24. Carolina Panthers; DJ Moore, WR Maryland
WR is not the Panthers’ biggest need, but it is no secret that they really like Moore – while there are legitimate concerns about some aspects of his game, many of those are at least partially answered by his 2016 tape, which was arguably better than his 2017 tape. Moore could come in and compete to start opposite Devin Funchess and is one of the only receivers in this draft who has genuine #1 WR potential – if Moore is off the board, don’t be surprised if this card says Jaire Alexander on it.
25. Tennessee Titans; Harold Landry, EDGE Boston College
Some view Landry as the best pure pass rusher in the draft, and while I’m not sure I like him that much, his ability to get around the edge is impressive and he would certainly be a steal at 25. While he hasn’t been asked to drop into coverage in college, a move to 3-4 OLB could well suit him as it is unclear whether he will be able to hold up against the run as a 4-3 DE; The Titans are a team that could take a number of directions with their first round pick, but Landry is somebody who seems to be rising up draft boards.
26. Atlanta Falcons; Taven Bryan, DT Florida
The Falcons still need to get better on defense and Bryan is a natural fit for their defense. This is not a hugely original picks as Bryan has been closely linked with the Falcons throughout the past month, but that is for a reason – TE Dallas Goedert might be another option here to give Matt Ryan somebody to throw the ball to over the middle but with Dontari Poe now in Carolina, the Falcons are going to have to spent some picks on their defensive line.
27. New Orleans Saints; Leighton Vander Esch, LB Boise State
The Saints offense was unbelievable last season and they even managed to get decent play from their secondary, but their linebacker corps has continued to struggle, even with AJ Klein patrolling the middle of the field. Vander Esch is the top linebacker on my board and while he isn’t being talked about as a top ten pick like Smith or Edmunds, he is very much in play in the late first and could come in and contribute alongside Klein from day one.
Jaire Alexander. Photo Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
28. Pittsburgh Steelers; Jaire Alexander, CB Louisville
The Steelers really need help in the secondary, and seemingly have for a long time. The Steelers don’t have a ton of obvious needs and have to do something to stop everybody throwing the ball on them without remorse. Health is a concern with Alexander, and other corners should be considered here, but this is probably the highest rated guy on most boards.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars; Hayden Hurst, TE South Carolina
Let me be clear, I think this would be a terrible pick for the Jags, but they don’t really have any needs on defense outside of linebacker and with all of the top players at that position off the board, they would likely want to add a safety blanket for Bortles to play next to the newly signed Sefarian-Jenkins. Hurst is seen as the top tight end by many people and tight end is one of the few positions where somebody could come in and contribute immediately for the Jaguars.
30. Minnesota Vikings; Will Hernandez, G UTEP
The Vikings continue to build around the running game here with an offensive lineman who is more than capable of moving his man in the running game but also flashes good potential as a pass protector; the Vikings’ defense is elite and they actually have a decent amount of talent around Kirk Cousins on offense, all they need is to stabilize a turbulent offensive line, and Hernandez should be able to come in and contribute from day one.
31. New England Patriots; Justin Reid, FS Stanford
Reid is an extremely intelligent football player who offers positional versatility for a Patriots secondary that has not been especially good in recent seasons; he could come in and play both the deep safety role or the nickel in the Patriots’ defense and Bill Belichick always likes athletic smart players; especially on defense.
32. Philadelphia Eagles; Mike Hughes, CB UCF
With Patrick Robinson now gone, the Eagles are in need of a new nickel – Hughes has speed for days and has the potential to develop further with time and is a decent run defender. The Eagles have very few needs and could well go elsewhere with this pick but nickel is certainly one of their biggest remaining needs; Hughes can also help at punt returner as well.
There you have it. I guarantee at least one of these 32 picks is correct. Well, not guarantee – but hopefully?
