Round 5 has wrapped up, and all the big names have been plucked off the board and placed onto their future rosters. Quarterbacks fell, punters rose, Chattanooga had a first-round pick — what a weekend it’s been. With a dwindling selection left, we take a look at the winners of this year’s draft.
Philadelphia Eagles
Seriously — how the hell did Nakobe Dean fall to the third round? A pec injury that doctors said wasn’t even serious enough to operate on? It may remain a mystery forever, but it’s a huge upside for the Eagles, who nabbed Dean along with teammate Jordan Davis. The duo were central to Georgia’s championship-winning defense in 2021, and many Eagles fans were hoping to get Dean in the first round. The Eagles have said Dean has been cleared medically.
With only three picks in the first five rounds, they also selected center Cameron Jurgens, who will be able to learn for a year under Jason Kelce before taking over the starting position. With a limited amount of picks, they may have maximized their quality. Keep in mind that they also got A.J. Brown on a four-year extension by trading away a couple of early-round picks (the highest being the Carson Wentz pick) with a mid-draft blockbuster trade announcement. Not too shabby.
Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore continued to fill out their already robust defense with some of the biggest steals of the draft: Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton at 14th, regarded by some to be the best overall prospect of this year’s class, and Michigan’s David Ojabo at 45th, a linebacker who would’ve gone far earlier if not for a tough break with an Achilles heel tear on his Pro Day. They may have to wait a little longer for his production, but that should be an investment that pays generously.
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They filled an immediate need at center with Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum, and filled out their offensive line with Minnesota giant Daniel Faalele, an almost-400-lb beast who decimates defensive lines. Add in a couple of cornerbacks and tight ends — the Ravens should be a dangerous contender this year.
New York Jets
The Jets signed some of the most recognizable names in this year’s class, coming out kicking in the first round with Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, and Jermaine Johnson. They know what they need, and they’re looking to improve at just about every position and level of play with that first round selection. They’ll have a top pass rusher, a guy who didn’t allow a touchdown in college, and an elite WR all in their rookie class, which can hopefully set Zach Wilson up for success, especially with third and fourth round additions of an offensive tackle and a tight end.
They add speed with Iowa State RB Breece Hall, widely considered to be one of the top two RBs in the class, and maybe, just maybe, this rebuild can start in earnest. Barring a trade, the Jets are finished selecting this year and ready to get down to business.