2024 Comprehensive Draft Thread

[KDawg]

Just now, DWinzit said:

We will need to hit on an OL and LB in free agency. Then dip into the OL in the draft early and would love hitting on it early twice.

 

The RT talent is at an insane level. I can see Ron smugly saying that we are good with Wylie, yuck. 

 

 

Watched some of the Oregon/Oregon State game. Fuaga looked great all things considered... But man, That Birch kid from Oregon, the end, is a load. He's not productive as a pass rusher, but he gave Oregon's LT fits and gave Fuaga a battle all night. He had one real nice stalemate against Fuaga that resulted in a negative Oregon State rush. I've never seen anyone hold up like that consistenly against Fuaga. Though Fuaga played well.

 

Keep your eyes on that Birch kid as well. 

[DWinzit]

1 minute ago, KDawg said:

 

Watched some of the Oregon/Oregon State game. Fuaga looked great all things considered... But man, That Birch kid from Oregon, the end, is a load. He's not productive as a pass rusher, but he gave Oregon's LT fits and gave Fuaga a battle all night. He had one real nice stalemate against Fuaga that resulted in a negative Oregon State rush. I've never seen anyone hold up like that consistenly against Fuaga. Though Fuaga played well.

 

Keep your eyes on that Birch kid as well. 

As much as I don't appreciate the negativity towards Fuaga , I will mark down Birch to watch. Sounds like a guy that won't lose contain like certain others we have seen recently around here...

[KDawg]

2 minutes ago, DWinzit said:

As much as I don't appreciate the negativity towards Fuaga , I will mark down Birch to watch. Sounds like a guy that won't lose contain like certain others we have seen recently around here...

Fuaga is my dude. He played well. 
 

That was less negative on Fuaga and more positive on Birch.

[DWinzit]

Just now, KDawg said:

Fuaga is my dude. He played well. 
 

That was less negative on Fuaga and more positive on Birch.

I have not done any in depth studying but but Fuaga has been my early draft crush for the past two months. I am really hoping to find others that compete with him in my head lol. 

[Warhead36]

I dont love that Fauga is already 23 and will be 24 at the start of his rookie year. 

[DWinzit]

2 minutes ago, Warhead36 said:

I dont love that Fauga is already 23 and will be 24 at the start of his rookie year. 

I don't pay much attention to OL ages in the draft. He holds down RT for a decade and will still be at the top of his game at 33-34...it is not like he is a RB

[Warhead36]

1 minute ago, DWinzit said:

I don't pay much attention to OL ages in the draft. He holds down RT for a decade and will still be at the top of his game at 33-34...it is not like he is a RB

Sure, but in comparison Fashanu and Alt are only 20 and have been just as dominant.

 

Its a lot easier for a 23 y/o to dominate in college than a 20 y/o, and when they hit the pros the 20 y/on will only grow and develop more. 

[DWinzit]

3 minutes ago, Warhead36 said:

Sure, but in comparison Fashanu and Alt are only 20 and have been just as dominant.

 

Its a lot easier for a 23 y/o to dominate in college than a 20 y/o, and when they hit the pros the 20 y/on will only grow and develop more. 

Yes, once entering the NFL, being coached up and facing the higher caliber competition the younger players could grew more. They also could stagnate on that curve as there are always so many variables. If you have 2 equal players and one is younger, you take the younger one. I would argue that Fuaga is more dominant than either of the other two and I like his style of play better than either Alt or Fash. 

[Going Commando]

Watching Latham and I don't like him quite as much as you guys do.  I like him better than Alt, and I see some of the traits in him that I liked in Dawand Jones.  The anchor power, size, and length all look top notch.  But my main issues with him all seem to come from how slow and soft he is.

 

To me, it looks like Latham's foot speed is pretty slow.  No explosion in his movements, very shallow looking vertical set, very limited range as a runner.  Recovery/mirror athleticism looks surprisingly good though, and I do like his ability to pull and get his hips around to seal back side blocks as long as you don't have him run far to get there.  Gonna be a lot harder to reach those blocks at his speed in the NFL though, especially with how much better the diagnostic skills are on weak side defenders.  TBH, I'm not sure some of the movement blocking he does at Alabama will translate to the NFL because of his playing speed.  I have a hard time seeing him reach some of these landmarks against NFL speed even on tighter pulls.

