot here in the second-round.
Leatherwood elected to return for his senior season, and was arguably the nation’s best left tackle. A consensus First Team All-American and winner of the 2020 Outland Trophy, Leatherwood made 48 starts for the Crimson Tide with 13 of them coming at right guard in 2018.
Leatherwood is an excellent blindside blocker who possesses great size and length paired with good strength, anchor ability, instincts, and an aggressive disposition. If he can fix the slight issues with his hands, he could be a solid long term left tackle for Los Angeles.
The Chargers signed Oday Aboushi to a one-year deal with many expectating that he would be the Day 1 starter at right guard. But based on Staley’s comments from his press conference on Thursday, it appears that he will be competing for the job this summer.
Banks, the three-year starter at left guard was an anchor for the success of The Fighting Irish over that time span.
The first-team All-American allowed just two sacks in 844 snaps as a junior. According to Pro Football Focus, Banks was the only Power Five guard who earned a pass-blocking and run-blocking grade over 80.0.
At 6-foot-5 and 325 pounds, Banks is a rugged, good-sized mauler as both a pass protector and run blocker who won’t lose many one-on-one battles due to his frame, strength and physical attitude, projecting as a probable starter.
The Chargers will be looking to upgrade their depth at “EDGE”.
In 2018, Smith finished second on the team with 7.5 sacks. He turned things up a notch the following season, recording 14 sacks, five forced fumbles, and 21.5 total tackles for loss. The 2020 season was cancelled due to COVID-19 but he shined at the prestigious Reese’s Senior Bowl.
Smith, the 6-foot-6 and 252 pounder, has all the traits that Staley covets with his players at the position; length, explosive ability and athleticism. Smith could benefit from adding more mass, but overall, he has the skillset to be a reliable rotational defender with starting upside for L.A.
Keenan Allen is locked up long-term in the slot, but Mike Williams is only under contract for this season. Tyron Johnson is ascending, as is Jalen Guyton, but he dealt with his fair share of drops in 2020. Therefore, the Chargers could look to give quarterback Justin Herbert another weapon.
Stevenson is a speedy receiver that displays solid ball skills. He fits like a glove in the Chargers offense vertical offensive system, where the team would be able to get creative in order to get him the ball in a handful of ways and take advantage of his speed. He also has special teams experience as a returner.
Stevenson finished his collegiate career with 147 receptions for 2,269 yards and 22 touchdowns.
The Senior Bowl has come and gone, but there were several notables the Jags could draft from the American team like Kadarius Toney.
The Senior Bowl for the 2021 season has come and gone, and despite many hurdles, it proved to be a productive week. The process concluded Saturday (with a 27-24 win for the National team) after the actual all-star game was played, but the biggest evaluations come from the practices throughout the week.
The Jags have been known to select several stars from the Senior Bowl like Brandon Linder, D.J. Chark, Ben Bartch, and Gardner Minshew II. While there are new faces in the front office, fans shouldn’t expect that to change too much.
Now, with the process behind us, let’s look at some standouts who the Jags could have interest in as they have a wide range of needs to address this offseason:
Josh Keatley takes a dive into the win totals and top prospects for each AAC team in 2020
Despite the college football season being up in the air, a great gambler continues to study and evaluate. The AAC as a Group of 5 conference is even more up in the air, but we still need to examine the Vegas win totals and my expectations for each. I also highlight three prospects on each team that have the most intriguing NFL potential.
Cincinnati Bearcats: Vegas Win Total- 8.5
This team won 11 games last season and head coach, Luke Fickell has this team rolling and ready for another double digit win season. Fickell turned down Power-5 jobs and a big reason has to be that he believes this team can reach the next level after winning 11 games in back-to-back seasons. Nebraska, Memphis & UCF are not going to be fun games on the schedule, but they should be able to go 1-2 against that trio and still hit this over confidently. This already impressive defense returns ten starters and Fickell has taken the recruiting up a notch. Prediction: Over 8.5
Top Prospects:
James Wiggins, S, 6-0, 205 pounds, Sr.: Wiggins is the forgotten man as far as preseason draft hype goes, but the All-AAC selection checks a ton of boxes you look for in an early-round safety selection. His 2019 season was lost due to an injury, but he will remind scouts of his potential in 2020.
James Smith, P, 6-5, 232 pounds, Sr.: Smith had a disappointing 2019 season after his net punting average fell from 44.3 yards to 41 yards in 2019, but he is still one of the top punters in college football. The All-AAC selection will be looking to return to his Ray Guy Award finalist form.
Gerrid Doaks, RB, 6-0, 230 pounds, Sr.: It is crazy to think Doaks was actually slated to be the starter in 2018, but due to injuries and the emergence of Michael Warren II, Doaks was forced to take a backseat. Doaks is now 100% and will be a name to watch after gaining 526 yards and five touchdowns last season.
