Tag: redraft

Commanders land a tight end in 2019 redraft

Terry McLaurin, Montez Sweat go in the first round of 2019 NFL redraft, but not to Washington.

The Washington Commanders entered the 2019 NFL draft with the No. 15 overall pick. Jay Gruden was heading into a critical sixth season as head coach and badly needed to win.

Of course, Washington had no shot with Bruce Allen as general manager and Dan Snyder as owner. Still, Gruden needed a solid draft to give him any chance of lasting another entire season.

As the draft neared, rumors swirled that Snyder wanted Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins. Why? Because his son went to high school with him in Maryland. Still, no one believed Snyder would eventually overrule the scouts, primarily Kyle Smith, and pick Haskins.

He did. But to appease the football people, he allowed the team to move back into the first round and draft Mississippi State defensive end Montez Sweat.

In the third round, Washington stole Ohio State wide receiver Terry McLaurin.

That season was a disaster, though. Gruden was fired after an 0-5 start, and Allen was finally fired after the season. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out for Haskins, and he was released late in the 2020 season, while Sweat became a consistent performer on a solid (at times) defense.

Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report recently looked back at that draft and did a redraft. It looks much different for Washington. Sweat lands at No. 5 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and McLaurin goes No. 12 to the Green Bay Packers.

Washington’s pick is former Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson. The Detroit Lions initially selected Hockenson No. 8 overall and later traded him to the Minnesota Vikings, where he thrived.

In a redraft, Washington instead selects Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson, who was originally drafted eighth overall by the Lions.

The Commanders had a need for a quality tight end in 2019, as Jeremy Sprinkle went on to lead the position group with a mere 241 receiving yards and a touchdown that season. Washington did eventually find a capable tight end by signing Logan Thomas in 2020. However, Thomas was more good than great and had his fair share of injury issues in Washington.

The Commanders signed Zach Ertz this offseason, and Thomas has since made his way to San Francisco.

Hockenson has been a great tight end when healthy and has made the Pro Bowl in both Detroit and Minnesota. While he’s currently working his way back from ACL and MCL tears, the 26-year-old should still have a bright future ahead of him.

Adding Hockenson here would help stabilize a key position for the Commanders and allow them to come away from the draft with a playmaker despite missing out on Terry McLaurin.

Washington fans would be pleased with Hockenson, but they will never accept any circumstance in which McLaurin is not with the franchise. Fans haven’t had a lot to root for over the past five seasons, but McLaurin has been a consistently positive presence on and off the field.

It’s all hypothetical, but it’s a fun exercise nonetheless.

Saints pass on Payton Turner in 2021 draft do-over

The Athletic has the New Orleans Saints passing on Payton Turner in their 2021 draft do-over, a decision that’s easy to understand | @DillySanders

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Having a regret about a past draft pick is not something that is unique to New Orleans Saints fans, but these past few years have felt especially questionable. Given the chance to go back, would Mickey Loomis change any of his decisions? The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner took a look at this possibility with his 2021 NFL redraft.

Of course, the Saints drafted defensive end Payton Turner out of Houston with the No. 28 overall. That hasn’t exactly worked out, so Baumgardner went with another defensive end in Joe Tryon-Shoyinka out of Washington. Tryon-Shoyinka originally went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the end of the first round. Here is Baumgardner’s reasoning for the change:

The Bucs are still looking for that breakout-type season from Tryon-Shoyinka, after taking him at the end of the first round (No. 32). However, he’s been awfully close to delivering, and so much of why he hasn’t yet boils down to technique and time on task. Tryon-Shoyinka has been disruptive through two years with Tampa Bay, but he’s struggled to finish. If (or when) it clicks, it’ll be great.

Tryon-Shoyinka hasn’t had an explosive start to his career either but he has been much more reliable than Turner, who fell out of the first round completely in this redraft. Tryon-Shoyinka has eight sacks and has yet to miss a game in his career, while Turner has three sacks in 21 fewer  appearances. Tryon-Shoyinka would make more sense for New Orleans in this scenario, so I think the decision here by Baumgardner was a good one.

