4 RD Mock from Draft Network Mock Simulator

[Pantherfan90]

First off, hello all, long time no talk.  I am not new to this site, while I am probably new to most of you.  I have been a Michigan native my whole life and a die hard Lions fan, despite my love for my Panthers as well.  Just wanted to get that out the way first!

 

Second, I have been really enjoying this draft simulator, its the first year ever trying it for me.  Thought I would post my results, which has us quite active.

 

Trades:

• Dallas Cowboys receive #7 (Penei Sewell) and 2022 7th.  Detroit Lions receive #10, #99 and 2022 1st.
  • While we miss out on a potential stud in Sewell with this move down, we gain a 2022 1st, which I love, along with a late 3rd, this all to move back three spots.  Don't fret, we still add a dynamic playmaker!
• Cleveland Browns receive #39 (Azeez Ojulari).  Detroit Lions receive #58, #89, and #130.
  • I obviously don't post how the board was playing out but a lot of the guys I was targeting went early in the 2nd and I felt it was a bit early to pull the trigger on some of the guys I had next up.  Cleveland simply offered the best package in another move down situation.
• Arizona Cardinals receive #58 and #130.  Detroit Lions receive #48 and 2022 5th and 6th.
  • I flipped two of the picks I had just gotten to move back up to grab a player I think was too talented to pass up.  I personally feel bringing in Dom Capers means we will be running a 3-4 defense this year, so keep that in mind when you look at my picks.

Draft:

#10 - Micah Parsons LB Penn State

I absolutely loved being able to move back and still land Parsons.  For those curious, top 6 picks went Trevor Lawrence, Ja'Marr Chase, DeVonta Smith, Zach Wilson, Jaylen Waddle, and Patrick Surtain.  Cowboys moved up for Sewell, Carolina takes Fields (yuck) and Denver took Paye.  If Parsons was gone at 10, I anticipated taking Pitts or Farley there, with possibly looking to move back depending on the package offered.  Parsons is an absolute stud and loved being able to add him to our defense.

#48 - Baron Browning LB Ohio State

I was shocked to see he was still on the board this late.  I considered taking him at #39 but Cleveland's offer was too good to pass up on.  When I saw he was still sitting 9 picks later, I picked up the phone (hypothetically) to see what it would take to move back up.  I actually think we make out in that deal, only moving up ten picks and landing 2 2022 picks, all for #130 which we gained from the Browns anyway.  This gives us a lot of flexibility and two studs on the inside of our defense.

#71 - Amon-Ra St. Brown WR USC

FINALLY I address WR, right?  Calm down, this class is deep and I think there will be guys that are even UDFAs who would be Day 2 picks in weaker WR classes.  Brown is an absolute steal at the top of the 3rd here and from here on out, I start adding pieces that I feel are pretty much steals this late in the draft, so I will try to limit my usage of the word.

#88 - Hamsah Nasirildeen S FSU

I imagine he'll line up as a safety for us, but I am a fan of "position-less" players if they have the talent to back it up.  I feel like good defensive coordinators find a way to get talent on the field and put them in the proper place to excel, which I hope is something we are able to do.

#89 - Jordan Smith DE/OLB UAB

He's someone who could go either way and develop into an OLB or a DE.  He's "raw" but I prefer thinking he has "room to grow."  He is definitely someone I think continues to bring a level of tenacity to this defense that is much needed.

#99 - Keith Taylor Jr. CB Washington

I was hoping to address the CB position sooner than this but getting Taylor early in the 4th round works great for me, plus we still have the 5th-7th rounds to continue addressing the position.  I love CBs who can actually tackle and have a certain "grit" to them and Taylor definitely fits that bill.

#111 Talanda Hufanga S USC

I know, I know, another safety?  I think both Hamsah and Hufanga are very versatile defenders and may be able to line up as "corners" in certain schemes, which means getting them both on the field should be very possible.  Another tough defender who will help continue to set the tone.

 

I think a lot of these guys, especially on the defensive side of things, play fast and play "violent," which is something our new coach wants.  I recognize I failed to address RT and only took one WR; I think you have to pick your battles and I think we will shed some contracts but still have some bodies at RT along with having the 5th-7th rounds still to address depth at the OT and WR positions.  I think we could end up grabbing a QB and/or RB late depending on how FA goes but you simply cannot address everything in one draft.  I think this does a great job of setting us up with securing 3 additional 2022 picks (a net of 2 with losing the 2022 7th), all while adding two additional picks this year (#89 and #99).  Having 3 1sts next year and 2 1sts in 2023 is exactly what we need to start turning this into a franchise worth being proud of.  I recognize its hard to criticize a draft with not being able to see how the entire draft played out, but any feedback would be appreciated!  As always, forward down the field to bite those kneecaps!

 

PS - Please don't comment on how "unlikely" it is the Cowboys make this trade.  While its only three picks, they are moving up to secure what many feel is a generational talent at OT in Sewell.  I don't think the Eagles would make that trade with their division rival, which leaves us as trade partners.  I personally feel there is no way Sewell makes it past the Bengals at 5 but I wasn't in control of anyone's picks, could only work with what the simulator gave me.

