5 Takeaways from the NFL Draft

With the 2020 NFL Draft now in the rearview mirror, BeaversEdge.com Managing Editor Brenden Slaughter gives his five takeaways around the three Beavers selected and the rest that signed UDFA deals.

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Following a senior season that saw him start and play in 11 games and throw for 2,714 yards and 28 touchdowns against just three interceptions, Oregon State quarterback Jake Luton became the first Beaver taken off the board as Jacksonville selected him with the 189th pick (6th Round) of the 2020 NFL Draft.

The 6-foot-7, 229-pound Luton was surprisingly the first Beaver taken off the board as the Jaguars saw his potential and decided to reunite him with former Pac-12 foe Garnder Minshew II.

Given that the Jags' quarterback room includes Minshew II, Josh Dobbs, and Luton, the situation couldn't be more prime for Luton. Despite the Jags falling in love with #MinshewMania, he's still only a second-year guy while Dobbs is a career backup. With all that being said, Luton could have a solid opportunity to shine.

Minshew II is obviously their guy after they traded away Nick Foles, but anything can happen in the NFL as far as personnel and injuries go, and Luton being behind a young guy could work out quite well for him.

I didn't see Jacksonville coming for Luton, but the NFL Draft is always full of surprises, and given that Luton went before other QB's, the Jags see the potential he brings to the table and that's why I believe he'll stick with them for the foreseeable future.

With the Jags having some solid weapons at receiver in DJ Chark, Dede Westbrook, and the newly acquired Laviska Shenault from Colorado, the weapons are in place for whomever is under center.

While the 2020 NFL Draft was full of surprises, there probably wasn't a surprise that hit home more than Isaiah Hodgins falling to the 6th Round. Hodgins was pegged to go anywhere from as high as the end of the third to as low as the seventh and it ended up being the Buffalo Bills who snatched him up with the 207th pick.

Despite Hodgins slipping further than many expected, the fit is all that matters and he landed on a team that is going to make some real noise over the next few seasons if all holds. With Tom Brady leaving the AFC East, the Bills seem like the team that is going to ascend to the top of the throne and that's where Hodgins fits in.

The Bills have their franchise quarterback in place in Josh Allen and have a bevy of skill-position talent around him. Hodgins will get to learn from veterans Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley and should be in a strong position to rise up the depth chart quickly.

He'll likely be a specialist early in his career, but when the Bills want to open it up and throw the ball around in 4 or 5 receiver sets, Hodgins should get an opportunity to show what he can do quickly.

Following Luton going to Jacksonville, Brandel was the second Beaver to hear his name called as the Minnesota Vikings took him with the 203rd pick (6th Round).

On paper, the fit is tremendous as Brandel fits everything Minnesota. Head coach Mike Zimmer is all about toughness and grit in Skol territory and Brandel exemplifies all of those traits. Here's a guy who was an iron-man on the field, starting 48 straight games in his college career and that's something the Vikings clearly value.

It was certainly a surprise to see Brandel go higher than Hodgins, but he landed in a perfect position and should be primed to rise up the Vikings depth chart quickly with his work ethic and attention to detail.

Shortly following the conclusion of the draft, two Beavers were very quick to find their new homes in the NFL as running back Artavis Pierce and tight end Noah Togiai landed in Chicago and Philadelphia respectively.

Despite neither being drafted, I love the fit for both guys.

Starting with Pierce, getting an opportunity to go to Chicago with a familiar face in Ryan Nall is a huge plus, and when you combine that with the fact that the ever-dynamic Pierce will get a chance to play wide-open in Matt Nagy's offense, it's a great fit.

With Nagy being an Andy Reid disciple, getting speed on the field and creating mismatches is paramount and Pierce should be able to thrive in that role. He's got as good of a chance as anyone to stick with his team after signing a UDFA deal...

In terms of Togiai, I've been saying for a while that an NFL opportunity would present itself as long as he's able to stay healthy and that's exactly what happened when Doug Pederson and the Philadelphia Eagles came calling.

The Eagles use tight ends Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert as much as any two tight-end tandem in the NFL and that could greatly benefit Togiai. All the potential is there and now he's got some tremendous veterans to learn from.

Last but not least, offensive lineman Clay Cordasco landed with Cincinnati and will be teaming up with No. 1 pick and Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow. The Bengals are in rebuild mode and it's possible that Cordasco could stick with a team that is going to be looking at developmental talent in the long term.

Despite Pierce & Cordasco quickly inking deals, several Beavers remain unsigned.

Offensive lineman Gus Lavaka, safety Jalen Moore, defensive tackle Elu Aydon, and punter Daniel Rodriguez are still hoping to get an opportunity to showcase their skills as of writing this article.

Of the group, I'm most surprised that Lavaka remains unsigned. Many draft sites had Lavaka ranging from a late-round flier to being one of the top UDFA's and yet he's still looking for a home.

Meanwhile, Aydon, Moore, and Rodriguez are still looking to get a chance as well. Of the three, I'd say the most likely to sign would be Aydon as his size is eventually going to land him somewhere. As for Moore and Rodriguez, it's all about fit and getting an opportunity with a team where they have a fighting chance to make the roster.

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