2023 Comprehensive Draft Thread

[Koolblue13]

I found this interesting, especially since the Eagles were the best team in the league this year and are on the way to an easy SB win. There's been a lot of talk about the FA moves they made, but the offense, especially the Line and QB are what makes them great.

 

[skinzplay]

We've definitely gotta do something about our line. It's terrible. I'm with you @Koolblue13! Like Keim said, they botched it last off-season and can't afford that this go 'round.

[Warhead36]

Chiefs WRs the last few years were guys they drafted. They left via VA and replaced them with cheaper options that have still gotten the job done.

[UK Skins]

Wow that's some drafting by the Eagles!

[Going Commando]

- Zacch Pickens looked like the best of the DLs to me in the video of the Day 1 Senior Bowl OL/DL one on ones.  Really stood out with his power and length.  Good pads, good hands.  He even got Schmitz off his run fit, not easy to move that guy.  Your average IDL prospect like him is so much more athletic and skilled at penetrating now than they used to be.  He honestly looks pretty good.  Second or early third round pick?

 

- Cameron Young from Mississippi St also jumped out at me.  His length was really giving people trouble because he can reach that outside shoulder on you.  And he's got blow-back power when he decides to bull rush.  Ducked his head into the contact, but you can tell the guy is strong.  Has some quickness too.  Avila did a good job on him, but looked like he got caught sleeping on his first reps. 

 

- Avila looks like the most powerful IOL in the drills.  He is just a dense block of muscle and he's got quick hands.  Zacch Pickens got into him though, and you can forecast some potential struggles with lengthy rushers.

 

- I thought O'Cyrus Torrence's reps were just OK.  He's flexible and is super wide-bodied, but he is kind of slow footed.  The reactive athleticism looks ordinary to me, and his anchor isn't as strong as I thought it would be.  I don't think he's got the same kind of quickness to continuously reset his hands and feet like Avila or Schmitz.  But he does have power and size and he looks like he's got a good motor and will work the whole rep to get on balance.  His reps didn't make me say, "oh yeah, this guy is a first round pick."

 

- Will McDonald also looks really small.  He's going to have to play LBer at the NFL level.  He's tall and has good length, but he simply lacks the mass to play everydown on the line.

 

- Warren McClendon is strong but soooo slow.  Every single dude got by him with their first step.  He's going to be holding his ass off in the NFL.

 

- They kept trying Nick Saldiveri at guard, but you can tell this dude is not at his best there.  He looks like a tackle to me, just doesn't have anywhere near the power or leverage needed to handle beastly interior DLs.  That was not a good day for him, and he's going to need a lot of time in an NFL strength program before he can play.

 

- Tyler Steen looks kind of finesse to me.  He's not as thick as most of the other OTs.  Looks fine but maybe there's not as much explosiveness and power there with him as some other guys.

 

- Dylan Horton looks explosive.  I'm kind of surprised he's not on CBS's top 250 board, because he looks draft-worthy to me.  Got some thickness to him and should be able to hold up on the edge.

 

- Nick Broeker looks like a scrub.  He had a really bad day and got the devil beaten out of him by everyone.  Felt bad for him.

 

- Darnell Wright likes to be the hammer and not the nail.  He was taking this little shallow step back and then jumping dudes, and I'm not sure that was the point of the drill.  Or at least I thought they were supposed to be doing true vertical setting.  He's explosive and has the first step to jump DLs, but yeah, he falls off those blocks.  For some reason, he just couldn't hold his blocks that day.  I'm going to go back and watch TN offensive cut ups to see how his vertical setting is.  Also noticed he was wearing two huge knee braces which made me wonder how his legs are.  I thought I was going to like his reps more than I did based on how people were raving about his practices.

 

- I see why people like Schmitz the best of the centers.  He's a battler and he's powerful.  Pretty good runner too, but I wouldn't call him fast.  Great motor and he is physical.  He has a little Frank Ragnow in him.

 

- I didn't really see anything that screamed first round pick about Derrick Hall.  He looks competent and athletic, but I thought he was going to light these drills up based on his reputation.

