How would you draft do-over go today?

[ConceptCoop]

NOTE: I fully understand and respect that many people find no value in this. To those, I say: You're right; the draft is over and we have our guys. We should support them. I don't mean to suggest otherwise. But this is fun for me, and I assume some others. If my assumption is wrong, this thread will tank and quickly disappear. If this is pointless or you don't like hearing that people would have done things differently, simply ignore and it'll go away. So...

With camp, Pre-season, and 3 regular season games under our belt, how would your draft go down, if given the benefit of hindsight? AssumE all other teams acted as they did originally.

1. Jalen Ramsey - CB
2. Sterling Shephard - WR
3. Yannick Ngakoue - DE
4. Jordan Howard - RB
4. Dak Prescott - QB

It's all hindsight, but I think we'd be much better off with the above. Ramsey is starting and playing well at CB, which many questioned his ability to do. Shepherd is an absolute stud and one of the better #2 WRs in the league already. Ngakoue is starting and has a couple sacks on the season. Howard has looked very good when given the chance and is putting up 5.6 YPC and catching the ball out of the backfield. Dak Prescott has been okay.

Our secondary would be a major strength. Ramsey would start outside, and either he or Claiborne could play FS when Jones is flexed to cover the TE. With Ramsey, Jones, an improved Claiborne, we'd have secondary worthy of building a very good defense around, much like Arizona or Seattle.

Our offense would be even more explosive, IMO, with another playmaker in Shepherd. We'd have two guys able to consistently win one-on-one match ups not he outside, with Beasley a major threat underneath. Morris, Howard, Dunbar would be a very good RB group. Not as good as Zeke, but very solid. Ngakoue would be another edge rusher for the rotation. And Dak wouldn't suck.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

I would have let Baltimore trade up and move us down to 6. We could still get Zeke and add a draft pick.

I still think Paxton Lynch is going to be really good and the Broncos have a nice 'problem' on their hands with Simien and Lynch on their team. But, Dak has been impressive thus far.

I would look for a MIKE. We're getting killed there on defense without one.




YR

 

[Manwiththeplan]

I don't think anyone questioned Ramsey's ability to play CB as much as is the #4 pick too much for a solid cover CB who does not get interceptions, and I'd say yes, the #4 pick is too much for that type of player. In today's NFL and specifically this defense, QBs won't be afraid to test CBs who lack ball skills. The rules are just too slanted towards offense to not throw it up a few times a game. It's why as good as Scandrick was pre-injury, why he was never close to be considered elite. Solid coverage, limited ball skills. So far, Ramsey hasn't shown that he's any more than that, so while I don't think he's playing poorly, I haven't seen anything from him to suggest that we should have taken him.

 

[ConceptCoop]

I don't think anyone questioned Ramsey's ability to play CB as much as is the #4 pick too much for a solid cover CB who does not get interceptions, and I'd say yes, the #4 pick is too much for that type of player. In today's NFL and specifically this defense, QBs won't be afraid to test CBs who lack ball skills.

Plenty said he was a safety could't get it done as a corner. That was the main argument of the people who didn't want to draft him.

Ramsey played WR in HS and has very good ball skills. A couple drops over a small sample size doesn't change that.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

Plenty said he was a safety could't get it done as a corner. That was the main argument of the people who didn't want to draft him.

Quite a few people, myself included thought his best position was CB, but still didn't want him for the ball skills reason.

Ramsey played WR in HS and has very good ball skills. A couple drops over a small sample size doesn't change that.

3 ints in 41 career college games...that's not a small sample size. He *could* turn it around in the pros, but one could comfortably say he does not have above average ball skills (maybe not even average).

 

[ConceptCoop]

3 ints in 41 career college games...that's not a small sample size. He *could* turn it around in the pros, but one could comfortably say he does not have above average ball skills (maybe not even average).

That's just a really silly way to measure a guy's ball skills. If he played in a zone scheme, he'd have plenty of ints and we wouldn't be having this conversation. He'd still be the exact same player, however. Hell, if he just played a center field role, he'd have plenty of ints and we wouldn't be having this conversation. He'd still be the exact same player, however.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

That's just a really silly way to measure a guy's ball skills. If he played in a zone scheme, he'd have plenty of ints and we wouldn't be having this conversation. He'd still be the exact same player, however. Hell, if he just played a center field role, he'd have plenty of ints and we wouldn't be having this conversation. He'd still be the exact same player, however.

In college the talent level is so un even between some schools, that I expect elite players to over come scheme limitations. Jump routes, show off that elite leaping ability and snag a jump ball, but if you want to go #4, don't just provide good coverage. Teams threw his way, not saying they were very successful, but they did. Again, I'll use Orlando Scandrick as a comp, he's a solid player, but I would be disappointed if we took him with the #4 pick. Later in the first, where we took Byron Jones, sure, sign me up, but at #4 I need players on defense to generate turnovers or sacks, and I need offensive players to generate TDs (except o-linemen).

 

[ConceptCoop]

In college the talent level is so un even between some schools, that I expect elite players to over come scheme limitations. Jump routes, show off that elite leaping ability and snag a jump ball, but if you want to go #4, don't just provide good coverage. Teams threw his way, not saying they were very successful, but they did. Again, I'll use Orlando Scandrick as a comp, he's a solid player, but I would be disappointed if we took him with the #4 pick. Later in the first, where we took Byron Jones, sure, sign me up, but at #4 I need players on defense to generate turnovers or sacks, and I need offensive players to generate TDs (except o-linemen).

I'm aware of your criteria. I just don't think it's valid. Again, if Ramsey played in a pure cover 2, he'd have had plenty of interceptions. All of the sudden he is a guy who generates turnovers. But, he's the exact same player. Jalen Ramsey is very athletic and was a very good WR in HS. He caught everything at the combine. According to Broudus, teams asked him to high point balls and display his ball skills, and he knocked it out of the park. He can catch; he has ball skills.

 

[Nightman]

1 EE
2 Dak
3 Collins
4 JSmith
4c Tajae Sharpe
6 Brown
6c Frazier
6c DJax
6c Gaithers

 

[ConceptCoop]

1 EE
2 Dak
3 Collins
4 JSmith
4c Tajae Sharpe
6 Brown
6c Frazier
6c DJax
6c Gaithers

Sharpe has been a stud so far. Great find for the Titans.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

I'm aware of your criteria. I just don't think it's valid. Again, if Ramsey played in a pure cover 2, he'd have had plenty of interceptions. All of the sudden he is a guy who generates turnovers. But, he's the exact same player.

Valid or not, scouts evaluate based off what they see on film and if he played in a cover 2, and generated a ton of turnovers (not a given imo) then yes, he'd have that box checked off even though he's the same player.

Jalen Ramsey is very athletic and was a very good WR in HS. He caught everything at the combine. According to Broudus, teams asked him to high point balls and display his ball skills, and he knocked it out of the park. He can catch; he has ball skills.

Succeeding in that drill does not mean he has ball skills, it simply means he did well in that drill. Ball skills is being able to locate the ball, while covering a WR, and then making a play on it. He has yet to show that, and that's my only point.

 

[kevm3]

I liked the Ramsey/Henry combo, but I'm fine with what we have.

 

[Verdict]

Really there might be a valid argument that we should have taken Sterling Shepard over Jalen Smith. He was available when we chose, is a stud so far, and we could have received an immediate benefit from him this year.

He would have arguably been the true #2 receiver we don't really currently have on the roster. Of course, Jerry did the opposite of what everyone says he does (goes for shiny flashy offensive players) and instead went all in on a player that could single handedly upgrade the defense.

Moreover while many of you bash the choice of a running back at #4 overall is pretty misguided since he is touching the ball over 20 times per game. Cornerback isn't even the weakest point of our defense. DE and linebacker are far bigger needs and there were none available at our pick at #4 worthy of the pick.