2022 Comprehensive Draft Thread

[Fresh8686]

14 minutes ago, KDawg said:

 

I don't think he gets beyond 6 if he has another good day. I also think Pittsburgh is a very, very real threat to trade up. They don't typically do that, but its their GM's last draft. He will want to leave them well set for the future and if Tomlin signs off on future picks being used I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see them move up. 

 

I agree with this. They moved up from 20 to 10 for Devin Bush in 2020, they will definitely do the same for a QB if they fall in love hard enough.

[mhd24]

16 minutes ago, KDawg said:

 

I don't think he gets beyond 6 if he has another good day. I also think Pittsburgh is a very, very real threat to trade up. They don't typically do that, but its their GM's last draft. He will want to leave them well set for the future and if Tomlin signs off on future picks being used I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see them move up. 

They did trade up for Devin Bush (which in retrospect was a bad decision (maybe he gets better coming off the injury, but he was pretty bad this year according to Steeler fans)).

[KDawg]

Just now, mhd24 said:

They did trade up for Devin Bush (which in retrospect was a bad decision (maybe he gets better coming off the injury, but he was pretty bad this year according to Steeler fans)).

 

Yes but its still atypical. 

[mhd24]

Just now, Fresh8686 said:

 

I agree with this. They moved up from 20 to 10 for Devin Bush in 2020, they will definitely do the same for a QB if they fall in love hard enough.

 

 

Where do they trade up to?  I think the Jets stand pat at 10 and take best skill guy available (Wilson or London) or take best defender (Stingley, Lloyd, Hamilton, Gardner).  I could see Atlanta moving down, but they can win that division next year.  The Steelers would have to offer their 2023 first to get any deal done.

[HigSkin]

This is a pretty funny response from Willis about chatting on the Senior Bowl sidelines with Mike Tomlin like no big deal or he didn't know him.

 

https://www.si.com/nfl/saints/video/senior-bowl-interview-malik-willis

 

4 minutes ago, mhd24 said:

 

 

Where do they trade up to?  I think the Jets stand pat at 10 and take best skill guy available (Wilson or London) or take best defender (Stingley, Lloyd, Hamilton, Gardner).  I could see Atlanta moving down, but they can win that division next year.  The Steelers would have to offer their 2023 first to get any deal done.

 

Jets have their own #4 and Seattle's #10 but it's been said they are opening to moving around.

[mhd24]

2 minutes ago, HigSkin said:

This is a pretty funny response from Willis about chatting on the Senior Bowl sidelines with Mike Tomlin like no big deal or he didn't know him.

 

https://www.si.com/nfl/saints/video/senior-bowl-interview-malik-willis

 

 

Jets have their own #4 and Seattle's #10 but it's been said they are opening to moving around.

I think that’s just smoke.  The Jets need to add some elite guys and help Wilson.  

[Est.1974]

I think teams are going to be fighting each other to trade into the top 10.

 

Sitting at #11 for a QB really doesn’t seem like an option to me. 

[Going Commando]

1 minute ago, mhd24 said:

They did trade up for Devin Bush (which in retrospect was a bad decision (maybe he gets better coming off the injury, but he was pretty bad this year according to Steeler fans)).

 

Feeling vindicated on that debate too.   I was in a tiny minority that didn't like Bush at all as a first rounder in that draft because small linebackers with bad instincts do not first round picks make.  That was definitely an emperor's new clothes type of bad groupthink where everyone veered away from conventional wisdom to buy into that guy.  The writing was on the wall that the Steelers weren't happy with Bush when they traded for Joe Schobert, as they wouldn't have taken on that salary if they believed in Bush.

[Skinsinparadise]

Pro football Network Mock

 

9) Denver Broncos: Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina

Before the season, at least six quarterbacks were considered first-round picks. Now, that number fluctuates a ton. In my last 2022 NFL Mock Draft, just one quarterback was selected in the first round. For others, up to five go off the board. We just don’t know what teams who need a signal-caller will do.

