Vikings Day 3 2019 Draft Results
Apr 27, 2019 18:51:30 GMT -6
Reignman, Funkytown, and 1 more like this
Post by Danchat on Apr 27, 2019 18:51:30 GMT -6
The Vikings drafted a whopping 9 players tonight, while moving up once, burning a 6th rounder to do so. We have a lot of ground to cover, so let's get to it:
Pick: 4-12 G Dru Samia
Charlie Campbell's profile of Samia:
My Notes: Samia was part of a dominant Oklahoma O-line, but stats and scouts suggest Samia was the weakest link. He came in the 18% percentile in pSPARQ, so he appears to be a poor fit for the Vikings' new O-line schemes. On the bright side, Samia gave up zero sacks and only gave up 2 QB hits according to PFF, so he seems to be an upgrade in the pass game as compared to a competitor in Danny Isidora. His run blocking grade, however, was near rock-bottom.
Scouts are seemingly split on Samia, some rating him as a 3rd-4th round prospect while others think he was barely draftable. Methinks he'll be a backup for his career as a Viking and I see him having limited upside. I love that the Vikings have addressed the O-line in the draft today, but I don't like Samia. Grade: D
Pick 5-24: LB Cameron Smith
Charlie Campbell's profile of Smith:
My Notes: Smith is a classic run-stopping linebacker, but he also had surprising good workout scores, so despite being called "stiff", he's quicker than anticipated. His one big problem was that he did a poor job at covering on passing downs. He profiles as a 1st-2nd down LB... but the Vikings already have that in Ben Gedeon and Eric Wilson backs up Barr and Kendricks.
This is a good value pick, but I don't understand the need for it. Unless Gedeon or Wilson are getting moved in a minor trade elsewhere, Smith will be a special teamer only. I won't scoff at a good value pick, though. Grade: B+
6-18: DT Armon Watts
NFL.com's Scouting Report
My Notes: Watts was injured and couldn't pass up the competition in 2016 and 2017, but in 2018 he stepped up and picked up 8 sacks and 28 run stops. His pass-rushing ability was phenomenal as he ranked among college football's most efficient pass rushers. His run defense was middling.
Watts appears to be a great fit to replace Richardson's role, but could use a year or two on the bench first learning under DL coach Andre Patterson. Watts had a small sample size at Arkansas, but if he can replicate it, I love his chances of breaking out. I would have wanted a D-Lineman earlier in this draft, but the pick itself is very good. Grade: A-
Pick 6-19: S Marcus Epps
NFL.com Profile:
My Notes: Epps was not expected to be a draft pick today, but I do have some numbers on him. He ranked in the 78th percentile according to pSPRAQ, so he's pretty athletic. He started 4 years at safety at Wyoming, recording 9 interceptions. He apparently played some slot CB too. Epps' run stopping ability appears to be rather poor.
Epps is a longshot player who has plenty of experience as a starter, but appears to have low upside. Zimmer will need to work some development magic on this guy to make him more than just a special teams gunner. Outside of Jayron Kearse, the Vikings have little at safety, so he's got the inside track to a roster spot, but I'd say his hold on it is tenuous at best. Grade: C
Pick 6-21: T Oli Udoh
NFL.com Profile:
My Notes: I don't know the college "Elon" existed, so I can't imagine the competition there was that high of quality. Udoh must have been a men among boys, as the 6' 5" 323 lbs man is a massive specimen. He's strong and decently quick for his size. He started every game at right tackle. It's hard to project his game to the NFL, but I imagine he'd be a fine run blocker but could struggle with speedy pass rushers. He may fit in at guard, but possibly not with the Vikings zone-blocking scheme.
Udoh is a fun project who's absolutely worth a 6th round pick. He's got the bod for the job, but can he develop the technique to last in the NFL? He'll need some time on the bench and I suspect he'll be right at the fringe of the 53 man roster. Spielman needs to take as many cracks at the O-line position as he can. Grade: B+
Pick 7-3: CB Kris Boyd
My Notes: Boyd was a 4th round prospect on my board, the 16th CB there, so I'm a big fan of this pick. Draftniks liked him as a early Day 3 pick, so getting him here was great value. Boyd tested very well with a 4.45 '40 and pasted his other tests. He's also a fantastic tackler. The problems with Boyd and the reason why he was available here is because he just wasn't that great at Texas. His coverage was rather bad at times and was a liability against good college WRs. That's... not good, to say the least.
