ON THE CLOCK! 1st and 2nd Round

[Landryhat73]

Pollard's receiving skills right now aren't anywhere close to Gibbs. Gibbs is more comparable to McCaffrey pr Kamara than he is Pollard

Wasn’t Pollard WR/RB in college?

 

[darthseinfeld]

Wasn’t Pollard WR/RB in college?

In Conference USA. He played some slot. He wasnt polished enough as a reciever to do that in the SEC. Gibbs can line up anywhere. The players really arent comparable, they are two different players.

Thats not a knock on Pollard. Pollard is more akin to a player like Aaron Jones than he is to a player like Gibbs

 

[gtb1943]

IF I had my druthers I would grab Mayer in the first; best G or DT available in the 2nd and third UNLESS someone really good falls

There are usually at least half a dozen prospects ranked about the same so when that happens take need.

 

[gtb1943]

The worst picks come when a GM or whoever thinks they just have to have THIS GUY. Bad deal to fixate on one player to the exclusion of all others. You lose perspective.

A lot of bad QB picks happen that way.

When you have a number of players valued the same - that is when you need to go with your instinct on who you think will be the BEST PLAYER.

 

[Landryhat73]

IF I had my druthers I would grab Mayer in the first; best G or DT available in the 2nd and third UNLESS someone really good falls

There are usually at least half a dozen prospects ranked about the same so when that happens take need.

Love Mayer and wouldn’t be upset if he was the pick - he is better than TJ Hockenson who went 8th is a better draft but think Washington is a risk that could be unique. Think his ball skills are better then he has shown because Bowers takes a lot of the targets - blocking he is like a 3 tackle. Redzone could be scary as well

 

[gtb1943]

Love Mayer and wouldn’t be upset if he was the pick - he is better than TJ Hockenson who went 8th is a better draft but think Washington is a risk that could be unique. Think his ball skills are better then he has shown because Bowers takes a lot of the targets - blocking he is like a 3 tackle. Redzone could be scary as well

Always wary of a player that does not show a lot on tape. Not Washingtons fault he did not get thrown to a lot but still he is a lot more of a risk because we just do not know how much he can develope as a receiver

 

[CherBoyWade]

I get that we all like the young TEs on the roster, but think it's kinda wild to say we're in a better spot with Ferguson/Hendershot at TE to enter the season than Pollard/Jones at RB. Even if he's coming off the injury, at least we've seen Pollard perform well in a bigger role.

Overall loved the OP though. Great stuff and lots of good info.

 

[Dalmations202]

Nice draft, and I agree with most.
I think you missed it with Nolan Smith. I think if used correctly he is definitely a playmaker that could play some DE snaps and be the faster MLB that can stack and shed that LVE can't.

SF wants to run on you, but you have Parsons, Smith, Clark at LB. Kearse and Wilson at safety. Tank and SWilliams at DE. Who's coming, and who is covering gets dicey there for an OC, and the D has lots of speed.
As long as the middle can be clogged up with big DL, that would be a very nice group to play against certain teams.

Maybe Sanders instead of Smith. Maybe Campbell. I am not versed enough with LB's, but if you can find that guy with the D that Quinn has built.......they could be dominant.

 

[Xavier187]

Honestly Mazi Smith is more then a two down player. Watched alot of tape on him. He does alot more then one would think.
Avila is a Cowboy pick that lines up well with what they could do.

If Quentin Johnston falls he will be yhe pick if not Porter or Robinson if there

 

[Carson]

I get that we all like the young TEs on the roster, but think it's kinda wild to say we're in a better spot with Ferguson/Hendershot at TE to enter the season than Pollard/Jones at RB. Even if he's coming off the injury, at least we've seen Pollard perform well in a bigger role.

Overall loved the OP though. Great stuff and lots of good info.

Heading into the draft, I see 3 positions that could use a big upgrade.

LG — this is all dependent if they plan on putting Tyron and Steele at tackle and Tyler at LG. Could be no reason to stress in round one.

Then TE, DT

I really feel Kincaid is the pick. Will likely be there at 26 because of the back injury and limited workout.

I really love getting something like Kincaid, Avila, Benton.

