First Pick Predictions

Discussion in 'Draft' started by CodeGreen, Jan 6, 2011.

  1. CodeGreen

    CodeGreen Active Member

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    I know its WAY to early to figure out how the draft is going but since everyone in their right mind had Luck going one overall and now that cant happen, so I figure I would just throw this out there. So Just wondering if anyone had any early predictions for the first overall pick?

    Of the "top 10" prospects I cycled it down to Nick Fairley, Da'quan Bowers, or AJ Green.

    I don't think it is going to be Fairley, even the new coach institutes a 3-4

    Then it got difficult: Bowers or Green

    my early prediction is A.J Green

    Originally I thought Bowers was the pick just because great pass rushers are so hard to come by. Also the Panthers defense wasnt horrific, it wasnt great but its more intact than the offense is. Perhaps they would choose to build up the defense

    However Green is probably more deserving of the 1st overall pick, even though it is rare for a WR to go one overall. However, assuming that Claussen is still their man, at least for another season, they probably want to help him as much as possible, that means getting AJ Green.

    Any other predictions?
     
  2. ToonWalker

    ToonWalker New Member

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    Those are the 3 most common names, according to articles I've read after the Luck announcement. Green seems like a can't-miss stud.

    I'm going to say....wait for it.....Cam Newton. Hey, you never know...maybe he blows up at the combine.
     
  3. Mr Electric

    Mr Electric Banned

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    ...because I still have some faith in Jimmy Clausen, I'll say AJ Green.

    It really depends on who they hire though.

    *Edit:

    If they end up hiring Perry Fewell, I wouldn't be surprised at all if Carolina took Patrick Peterson.
     
    #3 Mr Electric, Jan 7, 2011
    Last edited: Jan 7, 2011
  4. Green Hurricane

    Green Hurricane Footsteps Falco

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    The Panthers actually have talent at both WR and DE (and I suppose QB), which makes their situation kind of difficult. Without Luck, I have no doubt that they'll attempt to trade down, but the question is how far they'd want to go. Patrick Peterson would be a target no matter who the coach is, but if it's past 3 or 4, there's no guarantees he'd be available. They need to find a team that's desperate to get one of Bowers, Green, or Newton, and work as much as they can for only a small drop. They need LBs, DBs, and OL more than anything else, but fate has given them a draft with no top ten OL or LB.

    If they stick with the pick, I'd imagine they'd go AJ Green, but I do think that one of LaFell or Gettis will develop into a #1 receiver. Bowers would be great to add to any team, but they got great production out of Charles Johnson, and it's so far so good with Greg Hardy, who has elite talent if his head's right.
     
  5. Mambo9

    Mambo9 Well-Known Member

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    Really? I hated the LaFell pick and think at the very best he can have a Cotchery-like production... also I think Smith will be gone (and as good as a player he is/was he is an asshole so good for them) and they only have Gettis, W. Wright, Clowney and some other scrubs.

    A.J. Green seems like the most logical pick for me, and hopefully they'll want to give Clausen a serious weapon before deciding what to do with him after next season.

    It'll be interesting to see who the HC/OC will be...


    PS BTW Bowers doesn't convince me at all about being this elite prospect... top 10 ok but I'm not so sure he should belong in the no.1 pick conversation... AJ Green is as a sure a WR as they can find...
     
    #5 Mambo9, Jan 8, 2011
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2011
  6. mj2sexay

    mj2sexay Active Member

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    I'm not crazy about Lafell or Gettis, and Smith is getting older. I'm not sure if the organization thinks Claussen is the guy, but there isn't a clear cut number 1 overall qb out there and I don't think they'll go the second round route again so it's either sign a veteran to compete or hand the kid the job. He still has a lot of growing up to do, but he was on a team with major injuries on the o-line and no wideouts aside from smith to speak of.
     
  7. CodeGreen

    CodeGreen Active Member

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    The key thing with LaFell is just his hands, he had some maddening drops when he was at LSU. Their was a big difference between LaFell sophmore and senior year as far as drops in that their were much fewer. Still it needed to be worked on. Haven't seen much of him this year but I figure it is still a problem
     
  8. Green Hurricane

    Green Hurricane Footsteps Falco

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    That's great that you don't really like LaFell, but I'd go as far as saying what you said is dumb. He's really nothing like Cotchery at all, and getting a talent like him in the third round was nothing short of fantastic. I have no clue how you would hate that pick. Honestly, there's really no defense for that.

    LaFell is a tall, strong wideout that can make plays anywhere on the field despite not having lights out speed. He caught 38 passes, amongst the best for rookie wideouts and showed the ability to be a good player. Comparisons to Anquan Boldin make a lot more sense.

