2021 Comprehensive Draft Thread

[Skinsinparadise]

20 minutes ago, Anselmheifer said:

 

People move off of picks for the right price. The question is whether we'd be willing to pay QB prices. Usually not worth it. But for a HOF caliber LT? And we'd have so much of the team locked up. RDE, LDE, DT1-3, LT, QB, WR1. 

 

If Haskins looks decent this year, and we go big in FA, I'd be inclined to bet on myself and hope that the future picks were lower. 

 

Steep price I think it would be for a Hall of Fame caliber LT, more talented than Trent among other top LTs in the league.  My guess is the price will either be outrageously high or the team who can land that type of talent won't be willing to trade the pick.  i guess we got plenty of time to see.  But my guess is that if we don't have Sewell slated to our pick, slim chance we get him in a trade. 

[Anselmheifer]

23 minutes ago, Skinsinparadise said:

 

Steep price I think it would be for a Hall of Fame caliber LT, more talented than Trent among other top LTs in the league.  My guess is the price will either be outrageously high or the team who can land that type of talent won't be willing to trade the pick.  i guess we got plenty of time to see.  But my guess is that if we don't have Sewell slated to our pick, slim chance we get him in a trade. 

 

I tend to agree. If available though, I think it's worth a steep cost if we don't have a shot at Parsons or JaMarr Chase. The dropoff to the next tier is huge. You can get an Alex Leatherwood in FA. You never get a shot at a Sewell in his prime, unless you draft him. 

 

In any case, I think we will be picking too low. Especially if we can shore up LT and receiver, and I think Charles may be an internal solution at LT. 

[Going Commando]

I'm not sold on Leatherwood.  He has some impressive traits but I think he's pretty raw and I don't know that I see excellent NFL type protections on his film.  He has strange, collegey type technique in his pass sets.  The bucketstep is sideways on some of these reps and lacks depth, which suggests a lack of comfort with the technique.  I think he's got some limitations that I am not sure can really be improved.  He's not a bender and just doesn't seem to have ideal knee and hip flexibility.

 

As a runblocker his explosion is top notch and that speed is why he was such a touted recruit.  But I also don't see as much block sustain as I want from a top prospect. As much will to dominate as you want from a highly drafted tackle.  I don't think he is a super smart or instinctive player eithed.  He's gets fooled or often makes his blocks harder than they need to be by not feeling his way into the proper position.

 

I think he's a second rounder.  Cosmi is better than him.

 

But watching Alabama again resold me on Najee Harris.  He is the real deal and a future star.  He's prime LeVeon Bell with more juice.  He was the best player in Bama's offense last year.

[Going Commando]

I'll go even further, Najee Harris is a little bit better than Hubbard and Etienne and he's the best back in the class and the second best offensive skill player behind Jamar Chase.  He's a freak and he's emblematic of how good the top end of this RB class is.  Him, Etienne, and Hubbard are each comfortably better than the best backs from last season.  They are all top 20 talents who are better than all of the receivers and tight ends except for Chase.  And the middle to late round guys like Pooka Williams and Max Borghi are way better than the ones in that range from last year too.  And last year was a good RB class.

[Mr. Sinister]

Let's say we end up in that 6-10 to 8-8 range... Is there any OT currently in that pick 10-15 ballpark?

[KDawg]

I disagree with Steve on Leatherwood. He may be there in that range. Agree that Cosmi is a player though, and I think he may be hanging around in that range.

 

I like Munford, but Ohio State isn’t playing at the moment so... that hurts him.

[Skinsinparadise]

9 hours ago, Anselmheifer said:

 

I tend to agree. If available though, I think it's worth a steep cost if we don't have a shot at Parsons or JaMarr Chase. The dropoff to the next tier is huge. You can get an Alex Leatherwood in FA. You never get a shot at a Sewell in his prime, unless you draft him. 

 

In any case, I think we will be picking too low. Especially if we can shore up LT and receiver, and I think Charles may be an internal solution at LT. 

 

I am sticking with 6-10.  And I'd love to be wrong.  I enjoyed the win.  I predicted that win on the game thread.  But for this team to be good they need to get their offense going.  The D line looked great but I doubt it will be an 8 sack performance game after game, they played against mostly backup Eagle O lineman.

