This upcoming draft has to be the best DE draft in years, no?
Dane just said on his pod that he has under 31 inch arms? Can that be right? I’m not the biggest arm-length guy for the DL - there are too many stars with short arms - but there’s short and then there’s short.
Yeah. Saw that on Twitter. That is rather problematic.
It is IMO the best big end draft in years. The style of Edge that we think that we like. I don’t think the DPR/twitchy/bendy cohort is particularly elite but it’s fine. I don’t think it’s necessarily lacking..
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So this was so thorough, I don’t have a lot to add. I’m sure some other guys will rise and fall through the process, but for now this is as exhaustive a list as we well find.
So I’ll just break down the list the way I see it.
Guys I’m higher on than current consensus:
- Braylan Shelby, USC
- Anthony Smith, Minnesota
- Clev Lubin, Louisville
- Anthony Lucas, USC
- Vincent Anthony, Duke
- Gabe Jacas, Illinois
Guys I’m lower on than consensus:
- LT Overton, Alabama
- Akheem Mesidor, Miami
- Derek Moore, Michigan
Guys I need to watch a lot more of:
- John Henry Daley, Utah
- Zion Young, Mizzou
- Max Llewellyn, Iowa
- Boubacar Traore, Notre Dame
- Quincy Rhodes, Arkansas
Now you gotta do one for Glasgow.
Who’s the guy we target in a Saints-Davenport or Lions-Jamo type deal if he falls?
I’d say Faulk, but I can’t see him out of the top 10
Faulk or Matayo probably. I think Parker could fall into the 20s due to poor production and average measurables/testing, so it wouldn’t require that sort of trade. Bain’s going top 5.
But I also think there will be A LOT of guys in the mold we like who go around our pick. DDS, Overton, Lucas, Smith, Jacas, etc… Maybe we get lucky and get the best of the bunch. After all, Cam Jordan (24th overall pick), Jared Verse (19th), TJ Watt (30th), Armstead (17th), Sweat (26th), Karlaftis (30th), Chop Robinson (21st) were all drafted in the back half of the 1st round. If Hutch had come out in 2021 he would have been a back part of the 1st round pick. There’s gold to be mined in that area, especially in drafts as deep as this one.
Hoping we can get him late teens or early 20s like Arnold
He’d be worth a 1 & 2
That’s surprising. I definitely wouldn’t have guessed that.
By the way, I’m starting to develop an obsession with Arvell Reese. He’s probably going top 15 though so I need to get over that one.
Yeah, he’s a stud.
This is going to sound really weird but he’s being allowed to use his athleticism a lot more this year. I guess it’s because he’s being asked to do more in general this year.
He’s popping off the tape a lot more than he ever did in rotational work.
Yeah, we’ll see. Matayo looks like a teens guy to me right now, but it’s VERY early. And he’s not without flaws. His anchor in run defense is inconsistent, which we might not look on very fondly. And he’s kind of a one-trick pony as far as pass rush moves, which, given how many games he’s played, you’d think he would have expanded upon.
But he’s also got some of the best spatial awareness of all the edges in this class - which again you’d expect from someone who’s played so many games. He’s strong, long, and his motor runs hot. It’s really, really hard to envision the guy failing. He may not be a star - though it’s certainly possible he is - but I really doubt he’ll bust.
Doesn’t sound weird at all. He’s been @CuriousHusker’s draft crush for a while now, and I deep dived him this week. I get it. He’s playing like the best player in the country.
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Same. Smith seems very, very us.
Agree on Overton. Disagree on Mesidor but that’s bc I think at age 25 he’s clearly a day 3 guy. Seems like a useful rotational Edge. Moore? Not sure. He looked great two weeks ago but who didn’t.
And Wilson while you’re at it.
Plan to do Center and WILL at some point. Perhaps OT as well even though it doesn’t fit the “Replacements” branding.
Where do you fall on Lucas?
One clarification about the DPR class. I do think it’s very speedy. I just think it leads one trick pony. Barham may be an exception bc I think he can do all the off ball stuff and then moonlight as an EDGE on obvious passing downs.
Anthony I assume? I’m higher on him than consensus for sure, but where he fits in that 1st round is TBD. Will probably sway 10 picks or so based on measurables and testing, but right now I’d say he’s in that 20-30 range
He’s now my favorite player in this draft. Just an absolute marvel IMO.
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Have you watched Minnesota at all. I think Anthony Smith really fits the Davenport archetype and he’s supposed to be a total glass eater on the field but off of it has a youth charity and wants to be a Principal after he retires.
I haven’t, and I’m probably going to miss a good portion of our game against them tomorrow because of the Tigers game being on at the same time.
Plus it’ll be right after the other we are finished playing Vandy here, so who knows if I’ll even get in front of a TV in the first place.
I might be able to catch a replay though.
Dane was talking him up on his latest pod, too.