2020 Comprehensive Draft Thread

[HigSkin]

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[Going Commando]

2 hours ago, Rex Tomb said:

@stevemcqueen1 What round are they anticipating this bruiser goes in?  I'd definitely take a look at him in the 3rd (or second if we can get one from a trade).  Wouldn't want to draft him with a first - that might create a bit of headache with Guice, who balked at the drafting of Bryce Love in the fourth last year.

 

I wouldn't take him in the first either.  Not with the depth at RB this class has to offer.  There are going to be really good runners who get picked in the third and fourth rounds this year.  I think this is another argument in favor of trading down.  We can really benefit from adding more picks in the 50-100 range of the class because the first half of the draft is deep in some positions where we need help.

 

I'm seeing some variation in Harris's range right now.  Things are very much subject to change, but here is where some of the draft websites have him on their boards:

 

Drafttek.com - 65 (up 80 spots from their previous ranking)

Thedraftnetwork - 100

 

And CBSSports.com has him currently outside of their top 100.

 

So it seems most places have him graded in a third to fourth round range.  That feels very low to me, but it certainly wouldn't be unheard of for a good back to get taken in the middle rounds.  I loved David Montgomery last year and I believe he represented tremendous value for the Bears in the third.  We got Guice in the second and he was a first round talent.  I think Bryce Love was a first round talent too, and we were able to snag him in the fourth due to a multitude of reasons.  So RB is one of those positions where you can reliably hunt for a ton of value.  A lot of times these guys will easily be among the 20 or so best players in college football and end up going outside the top 50.  The competition at the position is brutal.

[Going Commando]

23 minutes ago, Alcoholic Zebra said:

From what I've read, that's a common theme with Delpit.  He can't tackle.

 

Giants back in the late 00's.  The behemoth known as Brandon Jacobs added with Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw.  That was just a backfield you did not want to face.

 

I am kind of holding myself back from teeing off on Delpit too much.  Suffice to say I haven't really seen greatness with him this season, and my initial instinct was that he is super overrated.  But I'm going to keep an open mind about him because I understand that he was probably playing through serious injuries for his team this season, and voices I trust rave about him and love his potential.  I think he might have just had a really bad year.  The question is, assuming that's the case and that he used to be a far better player prior to getting hurt, can he get healthy and get back to being that guy from before?

 

But yeah, his play was frequently ugly this season.  I'll keep an open mind about him to a certain extent, but there isn't a chance in Hell I'd draft a safety who put a lot of stuff like this on film his final season in the first round of the draft:

 

[Going Commando]

44 minutes ago, Alcoholic Zebra said:

Giants back in the late 00's.  The behemoth known as Brandon Jacobs added with Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw.  That was just a backfield you did not want to face.

 

That's my ideal scenario for our offense.  It's passe, but I do think the right identity for us over the next three seasons or so is to go super run heavy.  Develop Haskins the way Russell Wilson, Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady, Matt Ryan, Phil Rivers, and Eli Manning were all developed.  I would love to have that kind of three headed attack.  10-15 touches for each of them per game.  Insurance for Guice injuries.  Constant good leverage downs and distances for Haskins.  The Carolina game was kind of a preview of what that offense could look like when it fires on all cylinders.

[PartyPosse]

There is absolutely no need for a RB. With Guice and Love plus another year of Peterson, we’re fine. If all of those players get hurt this year, Najee Harris ain’t gonna be our savior.

 

we have too many other holes to fill. TE, LT and SS

[Going Commando]

3 hours ago, cakmoney61 said:

At times, it's hard to know just how good Alabama players are because they play with so much talent around them.  In those highlights of Harris, the blocking and general offensive execution sticks out to me more.  Harris is constantly running down hill.  He looks like a man running against boys.  His level of elusiveness will probably be the determining factor on how high he is drafted.  Elusiveness is generally not required when running behind an Alabama offensive line.  We can plainly see that he is great at catching the football, however, and the NFL loves RBs who can do that.