 

According to PFF, by a mile last week, we had the worst left side of the line in the NFL.  It's just hard to be good with an awful O line.  I'd be more optimistic if they figured out something quick for LT, LG.   if they do that, it will change my opinion quick.  Surprised (at least according to PFF) Rouillier played awful too, maybe trying to compensate for Martin?  What shook me some was how meh the running game was -- juxtaposed with Peterson killing it for the Lions on Sunday.

 

I am not as harsh as ex-president of the Eagles below.  But I do agree with one of his points which was the defense set up just about every score from the offense.  That's not going to happen every game.

 

I watched Arizona last Sunday and struck me how much more of a balanced team they are than us.  So if we beat them, I'll change my mind real quick.  Love Chase Young and this D line.  And it looked like the secondary might be better than advertised.  But not sure how easily we survive a bad O line, potentially bad running game, and perhaps the worst collection of passing weapons in the league.   Makes me feel bad for Haskins.  It is what it is.    And again them beating Arizona would change my mind.  Arizona to me looked like a real balanced team talent wise.  We don't look like that.  But if we beat Arizona and show some life on offense, I'd be convinced. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Est.1974]

LT, LB, WR, FS through 3 rounds would do me.

[KDawg]

I agree. We are not a good team.

 

We have glaring weaknesses in the secondary (coverage safety, corner depth, cover corners), linebacker (all of them), offensive line (whole left side + Moses and Scherff are injury prone), wide receiver (McLaurin and a Sims, who is only a boon when you can get him the ball in space, otherwise a par receiver), tight end (beyond Thomas receiving wise, but Thomas is poor at blocking), potentially QB though I’m not at that point.

 

We have two primary strengths... Punter and defensive line. We do have a playmaking strength on defense. Guys like Moreau and Moreland make plays even if they aren’t the best coverage corners. With a DL like ours that is a perfect schematic marriage. 
 

Those factors will allow this team to hang in there this season and be improved. But this isn’t an extremely talented team.

 

I predicted we’d beat Philly last week. I also never rule out the DL giving this team a chance, but I don’t think we beat Arizona and I think things come back down to earth. 

[Going Commando]

6 hours ago, Mr. Sinister said:

Let's say we end up in that 6-10 to 8-8 range... Is there any OT currently in that pick 10-15 ballpark?

 

There will be.  There almost always is, and this was a decent looking OL class heading into the season.

[Fresh8686]

 

 

[Burgundy Yoda]

I know this is the 2021 draft thread, but I just can't get over how good the draft was a decade before this coming draft. Cam Newton, Von Miller, AJ Green, Richard Sherman, Patrick Peterson, Julio Jones, Tyron Smith, JJ Watt, Ryan Kerrigan, Robert Quinn, Cameron Jordan, Justin Houston, Cameron Heyward, Rodney Hudson, Jurrell Casey, and Jason Kelce. 

 

I'm probably forgetting some players but this was the best draft of high impact players I've seen in my 30 year lifetime as far as I can remember. 

[Going Commando]

Why were Bateman and other guys who declared for the draft in such a rush to sign agents so early in the predraft process?  They might have screwed themselves over in doing so.  Can you let them come back and play with professional representation and hope to keep the separation between professionalism and amateurism around in CFB for much longer.  It'd be explicit at that point.

 

I think the NCAA is going to have to let these guys come back and eventually do away with the rule prohibiting players from signing with agents.  We're going to see a rapid professionalization and consolidation at the top of the sport over the next ten years or so.  We've already started down the slippery slope and the pandemic was the disruptive event that triggered quick change.

[KDawg]

It’s already explicit. 
 

Given the year we’ve had and circumstances, any athlete who hired an agent should be allowed to return. 
 

Other than the agent, they should be required to follow all other rules. As much as any one follows them as it stands. 

[ShredSkins]

Anyone watching Zaven Collins. LB for Tulsa?

