Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders had an interesting first round. They made a pick that would make Al Davis proud, tabbing the ultra-fast Henry Ruggs III as the first receiver off the board. Then they reached a bit, making Damon Arnette, the Ohio State cornerback, their pick at 19 overall.
Without a pick in the second round, they waited until the early 80s to be on the clock again. When they were, they made the picks count. First was Lynn Bowden Jr., the versatile offensive weapon from Kentucky. Bowden was a talented receiver for the Wildcats who was forced to switch to quarterback due to injuries. Jon Gruden could use him in a variety of roles. Then the Raiders added Bryan Edwards, another wide receiver from South Carolina. Edwards slipped a bit due to a foot injury, but can be a true threat on the outside. With Bowden, Ruggs and Edwards the Raiders remade their receiver room overnight.
Late in the third round, Gruden and Mike Mayock took a swing on athleticism, drafting safety Tanner Muse from Clemson. While Isaiah Simmons and others got more attention during the season, Muse posted the second-fastest 40-yard dash time among safeties at the Combine. He perhaps plays best down in the box, and could be a potential Mark Barron-type of linebacker convert.
Grade: B+
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers made the move many expected, drafting Justin Herbert as their quarterback of the future at the sixth-overall spot. They then made a bit of a surprising trade, coming back into the first round in a trade with the New England Patriots to grad linebacker Kenneth Murray. They sent picks at 37 and 71 to the Patriots in the process, so…we’ll see them tomorrow night.
Los Angeles Rams
Welcome to the party LA.
It has been an interesting offseason for the Rams, who moved on from Todd Gurley and are reaping the aftermath of loading up for a title while Jared Goff was on his rookie deal. Now with a big extension in hand (albeit one that he restructured to free up some cap space) Goff is going to need to deliver.
They started things off at 52 overall by taking Cam Akers, the running back from Florida State. This was actually a pick that we at Touchdown Wire predicted, albeit at their second second-round pick at 57. Akers is a very good scheme fit for the Rams’ outside zone run schemes. Then at 57 they added Van Jefferson, a wide receiver from Florida. Jefferson is a solid route-runner who gets separation at a pretty consistent level. He is not a true vertical threat, but his ability to work underneath and find soft spots in zone coverage will be an asset to Goff.
In the third round they turned to the defensive side of the football, and added Terrell Lewis, an EDGE from Alabama. When healthy, Lewis looks the part of a first-round pick, but his health is a question mark. He missed most of 2017 and all of 2018 with injuries, but was healthy enough to make the Senior Bowl. He has burst off the snap and a bit of bend to him when attacking the passer. Terrell Burgess, their pick at the end of the third round, is another nice selection. He aligned everywhere for the Utes, including 133 snaps at free safety, 285 down in the box, 272 in the slot, 66 at defensive line and 27 in the slot. In fact, that usage pattern mirrors that of Isaiah Simmons’. This is a quietly impressive pick at the end of the third.
Grade: A-
Miami Dolphins
Smart teams give themselves lots of opportunities to get things wrong, knowing the numbers will often still bend in their favor the more bites at the apple they get. The Miami Dolphins entered the offseason with a lot of salary cap space, and three first-round draft picks. Their moves to date have largely been smart plays, including what they did on night one. One may quibble about Austin Jackson at 18 of course…
Perhaps their first pick of night two was a nod to that selection, as Miami drafted Robert Hunt, an offensive lineman from Louisiana-Lafayette. Hunt was a right tackle the past few seasons for the Ragin’ Cajuns, protecting the blindside of a left-handed passer. But he began as a guard on their offensive line, and adds some positional flexibility.
At 56, the Dolphins looked to address their run defense, adding Raekwon Davis from Alabama. The Crimson Tide defensive tackle was a force against the run during his time at Tuscaloosa, and showed flashes of pass rushing ability.
Given the acquisitions made in free agency and the draft at the cornerback spot, many thought (myself included) that Ashtyn Davis would be in play for the Dolphins on the second night of the draft. However, when the New York Jets picked him before the Dolphins could, Miami went in a different direction, adding Texas safety Brandon Jones in the third round. Jones is a different player than Davis, who does his best work down in the box. He might not be a pure free safety, but he does bring some physicality to both coverage and run support.
Grade: B-