22 minutes ago, Saltpeter said:

My one and only mock draft simulator. Whiffed at safety, took a few dart throws at LB. Blend of guys I like but at positions I think the Eagles would realistically target.

Last 2 picks were Montaric Brown at 166 and Chance Campbell at 237.

Not at all a fan of Jurgens, sorry to say. Same problem as Linderbaum. If we want a smallish center we already have Driscoll. 

If we want a bigger guy, and I do, we have Dickerson. My solution is to draft Tyler Smith, have Stoutland coach him for a year (Kelce's last), then move Dickerson to center and slide Smith in at LG.

What with the shift in the NFL defenses to a 5-2, or 3-4, or 4i, as you prefer, there is an influx of big NTs. Vea is the prototype, of course, and we have Davis and Jones coming in. Dickerson was a helluva college C and plugging him in at C will negate some of those monsters who are coming in to play NT.

Smith should be there at 83.

3 minutes ago, bbabraham said:

Yeah this is what I'm thinking as well. Every year - without fail - there's just too many teams who need a better QB and think the reward of hitting on a QB is too good to not take a chance on.

Would you rather draft Pickett at #6 overall and pay him $7M per year for 4 years with a 5th year option, or trade for Jimmy G, give up draft picks and pay him $25M per year?Would you rather draft Malik Willis at #9 overall and pay him $5.25M per year for 4 years and 5th year option, or trade for Baker Mayfield and pay him $20M per year?

Let's not pretend it's dysfunctional to draft a QB in the top 10.  Even if you believe all the QBs drafted in the first round in the last 10 years were chosen on ability only, the hit rate is still less than 20%.

3 minutes ago, Original Sin said:

What Mcshay is hearing 

• Multiple execs I spoke with think Alabama wideout Jameson Williams is the Philadelphia Eagles' preference at No. 15. And if not Philly, then the New Orleans Saints could be his floor at No. 16. If another team wants Williams, it will probably have to move up to at least the Baltimore Ravens' No. 14 slot. Baltimore -- which already has eight picks in Rounds 2 to 4 -- is always willing to move back.

• I mentioned the buzz around Davis to Seattle at No. 9, but the intrigue doesn't stop there. Everyone I've talked to says they'd be shocked if the 340-pounder fell past Baltimore at No. 14. 

• Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton is my No. 4 prospect, and he is very high on a lot of teams' boards. But in my opinion, the draft starts with the Giants at No. 7 for him, and he could very well slide into the teens with the way things are coming together. I don't think he makes it past the Minnesota Vikings at No. 12 or Houston at No. 13, but with teams scrambling for the top offensive tackles, edge rushers, wide receivers and cornerbacks, Hamilton cracking the top 10 might be tough.

• Three prospects I've heard who could fall out of Round 1: Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean, Purdue defensive end George Karlaftis and Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum. Dean is the most likely of the trio to still be a first-rounder.

I won't be happy if they go wideout again in R1, but IF they're going to take one, Williams is my preference.  

I'd try and do a small trade up with Houston to 13 if Davis is on the board. I agree, I don't see anyway he isn't a Raven if he's available at 14.

Hamilton is another player I'd gladly make a small trade up for.

Not shocked on Dean or Linderbaum. I don't see Karlaftis falling out of the first. I project a better pro career for him, as teams won't be able to pay him as much attention as he got at Purdue.

Feldman interviews 

Wide receivers
Who do you think is the best receiver in this draft?
WR Coach 1: Jameson Williams. To me, it's not close. There's a big drop after
him. He's blazing fast and you can't replicate that top-end, and his play speed is
different
- like Tyreek Hill different
- he's running away from SEC guys.
His explosiveness after the catch is rare. His quickness at the line of scrimmage
is just different. He's a hands catcher not a body catcher. I think he's a good
catcher, not a great catcher.
Scout 2: Love Jameson Williams. He's competitive as hell, not only in games
but at practice. I haven't seen a wide receiver compete at practice like he does
since Michael Thomas was at Ohio State. I do worry about his maturity,
though.
WR Coach 5: I wasn't sure what to think of Jameson Williams. I thought he
was just gonna be a deep threat, but he's more than that. He's got a really good
skill set. It's not just speed, it's his acceleration, but he can get back to full speed
really quick, like very few guys can do. He is a little bit of a smaller guy, but he's
not afraid to do some of the dirty work.
WR Coach 2: Garrett Wilson. He's just so twitchy. He's very quick and he's
polished. He's not as explosive as Williams, but his ball skills are excellent, and I
think he can excel both as an inside guy and as an outside guy.

