Jrry32 End of March Mock

[jrry32]

Let's assume the best case scenario where the Rams land Suh and Galette. Here's what I might do from there.

Trades

Rams trade Round 1 Pick #23, Round 4 Pick #35, and Round 6 Pick #24

Browns trade Round 2 Pick #4, Round 2 Pick #32, and QB Cody Kessler

 

The Browns are looking for a CB to pair with T.J. Carrie and E.J. Gaines. 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. We also throw in a 6th to get Cody Kessler to compete with Sean Mannion for our backup QB job. Trader Les continues to be active, especially with Harold Landry going before Pick #23.

 

NFL Draft

Round 2 Pick #4 - Anthony Miller WR Memphis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K2qwMf8vUI

Analysis: This is a different take from my last mock in case McVay decides that he'd like to draft a WR to replace Watkins. Miller is the WR that I like the most in the late-first or early-second round range. Miller is a twitched up athlete who has great foot quickness, explosive change of directional skills, and outstanding body control. At 5'11" 200 pounds, Miller is slightly undersized for a WR, but he's a well-built player who plays with great physicality and strength for his size. Miller is short strider, but that helps him greatly with his separation skills. He's an unorthodox route runner who throws a lot of fakes and movement into his routes. He's a lot like Cooper Kupp in how deceptive he is while running his routes. He creates easy separation with his explosiveness out of his breaks and his ability to get the defender leaning in the wrong direction. Miller is an incredible WR in terms of yards after catch. He's very quick and elusive while also being strong and physical. This makes him a nightmare for tacklers in space. He has very large hands for his size (10 inches), and it shows in his ability to make spectacular catches. Miller needs to show more consistent concentration on the easy throws, as he has a tendency to try to run before looking it in leading to occasional drops. Miller isn't a dominant contested catch receiver, but he does well for his size. He's also very difficult to press due to his quickness, footwork, and physicality. He often makes CBs look stupid when they try to jam him at the LOS. Miller doesn't possess elite straight-line speed, but he gets open deep through his crafty route running, physicality, and quickness. If you asked me for a comparison, I'd say Golden Tate is a good one.

 

Round 2 Pick #32 - Orlando Brown Jr. OT Oklahoma

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCkY01Ma-Kg

Analysis: Orlando Brown Jr. is quite the lightning rod for criticism after his Combine, but his Pro Day has stemmed the bleeding to some extent. I know myself and many others don't see eye to eye on the kid. Personally, I think he's amazing value in the 3rd round and am not scared off by his Combine. At 6'8" 350 pounds with 35 inch arms, Brown is a very big and long man. His father, Orlando Brown, was a Pro Bowl caliber NFL LT who had similar size. Brown Jr. had a highly productive career at Oklahoma where he was consistently considered one of the best OLs in college football. He could have declared last year for the Draft, but he made a promise to his father that he'd get his college degree, which he obviously couldn't break after his father tragically died in 2011. Brown is an incredibly powerful player who manhandles smaller defenders in the running game and cedes next to nothing to bull-rushes in the passing game. Brown is surprisingly good at blocking on the second level and in space. He also does a nice job of mirroring in pass protection and preventing guys from beating him with inside moves. Brown is susceptible to speedy edge rushers attacking the corner. He relies on his length to try and push them past the QB, but his flawed kick-slide (not enough depth) and his slow feet make it difficult for him to prevent the best of the best speed rushers from turning the corner and flattening to the QB against him. Brown also plays high because he doesn't possess great flexibility due to his size and weight. However, Brown's strength and length allows him to get away with his lack of leverage. He displays outstanding hand strength and a powerful punch that stops pass rushers in their tracks. Brown's punch timing and placement are quality for an OT of his age, but they can both be improved. All in all, Brown is a supremely talented OT with size, power, and length that you simply can't teach. If he can clean up his body in the NFL with better nutrition and a great S&C program, he ought to be able to unlock more speed than most think he has, which will help him protect against explosive edge rushers. He's a bit of a project, but with our veteran OLs (Whitworth, Saffold, and Sullivan), our great OL Coach, and our ability to take our time with him, I think this is the perfect situation for Brown. Plus, Kromer's scheme loves big, powerful OTs.

