It would be nice if he got his poop in a group. I remember thinking we got the steal of last years draft.
And glad to know our GM "probably" won't go reach for some mid 3rd rounder here instead of taking obvious choices
LOL, yep, we wouldn't even be picking today if TD was still here. He'd have already traded away our 3rd to move up to 29 to take the guy project to go mid/late 2nd.
I’d rather ride the lightning with Trask as the backup but if Matt got hurt and we wanted to tank, Mills and Mond would be great for that
If we want Mills or Trask, we have to grab them tonight. Neither of them are rumored to slip into the fourth round. Not sure about Mond. But Tony Pauline from PFN is saying Mills and Trask are expected to go round two.
I've been wondering why he wasn't in the conversation of elite QBs to draft this year given his athleticism.
We aren’t going to be good until we can shed TD’s dumb contracts, so just load up good talent next few drafts.
Nah but then I think that would be more of a day 3 /undrafted free agent thing to get a training camp arm in
I read an article where one source said Jimbo ruined him. Another source said you could tell how well coached he was. Same article.
Yes.. QB coach no 2: He needs to be more of an athlete. Jimbo (Fisher) just coached him to death, and he was just trying to be perfect. In warm-ups, he was worried about his mechanics right before the game. WR Coach No. 3: You can tell the effect Jimbo had on him in a good way.
Here is the athletic article that bakonole shared: Spoiler Life on video calls has created some odd dynamics in the NFL draft evaluation business. Such was the case with one gifted but very inconsistent player whose mother said she didn’t want him to interview with a team, according to one coaching source. “She said, ‘I’ll do his talking for him.’ We were like, ‘Recruiting’s over. In the NFL, we pick you. You don’t pick us.’” In a similarly awkward moment, one wideout asked a team during his interview, “Is this gonna be over soon? I have an appointment.” A red flag? Perhaps, but that coach said he’s aware this is a trying, and unprecedented, moment for NFL prospects juggling the demands on their time from scouts, agents, coaches, general managers and family members. “These guys were overwhelmed,” he said. “Yeah, it’s a job interview, but if you have 100 people calling you all at one time and on top of that they’re all trying to prep for their pro day, you get it.” Yet as prospects and team personnel alike navigate the new post-pandemic draft process, some common themes have emerged. There might be four quarterbacks taken in the top five. Everyone is raving about a few stud receivers, including a tight end prospect who appears to be the most gifted the league has seen in years — or ever. Meanwhile, it appears to be a terrible draft for defensive linemen and seems pretty shaky overall in difference-makers on that side of the ball. Over the past month, The Athletic has spoken to two dozen NFL coaches and scouts to get a sense of who and what is catching their eyes. Is Trevor Lawrence clearly the best quarterback and the first overall pick? QB Coach 1: He’s the no-brainer top guy. I was trying to be critical and not just go with the flow, but the more you study him and the other guys, he’s the best by a wide margin. What does he not do well? I had (Joe) Burrow as a better prospect. His film was insane. (LSU) had empty protection and was putting a lot on Joe. Trevor’s offense at Clemson is smart and safe. He’s 6 feet 6 and he’ll be 225-230 pounds. I’m not worried about his weight now because he has a torn labrum (in his left, non-throwing shoulder), and he can’t keep weight on because of that. He’s really athletic — you’re not running away from guys at Ohio State if you’re not fast. He can anticipate and (he) throws with touch. He’s mature, and I was really impressed with his character. QB Coach 2: He checks all the boxes. He’s a very good athlete; he’s got a good arm; I don’t think it’s an elite arm but (he) can make all the throws; smart kid; proven winner; what else do you bet on? Is the guy gonna be able to learn a pro system? In my mind, there’s no doubt. Seemingly every year now a quarterback who was off of the draft radar has a breakthrough season and emerges as a first-round prospect. This year, Zach Wilson is that guy, and there are a lot of rumblings he will become the No. 2 pick of the draft to the Jets. What do you think of him? QB Coach 2: I definitely have concerns about the level of competition. This guy goes from just being a guy in 2019, and now all of a sudden he’s being talked about as a top-5 pick? It happens, but he’s not playing against an SEC defensive front or a Pac-12 or Big 12 front. A lot of his throws are space throws. You don’t see him in a tight pocket a lot of times, and our league is a tight-pocket league. He’s not the biggest guy, but he has an arm — he can really rip it. I love the talent but there’s a lot of risk there to me. QB Coach 3: Some of the stuff he does is jaw-dropping. You’re watching him and going, ‘Don’t throw it! Don’t throw it!’ But then he does and makes the play. He’s crazy on the field with his decisions. He has that snap release; he’s really accurate, especially making those off-balance throws. It’s like he can just flick it 55-60 yards. QB Coach 1: The good with Zach Wilson is really good, but the bad can be really, really bad. And when he goes to a bad team like the Jets and he’s trying to win games, those are big concerns. To me he’s kinda like Patrick Mahomes coming out of college. People think now about Mahomes as the Super Bowl-winning quarterback and how great he is now, but coming out of Texas Tech, he was not this surefire guy. He was uber-talented arm-wise, and he does a lot of stuff that is really sexy now, but he threw a lot of bad picks, and his decision-making, I thought, was really inconsistent. With Wilson, you see a lot of, ‘Why would you even try that?’ When he gets to the NFL he’s got to retool his game, and you’re gonna have to let him learn what he can throw and can’t throw, but unlike Mahomes, Zach won’t have Andy Reid to coach him and a year behind Alex Smith to learn from. I could see Zach being a Pro Bowl QB quickly like (Justin) Herbert or I could see him being like Drew Lock. If I had to bet money, I’d bet it doesn’t work out for him with the Jets. Zach playing right away in that market with his play style — woof — that’d make me really nervous. And unlike Trey (Lance) and Justin (Fields), at least they’re 6-4, 230 and can run. So if he starts shitting the bed, we can get out of the game running the ball like Josh Allen did as a rookie in Buffalo. I expected him to be Drew Lock-ish (in his interview); I did not get that vibe. He was great; smart. He knows we’re not gonna take him and he could’ve been a total dick and that it probably wouldn’t have hurt him, but he wasn’t. He knew his offense; we put on bad clips and he took ownership, all of that. Who has the best arm of this QB class? Most say Trey Lance, but there’s concern about his small sample size. QB Coach 1: He’s a tough evaluation. His maturity is A+. His football IQ is A+. He’s a team guy; very self-aware. He just needs to play more. He’s a little like Josh Allen coming out of Wyoming, where it could be rocky the first few years but you trust him. Trey needs a year or two. Josh took three. Josh had that amazing arm, it’s like him Mahomes and (Aaron) Rodgers have the biggest arms in the league, but I do think Trey is a lot more refined coming out than Allen was. I think he’ll be fine even if he doesn’t reach his full potential. QB Coach 2: To me, he has the biggest upside of anyone in this draft. He played one game this year against FCS competition and was 50 percent and missed some throws. If you’re a first-round pick, you don’t miss that throw to a wide-open guy in the flat. He has tight upper body mechanics and some touch issues because he doesn’t separate well; he struggles to change arm angles some. From watching his pro day, I think he’s cleaned up a little bit. QB Coach 3: Lance is the upside guy. There may be some growing pains, but he has such a good arm and he’s big, athletic and also a tremendous leader and very smart. Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields (Robin Alam / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) What do you make of the criticism of Ohio State’s Justin Fields? QB Coach 2: He’s the one guy that for whatever reason people are taking shots at, whether they’re trying to get him pushed down the board, or who knows why; he’s the one that everyone wants to bully up on now. He didn’t play good against Northwestern; he played great against Clemson, and look at his ’19 season, he was phenomenal. He is a first-round talent. He is way more polished than Lance. When you hear people talking about how well he processes, you don’t see read progressions, where it’s