Veteran Shockwaves at NFL Combine: Lamar Jackson to Maxx Crosby Face Unprecedented Scrutiny
Advertisement
“It might be one of the deepest [edge] classes ever, especially through the top 50, 60 guys [in the entire draft],” an AFC general manager concluded. “There’s all types of skill sets and body types that fit different needs, but the talent in general just very, very good. There’s really not a Myles Garrett or Nick Bosa, but there’s a half dozen guys who could become just good, core second-contract players for teams.”
Beyond the defensive line, there’s strength in the class of safeties and cornerbacks as well, with as many as a half dozen or more picks in the secondary likely to land in Round 1. And while safety isn’t traditionally a position that sees multiple first-round selections, this will almost certainly be one of those years, with Ohio State’s Caleb Downs, Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren and Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman all having the profile to possibly land in the first half of the first round. That just doesn’t happen. Downs in particular will be very intriguing. His résumé is the kind that he’d be an easy top-five pick if he played at a more premium defensive position — and there were times that some evaluators believed he could even be worth that kind of juice in this draft. The overall strength of the defensive class at premium positions is likely to push him down the board, but it’s certainly not lost on front offices that so many of the NFL’s best defenses now feature a dynamic safety like Downs. That could cement Downs higher on teams boards by April.


Post Comment