Just what we need, another mock.... What follows is based on looking at game tape and not a particular player's "highlight clip" Generally, we're not going to plug all the holes with this draft even with all the picks and even if Idzik hits it out of the park. Other players will arrive via other avenues (waivers, etc.). That said, while we need to improve the offense playmaker-wise, we also need to address the fact that should our 'blah' OGs go down (and Colon has a history), we're screwed because as you recall last training camp, the "2's" on the offensive line (Aboudi & co.) were a mess and the only one who showed promise (Dalton Freeman) unfortunately went down with an injury. So even though Idzik grabbed 3 OL in last year's draft he didn't use any high picks to do so and I'm not going to do so here either, but it is imho in need of addressing. FIRST ROUND: I have no idea. The #18 pick is really anyone's guess - who knows what "Best Player Available" is going to unexpectedly drop and still there at #18? So with that in mind, here goes: 1st round (#18): Cooks/Lee/Beckham. It's all been said, both pro and con about this trio. 1. Cooks, the playmaking blazer albeit one who's too small. 2. Lee, the NFL-ready smooth route runner but who's a "body snatcher" (really?..check out the Stanford game). 3. Beckham, who's more "NFL-stout" than Cooks and a kick returner, yet LSU's go-to guy was Jarvis Landry who's #'s were better. *** The Pick: Cooks or Lee. 2nd round (#49): Jeremiah Attaochu, OLB, Ga. Tech I know this one might raise a "BPA" eyebrow or two. Attaochu's a go get 'em pass rusher with a great motor who's very productive. Solid character guy who's only 21 years young (can develop 'man strength' to match up vs. NFL-level blocking). 3rd round (#80): Joel Bitonio, OL, Nevada Played tackle, would move him to guard. Mauler with mobility who plays with a nice edge to him. 4th round (#104): CJ Fiedorowicz, TE, Iowa Great size (both height and heft) to shield ball from defenders on 3rd and short inc. redzone, soft hands, better blocker than Cumberland. (aware that Jets could've ended up reached for ASJ if he were still on the board at #49). 4th round (#115): Trai Turner, OG, LSU Could've stayed in school another year. That said, is Timmy Jerrigan-like in the "country strong" department and while a butterball in build has good mobility/quick feet (can pull) and like Bitonio, is a mauler who plays with an in-your-face edge to him. Pass protection needs work there as he can bend from waist and extend/reach. I'm intrigued with the idea of Turner and Bitonio eventually upgrading the OG's athletically. If you're not familiar with Turner and want to get a quick snap shot of him, download the LSU-Alabama game and just check out LSU's opening drive. While LSU turned the ball over as they were about to score, there was some impressive OL play on the way down the field. 4th round (#137): Anton Exum, CB, Va. Tech. Would look to coach up and eventually move this 220-lb. "CB fatty" coming off ACL surgery to Safety. Other options: Brock Vereen (smallish Steve Gregory-type, meh..), Dion Bailey (was a hybrid-type at SC, not sure how he'd fit). EDIT 5th round (#154): Max Bullough, ILB, Mich. St. The anti-Gholston. Gritty, run plugging LB in the Chris Speilman mold. 6th round (#195): A.C. Leonard, TE, Tennessee State Transfered from Florida after getting booted off the team following a domestic incident (apparently not an 'Oprah' kind of guy). Lacks ideal height for TE (6' 2") but with excellent speed/athleticism for his size. ST's warrior. 6th round (#209): Colt Lyerla, TE, Oregon If this guy could ever keep his head screwed on straight you might be, might be, looking at a poor man's version of Gronk. Hell of an athlete. 6th round (#210): Cody Mandell, P, Alabama Has handled the big stage consistently. Van der Kamp's the favorite here at TGG, so if available I guess you can put him in the mix as well. Much as Ryan Quigley's a nice young man, I said this last year when people were happy that Malone got the ax: Quigley doesn't have a big NFL leg. Some late round alternatives to the 'retard' group above (rounds 5-6): - Trevor Riley, OLB, Utah - Ross Cockrell, CB, Duke This is a flamming, trolling-friendly thread. Feel free to shoot holes in any picks - I'm happy to learn myself. Thanks.
