Goldfish's Way Too Early Draft Rankings 2018 (Tampa Bay at 1)

[JaguarCrazy2832]

I love what the Cardinals did simply from a positional standpoint. They took their franchise QB. What do they do next? They go and get him a WR that they desperately need besides Fitzgerald. Finally snag up a Center that will push to start and then a backup RB to spell DJ. Its the same reason why i liked the Giants draft. Taking Barkley and then immediately following it up with a big OL like Hernandez just makes the pick better because they feed of each other

[Broncofan]

1 hour ago, JaguarCrazy2832 said:

I love what the Cardinals did simply from a positional standpoint. They took their franchise QB. What do they do next? They go and get him a WR that they desperately need besides Fitzgerald. Finally snag up a Center that will push to start and then a backup RB to spell DJ. Its the same reason why i liked the Giants draft. Taking Barkley and then immediately following it up with a big OL like Hernandez just makes the pick better because they feed of each other

Plus as @Forge mentioned on draft night picking up a C with a QB really helps solidify that pair from the get go.   They will likely work on snaps and get on the same page for protection play calling and audibles; pairing them up for 4-5 cheap years is a great multiplier than bringing in a C later. 

Edited May 8, 2018 by Broncofan

[JBURGE]

19 hours ago, BleedTheClock said:

Yeah I absolutely loved Ward and wanted nothing to do with Bradley Chubb in the top 5, so I was thrilled with the #4 pick. Literally my favorite Browns pick since Kellen Winslow in 200...5? He's going to be a lockdown cornerback while Chubb is just going to be a good player, not a great one. I don't think Chubb is going to be much of a pass rusher.   

are you me

[N4L]

15 hours ago, johndeere1707 said:

Great read so far! By the way if anyone wants to read last years...

http://www.footballsfuture.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=588246&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Impressive write up in hindsight about the 49ers draft. Trent Taylor and George kittle were two late round gems that @goldfishwars correctly identified, well done! (Now everyone draft Trent Taylor in fantasy football this year in PPR formats, he may have 120 catches next year) 

Very impressive write ups this year as well. I like how you post what picks they started with and what picks they ended with, it shows the movement they made without having a tedious write up explaining trades etc. Much more simple and user friendly. 

[J-ALL-DAY]

10 minutes ago, N4L said:

Impressive write up in hindsight about the 49ers draft. Trent Taylor and George kittle were two late round gems that @goldfishwars correctly identified, well done! (Now everyone draft Trent Taylor in fantasy football this year in PPR formats, he may have 120 catches next year) 

Very impressive write ups this year as well. I like how you post what picks they started with and what picks they ended with, it shows the movement they made without having a tedious write up explaining trades etc. Much more simple and user friendly. 

Yep, dude does great work every year around this time.

Good stuff again! 

[goldfishwars]

9. Washington Redskins

Pre-Draft Needs:

DL, OL, RB, CB

What They Had Heading into the Draft:

1. 13

2. 44

4. 109

5. 142

5. 163

6. 205

7. 231

7. 241

 

What They Had Leaving The Draft:

1. 13. Da'Ron Payne  [ DT ] Alabama

2. 59. Derrius Guice  [ RB ] LSU

3. 74. Geron Christian  [ OT ] Louisville

4. 109. Troy Apke  [ S ] Penn State

5. 163. Tim Settle  [ DT ] Virginia Tech

6. 197. Shaun Dion Hamilton  [ LB ] Alabama

7. 241. Greg Stroman  [ CB ] Virginia Tech

7. 256. Trey Quinn  [ WR ] SMU

 

Best Thing About This Draft:

I don't really know who leads the draft in Washington these days, but this was a really good and (perhaps unexpected) haul. They hit on a lot of their needs and there are some good players selected all the way through. The first two selections, in particular, were both thought to have been contenders for the 13th pick - so to finish up with both is pretty cool result. Everyone thought they would like Vita Vea, so when the Buccs took him one pick ahead they went and got Da’Ron Payne who kind of similar – but brings different gifts. His quick feet hint at greater things to come as a pass-rusher, but perhaps his greatest gift is an ability to locate the ball carrier in heavy traffic. That skill-set suggests he could play at a number of spots on the interior defensive line.

Derrius Guice represents a big upswing in talent level at running back which is a spot that has dogged them for a while. A series of weird character concerns that haven’t really fleshed themselves out yet seem to have been responsible for landing outside the first round. As a player, he is fast to hit the hole and seeks out defenders to win after contact and was very productive on the ground despite facing stacked boxes due to poor quarterback play. Ideally you’d like to have seen him used in the passing game more, but he hasn’t looked deficient in that department on a small sample and the Redskins are quite binary in how they like to employ their backs, so might not be something they need from him. 

