2023 CFB Talk/Draft Prospects

[diamondbull424]

On 4/15/2023 at 12:49 AM, DreamKid said:

Some draft questions for the forum:

1. Would anyone be against us picking Jalen Carter if he fell to our pick?

2. Would you trade up for a CB in Round 1 or up into the 2nd from the 3rd for a WR?

3. Would you draft a starting talent at Tackle/Guard first or another EDGE piece?

4. With both Madubuike and Washington on the last year of their Rookie deal, how high would you be willing to take a DI?

5. Is a BPA selection of Brian Branch acceptable with the redundancies between he and Kyle Hamilton's game?

6. If it was assured to you that Dobbins would not be with the team next year, could you tolerate a BPA selection of Bijan Robinson?

7. Would you be happy with a potential Patrick Queen trade if it meant that 2nd or 3rd Round pick would be spent on an immediate replacement at WILB?

8. Despite the Todd Monken connection, do Stetson Bennett's off field issues force the club to avoid him(even as a UDFA)?

9. With so few picks in the draft, would you be comfortable with the club pretty clearly 'losing' in a trade down scenario if it meant acquiring more selections?

10. Who is your most desired player at 22?

 

1. Would anyone be against us picking Jalen Carter if he fell to our pick?
- If he falls, it would be a tough decision, it would depend on who else is available and interviews. I don’t know his mental space. Can’t have this dude speeding around town or self imploding. He’s really good, but I’m not convinced he’s the next Reggie White either.

2. Would you trade up for a CB in Round 1 or up into the 2nd from the 3rd for a WR?
- I’d only trade up for Gonzalez, so probably not. The corners ranked from like #2-#8 or so are so tightly coiled for me that I could see Emmanuel Forbes becoming an All Pro, or I could see Cam Smith being a multi PB option, or JPJr being that guy, or a host of others.

I think we trade Queen for a 2nd so yes and there are some guys on day two that I find to have greater value than some of the day one options such as Marvin Mims and Michael Wilson.

Plus I wouldn’t be shocked if the Cardinals are forced to settle for two 3rds on draft day for Hopkins, which at that price point could be interesting. The organization would have to strongly consider drafting a WR and worst case redshirt him behind the vets for a year.

3. Would you draft a starting talent at Tackle/Guard first or another EDGE piece?
- Depends. LG is probably the spot where an elite drafted talent could most improve the team, but I haven’t scouted the OL to know if that guy exists. I didn’t see it in Torrence from UF due to speed.

Conversely edge with Nolan Smith could be interesting. Though maybe the fear would be Smith’s similarities to Oweh (though he’s clearly more explosive and productive).

4. With both Madubuike and Washington on the last year of their Rookie deal, how high would you be willing to take a DI?
- I think our FRP pick would be the highest. Jalen Carter falling would make sense. Bryan Bresee as a hometown pick is supremely underrated. He’s a force that has had a lot impact his time at Clemson and if harnessed within a Ravens uniform we could be talking about an elite prospect.

5. Is a BPA selection of Brian Branch acceptable with the redundancies between he and Kyle Hamilton's game?
- No. Kyle Hamilton, Marcus Williams, Geno Stone, and Ardarius Washington- plus Brandon Stephens is more than enough depth at safety.

6. If it was assured to you that Dobbins would not be with the team next year, could you tolerate a BPA selection of Bijan Robinson?
- I could tolerate the pick, sure… as long as it doesn’t proclude the team from adding WR talent via the draft or trade.

7. Would you be happy with a potential Patrick Queen trade if it meant that 2nd or 3rd Round pick would be spent on an immediate replacement at WILB?
- Probably not a second round pick unless we go WR in the 1st or trade for a top veteran, but I could potentially get down with a 3rd.

8. Despite the Todd Monken connection, do Stetson Bennett's off field issues force the club to avoid him(even as a UDFA)?
- I don’t think about Bennett at all. Haven’t scouted him but he feels like a bargain Baker from what I have seen.