Denver needs to address the quarterback position. Kenny Pickett and Matt Corral have been linked to the Broncos lately, but don’t sleep on Sam Howell. The Tar Heels quarterback needed to replace four 1,000-yard players from 2020 and nearly produced the same numbers in 2021. Howell has the arm talent to be a first-round pick, so this shouldn’t be a huge surprise.

11) Washington Football Team: Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss

Washington’s going to take a chance on a quarterback — it just comes down to when. If Matt Corral is still available, they won’t hesitate to select him. Corral’s injury in the Sugar Bowl obviously remains a concern, but it’s nothing that should worry teams too much.

 

18) New Orleans Saints: Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati

Here’s a surprise. Without Drew Brees and Sean Payton, the Saints enter a new era offensively. They will still need to add a receiver, but quarterback is a huge need. The days of Taysom Hill appear to be numbered, neither Trevor Siemian nor Jameis Winston are long-term options, and Ian Book appears to be a flop. Insert Desmond Ridder.

The Cincinnati quarterback led his team to the first-ever Group of Five appearance in the College Football Playoff, and some scouts are giving him first-round buzz. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see a team take him in Round 1 with his raw talent, but it might also take some time for him to adjust to the NFL.

20) Pittsburgh Steelers: Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh

Kenny Pickett is staying home. Well, kind of. Originally from New Jersey, Pickett took the Pitt Panthers to new heights this past season, and he won’t have to adjust to playing in a different stadium.

Not many players saw their draft stock rise as much as Pickett did, and it resulted in a trip to New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist. He’s in the conversation for QB1 in this draft, and the Steelers would love to replace Ben Roethlisberger with a talent like Pickett.

 

https://www.profootballnetwork.com/1-round-2022-nfl-mock-draft-broback-february/

[DWinzit]

1 hour ago, KDawg said:

Willis is a good practice and relatively solid game away from being a locked in top 10 pick. 

Agreed. After his last game I moved him up to top 15. I did note he would only be a fit for certain teams where I thought the other top options would appeal to more teams. If his Senior Bowl week continues how is playing, he will appeal to a vast majority of the QB needy teams. 

[Skinsinparadise]

1 hour ago, KDawg said:

Willis is a good practice and relatively solid game away from being a locked in top 10 pick. 

 

 

[Anselmheifer]

How would you guys compare Willis’ arm strength to other guys coming out over the last 5 years? 

[Always A Commander Never A Captain]

Edit:  Already covered by people.

1 hour ago, mhd24 said:

I think that’s just smoke.  The Jets need to add some elite guys and help Wilson.  

 

I thought the Jets rumor was for trading back and also getting established players?  So swapping 1sts for veterans.

Edited February 3, 2022 by Alcoholic Zebra

[Redskins 2021]

1 hour ago, Fresh8686 said:

 

I agree with this. They moved up from 20 to 10 for Devin Bush in 2020, they will definitely do the same for a QB if they fall in love hard enough.

It will be a big cost but I could see them making that move.

7 minutes ago, Alcoholic Zebra said:

Edit:  Already covered by people.

 

I thought the Jets rumor was for trading back and also getting established players?  So swapping 1sts for veterans.

I think I saw they were looking at A Cooper 

[Commander_N_Chief]

17 hours ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

 

Not if Willis or Pickett are on the board.  But he would be in the mix as QB3 for me.  I liked his value a lot more as a potential second rounder though.

 

Strong is the one with the devastating knee injury in his history though.  If anyone is the most likely to suffer another one, it's him.

Agreed which is why I've prefaced every post praising him with the caveat his medicals have to be good to go

[Skinsinparadise]

wrong thread

 

Edited February 3, 2022 by Skinsinparadise

[mistertim]

2 hours ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

Mahomes and Allen are on stacked teams with awesome coaching.  And Joe Burrow is in the SB next week and he's not exactly a physical marvel.  He's a savvy runner but he's not a freak and his arm strength is pretty ordinary.

 

I know it was a long time ago, but Tom Brady won some rings and was considered by some a franchise QB too.

 

I'm waiting for the lightbulb to come on for the NFL that you win with every good QB, not because of them.  I don't care how good of an individual playmaker they are, this is a team game and the great team will always kill the bad team with an awesome QB. 