 

This kind of complaint could apply to the running backs from any of the major programs though, because all of them have NFL players on their lines and future NFL QBs opening up the field for them.  Alabama running backs have been translating to the NFL too.  Sometimes good is good.  It wasn't his offensive line or QB or receivers running over those safeties and linebackers for him. 

 

And it works both ways in that it's nice to block for a Najee Harris.  Take for example what happened on that Texas A&M play--I'm Jedrick Ellis the RT #74 and I can't get to the DE #3 in time to deliver my block, but Najee just runs right by him and negates my failure to execute.  Or in the final gif, say I'm #70 LT Alex Leatherwood and my assignment #90 beats me to the fit and I whiff on my block.  Not only that, my teammate Landon Dickerson #69 OC got beat and driven back three yards by that freak show of a nose tackle LSU has #72 Tyler Shelvin.  As a consequence of our failures, my teammate Deonte Brown RG #65 gets held up on his pull by the penetration and eventually has to adjust to try and block #90 instead of reaching the second level to block the alley defender, who is now a free runner.  But Najee again runs by the contain man (#90) and keeps his feet after absorbing the initial contact from the alley defender (#8), and carves an 8 yard gain out of what should have been a tackle for loss.

 

You don't need to see a guy doing drills in spandex to determine if he's good.

[Going Commando]

36 minutes ago, PartyPosse said:

There is absolutely no need for a RB. With Guice and Love plus another year of Peterson, we’re fine. If all of those players get hurt this year, Najee Harris ain’t gonna be our savior.

 

we have too many other holes to fill. TE, LT and SS

 

How could we consider RB a position of need?  What with our 35 year old projected starter and our key back up whose had four leg injuries in three years and our projected third stringer who missed the entire year because of a torn ACL.  All of them did get hurt and our running game has been terrible as a result.  It'd be nice to have a plan to address the issue.

 

We've got 14 million dollars invested in filling that hole at strong safety next year.  If you're going to pass over stud talent to reach to fill needs, you're going to end up with a diminished roster that finds itself with more and more roster holes each year.  But if you can find me a tight end or left tackle in this class, projected in the same range as Najee and who are as good as him, then I'd listen.

 

We don't need to be turning our noses up at the idea of getting five star all-everything players like Najee Harris in a massive middle round bargain because we're all set with any part of this roster.

[JamesMadisonSkins]

Speaking of Ellis and Leatherwood. I assume they translate more to RT than LT at the next level? Anyone think they can plug and play at LT? Given the Alabama pipeline I wouldn't be shocked if they were guys to target in that 15-25 range if we were to trade back.

 

I am starting to think more and more that we end up beating the Giants this weekend which most likely lands us with Pick 4 or 5. In a way, we need to be rooting for the Eagles to beat the Cowboys this weekend so Dallas has something to play for in Week 17.

 

If Dallas loses to Philly, even if we beat the Giants we are guaranteed at least #5 pick. If Dolphins beat Cincy then we likely get #4. And if the Lions win one of their final two (maybe against Denver?) we could go as high as #3. BUT, if Dallas beats Philly and we beat the Giants, we could def. beat Dallas, which would put as at pick #7, and that would succckkk.

 

From there, it's hard this early-on to think of potential trade partners. The one that *Could* end up playing out and making sense ... Raiders are gonna need to make a splash in their new home in Las Vegas. Tua would go a long way to establishing that. I would be very interested, if we picked at say, #4 ... to trading out and letting Oakland come up and picking Tua ahead of the Dolphins.

 

Of course, what would prevent the Raiders from trading with Detroit? Nothing, really. But if Detroit went Jeudy or Okudah at 3, getting #10 and #13 from Oakland for #4 would be a nice haul.

 

Similarly, if we beat the Giants and lose to Dallas and the Dolphins beat the Bengals and the Lions beat the Broncos ... we end up with Pick #3, which would presumably hold a lot more value than #4 with Burrow and Young being locks to go 1-2. Tua would be the prize there assuming the medicals come back good and he's slated to be the #2 QB off the board. Because then you hold the keys to Tua with Oakland, Miami and maybe even Detroit interested in coming up for him.

