Kiper - Perfect fits in 2015 NFL draft

[Risen Star]

Click the link for full commentary....

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draf...y-chiefs-perfect-prospect-team-fits-nfl-draft

"We took the best player available on our board."

I've been doing TV for the NFL draft with ESPN since 1984, and every time we have a coach or GM on soon after they made a pick to discuss why they took a player, you hear some kind of variation on this line. The team representative will say "he was the best player available" or "the top player on the board" or "we couldn't believe he was still there because we think he's one of the best players in the entire draft." You get the idea. It's always about the player, and rarely about the need because -- and this is a fair point -- coaches rarely expect rookies to truly "fill" a need. They just want the best player who hopefully fills it at some point.

But what you also hear more and more is how a player is "a good fit with our program."

It's not just about the player, it's also about the developmental plan for that player. A prospect isn't a "need" pick as much as he's a great fit. It might sound like semantics, but it's something more. Need implies a plugged hole. A great fit goes further, and it has development and scheme and the type of program a team wants to run in mind. With "fit" in mind, I was asked for an example of how this could work in the 2015 draft.

Here are 11 samples of what I'd consider a great fit, and in most cases I tried to find players who could be taken in that range.

-

Leonard Williams with the Tennessee Titans
Marcus Mariota with the Kansas City Chiefs
Amari Cooper with the Oakland Raiders
Randy Gregory with the New York Jets
Brandon Scherff with the New Orleans Saints
DeVante Parker with the Miami Dolphins
Malcom Brown to the Detroit Lions
Marcus Peters to the Baltimore Ravens


Todd Gurley with the Dallas Cowboys

The fit: Dallas is going to have one of the best run-blocking lines in the NFL next season, if not the best. The Cowboys don't need a dancer, they need a player who will get downhill fast and turn a crease into a big run because he's so hard to get to the ground when he hits the second level. Gurley can do that. Dallas added Darren McFadden, but they won't be done at this position.

The chances: I'd safely say less than 50-50. Dallas has shown good restraint recently, such as in last year's draft and in not overpaying for DeMarco Murray, so it certainly wouldn't be knocked by me for passing on a RB in Round 1 (I certainly would). But Gurley is worth a close look if they think he's a missing link.


Cameron Erving with the Denver Broncos
Byron Jones to the Seattle Seahawks

 

[dallasdave]

Click the link for full commentary....

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draf...y-chiefs-perfect-prospect-team-fits-nfl-draft

"We took the best player available on our board."

I've been doing TV for the NFL draft with ESPN since 1984, and every time we have a coach or GM on soon after they made a pick to discuss why they took a player, you hear some kind of variation on this line. The team representative will say "he was the best player available" or "the top player on the board" or "we couldn't believe he was still there because we think he's one of the best players in the entire draft." You get the idea. It's always about the player, and rarely about the need because -- and this is a fair point -- coaches rarely expect rookies to truly "fill" a need. They just want the best player who hopefully fills it at some point.

But what you also hear more and more is how a player is "a good fit with our program."

It's not just about the player, it's also about the developmental plan for that player. A prospect isn't a "need" pick as much as he's a great fit. It might sound like semantics, but it's something more. Need implies a plugged hole. A great fit goes further, and it has development and scheme and the type of program a team wants to run in mind. With "fit" in mind, I was asked for an example of how this could work in the 2015 draft.

Here are 11 samples of what I'd consider a great fit, and in most cases I tried to find players who could be taken in that range.

-

Leonard Williams with the Tennessee Titans
Marcus Mariota with the Kansas City Chiefs
Amari Cooper with the Oakland Raiders
Randy Gregory with the New York Jets
Brandon Scherff with the New Orleans Saints
DeVante Parker with the Miami Dolphins
Malcom Brown to the Detroit Lions
Marcus Peters to the Baltimore Ravens


Todd Gurley with the Dallas Cowboys

The fit: Dallas is going to have one of the best run-blocking lines in the NFL next season, if not the best. The Cowboys don't need a dancer, they need a player who will get downhill fast and turn a crease into a big run because he's so hard to get to the ground when he hits the second level. Gurley can do that. Dallas added Darren McFadden, but they won't be done at this position.

The chances: I'd safely say less than 50-50. Dallas has shown good restraint recently, such as in last year's draft and in not overpaying for DeMarco Murray, so it certainly wouldn't be knocked by me for passing on a RB in Round 1 (I certainly would). But Gurley is worth a close look if they think he's a missing link.


Cameron Erving with the Denver Broncos
Byron Jones to the Seattle Seahawks

Kiper rules! Great post, love to get Gurley behind our line!

 

[waving monkey]

It would be a season changer:Gurley to Dallas

 

[Hardline]

I am drooling on my keyboard just thinking of what Todd Gurley would do behind this offensive line.
for those saying we need to draft defense in the first round must keep in mind that one of the biggest things the defense had going for it last year is DeMarco Murray moving the chains.

 

[JBS]

Is he saying gurley won't be there or dallas won't take him if he is there?

Of course the odds of us betting gurley are less than 50%...that's the case w every single player in this draft class

 

[silver]

Our biggest need is on defense. Yes we need a RB, but the last couple of years good runners were found in the second round (Jeremy Hill, Carlos Hyde, Leveon Bell and Eddie Lacy come to mind). We had the top RB las year and still couldn't stop Aaron Rodgers when it counted in the 4th quarter. Defense wins championships. I say we go for the best defender in the first round, hopefully a pass rusher, and address the RB position in the 2nd.

 

[endersdragon]

Our biggest need is on defense. Yes we need a RB, but the last couple of years good runners were found in the second round (Jeremy Hill, Carlos Hyde, Leveon Bell and Eddie Lacy come to mind). We had the top RB las year and still couldn't stop Aaron Rodgers when it counted in the 4th quarter. Defense wins championships. I say we go for the best defender in the first round, hopefully a pass rusher, and address the RB position in the 2nd.

Yea because we need a 4th DE to play behind Hardy, D-Law, and Mincey (no rookie DE will have more than 6 sacks). DE is pretty much spoken for now, as is 3-tech with Crawford, I suppose you could argue for a good 1-tech, but I just don't see that happening. It's going to be OLB, RB, or CB in the first.

 

[Nirvana]

Everything I'm hearing is that Gurley will be fine by August and ready for game 1. And that he'll be gone before our pick at 27. It would be nice if he fell to us, but saying "less than 50/50" is being optimistic. It's not happening.

 

[silver]

Yea because we need a 4th DE to play behind Hardy, D-Law, and Mincey (no rookie DE will have more than 6 sacks). DE is pretty much spoken for now, as is 3-tech with Crawford, I suppose you could argue for a good 1-tech, but I just don't see that happening. It's going to be OLB, RB, or CB in the first.

While I agree that on papel we're set at DE, Mincey and Hardy have one year deals, and Marinelli system employs a bunch of bodies in the rotation. Could be 3 tech or the OTTO lb too, pressure guys. Can't never have too many of those.

Hardy and Mincey can also move in inside on passing downs.