bang-bang-bang. He’s also playing on a different level. You don’t know how much of that they’ve taught him. You think, give me a year with this guy and it’ll all come together because of his natural athleticism and ability. I love the guy, but if he has to play this year, that’s scary. QB Coach 1: I have him rated fifth (among the quarterbacks). He’s super efficient, very productive. He’s 230 pounds and runs a 4.4, but I’m not sure that he sees the field that well. … He’s better when he’s letting the game come to him. Don’t question his toughness. He played with two cracked ribs (against Clemson) and played like a week later. He’s tough as shit mentally and physically. Are you on the Mac Jones bandwagon? QB Coach 1: I am driving the bandwagon. I noticed something last year after Tua Tagovailoa got hurt and Mac went in and they stopped running RPOs and started calling dropback stuff, I was like, ‘Oh, they trust him.’ But he’s more than just that. I think he is the best thrower of the football by a lot. Zach Wilson is freaky; but he’s not hitting people in stride on time. Mac is processing. He’s accurate. He’s layering it. He has pinpoint accuracy and throws with anticipation. Those people who say all he did was throw to guys who were wide open and threw from a clean pocket, turn on the A&M, Georgia or the Michigan and Auburn games from last year where he got the shit beat out of him. He’s getting hit and he’s getting moved. People say he’s not athletic, but what are we talking about? Just because he looks bad without a T-shirt doesn’t mean he’s a bad athlete because he has baby fat. I love him. He was substantially better in the interviews than all of the other quarterbacks. QB Coach 2: In my mind, if I had to win right now, this year, he’s the most advanced quarterback of any of them. I think Trevor’s the best. I’m cosigning on him, but his system adjustment will be much bigger than Mac. Jones is gonna walk in Day One and just have to flip terminology because he’s gonna know pro football. He’s been coached by Sark (Steve Sarkisian). He understands run checks, understands moving protections — not that these others don’t, but he’s on a different level. The question is, are Mac Jones’ physical tools worthy of being a top-5 pick or even first-round? I don’t know that his physical abilities warrant that, but if you tell me that I have to win now, I think his physicals are good enough. How many guys in the history of football in 12 games against top college competition threw for 4,500 yards, throw 41 touchdowns and only four picks and completed 77 percent in a pro system? Some guys at pro days don’t do 77 percent on air. Why shouldn’t we be shocked if a sixth QB — Stanford’s Davis Mills, Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond, Florida’s Kyle Trask — is picked in the first round? QB Coach 1: Next year just looks really barren. … Right now, Sam Howell? Eh, I don’t know. (Kedon) Slovis? I don’t know. That might go into these teams taking a guy and sitting him because they don’t trust next year. I don’t know. QB Coach 2 on Davis Mills: He will know pro football when he walks right in the door. He’s a sneaky climber, but he’s only an 11-game starter. My thought is, “Why are you coming out now?” If he put a really good season on tape, he could be a first-rounder in 2022, but I realize Mac Jones only played 15, so how do you ding Davis Mills for that? QB Coach 1 on Kyle Trask: He’s big and he throws it well, but I don’t think he’s quick enough. He’s really slow-footed and doesn’t really anticipate. QB Coach 2 on Kellen Mond: If you give him time to develop, I think he can play. I like him. I was impressed with his interview. On film he’s kinda robotic. He needs to be more of an athlete. Jimbo (Fisher) just coached him to death, and he was just trying to be perfect. In warm-ups, he was worried about his mechanics right before the game. The biggest thing for me is that he started a ton of games; his completion percentage went up; his interceptions went way down; sacks went way down and that was all with his top four receivers being out. That was impressive, and he did it in the hardest division, in the hardest conference. I like his athleticism. He stands — and delivers — in the pocket maybe as good as anyone in this draft, but he’ll also stand in there and throw into coverage. He has good athleticism in the run game. Now there’s time where they’re covered and there’s escape lanes and you’re like, “Use