[Malapropismic Depository]

14 minutes ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

 

How could we consider RB a position of need?  What with our 35 year old projected starter and our key back up whose had four leg injuries in three years and our projected third stringer who missed the entire year because of a torn ACL.  All of them did get hurt and our running game has been terrible as a result.  It'd be nice to have a plan to address the issue.

 

 

Wasn't Love supposed to be ready before the end of this season ? What's up with him

[JamesMadisonSkins]

Just now, Malapropismic Depository said:

 

Wasn't Love supposed to be ready before the end of this season ? What's up with him

He had an issue and had to have surgery mid-season. Had a setback but should be good for next year.

[PartyPosse]

1 hour ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

 

How could we consider RB a position of need?  What with our 35 year old projected starter and our key back up whose had four leg injuries in three years and our projected third stringer who missed the entire year because of a torn ACL.  All of them did get hurt and our running game has been terrible as a result.  It'd be nice to have a plan to address the issue.

 

We've got 14 million dollars invested in filling that hole at strong safety next year.  If you're going to pass over stud talent to reach to fill needs, you're going to end up with a diminished roster that finds itself with more and more roster holes each year.  But if you can find me a tight end or left tackle in this class, projected in the same range as Najee and who are as good as him, then I'd listen.

 

We don't need to be turning our noses up at the idea of getting five star all-everything players like Najee Harris in a massive middle round bargain because we're all set with any part of this roster.

Alabama RBs have a history of disappointing. For every Mark Ingram (who has had a good but not great career) there's a Trent Richardson. For every Derrick Henry there's a TJ Yeldon. For every Kenyan Drake there's a... well Kenyan Drake. In terms of our RB, I doubt Guice goes on IR if the team was in contention. I also don't remember AP missing a game or getting injured and Love we knew what we were getting when we drafted him. He had one bad injury but we have no idea what he's like when we come back. It's not like there aren't always a thousand RB FA out there that probably could excel if they got a chance. Hell, there's even always late round RBs that excel (Chris Carson, Ito Smith, Aaron Jones, Marlon Mack) so I'd rather go that route.

 

In terms of LT, there's at least 5-8 I'd rather draft over Najee. Not to say I think they're all going to thrive, but I'd rather take that kind of a risk. In terms of TE, I think Breeland and especially Colby Parkinson should be a target. Dude is 6'7 and can run routes like a champ. 

 

I also don't think there's a chance in hell Najee gets picked outside of the top 75 so the idea of him being a middle round bargain to me seems unrealistic. Especially without there being a clearcut elite RB in the draft. There's really 5 guys - Swift, Etienne, Taylor, Dobbins and Najee. Then there's a bunch of other guys that could be good - Hubbard, Benjamin, Akers, Vaughn, Dillon etc. 

[philibusters]

As a fan of a college football team (Maryland), draft time is always surreal because you see a lot of players you have followed since their junior year of HS being talked about.   Dwayne Haskins committed to Maryland in his junior year of HS before decommitting at in December 2015 and committing to Ohio St.  Just in the first round this year, you have Chase Young who I have followed since his sophomore year of HS.  On the Maryland boards we debated whether him or Joshua Kaindoh was a better prospect (I think I sided with Kaindoh because he seemed like a physical freak at DE, 6'6 with really long arms and at the time had 30 pounds on Young).   I remember Terrell Vinson as a four star prospect his junior year of HS being 6'5 and a skinny 205 pounds and how he put on 30 pounds between his junior and senior year and became a 5 star prospect.  Javon Kinlaw went to Friendship Christian Academy for a couple years and played for Abdul Azzar-Rahim there before he moved out of the area.  The beat reporter for Maryland already had their Trevon Diggs commits to Maryland story drafted and ready to print when he shocked everybody and committed to Alabama.    So for about a dozen guys who will get drafted this year it'll feel like I have followed their stories for six or seven years.   One good thing is it shows how many good HS prospects there are in this area.

