Round 1: Solomon Thomas, DL, 6’3”, 273lbs, Stanford
Thomas is built like a wall. He has top level technique and consistently wins one on one matchups. He is also very good at absorbing double teams and still driving the Linemen backwards which just shows the power he is working with. He also has a solid swim move and spin move. He’s got well above average athleticism for his size. While he hasn’t recorded enormous sack numbers I think he is certainly capable of reaching 8-10 a year with some additional support on the line that I just didn’t see at Stanford. He is also a great run stopper with room for improvement in the pass rushing department. He has great character on and off the field and has a high football IQ. Like Raine mentioned in his mock draft he is a versatile player.
Round 2: Mason Cole, C, 6’5”, 305lbs, Michigan
Cole is a phenomenal pass protector at Center and above average in the run game. He routinely wins the leverage battle and delivers quick and clean snaps. He went up against great competition in his college career and performed very well against the best defensive players he faced. He will be a great player to either start in place of Zuttah or sit for a year behind him and learn before taking the helm.
Round 3: Chidobe Awuzie, CB, 6’0”, 205lbs, Colorado
Awuzie is one of my favorite players in this draft and someone I think would be a steal in the 3rd. He has the prototypical size and athleticism you want in a corner. He is probably one of, if not the best tackling corners in the draft although occasionally he’ll forget to wrap and go for the big hit, but even then I have yet to see him fail to bring down his target. He has plus hands for when he puts himself in position for an interception. He is explosive off the line when asked to blitz. He seems to be good when asked to press but that is honestly not one of my better evaluation areas. Awuzie puts himself in position to jump routes while in coverage. He rarely gets beat in coverage. Overall I think he would be a great addition to our Corner depth and I think he has a high ceiling and all the skills necessary to reach that ceiling.
Round 3 (Comp): Jake Replogle, DL, 6’5”, 289lbs, Purdue
Replogle is probably my favorite under the radar player in the draft, he has steal written all over him. Fortunately, he sticks around until here because Purdue is trash. He is a phenomenal pass rusher who just eats one on one matchups for breakfast. He is also very good when it comes to stopping the run. If he can put on a little more weight and maintain his quickness and motor he could be downright dominant. There may or may not be some exaggeration in there but definitely check him out if you haven’t he is a great player and steal in the third.
Round 4: Amba Etta-Tawo, WR, 6’2”, 202lbs, Syracuse
Etta-Tawo had a bit of breakout year this season putting up 94 receptions for 1482 yards and 14 touchdowns. Even as a one year wonder he is worth this pick thanks to his silky smooth route running and impressive hands. By no means is he a world beater but he would make for a very reliable move the chains target with a little higher ceiling.
Round 5: Forrest Lamp, OT/OG, 6’3”, 300lbs, Western Kentucky
Lamp has primarily played LT at WKU throughout his time their but has played outstandingly well at the position, albeit against mostly weak competition. I think he would be a much better fit at Guard or RT in the NFL. He was the top rated tackle in college football last season by PFF with a +31.8 and top ten performances in the run game and pass pro. He also allowed 0 sacks in that season. In total in the two years prior to this season he gave up 26 total pressures on 1200 pass protecting snaps. This season he was similarly dominant including a 1 pressure outing against Bama and a shutout for FAU’s Trey Hendrickson among a number of other very talented pass rushers. His abilities are well proven and I think he could be a valuable asset for this team.