 

Kind of disappointed in the level of physicality he plays with, and I'm disappointed in his punching power and skill.  That's where he falls way short of what Dawand Jones was last year.  His hands are slow and he's just a "catcher" as a blocker.  But he can get away with a lack of a punch because he has elite length and play strength.  It's not as big a limitation as his speed, and it's something that can improve, but it also speaks to a playing personality that is a little soft, and that isn't likely to change.

 

Bottom line, I think he's pretty good, but far from special.  I have learned to stop paying attention entirely to HS recruiting hype for OLs, so I wasn't surprised to be underwhelmed by Latham despite his ridiculous recruiting hype.  I do think his size and play strength combo give him a high floor and that he could actually play pretty well as a rookie.  But the ceiling looks kind of low.  He's a Phil Loadholt type big Tackle who wins easy in pass pro without really dominating.  He's got much more of his weight in his lower half than Loadholt did though.  That's why his anchor strength is so effortless and great, but it's also why he's so slow.

[KDawg]

5 minutes ago, Going Commando said:

Watching Latham and I don't like him quite as much as you guys do.  I like him better than Alt, and I see some of the traits in him that I liked in Dawand Jones.  The anchor power, size, and length all look top notch.  But my main issues with him all seem to come from how slow and soft he is.

 

To me, it looks like Latham's foot speed is pretty slow.  No explosion in his movements, very shallow looking vertical set, very limited range as a runner.  Recovery/mirror athleticism looks surprisingly good though, and I do like his ability to pull and get his hips around to seal back side blocks as long as you don't have him run far to get there.  Gonna be a lot harder to reach those blocks at his speed in the NFL though, especially with how much better the diagnostic skills are on weak side defenders.  TBH, I'm not sure some of the movement blocking he does at Alabama will translate to the NFL because of his playing speed.  I have a hard time seeing him reach some of these landmarks against NFL speed even on tighter pulls.

 

Kind of disappointed in the level of physicality he plays with, and I'm disappointed in his punching power and skill.  That's where he falls way short of what Dawand Jones was last year.  His hands are slow and he's just a "catcher" as a blocker.  But he can get away with a lack of a punch because he has elite length and play strength.  It's not as big a limitation as his speed, and it's something that can improve, but it also speaks to a playing personality that is a little soft, and that isn't likely to change.

 

Bottom line, I think he's pretty good, but far from special.  I have learned to stop paying attention entirely to HS recruiting hype for OLs, so I wasn't surprised to be underwhelmed by Latham despite his ridiculous recruiting hype.  I do think his size and play strength combo give him a high floor and that he could actually play pretty well as a rookie.  But the ceiling looks kind of low.  He's a Phil Loadholt type big Tackle who wins easy in pass pro without really dominating.  He's got much more of his weight in his lower half than Loadholt did though.  That's why his anchor strength is so effortless and great, but it's also why he's so slow.

I didn’t love him, either. I have him as OT5 and the Arizona kid can pass him with a good draft season.

[Koolblue13]

I fully believe that Dallas is going to let Tyron Smith hit FA. They drafted Tyler Smith in the first last year to play LT, even though he's a stud LG.

 

He'll demand big money and he's on the wrong side of 30, but a Vet lik him on a very young line would be great.

 

If we can draft Bowers or Harrison in the first, Grab Van Pran or JPJ with our Bears 2nd and use our other 2nd on a RT, this line looks a hell of a lot different. 

 

Say it's Smith, Strom, Powers, Cosmi, Patrick Paul? With the right OL coach and there should be some stud coaches available, this offense turns around real quick.

[Warhead36]

5 minutes ago, Koolblue13 said:

I fully believe that Dallas is going to let Tyron Smith hit FA. They drafted Tyler Smith in the first last year to play LT, even though he's a stud LG.

 

He'll demand big money and he's on the wrong side of 30, but a Vet lik him on a very young line would be great.

 

If we can draft Bowers or Harrison in the first, Grab Van Pran or JPJ with our Bears 2nd and use our other 2nd on a RT, this line looks a hell of a lot different. 

 

Say it's Smith, Strom, Powers, Cosmi, Patrick Paul? With the right OL coach and there should be some stud coaches available, this offense turns around real quick.

Signing Tyron Smith at this stage of his career just screams like a Snyder/Cerrato move circa 2006. 

 

I think if anything we address interior OL in FA and go for Ts in the draft.

[KDawg]

19 minutes ago, Koolblue13 said:

I fully believe that Dallas is going to let Tyron Smith hit FA. They drafted Tyler Smith in the first last year to play LT, even though he's a stud LG.

 

He'll demand big money and he's on the wrong side of 30, but a Vet lik him on a very young line would be great.

 

If we can draft Bowers or Harrison in the first, Grab Van Pran or JPJ with our Bears 2nd and use our other 2nd on a RT, this line looks a hell of a lot different. 

 

Say it's Smith, Strom, Powers, Cosmi, Patrick Paul? With the right OL coach and there should be some stud coaches available, this offense turns around real quick.

Who is JPJ?

[CommDownMan]

14 minutes ago, KDawg said:

Who is JPJ?

 

Jackson Powers-Johnson, perhaps?

[KDawg]

18 minutes ago, CommDownMan said:

 

Jackson Powers-Johnson, perhaps?

Ah. Ya that makes sense.

[Riggo#44]

51 minutes ago, Koolblue13 said:

He'll demand big money and he's on the wrong side of 30, but a Vet lik him on a very young line would be great.

 

I wouldn't give him more than VM+I. He's going on 34 and has missed 36 games the last 4 years (including 3 games this year.) He's just a name at this point. 

[RWJ]

 

 

 

 

[clskinsfan]

17 hours ago, DazedSkinsfan said:

how does the next tier of o-linemen look for the 2nd and 3rd rounds

It looks really good to me. Especially at OT. We can take one of the blue chippers and getting a startling RT at the top of the 2nd round this draft IMO. I dont think there is as much depth at G in this draft though. Center is pretty deep as well though. 

 

I am starting with Edge this year. Because I think we will end up drafting one in the first 3 picks. I dont see a true superstar at the position so far. But it is pretty deep with guys that will all grade similarly to me. 

[Ball Security]

1 hour ago, CommDownMan said:

 

Jackson Powers-Johnson, perhaps?

Could either he or Stromberg move to guard? He looked nasty last.

[KDawg]

10 minutes ago, clskinsfan said:

It looks really good to me. Especially at OT. We can take one of the blue chippers and getting a startling RT at the top of the 2nd round this draft IMO. I dont think there is as much depth at G in this draft though. Center is pretty deep as well though. 

 

I am starting with Edge this year. Because I think we will end up drafting one in the first 3 picks. I dont see a true superstar at the position so far. But it is pretty deep with guys that will all grade similarly to me. 

I’m going to do Edge next. I think we’re taking one, too.

[Skinsinparadise]

I agree with @KDawg about Egbuka. I mentioned him this week when I did my write up on Stover, he’s hard to miss because he’s always getting open. 
 

Now that I’ve put in some time watching the Ohio Stare and Michigan playmakers, I am stoked for that game today 

Edited November 25, 2023 by Skinsinparadise

[clskinsfan]

2 hours ago, Going Commando said:

Watching Latham and I don't like him quite as much as you guys do.  I like him better than Alt, and I see some of the traits in him that I liked in Dawand Jones.  The anchor power, size, and length all look top notch.  But my main issues with him all seem to come from how slow and soft he is.

 

To me, it looks like Latham's foot speed is pretty slow.  No explosion in his movements, very shallow looking vertical set, very limited range as a runner.  Recovery/mirror athleticism looks surprisingly good though, and I do like his ability to pull and get his hips around to seal back side blocks as long as you don't have him run far to get there.  Gonna be a lot harder to reach those blocks at his speed in the NFL though, especially with how much better the diagnostic skills are on weak side defenders.  TBH, I'm not sure some of the movement blocking he does at Alabama will translate to the NFL because of his playing speed.  I have a hard time seeing him reach some of these landmarks against NFL speed even on tighter pulls.

