Smacktalk: NFL Draft Predictions

Aliyu Saadu, Staff Writer

The NFL Draft starts on April 27th in Philadelphia, and it is an exciting time of year for football fans as hope springs eternal when young players join rosters.

With the first pick in the draft, the Cleveland Browns will select Texas A&M DE Myles Garrett. This guy could be a franchise-saver, because he is one of the best talents in this draft. He is a dominant pass-rusher who should give quarterbacks in the NFL a difficult time. Also, he has a great first step off the line, so the offensive lineman have no chance to even contain him. With the second pick, the San Francisco 49ers will select Stanford defensive end Solomon Thomas. The 49ers need a pass-rusher, and he is one of the best in this draft. He has terrific hands, can get into the backfield, and he has a bull-rush that can get to the quarterback. The third pick in the draft goes to the Chicago Bears who will select North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky. He is the best quarterback in the draft. He has a stronger arm than the other QBs available, and he has good mobility to impress NFL teams. The fourth pick of the draft will see the Jacksonville Jaguars select Alabama offensive lineman Cam Robinson. Jacksonville needs an offensive lineman who can pass protect, and Robinson can do that. He has great technique and can dominate defensive lineman. The fifth pick of the NFL Draft will see the Tennessee Titans trade with the Los Angeles Rams and select Florida Cornerback Jalen “Teez” Tabor. This player is the best lockdown corner in this draft. He has great quickness and acceleration, and he also has closing burst.

Locally, the Redskins will get Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster, a player who is hard-hitting and fast, and who lost 15 pounds in the off-season last year to become a better player. The Redskins need a hard-hitting backer who is dedicated, and Foster can be that guy. The Ravens will select wide receiver Zay Jones from East Carolina because they really need a receiver who can be explosive, and one who can be consistent. He has good hands, and he is the all-time FBS receptions leader, which means that he does not drop the football. The Ravens need a guy like this, so look for them to move on Jones.

The sleepers in the draft will be Alabama DE Tim Williams, Northwestern ILB Anthony Walker Jr., and Boise State RB Jeremy Nichols. Williams is one of the best pass-rushers in this draft. He can get to the quarterback faster than any pass rusher other than Myles Garrett. He has one responsibility, and that is to get to the quarterback and that is what he is going to be good at when he’s at the next level. Walker, Jr. is one of the best linebackers in the draft, but he gets gassed very easily, so he needs to work on his conditioning. He is a fast linebacker who has the speed to step into gaps and meet running backs at the hole. Nichols has second-gear speed to pull away when he has an open hole. Nichols also can catch the ball out of the backfield, which is going to help a lot of NFL teams. The busts are Notre Dame QB DeShone Kizer, Washington WR John Ross, and Cal QB Davis Webb. Kizer will be bust because he left too early and he is not accurate enough. Ross set the NFL combine record with a 4.2 40 time, but he is not a complete receiver yet. Webb is a good QB, but he is overhyped because of his stats. He will be a bust because he didn’t run a pro-style offense in college and he is usually not involved in a huddle.