Kenneth Harrison
Southern Draft
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2019 NFL Draft is in the books.
Some teams drafted well and others made some head scratching decisions. I’m going to take a look at the NFC South and rate each teams draft.
Atlanta Falcons: Picks: Boston College OG Chris Lindstrom; Washington OT Kaleb McGary; Ohio State CB Kendall Sheffield; Charleston DE John Cominsky; Pittsburgh RB Qadree Ollison; Washington CB Jordan Miller; Louisiana-Monroe WR Marcus Green
With the 14th pick, guard Chris Lindstrom was selected. The offensive line needs to improve but Lindstrom was rated as a late first round pick at best. Then they traded the second and third round picks to get the 31st pick. The Falcons selected tackle Kaleb McGary.
He was not going to be selected in the first round. If Atlanta wanted him, they could have waited. The trade up value was not good and McGary has issues handling edge-rush speed. The strength of this draft was defense, especially in rounds 2 and 3. Atlanta missed on adding impact players on defense. Grade: C
Carolina Panthers: Picks: Florida State DE Brian Burns; Mississippi OT Greg Little; West Virginia QB Will Grier; Alabama DE Christian Miller; Florida RB Jordan Scarlett; South Carolina OT Dennis Daley; Georgia WR Terry Godwin
Burns was a great pick. He should make an impact rushing the passer immediately and he can develop his game over the next few years.
Daley and Godwin were good value picks in Rounds 6 and 7. They also doubled up on pass rushers by selecting Christian Miller. Grade: B+
New Orleans Saints: Picks: Texas A&M C Erik McCoy; Florida S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson; Rutgers S Saquan Hampton; Notre Dame TE Alize Mack; Idaho LB Kaden Elliss
Erik McCoy was a great pick for the Saints. He has Day 1 talent mixed with intelligence, toughness and competitiveness. New Orleans needs him to protect an aging Drew Brees.
Safety Gardner-Johnson was a good pick as well, addressing a position of need. The first two picks were good but I’m not sold on the rest of the players they selected. Alize Mack was rated as a top recruit going to Notre Dame. He never played like it in college. The Saints need to win now so they don’t have the luxury to develop these players. Grade: C
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Picks: LSU LB Devin White; Central Michigan DB Sean Bunting; Auburn CB Jamel Dean; Kentucky S Mike Edwards; Iowa OLB Anthony Nelson; Utah K Matt Gay; Bowling Green WR Scott Miller; Missouri DT Terry Beckner Jr.
Devin White is a great pick. I expect him to be a Pro Bowler for the next decade. He has great closing speed and athleticism.
Jamal Dean is a questionable pick because of his injury history. He was medically disqualified to play football by Ohio State due to his suffering multiple knee injuries in high school. He sat out 2015, transferring from Columbus to Auburn, which cleared him to play.
Dean suffered yet another knee injury in preseason 2016 camp, which sidelined him for the year.
The Bucs ignored the offensive and defensive lines for some reason. They also drafted a second kicker in four years. Grade: C-
Coming Soon To Atlanta
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NFL draft is this week. I’m excited to see what my favorite team, the Atlanta Falcons do with their picks. I’m going to try to see who they should select in the first round.
There are several needs for the Falcons. The offense was very good with Matt Ryan finishing the season third in passing yards. Julio Jones was first in receiving yards. The offensive line had trouble protecting the 150 million dollar man, though.
Ryan was sacked 42 times this past season, the eighth most in the NFL and the second most in a single season during his career. The quarterback was hit 113 times in all, the third most in the league, tied with Tampa Bay, and ranking ahead of just San Francisco (124) and Houston (136). The Saints allowed the fewest quarterback hits (53).
Ryan was hit 32 times in the month of November alone, an NFL high in that span.
Running back is also an issue because Tevin Coleman left for San Francisco as a free agent. Devonta Freeman was injured and only played in two games in 2018.
The defense has the most glaring needs and I expect that to be addressed with the early picks. Safeties Keanu Neal and Deion Jones were injured for the season and that played a factor in why the defense struggled.
Atlanta cut ties with Robert Alford and let slot corner Brian Poole leave in free agency. That means corner back is also a big need. They need help at every level on defense but defensive line might be the most pressing need.
