2020 NFL Draft: Discussion, Reports, Rumors, and Studies

[KodiakThunder]

Just now, Bianconero said:

Crazy about Cleveland then

Please let me clarify. 

There are 32 teams in the NFL. Each team has a completely different draft board. 

Some teams having Cleveland over another of the top 4 Ot's shouldnt be earth shattering news. 

Think about it, Becton is considered the top OT in terms of potential, however,  not all GM's and front offices are looking for high projection but more someone who can play immediately. 

Team needs, values, and scheme do play a major role.  The draft pundits act like the 1st 10 picks should be no-brainers... and that's really to validate the fact that guys like McShay and Kiper are making millions but they dont have ANY real sway over teams evaluations. 

How many times have we seen a guy like Kiper rip a GM for reaching for a guy when the guy he liked instead becomes a huge bust? 

[SDotNova]

51 minutes ago, KodiakThunder said:

16 might be the perfect spot or the worst spot to trade down. If one of the top 3 wrs are there at 16 it's an AMAZING trade down... however if we are at 16 and looking at the 2nd tier OT's and 2nd tier WR's it wont look as good. 

I have heard rumors that MANY teams see the 2nd tier of OT's as almost as good as the 1st tier....in fact, a source of mine told me several teams have Cleveland as a top 4 OT. 

The second part is interesting. I personally like the second tier OT. Guys like Cleveland, Jackson, Peart, Charles, Niang, Winogho all would be solid and fit our scheme. 

Edited April 15, 2020 by SDotNova

[KodiakThunder]

1 minute ago, SDotNova said:

The second part is interesting. I personally like the second tier OT. Guys like Cleveland, Jackson, Peart, Charles, Winogho all would be solid and fit our scheme. 

The rumor is the 2nd tier of OT's is gonna start earlier than people expect. As low at TB grabbing one if they dont trade up. 

The trade I want to see is our 1st and 3rd (via Giants) for their 1st and 2nd. It works on the value chart.  It also gives TB a chance to get one of the top OT's and keeps us in a position to grab a top 3 WR. 

[SDotNova]

1 minute ago, KodiakThunder said:

The rumor is the 2nd tier of OT's is gonna start earlier than people expect. As low at TB grabbing one if they dont trade up. 

The trade I want to see is our 1st and 3rd (via Giants) for their 1st and 2nd. It works on the value chart.  It also gives TB a chance to get one of the top OT's and keeps us in a position to grab a top 3 WR. 

Ohh. So there’s a chance many of those guys won’t be around at 48. Dang. Well then. 48 looks like it’s going to suck. Feels like everyone is going to be drafting WR and OT this entire draft. Haha. Hopefully someone falls!!!

Its going to be a fun night. 8 more days. Can’t wait. 

[Bobby816]

2 minutes ago, SDotNova said:

Ohh. So there’s a chance many of those guys won’t be around at 48. Dang. Well then. 48 looks like it’s going to suck. Feels like everyone is going to be drafting WR and OT this entire draft. Haha. Hopefully someone falls!!!

Its going to be a fun night. 8 more days. Can’t wait. 

I think JD is targeting certain kinds of OLineman. And that's athletic guys that can play multiple positions. So who he likes might not be what the "board" is. I don't think will be as true for the early picks if we go OL. But in the mid to late rounds... I can easily see him grabbing a developmental guy that he see fitting ideally into his system that other teams might not be high on. And he thinks he will be getting a steal.

[jetfuel34]

Rumors are that OBJ is being traded to the Vikings for a 2nd and 5th next year. Man I wanted him. I would have done this deal. 

[rampantjet]

33 minutes ago, NJC33 said:

This we disagree on, it's not that simple. Watch how Lamb attacks the ball at the top of his route or routinely plucks it out of the air away from his body. Little things like that go along way in keeping the ball away from defenders and winning contested situations. When I think of "Hands" that sometimes encompasses more than just drops.

I am aware of all of this.   I know how to catch a football.   When people are near Ruggs he shows good technique.   When he has space he occasionally body catches. 

[KodiakThunder]

3 minutes ago, jetfuel34 said:

Rumors are that OBJ is being traded to the Vikings for a 2nd and 5th next year. Man I wanted him. I would have done this deal. 

I wouldnt. OBJ is a great player but seems to be too much of a problem. 

The jets dont have the team dynamic to handle an ego like that. I'd rather sign Antonio Brown.... as talented but wouldnt have to give up anything for him and the same sorta headache. 

For the record, I dont want to sign Antonio Brown, just rather do that than trade draft capital for a similar player. 

