2021 Comprehensive Draft Thread

[Skinsinparadise]

8 hours ago, KDawg said:

 

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. 

 

I think we will the division so more likely picking in the 19-21 range

 

If I had to guess it now.  And this is before me watching some of these players so right now mostly based on mock drafts

 

WR: R. Moore, Batement, T. Marshall, J. Waddle (only because of his injury but if he heels up he'd be gone)

QB:  Mac Jones 

OT:  Cosmi, Eichenberg, Radunz

RB:  Etienne, N. Harris

LB-hybrid:  Koramoah

CB:  Wade, Farley

 

on another note looks like Thomas is coming on now

 

 

Edited December 8, 2020 by Skinsinparadise

[Anselmheifer]

19 minutes ago, Skinsinparadise said:

 

I think we don't go with a QB in this draft and ride with Alex it begs for O lineman, another RB who complements Gibson's skill, and a playmaker or two.  

 

Allen Robinson, McLaurin, Gibson, 1st round OT, 2nd and 3rd round RB and TE in some order. That, plus Alex Smith, could make us a team like last year's Titans. Very solid on both sides of the ball and able to punch above our weight in the playoffs. I still think we need a prime time QB to be elite.

 

Also, while I'm not in favor of picking LB in the 1st, and I don't think we will be choosing high enough to grab Parsons, I can't but think about how much he would help our blitz packages. He's just so explosive and twitchy as a blitzer. He would be such a huge upgrade for us. 

 

 

[Going Commando]

4 hours ago, Skinsinparadise said:

Agree with the point and I'd love  Etienne or Harris.  I'd also add Javonte Williams if they look for a dude later in the draft -- 3rd-4th round range.  He's a tough runner, breaks tackles, good hands, good contact balance with the nose for the end zone.   

 

Yeah he's good too.  Really blew up this year and he's going to steal Etienne's spot on first team All ACC I think.  The kid from VT is good and so are Javian Hawkins and CamRon Harris.  Probably all in the late day two, day three range.  ACC has some running back prospects this year.  Williams looks like the best aside from Eitienne.

[Going Commando]

5 hours ago, Anselmheifer said:

That is a very solid, but not spectacular offense with Alex Smith. Certainly one that could make a run in the playoffs with our DL. 

 

I think that would be an awesome offense.  Very solid OL with good depth and developmental talent and no real weak links.  Two Pro-Bowl caliber receivers plus a terrifying young deep threat in Tutu.  And then two bruising RBs with elite measurables, both of whom can catch.  To me that is very high powered.  It's not really that far off of what Alex had to work with in Kansas City, and the defense would be better.

 

I'm probably higher on Najee than almost everyone else though.  I think he's a super blue chipper who is as good as Derrick Henry and LeVeon Bell were.  The NFL has been oddly skeptical of these kinds of guys though, as both of them were mid to late 40's draft picks.  Then they come in and play like MVPs.

[KDawg]

50 minutes ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

 

I think that would be an awesome offense.  Very solid OL with good depth and developmental talent and no real weak links.  Two Pro-Bowl caliber receivers plus a terrifying young deep threat in Tutu.  And then two bruising RBs with elite measurables, both of whom can catch.  To me that is very high powered.  It's not really that far off of what Alex had to work with in Kansas City, and the defense would be better.

 

I'm probably higher on Najee than almost everyone else though.  I think he's a super blue chipper who is as good as Derrick Henry and LeVeon Bell were.  The NFL has been oddly skeptical of these kinds of guys though, as both of them were mid to late 40's draft picks.  Then they come in and play like MVPs.

I think Najee is the best back in the draft...

[KDawg]

Watched some inside backer types this morning. Some were a rewatch, some were new...

 

Micah Parsons (Penn State) - Best of the lot. Great change of direction, can pressure and cover. Not a thumper. He uses finesse, speed and technical moves to get beyond blockers. His game should translate fairly well at the NFL level as he doesn't rely on brute strength. He is the best of the group. 

 

Pete Werner/Baron Browning (Ohio State)- There isn't much out there on either of them. Which is really odd considering they play for Ohio State. Will probably need to look for Justin Fields games and then just watch those guys later.

 

KJ Britt (Auburn) - Good size and instincts. Moves sideline to sideline fairly well Doesn't get washed out of the middle. Doesn't have a fast trigger but can play a little. This guy could be an option in the middle rounds. 

 

Paddy Fisher (Northwestern) - Not bad. Leader. Moves well. 

 

Jabril Cox (North Dakota State/LSU) - This is my sleeper of the group. Dude can cover, play sideline to sideline and tackle. Plays with instincts. He's going to be a player. 