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This 2020 NFL redraft will be painful for Washington fans

Imagine how different Washington’s fortunes would be if this had happened.

The 2020 NFL draft will be remembered as the year the draft went virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will also be viewed the year three quarterbacks and Ohio State defensive end Chase Young were among the first six picks.

Joe Burrow of LSU went No. 1 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals; the rest is history. After injuring his ACL in November of his rookie season, Burrow returned for the beginning of the 2021 season and led the Bengals to the Super Bowl. He nearly led Cincinnati to another Super Bowl this season.

The then-Washington Redskins selected Ohio State defensive end Chase Young at No. 2 overall. Washington bypassed quarterbacks Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa to take Young, who many considered a generational pass rusher.

It’s been said if Burrow had fallen to No. 2 overall, he would’ve been the pick. Otherwise, Washington was set on Young.

Three years in, we can start to assess that draft. The biggest superstars from the 2020 draft are Burrow, wide receiver Justin Jefferson and Herbert. Meanwhile, after winning NFL defensive rookie of the year in 2020, Young has played 12 games and recorded 1.5 sacks. He tore his ACL in Nov. 2021, and the Commanders are hoping Young rebounds in 2022.

What if things had gone differently in that draft?

Diante Lee of The Athletic recently did a 2020 NFL redraft, and, surprise; Burrow didn’t go No. 1

Lee went with Herbert at No. 1, saying he was the more talented passer. That meant Burrow fell in Washington’s lap at No. 2.

Washington avoids the hamster wheel of Alex Smith, Taylor Heinicke, Carson Wentz and Sam Howell by adding a true franchise quarterback.

We know, in hindsight, that talent along the defensive front is neither Washington’s issue nor the cure-all for what else ails this roster. Making a change at QB would help Washington get the most out of Terry McLaurin (who still has averaged 80.3 catches and 1,120.7 yards receiving the past three years). Burrow is comfortable in chaos and has a proven track record of navigating average or worse offensive line play.

Young went No. 6 overall to the Los Angeles Chargers.

A franchise quarterback camouflages other flaws. Burrow in Washington would have the Commanders as a contender despite questionable coaching and personnel.

Oh well, it’s fun to daydream for a bit.

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Trio of Chiefs’ 2021 NFL draft picks selected in first round of PFF redraft

The #Chiefs managed to get some steals in the 2021 NFL draft according to PFF’s recent redraft scenario.

With the full knowledge of the 2021 NFL draft in tow, things would have played out much differently.

At least that’s the case in PFF’s recent 2021 NFL redraft scenario. The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t have a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft after trading it away to acquire Orlando Brown Jr. from the Baltimore Ravens. The team still masterfully managed to grab some key pieces during the course of the draft — pieces that would now be selected much higher than they were.

PFF’s Sam Monson believes that a trio of Chiefs players taken would now have landed in the first round. Those three players were selected by Kansas City between the second round and the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft.

Here is a look at each of those three players and the new teams they end up with in PFF’s redraft scenario:

Diggs, but no Lamb: PFF’s 2020 redraft exercise leaves Cowboys thin

A do-over of 2020’s first round would see CeeDee Lamb snatched up before the Cowboys’ pick, but would leave them with their star cornerback. | From @ToddBrock24f7

There’s no question that 2020 was, overall, a fantastic draft for the Cowboys. Of the team’s seven picks that year, two have already been to a Pro Bowl; CeeDee Lamb as a 1,100-yard receiver and Trevon Diggs as the league’s interception leader. Tyler Biadasz took over the starting center job a month into his rookie campaign, and Neville Gallimore has become a key contributor in the team’s interior defensive line rotation.

