Analyzing the 2016 NFL Draft: 3rd Round

I continue with my breakdown of the NFL Draft by looking at the 3rd round tonight. There were, of course, more questions about certain picks, and there were certain gems, so let's break it down by the good, the bad, and the horrifically ugly.

The Good

3(65) Browns Take Carl Nassib, DE, Penn State
Some scouts really didn't care for this pick despite the fact that Nassib checks every box across the board. He is a high motor, super productive DE who gets in the backfield with regularity. He can push and collapse the pocket, has solid technique, and has high character. Is he the most athletic guy in the world? Maybe not, but he sure is good. He was graded at just 147th overall, which is far too low in my book.

3(66) Chargers Take Max Tuerk, C, USC
Tuerk had a pretty severe knee injury last season (ACL tear), but had that not happened, he likely would have gone in round one late. Tuerk, if healthy, could be the best Center in this draft. He will need to bulk up some, and may take a year on the bench to work up to where he needs to be, but he could be a steal down the road.

3(67) Cowboys Take Maliek Collins, DT, Nebraska
The Cowboys needed interior line help, and they got it in the form of Collins. The only knock on him is that he is light on experience. Collins could be a force in the middle for the Cowboys once he is coached up a bit. I see very little downside here.

3(69) Jaguars Take Yannik Ngakoue, DE, Maryland
1st round pick Jack Conklin (who I really like) stated that Ngakoue was one of the two toughest assignments he had while at Michigan State. That is high praise from a solid source. He will likely play standing up at OLB, as he is too small for an NFL end. It matters not, as Ngakoue has speed, skills, and the smarts to succeed here.

3(70) Ravens Take Bronson Kaufusi, DE, BYU
The Ravens got a steal here with Kaufusi. He has a huge motor, and is a force when it comes to making plays behind the line. He is quick of the point of contact, and doesn't need external drive to keep motivated. High character, and very productive. He will play immediately and give solid depth to the Ravens defensive front.

3(71) Giants Take Darian Thompson, FS, Boise State
Thompson had a terrible postseason, but was extremely ill at the combine. He graded out poorly on some boards, but that's because most were not familiar with him. Thompson had a much better pro day, and the Giants took a shot. That could pay off huge, as he does have a shot to compete for a starting job this season.

3(78) Patriots Take Joe Thuney, OG, NC State
Calling Thuney a Guard simply understates what he does. Thuney can handle any position on the line, and that is the kind of player that Belichick likes for his line. Thuney grades out by some as a OT, but look for him to settle inside for New England. I expect to see him get plenty of reps this season.

3(81) Falcons Take Austin Hooper, TE, Stanford
This was a high value pick for Atlanta, as Hooper graded out as the 61st best player in this class. He is a strong pass catching TE, and should become a reliable option for Matt Ryan in the passing game almost immediately. He has flaws, and is not the best blocking TE I've ever seen, but his playmaking ability overshadows that.

3(83) Jets Take Jordan Jenkins, OLB, Georgia
Some people actually liked Jenkins more than former teammate and 1st rounder Leonard Floyd. Jenkins will be a 3 down player for the Jets, and will be counted on to push and collapse the edge as a bull pass rusher, something he should excel at in New York. The Jets got a good one here.

3(84) Redskins Take Kendall Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech
I don't want to be a hypocrite here, but I like this pick in this spot much more than Myles Jack in round 2. Fuller had a knee injury and a microfracture issue as did Jack. Fuller was a first round talent, as was Jack. I like that the Skins waited on Fuller, whereas the Jags jumped on Jack a tad early considering the injury issues. Fuller was one of the best CBs in the nation at Virginia Tech, and who knows what the injury will bring, but if he can recover, this is a great pick. If he falls apart, it could be bad. I like the pick here, but it is not without risk, there's just less of it here than Jack in round 2.

3(89) Steelers Take Javon Hargrave, DE, South Carolina State
Hargrave has huge value here, as he ranked 30th overall. The Steelers had to have been giddy that he was available here. The Steelers also finally had a chance to make a selection that did not befuddle the masses this year. Hargrave was likely ignored because of playing at an FCS school, and he also played at a MEAC school. That's all crap. This guy can flat out play. He had a 6 sack game against Bethune-Cookman, one of the better FCS programs over the last few years. Hargrave is a beast that will fit right in the middle of the Steeler D line, and could be a fixture.

3(90) Seahawks Take CJ Prosise, RB, Notre Dame
This is another high value selection, as Prosise ranked 58th overall. He is a former WR who switched to RB and averaged 6.6 yards per carry. He showed equal parts power and finesse at Notre Dame and could show some flash with a little more time to develop as a RB. The skills are apparent, he just needs seasoning.

