NFL Draft Notebook: Minnesota Vikings are big winners and much more
By John Blair
The 2021 NFL Draft saw several teams put together strong draft classes, however, we also had a handful of teams make questionable draft picks. The team that leads the pack in this category is the Las Vegas Raiders.
NFL Draft Losers
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders made several reaches during the 2021 NFL Draft starting with their first-round selection of Alex Leatherwood. While right tackle was a need for the team, Alex Leatherwood only carried a third-round grade on NFL Mocks’ draft board. The team easily could have waited to the second round to address this need with a higher regarded prospect such as Dillon Radunz, Jackson Carman or Jalen Mayfield.
On the second day of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Raiders got good value in their second-round selection of Trevon Moehrig. However, they then reached again in the third round by taking Buffalo linebacker Malcolm Koonce and safety Divine Deablo. Both of these prospects were graded as sixth-round picks and show limited upside.
None of the team’s picks on the third day would be considered good value picks, and it would not be a surprise if most of them did not make the roster.
Dallas Cowboys
While the Dallas Cowboys did address the defensive side of the ball in this year’s draft, they could have used their picks on better prospects. The first questionable pick for Dallas came in the second round when they picked Kelvin Joseph. The Cowboys would have been much better off picking Asante Samuel Jr. with this selection and will likely regret passing on him in a couple of years.
In the third round, the team reached for another cornerback when they picked Nahshon Wright with the 99th pick. Wright is someone who carried a sixth-round grade and there were still far better prospects on the board including Ifeatu Melifonwu, Ambry Thomas and Elijah Molden.
On day three, the Cowboys also picked players higher than they should have been drafted. For example, their fourth-round pick Josh Ball carried a sixth-round grade and sixth-round pick Quinton Bohanna graded out as a priority free agent.
New Orleans Saints
There were two major reaches in the first round of the NFL Draft with the first one being the Las Vegas Raiders selection of Alex Leatherwood and the other one being when the New Orleans Saints chose Payton Turner with the 28th pick. While Turner does have ideal size and a strong motor he graded out as a fourth-round pick. It is hard to see him earning a starting job next season, which is something you would expect from a first-round pick.
The other pick New Orleans made that is questionable is when they took Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book in the fourth round. It is hard to see Book becoming anything more than a backup in the NFL due to his limited upside.
Los Angeles Rams
While the Rams did get several players who should make an impact the team also made some questionable choices during the 2021 NFL Draft. Their first pick of the draft came in the second round when they picked wide receiver Tutu Atwell. While Atwell is an explosive player who could be a dangerous weapon in the Rams offense, they likely could have traded down to the third round and still picked him up.
However, the real issue with the Rams picks is what they did in the third and fourth rounds. South Carolina linebacker Ernest Jones is a linebacker who is good vs the run but really struggles in coverage. While Texas A&M’s defensive tackle Bobby Brown III was not as big of a reach as Jones but still picked higher than he should have been.
On the positive side, the Rams did get some good value in the draft with their selection of cornerback Robert Rochell in the fourth round. Rochell is an athletic small school player with the upside to eventually become a starter.