 

 

Yes Mahomes and Allen both have really good supporting casts and coaching. But almost no QBs besides them could have pulled off some of the crap we saw in that game. That was some borderline superhuman ****. If either of those teams had the same supporting cast and coaching but only a "good" QB they would have been absolutely blown away.

 

You're right that an elite QB with elite traits isn't some automatic ticket to a Super Bowl, but it's an immediate foot in the door to get you into the playoff/SB building. Then you have a good 10-15 years in that building where you can work to find your way to getting the rest of a team together and on to a Super Bowl.

 

Tom Brady is the GOAT and the last of his kind. He, Peyton, and Brees were basically the last of the old guard of pure pocket passing QBs. The league has moved on, and the fact that Brady is still doing so much is a testament to just how damn good he is and why he's the greatest to ever play the position.

 

Burrow has a good arm and is quite mobile. He's not comparable in those regards to Mahomes or Allen, but almost nobody is. He's definitely not a Brady or Peyton type pure pocket passer. So you don't have to have a complete freak like Mahomes or Allen to get to a SB, but it certainly doesn't hurt and having good mobility is almost a prerequisite nowadays for a QB.

[mistertim]

I'm also really interested in how Willis will look in the game during a live fire situation running a new and more pro style offense. It's good that he improved a bunch from day 1 to day 2. If he continues that he'll be back in my top 3.

[Skinsinparadise]

 

 

[JamesMadisonSkins]

9 minutes ago, Skinsinparadise said:

 

 

 

Watson is solid. I think this will end up being another deep WR class. Seems like a good class to load up on offensive talent (QB aside), and try to hammer defense in the FA cycle. I wouldn't mind going QB-WR-OL with the first 3 picks at all (assuming we get a solid MLB in FA). Maybe draft another LB in the 4th idk. But get some talent on offense.

[wilco_holland]

What was Willis his story from highschool to college. Not a real power house college where he ended up. 

[Skinsinparadise]

 

 

 

 

[Going Commando]

55 minutes ago, mistertim said:

 

Yes Mahomes and Allen both have really good supporting casts and coaching. But almost no QBs besides them could have pulled off some of the crap we saw in that game. That was some borderline superhuman ****. If either of those teams had the same supporting cast and coaching but only a "good" QB they would have been absolutely blown away.

 

You're right that an elite QB with elite traits isn't some automatic ticket to a Super Bowl, but it's an immediate foot in the door to get you into the playoff/SB building. Then you have a good 10-15 years in that building where you can work to find your way to getting the rest of a team together and on to a Super Bowl.

 

Tom Brady is the GOAT and the last of his kind. He, Peyton, and Brees were basically the last of the old guard of pure pocket passing QBs. The league has moved on, and the fact that Brady is still doing so much is a testament to just how damn good he is and why he's the greatest to ever play the position.

 

Burrow has a good arm and is quite mobile. He's not comparable in those regards to Mahomes or Allen, but almost nobody is. He's definitely not a Brady or Peyton type pure pocket passer. So you don't have to have a complete freak like Mahomes or Allen to get to a SB, but it certainly doesn't hurt and having good mobility is almost a prerequisite nowadays for a QB.

 

I don't even think getting a great and dynamic playmaking QB gets you into the playoffs. Lawrence and Fields are super dynamic playmakers but they're going nowhere without the rest of the organization being built up around them.  There is so much organization and infrastructure that goes in to building a highly competitive team that goes generally unacknowledged.  And in almost every instance where you have one of these freakishly physically gifted but raw QBs finding success, a huge part of that is the partnership they're able to form with their offensive coaches/HC.  And the FO people make a plan for how to build around them and do a great job obtaining all of the ingredients for success to make a good team.

 

It's also not lost on me that, despite the incredibly dynamic arm talent that Josh Allen and Pat Mahomes have, they're not the ones battling for a SB this year.  And last year, despite Mahomes's incredible talent, he got eaten up in the SB and they lost to a juggernaut team led by Tom Brady.

