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0 out of 32
Darron Cummings / Associated Press
Ah, the preliminary mock-up project: reading the contents of the NFL by a card at the sidewalk tarot. We do not know how big or fast the recruits are, we do not know how a free agency will dissipate and we do not even know who is the franchise, but make bold predictions about the future of the individuals . and franchises anyway. Because it's funny!
This first round of the table in particular includes:
• Three quarters landing in unexpected places
• Eighteen defenders to harass, maim or otherwise interfere with these quarters
• A theological explanation of why the defender / quarter ratio is so high this year (it was more interesting than talking about the Falcons)
• Three Clemson players and three Alabama players, as well as two players from Ohio State and two from Michigan, because we are all concerned about balance.
• Two tight ends of Iowa … one way or another
• A trio of Raiders selections to provide instant help on both sides of the ball
• A pair of Packers selections to provide instant help on both sides of the ball
• An off-the-rail (or perhaps brilliant!) Comparison between a college committee and an NFL legend
• An exclusive look inside the Jets War Room
…And much more!
So read on. These choices may not be able to predict the future accurately, but they will give you a boost for all the combine's actions this week.
1 of 32
Jamie Sabau / Getty Images
The Cardinals are a glorified expansion team with critical needs everywhere. They must therefore select the best players available, regardless of their position, each turn.
They also needed to pick the best coaches available last month, but maybe Chip Ke – Oops, we mean Kliff Kingsbury – will do things in the NFL that he's never nearly accomplished in the Big 12.
Whatever it may be, Bosa would be in perfect health when entering the combine. He will participate to some extent, and even though he spends most of the workouts, all the NFL decision makers really need to see from him the MRI of his major muscle injury (or any medical test that you do on a central muscle). injury).
Once everything is verified, the Cardinals can insert Bosa in front of Chandler Jones on their defensive front to form a pass that will allow them to stay in the game while Kingsbury will determine what to do with it. offensive.
What, were you waiting for Kyler Murray? Do not worry. We will reach it.
2 of 32
Jamie Schwaberow / Getty Images
The 49ers have a long and complicated history with players who look a lot like Quinnen Williams.
Do you remember Solomon Thomas, third overall in the draft of 2017? After two seasons, the 49ers are still trying to find out if he's an inside lineman or an on-board striker. They are also waiting for his fifth NFL bag.
What about Arik Armstead, the big-size forward athlete who took 17th place overall in 2015? Like Thomas, Armstead went all the way looking for sacks (he has only nine games in four seasons in the NFL). He also missed two-season chunks with injuries.
And then there's DeForest Buckner, the seventh overall pick in the 2016 draft, which … oh wow, Buckner broke out with 12 sacks after everyone stopped paying attention to the 49ers last season! But before that, he was another end-to-end tweener who spent two seasons not quite getting to the smuggler.
Williams, a dynamic and active domestic line player, could be another defender not to be missed who, one way or another, misses – or proves to be ordinary – his own. it is not developed and deployed properly.
So why make fun of him in front of the 49ers instead of a pure hunter like Josh Allen? First, the 49ers love this type of defender. And secondly, competing in the NFC West, is giving pride of place to the linemen who can stop the race.
The Rams want to knock out their opponents with their backs to create assists. The Seahawks are the same without the set up or the passages. The cardinals are not offended yet, so they do not count.
Whatever the case may be, 49ers can not let past disappointments dictate their strategies either. Williams is a high impact disrupter. If San Francisco has enough players like him, his opponents will not be able to block them all.
3 of 32
Charlie Riedel / Associated Press
The General Manager of The Jets is the guy in your fantasy league who explodes your phone with stupid commercial offers at lunch time. Their trainer is the college roommate who continually invites you to participate in the Laser Radiohead Planetarium. Their defensive coordinator is your crazy uncle with a shirtless Facebook profile.
So make this selection as simple as possible for them: Allen is a prototype passer for a team that produced only 39 bags last year and needs a brew of talent on both sides of the ball.
What do you guys think?
General Manager Mike Maccagnan: "Hush, I can not pay attention to the project right now, I'm the only bidder for The Veon Bell, and according to my crackerjack trading instinct, it means I have to make one, really, really. really great offer. "
Head Coach Adam Gase: "Whoa, we could ask Josh Allen to sack Josh Allen of the Bills … it's like, fire Josh Allen squared!" (Looks at his own trembling fingers for 20 minutes.)
Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams: "Great idea! I like a little ultraviolence from the quarterback! Oh, not you, Jamal Adams. There is a place 38 meters behind the line of scrimmage where I want you to queue . "
Hey, even these guys can not mess that up.
4 out of 32
Gerald Herbert / Associated Press
The Raiders are so desperate to be rescued that it's easy not to know how desperately they need help in almost every other position on the ground.
