Editor's note: NFL.com analysts and former NFL scouts Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks of the Move The Sticks Podcast share some of their scouting notes following the 2017 NFL Draft, including:
But first, we kick off this week's notebook with a look at Jeremiah's three favorite value picks from the draft.
There were great value picks for teams in the early, middle and late portions of the 2017 NFL Draft, especially at positions that were especially deep this year, like tight end and running back.
Here are a few of those values that jumped out to me as the draft unfolded last weekend:
TE Jordan Leggett, Jets, Round 5 (pick 150): This year's tight end class was loaded with talent. This caused some very talented players to slide in the draft. In a normal draft, Leggett would've been a second- or third-round pick. This year, he fell all the way to the Jets in the fifth round. He has a very similar skill set to former Browns/Dolphins TE Jordan Cameron. He should make an immediate impact for the Jets.
RB De'Angelo Henderson, Broncos, Round 6 (pick 203): Henderson was one of my favorite players to study. He's built like Maurice Jones-Drew and he has a nice blend of speed and power. He lacks ideal height but he's tough to get on the ground. His production was outstanding in college and I think he has starter ability at the next level. The Broncos have had success finding late-round gems at this position and I think Henderson could outplay most of the running backs selected ahead of him in this draft class.
WR Isaiah Ford, Dolphins, Round 7 (pick 237): I gave Ford a mid-to-late second-round grade based on watching his tape and seeing him play live this fall. While he didn't run well at the NFL Scouting Combine, I was shocked that he was still available in the seventh round. He is a smooth route runner and tracks the ball very naturally. He can high-point the ball in the red zone and I think he has the tools to develop into a solid No. 2 receiver. The Dolphins found a good one. -- Daniel Jeremiah
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Draft's biggest winner? The Cleveland Browns finished 1-15 last season. So, it's safe to say they had the most to accomplish during the offseason. I thought they added some nice pieces in free agency, notably OG Kevin Zeitler. However, they entered the draft with several holes on their depth chart and they needed to add some blue-chip players.
Mission accomplished.
I thought the Browns handled the draft beautifully. They started off by landing the premier talent in the class, selecting DE Myles Garrett with the first choice. Quarterback is obviously the most important role on any football team, but I'd list pass rusher as the second-most valuable position. I didn't think there was a quarterback worthy of a top-10 pick in this year's draft. The Browns were wise to fill other holes and avoid reaching for a signal-caller.
They moved around the board and came away with two other rock-solid first-round selections. Jabrill Peppers will be a versatile chess piece for defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, while tight end David Njoku has all-pro potential. Their patience paid off when Notre Dame QB DeShone Kizer fell to them at No. 52 in Round 2. I thought that was a tremendous value pick. He has the most upside of any quarterback in the class and they didn't have to spend one of their top three choices on him. Now, if he hits, great. If not, they can jump right back into the quarterback pool next spring. The Browns let the draft come to them and made wise choices. Well done. -- Daniel Jeremiah
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Recruit ratings can be gold for NFL GMs: If I'm an NFL executive looking for the next generation of stars, I would start paying closer attention to the high school recruiting lists that are published each year. Although critics and naysayers frequently suggest that star ratings don't matter, a closer look at the data shows that the overwhelming majority of first-round picks were rated as four- or five-star recruits in high school.
Twenty-two of the 32 first-round picks (68.7 percent) this year were rated as either four- or five-star recruits in the 2013 or 2014 recruiting classes, per the 247Sports composite rankings. This comes on the after 68.7 percent (22 of 32) of 2016 first-round picks also earned four- or five-stars ratings in their respective recruiting classes. With 52.3 percent (46 of 86) of the players on the 2017 Pro Bowl rosters entering the league as first-round picks, scouts should pay closer attention to the recruiting lists to get an early jump on the next wave of stars set to enter the league.
"We've been paying attention to the recruiting list for the past few years because it gives us a feel for which guys were supposed to be stars at the college level," said a former NFC pro personnel director. "At the end of the day, the stars in high school and college are the same ones who become stars at the NFL level."