 

- Byron Young (Alabama) was kind of meh to me.  Didn't look like his motor was as good and he definitely didn't bring it as hard on the reps where he went against other Alabama helmets.  I wanted to see a typical Alabama try-hard level of motor and he didn't have that.

 

All in all, these drills are kind of hard on the OLs, but none of them really looked that good except for Schmitz.  I'm not sure this is a praticularly good OL crop if O'Cyrus Torrence is supposed to be the best IOL in the class.  I'm going to try and check out the other team's drills to see if they look better.

[method man]

1 hour ago, UK Skins said:

Wow that's some drafting by the Eagles!

Supposedly Lurie has interfered along the way (Arcega-Whiteside was supposedly his pick). Impressive they’ve been able to do it despite that. The other thing worth pointing out is that many of their starters are drafted guys on second contracts. 
 

Pretty much their OL + TE + Graham + Cox + Sweat

 

Look at us - it’s Roullier, Terry, Allen and Fuller if you feel like including him. 
 

So 9 guys vs 4

 

It’s the consequence of losing guys like Trent, Scherff, Preston Smith etc

 

Take this lesson to heart - don’t lose Payne and extend Curl

1 hour ago, Going Commando said:

- Zacch Pickens looked like the best of the DLs to me in the video of the Day 1 Senior Bowl OL/DL one on ones.  Really stood out with his power and length.  Good pads, good hands.  He even got Schmitz off his run fit, not easy to move that guy.  Your average IDL prospect like him is so much more athletic and skilled at penetrating now than they used to be.  He honestly looks pretty good.  Second or early third round pick?

 

- Cameron Young from Mississippi St also jumped out at me.  His length was really giving people trouble because he can reach that outside shoulder on you.  And he's got blow-back power when he decides to bull rush.  Ducked his head into the contact, but you can tell the guy is strong.  Has some quickness too.  Avila did a good job on him, but looked like he got caught sleeping on his first reps. 

 

- Avila looks like the most powerful IOL in the drills.  He is just a dense block of muscle and he's got quick hands.  Zacch Pickens got into him though, and you can forecast some potential struggles with lengthy rushers.

 

- I thought O'Cyrus Torrence's reps were just OK.  He's flexible and is super wide-bodied, but he is kind of slow footed.  The reactive athleticism looks ordinary to me, and his anchor isn't as strong as I thought it would be.  I don't think he's got the same kind of quickness to continuously reset his hands and feet like Avila or Schmitz.  But he does have power and size and he looks like he's got a good motor and will work the whole rep to get on balance.  His reps didn't make me say, "oh yeah, this guy is a first round pick."

 

- Will McDonald also looks really small.  He's going to have to play LBer at the NFL level.  He's tall and has good length, but he simply lacks the mass to play everydown on the line.

 

- Warren McClendon is strong but soooo slow.  Every single dude got by him with their first step.  He's going to be holding his ass off in the NFL.

 

- They kept trying Nick Saldiveri at guard, but you can tell this dude is not at his best there.  He looks like a tackle to me, just doesn't have anywhere near the power or leverage needed to handle beastly interior DLs.  That was not a good day for him, and he's going to need a lot of time in an NFL strength program before he can play.

 

- Tyler Steen looks kind of finesse to me.  He's not as thick as most of the other OTs.  Looks fine but maybe there's not as much explosiveness and power there with him as some other guys.

 

- Dylan Horton looks explosive.  I'm kind of surprised he's not on CBS's top 250 board, because he looks draft-worthy to me.  Got some thickness to him and should be able to hold up on the edge.

 

- Nick Broeker looks like a scrub.  He had a really bad day and got the devil beaten out of him by everyone.  Felt bad for him.

