43M's Delusional Mockumentary 3 - Final Pre Draft Mock(s) - Page 5

[warfelg]

1 hour ago, MOSteelers56 said:

I understand people are low on Diontae, but trading him for next years 3rd is crazy. That’s pretty much less than what we got for Martavis Bryant.

It’s less being low on him and more his skill set is becoming a dime a dozen, and with how much WRs are getting paid and how much he wants to get paid, it makes more sense from a team building perspective to get something from him than pay him. 

[43M]

@Dcash4, @AFF, @MOSteelers56

I know it sounds rather convenient, but I actually meant to have that as the 2023 2nd rounder.     I had 3rd there because initially, I had us trading for one of their two 3rd rounders THIS year.     Hell, initially, I had us trading him for a 2022 2nd round pick, but I dont think we could get that for him.

Beyond that, you guys value DJ more than I do.   He has talent obviously, but I dont trust the guy whatsoever, and him skipping out on working out with Trubisky made me like him even less.       He has one year left on his deal and I think he is going to want to test out free agency.   I sure as hell am not paying him huge money, and the franchise tag doesnt sound good either since that will probably value him over $20m next year, and even one year, Im not interested.

To me, it comes down to this....

a) Pay a fairly unreliable and inconsistent WR potentially WAY more than he actually deserves.   (You guys can blame Ben, but his key drops and running lazy routes were his fault alone)

b) Keep him one more year in a year where we wont be serious contender, and if we are lucky, maybe get a 3rd round comp in 2024.

c) Trade him for a 2nd round pick next year, or potentially a 3rd rounder this year, and move on one year early.

Obviously its a matter of how much you trust DJ, but Ill take C pretty easily.     If we were going to be a real contender this year, I would consider B if only because he is still our best WR (of the two we have), but we arent going anywhere this year.  Another early playoff exit at the VERY best....and I PERSONALLY dont have DJ in this teams long term plans.

[MOSteelers56]

Honestly, I wouldn’t have minded it it was it was a 2nd. I view 2nds as a lot more valuable than 3rds. I like Diontae, but I’m not crazy about him. I do think the money story is a little overblown. Do we have any indication that he actually expects $20M? I wouldn’t pay him that much if he asks for it. I don’t think he’s shown he’s a #1 guy. That has to do with his drops, but also that he’s only played in a clunky offense. If he shows he can cut down on drops and become a true #1 guy like Adams, I’d be more open to it. If he can’t, I’m down with shipping him out. 

[turtle28]

http://draft.thedraftzone.com/front/step4
 

20: 

CHRIS OLAVE

WR, OHIO STATE

 

64: 

JOSH PASCHAL

EDGE, KENTUCKY From Denver Broncos

 

84: 

PHIDARIAN MATHIS

NT, ALABAMA

 

96: 

Ellis Brooks

LB, PENN STATE From Denver Broncos

 

138: 

LECITUS SMITH

OG, VIRGINIA TECH

 

155: 

BRYAN COOK

S, CINCINNATI From Dallas Cowboys

167: 

DAMARRI MATHIS

S, PITTSBURGH From Dallas Cowboys

176: 

KYLER MCMICHAEL

CB, NORTH CAROLINA From Dallas Cowboys

207: 

JALEN NAILOR

WR, MICHIGAN STATE From Denver Broncos

209: 

LUKE WATTENBERG

OC, WASHINGTON

 

226: 

DANIEL BELLINGER

TE, SAN DIEGO STATE

 

242: 

KAYLON GEIGER, WR, Texas Tech

 

Free Agent Signings after the draft:

 

Ereck Flowers, LG

 

 

2022 Steelers Roster:

 

QB: Trubisky, Randolph 

RB: Najee Harris, Benny Snell, Anthony McFarland

FB: Derek Watt

LT: Moore, Haeg

LG: Flowers, Dotson

C : Cole, Green

RG: Daniels, Lecitus Smith(R4)

RT: Okorafor, Chaz Green

WR: Claypool, Anthony Miller

WR: D. Johnson, Jalen Nailor (Draft)

Slot: Olave (R1), Steven Sims

TE: Pat F, Gentry, Rader 

RDE: Heyward, Loudermilk

NT: Alualu, Mathis (R4)

LDE: Tuitt, Wormley

ROLB: Highsmith, Paschal (R2)

MIKE: Myles Jack, Spillane

WLB: Bush, Ellis Brooks (R4)

LOLB: Watt, John Simon

RCB: Cameron Sutton, Arthur Maulet

LCB: Levi Wallace, Kyler McMichael (Draft)

Slot: Witherspoon

SS: Marcus Allen, Brian Cook

FS: Fitzpatrick, Mathis (Draft)

 

Other draft picks end up on practice squad.