How do you separate the two Ohio State receivers, Garrett Wilson and Chris
Olave?
WR Coach 1: Wilson is more of an inside guy who can play outside. He's a lot
looser. He's gonna be really good option-route running, and things he does in
and out of his breaks really translate to this level. He's faster than I thought he
was.
WR Coach 3: Wilson's more dynamic; more physical. I'm not sure how
physically tough Olave is. A lot of times guys struggle when they're not that
physical at this level. I think he's a fantastic kid, but he's not gonna rip your face
off out there.
WR Coach 4: Wilson is overall better. He's better after the catch and a little
tougher. Olave's routes are better than you think. He's not just a deep guy. I
think he's a well-rounded guy.
WR Coach 5 Olave is more smooth; he's a really good route runner. Garrett is
more athletic and has more burst; mo:re more dynamic. But I don't see that 4.38
(that he ran at the combine) on tape.
QB Coach 2: Wilson was not good in the interview we did with him. Olave
was awesome, but his tape isn't as good.
WR Coach 1: I think there's a little bit of edge to Olave, a little chip on his
shoulder because people are saying Garrett's better, and (Jaxon Smith-Njigba) is
even better than both of them.

Which WR is the most boom-or-bust guy?
Scout 2: George Pickens. There's a lot of upside, but he can't get out of his own
way. He's been enabled his whole life.
WR Coach 3: Pickens. You love his game, but there's some issues. Do you want
to work with him? He's a top-6 talent-wise, but it's impossible not to add those
other things. He has the size, has really good range. He positions his body on
deep throws. He consistently beats press coverage. Has good start-stops with
some AI (Allen Iverson) crossover in his game. A lot of the stuff in (Todd
Monken's) system translates to the NFL. But I wouldn't touch him.
WR Coach 5 on Pickens: On tape, he is probably a top-5 wide receiver but
there's just so many red flags, and they're big red flags. He's got a lot of growing
up to do. If he goes to the right place with a room full of veterans that help him
go the right way, I think he'll have a chance.
19
WR Coach 2: North Dakota State's Christian Watson. He's got excellent size
and he's a freak athlete testing-wise, but man, I worry about how well he catches
the ball. He drops easy catches. Does he have vision problems? He just doesn't
look natural trying to catch a football.

How do you view the rest of the WR class?
WR Coach 4 on Penn State's Jahan Dotson: He's a better player than the hype
he's getting. He's faster than you think.
WR Coach 3 on Dotson: He has phenomenal ball skills. He will run right
through a football in traffic. He is so talented.
WR Coach 1 on Dotson: He's got the best ball skills in the draft. He does a
great job of attacking the ball, but he's so slight even compared to those Ohio
State guys. I think he's gonna have to play inside to translate in the NFL
WR Coach 3 on Purdue's David Bell: I think he's gonna struggle. He can't run
away from anybody. He's heavy-legged. He'll get pressed. People bring up that
Anquan Bolden also didn't run a good 40-time, but he played fast. You saw
explosion out of his break. With Bell, there's no second gear, no suddenness to
him. It's all the same speed.
WR Coach 1 on USC's Drake London: He has really good movement skills.
He runs well without being blazing fast and has that basketball ability to post
people. Inside or out, he finds the ball. He has better ball skills and is more
consistent than (former USC teammate Michael Pittman).
WR Coach 5 on London: He's so young, and his body is still developing. His
arrow is up. His speed is concerning, no doubt about it. I think he's a little more
advanced than Mike Evans was at this stage; but Mike was a little faster, but
they make the contested catches and they go inside-and-go outstanding. I do
see those comparisons.
WR Coach 1 on Utah's Britain Covey: I think he's strictly a return guy. He
doesn't flash as a receiver. I think he'd struggle in the slot because he doesn't
have elite quickness and he's so tiny. He would get pinballed around in there,
but he is a dynamic return guy.
WR Coach 1 on Kentucky's Wan 'Dale Robinson: I like him. He's a hybrid
guy. He transferred to Kentucky (from Nebraska) and got to play in a pro-style
offense. If he doesn't go to Kentucky he's not draftable. He can play in the slot. I
see a lot of Randall Cobb in his game. He's just so good with the ball in his
hands; I think he's more than just a gadget

