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

[MWil23]

24 minutes ago, Chiefer said:

Yeah Dorsey is a heavy SPARQ guy for sure. Better get used to that

Judging from how good his draft picks are/were, it's definitely working out, albeit the character/off the field apathy scares me to a degree.

[DawgX]

Cleveland's ranking seems fair considering they didn't have a first round pick and that you're not taking into account the OBJ trade when grading the draft.

I'm a big fan of the Greedy Williams pick. He was arguably the most talented CB in the draft, so I feel like he's a bit of a steal at #46. My only concern is how Wilks will use him. Both he and Ward are better at man-to-man coverage, and Wilks has shown that he likes to use zone. Hopefully he will adapt his defense to fit the strengths of his players, but we'll see. Either way, CB was arguably the team's biggest need heading into the draft and you could argue that Greedy was the BPA where we took him.

Takitaki and Seibert are the only picks I'm not crazy about. Granted, I've never watched Takitaki, so I'll trust our front office on this one. Depth at LB was definitely needed and it's possible that he and Wilson will eventually be starters depending on what happens with Kirksey (who will likely be cut next year) and Schobert (depending on what type of contract he's looking for).

I desperately wanted a kicker as I have no confidence in Greg Joseph. I had no problem taking one in the fifth, but Seibert seems like an underwhelming pick when you look at his college stats. Again, I'm just hoping that our front office and coaching staff knows something that we don't, but I'm not exactly feeling much better about our kicker situation.

A lot of our picks gave us depth and/or possible eventual starters, which is what I wanted out of this year's draft. We didn't have many glaring holes on paper, but we were a bit thin depth-wise at some positions, and we needed to start looking at developing players who can take over as starters once we have to let certain guys go.

With OBJ, I give our draft an A. Without him, I give it a solid B/B-.

[Daniel]

4 hours ago, SmittyBacall said:

This isn't about Sample the prospect as much as it's about the value of the prospect and the role he plays. I like Sample. Do I hate blocking TEs? No. Do I hate drafting blocking TEs 52nd overall? Yes. That role is not worth a 2nd round pick. The value there was so obviously poor when comparing other positions/prospects that were on the board.

That's a big reason I didn't like the Bengals draft.  Pratt in the third is good value (I had him as LB No. 3), but a blocking tight end in the second is a bad pick.  It reminds me of 2013 when the Titans took a fullback in the fourth.  Was he a stud fullback prospect?  Yes.  Did I tell myself it was a decent pick?  Yes.  Incidentally, he busted.

I also didn't love the Jonah Williams pick, since I think he's just a guard at the next level.  If he turns into an immediate All Pro like Zach Martin did, or can play tackle and does a good job, that makes the draft much better.  Ditto with Anderson, if he recovers and can play.  Still, there's a lot of risk there.

Reasonable minds may differ.

[Chiefer]

3 hours ago, MWil23 said:

Judging from how good his draft picks are/were, it's definitely working out, albeit the character/off the field apathy scares me to a degree.

Yeah it works sometimes, and other times it doesn't.

Chiefs don't have very many picks from previous drafts. But the hits are out of the park. Or on the Commissioners exempt list..

Edited May 1, 2019 by Chiefer

[goldfishwars]

21. Kansas City Chiefs

 

Selections

56. Kansas City Chiefs - Mecole Hardman  [ WR ] Georgia

63. Kansas City Chiefs - Juan Thornhill  [ S ] Virginia

84. Kansas City Chiefs - Khalen Saunders  [ DT ] Western Illinois

201. Kansas City Chiefs - Rashad Fenton  [ CB ] South Carolina

214. Kansas City Chiefs - Darwin Thompson  [ RB ] Utah State

216. Kansas City Chiefs - Nick Allegretti  [ G ] Illinois

 

Picks Heading In

61.

63.

84.

167.

201.

214.

216.

 

Favorite Pick

Juan Thornhill – He played corner at Virginia and then converted to safety where he lined up in a number of spots, but really flourished in deep coverage where he can use his smarts and athleticism to the their fullest. He blew up the combine in a way where some thought a return to corner could be on the cards, perhaps drawing some Byron Jones type of comparisons. It certainly made a lot of sense for a team with a number of questions in their secondary to take a shot of him.

Overview

Man, the Chiefs had to navigate through a lot after trading their 1st rounder and then having to deal with a situation where their biggest offensive weapon might never play another down in the NFL. They’ve come out the other side with at least three good prospects at the top of their draft and also managed to get a little bit of value in the 7th round – so it’s a job well done. But there is the caveat that leaving the corner position unaddressed (again) was probably a bad idea (unless the potential theory about Thornhill above comes true) and linebacker was another fairly glaring unfulfilled need.

