Backtalk: NFL Draft Predictions

Steven Anderson, Sports Editor

This draft class looks to be one of the deepest classes for every position except quarterback and offensive lineman. Just like every year, there will be some future stars, and some busts.

With first pick of the draft, the Browns will select DE Myles Garrett from Texas A&M. Garrett is by far the most talented player in this draft. He ran an impressive 4.64 40 yard dash at the combine and is completely dominant from the time the ball is snapped until the time the play ends. With the second pick, the 49ers will select QB Mitchell Trubisky of North Carolina. The 49ers need a franchise quarterback who can create a winning atmosphere, and Trubisky is just that. Even though I’m not very high on a quarterback being drafted so early, Trubisky fills a major hole on the Niners’ offense. With the third pick, the Bears will select S Malik Hooker of Ohio State. Hooker’s ball skills are the best in this draft, but he needs work on his tackling. With the fourth pick in the draft, the Jaguars will pick S Jamal Adams from LSU, a hard-hitting, old-school safety who plays with intensity. The Jags would have a very scary secondary, with Adams alongside CB Jalen Ramsey. With the fifth pick in the draft, the Titans, who need to bolster their secondary, will select CB Marshon Lattimore, the most polished CB in this draft. He impressed scouts with a 4.36 40-yard dash time.

Locally, the Ravens and Redskins will have great drafts this year. The Ravens’ position needs are CB, WR, DE, and OT. The Redskins’ position needs are OT, S, MLB, and DE. With the sixteenth pick in the draft, the Ravens will select CB Quincy Wilson of Florida, one of the best cover corners in this draft. While he isn’t as athletic as you’d like, he would be a good fit in Baltimore. With the seventeenth pick in the draft, the Redskins will select S/LB Jabrill Peppers of Michigan, a player that many scouts predict to be a bust, but I think he will be a good, high-energy player. His work ethic is good, and he could be a pro at both safety and linebacker.

Three sleepers in this draft are RB Donnel Pumphrey from San Diego State, QB Joshua Dobbs from Tennessee, and DE/OLB Ryan Anderson from Alabama. Pumphrey is a small, but very quick back who could be a perfect third-down back on an NFL team. Pumphrey has a chip on his shoulder from always being doubted due to his size, but he will prove all the haters wrong. Dobbs is a very athletic quarterback who ran a 4.57 40-yard time at the scouting combine. Teams that are on the lookout for the next Dak Prescott should look to Dobbs. Anderson is a talented defensive end who needs to work on his game, and scouts should value him higher. Alabama has the best defense year in and year out, so it was a good experience for Anderson to be playing with other future NFL players. He may not be the starter on an NFL team from Day 1, but he will develop into a really good player.

Three busts in this draft will be RB Leonard Fournette from LSU, QB DeShone Kizer from Notre Dame, and WR John Ross from Washington. Fournette is all hype. Too many times have we seen big, dominant running backs have great college careers but not live up to the hype in the NFL. Fournette excelled in college because collegiate athletes didn’t know how to tackle him, but the pros will. Kizer is a talented quarterback with a decent skill set, but led Notre Dame to a 4-8 season and is just not a winner. Ross is blazing fast – he set the combine record with a 4.22 40 time – but his abilities are still raw.