 

- Darnell Wright likes to be the hammer and not the nail.  He was taking this little shallow step back and then jumping dudes, and I'm not sure that was the point of the drill.  Or at least I thought they were supposed to be doing true vertical setting.  He's explosive and has the first step to jump DLs, but yeah, he falls off those blocks.  For some reason, he just couldn't hold his blocks that day.  I'm going to go back and watch TN offensive cut ups to see how his vertical setting is.  Also noticed he was wearing two huge knee braces which made me wonder how his legs are.  I thought I was going to like his reps more than I did based on how people were raving about his practices.

 

- I see why people like Schmitz the best of the centers.  He's a battler and he's powerful.  Pretty good runner too, but I wouldn't call him fast.  Great motor and he is physical.  He has a little Frank Ragnow in him.

 

- I didn't really see anything that screamed first round pick about Derrick Hall.  He looks competent and athletic, but I thought he was going to light these drills up based on his reputation.

 

- Byron Young (Alabama) was kind of meh to me.  Didn't look like his motor was as good and he definitely didn't bring it as hard on the reps where he went against other Alabama helmets.  I wanted to see a typical Alabama try-hard level of motor and he didn't have that.

 

All in all, these drills are kind of hard on the OLs, but none of them really looked that good except for Schmitz.  I'm not sure this is a praticularly good OL crop if O'Cyrus Torrence is supposed to be the best IOL in the class.  I'm going to try and check out the other team's drills to see if they look better.

If Wright’s knees have some sort of underlying issue that don’t get reported to the mainstream media, it’s the sort of thing that could make him a bigtime surprise faller on draft day

[Going Commando]

Already can tell that the National team has better tackles on it from their one on one drills.  Or at least worse edges.  No SEC defensive linemen to have to deal with.  God damn that conference is just on a different level with the kids they get on their DLs.  They might have some issues with their IOLs in the game though.

 

- First off, who is the real Jaelyn Duncan?  Because the one at the Senior Bowl looked fantastic in the drills.  Just cool as a cucumber locking it down like it was easy.  He has elite level quickness and just beats everyone to the spot, even against other speedy guys like Foskey.  He has some good power too for being on the thin side for an OT.  Great hand strength and great stance.  Just a really tall, well put-together athlete that was on a different level than the other athletes at the practice.

 

That was not the Jaelyn Duncan I remember watching against Penn State and Ohio State.  That guy was playing soft and scared.

 

This kid is an enigma, and I have to believe something was going on with him during the season that wrecked his performance on the field.  Hidden injury or health issue?  Family issue?  Locker room issue?  He is really talented and I feel like a potential mega-millions style lottery ticket if an NFL coaching staff can unlock his potential.  We're talking good left tackle potential.  Like Pro-Bowl good.  What is this kid's draft range?  He's a first round talent with awful tape.  Do you just ignore that and take him early anyway?  If you're in the fourth round and he's still on the board, the risk seems low enough that I feel like you've got to pull the trigger in that range.  Third round?  What about 47?  Really curious to find out what he said when our staff talked to him about this past season's performance.

 

- Dawand Jones looks like a definite first rounder to me.  That was the kind of easy rep winning you want to see with first round hopefuls.  He looks like a different species than the big-ass dudes he's sharing the field with, and the game is just too easy for someone that big.  I like this guy and I think we need to pick him at 16 if we want him, because I'm thinking 20s is his draft range.  He's a little slow, but he's the most powerful player at the Senior Bowl.  He's got a Jordan Mailata type of physical presence that is just hard to get through.  Gonna be quite a few holding calls on him early in his career though, until his feet catch up with the rest of him and his sets get better.

 

- Olu looks really small compared to the other OLs, and he does not have great power.  Unfortunately, his reps were not impressive.  He's a little guy (relatively speaking) who majors in line calls and move blocking, this is not his forte.  I've been too optimistic in projecting him into the third round, I don't think he gets picked nearly that high.  He's a center-only prospect who is going to need to go to a zone heavy team, which puts him in day three range.  But I still love him based on his body of work this season.  I'd pick him late and red-shirt him for a season behind Roullier until he inevitably gets into the starting line up when Roullier goes down.  Gotta run a zone heavy scheme with him though, and you need powerful guards playing next to him.

