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Goldfish's Way Too Early Draft Rankings 2019 - Cardinals at 1


goldfishwars

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It's back baby, the thread which upsets everyone and unnecessarily ranks draft classes unreasonably early.

To anyone who is new to this, I try and have a bit of fun with it so please don't take it too seriously. Stacking each class bottom to top is a hard thing to do and obviously preference is given to classes which have as many players I like in them - so teams who set their stall out with a tiny number of picks are up against it to do well. Preference is also given to how well a team handled their draft capital, whether they addressed needs and, more importantly, whether their respective talent selector made their teams better (which could take years to properly assess).  UDFAs are not included in the assessment, but will include players acquired for picks during the draft (Josh Rosen for example). 

Rankings:

1. Arizona Cardinals

 

2. Washington Redskins


3. Buffalo Bills


4. Baltimore Ravens


5. Tennessee Titans


6. Seattle Seahawks


7.Miami Dolphins


8.  Minnesota Vikings


9. Carolina Panthers


10. Pittsburgh Steelers

11. LA Chargers


12. Indianapolis Colts


13. New York Jets


14. LA Rams


15. Green Bay Packers


16. New England Patriots


17. Philadelphia Eagles


18. Denver Broncos


19. Jacksonville Jaguars


20. Oakland Raiders


21. Kansas City Chiefs


22. Houston Texans


23. Cleveland Browns


24. San Francisco 49ers


25. Cincinnati Bengals


26. Dallas Cowboys


27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers


28. Detroit Lions


29. New Orleans Saints


30. Atlanta Falcons


31. Chicago Bears


32. New York Giants

 

Edited by goldfishwars
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32. New York Giants 

Image result for fan


Selections
6. New York Giants - Daniel Jones [ QB ] Duke
17. New York Giants - Dexter Lawrence [ DT ] Clemson
30. New York Giants - Deandre Baker [ CB ] Georgia
95. New York Giants - Oshane Ximines [ EDGE ] Old Dominion
108. New York Giants - Julian Love [ CB ] Notre Dame
143. New York Giants - Ryan Connelly [ LB ] Wisconsin
171. New York Giants - Darius Slayton [ WR ] West Virginia
180. New York Giants - Corey Ballentine [ CB ] Washburn
232. New York Giants - George Asafo-Adjei [ G ] Kentucky
245. New York Giants - Chris Slayton [ DT ] Syracuse

Picks Heading In
6.
17.
37.
96.
109.
133.
143.
144.
156.
172.
181.
234.
247.

Favorite Pick
I liked the Julian Love pick, who is a sound and steady presence at corner. Corey Ballentine too was a decent pick-up if you want to go back to that well for the third time. He has some upside as a decent slot/nickel type. 

Overview
This draft class is Gettleman’s pièce de résistance at the end of a frankly weird two-year tenure where he has tried to bury this franchise for good with consistently unexplainable personnel decisions. He's slowly revealed himself to be a dinosaur operating in the wrong era, where he is out-manoeuvred by slicker, smarter movers at every turn. Daniel Jones was Giants reward for being bad in 2018 and big Dexter Lawrence plus Oshane Ximines is the return for trading away one of the game’s great offensive playmakers. Dave’s post-draft conference was a masterclass in stand-up comedy, where he admitted he had been spooked by Redskins rumors they liked Jones and gave a detailed homoerotic-tinged reasoning for taking Daniel Jones which had little to do with whether he could actually play or not. He also stated that Eli’s corpse could be dragged out for a further three years still and there was an admittance that he did not know Dwayne Haskins attended Ohio State. The only thing missing was a detailed rant on why he hates analytics nerds, but he had probably run out of material on that by now. 