Take the corner half, for example. Gareon Conley had a great season last year, so the Raiders have one. But Rashaan Melvin and Leon Hall, who had seven and four starts respectively last season, are free agents on the wrong side of the age of reconstruction, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who started a game, retired. Young Daryl Worley and Nick Nelson are still on the payroll (Worley as a restricted free agent), which is good news for anyone hoping to see Patrick Mahomes pitch for nine touchdowns when the Chiefs face the Raiders.
So, the Raiders need a potential half-corner like Greedy Williams, almost as much as they need a defender. With Nick Bosa and Josh Allen missing from the table, and with the Raiders twice in a swarming first round of smugglers, it makes sense for them to take along, fast and well meet other needs later.
Of course, if the Raiders did sensible things, they would not be desperate for talent in the first place. But it is difficult to be wrong with this selection.
5 out of 32
Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images
The Buccaneers have the veteran core of a great defense in the tackle Gerald McCoy and linebacker Lavonte David.
Wait … Have not McCoy and David been around for 20 years? They've been in Tampa for so long that they've played alongside Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks, is not it?
It only seems like that. McCoy was selected in 2010, David in 2012. They patiently waited for the help of the Raheem Morris, Greg Schiano, Lovie Smith and Dirk Koetter epochs. But the Buccaneers tend to focus on the offensive (or, uh, the kicker) at the start of the repechage, completing their defense with mercenaries like Jason Pierre-Paul and Brent Grimes who provide varying degrees of impact. and enthusiasm.
Let's start with the Bruce Arians-Todd Bowles era by improving the defense of the Buccaneers before McCoy and David are too old to rock'n'roll. roll. Devin White is the player the Bucs were hoping to become after Kwon Alexander's promising start to the season: a punchy blitzer with a range and a buzz to comfort David. But Alexander was cared for and his development stagnated. And White is a better athlete.
Vita Vea, last year's first-round pick, had an excellent late-season performance. McCoy also has help for the home line. Before you know it, people will start talking about the Buccaneers' defense again. In the right direction.
6 of 32
Mitchell Layton / Getty Images
If you need a huge, aggressive, defensive or offensive lineman, the 2019 NFL Draft is the repechage for you.
But if you like the "do not miss" prospects who are eligible to receive the NFL franchise keys, it's not your project at all.
This brings us to Dave Gettleman, a well-known Hog Mollies and War Daddies connoisseur on the offensive and defensive fronts, and to the New York Giants, a team that denies the need for a franchise position that can handle a more active role or less immediately.
Quarterback Dwayne Haskins of the State of Ohio is the popular selection of giants in many simulated projects. But all the Giants need is an excuse – a less than stellar Scouting report, Haskins, A straight out of Kyle Lauletta's driving school, Eli Manning strutting in front of the Team headquarters looking for fantasy and sensuality – to talk about Gettleman wallowing in the broth of this year's nutrient-rich defenders.
Ed Oliver is a fast, physical and frenetic defender who is perfect for the Giants as a line player with 3 or 5 technologies. Fans of the giants watching this selection and grumbling should think of Justin Tuck. Would you like to let a quarterback less than safe to select the next Tuck? Gettleman and the giants would do it.
After all, they won with an excellent defensive line and Eli in 2007 and 2011. Why the same tactic will not work in 2019? (Do not answer: the giants do not listen.)
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Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images
Haskins' potential lies between a centered and numbered version of Jameis Winston and the start of the season Jared Goff. Its disadvantage lies somewhere between a version of Winston interception version early in the season and the version in cold weather / Super Bowl / all that is not ideal 100% Goff.
It's a wide range. But Goff and Winston were the first picks, and here is Haskins – a talented but erratic pocket smuggler with some refined skills and some mobility – sitting at number 7. And the Winston-Goff performance range is an improvement over Blake's Bortles & # 39; upside (maybe we can win a playoff match if the defense goes full 1985 Bears) and the disadvantages (let's stop altogether and see if anyone notices).
The Jaguars will probably be major players in Nick Foles freelance, the Giants may be more interested in Haskins than suggests the last segment, and Kyler Murray remains in play. However, the next few weeks will change, the Jaguars will have a new quarter and Haskins will no longer be on the board after this place.
8 of 32
Richard Shiro / Associated Press
The Lions drafted Ezekiel Ansah for the fifth time overall in 2013 and decided one way or another to stay on the defensive for the rest of the decade.
Ansah has had many incoherent seasons and years of injury, but the Lions have never done anything wacky as a sign or a powerful draft to complete it. Ansah was injured most of last year, so the Lions were content with the long-term Romeo Okwara project (just enough to get quarterbacks holding the ball forever) and Giants knock down Devon Kennard ( three bags early in the season before it disappears for the most part).
