Tweet
This season, Dakota will be getting away from last year's draft strategy which was "Don't pay too much attention and just peek at combines." which was an abject failure. Plus, having a 1st round pick this year makes things more interesting!
We considered moving up in the 1st round from 1.32, but no deals materialized. Fortunately, the draft was deep, so the chances of getting a blue chipper at the end of the 1st were far higher than average.
1(32) - Dustin Chorak (G) 33/57 - 36/59 Chorak was one of several very good players still available in the draft. With our OL being one of our oldest units, the decision was made to bring in Chorak to pair with 2018 3rd round pick Timothy Batchelor at G. He will fill in for journeymen John Buhner and Emmitt Appleby, who split time starting at guard last season. Although we would have preferred to bring in another young tackle who can take the reigns when Peterson and Lewis decline, Chorak was far more talented than the available Ts. LBs J.T. Sims and Covington were also considered, but OL was a bigger need.
2(14) - Jerome Howe (DT) 27/49 - 32/55 Some 1st ground grade DTs fell into the second, and Dakota made its annual deal with Utah to move up from 2.32 to 2.14 to snag one of the three 1st round graded DTs after the first of the trio went off the board. DT wasn't a need, but it was hard to pass up this kind of talent. Howe is big and strong and will rotate at NT with Rondell Crossman. Next season a move to the 4-3 could be in order, with Devin Sibley finally getting a shot to rush the passer from the other DT spot. Sibley has seen limited playing time due to endurance issues and a conflict with a team leader, but he can get to the QB, as he proved by putting some pressure on Randy Boone during limited duty in the bowl game.
3(32) - Kyle Ackerman (DE) 26/39- 30/39 Went with Ackerman at the end of the third, who could be a key component in a future switch to the 4-3 if he pans out. We're hoping he's something like Arnie Hutchins, who we lost as a RFA after IRing him while he was disgruntled. Fertwagner may have been the correct pick. Considered Amos Kuhlmann here for a possible TE switch, but Kuhlmann seemed too small to make the switch.
4(7) - Rufus Jaster (T) 22/43- 25/43 Moved up to take Rufus Jaster to address our aging T position. Unfortunately, I fear he may be similar to one of former draft picks, 3rd rounder Billy Wilkins, who has progressed very slowly towards fulfilling his average potential at T. Considered Jumbo Raffray, CB here and also maybe even Cornelius Chun, but was thinking about moving up in 5 to snag Chun. Wasn't meant to be, apparently.
5(32) - Arnie Fredrickson (WR) 14/56 - 17/47 Should take Dixon Richardson's roster spot pretty easily and could be our 5th wideout. Not expecting too much. Due to our lack of CB depth, we probably should have looked at CB Dixon Benjamin, but we thought he might fall to us in round 5.
6(32) - James Cherpeski (CB) 14/37 - 17/33 Not sold on this no combine guy, and I fear he might be another Jumbo Freitag, a previous CB we took who didn't make the roster. Depending on how awful he is he could make the roster, as we're hurting at CB, our previous deep roster spot.
7(32) - Gene Tatum (G) 19/49 - 22/46 Definitely didn't need any more guards but this guy seemed like a prize for the last pick in the draft. Portland was disappointed he wouldn't be available in FA.
We considered moving up in the 1st round from 1.32, but no deals materialized. Fortunately, the draft was deep, so the chances of getting a blue chipper at the end of the 1st were far higher than average.
1(32) - Dustin Chorak (G) 33/57 - 36/59 Chorak was one of several very good players still available in the draft. With our OL being one of our oldest units, the decision was made to bring in Chorak to pair with 2018 3rd round pick Timothy Batchelor at G. He will fill in for journeymen John Buhner and Emmitt Appleby, who split time starting at guard last season. Although we would have preferred to bring in another young tackle who can take the reigns when Peterson and Lewis decline, Chorak was far more talented than the available Ts. LBs J.T. Sims and Covington were also considered, but OL was a bigger need.
2(14) - Jerome Howe (DT) 27/49 - 32/55 Some 1st ground grade DTs fell into the second, and Dakota made its annual deal with Utah to move up from 2.32 to 2.14 to snag one of the three 1st round graded DTs after the first of the trio went off the board. DT wasn't a need, but it was hard to pass up this kind of talent. Howe is big and strong and will rotate at NT with Rondell Crossman. Next season a move to the 4-3 could be in order, with Devin Sibley finally getting a shot to rush the passer from the other DT spot. Sibley has seen limited playing time due to endurance issues and a conflict with a team leader, but he can get to the QB, as he proved by putting some pressure on Randy Boone during limited duty in the bowl game.
3(32) - Kyle Ackerman (DE) 26/39- 30/39 Went with Ackerman at the end of the third, who could be a key component in a future switch to the 4-3 if he pans out. We're hoping he's something like Arnie Hutchins, who we lost as a RFA after IRing him while he was disgruntled. Fertwagner may have been the correct pick. Considered Amos Kuhlmann here for a possible TE switch, but Kuhlmann seemed too small to make the switch.
4(7) - Rufus Jaster (T) 22/43- 25/43 Moved up to take Rufus Jaster to address our aging T position. Unfortunately, I fear he may be similar to one of former draft picks, 3rd rounder Billy Wilkins, who has progressed very slowly towards fulfilling his average potential at T. Considered Jumbo Raffray, CB here and also maybe even Cornelius Chun, but was thinking about moving up in 5 to snag Chun. Wasn't meant to be, apparently.
5(32) - Arnie Fredrickson (WR) 14/56 - 17/47 Should take Dixon Richardson's roster spot pretty easily and could be our 5th wideout. Not expecting too much. Due to our lack of CB depth, we probably should have looked at CB Dixon Benjamin, but we thought he might fall to us in round 5.
6(32) - James Cherpeski (CB) 14/37 - 17/33 Not sold on this no combine guy, and I fear he might be another Jumbo Freitag, a previous CB we took who didn't make the roster. Depending on how awful he is he could make the roster, as we're hurting at CB, our previous deep roster spot.
7(32) - Gene Tatum (G) 19/49 - 22/46 Definitely didn't need any more guards but this guy seemed like a prize for the last pick in the draft. Portland was disappointed he wouldn't be available in FA.
Comment