As a high school coach in Southern California and one of the counselors on the Elite 11/The Opening Regional tour, I've had the opportunity to watch several premier high school players participate in competitive drills and 7-on-7 games. I've also checked out their high school highlights online and watched several of their high school games in primetime. Thus, I've been fortunate enough to watch a number of young stars, including Landon Collins, Ezekiel Elliott, Jared Goff, Jamal Adams, O.J. Howard, Leonard Fournette and others, from their adolescent days, and I'm not surprised at their success at the highest levels.
These guys were the top players at their respective positions as high schoolers and they continued to dominate their peers as collegians. In a league that's governed by stars, why wouldn't I want to begin to track the elite players at the lower levels to help me prepare for future drafts?
That's why I've encouraged plenty of general managers and personnel executives to pay attention to the top performers in the high school ranks to get a jump on the young players that will eventually develop into NFL stars. While many will snicker at the notion of NFL executives studying recruiting lists and star-based ratings, there's plenty of evidence that suggests high school analysts get it right when evaluating the talent on the lower levels. Look no further than the fact that 10 five-star recruits were selected in the first round of the 2017 draft. Not to mention, it was the third time in four years that a former five-star recruit was taken with the No. 1 overall pick.
"Most of the guys that were selected at the top of the draft were brand names," said the former personnel director. "We've heard about these guys since they were high schoolers, so there was definitely a comfort level with some of the top guys."
But scouring the recruiting lists for four- and five-stars isn't just about getting a jump on the next generation of stars. It's also about identifying potential priority free agent candidates. With a handful of blue-chip recruits failing to play up to expectations due to various circumstances (coaching changes, legal trouble, poor performance, etc.), an extensive review of previous recruiting lists could help an evaluator identify a hidden gem as an undrafted free agent.
"I will cross check our draft board with old recruiting lists and assign one of the scouts to dig up information on the five-stars that didn't make it on our board," said the former personnel director. "Since they were highly regarded at one time, we just want to make sure that we don't miss out on a player who has enough talent to play in our league. ... With undrafted or street free agents, you're hoping to find a player with a few redeeming qualities. It's a longshot but there's nothing wrong with taking a low-risk gamble on a player who was expected to be a dominant player in college."
With every team looking for an edge when it comes to talent evaluation and player acquisition, it might be time for more scouts and executives to spend a little more time studying the recruiting lists to get a jump on the next generation of players that will eventually make an impact on the pro game. -- Bucky Brooks
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Who's next in CFB pipeline? After the final Path to the Draft episode of the season airs on Friday (6 p.m. ET on NFL Network), I'll take some time to re-charge my batteries before beginning to look at some of the top college football players in the month of June. Here are five of the players I'll be studying this summer:
USC QB Sam Darnold: I've seen Darnold play live several times (including an epic performance in last season's Rose Bowl) and he's impressive. His timing, anticipation and accuracy stood out to me. I can't wait to dig in and really study his game.
Wyoming QB Josh Allen: I've seen Allen play live and I've had the chance to visit with him in the offseason. Based on those exposures, it's easy to appreciate his size, arm strength and athletic ability. He will be in the conversation to be the top quarterback at the collegiate level next fall.
UCLA QB Josh Rosen: I saw Rosen play live in 2015, but I didn't get a chance to see him last fall before he suffered a season-ending injury. He has a beautiful throwing motion and the ball jumps out of his hand. I'll go back and study tape from both his freshman and sophomore seasons over the summer.
Florida State DB Derwin James: The ultra-talented defender missed the majority of the 2016 campaign, but the FSU coaches rave about him. I can't wait to see him play against Alabama in the season opener. I look forward to checking out his video next month.
Penn State RB Saquon Barkley: I've seen Barkley play live twice in the last two years. He is a freak show (that's a compliment). He has a rare blend of size, speed and agility. I look forward to posting video of my favorite Barkley runs from last fall. -- Daniel Jeremiah
Follow Bucky Brooks on Twitter @BuckyBrooks.