your tools now!” and he doesn’t. WR Coach No. 3: You can tell the effect Jimbo had on him in a good way. He’s an intriguing guy. He’s very mature and is way more athletic than you think he is, and he’s a natural leader. Is Kyle Pitts the biggest no-brainer in the draft? QB Coach No. 1: Pitts is a unicorn. It’s rare to get a guy that freaky that size that didn’t flip to defensive end. It’s easier to rush the quarterback than play tight end. He’s (Raiders tight end) Darren Waller but a little more natural. He’s got great hand-eye coordination; great length. He didn’t have a drop last year. Only four of his catches didn’t go for a touchdown or first down. What I really love is he didn’t have to play last year and he still would be a top-10 pick, and that they’re down 20 vs Bama, and he’s playing his ass off, trying to get them back into it, and he does. That stuff spoke a lot. QB Coach No. 2: Aw, man, he is special. He has good character; he’s a tough kid. Everything he did at pro day, it was like, ‘Good God!’ That guy changes the game for your offense with how people have to play you. …This guy is more athletic and faster than (Travis) Kelce. This guy comes into the league and he’s gonna be way better than anybody else. WR Coach No. 3: He’s ridiculous, man. Holy crap. To be that big and that fast and that skilled — wow. Ja’Marr Chase is best in a top-heavy receiver class and would’ve gone first among WRs last year if he declared, too, per sources. QB Coach 1: I think it’s not close among these receivers. Chase is way better than the rest of them, and it’s a good class. He’s like a much faster Anquan Boldin. WR Coach No. 1: He plays much bigger than he is. I don’t know if it’s a knock, but I’m not sure his ball skills are elite, but he has so many other elite traits. He’s a grown man with the ball in his hands. He runs some out routes so smooth. He matches his lower body with his upper body, and that takes a long time. He’s really able to drop his hips. I love DeVonta Smith, but he’s 31 pounds lighter than Chase. WR Coach No. 2: Ja’Marr is super competitive and is so much stronger, so much more physical than the other top guys in this group. His pro day sealed it for me. I didn’t think he would run as fast as he did, but he was so smooth. He maximized that time off; a lot of these guys that opted out didn’t. But he’s definitely not a finished product. He doesn’t do a great job getting off press. He was playing X a lot. In this league, he ain’t gonna be able to muscle all these guys around like he did a lot of guys in the SEC. DeVonta Smith is 170 pounds: Do you see Marvin Harrison? How does Jaylen Waddle hold up with the top of the receiving corps? WR Coach No. 1: DeVonta has unbelievable hand-eye coordination and body control with elite ball skills. It’s so natural. He’s instinctual as shit. He feels it and he knows where the spots are. He’s gonna be a good player and be solid and will play every position. He studies; he loves it. I am concerned about him only being 170 pounds, though. It’s the world we live in, man. Big guys beat up little guys. When you take a shot from the side from these monsters, that’s when you get AC issues and collarbone issues. He’s tough as shit. He will bite your face off. He’s gonna try. He won’t back down, but is he gonna win the battle? Waddle is a game-changer. He’s way rawer than DeVonta. He’s absolutely explosive and elite with the ball in his hands. WR Coach No. 4: DeVonta’s faster than you think and he’s quicker than you think and he can really catch. With smaller guys you worry about how they’ll adjust to guys getting pushed off their spot and can they make a tough grab. If they do, then it lightens your concern about their size. He’s learned a lot of concepts because they’ve taught him a lot. He’s the best route runner in the draft. Sark had those guys running pro stuff. Waddle has similar burst to Tyreek Hill. He has that same type of explosion and movement. WR Coach No. 3: I love Smith, but he is so skinny — if you can get past the skinny, he’s a legit No. 1 receiver. This kid … whatever he wants to do, he does. They had him jump in at cornerback and they said he knew the defense as good as anybody on the team. I think Waddle is a faster version of Peter Warrick. He is so dynamic with the ball in his hands and is such a dangerous returner. I think he could be Devin Hester as a return guy. But he’s a better receiver than Hester. He was awesome in his interview. He really has an infectious personality. WR Coach No. 2: Waddle is different now. He’s like Tyreek Hill in a lot of ways. He’s so fast — he’s different fast. Henry Ruggs is really fast, but he was more of a straight-line guy. I think (Waddle) could play really any spot; he can play X, Z, slot, in the backfield.” Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman (Jesse Johnson / USA Today) Who rates, and who doesn’t, among the remaining wideouts MINNESOTA’S RASHOD BATEMAN WR Coach No. 1: He’s right there as a pure route runner with DeVonta. He’s smooth. I just wish he ran a little faster. WR Coach No. 2: He looked like a different guy this year. The ’19 Bateman was a lot better than the ’20 Bateman. He had concentration lapses. His routes were crisper in 2019; maybe some of that had to do with the new offense; he just wasn’t as polished. WR Coach No. 3: The 2020 tape doesn’t wow you, but with the 2019 tape, you see something else. Which one are you getting? I think he’s the biggest wild card in this group. LSU’S TERRACE MARSHALL WR Coach No. 2: You see him on film split guys at Mizzou and at Mississippi. State. He was also a lot thicker than I thought he’d be at pro day. He can bend; catch low balls and stay in stride. He made those young quarterbacks look a little better last year. FLORIDA’S KADARIUS TONEY WR Coach No. 1: They tell you his ball skills are phenomenal. I don’t know what to believe on that one. Are they good enough? Yes. I don’t know if he’s an every-down player. I worry about his whole focus. He will be on “SportsCenter” and the whole deal, and then it’ll be, “Where did he go?” WR Coach No. 3: I liked his personality. He’s got a little Marshawn Lynch quality where he knows who he is and he’s not gonna fake it. He’s talented but really is a one-year guy. PURDUE’S RONDALE MOORE WR Coach No. 1: I liked him a lot when he was young at Purdue in his first year. He’s game-changing fast, but his ball skills are fine, not great. He will struggle against a guy covering him, but his play speed is elite. WR Coach No. 3: He’s super short. Slot only, but he is so dynamic. He’s been hurt for two years in a row; can he handle 16 (now 17) games plus preseason? He’s smart with a businesslike approach, but you worry about the durability issues. Got a chance to be a steal if you can keep healthy. OLE MISS’ ELIJAH MOORE WR Coach No. 1: I liked him. He can do a lot of stuff. Is a good kid, tough. They really had no route tree there and were just going as fast as they can. He was impressive in interviews; really candid. Was mature. AUBURN’S SETH WILLIAMS WR Coach No. 3: There’s no doubt he’s talented, but there’s something missing there. WR Coach No. 5: He probably should be a first-round talent, but he’s so inconsistent. Has bad body language. When it’s going good, he’s making plays all over the place, but when it’s going bad, he won’t block; he gets just really casual. He will make some great catches but will drop some easy ones. And he played in an offense where it was just gos, hitches and slants, and that’s it. WR Coach No. 2: That system doesn’t help him. When he played (South Carolina) JayCee Horn gave it to him, but I kinda like him. His change of direction tests weren’t good, and that shows up on film and that makes some people leery, but with the contested balls he’s a lot like Mike Williams, and he is good after the catch. UNC’S DYAMI BROWN WR Coach No. 1: He’s got a long way to go. That offense that he played in is so different. I do think he can do it and make up for it, but it’s gonna take him some time. I also think he’s big enough to help you on special teams. WR Coach No. 3: He has inconsistent hands; but catches more deep balls than anybody. He gets on top of guys. He eats their cushion fast; he’s got subtleness to his routes. Everybody knows he’s going deep and he still gets by guys. I was hoping he’d be a little bigger. MICHIGAN’S NICO COLLINS WR Coach No. 2: His pro-day tests have me messed up because I didn’t not like his film. His pro day was good (clocking a 4.42 40 with a 37.5-inch vertical at 6 feet 4, 215 pounds). He doesn’t look or play explosive like that. It’s hard to find big men that move like that. WR Coach No. 3: He’s a freak but not consistent. There ain’t many big guys this year. If you need a big X, he’s gotta be in your talk; the big thing with him is he’s got to clean up his routes and sink his hips and be under control at the top of his routes. But you keep in mind