Hankmoody
Footballguy
Ok rookie drafts are over and waivers are kicking in now - who are you snagging that you didn't have enough picks for and stashing until September? I play in mostly 16 man leagues, so our 8 round drafts go to 128 players. A lot of these guys are going "late" in my leagues (many to me!), but that probably makes them FA's in most 12 man leagues.
Arden Key - yeah yeah a homer pick, but hey I loved the Raiders draft this year. Huge potential payout given the cost here. People are going to insist his ceiling is capped playing with Mack and that may be the case, but it's going to be a lot higher ceiling than most think. He's not going to get 18 sacks as a rookie, but he could push double digits regularly once he's got some bulk and experience added. The far bigger issue is his behavior and whether or not he can keep himself on the field. But for a min bid waiver add I'm all in. Actually, like Victor, I was all in on draft day, three times trading for an 8th round pick to select Key. But he's probably undrafted in yours.
Jalyn Holmes - This one's a sneaky pick - /whisper he's listed at DT on MFL - he's got dual-role capability with the ability to set an edge and he's a good insider rusher when asked to reduce. TOSU was absolutely loaded at DE and used him inside most of the time but make no mistake he's got the chops to play outside too. The depth chart is nasty enough he may keep that DT designation but you might get enough snaps between DE and DT to really get a bargain. Brian Robison is old and slow and getting older and slower so there should be rotational snaps available outside right away.
Tyquan Lewis - you'll accuse me of another homer pick, but this guy was drafted in Round 2, Pick 64 by a team transitioning to a 4-3 defense and in need of edge rushers. That's a legit NFL pick and he has legit talent, yet he was not drafted before pick 96 in any of my drafts. DE are very difficult to stack on a roster in my leagues so I'm giving myself a pass on not getting him. He's still a FA in a few leagues though so I am probably going to take a swing with min bids.
Josh Sweat - "the next Clowney" at 18 years old, but he took a gruesome knee injury in high school (same as Bridgewater) and there's concern about long term stability (think Ajayi). Nothing concrete, but once you get that "what if" tag it's there for life. He left after 3 years of college because he wanted to get to his 2nd contract as early as possible. I don't blame him given the perception of his knee. If he's a 25 year old UFA with no lingering effects of the injury he could be in the Von Miller/Khaili Mack contract range. 4th rounder for Philly may have some tough sledding to get full time snaps right away in a very deep DL, but if that Clowney-level talent assessment is accurate he'll get on the field.
Azeem Victor - a splash of homerism being a Raider but also a "price is right" guy for the risk/reward factor. In the way-too-early versions of 2018 rankings from immediate post-2017 draft this guy was in the 1st round discussion. Injuries and off-field decisions trashed his senior year and there are some questions about his tape, but the talent level is well above his current ADP. He wasn't undrafted in my leagues because I took him in nearly all of them! I believe he would have been undrafted in the vast majority though, I took him 121, 115, 123, and 91.
Nick DeLuca - nasty landing spot to go where a rookie stud just did plus a vet that has put up some very big season but this is the kind of guy that always seems to find his way onto the field and once he does is always around the ball.
Jack Cichy - talk about nasty landing spots, this is a loaded LB corp. Cichy is likely to need a year to recover from surgery so that gives plenty of time for things to happen in front of him. If your league has an IR or taxi rule to take advantage of he might be a candidate. Because if he ever does get on the field, he's a gamer. Like DeLuca he's not this incredible physical specimen, but every time you look up he's untangling himself from the pile with his arms around some part of the RB.
Shaun Dion-Hamilton - I try to keep track of Alabama LB's. He ended up in Washington which has produced some very nice numbers, frequently from two guys. Zach Brown is a stud but Mason Foster and Vigil have put up LB3 numbers next to him, and they aren't anything special. Should WAS decide to get younger/cheaper with their JAG LB spot this kid might get playing time. He can definitely hold up in the run game and if they can just find a way to not get him too exposed in coverage shouldn't hold them back.
Marcus Allen - Edmunds may be tagged for Big Nickel duty which might open up snaps at SS for Allen. Allen's a thumper that can play in this league.
Mike Hughes - I like him in CB-leagues that award return yardage. His spot isn't great for getting immediate snaps but Terrance Newmans is old as dirt so snaps at slot may open up and return yards prop up his floor really well. Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson are similar profiles but guessing which one might get returns in in GB might be futile. Probably have to wait to see how it's happening on the field and by then someone else might have jumped. Not losing sleep over those guys.
Damon Webb - UDFA with the Titans, and here's a nugget - his college DB coach was hired by TEN this offseason and his new head coach is a former Buckeye too. He's got a bit of Donte Whitner in him, he's a former cover guy that moved inside and put on bulk, he's now 5' 11" 210 so he's got the chops to play SS. Webb isn't taking snaps from Byard but Cyprien is as close a thing as there is to a 2-down thumper at S and Bri has talked a lot about TEN playing 3 safeties but having no clue how the personnel will fall. I'm not adding Webb yet but I am watching this one closely.
