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Draft Grades | Impact players: Round 1 | Rounds 2 and 3 | Rounds 4-7
Last year, one of the incredible stories of the draft was how much production we saw from the fifth round. Take a look -- Round 5 was pretty remarkable when you put it in context. Karl Klug and Pernell McPhee combined for 13.0 sacks as interior linemen. T.J. Yates started and won a playoff game. Denarius Moore had some huge days for Oakland, and Richard Sherman played cornerback at a Pro Bowl level for a solid stretch of the season in Seattle.
Every single one of these guys had obvious holes on draft day. That's the blunt assessment you'll hear from teams drafting in Rounds 4-7. There's plenty of talent, but whether it's health, size, lack of speed or glaring weaknesses in a technical aspect of the game, teams are hoping it pans out, but rarely expecting major impact.
Still, the odds tell us we'll find plenty from this range. So let's take a look at some guys who could play key roles, even as rookies. Remember, there's a lot of projection here, as not one of these guys is currently penciled in to start.
Offense
WR Joe Adams, Panthers
The Panthers got some production out of bigger wideouts Legedu Naanee and Brandon LaFell last year (a combined 80 catches), but the search for a slot-type with return skills could lead to Adams. The Armanti Edwards experiment hasn't begun. Adams is likely to get early reps as the punt returner, and his sub-4.5 speed could be used in the passing game.
OT Bobby Massie, Cardinals
The Cardinals need all the help they can get up front. Currently, journeyman Jeremy Bridges is atop the depth chart at right tackle. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Massie (a guy I had at No. 21 on my Big Board) came out of camp with the starting job.
WR Marvin Jones, Bengals
He has the talent of a second-round pick, but a knee injury probably dropped him on some boards. Still, he has good size (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) and sub-4.5 speed, and could end up beating out fellow rookie Mohamed Sanu for the No. 2 WR spot across from A.J. Green. That's a good camp battle to watch.
RB Lamar Miller, Dolphins
Miami doesn't have a home run threat on the roster like Miller, even with Reggie Bush around. It could be a crowded backfield, with Bush, Daniel Thomas and potentially Steve Slaton still around, but Miller can go sub-4.4 and is explosive when he cracks the line. He's not a great pass-catcher (Bush is one of the best we've ever seen as a RB), but Miller is scary after the catch.
WR Danny Coale, Cowboys
He started 54 games at Virginia Tech and his hands are as good as any player in the draft. Guys like Coale look like overachievers because of lack of top-end speed, but he's a master at angles, working the sidelines and corners to become a consistently open target. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he developed into a reliable third option after Dez Bryant and Miles Austin.
WR Travis Benjamin, Browns
He's still a little raw as a pass-catcher, but you simply find a way to get the ball to Benjamin. The Browns don't have a player with his big-play ability. If they can find a way to get him the ball, he could hit some home runs.
Defense
NT Alameda Ta'amu, Steelers
He's not physically gifted, but Ta'amu is the bowling ball you want as a 3-4 NT. He's 348 pounds, can take on blocks and fits the scheme. More importantly, Casey Hampton will be 35 in September. Ta'amu could eat up (literally) plenty of reps early.
CB Josh Norman, Panthers
The Panthers are looking for a No. 2 corner across from Chris Gamble, with Captain Munnerlyn merely an adequate option for now. Norman doesn't have incredible instincts, but he has really good cover and ball skills. Once he gets the system down, he could move up the depth chart quickly.
CB Chris Greenwood, Lions
This is less about Greenwood, who dominated on his level (D-III) and has good size (nearly 6-2, 200), and more about Detroit's secondary. Third-round pick Dwight Bentley could get starts, and if Greenwood can make the team, chances are he could see some time. Detroit needed corners, and it'll be a competition.
DT Jared Crick, Texans
He's not J.J. Watt, but Crick could be used the same way in Wade Phillips' scheme. Undersized for an NFL 4-3 DT, I see Crick using his quickness as a penetrating 3-4 DE (though it's hard to classify positions in Phillips' system in truly conventional terms). I once had a first-round grade on Crick. He landed in the fourth round only because of a laundry list of recent injuries -- though he did start every game in 2009 and 2010. He could be a steal if he can stay on the field.
S George Iloka, Bengals
The Bengals could see good competition at strong safety; the problem for Iloka is that he fits the profile of a free safety. He has good coverage skills and simply shies away from contact on occasions. It's odd, because at over 6-3, 225, he has the physical profile of a strong safety. I said Iloka was a little overrated (as, say, a second-round pick) because of questions about his willingness to tackle, but he could be a steal in the sixth. The guy played throughout all four seasons at Boise St., so he's not going to look lost out there.