[turtle28]

21 minutes ago, MOSteelers56 said:

Honestly, I wouldn’t have minded it it was it was a 2nd. I view 2nds as a lot more valuable than 3rds. I like Diontae, but I’m not crazy about him. I do think the money story is a little overblown. Do we have any indication that he actually expects $20M? I wouldn’t pay him that much if he asks for it. I don’t think he’s shown he’s a #1 guy. That has to do with his drops, but also that he’s only played in a clunky offense. If he shows he can cut down on drops and become a true #1 guy like Adams, I’d be more open to it. If he can’t, I’m down with shipping him out. 

Agreed, we also need to see these guys w/o Ben. Everyone knows since the elbow injury Ben’s long ball wasn’t the same the last two years but he was still accurate under 20 yards most of the time. Let’s see how good Claypool & especially D. Johnson are w/o Ben. As you said, he also drops a lot of catchable balls.

[Dcash4]

2 hours ago, 43M said:

but I actually meant to have that as the 2023 2nd rounder. 

This I would do. My gripe wasn’t about trading Diontae, but just the value. It’s not safe to play this game, but Atlanta (that’s who you said, right?) is likely to be pick 33-40. That’s, likely, the top of the value spectrum you could get for DJ. So all good to me. 

2 hours ago, 43M said:

Pay a fairly unreliable and inconsistent WR potentially WAY more than he actually deserves.   (You guys can blame Ben, but his key drops and running lazy routes were his fault alone)

The one part I’ll push back on…kinda…I might be creating a different topic entirely….

Yes, he drops balls, but his drop % is right in line with some of the top guys in the league. The big, large, gigantically huge difference is that Adams, Kupp, Jefferson, etc, offense and QB give them the chance to follow up a drop with an explosive/big play. DJs offense made up for a drop with a 4 yard curl on 3rd and 8. 

That’s the part I’m willing to bet on DJ with. Can actually having a non-zombie QB and, potentially, an offensive scheme that highlight the area of the field he can drop bodies in unlock a top 15 guy? 

The thing that scares me about walking away from DJ is that he is good on the NFL level at things that are the hardest to translate from the college to pros and extremely hard to project skill level. He can separate on his own and win Vs any coverage. I love Jahan Dotson, I heard him be called Diontae with hands and that feels right….but it’s still just a projection that he can separate from NFL coverage. DJ is a known. 

Id do it for a second because that’s fair value and I truly believe without a QB, nothing else matters. But I’m still very weary of walking away from a guy who can win against coverage the way Johnson can. 

[turtle28]

1 hour ago, Dcash4 said:

This I would do. My gripe wasn’t about trading Diontae, but just the value. It’s not safe to play this game, but Atlanta (that’s who you said, right?) is likely to be pick 33-40. That’s, likely, the top of the value spectrum you could get for DJ. So all good to me. 

The one part I’ll push back on…kinda…I might be creating a different topic entirely….

Yes, he drops balls, but his drop % is right in line with some of the top guys in the league. The big, large, gigantically huge difference is that Adams, Kupp, Jefferson, etc, offense and QB give them the chance to follow up a drop with an explosive/big play. DJs offense made up for a drop with a 4 yard curl on 3rd and 8. 

That’s the part I’m willing to bet on DJ with. Can actually having a non-zombie QB and, potentially, an offensive scheme that highlight the area of the field he can drop bodies in unlock a top 15 guy? 

The thing that scares me about walking away from DJ is that he is good on the NFL level at things that are the hardest to translate from the college to pros and extremely hard to project skill level. He can separate on his own and win Vs any coverage. I love Jahan Dotson, I heard him be called Diontae with hands and that feels right….but it’s still just a projection that he can separate from NFL coverage. DJ is a known. 

Id do it for a second because that’s fair value and I truly believe without a QB, nothing else matters. But I’m still very weary of walking away from a guy who can win against coverage the way Johnson can. 

I’d counter with how many times do the Steelers bank on their drafting & developing process moving on from WRs like Santonio Holmes & ARE to find a Mike Wallace & AB. Moving on from Emanuel Sanders to find a Martavius Bryant. Moving on from Bryant to find a James Washington & Claypool. Moving on from AB to find a D. johnson.

They do the same thing on D w/ DL, LBs & secondary players. 
 

They’ll find a WR develop him or Him’s and they won’t miss DJ too much after a year. He’s not worth $20 plus million. Now Claypool, he may be worth that but we’ll see what each of them do w/ Trubisky or Rudolph as their starter this year aka w/o Ben.

Edited April 17, 2022 by turtle28

[Dcash4]

2 hours ago, turtle28 said:

I’d counter with how many times do the Steelers bank on their drafting & developing process moving on from WRs like Santonio Holmes & ARE to find a Mike Wallace & AB. Moving on from Emanuel Sanders to find a Martavius Bryant. Moving on from Bryant to find a James Washington & Claypool. Moving on from AB to find a D. johnson.

