2018 ES GMs Mock Draft is complete!

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Sorry, I had a 'creature' issue. Namely, an escaped dog. 

 

Let me do a quick (and short. YAY!) write-up and we can move on. 

 

Hail. 

 

 

 

[Epochalypse]

@Gibbs Hog Heaven and the Cowboys are on the clock!

 

@WelshSkinsFan and the Bengals are on deck!

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

This time last year, the Cowboys need for a swing tackle looked to have been addressed the right way. Veteran Byron Bell was added in free agency to provide starter calibre back-up to All-Pro Tyron Smith and La'el Collins, flipped out to RT after Doug Free's retirement. Allowing 2015's 3rd Round investment, Chaz Green, to continue his development being groomed for the swing tackle role where he'd shown real promise the previous year when called upon.

 

And then 2017 happened .....  

 

Bell was a complete 1 season bust. And Green regressed that badly he can no longer be trusted to step in and play. Let alone start when needed. So we're back to square one.  . The addition, again through FA, of the Patriots Cameron Fleming, coming off starts in the AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl at RT, fills the backup void left by the released Bell who we'd happily start in a pinch. But with the big uncertainty hanging over Green going into his 4th year, the future swing tackle to develop on the roster remains a big '?' .....

 

Step forward, of all places, Long Island's Stony Brook University to provide the unlikeliest, but pleasantly surprising, of answers .....

 

In a history-making move, the Dallas Cowboys are pleased to announce the first EVER player drafted in the NFL Draft out of the State University of New York at Stony Brook .....

 

With their second 7th Round and final selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, the 30th Pick in the 7th Round, and 248th overall selection, the Dallas Cowboys select .....

 

OT. Timon Parris. RS- Snr. Stony Brook University.  

 

 

In an Offensive Tackle class SO bereft of talent in 2018, we here at the Cowboys believe we may have landed on a real 'diamond in the rough.' Someone who needs a lot of development but who we're willing to bet on the physical attributes and traits he brings to the table for his potentially great upside come Year 2/ 3. 

 

Parris has been at the back of my mind right through this draft. I stumbled on Timon completely by accident. I was looking at our 4th Round NT, Deadrin Senat, and USF's season opener against Stony Brook. And this lean, athletic specimen at tackle kept jumping off the screen the other side of the ball. That's the first thing that grabs your attention with Timon. His physique. Whereas you normally come to expect big, sloppy OL, particularly at the FCS level, Parris is the complete opposite of that. Standing at 6'6 and weighing in at 312 LBS, he's reminiscent, physically, of our own Tyron Smith. Long, lean, strong with well-distributed weight/ muscle mass. The second thing that stands out, and main trait I always covet in my OT's, is how light on his feet he is. Often, bigger OT's are just 'plodders.' Timon's real fleet-footed and controlled. Whether it be his smooth kick slide, when he opens up his hips in pass-pro. Or his nimble, lateral movement in his aggressive run blocking. He brings great footwork to North Texas. 

 

One of the main problems that makes it so difficult to try evaluate small school, FCS level players, along with the talent level they face, 99% of whom won't be in football after college, is finding tape on them. But thankfully there's 3 or 4 games on Timon out there. He's naturally still very raw in a lot of areas and needs the work only professional coaching can bring to help develop the traits he brings to the table. His hand placement/ quickness can be all over at times. He also needs to learn to bend his knees more to get better leverage blocking under the pad level. And as quick and smooth as he gets to the second level (did I mention he had great feet?), he's often then a bystander as players rush past him as he get's caught up not quite knowing what to do. 

 

It was a real shame the former football walk-on, who initially went to the Seawolves on a basketball scholarship, couldn't participate on the field at both the Senior Bowl and Combine to which he received invites. It would have been great to see him against a higher standard of opponent. But unfortunately, the quiet and humble, yet highly respected teammate, as per his HC,  down to his hard work and dedication to improve, Parris fractured his ankle @ Richmond in Week 8 last year to bring to an end 4 straight years of 41 consecutive starts. So he was unable to participate in any practices/ drills at either. All of which may well have boosted his draft stock further as he's slated to go in the 4th- 6th Round range in the 'actual' draft in a week or so's time. 

