#257: 2021 NFL Draft Recap (AFC East with Connor Rogers)

Sports Krunch w/DKROM

1. Jets

-A month and a half before the draft, everyone was saying that the Jets would take Zach Wilson with the second overall pick, and that’s exactly what they did. Personally, I would have taken either Justin Fields or Trey Lance ahead of Wilson, but you’re a better evaluator of game tape than I am and you had Zach Wilson as the best of the three “non-Trevor Lawrence” QB’s in the draft. Why was Zach Wilson the right choice for the Jets to bet their long-term future on?

-With their second first-round picks the Jets moved up nine spots and surrendered both of their third-round picks to select USC G Alijah Vera-Tucker. The night before the draft, I told someone that the Jets dream haul on Day 1 would be the QB of their choice (which was obviously Zach Wilson) and Vera-Tucker…and the dream came true. Still, some people I respect absolutely RIDICULED the Jets for surrendering both of their third-rounders to get somebody at a position that’s not as highly valued. Why are those folks dead wrong?

-In the second-round, the Jets arguably came away with an absolute STEAL in Ole Miss WR Elijah Moore. Most people in the league had him as the third or fourth-best WR in this draft didn’t think he would fall that far. When this pick was made, I immediately had a metaphorical orgasm imagining an 11-personnel package with Moore in the slot and Denzel Mims and Corey Davis on the boundary. Do you think Moore beats out Jamison Crowder for that WR3 role in training camp?

2. Patriots

-With their first-round pick, the Patriots selected who they hope will be their QB of the future in Mac Jones. I absolutely did not buy the buzz that the 49ers would draft such a limited QB after giving up such a fortune to move up. If you listen to some folks on Draft Twitter, signal-callers of Mac Jones’ prototype are going the way of the dodo in the NFL. Why do you think the Patriots spent a super-high pick on such a QB and do you expect him to start over Cam Newton at some point this season?

-On Day 2, the Patriots double-dipped on their defensive front. In the second round, they traded up to take Alabama DT Christian Barmore and they got very good value in the late third round with Ronnie Perkins out of Oklahoma. So you add Perkins to make a three-man pass rushing rotation off the edge with Matt Judon and Chase Winovich. You now add Barmore, who can push the pocket from the inside along with Deatrich Wise. Is this the scariest group of pass rushers Bill Belichick has had in quite a while?

3. Dolphins

-The Dolphins kicked off their draft by reuniting Tua Tagovailoa with the most explosive weapon he had at Alabama in Jaylen Waddle. As special a talent as Waddle is, some criticized the Dolphins for trading back to 12 and then subsequently back up to 6 to take somebody they didn’t view as an equal talent to either Kyle Pitts or Ja’Marr Chase. How big, in your view, was the drop-off in talent from Pitts and Chase to Waddle…or was there any drop-off at all?

-With their second first-round pick, the Dolphins made Jaelan Phillips the first edge rusher off the board. Many people around the league reportedly considered Phillips to not only be the best pass rusher in this class, but the best defensive player in this class. They added that he probably would’ve been a top-10 pick if it wasn’t for his alarming injury history. Do you share that view?