Myles Garrett isn’t in this draft. Myles Garrett would go in front of just about anyone, Bosas (yep), Chase Young (yep), you’d have to have a Julius Peppers to give him competition.
Hutch is the best DE in this drat. And it’s not close.
I think it really depends on what you value and how you project them. Hutch is number 1 on my list but. Dont think its a certainty that he is for everyone, as proven out by the media and apparently some teams when probed by the media about it. If he was the obvious best edge rusher than walker and thibz wouldnt be getting any potential discussion of being drafted over him by anyone, let alone multiple people.
It’s my opinion obviously and when I say best DE that includes more than just player ceiling, it includes player floor, player character, player production, all of that goes into best, which is why I say it’s not close.
I also don’t believe mock drafts. I know that NFL teams can leak their true feelings occasionally, but they can also bullshit, and while I’ve seen some really accurate mock drafts, they usually don’t come out until a day or two before the draft, this far out they’re usually bullshit.
So if I were looking for the top 10 players in this draft to look back 4-5 years and say “above average” … it would be that hard…
T Walker- drafted to a team wanting dominant run game performance, versatility and 7-10 sacks. I feel a Cam Heyward or Cam Jordan type. Think of him as 5 tech not a 4-3 edge and he fits that R Seymour, S Tuitt or Cam Heyward role.
Eckwonu- feels like a better value than Q Nelson as I project an All Pro OG, or a Pro Bowl OT with 2 years
Sauce- my favorite CB by far, I think he’s a better prospect than Surtain.
Thibz- the more I’ve backed off on Hutch after his measurements and strength were all worst possible outcomes, the more I’ve watched Thibz tape. He may have motivation issues, but he’s got speed and power in spades. Could be a D Ware type.
Hutch- Jared Allen or Ryan Kerrigan? That would be great, but he’s a bit shorter armed and lighter in the britches than Kerrigan, and thus Jared Allen is the only comp. Tall, thin and short arms scares teams. Non stop motor is hard not to love. He’s more a TJ Watt type prospect than M Garret though. Clearly Watt worked out just fine too, but wasn’t a #1 overall pick consideration based on his body etc. Hutch may prove worthy of a top 2-3 pick, but sure isn’t a lock imo.
E Neal- freakish specimen with athletic profile to dominate. He made all the lists possible prior to 21’ as a RT, then moved to LT and was good but not great. Could be a franchise RT day one.
J Johnson- I like everything about him. Reminds me of Josh Allen the DE of Jax. Can drop, blitz, set the edge, and runs like a big WR.
M Willis- what can I say. The kids leadership, smile, charisma has grown on me. His arm, and leg talent are obvious, and his roll out accuracy and short range touch surprised me a bit. The deep ball is dreamy. He’s gonna miss on deep outs, overthrow crossing routes, and likely not have the feel for back shoulder any time soon. He’s at least as polished as L Ajax was. Maybe more.
D Lloyd- he’s been underrated all off-season. I think he’s a tick below Keuchly as a field general. He’s not as quick, but more instinctive than Roquan, and he’s bigger. 110 tackles, 22 TFL and 8 sacks last year… picks 6’s too!
D London- he’s supposed to run at USC… let’s say he runs 4.49 by chance… then what? His production would be absurd had USC not played just 6 games last year, and he hadn’t gotten hurt this year…he does have 1585 yards and 10 tds in his last 14 games- aka- one full season. His highlights look like M Evans with more wiggle.
I’m sure some team will try and cram a J Davis, M Corral, K Hamilton, C Cross, or Stingley top 10…. All could be decent players… like Corral in Pitt with a RB and some WRs…. I just don’t see the dominate traits or consistent production to be top 10