 

In keeping with presenting our new coaches with new 'toys' this draft, we're sure our new OL Coach from the Bengals, Paul Alexander, will love his being as he's all about pulling and moving his linemen around. The perfect piece of clay for him to mould and develop with the main traits he covets. 

 

We're pleased to round out our draft with our newest, 'history-making' Dallas Cowboy.

 

It's Timon to shine! 

 

THE CINCINNATI BENGALS ARE NOW ON THE CLOCK.

 

Hail. 

[Epochalypse]

@WelshSkinsFan and the Bengals are on the clock with one of the 4 picks they have remaining.

 

We are 8 picks away from completion.

 

@skinfan2k and the Steelers are on deck!

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

@WelshSkinsFan and the Bengals are on the clock! 

 

@skinfan2k and the Steelers are on deck. 

 

Hail. 

 

*Edit* Beaten to the punch. Scrap that. 

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Just musing aloud, but I wonder what part more and more college spread O's are playing in the damage done to producing quality OT's from the college ranks? Who seem to be getting less and less with each passing year. 

 

Hail. 

[WelshSkinsFan]

With the 249th pick in the 2018 NFL draft, the Cincinnati Bengals select

 

Toby Weathersby, OT from LSU

 

W1eathersby rounds out a strong group of rookie lineman drafted by the Bengals to fix the single biggest issue on their roster, he has prototypical size and is a good athlete but may lack the elite traits to be a full time starter at this level.  Most of his time at LSU was spent at right tackle but he has played inside at guard and also spent some time at left Tackle and so projects as a swing tackle and versatile backup at this level.

[Epochalypse]

@skinfan2k and the Steelers are on the clock!

 

@Cypress and the Chargers are on deck!

[skinfan2k]

Grant Haley, CB, Penn State

[Epochalypse]

@Cypress and the Chargers are on the clock!

 

@WelshSkinsFan and the Bengals on deck for 2 picks!

[Cypress]

Chargers select Matthew Thomas, OLB, Florida State 

[WelshSkinsFan]

With the 252nd pick in the 2018 NFL draft the Cincinnati Bengals select

 

John Franklin-Myers, DE Stephen F. Austin

 

Athletic DE with a high motor who spent a lot of his collegiate career in opposing teams backfields.  The quality of opposition probably helped to pad his stats and he will face a learning curve at this level but he has the physical traits and football sense to have an impact early as an Edge rusher and should be a quality starter on ST right out of the gate.

[PokerPacker]

2 hours ago, Gibbs Hog Heaven said:

Sorry, I had a 'creature' issue. Namely, an escaped dog. 

 

Let me do a quick (and short. YAY!) write-up and we can move on. 

 

Hail.

 

2 hours ago, Gibbs Hog Heaven said:

<giant wall of text>

 

[WelshSkinsFan]

With the 253rd pick in the 2018 NFL draft the Cincinnati Bengals select

 

Ryan Nall, FB Oregon State

 

Ryan spent most of his time as a running back in college but has experience at H Back and the size and thickness of frame to be an effective lead blocker at NFL level.  Similar to Peyton Hillis coming out but probably won't luck into a 1,000 yard season at this level but a good versatile piece for the Bengals offense as they try to get more physical.

[Epochalypse]

@Reaper Skins and the Cardinals are on the clock

 

Then I'll throw the Buccaneers last pick in.

 

Then @WelshSkinsFan finishes us off with Mr Irrelevant.

[wilco_holland]

5 hours ago, WelshSkinsFan said:

With the 253rd pick in the 2018 NFL draft the Cincinnati Bengals select

Ryan Nall, FB Oregon State

Ryan spent most of his time as a running back in college but has experience at H Back and the size and thickness of frame to be an effective lead blocker at NFL level.  Similar to Peyton Hillis coming out but probably won't luck into a 1,000 yard season at this level but a good versatile piece for the Bengals offense as they try to get more physical.