It would also be nice to have hometown kids get drafted in the first round by us in back to back years (Haskins and Young)

[Koolblue13]

RB absolutely is a need. More than WR. 

[max21]

15 minutes ago, Koolblue13 said:

RB absolutely is a need. More than WR. 

I don’t feel that way really, I wouldn’t mind a late pick spent on a RB but between Love, Guice and Peterson someone SHOULD be able to get the job done. I’m more worried about CB, Dunbar has been a pleasant surprise this year and I hope we can get one of these stud DBs to pair with him. Not having a 2nd pick sucks because I doing we spend our first pick on a CB

[skinny21]

19 minutes ago, Koolblue13 said:

RB absolutely is a need. More than WR. 

I agree that it’s a need.  Personally I put it a tier below receiver, mostly because more receivers are on the field at one time.  
I’m also operating on the premise that we have 3 good backs (I’m discounting Thompson as he’s a FA) - even though they all have concerns - and only one good receiver (even though I like Harmon and Simms).  Lastly, we have one replacement level back (Ferguson), and probably 2-3 replacement level receivers (Quinn, Richardson and Cam Sims).  There’s a little more nuance to that - Sims is basically just filling in for Richardson and Ferguson for Guice, etc - but I think my point stands.  
 

My hope is that Ferguson shows enough in the last 2 games (in the run and pass game) that the need is mitigated.  Lord knows we have plenty of other needs.  BTW, I find it strange that we have AP and what seem to be 3 third down backs...

 

@max21 I think the smart move would be to sign a good corner in FA.  If a corner falls into our lap in the draft, so be it.  

[clskinsfan]

8 hours ago, philibusters said:

What rounds to people see the two Maryland running backs going in (Javon Leake and Anthony McFarland)?

 

Mcfarland interests me. He has game breaking ability but I dont know if he is an every down back. He was incredible the first half of this season. Then cooled off dramatically. I am thinking 5th-6th rounder maybe?

5 hours ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

 

I am kind of holding myself back from teeing off on Delpit too much.  Suffice to say I haven't really seen greatness with him this season, and my initial instinct was that he is super overrated.  But I'm going to keep an open mind about him because I understand that he was probably playing through serious injuries for his team this season, and voices I trust rave about him and love his potential.  I think he might have just had a really bad year.  The question is, assuming that's the case and that he used to be a far better player prior to getting hurt, can he get healthy and get back to being that guy from before?

 

But yeah, his play was frequently ugly this season.  I'll keep an open mind about him to a certain extent, but there isn't a chance in Hell I'd draft a safety who put a lot of stuff like this on film his final season in the first round of the draft:

 

I wont have a first round grade on Delpit this year. No way.

[philibusters]

1 hour ago, clskinsfan said:

 

Mcfarland interests me. He has game breaking ability but I dont know if he is an every down back. He was incredible the first half of this season. Then cooled off dramatically. I am thinking 5th-6th rounder maybe?

 

I wont have a first round grade on Delpit this year. No way.

 

I agree with your assessment on McFarland not being an every down back.  McFarland is super athletic.  In terms cutting and accelerating he is elite, but he is not a great running back.  The coaches really liked his ability as a receiver, but he didn't show it much during the season and when we did pass to him he had a couple important and memorable drops (We had a 4th down and short against Purdue, they expected us to run, McFarland went out on a wheel route, absolutely burned the LB and then dropped the long would be TD pass).

 

Javon Leake had a better 2019 season than McFarland.    He didn't get near the credit he deserved.   I remember one game near the end of the season the tv commentators were talking about McFarland possibly being the third best RB in the Big 10 behind Dobbins and Taylor and thinking WTF, Leake has a much better year than McFarland.  Leake in his three seasons (and he only had 11 carries as a freshman) ran for 1144 yards on 145 carries, a 7.9 yards per carry average and in about a 1.25 years as Kickoff returner for the team returned 3 kicks for a TD including 2 in 2019 and was Big 10 Kick Returner of the year and lead the Big 10 with a 27 yard return average per Kickoff.  I don't necessarily think he is better than Taylor or Dobbins but for what its worth against the same Big 10 competition they didn't have nearly as good of a YPC.  Granted Maryland spread scheme was boom or bust and both McFarland and Leake's YPC benefitted from a handful of long TD's run they had.  I like McFarland a lot, but I felt like he got more recognition than Leake because he was a blue chip recruit (he was a top 50 HS recruit before an ACL injury his senior year) and because he is so athletic. 