Reggie Robinson II and Bradlee Anae are playing for new teams now, and Ben DiNucci remains buried on the Cowboys depth chart at quarterback, but the hits definitely outweigh the misses when looking at 2020 in hindsight.

Not every team can say the same. Pro Football Focus has done a hypothetical redraft of 2020. Using what we know now, what should teams have done with their first-round picks that year?

Thankfully, it’s just a what-if exercise, because the Cowboys come away with far less in this alternate reality than they got in real life.

Re-draft of 2019 highlights value of Packers’ first three picks

PFF’s re-draft of the 2019 draft shows how well the Packers did with the team’s first three picks three years ago.

A re-draft of the 2019 NFL draft from Pro Football Focus highlighted how well the Green Bay Packers did with the team’s first three picks three years ago.

A quick recap: Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst drafted edge rusher Rashan Gary at No. 12, safety Darnell Savage at No. 21 and offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins at No. 44. In Trevor Sikkema’s re-draft, Gary was selected at No. 8, Jenkins at No. 11 and Savage at No. 30.

In other words, the Packers used three picks in the top 45 to select three first-round players, including two elite players.

Overall, the Packers got 26 spots of value (or almost a full round) when considering actual draft position and PFF’s re-draft position.

Jenkins is the obvious home run here. A second-round pick, Jenkins may now hold the title as the best offensive lineman from the 2019 draft. One of the most versatile players in football, Jenkins even proved tremendous value at left tackle last season, and there’s an increasingly good chance he’ll be the team’s long-term player at right tackle. Jenkins was the top offensive lineman in the re-draft.

Gary is well on his way to super stardom after an incredible third season. Many criticized the Packers for taking Gary at No. 12, but he’s developed into a true game-changer and one of the best young edge rushers in football. Three years later, he’s a top-10 player in the class with an unlimited ceiling as a player. The Packers’ gamble paid off handsomely. Turns out, betting on elite athleticism and effort often wins.

Savage is going into his fourth year as a full-time starter and has shown some flashes of greatness, but inconsistency has kept him from emerging as an elite player. We still picked him as the team’s top breakout candidate in 2022. A combination of elite speed and the comfort of going into Year 2 of a defensive scheme could finally unlock his playmaking potential. In the actual draft, Savage was the first defensive back taken. In the re-draft, he was the fourth safety and sixth defensive back selected, so it’s possible the Packers had better options available.

The rest of the Packers’ 2019 draft class doesn’t hold up as well. Third-round pick Jace Sternberger busted, fifth-round pick Kingsley Keke was released last year, sixth-round pick Ka’dar Hollman was traded away last summer, sixth-round pick Dexter Williams was released last year and seventh-round pick Ty Summers has been nothing more than a fringe roster player.

None of that really matters because the Packers did so well with the team’s first three picks.

Seahawks take Saquon Barkley over Rashaad Penny in this 2018 NFL re-draft

Typical.

Anyone who was surprised the Seahawks picked Ken Walker in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft hadn’t been paying attention to their history. While the rest of this latest draft class went against type, Seattle has made a habit of taking running backs earlier than virtually every other team.

In 2018 they used their first-round selection on San Diego State running back Rashaad Penny at No. 27 after trading down with the Chargers from the No. 18 spot. The only thing better than taking a RB at the end of the first round is doing it even earlier, of course.

In a recent 2018 NFL re-draft conducted by Gary Davenport at Bleacher Report, he had the Seahawks going in a different direction at the same position. This time, Pete Carroll and John Schneider elected to stay put at 18 and take Saquon Barkley.

“In 2018, the Seattle Seahawks traded back before settling on San Diego State running back Rashaad Penny with their first pick of the draft. Penny flashed down the stretch last year, but he’s had all kinds of trouble staying on the field over his first four seasons and has never rushed for more than 750 yards in a season.

It’s a problem that Saquon Barkley can relate to—since being taken second overall by the Giants in 2018, Barkley has missed time in three of four seasons—21 games overall. He missed almost the entire 2020 season with an ACL tear and didn’t look himself a year ago, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry.