 

This is going to be this years cult figure. The team that drafts him can expect him to be the camp crush of many fans. Such a fun player to watch. 

[Wildbunny]

6 hours ago, PokerPacker said:

 

 

Don't look surprised.

You've been in this long enough to know that "short" is only 6 pages long in GHH's speaking.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

1 hour ago, wilco_holland said:

 

This is going to be this years cult figure. The team that drafts him can expect him to be the camp crush of many fans. Such a fun player to watch. 

 

ANY player will have to go some to take that honour from UCF’s Shaq Griffin.

 

Hail.

[Reaper Skins]

Driving in to work right now.  Gimme a few minutes to update my board.  Pick will be in by 830

[bedlamVR]

1 hour ago, Wildbunny said:

Don't look surprised.

You've been in this long enough to know that "short" is only 6 pages long in GHH's speaking.

 

I was just about to say the same thing - I mean 70 of the 79 pages of this thread are GHH's write-ups of his draft picks 

[Reaper Skins]

At # 254, with their final pick the Arizona Cardinals select

 

Sean Welsh, OG/C Iowa

 

 

The Iowa Hawkeyes aren’t as high a profile teams as Alabama or Ohio State, but they have a reputation of putting good offensive linemen in to the NFL.  Iowa is one of the few schools still using a “pro style” attack in the age of the spread-option and that makes them a must-watch for anyone looking for offensive linemen. They might not get the best and most athletic prospects, but at the very least their products will be well-coached and well-versed in NFL run schemes before they get to the league.

 

Right guard Sean Welsh isn’t the kind of big, imposing lineman for which Iowa is typically known, but he is a very experienced, and intriguing, prospect.

 

Welsh has a solid frame, which will make the transition from guard to center much easier. He tends to block low and sticks with defenders to detour them away from the play. He possesses a strong initial burst and is efficient at redirecting blockers. The former Hawkeye excels more at pass protection, but Welsh is also solid at blocking the inside run.

 

Welsh has experience at right tackle, right guard and center, so he is capable and versatile enough to play multiple positions on the offensive line. Utility players are great to have on any team.

[Epochalypse]

Alright I have a few late prospects that are still around but just 1 last pick.  So here it is.

 

With pick #255 of the 2018 ES GMs Mock Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select...

 

MICHAEL JOSEPH, DB, Dubuque

 

Just feel like the kid needs to hear his name during the draft.

 

@WelshSkinsFan and the Bengals are on the clock with what will be the final pick of this year's draft.

[goskins10]

For what it's worth here is the Redskins draft wrap up. Thanks again to @Epochalypse and really all the GMs. This continues to be a great exercise. And I look forward to doing this again next - albeit with a different team. 

 

Early strategy and why we did what we did – It was looking like Minkah Fitzpatrick was dropped to us at 13 who was at the top of our board in terms of targets from the beginning. However the Cowboys jumped up and took him – good on them.  But trading up was not something we wanted to do since our other GM already threw away our 3^rd rd pick. He is a great player and will do well in the NFL, but the team is not one player from being a solid competitor. Once Minkah was gone, the goal was to move down and pick up at least a 3^rd to replace the one lost. Yes, Derwin James was a consideration and would have been the pick if no trades were there – but he plays best close to the LOS – while he would be a certain improvement, there were players in other areas of bigger need that could  have a bigger impact on the team. This is why we felt trading back was the best plan. 2 starters are greater than one. 

 

Would have liked to get more than a 2^nd but the new rule of no future draft picks (one we totally agree with) made that a bit difficult. But getting a 2^nd gave us 3 picks in the top 58, all should be potential starters since there was not much difference between the talent levels after about 15 or 20 through to about 70. Yes, some differences but over all very close. So we traded down to #26 and picked up #58. We feel really good about it all turned out and who we were able to add the team. 