Spielman and Zimmer did the right thing by waiting to select DBs since they've already spent tons of draft capital there and they've proven to be able to unearth gems like Anthony Harris and Holton Hill (a teammate of Boyd!). Kris Boyd has the speed to keep up with NFL WRs and the tackling ability to become a special teams ace. Now it's up to Zimmer to teach him how to cover somebody. Grade: A
Pick 7-25: WR Dillon Mitchell
Charlie Campbell's profile of Mitchell:
My Notes: Mitchell was expected to be a 5th-6th round selection, so nabbing him late in the 7th round is a good find. Mitchell is speedy and has solid size to boot (6'1" 197 lbs) and his production at Oregon was impressive, at least for his senior year. Mitchell had poor hands, however, with a 9.6% drop rate. He didn't bring in passes as consistently as he should have, with a 57.7% catch rate. He had 13 deep catches, but only caught 37% of deep throws that came his way.
I'm disappointed that Mitchell is the best WR that the Vikings got out of this draft, and I think they badly need to bring in at least one veteran to be the #3 WR. But as a 7th rounder, Mitchell has the upside to be a quality part-time WR who has the quickness to get open, but would be inefficient as a full-time player. Grade: B+
Pick 7-33: WR Olabisi Johnson
NFL.com Profile:
My Notes: Olabisi was a starter for 3 years at Colorado State, but was constantly overshadowed by Michael Gallup (Cowboys) and Preston Williams (somehow went undrafted this year). Despite being quick and a good route runner, Olabisi wasn't much of a factor on offense, providing low yards/route run and TD/snap. Johnson has reliable hands and brought in a great 72% of passes that came his way.
Johnson looks like a scrappy WR who won't take over a game, but has the skills to get open and catch passes. His ceiling seems similar to Mitchell's, with better hands but far less production. Grade: B+
Pick 7-36: LS Austin Cutting
Wait... WHAT?! They drafted a long snapper?! Why on earth did they need to do that?! With Kevin McDermott on the roster, who's already proven to be a great snapper, and the fact that YOU DON'T EVER NEED TO DRAFT A LS, this is a massive waste of draft capital. Thankfully, it is a late 7th rounder, but this is just stupid. There is no upside to drafting a LS. Grade: F
Whew... I'm beat. I'm going to take a nice, long break after this draft process. I think Spielman and Co. did a solid job, at least with the first two picks. Go ahead and discuss these picks; do you think any of them will turn out to be diamonds in the rough?
Pick: 4-12 G Dru Samia
Charlie Campbell's profile of Samia:
Team sources say they are not high on teammate Samia. They feel that he lacks power and is not overly athletic. To have any shot at sticking in the NFL, Samia will have to move to center, but even there he may not translate. Samia was on teams' preseason watch list for having potential to go in the top half of the 2019 NFL Draft, but sources were disappointed in his play and are projecting him to the late rounds or undrafted ranks.
My Notes: Samia was part of a dominant Oklahoma O-line, but stats and scouts suggest Samia was the weakest link. He came in the 18% percentile in pSPARQ, so he appears to be a poor fit for the Vikings' new O-line schemes. On the bright side, Samia gave up zero sacks and only gave up 2 QB hits according to PFF, so he seems to be an upgrade in the pass game as compared to a competitor in Danny Isidora. His run blocking grade, however, was near rock-bottom.
Scouts are seemingly split on Samia, some rating him as a 3rd-4th round prospect while others think he was barely draftable. Methinks he'll be a backup for his career as a Viking and I see him having limited upside. I love that the Vikings have addressed the O-line in the draft today, but I don't like Samia. Grade: D
Pick 5-24: LB Cameron Smith
Charlie Campbell's profile of Smith:
Smith is a solid inside linebacker who is a good run defender. He has improved his pass-coverage skills, but he is a bit stiff and slow to cover for the NFL. Smith will need more development to become a pro three-down starter. In 2018, he had 81 tackles with 7.5 for a loss and four passes broken up.
