Havent been around in so long, but eventually Ill be getting back into my regular posting. Anyways, I see the draft forum is finally getting a bit traffic after its yearly post draft inactivity, so why not throw a draft out there as usual. The Jets are such a funny team this year, you'd anticipate them being pretty horrible but they've actually shocked the hell out of me. Now are they a playoff team? Hell no, but they certainly have a chance to be in that 6 to 9 win range. Personally, I think they end up 6-10 (which Id hate since Id like for them to have a higher pick). Whatever the case maybe, in this mock Ill be acting as though the Jets are picking 9th again (and so on). 1st Round, Pick 9- Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA Somewhat of a cop out pick but Im okay with that. I wanted Watkins or Lee so bad but i just dont think they reach 9 (almost in that AJ/Julio fashion of being in the top 6). Anthony Barr has always been a big favorite of mine since he became a LB, that combination of just pure athleticism and strength goes unmatched. He's not a finished product just yet but he's got all the tools to become a beastly edge rusher. 2nd Round, Pick 39- Jordan Matthews, WR, Vandy More than likely Holmes will be cut and while I do think we'll bring in a vet (possibly Maclin or Britt) we'll still need a wideout. Jordan Matthews has made big strides since last season in his first few games (ridiculous game against Ole Miss) and looks to be maturing game by game. Matthews does a little bit of everything you'd want in an NFL WR, whether thats providing you with a consistent target, provide efficiency in the red zone, makes plays over the middle, and has enough speed (although id like to see it improve) to create big plays down the field. Right now Matthews is a early second round pick, but he could definitely be chosen in the first by April. 3rd Round, Pick 72- Craig Loston, Safety, LSU Loston plays like a straight up bully, he hits HARD and scares the living hell out of wideouts who want to go over the middle. I think our safety crew will need to be overhauled over the offseason, having a human missile and hopefully a nice coverage guy in free agency would make the defense complete. 3rd Round, Pick 74- Jace Amaro, TE, Texas Tech He caught my eye big time during the Texas Tech- TCU Game. Big body TE with NFL hands and shows flashes of being a good blocker. Hes definitely more of a finesse guy but I dont see why he cant eventually become a solid inline blocker once he gets into the NFL (if he declares this season). Think of him as more of a Dennis Pitta type player, definitely a weapon I'd love to have for Geno or whoever our future QB is. 4th Round, Pick 106- Dri Archer, RB/WR/KR, Kent State Another cop out pick (and apparently every mock has him) but he's one of my "must have" players out of this draft. Put this kid in a uptempo offense, and oh boy, defenses will have a PROBLEM on their hands. Now unfortunately hes been off injured most of this season so his hype is dying down but I see his real test during the Combine/Workout days where he "should" impress the hell out of scouts. Hopefully Winters puts in a good word. 5th Round, Pick 141- Ross Cockrell, CB, Duke Cockrell is a tough one to grade. At the moment, hes anywhere from a 4th to 6th round guy but come April he could definitely be a day 2 player. Hes an excellent man to man corner and has that veteran savy way of being able to recognize plays without a hitch. Its never bad to have solid CB depth. 6th Round, pick 178- Jack Tyler, LB, Virginia Tech All ACC LB who definitely has the ability to be a solid player (more than likely as a backup) in the NFL. Hes been great at times and inconsistent at times during this season but just because I have a low grade on him at the moment doesnt mean he cant eventually be a 4th round guy. 7th Round, pick 215- Alex Neutz, WR, Buffalo The kid did really well against Baylor and Ohio State (a combined 15 receptions for 295 yards and 2 TDs) so he's definitely worth a mention. Could be a sneaky later round WR if he keeps up this huge pace. Look out for him later today against UConn. Hope you guys enjoyed :up:
Appreciate it. Unfortunately the way I mocked out the first round in my head the three or four players id want the most would be gone by the time we picked, therefore we end up with Barr. Now a QB could be that 9th pick as well but I also think the top guys will be gone by then . The top of the draft should be very offense heavy with an assortment of OTs, WRs, and QBs going in the top 8 (Obviously Clowney is in there as well).
I'd be happy with this. If we do sign someone like Maclin (that is a legit #1), I'd probably draft Lyerla in the second and then another safety like Boston in the 3rd. That would give us the coverage and hard-hitting safeties you're looking for while completing our defense. I think a WR group of Maclin/FA, Hill, Kerley, Archer is more than okay, especially with Lyerla as a TE threat.
