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Cleveland Browns – Myles Garrett and Gregg Williams
Myles Garrett is a unique player, but like other analysts showed in clip after clip, he does not give full effort on every play, similar to other defensive players in this draft class. Lack of effort will not fly with Gregg Williams. Garrett talks about love for the game and wanting to provide for his family, and with Williams we will quickly find out how much of that is true. Williams and staff (especially Clyde Simmons) will hold Garrett accountable and provide him with coaching to allow him to be successful.
New York Jets – Jamal Adams and Todd Bowles
Bowles has a quality track record as a defensive back’s coach and defensive coordinator and must have been smiling when a player like Adams, who checks every box for the safety position, was still available at sixth overall. Plugging Adams into the defensive backfield makes available Bowles’ man cover packages, blitz packages, gameplan adjustments against unique slot WRs, etc,. Adams also gives Bowles three safety options, with Calvin Pryor (providing he isn’t traded), should Marcus Gilchrist’s health improve.
Carolina Panthers – Christian McCaffrey and Mike Shula
Mike Shula has been one of, if not the premier NFL coach over the last 3 years at pulling concepts from anywhere to maximize the players available to him. Does your team have an undrafted offensive lineman starting or a college tight end as your #1 WR, don’t worry, Shula has an answer. Now you give Shula, and new WR Coach (and former McCaffrey coach at Stanford), Lance Taylor a chance to build concepts for Cam Newton to highlight McCaffrey’s gifts? Get ready NFC South.
Kansas City Chiefs – Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid
In case you were unaware, Andy Reid can coach a QB. He has everywhere he has been. He will start with the footwork and fundamentals and build players like Kevin Kolb into assets he can trade for a 2nd round pick and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Now, Coach Reid and his fantastic staff of Matt Nagy, Corey Matthaei, and Mike Kafka can take their time to build Mahomes from the ground up while the team still competes with Alex Smith at the helm.
Arizona Cardinals – Haason Reddick and James Bettcher
Everyone was hoping either John Ross or Patrick Mahomes would be sitting here for Bruce Arians in the first round, but the fit of Reddick with Bettcher intrigues me. I have been skeptical of the need for Year 1 starting impact from Reddick as he transitions to a stacked LB, but with Bettcher, he can be used in sub packages as a blitzer, a run defender, and in coverage. Without the need to be a primary pass rusher (the Cardinals have Chandler Jones and Markus Golden for that) or the need to be a starting stacked LB (the Cardinals have Karlos Dansby and Deone Bucannon for that), Reddick can be used well in Year 1 as he develops into a starting role.