However, when Barkley has been at or near 100 percent, he’s looked as dangerous as any back in the NFL with a football in his hands. As the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2018, Barkley topped 2,000 total yards, averaged five yards a tote, caught 91 passes and found the end zone 15 times. He topped 1,400 total yards and 50 receptions the following season in 13 games.

The talent is worth gambling on here.”

Typical.

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NFL draft: 2021 redraft by ESPN has Browns picks going much higher

A great sign for the Browns top two rookies: ESPN’s redraft has both going much higher:

The Cleveland Browns had their top two draft picks do very well as rookies. It wasn’t enough to carry the team to the playoffs but few rookies are able to do that on their own. Instead, despite small contributions from just two other draft picks, the Browns 2021 NFL draft haul was ranked quite high at the end of the season.

The team, and their fans, are hoping this offseason leads them back to the playoffs. Our mock offseason attempted to do just that.

Greg Newsome II did a very good job across from Denzel Ward, showing scheme versatility, good coverage and a willingness to get physical both in coverage and in the run game. Selected 26th overall, Newsome was a great pick for Cleveland.

Perhaps a bigger steal was trading up to select Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. The Notre Dame product slid in the draft due to concerns about a heart issue and about his size. As a rookie, he showed great speed, awareness and hitting power for the Browns.

ESPN (subscriber, $) just did a redraft of the 2021 draft and both of those players were selected much higher than their original positions. First, Newsome was off the board with the 13th pick:

With Slater off the board, the Chargers address a need in the secondary with Newsome, who showed his potential for the Browns in 12 games last season. He allowed just one touchdown as the nearest defender in coverage, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. By Pro Football Focus’ grading, Newsome had the highest coverage grade of all rookie corners when lined up outside. — Shelley Smith

Then they had Owusu-Koramoah going 19th overall:

There’s a lot to like about Davis: He has speed, size and length. If he develops, he could be a big help. But Washington drafted him as a possible middle linebacker, and that’s no longer how it sees him. Koramoah was among the Commanders’ final choices anyway, and he provides what they love: position flexibility. He could play linebacker in the team’s base defense and big nickel in sub packages. He showed instincts and made big stops this past season. The key for him will be staying healthy, but if he does, his speed and versatility are big plusses. — John Keim

In their place, ESPN had Cleveland selecting Odafe Oweh, the pass rusher who went to Baltimore a few picks later originally, and DL Milton Williams, at pick 59 instead of trading up to 52.

It is a great sign for the Browns future that two of their draft picks would be drafted much higher after their rookie years. The next step for the two, along with the rest of the draft class, is to continue to develop while on their rookie contracts.

2020 NFL Re-Draft: Should Washington have taken Justin Herbert over Chase Young?

Hindsight is always 20-20, but does Washington have a bit of buyer’s remorse with Chase Young when QBs like Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa were left on the board?

Hindsight is always 20-20, but is that the case once again for Washington Football fans this year? When taking stock of where things are so far this year, and projecting an outlook on the future, do you think many fans are happy with where things are currently in D.C.? If you could go back and make a few changes, would you?

Specifically, if you could rewrite the 2020 NFL Draft, would Washington still take DE Chase Young with the No. 2 overall pick? Do they feel confident enough in his abilities on the defensive line to pass up on players like Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa, two potentially generational QB talents who have been extremely impressive thus far this year?

According to Pro Football Focus’ Mike Renner, Washington might have a bit of buyer’s remorse on that No. 2 pick, and when you look at the stats, it makes sense why.

Chase Young has been great in Washington thus far, let’s get that out of the way up top. Though his stats may not jump off the page — 18 total tackles and 3.5 sacks — every week we can break down the film and see that teams are routinely putting two or sometimes even three guys up against him in pass-blocking scenarios, showing the respect that he already has in gameplans. However, is he good enough to justify passing on someone like Herbert or Tua?