 

On to the picks:

1^st Rd pick #26 Overall – Darrius Guice, RB LSU – Guice represents a great combination of power and vision and adequate speed. He can create his own holes – something desperately needed with the Redskins o-line that seems to struggle opening running lanes. He also dishes out punishment when he hits people too, always leaning forward. He was slowed by an ankle in 2017. But just watch his tape against Notre Dame in the bowl game. He made them pay all game. This should give the running game the boost it needs and provide QB Alex Smith some much needed support. Something he got used to in KC. Some (maybe even many) may say he would have been there into the 2^nd rd. Maybe that’s true but all the way at 44? We did not see it that way. Also, we had him graded as a top 20 player in this draft. More importantly, the drop off after Barkley and Guice at RB was big for us. While there were other players we could have taken here if Guice was gone, Guice was the best player left and as a bonus fit a huge need.

 

2^nd Rd pick #44 Overall  – Tim Settle, NT Va. Tech – This will draw some jeers but we had him rated 2^nd after Vita Vea. Tim Settle did something very difficult – he took on a challenge from his coaches to lose 30 lbs to increase his playing time and not only did he do that, his productivity increased dramatically. He went from 17 tackles (only 7 solo) – 7 for loss and 0 sacks in 2016 to 36 tackles (21 solo!), 12.5 for loss and 4 sacks! He has a huge motor and is very disruptive at the LOS. He has deceptive quickness and agility. His power is crazy. He can play both NT positions but he does not have to come off the field on passing downs as long as he keeps his conditioning. He can slide into a 3 or 5 tech when we go to a 4 man front. We could see the starters as Allen, Settle, and Iaonnids (honestly in most any order) – add in Lanier for passing downs and an underrated dline from last year should take the next step to being dominating.  If Phil Taylor can stay healthy, including Hood, McGee and maybe McClain (although we are inclined to release him even with the dead CAP – just don’t tell his agent), there should be decent depth unless of course we have the same rash of injuries as last year. Could still use Jonathan Hankins – just saying.

Some may see him as a reach here. But the reality of the draft is that if you have a guy you want where you can take him, you do so. Vea and Payne (although not as big a fan of Payne as others) were already gone. We saw too big a drop after Settle. So we pulled the trigger. Was it early? Time will tell but he fills a huge need with what we believe is a very athletic, coach-able, high motor guy. In all honesty he was not the top of our board but he was close enough that the combination of filling a need and where he was on our board made it a no brainer.

 

2^nd Rd Pick #58 Overall - Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Edge/DE Oklahoma –You cannot have too many edge rushers. Also, with the losses of both Jr. Gallette and Trent Murphy and Preston Smith’s contract up next year, we felt like this was a position of need. It just so happened the Obo (we will take some time figuring out how to say his name…) who we had a late 1^st rd early 2^nd rd grade on, was still available in the late 2^nd. Some may shy away from his lack of prototypical size - height. However the tape doesn’t lie. He has all the moves and a motor that never stops. Has great bend and acceleration to the QB. Takes great angles. He already has the ability and awareness to set lineman up with multiple moves. Is good enough in coverage when asked, although is where he will need the most coaching. Great pursuit of the run. He can play both DE in a 4-3 and OLB in a 3-4 although he will play mostly standing up for the Redskins, but rushing the passer. If he is in too much coverage then he is not being used properly. His upside is through the roof. In 2017 he had 76 tackles - 17.5 for loss and 8 sacks, 3 forced fumbles - 2 recovered and 2 pass breakups! He finished with 21 career sacks, good for 2nd in all time history for a Sooner LB and 7th overall. 

 

4^th Rd – Pick #113 Overall – Darious Williams, CB UAB – A very underrated CB. All this guy does is make plays. He will likely play slot mostly for the Redskins but he has the playmaking abilities to play on the outside also. His lack of prototypical size is over-rated in our opinion. He also has a high level of dedication and integrity. He started in DIII Marrieta for one year before returning home due to some family issues. After several attempts – and not taking no for an answer - he was accepted as a walk-on at UAB. When UAB had to shut down for 2 yrs due to finances, he received offers from several other colleges including South Alabama, Troy and Southern Mississippi. He turned them down to stay at UAB. He kept in football shape and continued to work on his game.

