Risen Star
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I'll post 10 in here. Click the link (ESPN Insider) for the other 10. Board rules. Please don't let it effect future likes.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/draft2016/st...per-mcshay-tackle-20-questions-2016-nfl-draft
1. Who are the quarterbacks we'll be talking about on the first night of the draft?
Kiper: Two for certain, three possible, and a fourth for good measure.
Paxton Lynch of Memphis and Jared Goff of Cal are the two possible top-10 picks right now. Lynch has the great range of tools, and Goff has a special arm, moves well, and has a ton of experience. The third name to add to the Round 1 mix is Connor Cook of Michigan State, who at his best looks like a first-round lock, but can struggle with ball placement on his throws. The name to watch as a possible late-first pick. perhaps by some team trading back into the first round, is Carson Wentz of North Dakota State. Forget the school name. If Wentz, a 6-foot-5, 235-pounder, were playing for Bama or Florida State you'd think, "Man, that team has a really good QB." He can move really well.
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2. Good QB class, bad QB class, or average QB class?
McShay: It's a disappointing QB class compared with its preseason potential. The bright spot has been the emergence of Paxton Lynch (28 TDs, 3 INTs). If he leaves early, he's likely to be the first QB drafted. Jared Goff makes some exceptional throws but is still too inconsistent with his accuracy (11 INTs in nine Pac-12 games). I'd like to see him return to school to improve his footwork and add bulk/strength to his frame, but it appears he has different plans. Neither Lynch nor Goff will receive as high a grade as Jameis Winston last year, but I expect both to be first-round picks if they declare.
Christian Hackenberg and Cardale Jones have been the biggest disappointments this season. Hackenberg's best season at Penn State was under Bill O'Brien as a freshman. With a 53.3 percent completion rate this season, he's simply not accurate enough to warrant first-round consideration. Jones struggled to process information fast enough in Urban Meyer's system, and his accuracy dipped significantly from the three-game sample to end last season. His best option is to transfer to a school where he can play in 2016, but it appears he, too, has different plans.
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3. Player who's helped his stock the most this season?
Kiper: I think Paxton Lynch wins this in a runaway. Nobody is saying he's a sure thing, and I really think he could use time on an NFL bench before he's ready to start games, but he has elevated his stock and plays well enough against good defensive competition. He was not projected as a possible top-10 pick before the year started. Not even close.
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4. Is there a team who should be at all excited to get the No. 1 pick?
McShay: Of the teams in contention for the top pick, at 2-9 or 3-8, Tennessee (2-9) is the only one without any pressure to reach for a QB. With Marcus Mariota in place for the long term, the Titans could take the No. 1 player on our board, Ohio State DE Joey Bosa, without hesitation. Bosa is scheme-versatile, so he would work no matter the new coaching staff. Ole Miss LT Laramy Tunsil would fill a bigger need for the Titans, but it'd be hard to pass on Bosa.
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5. What do you think, Mel?
Kiper: Eh, I think if you asked the teams nobody would want to pick No. 1 this year. It's not because there isn't talent to be had, it's because there's no obvious transcendent talent, and that means you don't get that player and it makes it hard to move down. Not a fun answer, but that's reality as of today.
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6. Who are the guys we'll all be calling "freaks" after the NFL combine?
McShay: If they elect to leave early, Ole Miss LT Laremy Tunsil, Notre Dame LB Jaylon Smith, OSU OLB Darron Lee and Clemson S Jayron Kearse should all shine at the combine. Baylor DE Shawn Oakman, who is 6-foot-9, 275 pounds, will also be a workout warrior. (Just type his name into YouTube and watch some of his videos.)
Here's an under-the-radar guy to keep an eye on: Virginia Tech DE/OLB Dadi Nicolas. He's a physical freak who could turn some heads in Indy.
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7. What's the deepest position this year?
Kiper: Cornerback (Winicki high-five). Yeah, that's a position where you constantly see rookies struggle, but you have two top-five talents in Jalen Ramsey of Florida State and Vernon Hargreaves III of Florida, and tons of talent thereafter. Kendall Fuller of Virginia Tech and Tre'Davious White of LSU are also potential first-rounders. After that I'd put defensive tackle or interior lineman as a top group.
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8. Is there a QB who can start right away and not look bad?
McShay: No. None of the 2016 QB prospects are as NFL-ready as Winston was coming into this season, and we all saw how long it took him to adjust to the NFL. Of this year's batch, Connor Cook is the most prepared mentally, given his extensive experience in a pro-style offense. But like Mel mentioned earlier, his accuracy issues are a concern. Jared Goff, who plays in a spread system, and Paxton Lynch, who has had a lack of elite competition, will face big adjustments at the next level.
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9. Is this another group of big, tall wide receivers?
Kiper: Yeah, there's plenty of size once again. Laquon Treadwell is a big body,Josh Doctson has good length, Michael Thomas has a big frame and can win on contested catches. Those are three right at the top. Among the top 10 guys in my current ranking of wide receivers, only Corey Coleman is safely under 6 feet, and he's an absolute burner, so you get the trade-off. It's not a notably huge group -- there's no Calvin Johnson or Mike Evans -- but size isn't lacking in general.
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10. Which player comp do you think is most spot-on?
