🏈 Pick #80 is in: LB/S, Devine Diablo, Virginia Tech

[Darbsk]

Very intriguing choice, big potential and absolutely love the name 😈

I think it's very boom or bust though but that's OK now and again. Likely to be a ST player in his first year, would have preferred a DT like Nixon here but this is a player who needs coaching and patience so I'm going to be following his progress closely 🙂

[dante9876]

So we draft a kid who is perfect for the role everybody is saying abram should be playing and we tell him he is going to play the will. This has to be a smokescreen. If abram mess up this kid will definitely be taking some of his snaps. 

[dante9876]

32 minutes ago, Darbsk said:

Very intriguing choice, big potential and absolutely love the name 😈

I think it's very boom or bust though but that's OK now and again. Likely to be a ST player in his first year, would have preferred a DT like Nixon here but this is a player who needs coaching and patience so I'm going to be following his progress closely 🙂

I'll take this pick over the muse pick any day. Much more potiental for boom over bust. 

[reddevil]

2 hours ago, Darbsk said:

Very intriguing choice, big potential and absolutely love the name 😈

I think it's very boom or bust though but that's OK now and again. Likely to be a ST player in his first year, would have preferred a DT like Nixon here but this is a player who needs coaching and patience so I'm going to be following his progress closely 🙂

I like the approach. We have to try and find fast, dynamic playmakers to turn this sorry defense around. Now, I wanted us to try and do that in the 1st round - but it wasn’t to be. So I’m fine with this and the Koonz pick as the only way to find impact later is by taking chances. 

[reddevil]

Just now, reddevil said:

I like the approach. We have to try and find fast, dynamic playmakers to turn this sorry defense around. Now, I wanted us to try and do that in the 1st round - but it wasn’t to be. So I’m fine with this and the Koonce pick as the only way to find impact later is by taking chances. 

 

[Jeremy408]

Keep in mind: Mike Mayock said that he made this pick because of linebacker coach Richard Smith said he a starting will in this league. I looked up Richard Smith’s credentials after that.

He was the linebacker coach when they drafted Danny Trevathan(former safety turned linebacker) went to the pro bowl

He was the defensive coordinator when the Falcons drafted Deion Jones(former safety turned linebacker) went to the pro bowl and Devondre Campbell(considered a freak athlete that didn’t know what he was doing) solid starter

when he was the linebacker coach when the Chargers drafted Kyzir white(former safety turned linebacker)Who is starting for the chargers

Now that’s what I mean by having a track record of developing the talent that you asked for. When he says that he asked for a player I’m inclined to trust him over someone like Paul Gunther who’s supposed best work is Vontaze Burfict(One of the most undisciplined players who ever played)

Edited May 1, 2021 by Jeremy408

[oakdb36]

 

[oakdb36]

 

Edited May 1, 2021 by oakdb36

[NYRaider]

Only played DB for 3 years after starting his collegiate career as a WR. 4 PD and 4 INT last season in only 9 games. His testing numbers were impressive the only one that was a little concerning was his 20 yard shuttle which shows how quickly a guy can change direction. He ran a 4.45s which put him in the 5th percentile for safeties. 

Safeties are a key part of Bradley's defense though and we got two guys that fit what he likes to do, excited to see what he can do and hopefully this puts Abram on the bench. 

[Mr Raider]

Big fan of this pick as well. 

Diablo is one of those guys that screams better NFL player than college player (and he was a good college player). In today's NFL we see with regularity guys that are big college safeties become "money" backers and have success. The college game isn't nearly as fast obviously, so you can get away with slightly bigger, stiffer safeties than you see guys in the NFL being able to pull off. See someone like Muse being able to play safety to some degree of success at Clemson. 

And with all that said, I don't think Muse is even close to the talent level of Diablo (which makes taking Muse in the third the same as Diablo extra sad lol). Diablo is much more fluid, has much better functional strength, good instincts. I even think he can play SS at the NFL level for teams that run a heavy cover 3 system like we will. He wouldn't be a fit at safety for us if we were still employing Gunthers system of the safeties being interchangeable. But with Bradley in the mix and a more defined true system approach of a FS and a SS having different skill sets and responsibilities he could pull it off IMO. 

However, Diablo is one of those guys that just finds a way to make an impact. Put him at WLB, put him at SS, and let him use his great speed and athleticism to make plays. 

He's almost a selection as a long term replacement AND/OR insurance for both Abram and Littelton (even if it's not immediately year one) both guys struggled last year. And while we all have hopes that was largely because of Gunther, we can't have blind faith in both becoming what we expected when we signed/drafted them. If both guys progress and show what we need them to in a new system it's still an awesome problem to have to have a great athlete that can play multiple positions. 

They aren't going to immediately come out and say this third round pick is to put Abram on notice, but you better believe the idea he could take over for Abram if he doesn't become more disciplined was something that was at least mentioned. 

Diablo seems like a guy that has a relatively high ceiling, but not a super super low floor either. In the middle of the third round everyone has flaws and risks. At the very least he's probably a guy that gives you 4 years of great special teams play, provides depth at WLB and at SS, and he has the potential to be a long term quality starter at either spot depending on his development and the development of the guys already on the roster at those spots. 

To me, for a third round pick that's a great pick. I would have liked Nixon a lot there too, but it's not like he's a guaranteed long term starter, let alone a year one starter so you're just preferring a different prospect at a different position with the same outlook except Nixon is strictly a 3T and isn't going to help provide depth at DE or anything. Diablo is a guy that would have had a very tough transition and thus would be hard to justify the pick if this was 10+ years ago. In today's NFL though? Those oversized safeties/smaller LBs make transitions and have a lot of success with as much regularity as other positions. And I have a decent amount of faith in Bradley overall as a DC, but one area I have a ton of faith in him is in the LB and secondary, and with guys that play a hybrid of both of those spots. 

This pick is at the very least a solid B-B+ for me. 

[NYRaider]

2 minutes ago, Mr Raider said:

Big fan of this pick as well. 

Diablo is one of those guys that screams better NFL player than college player (and he was a good college player). In today's NFL we see with regularity guys that are big college safeties become "money" backers and have success. The college game isn't nearly as fast obviously, so you can get away with slightly bigger, stiffer safeties than you see guys in the NFL being able to pull off. See someone like Muse being able to play safety to some degree of success at Clemson. 

I wonder if we play him at SS or move him to more of a WLB role like has been stated. 

Our LB and S rooms looking a little better with a ton of guys that can run around and make plays.

Safeties: Moehrig, Abram, Joseph, Heath

LB's: Kwit, Littleton, Morrow, Diablo, Muse, White

[RaidersAreOne]

 

[CaliforniaKid7]

Appreciate all of the outside posts you’ve added in here @RaidersAreOne great work thank you

[MrOaktown_56]

It doesn't matter where you play this guy. Like they said. He just makes plays.

[RaidersAreOne]

 

 

Edited May 1, 2021 by RaidersAreOne