Christian Kirk was an absolute steal in the second round of the NFL draft. Which other picks stood out?
The first round of the NFL Draft is where a lot of big name players come off the board. It also gets a disproportionate amount of attention from fans and the media at large. In sharp contrast, there isn’t enough attention paid to the excellent prospects available in round two.
The latter rounds of the draft are where the best GMs make their money. Round two is where you start to see the really smart franchises take advantage of the less sophisticated teams. In this year’s draft there were definitely potential stars available to teams up and down the second round.
The key for teams trying to do good work in round two was to make sure they didn’t become preoccupied with team need. Smart teams stick to their boards. The only time position comes into play is as a tiebreaker. Teams that reach for need will fail infinitely more often than teams who draft the best prospect irrespective of their position.
As you go through this piece don’t get caught up in name recognition. The first round is filled with Power 5 players who you’ve gotten a chance to see on CBS and ESPN every week. The second round tends to feature a few more players that require the average fan to engage in a quick Google search. Sometimes that’s due to playing at a smaller school, but more often it’s a result of playing a less glamorous position.
You won’t see any quarterbacks or edge rushers make this list. The best players at those positions came off the board early in round one. Instead, read this analysis to dig a little deeper into the players who can make a real impact on their NFL teams next year. Several of these prospects will outplay the first rounders their teams selected a day ahead of them.
5. Jessie Bates, Cincinnati Bengals
Safety isn’t the most glamorous position in the NFL and that’s a big reason Jessie Bates didn’t hear his name called in round one. Instead, he checks in as one of the most valuable selections of the second round.
Many NFL talent evaluators are obsessed with finding safeties who can play with extreme force at the line of scrimmage. That’s caused prospect like Bates to be overlooked. He isn’t another linebacker who can cover a little bit. Instead, he’s an excellent pass defender who can step up and defend the run when called upon.
Perhaps the most exciting thing about Bates is his ability to make plays in the secondary. He had five interceptions during his last season at Wake Forest and managed to return two of them to the house for touchdowns. This kid is a playmaker in the truest sense of the word.
Yes, there are concerns about his ability to become anything more than an average tackler, but he’s got a skill set that’s more difficult to find. In a draft full of safeties that play more like linebackers, Bates will provide the Bengals with a safety who can wreak havoc on the back line of their defense. Bates should enjoy a long and productive career patrolling the deep third for Cincinnati.