 

- Blake Freeland looked pretty rough to me.  He is really tall and he plays tall.  Might be some balance issues there and he's not very quick.  KJ Henry threw him on the ground with a kind of basic push/pull and rip through move and Henry is not a big match up.  Beat him on another rep too with quickness.  I don't know about Freeland, gonna have to watch the game cut ups to see if he's good.  He looked like a pretty marginal prospect in these drills.

 

- I loved watching Karl Brooks from little old Bowling Green.  He smoked Jarrett Patterson with a picture perfect push-pull that was fun to see.  Really fast and violent hands, and he's got a repertoire of good pass rushes that is noticeably polished and impressive compared to the other prospects.  And he's clever too.  I think this guy is really good.  Rushes with a plan, mixes it up, and has polish and instincts.  I think he was the best DL from either team on day one in the drills.

 

- Not a great day for Patterson, he looks like a fairly marginal NFL prospect based on his drill work.  CBS currently has him at 156 and that could even be high. He doesn't really have size, length, or speed.

 

- Andre Carter looks really skinny and had a noticeable lack of functional power.  I'm guessing our Army academy doesn't really train dudes in the highly specialized regimen needed to dominate NFL lines of scrimmage.  He's all long arms and legs, kind of reminds me of Logan Hall that way, but doesn't have the same power and polish.

 

- Ryan Hayes looks OK.  Decent depth lineman material.  Solid on his first two reps then dumped on his butt by Foskey after he got his feet tangled up.  Could be some balance issues with him too.  Doesn't feel like there is a lot of upside there.

 

- Asim Richards sucks.  That UNC OL has been absolute crap the past two years, so I've had it in my mind their OLs suck, and I think he gave up like two sacks to Keion White.  Got his ass handed to him that game, and looked just OK in the practices.  Looks like they kicked him inside to guard for the SB, so the hope is he'll be better there.  I don't think he's getting drafted.

 

- Foskey plays really fast and has a good motor.  He just doesn't have a lot of size.  Kind of surprised he weighed in at 262 because he looks lean.  Couldn't get around Dawand Jones, but he does look very explosive.  Not sure I buy him as a first round pick, but definitely second round.  I think he's going to run well at the combine.

 

- You can see how impressive Keion White's combo of length and speed are for an edge.  But I'm just not sure he's that good yet, and I feel like his stock involves a lot of projected growth because there is not much finesse or intention in his rushes.  It's either bull or speed and no countering or changes of script.  Kind of feels like the high draft stock guys like Jeremiah are giving him is based too heavily on his UNC game.  But I guess the thought is guys that big and with that kind of length who can run that fast are rare and worth the effort as projects.

 

- Keeanu Benton is big and powerful and quick.  Currently ranked 225 on CBS's board, and that is too low.  He's gone starting IDL size and athleticism and good production for a P5 team.  He's one of the better DLs at the Senior Bowl and pretty much got the better of all of the IOLs he went against.

 

- I liked Jake Andrews's reps.  He's mean and he won most of them with some extra emphasis on finishing.  He's really short but he's thick.  Looks like a seventh round pick or a UDFA, but might have some dog in him and cling to a roster.

 

- I though Mauch's reps were just OK.  He's got great speed and you can see that tackle background in his play-style.  But I'm not sure he's got good enough power to start early as an IOL.  This is going to be an adjustment for him and he's going to have to get a lot stronger, to the point where tackle might actually be a better fit for him.

 

 

All in all, I thought the ten best linemen/edges in the practices on day 1 were:

 

1 - Karl Brooks

2 - Jaelyn Duncan

3 - Dawand Jones

4 - Zacch Pickens

5 - John Michael-Scmitz

6 - Keeanu Benton

7 - Cameron Young Jr

8 - Isaiah Foskey

9 - KJ Henry

10 - Keion White

 

The top four stood out noticeably above the rest to me.

[actorguy1]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Skinsinparadise]

Some of my favorite players given practice player of the week in particular on the O line.