The Falcons earned two compensatory picks after the NFL determined that the four players lost by the Falcons — defensive end Adrian Clayborn, wide receiver Taylor Gabriel, defensive tackle Dontari Poe, and specialist Andre Roberts — were of greater value than the two free agents the team gained, right guard Brandon Fusco and tight end Logan Paulsen.
That’s good news because they have nine picks. The first is No. 14 and they should draft someone like Ed Oliver if he’s available. They may need to trade up into the top 10 to make that happen. Oliver is 6’2, 7/8 and 287 pounds. He isn’t considered tall for an interior lineman but I don’t think that matters.
Aaron Donald is the best defensive tackle in the league and he’s only 6’1.
Right tackle Jawaan Taylor (Florida) is someone that might be a good fit. He’s 6’5, 328 lbs. so he has very good size. In 2018 he was named Second Team All-SEC and he started in 12 of the 13 games at right tackle.
Montez Sweat (Mississippi State) is a great edge rusher. Last season he had 50 tackles, 24 solo, 8.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble. In 2017, he had 10.5 sacks. Sweat is 6’6 and 245 pounds, which is prototypical size.
Brian Burns (Florida State) is also a great edge rusher that might still be an option if Atlanta doesn’t trade up. Burns had 31 solo tackles, 10 sacks and 3 forced fumbles this past season. He also fits the mold of what a dominant pass rusher looks like, standing at 6’5, 235 pounds.
We cannot say for sure who is going to be picked until draft night but I’m really looking forward to see who is picked. I think the first pick has to be a defensive lineman.
March Madness Roller Coaster
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2019 Men’s NCAA Tournament is one of the most surprising in as long as I can remember.
Duke looked like a lock to win it all when the season began. After Zion Williamson was injured in February, the team struggled. Once he returned for the ACC Tournament, the Blue Devils were back on track.
Other than the first round, Duke struggled in the tournament. They barely beat UCF and Virginia Tech. Then they lost to Michigan State in the Elite 8.
North Carolina is another No. 1 seed from the ACC that was expected to reach the Final 4. They only advanced to the Sweet 16 and lost 97-80 to Auburn.
The Tigers were the lowest seed (No. 5) to reach the Final 4. They are known as a football school that typically has a poor basketball team. They beat a few blue blood programs in the tournament like Kansas, UNC and Kentucky.
No. 3 seed Texas Tech had a great season. They won the Big 12 regular season title. Kansas had a streak of 14 consecutive Big 12 titles that the Red Raiders snapped. Texas Tech ranked third nationally in scoring defense, only allowing an average of 58.8 points per game.
They beat a very good No. 2 Michigan State in the Final 4 to advance to the national championship game. Virginia had also never won a national title before. It was the first title game where both teams had not won before since 1979.
Virginia has to be the most resilient team I have ever seen. Last season they were the first No. 1 seed to lose to a 16 — the one thing that had never happened in a tournament where anything can. They did not just lose; they were blown out by 20 points against University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). That was an embarrassing loss that the Cavaliers tried to overcome all season.
Going into the tournament, I did not have any faith at all in Virginia because of that. It looked like they were going to do the same thing this year. In the first round against No. 16 Gardner-Webb, they were down by 14 points in the first half. The Cavs cut the deficit to 6 points at halftime.
It looked like history was going to repeat itself. UVA did not panic and they came out in the second half and outscored the Runnin’ Bulldogs 41-20. They are led by their defense which was the best in college basketball, only allowing 55.5 ppg.
The road to the championship was difficult. They beat No.3 Purdue in the Elite 8 in overtime 80-75. They beat Auburn in the Final 4 63-62.
Sophomore guard De’Andre Hunter helped lead them this season. He averages 15 ppg, 5 rpg and he shoots 52% from the field. In the championship game, he scored 27 points and had 9 rebounds. The Cavaliers won in overtime 85-77.
“Surreal,” Hunter called it. “It’s a goal we started out with at the beginning of the season. We knew we were going to bounce back from last year. We achieved our dreams.”
They went from the lowest point last season to the pinnacle one year later.
“I told them, I just want a chance at a title fight one day,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. “That’s all I want. … You’re never alone in the hills and the valleys we faced in the last year.”
This might have been the best season of college basketball in history with all of the upsets and storylines.
Worst Of The worst
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NBA regular season is almost over. We know who the top contenders are and also the struggling teams. This makes me wonder what is the worst division in the league?
It looks like the Southeast division is by far the weakest. The best team, the Miami Heat are only 38-38. Every other division leader has at least 50 wins.
