Hawkeye0202
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Interesting take on London.......PPF latest mock has him dropping to 29th (KC)
https://www.si.com/nfl/2022/04/18/mmqb-desmond-ridder-sam-howell-draft-prospects
We’ve got our draft-centric, quick-hitting, what-I’m-hearing type takeaways here for you right now …
• It feels like everyone’s trying to trade down. There are a lot of good examples of players that make sense for teams … if only said team can trade down. Seattle and Northern Iowa OT Trevor Penning is one. Detroit and Norte Dame S Kyle Hamilton is another.
• I didn’t put Ohio State WR Garrett Wilson in my top 12 from Friday, just because I didn’t have such a match for him, but he’s one guy I’ve heard teams are a little higher on than people might realize.
• While we’re there: The biggest knock on USC’s Drake London? Speed. So, fair or not, his decision not to run the 40, after his pro day had been delayed twice, will raise eyebrows among NFL scouts. As will his “watch the tape” reasoning for it (which basically concedes it wasn’t injury- or training-related).
• Last week, I mentioned that Georgia S Lewis Cine has edged past Michigan S Daxton Hill in the eyes of some evaluators, and much of that is based on how the two are interviewing. That said, Cine’s a fun guy to talk with teams about. “The most violent guy on tape since [Johnathan] Abram,” said one exec. “This guy tries to hurt people.”
• Would the Eagles take a receiver for the third year in a row? No one’s ruling it out.
• One high-end exec who’s opinion I respect said to me this week that he strongly believes Michigan DE Aidan Hutchinson and Bama’s Neal are the two safest prospects in the class. Which is one reason why, in a class full of guys with holes, I felt pretty comfortable having both in my top three in Friday’s GamePlan.
• And those two also bring to life the saving grace of a shaky top 10—maybe there isn’t a Trent Williams or Myles Garrett, but at least the guys who’ll likely go up there play premium positions like those two do.
• It was interesting hearing new Patriots director of player personnel Matt Groh say that New England is being forced away from the traditional, hulking off-ball linebacker (think Dont’a Hightower) because colleges aren’t producing them anymore. So what’s happening? Those body types are becoming tight ends and edge rushers, in a sport that’s so much more focused on the passing game.
• If there was an all-predraft-process team, I think this year’s captain might be Washington CB Trent McDuffie. He’s crushed his meetings with coaches and scouts. Add that to a 40 time in the 4.4s at the combine, and it feels like he’s comfortably positioned as the third corner in this class, behind only Cincinnati’s Sauce Gardner and LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr.
• Along those line, every team I’ve talked to the last couple days has mentioned Lovie Smith’s comments about the Texans needing corners to play defense the way they want to, and in particular because Smith’s Tampa 2 roots wouldn’t indicate that’d be the case. So whether it’s at No. 3 or 13 …
https://www.si.com/nfl/2022/04/18/mmqb-desmond-ridder-sam-howell-draft-prospects
We’ve got our draft-centric, quick-hitting, what-I’m-hearing type takeaways here for you right now …
• It feels like everyone’s trying to trade down. There are a lot of good examples of players that make sense for teams … if only said team can trade down. Seattle and Northern Iowa OT Trevor Penning is one. Detroit and Norte Dame S Kyle Hamilton is another.
• I didn’t put Ohio State WR Garrett Wilson in my top 12 from Friday, just because I didn’t have such a match for him, but he’s one guy I’ve heard teams are a little higher on than people might realize.
• While we’re there: The biggest knock on USC’s Drake London? Speed. So, fair or not, his decision not to run the 40, after his pro day had been delayed twice, will raise eyebrows among NFL scouts. As will his “watch the tape” reasoning for it (which basically concedes it wasn’t injury- or training-related).
• Last week, I mentioned that Georgia S Lewis Cine has edged past Michigan S Daxton Hill in the eyes of some evaluators, and much of that is based on how the two are interviewing. That said, Cine’s a fun guy to talk with teams about. “The most violent guy on tape since [Johnathan] Abram,” said one exec. “This guy tries to hurt people.”
• Would the Eagles take a receiver for the third year in a row? No one’s ruling it out.
• One high-end exec who’s opinion I respect said to me this week that he strongly believes Michigan DE Aidan Hutchinson and Bama’s Neal are the two safest prospects in the class. Which is one reason why, in a class full of guys with holes, I felt pretty comfortable having both in my top three in Friday’s GamePlan.
• And those two also bring to life the saving grace of a shaky top 10—maybe there isn’t a Trent Williams or Myles Garrett, but at least the guys who’ll likely go up there play premium positions like those two do.
• It was interesting hearing new Patriots director of player personnel Matt Groh say that New England is being forced away from the traditional, hulking off-ball linebacker (think Dont’a Hightower) because colleges aren’t producing them anymore. So what’s happening? Those body types are becoming tight ends and edge rushers, in a sport that’s so much more focused on the passing game.
• If there was an all-predraft-process team, I think this year’s captain might be Washington CB Trent McDuffie. He’s crushed his meetings with coaches and scouts. Add that to a 40 time in the 4.4s at the combine, and it feels like he’s comfortably positioned as the third corner in this class, behind only Cincinnati’s Sauce Gardner and LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr.
• Along those line, every team I’ve talked to the last couple days has mentioned Lovie Smith’s comments about the Texans needing corners to play defense the way they want to, and in particular because Smith’s Tampa 2 roots wouldn’t indicate that’d be the case. So whether it’s at No. 3 or 13 …