I think Leake should not have left early.  He barely played as a freshman.  And then last year was third in line for carries behind McFarland  and Ty Johnson who split most of the carries (Ty Johnson was the Lions 6th round pick last year).  In fairness to McFarland he was nicked up this year with a high ankle sprain and he played the mid-part of the season at like 80% but even when he was healthy I thought Leake was better.   With McFarland gone next year, Leake would have got the bulk of the carries.  For that matter I am not convinced McFarland should have left early.  Everybody knows about his athleticism, but his sophomore year (2019) was a lot weaker than his freshman year (2018) and I felt like he could have improved his stock by getting healthy for 2020 and showing that he was an elite RB.

 

Between Ty Johnson, Anthony McFarland, and Javon Leake I thought McFarland is the most athletic because he loses almost no speed when changing of direction.   Ty Johnson ran a 4.3 and change forty yard dash at Maryland's pro-day last year.  Running a 4.3 and change rather than 4.4and change was likely was the difference between him getting drafted in the sixth round and not getting drafted at all.  In terms of straightline speed he is probably as fast as McFarland but McFarland's change of direction and acceleration are better.  Leake is fast too and could run in the 4.3's if he has a good day, but is not as shifty.  Though of the three he is the best pure runner as he has the best vision and has pretty  good power especially compared to Johnson and McFarland neither of which had much power as a runner.  That said i could see taking McFarland before Leake because McFarland has the potential to be a very good third down back (but its potential, he wasn't a great third down back in college, he simply has the right tools).

[kingdaddy]

7 hours ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

 

That's my ideal scenario for our offense.  It's passe, but I do think the right identity for us over the next three seasons or so is to go super run heavy.  Develop Haskins the way Russell Wilson, Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady, Matt Ryan, Phil Rivers, and Eli Manning were all developed.  I would love to have that kind of three headed attack.  10-15 touches for each of them per game.  Insurance for Guice injuries.  Constant good leverage downs and distances for Haskins.  The Carolina game was kind of a preview of what that offense could look like when it fires on all cylinders.

Love it....and add one more speed WR with a legit TE for when we do throw. Build the defense thru free agency and coaching up the Bama guys. 

[cakmoney61]

7 hours ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

 

This kind of complaint could apply to the running backs from any of the major programs though, because all of them have NFL players on their lines and future NFL QBs opening up the field for them.  Alabama running backs have been translating to the NFL too.  Sometimes good is good.  It wasn't his offensive line or QB or receivers running over those safeties and linebackers for him. 

 

You don't need to see a guy doing drills in spandex to determine if he's good.

Harris being good was never my question.  My question is how good.  Based upon some of the mock drafts I've seen he is not viewed as a first-round talent.  I was simply speculating on why that might be.

[Koolblue13]

5 hours ago, max21 said:

I don’t feel that way really, I wouldn’t mind a late pick spent on a RB but between Love, Guice and Peterson someone SHOULD be able to get the job done. I’m more worried about CB, Dunbar has been a pleasant surprise this year and I hope we can get one of these stud DBs to pair with him. Not having a 2nd pick sucks because I doing we spend our first pick on a CB

I'm more worried about CB too. However, we have 3 potential starters at WR in Mclaurin, Harmon and Simms. We have a 38 yo, a guy with 4 leg injuries that doesn't stay healthy and a guy that's never been healthy, so I put RB above WR.

