2021 Comprehensive Draft Thread

[CapsSkins]

So I caught a little bit of the BYU game. I'm a complete know-nothing about scouting so don't take me seriously. But I thought watching Zach was interesting.

 

He has some special talents. Arm strength, throwing on the run.

 

At the same time, his guys get super open all the time. And his protection is often good enough for him to stand in the pocket for 5 seconds.

 

Will he be able to catch up to the speed of the NFL and throw into tight windows when guys can't get wide open separation all the time? Can he put on 20 pounds of muscle without losing his strengths? I got no clue. But he's a super talented prospect. I'd definitely sit him behind Alex.

 

And if he's gone by the time we pick, I like Mac Jones and his experience facing pass rushers that are going to be playing on Sundays in the future. 

[Skinsinparadise]

2.

Jaguars

Justin Fields

QB, Ohio State

The Jaguars appear to be going with quarterback Mike Glennon over a now healthy Gardner Minshew moving forward. That all but solidifies Jacksonville will have their eyes on a franchise quarterback at the top of the draft. 

Fields is the common pick here, although I did give some thought to BYU’s Zach Wilson. I just think Fields still has higher-ceiling tools with both his arm and his legs. It’s still Fields for now.

3.

Bengals

Penei Sewell

OT, Oregon

This one is pretty simple: the Bengals drafted their franchise quarterback last draft, and their next few drafts must prioritize protecting him. Jonah Williams on one side and Penei Sewell on the other is a good start. We may not have been able to see Sewell this year, as he opted out before the season. However, the dominance he showed as just a freshman and sophomore paints a bright picture for his future. 

4.

Chargers

Ja'Marr Chase

WR, LSU

I am stealing this idea from a good friend of mine, Pro Football Focus’ Austin Gayle. Recently, Gayle took a look at the Chargers’ roster, and though they certainly do need help along the offensive line to help Justin Herbert, with Sewell gone, if they don’t see an O-lineman worthy of a top-five pick, why not give Herbert the best wide receiver trio in the NFL with Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Ja’Marr Chase?

5.

Cowboys

Patrick Surtain II

CB, Alabama

The Cowboys have been very unlucky this year with injuries, mainly to their offense. Their starting quarterback is out for the year, and many of their top offensive linemen have missed significant time, too. That has yielded a recipe for a top-five pick.

They’d love to get Sewell, but with the Bengals and Chargers still in front of them, I can’t see it happening. Instead, they’ll look to their secondary—another area that needs a lot of help. Surtain brings an all-around game that has the ingredients of a CB1.

6.

Eagles

DeVonta Smith

WR, Alabama

“He’s only 6-foot-1!”

“He’s only 180 pounds!”

I don’t care. He’s one of the best football players in the country and should be picked appropriately. Smith is a technician in his routes, has spider webs for hands, and has that smooth, long-stride speed to threaten vertically. He’s a No. 1 receiver who can play a variety of different positions.

Measurables are against him, yet he has consistently overcome them enough to go down as one of the best receivers in SEC history.

7.

Panthers

Zach Wilson

QB, BYU

We often look at the draft as a team trying to attack its greatest roster weaknesses in the immediate. But the Panthers are clearly in the infancy stages of a long-term vision. That vision will eventually have them taking a franchise quarterback.

Teddy Bridgewater has been good this season. He is far from the Panthers’ biggest weakness. But is he one of their greatest strengths? I would say no. I would say he’s somewhere in the middle, leaning more toward one of their top positives on a young roster. But if the Panthers surprised and played well this season, it won’t get any easier to draft franchise quarterbacks in the years that follow if they continue to get better. If they end up with a top-10 pick, I like the idea of staying one step ahead with a quarterback pick.

8.

Falcons

Kwity Paye

EDGE, Michigan

The Falcons have been searching for an impact pass rusher ever since they realized Vic Beasley’s 15.5-sack season was a fraud. They’ve brought in players like Dante Fowler, Adrian Clayborn, and Charles Harris. They’ve drafted players like Takk McKinley and Marlon Davidson. But they still don’t have that player they can really depend on each week. 

Paye is having a fantastic season for Michigan. His strength in the run game and explosiveness in the passing game is a recipe for a top-15 player.

9.

 

Dolphins

Jaylen Waddle

WR, Alabama

The Dolphins franchise is headquartered in Miami. Miami is in the state of Florida. Florida produces more than 70% of the country’s citrus. Citrus is the species that contains oranges. Oranges have juice. “Juice” can be used as a term to describe the athletic profile of Jaylen Waddle.

