Weekend Content: The 2018 supplemental draft is starting next Wednesday
Authentic Patrick Robinson Jersey , July 11th, so I’m here to mock it with some Weekend Content.If you’re not hip to how the supplemental draft works, it’s
basically a blind auction where teams submit 2019 draft picks for the rights to
each of the available prospects.The highest-valued pick wins.There’s more to the
process than that, which you can find helpfully explained here.Anyway, I’m
trying my hand at a mock draft for the five prospects in this year’s
supplemental draft.These guys are only available here for reasons that could
tank their value in the regular draft process - ranging from academic woes to
misfiled paperwork to failed drug tests and violations of nebulous team rules.So
it’s hard to sell any of them as ready-made NFL products.I considered which
teams have multiple 2019 picks to spend as well as whether they adequately
addressed their needs through last May’s draft or earlier in free agency.For
added Weekend Content, I plugged in several high-profile trades involving 2019
picks-for-players, to help give context into what teams may give up for
supplemental draft prospects.Let’s get into it.First RoundEdge defender Marcus
Davenport, Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners.I’m not letting this go.The Saints
invested two first round picks in adding Davenport, and I’m going to explore
what it looks like now that they’ve gotten him.So that includes the 2019 first
rounder they exchanged with the Green Bay Packers to move up for
Davenport.Reports from minicamps suggested Davenport was looking the part of a
high-upside talent with a lot of work ahead of him, despite a minor thumb injury
that shouldn’t linger into training camp.That forfeiture plays into the theme of
the supplemental draft while introducing a new wrinkle:which other players were
picked up around the league via 2019 draft picks?Second RoundCornerback Sam
Beal, Western Michigan Broncos.Beal has gathered the most hype in the
pre-supplementary draft process and seems to have the smallest collection of red
flags; most criticism leveled against him has been focused on his weight, having
measured in at just 178-pounds at his pro day.Team reps have spoken highly of
Beal’s football I.Q. and believe he can quickly contribute despite having missed
offseason installs.He’ll have to jump right into the thick of it in training
camp.To that end
http://www.neworleanssaintsteamonline.com/thomas-morstead-jersey , look for a team with multiple picks late in the second round and a vacancy at
cornerback to target Beal early:I like the Kansas City Chiefs.They’ve lost a
legit star in Marcus Peters, and will need more than a very good slot corner
(Kendall Fuller) and an ousted member of a bad Oakland Raiders backfield (David
Amerson) to make up for it.Third RoundCornerback Adonis Alexander, Virginia Tech
Hokies.The New England Patriots lost the Super Bowl to head coach Bill
Belichick’s hubris in not playing Malcolm Butler, who left for the Tennessee
Titans in free agency.The Patriots figure to land compensatory picks for Butler
and left tackle Nate Solder, who signed with the New York Giants.While they’ve
drafted a slot specialist in Duke Dawson, they need someone like Alexander to
help fill in along with projected starters Stephon Gilmore and Jason
McCourty.Alexander has a reputation as a knucklehead and is entering the draft
after not receiving academic approval to play for VT, but has enough tools to
compete in the latest iteration of the Patriot Way.Defensive tackle Danny
Shelton, Cleveland Browns.The Patriots ceded one of their third round picks in
2019 so they could add one of the few good players left in Cleveland.Shelton
hasn’t gotten after quarterbacks the way he was hyped coming out of college, but
he’s consistently shown out as one of football’s best run-defenders.Shelton
logged more stops at or behind the line of scrimmage (12) than any Saints
defensive lineman (Cameron Jordan and David Onyemata tied with 10 each).He fills
a huge need in the Pats’ interior rotation and could be a spiritual successor to
Vince Wilfork.Fourth RoundLinebacker Reggie Reggie Ragland, Buffalo Bills.Kansas
City shipped out a conditional fourth round pick in 2019 to save Ragland from
Buffalo’s doomed Josh Allen experiment, and I imagine the former Alabama Crimson
Tide star linebacker is happy about that.The Chiefs have siphoned a lot of
talent out of their defense in recent years (including Peters, linebacker
Derrick Johnson
Womens Ryan Ramczyk Jersey , pass rusher Tamba Hali, and nose tackle Dontari Poe) so they’ll need big things out of Ragland to help keep up the pace with an
explosive offense led by promising quarterback Patrick Mahomes.Fifth RoundSafety
