Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announces the number third overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
In every NFL Draft, there are always those picks that people wonder why they didn’t go higher in the draft, resulting in them calling it a value pick. I’m not saying that these players are going to fall in the draft because I don’t know every team’s draft board, but what I do know is that these players will have the best bang for their buck. So without further ado, here are the players at each position that I believe a team will get excellent value for where their price-tag is.
Vernon Adams, Oregon Ducks
– Many will knock him for his size, but he has some traits that make you think that he can be a productive starter at the next level. His gunslinger mentality to launch it downfield with surprising accuracy as well as his ability to escape pressure and create on his own are unparalleled among other quarterbacks in this class. He is always keeping his eyes downfield and is able to pick apart a defense with both his arm and athleticism. He may not go until Day 3 because of the desired size for the NFL, but he has starter traits that make me believe that he could be one of the more productive quarterbacks in this class.
Jonathan Williams, Arkansas Razorbacks
– Everybody knows who Alex Collins is, but some forget who the better Arkansas running back on that roster was in Jonathan Williams. He thrives on contact and is able to keep his legs churning for three or four more yards that the average runner wouldn’t accumulate. In addition, he also has some of the quickest feet of any running back in this draft. With his three down potential as a bruising ball carrier and reliable receiver out of the backfield, he should be considered on Day 2 without a shadow of a doubt, but his foot injury may push him into the fourth round or so, leaving a team with an excellent bargain.
Tyler Boyd, Pittsburgh Panthers
– I know a lot people around the draft community have cooled on Tyler Boyd a bit, but I still believe that he is a top three receiver in this draft class despite the fact that he may have to wait until Day 2 to hear his name called. He doesn’t have the premier athletic ability that appeals to the eye, but he wins in other ways, such as his superior mental processing and route running to set up cornerbacks for failure and put himself in the best position possible to make the outstanding catch with his strong, soft hands. He might just be a possession receiver to many, but I can tell you that he will be a great bargain who can be one of the most productive players to come out of this class despite the fact that he will be drafted in the second or third round.
Beau Sandland, Montana State Bobcats
– Who? I realize that a lot of people may not have heard of him before reading this, but he is an athletic tight end who can stretch a defense vertically as well as hold his own in the running game as an in-line blocker. He might not hear his name called until Day 3, but he has the potential to be a starter in this league if given the opportunity because of the physical tools and traits that he possesses.
Taylor Decker, Ohio State Buckeyes
– Decker will most likely be selected in the first round, but there may be three or four tackles drafted before him with Laremy Tunsil, Ronnie Stanley, Jack Conklin, and possibly Jason Spriggs. Personally, I think Taylor Decker is better than each and every one of them with the exception of Laremy Tunsil, who is my number one overall player. If a team like Carolina or Seattle is able to land a talent like Taylor Decker in the latter part of the first round, the teams that passed on him will have no one else to blame but themselves.
Cody Whitehair, Kansas State Wildcats
– With Whitehair’s versatility to virtually play all five spots on the offensive line at a high level, you would think he would be a lock for the first round right? Not really, and at the moment, he is projected to go somewhere on Day 2. A team is going to get Whitehair on Day 2 and receive one of the most productive players to come out of this class regardless of position, and in fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if you told me that he would end up as one of the top 15 prospects to come out of this class three to four years from now.
Isaac Seumalo, Oregon State Beavers
– Another versatile offensive lineman who can play all along the interior of the offensive line is Isaac Seumalo out of Oregon State. His price-tag is somewhere around the late 3rd to early 4th round range, but his tape shows a skill-set that is translatable to a long career in the NFL as a highly productive starter at center. There might be three or four centers drafted before him, but I’d be willing to bet that Seumalo could be the guy that teams wished they grabbed a round earlier.
Hassan Ridgeway, Texas Longhorns
– The defensive tackle class in the 2016 NFL Draft may be the best I have seen in recent memory in terms of pure depth, but with that being said, there will undoubtedly be some players who will fly under the radar on draft day. One player who comes to mind is Hassan Ridgeway out of Texas. His best fit would be as a one-gap penetrator in a 4-3 to take advantage of his athleticism and explosive pass rush ability to push the pocket on a consistent basis. He needs to continue to work on his hands to maximize his ability on all three downs, but I have no doubt in my mind that he could step in and have one of the biggest impacts of any interior defensive lineman in this draft.
Yannick Ngakoue, Maryland Terrapins
– Not too many times is there an athletic edge rusher with starter traits who put up big-time numbers in a power conference so under the radar, but that is the case with Maryland’s Yannick Ngakoue. Setting a school record with 13.5 sacks this past season, Ngakoue has proven time and time again that he can get to the quarterback on a consistent basis, but the question is if he can play in a 4-3 at the next level. Personally, he reminds me a bit of Tamba Hali with his skill-set as a pass rusher and in the sense that he could be a consistent, reliable starter as a 3-4 OLB for a long time in this league, something that is worth more than a third or fourth round pick, which is where he is being projected at the moment.
Jatavis Brown, Akron Zips
– Brown is the only name on this list that was a Combine snub, but he that doesn’t mean that he is not as talented as the rest of the players in this article. In fact, he has to be one of the most athletically gifted linebacker prospects in this class, and it definitely shows on tape as he make plays everywhere on the field. With his instincts and ability to play a step ahead of his opponent, he could be a deadly chess piece for a defensive coordinator as either an off-ball linebacker or hybrid strong safety. His size and frame may push him down NFL draft boards, but his talent could be too overwhelming to pass up on in the fourth round or so.
Will Redmond, Mississippi State Bulldogs
– There were a lot of cornerbacks that I could’ve put here because of the depth of the position this year, but the one that came to my mind instantly was Mississippi State’s Will Redmond. He is a first round talent that will undoubtedly get pushed down the board because of the knee injury he suffered early in the season. If his knee checks out at the medical re-checks, he will most likely be a Day 2 lock. If you can land him in the third round, you may just get a Top 20 talent who will provide a team with an instant impact as a potential starter inside or out.
Karl Joseph, West Virginia Mountaineers
– I have said on multiple occasions before that Karl Joseph may be the best value pick in the entire draft with his talent and skill-set to play either safety spot. He is a Top 15 player on my board who only has an outside chance to go in the first round because of his knee, but if he can stay healthy for the majority of his career, there is no doubt in my mind that he will be a superstar at the next level. He can virtually do anything that is needed of a starting safety with his physicality, range, ball skills, and instincts, but again, the overarching question with him is health. If he can stay healthy, a team may get an All-Pro in the second round.