that he didn’t play with a good quarterback. I don’t see him making it out of the second round. CLEMSON’S AMARI ROGERS WR Coach No. 2: I think he can actually play in the backfield. He has legit size. He’s a lot like (Saints running back) Ty Montgomery. He’s a north-south runner; very little wasted motion; I think his skills translate to the NFL game well. WR Coach No. 3: He was outstanding in our interview. He’s a coach’s kid so you’d expect him to do well, but he was off the charts. TENNESSEE’S JOSH PALMER WR Coach No. 1: He’s a big receiver who is starting to figure out how to use his body. He has pretty good awareness. He can feel where the DB is on him. He has the right makeup. He stayed in there and played through what was a pretty toxic situation and with really shaky quarterback play. WR Coach No. 3: He’s just a good player. You see him run a lot of the routes you’d see him run on Sunday, but he wasn’t really a dynamic workout guy. I think coaches probably like him more than personnel guys probably do. He’s beating press coverage and he does little things in his routes well that you notice; strong hands; high-points the ball. There’s a lot of stuff that you don’t have to teach because he already does it. WR Coach No. 2: He gave it to (Alabama’s Patrick) Surtain. I think he’s gonna be a better pro than he was in college. He played in a program that was really hurting at quarterback. He doesn’t wow you with anything, but he’s just really good at everything. Why is Penn State’s Micah Parsons the No. 1 linebacker? Defensive Coach No. 2: I think his upside is to be the best linebacker in the league. He’s special. He has some immaturity, but if he goes to a place that’s on him every day, he can be great. He needs a coach on his ass. I do think he’s a good kid and wants to be a great player. He can do everything at that size; he’s way bigger than Devin White. He’s huge. This guy is 15 pounds bigger than Roquan (Smith). He’s built more like Bobby Wagner. He’s so explosive. Defensive Coach No. 3: If he gets in the system and plays next to the right guy who is running the show, he can be special. It’s not just making plays — he makes plays that impact the score. Scout No. 1: There’s some high maintenance there. You watched him play and there was so much freelance. He’s such a freak athlete and they just let him run around and make plays. In the box, he’ll run underneath blocks. He likes to guess and makes plays. He’s gonna run and try to make every play. You wonder, will he study the games? There has been a lot of talk about the defensive side of the ball for this draft and how it doesn’t measure up to the prospects on offense. Are those concerns warranted? MIAMI EDGE RUSHER JAELAN PHILLIPS Defensive Coach No. 1: He reminds me a lot of Bradley Chubb. He doesn’t play the run as good as Chubb but rushes the passer as well. Phillips is a freaky athlete and I think he could be 280 tomorrow. Did well in his interviews. He was not bashful; I thought he was mature; sounded like he’s figured it out. He didn’t shy away from the questions people have about him. He attacked it all head-on. PENN STATE EDGE RUSHER JAYSON OWEH Defensive Coach No. 1: You just don’t find defensive ends who can run a 4.35. He is such a freak athlete. I know he didn’t have any sacks last year, but he was still really disruptive. He does things that don’t show up on the stat sheet. You watch their Indiana game, and he hit the quarterback like 10 times. He’s not soft. I think he’s way better than Yetur Gross-Matos (who went to Carolina at No. 38 last year). He’s got a way higher ceiling. Defensive Coach No. 2: I was at the pro day. He is a freak. The measurables are so good. His get-off is so good, and he is so fast going straight ahead. He’s a tough eval, but when you watched him do the linebacker drills, he was really stiff. I think he’s a 4-3 end; I didn’t think he could be a 3-4 outside linebacker. I don’t think he’s flexible. He is very tight-hipped. …He could become a 15-sack guy or he could just as easily be out of the league in three years. GEORGIA EDGE RUSHER AZEEZ OJULARI Defensive Coach No. 3: He’s gonna be a good player. He’s long, rangy, athletic, but kinda raw. He’s a good all-around player; but not a freak pass rusher or special athlete in coverage. To me, he’s a pro-style 3-4 outside linebacker. Scout No. 2: He’s got some moves and he’s been well-coached. I think he’s a little stiff. He doesn’t have the upside of Phillips. MIAMI