Edited February 3, 2023 by Skinsinparadise

[actorguy1]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Going Commando]

33 minutes ago, method man said:

If Wright’s knees have some sort of underlying issue that don’t get reported to the mainstream media, it’s the sort of thing that could make him a bigtime surprise faller on draft day

 

Kind of hard to see, but looks like he wore them during the season.  He didn't look injured to me, he looked explosive.

 

I get where the first round talk is coming from with him because he does look fast and he is really wide-bodied for a tackle prospect and carries his weight well.  He's got plus power and looks like he could easily handle playing inside if he were moved.  I just thought he looked a little rough technique-wise in those reps, and fell off his blocks fast.  Felt like there was a little desperation there.  Was a contrast to Duncan who was super sticky and smooth in pass-pro, and just kind of locked it down.

 

Wright's got a motor and he's physical, explosive, and big.  But I suspect he isn't super comfortable in traditional true pass setting and I want to go back and look at TN's offense again to see how gimmicky their protections are.  I do know that it's a lot easier to jump DLs when they can't get set up before the snap comes, much less come up with a rush plan snap after snap after snap.  That offensive pace could be hiding how the Vols linemen were playing with rudimentary RPO blocking technique every snap.

[Skinsinparadise]

I've been watching the reps casually in the background while working.  I don't have the patience to go through them slowly.  So I've been relying on twitter comments.  I'll watch the game tomorrow and typically I'll rewatch it a couple of times before the combine.

 

In the meantime, i tend to like Ledyard's takes because we often tend to like the same players though sometimes that can be a bad thing ala Derrius Guice. 

 

Bergeron as he mentioned can move.  Athletic.  I think he can be a good get at 47.  As far as Steen goes, he also to my eyes looks really fluid and athletic albiet gets almost no love from draftniks. 

 

Schmitz I dig and I am warming up to him being a good pick if he can be had later in the first in a trade down.

 

According to a fan who is there and doing interviews and watching practices he senses Avila is on this teams radar. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 3, 2023 by Skinsinparadise

[Skinsinparadise]

3 hours ago, Koolblue13 said:

I found this interesting, especially since the Eagles were the best team in the league this year and are on the way to an easy SB win. There's been a lot of talk about the FA moves they made, but the offense, especially the Line and QB are what makes them great.

 

 

Keim's latest podcast is interviewing Graziano about how the Eagles built their roster.

 

Much emphasis on the O line.  Also how relentless they've been to double down on QB.   Added QBs multiple times even with a starter in the fold.

 

No doubt though this team is obssessed with fixing the O line right now.  It's not hard to piece together, that they just thought Masko could make magic with anything.  They overdid it though with trusting him to making lemonade out of lemons.  However, i do trust Masko to work with young talented players and it looks like thats what is about to happen.

Edited February 3, 2023 by Skinsinparadise

[Going Commando]

12 minutes ago, Skinsinparadise said:

I've been watching the reps casually in the background while working.  I don't have the patience to go through them slowly.  So I've been relying on twitter comments.  I'll watch the game tomorrow and typically I'll rewatch it a couple of times before the combine.

 

I try not to put too much stock into the practice one on ones because they are so different from what these OLs actually do in games in the context of their offenses.  It's hard, but I remind myself that Trey Smith looked bad in these drills.  So did Alex Leatherwood.  One is a beast in the NFL and the other is a bust who got cut after his first season.  So these drills are hardly a barometer of the future.

 

But they can definitely give you a sense of the general athleticism of the prospects, their ability to just overpower one on one match ups with their traits and rush repertoires.  Really shines a light on when guys are either small or slow or really lacking in functional power.  Or when the opposite is the case.

 

For instance, I can see now why Olu is not loved by the draftiks.  I can see how small he looks in the context of these drills, and that he's going to have some big problems if you put him in a situation where he has to single block Chris Joneses on a long drop.  So when he goes in the sixth round on draft day and I'm flaming the draft thread with "how can the NFL be so damn stupid?" from my couch, this answers that question.  With only a few HoF-bound exceptions, the NFL truism is big men beat up little men is, well, true.