Miami currently holds the eighth seed in the playoffs. Orlando (38-39) is ninth and Charlotte (35-41) is tenth.
The other two teams in the division, Washington (32-46) and Atlanta (28-49) are terrible.
One of the reasons the division is so bad is because it lacks talent. Only four players made the 2019 All-Star Game and only one was a starter. They were Kemba Walker (24.9 PPG, 5.6 APG), Nikola Vucevic (20.4 PPG, 10.6 RPG), Bradley Beal (25.1 PPG, 5.4 APG) and Dwyane Wade (14 PPG). Being honest, Wade was voted in out of sympathy because it is his last season.
Walker has made three All-Star appearances. John Wall is also an elite player that has made five All-Star teams but he was injured in December (ruptured Achilles) and he is out the rest of the year.
Historically, these teams are some of the worst in the NBA. The Miami Heat are the most successful with three championships. All of them came this century. The only other franchises that have championships are the Washington Bullets (1978) and St. Louis Hawks (1958).
The Orlando Magic have reached the Finals twice. Charlotte has never made a Finals appearance. Another possible reason for the lack of success might be due to having several smaller markets.
Fans in the South may have better days ahead due to the young talent available. Rookie Trae Young got off to a slow start when the season began. The Hawks drafted Luka Doncic and traded him on draft night for Young.
I still feel that Doncic is the better player but Atlanta also gained an additional first round pick this year because of that trade. I think that could turn out to be a great move in the long run.
Young has averaged 25.8 PPG, 9.0 APG and 4.4 RPG since the All-Star break and became only the eighth rookie in league history to log at least 35 points and 11 assists in a game during the Hawks’ 133–111 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The 20-year-olds claim to the rookie class’ highest honor has since gained traction, with Donovan Mitchell, Kyle Kuzma and Blake Griffin all declaring Young the victor after he dropped 32 points, 11 assists and a game-winner on the Philadelphia 76ers.
The current projected draft order will have Atlanta picking fifth and sixth overall.
Washington should have the seventh pick. Charlotte (12th), Miami (13th) and Orlando (15th) all have high draft picks. They all have the opportunity to acquire great players that can change the hopes of the franchise.
I cannot picture any of these teams being contenders next season but they can improve. I think we will see multiple teams from the Southeast make the playoffs in 2020.
ACC Still King
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We’re heading in to the second week of March Madness and so far, it has been exciting. We have the usual upsets like 12 seed Murray State beating Marquette, a five seed. \
The ACC is known as the best basketball conference and to some extent, they proved it. They also have raised some questions with the overall performance after the first weekend. They have sent the most teams (5) to the next round.
Duke is the number one overall seed in the tournament and top seed in the East. They are the only clear-cut favorite to win it all but they struggled in the round of 32. The opponent was No. 9 seed Central Florida and they won a nail biter, 77-76.
This game was much closer than anyone expected and the Blue Devils took the lead in the final minute. I’m not sure if this is a cause for concern for Duke or just a close game that can happen during the tournament.
For instance, 5th seed Auburn beat 12th seed New Mexico State by one point in the first round. Then they turned around and beat Kansas.
The Sweet 16 opponent for Duke is an ACC team, 4th seed Virginia Tech. The Hokies beat Duke at home last month. That was a game without Zion Williamson and the Blue Devils went 0-3 during that stretch. Duke is a completely different team with Zion so Va Tech cannot put much stock in their previous game.
We did not expect UCF to almost beat the Blue Devils so anything can happen. I do believe this will be a very close game but Duke should win.
No.1 seed Virginia has rebounded well after last season’s debacle. They became the first one seed to lose to a 16 seed in last year’s tournament. They appeared to be headed in the same direction this year. Gardner-Webb led Virginia by as many as 14 points in the first half. They went into the half leading by 6.
UVA came back in the second half and won71-56. In the second round, they beat Oklahoma. I have little faith in the Cavaliers because of what they did last season.
They play 12 seed Oregon in the next round. The Ducks lost their best player, Bol Bol for the season back in December. Virginia should win easily.
Florida State is the 4 seed and they play the top seed in the West, Gonzaga. These teams have recent history since they played in the tournament last season.
The Seminoles won easily, 75-60. You know Gonzaga is looking for revenge and that will make this the must watch game of the Sweet 16.
FSU is a team full of tall and athletic players that can defend. With that said, I think the Bulldogs are a better team this season and they should walk away with the win.