Whether Ansah leaves the organization through an independent agency or comes back under the franchise label or a new contract, Lions need to make the most of their hucksters. Clelin Ferrell has size, athletics and the engine, as well as an impressive technique and a well-developed battery of movements, making him a double-digit bag producer.
Whether Ferrell completes Ansah or replaces him, he is a necessity for a team that has the bad habit of waiting years to solve his most obvious problems.
9 of 32
David J. Phillip / Associated Press
The Bills must be a support cast now that they found their quarterback in Josh Allen.
Yes, Allen is the quarterback of the Bills. He may not be your quarterback … neither mine … nor that of Bill Walsh … nor the quarterback of any team that wishes to participate in the offensive revolution that began in 1978 and continues (despite what we saw at the Super Bowl). But Allen is athletic, has a huge arm, spins a lot, performs one or two awesome throws per game and generates polarizing opinions. This makes him a worthy successor to Tyrod Taylor, EJ Manuel, Ryan Fitzpatrick, J.P. Losman and Rob Johnson. It is the platonic ideal of the quarterback of the twenty-first century Bills.
Whatever the case may be, Allen has virtually no one blocking for him or anyone to pitch, which contributes to the race around him and the lobs that lead nowhere. This is not a big draft for beginner recipients, so let's improve its protection. Jonah Williams is a fast and soothing technician who can also time defensemen by blocking the race at the second level. It is perfect for the billing offense, which consists of transfers on the first and second downs and bombs at the choice of the donor or battles during the third downs.
Joking aside, the Bills are waiting for Allen to take a big step forward during the off season. Williams can help get there.
10 of 32
Carlos Osorio / Associated Press
The Broncos have just agreed to trade their players against Joe Flacco, as team president John Elway thinks he has an excellent defense and can reach the playoffs with a skilled veteran quarterback.
The Broncos should separate from linebacker Brandon Marshall because their basic defense has become old and expensive since their formation at the Super Bowl in 2015.
The Broncos also leave the starting center, Matt Paradis, leave as an independent agency because they must be aware of their course because they have to pay Flacco and still owe money to Case Keenum, the last competent quarterback veteran "who was supposed to lead the first – a formidable defense that has been losing talent for four years.
This is not a simulated segment. It's a ransom note from a Batman villain. The Broncos are at the mercy of Elway's tormented dream logic.
Elway recruited Bradley Chubb last year to keep his defense in ruin viable, while Keenum was the offensive goalkeeper. Rashan Gary will do the same thing, replacing the defensive elements lost and maintaining the formidable defensive line, while Flacco will attempt a strike behind a reconstructed offensive line with a tight budget for the Broncos to pay for it.
In three years, Elway will pay $ 25 million a year for Andy Dalton and propose a replacement for Von Miller. He will believe that his alignment is so complete that he will expect Dalton and his coach Klint Kubiak to win it immediately.
Hurry up and solve this puzzle, Caped Crusaders. The Broncos can not bear much more.
11 of 32
Tim Warner / Getty Images
The Bengals tried to solve their long-standing offensive attack problem against last season by exchanging for Cordy Glenn and sending Bobby Hart back to the Giants.
Glenn played pretty well. Hart showed why a team that was offended to take the ball out of Eli Manning's hand in 0.5 nanoseconds was ready to try to replace him at the right tackle with Ereck Flowers.
Hart is a free agent, as is Andre Smith. Yodny Cajuste can intervene immediately right to help both as a pass protector and runner who excels at the second level and trapping blocks. Cajuste can then eventually slide to the left tackle to replace Glenn.
The Bengals have varied needs and a new coaching staff who may be eager to do something great. But Cajuste is a safe choice, and the Bengals have become the franchise they are today (you know, the one that goes between the ninth and the 25th rank of the draft each year) by doing exactly that sort of safe choice.
12 of 32
Nick Lisi / Associated Press
The Packers' defense recorded 44 respectable sacks last season, but 13 of them showed up in two games: seven against Josh Allen (who looked at the ground cover as if trying to interpret an abstract painting) and six against Brock Osweiler (a statue that the NFL continues to move from place to place for decorative reasons).
Clay Matthews is a free agent long in the tooth. Nick Perry was ineffective last year and comes from a knee injury. Kyler Fackrell is fine, but you can not create a playoff pass around Kyle Fackrell. It's time for the Packers to invest in cutting-edge talent.
Brian Burns is a 3-4 old-school pass-rusher: armed, armed, fast and slippery to block due to his swimming and spinning motions. This is not a guy you want to face properly in the running, but the Packers have Fackrell, Kenny Clark, Mike Daniels and others for that.
Burns can naturally integrate the old role of Mathews and help the Packers put pressure on all the quarterbacks, not just those who have no idea what they're doing.