When he was selected, the best thing anyone could say about Daniel Jones on NFLN was that he shared a coach with the Mannings and went to their Passing Academy for Rich kids. That…was...the…headline on this mysterious fella. Was this pick made out of pure politeness to the Manning Family who finally seem to be accepting Eli's end and have some weird mafia-like influence in the organisation? It certainly has that feel about it. When the networks did get the fabled quarterback whisperer David Cutcliffe (who has produced the Mannings and nobody else of significant note) on the phone to wax lyrical about his new protégé, he essentially called him a boring old man trapped in a 21 year old’s body. And for anyone who has heard Jones speak since, it’s hard to argue with that.

Time will tell if Jones proves to be a good pick and to be fair to him, there’s stuff to really like about his size and athleticism and the way he tried to overcome playing with a surrounding talent who will never even smell the NFL. But, there’s also little to point to in terms of a precedent which could predict future success for him. Plus, if the Giants had not selected him at 6 and instead had drafted, say Josh Allen who was available, then the fact Haskins landed in the laps of Redskins at 15 – meant either Haskins or Jones could still have been there at 17. Gettleman was spooked into drafting him at 6, but did he need to be? The more pertinent question is whether he was right to be worried about missing out on him at all. 

Outside of Jones, it’s kind of a draft masterclass not understanding what to do with your significant draft capital. Dexter Lawrence was next off the board at 17. Gettleman always seems determined to get his hands on the fattest guy in the draft and lands his man here. I like Dexter a lot, and many others like him a lot more than I do. I think 17 is earlier than I would have taken him purely because he was rarely on the field for Clemson on third down, so there’s a projection to his ‘pass-rushing upside’ where he isn’t just a ‘good mover for a big guy’. You might end up with a very good line pusher, you might end up with Dontari Poe whose athleticism got him paid, but never materialised. Plus, the Giants already have two good recent draft picks who can man the inside, in BJ Hill who played well last year and Dalvin Tomlinson. With gaping holes elsewhere, I’m not absolutely in love with it despite Lawrence panning out well being a very plausible scenario. 

Trading up for Deandre Baker was kind of strange, considering there were zero corners off the board at that point and the value for the position was always on day two. Baker is a feisty and competitive corner beloved by PFF amongst others, but had endured a poor draft season with below average athletic testing and rumors about his off-field demeanour. Gettleman had diligently cleared all of the so-called ‘locker room cancers’ out of NY, so it’s weird that he would trade up to potentially invite another in. The mythical small school buzz around Oshane Ximines seemed to flame out a while ago when he was revealed to be smaller and less athletic than anticipated, so would not have been my choice to fill a gaping void at outside pass-rusher. Besides pass rusher, right tackle seemed like it would have to be addressed but went completely ignored in a deep class. Perhaps the team are higher on Chad Wheeler than anyone possibly should be. 

Elsewhere, it’s very eh okay. The aforementioned corners should improve a bare cupboard of a roster position. Darius Slayton has questionable hands, but plenty of speed to burn on the outside. Ryan Connolly is a low ceiling talent at linebacker, but was well liked at Wisconsin. Asofo-Adjei passed me by completely at Kentucky and the other Slayton, Chris, is a high-effort, low-talent lane plugger at defensive tackle. 

Edited by goldfishwars
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4 minutes ago, pnies20 said:

All the hate for Jones. He was their guy. Through the 4th round they had as good of a draft as anyone.

It sounds like Haskins wasn't universally rated higher than Jones. 

It's not as ridiculous as the 32 different rankings for CBs though. 😂

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31. Chicago Bears 

Image result for montgomery bears


Selections
73. Chicago Bears - David Montgomery [ RB ] Iowa State
126. Chicago Bears - Riley Ridley [ WR ] Georgia
205. Chicago Bears - Duke Shelley [ CB ] Kansas State
222. Chicago Bears - Kerrith Whyte Jr. [ RB ] Florida Atlantic
238. Chicago Bears - Stephen Denmark [ CB ] Valdosta State

Picks Heading In
87.
126.
162.
222.
238.