[JM81]

11 minutes ago, Bobby816 said:

I think JD is targeting certain kinds of OLineman. And that's athletic guys that can play multiple positions. So who he likes might not be what the "board" is. I don't think will be as true for the early picks if we go OL. But in the mid to late rounds... I can easily see him grabbing a developmental guy that he see fitting ideally into his system that other teams might not be high on. And he thinks he will be getting a steal.

This ^ Why I think Becton (5.1 at 365), Wills (4.9 and a mauler), Wirfs (Freak), and Jones (former basketball player and played in a zone scheme) really stand out. I really wouldn't mind Jones if we traded down. 

[Bianconero]

4 minutes ago, KodiakThunder said:

I wouldnt. OBJ is a great player but seems to be too much of a problem. 

The jets dont have the team dynamic to handle an ego like that. I'd rather sign Antonio Brown.... as talented but wouldnt have to give up anything for him and the same sorta headache. 

For the record, I dont want to sign Antonio Brown, just rather do that than trade draft capital for a similar player. 

[Bobby816]

 

Dont agree with his rankings... but a decent viedo.

[NJC33]

55 minutes ago, rampantjet said:

I am aware of all of this.   I know how to catch a football.   When people are near Ruggs he shows good technique.   When he has space he occasionally body catches. 

Nice - So contrary to what you said earlier, it's not simply "You either drop the ball or you don't". Which to answer your original question, is why I don't think Ruggs has great hands despite having the lowest drop%. Glad we got that cleared up. 

[Bobby816]

15 minutes ago, NJC33 said:

Nice - So contrary to what you said earlier, it's not simply "You either drop the ball or you don't". Which to answer your original question, is why I don't think Ruggs has great hands despite having the lowest drop%. Glad we got that cleared up. 

I agree. But you don’t have to have great hands to be a great WR. Ruggs makes contested catches. He’s not a soft smaller WR. I mean he’s a WR that is quick and fast. So he “shouldn’t” face as many contested catches due to him creating separation. I mean Tyreek Hill who he’s compared to doesn’t have incredible hands.

[mek5295]

The Athletic is by far the best buy for anyone who reads a lot of sports articles. They have a 3 month free promotion going on. 

Every year Bob McGinn writes position-by-position breakdowns. Today he posted about WRs: 

https://theathletic.com/1745820/2020/04/15/mcginns-nfl-draft-series-scouts-on-top-wide-receivers-and-tight-ends/#_=_

“This is maybe the deepest wide receiver group,” said one longtime AFC personnel man. “But as far as like a Julio (Jones) or Calvin Johnson, absolutely not.”... The sheer numbers at wide receivers are astounding. “Deepest I’ve ever seen,” said one 20-year scouting veteran. “I like so many of them, and for different reasons.”

"My polling of 17 executives in personnel took place in the last 2 ½ weeks. Each scout was asked to rank the wide receivers on a 1 to 6 basis, with a first-place vote worth 6 points, a second worth 5 and so on. CeeDee Lamb, with 87 points and 10 first-place votes, nosed out Jerry Jeudy, who had 86 and five. Following, in order, were Henry Ruggs (66, one), Justin Jefferson (28 ½), Tee Higgins (25 ½, one), Bryan Edwards (13), Brandon Aiyuk (12), Laviska Shenault (11), Jalen Reagor (10), KJ Hamler (4 ½), Denzel Mims (four), Lynn Bowden (three), Quez Watkins (three), Van Jefferson (two), Gabriel Davis (one) and Michael Pittman (one-half)."

“It’d be foolish for a team to sit there (in the teens) and take a wideout,” one scout said. “You can get another wideout in the second or third, a Bryan Edwards, a Michael Pittman, a Lynn Bowden … it’s a real deep pool but it’s shallow at the top. There’s nobody that’s super elite, height-weight-speed freakish Julio, Calvin Johnson.”

WIDE RECEIVERS

1. CEEDEE LAMB, Oklahoma (6-1 ½, 198, 4.48, 1): Compared by one scout to Chad Johnson... “He’s a no-brainer"... “catches the crap out of the ball,” according to another scout... “Great hands. He runs 4.48, which is way fast enough. He runs really good routes. He can go against press and off.”... “Just a competitive and strong guy,” said a third scout. “Almost an Anquan Boldin-type of receiver. I don’t think he’s a superstar. Lamb kind of maximizes what he has.”... “They scheme him up a lot,” said a fourth scout. “Bubble passes. He comes flying around in motion and catches it. It’s like watching the CFL. If you think you’re just going to line him up as a classic X or Z and he’s going to run a full route tree, no. He’s a work in progress, too.” Scored 12 on the 12-minute, 50-question Wonderlic intelligence test. “He’s wildly overrated,” said a fifth scout. “I don’t see an overwhelming trait. A lot of people point to his run after the catch, but I think you have to evaluate the guys trying to tackle him. He’s playing against some really bad Big 12 defenses. You’re just not going up against NFL people in that league. I’m just not a big believer in his skill set transitioning.”

