2024 Comprehensive Draft Thread

[Skinsinparadise]

6 minutes ago, method man said:

You may have answered your own question. Daniels is the bigger project despite being 2 years older and a ton more starts later. A very important point here is that Maye processes faster than Daniels

 

I talked about Maye's processing when I did my longish take on him a couple of weeks ago.  He gets rid of the ball fast.  The pro ready component to him to my eyes is that he goes through his progressions quickly and the ball is out fast.

 

There are 2 reasons though why for me its not a no brainer as to him versus Daniels in my book.  Maye's accuracy can be erratic.  And he seems a bit clunky in the pocket when pressured.  

 

I know both Daniels and Maye have a high conversion rate of pressure to sacks.  But Daniels has more of those Spiderman moments escaping pressure than I've seen when watching Maye.

 

But I can be talked into either one.  For this franchise specifically, Maye feels like the safer pick considering IMO he has the highest floor and less likely to get hurt -- considering the ugly history for this franchise at QB. 

Edited December 25, 2023 by Skinsinparadise

[DazedSkinsfan]

1 minute ago, Skinsinparadise said:

  I am surprised PFF doesn't take more of a bow on Purdy.  They were higher on Purdy than most. 

I've been thinking about what has been the biggest impact with Purdy's success to this point. Is he that hidden Brady like gem that everyone missed on, or is he just the beneficiary of a really talented team and excellent coaching?? Obviously he wouldn't have that same success here and at a bunch of other places.  Not just Purdy but other QBs also such as Hurts, Goff and even Dak to an extent. If we can hit a homerun with our front office and coaching staff,  and build this roster up then we can win a lot of games with a second tier QB.......  Speaking of Goff, I can't remember where he was drafted,  I'm thinking it was pretty high?? 

[method man]

9 minutes ago, DazedSkinsfan said:

I've been thinking about what has been the biggest impact with Purdy's success to this point. Is he that hidden Brady like gem that everyone missed on, or is he just the beneficiary of a really talented team and excellent coaching?? Obviously he wouldn't have that same success here and at a bunch of other places.  Not just Purdy but other QBs also such as Hurts, Goff and even Dak to an extent. If we can hit a homerun with our front office and coaching staff,  and build this roster up then we can win a lot of games with a second tier QB.......  Speaking of Goff, I can't remember where he was drafted,  I'm thinking it was pretty high?? 

Goff was a #1 overall pick

[DazedSkinsfan]

3 minutes ago, method man said:

Goff was a #1 overall pick

Yep,  I just checked,  I don't know why I couldn't remember that, and it wasn't that long ago either.  It's hell getting old lol 

[KDawg]

39 minutes ago, DazedSkinsfan said:

I've been thinking about what has been the biggest impact with Purdy's success to this point. Is he that hidden Brady like gem that everyone missed on, or is he just the beneficiary of a really talented team and excellent coaching?? Obviously he wouldn't have that same success here and at a bunch of other places.  Not just Purdy but other QBs also such as Hurts, Goff and even Dak to an extent. If we can hit a homerun with our front office and coaching staff,  and build this roster up then we can win a lot of games with a second tier QB.......  Speaking of Goff, I can't remember where he was drafted,  I'm thinking it was pretty high?? 

Absolutely part of Purdy’s success is where he landed. It’s 100% part of the soup. He does exactly what Shanahan requires his QBs to do. More so than even Lance characteristics wise. 
 

I’m not sure Purdy can replicate his success elsewhere. But that doesn’t necessarily make him a “system QB” (all QBs are system QBs, by the way. Very few could do literally everything… Lamar Jackson running the Colts Peyton Manning offense would be a disaster. Likewise, Peyton running a Lamar style offense would be a disaster).

 

Purdy just landed in the perfect spot to showcase what he’s good at. I don’t think he was under drafted, persay. His skill set doesn’t carry to some of the NFL systems.

 

This is part of the reason when people say, “gee whiz, 32 teams passed on player A multiple times! There’s a reason for it!” I get annoyed. 
 

The reason is skill set/draft board and PERCEIVED value. I’m betting SF thought they could get him in a later round (maybe not the 7th) but they were worried about it so they went with Lance. 

[Koolblue13]

I think Daniels goes 2

[RWJ]

2 hours ago, Skinsinparadise said:

 

I talked about Maye's processing when I did my longish take on him a couple of weeks ago.  He gets rid of the ball fast.  The pro ready component to him to my eyes is that he goes through his progressions quickly and the ball is out fast.

 

There are 2 reasons though why for me its not a no brainer as to him versus Daniels in my book.  Maye's accuracy can be erratic.  And he seems a bit clunky in the pocket when pressured.  