    And I don't know why you just passed over Gettis, but he has a chance to be a really good player as well. Unlike LaFell, Gettis has blazing speed to match a 6'3 220 lb frame, and could be a monster with some decent coaching. Had he not picked Baylor out of HS (did it at the All American game, wanted to do track along with football), he would have probably been a lot more developed by the time he got to the NFL. He's got major issues with consistency, but if he figures it out he could be a monster.

    As far as AJ Green saving Jimmy Clausen, he's great and all, but he's still a rookie. He'll have to be Randy Moss if he's actually going to make Jimmy into a legit QB all by himself. They should add some talent to the OL if they want to make him look better.

    And lastly about Bowers... that's foolish. He's big, strong, fast, and overall dominant.
     
  9. Mr Electric

    Mr Electric Banned

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    Posts like this one are why you're getting my vote for most annoying poster.
     
  10. AirStrike

    AirStrike Member

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    I really like Mallett, but I think the QB pick was Luck or bust for Carolina. Now that he's gone I honestly think they'll go by need opposed to BPA. If they were bad at corner I'm almost certain Peterson from LSU would have been the pick, since he's probably the BPA. But they are solid at that spot. Steve Smith for the last few years has been lobbying for a #2 to take the pressure off him a little bit, and at his age time is running out as being a one. So I'm going with AJ Green.

    BUT, keep your eye on Nick Fairley, they are real thin at defensive tackle and he's been a monster for Auburn.
     
  11. Doogstein

    Doogstein Member

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    I'm going to wait and see who comes on as HC of them first before I make my pick but I'm thinking as of right now it's Bowers or Green. No one else really makes sense for them in the top spot. I'm more inclined to think they my trade out of it then choose between either player.
     
  12. Sir

    Sir New Member

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    Exactly what i'm thinking.

    Gun to my head right now i'd go Bowers though, I do see them attempting to trade down a little though (unsuccessfully).
     
  13. Mambo9

    Mambo9 Well-Known Member

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    Because I don't like LaFell, I like AJ Green and want to see Clausen have a decent weapon, and because I'm wary of players with one year production (Bowers)?

    Or is it because I express them in a polite manner?
     
  14. Mambo9

    Mambo9 Well-Known Member

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    1) My bad about not explaining myself well... I meant specifically in terms of production, not skillset. I agree their skillset is different, but imo they can both be #2s at most in this league and nothing more. And Cotch proved it... LaFell still has to.
    Sanders and Shipley (the two WRs chosen after him) are better prospects imo... and even Williams taken 1 spot before him. Or Mike Williams in rd 4.
    But I admit I'm really biased against LaFell... there's just something about his game I can't like.

    BTW He's had those cacthes because playing in a shitty WR corp he's had the chance to see the field consistently. But those numbers aren't anything to write home about.

    PS When I wrote the comment I thought he was picked in the bottom of rd 2... in the middle of rd 3 it's an ok pick...


    2) If if if... every player drafted has upside... otherwise he wouldn't get drafted. How many players got drafted because of potential and haven't lived up to it? I get it, Gettis has raw talent but right now it would be foolish to project him as anything more than a deep threat and #3 WR.
    If he develops into a monster very good for the Panthers but that's a BIG if.

    I'm not saying he can't become something special... look at Marques Colston... but I'm not willing to bank on it and build a WR corp giving for granted he'll bring to the table god knows what kind of production.


    3) Not all by himself. I think Clausen has talent and needs someone to help him express it. Given that an OL upgrade always helps a young QB I think Clausen would benefit greatly from a WR that get's consistent separation from DBs... something his WRs aren't doing right now (on a consistent basis)...


    4) Ok I get it, he's very talented and very young but he's had 1 sack in yr 1 and 3 in yr 2... I'm always afraid of one year wonders... especially at some positions like DE.
    I'm not saying he sucks, just that I don't think he's worthy of the #1 pick atm...
     
    #14 Mambo9, Jan 9, 2011
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2011
  15. Green Hurricane

    Green Hurricane Footsteps Falco

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    To be as honest as possible here, your posts are nonsense. There's a lot of "imo" in the above post, well it's a whole season after the draft. No shit you think that Mike Williams is a better prospect, seriously. Thank you Mike Mayock. LaFell and Gettis' numbers were pretty impressive for two guys who most considered to need a good deal of work before they could contribute on a team, and they did it with very mediocre play from the QB position.

    What the hell about his game is there that you "just can't like"?? It's bullshit. You just made a random point and just keep piling on baseless statements.

    You knock Gettis because he's not proven after one year? Are you saying that teams should just keep drafting players at positions they have young players at already simply because they aren't stars yet? No, that's moronic. And how the hell is it foolish to project him as anything above a #3/deep threat? He's already gone far and away above what most expected of him so far in his career. He's already produced, as has LaFell, and they are on their way to very good careers. I don't know what the hell you're expecting, but rookie receivers don't generally put up big stats.