Are you picking up what I’m putting down?

10.

 

Washington

Trey Lance

QB, North Dakota State

Say it with me: The Washington Football team cannot go into next season without a quarterback to believe in.

 

[Riggo#44]

If we want Zach Wilson, we have to **** the bed against the Panthers.

[Warhead36]

Bridgewater has played well for the Panthers. I'm not sure they'd go QB.

 

Falcons could decide to rebuild and go QB though.

[Skinsinparadise]

A bunch of draft geeks i noticed are getting obsessed with Slater. 

 

 

 

[IrepDC]

 

Rewatched the game highlights to see if I'd notice anything different, and the highlights make him look worse. If you go by the ESPNU highlight, you'd think Wilson was a non factor in the biggest game of the season. There are a couple of early highlights of him scrambling. Then the first passing highlight is at 3:45 in the video. That's the last positive play Wilson is featured in the nearly 10 minute video. 

 

I compare this to a guy like Parsons who absolutely took over in the biggest games he played in. I will be the first to admit that I will be MAD if we pass on a game changer for Wilson. It seems no one is downgrading him for this performance, but he got outplayed at his own game by a freshman. McCall looked like the QB with NFL potential in this game, to me. I'll admit if I'm wrong, but Wilson does not look like a top 10 or even 15 college player to me. He lights up scrubs when he has great protection and wide open receivers, but he disappeared in the biggest moment of the season. I hope a team above us wastes a pick on him so that a game changer can fall to us. We can get a QB like Wilson in the mid rounds. I know Wilson has a lot of fans in the board, but I just don't see it, and no one has been able to point me into the direction of film that shows why he is worth a top 15 pick. 

 

[KDawg]

Wilson was definitely a bit disappointing against Coastal.

 

Having said that, they had about 2 days to prepare. So it’s really difficult to give that performance a ton of weight. But the talk of him being QB2 should be falling off.

 

I still have Fields 1a and Lawrence 1b. Yes. In that order. Lawrence hasn’t been all that impressive (like top QB in last 5 years impressive that people are saying... he’s still really good). 
 

Lawrence is safer than Fields. I won’t argue that. Fields has a much higher bust factor. Lawrence has a much higher “middle of the road” factor. Fields has a much higher “star” factor. 
 

 

[Fresh8686]

@IrepDC

 

You do realize that Coastal Carolina dominated TOP in that game right? The defense lost BYU that game, not Wilson and his WR's had quite a few drops as well. However, on one hand he did validate some of the concerns I had, with his susceptibility to pressure and some poor decisions to run, but also showed me a different flavor of toughness that I liked after dealing with that Gunter kid being in his **** from the end of the 2nd Quarter to the end of the game. He's got great traits and polish, proving he can run and orchestrate an offense at a high level, but it's going to take him some time to learn what he can and can't get away with in the NFL and rebuild his creativity. I'm looking forward to seeing how learns and grows from this loss.

 

I'm still Lawrence, Fields, Wilson, Lance, Jones, Trask in my rankings.

[KDawg]

58 minutes ago, Fresh8686 said:

@IrepDC

 

You do realize that Coastal Carolina dominated TOP in that game right? The defense lost BYU that game, not Wilson and his WR's had quite a few drops as well. However, on one hand he did validate some of the concerns I had, with his susceptibility to pressure and some poor decisions to run, but also showed me a different flavor of toughness that I liked after dealing with that Gunter kid being in his **** from the end of the 2nd Quarter to the end of the game. He's got great traits and polish, proving he can run and orchestrate an offense at a high level, but it's going to take him some time to learn what he can and can't get away with in the NFL and rebuild his creativity. I'm looking forward to seeing how learns and grows from this loss.

 

I'm still Lawrence, Fields, Wilson, Lance, Jones, Trask in my rankings.

Right now I’m:

 

Fields/Lawrence, Lance/Wilson, Jones, Trask. But I imagine I’m going to have some sleepers sneak in, Lawrence/Fields adjust the a and b and Lance and Wilson adjust the 3a and b. 

