Sad thing is...BPA is in the eye of the beholder. Personally, MY BPA is Downs. Followed by Bain. That is only because I simply know they are going to be stellar pro's no matter where they go. Any team drafting either of those two kids, will be able to plug them in, injury not withstanding, and reap the rewards for the next decade. Everyone else has could be's and maybe's or should be's attached to their names. I'm sure there are few more almost guaranteed's but their names escape me now.
Yeah but if it’s BPA it’s probably Downs. He’s one of the highest rated safeties ever in the class of Sean Taylor (RIP) and a couple others. Do you think that’s a good pick for us?
I think I'd be a lot more comfortable taking Downs at 2 than Reese. It's not a glaring need, and I see what people are excited about with Reese, but at the 2 pick you have a really good chance of getting the best player in the draft. I don't know if you can know how durable Reese is with that small sample of production and it's a real stretch to say he's the best player in the whole thing. Taking him at 2 is basically drafting for need. Plus, I mean come on, Downs and Fitzpatrick in the same defensive backfield would go a long way toward erasing big plays and outside runs.
It’s not just selecting the best player but the best player that fits our system and style of play. Also, IMO, he has to be versatile enough to be on the field on most of the snaps be it run or pass.
There's a part of me that wonders if Styles could be converted to a pass rusher. The guy is clearly off the charts athletically and I've heard great things about his character as well. Styles did have 6 sacks last year too. If Reese is a projection then Styles as a pass rusher is a projection on top of a projection though. Just thinking out loud...
I think it negates the best part of Styles game though. He’s very long for an ILB. 6’5 with long arms, and natural instincts, I want him covering the short passing game!!
This article is a fascinating perspective as it pertains to Simpson. It's an article about Allar from last year and how he should come out to avoid the strong 26 class, his biggest knock was amount of starts (he had twice as many as Simpson). Shows how risky he is but also how you can't count on next year either. https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft...hould-change-mind-declare-for-2025-nfl-draft/
Fair but I’d much rather have Simpson than Allar even pre-injury and this season. Simpson does move around the pocket pretty well and he feels pressure. Allar hits his back foot and stands there. He’s the truest representation of a statue as I’ve ever seen.
I don't want Allar either, was just pointing out how we overvalued guys that didn't have a lot of tape like Simpson. Lots to unpack there in the article, just nice to look at hindsight