North Carolina is the top seed in the Midwest and they will face off against 5 seed Auburn.
The Tigers are a very good team and they won the SEC tournament. They are not a traditional powerhouse in basketball but Coach Bruce Pearl has turned that program around.
UNC is too talented though and I think they will win the national championship. That means I’m picking the Tar Heels to win the game.
Panthers Wearing The Glass Slipper?
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When you think major college basketball in my home state Georgia Tech and Georgia come to mind.
Both of those programs did not do well this season and they are not playing in the NCAA Tournament. Surprisingly, the only team from the Peach State in the Big Dance is Georgia State.
Head coach Ron Hunter led the Panthers to the tournament two previous times in 2015 and 2018. In 2015 as a No. 14 seed they upset No. 3 Baylor. They have tournament experience, so they should not be intimidated.
The Panthers finished 24-9. They are a very balanced team with five players that average double figures. Junior guard D’Marcus Simonds is the leading scorer with 18.4 points per game. He also averages 5 rebounds per game and 4 assists.
Senior forward Malik Benlevi leads the team in rebounds with 6 rpg. The Savannah native also averages 12 ppg. Senior guard and Alabama transfer Devin Mitchell also averages 12 ppg.
Sophomore guard Kane Williams and senior forward Jeff Thomas both average 11 ppg. Thomas is the only starter that’s not from Georgia.
The Panthers played two SEC teams and beat both of them. They trounced Georgia in the Cayman Islands Classic 91-67. They defeated Alabama on the road 83-80.
GSU got to the tournament by winning the Sun Belt Conference tournament. Their conference record was 13-5 so they finished the regular season with the best record.
There were some upsets in the Sun Belt tournament so they played UT Arlington in the championship game. The Mavericks finished fourth in conference play but their overall record is only 17-16.
Georgia State won the game 73-64. UTA went on an 8-0 run in the second half, cutting Georgia State’s lead to 64-60 with less than two minutes to play.
Junior guard Damon Wilson broke up the run with two free throws, and Williams extended the lead back to eight with another two free throws. UTA missed multiple 3’s in an attempt to come back, and with 56 seconds left, Simonds converted a free throw to make it a 10-point game.
“We weren’t the greatest free throw shooting, and I couldn’t understand it because we shoot the ball so well,” said Georgia State coach Ron Hunter. “But we have been great at the end of the game with five minutes left. With five minutes left in the game we’ve been tremendous free throw shooters.”
“I knew when we get it inside five we were pretty locked in at that particular time, and that’s when you have to make them.”
The Panthers are the No. 14 seed in the Midwest region. They will play No. 3 seed Houston (31-3) in the first round. The Cougars had a great season and finished the regular season in first place in the AAC. They lost the conference tournament championship to Cincinnati.
They are led by head coach Kelvin Sampson, who previously coached at Oklahoma and Indiana.
I think that there is a very good chance of GSU pulling an upset. I thought Houston was an elite team prior to losing to Cincy. I think they may have been exposed in that game.
The game is Friday March 22nd at 7:20 pm. We will see how it plays out.
Best Foot Forward
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Going in to conference tournaments, I have one provocative question.
Is North Carolina a legit national title contender? That might seem like a silly question. The No. 3 Tar Heels (26-5) just beat their archrival Duke for the second time this season. They finished second in the ACC.
“It was a big-time win. It was ugly as it could be,” Coach Roy Williams told reporters. “The last six minutes, I think we made no field goals. Cam (Johnson) stepped up to the free-throw line and made two big free throws. Garrison (Brooks) stepped up and had really struggled, but made two big free throws. Cody (White) was a mess there for a while. It was hard for people to handle.”
You might be wondering why I would even question that given the outcome of this season. In the era of the one and done players, UNC rarely gets elite talent. That’s a head scratcher for a blue blood program like them.
We see other top programs like Duke, Kentucky and Kansas get top recruiting classes. North Carolina had the 14th ranked 2018 recruiting classes. I think their lack of top-flight talent is their Achilles hill.
That has been shown in most of their losses. In the Las Vegas Invitational, they lost to Texas 92 – 89. The Longhorns had the 8th ranked recruiting class.
Two games later they lost convincingly (84-67) at No. 10 Michigan. The Wolverines 2018 recruiting class was ranked 12th.