13 out of 32
Wade Payne / Associated Press
The Dolphins appear to be rebuilding under new coach Brian Flores and new GM Chris Grier. This means that their to-do list for the off season looks like this:
• Ride the best athletes available in high leverage positions
• Salary paid while spending wisely
• Ryan Tannehill's pivot to a quarter of the future
This may seem like an obvious agenda, but it is very different from the Dolphins' typical off-season task list:
• Release the very expensive veterans signed two years ago, opening a gaping hole in a group of positions
• Let young, affordable players improve from a free agency
• Get expensive veterans to replace young, better players who are improving
• Choice of milking for a veteran companion
• Use the remaining drafts to fill the gaping hole
• I hope nobody will notice that you have gone around in circles for more than a decade
The Dolphins could sue Kyler Murray, but it is unlikely that a disciple of the old school, Bill Parcells, like Grier, will snag the fortune of his rookie coach to an aberrant quarterback. Cell types are all benchmarks and measurable items.
Drew Lock is the safest choice: bigger and more proven after years of debut at the SEC, with a lot of talent and athleticism. He bore the pressure to play for Jon Gruden in the Senior Bowl with confidence while Murray gave Dan Patrick a grumpy comedy. Guess which rebuilding team will feel more comfortable with a probable departure.
Do not worry, dear readers: Murray is coming.
14 of 32
Sean Rayford / Associated Press
The great aunt Margaret said every time that a baby was born in our family: "So many boys! God must prepare us to go to war one day!"
Grand aunt Marguerite was rather … eccentric (she had thrown all of our Led Zeppelin albums and our Dungeons and Dragons textbooks into the fireplace), but this year's draft class reminds us of her old neonatal theology. So many defenders, half corners and defensive attacks: the Almighty Lord must want to put an end to all these games 51-45!
No team has as much need for defensive divine intervention as the Falcons, often losing 43-37 and 37-36 games. The Falcons have already dismissed linebacker Brooks Reed and cornerback Robert Alford early in the offseason (both were signed by the expansive Cardinals) and will attempt to rebuild and galvanize a defensive identity lost in the middle of the third quarter. Super Bowl LI.
Deandre Baker is a fast and fit defender who is most effective in covering off and areas. He would upgrade to Alford and could team up with Desmond Trufant to form a cornerback tandem that keeps opponents from collecting more than 26 points per game.
Washington's Byron Murphy or Clemson's Trayvon Mullen would also be fine, but Baker has the best chance of covering Michael Thomas one-on-one. When preparing for a future war, it is wise to choose your battles.
15 of 32
Alonzo Adams / Associated Press
Kyler Murray is a serious and reliable player.
As long as you ignore the fact that it will be the shortest and the shortest quarter written since Pro Football Reference began to collect the results of handsets.
And the fact that he was sentenced to play in major league less than two months ago.
And the fact that he mumbled and blocked like Shoegaze Hamlet when asked if he would play baseball or football during what should have been a triumphant speech tour at Radio Row.
And the loud whisper that his father will become a full-fledged parent of the V-22 Ospery helicopter, a conversation that was corroborated by Murray's mumblecore behavior.
And the fact that he's been a starter for a year in the Big-12 playground, the perfect environment to make a fast guy with a good fastball look great despite his (huge) gaps. .
Murray is having fun arguing over the Internet because people like us do not lose their money or jobs if they turn into crisis, injury or loss of status. But it takes a special kind of general manager to invest first-round resources in a band like Murray, who is willing to slalom across many yellow flags on the courage of his conviction or to stealthily play because he's need a quarter and know he can blame his mistakes to someone else.
Enter Washington, Bruce Allen, who thinks he is brave, but who really plays the game.
Assuming that Murray is at least as big as your typical junior college wench and can look at the GMs in the eye and say "I'm a football fan" without the need for memory cards this week, he has the tools on field to develop in a cross between Baker Mayfield and Russell Wilson. And Washington certainly needs a quarterback with future professional Alex Smith in doubt.
Yes, Murray could make as much noise in Washington as Robert Griffin III, a megastar of 12 giants, could not do it in 2012.
Try not to think about what happened.
16 of 32
Rogelio V. Solis / Associated Press
The Panthers are at the crossroads. It is time to solve all their problems in attack or to impute them to Cam Newton.
Yes, we know what option our angry stepfathers have already chosen. But the Panthers really need to repair their offensive line before it's too late, assuming that the injury to Newton's shoulder is not a sign that it's already too late.
Greg Little is not really considered an attacker at the top left. His feet are a little slow, his finishes are sometimes passive and his punch is not powerful enough. But he's massive (6 "6", 325 lbs), with the tools to be a straight road leveler and a pretty good technique to keep Newton from getting crushed when he immediately takes over from him. 39, independent agent Chris Clark.
