jrry32 Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 I don't know what plans the Rams have from here in FA, and I won't worry about that. I am only focusing on the Draft in this mock. Trades Rams trade Round 1 Pick #23 and Round 4 Pick #35 Browns trade Round 2 Pick #4 and Round 2 Pick #32 The Browns are looking for a CB to pair with T.J. Carrie. It looks likely that there will be a CB run near the end of the 1st, so the Browns trade up to land Josh Jackson or Jaire Alexander, both of whom are great fits for GW's scheme. Trader Les continues to be active, especially with Harold Landry going before Pick #23. NFL Draft Round 2 Pick #4 - Dallas Goedert TE South Dakota State https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8XIc9WLYOI Analysis: Dallas Goedert is a tremendously productive TE from a small school. Some will ask, "Why not Mike Gesicki?" Gesicki is a great talent. I would compare him to Jimmy Graham. However, my perception is that McVay wants more of an inline TE to pair with Gerald Everett, who will play the Jordan Reed role. Regardless, I still rank Goedert over Gesicki. Why? Gesicki looks like a future elite receiving TE, but he's a poor blocker. Goedert has the ability to be a great receiving TE and a great blocking TE. I'd compare him to Travis Kelce. At 6'5" 256 pounds with 34 inch arms and 10 inch hands, Goedert possesses ideal dimensions for the position. As a blocker, Goedert has the length and strength to bully corners, handle LBs, and hold his own against DLs. Goedert uses his hands well, demonstrates great leg drive, and plays with a real mean streak. He needs to do a better job of rolling his hips into blocks instead of bending because it causes balance issues, but Goedert already appears to be a quality run and pass blocker on tape. He could become great as he polishes his technique. As a receiver, Goedert shows the athleticism to win at all three levels. He has the speed to climb over the top, and he has the agility to separate underneath. As it stands now, Goedert's route running needs polish, as he tends to give defenders hints by leaning before breaking and needs to clean up his route footwork. Nevertheless, he's a very dangerous receiving threat on more linear routes at this point in time (drags, intermediate and deep overs, fades, posts, corners, etc.). Goedert's hands and body control are tremendous. He has shown the ability to make incredible catches. He does suffer from a concentration drop every now and then, but he'll win in traffic and is a major red-zone threat. He's the type of TE whom you can split out and throw fades to in the red-zone. All in all, as Goedert polishes up his game, he has the potential to be a 1000+ yard 10+ TD threat as a receiver while helping out in a major way in the running game. He is my #1 TE in this class. Round 2 Pick #32 - Tim Settle NT Virginia Tech https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt8RjWeQNzw Analysis: At 6'3" 335 pounds, Settle certainly has the sort of size that you expect out of a 3-4 NT. However, Settle's size isn't his only redeeming feature. He moves and plays like a DT who is 30 pounds lighter. Settle is explosive off the ball with great agility for his size and a lot of energy. His motor is highly impressive out of such a big guy. He combines the strength you expect out of a 330+ pound NT with the explosiveness you expect out of a 295 pound UT. Settle is still young at 20 years old, declared after his sophomore year, and is still raw. He needs to learn how to use his hands better as a pass rusher, he needs to play with better leverage in the running game, and he needs to show better awareness when it comes to blocking schemes. Nevertheless, Settle shows the ability win quickly with an arm-over swim move, he often forces teams to double him in the running game, and he's willing to chase players to the sideline. His potential is through the roof. He's been compared to Vince Wilfork, but I really like Jamal Williams as a comparison, who thrived in Wade's scheme (two All Pros in three years). The great thing about Wade's scheme is that he'll let Settle attack instead of forcing him to read and react, which isn't Settle's forte at this point in his career. Settle is exactly the type of player we need inside and is a perfect fit for this scheme. Plus, he'll have the opportunity to work with Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers. I can't think of a better duo to learn from as a young DL. If Settle isn't available here, I'd draft Derrick Nnadi. Round 3 Pick #23 - Jeff Holland OLB Auburn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkzzTPeHBpQ Analysis: You may not have heard of Jeff Holland as he only has one year of starting experience, but he made the most of that year by posting 45 tackles, 13 TFLs, 10 sacks, and 4 FFs in his only year starting in the SEC. What stood out to me while watching Holland is all of the stats that won't show up on the box score. I don't know if I've seen another guy in this class who pressures the QB as much as Holland. Watching his bowl game against UCF, he pressured the QB on almost every single passing play. At 6'1" 249 pounds with 33.5 arms and 10.5 hands, Holland has very long arms and big hands for his size. He definitely fits the mold of a 3-4 OLB. Holland uses his long arms and big hands to win consistently as an edge rusher. He has some of the most polished hand usage and sophisticated pass rush plans in this class. Holland actually has taken martial arts training to improve his hand fighting ability. As it stands now, his go-to moves are the two-handed swipe and