McShay: I can see the Michael Crabtree comparisons with TCU's Josh Doctson. They're similar in size, and neither will wow you in the 40, but both possess outstanding natural ball skills. Taking it a step further, both played in college spread offenses. Doctson will have to adjust to pro-style offenses, just like Crabtree did as a rookie in 2009 coming out of Texas Tech.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/draft2016/st...per-mcshay-tackle-20-questions-2016-nfl-draft
1. Who are the quarterbacks we'll be talking about on the first night of the draft?
Kiper: Two for certain, three possible, and a fourth for good measure.
Paxton Lynch of Memphis and Jared Goff of Cal are the two possible top-10 picks right now. Lynch has the great range of tools, and Goff has a special arm, moves well, and has a ton of experience. The third name to add to the Round 1 mix is Connor Cook of Michigan State, who at his best looks like a first-round lock, but can struggle with ball placement on his throws. The name to watch as a possible late-first pick. perhaps by some team trading back into the first round, is Carson Wentz of North Dakota State. Forget the school name. If Wentz, a 6-foot-5, 235-pounder, were playing for Bama or Florida State you'd think, "Man, that team has a really good QB." He can move really well.
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2. Good QB class, bad QB class, or average QB class?
McShay: It's a disappointing QB class compared with its preseason potential. The bright spot has been the emergence of Paxton Lynch (28 TDs, 3 INTs). If he leaves early, he's likely to be the first QB drafted. Jared Goff makes some exceptional throws but is still too inconsistent with his accuracy (11 INTs in nine Pac-12 games). I'd like to see him return to school to improve his footwork and add bulk/strength to his frame, but it appears he has different plans. Neither Lynch nor Goff will receive as high a grade as Jameis Winston last year, but I expect both to be first-round picks if they declare.
Christian Hackenberg and Cardale Jones have been the biggest disappointments this season. Hackenberg's best season at Penn State was under Bill O'Brien as a freshman. With a 53.3 percent completion rate this season, he's simply not accurate enough to warrant first-round consideration. Jones struggled to process information fast enough in Urban Meyer's system, and his accuracy dipped significantly from the three-game sample to end last season. His best option is to transfer to a school where he can play in 2016, but it appears he, too, has different plans.
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3. Player who's helped his stock the most this season?
Kiper: I think Paxton Lynch wins this in a runaway. Nobody is saying he's a sure thing, and I really think he could use time on an NFL bench before he's ready to start games, but he has elevated his stock and plays well enough against good defensive competition. He was not projected as a possible top-10 pick before the year started. Not even close.
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4. Is there a team who should be at all excited to get the No. 1 pick?
McShay: Of the teams in contention for the top pick, at 2-9 or 3-8, Tennessee (2-9) is the only one without any pressure to reach for a QB. With Marcus Mariota in place for the long term, the Titans could take the No. 1 player on our board, Ohio State DE Joey Bosa, without hesitation. Bosa is scheme-versatile, so he would work no matter the new coaching staff. Ole Miss LT Laramy Tunsil would fill a bigger need for the Titans, but it'd be hard to pass on Bosa.
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5. What do you think, Mel?
Kiper: Eh, I think if you asked the teams nobody would want to pick No. 1 this year. It's not because there isn't talent to be had, it's because there's no obvious transcendent talent, and that means you don't get that player and it makes it hard to move down. Not a fun answer, but that's reality as of today.
-
6. Who are the guys we'll all be calling "freaks" after the NFL combine?
McShay: If they elect to leave early, Ole Miss LT Laremy Tunsil, Notre Dame LB Jaylon Smith, OSU OLB Darron Lee and Clemson S Jayron Kearse should all shine at the combine. Baylor DE Shawn Oakman, who is 6-foot-9, 275 pounds, will also be a workout warrior. (Just type his name into YouTube and watch some of his videos.)
Here's an under-the-radar guy to keep an eye on: Virginia Tech DE/OLB Dadi Nicolas. He's a physical freak who could turn some heads in Indy.
-
7. What's the deepest position this year?
Kiper: Cornerback (Winicki high-five). Yeah, that's a position where you constantly see rookies struggle, but you have two top-five talents in Jalen Ramsey of Florida State and Vernon Hargreaves III of Florida, and tons of talent thereafter. Kendall Fuller of Virginia Tech and Tre'Davious White of LSU are also potential first-rounders. After that I'd put defensive tackle or interior lineman as a top group.
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8. Is there a QB who can start right away and not look bad?
McShay: No. None of the 2016 QB prospects are as NFL-ready as Winston was coming into this season, and we all saw how long it took him to adjust to the NFL. Of this year's batch, Connor Cook is the most prepared mentally, given his extensive experience in a pro-style offense. But like Mel mentioned earlier, his accuracy issues are a concern. Jared Goff, who plays in a spread system, and Paxton Lynch, who has had a lack of elite competition, will face big adjustments at the next level.
-
9. Is this another group of big, tall wide receivers?
Kiper: Yeah, there's plenty of size once again. Laquon Treadwell is a big body,Josh Doctson has good length, Michael Thomas has a big frame and can win on contested catches. Those are three right at the top. Among the top 10 guys in my current ranking of wide receivers, only Corey Coleman is safely under 6 feet, and he's an absolute burner, so you get the trade-off. It's not a notably huge group -- there's no Calvin Johnson or Mike Evans -- but size isn't lacking in general.
-
10. Which player comp do you think is most spot-on?
McShay: I can see the Michael Crabtree comparisons with TCU's Josh Doctson. They're similar in size, and neither will wow you in the 40, but both possess outstanding natural ball skills. Taking it a step further, both played in college spread offenses. Doctson will have to adjust to pro-style offenses, just like Crabtree did as a rookie in 2009 coming out of Texas Tech.