I love Lyerla, problem is I think he's a definitely a first rounder. I don't see how he gets past a team like the Seahawks in the back end of the draft. In a trade back situation he's definitely realistic, but at 9 or at 39 I just don't see it.
Woooooah, look who decided to show up ... Aside from Clowney, Barr is the only defensive player that I would be happy with in the first at this point. I think he is a top 5 pick, but he could slip to 9 being that this is a good draft class. He can definitely be that Aldon Smith type player for us. I said last year that if he came out he would be the best pass rusher in the class by far. He has that natural bend that you look for in a pass rusher. Once he learns to consistently play the run well, he will be a perennial probowler. I personally think there's a better chance that Lee and Watkins are available at our picks than Barr, but we will see. Jordan Matthews is looking like a good 2nd round prospect, and if we dont go WR in the first he would be a smart option. I like the positions you addressed. Knew you would go Archer being that he's a personal favorite of yours. I do think we could use a traditional RB. I think Powell has been solid, but he's not a difference make... But Archer would provide a needed playmaker on offense. He can definitely play the Tavon Austin role for us.
JTJ, Good job! I'm a huge Barr fan, he's the best linebacker in the nation. I almost went with Barr in my first mock. If Rex is HC in 2014 drafting Barr could be a real possibility. I went a little against the "herd" going with Mike Evans in Rd 1. I think when the smoke clears at the end of the year, Evans is going to be the second WR drafted after Watkins. IMO, Evans is the perfect physical, good size NFL WR. Matthews is a solid receiver, I saw his game in week 1 and he played real well. Amaro is an up and coming player, but I'm a huge Ebron fan and think his skillset would be the perfect TE in Marty's offense. I live in Ohio and see a lot of Mac games and Archer was one of the most exciting players in College Football last year. Archer hasn't been 100% healthy this year so his stock could fall.
Apologize for being gone for long, been really consumed with too many things over the past few months. But like I said, I should be back to regular posting. As for Barr; It really depends on who's in front of us, but by who Im projecting to be at picks 1-8, theyll all need some kind of big offensive piece. Therefore, I assumed Lee and Watkins weren't there (Evans was definitely an option for me but I had to go with Barr). Jordan was excellent value at 39 for me, by April I hope he'll be somewhere around there. Hes got legit #1 WR potential. And Archer just has to be mentioned in my first mock of the 2013 season, I upset hes been so off injured but at the same time that gives us a legit shot at getting him around day 3. As WW said, hopefully Winters begs the coaching staff.
Thanks bud. I love Evans as well, he looks like hes on pace to make last year look like a joke. My biggest question is, does he declare? Youd assume so since he'll definitely be a top 20 guy but you never know with some of these players. Ebron I would have loved to draft but I needed a WR in round 2 after picking up Barr so I went with Amaro. The kid really has special potential, I mean hes coming out of nowhere with a few iffy QB's throwing to him and looking really really good. Hes probably better off in an offense that will consistently put him in the slot but purely as a weapon, he'd be an excellent addition.
Love this mock. Have to agree w/ Laxin though...I think there's a better chance that Watkins/Lee are available at our spot than Barr.He looks pretty well set to be a top 5 pick. Not a lot of edge rushers w/ his skill sets coming out these days.
This may sound crazy, but if Clowney has to have surgery, and Barr continues to play well... Barr could be the first defensive player off the board. Its a bit of a bold statement, but a team could prefer Barr in their system. Outside of Clowney, he is the best passrushing prospect in a long time IMO (including Von Miller and Aldon Smith).
Agreed. If we could somehow get Barr (which would be unfortunate because that means we'd lose pretty much every other game for the rest of the year) our front-7 would be so godly for an extremely long time. Wilkerson, Snacks/Ellis, Richardson, Coples, Barr, Harris, and Davis. Wow. To be honest, I think there's a better shot we get Clowney. Rex likes his big LBs.
Matthews is a beast. High-character guy. Inconsistency at QB has been an issue for the team since he arrived in Nashville, he has major upside. Hopefully he ends up in NY but I wouldn't be surprised to see his stock continue to rise, he has steadily improved throughout his career.
Really like the top half of your draft. Never heard of the guys at the bottom. But going defense again in the first round will be a head scratcher. The Jets right now need some weapons for Geno to throw too. Hill is too unreliable and Kerley who has stepped up is hurt a lot.
not a bold statement lax, but a smart one - clowney appears to havesome red flags whipping around and teams need to minimize risk in round 1.