9. With so few picks in the draft, would you be comfortable with the club pretty clearly 'losing' in a trade down scenario if it meant acquiring more selections?
- No. The team has few flaws, no need to accumulate picks, just to accumulate them. I’d rather they trade up in a draft like this if there’s a truly elite homerun level player that could help this team get over the top than to trade down to go for the single and double.

10. Who is your most desired player at 22?
- Weird draft. Don’t have one.
- Bryan Bresee, Jordan Addison, Deonte Banks, Nolan Smith; I’m leaning on drafting a Baltimore native just because I don’t otherwise have a strong connection to any particular player this draft… and that’s as good a qualifier as I can think of.
- EDIT: I don’t really anticipate that he’ll be around, but who knows, Jaxon Smith-Njigba would be the most desired if available, but again, that’s probably not going to happen.

Edited April 22, 2023 by diamondbull424

[DreamKid]

1 hour ago, diamondbull424 said:

Conversely edge with Nolan Smith could be interesting. Though maybe the fear would be Smith’s similarities to Oweh (though he’s clearly more explosive and productive).

I've though a lot about Nolan Smith's potential fit, and settled on him projecting to SAM2. 

So the primary rotation would be RUSH LB: Oweh/Ojabo & SAM LB Bowser/Smith.

That lets Oweh get back to what he does best as more of a pure disruptor who doesn't have extra SAM responsibilities, and it lets Nolan Smith use his skill set to it's full extent while learning from another versatile fiend in Bowser. 

2 hours ago, diamondbull424 said:

Bryan Bresee as a hometown pick is supremely underrated. He’s a force that has had a lot impact his time at Clemson and if harnessed within a Ravens uniform we could be talking about an elite prospect.

Yea. While I would prefer options at other spots, that's why I couldn't be mad at a Bresee pick. Hitting his ceiling as pass rushing DI for us would be so fun. Seems like a kid Chuck Smith could work wonders with. 

2 hours ago, diamondbull424 said:

- Bryan Bresee, Jordan Addison, Deonte Banks, Nolan Smith; I’m leaning on drafting a Baltimore native just because I don’t otherwise have a strong connection to any particular player this draft… and that’s as good a qualifier as I can think of.
- EDIT: I don’t really anticipate that he’ll be around, but who knows, Jaxon Smith-Njigba would be the most desired if available, but again, that’s probably not going to happen.

Probably the first time I can remember that much home state talent being viable targets for the team in the 1st Round. Banks from Baltimore, Addison from Frederick, and Bresee from Damascus. Interesting that Bresee started out at a HS in Frederick, then moved to Damascus and won them two state titles. I'm from Cali so I don't know, is Damascus a hot spot top prospects move to or something?

[Ray Reed]

5 hours ago, DreamKid said:

I've though a lot about Nolan Smith's potential fit, and settled on him projecting to SAM2. 

So the primary rotation would be RUSH LB: Oweh/Ojabo & SAM LB Bowser/Smith.

That lets Oweh get back to what he does best as more of a pure disruptor who doesn't have extra SAM responsibilities, and it lets Nolan Smith use his skill set to it's full extent while learning from another versatile fiend in Bowser. 

Yea. While I would prefer options at other spots, that's why I couldn't be mad at a Bresee pick. Hitting his ceiling as pass rushing DI for us would be so fun. Seems like a kid Chuck Smith could work wonders with. 

Probably the first time I can remember that much home state talent being viable targets for the team in the 1st Round. Banks from Baltimore, Addison from Frederick, and Bresee from Damascus. Interesting that Bresee started out at a HS in Frederick, then moved to Damascus and won them two state titles. I'm from Cali so I don't know, is Damascus a hot spot top prospects move to or something?

