NFL Draft Aftermath: Winners and Losers from the AFC East

For the second year in a row, the AFC East brought a light influx of new skill position players into the division through this year’s NFL Draft. Because of this, there are fewer big winners and losers in this division than in many others.

Let’s dive into each of the offensive selections. Offensive line additions are noted in italics.

New England Patriots (13-3, 1st place):

Isaiah Wynn, OT Georgia – Round 1, Pick 23 (No. 23)

Sony Michel, RB Georgia – Round 1, Pick 31 (No. 31)

Braxton Berrios, WR Miami – Round 6, Pick 36 (No. 210)

Danny Etling, QB LSU – Round 7, Pick 1 (No. 219)

Ryan Izzo, TE Florida State – Round 7, Pick 32 (No. 250)

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Buffalo Bills (9-7, 2nd place):

Josh Allen, QB Wyoming – Round 1, Pick 7 (No. 7)

Wyatt Teller, G Virginia Tech – Round 5, Pick 29 (No. 166)

Ray-Ray McCloud, WR Clemson – Round 6, Pick 13 (No. 187)

Austin Proehl, WR North Carolina – Round 7, Pick 37 (No. 255)

Miami Dolphins (6-10, 3rd place):

Mike Gesicki, TE Penn State – Round 2, Pick 10 (No. 42)

Durham Smythe, TE Notre Dame – Round 4, Pick 23 (No. 123)

Kalen Ballage, RB Arizona State – Round 4, Pick 31 (No. 131)

Jason Sanders, K New Mexico – Round 7, Pick 11 (No. 229)

New York Jets (5-11, 4th place):

Sam Darnold, QB USC – Round 1, Pick 3 (No. 3)

Chris Herndon, TE Miami – Round 4, Pick 7 (No. 107)

Trenton Cannon, RB Virginia State – Round 6, Pick 30 (No. 204)

Winners

Kenyan Drake

He was perhaps the biggest winner in the entire division, Drake escaped the first two days of the NFL Draft without the Dolphins adding another running back. Miami opted to add former Arizona State Sun Devil Kalen Ballage, but Ballage is a bit of a raw prospect and should lock Drake in as the feature back this upcoming season.

A plus receiver, Ballage may dip into some of Drake’s third down opportunities, while “newcomer” Frank Gore may take some reps in pass protection, so Drake’s volume this season likely won’t approach the workload he saw down the stretch of last season – but he’s now a safe investment as the clear lead back on the team.

Ryan Tannehill

Tannehill currently feels like a value in superflex according to our June ADP, but it wasn’t long ago that his grip on the starting quarterback role in Miami felt tenuous at best. When the Dolphins opted not to take a quarterback in the draft, Tannehill locked himself into (at least) one more year as the starter. Always an underrated rusher, he has some upside at a back-end QB2 price tag.

Patriots Wide Receivers

After trading Brandin Cooks away, the Patriots appear to be somewhat thin at wide receiver – particularly after Julian Edelman’s suspension. It was thought that New England would opt to add another receiver at some point in the first few rounds, but they waited until the sixth round to draft Braxton Berrios.

This leaves Edelman (despite his suspension) and Chris Hogan as values for contending teams despite being on the older side. Malcolm Mitchell, Jordan Matthews, and Kenny Britt are worth monitoring throughout the preseason to see who will end up winning a starting job.

Brian Hoyer

To be clear, Hoyer is someone who probably shouldn’t be on any rosters, even in most superflex leagues. However, in the event of a Tom Brady injury, Hoyer would be forced into action – and would probably be startable given the talent around him. The fact the Patriots opted not to add a backup playcaller until Danny Etling in the seventh round shows that New England is comfortable rolling Hoyer out as the backup for another season.

Losers

Rex Burkhead and James White (and other New England running backs)

Burkhead was poised to be the starter in New England in 2018 following Dion Lewis’ departure in free agency until the Patriots shockingly drafted a running back in the first round. Adding the versatile Sony Michel to a crowded backfield relegates Burkhead to rotational duty.

It is currently unclear just what Michel’s role will be – it feels safe to assume he’ll inherit Lewis’ 2017 workload, but whether he’ll be a three-down bellcow or a committee back is yet to be determined – although it’s likely that White and Burkhead continue to play a role. Michel has had fumbling issues in the past, and we know that Belichick has little patience for turnovers. Despite losing value because of Michel, as the most likely option as a runner at the goal line, Burkhead currently feels like a value.

Teddy Bridgewater

Bridgewater’s story is heartwarming, but it’s been a while since he’s been a known commodity on the field. The Jets added him on a one year deal this off-season in the hopes that he could compete for a starting job, but any chance he had of winning a starting role was crushed when the Jets traded up from six to three to take Sam Darnold. Teddy’s best bet is a preseason trade to a team with an unsettled situation or an aging starter. He has minimal superflex value.

AJ McCarron

McCarron’s been a dynasty loser since Sashi Brown nixed his trade to the Browns. Once expected to win a starting job this off-season, he signed with the Bills and watched as the front office selected Josh Allen in the first round. While I believe Allen is the worst of the five quarterbacks who were selected in the first, it’s unlikely that Allen will sit on the bench for more than half of the year.

McCarron has been struggling so far this summer – competing with Nathan Peterman for first-team reps. He won’t have any trade value now, but he’d be an immediate flip if he’s announced as the starter at any point.

LeSean McCoy

Mobile quarterbacks are able to open up running lanes for their backs by providing the threat of the run in addition to the pass. McCoy lost his mobile quarterback this off-season when Tyrod Taylor was shipped off to Cleveland, while he also lost multiple offensive linemen (Cordy Glenn to Cincinnati and Richie Incognito to retirement). McCoy’s monstrous workload is locked in once more, but his efficiency will likely dip. He’s a hard player to sell in the off-season, as dynasty players are focused on his advancing age and the likelihood of a poor Bills season.

Summary

Outside of Kenyan Drake and the Patriots’ other running backs, there aren’t any big winners or losers in the AFC East. The lack of major additions at the skill positions through the draft for these teams mean that there are few negative ripple effects impacting the fantasy players in the division. On the flip side, this lack of major additions provides many incumbent players – like Quincy Enunwa, Robby Anderson, Isaiah Crowell, Kelvin Benjamin, and Zay Jones – a boost.

Thoughts? Share them in the comments!

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