The team probably won’t be able to replace Tyreek Hill because players of that talent just don’t come around very often. But they were at least able to bring back some of his breath-taking speed by spending pick 167 to get Mecole Hardman. They could have got a similar level of speed with Terry McLaurin here, or via a different body type in DK Metcalf who were both available at their original pick at 61. There are Brandin Cooks vibes about his game though, with his ability to get vertical in a hurry and track the deep ball. Khalen Saunders is another good player to pick-up at 84, he gives the team a more athletic option than Derrick Nnadi at nose tackle. He had a great week at the Senior Bowl where blockers struggled to stay in front of him.

Rashad Fenton I do not know much about, from everything I have read it’s a surprise he was drafted. I do know about a bit about little Darwin Thompson who was as fun as anyone to watch at Utah State. He’s not built for a heavy load, but he’s a nice fit on a creative offensive as a rotational back that can make some explosive plays with his feet or in the passing game. Nick Allegretti showed some nice things at the Shrine Game, he can play guard or at center and gives the Chiefs some flexibility on the interior if he can make the team. He was beloved at Illinois where he was team captain two years running.

[JaireAlex]

6 hours ago, MWil23 said:

Judging from how good his draft picks are/were, it's definitely working out, albeit the character/off the field apathy scares me to a degree.

That will bite them in Cleveland. More like KC East than GB East.

[goldfishwars]

20. Oakland Raiders

 

Selections

4. Oakland Raiders - Clelin Ferrell  [ DE ] Clemson

24. Oakland Raiders - Josh Jacobs  [ RB ] Alabama

27. Oakland Raiders - Johnathan Abram  [ S ] Mississippi State

40. Oakland Raiders - Trayvon Mullen  [ CB ] Clemson

106. Oakland Raiders - Maxx Crosby  [ DE ] Eastern Michigan

129. Oakland Raiders - Isaiah Johnson  [ CB ] Houston

137. Oakland Raiders - Foster Moreau  [ TE ] LSU

149. Oakland Raiders - Hunter Renfrow  [ WR ] Clemson

230. Oakland Raiders - Quinton Bell  [ DE ] Prairie View A&M

 

Picks Heading In

4.

24.

27.

106.

140.

218.

235.

 

Favorite Pick

Hunter Renfrow -  I didn’t pick Renfrow to be disparaging about their other picks, but I like the fact they took time out to draft a good football player trapped in the body of a geography teacher. Nobody knows how and why Renfrow is good as playing football, or how he is still only 23 after playing at Clemson for at least 20 of those years. But you know, he’s just smart, crafty and knows where to be. He could be a nice compliment the big dogs on the outside.

 Overview

It’s far, far away from a disaster, but that’s half the problem with this draft – or at least the first round which delivered prospects who are very probably not going to flame out in Oakland. Mayock was not going to mess this one up, no sir. But did safety-first mentality stop him from taking chances? Perhaps. Yes, we should acknowledge that Oakland came out of the draft a better team than when they entered it. Some people will love this draft, love it. But you could have blindfolded yourself and threw three darts at a rotating board with pictures of the top 50 prospects and come up with three players who would have made the Raiders better this year. You might even have hit on two players with better positional value than a running back and a safety who does his best work in the box.

There was either a major or minor controversy before the draft when Mayock and Gruden sent their scouts home, which may or may not have been a big deal. It depends who you listen to. Leaks were potentially sabotaging their crucial first pick, who turned out to be a player absolutely nobody would have guessed would go at four overall. I mean, I thought I liked Clelin Ferrell – but I wasn’t going to spend a top five pick on the dude, especially after he didn’t even run near a single cone this draft season. And that’s why most people had him slipping to the late teens, the twenties or even out of the first round altogether. Those questions about his athleticism weren’t going to get an answer so every scenario about where he might land seemed plausible except this one.

Whilst that announcement was surreal, it’s fair to point out that picking at four was somewhat of a poison chalice with the two big defensive talents likely off the board. They could have hoped Quinnen or Bosa landed their way, but it didn’t happen – nor, according to Mayock, did the opportunity to trade down. The Raiders would have drawn praise if they had snagged Ferrell at 24, as he’s very good run defender on the edge and has the length, smarts and hand technique to be a factor as a rusher. It’ll be fascinating to see how this one plays out.  

At 24, Josh Jacobs seemed a natural fit after Beast Mode’s retirement – but I’m not 100% sold on the positional value even if I do like the player. He’s another great kid by all accounts and a dynamic, punishing runner who can catch the football. He’s not someone who is going to create much beyond the second level, which usually isn’t that important or common in the NFL. Johnathan Abram is someone I struggled to really see it with. I know the NFL was in love with his alpha personality and playing style and he’ll be another good addition to the locker room. On the field, he’s an intense and punishing hitter in the box – but he’s not an easy mover in coverage and you don’t see great ball skills either. I need those two things if I’m taking in the first round.