 

[QuincyCarterEra]

I am sorry but you seem to think we have the 6th pick instead of the 26th pick,i am 100% sure we dont have 26 guys with 1st RD grades.

What?

 

[Landryhat73]

Heading into the draft, I see 3 positions that could use a big upgrade.

LG — this is all dependent if they plan on putting Tyron and Steele at tackle and Tyler at LG. Could be no reason to stress in round one.

Then TE, DT

I really feel Kincaid is the pick. Will likely be there at 26 because of the back injury and limited workout.

I really love getting something like Kincaid, Avila, Benton.

It will all depend on the medical with Kincaid - back issues are worrisome because they seem to never go away.

 

[AsthmaField]

It will all depend on the medical with Kincaid - back issues are worrisome because they seem to never go away.

Kincaid’s back injury isn’t anything that will linger, like a herniated or slipped disk. Those are the kinds of issues that will just keep coming back like LaFluer’s or Charles Haley’s. Kincaid didn’t try to lift too much and he wasn’t pushing against another player and get bowed backwards. In fact, he wasn’t bending at all. That is where you do structural damage is getting bent wrong or trying to lift up too much weight.

Kincaid hurt it by jumping up high for a pass (catching a TD BTW) and landing flat on his back. It wasn’t bending in any way, it was just the impact of the ground that gave him a small fracture on his transverse process.

In fact, it was so minor that he went ahead and played in the next game, which was the PAC-12 Championship game. You don’t do that with a herniated or slipped disk. It just hurt him to play… there was no danger of further damage like there would be with a serious back issue.

In the above pic, you can see the transverse process is just a bony protrusion off of the vertebrae. It isn’t near the disk or the spinal cord. It is, just like any other bone, there for the muscles to attach to.

His cracked from the impact of landing on his back. He got clearance from doctors to go ahead and play in their last game, and then he just had to let it heal.

There was no surgery because doctors said it wasn’t necessary, so Kincaid has just been resting it and letting it heal up. The timeline that the doctors gave him for working out was after the combine, so he didn’t work out in Indy. He still went through all the medical though, so all the team doctor’s know that is isn’t much.

Then about a week before Utah’s Pro Day, the date arrived where he could begin working out. However, with no time to get ready for the event, he declined to work out there, but was still available for interviews with teams. It was smart not to work out when he hadn’t been preparing for the pro day. I wouldn’t have either. Not with what he has already put on tape at Utah.

He may or may not try to schedule a workout before the draft, but like they said the other day on the NFL Network… Kincaid’s body of work in college is so good that teams will probably be fine with him not working out prior to the draft.

So, he should be as good as new by the time the mini-camp rolls around, and his back will be no more worry than any other rookie’s back.

Here is what has been written prior to the combine about his injury:

---

Utah Football’s Dalton Kincaid, considered one of the better tight end prospects in the NFL Draft, is dealing with an injury ahead of the Scouting Combine. Kincaid will not participate in drills at the Combine, sources told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

The Utah football star suffered a small fracture in his back, an injury he played through in the Utes’ Pac-12 Championship game win over USC.

Orthopedist Robert Watkins determined that surgery on Dalton Kincaid’s injury was not necessary.

Garafolo reports that the Utah football star will meet with teams at the NFL Draft Combine instead of doing anything on the field.
Fortunately for Kincaid, the injury likely won’t affect his NFL Draft stock, as the Utah football star is expected to be cleared in the next few weeks, as Garafolo notes.

Kincaid enjoyed a career year for Utah football in 2022, tallying 70 receptions for 890 yards and eight touchdowns in 12 games played. His standout season included a monstrous, 16-catch, 234-yard effort in an October win over USC.

---

Link:
https://clutchpoints.com/utah-football-news-utes-dalton-kincaid-nfl-draft-combine-injury

 

[Beaker42]

Dallas Cowboys Draft Needs - In order (My Opinion)
1) Left Guard - Need a starter - Assuming Tyler Smith stays at LT
2) Running Back - Tony Pollard needs a complement and is only on the Franchise Tag
3) Defensive Tackle - Assuming Hankins resigns still need depth and more certainty at the 1T
4) Tight End - Like the potential of Ferguson and Hendershot but would like someone with a different skill set
5) Cornerback - Set for next year but lots of decisions need to be made next off season
6) Safety - Same as above
7) Linebacker - Not much depth behind LVE and Clark but expect this could be filled in the 2nd wave of free agency