 

You can also see when dudes just physically can not match up, like Warren McClendon/Patterson/OL from Ole Miss being too slow for the NFL.  Or when they don't have the power to play early like Andre Carter or the kid from ODU.    Freeland too.  I have sympathy for the guys making position switches for the practices too, so much harder to be working through something new when dudes like Duncan and Dawand Jones are just doing what they've done for years.  I actually liked Mauch's reps for that reason, because you could see him trying to learn and battle through the reps, and relying on his motor and athleticism to tread water and get it done.  There is some resilience there.

 

I also only saw the dills from Day 1, so I don't know how guys rebounded or adjusted over the next couple of practices.

 

I thought Bergeron actually looked pretty good in the drills.  Better than Steen.  Steen is fluid, but he's a little light and under-strength looking, and kind of lackadaisical.  Bergeron looked explosive and aggressive.

 

Schmitz definitely looked like the best IOL from day 1.  He's a little sloppy looking but not bad by NFL OL standards, and he looks like he's got NFL size and speed.  Aggressive, just looks ready.  Avila was more of a mixed bag.  He is super wide-bodied and he's powerful, but he is kinda short and has no length.  Long rushers tore him up and I think this is going to follow him to the NFL.  Definitely not writing him off though, because he's got rare power for a center prospect and I think his hands and feet are actually pretty quick.

[KDawg]

Bergeron is my guy for after round 1 tackle.

 

But the only thing these reports are telling me is that the DL that is there isn’t winning. It’s not necessarily selling me on the OL.

[Skinsinparadise]

24 minutes ago, Going Commando said:

 

I try not to put too much stock into the practice one on ones because they are so different from what these OLs actually do in games in the context of their offenses.  It's hard, but I remind myself that Trey Smith looked bad in these drills.  So did Alex Leatherwood.  One is a beast in the NFL and the other is a bust who got cut after his first season.  So these drills are hardly a barometer of the future.

 

But they can definitely give you a sense of the general athleticism of the prospects, their ability to just overpower one on one match ups with their traits and rush repertoires.  Really shines a light on when guys are either small or slow or really lacking in functional power.  Or when the opposite is the case.

 

For instance, I can see now why Olu is not loved by the draftiks.  I can see how small he looks in the context of these drills, and that he's going to have some big problems if you put him in a situation where he has to single block Chris Joneses on a long drop.  So when he goes in the sixth round on draft day and I'm flaming the draft thread with "how can the NFL be so damn stupid?" from my couch, this answers that question.  With only a few HoF-bound exceptions, the NFL truism is big men beat up little men is, well, true.

 

You can also see when dudes just physically can not match up, like Warren McClendon/Patterson/OL from Ole Miss being too slow for the NFL.  Or when they don't have the power to play early like Andre Carter or the kid from ODU.    Freeland too.  I have sympathy for the guys making position switches for the practices too, so much harder to be working through something new when dudes like Duncan and Dawand Jones are just doing what they've done for years.  I actually liked Mauch's reps for that reason, because you could see him trying to learn and battle through the reps, and relying on his motor and athleticism to tread water and get it done.  There is some resilience there.

 

I also only saw the dills from Day 1, so I don't know how guys rebounded or adjusted over the next couple of practices.

 

I thought Bergeron actually looked pretty good in the drills.  Better than Steen.  Steen is fluid, but he's a little light and under-strength looking, and kind of lackadaisical.  Bergeron looked explosive and aggressive.

 

Schmitz definitely looked like the best IOL from day 1.  He's a little sloppy looking but not bad by NFL OL standards, and he looks like he's got NFL size and speed.  Aggressive, just looks ready.  Avila was more of a mixed bag.  He is super wide-bodied and he's powerful, but he is kinda short and has no length.  Long rushers tore him up and I think this is going to follow him to the NFL.  Definitely not writing him off though, because he's got rare power for a center prospect and I think his hands and feet are actually pretty quick.

 

I read your write up of the drills, great stuff. @KDawg's comments too. 

