Recapping the 2021 Draft (Post-Draft Talk)

[Humble_Beast]

2 minutes ago, Darbsk said:

What a strange thing to say. You think every single DT in the class sucked and none could be potential starters down the line? 

as a collective. there was no first round DT, the mid and late round Dts were meh 

[Darbsk]

4 minutes ago, Humble_Beast said:

as a collective. there was no first round DT, the mid and late round Dts were meh 

Ah, OK I thought you meant every DT sucked not that there were no real stand outs at their respective rounds. It's almost guaranteed that at least a couple are very successful, if I had to say which I'd say Onwuzirike, Nixon and Togiai may find success.

Edited May 2, 2021 by Darbsk

[RaidersAreOne]

 

[OldManWillis]

41 minutes ago, jpaulthe1st said:

The problem with this strategy is that 1st year DT’s don’t usually make much of an impact. Would have made more sense to take one this year and give them a year of grooming to make an impact next year. I liked Nixon in the 3rd for that. 

Most of the posters in this forum would have used your strategy, hell I wanted Nixon since the 2nd.

Unfortunately our front office likes to think they're smarter then everyone else.

[RaidersAreOne]

 

 

[RaidersAreOne]

 

[UpstateRaider]

I've been on this board and registered a few times, and then I think I'm inactive so my account expires.  

I'm willing to bet I'm older than most here, and I remember us getting a C the year we drafted Nnamdi.  I remember Robert Gallery being a "can't miss" elite tackle.  Draft grades are ridiculous.  Especially since no one has played a down.  All that's being graded is how well the team stuck to a consensus mock draft.  

 

That said, the Gruden era has a trend of reaching for need early.  Cle is important to our defense and growing, but not what you would expect out of pick 4.  Ruggs was invisible for stretches last year.  If Leatherwood becomes an anchor for the right side of the line great.  But I do wish they had gotten some value for trading down.  

 

I love the focus on the defense.  I'm just concerned with our coaching staffs ability to actually develop players.  

[Rich7sena]

Overall, this was another "fine" draft. Leatherwood joins a long line of Raider reaches in round 1. I think he will be the Clelin Ferrell of tackles--good enough to start but you could do a lot better--which is a real bummer in round 1. Moehrig is fine in round 2. I wasn't the biggest fan of his but I think he could cut it at single high even if I have questions about him in that spot. Obviously some NFL team seemed to have the same view of him that I did.

I'm a big fan of Deablo and Gillespie. Some might think the Raiders went safety overkill, but Gus Bradley loves to play safety bodies in the second level. In 2020, Bradley used Jenkins, Adderley, and White all at the same time regularly. In 2019, he used Jenkins, James, and Phillips. I think the sentiment is that Abrams is on a short leash, but I would think Littleton is on a shorter one. I think the ideal Bradley lineup would include Abram, Moehrig, and Deablo. 

[reddevil]

Another pretty wild experience with some now all too familiar emotions.

My least favourite bit in any draft is the moment you hear the first syllable Goodell says in the first round. I got the same feeling when he said K for Miller, C for Ferrell, A for Arnette and now A for Leatherwood. Your brain starts searching for the ‘who the hell is this gonna be’ - and then you process it and realise what they’ve done. This time it was even more pronounced because Leatherwood was a running joke, a parody of a pick that became reality.

I don’t think I can give it an overall grade - as I honestly don’t know how to feel about it. I really didn’t like the AL pick, but then the player I really wanted there was JOK and look where he went and if you go down the picks that went after him, there weren’t many that make me feel like we missed out on a sure thing.  I probably would’ve been okay with Moehrig at 17 and would have expected then a RT at 48 so in a bizarre flip of reality, we maybe came out better off this way as I doubt AL would’ve been there at 48 and we would’ve been forced to take a lesser player.

What I really liked was that we had a clear vision for what we wanted to do on defense and a coordinated plan for attacking it. It looks like the FO have listened to what Bradley and the coaching team feel the team needs which is more speed, athleticism (almost all picks had ridiculous RAS scores) and playmaking on defense. That is my feeling too, so I’m glad that’s what they went after. 

I get the criticism that we maybe didn’t come out of it with any definite starters. But, I am happy to take the risk with potential and upside picks at this stage. Plus, I do have confidence in Bradley, Milus and Smith to know what traits they feel they need for prospects and to ultimately blend together a functional defense. 

It’s difficult for me to shake off the disappointment of the AL pick - both the fact that they picked him and the fact that they did it again! But I am excited by the amount potential - specifically fast, athletic potential we have across our D and am optimistic that Bradley and his coaches can turn some of that potential into a few impact players.

[Darbsk]

5 hours ago, RaidersAreOne said:

 

 

I believe the first comment completely. The second comment, not at all 😁

[Dessie]

7 hours ago, Darbsk said:

Yes, Nixon has the potential to start in a coupe years IMO if course. I really like his potential. Coonce has very little chance to start even in a number of years IMO, purely a rotation and depth guy as he lacks bulk, strength and leverage and can't hold the point if attack. Deablo may compete at WLB but we've already gotten Littleton and Morrow there who will be better. I don't see how he would start at SLB with being able to stack, shed or hold up against at the run. I do like him but he looks like #3 WLB or a role player rather than an us getting a bona fide starting SLB. Gillespie could potentially start maybe and I do like him but we've got a few other safeties that are probably above him and he's a solid player rather than high ceiling guy IMO. Jeff Heath like maybe?

Not sure I've explained that so well, Does that makes sense?

