method man

9 of 22 starters were drafted by this group. Not bad. Likely going to be 10 and maybe 11 or 12 after this draft

I get the sense that all the good outside CBs will be gone by the comp pick and we'll be left with the nickel types. Wish they still had their own 3rd in this draft

On Gibbs, you’ve gotta remember Logan played for EB at UCLA when he was RB coach there so he probably has some insider knowledge on what EB looks for on his backs. The thinking makes sense if you have some sketchiness at tackle, which we currently have. The RB will be your last line of defense. His key point is that Thomas is supposedly a bigtime leader relative to other vets and had been key for all those young TEs. Keim keeps stressing that they think his blocking ability will come back next year once he has more confidence in his knee. On TE, I would personally let Logan Thomas go and find a replacement in Day 2. I personally don’t think it is worth taking a lower end guy like Mallory or a project like the ODU guy in Day 3. They need to be looking at a Day 1 starter who can replace Thomas and guys like LaPorta and Musgrave have the resumes to do that and the athletic backgrounds they like

I wasn’t originally a Bergeron guy but have gravitated more toward him because he has a floor as a starting guard with Pro Bowl potential and could be a tackle if he cleans up his technique. (I was on the Dawand train very early but I am off of him a bit as more and more gets out there regarding potential character concerns.) Bergeron doesn’t excite me at 16 but I would take him in the mid to late 20s Paulsen thinks Gibbs is unlikely here because his pass pro is bad and EB really values that in his backs Agreed. I don’t want him.

Paulsen saying on his pod that one of his buddies who is an NFL OL coach would take Bergeron in the 1st. Confirms my thinking last week where my comp for him is Tyler Smith with higher character but a little less athleticism

Yep. If this class didn’t have the CB depth it has, Banks would have been my pick. I think he projects very well as a future scheme versatile CB1 and he holds less risk than Porter and Witherspoon (who I wonder is going to have durability issues due to his size and physical nature)

Harris has a high level of sophistication dealing with the press, having started Apollo and having been in NY for 30+ years. He and his group have been periodically leaking info to the press such as Rales and Magic joining his bid. Rales also has Howard Gutman speaking on his behalf to the local media

He’s a question mark but Cosmi is more than capable of above average play at RG

They can put Larsen on PUP like they did last season so that he doesn't take up a roster spot going into the season. Once someone goes down in the first six weeks, they will activate him.

This is odd. Toney has a reputation as a high character guy from a good family

Kuntz has more potential given his measurables but he seems to be so far away and is an underachiever. All the beat guys imply they are really high on Rodgers and Paulsen says that they think that Turner has some of the best hands they have ever seen for a TE

I'd be surprised if they went for TE if it is not for someone in round 2. Mallory, Strange, Kuntz etc are similar, if not weaker, prospects than most of the young guys they already have. As a Y, I already take Rodgers over Mallory and Turner is similar in level of prospect

With the focus on LaPorta and Musgrave, it is clear they like the athletic type. I wonder what would happen if Mayer fell to their pick in rd 2. If you take Mayer, you would feel super comfortable letting Thomas go given Mayer's floor but you don't have the upside in Mayer you would have in Musgrave and LaPorta

Maybe on Jones. They haven't been scared historically of taking rawer athletic players. They did that in 2021 with Cosmi and Davis. However, they went for the finished product veteran players with clean technique in Dotson, Mathis and BRob this year. Given Ron is fighting for his job, I expect him to go the 2022 strategy route and attempt to pick up surefire Day 1 starters or at least major contributors in rounds 1 and 2

I also think one possibility they should consider more seriously is drafting Harrison and moving Leno to RT because Harrison can't play anywhere else on the OL. However, due to Leno's place as a team leader, I really doubt they do that

Scott is likely nothing more than a training camp body who provides additional depth on the practice squad as a backup swing tackle. I don't get the push on this board by some to cut Lucas. He is one of the best backup swing tackles in the league at a reasonable salary and has had to play a lot since he got here.

Yep. Rivera needs to have a great draft of guys with a high likelihood of contributing this year. I expect them to take a tact similar to 2022, taking veteran high character players on Day 1 and Day 2 like they did with Dotson, Mathis and BRob. Bergeron seems to fit that mold Thinking about it further, the only publicly risky player from a character standpoint Rivera has drafted has been Charles and he has been a bust. You can blame it due to injuries but the guy still has not figured out pass pro after 3 years, even as a guard. Makes you question his work ethic.

Pete Hailey had an OSU beat reporter on his podcast who said that Dawand did not put as much effort in early on during his OSU career because he still dreamed of basketball. It’s possible he now loves football but who knows Wonderlic unfortunately is the best publicly reported measure we have of a player’s intelligence, at least as reported here. OLs generally sit in the 20s and are probably the next highest position group after QBs on score.

It’s not. That is some of it but the low Wonderlic, loving basketball more than football (brought up by an OSU beat guy) and oddball character are other concerns

Totally agreed. If Dawand were to fall to rd 3, he’d be worth the risk. However, reading this and what was posted last time, I really do feel Bergeron is the best value. He’s a Day 1 starter at guard and can either stay there and be a stud or kick outside to tackle eventually if he can clean up his pass pro technique with NFL coaching

Greg McElroy was asked this question on Keim's podcast and he said he'd put Howell behind the big 4 and on a similar tier as Hooker, McKee and the next set of QBs. I personally rank him ahead of Levis. Levis has size on Howell and has played in a pro system the past two years but he hasn't had a season like Howell's 2021 season and is an older prospect at 23.

Agreed. It was poorly conceived too. At least RG3 started for a number of years at Baylor and won a Heisman. Lance started for a year and 1 game at NDSU. He was all projection

It would be an absolute shame reaching for a JAG LB in say rd 3 vs taking a legit future starter at CB given the depth of the CB class We have 2 legit starting LBs in Davis and Barton and Davis is a good pass rusher

It would be awesome for guys like Terry, Jon etc to be on Hard Knocks. Those guys are underappreciated among the general public nationally and the show would get them some visibility

The whole point is that this would be a very expensive 5th year option. It is inflated given his draft position and his DROY/Pro Bowl accelerating that amount