2021 Comprehensive Draft Thread

[Number 44]

4 hours ago, Riggo#44 said:

PFF Mock Draft, moved up to get Lance:

I really would not be pleased with this.  I don't share the love some have for Lance.  If he falls to us at 19, and KS and RR like his upside, that's one thing, but I'd not be happy spending a lot to trade up to draft a project like Lance.  Maybe it's just me, but I wasn't all that impressed by his game (singular) this year, and I think it is pretty clear that no matter what team drafts him, it'll be a while before he is ready to play QB in the NFL.  I trust KS and RR and if they really like the guy, I'll put my uneducated opinion aside and root like hell for him, but, man, I wouldn't be happy initially on draft day to see this.

Edited January 11, 2021 by Number 44
typo

[Always A Commander Never A Captain]

2 hours ago, KDawg said:

Darius Leonard is 215.

 

They are just about the same size. Leonard, however, is a proven NFL guy. But with the nickel I’m not concerned with him at 216... as long as he can shed blocks.

 

Leonard weighed in at the combine at 234, and the Colts list him at 230.

[KDawg]

35 minutes ago, Alcoholic Zebra said:

 

Leonard weighed in at the combine at 234, and the Colts list him at 230.

They said it on the broadcast yesterday he’s 215.

[JamesMadisonSkins]

Not too early for our mock drafts, is it? Using TDN Premium draft tool.

 

1.19: Trey Lance, QB NDSU

2.51: Alex Leatherwood, OT Alabama

3.76: Pat Freiermuth, TE Penn State

3.82: Paris Ford, S Pitt

4.120: Justyn Ross, WR Clemson

5.159: Patrick Johnson, Edge Tulane

 

Of course, super early. Names to go up and down, etc. But the positions were key here, for me. I would target WR and LB in free agency which puts you in a position to go BPA in the draft. Deep WR class and you're taking some risk by not going WR earlier, but if Justyn Ross can play football again and you can grab him in the 4th, that's outstanding value.

[JamesMadisonSkins]

The QB situation is going to be really interesting to watch play out.

 

Can Mac Jones light it up again tonight and possibly cement his name in the R1 conversation? The more the merrier, as it pushes QBs down the board a bit and closer to us at #19.

 

There are some scouts that still REALLY love Trey Lance. TOp 5 material. But how many team are going to be willing to risk a Top5 or even Top 10 pick on him with one year of tape against FCS talent?

 

If we have Heinecke and Allen in the fold battling it out for QB1 it allows us to take a risk on Lance if he falls to #19.

 

BUT, maybe this front office has no intention of drafting a QB early. They might bring back Heinecke and Allen to battle for backup, but go out and sign a cast-off ... Carr/Mariota ... Winston ... idk ... i KNOW ROn has a plan. ANd he's presenting it to Dan ... so I gotta think they've got some targets in mind in FA.

If Trey Lance starts falling ... and let's say he's there at #15 or #16 ... if I am WFT I am considering giving up a 3rd or 4th to jump and and secure that QB in fear of Chicago leaping us to grab him if he slides. Now, Lawrence, Fields, Lance and Wilson could all be gone in the Top 5 and make this totally moot. But will be fun to watch this off-season.

[Est.1974]

10 minutes ago, JamesMadisonSkins said:

 

Can Mac Jones light it up again tonight and possibly cement his name in the R1 conversation? The more the merrier, as it pushes QBs down the board a bit and closer to us at #19.

hopefully, so that Elway completely falls in love with him.

[Skinsinparadise]

 

 

Wirfs had a good season.  He was arguably the most athletic among the top tackles in the draft last year.  Makes me think of Trent and Okung.  Okung was more highly regarded by draft geeks at the time.  Trent was more athletic.  Trent >>> Okung.  I saw somewhere (forgetting where) that the biggest correlation between speed/agility drills and NFL success is O line.  I remember it because it seemed to me counter intutive at the time.  That's my way of saying favoring athletic tackles might be the ticket, everything being equal. 

 

 

 

[markshark84]

57 minutes ago, JamesMadisonSkins said:

Not too early for our mock drafts, is it? Using TDN Premium draft tool.