Favorite Pick
David Montgomery – Even though it cost the Bears future picks to move up (something they’ll have to stop doing at some point), Montgomery was perhaps the best player at a position of need they could have hoped to land with their first pick not coming until round 3. Montgomery has a touch of Le’Veon Bell about his game, comfortable in the passing game and has unusually impressive contact balance. He can keep the chains moving even when the line is outmatched, which it often was at Iowa State. Whilst I wouldn’t expect too many home runs in the NFL due to his lack of breakaway speed, he can become a slow accumulator of tough yards - the type of runner who has thrived in Pittsburgh recently. It potentially gives the offense something they haven't had, a reliable weapon to kill off tight games and keep the defense fresh. 

Overview
Ryan Pace rolled the dice several times in 2018 to save his career and it paid off hugely for him and Chicago, vaulting them from nowhere to contenders. That big short term gain came at the small expense of a tiny draft class heading into the 2019 draft, so expectations for a major haul were obviously low and improbable given the lack of capital at their disposal. There are thin spots on a talented roster that just couldn’t be addressed. Still, to come away with two potential early contributors is as good as they could have hoped. 


Outside of the Montgomery selection, Riley Ridley offers technical refinement at receiver. He was touted as a potential 1st round pick early on in the process, but poor athletic testing combined with an incomplete resume at Georgia saw him tumble in an incredibly deep class. He’s talented enough to put himself in the picture to become the team’s fourth receiver early on. After that, there’s three darts thrown at players I just don’t have a lot of information on. Shelley is undersized and fast. Devin Singletary’s understudy, Kerrith White, is the best known of the three and a productive player at Florida Atlantic in his own right. His hallmark is undoubtedly his track speed. Denmark sounds like a pure size and traits guy at defensive back, a longer term project. 

Edited by goldfishwars
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4 hours ago, goldfishwars said:

gave a detailed homoerotic-tinged reasoning for taking Daniel Jones which had little to do with whether he could actually play or not

I mean "I find him attractive" might be the most defensible reason to draft Daniel Jones.  It's at least inherently subjective unlike "football acumen."

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30. Atlanta Falcons

Image result for falcons lindstrom

 

Selections

14. Atlanta Falcons - Chris Lindstrom [ OG ] Boston College

31. Atlanta Falcons - Kaleb McGary [ OT ] Washington

111. Atlanta Falcons - Kendall Sheffield [ CB ] Ohio State

135. Atlanta Falcons - John Cominsky [ EDGE ] Charleston

152. Atlanta Falcons - Qadree Ollison [ RB ] Pittsburgh

172. Atlanta Falcons - Jordan Miller [ CB ] Washington

203. Atlanta Falcons - Marcus Green [ WR ] Louisiana Monroe        

 

Picks Heading In

14.

45.

79.

117.

137.

152.

172.

186.

230

 

Favorite Pick

Chris Lindstrom – Whether or not he was their intended pick at 14, Lindstrom was one of my favorite players in the class. He’s an uber athletic guard who flourished in BC’s zone heavy blocking scheme and really impressed at the Senior Bowl. 14 might be a higher price than many would have been willing to pay, but he’s as close to being ‘plug and play’ as there is at any position in this class.

Overview

There were plenty of rumors circling around just before the draft that the Falcons were trying to trade up, we won’t know for sure who the target was – but perhaps it was Ed Oliver, Rashan Gary or Christian Wilkins who all did not make it to their first pick at 14. We’ll not know for sure, but the fact they left the defensive tackle unaddressed is unexpected unless they’re convinced that Ra’Shede Hageman can be brought all the way back into starting contention. Clearly Dimitroff ended up making the offensive line a much higher priority in the draft, which is slightly confusing because they spent pretty serious money there in free agency. Clearly finishing 27th in run offense is an area they want to improve in 2019.

