By Logan Franz
Day 2 of the NFL Draft is always an interesting one. Some teams start to take dart throws on players they believe in while some teams draft players they see as instant contributors to fill holes in their lineups. Which team took which approach and who had the best haul on Day 2 of the draft?
Winners:
Carolina Panthers
In rounds two and three, the Carolina Panthers selected LSU wide receiver Terrace Marshall 59th overall after trading down twice in Round 2. Marshall was a potential first round talent that fell due to injury concerns. He will join an already talented Panthers wide receiver core with DJ Moore and Robby Anderson. With the 70th overall pick, the Panthers selected BYU offensive tackle Brady Christensen who protected Zach Wilson’s blindside in 2020. Yet another pick Panthers ownership used to help out newly acquired quarterback Sam Darnold. Christensen projects as an instant starter in the Panthers offense to help keep Sam Darnold upright. With the 83rd pick in the draft, the Panthers selected Notre Dame tight end Tommy Tremble. Tremble will be a designated blocking tight end in multi tight end sets and will add another element to the PAnthers offense to help open holes for Christian McCaffrey.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns only had two picks on Day 2 but they are prime examples of quality over quantity.The Browns took a projected first rounder Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah with the 52nd overall pick. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah has Owusu-Koramoah as his 15th overall prospect due to his ability to play in coverage as well as blitz off the edge. He’s an athletic hybrid defender that can play a lot of different positions on defense and while be a dynamic addition to the Browns defense. The Browns selected Auburn WR Anthony Schwartz with the 91st overall pick. Schwartz is a former track star, who gives a speed element to a Browns offense complimenting Odell Beckham Jr and Jarvis Landry nicely.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans selected North Dakota St tackle Dillon Radunz at 53rd overall. Radunz is a good mix of a player that needs some polishing to reach his full potential but can also be a capable starter almost immediately. He will be tasked with protecting Ryan Tannehill and help to open up lanes for Derrick Henry. The Titans selected Georgia linebacker Monty Rice 92nd overall. Rice is described as a heat seeking missile in the run game and could prove to be a dynamic player in Mike Vrabel’s defense which struggled last season. The Titans took another defensive playmaker with the 100th overall pick in Washington defensive back Elijah Molden. Molden can play in the slot or outside and has the instincts and ball skills to be a potential ballhawk in the Titans secondary.
Losers:
Houston Texans
The Texans have a lot of question marks and didn’t even have a pick in this draft until the 3rd round. With the their two picks in the 3rd round, the Texans took Stanford quarterback Davis Mills 67th overall and Michigan wide receiver Nico Collins 89th overall. Mills is a project quarterback who provides some intrigue as a future starter but the Texans have a lot of holes and even with Deshaun Watson potentially not playing in 2021, an instant starter would make a lot more sense for a team without any picks in the top two rounds. Collins is a better pick who projects to be a big-bodied strong-handed wide receiver who can help be a safety blanket for whoever is playing quarterback in 2021.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals refused to address the offensive line in the first round and reached on a tackle in the 2nd round, selecting Clemson tackle Jackson Carman 46th overall. Carman projects as a guard in the NFL and is a developmental prospect. Carman was a puzzling pick given some other tackles available. While Carman could pan out, the Bengals needed immediate help on the offensive line and had an opportunity to draft Oklahoma State tackle Teven Jenkins before trading down in the 2nd. There is worry about Joe Burrow’s health coming off of a torn ACL and the Bengals failing to significantly improve the offensive line for another offseason.While the Bengals took a talented edge rusher in Texas’s Joseph Ossai with the 69th overall pick, that doesn’t absolve them from failing to protect Joe Burrow, which should have been their biggest priority this offseason.
Dallas Cowboys
After missing out on the top corners in the first round of this draft, the Cowboys took two on day 2 and both were considered significant reaches. The Cowboys took Kentucky cornerback Kelvin Joseph 44th overall and Oregon State cornerback Naishon Wright 99th overall. The Cowboys also took UCLA defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa 75th overall and Iowa defensive end Chauncey Golston 84th overall. The Cowboys are a prime example of quality over quantity. The had 4 picks on Day 2 and really only one of them (Golston) is likely to be a contributor immediately. That doesn’t mean the other picks can’t develop but it may require patience for an organization that can’t afford to struggle defensively as much as they did last season.
Edited by Emma Moloney