ThatNFLChick

I was never high on that 2021 class but yeesh

If Daniels was significantly shorter, I am sure someone would have mentioned it at the combine since he was walking around for days and talking to media

If Maye falls to 3 maybe the Giants try to trade up if they really love him?

Thanks. Simms rankings are always interesting.

That was about 2022. Brian Kelly and everyone else at LSU has told that story maybe a million times lol, that's part of what they wanted Daniels to improve on, going into 2023.

One year ago, NFL executives emerged from the scouting combine thinking the Chicago Bears were open to trading the first pick in the draft. They were right. This year, sentiment from NFL front offices holds that the Bears will use the top pick, acquired from the Carolina Panthersone year ago next week, on USC quarterback Caleb Williams. Checking in with decision-makers this time of year provides a snapshot of their expectations coming out of the combine. What they think might happen in early March evolves as the draft nears, partly because coaches become more involved in the process. But I find value in taking a snapshot to establish a baseline. I’ve put together a rough top 10 based on conversations with six executives during and after the combine. Clear themes emerged for quarterbacks, offensive linemen and receivers, with some intrigue surrounding a QB prospect whom teams haven’t assessed as fully. Last year, execs correctly projected seven of the top 10 players selected. Bijan Robinson, Jalen Carter and Darnell Wright were the three players landing in the actual top 10 without appearing in the March 2023 projection. Execs narrowly missed on offensive lineman Peter Skoronski (Tennessee picked him 11th). They missed on cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who went 17th to New England. And they whiffed on quarterback Will Levis, who was not selected until the 33rd slot — a reminder that when QBs fall, they can plummet, because only a subset of teams will consider one early in a given year. This year, the general theme was for quarterbacks to go first, then offensive linemen, then wide receivers, with some overlap between those two final positions. Only a couple of defensive players made the projected top 10. We are not projecting potential trades below because there are too many possibilities. Finding logical homes for the highest-ranked players based on the order as it stands today captures the general feel at the moment. Four players appeared in the top 10 on all six ballots: Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and Joe Alt. Five players appeared on five of six ballots: Dallas Turner, Marvin Harrison Jr., Rome Odunze, Olu Fashanu and Malik Nabers. JC Latham appeared on four ballots. Jared Verse appeared on three. Brock Bowers appeared on two. Chop Robinson and Byron Murphy II each appeared on one. The top 10 picks below have been formed from a consensus of the six ballots. Nabers and Latham were not selected in the top 10 because there was no consensus on where either would land, but they would be part of any consensus top 10 overall. Most also thought J.J. McCarthy would be selected among the top 10, probably to a team that traded up, such as the Denver Broncos. But none of the six execs penciled him in for one of the teams already picking in the top 10, at least not yet. 1. Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams, QB, USC Vote distribution: Williams 6 All six execs had the Bears selecting Williams and trading incumbent starter Justin Fields. All endorsed Chicago heading down this path. “I would be evaluating the other quarterbacks like crazy right now and saying, ‘What if I moved down to two or three and got a historic return?'” one of the execs said. “Would I still be getting a franchise quarterback?” The strongest concern voiced regarding Williams was his tendency to hold onto the ball longer than is ideal for a timing-based offense. In a worst-case scenario, that could lead to more third-and-long situations, robbing an offense of consistency. But the feeling among execs was that Chicago should not hesitate in making Williams the first selection. 2. Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU Vote distribution: Daniels 5, Maye 1 Five of six execs had Daniels heading to Washington in this slot. One of the five initially had Maye, then changed to Daniels a few days later. “I think people struggle with Maye’s mechanics,” this exec said. The one holdout for Maye in this slot said he heard Commanders general manager Adam Peters was “really into” Maye. The fit could be appealing. Maye and incumbent Commanders starter Sam Howell were teammates at North Carolina. Howell could open the 2024 season as the starter if the Commanders wanted to give Maye time to assimilate. Another exec left open the possibility that Michigan’s McCarthy could compete with Daniels and Maye for this slot. “If he throws well,” this exec said of McCarthy, “he is competing for the No. 2 spot. I don’t see him overtaking them, though.” The Athletic’s Randy Mueller predicted months ago that McCarthy could rise into the top five as teams and specifically coaches learned more about him, before it was known whether McCarthy would enter the draft. Mueller, a three-time GM and one-time NFL Executive of the Year, also thinks analysts are overrating Maye based on prototypical size, and that some teams will not have Maye rated as highly. “I think that whole quarterback thing between McCarthy and Maye is yet to play out,” a former GM said. “The other two I think are more set.” For now, all six execs projected Maye being selected second or third. 3. New England Patriots: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina Vote distribution: Maye 5, Daniels 1 Every exec had the Patriots selecting a quarterback in the first round. Maye was the choice more by default than because anyone thought New England was particularly high on him. “I think they would probably rather have Jayden Daniels, but I’ll put Maye in there,” one exec said. One GM whose team already has a franchise quarterback thought McCarthy would be “a huge reach” in this spot, but he conceded New England could make a bold selection with Eliot Wolf running the draft room. “I think they go quarterback,” this GM said. “Do they take a shot at J.J.? Eliot won’t be afraid to if he believes in the player. Just look at what his dad has done.” Ron Wolf famously acquired Brett Favre from the Atlanta Falcons three decades ago. “Ron Wolf’s son is going to go for the biggest, fastest, most talented athlete in most cases,” a different exec said. https://theathletic.com/5317893/2024/03/06/nfl-mock-draft-gms-jayden-daniels-drake-maye/