When the Falcons traded up at the cost of picks 45 & 79 to grab Kaleb McGary, presumably before the Patriots could take him, it wasn’t immediately obvious who they might be targeting when the move was announced. Clearly they thought he was someone they thought they could not do without after seeing a serious run on tackles at the end of the first round. Like Lindstrom, McGary tested extremely very well athletically – which was a slight surprise when you watch him on film where he seems a little linear and upright. He’s incredibly powerful though and also had a very strong week at the Senior Bowl. There’s a great story about him off the field which is worth catching on, so you can’t help but root for him to do well.

Things get a little further unexpected after that. Kendall Sheffield is dripping with speed and athleticism as a corner out of Ohio State, but he’s someone who is going to need a lot of refinement. He wouldn’t be the first athletic defensive player to develop above expectations in Atlanta, and that’s going to need to happen again with open spots available. John Cominsky as a further SPARQsy addition at pick 135, at 6’5 and 290 he’s not supposed to run sub 4.7 forty times – but he’s going to need to rise well above that small school billing to make an impact in the NFL. Perhaps he can add weight and move inside, because he’s not a natural pass rusher outside.  

The final three picks were spent on Qadree Ollison, who some liked but I really didn’t. He’s a big upright and downhill runner, built like a full back at 230 pounds. There’s not a lot of subtlety about his game and more than a little different to the zone based runners they've looked for in recent years. Jordan Miller and Marcus Green both passed me by as prospects. Miller has some length and size at corner, and Green is a tiny-schooled RB/WR with some return ability. Plenty of talented prospects were drafted after this pair were taken and many higher touted receivers were not drafted at all, so it’ll be interesting to see what we have here.

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29. New Orleans Saints

Image result for erik mccoy saints


Selections
48. New Orleans Saints - Erik McCoy [ C ] Texas A&M
105. New Orleans Saints - Chauncey Gardner-Johnson [ S ] Florida
177. New Orleans Saints - Saquan Hampton [ S ] Rutgers
231. New Orleans Saints - Alize Mack [ TE ] Notre Dame
244. New Orleans Saints - Kaden Elliss [ EDGE ] Idaho

Picks Heading In
62. 
168. 
177. 
202. 
231. 
244. 

Favorite Pick
Courtney Gardner-Johnson - The CGJ slide is difficult to pinpoint unless something comes out about off-field concerns we are not aware of. On tape to me at least, he’s a top 25 talent in this draft. I can see why the Saints would find it hard to pass him off, given Dennis Allen’s penchant for multiple safety packages. He’s rangy and instinctive, and can win in man coverage when he’s asked. I think he’ll be a really good weapon to add to an already very talented back end. 


Overview
The Saints ability to get by through smoke and mirrors is endearingly admirable. They came into the draft with next to nothing, traded up twice (using next year's 2nd rounder as bait) and landed two players who had attracted fringe 1st round attention in Erik McCoy and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson at points during the draft process. Everything the Saints do personnel-wise is flying-by-the-seat-of-their-paints recklessness and we should not condone it, but it is cool. At some point they will have to pay up for the credit they’ve stocked up ever since Drew Brees hit 35, but until he retires they’ll keep paying it forward. 

Max Unger left a big hole at center when he announced his retirement and I was wondering how the Saints could fill it heading into the draft with very little draft capital. With Garrett Bradbury and Elgton Jenkins off the board relatively early, they decided they couldn’t really afford to let McCoy slip further. Another winner of the Senior Bowl week, McCoy is lightning quick off the snap and a fluid easy mover in space. He could be a big plus for the Saints in the run game. 


As a Patriots fan, I know a bit about Rutgers safeties – but somehow Saquan Hampton passed me by. I hear he has good size and was a team captain there, and would imagine he’ll be starting his career competing for a special teams gig. That might also be the case for Alize Mack and Kaden Ellis, the final two picks made in the 7th round. Mack has an athletic and size profile to like at tight end, but never put it all together at Notre Dame. I know very little about Kaden Elliss, other than the fact his dad is Luther Elliss, who played for Lions in the 90’s and early 2000’s, and that he posted some eye-popping numbers at Idaho’s combine recently. 
 

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