Goldfish's Way Too Early Draft Rankings 2024 (All Up)

[Hunter2_1]

3 hours ago, Daniel said:

I didn't like the 49ers' draft that much, but I also don't know much about Ricky Pearsall, and if I watched more of his tape, it might make me feel better about it.  Just not too many guys I'm high on overall.

He’s a strange player to watch, for me. Another one of these clever WRs that just gets open. Nothing pops off the screen (aside from THAT catch of course), but yeah…just gets open. Exactly what you need at times.

[Nabbs4u]

4 hours ago, aceinthehouse said:

Goldfish & I think a lot a like. If I'm accurate in my assessment & he thinks like me? Washington had a top 3 draft among all 32 teams.

Going out on a limb here I know but I'm not sure anyone truly thinks like you Ace? Let alone Goldfish. 

Just....saying! 🍺😎

Edited May 5 by Nabbs4u

[goldfishwars]

14. Indianapolis Colts

This Class In One Sentence:

A little top-heavy, but a clear indication the Colts want to get faster

Pre-Draft Needs (According to https://www.nflmockdraftdatabase.com/team-needs-2024)

CB, WR, TE, EDGE, DL, S, OT

Selections

15. Laiatu Latu | EDGE | UCLA

52. Adonai Mitchell | WR | Texas

79. Matt Goncalves | OL | Pittsburgh

117. Tanor Bortolini | OC | Wisconsin

142. Anthony Gould | WR | Oregon State

151. Jaylon Carlies | S | Missouri

164. Jaylin Simpson | S | Auburn

234. Jonah Laulu | EDGE | Oklahoma

Best Pick

Laiatu Latu - One of the most skilled pass-rushers to come out in years. He always has a rush plan, he can counter off counters and string whole rush sequences together. He does lack top-tier power, and his contact balance isn’t great at times. He does have a worrying injury history, one that could cut his playing career short so this isn't a selection without some risk. But it is a risk worth taking at 15.

Worst Pick

It’s probably more what they didn’t do, which was invest at cornerback – unless they see Jaylin Simpson as more corner than safety. After not spending there in free agency, it was expected to get a close look high up in the draft with only a young crop of promising players on the roster. Perhaps that was earmarked as a second-round concern and then decided they couldn’t overlook AD Mitchell.

Overall

I think Ballard will be happy with his work, as he usually is. The first two picks are great, but expectations should be tempered a little by the risks of each. If both hit, that could be huge for Indy. And I know he’s getting criticism for his high self-opinion after years of limited on-field success there – but I do think Ballard is one of the better team builders in the league. He has too much on his plate with a brain-drained owner - but he always has a pre-draft plan, and this year it was speed in whatever physical package it came in.

It was a slight surprise to see AD Mitchell available at 52, and only 'slight' because there were reports of character concerns and others surrounding his diabetic condition. But he has genuine X-receiver upside and an exceptional athletic profile. He’s smooth as butter out there, so much you don't notice the flat speed he has to rip a defense off even if he was not used that way at Texas. There are statistical red flags, notably low in career yards per route run which can be a sticky stat for NFL receivers. So that’s something to watch out for.

I quite like the double-dip at the offensive line, which was a bigger concern internally than externally. Matt Goncalves was a little off the radar due to a toe injury keeping him out of the draft spotlight. But he was a well-liked prospect as a powerful swing tackle, who might be able to kick inside. I think I still liked other options available at that spot. Bortolini put himself on the map with a decent Senior Bowl showing and a crazy workout at the Combine. Linemen with athletic profiles like that usually find a way into playing time, and I presume he’ll be good insurance for Ryan Kelly whose contract runs out in 2024.

Of the four remaining selections, Carlies and Laulu were off my radar. The Anthony Gould selection, I would imagine, was made with one eye on the new kick-return rules. He’s rapid and tiny. Jaylin Simpson is another blazer and big-time athletic tester, so I see the appeal from that perspective. He’s a versatile player, but he’s got a wire-thin frame. I’m not sure what was going on with the food at Auburn, was it bad? Those DBs look starved.

[J-ALL-DAY]

16 hours ago, Sugashane said:

I know Pearsall shocked a bunch of people but I like him more than any of my Gator WRs since 2000 besides Percy Harvin. More than Toney or Van Jefferson as prospects.

I know the QB situation was not great this year, but what were some of the types of corners or defenses in general that he struggled with? 

[CWood21]

On 5/3/2024 at 2:47 AM, thebestever6 said:

The Sean Payton Era just started Baby embrace it.

It's amusing when we talk about Sean Payton being the QB whisperer, yet his only success came with Drew Brees.  Seems like more of a symbiotic relationship.