The first one is what I am referring to. Its a great play for Daniels. He evades pressure, keeps his eyes downfield while moving out of the pocket and puts the ball in front ot BTJ and hits him right in stride. Good on BTJ too for realizing he moved out of the pocket, changing his route and giving his QB another area to throw to.

I think he just has to be coached to keep his eyes up more. You can tell when he takes off to run he's looking to see who he can make miss or where he can cut to take it to the house. When he does look up, good things happen but its a delicate balance between deciding when you can tuck it and run 50 yards and keeping your eyes up and making plays like this:

He took less sacks than Williams and Maye last year. I don't think most people understand what pressure to sack ratio actually means.

He has us taking Maye and the Atlanta Falcons moving up to 3 to take Daniels.

This is why you can't pay attention to this stuff. They JUST TOLD Craig Hoffman two days ago that Maye was the consensus #2 and they only heard from 2 people that had Daniels over Maye. Now this.

QB School is very much not onboard with the JJ McCarthy talk thus far

Keim saying its not a done deal is something but Schefter saying he bet its not happening was a lot more significant. Also every single coaching hire came from the national guys - from Kingsbury to Whitt to Johnson.

Keim, sure but Ian and Adam still get more info than Keim too. I want everyone to think of all the news about Washington to come out - who spilled Myers first? Who was the first to say Johnson likely wasn't happening? Who was the first to announce Harris? The local guys are never first, its always the national guys.

Form your own opinion? But I would listen to Adam and Ian before I would literally anyone else

Rich's 5 Rumors He Heard At the Combine 5. Vikings might look into getting Trey Lance from the Cowboys if Kirk doesn't sign 4. Jayden Daniels is QB2. All the defensive coaches in the SEC told teams he was a nightmare to gameplan for 3. The Giants are done with Daniel Jones. The two words he heard were "buyers remorse" though they might have to play him this year 2. Jerry Jones is planning to make Dak play out his walk year and not extend him at all. 1. The Bears are 100% drafting Caleb Williams and trading Justin Fields

I understand people would hate it but now both Adam Schefter and Ian Rappaport have alluded to us trading back in the draft?

Schefter is one person I will listen to (especially after the Ben Johnson thing)

The teams had been breaking down tape before then. It was just never true that the NFL viewed him that high but they were definitely lying to people and making them believe they did. It's one thing to say a guy is going top 10 and they end up sliding to the end of the first. It's another to say he's going in the first and teams are willing to trade away assets for them and then he isn't even the first QB taken in the 3rd round. They got duped. It happens. This time of year is lying season so my main point is to be skeptical of it all and take it all with a grain of salt.

But thats the thing - even Daniel Jeremiah was proclaiming that he was hearing from people that Willis would go in the first round and teams were even considering trading up for him. It is lying season. Be skeptical of it all.