 

I don't think you need dynamic players at any specific position to have a better chance at winning a SB than everyone else.  I just think you need more good players than the other guys have period, and preferably many more good players than them.  Let's use AV as a way to quantify what a good player is, and say an AV of 7 is the cutoff for good starter/really really good rotation player.  I find that 6 AV roughly translates to a solid starter, 5 is an average one, and 7 is a legit good one.  The Bengals have 15 players who accumulated 7 AV or more this season, which is high.  The Chiefs had 13, the Bills had 16, the Packers had 13, the Cowboys had 15, the Titans had 11, the Bucs had 14, the Rams had 11, the 49ers had 15, the Patriots had 16, the Raiders had 11, and finally the Cardinals had 15.  That's the list of teams that won double digit games this year, and you see that the standard for them is to have at least 11 really good (or better) players on their roster.

 

Now let's look at the AV totals for some of the bad teams:

 

WFT = 8 players with > or = 7 AV

Giants = 8

Panthers = 7

Jags = 6

Lions = 6

Bears = 4

Texans = 2 😱

Jets = 0 😱😱

 

God almighty do the Texans and Jets have some teambuilding to do.  So those teams with six or fewer good players on them are going to be hopeless against teams with two and three times as many good players and lose 9 out of 10 hypothetical match ups with them.  The teams like us that are bad, but not that bad are also generally going to lose match ups against the more talented teams too, but availability is variable and contingency matters so we could win some of those games too.

 

Also this AV scale isn't iron-clad for measuring whether or not a players is legit good, because it does reward low quality high volume compiling, particularly at QB and LBer.  You'd have to parse each roster to figure out where that's happening, but it's the best free tool for getting a snap shot of total roster quality that I've found.

 

The point of all of this is that I don't necessarily need a 19 AV QB like Josh Allen in order to compete on an absolutely even footing with his team.  I can do it with a 12 or 13 AV QB, I just need as many or more good players as the Bills have.

 

Also wanted to say that Tom Brady definitely won't be the last of his kind.  Pocket passers who have great instincts and field vision and great leadership skills and are very accurate will always have a chance to be great QBs at every level of the sport.  That formula for excellence at the QB position is never going away, even as the trend is for young QBs becoming increasingly good runners. 

[Skinsinparadise]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last year, the Carolina Panthers had a chance to draft a Cam Newton disciple in quarterback Justin Fields. Alas, and perhaps to a folly, they did not.

But they may have another opportunity to start raising themselves another baby Cam this spring.

That aforementioned bond between Newton and Fields is a special one. The current starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears and 2021’s 11th overall pick played under the Carolina great in his 7v7 program as a high schooler—in which Newton served as a coach, mentor, inspiration and top-tier hype man for the youngster . . .

Like Fields, 2022 draft prospect Malik Willis came up under Newton’s tutelage. He also played on Cam’s 7v7 squad and also learned part of the game from the 2015 Most Valuable Player.

 

Before transferring to Roswell High School for his senior year, Willis attended Westlake in Atlanta, Ga.—the same high school Newton graduated from. He’d then commit to Auburn University—Newton’s alma mater—in December of 2016.

 

After two seasons at Auburn, having appeared in seven games between 2017 and 2018, Willis moved on to Liberty University—where he’d break out as one of the nation’s most electrifying players. The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder totaled 74 touchdowns and 6,942 yards of total offense in his two campaigns with the Flames.

Willis, who is currently turning all the heads at the 2022 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., was even asked about his relationship with Newton. The 22-year-old gave a little insight to his connection with the 11-year NFL veteran.

“He used to always drop in and stuff,” he said on Wednesday. “I played for his seven-on-seven team. He always gave me nuggets of information that I could keep with me for the rest of my life. He’s definitely been a big part of that.”

Now, the Panthers could be looking to make Willis a big part of their future plans, as his draft stock may be set to embark on a meteoric rise. So don’t screw this up again, guys.

[Going Commando]

19 minutes ago, wilco_holland said:

What was Willis his story from highschool to college. Not a real power house college where he ended up. 

 

Went to Auburn, sat behind Jarrett Stidham, then when he moved on to the NFL, Willis lost the QB battle to Bo Nix that Spring.  Ended up transferring to Liberty to play for Hugh Freeze.  It seems like a random destination, but Freeze is the reason he ended up at Liberty.