[goldfishwars]

13. LA Raiders

This Class In One Sentence:

No QB for a QB Hungry team, but a TE for a non-TE-hungry team instead

Pre-Draft Needs (According to https://www.nflmockdraftdatabase.com/team-needs-2024)

OT, CB, QB, DL, IOL, RB, WR

Selections

13. Brock Bowers | TE | Georgia

44. Jackson Powers-Johnson | OL | Oregon

77. Delmar Glaze | OL | Maryland

112. Decamerion Richardson | CB | Mississippi State

148. Tommy Eichenberg | LB | Ohio State

208. Dylan Laube | RB | New Hampshire

223. Trey Taylor | S | Air Force

229. MJ Devonshire | CB | Pittsburgh

Best Pick

Jackson Powers-Johnson – Bowers was a more fun selection, but this was a perfect blend of value hitting need. He’s a massive interior offensive lineman with rare power and plays with a real competitive edge. He’s got heavy hands, and can rock interior defenders on first contact. But he does lack top-tier quickness and experience and has some injury proneness in his history which might have contributed to a little tumble down the boards. Great personality fit here, however.

Worst Pick

I mean, jeez, there isn’t a lot to criticise considering the option to draft a quarterback was taken away from them. It is funny that with a roster full of holes, the Raiders pivoted to a tight end with Michael Mayer on the roster, who looked great down the stretch last season. But, man, it’s Brock Bowers – he transcends the position. They’ll both be on the field together.

Overall

There does seem to be a real culture change in Las Vegas since Antonio Pierce took over as HC. The utter gloom of the McDaniels era has been lifted and there’s a Dan Campbell-esque figurehead lifting everyone up. It’s endearing to see and a reminder how unimportant x's and o's can seem when the locker room isn't being taken care of. 

Man, being denied the opportunity to even pass on a quarterback at 13 had to have been the weirdest draft day scenario facing Telesco and the guys. Even the more adventurous mock drafters had the Raiders taking Penix there and receiving a stream of abuse from the fanbase as a result. ‘We’ll consider him in the second, thank you.’ Well, you didn’t have to worry about that folks. So instead, we get a pairing absolutely nobody in the world had predicted and then a bunch of competent-good selections which had me nodding along.

When they cut to Bowers in his living room, hair-receding, looking like a mid-ranking office furniture salesman, it’s really hard to match that guy to the player wrecking football games on Saturdays. It’s like he’s leading some Marvel-esque double life. He was a pure offensive weapon at Georgia, the guy even on a roster loaded with talent. And the Raiders will love that he can become a cheat code in the short-passing game - those instant tackle-busting quick gainers and then the speed to threaten the seam when they need to. A pure BPA selection, and I think I love it.

The Raiders still needed help at offensive line (and probably still do) after the JPP pick, so I like Glaze at 77 who has a bit of inside/outside versatility. He has that big game against Jack Sawyer on his resume, where he shut him down and showed off a strong anchor and natural power. He's note the smoothest operator out there and his draft position is at the tip of his expected range. Decamerion Richardson is a fascinating prospect at 112 with an incredible first name. At 6’2 and with some outstanding testing, he’s an intriguing development project as an outside press corner.

There’s something to like about all four of the remaining picks. Eichenberg is the anti- Decamerion selection, with God-awful testing but was always around the ball at Ohio State. Some linebackers are just smart and tough and playable because of that. He’s in that mold. Laube is fascinating in terms of what he might be able to offer in a McCaffrey-esque role if he’s able to overcome the teeny school hurdle. A lot of folks were high on Trey Taylor, another high IQ locker room leader type with NFL blood lines. And finally, MJ Devonshire was someone I always liked more than his draft projection as an uber-competitive cornerback who plays above his listed size.

[Sugashane]

4 hours ago, J-ALL-DAY said:

I know the QB situation was not great this year, but what were some of the types of corners or defenses in general that he struggled with? 

Hard to say exactly. They had to be pretty conservative quite due to the emphasis on ball control and an OL that didn't help a little either.  Really aggressive, stout press could mess his routes up but he beat them often enough that you didn't see a ton of it without a safety directly above him. If you were in soft coverage Ricky was really good at setting you up to get to where he wanted to go.

They made a lot of effort to use Pearsall to get drives going though, to try and get Mertz in a rhythm. Bubble screens, slants from the slot, used him a fair bit in motions. Mertz struggled a lot on ball placement, some games, you'd see him throw curls at his WRs knees repeatedly or bubble screens behind them. How he put up a 20/3 TD/INT ratio is beyond me.

I think what he did best was find soft spots in zones. He has a really good feel for that. You can see on crosses or ins he will adjust to give a bigger window, or help lead away from an undercutting LB. If there is a true weakness that would be how he sometimes dances too much on the LOS. Mertz and him didnt have a great connextion so sonetimes the ball got to him and he wasnt ready for it (thats more on him than Mertz).

You'll see a few times where he will take an outside leverage and not drive up field much before running his out route, and that makes it way easier to defend. Its a major pet peeve of mine but a pro coach shoukd be able to fix it really easily. I'd like to see him be more physical vs the press rather than trying to outshift everybody. He is strong enough to win vs press outright a lot of the time, just defaults to finesse. Shanny runs a lot of plays that depend on timing so I have no doubt they will make him adjust and speed up his dances.