 

For me my best skill that I trust and granted it might just be in my imagination  is judging speed, agility and general athleticism.  I used to play soccer and run track and I still try to stay active and watch my son plays sports.  I am not bad at comparing apples to apples when I am watching it apples to apples.

 

I recall a debate here last year with one about a certain player where they didn't think the dude was that fast.  I did think he was fast.  I felt vindicated during that combine on that front.  I am wrong about plenty including judging speed so i don't blame anyone for guessing right or wrong.   But my best evaluation skill I think is judging athleticism -- quickness, agility, speed.

 

That's my long winded way of saying the reason for me that I keep stressing i need the combine to seperate these players for good, especially at O line and CB is i think speed-agiity drills will be obvious difference makers.   I want to see how these guys move back to back.  Then of course we will have the actual combine metric results.   Then I'll probably rewatch everyone on the O line again and rank them.  Ditto CB.   Probably safety and TE.

 

Maybe I'll try to muster the motvation to slowly watch each drill.   I did enjoy for now reading your write up of them.  

Edited February 3, 2023 by Skinsinparadise

[KDawg]

I actually think I’m getting closer to saying Bergeron might be one of the best tackles in the draft. But at the same time… I don’t love the tackles. Skoronski gets a lot of love and I like him more than I did before but I still see a lot of flaws. He struggles to stick on blocks, whiffs, holds and struggles at level 2 at times. But his top end is among the best.

 

Bergeron is one of the more consistent guys and is a safe pick. 
 

Wright is more consistent than Skoronski, but his highs aren’t as high.

 

The Ohio State guys are among the cleanest prospects to me. Dawand might be a bit too big and may have to drop a lb or ten. 
 

PJJr is the only highly touted guy I’m comfortable with. Like Bergy and Wright. Harrison is good but he’s another good but not spectacular guy. 
 

This draft is fairly underwhelming all things considered so far. 

[Skinsinparadise]

7 minutes ago, KDawg said:

I actually think I’m getting closer to saying Bergeron might be one of the best tackles in the draft. But at the same time… I don’t love the tackles. Skoronski gets a lot of love and I like him more than I did before but I still see a lot of flaws. He struggles to stick on blocks, whiffs, holds and struggles at level 2 at times. But his top end is among the best.

 

Bergeron is one of the more consistent guys and is a safe pick. 
 

Wright is more consistent than Skoronski, but his highs aren’t as high.

 

The Ohio State guys are among the cleanest prospects to me. Dawand might be a bit too big and may have to drop a lb or ten. 
 

PJJr is the only highly touted guy I’m comfortable with. Like Bergy and Wright. Harrison is good but he’s another good but not spectacular guy. 
 

This draft is fairly underwhelming all things considered so far. 

 

The way I see it so far. Seems like most draftniks too -- a bunch of good tackles-O lineman, more depth than usual but there aren't the top level stars at that spot we typically get.

 

Logan Paulsen who seems to like watching O lineman, and is there at the Senior Bowl was impressed by the depth.  Like I said the other day I think a lot of Jon Jansens but no Chris Samuels there. 

Edited February 3, 2023 by Skinsinparadise

[KDawg]

1 minute ago, Skinsinparadise said:

 

The way I see it so far. Seems like most draftniks too -- a bunch of good tackles-O lineman, more depth than usual but there aren't the top level stars at that spot we typically get.

 

Logan Paulsen who seems to like watching O lineman, and is there at the Senior Bowl was impressed by the depth.  Like I said the other day I think a lot of Jon Jansens but no Chris Samuels there. 

I think I agree, but I’m not sure there are many Jon Jansens. But there are guys who are capable starters.

[Zim489]

2 hours ago, Going Commando said:

This kid is an enigma, and I have to believe something was going on with him during the season that wrecked his performance on the field.

Thought I had mentioned that his daughter was in the hospital for at least one visit. Enough for him to miss a game. Never got any details beyond that

[Chump Bailey]

 

1 hour ago, KDawg said:

I think I agree, but I’m not sure there are many Jon Jansens. But there are guys who are capable starters.