The Tar Heels also lost to No. 4 Kentucky (80-72) in the CBS Sports Classic. The Wildcats had the second ranked recruiting class. This same Kentucky team was demolished by 34 points against Duke.
I think the Blue Devils are a totally different team with Zion Williamson on the court. UNC has dodged a bullet by not having to play against him for more than 33 seconds in both meetings. I think the outcome of those games would have been different if he played.
The other two loses were at home against Louisville and No. 2 Virginia.
This is a rare season where there are several teams competing for the national championship. Duke was the clear-cut favorite prior to the injury to Zion. He still has not returned so I’m going to assume he will not play again for the rest of the season. Coach K said he practiced before the season finale but he did not suit up.
UNC will get a top seed in the NCAA tournament. That will make their path to the Final Four easier. They are not the most talented team but they do have experience. The leading scorer is senior guard Cameron Johnson with 16.8 points per game.
Senior forward Luke Maye averages 14.6 ppg. They also have some young talent with freshman guard Coby White who contributes 16 ppg and 4 assists per game.
I think the experience will help, as they get deeper in the tournament. They have shown that they can get overwhelmed against top competition but anything can happen during March Madness.
Feeling Blue
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The college basketball regular season is winding down this week. Before the season began, Duke looked to be head and shoulders above everyone else.
Then they played archrival North Carolina and Zion Williamson was injured 33 seconds after tip off. We all saw his shoe explode and he’s been out with a knee sprain.
Zion is extremely explosive and he will be the top pick in the upcoming NBA draft. He has missed the last three games and we do not know when he will return. The question is can Duke still win a title without Zion?
I’ll give a quick recap of how life has been without Zion. The Blue Devils lost to UNC the game he was injured. They followed that up by getting revenge against Syracuse. Then they lost on the road to No. 20 Virginia Tech. They finally looked good against Miami, routing the Hurricanes 87 – 57.
On paper, Duke has the talent to still be a number one seed. They signed the top three recruits in 2019. RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish are also projected to be top five draft picks. The weak link has been point guard Tre Jones. Jones was five-star recruit and the No. 1 point guard in the class of 2018.
Jones averages 8.5 points per game and 5 assists per game. In the game against Va Tech, the Hokies did not guard him. They dared him to shoot and collapsed the extra defender in the paint. He has to play like the elite player he was projected to be to give the Blue Devils a chance to win it all.
Coach K has given us some updates about Zion and if he will return.
“No. He hasn’t done anything with contact,” Krzyzewski said. “But he’s moving really well. But contact makes you do things that you don’t think about. You have to get past that phase of things. We’re not in any hurry or whatever.
“The other thing with Zion, he’s an exquisite athlete. There aren’t people like him, athletically,” Krzyzewski said. “And so, he has to be 100 percent so that his body has always responded instinctively to what his mind and heart feel. And his body then, well, we’ve seen it. You can’t put him out there with any less than that. You cannot. You cannot. And we won’t. We won’t. But it’s getting better.”
The remaining regular season games are against Wake Forest and at North Carolina. The game against the Demon Deacons will be an easy win so I expect him to sit out. I think the season finale against UNC is where Zion will make his return. There is a lot on the line with that game in addition to being the best rivalry in college basketball.
UNC and Virginia are tied for first place in the ACC. Duke is one game behind them in second place. Winning the final two games will give them at least a share of the regular season ACC title.
That should be enough to guarantee them a No. 1 seed and possibly the top overall seed. This will make the path to the Final Four much easier.
AFC South Draft Preview
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NFL Draft fast approaches. After free agency ends, we will have a clearer picture on the direction teams will go in for the draft.
I’m going to examine the AFC South and who will be selected in the first round. This is one of the weaker divisions in the NFL with only one team ever winning a Super Bowl (Indianapolis).
Houston and Jacksonville have never been to the big game and Tennessee has only been once.
Jacksonville (5-11): The Jaguars looked poised to be one of the best teams in 2018. They had an elite defense in 2017 and relied on the ground game with Leonard Fournette. That formula led them to the AFC Championship game where they led New England in the fourth quarter.
We know how that played out. Quarterback Blake Bortles was the obvious weak link of the team. He was rewarded last offseason with a three year contract extension worth $54 million. It seemed to pay off early after they got off to a 3-1 start. That included a victory over the Patriots. Then they had a seven game losing streak.