 

Damone Clark (LSU) - Not much out there.

 

Kuony Deng (Last Chance U/Cal) - Doesn't look like a prototypical ILB. Dude is long and slender looking. Has trouble with where he should insert. Long arms make him a coverage threat as he can swat the ball away. Not great at shedding blocks/playing downhill.

 

Ventrell Miller (Florida) - Can run, come down hill, hit. Coverage seems okay. Needs to work on wrapping up. He is a thumper. Doesn't get lost in traffic. Changes direction well. 

 

Tuf Borland (Ohio State) - There's a little more on him than the other guys from Ohio State. This guy triggers quick and gets downhill. Uses his hands well. Very instinctual player. 

 

Erroll Thompson (Miss State) - Has the physical prowess. Doesn't seem to play with a sense of urgency. Doesn't fight well off of blockers but does a good job eating them and taking them on. 

 

Nick Bolton (Missouri) - Good trigger, good body bend, can pass rush and do some coverage stuff. Smart linebacker. Hits. Doesn't shed blocks but he avoids them well, not sure how that translates to the next level but his instincts are pretty good so I think there's going to be some excellent carryover.

 

Chazz Surratt (UNC) - Plays kind of... soft. More of a rush backer than a true pure inside backer. Has developmental potential for sure. 

 

Monty Rice (Georgia) - Good in coverage, good with his hands. He's not a pure MIKE, but with our defense being nickel based due to alignments a lot of the time he can definitely play as an inside guy but can also function in coverage. 

 

Guys I want to watch:

 

Browning/Werner

Skalski (Clemson)

Ashby (VT)

Walker (Georgia)

Clark (LSU)

Barnes (Purdue)

 

Probably a bunch more later...

 

My current rankings:

 

1) Micah Parsons, Penn State

2) Jabril Cox (NDSU/LSU)

3) Nick Bolton (Mizzou)

4) Monty Rice (Georgia)

5) Ventrell Miller (Florida)

6) Tuf Borland (Ohio State)

7) KJ Britt (Auburn)

8 )  Paddy Fisher (Northwestern)

9) Chazz Surratt (UNC)

10) Erroll Thompson (Miss State)

11) Kuony Deng (Cal)

 

Honestly I think almost all of them have potential to be upgrades for us...

 

But my preference is the top 6. The next 5 are more developmental in my opinion, but I didn't see a BAD linebacker in the group. 

 

Edited December 9, 2020 by KDawg

[max21]

I hope it’s Trask v Jones in the SEC championship game would be great to see them go head to head, though if we’re picking around 19 it doesn’t really matter. 

[Going Commando]

9 hours ago, KDawg said:

I think Najee is the best back in the draft...

 

I think Etienne is as good as him, but it goes even beyond that for me.  I think Najee is a top ten player in the class and as good of a prospect as Gurley and Elliot were.  Not as good as Saquon or McCaffrey, but not that far off.  I think there are nine elite prospects in the class:

 

- Lawrence

- Sewell

- Chase

- Pitts

- Parsons

- Moore

- Etienne

- Harris

- Farley

 

I understand why he won't get drafted in the top ten, but I think he'll end up being one of the ten best NFL players from the class.  And backs like him have ended up offering some of the best franchise value above draft slot in the league, because they often go outside of the first round.

[KDawg]

3 minutes ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

 

I think Etienne is as good as him, but it goes even beyond that for me.  I think Najee is a top ten player in the class and as good of a prospect as Gurley and Elliot were.  Not as good as Saquon or McCaffrey, but not that far off.  I think there are nine elite prospects in the class:

 

- Lawrence

- Sewell

- Chase

- Pitts

- Parsons

- Moore

- Etienne

- Harris

- Farley

 

I understand why he won't get drafted in the top ten, but I think he'll end up being one of the ten best NFL players from the class.  And backs like him have ended up offering some of the best franchise value above draft slot in the league, because they often go outside of the first round.

I’m pretty close to you, actually. 
 

I have Fields in there. I don’t have Farley (skills wise yes, injuries make me nervous.)

 

 

[Going Commando]

5 minutes ago, KDawg said:

I’m pretty close to you, actually. 
 

I have Fields in there. I don’t have Farley (skills wise yes, injuries make me nervous.)

 

 

 

For me Fields is in that next tier of first round prospects that have some elite traits but involve more of a growth projection: projecting them to become elite NFL players means projecting them to develop something important that they don't currently have.

