Just because a player isn’t taken in the first round of the draft, it doesn’t mean he can’t succeed. There’s a ton of talent left on the books going into the second round on Friday, and here are some of the most notable names who didn’t hear their names called on Thursday night.
D.K. Metcalf, WR, Mississippi
Perhaps it’s Metcalf’s rawness as a route runner that caused his fall out of the first round, but there’s no questioning his athleticism and potential as a deep receiver. He’s like a clean-off-the-field version of Josh Gordon in how he’s able to light up some really good cornerbacks despite his relatively rudimentary route understanding.
Byron Murphy, CB, Washington
Of all the players not taken in the first round, Murphy’s omission is perhaps the most surprising. Able to bait unsuspecting quarterbacks into interceptions with his short-area speed and field awareness, he can play excellent coverage in tight zone and man, and though he needs a bit of work in his off-coverage, he is absolutely a first-round talent.
Andreaz ‘Greedy’ Williams, CB, LSU
Speaking of first-round talents at cornerback now available on Day 2, Williams can play any kind of coverage you want, has the speed and hip turn to adjust to receivers in short areas, and can track receivers through any deep route. He needs to put on a bit of weight to handle bigger receivers at the line of scrimmage and become a better run stopper, but the tape doesn’t lie about his coverage abilities.
Cody Ford, OL, Oklahoma
There may be some confusion as to whether Ford fits better at guard or tackle at the next level, but he played both positions pretty credibly for the Sooners. Though he needs some work on the efficiency of his pass sets, Ford allowed just one sack and seven total pressures in 441 pass-blocking snaps in 2018 at tackle, and as a guard, he’s a day-one starter. It was especially surprising to see the Texans go with Alabama State tackle Tytus Howard when Ford is the more developed player with equivalent athletic upside.
Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida
Injury concerns may have taken Ford off the boards of some teams, and other teams may not have been convinced that he’s worth a first-round pick as a pass blocker. But if you need a run blocker who’s nasty and technically sound, this is your guy.
Hakeem Butler, WR, Iowa State
Butler may fit better into the second-round plans of NFL teams because there are legitimate concerns about his catch radius despite his size (6 feet 5, 227 pounds). But there wasn’t a more formidable deep receiver in the NCAA last season — he had 19 receptions of 20 air yards or more, for 721 yards and four touchdowns — and he’s got the physical nature to establish position against cornerbacks and win contested-catch battles.
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, DB, Florida
Teams searching for versatile defensive backs need look no further than Gardner-Johnson, who has shown the ability to play credibly everywhere from the slot to deep safety. Such defenders are generally highly prized in the modern league, and in slot coverage last season, Gardner-Johnson allowed 31 catches in 54 targets for 261 yards and an opponent passer rating of 45.4. He’ll give up an occasional touchdown, and teams might not be entirely sure what kind of defensive back he is, but he can help any defense.
Taylor Rapp, S, Washington
If Rapp were a tenth of a second faster to the receiver, or just a tick quicker in his reaction time, he’d be worth a top-10 pick. He may be pigeonholed as a strong safety, but his instincts and toughness as a tackler are not to be denied. And as a short-to-intermediate pass defender, Rapp allowed a 12.0 opponent passer rating in 2018, and he hasn’t allowed a touchdown pass as the primary target since the 2016 season.
Parris Campbell, WR, Ohio State
Campbell was seen by many as more of a gadget receiver than a real deep threat, but that had a lot to do with quarterback Dwayne Haskins missing Campbell on open targets when he was pressured. Especially as a slot receiver, he has the quickness to get open in any coverage, and the potential to turn the simplest screen pass into a home run.
Irv Smith Jr., TE, Alabama
Perhaps teams were going to take just the two tight ends out of Iowa (T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant) in the first round, and that was going to be that. But Smith has a tremendous amount to offer any offense, especially offenses in which tight ends are on the move a lot. Smith can get open and make catches everywhere from fullback to H-back to in-line to out wide.
Dalton Risner, OT, Kansas State
Expect Risner to hear his name called early in the second round. Though his athleticism isn’t anything special, he’s developed a ton of adaptive strategies to compensate for that. Few tackles in this class have a better understanding of angles and leverage, and Risner has allowed just one sack, five quarterback hits and 23 quarterback hurries in 1,397 collegiate pass-blocking snaps. He may project best to guard or right tackle at the next level, but wherever he lands, he’s going to do very well.
Rock Ya-Sin, CB, Temple
Ya-Sin played just one year of major college football, transferring after Presbyterian College changes its divisional status. As such, he is a defender under development, but the tools are absolutely there. He’s a big press cornerback who can trail receivers through any route, and he’s not afraid to do the dirty work in run support.
Nasir Adderley, S, Delaware
Good news for NFL teams: There’s a ton of defensive back help in the second round this year, and Adderley is one of the best when it comes to patrolling the deep third and shutting out deep receivers. In 2018, he allowed a preposterous opposing quarterback rating of 1.3 (no, that’s not a typo: one-point-three), with seven catches for 74 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions. He has some diagnostic work to do with slot responsibilities, but as a deep defender, he’s very much the prototype.
Deionte Thompson, S, Alabama
If Adderley isn’t your prototypical deep safety, perhaps it’s because Thompson is. He can patrol from center field to either side of the boundary, coming down quickly to match up with receivers on shorter and intermediate routes. Like most other Alabama cornerbacks, he needs to develop a backpedal (Nick Saban doesn’t teach it), but he’s got all the attributes to become a turnover machine.
Drew Lock, QB, Missouri
Count me as shocked not only that Duke’s Daniel Jones went to the Giants with the sixth overall pick, but that Lock — whom I believe to be the more physically gifted quarterback — is still available. Lock doesn’t have the accuracy of Kyler Murray or Dwayne Haskins, and he’s going to have to refine his footwork and mechanics before that’s going to happen, but he’s probably the third-best quarterback in this class, especially as a deep passer on the move.
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