One of the most overlooked parts of the
NFL Draft is how it is a giant guessing game. Every team hits on picks and every team will miss. With that in mind, I’ve long been a proponent for collecting lottery tickets. Related
This year we got to watch a new general manager throw darts at the board for the first time in 10 years. The hope is they will all become foundational players, though the reality is some of them probably won’t. For now, optimism about each prospect is sky high and that’s awesome.
What follows are my thoughts on all 10, broken down by what I like, what I don’t, and what I would have done if Elway had passed the GM role down to me. Surely that won’t upset anyone.
Round 1 Pick 29 Eric Stokes CB Georgia
Stokes is a 6-1, 190 pound, extremely fast defensive back who more than held his own in the competitive Southeastern Conference. He went up against top flight receivers from LSU’s Justin Jefferson who lit up a rookie season with the Vikings to his LSU counterpart Ja’Mar Chase, the first receiver off the board this weekend. Throw in Alabama’s tandem of Heisman winner DeVontae Smith and Jaylen Waddle, also top 10 picks, and Stokes is ready for what the NFL has to offer. He has a very good chance to be on the field a lot this fall for the Packers by either supplanting the injury prone and inconsistent Kevin King or finding a full time spot in nickel and dime sub-packages.
Round 1 Pick 29 Eric Stokes CB Georgia
Stokes is a 6-1, 190 pound, extremely fast defensive back who more than held his own in the competitive Southeastern Conference. He went up against top flight receivers from LSU’s Justin Jefferson who lit up a rookie season with the Vikings to his LSU counterpart Ja’Mar Chase, the first receiver off the board this weekend. Throw in Alabama’s tandem of Heisman winner DeVontae Smith and Jaylen Waddle, also top 10 picks, and Stokes is ready for what the NFL has to offer. He has a very good chance to be on the field a lot this fall for the Packers by either supplanting the injury prone and inconsistent Kevin King or finding a full time spot in nickel and dime sub-packages.
2021/05/01 13:10 FILE - National Team offensive lineman Dillon Radunz of North Dakota State is shown during the second half of the NCAA college football Senior Bowl in. FILE - National Team offensive lineman Dillon Radunz of North Dakota State is shown during the second half of the NCAA college football Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala, in this Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021, file photo. There’s a common thread linking most of the Football Championship Subdivision players who expect to hear their name called in this month’s NFL draft. They didn’t participate in their schools’ pandemic-delayed spring season. (AP Photo/Rusty Costanza, File)
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Miami edge rusher Gregory Rousseau appears on the red carpet at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame before the NFL football draft Thursday, April 29, 2021, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer, Pool)
BUFFALO (AP) Whatever Greg Rousseau lacks in experience as a pass rusher, Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane believes the University of Miami defensive end makes up for in sheer size, speed and instincts.
Add in an eagerness to continue learning, and that was enough for Beane to address Buffalo’s key offseason need in selecting Rousseau with the 30th pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night.