KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Safety and running back. Positions that were somewhat or totally ignored in the first round of the draft figure to get a lot of attention on the second day of selections.
FOX4 will track all developments with the draft on Friday night in this liveblog at the bottom of the page.
The second and third rounds of the virtual draft could see, pardon the pun, a run on running backs. Only one, LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire, went on Thursday, to the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in the final spot.
Look for Georgia’s D’Andre Swift, Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor, Ohio State’s J.K Dobbins, Utah’s Zack Moss and Florida State’s Cam Akers to find homes.
No safeties went — six cornerbacks were chosen — in the opening round. Alabama’s Xavier McKinney, LSU’s Grant Delpit, Minnesota’s Antoine Winfield Jr., and Georgia’s J.R Reed are available.
As usual, the spotlight will shine on any quarterback remaining. That means Jake Fromm of Georgia, Jalen Hurts of Oklahoma and Jacob Eason of Washington could be called out by Commissioner Roger Goodell.
With the fiftieth pick in the NFL draft the Chicago Bears selected Jaylon Johnson. Here’s a quick evaluation of the pick.
Jaylon Johnson: CB — Utah
He has a long build that he uses well to squeeze the boundary and shrink throwing windows on the outside. He has excellent timing at the catch point and is an explosive jumper, making it very difficult to drop passes over him. He struggles in man coverage when trying to locate the ball on vertical routes.
With the forty-ninth pick in the NFL draft the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Chase Claypool, the wide receiver out of Notre Dame.
With the forty-eighth pick in the NFL draft the Seattle Seahawks selected Darrell Taylor the edge rusher out of Tennessee.
With the forty-seventh pick in the NFL draft the Atlanta Falcons selected Marion Davidson. Here’s a quick evaluation of the pick.
Marion Davidson: DT — Auburn
He does a good job holding contain on outside runs. He’s got a lot of raw strength and can pull or toss blockers to disengage and go make a tackle. Doesn’t have ideal balance at his position
With the forty-sixth pick in the NFL draft the Denver Broncos selected KJ Hamler the WR out of Penn State.
With the forty-fifth pick in the NFL draft the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Antoine Winfield. Here’s a quick evaluation of the pick. Winfield had outstanding ball production in his final season at Minnesota with seven interceptions. He has a concerning injury history, but is a very good blitzer
With the forty-fourth pick in the NFL draft the Cleveland Browns selected Grant Delpit. Here’s a quick evaluation of the pick.
Grant Delpit: S — LSU
He has patient feet to read the release before reacting and has top-ti er athleticism to be able to stay in phase with the route in man coverage. His burst speed and high football IQ made for some spectacular interceptions in 2019. Has poor tackling form and has dealt with a lot of injuries
With the forty-third pick in the NFL draft the Chicago Bears selected Cole Kmet. Here’s a quick evaluation of the pick.
Cole Kmet: TE — Notre Dame
He is big-bodied, in-line type with an impressive athletic profile. Kmet has a massive catch radius and shows off his body control and athleticism adjusting to poor passes.
With the forty-second pick in the NFL draft the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Laviska Shenault. Here’s a quick evaluation of the pick.
Laviska Shenault: WR — Colorado
He is an explosive, powerful athlete. Has the speed and ball – tracking ability to be a deep
threat from day one. He has no issues taking handoffs and is a threat to run the ball. Has some injury concerns
With the forty-first pick in the NFL draft the Indianapolis Colts selected Jonathan Taylor. Here’s a quick evaluation of the pick.
Jonathan Taylor: RB — Wisconsin
320 carries for 2,003 yards and 21 TDs/26 receptions for 252 yards and 5 TDs as a junior for the Badgers.
Great vision and patience as a runner, he sets up his blocks well. His cutbacks are extremely deadly because of his lateral speed and has the top-end speed to burn any defender once he’s past the line of scrimmage. He did have a lot of carries in college and has an issue holding on to the football with 15 fumbles. He shows promise as a pass catcher.
With the fortieth pick in the NFL draft the Houston Texans selected Ross Blacklock. Here’s a quick evaluation of the pick.
Ross Blacklock: DL – TCU
He is an explosive under tackle that wins with his speed and high motor. As a pass rusher, Blacklock’s lateral quickness is evident as he overwhelms interior blockers. Doesn’t have a wide variety of moves
With the thirty-ninth pick in the NFL draft the Miami Dolphins selected Robert Hunt. Here’s a quick evaluation of the pick.
Robert Hunt: Senior Tackle – Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns
Specializes in finishing blocks and dominated the Sun Belt, which lead to All-Conference honors. Was able to perform well as a tackle and at guard and mainly dominates with his length and strength. Footwork and balance could be better, but he seems to give maximum effort on every play.
With the thirty-eighth pick in the NFL draft the Carolina Panthers selected Yetur Gross-Matos. Here’s a quick evaluation of the pick.
Yetur Gross-Matos: Edge – Penn State
9.5 sacks/40 tackles/15 tackles for loss as a junior for the Nittany Lions.
Uses his hands and strength well as a pass rusher. Has the explosion to be very productive when he gets behind the line of scrimmage. Got plenty of TFLs in Maryland game while in backside pursuit. Isn’t the most refined pass rusher and can be easily fooled by misdirection.
With the thirty-seventh pick in the NFL draft the New England Patriots selected Kyle Dugger. Here’s a quick evaluation of the pick.
Kyle Dugger: S — Lenoir-Rhyne
4 pass breakups/2 interceptions/31 tackles
He has elite size and athleticism for the position. A physical tackler that uses his large frame and burst to run the alley and destroy the running back. Didn’t play high-level competition, also tends to take bad angles when in pursuit.
With the thirty-sixth pick in the NFL draft the New York Giants selected Xavier McKinney. Here’s a quick evaluation of the pick.
Xavier McKinney: S — Alabama
5 pass breakups/3 interception/95 tackles/5 tackles for loss
Very versatile safety. He is able to utilize his high football IQ and play diagnosis skills, allowing him to deliver big hits to the opposition.
With the thirty-fifth pick in the NFL draft the Detroit Lions selected . Here’s a quick evaluation of the pick.
D’Andre Swift: RB — Georgia
196 carries for 1,218 yards and 7 TDs/24 receptions for 216 yards and 1 TD as a junior for the Bulldogs.
Great lateral quickness, and good at setting up blocks. Can outrun a lot of defenders but prefers to fight through contact, which is fine because he is not easy to tackle. Shows all the signs of a great pass catcher (good hands, good route-running) but still must develop.
With the thirty-fourth pick in the NFL draft the Indianapolis Colts selected Michael Pittman Jr. Here’s a quick evaluation of the pick.
Michael Pittman Jr.: WR — USC
He is extremely fluid off the line of scrimmage and can be dominant with the ball in the air. He tracks the ball well and has the great body control in the air.
With the thirty-third pick in the NFL draft the Cincinnati Bengals selected . Here’s a quick evaluation of the pick.
Tee Higgins: WR — Clemson
59 receptions/1,167 yards/13 touchdowns/19.8 yards per reception
He has a more advanced route tree than a lot of prospects. He uses his hands well at the line of scrimmage to keep defenders out of his chest and throughout the route to create subtle separation. He struggled to separate against top competition and will need to answer questions about his athleticism.