 

1.19: Trey Lance, QB NDSU

2.51: Alex Leatherwood, OT Alabama

3.76: Pat Freiermuth, TE Penn State

3.82: Paris Ford, S Pitt

4.120: Justyn Ross, WR Clemson

5.159: Patrick Johnson, Edge Tulane

 

Of course, super early. Names to go up and down, etc. But the positions were key here, for me. I would target WR and LB in free agency which puts you in a position to go BPA in the draft. Deep WR class and you're taking some risk by not going WR earlier, but if Justyn Ross can play football again and you can grab him in the 4th, that's outstanding value.

 

I have never been a huge fan of drafting 1st round QBs that have only 1 year of starting QB college experience.  The haskins experiment helped confirm it.  And in this case, a QB that has 1 year of experience at a lower talent level than DI. I prefer QBs that are smart enough to know when the right time it is for them to come out and not just look at it from a the financial perspective of being a first rounder.  If Lance were smart, he would go back and make sure he is in a position to succeed when he goes to the NFL.  Really, this guy only has 1 real season of being a QB under his belt as he was an run option QB in high school and rarely threw.  That in and of itself makes me leery of Lance.  

[Skinsinparadise]

 

2. NEW YORK JETS: QB ZACH WILSON, BYU

Easy schedule be damned, Wilson lit up his opposition in the same manner Joe Burrow and LSU did in 2019. The BYU quarterback recorded an elite passing grade above 90.0 in eight of his 12 games played this season, with his lowest-graded game sitting at 75.4.

Wilson’s arm talent is truly special, and he can make off-platform throws look easy. No quarterback threw an accurate ball on a higher rate of their 20-plus-yard passes this season (73%).

Even though they missed out on Lawrence, Jets fans should be ecstatic about Wilson. He’s the real deal.

3. MIAMI DOLPHINS (VIA HOU😞 QB JUSTIN FIELDS, OHIO STATE

It's not that I don't have faith in Tua Tagovailoa becoming a great franchise quarterback; I just think that Justin Fields has a better chance of becoming one.

First off, Fields is a better prospect than Tua was coming out. And considering that Tua still has a lot to prove after this season, this should be an easy choice.

Fields did have a couple of hiccups this season against the coverage rotations of Indiana and Northwestern, but he bounced back in a big way in the College Football Playoff Semifinal. The Ohio State Buckeye got his revenge on the Clemson Tigers and put together one of the best CFP performances we have ever recorded. Fields caught Clemson off-guard several times with tempo and came away with a 94.6 passing grade. He was deadly accurate in that contest and has been throughout the entire season. In fact, Fields leads all FBS quarterbacks in the percentage of accurate passes thrown beyond the line of scrimmage (73.4%) by eight percentage points.

The Buckeyes' offensive scheme is favorable, and it has benefitted from top-tier route-runners opening up a lot of throws, but Fields has still shown exceptional decision-making and accuracy. And let’s not forget how much of a threat he is in the run game.

4. ATLANTA FALCONS: WR JA’MARR CHASE, LSU

This is about the worst possible scenario for the Falcons, who are dangerously close to entering quarterback purgatory with Matt Ryan running out of time.

There is a chance that the Dolphins go Wilson or Fields at No. 3, but if they don’t, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a scenario where Atlanta sends the fourth pick and some change to Miami in exchange for the third. But if the first three quarterbacks are snapped up within the first three picks, the Falcons should take Ja’Marr Chase.

The former LSU receiver opted out of the 2020 season but was dominant alongside Burrow and Justin Jefferson in 2019. Chase still ranks second among all college wide receivers over the last two seasons in total explosive receptions of 15-plus yards against single coverage despite not even playing this year. He was that good.

Chase’s physicality and release package are NFL-ready, and those two strengths equated to massive success against press coverage. Since 2019, Chase ranks first in total receiving yards against press coverage, with 1,048. Again, he did not play a down this season.

5. CINCINNATI BENGALS: T PENEI SEWELL, CINCINNATI BENGALS

First things first, Cincinnati should 100% take Ja’Marr Chase over Penei Sewell if they are faced with that decision. But that is not the case here, so on with Sewell!

Sewell recorded a 95.8 PFF grade in 2019, which still stands as the highest-graded season by a Power 5 tackle since 2014. At 6-foot-6, 325-pounds, it’s quite amazing watching Sewell move in space — the overall athleticism is off the charts. He earned a 95.7 grade as a run-blocker in 2019 and was also nearly perfect in pass protection, allowing just seven pressures on 491 snaps.

6. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: WR DEVONTA SMITH, ALABAMA

Smith was always likely to end up as a first-round receiver, but what he has done for the Crimson Tide this season has skyrocketed him into top-10 status.

Amari Cooper’s 2014 season and Ja’Marr Chase’s 2019 season were some of the most dominant years we have seen at the position, but Smith — the 2020 Heisman winner — has topped it. His 94.7 receiving grade entering the College Football National Championship game is the best ever recorded at the position by nearly a full grading point.

Smith has it all, from his releases to his ball skills to his route-running to his after-the-catch ability, and he has been virtually impossible to cover this season. Sure, his thin frame is less than ideal, and he’s not going to run the fastest 40 at the 2021 NFL Scouting Combine (which is overrated anyway), but Smith is still winning despite that.

7. DETROIT LIONS: WR JAYLEN WADDLE, ALABAMA

Detroit is in a tough spot with wide receivers Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones Jr. and Danny Amendola all slated to hit free agency. The good news is that they are in a position to grab one of the most electric wide receivers college football has ever seen.

Waddle missed most of the 2020 season due to a fractured ankle, but the Bama receiver was truly an explosive play waiting to happen in the four games he appeared in. He generated a Power 5-best 4.68 yards per route run, averaged 10.7 yards after the catch, teamed up for a perfect passer rating of 158.3 on his 29 targets and hauled in 329 deep receiving yards. The latter still ranks 13th among all Power 5 receivers despite appearing just four times all year.

Waddle reportedly ran a 4.37 40-yard dash coming out of high school. He is a threat to house it anytime he gets the ball with that speed and explosiveness.

8. CAROLINA PANTHERS: QB MAC JONES, ALABAMA

Oh, hello! Mac Jones has skyrocketed up draft boards this season and, in my opinion, has played his way above North Dakota State's Trey Lance.

Teddy Bridgewater didn't particularly hit the ground running in Carolina. He produced just a 66.4 passing grade (28th) and has been one of the worst downfield passers in the league, ranking fifth-to-last in uncatchable pass rate on passes thrown 10 or more yards downfield.

With Jones, the Panthers still won’t be getting a bazooka of an arm, but they will be getting a pinpoint accurate passer, a sharp decision-maker and a quarterback who has routinely displayed perfect timing and anticipation in Alabama’s offense.

Jones enters tonight's national championship game with the highest PFF grade that we have ever given to a Power 5 quarterback at 95.7, breaking the record set by Burrow in 2019. He also shattered the previous record for best single-season negatively graded throw rate (that was also previously held by Burrow in 2019) by a great distance.

9. DENVER BRONCOS: QB TREY LANCE, NORTH DAKOTA STATE

He's 6-foot-4, 226 pounds and has an absolute cannon for an arm. John Elway may not be calling the shots anymore for the Broncos, but the former general manager and now team president will be licking his lips if Lance is still on the board when the Broncos pick at No. 9.

The Broncos should absolutely swing the bat here because Drew Lock has proven that he is not the long-term guy. Lock has appeared in 18 games in his two-year NFL career and has come away with the league’s third-worst passing grade over that span (61.8). No quarterback has thrown a higher rate of uncatchable passes than Lock (28%) on throws beyond the line of scrimmage since 2019. It’s time for a new era.

Lance’s “showcase game” back in October against Central Arkansas left a lot to be desired through the air, but he sure showcased his elite athleticism on the ground. He carried the ball 15 times (13 designed, two scrambles) that game and put up six explosive runs of 10-plus yards, forcing nine broken tackles along the way.

Unfortunately, the accuracy was still relatively poor, as Lance threw just 28.6% of his passes accurately in the game. He did show off his arm strength numerous times, but accuracy is king, and that’s why he is QB5 here. Lance’s physical tools and decision-making are still worth taking a shot on here, though.

10. DALLAS COWBOYS: CB CALEB FARLEY, VIRGINIA TECH

It’s no secret that Dallas struggled in the secondary in 2020, so taking Caleb Farley here will most certainly help that. Before opting out of the 2020 season, Farley allowed one or fewer catches in seven of his 11 starts in 2019 while intercepting four passes and breaking up nine en route to a 26.8 passer rating allowed and 90.5 coverage grade.

Farley has all the physical tools needed to thrive in the NFL. One of the only issues for me is the lack of press-man he played in Virginia Tech’s defense, but he has the tools to succeed in that department at the NFL level.