DL GREG ROUSSEAU Defensive Coach No. 1: He has a lot further way to go than Phillips. This kid is really raw. But he’s so long, and you just can’t find those guys with his kind of length and frame, and he ran mid-4.6s at his pro day, which was really impressive. He is like (Ravens defensive end) Calais Campbell. In a couple years, he could be really special. Scout No. 2: They moved him around in 2019 and he made a lot of plays. He plays too high and you know how raw he is, but everyone there raves about the kid. MICHIGAN EDGE RUSHER KWITY PAYE Defensive Coach No. 1: He’s a very good athlete, but I thought he plays kinda small; not physical. Scout No. 2: Paye is very explosive and has crazy workout numbers, but he’s still pretty raw and figuring things out. ALABAMA DEFENSIVE TACKLE CHRISTIAN BARMORE Scout No. 1: He’s a little stiff. He’s not another Quinnen Williams, but he can be disruptive and he has some upside. He will get over-drafted because it’s such a bad year for interior linemen. TULSA LINEBACKER ZAVEN COLLINS Defensive Coach No. 2: He has some freaky stuff to him, but he has to be in a particular scheme like Philly, Indy, Minnesota or Dallas where he can stack and run and hit; he’s not the most physical guy. I know people compare him to Anthony Barr, but I think Barr was more fluid. You watch his film and he’s good in coverage, but I’m not sure how it’s gonna translate to our level. He’s so big; I’d be nervous if he’s out there one-on-one with (Christian) McCaffrey or a Tarik Cohen or someone like that. He plays high; not a thumper. He can chase plays down. I think his instincts are pretty good. Defensive Coach No. 3: I like him a lot, but what are you looking for? Is he an outside linebacker? You can’t teach 6-4, 260 and moves like that. I think he’s an Anthony Barr-type player, but you better have a clear-cut vision for him. At 6-4 trying to play inside linebacker, it will be hard to get his pads down, and he’s not gonna run around people like he’s in Conference USA. The way the league’s going now, the best middle linebackers, Devin White, Roquan Smith, Devin Bush, Pat Queen, Lavonte David, are all like 6 feet or shorter, and it’s such a space game now. NOTRE DAME LINEBACKER JEREMIAH OWUSU-KORAMOAH Defensive Coach No. 3: I fucking love that guy. He’s an explosive athlete. You put on the film and he’s played nickel and he’s going after the football every time he makes a tackle. I think he’s more ready to play linebacker in the NFL than Isaiah Simmons was, but I think Arizona fell into that trap; asking him to do five, six, seven things before he gets good at one thing. I think even if this guy is only a cover guy, he’s gonna be so impactful as a coverage LB, and he’s gonna be a demon on special teams. Defensive Coach No. 2: He moves like a good DB. Some teams will have him rated ahead of Parsons. He’s a specialty player. He’s a freak with his transitions and he’s physical. He’s a heat-seeking missile. MIZZOU LINEBACKER NICK BOLTON Defensive Coach No. 2: Special kid. Loved him in the interview. He reminds me of Danny Trevathan or Eric Kendricks. He’s a good solid player with a good nose for the ball and excellent football intangibles. He’s an alpha dog. He’ll get everybody lined up. There’s two or three linebackers in this draft that I think have off-the-charts football character: Bolton, (Ohio State’s) Pete Werner and (Georgia’s) Monty Rice. Werner doesn’t have great thump, but he’s as safe a pick as you can get. He’s good at everything, not great at anything. He will have a long career. He has an unbelievable football IQ. LSU LINEBACKER JABRIL COX Defensive Coach No. 2: He has elite coverage ability, he’s dynamic, he’s just not very physical. I think he’s a specialty player. Before he got to LSU, he was so much better than everyone when he was at NDSU. He might just be a third-down player where all you’re gonna do is cover tight ends and backs, and he’ll be great at that. Defensive Coach No. 3: When you watch the Texas A&M film and he’s locked on a guy, he embarrassed that guy. It looked like there was a cornerback covering him; that’s how good that guy was. It’s hard for me to say he can be an every-down and can hold up against the run, though. KENTUCKY LINEBACKER JAMIN DAVIS Scout No. 2: He’s a big-time freak with lots of length and explosiveness. How many other linebackers at 6-4 could stick with Kyle Pitts? Davis can because it’s on film. Both parents are military and you love