The fifth round of the NFL Draft is almost over, and teams are taking guys they feel could provide some depth. None of the guys taken in between picks 158 and 162 seem like they'll be starters right away, and most come from teams with well-established incumbents. But there are guys such as Vanderbilt's Zac Stacy, now with the Rams, and Florida State's Brandon Jenkins, now a Redskin, who can develop.
2013 NFL Draft results: Fifth round wrapping up
The Rams hope that Zac Stacy can push for snaps with Steven Jackson no longer on the team, and the Broncos added another weapon for Peyton Manning in Georgia’s Tavarres King.
No. 158, Seattle Seahawks: Luke Wilson, TE, Rice
Wilson might have been a little bit of a stretch -- most people had the tight end graded as a seventh rounder or unsigned free agent -- but Pete Carroll has added a few offensive skill position players already, including running back Christine Michael in the second round and wide receiver Chris Harper in the fourth.
No. 159, Green Bay Packers: Micah Hyde, S, Iowa
Hyde is a 6'0 speedster who could play either cornerback or safety in the league, the first Iowa player off the board.
Hyde was a three-year starter at Iowa, providing depth as a true freshman in 2009. He’s a physical, versatile cornerback who also has experience playing free safety. He plays well in pass and run coverage, and he’s a hard hitter; sometimes, his penchant for hard hits costs him, as he leads with his shoulder a lot and doesn’t wrap up ball carriers. He played both sides of the field at Iowa and has experience in the nickel.
No. 160, St. Louis Rams (from Texans): Zac Stacy, RB, Vanderbilt
Zac Stacy helped turn around a Vanderbilt team that’s historically been a doormat, and with Steven Jackson not on the Rams for the first time in forever, Stacy could compete for snaps.
Stacy is the first Vandy running back selected in 32 years, since Frank Mordica was a ninth rounder. (There used to be more than seven rounds.) Stacy isn’t elite in any way, but showed his ability to bowl through SEC defenses with 1,193 yards as a junior and then 1,141 as a senior, on 5.9 yards per carry and 5.5 yards per carry, respectively. Those are not bad numbers at all in an extremely tough conference behind a line that doesn’t feature tons of pro prospects. The back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons was a first at Vanderbilt, and he helped seal the team’s first 9-win year in almost 100 years by adding 107 yards and a touchdown in the team’s bowl game against NC State. Stacy provided solid productivity at Vanderbilt and helped in the revival of an upwardly mobile program.
His 40 time is average to above-average, even if he doesn’t exhibit huge explosiveness or great long distance speed. The question is about whether Stacy’s style -- running between the tackles -- will mesh with his body - he’s 5’8, 216 pounds. He’s certainly strong enough, with the third-most bench reps of any running back. He should be capable of making progress up the middle to spell his team’s starting back.
No. 161, Denver Broncos: Tavarres King, WR, Georgia
The Broncos add another weapon for Peyton Manning to provide depth behind Wes Welker, Eric Decker, and Demaryius Thomas -- not necessarily a position of need, but if they can turn the 6'0 King into a weapon, it could pay off.
King's career started slowly. As a freshman, he only played in four games, making just two catches before an injury ended his season. He did something kind of rare in college: after a medical redshirt, his statistics steadily increased every single season with no dropoff. He had 18 catches for 377 yards and just one touchdown in his second freshman year, 27 for 504 and three touchdowns as a sophomore, 47 for 705 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior, 42 catches for 970 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior. After A.J. Green left, King became a legitimate feature receiver for Aaron Murray.
King has both the straight-line speed to beat guys and the quickness and food speed to get around corners who try to jam him at the line of scrimmage, making him a difficult threat as an outside receiver. But he’s got flaws in his game -- notably, average to below-average hands and a weak build -- that make him unlikely to be consistent. And he’s not particularly large for an outside receiver, nor does he have the elite measurable traits that translate to being a No. 1 target in the NFL. But that speed won’t hurt him, and could make him a nice find.
No. 162, Washington Redskins (from Patriots): Brandon Jenkins, OLB, Florida State
Jenkins flew under the radar due to a foot injury his senior season, making him somewhat of a project. But considering the Redskins already have Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan at their outside linebacker spots in a 3-4 defense, Jenkins can take his time to regain his stride:
Jenkins entered his senior season as a favorite to a high first round pick before the injury. After collecting 13.5 sacks as a sophomore at Florida State, Jenkins had eight sacks as a junior in 2011 before electing to play his final season in Tallahassee.
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