2014 NFL Draft: Day Three Review

Jeff Haverlack Posted On May 11, 2014

It’s a wrap, folks! And I must say, this draft had much more interest and intrigue for me than previous years. It’s obvious the running back position is on the decline as we saw, for the first time ever, no running back selected in the first round for two years in a row. The common belief is now that these role players can be found in later rounds or, perhaps, even as undrafted free agents. For day three, a few big names continued to fall. I’ll highlight only those names I feel deserve the most attention in fantasy. If you don’t hit on a name that you find intriguing, or would like my thoughts on, simply include him as part of a comment below.

Thank you all for reading and I hope this weekend was as fun for you as it was for me. Make sure to stay tuned to DLF for all your draft needs, we’ll be dropping full rookie coverage on you from here on out.

Round Four

103. Atlanta Falcons – Devonta Freeman, RB

He’s an average back across the board, but slides into a noteworthy situation behind the aging Steven Jackson and Jacquizz Rodgers. He’ll be a late round stash at best in deeper leagues.

104. New York Jets – Jalen Saunders, WR

A little shocking the Jets add a small receiver here, but Saunders can hit escape velocity quickly and will be used across the line of scrimmage for quick hits into space. I don’t see much of a role in fantasy, but we’ll wait and see.

106. San Francisco 49ers – Bruce Ellington, WR

The 49ers continue to add receivers in the hope one can rise to the occasion. Ellington isn’t a big target but is tough and is a good route runner. Another late round stash considering the depth chart.

113. New York Giants – Andre Williams, RB

A downhill runner and a favorite pre-draft riser, Williams fits the mold of the bruising-style back the Giants like. He won’t add much in the way of passing game production, but he could factor in short yardage situations quickly.

115. New York Jets – Shaq Evans, WR

The Jets are doing whatever they can to load camp up with receiving bodies with the expectation that at least one will emerge as a consistent threat. He’s a big target in the mold I look for in receivers, but is a bit stiff in play and not overly dynamic. Additionally, his hands (9 1/4″) are smaller than I like for receivers of his size.

117. Chicago Bears – Ka’Deem Carey, RB

Carey is better than this draft position, but fell due to speed and off-the-field concerns. He has natural vision, good one-cut ability and his speed is quicker on tape than that on the stopwatch. He could sneak into the third round of fantasy drafts.

118. Pittsburgh – Martavis Bryant, WR

Bryant fell well beyond where I thought he would and lands in a good situation with an outside opportunity to start. He’s big, has good wheels and a high ceiling, but is extremely raw. The depth chart is a good one for him to see the field in limited action in 2014, so he’s worthy of a third round selection.

120. Arizona – Logan Thomas, QB

Thomas is extremely raw, but a monster in the pocket that wills passes to their destination. There’s little finesse to his game, but he has an unmistakable confidence and swagger about him. He’ll take at least two years of development before being ready for the field and he’s no better than a late fourth round selection in most leagues.

123. Seattle – Kevin Norwood, WR

Good size, a bit thin, but with good hands and toughness. He’ll compete for a roster spot on a receiver-friendly depth chart.

124. Kansas City – De’Anthony Thomas, RB

Thomas went earlier than I expected given his diminutive size. He’s a playmaker much quicker than his timed 4.50 speed. I watched a lot of him in my backyard and there’s no doubting his heart and speed dynamic. That said, I am doubting his ability to make an impact for the Chiefs outside of special teams.

130. New England – James White, RB

A flexible runner with a thick frame, White is the next up for New England and Bill Belichick. He doesn’t factor in fantasy in the near future, but in New England, anything goes.

135. Houston – Tom Savage, QB

It was only a matter of time before Savage found his resting place, and it’s a good one. The Texans never made good on the Ryan Mallett rumor and it appears as though the Ryan Fitzpatrick/Case Keenum battle is on for 2014. Waiting in the wings, however, Savage will soak up what reps he can as he develops for a potential starting gig in 2015 (likely still too early).

Round Five

142. Washington – Ryan Grant, WR

He has an NFL body and a good receiver IQ. He won’t sniff the field in 2014, but he has upside in this offense.

[inlinead]146. Dallas – Devin Street, WR

I was hoping Street would run faster than his timed 4.55, but he plays faster. He’s a great leaper and somewhat undersized in frame and hands. Not fast off the line but there is some “it” factor with him.