 

- Wilson

- Fields

- Surtain

- Waddle

- DeVonta Smith

- Rosseau

- Owusa-Koromoah

- Bateman

- Hubbard

[mhd24]

https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2021/insider/story/_/id/30469082/nfl-mock-draft-2021-kiper-mcshay-predict-top-10-picks-debating-trevor-lawrence-justin-fields-more

 

Kiper & Mckshay debut a top 10 mock:

 

1). Jets-Lawrence

2). Jags-Fields

3). Cinci-Sewell

4). Chargers-Chase

5). Dallas-Parsons

6). ATL-Surtain

7). Philly-Davonte Smith

8).  Carolina-Pitts

9). Lions-Wilson

10). Denver-Owusu

 

Kind of surprised ATL would pass on Wilson here.  If Wilson slips to 9, I'd trade a future 1st to get him via a trade up.

[OVCChairman]

3 hours ago, KDawg said:

Watched some inside backer types this morning. Some were a rewatch, some were new...

 

 

Jabril Cox (North Dakota State/LSU) - This is my sleeper of the group. Dude can cover, play sideline to sideline and tackle. Plays with instincts. He's going to be a player. 

 

 

 

 

Agreed... I like this dude. 

Edited December 9, 2020 by OVCChairman

[KDawg]

1 hour ago, OVCChairman said:

 

 

Agreed... I like this dude. 

He’s really intriguing. I don’t see him highly ranked either so he could be pure steal material. Rice is another one that could be a steal.

[Est.1974]

On 5/12/2020 at 9:41 PM, UK SKINS FAN 74 said:

I’m adding Max Borghi to my watchlist.

So has Borghi missed the year through injury/COVID cancellations or both? Was keen to see him in action this year?

[Going Commando]

39 minutes ago, UK SKINS FAN 74 said:

So has Borghi missed the year through injury/COVID cancellations or both? Was keen to see him in action this year?

 

Injury suffered in preseason.  He might be back soon, but with the season coming to an end, pretty much a lost year.

 

My guess is he goes back to school.  He's not going to be a high draft pick if he comes out, so his best chance to elevate his stock is a healthy 2021 season.

[Going Commando]

I liked watching him in real time, and Paris Ford's highlights and cut ups are even more fun.  You see some sketchy angles and overruns in them, but you also see a lot of stuff like this:

 

 

 

 

That was Cam'Ron Harris.  You will see very few deep safeties taking that guy on high and stoning him like that.  I think he ended up wrestling Harris's helmet off there, he's crazy.

 

This one makes me chuckle:

 

 

Another good view:

 

 

He hits like a Ford.  He's become my favorite safety of the class.

[Going Commando]

Those gifs really don't do the violence of the contact justice.  You can really hear those pads popping, even on the broadcasts.  It's loud.  His 2019 highlights are incredible.  He's got real ballhawking instincts too, very opportunistic playmaker

 

 

[Going Commando]

BTW Damar Hamlin is good-looking prospect too.  I think he was same class as Ford, but I'm not sure.  Not as splashy as Ford, but he played well and got my attention against Clemson.

 

This Pitt defense is going to go down as a big what-might-have-been.  They probably had at least four or five NFL guys on it.

[Going Commando]

One last observation about ACC safety prospects: I still like Tariq Carpenter from Georgia Tech.  He's a big, Kam Chancellor style back-end enforcer.  He's inconsistent, but when he's locked in and thumping, he's a presence.  Someone to look at on day 3 as a developmental guy.  Could help establish an intimidating identity for your secondary.

[Skinsinparadise]

 

I find sometimes its the better way for me to watch prospects which is to watch some highly regarded dudes play back to back. So, I just watched a game back to back of Alex Leatherwood, Rashawn Slater, Alijah Vera-Tucker each.  I like all three to different degrees.

 

Tucker looks stout but he will lose his grip at times on defenders both in pass blocking and run blocking.  He will get in front of his target in the run game but doesn't seem like a consistent mauler though has moments on that front.  His balance-agility on the 2nd level look to be just OK.  Looks like speed rushers might give him trouble, multiple times defenders ran right by him though he recovered well and saved a sack but just barely.  But he does the most important thing which is to mirror well and stick to his man.  He has a feistiness to his play which I like.   But he doesn't hit me right now as special.  I think he's good though.  

 

Leatherwood:  my impression is actually really close to Tucker as to strengths and weaknesses. I'd give a slod nod to Tucker over him.   Like Tucker i think he will be a solid-good tackle, nothing special though.  He mirrors well, gets in front of his defender, he seems assignment sound.  He doesn't strike me to have that Trent like ballerina balance-athleticism.  He's OK on the 2nd level but he's no Brandon Scherff on that front. 