Arden Key - yeah yeah a homer pick, but hey I loved the Raiders draft this year. Huge potential payout given the cost here. People are going to insist his ceiling is capped playing with Mack and that may be the case, but it's going to be a lot higher ceiling than most think. He's not going to get 18 sacks as a rookie, but he could push double digits regularly once he's got some bulk and experience added. The far bigger issue is his behavior and whether or not he can keep himself on the field. But for a min bid waiver add I'm all in. Actually, like Victor, I was all in on draft day, three times trading for an 8th round pick to select Key. But he's probably undrafted in yours.
Jalyn Holmes - This one's a sneaky pick - /whisper he's listed at DT on MFL - he's got dual-role capability with the ability to set an edge and he's a good insider rusher when asked to reduce. TOSU was absolutely loaded at DE and used him inside most of the time but make no mistake he's got the chops to play outside too. The depth chart is nasty enough he may keep that DT designation but you might get enough snaps between DE and DT to really get a bargain. Brian Robison is old and slow and getting older and slower so there should be rotational snaps available outside right away.
Tyquan Lewis - you'll accuse me of another homer pick, but this guy was drafted in Round 2, Pick 64 by a team transitioning to a 4-3 defense and in need of edge rushers. That's a legit NFL pick and he has legit talent, yet he was not drafted before pick 96 in any of my drafts. DE are very difficult to stack on a roster in my leagues so I'm giving myself a pass on not getting him. He's still a FA in a few leagues though so I am probably going to take a swing with min bids.
Josh Sweat - "the next Clowney" at 18 years old, but he took a gruesome knee injury in high school (same as Bridgewater) and there's concern about long term stability (think Ajayi). Nothing concrete, but once you get that "what if" tag it's there for life. He left after 3 years of college because he wanted to get to his 2nd contract as early as possible. I don't blame him given the perception of his knee. If he's a 25 year old UFA with no lingering effects of the injury he could be in the Von Miller/Khaili Mack contract range. 4th rounder for Philly may have some tough sledding to get full time snaps right away in a very deep DL, but if that Clowney-level talent assessment is accurate he'll get on the field.
Azeem Victor - a splash of homerism being a Raider but also a "price is right" guy for the risk/reward factor. In the way-too-early versions of 2018 rankings from immediate post-2017 draft this guy was in the 1st round discussion. Injuries and off-field decisions trashed his senior year and there are some questions about his tape, but the talent level is well above his current ADP. He wasn't undrafted in my leagues because I took him in nearly all of them! I believe he would have been undrafted in the vast majority though, I took him 121, 115, 123, and 91.
Nick DeLuca - nasty landing spot to go where a rookie stud just did plus a vet that has put up some very big season but this is the kind of guy that always seems to find his way onto the field and once he does is always around the ball.
Jack Cichy - talk about nasty landing spots, this is a loaded LB corp. Cichy is likely to need a year to recover from surgery so that gives plenty of time for things to happen in front of him. If your league has an IR or taxi rule to take advantage of he might be a candidate. Because if he ever does get on the field, he's a gamer. Like DeLuca he's not this incredible physical specimen, but every time you look up he's untangling himself from the pile with his arms around some part of the RB.
Shaun Dion-Hamilton - I try to keep track of Alabama LB's. He ended up in Washington which has produced some very nice numbers, frequently from two guys. Zach Brown is a stud but Mason Foster and Vigil have put up LB3 numbers next to him, and they aren't anything special. Should WAS decide to get younger/cheaper with their JAG LB spot this kid might get playing time. He can definitely hold up in the run game and if they can just find a way to not get him too exposed in coverage shouldn't hold them back.
Marcus Allen - Edmunds may be tagged for Big Nickel duty which might open up snaps at SS for Allen. Allen's a thumper that can play in this league.
Mike Hughes - I like him in CB-leagues that award return yardage. His spot isn't great for getting immediate snaps but Terrance Newmans is old as dirt so snaps at slot may open up and return yards prop up his floor really well. Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson are similar profiles but guessing which one might get returns in in GB might be futile. Probably have to wait to see how it's happening on the field and by then someone else might have jumped. Not losing sleep over those guys.
Damon Webb - UDFA with the Titans, and here's a nugget - his college DB coach was hired by TEN this offseason and his new head coach is a former Buckeye too. He's got a bit of Donte Whitner in him, he's a former cover guy that moved inside and put on bulk, he's now 5' 11" 210 so he's got the chops to play SS. Webb isn't taking snaps from Byard but Cyprien is as close a thing as there is to a 2-down thumper at S and Bri has talked a lot about TEN playing 3 safeties but having no clue how the personnel will fall. I'm not adding Webb yet but I am watching this one closely.
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