Who would you draft at 8? Poll

[dll2000]

Just now, Heinz D. said:

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

Definitely a factor.  ILBs have lower positional value than outside rush lbers.  But like Nelson he is uber talented so it bumps him up.  If Urlacher or Ray Lewis was redrafted they go top 10.

Why Barkley at RB is expected to go top 10 even though low positional value.

 

[G08]

I just firmly believe that the way this league is going, you are going to want long, athletic defensive players everywhere you can put them. I love the idea of 6'5" Floyd and 6'5" Edmunds on the field together. That allows Fangio to mix up coverages, blitz ILBs, corners etc.

[topwop1]

I don't like the whole positional value argument when talking about Nelson.  If he is generational talent at his position and he protects our QB well and opens up big lanes in the run game then that is very very good value to me. 

[dll2000]

13 minutes ago, WindyCity said:

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.

 

Definitely the safer pick.  Probably safest pick in the draft.

[Epyon]

I ideally want to trade down either with Washington for 13 + a 2nd or with Buffalo for 21+22....

That said, if I'm FORCED to pick at 8, from people I expect to be there:

1. Vita Vea-NT

Elite run stuffer, top 5 pass rusher for the class. Rare Talent, extremely high floor, with very high ceiling.

 

2. Quenton Nelson-OG

Probably the best overall prospect in the draft... just lower because I think there are at least 2 other pro bowl guards (Wynn and Hernandez) with a potential third (Cappa)

 

3. Sequan Barkley-RB

Howard is a stud, but Barkley is one of the best RB prospects of the past few years, he'd be a full time player splitting reps with Howard AND playing out of the slot.... He's versatile enough.

 

4. Calvin Ridley-WR

He's probably a top 5 pick if he's 2 years younger in my mind, as well as both a scheme and positional fit for us.

 

5a. Davenport-OLB

He's not an OLB yet, he's just a "planet earth" guy (the old Parcells bit about only being so many guys on the planet earth with those kinds of attributes)... He's flashed some great things, but even Sushi isn't served up this raw.  Comes down to combine SPARQ numbers AND interviews for me.

5b. Edmunds-ILB/OLB?

He's also not an OLB, and I don't think he's anywhere near as instinctual as Urlacher, which is what NFL.Com is comparing him too.... He, like Davenport, has the physical tools to become something special, but his out of nowhere hype factor has me concerned... I'm more skeptical of him than I am of even Davenport right now.... We'll see with him as well, but SPARQ and interviews are gonna be key here as well.

[topwop1]

1 hour ago, dll2000 said:

Definitely a factor.  ILBs have lower positional value than outside rush lbers.  But like Nelson he is uber talented so it bumps him up.  If Urlacher or Ray Lewis was redrafted they go top 10.

Why Barkley at RB is expected to go top 10 even though low positional value.

 

Ya musta forgot but Urlacher was a top-10 draft pick.  

[Damikeeeee]

I went Ridley but a trade down, up , left, right would be better.

[51to54]

19? Major plus given the frame he's already carrying.

Plus, his brain has another 4-5 years of developing so given an average amount of study time he should greatly improve his knowledge of the game and position(s).

You can't teach size.

Has impact player potential.

Probably able to play multiple roles effectively giving defense more flexibility and has size to deal with the trend of big receiving TE's.

[Rogerthat]

I don't like the fact that he is 19 years old.  This is grown man's league and a 19 year old is not emotionally ready to be an adult.  Eli apple is what 20 and he was benched for immaturity this year.  Amobi okoye was 20 and he flamed out.  19 is too young and he belongs in college not the NFL

[G08]

2 minutes ago, Rogerthat said:

I don't like the fact that he is 19 years old.  This is grown man's league and a 19 year old is not emotionally ready to be an adult.  Eli apple is what 20 and he was benched for immaturity this year.  Amobi okoye was 20 and he flamed out.  19 is too young and he belongs in college not the NFL

Come on man, everyone matures at a different rate, ya know? This is where scouts digging into their character/background pays off.

[Sugashane]

Neslon - RT/OG

Edmunds - ILB/OLB

Ridley - WR

Ward - CB (seeing him get handled by Cobbs has soured me on him. May have just been a bad game, but he was owned. )

 

I'd put Jackson between Edmunds and Ridley. I'd be double dipping at WR in the 2nd and 4th round as well.

 

ATM Davenport might be between Edmunds and Ridley as well, and could jump to 1st if he really impresses me at the combine. I want to really see the hands, COD and bend compared to his peers.

[Sugashane]

2 hours ago, G08 said:

Come on man, everyone matures at a different rate, ya know? This is where scouts digging into their character/background pays off.

Exactly. Apple had a history of being a head case, from the little I have read on  Edmunds, he has been mature and had his head on straight. Reminds me a lot of Jaylon Smith, who reminded me a Urlacher.

[AZBearsFan]

Does Nelson make us a lot better? In 2016 without Long half the year Howard was 2nd in rushing yards and this year with Long and Sutton both missing time he was 6th in spite of running against 8 and 9-man boxes all season. Getting defenders out of the box will improve our run game more than adding Nelson will IMO, and it’s pretty damn solid already. Is he going to be a huge upgrade in the passing game? Can we develop a mid-rounder for a year behind Sitton under Hiestand and get a comparable player 100 picks later? I suspect we can and can do so without putting the interior OL in a compromised position for 2018. We need depth and development players at OG. 

Of the options I’d take Edmunds, Ridley, Ward and then Nelson, but I think a lot of other guys are reasonably in play there. If they think Davenport or Landry is the next Aldon Smith off the edge after a year under Fangio then I’d be hard pressed to see us passing them up. 

[TankWilliams]

19 hours ago, topwop1 said:

I don't like the whole positional value argument when talking about Nelson.  If he is generational talent at his position and he protects our QB well and opens up big lanes in the run game then that is very very good value to me. 

Agreed on that.  If we could go back and draft a Steve Hutchinson at #8, I'm sure most of us would have been thrilled to do so.

[G08]

13 hours ago, AZBearsFan said:

Does Nelson make us a lot better? In 2016 without Long half the year Howard was 2nd in rushing yards and this year with Long and Sutton both missing time he was 6th in spite of running against 8 and 9-man boxes all season. Getting defenders out of the box will improve our run game more than adding Nelson will IMO, and it’s pretty damn solid already. Is he going to be a huge upgrade in the passing game? Can we develop a mid-rounder for a year behind Sitton under Hiestand and get a comparable player 100 picks later? I suspect we can and can do so without putting the interior OL in a compromised position for 2018. We need depth and development players at OG. 

Of the options I’d take Edmunds, Ridley, Ward and then Nelson, but I think a lot of other guys are reasonably in play there. If they think Davenport or Landry is the next Aldon Smith off the edge after a year under Fangio then I’d be hard pressed to see us passing them up. 

This is what I've been saying as well. Guards are a dime a dozen, guys.

That high of a pick I want a QB, pass rusher, left tackle or an elite corner.