11. NEW YORK GIANTS: TE KYLE PITTS, FLORIDA

Pitts generated a 96.2 PFF grade this year, more than five grading points higher than any other tight end and well above the previous record set by former FAU Owl and now-Cleveland Brown Harrison Bryant in 2019 (92.5). The Giants receiving corps was one of the worst in the NFL in 2020 — the selection of Pitts goes a long way toward changing that.

The versatile tight end played just shy of 64% of his offensive snaps inline, but he dominated unlike any other tight end we had ever seen when he lined up out wide in single coverage. Pitts went toe-to-toe with press coverage when lined up out wide for 40 receiving snaps this season and came away with seven explosive receptions of 15-plus yards on those opportunities. We have never seen a tight end record more than two of those in a single year before Pitts this season.

12. MIAMI DOLPHINS (VIA SF😞 LB MICAH PARSONS, PENN STATE

TRADE! San Francisco sends the 12th overall pick (and others) to Miami for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

The Niners, in this scenario, find themselves in the out-of-luck category here, with the top five quarterbacks snatched off the board in the top 10. However, they take themselves out of that category by making a phone call to Miami and acquiring Tagovailoa. Miami, in turn, uses the 12th pick on the best off-ball linebacker prospect since Luke Kuechly.

Parsons opted out of the 2020 season and didn’t play a down all year, but he was the highest-graded player at the position (91.6) the year prior. He shined in nearly every facet with a 94.8 run-defense grade, 26 pressures on 94 rushes and just six missed tackles on 111 attempts. The only knock is the subpar ball production (four pass breakups in two years), but the combination of power, explosiveness and overall athleticism for a human his size, along with the standout tackling, blitzing prowess and instinctual play, makes him a rare prospect that I’m sure Brian Flores would covet.

13. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS: T SAMUEL COSMI, TEXAS

Cosmi was excellent in his first two years starting at tackle for the Longhorns in 2018 and 2019, earning PFF grades of 79.7 and 83.9. This year, he took his play to elite status, earning a 90.5 PFF grade in the process. When projecting offensive linemen from college to the NFL, we at PFF like to isolate their performance to true pass sets (i.e., no play-action, screen, rollout, RPO, quick throw, three-man rush). On those plays, Cosmi was the sixth-highest-graded tackle in the entire FBS this season. He has incredible movement skills for the position and should be able to handle NFL quicks a lot better than most.

[Riggo#44]

12 minutes ago, markshark84 said:

I have never been a huge fan of drafting 1st round QBs that have only 1 year of starting QB college experience.

 

Cam Newton: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/cam-newton-1.html

Kyler Murray: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/kyler-murray-1.html

 

It's similar to the "oh this QB went to this school so he must suck" argument. One year starter isn't necessarily a bad thing--Haskins sucked because he did not prepare like an NFL starter should, not because he had one year starting experience. Do most of them bomb? Sure. But so many QB prospects bomb for a variety of reasons. There are successful QBs who only started a year.

 

Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson were less-than-accurate passers in college, statistically. Allen had 56% competition percentage his 2 years as a starter. They looked like terrible prospects initially.

 

Someone like Lance is intriguing because he has all the physical tools, but his intangibles are off the charts. Rivera said he was looking for players who loved playing football, rather than those that loved being professional football players. By all accounts, Lance is the former--a football rat, natural leader, and First-in-last-out type of worker. I would jump all over him in a heartbeat.

2 minutes ago, Riggo#44 said:

 

Cam Newton: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/cam-newton-1.html

Kyler Murray: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/kyler-murray-1.html

 

It's similar to the "oh this QB went to this school so he must suck" argument. One year starter isn't necessarily a bad thing--Haskins sucked because he did not prepare like an NFL starter should, not because he had one year starting experience. Do most of them bomb? Sure. But so many QB prospects bomb for a variety of reasons. There are successful QBs who only started a year.

 

Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson were less-than-accurate passers in college, statistically. Allen had 56% competition percentage his 2 years as a starter. They looked like terrible prospects initially. Deshaun Watson threw 30 INTs his 2 years as a starter.

 

Someone like Lance is intriguing because he has all the physical tools, but his intangibles are off the charts. Rivera said he was looking for players who loved playing football, rather than those that loved being professional football players. By all accounts, Lance is the former--a football rat, natural leader, and First-in-last-out type of worker. I would jump all over him in a heartbeat.

