With the dust now settling after an intriguing day 1, Draft Talk’s Stu at 5 players to watch on Day 2
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah – LB – Notre Dame
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah falling out of the first round was probably one of the shocks of Thursday night. The linebacker/safety hybrid out of Norte Dame had been mocked from anywhere as high as 9 to the Denver Broncos. The top 10 seemed a bit rich. However, seeing him go somewhere in the late teens to 20s seemed a realistic proposition. Seeing him falling out of the first round altogether was certainly a surprise. Someone is going to have themselves a steal at the top of round 2
Azeez Ojulari – Edge – Georgia
The Edge rusher market took a little while to heat up, with Miami Hurricanes Jaelan Phlllips the first off the board at 18 to the Miami Dolphins. However, a further 5 were taken before the night was done, including possible surprise of the night, Payton Turner from Houston going to the Saints. A flourish of 3 pass rushers finished off the night in fact. The odd man out? Georgia’s Azeez Ojulari. A first rounder in many people’s eyes, the former Bulldog will hopefully not have long to wait to here his name called tonight.
Christian Barrmore – DT – Alabama
A record equalling 6 Alabama Crimson Tide players were selected in the first round. In fact all 6 were off the board by pick 24, where the Pittsburgh Steelers selected RB Najee Harris. Defensive Tackle Christian Barmore will look to be the 7th guy from Tuscaloosa off the board. No interior defensive linemen were taken in the first round, and Barmore will be amongst the favourites to be first. He certainly will be good value with a round 2 pick.
Elijah Moore – WR – Ole Miss
As expected, Wide Receivers were in early demand – with the ‘Big 3’ off the board in the top 10. Kadarius Toney at 20 to the Giants, and Rashod Bateman at 27 to the Ravens followed suit a little later on. However, there is plethora of good value receivers to be had on day 2. Recent drafts have shown this, with the likes of AJ Brown, DK Metcalf and Terry McLaurin all shining on their arrival in the NFL. Elijah Moore, from Ole Miss, could be the cream of the crop of Day 2 receivers for any team looking to upgrade at the slot position and a bargain is there to be had
Teven Jenkins – OT – Oklahoma State
Round 2 is shaping up to be a great place to shop if you require an offensive lineman, whether that be an interior guy or a tackle. There a plenty of options available for team but amongst the best of those options is OT Teven Jenkins from Oklahoma State. Don’t let his gentle, boyish looks fool you – Jenkins is a nasty mauler who loves to finish his opponents. Not even close to maximising his potential, he could be one of the best picks of round 2.
Afte some sleep and coffee, the Draft Talk team will be back to cover Day 2. Follow us on twitter @NinetynineYards and on the Ninety Nine Yards website live blog