[IrepDC]

1 hour ago, Fresh8686 said:

@IrepDC

 

You do realize that Coastal Carolina dominated TOP in that game right? The defense lost BYU that game, not Wilson and his WR's had quite a few drops as well. However, on one hand he did validate some of the concerns I had, with his susceptibility to pressure and some poor decisions to run, but also showed me a different flavor of toughness that I liked after dealing with that Gunter kid being in his **** from the end of the 2nd Quarter to the end of the game. He's got great traits and polish, proving he can run and orchestrate an offense at a high level, but it's going to take him some time to learn what he can and can't get away with in the NFL and rebuild his creativity. I'm looking forward to seeing how learns and grows from this loss.

 

I'm still Lawrence, Fields, Wilson, Lance, Jones, Trask in my rankings.

He didn't orchestrate his offense at a high level in my opinion. BYU leaned much more on their run game than his arm. As you said, he missed a few throws once the pressure started getting to him, and it was barely much pressure. I can only imagine how he responds when the pass rush is serious. The best thing about him that game was the commentators hyping him up. 

[KDawg]

Our needs are evolving. Players are developing. 
 

Right now our mission critical needs for the FUTURE:

 

QB

 

For next season: 

 

MIKE

Slot/Detached TE (doesn’t need to be a world beater... just someone that can catch the ball)

Guard

LT if we can snag a stud in the draft 

Man Corner

 

Logan Thomas has proven himself to be an in-line tight end option and can play a little slot. He struggles a little with separation but has good hands, strong and can block. He’s what we’ve all been looking for for years. He also can play QB if completely necessary and brings versatility.

 

Cam Sims can function as a 2, but he needs a little room to work. He’s a sure handed YAC monster but his separation isn’t top end elite. So if there is a slot guy it gives Sims room to be the playmaker he’s proving to be while he continues his progression.

 

Wild card: Can Harmon draw attention on the outside? If so, McLaurin can play in the slot. Matchup nightmare for teams. 
 

Holcomb is able to play. 
 

Our LBs look much better when we are playing tight coverage on the edge because the QBs have to catch and release. That allows them to be more aggressive in the run game. We need a MIKE, though. Bostic played his best game pretty much ever last night. If he is a backup next year, fine, but we need a MIKE. 
 

Free and Strong seem pretty well manned. Curl is a steal and Everett plays a little like a less physically imposing, slightly slower Sean Taylor. He misses a few too many tackles but he can play there.

 

A man corner would be really nice to add. That allows Fuller to play in the slot, too. Also allows us to be tighter in coverage and allow the defensive line to attack. They didn’t get to Ben much last night, but they were in his face. Roethlisberger puts on a master class on catch and release so their play last night was top notch.

 

Long term we need a QB? Is it Haskins or Allen? I have my reservations on both. But I think that’s going to wind up being the plan for another year while Smith helms the offense.

 

[Est.1974]

A new corner is back on my want list. Need to have a look at the potential free agency list .

[Going Commando]

The Steelers exposed our secondary yesterday.  That skill group is a stress test more or less.  I couldn't believe our high rankings in coverage and knew there was some kind of weird statistical inflation making the secondary seem better than they really are.  They didn't look good when matched up with real quality, especially on the outside, when the pass rush wasn't getting all of the way home.  Felt like Fuller's worst game of the season, and the safeties looked slow.

 

Darby has been a bit of a revelation this season, and Fuller is good and Moreland is a keeper who, though limited by size, still makes a lot of thumping downhill plays from the slot.  One stud outside corner who can match up with size and speed on the outside would give this group the depth to be a true top notch secondary as well as insulate us against a Darby injury.

[Going Commando]

Agree with @KDawg that guard and tackle are big needs.  When Scherff went down, it felt like our season was about to go off the rails again.  That panic is a symptom of having no other good options available inside.  And tackle lacks high end options, if not depth.  A really good young tackle prospect and a legit starting caliber guard would give us a ten man group you can make a championship run with assuming we bring back Scherff and Roullier and Schweitzer.  I feel like OL has become a true committee position where you need full depth because nobody makes it through a season with a healthy five any more.

[mhd24]

6 minutes ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

Agree with @KDawg that guard and tackle are big needs.  When Scherff went down, it felt like our season was about to go off the rails again.  That panic is a symptom of having no other good options available inside.  And tackle lacks high end options, if not depth.  A really good young tackle prospect and a legit starting caliber guard would give us a ten man group you can make a championship run with assuming we bring back Scherff and Roullier and Schweitzer.  I feel like OL has become a true committee position where you need full depth because nobody makes it through a season with a healthy five any more.