how he stuck to (Kentucky’s) plan to develop and go from being such a project to a player. Defensive Coach No. 2: His film is really good. This kid is a freak. I do wonder a little about his personality and how he’ll handle all of the communication to run a defense. You’re looking for alphas in that position. ALABAMA LINEBACKER DYLAN MOSES Scout No. 1: He’s off the board for us medically. You worry that he’s pretty tapped out physically. I think he put so much pressure on himself because he was crowned so early. He got hurt (early in his career at Alabama) and he doesn’t play as fast or as physical. It’s kinda sad. He’s a good young man and he’s got some good traits. OREGON SAFETY JEVON HOLLAND Scout No. 1: I think he’s the best pure safety in the draft. SOUTH CAROLINA DEFENSIVE BACK JAYCEE HORN Scout No. 2: He’s a badass. He’s got great quickness. He loves to get physical. He’ll get too handsy, but I love how competitive he is. He’s the most talented corner in this class. ALABAMA DEFENSIVE BACK PATRICK SURTAIN Scout No. 1: I love his intangibles. He’s wired as good as any DB. He’s a good technician. He has better ball skills than Marlon Humphrey but isn’t as good in press or as good a tackler. Alabama running back Najee Harris (Ronald Martinez / Getty Images) THE BEST OF THE REST Scout No. 1 on Oregon OL Penei Sewell: I think (Giants No. 4 overall pick in 2020) Andrew Thomas was better; Jedrick Wills (No. 10 to the Browns in 2020) was too. Sewell does not have great length. He can play everywhere but center and might be able to do that too. I think he can be an elite guard, not a great tackle. Scout No. 2 on Northwestern OL Rashawn Slater: He has terrific feet. He’s good with his hands. I think he’s the most technically sound of the O-linemen. He doesn’t have the same physicality of Sewell, but I think he’s probably a safer pick and is more polished at this point. Scout No. 1 on Alabama RB Najee Harris: He is a true three-down back. He has elite bend and elite hands. No running backs are great in protection, but he’s solid. He’s a smart kid but he overanalyzes things. He will train three times a day if you let him; he just needs to settle down. QB Coach No. 1 on Texas QB Sam Ehlinger: He was great in the interview. He has great intangibles, but he’s at 6-1, 220 and he only runs a 4.8, so he’s not fast enough or big enough to be a run-around guy, and he has a long motion and his ball comes undone and has inconsistent accuracy. He misses a lot of easy throws. Scout No. 1 on Houston edge rusher Payton Turner: I love him. This guy is so long-armed and he’s really smart. He had a really high Wonderlic score. WR Coach No. 3 on LSU’s Racey McMath: He could play eight to 10 years in the NFL on special teams. He’s that tough and good at it. He’s also a good enough wide receiver where if you needed to use him, you could. He actually has really good hands, but he’s just a little stiff, so winning against good corners is hard for him.
Would be good with any of the following in the 2nd Ojulari Kid from notre fame Barmore Dickerson Safety from tcu take mond tomorrow, and then defense the rest of the way
If we miss on Moehring, I’m ok passing on safety until round three and grab BPA of Richie Grant, Jevon Holland, and Jamar Johnson. how big of a need is an extra LB to run Pees’s multiple defense? Do we go with JOK or do we take best available pass rusher?
Yeah, I think it would. I took a look at the defensive depth chart for the first time in a while and threw up in my mouth a little. Since we're picking so early in 2 & 3 (where we'll have mid/late 1st or 2nd round graded players fall to us), we can realistically plug in 2 defensive starters. We already were fine with going BPA at #4 instead of QB and sticking with Ryan for 2-3 years. I don't think I'd be cool with sitting a QB who's even less likely to be the longterm answer for 2-3 years at the expense of a potential everyday starter on D.
Hopefully he never has to play, but like Tom Servo said, I'm at least happy that this means we likely won't be spending a pick today on QB and will be addressing areas of more pressing need
Perfect. It means we won’t draft a QB tonight. This front office is in win now mode rather than rebuild.
Going to have no idea whoever this guy we draft is, I maybe knew the first 12 guys drafted last night.
That seems decent. We have enough holes that 5 spots back won't kill us, and 100 picks up helps, especially with the extra 5/6s we have