 

[CapsSkins]

Trey Lance is my target but I'm not giving up a ton to trade up for him. And that makes me bearish, bc the Board does not shake out well for him dropping.

 

IF he lasts past Denver at 9, then you have Dallas, the Giants and SF at 10-12. I think it's pretty unlikely he lasts past SF at 12. But would Dallas or the Giants trade with us and basically let us go get him? Doubtful. Would Denver trade back with us rather than making a top 10 pick? Maybe, maybe not. Who's ahead of them? Detroit and Carolina. I doubt Carolina passes up an opportunity to get one of the big QB prospects. So are you moving up to 7? That feels way too expensive.

 

So really, you're hoping he drops to 13 and then you trade up to the Chargers spot. But will he last till then? IDK. But quite plausibly not. That's why it's hard for me to see. But if he does, you gotta go get this guy IMO. 

[Riggo#44]

1 minute ago, CapsSkins said:

Trey Lance is my target but I'm not giving up a ton to trade up for him. And that makes me bearish, bc the Board does not shake out well for him dropping.

 

IF he lasts past Denver at 9, then you have Dallas, the Giants and SF at 10-12. I think it's pretty unlikely he lasts past SF at 12. But would Dallas or the Giants trade with us and basically let us go get him? Doubtful. Would Denver trade back with us rather than making a top 10 pick? Maybe, maybe not. Who's ahead of them? Detroit and Carolina. I doubt Carolina passes up an opportunity to get one of the big QB prospects. So are you moving up to 7? That feels way too expensive.

 

So really, you're hoping he drops to 13 and then you trade up to the Chargers spot. But will he last till then? IDK. But quite plausibly not. That's why it's hard for me to see. But if he does, you gotta go get this guy IMO. 

Fully agree, but he may be worth it. I absolutely love his work ethic and personality, based on reports. This is going to be a very interesting draft and offseason--one that has me the most excited I've been in a long time.

[markshark84]

10 minutes ago, Riggo#44 said:

 

Cam Newton: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/cam-newton-1.html

Kyler Murray: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/kyler-murray-1.html

 

It's similar to the "oh this QB went to this school so he must suck" argument. One year starter isn't necessarily a bad thing--Haskins sucked because he did not prepare like an NFL starter should, not because he had one year starting experience. Do most of them bomb? Sure. But so many QB prospects bomb for a variety of reasons. There are successful QBs who only started a year.

 

Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson were less-than-accurate passers in college, statistically. Allen had 56% competition percentage his 2 years as a starter. They looked like terrible prospects initially.

 

Someone like Lance is intriguing because he has all the physical tools, but his intangibles are off the charts. Rivera said he was looking for players who loved playing football, rather than those that loved being professional football players. By all accounts, Lance is the former--a football rat, natural leader, and First-in-last-out type of worker. I would jump all over him in a heartbeat.

 

 

For Cam and Kyler, they had been in college for 4 years.  Cam played 2 years including 1 at Blinn and 2 years at FL.  Kyler played 8 games at A&M before his 21 at OK.  Neither is exactly a 1 year and leave early guy. But I think you are correct with Haskins.  And my rationale is similar to yours in that I generally think QBs that leave early for the NFL after one season may not be as mature in that they aren't thinking long term.

 

I am interested in how you know Trey's intangibles.  Do you know him personally?  That is a serious question,.  There isn't much on the guy in how he preps and clock in/out hours.  That said, for a QB, the intangibles are everything. Successful QBs are the workhorses and team first guys.

[CapsSkins]

1 minute ago, Riggo#44 said:

Fully agree, but he may be worth it. I absolutely love his work ethic and personality, based on reports. This is going to be a very interesting draft and offseason--one that has me the most excited I've been in a long time.

 

Definitely. I just don't want to get my hopes up on Trey. In the Heinicke threads I've been saying "don't trade up for Lance" because my assumption has been you'd need an RG3-type package to get up near pick 5 and I can't get on board with that. But players drop every year and I do want to make clear if he's within striking distance, I'd be all over him. But it's hard to even imagine him as a possibility (like how Lawrence/Fields/Wilson are not realistic possibilities for us sitting at 19).

 

I'm OUT on Mac Jones and Trask. We need mobility, mobility, mobility. Not considering any 1st round QB's that don't have that tool in their toolbox.

