NFL Draft 2017 Results: The Biggest Steals, Reaches and Surprises from Day 2
After quarterbacks dominated the first-round narrative of the 2017 NFL draft, we saw five more passers get drafted on Day 2 in Philadelphia. Led by DeShone Kizer of Notre Dame slipping to the middle of Round 2, the quarterbacks remained one of the storylines of Friday night as teams hoped to find the next Russell Wilson or Dak Prescott.
Aside from quarterbacks, teams invested heavily in tight ends and pass-rushers, as some made outstanding value picks in the second and third rounds while other teams appeared to reach for players that were ideal scheme fits or filled major needs.
Here are the steals, reaches and surprises from Day 2 of the NFL draft, in order of the player's draft position.
Steal: OG Forrest Lamp, 38th Pick, Los Angeles Chargers
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Considered to be one of the best offensive linemen in the 2017 NFL draft, Forrest Lamp slipped to the second round and was going to be a "steal" for whichever team landed him. The Chargers, who added another offensive lineman later on Day 2, scooped him up to help keep Philip Rivers upright and continue their offensive-heavy approach to this year's draft.
Lamp, who may play either right guard or center for the Chargers, will be asked to play right away. He's a high-level athlete at the position with scheme and position versatility. His movement skills and finishing ability are similar to those of Zack Martin, and he could make a similar impact as a rookie.
Surprise: RB/WR Curtis Samuel, 40th Pick, Carolina Panthers
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The Panthers clearly want to create a new identity for their offense. After adding three-down weapon Christian McCaffrey in Round 1, Carolina went back to its skill-position board and added receiver/running back/offensive weapon Curtis Samuel from Ohio State.
What exactly Samuel's role will be is unclear, but the offensive weapon with a 4.31-second 40 time will have multiple uses for the Panthers. He has experience at running back and receiver during his Ohio State career. Imagining him in the same backfield as McCaffrey or in the slot in between Kelvin Benjamin, Devin Funchess and Greg Olson should be a nightmare for the Saints, Buccaneers and Falcons twice a season.
Reach: TE Gerald Everett, 44th Pick, Los Angeles Rams
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While with the Washington Redskins, former offensive coordinator Sean McVay developed Jordan Reed in a unique way and made him the centerpiece of the Redskins offense. It was no surprise that now that he's in charge of a new team, the Los Angeles Rams, he'd look to find a new tight end to develop. The Rams made tight end Gerald Everett of South Alabama the first pick of the Sean McVay era.
Everett had a fantastic college career and capped it off with a strong Senior Bowl showing that proved he can be a versatile pass-catcher and separate and finish against NFL linebackers and defensive backs. However, for all of his intrigue, he's not a top-50-worthy prospect, and his smaller hands (8.5"), arm length (33") and lack of blocking ability may stifle his ability to provide top-50 value.
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Reach: TE Adam Shaheen, 45th Pick, Chicago Bears
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Adam Shaheen declared early for the 2017 NFL draft after a highly productive junior season at Division II Ashland College (70 catches, 803 yards, 10 touchdowns). Shaheen, who tested tremendously well at the NFL Scouting Combine and really impressed in on-field workouts, earned plenty of fans in the NFL and generated enough interest to be considered an expected Day 2 draft pick.
The Bears, who moved up in Round 1 for Mitchell Trubisky by trading away their original third-round pick (among others), opted to make Shaheen the only top-100 pick they'll add in the 2017 draft after Trubisky. Shaheen enters the Bears with high expectations to grow into one of Trubisky's favorite targets. He'll have to produce early in his NFL career, Division II background or not, and he'll likely have trouble performing under that kind of pressure against pro defensive players.
Steal: OLB Tyus Bowser, 47th Pick, Baltimore Ravens
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If not for a freak accident that broke his orbital bone during the year, Houston's Tyus Bowser may have been the FBS' sack leader in 2016. Playing both a true 4-3 linebacker spot as well as working as a defensive end pass-rusher, Bowser will bring versatility and flashes of both elite coverage and pass-rushing upside.
Despite receiving some first-round projections, Bowser landed in the early part of Round 2 to the perfect organization: the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens find unbelievable values consistently after the first round, and Bowser should be the next example. I expect him to challenge for, if not seize and take over, the outside linebacker starting job opposite Terrell Suggs this season.
Reach: OLB Ryan Anderson, 49th Pick, Washington Redskins
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With Trent Murphy set to serve a four-game suspension to start the year, the Redskins needed to add a pass-rusher early in the 2017 NFL draft that could be ready to play Week 1 and (potentially) replace Murphy long-term. In a loaded outside linebacker class, they had plenty of options at their disposal.