3(93) Browns Take Cody Kessler, QB, USC
I am likely alone in that I really love this pick. Kessler was under a ton of pressure at USC, as the school was under crushing sanctions during his time. He played like a pro, kept his head above water, and in my opinion was the best QB in the PAC 12 in 2014, and I am not a USC fan saying this. Kessler is loaded with talent, has a solid arm, and is a true leader, something the Browns have not had in as long as I can remember. He may shock some people.

3(94) Seahawks Take Nick Vannett, TE, Ohio State
Vannett is a solid blocking TE, who has enough athleticism to also be a solid red zone target in the passing game. He adds value on special teams, and keeps his head down and grinds. Vannett is the second solid pick in round 3 for Seattle, as the Hawks made huge strides here.

3(95) Lions Take Graham Glasgow, C/OG, Michigan
Glasgow was a Center at Michigan, but looks to kick out to OG with the Lions, and he has a very solid shot at winning a starting job right away. He is scrappy and has the mean streak that you would want in an interior lineman, so he fits the bill all around. He did have an off-filed issue at Michigan regarding some alcohol shenanigans, but hey, that's college. It also was not a severe issue.

The Bad

3(64) Titans Take Kevin Byard, SS, Middle Tennessee
The Titans took a "local" prospect here who plays in the secondary but is knocked for his average, at best, cover skills. The other issue is that if the Titans had wanted him, they could have traded down, as he ranked 25 spots lower than where he was taken.

3(68) 49ers Take Will Redmond, CB, Mississippi State
When the Niners need as much help as they do almost everywhere, this pick made little sense. He is coming off a major ACL injury, may not be ready to play, and if he is, he is average across the board at best. There were better options available here, and it feels as if the Niners just whiffed here.

3(72) Bears Take Jonathon Bullard, DT, Florida
Bullard was ranked 21st overall in class, but that, in my opinion, was too high by a mile or so. He is a DT who is too light and lanky for the pro game, but he doesn't hold up or grade out well at DE, so he has to stay in the middle, where he can get doubled and taken out of plays routinely. Again, the Bears likely had better options available, but got sold on faulty scouting reports that over hyped this guy.

3(75) Raiders Take Shilique Calhoun, DE, Michigan State
Nobody is knocking the fact that Calhoun can play. His issue is that he is a lazy player, who never put the effort in at MSU to get it all together. His motor is severely lacking, and he resembles a guy who wants to get paid, but doesn't want to put the effort or work in. As much as I like his potential, I could not have drafted him.

3(79) Eagles Take Isaac Seumalo, OG, Oregon State
Seumalo was taken within range of where he was rated, but he may very well have been overrated in the first place, and the mess that is becoming the Eagles front office bought in. Seumalo was a reckless player at Oregon State, and is not nearly ready to be a starter in this league. If the head isn't right, you take a hike.

3(85) Texans Take Braxton Miller, WR, Ohio State
Miller, at this point, just seems like a silly science experiment. He had multiple shoulder injuries that derailed him as a QB, and rather than leave Ohio State to prove himself as a QB somewhere else after he had lost his job to JT Barrett/Cardale Jones, he stayed and gave up on the position. After that, he became more of an oddity rather than a serious talent. I have grown to question the validity of the Houston personnel department over the years, and this did not help. He's athletic all right, but I can find guys like him anywhere.

3(88) Packers Take Kyle Fackrell, LB, Utah State
The Packers did not have a stellar go of the 2016 draft, and this is another example as to why. Fackrell was overrated in class at 41 to begin with. He turns 25 as a rookie, and his fundamentals are not there. Here's a clue for personnel people...if a guy is 25 and is lacking fundamentals, he's not going to crack it.

3(91) Patriots Take Jacoby Brissett, QB, NC State
I know my arguments are weak, as the Patriots continue to succeed, but there is not, nor has there ever been, a team that drafts so poorly as New England, yet wins so regularly. Brissett provides nothing for the Pats right now, nor does he provide anything in the near future. Jimmy Garoppolo is the future at QB for the time being, and may be playing in September with the suspension to Brady. Brissett isn't going to provide a lick of good now, or later to the Patriots. This was just a wasted go.