To be fair to this process, they do TRY to hang on to their best guys though. Holmes was only moved because of the weed and Bens issues. AB would still be here if not for going crazy. They offered Wallace and Sanders, but they didn’t take it. 

The Steelers recently have done a good job of getting high floor guys, but DJ is probably the best talent the have drafted since AB. I’m not sure “market rate” is going to stop them from trying to resign their best. Claypool, Washington, and even JuJu aren’t really worth the re-up. 

3 hours ago, turtle28 said:

Now Claypool, he may be worth that but we’ll see what each of them do w/ Trubisky or Rudolph as their starter this year aka w/o Ben.

I mean….if you think Claypool is worth the $20M but DJ isn’t I really have no clue what Steelers football you have been watching. 

[turtle28]

4 minutes ago, Dcash4 said:

To be fair to this process, they do TRY to hang on to their best guys though. Holmes was only moved because of the weed and Bens issues. AB would still be here if not for going crazy. They offered Wallace and Sanders, but they didn’t take it. 

The Steelers recently have done a good job of getting high floor guys, but DJ is probably the best talent the have drafted since AB. I’m not sure “market rate” is going to stop them from trying to resign their best. Claypool, Washington, and even JuJu aren’t really worth the re-up. 

I mean….if you think Claypool is worth the $20M but DJ isn’t I really have no clue what Steelers football you have been watching. 

The potential for Claypool to be a top 5 WR is more likely than DJ. Claypool was hurt more by Ben’s inability to get it more downfield than DJ. 

[43M]

5 hours ago, turtle28 said:

http://draft.thedraftzone.com/front/step4
64: 

JOSH PASCHAL

EDGE, KENTUCKY From Denver Broncos

 

 

I dont get the obsession with giving us a pass rusher that early is when we have as many holes as we do.

We need depth, and Im not entirely convinced Highsmith is the long term answer....but it makes absolutely no sense for us to take a pass rusher that high.     I could understand if we were picking in the top 5 and had a chance at some kind of defense phenom ala Von Miller or something like that....but thats absolutely not the case in the 2nd round.

RB, TE and OLB are the only 3 positions I would be upset with drafting in the first 3 rounds.      I dont want any of the QBs either, but at least it makes sense from a needs perspective.

[SMashMouthMike]

On 4/17/2022 at 6:58 AM, 43M said:

This is my 2^nd mock of 2022.

This one is my “wishful thinking” mock, and pretty much what I would do if I were calling the shots.

I will do one more mock next week, which will be closer to what I think WILL happen, even though I don’t want to think about that.

Here is my mindset while doing this draft….   (Sorry about some of the formatting.  I typed this up in word first and it was wonky pasting it over)

T    1) This is one of the few times I recall the Steelers going into the draft with glaring holes.    This year, we kind of have 2   (Safety and WR).     I cant believe they haven’t signed someone at either position, even just to give them some peace of mind.

2     2) There is no chance Im willing to pay DJ the money he will command next year.    I don’t trust him one bit.   He has skills, but he isn’t dependable.    Let someone else overpay him.

3     3) While there is some potential at QB in this draft, none of them are worth the risk of a first round pick.    And honestly, there are only three QBs Id draft before day 3.

         4) If we don’t draft OL early, which I doubt we will, I wouldn’t take a single OLineman the entire draft.   We have enough developmental and backup caliber lineman.   We don’t need more this year.   Maybe grab a UDFA, but thats it.

5     5) The Steelers shouldn’t be trading up at all.   Trade down all you want, but we don’t have the picks to be moving up, especially for QB with major question marks.

 

 

 

Steelers trade Dionte Johnson to the Falcons for 2023 3^rd round pick.

 Steelers trade 1(20) to the Lions for 1(32) and 3(66).

1 (32)  WR George Pickens - Georgia
2 (52)  S Lewis Cine - Georgia
3 (66)  DL Phidarian Mathis – Alabama
3 (84)   WR Tyquan Thorton - Baylor
4 (138) EDGE DeAngelo Malone – Western Kentucky
6 (208) NT Otito Ogbannia - UCLA
7 (225) RB Tyrion Davis-Price – LSU
7 (241) CB Damarion Williams – Houston

 

Post Draft FA Signings

UDFA QB to replace Dwayne  😥.  I don’t know QBs this late so I’ll let you all fill in that blank.

RB Sony Michel  - You can replace him with pretty much anyone.   Just some cheap FA RB that will barely play.

WR DeSean Jackson - I doubt he would come here, and some will be against it due to his age, but I feel like he could be 1 year stop gap while the rookie WRs learn.