 

I know both Daniels and Maye have a high conversion rate of pressure to sacks.  But Daniels has more of those Spiderman moments escaping pressure than I've seen when watching Maye.

 

But I can be talked into either one.  For this franchise specifically, Maye feels like the safer pick considering IMO he has the highest floor and less likely to get hurt -- considering the ugly history for this franchise at QB. 

The special gifts that Daniels has as you've compared to Lamar Jackson 2.0 do it or me.  He can be coached the rest of the other stuff but you can't coach the abilities he has.  Ultimately, it will be up to the GM and HC coming into trust and agreement with each other and hopefully no input by Harris which allows the GM to do his job.  

[dyst]

Not much of a college guy but Caleb looks fine in his YouTube highlights for what it’s worth and so does Daniel’s. Not like it matters since many guys look good in YouTube clips.

 

We probably don’t have a shot at Williams. If Daniels can be good, he’s the type of guy who can reignite this homebase due to his playmaking ability. 
 

I hear Maye is the potential best. He looks boring on tape but maybe that’s what is needed. Not sure.

Edited December 25, 2023 by dyst

[Koolblue13]

I know this is random and doesn't belong here, but I'm watching Nye Bye Barry. We are the ones who knocked them out every year, but Barru was the Jordan of football. 

 

Now we hav it totally devalued and th way Mike Shanny hit RBs Kyle hits QBs. Riggos sstory is great, but I'm so grat5eful to grow up with Barry.

[Captain Wiggles]

4 minutes ago, Koolblue13 said:

I know this is random and doesn't belong here, but I'm watching Nye Bye Barry. We are the ones who knocked them out every year, but Barru was the Jordan of football. 

 

Now we hav it totally devalued and th way Mike Shanny hit RBs Kyle hits QBs. Riggos sstory is great, but I'm so grat5eful to grow up with Barry.

 

I read this in Foster Brooks voice. 🥴

 

[Anselmheifer]

5 hours ago, Koolblue13 said:

I think Daniels goes 2

I agree with this. I don’t think the top of the qb board is as settled as people make it out to be. Some teams reportedly have Maye as QB1. I could even see Williams not going 1st if he doesn’t do well in the pre draft process. Not likely, but possible. I could see a lot of teams preferring Daniel’s over Maye.

[FlyBigBeard]

What about Bo Nix? Trade down and take him. Passes the eye test and the numbers don't lie. 4,145 yards (77.2%, 9.5 YPA), 40 touchdowns, and three interceptions, scoring six times on the ground.

[Koolblue13]

19 minutes ago, Anselmheifer said:

I agree with this. I don’t think the top of the qb board is as settled as people make it out to be. Some teams reportedly have Maye as QB1. I could even see Williams not going 1st if he doesn’t do well in the pre draft process. Not likely, but possible. I could see a lot of teams preferring Daniel’s over Maye.

I don't like William and I'm meh on Maye, Daniels, maybe JJ are the QBs I like which is odd for me. I also think the Cards go QB.

[Sacks 'n' Stuff]

1 hour ago, Koolblue13 said:

I know this is random and doesn't belong here, but I'm watching Nye Bye Barry. We are the ones who knocked them out every year, but Barru was the Jordan of football. 

 

Now we hav it totally devalued and th way Mike Shanny hit RBs Kyle hits QBs. Riggos sstory is great, but I'm so grat5eful to grow up with Barry.

You been celebrating today?

[Dark Acre]

7 minutes ago, Sacks 'n' Stuff said:

You been celebrating today?

Not sure I'd call that celebrating.  Cry for help?

[Dexter]

On 12/21/2023 at 2:03 PM, WEARE1554 said:

You gotta go LT in the first.  Fashanu is an absolute stud.  Build the line, still think Howell can be the guy for years to come

I really wish Howell was the answer but Jacoby isn't doing Howell any favors by executing the offense light years ahead of Howell.  But this is the draft to get a QB like last year was the draft to get a TE.  Hard to carry 3 Qb's...but I think we draft a guy and let the rookie compete.  If a rookie QB is BPA then go for it...if not, draft a Spencer Rattler or Bo Nix in the second and hope that we strike gold in this very deep class.

 

Regardless, we need to take best player available.  Free agency will have options.  I would be looking at Trent Brown and/or Mekhi Becton to fill the void for our Oline.  

 

But this team needs athletes and blue chip players.  Most talented player in the draft is Marvin Harrison....after that it's Caleb Williams.  If I cannot get those two then I would trade back and play the lottery by gathering picks and hoping you hit on a few of them.

[Skinsinparadise]

17 hours ago, RWJ said:

The special gifts that Daniels has as you've compared to Lamar Jackson 2.0 do it or me.  He can be coached the rest of the other stuff but you can't coach the abilities he has.  Ultimately, it will be up to the GM and HC coming into trust and agreement with each other and hopefully no input by Harris which allows the GM to do his job.  

 

I rewatched 3 of his games this morning, to try to make me feel better about this team's season.

 

His best games among the ones I watched were against UF and Ole Miss -- Ole Miss until the last 5 minutes of that game.

 

For me on Daniels, IMO you absolutely have to play him somewhat like Lamar in order to maximize him in the NFL.  He's a special runner and decent passer.   He's not easy to judge as a passer IMO because his throws were rarely tight windows. 

 

He will throw from the pocket and is pass first in that context.  But if flushed out of the pocket he typically runs, per the stat below backs up.

 

I am intrigued by Daniels.   I don't see him though as a no brainer pick.  More digesting needed IMO.  Senior Bowl, combine-interviews should help digesting.

 

Edit:  per the MMQ article I posted a few posts below.  I agree with the point that you got to build around his skills.  If they think they can build it around his mobility I am in.  I don't think Daniels is the dude if they idea is to use his legs on occasion.  IMO it has to be a key part of his game.

 

 

 

Edited December 26, 2023 by Skinsinparadise

[DWinzit]

5 hours ago, Dexter said:

I really wish Howell was the answer but Jacoby isn't doing Howell any favors by executing the offense light years ahead of Howell.  But this is the draft to get a QB like last year was the draft to get a TE.  Hard to carry 3 Qb's...but I think we draft a guy and let the rookie compete.  If a rookie QB is BPA then go for it...if not, draft a Spencer Rattler or Bo Nix in the second and hope that we strike gold in this very deep class.

 

Regardless, we need to take best player available.  Free agency will have options.  I would be looking at Trent Brown and/or Mekhi Becton to fill the void for our Oline.  

 

But this team needs athletes and blue chip players.  Most talented player in the draft is Marvin Harrison....after that it's Caleb Williams.  If I cannot get those two then I would trade back and play the lottery by gathering picks and hoping you hit on a few of them.

Yeah how the knew regime attacks FA is going to be thee guideline for what is needed in the draft. It is tough with every position on the team needing addressing other than maybe DT. Ron's culture change has left the cart almost empty. Fortunately we still have all the draft picks and plus the ones from the trades. No matter what we need at least 3 starting OL with few options in FA along with the O needing so much more. After the second day of last years draft I thought our D was in great shape other than LB. Now, our D needs help all over.

[Skinsinparadise]

I liked Dotson but I definitely preferred Hamilton at the time.  Hamilton has been a stud

 

 

 

[Skinsinparadise]

 

I’ve said it a few different places, and I’ll say it here now—don’t sleep on Jayden Daniels. LSU’s Heisman winner, a veteran of 55 college starts at two schools, was probably considered a Day 3 pick three months ago. Now, I don’t know whether I’d call him a lock to go in the top 10, but I certainly wouldn’t bet against him landing in that range, or higher.

And that was only cemented Sunday morning, when I texted a handful of high-level scouts to get their take on the 23-year-old veteran of five college seasons.

The premise was one I got from one of the ace producers over at NBC Sports Boston. He wanted to know, for our pregame show, whether Daniels had a chance, in the eyes of NFL teams, to catch North Carolina’s Drake Maye as the second quarterback in the draft class of 2024. For a while now the presumption has been that USC’s Caleb Williams would be the first pick in the draft, and Maye would go second. Has Daniels shaken that up?

Depends who you ask.

“It might be going in the opposite direction,” one AFC exec texted me. “Jayden is pulling away from Drake for me. … He makes every throw, his deep accuracy is rare, he’s explosive as a runner but is a pocket passer. 

 

 

...Another AFC exec agreed that there’s “not much“ separation between the two, though they’re “different types of players.” And an NFC exec agreed that the gap is “not big anymore. Jayden’s going to have to go to a team that will build around his skill set, like [Anthony] Richardson with the Colts. But he’s gonna go early.”

One AFC scout dissented from that sentiment, texting, “I think Drake has a Pro Bowl ceiling. His floor is Dak [Prescott, before this MVP month] and his ceiling is [Justin] Herbert. I had Jayden as a quality backup with the ceiling of a system starter, more in-line with the Jimmy [Garoppolo] or Kirk Cousins range. … I like him, his athleticism adds value. I just didn’t love him as a passer.”

Of course, we’ll all know more a few months from now, after these teams get to dig in some more and really get to learn about these kids. But already, the quarterback class looks like it’s strong at the top, has some depth, and should be a really fun one for all of us to dig into.

