04-26-2021, 05:21 AM
Now that it's draft week, thought I'd post an update. My only rules were no trades and couldn’t take anyone I took last time. Oh, and I also forced myself to take Chase. I realized that I kinda weaseled out of it last time. Time to put on my big boy pants and just deal with the inevitable. :p
So here we go…
5: Ja'Marr Chase
WR LSU
There he is. Put him outside the numbers and watch him run!
38: Creed Humphrey
IOL, Oklahoma
Full disclosure: Landon was available here too. I just felt we needed a sure thing. We’re already playing catch-up. That said, I’ve always liked Creed better anyway. Plays much bigger than he is, and his mean streak is sensational. Team captain for the past two years. Alert and vocal. Rarely gets outmatched or outwitted. Natural balance, owing to his wrestling background. He just looks like he’ll anchor somebody’s line for years… maybe ours.
69: Quincy Roche
Edge, Miami (Fla.)
With Q, I've always thought there's a good and a bad: at 6’2” 245 so he can’t overpower guys (bad). But his explosive first step allows him to capitalize on mistakes (good!). Classic edge opportunist. Speed rusher who plays with his head on a swivel and knows what he’s doing in the backfield. Great motor. Seems like a potential overachiever.
111: D'Ante Smith
OT, East Carolina
Love this dude. Looked awesome at the Senior Bowl. 6’5”, 305. Versatile, although he played all but one game at LT. 35” arms and he uses every inch of them. Former wrestler with a knack for leverage. Still a bit raw in the run game but quality pass pro. Very agile. High compete level. My OT6, actually.
149: Patrick Jones II
Edge, Pittsburgh
6’4”, 260. 17.5 sacks over the past two years. Looks a bit like a noodle out there: always around the ball, impossible to contain, relentless, but plays with wax on his hands and slides off tackles. Team captain who leads by example. I figure his weaknesses are just a matter of technique and he’ll sort them out once he gets his "hands" on pro coaches (pun intended). Bound to have a lengthy career.
190: Simi Fehoko
WR, Stanford
6’4, 220. Glides across the field (4.4 40). Standout physical skills (9.35 RAS), but he’s still learning how to use them. Not a natural pass-catcher but it’s not a question of talent- he just needs reps. He's learning on the fly and he looked more comfortable this year than last. Doesn’t break tackles (yet). Just a super kid. He’s already pretty good and will only get better. He'll excel on ST in the meantime.
(I'll post his vid in the next msg.)
202: Shakur Brown
CB, Michigan State
Surveys the field like a pro and has dynamite ball skills. Type of corner who plays one step ahead of the game (which helps because he has limited athleticism and a bit of a choppy stride lol). Not the smoothest, but quite possibly the smartest.
235: Josh Ball
OT, Marshall
Basically everyone to this point is either a captain and/or model citizen. Enter the 6’7” 308 Josh Ball. Florida State LT in 2017 before he got kicked out for (allegedly) beating his girlfriend. So yeah, one of those guys. Gifted athlete, tho. Fluid on the second level, plays with a controlled fury, and... well, he clearly knows what he’s doing on the football field. It’s just a question of his character. Strictly from a talent point of view, it doesn't get much better than this on Day 3.
(I'll post his vid in the next msg.)
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The Draft Network is a tough one. It has a lot of my targets ranked higher than other mocks, so it makes me feel like I’m picking from leftovers quite a bit. But I did my best.
Since we won’t be taking an OL in the first round, it really does put a wrench into things. Just needed to point that out! Yes it’s important to go “BPA” (if that’s what we'd even be doing here- which is another debate), but it's a bit of a paradox. By ignoring our most acute need in the first, we’re preventing ourselves from going BPA later- maybe even over multiple rounds. I know Zac and co. are planning for that, it's just important to keep it in mind.
I find the best template for our picks is really quite simple:
- 2 OL
- 2 WR
- 2 Edge
- 2 Wild Cards
Given the depth of the position groups and our needs, it just seems like the safest way to ensure value and a bit of margin for error. In this mock I spent my Wild Cards on Shakur Brown (CB) & Josh Ball (OT), but they needn't be held till to the end. There are tons of guys who may slip through the cracks and on whom we should be ready to pounce. Derrick Barnes (LB), Kenny Gainwell (RB) and Richie Grant (S) are just a few of the names that I'll be following.