 

It's funny you mention JJ. There is a player I hard a very hard time forming an opinion on until now and that is #76 Ryan Hayes Michigan. He's a riser for me after questioning whether he would be better suited inside. I like his teammate Zak Zinter too.  Hayes could be a nice value pickup. 

 

LOL, I just read your comments on Hayes above. The more I watched, the better I felt and thought the Ohio State game he put on excellent tape against a good DL.

Edited February 3, 2023 by Chump Bailey

[Chump Bailey]

Another rising prospect I am in full agreement with is Michael Wilson WR, Stanford. 

[Rex Tomb]

3 hours ago, KDawg said:

I think I agree, but I’m not sure there are many Jon Jansens. But there are guys who are capable starters.

A line full of Jansens would be awesome to have. That guy was tough as nails. Remember when he played with a broken thumb and he was in a club cast.  Still dominant.  Total badass.

[KDawg]

Watching the Senior Bowl OL...

 

Jaelyn Duncan, Maryland - Watched him before, didn't like him. Senior Bowl highlights made me come around a bit. Rewatched some of his games again. Dude was HORRENDOUS against Michigan. No balance. Looks like he's stuck in quick sand. The lone positive I take away was he held against bull rushes fairly well and got to his second level blocks. But absolutely horrid. Then I watch him against Purdue and there are (just like every other game I've watched) times where he looks absolutely befuddled on what he's supposed to do on a given play but on another play I see him explode off the ball and drive a guy 7 yards backward. Jaelyn Duncan is one of the biggest low floor high ceiling guys in the class. He's similar to Skoronski in my eyes but with a lot less polish and consistency. But if that guy can put it together? My God. 

 

Alex Forsyth, Oregon - This dude is interesting. He's a center that can pull. Consistently. He has a powerful punch at the second level. I'm curious how he takes on a speed rush in game speed. 

 

Ryan Hayes, Michigan - Stout, holds up well against good rushers. Intelligent. But he's got some slow feet and a slow jump set. I actually think he projects better as a guard than a tackle based on the way he moves. Really not impressed. 

 

Cody Mauch, ND State - If he played somewhere other than ND State I think he'd be my top rated IOL. This guy is damn relentless. Watched one play where he legit blocked a guy passed the boundary and to the stadium wall. Sure, that should have been a penalty. Mybe two or three penalties. But talk about a tone setter. Dude lost teeth. I love this guy. The way he runs his feet and uses his hands. The way he keeps his feet and balance. This dude is a dude and he is VERY position versatile. Can play C/G primarily but in a pinch he could absolutely play tackle. 

 

Wanya Morris, Oklahoma - Not a whole lot of balance. He's strong and has some promise. Needs to get some quicker feet to make it at the next level. Would be more developmental but there is something there I think. 

 

Currently Duncan is OT10, Forsyth is IOL9, Hayes is OT12, Mauch is IOL3, Morris is IOL16

 

 

[KDawg]

Senior Bowl Tight ends: 

 

Cam Latu, Alabama - Smooth in block/release transition, hands are soft, smooth as a big slot. Athletic. Oh, and he isn't a bad blocker. He gets himself in really good position on most reps. I actually liked him when I watched him pre-season but man, I'll tell you what... I like him more now. I think this guy is quietly one of the better tight ends in this draft class.

 

Payne Durham, Purdue - Doesn't really move the needle much. He has "guy" written on him. As in he seems like a guy who has potential to stick around on NFL rosters for awhile but just isn't much more than that. Maybe a few 10-20 catch seasons. Potential for maybe a touch more. But he isn't going to wow anyone long term. Just "not bad" across the board. Which isn't always a bad thing. Just doesn't impress. 

 

Davis Allen, Clemson - I can make this short. Poor man's Cam Latu. Like him, but not all that much. But he has a lot of potential to be a productive guy in the NFL down the line. Fluid athlete. Has faced good competition. Makes himself available.