[Riggo#44]

1 hour ago, markshark84 said:

I am interested in how you know Trey's intangibles.  Do you know him personally?  That is a serious question,.  There isn't much on the guy in how he preps and clock in/out hours.  That said, for a QB, the intangibles are everything. Successful QBs are the workhorses and team first guys.

 There was an article a while back, I want to say it was in the Athletic, that raved about his intangibles, and I mean RAVED. The type of article that literally no one had a bad word to say, his predecessor loved working with him. I'm still looking for it...

 

Here it is: https://theathletic.com/2235164/2020/12/03/trey-lance-qb-nfl-draft/

 

Points of interest:

Quote

Lance was glued to Stick during his redshirt freshman year in 2018.

Stick (with a 49-3 record) won more games than any quarterback in FCS history, including two national championships as the starter, so he was cemented in the No. 1 role as a senior.

If Stick was at the football facility, Lance was there, too. If Stick was relaxing at home playing Xbox, he made sure to have a second controller charged for Lance.

“You just meet some people who are fun to be around and bring good energy and have a presence when they walk into a room,” Stick said. “(Lance) is one of those people. He’s always smiling. He’s got good energy. He was much more mature than guys typically are when they’re coming in. Guys gravitated toward him in all classes, myself included. He was impressive from the day he got there.”

 

Quote

Essentially, NDSU quarterbacks were an extension of the coaching staff. They also run a pro-style system, running a variety of plays from under center and calling plays into the huddle rather than using coded cards on the sideline. The quarterbacks are also responsible for pre-snap checks and protection calls.

Lance was already a football junkie, and he was taking a master’s course.

“I think it paid off in the long run for him,” Hedberg said.

Lance’s time on the scout team was brief but memorable. Once the coaching staff recognized his growth, they were determined to get him into a couple games without jeopardizing his redshirt eligibility.

“He just out-athleted some of our defensive guys (in practice), and maybe tried to take advantage of them a little bit and rubbed some salt in the wounds,” Entz said. “He was extremely competitive, made a ton of throws. We got spoiled having him down there because he could do everything. He could emulate a drop-back guy or a team that wanted to get into the ’gun and do a lot of quarterback run game just because he has such a wide variety of skillsets.”

And as much as Stick helped Lance, the opposite was also true. Stick witnessed Lance’s physical ability at practice and made sure he didn’t slip up to ever give the coaches reason to second-guess their depth chart.

“We had a lot of fun competing,” Stick said. “He could make some throws where it turns your head a little bit. I wanted to make sure I was on my game and that it was clear and obvious I was the guy. He was that impressive.”

 

Edited January 11, 2021 by Riggo#44

[Wildbunny]

I thinks this article belongs here more than BHRBN

 

https://riggosrag.com/2021/01/11/five-washington-football-team-prospects-to-watch-in-alabama-vs-ohio-state/

 

Five potential Washington Football Team prospects to watch in the Alabama vs. Ohio State National Championship Game.

 

The Washington Football Team is officially in offseason mode after their Wild Card Round loss at the hands of Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The effort they put forth in that game was a strong one and after the excellent season they had, the future is looking bright for the team.

 

But, to be truly competitive, the team will need to make some upgrades this season. While NFL free agency will come first, the 2021 NFL Draft will be where Washington continues to add key building blocks to their young core.

 

In recent seasons, the team has targeted players from the Alabama and Ohio State programs, for better or for worse. In fact, since the 2017 NFL Draft, the team has taken a player from either program in the first round. They were Jonathan Allen (2017, Alabama), Daron Payne (2018, Alabama), Dwayne Haskins (2019, Ohio State), and Chase Young (2020, Ohio State).

 

Haskins didn’t pan out, but the other three have turned into core players on the team’s borderline elite defensive line. The team has also targeted the likes of Terry McLaurin, Ryan Anderson, and Ross Pierschbacher in recent drafts, so it’s clear that they don’t just like the top-tier talent from these programs.

 

With that said, Washington will surely be watching the College Football Playoff matchup between Alabama and Ohio State closely tonight. They are two of the best programs in the country and have countless prospects that could make sense for the team in the draft.