My Notes: Smith is a classic run-stopping linebacker, but he also had surprising good workout scores, so despite being called "stiff", he's quicker than anticipated. His one big problem was that he did a poor job at covering on passing downs. He profiles as a 1st-2nd down LB... but the Vikings already have that in Ben Gedeon and Eric Wilson backs up Barr and Kendricks.
This is a good value pick, but I don't understand the need for it. Unless Gedeon or Wilson are getting moved in a minor trade elsewhere, Smith will be a special teamer only. I won't scoff at a good value pick, though. Grade: B+
6-18: DT Armon Watts
NFL.com's Scouting Report
Ascending interior defender who committed himself to the work and took the coaching and went from a lightly-used backup to the center stage his senior season. He is an efficient, downhill rusher with the power and hand usage to pry open opportunities for pressures and sacks. His recognition and response in the run game is behind, but his ability to anchor against double teams and defeat single blocks is NFL-caliber. Watts's size, strength and play traits should allow him consideration in both odd and even fronts as a future starter.
My Notes: Watts was injured and couldn't pass up the competition in 2016 and 2017, but in 2018 he stepped up and picked up 8 sacks and 28 run stops. His pass-rushing ability was phenomenal as he ranked among college football's most efficient pass rushers. His run defense was middling.
Watts appears to be a great fit to replace Richardson's role, but could use a year or two on the bench first learning under DL coach Andre Patterson. Watts had a small sample size at Arkansas, but if he can replicate it, I love his chances of breaking out. I would have wanted a D-Lineman earlier in this draft, but the pick itself is very good. Grade: A-
Pick 6-19: S Marcus Epps
NFL.com Profile:
A former walk-on who has became an impact defender the moment he stepped on campus in Laramie. Epps saw an increase in snaps over the slot last season but lacks the smooth hips and short-area quickness to match routes on the next level. He was a plus tester at his pro day and it is hard to ignore the steady stream of production, but he lacks size for the box and the makeup burst as a high safety so his road to the 53-man roster will be daunting.
My Notes: Epps was not expected to be a draft pick today, but I do have some numbers on him. He ranked in the 78th percentile according to pSPRAQ, so he's pretty athletic. He started 4 years at safety at Wyoming, recording 9 interceptions. He apparently played some slot CB too. Epps' run stopping ability appears to be rather poor.
Epps is a longshot player who has plenty of experience as a starter, but appears to have low upside. Zimmer will need to work some development magic on this guy to make him more than just a special teams gunner. Outside of Jayron Kearse, the Vikings have little at safety, so he's got the inside track to a roster spot, but I'd say his hold on it is tenuous at best. Grade: C
Pick 6-21: T Oli Udoh
NFL.com Profile:
Mammoth right tackle prospect with intriguing developmental traits as both a run blocker and in pass protection. Udoh lacks the quickness for move-blocking duties but has power to generate push against opponents in front of him. There are exploitable holes in his pass sets for the NFL, but his size, length and potential for improvement in that phase are worthy of taking a shot on as a Day 3 draft-and-develop prospect that might require a year on the practice squad.
My Notes: I don't know the college "Elon" existed, so I can't imagine the competition there was that high of quality. Udoh must have been a men among boys, as the 6' 5" 323 lbs man is a massive specimen. He's strong and decently quick for his size. He started every game at right tackle. It's hard to project his game to the NFL, but I imagine he'd be a fine run blocker but could struggle with speedy pass rushers. He may fit in at guard, but possibly not with the Vikings zone-blocking scheme.
