2014 NFL Draft Day Three Grades
Seattle Seahawks C+
The Seahawks obviously excel at developing late-round talent, and they added some decent players yesterday. Kevin Norwood should make a solid impact as a rookie wide receiver, and Boston College linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis was a very nice selection in the fourth. Sixth-round picks Eric Pinkins and Garrett Scott are well-worth close looks in training camp, and Scott is yet another young, versatile offensive lineman set to enter the fray for the Seahawks.
San Francisco 49ers A-
It’s almost ridiculous how good the San Francisco 49ers are at drafting, and they added some more impact players on the third day of the draft. Kaleb Ramsey and Keith Reaser are intriguing developmental prospects with injury issues, and the 49ers (as we saw last year with Marcus Lattimore and Tank Carradine and this year with Brandon Thomas) are completely fine with redshirting injured prospects that fall. Seventh-round fullback Trey Millard is a jack-of-all-trades type who is worth watching carefully in camp. N.C. State product Dontae Johnson is a massive sleeper at the position, and he feels a sizeable hole on the 49ers roster at cornerback. The 49ers also took a fifth-round flier on Aaron Lynch, who has massive talent but big red flags and needs to find his niche in the NFL. Bruce Ellington, though, was the crowning jewel for the 49ers on the third day of the draft, and he was a great value pick in the fourth round. The 49ers needed a guy who can play in the slot and get big yards after the catch, and Ellington is a talented, athletic all-around receiver who also has the long speed to stretch the field if needed. With Anquan Boldin, Michael Crabtree, Stevie Johnson, Quinton Patton, and Ellington, the 49ers have excellent WRs around Colin Kaepernick.
Arizona Cardinals C+
The Cardinals had just three picks on the final day of the draft, but they did a decent job with those three selections. I’m not a fan of Logan Thomas due to his lack of accuracy, absolutely atrocious decision-making, and poor mechanics, but Thomas also has upside due to his running ability and superb size and arm strength. He fits Bruce Arians’s profile of a developmental prospect due to his size, arm, and mobility, and if anyone can turn the raw Thomas into a viable starting quarterback once Carson Palmer leaves, then it would be Arians. The Cardinals took a flier on Murray State wide receiver Walt Powell in the sixth round, and I think he’s ticketed for the practice squad if he doesn’t have an excellent offseason. On paper, Steve Keim’s best pick on day three seems to be Alabama defensive end Ed Stinson, who fits as a 3-4 DE for the Cards. His run defense will ensure that he’ll be a quality guy in the Cards defensive line rotation as a rookie, and the Cardinals should be praised for adding a quality DL at a low price.
St. Louis Rams C+
Les Snead and the St. Louis Rams followed up an excellent first round and solid second day with a decent third day, and they decided to make SMU product Garrett Gilbert, who received some interesting pre-draft buzz from a few scouts and analysts, as their developmental QB behind make-or-break QB Sam Bradford. The Rams also made two notable moves in the secondary, drafting Missouri’s E.J. Gaines and Utah State strong safety Maurice Alexander. Gaines should be a good situational corner for the Rams early in his career, and he was a good value pick in the sixth round. Meanwhile, Alexander has upside as a playmaking safety due to his speed and tackling, but he doesn’t offer much in coverage. As for the Michael Sam pick, I’m a fan. A seventh-round flier is worth taking even on a “tweener” prospect who is too small to play against the run as a 4-3 DE and too slow to effectively rush the passer as 3-4 OLB. Sam was a disruptive star on the Mizzou defensive line last year, and I like him as a fit behind the ridiculous starting talent on the Rams defensive line; Sam can make a positive impact as a sub-package rusher in their 4-3 scheme.