Thinking at the 26th spot. - Hoping anyone of these prospects will be available: Obvious picks that won't be available such as Will Anderson aren't included:
1st - Would love if either Skoronski or Broderick Jones would fall - both can play guard or tackle at a high level - Probably not going to happen
2nd - Will one of the elite corners fall to 26? - Witherspoon, Gonzalez, Porter Jr - Again probably not going to happen
3rd - Maybe not a pressing need but if Myles Murphy or JSM falls to 26 - they are to talented to pass up but again probably won't be available
Would be ecstatic if any of these seven fell to 26:

Players I would pass on at 26:
1) Lukas Van Ness - Seems to be a very polarizing player
2) Darnell Wright or Anton Harrison - Awesome prospects but Tackle seems set with Smith and Steele
3) Michael Mayer - Think he is an awesome traditional tight-end but is similar (Better) to the skill set already on the roster
4) Dalton Kincaid - Back injuries scare me!
5) Brian Bresee - Injury concerns and isn't an ideal 1T
6) Mazi Smith - Only a 2 down player - to rich at 26
7) Any WR besides JSM - we are set for the next 2 years with Lamb, Cooks and Gallup as the top 3
8) Nolan Smith - Love him but think he is to small for are system at 235

Players I would think about taking at 26 who have better then average chance of being available : Not is order again my opinion
1) Bijan Robinson - Generation talent - He fits a need and can control him for 6 year cheap with the franchise tag
2) Darnell Washington - Unique talent that brings a different skillset then the others
3) Brian Branch - Can play safety or corner at a high level and both positions will be needed in 24

Players I like but would hope we could trade down a couple of spots at pick up an extra 3rd round pick: Not is order again my opinion
1) Jahmyr Gibbs - I understand he is similar to Pollard but think there is a clear drop after the top 2 running backs
2) O'Cyrus Torrance - Need pick - starting LG - Tyler Smith and Torrance could solidify the left side for a decade
3) Steve Aliva - Again need pick but with a little more flexibly - Smith and Aliva - Decade

Players I would target in the 2nd - Don't like options in most draft simulations: Also depends on 1st round selection and who I think will be available:
1) Sam LaPorta - Don't see much of a difference between him and the top prospects
2) Cody Mauch - Like the player - might take a year to get stronger
3) Matt Bergeron - Tackle convert to Guard
4) Jaylon Johnson - Love the physicality of the player in the secondary
5) Keeanu Benton - 1T that dominated the senior bowl
6) Siaka Ika - 1T - Didn't test well is a concern but might be worth the risk
7) Jack Campbell - Awesome talent that can do it all at linebacker

Not worth going any farther because of the uncertainty of the draft and the fact that I'm not a draft expert!

Nothing wrong with Kincaid’s back. It’ll be healed by start of rook mini camp.

 

[Beaker42]

Kincaid’s back injury isn’t anything that will linger, like a herniated or slipped disk. Those are the kinds of issues that will just keep coming back like LaFluer’s or Charles Haley’s. Kincaid didn’t try to lift too much and he wasn’t pushing against another player and get bowed backwards. In fact, he wasn’t bending at all. That is where you do structural damage is getting bent wrong or trying to lift up too much weight.

Kincaid hurt it by jumping up high for a pass (catching a TD BTW) and landing flat on his back. It wasn’t bending in any way, it was just the impact of the ground that gave him a small fracture on his transverse process.

In fact, it was so minor that he went ahead and played in the next game, which was the PAC-12 Championship game. You don’t do that with a herniated or slipped disk. It just hurt him to play… there was no danger of further damage like there would be with a serious back issue.

In the above pic, you can see the transverse process is just a bony protrusion off of the vertebrae. It isn’t near the disk or the spinal cord. It is, just like any other bone, there for the muscles to attach to.

His cracked from the impact of landing on his back. He got clearance from doctors to go ahead and play in their last game, and then he just had to let it heal.

There was no surgery because doctors said it wasn’t necessary, so Kincaid has just been resting it and letting it heal up. The timeline that the doctors gave him for working out was after the combine, so he didn’t work out in Indy. He still went through all the medical though, so all the team doctor’s know that is isn’t much.

