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I really liked the actual draft results, but this is what I would've done given how it went down going with BPA as a rule


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I fully recognize that the actual draft might far surpass mine because it builds up the OL (which is typically my main priority), and I know that mine doesn't address OT.  It does address more shortcomings on D though, and went BPA overall.  With that said, here's what I would've done:  

1.  Trade back, acquiring 3-25 (they've said the phone was ringing off the hook, so it's likely they could've traded back 5 spots and still gotten my guy & got pick 3-25 or so too)

1 (25). Graham Barton, OL, Duke - I think he's more athletic and could easily be the best OL in the draft.  I don't see that Fautanu is any better than him, be it at OT or C.  Add in the fact that Fautanu has issues with his knees and isn't even 6'4", and that makes this one an easy one for me, especially if I can get a 3rd plus Barton here.  I don't see any reason he couldn't stay at OT either, as there have been many solid OTs with arms roughly the same length.  

2.  trade 51 and 98 for 40.

2 (40).  Cooper DeJean, DB, Iowa - I'm a Hawkeye fan and this has been my favorite player in college for years now.  He could be a superstar S, or a stud CB, or a pro bowl KR.  Total package.  Minkah and Cooper would make an elite tandem at S, worst case scenario.  

3.  trade back from 84 to 98, acquiring a mid 4 (120).  

3.  trade back from 89 to 99, acquiring 121 or so.

3 (98).  Luke McCaffrey, WR, Rice - Christian McCaffrey is my favorite collegiate player of all time, and my favorite current player in the NFL along with TJ Watt.  Needless to say, I have been following his youngest brother since he was a QB at Nebraska.  I tuned in to quite a few Rice games and saw him play a lot, and he has the potential to be a star.  Great hands, really good athlete, ideal size, etc.  Total package, once he gets the wrinkles ironed out.  I was hoping he'd be a day 3 steal, but the Commanders took him in 3, so here we go.  I really like Roman Wilson too, but if I had to choose one, I'll take the McCaffrey that I've made a point to follow for years.  

3 (99).  Payton Wilson, LB, NC State - If Hines Ward and Greg Lloyd can play without an ACL, I'm willing to take chance on this guy who has been healthy for a couple seasons now.  He checks every single box for what I want out of an ILB.  Tall, long, VERY fast, tenacious, and smart.  

4 (119).  Tory Taylor, P, Iowa - He's the best punter I've ever seen, and, again, as an Iowa fan, I'm VERY VERY VERY familiar with this guy!  It's early for a P, but if your P sucks, you have problems.  

4 (120).  Mason McCormick, OG, SD State -  OL Depth here who could be a starter in '25. 

4 (121).  Austin Booker, OLB, Kansas - A very young, raw, developmental edge rusher to develop behind TJ.  I'm sick of seeing Watt absolutely gassed in key moments because he's double/triple teamed all game long and there's zero depth behind him except 6'2" Herbig.  Isaac Guerrendo and Braelon Allen were very tempting here in 4.  

6.  DJ James, CB, Auburn - A nickel CB that slid in the draft.  I'd like to have Logan Lee too, who flashed for me consistently when I watched Iowa games almost every week.  Could go either way with this.  Since I took DeJean earlier, Lee would probably be the better pick...or another DL.  There's a handful of DT/DE/EDGE guys available here that I debated.

6.  Garrett Greenfield, OT, SD State - More OL depth.  Has perfect size for an OT and if I recall correctly, his 38.5" vert set a record for an OL at the combine. 

 

Unfortunately, the run on the OL that went in the first couple rounds wiped out OT for guys who are ready to compete now.  That's the crux of the drawback on my draft.  I didn't adequately address OT, unless you want to play Barton there, in which case you'd need to move McCormick to C or draft one in the mid rounds.  In the end, I just simply feel that if I could get the combination of Barton and DeJean, that's just too good to pass up in favor of Fautanu and Frazier, both of whom I consider to be inferior prospects to both of the guys I took in 1 and 2.

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59 minutes ago, Magnus-Viktor said:

4 (119).  Tory Taylor, P, Iowa - He's the best punter I've ever seen, and, again, as an Iowa fan, I'm VERY VERY VERY familiar with this guy!  It's early for a P, but if your P sucks, you have problems.  

We signed one of the better punters out there.

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2 hours ago, armsteeld said:

Not a fan. I prefer how the team went.

I'm pretty impressed with how it went too.  Weidl prioritizing the trenches is working wonders, if he is indeed responsible (he came from a system that prioritized it, whereas Khan came from Colbert's system which sucked once Cowher left).  Glad to finally be rid of Colbert.  He's hit on some studs, but for the most part I haven't cared for how this team has drafted ever since Cowher left.  They've had their priorities all messed up and drafted Tampa 2 type players to try and play in a 34 far too often (especially early on with Timmons and Hood, who were a disastrous fit at OLB where they tried Timmons at first, and Hood in general).  

This is the first draft they've had in years and years and years that I've came away from actually happy.  Last year's was decent.  '22 was awful.  '21 was pretty good, but I hated the positional value (good RB, but it's a RB in 1).  '20 was iffy.  '19 awful.  '18 awful.  '17 I was pretty happy with on draft day.  '16 I didn't like, but I quickly grew to like the Grave Digger.  '15 was awful.  I liked '14.  '13 was awful, but Bell lost weight and at least he was a stud.  '12 I liked DeCastro and that's all.  '11 I liked Heyward and that's all.  '10 I liked quite a bit.  '09 I liked Wallace and that's it.  '08 awful.  '07 Timmons was good enough to be good even though they drafted him to play a different position and Woodley was solid but not my cup of tea (too slow).  

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2 hours ago, warfelg said:

We signed one of the better punters out there.

I forgot about that.  Idk if I'd say he's one of the best since he's never even made a pro bowl, but at least he's not what we had before.  32 years old isn't real old either.  I'd still take Tory Taylor though.  Especially with Tomlin's coaching style:  run the ball, control the clock, punt, play defense.  It was similar to what Iowa's been doing the last few years that resulted in Taylor being their MVP lol.  

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