NFL Mock Draft 7.4: Round 5 of the 2018 NFL Draft
By Ian Cummings
Picks 162-165
162. Tennessee Titans: CB Isaac Yiadom, Boston College
Boston College’s secondary performed admirably last season, and veteran cornerback Isaac Yiadom was a big reason why.
Yiadom is on the thin side, but he has great length at 6-foot-1, and he’s far from the slow, lumbering prospect. Yiadom plays with great speed, and he has no trouble tracking the ball, both through the air and on the ground.
Yiadom can carve a role out on special teams at the beginning of his career, and he can slowly work his way up to being a starter. He has the talent. For now, all the Titans need is depth. But in the future, Yiadom could emerge as a key contributor for them.
163. Denver Broncos (via ATL): CB Parry Nickerson, Tulane
After running a 4.32 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, Nickerson’s name has been gaining steam as a legitimate Day 3 prospect. The Broncos already have a slot cornerback, which is where Nickerson, with his speed, and slightly underwhelming size, fits best. But Nickerson gives the team a bit of a fall back option, were things to go awry. After trading away Aqib Talib, the Brocnos need to add more cornerbacks. At this pick in the NFL Draft, they could do a lot worse.
164. New Orleans Saints: CB Levi Wallace, Alabama
The cornerback run continues, this time with the New Orleans Saints selecting Alabama cornerback Levi Wallace. At 6-foot-0, 179, Wallace is a bit under the normal weight a cornerback should maintain. And after posting a 4.63 40-yard dash, it’s clear that he lacks in the way of speed, too.
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While Wallace doesn’t have the athletic honors of normal Alabama prospects, he does have something else to his name: Walk-on status. Walk-ons rarely ever make it in the Alabama football program, but Wallace did that, and more. He became a starter.
Wallace’s work ethic must be tireless, and so too must be his drive to get better. Whoever gets Wallace will get a prospect who is limited, but has enough juice in the tank to evolve into a quality pass protector, if everything goes right.
165. Pittsburgh Steelers: LB Christian Sam, Arizona State
With Ryan Shazier’s situation in flux, the Pittsburgh Steelers need to solidify the linebacker position, to an extent. They drafted hybrid defender Terrell Edmunds earlier in the NFL Draft, but they can do better by adding a pure inside linebacker wit this pick. Christian Sam is a well-built linebacker who has all the tools to succeed. He’s not flashy, but he has a workmanlike approach on the field, and in terms of getting the job done, he’s fairly reliable. There are reports he doesn’t have the mentality teams look for in their inside linebackers, however. The Steelers will hope they can coach him up with this pick, because his stock would undoubtedly be higher, if not for his character concerns.