 

 

Hopefully Charles develops into a quality starter.  I posted earlier in this thread that it wouldn't surprise me (if they get to the playoffs) that they pass on QB and take BPA at either tackle (like Darrisow) or CB (does Surtain perhaps fall like a Marlon Humphrey did to the mid 1st).

Edited December 8, 2020 by mhd24

[Going Commando]

I am still not sold on Logan Thomas though.  I think his hands are sketchy and don't trust him to make plays on the edge of his catch radius.  He's done yeoman's work with his opportunities this season and he does bring a lot of versatility to the table, but a better player would be starting at TE for a good passing offense.  He's got heart though, and has at least made himself more difficult to upgrade.

 

I'm also not sold on Cam Sims.  He'll make splashy plays here and there like that one handed catch and that catch and run, but there is no consistency there with him.  I don't think he's an attention to details type, nor do I think he's particularly tough.  I'd keep developing him, but he certainly wouldn't prevent me from aggressively seeking upgrades at receiver in this draft.  I don't like how easy it is for defenses to overplay Terry and take away the verticality in our passing game.  Realistically, we need like two more receivers who are better than guys 2-6 on our current roster in order to have a good group.

[KDawg]

3 minutes ago, mhd24 said:

 

 

Hopefully Charles develops into a quality starter.  I posted earlier in this thread that it wouldn't surprise me (if they get to the playoffs) that they pass on QB and take BPA at either tackle (like Darrisow) or CB (does Surtain perhaps fall like a Marlon Humphrey did to the mid 1st).

 

I think we're going to go BPA at the first pick for sure at this point. Our "holes" are mostly plugging themselves. An FA acquisition or two and most of the heavy leakers are plugged. That lets you lean a lot more heavily into pure BPA than a BPA with need weight.

 

The later we pick, the more likely the BPA is going to be OL, CB or WR, though.

1 minute ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

I am still not sold on Logan Thomas though.  I think his hands are sketchy and don't trust him to make plays on the edge of his catch radius.  He's done yeoman's work with his opportunities this season and he does bring a lot of versatility to the table, but a better player would be starting at TE for a good passing offense.  He's got heart though, and has at least made himself more difficult to upgrade.

 

I'm also not sold on Cam Sims.  He'll make splashy plays here and there like that one handed catch and that catch and run, but there is no consistency there with him.  I don't think he's an attention to details type, nor do I think he's particularly tough.  I'd keep developing him, but he certainly wouldn't prevent me from aggressively seeking upgrades at receiver in this draft.  I don't like how easy it is for defenses to overplay Terry and take away the verticality in our passing game.  Realistically, we need like two more receivers who are better than guys 2-6 on our current roster in order to have a good group.

 

I think I'm on the same page as you. But they are serviceable. I think Thomas is better than you give him credit for especially in comparison to the rest of the league at the tight end position (there just aren't a lot of guys who can block and catch). But I do think that if Sims/Thomas are going to see the field consistently you need a slot receiving threat (Pitts would be a huge get with Thomas as more of the in-line option). A top end receiver can also help there as McLaurin can play in the slot.

 

The two of them (Sims and Thomas) are not world beating talent and they will not pull attention off of McLaurin. We need a guy that can draw a defense's attention so team's can't focus on Terry. 

 

Wide receiver/Detached TE is a big need in my opinion. A top end receiver allows Terry to play in the slot. That is an absolute nightmare for defenses.

[Going Commando]

Also this running game looks pretty horrible without Gibson.  That wasn't a pleasant realization.  I think he's been making the line look better than they really are, and the dominance on the ground was also a function of playing two horrible defensive lines.  We got worked by that Pittsburgh run D.

 

McKissick's short passing game value is real, but otherwise he and Barber are both jags and the run blocking is up and down.  Another high end RB talent would insulate us against Gibson injuries.  It'd also be nice to keep defenses on their heels throughout the entire game.  An Etienne-Gibson combo is so tantalizing.

[IrepDC]

1 hour ago, KDawg said:

..and Everett plays a little like a less physically imposing, slightly slower Sean Taylor.

 

*record scratch*

 

[KDawg]

1 minute ago, IrepDC said:

*record scratch*

 

You think that's an absurd thought?

 

I'm purely talking about style. Not ability. He's not in ST's league ability wise. But he plays a lot like him. 

2 minutes ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

Also this running game looks pretty horrible without Gibson.  That wasn't a pleasant realization.  I think he's been making the line look better than they really are, and the dominance on the ground was also a function of playing two horrible defensive lines.  We got worked by that Pittsburgh run D.