[method man]

This is the rare offseason that you are going to see a lot of elite tackles hit free agency in a market where a lot of teams will be the constrained by the cap. Ronnie Stanley, Dion Dawkins, David Bakhtiari, Russell Okung, Taylor Decker, Cam Robinson, Alejandro Villanueva and Trent Williams are 9 left tackle starters for their teams. Granted the last guy won't sign with us, but the answer is to go get one of these guys. If you have to pay top of the market to get Stanley or Dawkins (and neither, for some reason, gets franchised), go get them. I don't think Bakhtiari hits the market. Decker is a solid option. Villanueva is past his prime but can still be effective. Robinson is a guy to watch this year as he's been up and down. Okung is your likeliest option for this team but he is injury prone

[Blanka]

iirc Decker just signed an extension with Detroit

[Always A Commander Never A Captain]

Nobody thinks we're a good team, we're not a playoff roster.  Steelers had a dominant defense and couldn't squeak into the playoffs.  Our D isn't that well rounded.

 

Joe Banners comments just seem like angry sore loser talk.

 

Anyways, I agree with Steve about Leatherwood, but the good thing about players this young is they can prove you wrong and develop.

 

I have to be honest, not quite sold on Jamarr Chase.  I like him, who doesn't, but borderline Top 5 pick?  I need to see more speed, or more height, or nastier route running.  Top 5 is hallowed territory for a WR.  Just a little worried that Burrow's elite skills and ball placement made him look a bit better than he is.

 

1st round pick, sure, definitely.  Top 5?  Not so sure.

[KDawg]

Bubba Bolden from Miami... a safety... I have my eye on him. 

[Anselmheifer]

2 hours ago, Alcoholic Zebra said:

 

I have to be honest, not quite sold on Jamarr Chase.  I like him, who doesn't, but borderline Top 5 pick?  I need to see more speed, or more height, or nastier route running.  Top 5 is hallowed territory for a WR.  Just a little worried that Burrow's elite skills and ball placement made him look a bit better than he is.

 

1st round pick, sure, definitely.  Top 5?  Not so sure.

 

I agree about Chase. He could be as good as SIP and McQueen say. I've been wrong about more receiver prospects than any other position. But, I see risk there. He isn't a burner. He isn't the cleanest route runner. He isn't that tall/long or athletic. 

He's super aggressive. So strong at the catch point. Strong in general. Athletic enough. Maybe he's DeAndre Hopkins. 

I am in the same boat as McQueen now. I am no longer rooting for us to be bad for the draft pick. I see little difference between pick 8 and pick 20 in this draft. The best case scenario for this franchise is that we are actually good this year, better next as Chase and Montez and Dwayne develop, develop a team identity, and find draft picks every year, in every round, that can be successful within that identity. I'd rather be 9-7 and draft Kyle Pitts, than be 2-14 and draft Sewell. If we are 2-14, Sewell won't push us over the top. 

[Est.1974]

I really wouldn’t want a receiver in the first round unless it was a nailed on elite prospect in the realms of Chase Young. I’d be looking at my premium pick going on a tackle, an elite CB prospect, or even LB as a greater priority, ie Parsons. 
 

If, as expected, we generally suck at WR/TE, I would still think third round represents better value. 

[Fresh8686]

I would love to have a draft like this, minus the losing to get the 3rd pick overall. 

 

 

[KDawg]

If you have a chance to get a highly rated tackle and you need one, you don’t pass on him for a tight end.

 

If Washington doesn’t shore up the tackle spot in FA, regardless of record, I’d be really disappointed if we drafted Kyle Pitts.

 

There are other tight ends that can be had later, like in the third round where we have extra selections.

 

Passing on Leatherwood or Cosmi for Pitts IF we don’t have a tackle is borderline neglect.

 

Same with inside linebacker. Moses (depending on injury situation) and Parsons > Pitts.

 

Same with corner. Surtain > Pitts. 
 

I’d even put safety ahead of tight end for us. 
 

I’m not even sure Pitts is the best TE in the draft class, to be fair. 
 

I wouldn’t put him as the BPA for us unless we’re picking late... and even then he probably isn’t in my book. 
 

But there’s a lot of SEC action to be played so... I reserve the right to change my mind

[Fresh8686]

Speaking of TE's

 

 

[KDawg]

As a Canes guy...

 

Jordan, Bolden and Rosseau (opted out) are three names to keep an eye on.

 

Some others, too. But those are my current top 3 for pro outlook. Not in order.