Worst Thing About This Draft:

Troy Apke was a little bold at the top of the 4th round. Obviously he had the insane workout at the combine and there's room to grow. To be fair to him, he is not exactly a slouch on the field and was the NFLPA’s player of that particular all-star game. He can't really tackle particularly well, which is an issue. But, you could make him a specialist as a deep middle defender and his athleticism might make it work back there if he learns to read the field. Failing that, he might make his name as a special teams ace. 

Late Round Gem:

Trey Quinn – Although I actually quite like each of their last four picks. Trey Quinn might be the best Mr Irrelevant selection in a while though, a former five star recruit at LSU that ended up transferring to SMU and out produced Courtland Sutton this past year. He’s a little slight, so drew lazy comparisons to Wes Welker, Julian Edelman et al. He’s got a great pair of hands and can win with speed and quickness, I think he has a shot to make the team.

What Else?

Geron Christian showed promised at Louisville, he’s a good athlete – but probably needs to hit the weight room and work on his run blocking. Washington were savaged by offensive line injuries in 2017, so depth was needed and he’s got a high ceiling to grow into. I really liked Tim Settle early in the process as an enormous sun blotter who could move really well. I’m a little put off by his bad combine, but I like the value here. He could be a useful rotational guy.

Shaun Dion Hamilton is a little undersized at linebacker and missed a lot of 2017 with injury, but many people believed he was the brains of that Alabama defense before he went down. He’s got some speed and some instincts and even two college degrees, there’s stuff to like. There’s stuff to like about Greg Stroman too. He was a real PFF darling at corner after allowing just 25% of balls thrown his way to be completed. There’s a few questions about how he’ll hold up in the NFL physically given how slight his frame is. Kick return ability is a nice bonus.

[Calvert28]

Yea I loved the Redskins draft. I hate it for my Cowboys. But both Settle and Payne plus the selection of another Bama DT from the year before is going may make their interior game lethal. I agree with your entire analysis on them. Apke was bold. But that's it. And Quinn I have a feeling like you is going to be a real gem. I was disappointed my Cowboys didn't draft him.

Edited May 8, 2018 by Calvert28

[sp6488]

21 hours ago, sp6488 said:

Always love this thread every year. 

So, if I'm noting these correctly, it appears that the top-10 is the following teams in some order:

Ravens
Bengals
Jets
Broncos
Bears
Packers
Bucs
Cowboys
Redskins
Cardinals

Alright, here we go, the top 8... The upper quarter of the league draft-wise...

Ravens
Bengals
Jets
Broncos
Bears
Packers
Bucs
Cowboys

Also, @goldfishwars, the list I posted of remaining teams was by division (not in order), don't feel compelled to go from bottom-to-top with your rankings (although, I wouldn't mind seeing the Ravens up top).

[Dr LBC]

On 5/3/2018 at 4:45 PM, reamer said:

Franklin-Meyers was one of my sleeper picks to outplay his draft slot. He's really, really powerful. I think they'll try him inside, but he has the athleticism to play base end before kicking inside to just get after the passer. He played DE at 300 pounds last year. Low level of competition, but he just mauled people. Big, tough, nasty, athletic players are going to do well for the Rams. Love his tenacity and aggression.

 

If I remember right, I had a Karl Klug comp on him - he's a lunchpail guy that you have difficulty pinpointing a true position for if you're going off of traditional size-comps for base schemes, but Wade Phillips is one of those coaches who has shown time and time again he's capable of adapting the scheme to fit the players.  Doubtful he's ever going to be a starter, but he has the tools and tape (level of competition faced, aside) to project as a "first DL off the bench in the rotation" type who is also going to earn his paychecks as a penetrator and swat-man on ST's.  He had the same issue, from what I saw, that RJ McIntosh did in that he has piston-powerful hands, but his accuracy with them needs to improve.  Not saying that he necessarily does profile like this, but if folks recall from when Wade was with the Broncos, Derek Wolfe was selected earlier than a lot of people were anticipating and there are definitely some similar traits to Franklin-Meyers (Wolfe had better instincts mid-play than the limited tape I've seen of JFM, but JFM also showed a more consistent ability to defeat double-teams than Wolfe did as a prospect).

Probably projects long-term as a 4-T/5-Tech sort who can stunt and twist inside (something we saw more from Wade's Porkchop-less sub-packages in Denver than we saw from the Rams last year).