Brandon Bryant, Mississippi State Bulldogs. While he put on a solid pro day
performance, Bryant has done little to clear up the off-field questions that
helped push him into the supplemental draft process.Bryant was an on-again
off-again starter in Stark Vegas, but his lack of onfield discipline and
accountability combined with untimely injuries kept him from ever really showing
out.He should still get drafted, but I’d be surprised if his name is called
early on July 11th.It’ll take a team like the Atlanta Falcons with an entrenched
system and starters to provide little opportunity for in-game screwups for
Bryant to succeed, and I think head coach Dan Quinn could find a way to get the
best out of Bryant.Guard Laken Tomlinson, Detroit Lions. The San Francisco 49ers
traded their 2019 pick for Tomlinson last August and this week signed him to a
three-year contract extension that basically functions as a series of team
options.Tomlinson has struggled with injuries and inconsistent play, appearing
in just 47 of 64 possible regular games.He figures to start at left guard in the
second year of head coach Kyle Shanahan’s regime as a blocker for ascendant
quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.Like the other trades and early-bird picks discussed
earlier, I’m counting this to help shape a different perspective on the
supplemental draft process.Sixth RoundCornerback Johnson Bademosi, Detroit
Lions.The Patriots traded last September to bring in Bademosi, who appeared in
every game during their unsuccessful Super Bowl run.Bademosi made his biggest
mark on special teams despite starting three games in place of injured free
agent signee Stephon Gilmore.Bademosi played his way into a two-year contract
with the Houston Texans
Authentic Marshon Lattimore Jersey , where he could find some action on the depth chart behind Kareem Jackson, Jonathan Joseph, Kevin Johnson, and Aaron
Colvin.Seventh RoundLinebacker Bright Ugwoegbu, Oregon State Beavers.Successful
defenses like the Minnesota Vikings avoid NFL-fringe athletes, and unfortunately
Ugwoegbu fits that bill.By all accounts his pro day workouts went poorly after
he weighed in at the size of a lightweight safety (6-foot-1, 205-pounds) and
timed like a defensive lineman.Combine that with little production in college
and you don’t see much to like here.Maybe some team does see potential in
Ugwoegbu, but it would have to be someone used to zigging when the rest
zag.Nobody makes questionable decisions like Cleveland Browns defensive
coordinator Gregg Williams, and the Browns have picks to spare on prospects like
Ugwoegbu.Running back Marty Carter, Grand Valley State Lakers.A surprise
late-entry not announced until 10 days before the supplemental draft, Carter has
shouldered the load in Grand Valley for two years but is another pro-hopeful
after poor academic performance.He’s got some moves to his game and could find a
role in the right situation, but it would take a team that hasn’t figured out
its timeshare to make it work.The Indianapolis Colts are hoping one of two
rookies (Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins) can show enough to start while free
agent signee Robert Turbin waits out a P.E.D. suspension and sophomore Marlon
Mack returns from shoulder surgery.They may as well throw someone like Carter
into the mix.You can find detailed scouting reports from NFLDraftScout.com’s
Dane Brugler on both Carter and Ugwoegbu by following this link.So what do you
think?Is the view worth the climb with any of the supplemental prospects in this
year’s draft?Have teams justified the return on investments already made with
2019 draft capital?Are you not entertained? According to a Sunday morning report
by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport
Authentic Michael Thomas Jersey , the New Orleans Saints are sitting cornerback Ken Crawley in tonight’s prime time matchup against the Minnesota
Vikings. Rapoport notes that Crawley’s lack of value on special teams and only
being able to play outside is a major component of him sitting.That means the
recently acquired Eli Apple is slated to start, being immediately thrown into
the fire after being traded for several days ago. The Saints sent a 2018 4th
Round pick and 2020 7th Round pick to the New York Giants to get the former
first-rounder, who joins a relatively high Ohio State Buckeyes filled
team.Something to keep an eye on is Apple’s ankle, which put him out of action
some against the Falcons on Monday Night Football. However, Apple still logged
58 out of 65 defensive snaps (89 percent) despite the injury. If there was ever
a chance to make a statement on your ‘new start’, then doing it against Kirk
Cousins, Adam Thielen, and Stefon Diggs would be a great opportunity to do
so.
