Hypothetical mock question

[JoeyBoy718]

So I'm playing around with Fanspeak. I'm trying to play it according to how the board falls. I'm not reaching for a DE in the 1st because there are usually equally talented DE's still available in the 3rd. So I'm going in with a mindset of taking a DE in the 3rd if no one worth taking is available in the first 2 rounds. But I'm trying to go defense heavy. So the draft played out a certain way, and as much as I wanted to go defense heavy, I had to make these picks. Tell me if you would have done the same:

1st round - #16 - Taylor Lewan OT is available so I take him
2nd round - #47 - Xavier Sua'Filo OG is available so I take him

Now I'm weak on defense but solidified the line for the next 10 years. What would you do?

 

[JoeyBoy718]

This was my whole draft (there's no way the chips would ever fall this way, but it's nice to look at):

1st - OT Taylor Lewan
2nd - OG Xavier Sua'Filo
3rd - DE Demarcus Lawrence
4th - WR Cody Latimer
5th - DE Brent Urban
7th - DE Aaron Lynch
7th - DT Kerry Hyder
7th - WR Shaq Evans
7th - FB J.C. Copeland
7th - DT Eathyn Manumealuna
7th - TE Jordan Najvar

 

[Fredd]

wooo, that certainly would be tempting and I would be happy with this draft...the OL and Tony would be very happy, that's for sure...we may need to score 35/game by not improving the defense and relying on health for the improvement, but the offense would be much better in the future with that OL...it would also make the transition to any QB in a few years that much easier if you have a young group of OL that have worked together for a few years...

interesting stuff to think about

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

You can get a guard later in the draft especially after taking an OT in the first. I have also taken Taylor in the first in many of the fanspeak mocks as he is was the best player available by a large margin. However in the second round I could also find good DE, DT, WR, LB and Safeties available.

 

[xwalker]

So I'm playing around with Fanspeak. I'm trying to play it according to how the board falls. I'm not reaching for a DE in the 1st because there are usually equally talented DE's still available in the 3rd. So I'm going in with a mindset of taking a DE in the 3rd if no one worth taking is available in the first 2 rounds. But I'm trying to go defense heavy. So the draft played out a certain way, and as much as I wanted to go defense heavy, I had to make these picks. Tell me if you would have done the same:

1st round - #16 - Taylor Lewan OT is available so I take him
2nd round - #47 - Xavier Sua'Filo OG is available so I take him

Now I'm weak on defense but solidified the line for the next 10 years. What would you do?

If you're trying to make an realistic mock, then don't use the simulators. Do the simulation by hand using the NFLDS (CBS) rankings or some other rankings if you think they're accurate.

Give yourself a +/- margin. Maybe +/- 10 after the top 5.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

If you're trying to make an realistic mock, then don't use the simulators. Do the simulation by hand using the NFLDS (CBS) rankings or some other rankings if you think they're accurate.

Give yourself a +/- margin. Maybe +/- 10 after the top 5.

I get what you're saying. There's maybe a 2% chance that Lewan is available at 16 and Xavier at 47. I guess I was just wondering if people would take OL in the first 2 rounds if OL was clearly the BPA in both rounds.

That's how it turned out with me. I wanted to actually approach it like a real draft. I went in with the mindset of going heavy on DL. But I get to #16 and Donald and Barr are off the board. It comes down to reaching for a guy like Ford/Attachou or going with Lewan. I went Lewan. Then I get to #47 and I definitely want DL now since I took Lewan in the 1st. So I get there and Sua'Filo managed to fall to my spot. It was either taking a guy with baggage like Easley or a DE I could get in the 3rd, so I went with Sua'Filo.

Just wondering if the real draft fell similarly, even if you had a mission to go heavy on DL, if things fell that way, would you do the same?

 

[xwalker]

Yes, if a top 10 player is available at 16 and a 1st round ranked play is available at 47; however, you're probably wasting your time even contemplating it. Filo is ranked by almost everyone as the #1 OG if you consider Zach Martin an OT. I don't see the #1 or #2 ranked player at any position falling to 47.

If there is a 2% chance of Lewan being available at 16 and a 2% chance of Filo being available at 47, then the chance that both happens is infinitesimally low.

To answer your question more generically, obviously they would take a top rated OT that fell unless there was a really good trade offer in place. After that, OG is still a really big need. They almost have to get one that is ready to be the backup immediately. They have Zero depth at the position. I don't see the fact that they took an OT in the 1st affecting the 2nd round pick of a Guard. It is 2 different positions because I don't see Lewan being one of those OTs that can play OG.

 

[tm1119]

Nope. Wouldn't even think about it. Its extreme overkill. Too many positions on a football team to invest so many resources in 1 spot. That draft would set the rebuild of the defense back another full year in my opinion.

And I think you're overestimating how many DE's past the 2nd round will be available. Lawrence won't be 1 of them, he'll be long gone by the time we pick in the 3rd. We need quick edge rushers which is a premium position that doesn't last very long. Chris Smith is about the only impact type edge rusher I can see us getting in the 3rd.