[Sacks 'n' Stuff]

11 hours ago, Alcoholic Zebra said:

Giants back in the late 00's.  The behemoth known as Brandon Jacobs

Yeah, I got dragged to a late season game against the Giants... the one where we honored Sean Taylor on the anniversary of his passing by rolling over like a bunch of turds. Anyway in the pregame the Giants skill players all come out except they've got this one lineman with them and I'm like, "Ha! look at #72. He's got his jersey on inside out!" and my friend is all like "No, that's #27. He's their running back" and I said well, ****.

[Panninho]

4 hours ago, Koolblue13 said:

I'm more worried about CB too. However, we have 3 potential starters at WR in Mclaurin, Harmon and Simms. We have a 38 yo, a guy with 4 leg injuries that doesn't stay healthy and a guy that's never been healthy, so I put RB above WR.

I absolutely agree that RB is a need. However, I feel like we don't have to close every roster hole in one off-season. If there is a good RB that falls to us in one of the middle rounds you take him, but I wouldn't go into the draft actively looking for a RB. We probably won't be a contender next year so you can absolutely take some chances and I think you can still roll a year with Peterson, Guice and Love and see what Guice and Love are made off. 

But I would absolutely love to add one of the WRs of this year's class. McLaurin is an absolute stud and I also like the potential of Harmon and Sims but I am not sure that the latter are 2 legit starters right now. If you can add a premier talent to that group I'd take it immediately. 

 

Otherwise I agree that CB is a huge need as is TE once we have (hopefully) moved on from Reed and Davis.

[Going Commando]

Oregon signed both Noah Sewell and Justin Flowe.  Gonna be a fascinating defense in 2020 and 2021.

[Skinsinparadise]

17 hours ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

 

We've got 14 million dollars invested in filling that hole at strong safety next year.  If you're going to pass over stud talent to reach to fill needs, you're going to end up with a diminished roster that finds itself with more and more roster holes each year.  But if you can find me a tight end or left tackle in this class, projected in the same range as Najee and who are as good as him, then I'd listen.

 

 

To me the point above is the operative point.  Take killer talent first and foremost.  Don't obsess with position.   I do value some positions more so am not saying to ignore that aspect of drafting but if you got a player that you score a 95, take that dude over an 89 even if that player fits a need better.  There are exceptions to this but if you primarily operate this way -- you are going to build a really talented team. 

 

I am almost for sure going to the Alabama-Michigan game so I'll zero in on Najee more.  I admit my eyes tend to be glued of late either to their Wrs or O line. I've noticed Najee but I've never really glued into to him.  And I agree I like the idea of a RB if a good one falls.  I was thinking Hubbard (who I like a lot) was going in the 3rd-4th round range but reading recent mocks, seems like some think he's a late first to mid 2nd round type.  Will see.

[philibusters]

30 minutes ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

Oregon signed both Noah Sewell and Justin Flowe.  Gonna be a fascinating defense in 2020 and 2021.

 

Locally the 2020 class is viewed as the strongest class since the 2016 in terms of top end talent in depth.  The local (DC and Maryland) 2016 class produced three likely first rounders in Dwayne Haskins, Trevon Diggs, and Terrell Lewis and had a lot of depth behind the top guys.  Also out of that class, Javon Kinlaw played his first two season of HS football in DC before moving to South Carolina. It will be interesting how the 2020 compares in a few years.

 

Using the 247 composite rankings which average out the big 3 (Rivals, 247, and ESPN) there are six locals among the top 50 HS prospects this year.  They are:

 

Bryan Bresee Strongside DE (MD):  Ranked 1 overall (one DE).  Headed to Clemson

Chris Braswell Edge (MD):  Rated 17 overall (one Edge).  Headed to Alabama

Mekhail Sherman Linebacker (DC):  Ranked 18th overall (second OLB).  Headed to Georgia

Rakim Jarrett Wide receiver (DC):  Ranked 20th overall (second WR).  Headed to Maryland (decommitted from LSU yesterday)

Marshawn Lloyd Running Back (MD):  Ranked 39 overall (7 RB).  Headed to South Carolina

Curtis Jacobs Linebacker (MD):  Ranked 44 overall (5 OLB).  Headed to Penn St.