4 biggest reaches in the first round of the NFL Draft

EDGE Payton Turner, Saints

Let me be clear about this: I like Payton Turner. I just don’t like him at all at the position in which he was drafted. Entering the NFL Draft, I thought that Payton turner was a player that could be had for a late second-round pick. The Houston product is a good athlete, but not the bendiest of players for his position. In addition, his career production of 23.5 tackles for a loss and 9.5 sacks over four seasons is nothing to write home about.

Apparently, however, NFL teams liked Turner much more than I did, and the Houston product was drafted with the 28th overall pick. Though Payton Turner isn’t all that indifferent of Marcus Davenport, these size and speed athletes rarely turn out the way you want them to when they aren’t elite prospects, to begin with.

What I found most interesting is that higher profile edge defenders like Penn State’s Jayson Oweh and Miami’s Gregory Rousseau were still on the board. Both players would be selected over the next three picks. Payton Turner has the desired size and athletic traits that most NFL teams look for in an edge defender, but there’s a good chance he never lives up to his billing as a first-round draft choice.