1 thing I liked, 1 thing I didn’t like and 1 thing I’m watching for on Day 3 of the NFL Draft
Published:
Two down, one to go.
Well, it’s more like “one half down, one half to go.”
The NFL Draft continued with plenty of interesting storylines on Friday night. Besides the SEC lapping the field again, we saw the fall of guys like Derrius Guice and the butchering of Lorenzo Carter’s school. It’s OK, though. Georgia had four other players drafted on the first two nights.
There were things I liked and things I didn’t like. There were things that I didn’t get answers to.
Here’s one apiece of each of those things:
One thing I liked — Christian Kirk going home
Yeah, you better believed I liked the idea of Kirk going home to Arizona. The Cardinals made the Saguaro High School (Ariz.) legend the No. 47 overall pick in the draft, and the heir apparent to Larry Fitzgerald.
Yes, I think Kirk can absolutely be the Cardinals’ No. 1 receiver for the next decade if and when Fitzgerald hangs up his cleats. In the meantime, Kirk is going to get to go the work every day with a consummate pro. Talk about a perfect landing spot.
Oh, and did I mention that the Cardinals drafted Josh Rosen in the first round? You know, the guy who many think was the best quarterback in the draft. The Rosen supporters believe that because he can make all the throws all over the field.
All Kirk does is get open all over the field. That’s why he still produced despite the fact that Texas A&M started half a dozen quarterbacks. Needless to say, he’s never worked with one as talented as Rosen.
I love that Kirk is going to go to camp with a chip on his shoulder after he was somehow passed over in the first round. Couple that with his liver smoothie-level dedication and I have no doubt that Kirk is going to catch a ton of passes in the NFL.
One thing I didn’t like — The Derrius Guice free-fall
I’m not going to pretend like I know Guice personally. I’ve never spoken to him. A whole lot of other people who were reporting on his fall in the draft hadn’t spoken to him, either.
Having said that, I understand the skepticism teams would have if there were actual character concerns. It’s a multi-million dollar investment into a skill position player early in the draft, which means he’s going to have a high profile wherever he goes.
That’s my way of saying that I’m not going to take a stance on whether he deserved to fall or not. All I know is, it’s a bummer.
Here was a kid who showed up to the draft on Thursday night and changed his suit midweek to show “less personality” after the rumors swirled about his character issues. If Guice really did miss meetings and flights as was reported, he has some work to do to become a professional. If he didn’t and it was all just smokescreen information, then the Redskins got a steal late in the second round. Clearly, Guice believes it’s the latter.
Guice "I have a great personality and I just didn't understand why everything just hit so hard with me out of everybody. I'm just thankful to know that this whole process is over with, that an organization believed in me and trusted in me and I'm just ready to get to work." 2/2
— Craig Hoffman (@CraigHoffman) April 28, 2018
I’m sure the second round was tough for Guice to watch. Seeing six running backs come off the board when Guice was expected to be the second tailback drafted probably didn’t sit well. Maybe that means the guy who ran angry his entire career will run angry in the NFL. Certainly that’s what the Redskins are banking on.
Here’s hoping Guice’s off-the-field issues were overblown and he can become an on-the-field issue for NFC East defenses (via SB Nation):
One thing I’m watching for on Day 3 — Where SEC household names end up
The draft might be 2 nights in, but there are still plenty of interesting names on the board.
What happens with Bo Scarbrough? The Alabama running back was believed to be a potential mid-round pick after quieting some concerns at the Combine. Sure, he’s more of a between-the-tackles guy and his durability is a question mark, but I tend to think Scarbrough won’t wait have to wait too long Saturday.
The other SEC enigma is Antonio Callaway. Obviously nobody expected him to come off the board in the first 2 days after his failed drug test at the Combine. We don’t know if Callaway did enough to show NFL teams he was worth a selection before that news went public. Will that push Callaway out of the draft entirely or will someone roll the dice on the troubled receiver?
Also, will we see an SEC quarterback drafted? My guess would be no, but Austin Allen is intriguing has a late-round flier given what he did as a junior and the offense he played in.
And what about former Texas A&M blue chip recruit Kyle Allen? Will he finally find a home in the NFL after he lost his starting job at both of his colleges?
If you’re sitting at home Saturday afternoon and casually watching the draft, there are definitely some names that will catch your attention.
Well, at least they’ll catch my attention.
Connor O'Gara is the senior national columnist for Saturday Down South. He's a member of the Football Writers Association of America. After spending his entire life living in B1G country, he moved to the South in 2015.