Granted, nobody saw this type of rookie season coming from Herbert — the Oregon grad is just 1-7 on the year, but has thrown for well over 2,000 yards, has a 19:6 TD-to-interception ratio, and has three touchdowns on the ground as well. As far as Tua goes, it may be a bit too early to tell just what his ceiling is, since he’s only played three games in Miami. However, he is 3-0 in those games with five touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Over in Washington, it appears that the team is once again searching for their franchise QB, someone that they can lean on for the better part of the next decade. In Los Angeles and Miami, they found theirs in the draft, after Washington passed up on both players to find Young, who is a generational edge-rusher, but did not come at a position of need.

We have no doubt that Young’s career will continue to blossom, but it’s always fair to ask the question: Did Washington make a mistake passing up on a QB in 2020?

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2016 NFL Redraft: Prescott goes where Elliott did, 3 Cowboys in Top 20

A redo of 2016 shows just how outstanding Dallas’ draft haul was that year.

The Dallas Cowboys had one of the better drafts in team history back in 2016. Their first and fourth-round picks (one of them) finished in the top two slots for rookie of the year that campaign. After redshirting his rookie season due to a gruesome injury, their second-round pick was good enough to earn a contract extension after his third year out of college. That same offseason the No. 4 pick earned the, at-the-time, biggest contract at his position in league history. The fourth-round pick has been hit with the franchise tag and is negotiating for one of the highest deals the NFL has ever seen. They also had a fifth-round pick they inked to a new deal this offseason.

It’s safe to say that Will McClay and the Cowboys’ scouting staff knocked that draft out the park. So much so, that when NFL.com did a redraft of 2016, not only did one of their selections make the top 5, three made the Top 20.

In the original draft, Dallas selected RB Ezekiel Elliott fourth overall, linebacker Jaylon Smith No. 35 and Dak Prescott No. 135 – using a compensatory pick earned by losing RT Jermey Parnell in free agency a year prior.

Elliott was a star bell cow out of Ohio State. Smith was on his way to a Top-7 pick status before shredding his knee in Notre Dame’s bowl game. Prescott was a QB afterthought, a dual-threat winner out of Dan Mullen’s Mississippi State program who was the eighth signal caller selected, but ended up edging out Elliott for rookie of the year.

In the redraft, Prescott went in Elliott’s place, No. 4 overall.

Funny how times change. As the 2020 draft approaches, three of the quarterbacks taken ahead of Prescott aren’t currently on a roster four years later.

Michael Silver: This one is painful for the Cowboys, who landed their quarterback of the future after trying — and failing — to get Paxton Lynch, Connor Cook and virtually every other passer in this draft. While Ezekiel Elliott would deliver in a big way as the fourth overall selection, and while DeForest Buckner would likely be the top player on their board, Jerry and Stephen Jones know the deal: With Tony Romo destined for another injury and immediate broadcasting excellence, his successor must be selected here.

Elliott found a landing spot in the redraft at No. 12, with the New Orleans Saints.

Mike: I don’t even want to think about the punishment Sean Payton could inflict on opposing defenses with this elite runner sharing a backfield with the great Drew Brees. Actually, I do want to daydream about it, the next time I go for a run (while maintaining at least 6 feet of distance between me and others on the jogging path).

Finally, Smith jumps way up in  a far cry from when Dallas was seen as the only team willing to take the roll of the dice on his knee and nerve issues when there was concern whether or not he’d ever play again. With hindsight being 20/20 – he went No. 20 to the New York Jets in this redraft.

Mike: Smith was being talked up as a top-three pick before suffering a devastating knee injury in the Fiesta Bowl that put his football future in question. The Cowboys took a risk by selecting him early in the second round, and it paid off in a big way. The Smith we saw in 2018 and ’19 would have provided a turbo-sized boost to the Jets’ defense.

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