Day 2 of the 2016 NFL Draft did not disappoint. Another 68 players went off the board. Like the fist round, the second and third rounds produced its fair share of trades, reaches, falls and surprising plot twists, but a few moves stood out the most to me.
The 11 most intriguing fits from Day 2 of the 2016 NFL Draft
They aren’t necessarily the “best” picks from Day 2 of the NFL Draft, but they might be the perfect players for their new teams.
Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Here are 11 picks and player fits that I found the most intriguing.
San Diego Chargers: TE Hunter Henry, Arkansas
Antonio Gates has defied Father Time for what seems like decades but he's not going to play forever. San Diego a short-term compliment and a long term replacement by grabbing the consensus top tight end on the board here in Hunter Henry. The tight end out of Arkansas is a top-tier pass catcher at the position with the ability to hit the ground running as a rookie.
In the Chargers offense, Philip Rivers likes to pass to his tight end. This is very good analysis, I know.
But seriously, above almost any quarterback in the NFL, he relies on his tight end in the passing game, and there’s a reason that Rivers and Gates hold the all-time NFL record for touchdown connections between a quarterback and pass catcher. With that in mind, the Henry pick makes a lot of sense. Sometimes teams do logical things. I know, it can be jarring.
At some point, Gates will retire (I assume), and the Chargers will have a guy in Henry installed that can succeed him relatively seamlessly. In the meantime, San Diego gets an excellent second option at that spot and can do some things with personnel groups, using Henry and Gates together, lining up one or both in line or split outside.
Kansas City Chiefs: DL Chris Jones, Mississippi State
Chiefs GM John Dorsey has done a good job of finding physical, tough pieces for Kansas City's defense over the last several years, and Chris Jones is just another name to add to that list. That identity of toughness starts up front and Jones is a versatile prospect who can dominate when he's giving full effort and keeping his pads low.
Dorsey addressed both of these caveats after making the pick, but noted that with Jones being a part of their talented defensive line rotation, where snaps and playing time are a commodity, he is expecting that Jones’ motor will run hot and his pads will stay where they need to be to maintain leverage on the opposing offensive linemen.
If that's the case, it's going to be pretty intriguing to watch. Throw him in there next to Kansas City's other war daddies in Dontari Poe, Jaye Howard, Allen Bailey, and let them clog up the middle, freeing up Justin Houston and Tamba Hali to get their one-on-ones.
New York Giants: WR Sterling Shepard, Oklahoma
If Oklahoma standout receiver Sterling Shepard can be what many believe he can be — a Tyler Lockett-esque weapon all over the field — then it begs the question: just how do you scheme up a pass defense to stop this Giants’ offense? Obviously, Odell Beckham Jr. is the focal point in which you plan your coverage, and it’s not going to be an easy task if your squad doesn’t have an elite shutdown corner. Regardless, it doesn’t get any easier when you consider that Shepard is going to be New York’s second or third option, depending on Victor Cruz’s knee.
Shepard can play in the slot, he can play outside, and like Beckham, is more than capable of creating separation with subtle jukes, fakes and precise routes. It makes it harder and harder to simply double-team Beckham, and the ways in which Ben McAdoo and the Giants can use this duo in tandem is pretty limitless. I love this pick.
Tennessee Titans: RB Derrick Henry, Alabama
It was a surprise to see Derrick Henry land in Tennessee, considering they just traded for DeMarco Murray, but the thought of a two-headed monster featuring the two is enticing. Both run downhill with physicality, and I imagine new GM Jon Robinson and head coach Mike Mularkey see both players as tone-setters and identity creators. The Titans are going to try to be the bullies of the AFC South.
Henry may not have as much wiggle as a lot of much smaller running backs but he runs with so much power and torque in his legs and feet that he may not need it. I like the thought of pairing Murray and Henry in the Tennessee backfield because as an opposing defense, you’re going to realize quickly that you better be ready to tackle, hard, on every single down. That type of thing can wear down a defense, and as the game goes on and the two backs trade carries, each, in theory, remains relatively fresh. As we saw with Henry in college, that’s where those 50, 60, and 70-yard jail-break runs happen.
It's also going to be really interesting to see how Henry is used in conjunction with Marcus Mariota, who, you'd figure, will be carrying the ball a decent amount himself. Do they run some read option stuff with Henry? Perhaps some Carolina Panther-esque full house formations are on the exotic smashmouth menu? Does this pick mean we may see more traditional, under-center power-schemes from Tennessee? We'll find out. Whatever the case — my interest is definitely piqued.