Udoh is a fun project who's absolutely worth a 6th round pick. He's got the bod for the job, but can he develop the technique to last in the NFL? He'll need some time on the bench and I suspect he'll be right at the fringe of the 53 man roster. Spielman needs to take as many cracks at the O-line position as he can. Grade: B+
Pick 7-3: CB Kris Boyd
In 2018, Boyd totaled 67 tackles with 16 passes broken up and an interception. Sources say that Boyd did not impress them during tape study and from watching him in practice. He really struggles to play the ball and has technical issues in coverage. Sources say Boyd had a lot of problems in practice going against Collin Johnson and Lil'Jordan Humphrey, two future NFL receivers. Boyd also had problems against Oklahoma, among other opponents, in 2018.
My Notes: Boyd was a 4th round prospect on my board, the 16th CB there, so I'm a big fan of this pick. Draftniks liked him as a early Day 3 pick, so getting him here was great value. Boyd tested very well with a 4.45 '40 and pasted his other tests. He's also a fantastic tackler. The problems with Boyd and the reason why he was available here is because he just wasn't that great at Texas. His coverage was rather bad at times and was a liability against good college WRs. That's... not good, to say the least.
Spielman and Zimmer did the right thing by waiting to select DBs since they've already spent tons of draft capital there and they've proven to be able to unearth gems like Anthony Harris and Holton Hill (a teammate of Boyd!). Kris Boyd has the speed to keep up with NFL WRs and the tackling ability to become a special teams ace. Now it's up to Zimmer to teach him how to cover somebody. Grade: A
Pick 7-25: WR Dillon Mitchell
Charlie Campbell's profile of Mitchell:
Mitchell had a productive junior season as one of the top targets for Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert. In 2018, Mitchell caught 75 passes for 1,184 yards with 10 touchdowns. It was a big jump over his sophomore year when he had 42 receptions for 517 yards and four scores. Mitchell helped himself with a solid combine performance.
My Notes: Mitchell was expected to be a 5th-6th round selection, so nabbing him late in the 7th round is a good find. Mitchell is speedy and has solid size to boot (6'1" 197 lbs) and his production at Oregon was impressive, at least for his senior year. Mitchell had poor hands, however, with a 9.6% drop rate. He didn't bring in passes as consistently as he should have, with a 57.7% catch rate. He had 13 deep catches, but only caught 37% of deep throws that came his way.
I'm disappointed that Mitchell is the best WR that the Vikings got out of this draft, and I think they badly need to bring in at least one veteran to be the #3 WR. But as a 7th rounder, Mitchell has the upside to be a quality part-time WR who has the quickness to get open, but would be inefficient as a full-time player. Grade: B+
Pick 7-33: WR Olabisi Johnson
NFL.com Profile:
Tough, consistent and dependable are terms scouts and coaches use in describing Johnson as a player. He is a very polished route runner, but his lack of top-end speed could limit his draft stock somewhat. His short-area footwork is solid, but he could really thrive as a big, zone-beater in space. Johnson's football character, intelligence and core special teams ability give him a chance to find work early and eventually become a dependable WR3.
My Notes: Olabisi was a starter for 3 years at Colorado State, but was constantly overshadowed by Michael Gallup (Cowboys) and Preston Williams (somehow went undrafted this year). Despite being quick and a good route runner, Olabisi wasn't much of a factor on offense, providing low yards/route run and TD/snap. Johnson has reliable hands and brought in a great 72% of passes that came his way.
Johnson looks like a scrappy WR who won't take over a game, but has the skills to get open and catch passes. His ceiling seems similar to Mitchell's, with better hands but far less production. Grade: B+
Pick 7-36: LS Austin Cutting
Wait... WHAT?! They drafted a long snapper?! Why on earth did they need to do that?! With Kevin McDermott on the roster, who's already proven to be a great snapper, and the fact that YOU DON'T EVER NEED TO DRAFT A LS, this is a massive waste of draft capital. Thankfully, it is a late 7th rounder, but this is just stupid. There is no upside to drafting a LS. Grade: F
Whew... I'm beat. I'm going to take a nice, long break after this draft process. I think Spielman and Co. did a solid job, at least with the first two picks. Go ahead and discuss these picks; do you think any of them will turn out to be diamonds in the rough?
... and neither is this Chris guy.