Re: Damascus

Not really. It’s not some sort of football powerhouse, it’s kind’ve just a random public school in Montgomery County, but IIRC they won a state championship or two before Breese. Frederick County and Montgomery County border each other though and depending where you are in Frederick County you could be closer to Damascus High School than Urbana (the HS he went to before) so it could have been a combo of just going to the slightly better academic/athletic school that’s right down the road

[AngusMcFife]

On 4/14/2023 at 11:49 PM, DreamKid said:

1. Would anyone be against us picking Jalen Carter if he fell to our pick?

Not me

Quote

2. Would you trade up for a CB in Round 1 or up into the 2nd from the 3rd for a WR?

CB

Quote

3. Would you draft a starting talent at Tackle/Guard first or another EDGE piece?

OL

Quote

4. With both Madubuike and Washington on the last year of their Rookie deal, how high would you be willing to take a DI?

1st rd.

Quote

5. Is a BPA selection of Brian Branch acceptable with the redundancies between he and Kyle Hamilton's game?

No

Quote

6. If it was assured to you that Dobbins would not be with the team next year, could you tolerate a BPA selection of Bijan Robinson?

Yes

Quote

7. Would you be happy with a potential Patrick Queen trade if it meant that 2nd or 3rd Round pick would be spent on an immediate replacement at WILB?

Not really

Quote

8. Despite the Todd Monken connection, do Stetson Bennett's off field issues force the club to avoid him(even as a UDFA)?

No

Quote

9. With so few picks in the draft, would you be comfortable with the club pretty clearly 'losing' in a trade down scenario if it meant acquiring more selections?

Depends on who we get

[DreamKid]

The Ravens 'Lounge' Podcast interviewed our Director of College Scouting David Blackburn: https://www.baltimoreravens.com/audio/david-blackburn-ravens-nfl-draft-2023-lounge-podcast

There's nothing super illuminating in there, but he did say he felt Deonte Banks was "more versatile" than Porter Jr, he complimented the ability of JSN/Flowers/Addison, likened Emmanuel Forbes to Marcus Peters, and talked about some of the Terps players in this class. 

It was interesting to find out David 'banged the table' for Pepe Williams at pick 141 as one of his guys. Williams had a pretty forgettable Rookie season and Tariq Woolen was picked 12 slots down from him- something that puzzled all of us at the time. It was supposed to be a feel good story about EDC putting a lot of trust into Blackburn's opinion, but looking back it's probably not a moment he's going to want brought up in future draft cycles. 

[DreamKid]

18 minutes ago, DreamKid said:

he complimented the ability of JSN/Flowers/Addison

Forgot to mention that he brought up the HS production of JSN. Which is intriguing because it shows that's something they look at and something relevant enough in their mind to bring up during a quick summary of a player. First guy I thought of after hearing that was Marvin Mims. He put up record breaking numbers at the HS level, so that's just one more little thing in his profile that might have the Ravens all over him. 

[wackywabbit]

Wild to me that Will Levis is the odds-on betting favorite to the #2 overall pick. This draft is going to be crazy unpredicatable.

[DreamKid]

Nick Herbig is a fun player who could be an option for us in the 4th or 5th Round:

+ NFL Bloodlines(Brother is Nate Herbig), 21 Y/O, 3 Year Starter

+ Fit at SAM with ability to stand up and play in space, has coverage experience

+ High IQ rusher who times the snap well, loves the chop like Ngakoue and also flashes inside counter, great at identifying the QB's location throughout the rush and has extra gear when finishing(Which he does well)

+ Strong Pressure & Win Rate, SIS has him at a 24% True Pressure Rate

+ Connection to TJ Watt and other recent successful Wisconsin defensive prospects who have improved after getting to the NFL level

+ STs value, with possible pinch ILB versatility

- Outlier size and length limitations, 6'2 240 with 31" arms

- Speed to power was average at college level, and there's little to suggest he'll ever be able to call that area of his game a plus

- Lack of length shows up on stalled rushes and his other physical limitations make off script counters or adjustments very difficult

- Likely too small to be anything but a passible factor against the run at the next level

 

[DreamKid]

I've seen scouting reports on LVN and watched various clips showcasing his highlights, but this was my first time watching a full cut up...... It's a very underwhelming performance that immediately has me hoping he's gone before our pick. 