the rip and run. Holland consistently wins off the edge by using his advanced hand usage, outstanding punch timing, natural leverage, and polished body positioning to thwart the attempts of tackles to push him past the pocket. Holland's powerful lower body and great balance also allow him to flatten out when turning the corner and prevent OTs from riding him past the QB. Young pass rushers should watch Holland's film to learn how to use their inside arm to soften the edge. Simply put, Holland won't be a workout warrior and doesn't have the prettiest looking body, but he wins as a pass rusher with technical skill, football IQ, heavy hands, power, balance, and tenaciousness. He actually posted comparable production to Carl Lawson, who posted 8.5 sacks as a rookie with the Bengals in 2017. As a run defender, Holland uses his natural leverage, power, and advanced hand usage to set a hard edge. He has some tightness in his lower body which limits his ability to drop into coverage and prevents him from reaching his full potential as a finisher and as a run defender in space, but Holland is a tenacious pass rusher who should drive NFL QBs crazy with his constant pressure. Round 4 Pick #11 - Tegray Scales ILB Indiana https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78bZeo8OqcE Analysis: Tegray Scales has been a tremendously productive LB for Indiana with 214 tackles, 36.5 TFLs, 13 sacks, and 3 Ints over the past two years. At 6'0" 230 pounds with nearly 31 inch arms and 9 inch hands, Scales is on the small side for a 3-4 ILB. However, Scales plays the game with a ferocious brand of physicality and a real mean streak. While his timed speed is nothing special, Scales plays fast and absolutely flies to the football. There are times when Scales knows where the play is going before the ball is even snapped. It is clear that he invests a lot of time into film review. He is rarely in the wrong spot, he rarely takes false steps, and he is always around the football. In coverage, Scales is adequate but not elite. He doesn't possess overly fluid hips and is a bit stiff in his backpedal. Nevertheless, he looks better in man coverage because of his short-area quickness and instincts. Scales truly shines as a run stopper and a blitzer. As a blitzer, he times his blitzes incredibly well, uses his hands to fight off blocks, and is relentless in his pursuit of the QB. As a run stopper, Scales is fearless taking on blockers and flies to the football. Scales is a bit limited by his short arms and lack of size. This makes it difficult for him to come unglued once OLs latch onto him. However, he's a strong and physical players who will stack up blocks and tenaciously fight to get off blocks. I've seen him stand up and fight off Billy Price. He also has absolutely no fear when it comes to meeting pullers and lead blockers in the hole. Scales is undersized, but he loves to bang and finds the ball quickly. Scales looks like he's shot out of a cannon once he determines where the ball is going. He does need to do a better job of bringing his feet with him as a tackler, as he'll miss tackles at times by coming in a little too hot, but he brings bad intentions when he hits, and guys usually go down quickly. Round 6 Pick #2 - Jack Cichy ILB Wisconsin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTirt1ZQFI4 Analysis: Cichy is just a really good football player. The problem for him is his injury history. He missed all of 2017 with a torn ACL, and he missed half of the 2016 season with a torn pectoral muscle. However, I think it's worth the risk because he's a Day 2 talent on tape. Cichy is a very smart and sound football player who possesses good athleticism for his size. At 6'2" 238 pounds with solid arm length, Cichy has the dimensions of a NFL ILB. While Cichy won't overpower blockers, he is quite adept at slipping blocks due to his advanced hand usage and agility. He sifts through traffic well, plays with consistent gap integrity, and tackles well, even in space. Cichy also reads his keys well and rarely takes false steps. The thing that stands out the most is Cichy's ability to close when he gets a path to the runner. He may not run a 4.4 40, but he plays fast. As a blitzer, Cichy is highly effective due to his outstanding anticipation of the snap count and his hand usage when rushing the passer. He puts a lot of pressure on the QB when used on A-gap blitzes. His cover skills are good; although, he's a better zone defender than man defender. Cichy also has that sort of annoying style that gets into the heads of offensive players. He plays through the whistle, is constantly buzzing around opposing players, and has a non-stop motor. All in all, Cichy checks all the boxes and should contribute in the NFL if he stays healthy. He'll be great depth at ILB and can contribute on special teams. Round 6 Pick #9 - Will Clapp C/OG LSU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZ4BEvAQzcY Analysis: Will Clapp started at OG for his first two seasons before moving over to Center this year for LSU. Clapp is an average athlete, but he's an experienced and durable player who can play any position on the interior. At 6'5" 311 pounds, Clapp has the size to play inside in the NFL, but he does have short arms (31.25 inches). Clapp has the skill-set to be an effective Center for us down the line and could fill in as a starter if Sullivan suffers an injury. Clapp has good power with nice leg drive in the running game, and he's quite effective at blocking on the move and in space. He has strong hands and really latches on in both the running and passing