Depth in the Draft: Starters from 2nd Round and Below
Two weeks down, fifteen to go. Your favorite team is now just starting to show you how the season is going to turn out. Are they better than last year? Worse? How is our first rounder doing?
Bad news for some of you, your first round pick is not starting. Worse yet, some haven't played yet due to injuries or contract disputes (looking at you Joey Bosa).
While this may be the case, many teams have some of their deeper picks on their starting roster. While one or two have been due to injury, many have been due to their actual talent. Currently, there are 32 rookies not selected in the first round starting for NFL franchises.An average of one per team sounds good, but the Cleveland Browns have four rookie starters from outside of the first round.
These starters can help shape the future of the franchise. The Seattle Seahawks built their defense around some of their later picks in the 2011 draft: cornerback Richard Sherman (5th round), LB Malcolm Smith (7th round/ SB48 MVP), CB Byron Maxwell (6th round), and LB K.J. Wright (4th round). All of these players were on the 2013 Super Bowl Championship team and are still starters today.
Rookie starters today can mean Superstars tomorrow. Here is a look at some of the teams with deeper rookie starters that can shape the future of their franchise.
Atlanta Falcons
1st Round Pick: S Keanu Neal, Florida
Rookies: MLB Deion Jones, LSU, 2nd round; OLB De'Vondre Campbell, Minnesota, 4th round
These two linebackers have racked up 20 tackles in two games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders. The Falcon defense was laughable a year ago allowing opposing running backs to average 4 ypc and was tied for allowing the most rushing touchdowns (20). In a division that has Cam Newton, Doug Martin, and Mark Ingram, Atlanta needed to fix their run defense.
Carolina Panthers
1st Round Pick: DT Vernon Butler, LA Tech
Rookies: CB James Bradberry, Samford, 2nd round; CB Daryl Worley, West Virginia, 3rd round
With the departure of Josh Norman, Charles Tillman, and Cortland Finnigan, Carolina needed defensive backs in a bad way. So far, the Panthers have played a run heavy Broncos and a no named 49ers team. Bradberry has played very well recording eight tackles, three pass defenses, and a pick. Worley has six tackles and one pass defense. While this is a small sample size, these two players are trusted by management to make the plays count. So far, so good boys.
Cleveland Browns
1st Round Pick: WR Corey Coleman, Baylor
Rookies: QB Cody Kessler, USC, 3rd round; DE Emmanuel Ogbah, Oklahoma St., 2nd round; DE Carl Nassib, Penn St., 3rd round; OLB Joe Schobert, Wisconsin, 4th round
Oh the Cleveland Browns: the NFL's punching bag. The Browns ranked 27th in total defense last year, despite using seven picks in the 2015 draft on defensive players. Now they are addressing the front seven. Between Ogbah, Nassib, and Schobert, they have amounted 8 tackles and three pass defenses. Not great, but that defense still has some work to do. Kessler is getting his first start this week due to injuries at the quarterback position. Kessler posted a QBR of over 87 during the preseason throwing one touchdown and zero picks.
Nassib broke his hand in week two and will be listed as week-to-week.
New England Patriots
1st Round Pick: Forfeited due to Deflate-gate
Rookies: LG Joe Thuney, NC State, 3rd round; RG Ted Karras, Illinois, 6th round
The Patriots had a revolving door of offensive linemen last year, starting 10 different combinations during the regular season. This was due to injuries, inconsistent performances, and recent additions to the unit. Clearly it has helped. The Pats have played two of the better defensive fronts over the past two weeks and averaged 133.5 yards in each game. Also, they have allowed only two sacks on second-string quarterback Jimmy Garoppollo. Once Brady comes back, he could be deadly with the amount of time the line will give him in the pocket.
Dallas Cowboys
1st Round Pick: RB Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio St.
Rookie: QB Dak Prescott, Mississippi St.
How can we talk about deep round picks this year and not mention Dak Prescott? He was the eighth quarterback selected in the 2016 NFL draft and making a case as to why he should have been drafted higher. Prescott has thrown for 519 yards in two starts against division opponents. While he has yet to throw a touchdown, he has not turned the ball over. He has stayed poised in the pocket and has not used his speed much in the rushing game. Prescott ran a 4.79 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine in March.
The former Bulldog has three rush attempts for 18 yards and a score.
If Prescott can end his rookie campaign with a winning record before Tony Romo returns, the Cowboys could be faced with a tough decision. One thing is for sure though, Prescott is the successor to Romo in Dallas.