 

Round 3 Pick #23 - Shaquem Griffin ILB UCF

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6jFL3W1Z7E

Analysis: Griffin checks in at 6'0" 227 pounds with surprising power and elite burst/speed. Griffin closes like few can at the LB position, and his 4.38 40 at the Combine reflects his freakish speed. He's been a highly-effective pass rusher because of his ability diverse set of rush moves and evolved pass rush plan along with his elite speed and quickness off the edge. He doesn't have the size to hold up as an edge, but he should be an effective blitzer. Griffin has had plenty of snaps in coverage and shows the athleticism to handle M2M coverage responsibilities in the NFL. In the running game, he's a sideline-to-sideline LB who will sift through traffic to make TFLs. He can also close from the backside due to his incredible speed. Despite his small stature, Griffin has shown the ability to work off of and through blockers. Griffin's missing hand can limit him at times. It can make it harder for him to disengage from blocks and can cause him to miss tackles. However, Griffin's unique blend of elite speed for his position along with top-notch instincts means that the tackles he generally misses due to his hand are tackles that few other LBs would have been in a position to make. Griffin is a film room junkie who went as far as to put his mattress in the facility during camp to allow himself to stay overnight to watch more film. It shows in his play through his tremendous instincts, tendency to be in the right place at the right time, and his evolved pass rush plan. Simply put, if Griffin had two hands, I think he'd be considered one of the top players in the Draft. He's been highly productive the past two years at UCF and won the Senior Bowl Practice Player of the Week Award. His game reminds me of Lavonte David and Deion Jones.

 

Round 4 Pick #11 - 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 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.

 

Projected Starters

QB: Jared Goff

HB: Todd Gurley

WR: Robert Woods

WR: Cooper Kupp

WR: Anthony Miller vs. Josh Reynolds

TE: Gerald Everett

LT: Andrew Whitworth

LG: Rodger Saffold

C: John Sullivan

RG: Jamon Brown

RT: Rob Havenstein

 

SDE: Michael Brockers

NT: Ndamukong Suh

DT: Aaron Donald

WOLB: Junior Galette

WILB: Mark Barron

SILB: Shaquem Griffin vs. Jack Cichy

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

[RamPackFan]

I love this mock! Great picks.....all of them. Well done 

[stl4life07]

I’d much rather have WR DJ Chark if we are looking at WRs in the 2nd round. He has blazing speed that can take the top off defenses. 

[DEE RAWL]

 

I like Miller as a player, but I think that’s too early for him.  Also I’m just not a fan of taking a WR/TE early unless the value is too good to pass on.

 

Really not a fan of Brown, even before the combine.  I think his pure size and strength is what allowed him success at the college level and that just won’t be enough in the NFL IMO.  He lacks the quickness/feet for my liking, and for how big and strong he is, I wish he was more violent in the ground game.  

 

 

[chris00cm]

I don't want to be that guy that puts too much into the combine, but there are zero successful comps to Orlando Brown's numbers. I'm never a fan of hedging 2nd round picks on outliers. Quite frankly I don't think the league is either.

The rest looks good.

[jrry32]

5 hours ago, stl4life07 said:

I’d much rather have WR DJ Chark if we are looking at WRs in the 2nd round. He has blazing speed that can take the top off defenses. 

I'd rather have the better WR.

4 hours ago, chris00cm said:

I don't want to be that guy that puts too much into the combine, but there are zero successful comps to Orlando Brown's numbers. I'm never a fan of hedging 2nd round picks on outliers. Quite frankly I don't think the league is either.

The rest looks good.

I'm willing to spend the last pick of the 2nd on an outlier who was considered a first round talent before the Combine. If you look at some of the successful guys his size (Max Starks, Zach Strief, Phil Loadholt, Leonard Davis, Shawn Andrews, Cordy Glenn, Havenstein, Marcus McNeill, etc.), they didn't perform well at the Combine either. My outlook on Brown is that he likely unlocks athleticism as we clean up his body. He doesn't have to start immediately. We have time. However, even if he doesn't, the kid will be a contributor somewhere on the OL if he doesn't eat his way out of the NFL. He could be a quality OG or RT if he doesn't get it done at LT.

