#262: 2021 NFL Draft Recap (NFC East with Cole Thompson)

Sports Krunch w/DKROM

1. Eagles

-With their first-round pick, the Eagles traded up two spots with the division-rival Cowboys, leapfrogging the division-rival Giants to take DeVonta Smith. Now, we all know about DeVonta Smith. He was the 2020 Heisman Trophy winner and despite his size, he does EVERYTHING you want a WR to do. While I personally expect DeVonta Smith to have at LEAST a very good career (as in multiple Pro Bowls plus an All Pro honor or two), the Eagles, at least in my view, could have done a lot better by beginning their rebuild with Justin Fields. Do you think the Eagles should have taken Justin Fields, or is DeVonta Smith the kind of player you want to begin a roster overhaul with?

-In the second-round the Eagles, as they do often, rolled the dice on an extremely talented, yet often-injured player in Landon Dickerson. After the pick was made, many, if not most, said he would redshirt in 2021 and then replace Jason Kelce as the Eagles center of the future in 2022. However, they announced him as a guard and Chris Trapasso, lead NFL Draft analyst at CBS Sports, believes he’s a better bet at guard. If you were the Eagles, where would you plan to play Landon Dickerson?

-With their third-round pick, the Eagles went back to the trenches and took a favorite of several notable voices on Draft Twitter, Louisiana Tech DT Milton Williams. That said, Williams was introduced as a defensive end in the draft. Is the long-term outlook for Milton Williams as a potential replacement for Fletcher Cox at DT, or can you see him as a replacement for Brandon Graham at DE while kicking inside in sub-packages?

2. Cowboys

-After trading back two spots, the Cowboys began their defensive-heavy draft with Penn State LB Micah Parsons. While LB was a pretty big need in Big D given Jaylon Smith’s inconsistencies and Leighton Vander Esch’s inability to stay healthy, several people whose opinions I value did not view Parsons as high as many in the NFL and media did. Did you consider Micah Parsons to be the best defensive prospect in this draft class?

-In the second-round, the Cowboys addressed the position they initially hoped to address in the first round, corner, with Kentucky’s Kelvin Joseph. Like Parsons, Joseph had some off-field concerns, but you also cannot deny his freakish athleticism. If he keeps his head on straight, just how high is his ceiling?

-The Cowboys had three picks in the third round and again, used all of them on defense with UCLA DT Osa Odighizuwa, Iowa DE Chauncey Golston and Oregon State CB Nahshon Wright. Which of those three is the likeliest to grow into a long-time contributor for the Cowboys?

3. Giants

-In a move NOBODY expected, the Giants traded down in the first round after the Eagles snuck up and stole DeVonta Smith from them. They ended up at 20 overall and selected another weapon for Daniel Jones in Florida WR Kadarius Toney. Some didn’t understand this pick given the presence of Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton, but what those people either forgot or just don’t know is that Florida didn’t list Toney at any position. How does Kadarius Toney fit into the Giants offense this season and what is the best way for Jason Garrett to utilize his skill-set?

-In the second round, the Giants not only got a potential steal, they addressed arguably the lone remaining weak-spot on their defense, which was EDGE, with Georgia’s Azeez Ojulari. What does Ojulari bring to the Giants edge pass rush that nobody else currently on the roster does?