It’s extremely hard to give grades out immediately following the picks that are made during the NFL draft. We really do have to wait a good two or three seasons before coming to a final conclusion. With that said, there are times that teams reach for players at certain spots in the draft and leave you wondering what they were thinking.
A late-round offensive line in the third round over higher-rated prospects. Surely the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Redskins know more than us, but it seems that both took late-round offensive line prospects over much higher-rated options. In any event, here are the nine-worst picks from Day 2 of the 2014 NFL draft
38. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Tight End, Washington
Tight end didn’t even really seem like much of a need here for the Buccaneers. Tim Wright played extremely well last season, catching 57 passes and scoring five touchdowns. With the likes of Cyrus Kouandjio, Stephon Tuitt and Kony Ealy on the board at positions of need, this selection made little sense. Now add into account the fact that I had Jace Amaro and Troy Niklas both rated higher than Seferian-Jenkins, and that makes it a terrible pick in my mind.
45. Seattle Seahawks: Paul Richardson, Wide Receiver, Colorado
Seahawks general manager John Schneider went on record Friday evening indicating that he was ready to take Richardson at pick No. 32 if the Seahawks didn’t trade out of that spot. I am not too sure what to make out of that, considering that Richardson was considered a Day 3 pick by most dratniks out there. Small in size at 6’0″ and with a case of the drops, this speedy receiver has an incredibly low floor to go along with a pretty low ceiling. Picking him up over other wide receivers such as Davante Adams and Cody Latimer made little sense.
51. Chicago Bears: Ego Ferguson, Defensive Tackle, North Carolina
Yet another reach in the second round, I had a Day 3 grade on Ferguson. He’s simply not a difference maker along the interior of the defensive line, consistently struggling making an impact in the offensive backfield. Ferguson can be thrown off the line against stronger offensive linemen, which causes issues against the run.
59. Indianapolis Colts: Jack Mewhort, Offensive Tackle, Ohio State
Indianapolis definitely reached with the first of its two selections on Friday. Mewhort’s tape was incredibly inconsistent. He would have spurts of dominating play followed by complete breakdowns in pass protection. Strictly a right tackle or guard prospect at the NFL level, the Colts had a ton of better options still left on the board along the offensive line. Morgan Moses, Billy Turner, Gabe Jackson and David Yankey come to mind first.
64. Seattle Seahawks: Justin Britt, Offensive Tackle, Missouri
Far be it for anyone to question what the Seahawks front office does, but they took an offensive tackle prospect that many outlets gave an undrafted grade to. While filling a position of need, the aforementioned Morgan Moses and Billy Turner were still on the board. Britt is a more of a project player at a position the Seahawks need an immediate starter.
68. Atlanta Falcons: Dezman Southward, Safety, Wisconsin
Ouch. That’s pretty much the only word we can use to describe this tremendous reach. Southward wasn’t even on the radar of most teams for Day 3, let alone the top end of the third round. He’s boasts more of a special teams upside on a team that needs an immediate starter at the safety position. If Atlanta was going to go defensive back here, why not a much higher-rated Terrence Brooks?
73. Buffalo Bills: Preston Brown, Linebacker, Louisville
With Chris Borland, Shayne Skov and Yawin Smallwood all available at the inside linebacker position, Buffalo reached for a player it likely could have picked up much later in the draft. Brown does possess some upside, but he has tremendous holes as it relates to coverge between the hashes and on-field recognition. This was a tremendous reach.
78. Washington Redskins: Spencer Long, Guard, Nebraska
An undrafted interior lineman ahead of the likes of David Yankey and Cyril Richardson. Washington, who simply cannot afford to reach, did just that with its second selection of the day. Long was decent in 2013 prior to an injury, but he doesn’t possess anywhere near the upside as the two players listed above.
93. Jacksonville Jaguars: Brandon Linder, Guard, Miami
Jacksonville did well to pick up both Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson today, but this selection puts a damper on those steals. Linder was yet another late-round or undrafted free agent option that a team reached for at the back end of the third round. I don’t get this pick at all.
Photo: Reese Strickland, USA Today