I just think this class kind of sucks overall and most of them are getting artificially inflated because of it. When you compare this year’s grades to last year’s, it’s not even close. 3rd rounders from the past couple of seasons would be 1st rounders this year.
The one exception is JSN. I don’t want to guarantee he’ll be a superstar but at the absolute worst his floor is someone like Ridley or Aiyuk, that level of player. His ceiling is as high as it gets.
This draft is about the extending windows that just opened longer than they could be as of this moment. Be 2 steps ahead at least. WR could be in play before the 3rd day for multiple reasons: 1) this class is really weak and the value in the 3rd day may not be better then what is on the team as is. Cephus won’t play in Detroit in 2023. Kennedy won’t play in Detroit in 2023. Benson is just a body. You want a guy in and producing before you NEED a guy in and producing.
Something you don’t see happening is happening in the first. Is it a qb, a wr, a OL possibly a RB, although very unlikely……
At 18? Maybe. At 6? Absolutely not.
That’s what it will take to get him IMO. I agree he’d be better at 18 than 6 (wouldn’t everyone lol?), but I’d be OK with him at 6 as well.
I’m not worried about receiver. That position is deep every year in the draft now that it’s a big money position. We have Reynolds, jamo and st brown to start. I’d rather spend our multiple first round picks getting players at positions that are more difficult to find. Impact corners and defense tackles to be specific.
Just resign Chark .
I’m afraid that will be easier said than done.
Most here couldn’t even take him with our 18th pick, let alone with the #6 pick.
Things have changed since the combine. If he can play outside he becomes a different sort of prospect altogether.
Things have changed since the combine. I’m on team draft Washington. We got little guys, we need big guys.
I like Washington a lot too but the difference between he and JSN is production. It’s very difficult to pull the trigger on a TE with almost no production at #6. I know he has good reasons for his lack of production, but it’s still a knock against him.
Plus if we take another top ten TE I think there will be a revolt.
No way I take him at 6. I keep passing on him in the PFF mock drafts at 18 thinking he’ll make it to round 2 but he doesn’t. They’re obviously not using their own grades in that thing. It’s hard passing up Deonte Banks at 18 though. But yeah, it might have to be 18 for Washington, if you really want him. I’d be good with it. The upside is there and the floor is high.
huh?
I’m not really sure what the idea is here… but on its surface… it looks like you prefer drafting a TE that didn’t really light up the stats…partly because his TE teammate is better than him…over a WR that had better stats on the same OSU team that featured the 2022 NFL offensive rookie of the year.
Maybe I missed something there?
I’m not sure about 6. I know were all searching for a top player with that 6th pick, even if its unconventional perhaps. I just don’t know if JSN is it. What I do think is that he is a safe pick. He won’t bust. But I also don’t see him as a star anywhere near Jefferson, who obviously is the best WR, or arguably the best WR, in the NFL.
Although they measure closer than I would guess, I think JSN long speed is going to be 4.6s. Just a guess based on what I saw out there. That is not a deal breaker. ARSB ran a 4.6 something if I recall.
I don’t think he is on the level of Garrett Wilson or Chris Olave, so even though this is a different draft its tough for me to stomach drafting him at 6. While it could be very interesting letting him work as an X (I think he’ll get open with frequency because he is such a natural and understands the position - plus great hands), I question how well he’ll get open deep. I really think his long speed is a question. So we’ll see on that.
Definitely. But if you read that blurb from Feldman/Hartline above, it might not matter. As long as he’s fast enough. I’m not sure what that number is but it would be interesting to know what his gps numbers were.
This is a really great thread and original post. I don’t think this is crazy at all. If the lions believe he can step in at WR and contribute, our WR group is:
Jax
Jamo
St brown
Reynolds
Raymond
I’m assuming would be our top 5. This eliminates the need for a high priced FA, and also adds cushion for the future when it comes times to resign St brown and Jamo. It also solidifies a position group with tons of young talent.
The downside I would see to this is it’s a position group with a ton of young talent so they would sequentially all be up for new contracts and you aren’t keeping everyone, but that’s at the least two years in the future, there will be more WRs. That’s also putting a lot of faith into two rookie WRs (counting Jamo as a rookie).
If they think he can play outside, if st brown plays more outside, and they still have reynolds who I still really like as the other outside guy, that group could cause a lot of matchup issues for defenses.
I would be fully on board with an offensive player in the 1st rd provided it is a QB, WR, or OL, no particular order. QB would have to be one of the top guys though like Stroud, AR or Young which probably won’t happen.
I never really thought about JSN as an outside receiver. I never questioned his ability to play the slot and be a 100 catch receiver. Because of Saint I just never saw him as a fit for us. I’m sure if he was here Ben and Dan would find a way to use them both effectively. I don’t think it’s a good year to be shopping for a WR via the draft or free agency. I was looking for that diamond in the ruff. Marvin Mims and Trey Palmer are 2 that I had my eye on. After the way they ran at the combine they might not be such a bargain anymore. JSN is an outside of the box thought I haven’t considered.
As for Jefferson at LSU I don’t think it was a matter of where he lined up but just the arrival of Joe Burrow to get him the ball.
Right but their 1st year together Jefferson played outside and didn’t do much. They moved him inside for that 2019 championship season and he went ballistic. I made the mistake of thinking he’d be wasted outside. Whoops lol.
They’re essentially the same size and while JSN doesn’t have Jefferson’s long speed, he’s more athletic laterally and in short-areas. And they’re roughly equal explosively.
I’m not saying 100% JSN will be able to make the switch like Jefferson did but he might not have to. With the creativity of our staff and ARSB wanting to flex his outside muscles a bit I think we can mix and match and make it work. Make it thrive. Because like @CuriousHusker I’d be really surprised if he wasn’t a top ten receiver in the league. He’s just such a natural.
I hope we have that option.
I view JSN as if he’s a Cooper Kupp kind-of receiver but from my previous post, it seems like most don’t.
