By: Kyle Crabbs July 8th, 2021 2021-07-08T15:15:51-05:00 The Draft Network
Photo: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch-USA TODAY NETWORK
In recent seasons, we’ve watched NFL draft prospects such as Isaiah Simmons, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Jeremy Chinn, and others pass through the draft process and produce plenty of hype because of their versatility on defense. In an NFL climate that demands true linebackers to provide unicorn-type skills in order to thrive as a three-down player, prospects like the three above generated plenty of interest for their ability to fill a plethora of roles.
We did not see Simmons wrangle success in bunches during his first year of NFL play in Arizona, but he did appear to settle in throughout the course of the season and Simmons’ status as a top-10 overall pick is a healthy reminder of just how highly he was coveted by the league. And while this year’s version of Simmons (or Chinn) is most frequently suggested to be
By: Drae Harris June 17th, 2021 2021-06-17T17:37:36.120Z The Draft Network
Photo: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
The Cleveland Browns’ defense was one of their Achilles heels in 2020. It’s the area that could use the most improvement in order for Cleveland to maximize the talent it has. The linebacker corps is arguably the weakest area on the team. While Cleveland certainly addressed the linebacker room in this year’s draft, some of its recent personnel moves invoked many questions from fans and prognosticators as well. With the linebacker corps being the unit that needed the most growth, was releasing defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson the right move?
Breaking Down TE Zach Davidson
A closer look at the Vikings 5th round TE selection
The Athletic’s consensus big board, as the 13th ranked tight end.
Traits
Davidson has excellent athletic traits for a tight-end, but could use to add some weight and strength to his relatively lanky frame.
College Grades and Stats
As a D-II tight end from Central Missouri, there’s not a lot on Zach Davidson. No PFF profile, not even listed in College Football Reference.
Davidson became the premier tight-end in D-II football at Central Missouri in 2019, earning first-team All-American D-II honors, but didn’t play in 2020 due to Covid-19 cancellations. As a junior in 2019, he ranked seventh in D2 by averaging 22.4 yards per reception and tied for seventh with 15 touchdowns among his 40 receptions (894 yards) in 13 games (12 starts).
NFL Draft 2021: Jets’ Zach Wilson scouting reports | ‘Swagger and arm talent’
Updated 8:41 PM;
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There’s been plenty of talk about the Jets’ new quarterback and his arm talent, accuracy and mobility. But how will he fare at the next level after finishing 2-4 against top-25 teams during his BYU career?
Here are scouting reports on what makes Zach Wilson, the No. 2 pick overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, a strong prospect plus some concerns from two NFL analysts.
Thoughts on Wilson by NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein: “Ascending quarterback prospect who possesses the swagger and arm talent to create explosive plays inside and outside the pocket. The gunslinger’s mentality and improvised release points are clearly patterned off of one of his favorite players, Aaron Rodgers. However, his play is a little more reminiscent of a blend between Jake Plummer and Johnny Manziel coming out of college. As with Manziel, too much of Wilson’s work comes off-schedule
There is no reason to believe the men existing on the depth chart would improve this ranked-29th standing via pass protection. However, the NFL draft has not transpired, and a handful of free agents remain available in the offensive trenches.
For EDGE rusher, Minnesota would tentatively send Danielle Hunter who will return from a season-long 2020 injury and Stephen Weatherly onto the field at the defensive end spots. The trick here is to determine if that is a twosome becoming of the Mike Zimmer standard. Weatherly started for the Vikings in 2018 when Everson Griffen briefly departed the team and he actually performed well. But he was a ho-hum defender during his one-year sabbatical to the Carolina Panthers in 2020. The 27-year-old was the first player to ink with the Vikings in free agency this spring.