25. Minnesota Vikings: Noah Igbinoghene, CB, Auburn
Death, taxes and the Vikings needing a cornerback.
I mean, consider how Pro Football Focus described their cornerback situation at the start of the off-season: “The Vikings’ cornerback position was porous throughout the season. Xavier Rhodes is a prime candidate to be released after allowing 84% of the passes into his coverage to be completed. Trae Waynes is a free agent, and no cornerback on the team finished with a coverage grade above 65.0. Fixing that will be the top priority.”
Noah Igbinoghene is a very intriguing prospect at the cornerback spot. I found him to be a technically sound man coverage cornerback. He is also a sure tackler in open field situations. He also does a good job recovering when beaten on vertical routes, raking up through the catch point to disrupt the receiver on the catch attempt. A prime example is from early in the Alabama game when he was beaten on a route by DeVonta Smith but did not quit on the play, and recovered to break up what would have been a TD. He’ll also see time as a free safety depending on offensive alignment. That would give the Vikings a ton of options on the defensive side of the football.
He had a good combine, and his stock gets boosted into the back of the first round as a result.
26. Miami Dolphins: Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama
After trading Laremy Tunsil to the Texans a year ago, the Dolphins acquired Houston’s first round selection, which is the 26th overall selection. They could use that pick here and address offensive line, with both Ezra Cleveland and Josh Jones on the board. But with a pick coming up early in the second round they can still address offensive line, while addressing another need created via a trade last season.
A year ago the Dolphins traded away versatile defender Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now they replace him with another versatile Alabama defender in McKinney. He can align down in the box as a linebacker in sub packages, he can play corner at times, and also has the ability to play both safety spots. He is probably best as a deep safety in a two-deep look, as he might not have true sideline-to-sideline speed to handle the free safety role, but he provides a ton of defensive flexibility. Brian Flores has experience with a multi-faceted defender back in New England in Devin McCourty, who the Patriots would use in a variety of roles. You could see McCourty covering a tight end on first down, flexed out to cover a wide receiver on second down, and playing a deep middle on third down. McKinney can do similar things for the Dolphins.
27. Seattle Seahawks: Terrell Lewis, EDGE, Alabama
The Seahawks have a few different positions that they could address with this selection, including getting help for Russell Wilson in the form of an offensive lineman or two. But with the potential that Jadeveon Clowney will be leaving town, they might need to address the defensive line. That potential seems to be increasing by the day, with reports that the Seahawks “don’t want to break the bank” for Clowney, according to Bob Condotta from the Seattle Times.
In Lewis the Seahawks get a player who has a great toolkit to work with, with good size, length, explosiveness off the snap and a good array of moves as a pass rusher. He has also shown the positional flexibility to drop into coverage and handle responsibilities other that pinning his ears back and getting after the quarterback. He does have an injury history and did not work out at the combine, but would be a good fit to step into the Seattle defense if and when Clowney leaves town.
28. Baltimore Ravens: Yetur Gross-Matos, EDGE, Penn State
The Ravens are obviously very close, given the great regular season they had a year ago. If you look up and down their roster there are not a lot of immediate holes, but they could use help on the offensive line, or another talent at wide receiver. But they also need help getting after the quarterback, and their best pass rusher, Matt Judon, is coming to the end of his contract. Baltimore is expected to use the franchise tag on Judon if a long-term deal is not worked out, but adding another EDGE makes sense.
For the season ahead they can give Judon a running mate, while preparing for at least the potential that Judon finds a huge deal on the open market if a long-term deal cannot be reached. Gross-Matos brings to Baltimore a good blend of size, speed, power and movement skills, and can function both with his hand in the dirt as part of a four-man front, or even in a two-point stance given the movement ability he has shown on tape. Baltimore could use him in a number of ways and he could provide an immediate impact for a team without many huge needs.
29. Tennessee Titans: Zach Baun, OLB, Wisconsin
Another team that does not have a ton of holes is Tennessee. They do have some decisions to make, and recent reports are that they will use the franchise tag on running back Derrick Henry and let Ryan Tannehill test free agency, according to reporting from Matthew Berry of ESPN, citing a Titans’ insider.
