These Coaches Probably Couldn’t Believe Their Luck When They Got Such A Good Deal In The Draft
This is the worst part of the year.
The Super Bowl is over. The Draft and the trading window are over too. And the preseason doesn’t start for another few months. What are we football fans meant to do?
Well, we can do two things, (1) speculate on what is going to happen next year, or, (2) take a trip down memory lane.
If you’re in the mood for looking forward, you can find the best NFL odds on the preseason, Super Bowl, and much more here. If you want to take a look back at this year’s Draft then keep reading.
Today, we are going to be looking at the biggest bargains that teams picked up this year and how they might change the league in the coming years.
#5 – Seattle Seahawks, T, Charlie Cross – 9th
Can someone really be a steal if they are picked 9th overall? Well, we think Missippissi’s Charlie Cross has the potential to be just that.
Before the Draft, Seattle had some depth when it came to tacklers – they had their 6th round pick from last year, Stone Forsythe, and an undrafted free agent from last year, Jake Curhan.
But snatching up Charlie Cross as the 9th pick could drastically improve their defensive squads next season.
Cross was the PFF’s number one tackle prospect this year. As well as being talented, Cross has shown he is prepared to put in the hard work. In the last season, he took his PFF rating up over 20 points!
Tacklers aren’t always the glamorous position that teams look to fill in the first round, but the Seahawks have chosen excellently with Cross.
#4 – Baltimore Ravens, C, Tyler Linderbaum – 25th
Again, you might argue that if someone is picked on the first day then they cannot be considered a bargain. Just bear with us.
If someone is the highest PFF-rated Center in the history of the NFL, then they are a Draft bargain if they weren’t picked in the Top 5.
The unfortunate news for Linderbaum this year was that there are very few teams in need of a Center. He was picked 25th, not for a lack of talent, but because teams weren’t going to waste a First Round choice when they already have a Center they are happy with.
#3 – Minnesota Vikings, CB, Andrew Booth J.r – 42nd
On many accounts, Booth should have been a First Round pick – this year he made 5 interceptions in his final 3 games, and in those 3 games he allowed no pass breaks.
What we think put many teams off were injury concerns. His last year has been held back by injuries and he wasn’t racking up the numbers like some of the other Cornerbacks in his year. Injury is unlikely to be a problem once he is in a proper setup like the Vikings have.
Booth is smart, plays well in a team, and creates chances – he is exactly what the Vikings need from a CB.
#2 – Atlanta Falcons, QB, Desmond Ridder – 74th
The Falcons had a good early Draft – they managed to grab wide receiver Drake London, edge defender Arnold Ebiketie and off-ball linebacker Troy Andersen and Desmond Ridder all by the 74th pick.
Ridder isn’t the best-rated QB to come out of college – but he did get a 90.7 from PFF, but he is a former Bearcat and many expected him to go on Day 1.
He was by far the most NFL-ready QB in the Draft this year and has shown time and time again that he is capable of making the right call. He is also fairly good at reading opposing defenses.
#1 – Philadelphia Eagles, LB, Nakobe Dean – 83rd
His time in Georgia, showed that Dean is one of the best players to come into the Draft this year. He is fast and instinctual, and he has a great head for tactics.
Many expected him to be a Top 20, if not Top 10 pick. However, someone from the PFF leaked that as well as having a pec and knee injury, Dean is supposedly suffering from a very serious shoulder injury.
With a rumor like that circling, Dean was lucky to be picked at all. However, the Eagles seem to know something we don’t.
If the rumors aren’t true or Dean returns from injury sooner than expected, we will consider him the biggest Draft steal of the last 20 years.