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It's that time again when teams gleefully seek to cash in on the various moves they made to improve their draft posture or when weaker teams cross their fingers and hope that they can snag that franchise player that will jettison them into the playoff discussions. However, this may be a draft where many such wishes and aspirations simply will not be granted or fulfilled as the field looks gloomily lacking in star studded new comers.
Typically, the quarterback is the glamour position rebuilding teams covet the most. While this season has been dotted with stories revolving around a quintet of signal callers, the fact is virtually none have had an impact, yet anyways, that would seem to suggest that a quarterback can be taken that will have an instant positive impact upon a team the next season. The Jaguars Trevor Lawrence was touted as a "generational talent" and he might very well turn out to be such a commodity. But, despite all the hoopla of his arrival, replete with the coming of the coaching messiah Urban Meyer, Lawrence has not played well at all. As of this writing, he is rated as the lowest (47.4) of four rook QBs who have attained a rating by Pro Football Focus. The Patriots' Mac Jones (71.2), The Jets' Zach Wilson (58.5), and the Bears' Justin Fields (54.2) have all outplayed him although, obviously, none have played well. Wilson is coming off a 4 pick nightmare, Fields was horrendous in a close Bears' win coming off the bench for an injured Andy Dalton, and Jones engineered a win over Wilson's Jets. A fifth signal caller, Trey Lance, has been holding a clipboard in San Francisco and will continue to do so as long as that team keeps winning with Jimmy Garopollo. Jimmy G, by the way, is not exactly lighting it up with a 23rd ranked 67.7 PFF rating!
So, how about the wide receiver class thus far? Well, the Cardinals' Rondale Moore is leading the pack with PFF 78.3 rating. Moore is certainly NOT seen as the top target in this class but here he is (after 2 weeks anyways). A second round selection, Moore has 11 catches for 183 yards (a stunning 16.6 YPC average) for an undefeated Arizona team. The Bengals' Ja'marr Chase, Philadelphia's Davonta Smith, and Miami's Jaylon Waddle probably seem more viable to most GMs in this league and it will be interesting to see how this plays out come draft time. The big question mark has to be whether or not Waddle in Miami with QB Tua Tagovailoa can sustain the numbers. Chase has 7 grabs for 155 yards (an amazing 22+ YPC average), Smith has 8 receptions for just 87 yards (11 YPC average), and Waddle has 10 catches for 109 yards (11 YPC average). My guess is Chase still comes off the board as the top WR taken.
The next area we can check, statistically anyways, would be the tight end position. The golden nugget here seems to be Atlanta's Kyle Pitts. Pitts has snared 9 balls for 104 yards (11.55 YPC average) and could benefit from a team that will likely be trailing in most games this season. Pittsburgh's Pat Freiermuth has caught just 5 passes for 60 yards but has proven to be a decent all-around player thus far.
Then we move to the running backs of the world. I mean, Denver's Javonte Williams, San Francisco's Elijah Mitchell, the Eagles' Kenneth Gainwell, and Pittsburgh's Najee Harris have not exactly taken the NFL world by storm. As always, Steeler players seem to get a bit over-rated. Harris was seen as some new machine in Pittsburgh and the club made it clear they were going to run the ball after last season's rushing debacle. But, folks, simply putting on a Steeler helmet and making proclamations does not translate into success and the fact is Pittsburgh still cannot run the ball especially behind an offensive line that is starting two linemen who were backups a season ago. The point being this: So far, not much in the running back spot.
And, that leaves us with offensive linemen and defensive players. Oline is always hard to predict so many teams shy away from selecting them early in the PAFL draft while defensive demons often go sooner. Dallas' Micah Parsons will have some real value since he has now played defensive end which will gain him that coveted DE-LB rating next year but he has just 1 sack so far. Baltimore's Odafe Oweh has played well as has Indianapolis' DE Kwity Paye and Tampa Bays' Joe Tryon-Soyinka although he has not really put up any numbers. Some linebackers might be worth taking but, to date, none have proven to be prolific. The Browns' Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Washington's Jamin Davis, and Arizona's Zavin Collins have all performed below expectations.
Cornerback, though, seems an area where one can find some value. There are at least 5 or 6 CBs with a PFF rating at or above a 70. Green Bay's Eric Stokes, Detroit's AJ Parker, Denver's Patrick Surtain, the Raiders' Nate Hobbs, and the Chargers' Asante Samuel all are above 70 at this time. Surtain is the most recognizable name here so he could go first but it will be worth checking these guys out come draft day. 1st rounder Greg Newsome (Cleveland) and Carolina's Jaycee Horn (selected 8th overall!) are examples of good players who might slide in the draft. It is critical to consider that Stokes' 75.9 PFF rating sets him up as the 9th best rated CB in all of football so far!
Miami safety Javon Holland ranks as the #2 overall player at the position! It remains to be seen if he can hold up over the long haul but he is definitely a player teams need to keep an eye on. Holland has a sparkling 85.2 PFF rating!
Offensive line is always tough to gauge. Green Bay C Josh Meyers ranks 4th among all NFL snappers but no rookie guard ranks higher than 22nd where we find the Jets' Elijah Vera-Tucker. Several tackles are doing ok with draft stud Penei Sewell (Lions) topping all rooks with a PFF 71 rating and a 13th spot on the NFL list.
In the early analysis, this draft might be one of the weakest in league history with seemingly very few players who can truly impact a team come next season. Many of the players above, of course, could suddenly turn it on and jump up but, as of this writing, the cupboard is not exactly full.
Posted on 21 Sep 2021 by dolphins
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