Kyle Hamilton has some people talking about him as a top-5 talent, which is rare
for a safety. How high would you take him?
Defensive Coach No. 7: Safeties are not a premium. He's a unicorn, and he is a
very good player. He's really versatile. He doesn't fit the mold. He's built like a
sam linebacker. His man coverage isn't great and his short-area quickness isn't
great. He could be on the No. 3 in the 3-by-1 formation or on a slot. You can't
name a lot of safeties who can really cover a slot.
QB Coach No. 2: I don't get it. It's like he's too tall. His FSU game was
impressive, but people are talking about him like he's another Derwin James,
and he's not. When the Chargers practice, Derwin James covers Keenan Allen
and covers him well. Keenan Allen would make Kyle Hamilton want to retire.
Who are your DBs you don't think get talked about enough?
Defensive Coach No. 3: Lewis Cine from Georgia. He's so bright. His football
IQ is extremely high. He jumped out as an ultra student of the game.
 

What do you guys think about Treylon Burks and Drake London? I'm no expert but it feels like Burks is being undervalued due to a bad 40 time (yet he's burning people on tape) and London is possibly being overvalued? It's a tricky evaluation of whether London should be highly valued for his ability to consistently make contested catches or if this means he'll get even less separation in the NFL and struggle?

12 minutes ago, Sack that QB said:

If Eagles come out of the first 2 rounds with Williams and Ojabo I'll be 6 to midnight

Williams and Davis are my perfect pair. Just draft the freaks.

I have been saying that with London , still real young , only going to get better

7 minutes ago, Alphagrand said:

Would you rather draft Pickett at #6 overall and pay him $7M per year for 4 years with a 5th year option, or trade for Jimmy G, give up draft picks and pay him $25M per year?Would you rather draft Malik Willis at #9 overall and pay him $5.25M per year for 4 years and 5th year option, or trade for Baker Mayfield and pay him $20M per year?

Let's not pretend it's dysfunctional to draft a QB in the top 10.  Even if you believe all the QBs drafted in the first round in the last 10 years were chosen on ability only, the hit rate is still less than 20%.

I didn't mean to imply that drafting a QB early is dysfunctional - because clearly hitting on one is transformative for a franchise - but I was more trying to make the point that it seems most mock drafts are underestimating how early some QBs will go. At least in my opinion.

1 minute ago, bbabraham said:

I didn't mean to imply that drafting a QB early is dysfunctional - because clearly hitting on one is transformative for a franchise - but I was more trying to make the point that it seems most mock drafts are underestimating how early some QBs will go. At least in my opinion.

I agree with this. I think 2 go before us, with the possibility of 3. The more the merrier, as it slots all the defensive guys down a couple slots. A run on OT, QB and WR early would be amazing.

8 minutes ago, Original Sin said:

I have been saying that with London , still real young , only going to get better

Not going to get faster. Also him refusing to run the 40? Does that not concern you?

I want a WR in R1 that can get separation and not have to 50/50 catch every ball. NFL corners are much better than college, and especially better than the Pac-12.

 

1 minute ago, Outlaw said:

I agree with this. I think 2 go before us, with the possibility of 3. The more the merrier, as it slots all the defensive guys down a couple slots. A run on OT, QB and WR early would be amazing.

Agree on OT and QB. WR it depends. It feels like you either want to get first or second choice at the WR you love the most or to get great value with a trade back. Easier said than done though.

From Breer

Getting back to the draft, Kyle Hamilton is as interesting as any player in the class to me. And that’s because he’s so unique. He’s 6' 4" and 220 pounds. He has two years of track record as an All-American level college player. But his disappointing 40 time (4.59) raised concerns on where, as a bigger safety, he’ll fit in the NFL. Is he a free safety? Is he a strong safety? Can he play just one spot or does he have to be all over? Those questions led to this sort of variety of takes on him from over the weekend …

• NFC assistant coach: "I was watching Sam Howell, and saw him in both his games against Notre Dame; and then I saw Ridder, and he played him twice. And they’re picking on the guy. Maybe he had bad games, I don’t know. … The thing is, he’s super smart, he’s a great kid. The intangibles are there. He’s awesome. But I don’t know where he fits. … I think he’s more of a strong safety.”