Once the Panthers have corrected the right tackle, they can work in the center (Retired Ryan Kalil), wide catcher, edge scorer (retired Julius Peppers), outside linebacker, linebacker … that then, if Newton spent a year in the top secret Andrew Luck should be in perfect health while the Panthers rebuild their list, who could blame him?
Oh yes: our angry stepfathers, that's who.
17 of 32
Andy Lyons / Getty Images
How would this selection be perceived, old version of Browns:
OMG, these Browns idiots have just written an Instagram template! They must think that they will launch the next series of Marvel movies and not build a football team! And Metcalf just hurt his neck, no less!
How would this selection be perceived, new version of Browns:
The omniscient and infallible Browns managed another blow! Metcalf is an incredible athlete. He looks like a superhero on Instagram! And even though his stock has slipped due to a neck injury, his arrival will guarantee Baker Mayfield a MVP title and will strengthen Freddie Kitchens' status as the next Bill Walsh. Do not forget to give credit to GM's former selection, Sashi Brown, for some reason!
How should this selection be perceived, in a version with firm grasping of reality:
Metcalf is a very powerful and very powerful threat that meets the needs of a team that, despite the optimism generated by its new coach / quarterback and its 5-2 double, still has many needs. The Browns need an offensive tackle even more than a receiver, but we have already made fun of the top three. If Metcalf's medical exams check and he thinks as well as we think this week, he may be the best athlete available.
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Brett Deering / Getty Images
A big disadvantage of paying too much for a luxury car is that you pay a lot to protect this luxury car: extended warranties, comprehensive insurance, premium fuel and synthetic oil, valet service so you do not get lost in the car park etc. sure.
It's all worth it for a new catchy high-performance vehicle that brings you thrills and prestige, but you know very well that it's a metaphor for Kirk Cousins, so we're talking about a mid-size sedan. On occasion the Vikings build custom garage for.
The protection of the cousins was awful last year, and it's not like he was going to be able to better handle pressure in the middle of the field, so it's up to the Vikings to modernize the offensive line and make the most of the results. Cody Ford, who could be an immediate starter at the right tackler or at one of the guard positions, has the right combination of size (6 "4", 338 lbs), speed and badness to drive away the Defenders of the Cousins and allow them to flourish in the running.
Once the Cousins can safely surrender and return, the Vikings should go from last year's record of 8-7-1 to a 9-7 record more similar to the Cousins.
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Charlie Neibergall / Associated Press
Delight Walker Delanie Walker was one of the most regular offensive weapons of the Titans from 2013 to 2017, quietly producing a series of 60 to 94 captures for a team that often had the impression of committing a collegiate offense of the 1970s.
Walker was 35 in August and missed most of last season due to an ankle injury. His time is running out, which is not good for the Titans, as they looked lost in his absence – trying some unfortunate stuff with their other tight ends, like giving Luke Stocker a carryover of the goal line (the first of his career) the 4-and runs.
Heureusement, T.J. Hockenson est Walker 2.0: un bloqueur puissant et compact qui est plus rapide que son apparence (ce numéro 38 le ralentit; ouais, ça doit être ça) et qui emprunte des itinéraires rapides et astucieux.
Hockenson capturera 60 passes courtes pendant des années et contribuera comme bloqueur de course avant que vous ne le sachiez. Ensuite, les Titans peuvent commencer à comprendre comment amener le reste de leur infraction au XXIe siècle.
20 sur 32
Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images
Les Steelers démentent profondément le fait que toute leur franchise est dysfonctionnelle, leur méthode de gestion des joueurs ne convient pas à la NFL moderne et ils sont au bord du précipice d'une chute libre dans un cycle de reconstruction épique.
Et que font les organisations lorsqu'elles nient profondément? Pourquoi, ils font les mêmes choses qu'ils ont toujours fait quand tout était OK. Dans le cas de cette équipe, cela signifie qu’un brouillon de bord de la SEC doit être récupéré pour reconquérir un peu de la gloire de ce rideau d’acier.
Jachai Polite n’est en aucun cas un mauvais choix. Il est un monstre frénétique au bord du gouffre avec la rapidité avec laquelle il s'éloigne des bloqueurs et la rapidité avec laquelle il est possible de poursuivre la course à pied le long de la ligne de mêlée. Lui et T.J. Watt pourrait former un sacré tandem.
C'est juste que, vous savez, les Steelers sont essentiellement (rappelez-vous la musique de cirque effrayante) d'Arkham Asylum ces jours-ci: Les meilleurs joueurs se détestent et veulent tous sortir, l'organisation veut les tenir à l'écart de ce qui semble être un dépit, et Mike Tomlin a autant d'autorité et de crédibilité qu'un moniteur de haut niveau dans une cage d'escalier.