3 TE, 2 OL and no safety? 2nd round OLB and 4th round CB which is a much greater area of need? I don't mind drafting a punter but I haven't seen Mandell rated anywhere outside of being an UDFA, if it isn't KVDK or Hornsey then I wouldn't bother.
I removed your off color Comment...there is zero tolerance, in any context, for the use of that word. Few Comments on your mock: Bitonio isn't lasting to mid rd 3, he's solid Rd 2 player and some think he's borderline late Rd 1 talent. We will be very lucky if Fiedorowicz last to the top of rd 4.
3 TEs is kinda of shocking. I don't even know about 2....we just gave Cumberland a nice contract extension and our coaching staff may still be high on Sudfeld at least as a 3rd TE. Fiedo would be a shock if he was around by Day 3. If we want him, its gotta come with our 3rd round pick. Trevor Reilly also might not even make it to Day 3, let alone round 5 or 6. The better "suspect character prospect" to take in round 6 would be FS Jonathan Dowling, formerly of Florida and was with Western Kentucky. Has Day 2 talent but his suspect character may drop him to round 5 or 6. With one of the Round 6 picks, I think Dowling would be a risk worth taking. I almost mocked him to the Jets with one of the 6th round picks in my mock draft. He got kicked off Florida for missing practices and because he had a dispute with his positional coach down there but he's supposedly cleaned up his act. 2 OG(If Bitonio who probably won't be around by then is a guard moving forward) is kind of overdoing it. I don't know if the Jets give up on William Campbell so fast.
Pardon my indecorousness. However missplaced, it was humorously intended. Thank you for your comments. That said, while those two may be off the board at rds 3 and 4, both were projected 4-5's months back. Among others, those two I focused on and liked well before the end of bowl season. I saw Fiedorowicz as an alternative to the Ebron rush if only to be able to kill two birds with one stone: grabbing a WR weapon upfront along with a multi-faceted (i.e. blocking & pass catching) TE later. As for Bitonio, he was (at the time) generally pegged as a #5 pick. fwiw.
Remember upfront that I said "we're not plugging all the holes with this draft" and that other players will avail themselves outside of the draft. As for the drafting a punter, that's partly a facetious reaction to the "Kirby!" groundswell in so many other posts and mocks in this draft section, some of which had him going in the 5th! Myself, I don't get the across-the-board Kirby love especially when I've seen his numbers go down year-to-year, and in 2013 alone, from game-to-game: worn out leg?....colder weather? He's rock solid downing the ball inside the 20, but overall I'm not sold on a guy who was 2nd team As for Hornsey, beware the "big average" kickers in terms of gross average. There's more than meets the eye when it comes to the punting game than sheer gross numbers. Remember when our own T.J. Conley whom someone inexplicately thought was a suitable replacement for Weathersford came to town with his NCAA-leading 47+ yards gross average? Turns out he kicked line drives indoors and didn't play many cold weather games on Idaho Vandals schedule. (btw, you'll see that same inflated number with this year's Univ. of Idaho's punter Austin Rehkow: history repeating its 'distorted' self). Thanks for your comments.
I love the first 2 picks, and really the first 4 rounds, with the exception that I'd replace Exum with Bailey or Vereen. I like Max Bullough a lot, but from there on, the bottom falls out imo. I agree with another poster that Hornsey should be the punter. I'd love to add Ross Cockrell, but bet he goes before the 6th round.
I'm not really a big fan of this draft, the idea that a CB won't be BPA for us in one of the first three rounds seems a little odd to me considering the CB depth. I don't understand why you would have the Jets drafting 3 TE's, I'm on board with CJ as he is the kind of blocking TE we are lacking but while Cumberland isn't fantastic, we just signed him to a 3 year deal and he has improved every year in the league. I'm for adding one later round receiving TE (maybe) like Lyerla but 2 is a wasted pick. 2 O-linemen is super unlikely, unless they are an obvious BPA choice. People are way to hard on Winters as a 3rd round rookie pushed into the starting lineup. We need one interior lineman (maybe) for competition's sake. I'd rather go multiple WR's or multiple DB's, and we could pick up 3 LB's and I'd be happy. Obviously we can't go multiple at all of those positions, but I'm saying I'd rather have a couple of those come in than 3 TE's or 2 interior linemen.