• NFC exec: "It’ll come down to how he’s used, that’ll determine the value. Because of his size and length, people want to play him in the box, but that takes away with what he’s good at. … He should be playing high, and then you can bring him down low. … And people will want to match him with tight ends, and I don’t know that he’s that guy.”

• AFC GM: "I think everyone’s overthinking it. Great kid, great size, can do it all. The way I’d think about it, you just have to make sure your coordinator has a plan. To just have him playing the post, manning center field, he’d be a wasted pick. Think of how the Chargers use Derwin James—all over the place, that’s what you have to do.”

• Another AFC GM: "It’d be good to be creative with him. You can use him at all three levels of the defense, and that’s a positive. His hips, his movement skill, they’re excellent. The play speed is good, I didn’t see issues with his play speed. … He’s just a really good player, he’s not as physical, he doesn’t have the pop Derwin James does. But he’s a consistent tackler, in space, to the perimeter, I think he can cover tight ends and he turns the ball over.”

In the end, it’ll be fascinating to see where he comes off the board. Once considered a top-five pick, I think he’ll probably go somewhere between 11 and 20. And the team that takes him? I think it’ll say something about them. As we mentioned before, Minnesota would be an interesting landing spot for him. If you’re hoping he’s James (and Hamilton doesn’t have the testing numbers James did, to be clear), then there’s some synergy there—since James now plays for a Vic Fangio disciple (Brandon Staley) and Hamilton would in Minnesota (Ed Donatell). Pittsburgh, on the other end of that range, would be cool, too.

 

It sounds to me like action at the bottom of the first round might be hotter than action at the top. Or, at least, it sure sounds that way, talking teams at the top of the draft pecking order. One told me that teams close to the bottom of the round have asked more about their interest in moving up from the top of the second round into the bottom of the first than they have about moving up within the first round. And that reflects the nature of the class in general. "This is very much a depth class,” said an NFC executive. "You can build the base of your roster with picks this year. You can get some solid starters, and some contributors. But you’re not getting a lot of difference-makers. So how does that break down? As I see it, after dozens of conversations, the top tackles and pass rushers are valued this year, and then after that probably the top four receivers. But once you get through that group of 10 or so guys, the class flattens out a bunch, right in the mid-teens, where the 15th pick might not be worth much more than the 45th. And even the top group isn’t great—with a few execs having told me the last few months that the top dozen picks last year might be better than anyone this year. So what’s the upshot this year? It’s twofold. One, the second and third rounds should have plenty of gems. And two, it adds a lot more mystery to how the first round will play out for the rest of us.

 

 

Want more predraft takeaways? Those are coming your way. And they’re coming your way right now …

• Dean’s medical has come up with a few teams. There’s nothing disqualifying in there (he’s had a shoulder labrum repair, he’s got tendonitis and tearing in his knee, plus there was a pec and groin issue before his pro day … and there’s a laundry list beyond just that), but there’s plenty to sort through. And it’s making some wonder how, as a smaller linebacker, he’ll hold up in the NFL. Here’s hoping Dean does, because he’s a blast to watch.

• Utah’s Devin Lloyd is another player with some medical questions. I don’t think his age is helping him either.

• Is Hall a back worthy of going in the first round? I had one exec I trust sum him up like this, "You could put a highlight tape together that says yes.” Another said he views him as a poor man’s Johnathan Taylor.

• Another player that’s not being talked about enough: Florida’s Kaiir Elam. I don’t think he’ll go before Gardner, Stingley or McDuffie. But I think he could be the fourth corner to go, and land comfortably in the first round.

• I’ve asked a lot of people to compare Pickett to Patriots QB Mac Jones, because I heard the two compared a lot during the college season. Does it work? Kind of. Both are really football smart and good leaders. Pickett’s a better athlete. But where Jones separates himself is with his accuracy—I had one coach tell me Jones’s special trait is that he maintains it deep into his progressions, where most young quarterbacks can’t get past their first read. Pickett might not have that quite to the degree Jones did coming out.

