By: Ryan Moreland (@ryanmoreland)
The draft is less than a week away, and the excitement is building. All 24 teams will have at least one pick. This article will explain how many picks each team has and what they could be looking for.
For those new to the draft, each team can draft until they hit the 26-man roster limit. Once they hit that, they are out of the draft. So, a few teams will only draft in the first round and some will have many picks to use.
This series will go by conference, starting with the ACC.
Clemson
Number of Picks in the Draft: 1
Biggest Need: FS
Where They Draft: 7th
Clemson will draft seventh, then pack up and leave the draft. They only have one pick and it is going to go to a safety. After that Clemson will be done drafting and ready to improve on a hot finish last season.
The Tigers will enter season two of the Logan Wetzel Era and they have a pretty good team. They could make some noise in the ACC this season.
Florida State
Number of Picks in the Draft: 3
Biggest Need: DT
Where They Draft: 15th
The defensive line is a common need going into this draft, so the Seminoles are certainly not alone. Florida State has three talented defensive ends on the roster, but they don’t have anyone that can play inside. Whoever they take will start on the Florida State defense.
AD Tom Pence and his staff will also likely target a wideout since they only have three on the roster right now. They will also likely look at getting depth at the safety position. However, these needs don’t trump defensive tackle for the Seminoles.
Miami
Number of Picks in the Draft: 7
Biggest Need: DT
Where They Draft: 22nd
The Hurricanes are in the same boat as the Seminoles. There isn’t a defensive tackle on the roster right now, so whoever they select will be starting next season. This also makes it by far their biggest need.
I would expect the vast majority (perhaps all) of Miami’s picks will be focused on the defensive side of the ball. The Hurricanes are pretty well set on the offense but might look to add another WR. Outside of DT, they also need to grab a few corners in the draft and perhaps some depth at safety as well.
North Carolina
Number of Picks in the Draft: 5
Biggest Need: DE
Where They Draft: 11th
I would be surprised to see the Tar Heels spend any of their picks on offense. They have a deep and talented offense. On defense, they have real talent but lack depth at a few spots. The biggest need is going to be the defensive end. They have only one DE on the roster right now, which means whoever they take at DE will be starting this coming season.
The Tar Heels have a talented pair of safeties, but they have no depth behind that. Expect them to take at least one safety (likely two) in this draft. North Carolina also needs depth at linebacker.
Notre Dame
Number of Picks in the Draft: 18
Biggest Need: WR
Where They Draft: 1st
Notre Dame is already on the clock since they have the first pick in the draft. They also will be the team drafting the longest, with 18 picks. While the Irish have a lot of needs, wide receiver has to be a focus. Notre Dame landed Matt Perez at QB this offseason and now they have to give him weapons to work with. Right now there are no WRs on the roster.
Another huge need will be on the defensive line. There are no DTs or DEs on the roster right now for Notre Dame. Luckily for the Irish, they have an early pick and there is a lot of talent in the draft.
Virginia Tech
Number of Picks in the Draft: 4
Biggest Need: DT
Where They Draft: 6th
Virginia Tech is in a great spot right now. They had a great offseason, only have a few spots to fill, and they draft early. Depending on what defense they plan to run, they are in big need of a defensive tackle. They do have Myles Andrews at DT right now, but nothing behind him. Also, Andrews is a senior this season, meaning they have zero DTs on the roster that will be around next season. This makes it their biggest need.
Other positions they could target include depth pieces at linebacker and in the secondary. However, they are in a position where they could go for the best available, especially in the early rounds.