Quarterback is the position that must be addressed. If they don’t acquire Nick Foles in free agency they will draft a QB with the 7th pick. Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray will get selected. The Heisman Trophy winner has great talent but lacks ideal height.
Tennessee (9-7): The Titans have had two consecutive winning seasons. They have several needs they can address with this pick like wide receiver, guard, edge rusher or quarterback. Their franchise QB Marcus Mariota cannot stay healthy.
One possible pick is NC State receiver Kelvin Horne. He could be paired with Corey Davis to make a dangerous passing attack.
If they go with a pass rusher Jachai Polite of Florida could be the pick. Last season he had 11 sacks and 6 forced fumbles.
Houston (11-5): The Texans won the division but lost in the Wild Card round to the Colts. They finally have a franchise quarterback in Deshaun Watson but they can’t protect him.
He has one of the best receivers in the game (DeAndre Hopkins). They should draft an offensive lineman to help with that problem.
Offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor (Florida) would be a good pick. He would be a day one starter. If he is not available tackle Greg Little from Ole Miss will be picked. He looks like he will be the fifth o-lineman picked in the first round but he still has good value. He’s a good pass blocker but he needs to be more consistent.
Indianapolis (10-6): The Colts have one of the best young quarterbacks in the league in Andrew Luck. He missed the entire 2017 season and came back in 2018 with a vengeance. They have a pretty good offense and they need to get better on defense. The biggest needs are at cornerback, defensive line and wide receiver.
Washington corner back Byron Murphy would be a good pick if available. He had four interceptions and 58 total tackles in 2018. He’s physical enough to help stop the running game and he can cover.
Receiver D.K. Metcalf of Ole Miss is also a possibility if they do not add another WR in free agency.
I’m excited to see if one of these teams can become a serious contender after the draft.
NFC South Draft Report
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2019 NFL Draft starts April 25, 2019. For the 31 other teams that didn’t win the Super Bowl they have a chance to add players and improve their franchise. Let’s take a look at the NFC South and see who they might select in the first round.
Tampa Bay (5-11): The Buccaneers have the fifth overall pick. They had a bit of quarterback controversy to begin the season before Jameis Winston came back from his four-game suspension.
It looks like the Bucs will stick with the troubled young QB. Bruce Arians has taken over as head coach and he will try to give Winston protection.
Left tackle Donovan Smith will be a free agent. On the right side, Demar Dotson is entering the last year of his contract and turns 34 in October. That is why Alabama’s Jonah Williams should get picked to protect Winston’s blind side.
Atlanta (7-9): The Falcons are coming off of a disappointing season that had many injuries on the defense. They need to drastically improve on that side of the ball and on the offensive line.
Head coach Dan Quinn is on record saying he is only comfortable at center and left tackle.
With the 14th pick guard Cody Ford from Oklahoma makes sense. He’s extremely physical and he would help change the identity of the line. He played guard and right tackle so he might also be shifted to that position.
If defensive tackle Ed Oliver (Houston) is still on the board he should get selected. He reminds me of Aaron Donald because he can totally disrupt an offense.
Carolina (7-9): The Panthers started off the season hot before the seven-game losing streak. They are in an interesting position because star quarterback Cam Newton had surgery on his injured shoulder. Some time tables have predicted him to miss the 2019 season.
They also need help on defense. Mario Addison led the team with nine sacks. They need help getting to the quarterback and that is the direction they will go with the 16th pick.
They can draft a local player like Clemson’s Clelin Ferrell. The defensive end registered 50 career tackles for loss and 27 sacks in three seasons. He added 56 total pressures and 30 total stops during his final year. He’s 6’4, 265 pounds with great first-step quickness.
New Orleans (13-3): The Saints had a great season, advancing to the NFC Championship game. They should have won the game but a terrible no call for pass interference against the Rams cost them. They traded their first-round pick in the 2019 draft to move up and select Marcus Davenport.
The biggest needs are tight end, defensive tackle, running back and linebacker. Running back Mark Ingram will be a free agent so that may create a need. Alvin Kamara is great but he works best paired up with a physical runner.
New Orleans will pick 62nd in the second round. I think they will want a pass catching tight end. I’m not sure who will still be on the board by the time they make the pick. The best-case scenario is Irv Smith from Alabama. The best available might be Dawson Knox of Ole Miss.
Prior to last year the NFC South was the toughest division in the league. The Saints were the only playoff team so the other three teams need to get better. It will be exciting to see how everything plays out.