 

McKissick's short passing game value is real, but otherwise he and Barber are both jags and the run blocking is up and down.  Another high end RB talent would insulate us against Gibson injuries.  It'd also be nice to keep defenses on their heels throughout the entire game.  An Etienne-Gibson combo is so tantalizing.

 

McKissick is a must keep moving forward. He is shifty enough to make a few plays in the run game and a very valuable pass catching back. I wouldn't count him among the jags, but he is a role player. I wouldn't take issue with another back, preferably more of a bell cow so that Gibson can be fresh and function as a receiver in two back sets at times and accumulate less wear and tear. 

[Going Commando]

14 minutes ago, mhd24 said:

Hopefully Charles develops into a quality starter.  I posted earlier in this thread that it wouldn't surprise me (if they get to the playoffs) that they pass on QB and take BPA at either tackle (like Darrisow) or CB (does Surtain perhaps fall like a Marlon Humphrey did to the mid 1st).

 

It's kind of tough to put eggs in his basket.  Really hard to develop through injuries that cost you crucial early career seasons.  But right now he and Ismael look like the only OL prospects in our pipeline worth developing.  Martin hasn't worked out and Christian will be 25 next year, has given us no consistency, and will enter the final year of his rookie deal.

 

We need a high upside OL project to start working on this off-season.

[Anselmheifer]

35 minutes ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

One stud outside corner who can match up with size and speed on the outside would give this group the depth to be a true top notch secondary as well as insulate us against a Darby injury.

 

I'm not necessarily in favor of this because of the injury history, but on talent alone, Caleb Farley would look sick behind our DL and would really help, both in terms of turnovers, and in coverage. 

I think the draft is probably lining up for us to take an OT. We will be out of range for the top WR's, TE, and QB's. I think there will be some natural choices at OT in picks 11-17 or so. 

[KDawg]

1 minute ago, Anselmheifer said:

 

I'm not necessarily in favor of this because of the injury history, but on talent alone, Caleb Farley would look sick behind our DL and would really help, both in terms of turnovers, and in coverage. 

I think the draft is probably lining up for us to take an OT. We will be out of range for the top WR's, TE, and QB's. I think there will be some natural choices at OT in picks 11-17 or so. 

 

11-17 is going to have a tight end, a receiver and possibly QB4 inside of it.

 

It will also very likely have OT2 or 3, Guard1, etc.

 

Going to be some good players there.

 

Jaylen Waddle, Kyle Pitts could both very easily be on the board.

 

Trey Lance COULD be, but may not be.

 

Darrishaw, Radunz, Slater, Leatherwood and Cosmi are all possibly on the board in that range. Maybe one of them is gone. 

 

Wyatt Davis, Vera-Tucker are likely to be there. The NFL is projecting Vera-Tucker as a tackle right now, and he's playing there for USC, but he could also play as an interior guard and be a total stud there.

 

I think Vera-Tucker may be the top OL in totality outside of Sewell... and I think there is a lot of quality OL. 

[Going Commando]

I wonder if there are any interesting and toolsy OL prospects who busted with their previous teams that we could bring in as a reclamation prospect?  I can't think of any names off the top of my head.  I'm looking through the 2017-2019 classes and it looks like 2017 was a bad OL class and all of the good OL prospects from '18 and '19 pretty much ended up solidifying themselves with their teams.

[CommDownMan]

1 hour ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

The Steelers exposed our secondary yesterday.  That skill group is a stress test more or less.  I couldn't believe our high rankings in coverage and knew there was some kind of weird statistical inflation making the secondary seem better than they really are.  They didn't look good when matched up with real quality, especially on the outside, when the pass rush wasn't getting all of the way home.  Felt like Fuller's worst game of the season, and the safeties looked slow.

 

Darby has been a bit of a revelation this season, and Fuller is good and Moreland is a keeper who, though limited by size, still makes a lot of thumping downhill plays from the slot.  One stud outside corner who can match up with size and speed on the outside would give this group the depth to be a true top notch secondary as well as insulate us against a Darby injury.

 

I remember the early article that mediocre CBs did well in Riveras defenses.  With the talent the steelers have on offense it isn't too surprising.  

 

My guess is they'd look to FA here and get a guy that isn't necessarily (high) draft picks for other items.  At least I don't see them looking for "high end" necesarily.