Then about a week before Utah’s Pro Day, the date arrived where he could begin working out. However, with no time to get ready for the event, he declined to work out there, but was still available for interviews with teams. It was smart not to work out when he hadn’t been preparing for the pro day. I wouldn’t have either. Not with what he has already put on tape at Utah.

He may or may not try to schedule a workout before the draft, but like they said the other day on the NFL Network… Kincaid’s body of work in college is so good that teams will probably be fine with him not working out prior to the draft.

So, he should be as good as new by the time the mini-camp rolls around, and his back will be no more worry than any other rookie’s back.

Here is what has been written prior to the combine about his injury:

---

Utah Football’s Dalton Kincaid, considered one of the better tight end prospects in the NFL Draft, is dealing with an injury ahead of the Scouting Combine. Kincaid will not participate in drills at the Combine, sources told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

The Utah football star suffered a small fracture in his back, an injury he played through in the Utes’ Pac-12 Championship game win over USC.

Orthopedist Robert Watkins determined that surgery on Dalton Kincaid’s injury was not necessary.

Garafolo reports that the Utah football star will meet with teams at the NFL Draft Combine instead of doing anything on the field.
Fortunately for Kincaid, the injury likely won’t affect his NFL Draft stock, as the Utah football star is expected to be cleared in the next few weeks, as Garafolo notes.

Kincaid enjoyed a career year for Utah football in 2022, tallying 70 receptions for 890 yards and eight touchdowns in 12 games played. His standout season included a monstrous, 16-catch, 234-yard effort in an October win over USC.

---

Link:
https://clutchpoints.com/utah-football-news-utes-dalton-kincaid-nfl-draft-combine-injury

These guys are all making like he’s in a full body cast and won’t play for 2 years.

 

[btcutter]

I think people are sleeping on Jalin Hyatt, his acceleration out his route stem and deep ball tracking are real and you see it time again against good teams and I think NFL defenses would honor that which could open up the run and shorter passing game. If he's even he's leavin.

I just did a write up on Drew Sanders production versus some of the top edge rushers and the guy is a pressure player/playmaker that would be an outstanding compliment to Parsons

Just saw a mock draft that had the Eagles taking Robinson at 10 and my first thought was now we have to defend against that guy.

Schmitz has been falling to 58 on the simulator but he would still be a value pick as 26. Just watched him at the senior and he looks very good.

Sanders fills a need and you can’t ever have too many pressure players. We are extremely thin at LB. In addition he’s also edge player, a chess piece that Quinn and move around along with Parsons.

Schmitz is someone I like as well. Should be able to move to G and back to C next year when Biadez leaves for FA. This allows Tyler to stay at LT.

I really doubt we take a WR in the first few round given our needs at IOL, DT, RB, CB, LB,TE. This is assuming theres not an incredible value that falls at least a round.

Less and less convinced we take a TE in the 1st. There are too many talented TE and not much separation IMO.

 

[Cebrin]

Dallas Cowboys Draft Needs - In order (My Opinion)
1) Left Guard - Need a starter - Assuming Tyler Smith stays at LT
2) Running Back - Tony Pollard needs a complement and is only on the Franchise Tag
3) Defensive Tackle - Assuming Hankins resigns still need depth and more certainty at the 1T
4) Tight End - Like the potential of Ferguson and Hendershot but would like someone with a different skill set
5) Cornerback - Set for next year but lots of decisions need to be made next off season
6) Safety - Same as above
7) Linebacker - Not much depth behind LVE and Clark but expect this could be filled in the 2nd wave of free agency

Thinking at the 26th spot. - Hoping anyone of these prospects will be available: Obvious picks that won't be available such as Will Anderson aren't included:
1st - Would love if either Skoronski or Broderick Jones would fall - both can play guard or tackle at a high level - Probably not going to happen
2nd - Will one of the elite corners fall to 26? - Witherspoon, Gonzalez, Porter Jr - Again probably not going to happen
3rd - Maybe not a pressing need but if Myles Murphy or JSM falls to 26 - they are to talented to pass up but again probably won't be available
Would be ecstatic if any of these seven fell to 26:

Players I would pass on at 26:
1) Lukas Van Ness - Seems to be a very polarizing player
2) Darnell Wright or Anton Harrison - Awesome prospects but Tackle seems set with Smith and Steele
3) Michael Mayer - Think he is an awesome traditional tight-end but is similar (Better) to the skill set already on the roster
4) Dalton Kincaid - Back injuries scare me!
5) Brian Bresee - Injury concerns and isn't an ideal 1T
6) Mazi Smith - Only a 2 down player - to rich at 26
7) Any WR besides JSM - we are set for the next 2 years with Lamb, Cooks and Gallup as the top 3
8) Nolan Smith - Love him but think he is to small for are system at 235

Players I would think about taking at 26 who have better then average chance of being available : Not is order again my opinion
1) Bijan Robinson - Generation talent - He fits a need and can control him for 6 year cheap with the franchise tag
2) Darnell Washington - Unique talent that brings a different skillset then the others
3) Brian Branch - Can play safety or corner at a high level and both positions will be needed in 24

Players I like but would hope we could trade down a couple of spots at pick up an extra 3rd round pick: Not is order again my opinion
1) Jahmyr Gibbs - I understand he is similar to Pollard but think there is a clear drop after the top 2 running backs
2) O'Cyrus Torrance - Need pick - starting LG - Tyler Smith and Torrance could solidify the left side for a decade
3) Steve Aliva - Again need pick but with a little more flexibly - Smith and Aliva - Decade

Players I would target in the 2nd - Don't like options in most draft simulations: Also depends on 1st round selection and who I think will be available:
1) Sam LaPorta - Don't see much of a difference between him and the top prospects
2) Cody Mauch - Like the player - might take a year to get stronger
3) Matt Bergeron - Tackle convert to Guard
4) Jaylon Johnson - Love the physicality of the player in the secondary
5) Keeanu Benton - 1T that dominated the senior bowl
6) Siaka Ika - 1T - Didn't test well is a concern but might be worth the risk
7) Jack Campbell - Awesome talent that can do it all at linebacker

Not worth going any farther because of the uncertainty of the draft and the fact that I'm not a draft expert!

Cody Mauch is slept on to me. He's way stronger than people are saying, and he has a violent motor with his hands. He treats guys in front of him like a punching bag. Good anchor. He'll be solid year 1, and a stud year two if he puts in the work.

 

[Beast_from_East]

I still insist that O'Cyrus Torrance is the best option, with him we could solidify the OL, and for me he would be the best option at pick 26, moving down in the draft would mean that the Bills or Eagles could take him before the Cowboys. since they also require a guard, and he is the only legitimate LG in this draft, there are only two positions that the Cowboys really require LG, and DT to stop the run, the others are not that important just to contemplate for the future, but today the focus should be on those two picks,

Good points.....................I think Cyrus is going to be the pick as well if he is there.

6-5, 347 pounds...............could be your starting LG for the next decade.

If MM was serious about wanting to run the ball more, then drafting a monstrous road grader like Cyrus is a no brainer.

 

[Beast_from_East]

Kincaid’s back injury isn’t anything that will linger, like a herniated or slipped disk. Those are the kinds of issues that will just keep coming back like LaFluer’s or Charles Haley’s. Kincaid didn’t try to lift too much and he wasn’t pushing against another player and get bowed backwards. In fact, he wasn’t bending at all. That is where you do structural damage is getting bent wrong or trying to lift up too much weight.

Kincaid hurt it by jumping up high for a pass (catching a TD BTW) and landing flat on his back. It wasn’t bending in any way, it was just the impact of the ground that gave him a small fracture on his transverse process.

In fact, it was so minor that he went ahead and played in the next game, which was the PAC-12 Championship game. You don’t do that with a herniated or slipped disk. It just hurt him to play… there was no danger of further damage like there would be with a serious back issue.

In the above pic, you can see the transverse process is just a bony protrusion off of the vertebrae. It isn’t near the disk or the spinal cord. It is, just like any other bone, there for the muscles to attach to.

His cracked from the impact of landing on his back. He got clearance from doctors to go ahead and play in their last game, and then he just had to let it heal.