I think mostly defenses knew FLA wasn't going to do a lit vertically so safeties sat down a lot. They SHOULD have chucked a few more just to keep them honest but when things clamped down Ricky could get lost in the muck. He's not much of a box put guy and defenses started really keeping someone over him as the season went on.

I see a lot of Calvin Ridley and Terry McLaurin to him as far as his play style.

[onejayhawk]

Something is wrong when you cannot satirize a Raiders' draft. Sure they took Michael Mayer last year but you do not turn down a gift like Bowers. As GFW says, play both of them. The weak play for me was Glaze in the 3rd round and that's because he will likely move inside. Day #3 might be the best part. 

Go back to being screw-ups. You're throwing my game off.

[Jeezla]

16 hours ago, aceinthehouse said:

So Goldfish is on #14? Damn, I have to wait a bit for Washington's draft. Probably about a week. 😁 

Goldfish & I think a lot a like. If I'm accurate in my assessment & he thinks like me? Washington had a top 3 draft among all 32 teams.

And you know something?

He's right! 😁 Washington absolutely destroyed the draft. 

I could tell you why, but Goldfish does an awesome job as well!

Great job, Goldfish.

Is there any chance Jer'Zhan Newton doesn't get 20+ sacks his rookie season?

We already know Jayden Daniels will throw for 5800 yards and 49 td's. That means teams will constantly be in come-back pass happy mode, and Newton should get at least 21 sacks.

Edited May 5 by Jeezla

[SteelKing728]

The Colts managed to get a Superstar LT in the 3rd round. Best pick in the draft. H2P!

[SteelKing728]

Just now, Jeezla said:

Is there any chance Jer'Zhan Newton doesn't get 20+ sacks his rookie season?

20 as a rotational guy. He easily hits 35+ sacks, 3 INTs, 10 FF, 7 FR, 4 Safeties and 3 TDs as a starter though.

[Jeezla]

1 minute ago, SteelKing728 said:

20 as a rotational guy. He easily hits 35+ sacks, 3 INTs, 10 FF, 7 FR, 4 Safeties and 3 TDs as a starter though.

Sounds about right. All 7 fumble recoveries are from his own forced fumbles as well. 

[Daniel]

Man, I thought the Raiders’ draft was garbage.

Bowers when you already have Mayer, a right guard, Glaze is fine, a CB who is only being drafted for his 40 time, a LB drafted despite his 40 time, and a running back. Don’t think it moves the needle much.

[J-ALL-DAY]

2 hours ago, Sugashane said:

Hard to say exactly. They had to be pretty conservative quite due to the emphasis on ball control and an OL that didn't help a little either.  Really aggressive, stout press could mess his routes up but he beat them often enough that you didn't see a ton of it without a safety directly above him. If you were in soft coverage Ricky was really good at setting you up to get to where he wanted to go.

They made a lot of effort to use Pearsall to get drives going though, to try and get Mertz in a rhythm. Bubble screens, slants from the slot, used him a fair bit in motions. Mertz struggled a lot on ball placement, some games, you'd see him throw curls at his WRs knees repeatedly or bubble screens behind them. How he put up a 20/3 TD/INT ratio is beyond me.

I think what he did best was find soft spots in zones. He has a really good feel for that. You can see on crosses or ins he will adjust to give a bigger window, or help lead away from an undercutting LB. If there is a true weakness that would be how he sometimes dances too much on the LOS. Mertz and him didnt have a great connextion so sonetimes the ball got to him and he wasnt ready for it (thats more on him than Mertz).

You'll see a few times where he will take an outside leverage and not drive up field much before running his out route, and that makes it way easier to defend. Its a major pet peeve of mine but a pro coach shoukd be able to fix it really easily. I'd like to see him be more physical vs the press rather than trying to outshift everybody. He is strong enough to win vs press outright a lot of the time, just defaults to finesse. Shanny runs a lot of plays that depend on timing so I have no doubt they will make him adjust and speed up his dances.

I think mostly defenses knew FLA wasn't going to do a lit vertically so safeties sat down a lot. They SHOULD have chucked a few more just to keep them honest but when things clamped down Ricky could get lost in the muck. He's not much of a box put guy and defenses started really keeping someone over him as the season went on.

I see a lot of Calvin Ridley and Terry McLaurin to him as far as his play style.

Great breakdown, thank you sir. 

[MrOaktown_56]

1 hour ago, Daniel said:

Man, I thought the Raiders’ draft was garbage.

Bowers when you already have Mayer, a right guard, Glaze is fine, a CB who is only being drafted for his 40 time, a LB drafted despite his 40 time, and a running back. Don’t think it moves the needle much.

The day 3 picks are very polarizing. 2 corners, a safety, LB, and RB. The ones that hit (or don't) will ultimately determine how this class turns out IMHO.