NFL Draft Day 2 Winners And Losers

Dalvin Cook 1
Michigan safety Delano Hill (44) attempts to stop Florida State running back Dalvin Cook (4, during the first half of the Orange Bowl NCAA college football game, Friday, Dec. 30, 2016, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

The 2nd and 3rd rounds of the NFL Draft have been completed and these are guys that should have an impact on your favorite NFL team. Here are some of the winners and losers of the day.

NFL Draft Day 2 Winners And Losers

Winner: Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens have really put a focus on rebuilding their defense in this draft. In the first round, they picked a lockdown cornerback from Alabama in Marlon Humphrey. 

In the second round, they chose Tyus Bowser, outside linebacker from Houston. This pick should help with the departure of Elvis Dumervil earlier in the offseason. Mike Mayock has compares Bowser to Haason Reddick from Temple who went to the Arizona Cardinals in the 1st round. He is still a little raw according to Mayock but has a lot of potential. 

In the 3rd round, they chose Chris Wormley, a defensive end from Michigan and Tim Williams, outside linebacker from Alabama. 

Wormley at 6’5″ 298 lbs, is a big body that can move. He is strong at the point of attack and is also able to rush the passer. Originally projected to go in the 2nd round, the Ravens got great value with this pick. 

In Williams, they get a talented pass rusher with some off the field trouble. Failed multiple drug tests at Alabama and was charged with a misdemeanor gun charge. On the field, he has burst and explosion off the line of scrimmage and can bend around the corner to get to the quarterback. A great value pick. 

Winner: Minnesota Vikings

With no pick in the 1st round pick, the Vikings had to have a big Day 2 and they nailed it. With the 41st overall pick in the 2nd round, they chose running back Dalvin Cook out of Florida State. Widely considered as one of the most talented running backs in the draft, he fell out of the 1st round because of off the field run-ins with the police and fumble problems. On the other hand, Cook is speedy as displayed with his 4.49-second 4o-yard dash at the combine. He possesses quick feet and gets downhill in a hurry. Not a power back but has a nose for the end zone and consistently rises to the occasion. 

The Vikings 3rd round pick was Pat Elflein, center out of The Ohio State University. With their center Joe Berger getting up there in age at 34, it was time to grab a center with some big time experience. Elflein is a 3-year starter and played both guard and center. While he has average feet, he makes up for it with his strength and versatility.

Loser: Denver Broncos

The Broncos continue to draft for need in this draft and that is not always a good thing. It was projected that they would take an offensive lineman in the 1st round and that is exactly what happened. 

The Broncos wanted to add ‘juice’ to their offense during this draft and going into the 2nd round, I felt like they would do just that. However, with Curtis Samuel going off the draft board early and the controversial Joe Mixon being picked by Cincinnati, they chose to go with DeMarcus Walker, a defensive end from Florida State. Walker is a strong end that is relentless in trying to get to the quarterback. At Florida State, he registered 25 sacks the last 2 seasons which is a very high number. A great player that his college coach Jimbo Fisher raved about, but the Broncos probably could have gotten him in the 3rd round, where we had him mocked (going to Denver).

The two 3rd round picks, however, may reap rewards but can be classified as reaches. Carlos Henderson, wide receiver out of Louisiana Tech is a speed demon that will contribute immediately on special teams. However, being a 5’11” receiver that comes from a non-power five conference is not exactly high on many teams wish lists. He was a touchdown machine at Louisiana Tech but may have been a reach in the 3rd round where better position players were left on the board.  

The last pick of the night for Denver was Brendan Langley, cornerback out of Lamar University. Langley originally was enrolled at the University of Georgia where he was asked to play wide receiver. He switched back to corner and transferred to Lamar for more playing time. He has very fast top end speed but is still very raw as a cornerback. Langley was projected as a 5th or 6th round pick and the Broncos took him late in the 3rd round. Time will tell his impact as he has tremendous talent, but it’s a bit of stretch for me when he could have been taken tomorrow.