Mais un projet de sélection ne va pas changer tout cela. Donnons donc aux Steelers le genre de joueurs qu’ils aiment vraiment et maintenons-les à l’aise jusqu’à ce qu’ils soient enfin prêts à faire face à de vrais problèmes.
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Ezra Shaw / Getty Images
Les Seahawks ont largué (ou perdu une blessure) toute la Légion de Boom et sont allés encore 10-6 l'an dernier. Cela signifie que leur secondaire est en grande forme, non?
Not really. Tre Flowers a bien joué du côté droit, mais Shaquill Griffin a été surclassé en tant que demi de coin partant à gauche, et le demi de coin en retrait, Justin Coleman, allait bien, mais il est maintenant joueur autonome. Les protections n'avaient rien de spécial après que le comte Thomas eut été blessé. Et parfois, il était difficile de dire quand le jeu efficace de l’équipe secondaire des Seahawks a pris fin et que l’inexpérience des quarterbacks adverses comme Josh Rosen a commencé.
Trayvon Mullen a un petit peu de la vieille ambiance de Legion of Boom: il est gros (6'1 ", 195 lb), physique et compétitif. C'est un bon système pour les Seahawks, un joueur qui peut appuyer à la ligne de mêlée mais réagit aussi rapidement à ce qui se passe devant lui lorsqu’il joue à Cover 3 zones.
Le record de la saison dernière ne permet pas aux Seahawks de croire qu'ils sont des prétendants; Ils sont une équipe de calibre .500 qui a pris quelques pauses. Un tandem de cornerback composé de Flowers et Mullen leur donnera un aspect un peu plus ressemblant à l’équipe qu’ils étaient, qui est aussi l’équipe qu’ils veulent être.
22 sur 32
Lachlan Cunningham / Getty Images
Voici un aperçu du processus de réflexion derrière cette sélection:
Faux projet de mauvais flic: Les Corbeaux ont besoin d'un centre. Elgton Jenkins de Plop Mississippi State ou Garrett Bradbury de North Carolina State, nous pourrons ensuite passer à une équipe avec un public plus large.
Maquette simulée bon flic: Mais j'ai les notes du jour 2 pour Jenkins et Bradbury. Et les Corbeaux ont rarement recours aux besoins.
Mauvais policier: Bien, mais assurez-vous de choisir l'offensive pour que nous puissions relier le choix à Lamar Jackson. La capsule devrait mentionner Jackson autant que possible. Il clickety-clickety click click click!
Bon flic: I do not know. Il y a encore beaucoup de talent en défense. Byron Murphy figure peut-être dans le top 15, et les Ravens chercheront à remplacer prochainement les coûteux et vieillissants Jimmy Smith et Brandon Carr …
Mauvais policier: Oh, allez! Au moins, choisissez un gars de l’Alabama, comme Deionte Thompson, pour que nous puissions faire le gag «Les Corbeaux sont obsédés par les joueurs de l’Alabama». Eric Weddle ne rajeunit pas non plus, vous savez.
Bon flic: Je considère également Thompson comme l'un des premiers joueurs du Jour 2, tout comme Landon Collins il y a quelques années. En outre, Ozzie Newsome a pris sa retraite et n’a jamais été aussi obsédé par l’Alabama que nous le lui avons présenté. Si nous voulons faire une blague sur une organisation avalant des capsules de Crimson Tide, ce devrait probablement être Washington.
Mauvais policier: Argh! Ce choix est tellement ennuyeux!
Bon flic: Mec, les corbeaux sont ennuyeux! Et le nouveau directeur général Eric DeCosta, comme son mentor Newsome, continuera probablement à solliciter de la valeur pour les postes à fort effet de levier et pour répondre aux besoins un an ou deux plus tard. Si un défenseur comme Murphy se glisse à cet endroit, c'est le choix des Ravens.
Mauvais policier: Bien. Mais vous better Demandez aux Patriots de faire quelque chose de controversé avec le dernier choix, comme rédiger un quart du futur ou échanger le choix aux Steelers contre Antonio Brown ou quelque chose du genre.
Bon flic: Eh, ça ne va probablement pas arriver non plus.
23 sur 32
Rick Scuteri / Presse associée
N'Keal Harry ressemble beaucoup à Jarvis Landry.
C'est conçu comme un compliment.
Les fans de football cool détestent Landry, pas tellement pour le joueur qu'il est devenu, mais pour ce qu'il représente: le système de valeurs de Hue Jackson, des calories vides fantastiques de PPR, des écrans récepteurs de trois mètres de large les 3e et 27e. But strip away the inflated stats and associations with some of the NFL's least-respected coaches and quarterbacks, and you see Landry is a pretty effective possession receiver.