The Truly Ugly

3(73) Dolphins Take Kenyan Drake, RB, Alabama
Drake was rated as the 150th best player in this draft class. One has to ask at this point as to what in the hell is wrong with the Miami front office, and how much blow is being snorted there to continue to make these bad decisions? This draft was an abject disaster for Miami, as they continuously picked bad character players along with under productive and injury plagued players like this pick. Drake is a physical mess, never grabbed a starting job at Alabama, and just does not look like a pro on any level. Typical Dolphins.

3(74) Chiefs Take Kei'Varae Russell, CB, Notre Dame
One scouting report praised Russell for playing last season on a fractured leg. I find that to be just stupid. Who does that? Why risk your injury getting worse? That also delays the healing process significantly and leaves you vulnerable to future injuries. The same scout stated that Russell was a potential starter but lacked fundamental skills in coverage. What? This scout went on to report that no team did more work on this guy than the Chiefs. That's likely because nobody else wanted to take the chance. CBs in the 3rd round are a dime a dozen. This was the best they could do?

3(76) Browns Take Shon Coleman, OT, Auburn
Seriously, all the props in the world for Coleman, who beat Leukemia. That is inspiring and he is a fighter for that alone. My problem was that the Browns severely overreached for him, and he will be a 25 year old rookie. Another issue is that he largely plays out of control, Hulk style, and has little in the way of actual technique. He is, in short, a fundamental nightmare. The Browns were either all hit or all miss in this draft up to this point, and there was no gray area.

3(77) Panthers Take Daryl Worley, CB, West Virginia
Worley was a low character guy at West Virginia, and had multiple off-filed problems. As a CB, he was easily burned. He is better at run support than pass coverage, which means he is not good. If you are a Corner who can not cover in the NFL, you should not be in the NFL. It's really that simple. Add the character issues, and you have a true molitov level bomb waiting to go off.

3(80) Bills Take Adolphus Washington, DT, Ohio State
Washington was under productive, has a bad motor, is poorly conditioned, and plays lighter than his weight would indicate. All of those things equal why the Bills are terrible and have been for 20 years. It's picks like this that make them so. By the way, those were some of the better qualities that Washington had according to some.

3(82) Colts Take Le'Revan Clark, DT, Texas Tech
I've read several confusing reports on this guy. The tape is even more befuddling. He has the size, the apparent athleticism, and the raw skill to be a good player, but he is all over the place. His technique is just terrible, and he really had no business being drafted this high, if at all. The issue, as far as I can see, is the football IQ is really very low here. He won't make it.

3(86) Dolphins Take Leonte Carroo, WR, Rutgers
The Dolphins were at it again. Carroo is off-field poison. He went way out of his way to prove that he just did not care about his career. He was arrested for domestic assault (charges dropped...yeah, right), and then was suspended for missing curfew. He was also involved in an incident at the stadium between his mother and girlfriend. On top of all that (as if you needed more), Carroo has limited skills, suspect speed, and bad technique. All of that combined means this guy shouldn't be playing in a beer league. Again, typical Dolphins.

3(87) Bengals Take Nick Vigil, LB, Utah State
Vigil did not even earn a grade from the scouting services, making him into what should have been an undrafted free agent. Vigil was one of the college players that have super productivity, but they just do not transcend to the pro game. It's easy to buy into raw stats, but Vigil looks like a special teams guy at best, and those guys are too many to number around the game, and certainly do not warrant a 3rd round pick.

3(92) Cardinals Take Brandon Williams, CB, Texas A&M
The Cardinals have become too good in recent years to blow picks like this. Williams has only played CB for one season on the college level, and it wasn't exactly a blow the doors off the barn kind of year. Williams was a former RB, who was once committed to Oklahoma (there's that lack of commitment thing again) only to end up playing defense at A&M. One year of experience does not make an NFL star. This was a huge gamble and reach here.

3(96) Patriots Take Vincent Valentine, DT, Nebraska
Valentine is an injury plagued, low motor guy. I talk about how the Patriots draft poorly, and this is a fine example. He was not committed to the Husker program on any level, played under his skill level, and simply is more in love with the idea of playing in the NFL than he is interested in actually doing the work. Terrible reach here.

3(97) Seahawks Take Rees Odhiambo, OG, Boise State
I am not a buyer into the concept of Pete Carroll's being one of the smartest guys in the room. This is a risk pick, pure and simple, and the Hawks engaged in risky behavior throughout this draft. This guy was injured more than he wasn't at Boise State. The best comparison in this draft was Germain Ifedi, and he was a massive mistake pick as well. Odhiambo can play wherever they want him to on the line, but he can't stay on the field, and that isn't likely to change in the NFL.

NEXT: Analyzing the 2016 NFL Draft: 4th Round