Obviously there will be threads about certain players, position groups etc. But I thought we should have a thread for the draft as a whole.
To kick things off,
Debuting Mel Kiper's first 2021 NFL mock draft: Where will Fields, Wilson and Lance go?
"This is going to be one of the most interesting drafts since I started covering them more than 40 years ago. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought extraordinary changes to the pre-draft process. There's no NFL combine. Pro days will be limited to teams. The Senior Bowl this week is the only event where coaches, scouts and front-office execs will be able to meet with prospects -- through plexiglass".
I did not know this last bit. Lets hope we dont make the same mistake in round 1 as we did last year...
To kick things off,
Debuting Mel Kiper's first 2021 NFL mock draft: Where will Fields, Wilson and Lance go?
"This is going to be one of the most interesting drafts since I started covering them more than 40 years ago. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought extraordinary changes to the pre-draft process. There's no NFL combine. Pro days will be limited to teams. The Senior Bowl this week is the only event where coaches, scouts and front-office execs will be able to meet with prospects -- through plexiglass".
I did not know this last bit. Lets hope we dont make the same mistake in round 1 as we did last year...
I think we’re safe. I doubt we will draft Isaiah Wilson twice.
This has got to be the best edge draft in a while. Rousseau, Phillips, Weaver, Jones, Ojulari, Ossai,Oweh and Paye. They are all considered for the first round. There are also good edge guys outside the first.
Man do we love our Guards. Hope this isn't some potential first rounder.
From the Senior Bowl: Former Vol Lineman Trey Smith, a Titans Fan, Now on the NFL’s Doorstep
From the Senior Bowl: Former Vol Lineman Trey Smith, a Titans Fan, Now on the NFL’s Doorstep
I'm not as optimistic. Rousseau played 1 year of college football. Phillips has already retired from football once and only had 1 good year, playing Rousseau's role. Weaver and Jones were productive, but I haven't seen 1st round talk. Ojulari played well. I haven't watched Ossai, I trust he is good. Oweh had 0 sacks last year and feels more like a 2nd rounder or a drop to the 3rd. Paye will be long gone before we pick, it seems.
I wasn't meaning first round only. Seems to me to be a deep draft
I mean, I guess. There are going to be a LOT of players that didn't play last year or barely played and weren't scouted in traditional ways. Nobody was looking at underclassmen in 2019 and scouts couldn't do their thing in 2020, as far as watching practices and whatnot.
I'm staying pretty grounded regarding expectations in this draft.
I do agree that there appears to be more viable edge and IDL guys than last year.
Among the film I've seen of the edge rushers, Phillips and Paye are the most impressive to me. Phillips was flat out explosive this year, better than Rousseau looked in 2019, imo. Paye is just a physical monster, and reminds me of a lot of Za'Darius Smith.
I wasn't too terribly impressed with Rousseau's film for the hype he gets. Seems to be around the ball a lot, but I didn't see the explosiveness or the physicality I saw with Paye or Phillips.
I wasn't too terribly impressed with Rousseau's film for the hype he gets. Seems to be around the ball a lot, but I didn't see the explosiveness or the physicality I saw with Paye or Phillips.
Dayo Odeyingbo is also someone I'm really high on based on his film. Ultra athletic and very good production vs some of the better OLs in the SEC. I'd really like us to add one of these 3 guys.
Azeez Ojulari looks pretty good to me, Georgia Edge rusher.
Hes only 240 tho, which in the NFL is small for an OLB.
Hes only 240 tho, which in the NFL is small for an OLB.
He will be a pure pass rusher probably as quick as he is. I would feel better about him in the 2nd than the 1st, but, dang we need impact defense guys.
I know it's not a sexy position, but I wonder if we may move on from Ben Jones this season? This is a good draft for centers and Ben's cap number is a lot higher than I thought it would be ($7.25 million). He's getting long in the tooth and I wouldn't mind replacing him with a 3rd or 4th round center.
I mentioned something about this earlier as well. The C from Alabama that won the best C award. Might even be a 2nd rounder.
We need Defense too bad and 7ish is not bad for a starter. We can’t just scroll down the payroll and look to cut guys based on their current salary. We have to evaluate the impact on the field as well. As close as we are with an average line, I don’t want to weaken it and push us backwards. Our OL moves last year took us down a notch against the better DL. We need to dominate the line to move ahead. And for everyone whose fingers are hovering over the keyboard to talk about a 2000 yard rusher, look at the extraordinary number of yards after contact.
Fully agree but if the team were looking to free up cap $, this was just a suggestion.
I honestly think Ben Jones has improved a lot since that first year here and has really been the only OL position not specifically b***hed about over the last 2 years, so he is playing well.
That said, he's still not Kevin Mawae (I know he's a HoF, tough bar to set) so he is somewhat expendable and there are some excellent C coming out this year. The big question is how late in the draft they may fall because as you point out, D has to be the #1 priority and we can't spend afford an early pick fixing a newly created need just for a few bucks.
Early on, I was ready to crack Jones over the head, and splash whiskey all over him and leave him in his truck in front of the police station. Now, he has surely improved. He is someone we need to upgrade at some point, but right now the defensive needs are too great and a majority of current resources need to go there.
And if that 3rd or 4th rounder doesn’t work out? What do you do then? To replace a center you have to have a better plan than that. Maybe you gamble on a first round center—or 2nd? No way I would gamble on a third or fourth. We could draft one with a succession plan in mind, but you keep Ben or sign another vet to play the position in 2021.
Centers arent 1st rd picks
Dont blow this JR, go OLB with our 1st
Dont blow this JR, go OLB with our 1st
woah, woah, woah. Who is suggesting a first on a C? I think both of us talking about C even suggested to not spend even a 2nd rounder.
- Status
- Not open for further replies.