Edited February 5, 2021 by Pantherfan90
Spelling mistake

[LionArkie]

3 hours ago, Pantherfan90 said:

First off, hello all, long time no talk.  I am not new to this site, while I am probably new to most of you.  I have been a Michigan native my whole life and a die hard Lions fan, despite my love for my Panthers as well.  Just wanted to get that out the way first!

PS - Please don't comment on how "unlikely" it is the Cowboys make this trade.  While its only three picks, they are moving up to secure what many feel is a generational talent at OT in Sewell.  I don't think the Eagles would make that trade with their division rival, which leaves us as trade partners.  I personally feel there is no way Sewell makes it past the Bengals at 5 but I wasn't in control of anyone's picks, could only work with what the simulator gave me.

First, welcome back. It's nice to see new and old posters coming back. thanks for your contribution.

Now to the draft.

I kind of skimmed after I saw we traded Sewell.  I bolded your own comments.  I think there are only a couple of solid picks in this , what I consider, weak 2021 draft. Sewell is one of them.  We draft for the hopes of getting once in a generation talent.  If one of those prospects falls to you, you don't pass them up for a next year mid-round first pick. I know we need to re-build, but I don't believe it should be at the expense of a foundational piece at a foundational position. The trade alone would be a hard no from me.

Overall I like the idea of moving down, just not in this situation.

[Pantherfan90]

1 hour ago, LionArkie said:

First, welcome back. It's nice to see new and old posters coming back. thanks for your contribution.

Now to the draft.

I kind of skimmed after I saw we traded Sewell.  I bolded your own comments.  I think there are only a couple of solid picks in this , what I consider, weak 2021 draft. Sewell is one of them.  We draft for the hopes of getting once in a generation talent.  If one of those prospects falls to you, you don't pass them up for a next year mid-round first pick. I know we need to re-build, but I don't believe it should be at the expense of a foundational piece at a foundational position. The trade alone would be a hard no from me.

Overall I like the idea of moving down, just not in this situation.

I hear that, especially when you take into account our need at RT.  The part I didn't say is that I personally feel Parsons could be a generational type talent in his own right.  When your closest comparison most people make is Luke Kuechly, I think you are doing something right.  Do I love Sewell?  Absolutely I do.  And if Cowboys didn't offer what they did, I would have just taken Sewell.  But when I discovered I could get a 3rd, albeit a late 3rd, and a 2022 1st to move back 3 places and STILL land a potential generational talent in Parsons, I didn't hesitate to pull the trigger.  I would ask for you to please look at the rest of it and judge the rest of the draft outside of Sewell.  I know you don't like moving out there, I get it but I feel a lot of good things happened in this mock.

[Karnage84]

Welcome back. Hope you're planning on coming in and chiming in on a frequent basis. It's always good to get fresh new voices (or returning old ones) into the forum. 

Draft:

- Sewell trade: I don't hate the trade. Sewell is getting a lot of hype but I believe that Daniel Jeremiah is quite high on Ra'Shawn Slater out of Northwestern. So I don't know if it is open/shut. The other thing is that just because a guy is really good at LT doesn't mean they can play RT at the same level. You're also paying Taylor Decker a good chunk of change and he is playing at a high level. You don't fix something that isn't broken. 

 - Parsons: I do really like the player/position. Not so sure on the person. There's enough smoke around him that it does give me concern. Assuming that everything checks out, this is a great move. Adding a dynamic playmaker at a key position of need and adding a 2022 1st in the process. 

- Browning: I am personally a fan of Browning as a player but I do question back to back LB's. That's a LOT of youth in that group. Vets help guys learn how to develop a process and figure out what works. Learning on the job and being thrown into the fire can help you learn a process. It doesn't mean it will be a good process. A bad process is likely to generate bad results. I'm totally cool with adding Parsons (or just Browning if you aren't sold on Parsons character) and adding another guy a few rounds later with upside. 

- Rest of class: I really like both of your safety picks. We need an eraser at SS and that should allow Tracy Walker to move back to his preferred position of FS. If he's going to be successful, we have to put him in a position where he can be. 

Overall this is a decent job. While we may be running a 3-4 this year, I don't feel like we will be doing that moving forward and they're just going to roll off of pure 3-4 guys when it becomes more advantageous. 

[Pantherfan90]

5 minutes ago, Karnage84 said:

Welcome back. Hope you're planning on coming in and chiming in on a frequent basis. It's always good to get fresh new voices (or returning old ones) into the forum. 

Draft:

- Sewell trade: I don't hate the trade. Sewell is getting a lot of hype but I believe that Daniel Jeremiah is quite high on Ra'Shawn Slater out of Northwestern. So I don't know if it is open/shut. The other thing is that just because a guy is really good at LT doesn't mean they can play RT at the same level. You're also paying Taylor Decker a good chunk of change and he is playing at a high level. You don't fix something that isn't broken. 

 - Parsons: I do really like the player/position. Not so sure on the person. There's enough smoke around him that it does give me concern. Assuming that everything checks out, this is a great move. Adding a dynamic playmaker at a key position of need and adding a 2022 1st in the process. 