EDGE Tak McKinley -  Blah blah blah, not an all pro backup, I get it.    Just a cheap vet to replace what we lost for a year.

I’d be thrilled/happy with this. I really don’t think we could do much better. Nice job. 

[43M]

Okay, this is my 3rd (and 4th) and FINAL mock for 2022.

The first was kind of a hail mary, rough draft of what I thought they SHOULD do going into the offseason.

The second was about what Id HOPE they do after the free agency dust settled.

These last two mocks are mostly about what I actually think they WILL do in the draft.

I have two final mocks...one is a QB draft, one is a NON-QB draft....

 

2022 QB Draft

1)  QB Kenny Pickett - Pitt
2) WR Jalen Tolbert - South Alabama
3) OG Ed Ingram - LSU
4) DL John Ridgeway - Arkansas
6) RB Jerome Ford - Cincinatti
7) WR Braylon Sanders - Ole Miss
7) EDGE Jeffery Gunter - Central Carolina

 

2022 Non-QB Draft

1)  CB Andrew Booth Jr - Clemson
2) DT Travis Jones - UConn
3) WR Jalen Nailor - Michigan St.
4) OL Braxton Jones - Southern Utah
6) TE Grant Calcuterra - SMU
7) LB Ellis Brooks - Penn State
7) RB Tyron Davis Price - LSU

 

Again, this is more along the lines of what I think will actually happen.    There are almost always head-scratchers.    Id focus more on the positions than the actual players, since ultimately that will come down to who THEY like the most....but this is my best guess for whats on their minds based on what will be available.   

Im saying it right now....I dont think there is any way the Steelers trade up in round 1.  At least not more than a 5 or so picks.    

I think there is actually more of a possibility they would trade up on day 2 if a QB fell.   I dont like Howell or Corral in round 2.....but I could sadly see us move up for one of one of them fell to the 40-ish range. 

 

[Dcash4]

First one: Just not a fan of Pickett here. That pick would make me pretty sad. Love Jalen, but I hope we skip OG entirely. No need, IMO. We have Daniels locked in and have 3 guys all on 2+ year contracts to vie for the last 2 spots. Let them work it out and make a chance next year if needed. The rest I like position wise, but not super familiar with any of them (I do like Ford though, but hate us taking a RB for the 27th consecutive draft). 

Second: Love the first two picks. Third derails it a bit for me, but that's the head-scratcher you alluded to us making every year. Cool with the positions again after that.

If I had to choose, Id pick 2. 

50 minutes ago, 43M said:

Im saying it right now....I dont think there is any way the Steelers trade up in round 1.  At least not more than a 5 or so picks.   

I agree wholeheartedly with this. Maybe something minor with the Chargers if the OTs go on a run before them, but I don't see them moving up when they don't have the ammo they like to make trades with. 

 

[Chieferific]

55 minutes ago, 43M said:

Okay, this is my 3rd (and 4th) and FINAL mock for 2022.

The first was kind of a hail mary, rough draft of what I thought they SHOULD do going into the offseason.

The second was about what Id HOPE they do after the free agency dust settled.

These last two mocks are mostly about what I actually think they WILL do in the draft.

I have two final mocks...one is a QB draft, one is a NON-QB draft....

 

 

2022 QB Draft

1)  QB Kenny Pickett - Pitt
2) WR Jalen Tolbert - South Alabama
3) OG Ed Ingram - LSU
4) DL John Ridgeway - Arkansas
6) RB Jerome Ford - Cincinatti
7) WR Braylon Sanders - Ole Miss
7) EDGE Jeffery Gunter - Central Carolina

 

 

2022 Non-QB Draft

1)  CB Andrew Booth Jr - Clemson
2) DT Travis Jones - UConn
3) WR Jalen Nailor - Michigan St.
4) OL Braxton Jones - Southern Utah
6) TE Grant Calcuterra - SMU
7) LB Ellis Brooks - Penn State
7) RB Tyron Davis Price - LSU

 

 

Again, this is more along the lines of what I think will actually happen.    There are almost always head-scratchers.    Id focus more on the positions than the actual players, since ultimately that will come down to who THEY like the most....but this is my best guess for whats on their minds based on what will be available.   

Im saying it right now....I dont think there is any way the Steelers trade up in round 1.  At least not more than a 5 or so picks.    

I think there is actually more of a possibility they would trade up on day 2 if a QB fell.   I dont like Howell or Corral in round 2.....but I could sadly see us move up for one of one of them fell to the 40-ish range. 

 

 

These are definitely Steeler drafts. Of the 2 give me the 2nd.  There are some unnecessary picks (head-scratchers) but I like the players. I still think Corral goes in the 1st and possibly to us.  Time will tell. 

[Dcash4]

1 minute ago, Chieferific said:

I still think Corral goes in the 1st and possibly to us.

Me: