Dr. Roto’s Draft Reviews
NFC: West | East | South | North
AFC: West | East | South | North
Daily Dr. Roto—April 30, 2019
NFC East Draft Review (Fantasy offense only)
Dallas Cowboys
Dallas went out and traded for WR Amari Cooper last season, so they spent much of this draft trying to shore up their defense. However, they drafted two young RBs who do have the potential to make the roster and play in case of an injury to Ezekiel Elliott.
RB Tony Pollard—Pollard ran a 4.5 at the Combine, only to run 4.3 at his Memphis Pro Day. Assuming we split the difference, he is a 4.4 runner who can catch the ball out of the backfield who might be good enough to become the RB2 behind Zeke. Pollard has also excelled both as a kick returner, and in kickoff coverage in college, so he will have a role on special teams regardless.
RB Mike Weber—If the Cowboys want to get rid of Rod Smith, either Pollard or Weber seems up to the task as RB2. Weber played at Ohio State and is very adept at pass blocking which could give him some immediate snaps in third-down situations.
New York Giants
The Giants draft was nothing short of horrific. The team took Duke’s Daniel Jones at #6 when they most likely could have selected him at #17. They followed that up by trading up to take a CB in the first round when the likes of WRs A.J. Brown, N’Keal Harry, and D.K. Metcalf were still available. I honestly believe that GM Dave Gettleman is the worst GM I have ever seen in all my years of covering the league and I refuse to root for the Giants while he is still with the team.
QB Daniel Jones—There’s a lot to like with Jones. He is a cerebral player who can make almost every throw, and QB guru David Cutcliffe has coached him for the past four years at Duke. Jones excelled at the Senior Bowl practices, and despite the lack of a big arm, he scored high praise from coaches for his overall passing ability. Jones will get to learn under Eli Manning for much of his rookie season. He is familiar with Eli as he has attended the Manning football camps in the summer so there should not be too much of an adversarial relationship between the two players. I am not down on Jones the player as much as I am down on when the Giants selected him. Jones does not profile as the sixth overall pick in the draft, and no matter what Giants GM Dave Gettleman says, I doubt highly that there were two other teams interested in selecting him before the Giants picked at #17. Sadly, Jones’ draft selection is going to place him under an even bigger microscope in New York as the fans are going to come down hard on him for every mistake that he makes.
WR Darius Slayton—With Sterling Shepard and Golden Tate handling the slot and one outside position, the Giants need an outside receiver capable of making the home run play. Slayton has 4.39 speed and is a premier athlete who played in the tough SEC (Auburn). If his hands improve some, it is possible that he might be able to beat out Corey Coleman for the WR4 at some point this season.
Philadelphia Eagles
Once again the Eagles did an outstanding job of picking the right players who fit their system. Good teams normally draft well, and Sanders and JJAW could flourish in this offense. I also love Andre Dillard as a potential replacement for Jason Peters on the OL.
RB Miles Sanders—Once again the Eagles did a great job of identifying a need and choosing the right player to fill the position. Gently used is a good description of RB Miles Sanders as he was Saquon Barkley’s backup at Penn State and only had one year as a starter. In that year Sanders showed a great sense of promise as a runner and receiver. He should be a terrific complement to RB Jordan Howard and a valuable member of the committee that the team chooses to employ.
WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside—This pick might not pay off in 2019, but I really like it in 2020 and beyond. Nelson Agholor will most likely be gone after this season, and JJAW will be able to move right into his spot and thrive in the Eagles’ offense. JJAW is a great route runner, with terrific hands who excels at catching passes in the end zone. Wentz will love throwing to him as he rarely drops passes. JJAW is never going to be a home run threat type receiver, but he could go 5 for 60 and TD at least 7-8 times a season.
QB Clayton Thorson—With Nick Foles now in Jacksonville, the Eagles needed another QB on their depth chart. Look for Thorson to start the season out as the QB3 behind Nate Sudfeld, but the opportunity might be there for him to become the QB2 if Wentz should get injured again.
Washington Redskins
I give the Redskins an A+ for their draft. They needed a QB and got Haskins. They needed a pass rusher and got Sweat. They needed a receiver and got McLaurin who can also really help on special teams. They also got a player who dropped on draft boards in WR Kelvin Harmon. Finally, they drafted RB Bryce Love who will most likely be placed on the PUP while he recovers from an ACL injury.
QB Dwayne Haskins—Giants fans cried twice in the draft. The first time was when the team took Daniel Jones at #6. The second time was when their arch-rival Redskins selected Dwayne Haskins at #15. By all accounts, Haskins was the second best QB prospect in the draft. He has a rocket for an arm and has the size that makes NFL scouts drool. What he lacks in game experience he makes up for in his willingness to succeed. Taken at #15, he might have extra incentive to have a stellar career to show the scouts that they should never have passed on him. Look for Haskins to start the season out as the backup to Case Keenum with the expectation that he might be starting by Week 6 or before.
WR Terry McLaurin—Look for McLaurin to make his mark in the NFL as a gunner on special teams. He has similar traits to Patriots star Matthew Slater and could well find himself playing in a Pro Bowl within his first few years in the league. Unlike Slater, though, McLaurin has value as a wide receiver and there is a good chance that the Redskins will use him as a WR4 and have him become Dwayne Haskins’ preferred target on deep passing routes. Haskins and McLaurin played together at Ohio State, so the two players are well connected and know each other’s strengths.
RB Bryce Love—Love’s value toppled with his recent ACL injury, and he is probably a good candidate to start the year on the team’s PUP. Stashing Love makes good sense for both Fantasy owners and the Redskins as a healthy he eventually has a chance to be a solid change-of-pace running back.
WR Kelvin Harmon—Harmon possesses many qualities that teams look for: unselfishness, reliability, and work ethic. He is also a solid receiver who runs good routes and wins on effort. Harmon is never going to be a WR1, but he could stick around the league for years as a WR4.
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