Landry went 21-346-2 with Baker Mayfield in December last year, adding a rushing touchdown and a 63-yard pass on a trick play. Does that sound like domestic beer to you, oh finicky wide receiver IPA snobs?
Harry, like Landry, is going to make his living getting open over the short middle and (ideally) generating yards after the catch on slants, drags and screens. That makes him the ideal complement to DeAndre Hopkins and safety valve for Deshaun Watson.
No Texan besides Hopkins caught more than 32 passes last season. Harry can diversify the passing game and soak up some targets when opponents roll all their coverage toward Hopkins. He may be what the Texans need to finally push through their playoff also-ran glass ceiling.
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Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
Montez Sweat dominated Senior Bowl practices but was an enigma off the field. He skipped a scheduled media session at the last minute (no biggie, though I personally plan to harbor a grudge through his Hall of Fame induction ceremony) and was the subject of some very loud whispers regarding a prickly, difficult-to-get-along-with personality.
You know who else has a prickly, difficult-to-get-along-with personality? Jon [deleted expletive] [another deleted expletive] Gruden, that's who!
Gruden didn't coach Sweat's squad at the Senior Bowl, but he coached the other squad, so he surely got a sense of what Sweat is really like. Gruden took a character risk with Arden Key and a health risk with Maurice Hurst last year, so he's not going to shy away from a challenge, assuming Sweat really is a challenge.
After recording just 13 sacks last year, the Raiders have to take a few risks in search of elite talent. Sweat has double-digit sack potential. And if the whispers are true, that might mean he's not just the ultimate Gruden guy but also the perfect old-school Raiders defender.
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Butch Dill/Associated Press
Josh Jacobs reminds me a little bit of Emmitt Smith.
It's unfair to compare a draft prospect to a Hall of Famer. It's also ridiculous to compare a committee running back at the college level—Jacobs split time with Damien Harris, Najee Harris, Bo Scarbrough and others during his Crimson Tide career, rushing for just 1,491 yards and 16 touchdowns in three seasons—to the NFL's all-time rushing leader.
But Jacobs has that early-Emmitt rushing style: punishing finishes, sudden cuts, shredded arm tackles and surprising receiving chops, all in a compact frame (5'10", 216 lbs) that doesn't look all that fast on tape until you see him streak past a linebacker. And it's not unusual for Alabama to have several future NFL starting running backs (plus about 40 defenders and, nowadays, two quarterbacks) backed up in its queue and splitting snaps.
The Jacobs-Emmitt stuff may just be pre-combine hype getting the better of me. So let's just say Jacobs is a great replacement for free agent Jay Ajayi who can solve the running back dilemma that limited the Eagles offense last year and that he could be a terror when running downhill against six-man defensive fronts after RPO handoffs.
But if he runs a sub-4.5-second 40-yard dash this week, I'm going whole hog on the Emmitt stuff.
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Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
Johnathan Abram plays like Donte Whitner with road rage. He'll either develop into a Derwin James-like safety-linebacker enforcer or cost his team 45 yards per week in penalties and end up eating ramen dinners after he gives most of his salary back to the league in fines.
I got to speak to Abram during Senior Bowl week—an injury kept him off the field, but he gave some interviews—and he came across as a confident, thoughtful student-of-the-game type who will find ways to lay off the dive-stick tackles, late hits and other errors in judgment that got him, um, kicked out of an intrasquad spring game, all while remaining physical and aggressive.
Mike Mitchell, Clayton Geathers and J.J. Wilcox are all free agents, so the Colts need a safety to complement rangy free safety Malik Hooker. Other safeties are ranked ahead of Abram on many boards, but I predict he will blow teams away in interviews this week by convincing them he won't blow teammates onto injured reserve in minicamp drills.
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Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press
We helped the Raiders defense with their first two first-round picks. Now let's upgrade a receiving corps that consists of the 33-year-old Jordy Nelson, 2018 seventh-round pick Marcell Ateman, third-receiver-for-life Seth Roberts and, once free agents are removed from the roster, just about no one else.
Hakeem Butler is 6'6" and known for his Odell Beckham Jr.-style acrobatic catches. He also drops more passes than he should and doesn't create all that much separation. There are times when he looks like Michael Irvin, but there are other times when he looks like Dorial Green-Beckham. We are past the "sure things" point in this mock draft.
The Raiders might consider A.J. Brown of Ole Miss or Senior Bowl standout Deebo Samuel of South Carolina. But new general manager Mike Mayock is a tools guy, and Jon Gruden likes his receivers big. Assuming Butler tests well this week (his 40 will be fine, but keep an eye on the short shuttles), he'll be in demand as a high-upside pick. And the Raiders need as much upside as they can get.
