I truly think the philosophy of this draft after we set an initial course, in the first three rounds, should be to stockpile as many talented defensive prospects as possible. And that philosophy is why I’m profiling Martin Parker a 6’2, 300 lbs DT and Justin Rogers a 5’11, 185 CBs, both players are out of Richmond.
Parker’s draft stock soared after he was named the Defensive MVP of the Shrine Bowl two weeks ago in Orlando; he was also a FCS 1st Team All American and 1st Team All-CAA. Parker led all CAA defensive lineman in tackles this year (8.7 per game), and was second in the league in sacks and tackles for loss, for all defensive players. At the Shrine bowl he recorded two sacks and forced a fumble and was part of a defensive unit that only gave up 14 yards rushing. Parker is great at getting after the QB and has the speed and power to get around the OL. Parker wouldn't fill our NT void, but he would add valuable depth to the DL and could play DE.
Rogers is the second player in CAA history to be named All-CAA 1st Team for four consecutive years. He is also the CAA’s all-time leader in kick returning, lead the league in punt returning, and is 3rd all time in interceptions at UofR. Roger’s would be a great pick up to add depth to the secondary and also fill the kick returning void, currently on the team. This guy just knows how to make people miss in the open field, not only has he taken several kicks all the way over his tenure, but he has returned ample INTs for TDs over the course of his career.
Projected Pick: Both players are projected at right about the 5th round, which I think would be an ideal spot to add defensive depth. Remember, Bruce Allen is a Richmond alum, so maybe he has a soft spot in his heart.