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The latest seven round mock draft has arrived from NFL.com, by way of Chad Reuter, and just as you’d guess, it’s loaded with Buckeyes. For each pick, I’ve added a little bit of my own opinion on fit and team situation.
Nick Bosa, 1.3, New York Jets: The Jets can use all the talent they can get right now, and while I’m not sure end is their greatest need, I think Bosa will fit in right away. Plus, with Gregg Williams coordinating the defense, Bosa can remain a 4-3 end rather than moving to more of an edge rush role in a 3-4 like some analysts have mentioned.
Dwayne Haskins, 1.9, Miami: With Ryan Tannehill gone, and Ryan Fitzpatrick as seemingly the only competition in town, Dwayne could be a day one starter if the Dolphins move up to ninth and grab him. Offensive coordinator worked with Tom Brady when he was in New England with new head coach Brian Flores, so maybe Dwayne can get some of the BRady influence. Even if not, the offense is pretty quarterback friendly.
Parris Campbell, 2.42, Cincinnati: Cincinnati is just going to keep drafting fast receivers forever, aren’t they? It’s certainly a solid situation for Parris, with AJ Green there to take attention away from him, while he racks up 60 catches a year for a decade from Andy Dalton’s decrepit corpse.
Dre’Mont Jones, 3.70, Tampa Bay: This is a steal for Tampa Bay at this point in the draft. Jones is never going to be a superstar, but he should see early playing time with the Bucs.
Terry McLaurin, 3.93, New York Jets: Terry should provide a steady weapon for Sam Darnold, which will keep him on the roster for the foreseeable future as at least a solid contributor. Pair that with his blocking and leadership and this feels like another pretty great fit.
Mike Weber, 4.122, Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh seems to need a new backup halfback now that James Conner has taken over the starting job, and Mike is exactly the gritty, tough runner that the Steelers love to have.
Michael Jordan, 5.140, Oakland: I wouldn’t wish playing for Jon Gruden on anyone.
Kendall Sheffield, 5.168, New Orleans: Kendall joins the New Orleans Buckeyes, and will get the chance to learn from their backfield, which happens to be filled entirely with former Ohio State stars.
Johnnie Dixon, 6.178, Jacksonville: Jacksonville certainly isn’t a great spot to land, but they do have some talent at receiver, meaning that Dixon won’t have to do a ton right away. He could establish himself as a deep play threat and find a niche on that roster, especially with Nick Foles at quarterback.
Haskins dropping?
Contrary to what the above mock draft may think, there seems to be a common thread amongst “NFL people” that Dwayne Haskins is less popular in NFL front offices than he is among media and fans. SBNation’s Geoff Schwartz talked about Haskins’ stock this week, and echoed those beliefs:
There’s not a great track record of NFL success for quarterbacks who have only been a one-year starter in college. Haskins has the physical tools but needs to continue to learn coverages and not be baited into bad throws. This is why he’s dropping and I think out of the top 10. Drew Lock and maybe even Daniel Jones will go ahead of him.
Now, from my own perspective, I think this is nonsense. I’ve seen NFL teams do the whole “smokescreen” thing prior to draft day for years now, and this feels a whole lot like a smokescreen by teams lower in the draft (perhaps a team like the Bengals) trying to get teams higher up to flinch and let Haskins fall. Is there a chance this isn’t the case? Sure, but it sure does feel a whole lot like the classic NFL move.
Regardless, Haskins will be put into a good place to succeed wherever he lands, because he’s a great quarterback, and some team, whether it’s in the top ten or the top 25, will recognize that.
Baldwin replacement?
I’ve seen quite a few names thrown out in the last 24 hours or so following Matthew Baldwin’s decision to transfer away from Ohio State. I wrote my own list, and have seen other similar lists that named players like Kentucky’s Gunnar Hoak as another potential option.
One name that hadn’t been talked about a ton, at least not until this morning, was 2019 prospect JP Andrade. As Garrett Stepien points out, Ohio State had Andrade on campus for the spring game, and seems to have extended some sort of offer, likely as a preferred walk-on.
Now, does Andrade solve the problem? I don’t think so. He’s not better than Chris Chugunov, and won’t be for at least a few years, meaning he has no real value for the Buckeyes this season. However, a warm body is a warm body, and if the Buckeyes can’t find a capable grad transfer, they may look to bring Andrade in.