Re:
Great summary there Alpe. First off, I really felt sorry for Miles Jack, with his freefall all because of injury.
Alpe d'Huez said:
Well, we're through round 1 and underway. Here are some quick thoughts:
1. Goff - No surprise, though Rams likely traded too much to get him.
2. Wentz - No surprise, though Eagles traded way too much to get him.
Agree on first two picks. And it is going to be turmoil in Philly.
Alpe d'Huez said:
3. Joe Bosa - Solid pick.
Agree on Bosa at #3. My only comment on Bosa is but Jalen Ramsey would have been a better value pick for #3 overall, especially for SD. Bosa is good mainly as a 4-3 DE, not a 3-4 DE, which is what SD uses. So does SD adjust out of their base 3-4, go to a 4-3 just to help Bosa fit? Or does SD use him as a 3-4 OLB? My guess is the latter; Bosa will not have his hand in the dirt as much, he will be standing up. I don't think he was used much like that at OSU. So, we'll see. That will be one of those interesting player development things to watch. But to do that at the #3 overall? That's why i saw Ramsey as a better pick for SD.
Alpe d'Huez said:
4. Eliot - Taken too high by Cowboys, IMO. Much too high.
Absolutely agree. And Elliot was not even a pre-draft top-10 overall on the big board. He's like a #11 big board guy. So why pick him #4 overall? Reach. This pick again shows the pecking order in Dallas, because before the draft last week or so, JJones was saying how nice it would be to draft Ellliot. And this is why Jason Garrett is still the HC in big D; he is willing to be the puppet who does not contest the boss. But this does not mean Elliot fails to work in Dallas. With that OL and Romo I think the Dallas offense will be fine. However, I also think it would have been fine to pick up a featured RB later but use the #4 overall on a LEGIT #4 overall like Jalen Ramsey, who went to JAX at #5.
Alpe d'Huez said:
5. Ramsey - Steal! Jax must have been doing backflips when Dallas took Elliott.
...and when SD took Bosa.
Alpe d'Huez said:
6. Stanley to the Ravens -Solid pick.
7. DeForest from (surprise) Oregon to 49ers. But NFL ranked him higher than Bosa.
8. Conklin to Titans (from Browns). A bit of a surprise they traded up and didn't take Gasman Tunsil.
9. Floyd to Chicago. Talented guy, undersized though, maybe a bit high.
10. Eli Apple to the Giants - Say what?
11. Hargreaves - Bucs must have all but fainted when NYG didn't take him.
13. Tunsil to MIA - The gasmask bong caused a near freefall for a guy who could have easily gone 3rd.
14. Karl Joseph to Raiders - A solid pick.
Agree on all that.
RE: Eli Apple to NYG, Apple was not the highest rated CB still on the board at this draft position. Hargreaves (CB) taken by Bucs at #11 is higher rated CB and is more athletic. But Hargreaves stands 5'10", and Apple is 6'1". Apple is average athlete. Giants must have been going for length.
Just to fill it in: 12. Sheldon Rankins (DT) to Saints. Not a reach. At #12, he went about where he was expected to go, and should have gone.
RE: GasMask Tunsil to the Fins; how dumb can a player get (oh wait, there's Johnny), unless he wanted a sure fire way out of SD? But this is a great pick for MIA. He is not as polished in technique as Stanley, but a lot of this OL group have technique issues (e.g. SEA pick Ifedi at #31).
Big ramification for Ole Miss HC, who said on radio yesterday he knows Tunsil's mom was paid rent money by the school or boosters? Oh my. Remember Reggie Bush?
RE: Joseph (S) to Raiders; he is listed as SS on some boards, but is the best rated safety in the draft. Raiders don't really need a SS as much as they need a FS, so I'd expect the Raiders to try Joseph at FS.
But in the offseason Raiders on paper have put together one of the better linebacking groups in the NFL, and the DL is solid, so the Joseph pick is filling in the holes nicely. This could help make Raiders one of the better defenses in the NFL.
Alpe d'Huez said:
26. Lynch to Denver, who traded up to get him. Wow.
I call this a shrewd move by Denver, because I see SF sitting there thinking they might nab Lynch, AZ thinking the same to develop Lynch behind Palmer, or KC (with early 2nd round pick) thinking the same to develop Lynch behind Smith for a few years. Denver just ambushed them all.
Alpe d'Huez said:
27. Clark to Packers. With four WRs off the board, GB went to the trench with a big DT.
30. Robert Nkemdiche - Arizona needed DL help, and gets it.
32. Germain Ifedi - I don't know much about him, but Seattle needs OL help.
A lot of focus on character, health and attitude so far from teams. If Tunsil and Jack have fallen as far as they have, my hunch tells me Cook may fall to the third round..
RE: Clark to Packers; Clark not as high rated as Vern Butler (who was still on the board). Clark is more of a 4-3 DT, and Butler is more of a 3-4 DT. Thing is, Packers are more of a 3-4 base defense, right? So, I'm a little confused, but the video of Clark is amazing, so.
RE: Robert Nkemdiche to AZ; Cards took reward over risk, something Dungy would not have done. But no doubt Nkemdiche will make them scary.
RE: Germain Ifedi to SEA; Ifedi is athletic, with quick feet, 7-foot wingspan, and can play both Guard and Tackle. Something SEA lacked with short-armed Sweezy. In video of Ifedi, he lacks pass block technique, especially with footwork; he holds too much; he does not hammer defenders in run blocking like Cable likes, but is very quick off the ball; and he could use better leverage. But all those little things are correctable techniques that OL coach Cable can fix. The only thing Cable requires is effort, and Ifedi said in his pro day workout with Cable, that Cable put him through the most rigorous workout of all the scouts. And about that, Cable said Ifedi was gritty and gave all he had. According the NFL Network draft panel including Mayock, they all say Ifedi has huge ceiling for potential.
Won't be surprised if J'Marcus Webb starts at RT and they put Ifedi in at RG or LG. Gilliam is going to be the SEA starting LT. The problem for Ifedi at RT is tendency to hold. Both RT and LT positions, those players are out there on an island and are going to get caught holding much more readily than Guards. It is just harder to see holding going on with Centers and Guards. So, putting Ifedi at Guard can hide some of that. But with that wingspan SEA is going to be tempted to play him at RT. Versatility to play multiple positions won't hurt.