    The OL shouldn't be upgraded because it "always helps a young QB", they should do it because they need to upgrade the OL. They are a run first team and their backs got pounded all season long. Clausen isn't going to open up the run game no matter who is playing WR if he doesn't have time to throw, and it doesn't matter anyway if the backs aren't getting holes. Their issues are a lot deeper than receivers getting separation, if that was the only problem then they could draft some speedy mid rounder and they'd be set (which is the path they should choose anyway).

    Bowers need not be defended. I'm not going to knock a kid because it took him until age 20 to figure out how to use his tremendous ability. He was unblockable this year, and I'm certainly not going to drop him down because he only had one monster year, just as I wouldn't drop Nick Fairley, Cam Newton, Justin Blackmon, Mikel Leshoure, Robert Quinn, etc. They showed all they need to show, it's a lot better than guys taken despite never showing anything.
     
  16. Mambo9

    Mambo9 Well-Known Member

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    1) Considering how many plays LaFell and Gettis got their numbers were good but not anything special. Rookies usually don't post those numbers ALSO because usually they don't see the field as much.
    Ok, take Mike Williams out of the equation... still like Sanders and Shipley more... and D. Williams.

    2) Inconsistent and doesn't get good consistent separation from the DB... BTW before the whole draft process there were talks about him in rd 1...and he dropped all the way to rd 3... so I'm not the only one that sees weaknesses in his game.

    3) misunderstanding use of "project"... I mean you cannot build your WR corp giving for granted that Gettis will evolve into anything more than a #3/deep threat. He can become more than that but it's an eventuality, not a given.
    And I'm not going to let the opportunity of drafting AJ Green go by because Gettis MAYBE can become my #1 WR.

    4) Say what!? Ok let's put it this way. A good OL always helps a QB (young or not but especially young). The Panthers have issues at OL. Improving the OL will improve Clausen and the Offense game...

    5) Saying he shouldn't go #1 is "knocking him" ? C'mon... I'm not saying he should go in the second rd...
     
    #16 Mambo9, Jan 9, 2011
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2011
  17. Green Hurricane

    Green Hurricane Footsteps Falco

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    LaFell obviously gets enough separation if Clausen was able to find him for as many passes as he caught. I've never personally seen gaining separation as a problem for LaFell, and it sure as hell isn't an issue for Gettis. As LaFell learns how to run better routes he'll be a really good receiver, and he's also making big strides with his hands. His only problems are very easily coachable.

    What I was saying was nonsense was saying that you think these other WRs are better, or would have been better picks. Sanders and Shipley are not better prospects, they are both small and limited to being speedy slot guys. What they've shown this year is pretty much that, and they've done well in those roles. LaFell is big, strong, uses his body tremendously well, and can be an Anquan Boldin type #1.

    I don't know what you're not getting about the Panthers having young talent at the receiver position. AJ Green might be the best player in the draft, but those guys behind him are just about as deserving as he is of going #1. Gettis and LaFell aren't Pro Bowlers at the moment, but both are good enough with enough potential for me to think the Panthers might want to use that pick elsewhere. Believe it or not, people actually factor in these things when they make draft selections. This team isn't winning for some time as it is, they need to build a whole roster of talent, not focus it all on one position.

    About Gettis, nothing in this world is a given, they have to trust what they've seen and what they believe will happen in the future. As far as I can tell, they really like him.

    As for Bowers, if you're saying this kid isn't anything less than a superb prospect, then it's a knock. He, Newton, and Fairly are the only players that truly played to their draft position for the majority of the year.
     
  18. thebrickwall423

    thebrickwall423 New Member

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    It obviously depends on who the coach is... but I think they will go defense. Peterson, Bowers, or Fairley would not be a bad pick for them. What really hurts them is not having a 2nd round pick. In a perfect world they would be able to go...

    Rd 1-Defense
    Rd 2- O-line
    Rd 3- WR

    But that is obviously not an option anymore. I wouldn't count out Green with Smith a candidate to be cut, but when you're in a division with Ryan, Freeman, and Brees you better be able to get a pass rush (Bowers, Fairley) and cover WRs (Peterson).
     
  19. Attackett

    Attackett Well-Known Member

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    As of right now there is no QB prospect worthy of the first pick. With that being the case I'm going best player in the draft which is clearly going to be AJ Green.

    I like both Gettis and LaFell potential but I'm certainly not passing up a super stud prospect like Green because they are already on the roster. The only player I would have taken over Green was Luck, without him it is a no brainer decision as far as I'm concerned.
     
  20. Ozymandias

    Ozymandias Well-Known Member

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    is Fairley even coming out?
     

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