I usually like to classify the NFL Draft into 3 parts. Day one of if where you get your franchise impact players, Day two is where you get starters and people to fill holes in you rotation, Day three is for the scouts and sleepers that are not very well known. Today I will be going over some of the players that were picked on Day three that have a chance to actually stick on with their team that drafted them in the AFC South Division.
Tennessee Titans:
112th overall – NT DaQuan Jones 6’4 322 lbs from Penn State
122nd overall – FS Marqueston Huff 5’11 196 lbs from Wyoming
151st overall – ILB Avery Williamson 6’1 246 lbs from Kentucky
178th overall – QB Zach Mettenberger 6’5 224 lbs from LSU
How they fit in – DaQuan Jones will fit perfectly in Ray Horton’s scheme, he likes big guys up front and Jones maybe starting sooner rather than later. Huff will provide depth at FS, while Williamson will fight to make the team as a special teams player. Mettenberger has a few red flags, being convicted of a sexual assault case, and a possible failed drug test, but as a 6th round pick, it’s hard to pass up the guy with the strongest arm in the draft. If Locker gets hurt or fails to impress, Mettenberger fits the type of QB that Coach Whisenhunt usually likes, big guy with a strong arm.
Jacksonville Jaguars:
115th overall – CB Aaron Colvin 5’11 177 lbs from Oklahoma
144th overall – OLB Telvin Smith 6’3 218 lbs from Florida State
159th overall – DE Chris Smith 6’1 266 lbs from Arkansas
205th overall – OC Luke Bowanko 6’5 293 lbs from Virginia
222nd overall – RB Storm Johnson 6 209 lbs from UCF
How they fit in – Colvin and both Smiths will make the team just because this is a team that really needs help on the defensive side of the ball. Colvin will have to gain some strength and T.Smith will have to add about 20 lbs, while Chris Smith will be there just to compete while adding depth. You can always have competition on the o-line, Bowanko helps there, while Storm Johnson is a talented back that may end up being the primary backup to Toby Gerhart.
Houston Texans:
135th overall – QB Tom Savage 6’4 228 lbs from Pittsburgh
177th overall – DE Jeoffrey Pagan 6’3 310 lbs from Alabama
181st overall – RB Alfred Blue 6’2 223 lbs from LSU
211th overall – FB Jay Prosch 6’1 245 lbs from Auburn
216th overall – CB Andre Hal 5’10 188 lbs from Vanderbilt
256th overall – FS Lonnie Ballentine 6’3 219 lbs from Memphis (Mr. Irrelevant)
How they fit in – I am not as high on Savage as others are, but he will compete with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Case Keenum for snaps around this high powered team. Pagan will probably be the 4th DE, but that should be good enough to make the team. Blue will have a chance to get the 3rd RB spot, but it will be tough. Prosch and Hal will have to do well on special teams to make the roster, while Mr. Irrelevant, Lonnie Ballentine, may not make the roster, but he will get a lot of free stuff for being picked last.
Indianapolis Colts:
166th overall – DE Jonathan Newsome 6’3 247 lbs from Ball State
203rd overall – ILB Andrew Jackson 6’1 254 lbs from Western Kentucky
232nd overall – OT Ulrick John 6’5 288 lbs from Georgia State
How they fit in – Not going to spend too much time here because Newsome will have to switch to OLB with his small size and both Jackson and John will have to fight on special teams. None of the 3 are guaranteed a roster spot, so they will all have an uphill battle.
It was a great three days for the NFL, with the draft being the most watched draft of all time. It was great drama as people wondered where Johnny Manziel would go, where the QBs would drop to, and then finally where would Michael Sam go, which was to the Rams. Now that the fun is over with, these players will have to take off their suits and get into uniforms and proved that they deserved to be picked where they were. The next 100 days, will be when the REAL fun begins for us fans.