Things definitely loosened up after day 1, the trade down from 35 made sense even if it wasn’t the first pick you would have guessed there would be some movement at. Trayvon Mullen at 40 is fine and hit a big need. Again, he was probably drafted slightly higher than most expected and it was kinda wild to see him go ahead of Greedy. He certainly looks the part of a press-man corner, but was a bit of an enigma as a prospect because the ball never travelled his way. That might well be a huge credit to him. Maxx Crosby was well worth a shot at 106, his testing was almost off the charts and you see a bit of juice on tape. He comes out of a small school and probably needs to hit an NFL weight room to see regular field time.

Isaiah Johnson is another prospect who had a bananas workout, a true SPARQ legend who looks like a dream defensive back but is very much a work in progress on the field. But you absolutely take chances on those types of players in the mid rounds and that goes for Foster Moreau too. He was confined to blocking duties at LSU, but has the athletic profile of someone who could have been used more expansively. As for the Quinton Bell pick, your guess is as good as mine – but judging from his pro day numbers he’s a bit of a project.
 

[RaidersAreOne]

Fair breakdown for the Raiders @goldfishwars. I personally am a big fan of the draft but absolutely acknowledge we got poor value for the majority of our early picks. At the end of the day though I am content with "reaching" for Ferrell and Jacobs as they are day one starters with high floors and still good ceilings. Abrams I am still TBD on.

[JaguarCrazy2832]

I’m definitely not on board with the Abrams pick but i think the Jacobs pick catches a lot of crap bc it was part of the Mack trade and people make it look like a 1 for 1 trade. Ferrell wasnt great value imo and thats the bigger issue people have moreso than the player himself. Its not Tyson Alualu bad but people make it seem that way bc its the Raiders. He’s very talented and definitely wasn’t falling to 24 and trading down was a tough spot to be in after Bosa and Q were gone

[PossibleCabbage]

I'm really just not sure what you do with Abram when you have Karl Joseph in house, except "stop the run" an "play a lot of big nickel".  Whole bunch of safeties in the draft look better next to Joseph than Abram does.

[RaidersAreOne]

20 minutes ago, PossibleCabbage said:

I'm really just not sure what you do with Abram when you have Karl Joseph in house, except "stop the run" an "play a lot of big nickel".  Whole bunch of safeties in the draft look better next to Joseph than Abram does.

Joseph is likely on his way out or will be a 3rd S. Joyner will play a ton of slot so I can see Abram at SS and a Harris/Joseph combo at FS.

I also think people are sleeping on Abram. He isn't just a pure in box S. I saw him cover TE's decently. 

[Scoundrel]

13 minutes ago, RaidersAreOne said:

Joseph is likely on his way out or will be a 3rd S. Joyner will play a ton of slot so I can see Abram at SS and a Harris/Joseph combo at FS.

I also think people are sleeping on Abram. He isn't just a pure in box S. I saw him cover TE's decently. 

I’m ready for the Fant vs Abram matchups. Should be fun 

[BayRaider]

I was expecting 11-14 range for us but overall fair analysis. Ferrell wouldn’t of been there at 24. I think 13 is the most he would of fell and they had no calls. Great player and great scheme fit, no problem with it. 

[PossibleCabbage]

Hypothetically who takes Ferrell if the Raiders passed at 4?   I can't see Green Bay taking him over Gary or Carolina taking him over Burns.  Seattle neededd a pass rusher, but without a SPARQ score I think they would pass on Ferrell.  I think the most likely landing spot would have been the Giants at 17, but Lawrence was just such a Gettleman pick, as the hoggiest of hog mollies.

[BayRaider]

2 minutes ago, PossibleCabbage said:

Hypothetically who takes Ferrell if the Raiders passed at 4?   I can't see Green Bay taking him over Gary or Carolina taking him over Burns.  Seattle neededd a pass rusher, but without a SPARQ score I think they would pass on Ferrell.  I think the most likely landing spot would have been the Giants at 17, but Lawrence was just such a Gettleman pick, as the hoggiest of hog mollies.

Miami would of taken him over Wilkins imo. I had Ferrell going to Miami in 75% of my mocks. They need DL help badly and mostly EDGE. Perfect scheme fit as well. 

Mayock also said 13 would of been the lowest he would of traded down to acquire Ferrell, everything below that was off limits. 

Edited May 2, 2019 by BayRaider