If they do not use the tag on Henry, then running back would be a need, and Jonathan Taylor from Wisconsin would be a smart pick at this spot in the draft. Assuming that both Henry and Tannehill are back, they could go elsewhere with this pick.
Zach Baun, the Wisconsin outside linebacker, makes a good bit of sense for the Titans. He is a very versatile player that the Badgers left on the field for all three downs, and used as a pass rusher off the edge in a three-point stance as well as more of an overhang defender in space. He has the athleticism to run with tight ends, but the motor to get after the passer. He could really help this defense up front.
30. Green Bay Packers: Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson
One of the biggest needs for the Packers this draft is to bolster their wide receiver room. Specifically, they need someone opposite Davante Adams, who is one of the game’s premier wide receivers. Geronimo Allison and Marquesz Valdes-Scantling are solid pieces and Allen Lazard has shown promise, but they need a true #2 guy to improve the entire group.
They can get that in Higgins.
The Clemson wideout did not test at the combine, which sees his stock fall a bit. He has been commonly linked to the Buffalo Bills with their selection at 22. Assuming he falls to the Packers, he would be an ideal fit in their offense. He can slide into an X receiver role and allow Matt LaFleur to use Adams as more of a slot receiver, which is something the Packers did as the 2019 season wore on. Higgins has good vertical skills, some explosiveness as a route runner and a solid catch radius, all solid traits to implement as an X in the NFL.
31. Indianapolis Colts (via trade with San Francisco 49ers): Jordan Love, QB, Utah State
The 49ers could sit here and make a pick, but they also need additional draft picks. They would not pick again until the fifth round if they stayed pat here and made a selection. With a need to find additional draft capital they find a willing partner with the Indianapolis Colts, who have two picks at the top of the second round (at 34 and 44). Having addressed WR earlier – and with Love sliding down the board – they can come back into the first and draft the Utah State passer.
In my mind, the best situation for Love is to be drafted later in the first round when the expectations will not be so high, so he can be given some time to develop a bit. Ideally he follows the Drew Lock path from a year ago, sliding into the early part of the second round so the fanbase and ownership are not clamoring for him to see the field immediately. By sliding here, those in and around Indianapolis can practice a bit of patience.
In addition, he’ll find a willing mentor in Frank Reich, and while the West Coast offense is not the perfect schematic fit, he can be given time to learn and grow as a passer.
Now would Love slide this far? It is unlikely, as the buzz around him seems to be trending in the other direction. But given the hesitation some – myself included – have around him, this would be an ideal situation for both player and team.
32. Kansas City Chiefs: Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU
The Chiefs could go a variety of different ways with this selection. Some have theorized that they could address running back at this spot, with perhaps D’Andre Swift from Georgia. Swift is a well-rounded back who was often used aligned outside, and while that might be enticing to Andy Reid, they also need depth in the secondary. With running backs all still on the board, they can wait a bit.
That leads them to Gladney, the TCU cornerback. Gladney was a darling of the #DraftTwitter world in the weeks leading up to the Senior Bowl, but an injury prevented him from participating down in Mobile. Specifically, Gladney played his entire season – and worked out at the combine – with a torn meniscus. He is to undergo surgery and is expected to be ready for minicamp.
He is another sticky, press corner with the ball skills to frustrate wide receivers in the NFL and create turnovers at the catch point. Gladney also shows great “click and close” ability when playing off-man coverage or using zone technique. The Super Bowl Champions do not have a ton of needs, but depth at corner is one, and Gladney could play a big role for them as a rookie.
Picks 1-8 | 9-16 | 17-24 | 25-32
After ten years of practicing law in the Washington, DC area, Mark Schofield now dedicates his time to his first love: The game of football. The former college quarterback’s work has been featured a number of places, including The Washington Post, Bleacher Report, SB Nation, Pro Football Weekly and the Matt Waldman Rookie Scouting Portfolio.