There was no surgery because doctors said it wasn’t necessary, so Kincaid has just been resting it and letting it heal up. The timeline that the doctors gave him for working out was after the combine, so he didn’t work out in Indy. He still went through all the medical though, so all the team doctor’s know that is isn’t much.

Then about a week before Utah’s Pro Day, the date arrived where he could begin working out. However, with no time to get ready for the event, he declined to work out there, but was still available for interviews with teams. It was smart not to work out when he hadn’t been preparing for the pro day. I wouldn’t have either. Not with what he has already put on tape at Utah.

He may or may not try to schedule a workout before the draft, but like they said the other day on the NFL Network… Kincaid’s body of work in college is so good that teams will probably be fine with him not working out prior to the draft.

So, he should be as good as new by the time the mini-camp rolls around, and his back will be no more worry than any other rookie’s back.

Here is what has been written prior to the combine about his injury:

---

Utah Football’s Dalton Kincaid, considered one of the better tight end prospects in the NFL Draft, is dealing with an injury ahead of the Scouting Combine. Kincaid will not participate in drills at the Combine, sources told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

The Utah football star suffered a small fracture in his back, an injury he played through in the Utes’ Pac-12 Championship game win over USC.

Orthopedist Robert Watkins determined that surgery on Dalton Kincaid’s injury was not necessary.

Garafolo reports that the Utah football star will meet with teams at the NFL Draft Combine instead of doing anything on the field.
Fortunately for Kincaid, the injury likely won’t affect his NFL Draft stock, as the Utah football star is expected to be cleared in the next few weeks, as Garafolo notes.

Kincaid enjoyed a career year for Utah football in 2022, tallying 70 receptions for 890 yards and eight touchdowns in 12 games played. His standout season included a monstrous, 16-catch, 234-yard effort in an October win over USC.

---

Link:
https://clutchpoints.com/utah-football-news-utes-dalton-kincaid-nfl-draft-combine-injury

Thanks for the info bro, I was not aware that it was just a simple fracture....................I feel better about drafting him now.

 

[morasp]

Sanders fills a need and you can’t ever have too many pressure players. We are extremely thin at LB. In addition he’s also edge player, a chess piece that Quinn and move around along with Parsons.

Schmitz is someone I like as well. Should be able to move to G and back to C next year when Biadez leaves for FA. This allows Tyler to stay at LT.

I really doubt we take a WR in the first few round given our needs at IOL, DT, RB, CB, LB,TE. This is assuming theres not an incredible value that falls at least a round.

Less and less convinced we take a TE in the 1st. There are too many talented TE and not much separation IMO.

TE, CB, and DT are pretty deep this year and I think they'll take one of each at some point in the draft.

AT CB, Gilmore gives them a chance to see if Joseph will develop. I hated the pick when they made it but the big knock on him going into the draft was lack of experience. He played 11 games at LSU as a special teamer and 9 games at UK at CB before entering the draft. If Dumb and Dumber really thought he would step right in and be a lock down corner they're even dumber than I thought. He didn't look out of place last year but you could see he needed a lot more experience. The worst thing I saw him do was jump a route and give up a touchdown, something I've seen Diggs do many times.

LB is pretty weak, at lest ones that can see the field and diagnose a play.

I'm not enamored with the top DTs and wouldn't blame them for not taking one early, a lot of the mid level prospects have much better production.

Mazi Smith 48 tackles 2.5 TFL 0.5 sacks
Byron Young (Ala.) 47 tackles 5.5 TFL 4 sacks

You're probably right about WR but I'm not too worried about what they would, this is what I would do. Hyatt does get mixed reviews. Can he beat press coverage against physical corners? He played in an offense designed to exploit broken coverages and on a lot of his catches there was no one around him. But what he does do he does quite well and I think he would add a legitimate deep threat that I can't remember having for a long time. They usually update the grades and ranks after the pro days but as of right now NFL has him rated as top WR and 10th best player on the board with a grade a little lower than Lamb's but the same as Garrett Wilson's last year. I do hope they go BPA, we aren't picking in the top half of the draft and our late first round picks are very iffy. Zack Martin was BPA and he's still playing. Byron jones was a need and he lasted 5 seasons. Of course Taco was a need and he lasted two seasons. LVE is still here but hey ignored a medical red flag and he hasn't lived up to expectations. He has been better under DQ though.