Seattle Seahawks: DL Jarran Reed, Alabama
The Seahawks’ selection of Jarran Reed is nothing too sexy — he’s a run-stuffing interior lineman, after all. Not going to get fans raising too much of a fuss over a guy that can take on a couple of blocks and hold the line of scrimmage, but that’s exactly what Reed brings to Seattle. The consensus here is that he’s the best run defending interior lineman in the draft and that’s a cause that’s near and dear to Pete Carroll’s heart.
Reed should pair nicely with Ahtyba Rubin on Seattle's line to keep guys like Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright and Kam Chancellor clean, allowing them to move about freely to blow up offensive ball carriers at or behind the line of scrimmage. Reed's mere presence should help force teams to run the ball outside a little more often — which is exactly what the Seahawks, who have incredible team-speed on defense, want.
Green Bay Packers: OT Jason Spriggs, Indiana
This pick just struck me as so logical. Spriggs looks exactly like how I envision a Packers offensive lineman — athletic, rangy, perhaps a little undersized or underpowered, but scrappy. With David Bakhtiari, Josh Sitton, T.J. Lang and JC Tretter all entering the final years of their contracts, Spriggs is nice insurance at several spots, and should fit in with what Green Bay does schematically in the zone run game.
Cincinnati Bengals: WR Tyler Boyd, Pitt
This pick made a ton of sense too. After losing Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones in free agency, the Bengals signed Brandon LaFell, but needed another option to fill some new-found gaps in their passing game. Boyd seems to fit perfectly for that No. 3 role.
The prolific Pitt product fell into the second round because of concerns around his speed, but he catches everything, is an excellent route runner, and has good size at 6'1, 197. The player comps that I've frequently seen with Boyd are Keenan Allen and Jarvis Landry, both of whom figured in to their team's offenses underneath as high-volume, dependable possession receivers despite not testing well in the 40. Boyd could be a guy whose name we hear a lot in 2016.
Chicago Bears: OG Cody Whitehair, Kansas State
I like what the Bears have done with their interior line over the past couples seasons, and Whitehair looks like a guy that can come in and compete for the left guard spot from day one. Athletic, tough, experienced — the Bears obviously see the value in protecting Jay Cutler and improving in the run game, and Whitehair was rated by some as the best guard prospect in this whole draft. His versatility is a nice bonus — he could probably play tackle in a pinch and should probably get some reps at center as well — and he's as dependable as they come.
Chicago Bears: DL Jonathan Bullard, Florida
I'm double-dipping on the Bears, who also grabbed Jonathan Bullard in the early 3rd round. Vic Fangio just keeps getting shiny new toys to play with, and I like the idea of Bullard in that Bears defense next to or in front of Pernell McPhee, Lamarr Houston, Willie Young and Leonard Floyd.
I think that Bullard fell into the third round because of scheme limitations, and that may mean he might play a specific role for Chicago. Sounds like they see him as a defensive end in their scheme, but we’ll see if they like him for his run defense chops or pass rush more. Regardless, he has a lot of upside in either role, and I’m very intrigued to see how Fangio uses him. I’d expect he’s the type of athlete that you can get creative with.
Baltimore Ravens: DL Bronson Kaufusi, BYU
I liked Kaufusi more than some people before the draft, so I was really interested to see where he ended up. I like the fit with the Ravens because frankly, they just seem to know how to get the most out of defensive line prospects, and they clearly have a need at defensive end. Kaufusi projects as a versatile tool in that defense — Ozzie Newsome mentioned that he will play at multiple spots — but I’d expect him to start with his hand in the dirt early on in his career. He’s got great length and should have the ability to add weight if that’s what the Ravens want him to do.
Regardless of where he plays, I like his motor and awareness, and he’s going to give full effort on every snap. He’s always around the ball.
Houston Texans: WR Braxton Miller, Ohio State
This is just a fun one, right? Houston already got Brock Osweiler the best deep threat in the draft in Will Fuller, and now they go out and get one of the highest-upside players out there in Braxton Miller. He's still very raw, obviously, but I like the idea of a long-term troika featuring Nuk Hopkins, Fuller and Miller in Houston's receiving corps. Schematically, I'll just let Hopkins tell you what it means for Houston:
Ain't no more double teams baby!
— Deandre Hopkins (@Nukdabomb) April 30, 2016
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That’s just a sampling from rounds two and three. There are plenty of other great-looking picks in there that are worth digging into, but these just stood out on my first pass.
Incredibly, we’re still not even halfway through this thing, so I’m looking forward to keeping an eye out for more intriguing fits on Day 3.
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