 

Kind of disappointed in the level of physicality he plays with, and I'm disappointed in his punching power and skill.  That's where he falls way short of what Dawand Jones was last year.  His hands are slow and he's just a "catcher" as a blocker.  But he can get away with a lack of a punch because he has elite length and play strength.  It's not as big a limitation as his speed, and it's something that can improve, but it also speaks to a playing personality that is a little soft, and that isn't likely to change.

 

Bottom line, I think he's pretty good, but far from special.  I have learned to stop paying attention entirely to HS recruiting hype for OLs, so I wasn't surprised to be underwhelmed by Latham despite his ridiculous recruiting hype.  I do think his size and play strength combo give him a high floor and that he could actually play pretty well as a rookie.  But the ceiling looks kind of low.  He's a Phil Loadholt type big Tackle who wins easy in pass pro without really dominating.  He's got much more of his weight in his lower half than Loadholt did though.  That's why his anchor strength is so effortless and great, but it's also why he's so slow.

Curious which games you watched? I would like to watch that tape. Because the tape I watched (Tennessee and LSU) he was dominant. He is definitely a better pass blocker than run blocker though. I agree with you on that. It will be interesting to see how he runs. Because he is so big he looks like he is slow. But if you watch the timing with the rest of the line his movement is beautiful. I just saw Kdawg has him at #5. I have him #2 behind Fashanu. He is a RT only though. So he will fall a little bit. And another thing about Fashanu. I am a PSU fan. I watch every single game. And while Fashanu is a great player he is not without flaws either. His pass blocking is elite. His run blocking is far from it. 

[KDawg]

3 minutes ago, clskinsfan said:

Curious which games you watched? I would like to watch that tape. Because the tape I watched (Tennessee and LSU) he was dominant. He is definitely a better pass blocker than run blocker though. I agree with you on that. It will be interesting to see how he runs. Because he is so big he looks like he is slow. But if you watch the timing with the rest of the line his movement is beautiful. I just saw Kdawg has him at #5. I have him #2 behind Fashanu. He is a RT only though. So he will fall a little bit. And another thing about Fashanu. I am a PSU fan. I watch every single game. And while Fashanu is a great player he is not without flaws either. His pass blocking is elite. His run blocking is far from it. 

I agree with how you see Latham. However, the way I came to my view on him is that he is very heavy footed. In college when you aren’t facing elite players at all positions you can focus your efforts a bit. So while he looks dominant he doesn’t move dominant in my eyes, if that makes sense. 
 

I’m not looking at him like he’s a bust, but a RT that doesn’t move great has a ceiling. He is very bottom heavy. There is a lot of potential there, though.

 

Olu isn’t without flaws as well. I don’t think the tackle class is super blue chippy, but it’s solid and relatively deep. 

Edited November 25, 2023 by KDawg

[method man]

2 minutes ago, clskinsfan said:

Curious which games you watched? I would like to watch that tape. Because the tape I watched (Tennessee and LSU) he was dominant. He is definitely a better pass blocker than run blocker though. I agree with you on that. It will be interesting to see how he runs. Because he is so big he looks like he is slow. But if you watch the timing with the rest of the line his movement is beautiful. I just saw Kdawg has him at #5. I have him #2 behind Fashanu. He is a RT only though. So he will fall a little bit. And another thing about Fashanu. I am a PSU fan. I watch every single game. And while Fashanu is a great player he is not without flaws either. His pass blocking is elite. His run blocking is far from it. 

This is why I am not super excited about Fashanu. If I am drafting a top 10 guy, I want an elite guy and I don’t think Fashanu is it due to the average run blocking 

[Going Commando]

7 minutes ago, KDawg said:

Olu isn’t without flaws as well. I don’t think the tackle class is super blue chippy, but it’s solid and relatively deep. 

 

That's my feeling so far too.  A lot better than last year, but the top end guys don't have ceilings that blow away last year's top end guys.  Olu has been the only one I've seen so far where the ceiling feels high, but his tape is kind of meh.  Kind of lackadaisical, and he isn't just a locked in dominating college OL.  The rest have looked like high floor low ceiling types who feel much more appropriate in the back half of the first or the early second.

 

These guys are kind of a long way off of looking as good as Penei Sewell and Rashawn Slater did.  Or Andrew Thomas.  Those are my standard for what a blue chip top ten lock OT's film should look like.