• I’ve said it a few times now, and I’ll say again that I think there’s a good chance Georgia’s Lewis Cine will go before Michigan’s Daxton Hill. Why? Cine’s got a ton of upside, and is a killer as a hitter. And Hill isn’t as versatile as some have made him out to be—he was really more just a nickel corner than a movable piece in Michigan’s defense. Which has been reflected in how his meetings with teams have gone.

• Why have the tackles cemented themselves as value picks? The top three guys, Ekwonu, Neal and Cross, are seen as safe, because they’re very clean from a character standpoint. And in a class with few sure things, that can make a difference.

• As I’ve said, Cross is very well-regarded in NFL circles—and by some as the best player in the draft. The downside? Well, it’s the offense he comes from. I’ve had a couple people joke about having Andre Dillard PTSD in assessing another Mike Leach tackle. So I turned over some rocks on that comp. The biggest difference between the two, as it was told to me by a few guys, is that Cross has much better core and lower-body strength.

• I had an NFC coach says this to me on Stingley: "Take the 2019 tape, plus the practice tape from that year against Ja’Marr [Chase], and he’s the first pick in the draft.” Which makes, for teams, one question an important one in assessing the star corner: Just how big a mess do you think coach Ed Orgeron’s program was the last two years, and how much of a factor was that in the return on Stingley’s last two years in Baton Rouge being so minimal.

• Could it be that the first quarterback doesn’t go until the 20th pick? I think there’s a chance of it.

Just now, pgcd3 said:

 

I would trade up for Thib, Stingley, Hamilton, Jermaine, and even Williams. If we got to 10 at least one of them would be on the board.

33 minutes ago, bbabraham said:

Hey guys, hope everyone is doing well and excited for the draft! Looks like it'll be an interesting one this year with the two 1st round picks, the poor QB class and clump of good WR in the first 2 rounds. Very interesting what teams will do with those QBs. Do they do as they always do and chase QBs, pushing better prospects down?

Go back to bed before draft night please

2 minutes ago, Texas Eagle said:

 Not going to get faster. Also him refusing to run the 40? Does that not concern you?

I want a WR in R1 that can get separation and not have to 50/50 catch every ball. NFL corners are much better than college, and especially better than the Pac-12.

No because he was clocked at a fast speed in game , would have been 11 fastest WO in the NFL last year 

that’s with pads during a game 

Last few days of folks posting results of playing draft games. Yeah!

Just now, BigEFly said:

Last few days of folks posting results of playing draft games. Yeah!

Now I'm going to keep playing all summer.

@HazletonEagle what RB do you hope/think we grab and when? 

I would assume Hall, Walker and Spiller are gone by our 3rd rounders. Do you think Robinson falls to our 4th? Any other guys you'd use a 3rd on? Wait for Haskins in the 4th/5th?

5 minutes ago, bbabraham said:

Agree on OT and QB. WR it depends. It feels like you either want to get first or second choice at the WR you love the most or to get great value with a trade back. Easier said than done though.

My preference would be a day 2 WR anyway.

1 minute ago, BigEFly said:

Last few days of folks posting results of playing draft games. Yeah!

 

Just now, greend said:

Now I'm going to keep playing all summer.

Ditto!

Just now, TorontoEagle said:

@HazletonEagle what RB do you hope/think we grab and when? 

I would assume Hall and Walker are gone by our 3rd rounders. Do you think Robinson falls to our 4th? Any other guys you'd use a 3rd on? Wait for Haskins in the 4th/5th?

Robinson could be there at 124. I also like Zamir White, Abram Smith, Dvonte Price.

For the record Hurts scored a 21.

 

 

Interesting comps. 

6 minutes ago, greend said:

Go back to bed before draft night please

😁
It's been more than a decade since I consistently slept through all the big moves. I feel like the curse has been broken by now

12 hours ago, Alphagrand said:

No one knows how highly the Eagles have these QB prospects rated.  High enough they spent time with Pickett and used one of their 30 official visits on Corral.

If Hurts was drafted to be a gadget player they’ve given him more starts than was needed to assess his ceiling.  Not saying the Eagles will draft a QB, but they could easily draft any one of the 6 highest rated prospects and improve the position.

That's my gut feeling too. Don't discount the Eagles taking a QB this year. Next year's QB crop is supposed to be better but after the first couple, how much better are they than this year's crop? There might be more teams than the Eagles counting on next year's QB crop being better. We'll find out in 3 days.