Littleton and Morrow would be out of contract in 2 years whose to say Deablo wouldn’t be a starter by then ? Abram is on notice and Gillespie or Deablo imo could be a starter in a years time if we give up on him. 

I don’t get that Nixon would be a starter in a couple of years but these guys won’t be, seems like you have already discounted them already. 

E.g I could make the argument that Stills would be a starter in 2 years time so we have got a DT. 

Edited May 2, 2021 by Dessie

[Darbsk]

14 minutes ago, Dessie said:

Littleton and Morrow would be out of contract in 2 years whose to say Deablo wouldn’t be a starter by then ? Abram is on notice and Gillespie or Deablo imo could be a starter in a years time if we give up on him. 

I don’t get that Nixon would be a starter in a couple of years but these guys won’t be, seems like you have already discounted them already. 

E.g I could make the argument that Stills would be a starter in 2 years time so we have got a DT. 

Sure, they could be. All our picks could theoretically be starters but it is my opinion that most of our picks will never amount to much more than depth players or limited role players. It is my contention that Nixon for one, has huge potential and could be starting as early as next season for us given what we have at his position.

Now, I obviously could be very wrong about that and every NFL team thought Nixon wasn't valued higher than the 5th round. I happen to think they are wrong based on what I've seen. We had obvious holes at SLB, huge question marks at DT and it's also blindingly obvious that Incognito probably only has a very limited time left yet we didn't bring in anyone to compete at those areas. Maybe Simpson steps up but I personally haven't been impressed with him yet and maybe one of our LB or safeties can man the SLB but it's not the road I'd have gone down personally. 

We invested heavily in guys like Littleton a WLB in his prime (which was oft pointed out) so he'd have multiple years with us, Abram is a 1st round pick that is still on his rookie contract and we're told will flourish in this new scheme but we added behind them and whilst I do like Gilespee and Deablo I thought we should have gone after guys in other areas.

Stills I do really like as a player and he could find a role within the team in the future. How many of these draft guys do you actually see starting in say, two years?

[Dessie]

38 minutes ago, Darbsk said:

Sure, they could be. All our picks could theoretically be starters but it is my opinion that most of our picks will never amount to much more than depth players or limited role players. It is my contention that Nixon for one, has huge potential and could be starting as early as next season for us given what we have at his position.

Now, I obviously could be very wrong about that and every NFL team thought Nixon wasn't valued higher than the 5th round. I happen to think they are wrong based on what I've seen. We had obvious holes at SLB, huge question marks at DT and it's also blindingly obvious that Incognito probably only has a very limited time left yet we didn't bring in anyone to compete at those areas. Maybe Simpson steps up but I personally haven't been impressed with him yet and maybe one of our LB or safeties can man the SLB but it's not the road I'd have gone down personally. 

We invested heavily in guys like Littleton a WLB in his prime (which was oft pointed out) so he'd have multiple years with us, Abram is a 1st round pick that is still on his rookie contract and we're told will flourish in this new scheme but we added behind them and whilst I do like Gilespee and Deablo I thought we should have gone after guys in other areas.

Stills I do really like as a player and he could find a role within the team in the future. How many of these draft guys do you actually see starting in say, two years?

Until we see Bradley’s scheme the SLB role is a huge question mark tbh. As @Rich7senahas stated it could quite easily be Deablo, Abram and Moehrig a lot of the times. That’s why I like the Deablo pick, he’s a matchup piece to be used. With the like of Crosby,Noonce, Ngakoue and Nassib playing DE in nickel. 

Id have the likes of Gillespie, Deablo and Hobbs all having as much chance as Nixon as starting in 2 years time.

As you said Nixon was passed over by a number of teams and given you wanted him in the 2nd (I think) it’s fair to say you are heavily biased towards him. 

[Darbsk]

8 minutes ago, Dessie said:

Until we see Bradley’s scheme the SLB role is a huge question mark tbh. As @Rich7senahas stated it could quite easily be Deablo, Abram and Moehrig a lot of the times. That’s why I like the Deablo pick, he’s a matchup piece to be used. With the like of Crosby,Noonce, Ngakoue and Nassib playing DE in nickel. 

Id have the likes of Gillespie, Deablo and Hobbs all having as much chance as Nixon as starting in 2 years time.

As you said Nixon was passed over by a number of teams and given you wanted him in the 2nd (I think) it’s fair to say you are heavily biased towards him. 

That's fair. I hope that we emerge with a number of starters obviously and quite clearly hope I'm wrong more than I'm right like most of us here so we'll wait and see.

Nixon I valued at 2 to 3 so would have loved to have added him but I am high on him and probably a little emotionally invested in him as a prospect true.

It'll be fascinating to see how these guys figure into Gus Bradley's scheme as we're all kind of guessing how it will all fit at this time. I think we actually have a competent DC for the first time in a long while so that will be a novelty.

[Dessie]

21 minutes ago, Darbsk said:

That's fair. I hope that we emerge with a number of starters obviously and quite clearly hope I'm wrong more than I'm right like most of us here so we'll wait and see.

Nixon I valued at 2 to 3 so would have loved to have added him but I am high on him and probably a little emotionally invested in him as a prospect true.

It'll be fascinating to see how these guys figure into Gus Bradley's scheme as we're all kind of guessing how it will all fit at this time. I think we actually have a competent DC for the first time in a long while so that will be a novelty.

Exactly I think it’s also important to understand that Bradley may have certain traits that he looks for in certain positions. DT will be interesting to keep an eye on as to what he looks for. What he does with Ferrell will be very intriguing tbh. 

Edited May 2, 2021 by Dessie