NFL Rookies- Mid Round Picks Who Could Have Big Rookie Seasons
ARMANI WATTS | S | TEXAS A&M- CHIEFS- FOURTH ROUND (124TH OVERALL)
During free agency, the Chiefs made two of the more shocking moves by trading starting QB Alex Smith and star CB Marcus Peters while still resembling a team making a push for the playoffs. While the Chiefs did not have a lot of draft capital this year thanks to their trade last year for QB Patrick Mahomes, they did manage to somehow snag a future starting safety in Texas A&M’s Armani Watts. Watts had a productive career in college and while he didn’t receive the same praise as other DBs in the draft, he is without a doubt one of the more proven defenders in the draft and should be able to make an impact in his rookie year opposite star DB Eric Berry.
JOSH SWEAT | DE | FLORIDA STATE- EAGLES- FOURTH ROUND (130TH OVERALL)
The Superbowl champs made a statement in day 2 of the draft by trading ahead of rival Dallas to snag the top TE in the draft in Dallas Goedert but in day 3 they continued to build add to their defense by drafting Florida State pass rusher Josh Sweat in the fourth round. On talent alone, Sweat would have been a first round pick but the biggest issue with him is his health long term and since his knee issues seem to be a problem for the prospect down the road, the Eagles took the risk and are betting on the pass rusher to produce now. The interesting thing is that Sweat may have fallen to the perfect situation; a Superbowl contending team with enough talent at his position to allow him to conserve his energy and health will allow him to play a rotational role rather than be forced to play more than he should. Sweat should be an immediate impact for the Eagles as a situational pass rusher.
MICAH KISER | LB | VIRGINIA- RAMS- FIFTH ROUND (147TH OVERALL)
The Los Angeles Rams traded one of their starting LBs and captains in Alex Ogletree and during the draft may have found his replacement in the fifth round with Virigina’s Micah Kiser. Kiser may not have the same upside as other top LBs in the draft like Roquan Smith or Rashaan Evans, but he does have one thing to show for him be drafted- production. At Virginia, Kiser was a tackling machine (over 400 total tackles in 4 years) and while he may not start day 1 for the Rams’ defense, he should be an immediate role player and could end the season being the Ram’s starting MLB.
MAURICE HURST | DT | MICHIGAN- RAIDERS- FIFTH ROUND (140TH OVERALL)
Michigan’s Maurice Hurst has had an interesting off-season to say the least. After finishing a strong season at Michigan, the news came out that his heart condition and it would jeopardize his chances of playing in the NFL. Leading up to draft day, it became clear that most teams were worried about Hurst’s condition even though he was cleared to play. This however did not stop the Oakland Raiders from selecting the defensive standout in the sixth round thereby sending a message to the rest of the league- they were not going to let Maurice Hurst go undrafted and he will be playing for the Raiders. That being said, the move is still a risky one but if Hurst is cleared to play and the condition does not have a huge affect on his game, head coach Jon Gruden and Raiders may have gotten the biggest steal of the NFL Draft.
DEON CAIN |WR | CLEMSON- COLTS- SIXTH ROUND (185TH OVERALL)
At one point in the college football season, Clemson’s Deon Cain was garnered as a potential first round pick with NFL starting WR talent. Since then he fell off the NFL Draft map landing him in the sixth round with the Colts. Not only is this one of the more surprising draft day slides but it could end up begin one the biggest steals in the entire drafts. The Colts already have their #1 WR in TY Hilton so why not pair him with a bigger WR in Cain who could be yet another target for a returning Andrew Luck. Don’t be surprised if Cain starts the season as the team’s #2 WR.