[Koolblue13]

 

11 hours ago, Sacks 'n' Stuff said:

You been celebrating today?

Absolutely, but typing at all is really tough with one eye. (Detached retina, waiting surgery)

 

but.......

[RWJ]

1 hour ago, Skinsinparadise said:

 

I rewatched 3 of his games this morning, to try to make me feel better about this team's season.

 

His best games among the ones I watched were against UF and Ole Miss -- Ole Miss until the last 5 minutes of that game.

 

For me on Daniels, IMO you absolutely have to play him somewhat like Lamar in order to maximize him in the NFL.  He's a special runner and decent passer.   He's not easy to judge as a passer IMO because his throws were rarely tight windows. 

 

He will throw from the pocket and is pass first in that context.  But if flushed out of the pocket he typically runs, per the stat below backs up.

 

I am intrigued by Daniels.   I don't see him though as a no brainer pick.  More digesting needed IMO.  Senior Bowl, combine-interviews should help digesting.

 

Edit:  per the MMQ article I posted a few posts below.  I agree with the point that you got to build around his skills.  If they think they can build it around his mobility I am in.  I don't think Daniels is the dude if they idea is to use his legs on occasion.  IMO it has to be a key part of his game.

 

Ouch!  Nice find, SIP.  He definitely needs to be coached up and I think I mentioned that in a post or two back.  If not, he definitely does and the team that drafts him needs to build around his strength. You can't teach what he has so IF he can be coached up and I think he can (i.e., as you have mentioned many times, Lamar Jackson 2.0), I think he can be special and I agree with seeing how he does at the SB and combine and Pro Day.  Right now, he's still the guy I take with our 1st pick.  

Edited December 26, 2023 by RWJ

[RWJ]

57 minutes ago, Skinsinparadise said:

I liked Dotson but I definitely preferred Hamilton at the time.  Hamilton has been a stud

 

 

This is why Mayhew and the rest of the FO should move on.  If Harris doesn't hire a new GM (and he could fire/release Mayhew and the rest now), I think most fans will be disappointed.  Hopefully, he does the right thing and think he will.  

[Skinsinparadise]

1 hour ago, RWJ said:

This is why Mayhew and the rest of the FO should move on.  If Harris doesn't hire a new GM (and he could fire/release Mayhew and the rest now), I think most fans will be disappointed.  Hopefully, he does the right thing and think he will.  

 

I'd be shocked if they aren't let go.

 

Looking at your draft list reminds me to watch Brevyn Spann-Ford's tape from this year.  I liked what I saw last year when I thought he was enterting that draft but I read he wasn't as good this season. 

[Skinsinparadise]

Matt Miller

 

Quarterback (3)

 

Caleb Williams, USC (No. 1)

Comp: Aaron Rodgers

The top overall player in the 2024 draft class, Williams combines excellent arm strength, mobility and field vision with a knack for making creative plays when defenses close in on the pocket. At 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, he is responsible for 93 touchdowns over the past two seasons at USC (72 passing, 21 rushing).

Sure, he will need to clean up the fumbles (eight in 2023) and get the ball out faster (3.14 seconds to throw on average), but the NFL-style playmaking and jaw-dropping passing ability has scouts calling him a rare prospect. What he's able to do on second-effort plays is impressive, and Williams would have been my top-rated quarterback in each of the past five draft classes. He looks like a lock to go No. 1 right now.

---

 

Drake Maye, North Carolina (No. 7)

Comp: Justin Herbert

Former NFL quarterback Chris Simms used to tell me "size is a trait," and if you subscribe to that philosophy, you'll love the 6-foot-4, 230-pound redshirt sophomore from North Carolina. Maye is poised in the pocket but also mobile when necessary, and he has proven the past two seasons that he's capable of putting a team on his back with awesome arm talent and the toughness to pick up difficult yards as a runner. He has to work on footwork mechanics and cut down on interceptions -- he threw 16 in the past two years combined -- but there is a lot to like in his game. Maye threw for 3,608 yards and 24 touchdown passes this season.

---

Jayden Daniels, LSU (No. 😎

Comp: Lamar Jackson

The Heisman Trophy winner was the most improved player in college football in 2023. He entered the season with a Day 3 grade from NFL scouts but put together a 50-touchdown campaign (40 passing, 10 rushing) with just four interceptions. Daniels is not only the draft's best deep-ball thrower -- he had a 99.6 QBR targeting vertical routes -- he's also the most dangerous runner among the quarterbacks. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder had 3,812 passing yards and 1,134 rushing yards this season. With a strong pre-draft process, QB2 status is not out of the question.

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/draft2024/insider/story/_/id/39163371/2024-nfl-draft-board-prospects-first-round-grades-comps