games. He's an extremely smart player who is capable of helping his QB out by reading the defense pre-snap, recognizing pressure looks, and making sure the OL is on the same page. Clapp is a consistent and reliable player from snap to snap. However, he does play a little too tall, he doesn't have special movement skills, and he can be exploited by long-armed defenders. The good news for us is that Kromer's scheme does a lot to help out the Center. The most important attributes for Centers in our scheme are intelligence, reliability (especially with assignments), and the ability to block on the move and in space. These are all strengths of Clapp's. He offers us immediate depth with starting potential down the line. Round 6 Pick #20 - Greg Senat OT Wagner https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhYEq9vwIlE Analysis: Greg Senat is a ball of clay for Aaron Kromer to mold. He'll get to start off as a swing OT for us, which is for the best for Senat. It'll allow him to bulk up and get stronger. Senat was arguably the best OT on the field during the E-W Shrine Game and surprised a lot of evaluators with how quickly he improved and caught on. Senat's film at Wagner is uneven. He's a very raw OT who needs to get stronger, but his smoothness, length, and overall athleticism are easy to see on tape. Senat started his career at Wagner on the basketball team and didn't join the football team until after his sophomore year. Thus, it is understandable that he's raw and needs to get stronger because he only has two years of football experience at a small school. Still, Senat has starting OT potential down the line, and we have one of the best OL Coaches in the game to develop him. At 6'6" 305 pounds with nearly 35 inch arms and 10 inch hands, Senat has all the dimensions of a starting NFL OT, and nobody doubts his movement skills. He's a worthwhile project. Desmond Harrison is another name worth keeping in mind as a project OT in the 6th round. Round 6 Pick #21 - Phillip Lindsay HB Colorado https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Lpqc99k9-I Analysis: Phillip Lindsay's nickname is the "Tasmanian Devil" because of his endless energy, toughness, and refusal to let his size limit him. At 5'7" 185 pounds, Lindsay is definitely undersized, but that didn't stop him from rushing for 2726 yards and 30 TDs over the past two seasons at Colorado. He also caught 76 passes during that time. Lindsay is a fearless pass protector who will stonewall edge rushers despite his small stature. He saved his QB from a number of hits in college. He's actually been compared to Chris Thompson by some, and there's validity to the comparison. Lindsay is small with good speed (4.39 40 at his Pro Day), great pass protection skills, and good pass-catching skills. He won't break a lot of tackles as a runner, but he'll get what's blocked. He has the potential to be a valuable HB on passing downs. Round 6 Pick #24 - David Bright OL Stanford https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN6mBX7oemo Analysis: David Bright lives up to his name. He's a very intelligent player with great intangibles who started at all every spot on the OL for Stanford except Center. However, he practiced at Center and was capable of playing the position if needed. Bright started at LT in 2017 after being Stanford's starting LG in 2016. At 6'5" 307 pounds with 33 inch arms and 10 inch hands, Bright has the length to play OT in the NFL. He also has enough athleticism to stick outside. However, I'd be drafting Bright as a utility OL in the short term and as a guy to develop to compete with Clapp as our future Center. Bright has a higher center of gravity than you'd expect from most Centers and isn't overly powerful, so he might struggle a bit with the power of great nose tackles, but Bright has the athleticism, length, and football IQ to really thrive in the position. In our scheme, he's a great fit because the Center is rarely asked to drive block. Instead, his job is typically blocking on the move. Bright blocks well in space and on the second level, he pulls well, and he does a nice job when zone blocking. Bright doesn't get much push when power blocking, but he uses angles and positioning well to wall his man off. As a pass blocker, Bright needs to improve his punch timing on the interior as he tends to be late with it. As a tackle, Bright is athletic enough to do the job, but he'd struggle with the elite edge rushers who have the ability to both beat him with speed and overpower him. All in all, I see a kid who can be a backup for every position on our OL and possibly develop into a starting Center down the line while being a positive influence in the locker-room and a guy who will push others in practice. Projected Starters QB: Jared Goff HB: Todd Gurley WR: Robert Woods WR: Cooper Kupp TE: Gerald Everett TE: Dallas Goedert LT: Andrew Whitworth LG: Rodger Saffold C: John Sullivan RG: Jamon Brown RT: Rob Havenstein SDE: Michael Brockers NT: Tim Settle DT: Aaron Donald WOLB: Matt Longacre WILB: Mark Barron SILB: Tegray Scales SOLB: Samson Ebukam LCB: Marcus Peters RCB: Aqib Talib SLCB: Nickell Robey-Coleman FS: LaMarcus Joyner SS: John Johnson III K: Greg Zuerlein P: Johnny Hekker LS: Jake McQuaide Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RamPackFan Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 Interesting strategy going with TE early and one I didn't consider. Cichy and Scales are 2 of my favorite mid round LBs along with Jewell.... I like those picks. Holland is another great pick with huge upside, IMO. Instead of going with another TE as