13th Overall, San Francisco 49ers: Jerry Jeudy, WR (Alabama)
And so the rich get richer, as having lost Emmanuel Sanders in free agency, the 49ers are able to get the most dangerous route runner in the draft to give them the best chance of returning to the Super Bowl and maybe getting a different result. Jeudy isn’t perfect, as he needs to show he can deal with press coverage and could stand to improve his footwork at the head of routes, but his ability to maintain momentum through high speed cuts is exceptional, and he has great hands and is a nightmare after the catch.
14th Overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Javon Kinlaw, DT (South Carolina)
The Bucs would probably want there to be an offensive lineman of note on the board at this point, but they are also building a pretty good defense, and while they have managed to bring Suh on a one-year deal, they could do with a long-term partner for Vita Vea on the interior. Kinlaw is in need of pretty significant development, with his hand usage and pad level both being inconsistent at best, but he is an exceptional athlete, and despite his technical imperfections, he is able to cause consistent persistent problems for offenses as a penetrator, and with time could be the perfect interior partner for Vea – and vice versa.
15th Overall, Denver Broncos: Henry Ruggs, WR (Alabama)
The Broncos seem committed to Drew Lock for the time being – and part of doing that has to be by leaning into what Lock does best. That means throwing the ball deep a fair amount. Ruggs isn’t perfect, and there are certainly far more well-rounded prospects in the draft, but he is very fast, and shows enough flashes as a route runner to be optimistic about his continued development in this regard. While they will need several years more development before they are able to compete for another Super Bowl, adding more weapons on offense has proven successful for other teams in the early stages of development.
16th Overall, Atlanta Falcons: Derrick Brown, DT (Auburn)
The Falcons have a number of needs on defense, having invested heavily on the offensive side of the ball both in free agency and last year’s draft, and while they would love for CJ Henderson to fall this far, they probably would be happy with the value that Brown would offer at this stage – and he would certainly make them better. Brown is still far too inconsistent given how talented he is, but he did make marked improvement this past year and has the power and hand usage to be a foundational piece who can influence both facets of the game.
17th Overall, Dallas Cowboys: K’Lavon Chaisson, EDGE (LSU)
The Cowboys have managed to keep almost all of their offensive pieces together for yet another season, and while they could look to find a replacement for Byron Jones, they would also be interested in finding a feature edge rusher. Chaisson is in need of further developmental, as he is technically very raw, but his talent jumps off the tape with great quickness and bend, as well as the beginnings of a really nice inside spin counter. Chaisson’s easiest path to the field will be as a situational pass rusher, but with time he has the core skills to be one of the better edge rushers in the NFL.