The other thing that I think is worth noting is that despite his terrible performance, his three cone drill time is actually incredibly impressive for a man his size. For reference, here is how his 3CD time compares to other OLs:

Ronnie Stanley (Slower than Brown)

Andrus Peat (Slower than Brown)

Ricky Wagner(Slower than Brown)

Riley Reiff (Equal to Brown)

Cordy Glenn (Slower than Brown)

Kelechi Osemele (Slower than Brown)

Marcus Cannon (Slower than Brown)

Phil Loadholt (Slower than Brown)

Carl Nicks (Slower than Brown)

Joe Thomas (Slower than Brown)

Marcus McNeill (Slower than Brown)

Jahri Evans (Slower than Brown)

Zach Strief (Slower than Brown)

Shawn Andrews (Slower than Brown)

Max Starks (Slower than Brown)

Andrew Whitworth (Slower than Brown)

Leonard Davis (Slower than Brown)

Jeff Backus (Slower than Brown)

[jrry32]

5 hours ago, DEE RAWL said:

 

I like Miller as a player, but I think that’s too early for him.  Also I’m just not a fan of taking a WR/TE early unless the value is too good to pass on.

 

Really not a fan of Brown, even before the combine.  I think his pure size and strength is what allowed him success at the college level and that just won’t be enough in the NFL IMO.  He lacks the quickness/feet for my liking, and for how big and strong he is, I wish he was more violent in the ground game.  

You know my outlook. Take talent where you can get it. 

[BStanRamFan]

I like the trade a lot, but not so much the selections. Reach for Miller and I think Brown still ends up in the first round. Shaquem Griffin in my favorite pick, but not to play ILB if I'm reading it correctly. I do like the Galette signing, but not to start due to his injury history. He would be my 3rd pass rusher.  Arden Key in the 2nd would be nice if he's available. ILB can be had in later rounds based on Wade's past draft picks/successful ILB's. Chark would also be my pick in the 2nd if we do decide to go WR early. Would like to see RB in rounds 4-5, Ken Ballage particularly.

 

[jrry32]

13 minutes ago, BStanRamFan said:

I like the trade a lot, but not so much the selections. Reach for Miller and I think Brown still ends up in the first round.

Shaquem Griffin in my favorite pick, but not to play ILB if I'm reading it correctly.

I do like the Galette signing, but not to start due to his injury history. He would be my 3rd pass rusher.  Arden Key in the 2nd would be nice if he's available.

ILB can be had in later rounds based on Wade's past draft picks/successful ILB's. Chark would also be my pick in the 2nd if we do decide to go WR early. Would like to see RB in rounds 4-5, Ken Ballage particularly.

1. I take talent where it's available. I don't worry about whether it is seen as a reach or not. I think Miller will be successful, so I'd rather not get cute on trying to manipulate the draft and lose him. Brown could end up in the first, but almost nobody has him ranked there right now.

2. Griffin has to play ILB in our defense. He's not going to hold up against the run on the edge. He'd kill it at ILB for us.

3. We have Holland, Longacre, Galette, and Ebukam to rotate at OLB. It doesn't much matter who's named starter. You will never see Arden Key in any mock of mine. I can guarantee that. I did consider Sam Hubbard with our first 2nd, though.

4. We're getting ILBs in later rounds. Miller is a much better WR than Chark. It's an easy pick for me to take Miller over Chark. I'd rather have Lindsay in the 6th than Ballage in the 4th or 5th round.

 

[Flatlyner]

While I'm not fully on board with the Brown pick (I think he will be abused by speed rushers in the NFL) I do like most of your picks.  I'm not a big fan of WR with our first pick, I like Millers game a great deal.  I seriously LOVE the 3 straight LB picks, Cichy is one of my prospect crushes.  All around solid mock.