 

[diamondbull424]

On 4/22/2023 at 10:03 AM, DreamKid said:

I've though a lot about Nolan Smith's potential fit, and settled on him projecting to SAM2. 

So the primary rotation would be RUSH LB: Oweh/Ojabo & SAM LB Bowser/Smith.

That lets Oweh get back to what he does best as more of a pure disruptor who doesn't have extra SAM responsibilities, and it lets Nolan Smith use his skill set to it's full extent while learning from another versatile fiend in Bowser. 

Yea. While I would prefer options at other spots, that's why I couldn't be mad at a Bresee pick. Hitting his ceiling as pass rushing DI for us would be so fun. Seems like a kid Chuck Smith could work wonders with. 

Probably the first time I can remember that much home state talent being viable targets for the team in the 1st Round. Banks from Baltimore, Addison from Frederick, and Bresee from Damascus. Interesting that Bresee started out at a HS in Frederick, then moved to Damascus and won them two state titles. I'm from Cali so I don't know, is Damascus a hot spot top prospects move to or something?

Add in Jaelyn Duncan from Maryland, Olusegun Oluwatimi from Michigan who won both the Rimington and Outland trophy.

The top of the draft is littered with DMV talent for sure.

[diamondbull424]

9 hours ago, wackywabbit said:

Wild to me that Will Levis is the odds-on betting favorite to the #2 overall pick. This draft is going to be crazy unpredicatable.

Mitchell Trubiski all over again, I bet.

[diamondbull424]

7 hours ago, DreamKid said:

I've seen scouting reports on LVN and watched various clips showcasing his highlights, but this was my first time watching a full cut up...... It's a very underwhelming performance that immediately has me hoping he's gone before our pick. 

 

That was my feeling as well, agree about hoping he’s gone, push some talent down the board.

[AFlaccoSeagulls]

17 hours ago, diamondbull424 said:

Mitchell Trubiski all over again, I bet.

And his odds to be #1 overall pick just went from +4000 to +400 today...Something is wonky and the Panthers have to be trolling.

As an aside (sorry if this has been discussed, I really don't follow draft stuff that closely until like 3 days before), but if Bijan Robinson is there at 22 do we take him? I guess it would also depend on who else is on the board at that time, right? Like I have a hard time believing we'd take him over one of our favorite need picks (WR/CB).

[DreamKid]

45 minutes ago, AFlaccoSeagulls said:

As an aside (sorry if this has been discussed, I really don't follow draft stuff that closely until like 3 days before), but if Bijan Robinson is there at 22 do we take him? I guess it would also depend on who else is on the board at that time, right? Like I have a hard time believing we'd take him over one of our favorite need picks (WR/CB).

It's hard to say. I would think no, but I'm not confident enough to say it's out of the realm of possibilities. If the FO felt JK Dobbins was good enough to ignore other needs and pick at 55 in 2020, maybe they could feel Bijan is good enough to pick at 22 in 2023. 🤷‍♂️

I think he's long gone before our pick though, blue chip RB prospects still go really high in the draft(Fournette, McCaffrey, Barkley, etc) even though pretty much everyone agrees the value doesn't line up. Atlanta at 8 is currently the betting favorite to land Robinson.

[wackywabbit]

3 hours ago, AFlaccoSeagulls said:

As an aside (sorry if this has been discussed, I really don't follow draft stuff that closely until like 3 days before), but if Bijan Robinson is there at 22 do we take him? I guess it would also depend on who else is on the board at that time, right? Like I have a hard time believing we'd take him over one of our favorite need picks (WR/CB).

A lot of reports of teams saying they have < 15 players with 1st round grades. Bijan should be one of those on most if not all teams. Absolutely we take him at 22.

Running back devaluation exists for a reason, but a good bet (80%) to be a star running back is worth more than a 40% bet to be a solid #2 WR/CB.