Fanspeak mock draft 4/25/18

[morasp]

One more day to the draft so instead of trying check off all of our needs positions I wanted get some real blue chip players if they met a need great if not it's always good to upgrade a position. I honestly don't know how the draft will fall and I don't think anyone else does either but these were the players that the simulator said were available at the pick and I didn't try to overanalyze it, if they were there I took them.

Round 1 pick 19 Edge Harold Landry It's all about getting to the passer and Landry could be a good one. I read that they've spent quite a bit of time looking at him.

• Limbo-stick edge-bender
• Has flexibility to drop way under a tackle's hands and can corner with a tight turn and plus burst to the quarterback

Round 2 pick 18 WR D.J. Moore There are reports that he is a round one target so at 50 he was a no brainer.

• Very good combination of size and speed
• Well-liked by coaching staff
• Considered accountable and a good teammate

round 3 pick 17 DL Tim Settle I don't think we will get Vea unless they trade up which I hope they don't do but Settle has some really nice qualities. My only reservation is it sounds like before this season he had a weight issue which might suggest lack of discipline.

Overview
Settle has rare gifts for a big man with good mass, play strength, quickness, and agility. His substantial jump in production in 2017 was due to weight loss and additional conditioning that allowed him to play more snaps and play faster. He's a disruptive, versatile defensive lineman who offers enough pass rush potential to warrant reps on passing downs. Settle is a natural 4-3 fit but can play in a 3-4 as well. He has the potential to become a very good starter with a Pro Bowl ceiling if he controls his weight and maintains his conditioning

round 4 pick 16 S Armani Watts I don't know if Watts is a deep safety but for a round 4 pick his strengths suggest he has some starter potential.

• Very impressive athletic ability
• Loose and flexible through lower body with ability to swivel and swerve around the field
• Possesses above-average cover skills and soft hands
• Has feet and fluidity to line up in man
• Plays with instincts and timing

Round 4 pick 37 LB Genard Avery The simulator must be adapting because Avery used to be available in the 6th round. The fourth is probably more realistic. He's not flashy but very productive and I would be surprised if the Cowboys don't have him on their board.

Overview
Avery is a big, athletic linebacker with a history of production whether he's playing inside or outside linebacker. While he's a little tight-hipped, his movement in the open field is generally unencumbered. Avery offers versatility and teams may choose to build on some of the rush talent he showed this season, but his best spot appears to be as a 4-3 strong-side linebacker with plus special teams ability.

round 5 pick 34 TE Durham Smythe I've been taking Smythe pretty consistently in the fifth round as a Hana replacement and he really sounds like a quality blocking TE who could help the running game.

• Excellent timing and radar when working up to linebacker on combos
• Plus blocker for the position in-line and on the move
• Trustworthy in pass protection
• Was able to work the seam and lay out to make the catch

round 6 pick 18 WR Daurice Fountain A second WR that is a height speed guy that we've shown interest in.

• Explosive athlete
• State champion hurdler and long jumper in high school
• Crosses up slot corners with effective outside-in release
• Accelerates quickly leaving defenders playing catch up
• Plays with a bounding energy in space

round 6 pick 19 DL Poona Ford Doing these mock drafts has shown me that there are no wasted picks. All of the picks won' make the team but unless a blue chip player falls I think they should try to use all them. It's a numbers game and there are some quality players in the later rounds.

Overview
Ford played in a slant-heavy, scheme in 2017 that asked him to try and disrupt in the gaps. While Ford flashed the ability to stack blocks and play with some strength at the point of attack, his lack of overall mass could make it tough for teams to see him in anything other than a penetrating, 4-3 scheme. Ford has a shot at making a team, but his lack of physical traits will be a challenge.
round 6 pick 34 RB Phillip Lindsay I've been taking Wadley from Iowa as the COP back but he is starting to get picked earlier and part of the fun of using the simulator is to learn about different players. He has high football character and is well rounded as a runner, receiver, blitz pickup, and special teams.

• Nicknamed "Tasmanian Devil" for boundless energy and playing style
• Feet move like beaters of a hand mixer
• Goes from patient to urgent instantly as a runner
• Loves football and plays with tremendous heart
• Uses committed, downhill burst
• Rarely slows into contact
• Contorts through crevices and finds the second level
• Pops right up after monster hits
• Runs with timing and instincts
• Has lower body power to drive through leg grabbers
• Fearless in his pass protection
• Gains separation out of breaks and can pile on additional yardage after the catch

round 7 pick 18 WR Richie James This was a BPA pick that NFL had a round 5 or 6 grade on. His comp is DeAnthony Thomas whose done some good things for the Chiefs.
Competitive personality on the field

• Took on heavy workload and produced results as pass-catcher and wildcat quarterback in 2016
• Gets out of the blocks in a flash off snap
• Plays with rapid-fire foot quickness to work around early pressur

 

[Dalmations202]

I'd be happy with this draft. Needed an OL, imo, but not bad. LB higher would have been nice as well.

 

[morasp]

I'd be happy with this draft. Needed an OL, imo, but not bad. LB higher would have been nice as well.

All the good offensive lineman were gone after the first round and we seem to have a lot of trouble finding one in later rounds. I really wanted one too but hey we lost Cooper and they singed to free agents so the OL meeting room should have plenty of bodies.