Rank the Draft Needs

[AZBearsFan]

I think CB is a far bigger need than most but that’s not because of Skrine. I’ve been operating under the assumption that Amukamara is going to be gone after 2019 so his $ can go toward keeping a young core player. We don’t have any experienced depth on the outside and I’m not the believer in Tolliver that many of you seem to be. I personally think that CB is a significantly bigger need than SS. There are going to be capable inexpensive stop gaps at SS every year in FA who can play adequately or better next to Eddie Jackson. 

My order of draft needs, though not necessarily the order in which I expect them to be filled:

1 CB - We need to draft a potential solid 2020 starter. Those are harder to find at CB than RB.

2 Edge - Given the contracts edge players are getting in FA I don’t expect we will be able to afford to keep Floyd beyond 2020 unless he takes a SUPER team friendly deal. We need to groom his successor now for a more seamless transition. Lynch can’t stay healthy and Fitts showed me nothing as a rookie.

3 RB - Lower than some for me because multiple viable committee backs who fit scheme wise remain on the FA market, and also I’m a fan of some of next year’s top RB when we will have 2 picks in the top 64.

4 TE - Shaheen is all potential at this point. In a deep TE draft I see this as a late need, but a need nonetheless.

5 OG - Long’s up after 2019 unless we extend him (plausible with good health) or exercise his 2020 option at nearly a $10M cap hit (unlikely IMO).

6 SS - Grooming a kid to spend a few years next to Jackson is on the radar, but a bit down the line for me. 

7 ILB - Kwiatkowski and DT are both UFA after 2019 and Iggy is a complete unknown. 

8 K - It’s more important than this, but I don’t expect more than maybe one kicker to be drafted this year and think we can get a top college K in camp without necessarily having to use a pick. 

[soulman]

5 hours ago, Sugashane said:

I see what you mean. For me stopgap means that we look to upgrade them when possible. but they may be here for a year or three. I probably have a loose interpretation compared to most there. The longer you're here the more  you'll see I never get anything across in one post. lol

I agree that there are EDGE needy team as, but there is quite a bit of depth there to me in this draft. We aren't getting a top talent of course, but still something there. Out of the positions I think RB is probably the worst of any group. I like Ballage last year more than all but 2 guys in this class. That is horrendous.

I'd be fine with that, I always want to add an OT with one pick and an EDGE or CB with another. I want to keep adding bodies at those 3 spots and see what sticks, draft for physical gifts and traits and then let the positional coaches train them up.

My take on the RB class is you have 2-4 top guys and then a cluster of others.  Right now Jacobs and Montgomery seemed to rank highest with Sanders closing in and Harris as a possible fourth.  Jacobs will probably go first, Montgomery isn't the fit Nagy wants and as it stands right now I don't see Sanders or Harris falling to #87.  So if we don't trade up we'll end up picking from the cluster.

While I could see Pace trading up for another position like an Edge guy somehow I don't see him doing it for a RB.  From what I can tell by what's been said in interviews both Pace and Nagy feel Davis can be the #1 back in their RBBC.  I believe they'll draft a supplemental back who compliments Davis in somewhat the same way Cohen can only a bigger back who fits the profile of the analyticals by Jonathan Woods I posted.

We're not looking for a bell cow RB.  We're looking for a guy who offers something Davis and Cohen don't or who may have a special trait Nagy can exploit.  Remember, that guy will replace Mizzell not Howard so the bar isn't set all that high.  And, if for whatever reason this plan doesn't pan out we can draft a RB higher next year if needed but in 2019 I think we roll with Davis, Rookie, Cohen, Patterson and maybe a guy like Nall who could do FB.

I think Pace will look at Edge guys and OL but I have to wonder if by round five there's little difference between them and later picks and UDFA if all you're looking for is raw skills that might be coached up and developed.  Even in 2020 we should still have our OL and OLB starters intact but both of our SS are in contract years and we should probably be adding another CB as well since Amukamara may be a cap casualty.

So this is the logic behind my priorities. 

RB is needed now and probably a TE to compete with Braunecker because these are important spots to fill so Nagy can flesh out his entire offense. A starting SS for 2020 is gonna be a need followed by OLB/Edge and CB.  But if you want top talent those positions typically need to be drafted before the middle rounds whereas good RB, SS, TE and OG prospects can be found in the middle rounds and often plugged in quickly.  JMHO

[SLCbear]

K !!!

 

 

 

Edge/RB/P

TE/CBdepth/OLdepth