Who would you draft at 8? Poll

[dll2000]

Draft is today.  You have to pick one of these choices, they are all on the board.

Ridley is consensus talking head expectation and most peoples no. 1 WR in the draft.  Knock on him is that he is 24 already which to me means he may be overrated due to his age versus his competition.  Some people don't like it because it makes them older for second contract.  That doesn't make much sense to me.  It would seem the opposite would be true, you are getting a guy closer to his prime on the cheaper, longer rookie deal.  First round WRs seem to bust a lot for some reason.  Aside from QB, probably most difficult position to assess and project to NFL.  Lots of good ones taken late and lots of bad ones taken early.  

 Nelson is a highly touted guard prospect that some are calling best player at his position in the draft.  Downside is that position is guard.  Guard and RB are two of easiest positions to find decent players in the NFL.   

Ward.  Most talking heads are rating him best CB in draft not counting hybrid Minkah Fitzpatrick.  Success of Lattimore helps him for some silly reason.  Never understood high value on comparing two different guys from same school and attributing one's success or failure potential to the other.  I do understand that people value coaching and systems, they place way too much emphasis on that though versus evaluating the individual.  It's lazy scouting.  People will even do it for entirely different coaching staffs but same school, which makes zero sense.   

Edmunds is fast rising on boards because of his freaky size and athleticism for the position.  He is only 19 at the moment, which many like and are citing as a positive - thinking upside.  To me it's a negative, just because I remember all the talk about Amobi Okoye who was also 19 yr old sure thing with a huge upside and turned out to be a bust.  Gruden hyped him to no end.  One other instance doesn't exactly make a trend however.  

 

 

 

[Madmike90]

Edmunds...special talent.

[G08]

Rank them?

Edmunds

Ward

Nelson

Ridley

[dll2000]

4 minutes ago, Madmike90 said:

Edmunds...special talent.

One of handful of players I have seen already.  Ironically comparable athletically and size wise to Bears future HOFer Urlacher.  Urlacher was better in coverage with better hands (having played safety helped here) and probably a touch faster, Urlacher was extremely football intelligent a well.  Edmunds is a better pass rusher and much better at taking on, getting off or avoiding blocks than Urlacher was (this is were playing safety hurt him)  Why Urlacher needed huge bodies in front of him to be at his most effective and hated ISO plays (which almost don't exist in NFL anymore).  Like Urlacher, Edmunds drops zone very well and his length makes throwing over him a pain for QBs.

On film Edmunds makes a lot of big plays, but he also makes a lot of mistakes and gives up a lot of big plays.  A lot of that is college trickery and option plays you just don't see much in NFL because QB will hardly ever keep on a double or triple option play, so that isn't a huge concern.   Plus, we don't always know if he made a mistake or he took an assigned guy and was read.  Bigger concern is his tackling form isn't the best, but he does cause a lot of fumbles even when he isn't trying.  Probably because he has real strong hands.

Still makes me nervous he is coming into the league at 19 and turning 20.  Seems too young.  

 

 

[dll2000]

Edmunds or Bradley Chubb if both available? (I understand Chubb is not expected to fall to 8, but it's certainly possible).

Edmunds is probably more talented, but he is young and Chubb plays the higher value position and also is talented.

Not sure of character/intelligence of either.

 

[topwop1]

Nelson

Edmunds

Ward

Ridley

[Rogerthat]

I am starting to expect Edmunds goes before Chubb.  I think Edmunds works out really well runs a good 40 and vaults himself into the top 5.  I could see Indy taking him at 3 or Browns at 4. 

[G08]

22 minutes ago, dll2000 said:

One of handful of players I have seen already.  Ironically comparable athletically and size wise to Bears future HOFer Urlacher.  Urlacher was better in coverage with better hands (having played safety helped here) and probably a touch faster, Urlacher was extremely football intelligent a well.  Edmunds is a better pass rusher and much better at taking on, getting off or avoiding blocks than Urlacher was (this is were playing safety hurt him)  Why Urlacher needed huge bodies in front of him to be at his most effective and hated ISO plays (which almost don't exist in NFL anymore).  Like Urlacher, Edmunds drops zone very well and his length makes throwing over him a pain for QBs.

On film Edmunds makes a lot of big plays, but he also makes a lot of mistakes and gives up a lot of big plays.  A lot of that is college trickery and option plays you just don't see much in NFL because QB will hardly ever keep on a double or triple option play, so that isn't a huge concern.   Plus, we don't always know if he made a mistake or he took an assigned guy and was read.  Bigger concern is his tackling form isn't the best, but he does cause a lot of fumbles even when he isn't trying.  Probably because he has real strong hands.

Still makes me nervous he is coming into the league at 19 and turning 20.  Seems too young.  

 

 

If he's 6'5" 250 lbs, at 19 years of age, with THAT frame? That dude can bump up to 260 without a hiccup. I'd love him paired with Floyd.

[dll2000]

I have seen some of Nelson.  Guy is a beast.  He compares on college tape with Pittsburgh Steeler's Decastro also a first round pick (but not top 10).  Decastro many thought was a bust after a bad rookie year, but he has been one of best guards in league since.

Josh Garnett, also a late first rounder, had similar tape powerwise, though Nelson has better feet I think, like Decastro Garnett had a bad rookie season for 49ers then was placed on IR early last year.  He might still turn it around like Defranco did.

I never saw Long's college tape.  That draft pick took me completely by surprise.  

 

 

[dll2000]

2 minutes ago, G08 said:

If he's 6'5" 250 lbs, at 19 years of age, with THAT frame? That dude can bump up to 260 without a hiccup. I'd love him paired with Floyd.

He is likely an ILB.  He could probably play OLB, but that isn't his position.

[WindyCity]

Nelson is the best player in the draft.

I would be torn between he and Edmunds. I think Nelson is going to be a 10 year Pro Bowl player and Edmunds I am projecting a position switch for. The safe pick is Nelson.

 

[G08]

2 minutes ago, dll2000 said:

He is likely an ILB.  He could probably play OLB, but that isn't his position.

Honestly, I would put him on the outside and occasionally drop him into coverage. I've seen this dude cover wheel routes like it's nothing, and I've seen him line up over slot WRs.

Think about what his size/speed can do to the TE mismatches that prevail the NFL.

[Heinz D.]

3 minutes ago, dll2000 said:

He is likely an ILB.  He could probably play OLB, but that isn't his position.

If we're not getting him to rush the passer, there's no way I take him at 8. 

[dll2000]

I still don't love the Floyd pick in top 10.  Thought he was a late first or early second round guy.  And we traded up for him.  I think Fox pressured him into that pick.

I thought they should have taken Tunsil.  Tunsil hasn't set league on fire, but I think he is still the better talent and probably will have better career at a really hard to find position.

 

[WindyCity]

I am not sure what you do with the positional value debate in regards to Nelson. He is the best player in the draft, but he plays a position that does not have the value.

But if you made me bet 1000 on who I thought would make an All Pro team it would be him. I am not sure I could make that bet on anyone else, Chubb would be the 2nd one for me.