- Browning: I am personally a fan of Browning as a player but I do question back to back LB's. That's a LOT of youth in that group. Vets help guys learn how to develop a process and figure out what works. Learning on the job and being thrown into the fire can help you learn a process. It doesn't mean it will be a good process. A bad process is likely to generate bad results. I'm totally cool with adding Parsons (or just Browning if you aren't sold on Parsons character) and adding another guy a few rounds later with upside. 

- Rest of class: I really like both of your safety picks. We need an eraser at SS and that should allow Tracy Walker to move back to his preferred position of FS. If he's going to be successful, we have to put him in a position where he can be. 

Overall this is a decent job. While we may be running a 3-4 this year, I don't feel like we will be doing that moving forward and they're just going to roll off of pure 3-4 guys when it becomes more advantageous. 

I usually pop back in when the offseason rolls around because I get a lot of information on teams through the forums and their mocks.  I very rarely post (as evidenced by my post total), pretty much just my yearly mocks and asking other forums questions on ranking team needs and such.

 

I feel like we may be sticking with a 3-4 longer than people think.  I think management was smart in how they announced the defensive scheme because a lot of people want any evidence of what Quinn/Patricia did to this team erased, and mostly for good reason.  That said, long gone are the days of JUST running a 3-4 or a 4-3.  Defense is all about your ability to adapt, whether it be game to game, drive to drive, or play to play.  But you have to have a base to start from and I think them saying "hey, we are keeping our base on defense" would have scared a lot of people.  Them coming out and saying "hey, doing what we wanna do is gonna take time, so we actually are gonna keep more of these guys than you may want" was a smart way to keep the fans invested in the team and the overall good vibes we are getting from top to bottom.

 

I personally think our linebacking core is piss poor and is one of our weakest spots on the whole roster.  So while drafting Parsons and Browning may feel like "overkill" or "insurance," I traded up to get Browning with full intent on both Parsons and Browning starting.

[Karnage84]

1 minute ago, Pantherfan90 said:

I usually pop back in when the offseason rolls around because I get a lot of information on teams through the forums and their mocks.  I very rarely post (as evidenced by my post total), pretty much just my yearly mocks and asking other forums questions on ranking team needs and such.

 

I feel like we may be sticking with a 3-4 longer than people think.  I think management was smart in how they announced the defensive scheme because a lot of people want any evidence of what Quinn/Patricia did to this team erased, and mostly for good reason.  That said, long gone are the days of JUST running a 3-4 or a 4-3.  Defense is all about your ability to adapt, whether it be game to game, drive to drive, or play to play.  But you have to have a base to start from and I think them saying "hey, we are keeping our base on defense" would have scared a lot of people.  Them coming out and saying "hey, doing what we wanna do is gonna take time, so we actually are gonna keep more of these guys than you may want" was a smart way to keep the fans invested in the team and the overall good vibes we are getting from top to bottom.

 

I personally think our linebacking core is piss poor and is one of our weakest spots on the whole roster.  So while drafting Parsons and Browning may feel like "overkill" or "insurance," I traded up to get Browning with full intent on both Parsons and Browning starting.

I'm high on Jabril Cox right now, although it is very early in the process. Our new LB coach, Sheppard, just left LSU and will be very familiar with him. He seems to fit the profile of the new age LB. He seems to be a 2nd or 3rd round guy that could outplay his draft position. We still need a lot help on the defensive line and this draft does ignore that. 

[Pantherfan90]

11 minutes ago, Karnage84 said:

I'm high on Jabril Cox right now, although it is very early in the process. Our new LB coach, Sheppard, just left LSU and will be very familiar with him. He seems to fit the profile of the new age LB. He seems to be a 2nd or 3rd round guy that could outplay his draft position. We still need a lot help on the defensive line and this draft does ignore that. 

This class is a little weak along the defensive line though.  I hate reaching for positions just because its a "need."  A lot of the guys along the defensive line I wanted never lined up with where we picked.  I will say the maddest I got in the entire draft was when Tyler Shelvin went at 87, the pick right before our back to backs in 88 and 89.

[CWood21]

10 hours ago, Pantherfan90 said:

Dallas Cowboys receive #7 (Penei Sewell) and 2022 7th.  Detroit Lions receive #10, #99 and 2022 1st.

• While we miss out on a potential stud in Sewell with this move down, we gain a 2022 1st, which I love, along with a late 3rd, this all to move back three spots.  Don't fret, we still add a dynamic playmaker!

First off, don't see Penei Sewell being on the board at 7.  Really don't see him getting past Cincinnati at 5, unless Mike Brown goes off the rails again.  Plus, the trade value here is all kinds of off.  The Cowboys' 3rd round pick should make the jump from 10 to 7 plus maybe a little something extra.

[Pantherfan90]

2 hours ago, CWood21 said:

First off, don't see Penei Sewell being on the board at 7.  Really don't see him getting past Cincinnati at 5, unless Mike Brown goes off the rails again.  Plus, the trade value here is all kinds of off.  The Cowboys' 3rd round pick should make the jump from 10 to 7 plus maybe a little something extra.

See the bottom of my post.