Happy to hear your thoughts! How many guys did I screw up on?!
Cheers.
So here we go…
5: Ja'Marr Chase
WR LSU
There he is. Put him outside the numbers and watch him run!
38: Creed Humphrey
IOL, Oklahoma
Full disclosure: Landon was available here too. I just felt we needed a sure thing. We’re already playing catch-up. That said, I’ve always liked Creed better anyway. Plays much bigger than he is, and his mean streak is sensational. Team captain for the past two years. Alert and vocal. Rarely gets outmatched or outwitted. Natural balance, owing to his wrestling background. He just looks like he’ll anchor somebody’s line for years… maybe ours.
69: Quincy Roche
Edge, Miami (Fla.)
With Q, I've always thought there's a good and a bad: at 6’2” 245 so he can’t overpower guys (bad). But his explosive first step allows him to capitalize on mistakes (good!). Classic edge opportunist. Speed rusher who plays with his head on a swivel and knows what he’s doing in the backfield. Great motor. Seems like a potential overachiever.
111: D'Ante Smith
OT, East Carolina
Love this dude. Looked awesome at the Senior Bowl. 6’5”, 305. Versatile, although he played all but one game at LT. 35” arms and he uses every inch of them. Former wrestler with a knack for leverage. Still a bit raw in the run game but quality pass pro. Very agile. High compete level. My OT6, actually.
149: Patrick Jones II
Edge, Pittsburgh
6’4”, 260. 17.5 sacks over the past two years. Looks a bit like a noodle out there: always around the ball, impossible to contain, relentless, but plays with wax on his hands and slides off tackles. Team captain who leads by example. I figure his weaknesses are just a matter of technique and he’ll sort them out once he gets his "hands" on pro coaches (pun intended). Bound to have a lengthy career.
190: Simi Fehoko
WR, Stanford
6’4, 220. Glides across the field (4.4 40). Standout physical skills (9.35 RAS), but he’s still learning how to use them. Not a natural pass-catcher but it’s not a question of talent- he just needs reps. He's learning on the fly and he looked more comfortable this year than last. Doesn’t break tackles (yet). Just a super kid. He’s already pretty good and will only get better. He'll excel on ST in the meantime.
(I'll post his vid in the next msg.)
202: Shakur Brown
CB, Michigan State
Surveys the field like a pro and has dynamite ball skills. Type of corner who plays one step ahead of the game (which helps because he has limited athleticism and a bit of a choppy stride lol). Not the smoothest, but quite possibly the smartest.
235: Josh Ball
OT, Marshall
Basically everyone to this point is either a captain and/or model citizen. Enter the 6’7” 308 Josh Ball. Florida State LT in 2017 before he got kicked out for (allegedly) beating his girlfriend. So yeah, one of those guys. Gifted athlete, tho. Fluid on the second level, plays with a controlled fury, and... well, he clearly knows what he’s doing on the football field. It’s just a question of his character. Strictly from a talent point of view, it doesn't get much better than this on Day 3.
(I'll post his vid in the next msg.)
-
Summary
The Draft Network is a tough one. It has a lot of my targets ranked higher than other mocks, so it makes me feel like I’m picking from leftovers quite a bit. But I did my best.
Since we won’t be taking an OL in the first round, it really does put a wrench into things. Just needed to point that out! Yes it’s important to go “BPA” (if that’s what we'd even be doing here- which is another debate), but it's a bit of a paradox. By ignoring our most acute need in the first, we’re preventing ourselves from going BPA later- maybe even over multiple rounds. I know Zac and co. are planning for that, it's just important to keep it in mind.
I find the best template for our picks is really quite simple:
- 2 OL
- 2 WR
- 2 Edge
- 2 Wild Cards
Given the depth of the position groups and our needs, it just seems like the safest way to ensure value and a bit of margin for error. In this mock I spent my Wild Cards on Shakur Brown (CB) & Josh Ball (OT), but they needn't be held till to the end. There are tons of guys who may slip through the cracks and on whom we should be ready to pounce. Derrick Barnes (LB), Kenny Gainwell (RB) and Richie Grant (S) are just a few of the names that I'll be following.
Happy to hear your thoughts! How many guys did I screw up on?!
Cheers.