an early selection what about the possibility of someone like Courtland Sutton instead? Great size and would be a big target for Goff....does he have the speed we need in this offense? Or maybe James Washington? Although, the more I watch him the more I'm starting to like Anthony Miller from Memphis. He reminds me of a poor man's Antonio Bryant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEE RAWL Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 I don’t love the idea of taking a TE first in this case. Goedert is talented and would be a slight upgrade to Higbee, I just think there are better ways to spend early draft capital in a weak TE class. I agree with your evaluation of Holland, and for that reason, I don’t love that pick either. I think he’s maxed out potential wise and I would be surprised if he had similar success at the next level. Love his motor and tenacity, but that alone won’t equate to consistent production against NFL OL. Yes, he has a nice rip and at times flashes a good burst off the line, but overall his lack of athleticism will be an issue. And not a fan of Scales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrry32 Posted March 18, 2018 Author Share Posted March 18, 2018 2 hours ago, DEE RAWL said: I don’t love the idea of taking a TE first in this case. Goedert is talented and would be a slight upgrade to Higbee, I just think there are better ways to spend early draft capital in a weak TE class. If Goedert turns into the player that I think he is, he's much more than a slight upgrade on Higbee. Higbee simply hasn't lived up to his potential. And I'm basing this on the players that McVay and co. pursued in FA. They seem to want another playmaking TE. Quote I agree with your evaluation of Holland, and for that reason, I don’t love that pick either. I think he’s maxed out potential wise and I would be surprised if he had similar success at the next level. Love his motor and tenacity, but that alone won’t equate to consistent production against NFL OL. Yes, he has a nice rip and at times flashes a good burst off the line, but overall his lack of athleticism will be an issue. And not a fan of Scales. I don't agree. How Holland wins translates well to the NFL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LARams91 Posted March 19, 2018 Share Posted March 19, 2018 Like it, interesting move early in the draft with a TE but it wouldn't shock me. I've said it before on here but I'm a big fan of Scales. Think he would fit in nicely. Overall a pretty solid mock! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StLunatic88 Posted March 19, 2018 Share Posted March 19, 2018 I feel like all signs are pointing to Snead moving somewhere on draft day. Is that way up for Vea/Edmunds or possibly a guy dropping and getting close like Payne/Davenport? Or is he looking to drop back for even more picks? If so, Cleveland seems like a likely partner, and sure they could be looking to grab that CB,, but I dont think this type of move being for their Future QB is out of the question either, and they would likely be even more eager to move up at that point. I would also look at the Colts as a possible trade partner now with their trio 2nd round picks (I also dont think we would necessarily need to throw in that 4th rounder in that deal) I could take or leave the TE move, I see what your getting at, Im just not sure i see it in the cards. Wouldnt hate it, he is a real weapon, but with going after Everett and the expanding role of Higbee throughout the year, I would be surprised if we would be focusing 3 TEs this coming season. Do you really think Settle has dropped out of the Top 50 prospects? I know many were disappointed in his Combine, but I think that only quelled the growing hype of a potential Top 25 pick that some were projecting. I like all the LBs you have us getting, I sdont know if we will be pulling that many in from just this draft. Also dont mind Clapp, seems like he is just another guy and probably a lifetime backup. I think you are overestimating the skills that he does have, and probably giving him more of a pass in other areas than he deserves. As with Senat, he is one of those small school darlings that seem to be in abundance at the OT position this year. Dont hate the pick at all, just realize he may never set foot on the field, and is cut in 3 years.With 3 Lineman set to hit Free Agency next year (probably 4 with what Sullivan's deal looks like) I would hope we are investing in the OL alittle sooner than our picks in the 175-200 ranges. I know how good Kromer is, but we cant just rely on that going forward, we will need some actual talent. I know you dont have any of them, but I dont think we are done picking up Free Agents, especially in the LB corps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrry32 Posted March 19, 2018 Author Share Posted March 19, 2018 56 minutes ago, StLunatic88 said: I could take or leave the TE move, I see what your getting at, Im just not sure i see it in the cards. Wouldnt hate it, he is a real weapon, but with going after Everett and the expanding role of Higbee throughout the year, I would be surprised if we would be focusing 3 TEs this coming season. Do you really think Settle has dropped out of the Top 50 prospects? I know many were disappointed in his Combine, but I think that only quelled the growing hype of a potential Top 25 pick that some were projecting. I think Higbee is the odd man out. It's hard to tell with Settle. If he's gone, I take Nnadi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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