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2019 NFL Draft | One Player Your Team Needs | NFC South

Russell Brown
03/29/2019
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Believe it or not, we’re less than a month away from the 2019 NFL Draft. Time flies when you’re having fun, or in my case, grinding tape and evaluating prospects. I’ll grind away on what I think a player can do, and inevitably he won’t go to that team. But that’s what makes this fun!

More often than not, something that all of us evaluators like to do is run through a mock draft. Those are always fun, but they can get repetitive. How many times can we really run through Kyler Murray or Quinnen Williams as the top pick of the 2019 NFL Draft? It’s exhausting at times, so I’ve thought of a new idea. It’s similar to a mock draft, but it expands through the entire 2019 NFL Draft.

This idea stems from opening day across baseball. Whether you’re a Braves fan or a Rays fan, it doesn’t matter, there are players on your favorite team that you may or may not want on the roster. When we get to football season, the same thing is going to happen.

It doesn’t matter if your football team has five picks or 12 picks in the 2019 NFL Draft. There is one player that can help contribute for years to come. More often than not, it happens. But who are they? They’re not always your team’s first pick. It varies, and in this exercise, I want to provide one player that your team NEEDS by the time we get to kickoff for the regular season. (Yes, this will be in multiple parts. First up, the NFC!)

NFC South

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Parris Campbell, WR, Ohio State (39th Pick)

We can all agree that Devin White is going 5th overall to the Bucs right? Okay, good. So moving away from the defensive side of the ball, let’s focus on their offense. Having Mike Evans and Chris Godwin is nice, and it’ll be a productive duo, but we’re talking about Bruce Arians. He loves playmakers on his offense, and with that being said, Parris Campbell could create plenty of mismatches and stretch the field.

At the Combine, there was plenty to love with Campbell and the way he tested. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.31 seconds and jumped out of the gym. His vertical was 40″ and his broad jump was 11’3″. All of these numbers put him in the 90th percentile or higher. On film, Campbell put that speed to good use, but he also struggled with drops at times. The Buckeyes utilized him the same way they used Curtis Samuel, but Campbell is far more explosive. If this happens, get excited for your DeSean Jackson replacement, Bucs Nation!

Atlanta Falcons – Ed Oliver, DT, Houston (14th Pick)

Anything and everything is possible. Ed Oliver is a top-3 player in this draft, but we’ve seen plenty of players fall in the process. There’s a chance that Oliver escapes the top-10, and there was even a rumor that the Falcons might move up in this draft. Yes, I know, smokescreens, I know. Either way, the Falcons should be ecstatic if Oliver is available at the 14th overall pick.

He’s one of the most athletically gifted players in this draft and provides the versatility to play anywhere. He can play as a one-technique or even stand up off the edge. In three seasons at Houston, Oliver had 192 tackles, 53 tackles for loss, and 13.5 sacks. Not bad for a player that’s listed as undersized at 6’1″ and 287 pounds, but also for a player that has to fight double and triple teams. Pairing Oliver with a defensive line that consists of Grady Jarrett, Tak McKinley, and Vic Beasley would lead to some incredible results.

Carolina Panthers – Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State (16th Pick)

It’s time to start protecting Cam Newton, right? By moving on from Matt Kalil, there’s going to be a need at left tackle, and there’s been one for a couple of seasons. Dillard is one of the more consistent offensive tackles in this class, and he’s also one of the most athletic.

At the Senior Bowl, he told us that he was really starting to figure out how to handle counter moves from defensive linemen, and it showed. He loves using the snatch-trap technique, and his footwork is relatively consistent. He backs it up with solid hand placement. With how the Panthers like to run out of spread formations and utilize both Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey, he can come in and help right away. Many will want an edge rusher, but this is a deep class, and in the first round the Panthers can get their left tackle of the future. When the season kicks off, that’s a win.

New Orleans Saints – Emanuel Hall, WR, Missouri (62nd Pick)

Say what you want, but the wide receiver group was bad for the Saints at the end of the year. They were relying on Austin Carr and Keith Kirkwood. That’s fine and all, but they need to address this group and add more talent. Think about this; the Saints have the 62nd pick of the 2019 NFL Draft and then don’t draft again until the 169th pick. Whatever is decided, they’ll need a player that can come in and make some type of impact.

Call me crazy, but I think that Emanuel Hall can provide an impact in year one and more than likely, beyond that. The biggest concern is how healthy he can stay. He’s battled through groin injuries and hamstring injuries. Despite that, he measured at the combine at 6’1 7/8 and 201 pounds and showed all kinds of explosiveness with an 11’9″ broad jump and 43 1/2″ vertical jump. To verify that he’s a deep threat, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds. Hall has shown that he’s a dangerous deep threat and dynamic whenever the ball is in his hands. He averaged over 14 yards per target and 22.4 yards per reception. Put that next to Michael Thomas with Drew Brees and watch this offense prosper.

 

#Buccaneers | #Falcons | 2019 NFL Draft | Andre Dillard | Atlanta Falcons | Cam Newton | Carolina Panthers | Drew Brees | Ed Oliver | Emmanuel Hall | Grady Jarrett | Matt Ryan | Michael Thomas | New Orleans Saints | NFC South | NFL Draft | NFL Draft team needs | panthers | Parris Campbell | Saints | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Team Needs

Russell Brown

National Scout for Cover 1. Host of Cover 1 | The NFL Draft Podcast. NFL Draft Enthusiast. X's and O's. Heard on ESPN Radio, FOX Sports Radio and CBS Sports Radio.

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