No, you haven’t fallen through a wormhole and landed back in 2015. Instead, you’re looking at my 2015 NFL Draft Do-Over where I make new picks for every team in the first round in what experts are calling “completely meaningless, but entertaining.”
Click here for Part 1, here for Part 2 and here for Part 3.
21. Cincinnati Bengals – Rob Havenstein, OT, Wisconsin
Original pick: Cedric Ogbuhei, OT, Texas A&M
The Bengals needed a tackle and added Ogbuhei here originally. It’s not worked out and, as of right now, Ogbhuhei is on the bench and been replaced by trades and free agent acquisitions. Havenstein has developed into a top right tackle and was ranked No. 27 overall in 2017 by PFF.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers – Bud Dupree, OLB, Kentucky
Original pick: Bud Dupree, OLB, Kentucky
We have a fifth first rounder that falls to the exact same team that drafted him originally and the seventh player to end up with the same team. It really shows how successful teams were in their scouting and drafting in 2015. I’m not looking back, but this has to be a record for me on these re-dos.
23. Denver Broncos – Donovan Smith, OT, Penn State
Original pick: Shane Ray, OLB/DE, Missouri
Ray was a good pick and when he was healthy and in 2016, the Broncos would have easily made this selection again. Unfortunately for him and the team, he was hurt most of last year will start this year out with the same injury, a wrist that has been dubbed “problematic.” As soon as Peyton Manning was gone, the Broncos’ offensive line fell apart. Smith is one of only two real left tackles in this draft so they add him here and start that trench rebuild early.
24. Arizona Cardinals – La’el Collins, OG/OT, LSU
Original pick: D.J. Humphries, OT, Florida
Humphries is gone, as is Smith and Havenstein so the Cardinals go with the next best offensive lineman on their board. Collins was the ringer in the draft climber competition since he was an undrafted free agent through no fault of his own. He was part of, but not a person of interest, in a murder investigation that hit right before the draft and went into a free fall. He should have been a first rounder and is here.
Here’s what’s crazy, while Collins should have been drafted in the first round, our co-gold medalist draft riser wasn’t.
25. Carolina Panthers – Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
Original pick: Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
Thompson was an odd pick at the time and still seems like a crazy selection for the Panthers even years later. Waynes falls to them here in the re-do and allows them to prepare their secondary for Josh Norman’s departure two seasons later.
26. Baltimore Ravens – Dante Fowler Jr., OLB, Florida
Original pick: Breshad Perriman
Perriman has unquestionably been a bust for the Ravens at wideout. Fowler, you could argue, has been one for the Jaguars, but the guy tore his knee up and missed his first season completely. After a redshirt, he had eight sacks and 22 tackles coming in off the bench last season. By the time he got healthy enough to play, he got passed up by Yannick Ngakue (who will make a significant jump next year when I do the 2016 re-do) and Calais Campbell, who is playing the best ball of his life. Jacksonville didn’t pick up Fowler’s fifth-year option, making him a free agent at the end of this season and he’ll definitely be one of the hottest available players out there if he puts up the same numbers he did last year.
The Ravens have needed to add more pass rush for the future for years. Fowler fits that bill and, frankly, they need to pursue him as a free agent here in the real world next season.
To be continued in Part 5.