2. JERRY JEUDY, Alabama (6-1, 193, 4.44, 1): The third-year junior is one scout’s “favorite player to watch in the draft because he’s a very accomplished, precise route runner. You don’t often see that in a draft prospect. He’s very advanced in the route-running.”... “He has more of that superstar potential than anyone,” said another scout. “Just a phenomenal route runner. Explosive. Just makes things happen. He had some drops in the LSU game but he came back after that and caught a touchdown and a 2-point conversion. So he’s a competitor and rises up.” Posted a 9 on the Wonderlic. “He was good in the interview with us,” a third scout said. “He really understands football … He’s lived life in the ultimate football playground. Speed merchants on the outside. Point guard at quarterback. 5-star offensive line. Draftable running back. He plays in the slot and was never pressed. He’s got a three-way go every route. If you draft him to be your No. 1 and you put him at X and they have a 6-1 corner rolled up in his face with a safety over the top and a linebacker buzzing from inside, life can be a heck of a lot different. All his game is instincts, getting in and out of breaks. It’ll knock your socks off against Southern Miss and New Mexico State. If you’re set everywhere and you just need a slot guy, he’s like a luxury pick.” From Deerfield Beach, Fla. “I think Calvin Ridley, his former teammate, was a little bit better of a route runner,” a fourth scout said. “He’ll be able to get open. He can really slam on the brakes and lose people. All the physical traits are good, but nothing’s elite.” 

3. HENRY RUGGS, Alabama (5-11, 188, 4.24, 1): Ruggs, who’s from Montgomery, Ala., followed a similar career arc as Jeudy, backing up as a freshman and starting two years. “He has a chance to be special because he’s got the rare trait of speed,” said one scout. “But he’s not a one-trick pony. He’s not Ted Ginn, he’s not Darrius Heyward-Bey. He’s not just an outside-the-numbers guy. He’s super athletic (vertical jump of 42), he can run every route. He’s extremely tough. When you talk to the people in Tuscaloosa, he’s the most competitive kid in the program. You want to draft playmakers, and he’s got a chance to be a great playmaker. He’s a significantly better player coming out than Tyreek Hill was.” Finished with 98 catches for 1,716 (17.5) and 24 TDs. “Does that guy turn into Brandin Cooks or Ted Ginn?” said another scout. “Often, when teams try to make (speedsters) into more than they are, they struggle. He may turn into more than that. We’ll see. I don’t see Tyreek Hill.” Third-year junior with a Wonderlic of 20. “If you expect him to come in and be your No. 1 receiver I don’t see that,” said a third scout. “He was really a specialist in their offense where they designed certain plays for him … He is fast, but when people get on him you don’t see the same speed and route running. When he gets the ball, if he has a clear path, he can go. But he’s not a make-you-miss player. I don’t think he’s timid (in traffic). But he’s not a playmaker on the ball so when bodies are around him he doesn’t catch the ball. He’s a space-vertical linear route runner that needs space to catch the ball.”

4. JUSTIN JEFFERSON, LSU (6-1, 202, 4.47, 1-2)

5. BRANDON AIYUK, Arizona State (5-11 ½, 205, 4.53, 1-2)

6. TEE HIGGINS, Clemson (6-3 ½, 215, 4.58, 1-2)

7. BRYAN EDWARDS, South Carolina (6-2 ½, 212, no 40, 1-2)

8. JALEN REAGOR, TCU (5-10 ½, 206, 4.46, 1-2)

9. DENZEL MIMS, Baylor (6-3, 207, 4.38, 1-2)

10. LAVISKA SHENAULT, Colorado (6-0 ½, 227, 4.58, 2-3)

11. VAN JEFFERSON, Florida (6-1 ½, 200, no 40, 2-3)

12. MICHAEL PITTMAN, USC (6-4, 223, 4.52, 2-3)

13. KJ HAMLER, Penn State (5-8 ½, 178, no 40, 3)

OTHERS, in order: Lynn Bowden, Kentucky; Quez Watkins, Southern Mississippi; Gabriel Davis, Central Florida; Devin Duvernay, Texas; Isaiah Hodgins, Oregon State; Isaiah Coulter, Rhode Island; James Proche, SMU; Darnell Mooney, Tulane; Collin Johnson, Texas; K.J. Hill, Ohio State; Dezmon Patmon, Washington State; John Hightower, Boise State; Donovan Peoples-Jones, Michigan; Joe Reed, Virginia; Antonio Gandy-Golden, Liberty; Trishton Jackson, Syracuse; Quintez Cephus, Wisconsin; Tyler Johnson, Minnesota.

[rampantjet]

Great stuff.   Wow DPJ is low lol