Best Fits In The NFL Draft For Hopeful Hawkeyes
The NFL Draft is almost here.
With the first round set to begin Thursday, all eyes are on five Hawkeyes: Tristan Wirfs, A.J. Epenesa, Nate Stanley, Michael Ojemudia and Geno Stone.
Looking ahead to Thursday’s action, let’s see which teams could be the best fit for the four.
Unless noted, stats courtest of Pro Football Reference.
Tristan Wirfs
There is a ton of buzz surrounding Tristan Wirfs and the New York Giants, who hold the fourth overall selection in the NFL Draft. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Giants spent “significant” time with the Iowa tackle. Wirfs, who was compared to Bryan Bulaga by NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, looks to be the first Hawkeye taken off the board.
Wirfs possesses athleticism for days, and he can play both right and left tackle – something teams should (and will) take note of.
Potential landing spots
The Giants are going to be the first team on the board with real interest in Wirfs (assuming Joe Burrow, Chase Young, and Jeff Okudah fill out the top three). One area to help second-year quarterback Daniel Jones is protection, and that’s something Wirfs brings to the table. Even with veteran tackle Nate Solder commanding the starting left tackle role, Wirfs could easily slide over to right. The Giants allowed 43 sacks last season, which stands roughly in the middle of the league.
In terms of run blocking, why not make a good thing great? Saquon Barkley drives the Giant offense, and New York averaged the seventh-highest yards-per-attempt mark last year (4.7). The addition of a strong tackle can only bolster that already solid number.
Other teams with offensive line needs in the first round are Arizona, Cleveland, and Miami. The Cardinals already took care of a large need at wide receiver by trading for DeAndre Hopkins, so protection for Kyler Murray will be one of their top priorities. Arizona and Miami (which led the league in sacks allowed), both finished last season with 50 or more sacks.
A.J. Epenesa
A poor combine outing might affect some teams' perspective on A.J. Epenesa, but the tape speaks for itself. Epenesa tallied 21.5 sacks and 30.5 tackles for a loss in his last two seasons with the Hawkeye program, showing his machine-like ability to get into the backfield. He’s a technician.
Potential landing spots
Epenesa projects to be a late first round selection, potentially a second-round pick. NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah connects the dots to New England, a team that could use an edge rusher of Epenesa’s caliber, but also holds strong ties to the Ferentz family and the Iowa program. Last season, New England’s pass rush wasn’t bad by any means; the Patriots tied for seventh in the NFL with 47 sacks last season. Consider it bolstering an already solid attack.
He’d be an excellent complement to Chase Winovich and John Simon. Given Belick’s defensive line rotations, Epenesa would get plenty of time on the field right off the bat. His presence would give immediate help to a defense which lost starters Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins, Danny Shelton.
Other potential fits include Miami and Tennessee. Miami has three first-round selections this year, and it’s safe to say the first two could be spent on offensive playmakers. But the Dolphins’ final selection of the first round, No. 26, could be a spot for Epenesa. Miami finished dead last in sacks (23), hurry percentage (6.1%), and pressures (95) last year, according to Pro Football Reference. Worthy of note: the Dolphins were the only team in the league with fewer than 100 pressures last season.
Nate Stanley
Nate Stanley isn’t a plug-and-play starter from Day One — more as a project — but he owns traits NFL general managers should love (big frame, cannon for an arm, 40 on the Wonderlic).
That being said, teams with an immediate need at quarterback have either already addressed the issue in free agency or are going to snag a signal caller in the first round. Going off that notion, teams with established quarterbacks might be in the market for Stanley. Or, even if that quarterback room isn’t as robust, Stanley could be taken as a safety net.
Potential landing spots
Teams like Atlanta and Green Bay, both with talented starting quarterbacks 35 years and older, can still compete with their passers, but it might not be a bad idea to look ahead for the future. Quarterback isn’t a glaring need for either team, so taking a flier on Stanley in the middle-to-late rounds wouldn’t be out of this world.
Other teams that could be looking to bolster their backup situation (but wouldn’t need Stanley to step in from Day One): New York Jets, New England, Los Angeles Rams, Tennessee, or Jacksonville. For what it’s worth, Stanley had a virtual meeting with the Jets earlier this week, according to the New York Daily News. The Jets, along with the Patriots and Rams, ranked 16th or worse in team quarterback rating last season.
Here’s a handy guide to every team’s quarterback situation heading into the draft, courtesy of Sports Illustrated.
Geno Stone
Stone looks to follow in Amani Hooker’s footsteps as another safety/hybrid player selected in the NFL Draft. There are questions about his size, but that isn’t new. He’s got solid instincts and is a great tackler.
While he isn’t a Day One starter, Stone will be gunning for a roster spot, whether as a backup or on special teams.
Potential landing spots
Stone could fit in with a plethora of teams looking for a boost in their secondary like Washington. The Redskins owned the third-worst opposing quarterback rating last year (102.5) and seventh-worst yards allowed per rush attempt. The defense as a whole needs help, and while Stone won’t change any defense overnight, using him at times at safety or even in the nickel position could benefit most teams in the red defensively. He’s versatile, which would be one of his top selling points to a team like Washington, or any other team needing defensive help across the board (Arizona, Atlanta, Cincinnati, New York, etc.).
Michael Ojemudia
Michael Ojemudia could provide solid, experienced cornerback help to most teams in the draft. While he doesn’t jump out of the gym or have lightning-quick speed, Ojemudia owns concrete awareness and ball instincts. In his final two seasons with Iowa, Ojemudia snagged six interceptions.
Potential landing spots
Much like Stone, any team looking for help in the secondary might take a chance on Ojemudia. He likely won’t be thrust into a starting role, so a team needing depth at corner may call his name.
Look to Washington, New England, Las Vegas, Minnesota, and Tennessee as five teams in need to cornerback help – nothing pressing at the moment, but depth at this position should be on their radar come draft day. The Redskins, Raiders, and Titans all ranked in the bottom half in defensive quarterback rating last season. Las Vegas, in particular, ranked second-to-last in the category as well as yards gained per completion (12.9). The Raiders ranked 29th in interception percentage (1.7%) as well.