[Broncofan]

3 hours ago, Calvert28 said:

Yea I loved the Redskins draft. I hate it for my Cowboys. But both Settle and Payne plus the selection of another Bama DT from the year before is going may make their interior game lethal. I agree with your entire analysis on them. Apke was bold. But that's it. And Quinn I have a feeling like you is going to be a real gem. I was disappointed my Cowboys didn't draft him.

As much as I liked the DEN draft (first really solid one in several years) I do think we missed out by trading out of 5.149 with T/G Crosby on the board and then trading out of  5.160 and passing on Settle (we had both picks).   

Old Man Peko is our 0-tech for this year and he’s likely done.   We could have had an 2019 upgrade IMO there and cheaply.   Saw a lot of Rd5 value picks this year.   A lot of teams reached for need and let guys slide for either character or injury risk.   That’s a huge chance to mine insane value at Rd5+.  Tip my cap to WAS for stopping his slide.  

Edited May 8, 2018 by Broncofan

[Calvert28]

47 minutes ago, Broncofan said:

As much as I liked the DEN draft (first really solid one in several years) I do think we missed out by trading out of 5.149 with T/G Crosby on the board and then trading out of  5.160 and passing on Settle (we had both picks).   

Old Man Peko is our 0-tech for this year and he’s likely done.   We could have had an 2019 upgrade IMO there and cheaply.   Saw a lot of Rd5 value picks this year.   A lot of teams reached for need and let guys slide for either character or injury risk.   That’s a huge chance to mine insane value at Rd5+.  Tip my cap to WAS for stopping his slide.  

I still think the biggest mistake I think was passing on the Buffalo offer. 

[Broncofan]

2 hours ago, Calvert28 said:

I still think the biggest mistake I think was passing on the Buffalo offer. 

I’m still a believer in Rosen’s talent.  I’d have popped him at 1.5 and called it a day.       The 1.5 choice just had so many paths it could go with a lot of split opinions in 3 ways (Chubb, Rosen or trade back).   No doubt it likely has the greatest impact. 

But the two round 5 passes on the guys that fell were just such free shots at getting great value.   Without great alternatives or ones with much lower ceiling and similar low floors.   Oh well.  

[goldfishwars]

8.  Denver Broncos

Pre-Draft Needs:

QB, OL, DL, WR, EDGE

What They Had Heading into the Draft:

1. 5

2. 40

3. 71

3. 99

4. 106

4. 113

5. 149

5. 160

 

What They Had Leaving The Draft:

1. 5. Bradley Chubb  [ DE ] NC State

2. 40. Courtland Sutton  [ WR ] SMU

3. 71. Royce Freeman  [ RB ] Oregon

3. 99. Isaac Yiadom  [ CB ] Boston College

4. 106. Josey Jewell  [ LB ] Iowa

4. 113. DaeSean Hamilton  [ WR ] Penn State

5. 156. Troy Fumagalli  [ TE ] Wisconsin

6. 183. Sam Jones  [ G ] Arizona State

6. 217. Keishawn Bierria  [ LB ] Washington

7. 226. David Williams  [ RB ] Arkansas

 

Best Thing About This Draft:

So, they didn’t take a quarterback which I kind of like for where they are right now. They paid Case Keenum a lot of money and there’s still probably some in-house hope Paxton Lynch can come good. Some pride at least that Elway doesn't want to give up right now. Last year showed there are other ways to win in the NFL and that's a lesson they know well from their recent Super Bowl run. John Elway switched his focus instead to accumulating good players at spots they needed help in. I’ve got to admit, I didn’t think he had it in him, but this really is an excellent haul of players. Many of whom are ready to play right now with a focus being laid on productive prospects rather than high athletic ceilings. That's a different route to what many other teams were doing in this draft. 

I really loved the Chubb pick which kicked things off. Apparently Denver had a deal in place to move down but hadn’t even considered the prospect he would be available at 5 – which was a bit weird. Some of the athletic testing might suggest some limitations as a pure bend the edge type rusher, but every team could do with a consistent threat to the opposition backfield. The sheer number of TFLs he racked up at NC State tells you he can dominate there. The Super Bowl winning Denver was at its best when it had a constant threat across from Von Miller and Chubb could be that.

Worst Thing About This Draft:

They did some free agent spending on the offensive line, which might pay off. Perhaps an earlier selection than the 6^th round might have been a good idea. It is looking better there than in recent seasons, but it's still a fragile situation. 

Late Round Gem:

Troy Fumagalli  – The Broncos will have an open competition for their tight end spot(s) with Jake Butt recovering from his ACL and Jeff Heuerman rounding up the options there. At 6’6 and 250 pounds, Fumagalli is a bigger receiving tight end who led Wisconsin in receptions over the past two season. He’s not a top tier athlete, but can contribute in both facets of the game and consistently overachieved as a former walk-on. Perhaps he can overachieve in Denver.

