Timmy Jernigan: Only two interior defensive linemen were drafted in the first round (Aaron Donald and Dominique Easley), leaving plenty of talented interior linemen to be had at good value. That being said, the leader among that remaining group is Jernigan. As a pass rusher, Jernigan dominates on first contact, knocking guards off of their sets and allowing himself to propel himself into the backfield. His violent hand usage, which he needs considering he does not win by having an explosive first step, is excellent. The most dominant move in his arsenal is his swim move. Jernigan uses the move quite often and rarely fails, clubbing swiftly and brutally. If a team running a 4-3 defense is in search of a disruptive defensive tackle, Jernigan is their man.
Derek Carr: Of the “power four” quarterbacks, Carr is the lone survivor of the first round. In the second round, a quarterback of Carr’s caliber will be a steal. Quarterback needy teams such as the Houston Texans and Oakland Raiders will be thrilled to possibly have him in the second round. Carr’s arm is arguably the best in this class. He can launch a pass 60 yards through the air with the flick of a wrist, even off of his back foot. While he does have to clean up some issues with his footwork, Carr has the arm talent and mental ability to be a proficient NFL quarterback.
Xavier Su’a-Filo: Aside from Martin, who was technically a tackle in college, not a single guard was taken in the first round. Su’a-Filo is the best true guard prospect in the class by a fair margin. His combination of movement skills, strength, and technique is rare. For reference, Su’a-Filo is as talented or more talented than Chance Warmack and Jonathan Cooper were last year. Even at 19, the Miami Dolphins pick, Su’a-Filo would have been solid value, but getting him in the second round is absurd.
Ra’Shede Hageman: Surprisingly enough, Hageman’s prototype size and athleticism did not earn him a first round selection. To be fair, part of that may be equated to the lack of interior linemen selections altogether, leaving teams to thinking they can get value later. Luckily for him, there are plenty of teams that run 3-4 defenses that would be ecstatic to get him as a 5-tech in the second round. He is rather fundamentally deficient, but his flashes of disruptiveness are unlike any other. If his raw ability can be tamed, Hageman could be a special interior lineman.
Demarcus Lawrence: In a pass rush heavy league, the amount of edge rushers selected in the first round of this year’s draft was surprisingly low. Aside from Jadeveon Clowney, Dee Ford, and Marcus Smith, there were not pure pass rushers selected. Along with a few others, Lawrence is a first round edge rusher that will make those who passed on him in the first round regret doing so. Lawrence is a violent, physically overpowering rusher. He moves fluidly enough in space and has the natural bend around the edge to be able to be a threat on every down. His best fit is as a 3-4 outside linebacker where he can play more freely, but could be just as productive as a 4-3 defensive end.
Jarvis Landry: Despite his middling size, Landry plays much bigger than he measures in at. Landry dominates catch points and has arguably the most impressive catch radius in the class. Unfortunately, Landry’s lack of stunning physical features disabled him from being a first round pick. Not only that, but the rare depth of this receiver class also played a key role in Landry not being a first round receiver. When Landry goes in the second, or even third, round and becomes a productive player, wide receiver thirsty teams from this year will look back and wonder why they chose to pass on Landry.
Telvin Smith: In regards to rangy, athletic linebackers, Ryan Shazier gets all the attention, but Smith is a better version of Shazier. His range and lateral quickness is equivalent, but Smith plays much stronger and more aggressively. Smith can see an opportunity and attack it with no hesitation. Once he is set on his target, there is no stopping him. Along with his all-over-the-field dominance in the run game, Smith is also one of the best coverage linebackers in the class. Teams in need of a Weak-side Linebacker will be keeping close tabs on Smith and others who find interest in him.