 

Rashawn Slater:  I get the hype on Slater to an extent especially when you watch him back to back with the other two.   But not to the extent that he's better than Sewell ala what D. Jeremiah said.  Slater can maul on the 2nd level and maintains his blocks better than the other two.  But he is nowhere near the run blocker Sewell is IMO.  Slater seemed to have better balance, agility and coordination than the other two tackles I looked at here.   He looks really smooth and technically sound.  He mirrors well and has really strong hands.  For a dude with shortish arms he's good at locking into to his defender and maintaining his blocks.   And I read he's working with an O line coach to improve his technique even more.  

 

So as much as i like to be a bit of a maverick at times from the conventional media draft geek types, I'd agree with them about Slater being the superior prospect at least compared to Tucker and Leatherhead. Though his lack of length might push him to guard, will see.   But I don't agree that he's better or even on par with Sewell.   He's a different kind of player than Andrew Thomas (who is actually playing well now after a rough start)  but he reminds me of him in one sense is that my overall impression was that he's good across the board but not really special in any one aspect of the game. 

 

Ironically all three tackles are talked by some as being better guards.

 

 

 

41 minutes ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

Those gifs really don't do the violence of the contact justice.  You can really hear those pads popping, even on the broadcasts.  It's loud.  His 2019 highlights are incredible.  He's got real ballhawking instincts too, very opportunistic playmaker

 

About a month ago I did my bit on Paris Ford on this thread, love the guy.   He reminds me stylistically some of Sean Taylor in that he's an old school intimadator and ball hawk all in one.  Imagine adding a dude like that to this defense?

Edited December 9, 2020 by Skinsinparadise

[KDawg]

Vera-Tucker is a better guard than tackle. He's been a guard his entire collegiate career up until the 2020 season. That's where I'd draft him to play. 

[Skinsinparadise]

36 minutes ago, KDawg said:

Vera-Tucker is a better guard than tackle. He's been a guard his entire collegiate career up until the 2020 season. That's where I'd draft him to play. 

 

He physically looks to me to be a better fit inside.  

 

 

[Skinsinparadise]

 

 

[Skinsinparadise]

I finally got to watching Rondale Moore closely.  Wow.   He'd be a really nice get around 19 if that's where we end up.

 

I can see Scott Turner really digging him -- almost the perfect type of receiver to add to a heavy motion driven backfield designed to keep defenses guessing among other things.  Purdue really likes to use Moore in the backfield - end arounds, jet sweeps, tosses, hand offs.   With the ball in his hands he's unstoppable.  He's so fast, can stop and go, juke defenders -- he's just plain electric in the open field.  He has Russell Wilson style shiftiness with 4.3 speed. 

 

He's certainly a slot guy.  Throw him quick slants, etc and watch him take off.  A mega YAC guy.   His hands seem sticky enough.  Didn't see them throw the ball deep much so hard to vouch for his ball tracking skills but with his kind of speed, double moves, etc, he seems to be prime to be a really good deep threat.  From what I've read really good intangibles, too.

 

Top concern would be durability for me.  At that size and the never say die style he plays with I think lends to some of the Desean Jackson type of durability issues in the NFL perhaps. 

 

 

 

https://www.nfl.com/news/back-2-campus/he-s-only-5-foot-9-but-don-t-sell-purdue-s-rondale-moore-short

 

Moore's well-documented 4.33-second 40-yard dash and an array of highly graded skills for receiving, rushing and returning have made him one of college football's most exciting players. He combines freakish athleticism with a maniacal work ethic and an intense focus that borders on robotic. He'll tempt NFL general managers looking for all-purpose electricity from the slot position -- think Tyreek Hill -- and a sterling off-field reputation. NFL evaluators most familiar with Purdue's redshirt sophomore are convinced his performance both in physical testing and personal interviews at the NFL Scouting Combine, be it next year or the year after, will galvanize him as an early selection.

And why shouldn't it? He's only been told he's too short; it's never been proven.

"When people ask the (height) question, for me it's like, 'You have the film, you can see what I can do. If it scares you that much, then cool. Pass on me.' "

Edited December 9, 2020 by Skinsinparadise

[Fresh8686]

Rondale Moore is also strong as **** though and can squat like 600 lbs so I wouldn't go quite so far with comparing him to Desean Jackson as far as durability. If I remember correctly he had a knee/hamstring injury against Minnesota where he planted his foot wrong and hyper-extended his knee. I'm willing to roll the dice on stuff like that for a player of his caliber.