155. Miami – Arthur Lynch, TE

A fair prospect without a lot of “wow” factor.

163. Kansas City – Aaron Murray, QB

His value was all over the board pre-draft and he lands in a good situation behind Alex Smith. Coach Andy Reid is considered the quarterback-whisperer so this situation alone raises his ceiling.

164. Cincinnati – AJ McCarron, QB

AJ certainly doesn’t lack confidence. Rumor has it that McCarron fell on draft boards because of too much bravado and confidence demonstrated during team interviews. A little can go a long way, too much can drop your stock it seems. McCarron falls to a great situation as flags continue to waiver over the head of Andy Dalton.

176. Green Bay – Jared Abbrederis, WR

A bit of a ho-hum receiver in my book, he’s tougher than appearance would suggest and he’s been productive. A mature offense like Green Bay is the perfect situation for him as he acclimates to the NFL game. He’ll be no better than a fourth round rookie selection for a patient coach.

Round Six

178. Tennessee – Zach Mettenberger, QB

A diluted urine sample, medical flags due to his back, an ACL and an intriguing situation as a Titan. Yup, smells like a sixth round pick with upside.

181. Houston – Alfred Blue, RB

I have to admit, I have seen very little on him to date. He’s huge, rocked up and …. intriguing with what I’ve seen. Blue also runs high, but effectively. And he’s got more flags than the United Nations relating to injury. In the Houston offense and behind Arian Foster, there a bit of smoke here.

183. Chicago – David Fales, QB

He’s got the tools and time to develop. There’s not a better fit out there for him.

185. Tampa Bay – Robert Herron, WR

Has trouble with concentration and is smallish. But he’s quicker than his 4.48 time and has a plus dynamic.

186. Washington – Lache Seastrunk, RB

An obvious selection considering the fact Roy Helu is likely going to be elsewhere in 2015. Seastrunk will offer nothing in the passing game with more drops than receptions, but he’s got some home run ability. The fantasy community is likely too high on his prospects and you’ll likely still hear his name a time or two attached to the second round of some drafts.

190. Miami – Matt Hazel, WR

He has the size but is an average receiver almost across the board. He’ll be a camp body to start out.

201. San Diego – Marion Grice, RB

You know what the Chargers need? Another running back. Welcome to the club, Marion. I think he carries more ability and flexibility than this selection number.

204. Carolina – Tyler Gaffney, RB

Raw, powerful and with some NFL ability. He’ll slide into a spot behind the other Carolina backs I don’t want to name, because it’s been too frustrating for years.

209. New York Jets – Quincy Enunwa, WR

Sure, why not? Another receiver in New York. We know they need them. He’s a huge target with good wheels for that size. He’s very, very raw, but with a high ceiling.

213. New York Jets – Tajh Boyd, QB

He’ll pick up for Vick when he departs. Boyd will be given plenty of time to develop and I like his ceiling. It’s a big fall for a quarterback once was considered an early round pick.

Round Seven

222. Jacksonville – Storm Johnson, RB

He’s an underrated talent who I really like on tape. I also like his situation quite a bit. He’s got some carry-the-load ability, but is raw in most phases of his game. He’ll need to develop in pass protection, ball security and gap reads.

236. Green Bay – Jeff Janis, WR

Ted Turner and the Packers are obviously wanting to bolster the receiver corps. Janis is a plus speed athlete and a very productive DII receiver. He’s raw but he’ll be occupying the depth chart with two other rookie receivers and a rookie tight end.

239. Cincinnti – James Wright, WR

Wright was never able to escape from the glut of LSU receivers, but he has a good receiver body and lands in a good situation.

244. New England – Jeremy Gallon, WR

He’s undersized and smells like a special teamer but he could grow into a slot role for a team that put “slot” on the map.

Follow me on Twitter: @DLF_Jeff

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Jeff Haverlack

Co-Founder at Dynasty League Football

Appreciative husband and proud father who poorly attempts to balance family life with his passion for creating the largest, most helpful and most impactful fantasy community on the planet! DLF was created for the community and we're committed to each member within it! Hope anyone playing this great game will call DLF home in some way!

You can find Jeff on Twitter at @dlf_jeff

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