Instead, the Redskins reached a bit for Ryan Anderson of Alabama. The Crimson Tide product brings NFL-readiness, as most Nick Saban products do, and showed the ability to produce with plus talent around him, but he doesn't have the highest of upsides for a pass-rusher, something this draft class doesn't lack. While the value may not have been great, giving Anderson a chance to play alongside Jonathan Allen for another couple of years is an exciting proposition.
Reach: DL Demarcus Walker, 51st Pick, Denver Broncos
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The Broncos value stability and depth along their defensive line, so it was not a surprise to see them draft a potential defensive tackle in Round 2 of the 2017 NFL draft. After no true defensive tackles went in the first round of the draft, there was plenty of talent to choose from for tackle-needy teams like the Broncos on Day 2. The Broncos instead opted to grab versatile defensive lineman Demarcus Walker out of Florida State with the 51st overall pick.
Walker, who has been a tremendous leader and energy player for the Seminoles the last two seasons, doesn't have the ideal length (33" arms) or upper-half strength as an interior player to merit such a high draft pick. With Alabama's Dalvin Tomlinson, Charlotte's Larry Ogunjobi and Michigan's Chris Wormley all still on the board, Walker felt like a lesser value than those three talented interior prospects, and he will need to exceed expectations to merit this high of a draft pick.
Steal: QB DeShone Kizer, 52nd Pick, Cleveland Browns
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The Browns were the big winners of the first round of the 2017 NFL draft, and they didn't slow down on Day 2. In their first draft choice of the second round, the Browns took DeShone Kizer to be their quarterback of the future and the passer that Hue Jackson gets to develop.
Kizer joins Corey Coleman, Kenny Britt and David Njoku in a Browns offense that has added plenty of talent at receiver and along the offensive line in the last two offseasons. Kizer entered the 2016 season with top-10 potential, and the Browns were able to steal him in the middle of Round 2.
Surprise: RB Alvin Kamara, 67th Pick, New Orleans Saints
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Despite being projected to go as early as the end of Round 1, Tennessee running back Alvin Kamara fell to early Round 3. The New Orleans Saints traded their seventh-rounder this year and a 2018 second-rounder to grab the falling Kamara and add him to their already loaded backfield.
Kamara slipping to the third round was unexpected, but the Saints being the ones to stop his fall may be just as surprising. The Saints recently signed Adrian Peterson, have Mark Ingram in their backfield and have had success finding third-down runners in free agency and after the draft. They dealt a second-round pick for a running back who will start third on their depth chart. He's a great value for the Saints in Round 3 and a weapon who should please Drew Brees.
Steal: DE Jordan Willis, 73rd Pick, Cincinnati Bengals
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After a run on pass-rushers to end the first round, a productive and athletic edge player like Jordan Willis seemed likely to be off the board early in the second round. Willis, whose NFL Scouting Combine performance was similar to Jadeveon Clowney's from 2015, is a remarkably explosive athlete with strong hands and an awesome first step.
Exactly why he fell on draft day is unclear, but the Bengals scooped him up early in the third round. Both Bengals defensive ends, Michael Johnson and Carlos Dunlap, are signed through the 2018 season, but if cut after this season, the team would have to eat very little dead money. This makes them easily replaceable from a salary-cap standpoint if Willis thrives.
Surprise: QB Davis Webb, 87th Pick, New York Giants
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After being considered a potential first-round prospect, Davis Webb fell all the way to the 87th pick. The New York Giants stopped his slide, selecting the California passer in Round 3 to be groomed behind Eli Manning for the future.
The Giants signed Geno Smith this offseason, but they had been doing their due diligence on the 2017 quarterback class with Manning starting his age-36 campaign. Webb won't be rushed in New York, and his strong arm, his pocket mobility and his work-in-progress ball placement should develop best behind Manning.
Surprise: QB C.J. Beathard, 104th Pick, San Francisco 49ers
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The San Francisco 49ers were expected to select a quarterback at some point in the 2017 draft. Their current quarterbacks, Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley, are clearly not the long-term answer, so finding a younger option to develop was a smart bet for this new 49ers regime.
But that quarterback being Iowa's C.J. Beathard was certainly surprising. He hails from a pro-style offense at Iowa and has two years of starting experience in the Big Ten. But he lacks the top end arm talent and movement upside that would have earned him top-three round grades, and his talent on the field doesn't seem to merit a high draft pick. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has proved to be a great quarterback developer, and we'll see if Beathard can be his next worthwhile project.
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