What Else?

Courtland Sutton at 40 was kind of an unexpected route, but clearly they don’t want to keep leaning on a passing game that has been resting itself on the shoulders of a Thomas/Sanders duo that failed to spark last season. Sutton has the perfect size and frame you look for in a number 1, but plays with finesse rather than power. He has a genuine ability to separate at the top of vertical routes, making him a useful threat downfield. Contrary to what some thought about him, I think Royce Freeman in the 3rd round could become be a solid starter in the NFL and he’s a really nice fit in Denver as a jack of all trades back who is built to sustain the ground game.

Isaac Yiadom was the best corner in the draft nobody was talking about. He’s a lengthy, press corner who had a good week at the Senior Bowl where he had a lot of wins one on one and was stingy in pass coverage at BC. Josey Jewell was one of my favorite prospects in the draft, an overachieving defender with a knack for being in the right place and the right time. He'll help bring some leadership back to that defense too. DaeSean Hamilton was one of the better route running wide receiver prospects, he’s a chain-moving technician who knows how to create space in the slot. That was a deceptively good pick-up in the 4th round if they can find a way to get him on the field. 

Sam Jones was the local boy picked up in the 6^th round after playing well at Arizona State, he’ll give good depth on the offensive line interior. Probably needs to spend some time in an NFL weight room, but he moves and pulls well. Keishawn Bierria was a productive part of Washington defense, but his low athletic ceiling may limit what he’s able to achieve in the NFL. He might have to find his way on special teams. David Williams was a late transfer from South Carolina and worked as a tandem in Arkansas as the inside banger. At 6’1 and 230 pounds, he's Royce Freeman’s with quite a bit less tread on the tyre, only he's not near his class as a football player at this point. 

[BleedTheClock]

3 hours ago, goldfishwars said:

What They Had Leaving The Draft:

1. 5. Bradley Chubb  [ DE ] NC State

Not impressed. He's a good player, but won't be redrafted in the top 5. He's got an extremely high floor, but a very pedestrian ceiling. I don't think he's going to be a double digit sack guy.

3 hours ago, goldfishwars said:

2. 40. Courtland Sutton  [ WR ] SMU

My least favorite WR that was highly touted. He's big and fast in a straight line, but he's perpetually covered by below average DB's. He's obviously faster, but I got Dwayne Jarrett vibes.

3 hours ago, goldfishwars said:

3. 71. Royce Freeman  [ RB ] Oregon

Freeman isn't bad, but he was on my overrated list. I wouldn't have taken him before R4 or R5. He's a big back that doesn't run angry. He frustrates me.

3 hours ago, goldfishwars said:

3. 99. Isaac Yiadom  [ CB ] Boston College

Didn't see him play. Seems like he's a baller from what I have heard.

3 hours ago, goldfishwars said:

4. 106. Josey Jewell  [ LB ] Iowa

Great pick. Perfect.

3 hours ago, goldfishwars said:

4. 113. DaeSean Hamilton  [ WR ] Penn State

Great pick. Perfect.

3 hours ago, goldfishwars said:

5. 156. Troy Fumagalli  [ TE ] Wisconsin

Great pick. Not sure if they need another slow white guy TE, but the value is very good.

3 hours ago, goldfishwars said:

6. 183. Sam Jones  [ G ] Arizona State

Never saw him play.

3 hours ago, goldfishwars said:

6. 217. Keishawn Bierria  [ LB ] Washington

Never heard of him.

3 hours ago, goldfishwars said:

7. 226. David Williams  [ RB ] Arkansas

Never seen him play.

 

 

I did not like their draft at all. They whiffed on their first 2 picks IMO with an average player in the top 5 and then a bust at #40. They rebounded nicely with Yiadom (allegedly), Jewel, and Hamilton. But I am one of the very few people that was left unimpressed with both Sutton and Chubb, so maybe I'm crazy...I just don't see the hype with the Denver draft. If I liked Chubb and Sutton like most people, this would be an elite draft class for them.

 

If I were them, I'd have probably traded down from #5 and targeted Vita Vea, Derwin James, or Marcus Davenport.  Oh, and I hate that they didn't get a QB. Case Keenum had a miracle year and I don't expect him to replicate that success in Denver. I think they're in the top 5 again next draft season and will be thirsting for a QB.

[JaguarCrazy2832]

I wasnt crazy about Denvers draft after Chubb. Surprised they went Sutton in round 2 when i thought going OL or TE would be much more ideal. Not completely surprised they didnt take a QB though. Keenum will be the guy and the young QBs behind him can learn