When UAB returned to football his senior year, he was part of a defense that after not playing football for 2 yrs, was a top 50 defense! Top 15 in pass defense! Williams numbers his Sr season were 50 tackles, 4 for loss, 15 pass break-ups and 5 interceptions. His pro-day was very good. 4.44 sec 40 – tied for 9^th at the Combine – 39” vertical 2^nd best and a 6.84 cone – good for top 10!! Whoever get’s Darious will be glad they drafted him.

 

5^th rd – Pick #149 Overall – Tre’Quan Smith, WR UCF – Tre-Quan is a very solid WR amassing a total of 168 catches, for 2748 yds and 22 TDS in 3 yrs. He has freakishly long arms that allow him to get balls he shouldn’t be able to. Could use that skill a little better. We think some coaching will help that. Very solid route runner. He is also a very willing and capable blocker – something that is needed in our offence. He should make the final 53 and get some quality playing time as the season progresses.

 

6^th rd – Pick #188 Overall – Darius Phillips, CB Western Michigan – A converted WR, Darius will provide depth at CB but the primary reason for this selection was STs. He is return specialist that should immediately help STs. It should also allow Jamison Crowder to be a WR only. We believe the double duty took away from his progression last year. Darius is a fearless player and should immediately take over the return duties. Here are his stats: In 3 yrs on Defense –  127 tackles (13 for loss), 2 sacks, 12 int – 5 for TD along with 35 passes defensed. As a return man: 4 yrs KR – 3193 yds on 130 returns, 24.6 yds/ret and 5 TDs; 2 yrs a PR – 317 yds on 32 returns. 10.2 yds/ret and 1 TD.

 

7^th rd – Pick #231 Overall – Shaun Dion Hamilton, ILB Alabama – Shaun carries the toughness and aggressiveness that Nick Saban requires out of his players. While he is on the smaller side for some he plays big, he is very smart and has all the tools to be successful. He is a solid tackler and is always in the right place to make a play. He can play the run but is not a liability in the passing game. He can cover side to side very well. His two knee injuries will keep some from taking a chance on him. But we see him as certainly worth a chance with a late 7th rd pick. If he can stay healthy (admittedly a big if) he could make his way to be a spot starter or more. He will start on STs if he makes the final 53 and then we will work from there. He could also be a good candidate for the PS.

 

7^th rd – Pick #241 Overall – Salesi Uhatafe, OG Utah – We are delighted to bring Salesi into the o-line room. He has a strong powerful base with prototypical size for an interior lineman. He can play both RG and LG, earning 2nd team All Pac-12 honors at LG last year after playing 13 games at RG in 2016. He will need to work on technique and keep his weight in check, but is a raw talent and very coachable, as all Utah lineman are. At the very least he should provide solid depth across the interior of the line and with some coaching and hard work, in a few seasons he could even push for starting snaps. Will likely start on the PS this year – although he is already better than Shawn Lauvuo. Ok, maybe not but if you get this far maybe you got a good chuckle.

 

[WelshSkinsFan]

So here it is, with the 256th and final pick overall in the 2018 NFL/Extremeskins Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals select as Mr. Irrelevant

 

Siran Neal, Safety from Jacksonville State

 

Neal has played mostly at CB so far but at this level would probably struggle outside against top pro receivers.  He is a physical player who can win out in bump and run situations, is quick to rally to the ball and finishes tackles well.  All that said his strengths at this level translate best to playing as an in the box safety or even hybrid LB as he has the ability to match up against Tight Ends and Fullbacks inside.  His value right now as with most of our late round picks is his versatility and ability to cover a number of positions in the defensive backfield.

 

[wilco_holland]

Nice final pick. Was looking into him but couldn't find the time and video's to really get a good feel for him. 

 

Thx @Epochalypse for running this draft. I think you did extreme well. With the missing owners and stuff this could have been a huge mess that would drag on and on. You made your point, you did well. Was nice experience again!

 

Thx @Gibbs Hog Heaven for doing my final pick and just overload us with info. 

 

And final thx to all the other owners/members/GM's. I think we did very well. Really liked the last rounds. The inside some of you guys bring it top notch.