Evan Neal to The Jags…

This would obviously be best case scenario for the Lions.

To me, that’s an obvious choice for Jacksonville. Give Lawrence protection for the next 10 years. If it were the Lions with Lawrence, I’d be SCREAMING for an offensive tackle.

This is not the draft where there’s a clear cut top 5, so why not invest in your most important position/player?

And that leaves Hutch to the Lions—not sold on Hutch, not at all, but I also don’t know what else you do if he’s available. I’m on the Hamilton bandwagon, but I have Hutch with [slightly] more value at that spot.

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There’s a few reasons why I find this unlikely (not impossible, unlikely).

  1. Jags fans are unanimously against this because apparently Walker Little is their LT of the future. I don’t know if that’s true but there was a time when Walker Little was supposed to go #1 overall before the injuries started piling up, so it’s certainly possible.

  2. Neal has too many flaws as a prospect. Yes, he’s going to wow through the pre-draft process but he’s got some real balance issues. Speed rushers might give him fits. Now I’m not projecting him to fail or anything like that, guys his size rarely do. But I think he’ll be another Trent Brown type, and is that really the guy you want to take #1 overall?

  3. Chaisson is a bust. He’s done virtually nothing since he became a pro, avoiding an elite Edge talent at the top because they play the same position is bad process. Now apparently they’re keeping Baalke and he’s the king of bad process, so we can hope.

  4. Personally, and this is just based on my evaluations, I’d take Charles Cross over Neal for the Jags. The guy’s a star against the pass and had like a thousand pass-blocking reps this year. That’s the kind of guy you want protecting Lawrence.

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I do think an LT makes a ton of sense for the Jags.

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Everything you said is certainly plausible, but if the Jags are going to do anything in the next 2-3 years, their success in contingent upon Lawrence panning out. His protection was below average this year, and they need to find a cornerstone on that O-Line. They drafted Josh Allen and Chaisson in two of the past three seasons and I understand Chaisson has not developed, but adding a third edge rusher is a lot of draft capital to commit to a single position. IMO i think they bolster their O-Line as there will be a guy who proves worthy of the 1st pick.

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The question is, is that what you believe will happen or is it what you want to happen so we can get Hutchinson? I’m in with the latter for sure lol, but there’s so much up in the air in Jax about their next coach and system, it’s hard to believe anything with any certainty. Even my projection that they’ll pass on OL is mostly because of my evaluations, I just don’t believe there’s an OT worth the pick.

The Cincy fans who wanted to draft Sewell over Chase made the same argument about protecting Burrow, but I think it’s safe to say picking Chase worked out for them. And this despite them already having 2 good receivers. And Sewell is twenty times the prospect Neal is.

To me our best chance of having Hutchinson fall is for the Jags to hire a defensive coach who runs a traditional 3-4. Hutchinson isn’t much of a fit as a traditional 3-4 OLB and he’d have to gain weight to play 3/5T. I think in that scenario they’d probably go with Thibs. (Yes I know we run a base 3-4 as well, but it’s hardly traditional).

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I actually believe they do go Neal but I am also in the Hamilton bucket more than anything (even as a Michigan fan). I actually hope for a trade down and think the idea of Hamilton, dean/Lloyd, and Burks/London appeals to me more than hutchinson and London but I have also always been more of that high level safety makes up for a lot of problems on a defense kinda guy. Would love the Ed Reed or Earl Thomas kinda player to be added to this defense with some real speed at ILB

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Would you take Neal if he falls to #2 if you could trade decker for a first?

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If I could get a first, this year, for Decker, I would do that deal. Move Sewell to left tackle, draft defense with other 2 first rounders, or if your reciever you must have is there, get him.

It’s the right pick. Need to protect the TL.

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You really think a team gives up a first for Decker coming off of the year that he just had?

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Trade down would be wonders for the future. I think we have a better chance trading down with the Rams pick.

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Probably a 3rd at best.

Depends on the team and how desperate they are. There’s been a lot of questionable moves my a lot of gms over the years. If whitworth retires this off-season my first call is to the rams.

After last year I could see it. Or perhaps after next if we get peak Decker again. But personally I think we should keep the whole OL together. I actually think that though Vaitai is overpaid he’s actually a pretty solid guard when healthy and he’s probably our best people mover.

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I hope so, but I tend to agree with it would be a reach pick. It probably doesn’t help that Georgia completely dominated Alabama’s o-line the whole game.

I wish but Rams have no draft capital to spend and they have 3 decent tackles for depth. They’ll need them because their two starters may not return.

I agree completely, but I’m bored as hell at work right now and need something to debate or read. Lol

This is why people make fun of bean flickers.

Why on Earth would you trade a first round pick that did work out and is a cornerstone for your team? What sort of magic do you think is in those beans?

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Because it’s slow at work and I’m bored out of my mind. Lol

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