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The Chargers are at their best when deploying speedy hybrid players like Derwin James as multipurpose defenders in six- or seven-defensive back base personnel packages. But the Patriots revealed one (obvious, in hindsight) drawback of going with the basketball-style "small lineup" on early downs: It left the Chargers vulnerable to smashmouth tactics.
Enter Lawrence, a 350-pound gap plugger, double-team occupier and run stuffer with the athleticism to be more than just a stationary obstacle between the guards. Lawrence would be an instant upgrade over Brandon Mebane, who has been an overpriced blocking sled for years and is now a free agent.
Lawrence was suspended for performance-enhancing drugs at the end of his college career; he vowed to "just tell the truth" to teams at the combine, while Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has suggested that, heck, maybe the team gave some of its players a little ostarine by accident somehow. Oh, those wacky NCAA powerhouses; aren't they something?
Swinney may not be able to pay his players or guarantee that no one slipped a little something special into their oatmeal, but it was nice of him to provide plausible deniability. The NFL won't hold PEDs against Lawrence. And he'll keep the Chargers from getting run over in next year's playoffs.
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Butch Dill/Associated Press
If you like Alabama's Deionte Thompson or Washington's Taylor Rapp better than Nasir Adderley, you can personalize this mock draft by replacing him with one of them for no additional charge.
Either way, the Chiefs need an upgrade in the secondary or they will be doomed to losing shootouts when it matters most.
Adderley, who had an excellent Senior Bowl week, looks like a better fit than Thompson in both the Chiefs defense and the current NFL. He has exceptional speed and instincts, making him more of a safety-cornerback hybrid than a traditional free safety. He could have Malcolm Jenkins potential once he ramps up from FCS competition to the NFL.
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Matthew Putney/Associated Press
Remember how excited you were when the Packers signed Jimmy Graham last season? Hooray! A weapon in the middle of the field for Aaron Rodgers! Rodgers won't have to roll his eyes in disgust because no one is open and roll to his right while directing downfield traffic anymore!
Well, it turns out Rodgers might just enjoy approaching his playbook with contempt. And Graham's skills have deteriorated to the point where he's not much more than a king-sized, slow-footed slot possession receiver who blocks like he doesn't want to make any enemies.
The University of Iowa somehow found itself with two first-round-caliber tight ends and not much else at the skill positions last year. T.J. Hockenson, the more polished all-purpose tight end, was mocked to the Titans with the 19th pick. Noah Fant generated more big plays (19 career touchdowns to nine) and is likely to test better this week.
Fant is lot like Eric Ebron: a toolsy seam stretcher who could be a touchdown factory if deployed creatively (as the Colts did) or could just become a disappearing decoy if used predictably (as the Lions did).
The new Packers coaching staff is expected to be more creative than the last one; after all, the folks who select motel paintings are more creative than the last Packers coaching staff. That should make Rodgers a little less skeptical of his own game plans and more eager to get the ball to his new tight end.
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Paul Sancya/Associated Press
The Rams defense looked pretty darn good in the Super Bowl (let's not talk about the offense) but spent most of the season failing to live up to its billing or price tag. It needs an influx of speed and energy, particularly at linebacker, where Mark Barron, a converted hybrid safety, has never had the size to be an interior thumper and appears to be winding down.
I'm a bit of a Devin Bush skeptic, because he lacks sideline-to-sideline range and could end up a liability in pass coverage against Alvin Kamara or James White types. But he's a big hitter between the tackles and a nasty blitzer, and he fits the style and tone of the Rams defense.
Alabama safety Deionte Thompson and Washington safety Taylor Rapp are also options with this pick if the Rams move on from free agent safety Lamarcus Joyner. Basically, look for them to scoop up the best defender who slips to the end of the round.
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Jim Lytle/Associated Press
Hey, it's just the Patriots doing Patriots stuff: drafting for value instead of need, sifting for bargains at the bottom of a round, zagging when the rest of the NFL zigs.
Jeffery Simmons earned early-first-round grades before tearing his ACL in mid-February. The Patriots like to scoop up defensive line talent at the end of the first round (Malcom Brown, Dominique Easley, Chandler Jones) and aren't afraid to take a chance on an injury case (Easley).
Another player to keep an eye on is Oklahoma receiver Marquise Brown, who suffered a Lisfranc injury while preparing for the combine. Brown is tiny (5'10", 168 lbs) but has exceptional speed and quickness. Can you think of a team that makes the most out of receivers who fit that profile?
Or maybe the Patriots can trade down, nab two picks in the second round and draft both Simmons and Brown. It will be like getting three first-round picks in 2020!
Hey, it wouldn't be a first-round mock draft if it didn't end with speculation that the Patriots would pull some galaxy-brain maneuver on the rest of the NFL.
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