 

Click on the link for more

[KDawg]

Was going to post a list:

 

Ohio State:

 

Justin Fields, QB (Junior)

Trey Sermon, RB

Chris Olave, WR

Josh Myers, C

Wyatt Davis, G

Thayor Munford, LT

Luke Farrell, TE

Jeremy Ruckert, TE (Junior)

Jonathan Cooper, DE

Tommy Togiai, DT (Junior)

Tyreke Smith, DE (Junior)

Shaun Wade, CB

Tuf Borland, LB

Baron Browning, LB

Pete Werner, LB

Sevyn Banks, CB (Junior)

 

Alabama:

 

Mac Jones, QB

Brian Robinson, JR, RB

Najee Harris, RB

Jaylen Waddle, WR

DeVonta Smith, WR

Chris Owens, C

Deonte Brown, G

Landon Dickerson, G (injured)

Alex Leatherwood, LT

Christian Barmore, DT (RS Soph)

Patrick Surtain II, CB

Josh Jobe, CB (Junior)

Dylan Moses, LB (RS Junior)

Alabama’s defense is incredibly young. Check out LB Christian Harris, who I believe is the best LB in the nation. Also Malachi Moore who is a freshman. SS Jordan Battle is another name to watch. 

 

[Berggy9598]

4 hours ago, KDawg said:

They said it on the broadcast yesterday he’s 215.

I think they meant Josh Allen

[KDawg]

Just now, Berggy9598 said:

I think they meant Josh Allen

Dude. No.

 

It was Darius Leonard.

[Berggy9598]

Just now, KDawg said:

Dude. No.

 

It was Darius Leonard.

I could have sworn they meant Josh Allen dropped weight implying that's why he didn't run DL over. I stand corrected I guess. 

[Anselmheifer]

1 minute ago, KDawg said:

Dude. No.

 

It was Darius Leonard.

So, the consensus is that there is no successful 3 down LB that is Owusu-Koranoah’s size? He’d be very useful against the pass and against mobile QB’s. He’d be a perfect spy. But we largely want a MLB so bad because our run defense is so bad up the middle. I’m not sure how much I see him helping us there.

[KDawg]

1 minute ago, Berggy9598 said:

I could have sworn they meant Josh Allen dropped weight implying that's why he didn't run DL over. I stand corrected I guess. 

He said Darius Leonard. But, who knows. Maybe he meant Allen? Pretty sure it’s Leonard, though. He looks a lot smaller. 

Just now, Anselmheifer said:

So, the consensus is that there is no successful 3 down LB that is Owusu-Koranoah’s size? He’d be very useful against the pass and against mobile QB’s. He’d be a perfect spy. But we largely want a MLB so bad because our run defense is so bad up the middle. I’m not sure how much I see him helping us there.

Leonard is his size. If the announcer didn’t flub it.

[Berggy9598]

Players tend to lose weight during the course of the season if I'm not mistaken. One way or another, about 3/4 of the top half of the defenses in the league have a high end edition of that ilk of linebacker. The Fred Warners and Darius Leonards of the world are hard to find, but they influence every aspect of a defense in today's NFL. I'm not crazy about going defense in the first round but if they think that type of LB is sitting there I'd be more than happy to pick one. As for JOK, from the little I've seen he can fly but he needs to eat weights in the NFL. Leonard and Warner's frames might be on the slender side but they have that wiry strength JOK currently doesn't possess. I'd liken him more to Lavonte David in that he deals with olineman by being too quick and active to present them with a clean target. 

[Warhead36]

I would not trade up the farm for a QB. Seemingly every year someone falls. Now the guy that falls may or may not be great. You could have Aaron Rodgers or Lamar Jackson, or you could have Brady Quinn or Johnny Manziel.

 

Now if its just something like a 2nd and 3rd or something like that, sure. But I wouldn't give up future 1sts. Especially not for guys like Jones or Lance.

[KDawg]

53 minutes ago, Berggy9598 said:

Players tend to lose weight during the course of the season if I'm not mistaken. One way or another, about 3/4 of the top half of the defenses in the league have a high end edition of that ilk of linebacker. The Fred Warners and Darius Leonards of the world are hard to find, but they influence every aspect of a defense in today's NFL. I'm not crazy about going defense in the first round but if they think that type of LB is sitting there I'd be more than happy to pick one. As for JOK, from the little I've seen he can fly but he needs to eat weights in the NFL. Leonard and Warner's frames might be on the slender side but they have that wiry strength JOK currently doesn't possess. I'd liken him more to Lavonte David in that he deals with olineman by being too quick and active to present them with a clean target. 

He’s not the ideal ILB for us. He is a top rated backer, though. And he would improve us defensively.