From ASB1216 (@ASB1216):
Love this question, ASB, because it makes me dive a little deeper into the draft class, and I do have a couple of names for you after diving in.
On offense, I’m going to take my swing on Raiders tight end Michael Mayer, for a combination of reasons. The first is that I think he was undervalued where he went—he was the one, true two-way tight end in the draft, and it felt (to me at least) like there was this fatigue on the part of scouts who’d heard about him for three years. The second thing is the opportunity he’ll get with the Raiders, who lost their top two tight ends, Darren Waller and Foster Moreau. Third, Josh McDaniels’s offense is exceedingly tight-end-friendly.
On defense, give me Lions safety Brian Branch. Alabama coach Nick Saban would tell any NFL type who’d listen how much he loved Branch, and how ready and suited for today’s NFL his star defensive back was. In Detroit, he’ll get to play on a defense that’s invested heavily in a heat-seeking front, which creates chances for guys on the back end to make a lot of plays on the ball. Which, I think, sets Saban up to look like a soothsayer in January.
