2018 NFL Draft Thread

bizarro · Post #401 » by **bizarro** » Mon Mar 5, 2018 9:32 pm

wichmae wrote:I truly think Vander Esch ends up being our pick and I'm completely fine with that.

He has an uncanny likeness to Clay Mathews, imho - except, he tops Matthews in nearly every combine athletic category but the bench. He's got a height edge, speed and quickness edge, and carries 16 more lbs than Clay coming in. Yeah, I'd be just fine with Vanderesch as well.

bizarro · Post #402 » by **bizarro** » Mon Mar 5, 2018 9:43 pm

Here's Vander Esch in his bowl game vs. Oregon. Really nice performance.

Watch on YouTube

Ron Swanson · Post #403 » by **Ron Swanson** » Mon Mar 5, 2018 10:47 pm

It'd certainly be nice to have a LB that tackles with his arms/wraps up, and isn't physically overmatched (love Blake Martinez but...).

wichmae · Post #404 » by **wichmae** » Mon Mar 5, 2018 11:14 pm

bizarro wrote:
wichmae wrote:I truly think Vander Esch ends up being our pick and I'm completely fine with that.

He has an uncanny likeness to Clay Mathews, imho - except, he tops Matthews in nearly every combine athletic category but the bench. He's got a height edge, speed and quickness edge, and carries 16 more lbs than Clay coming in. Yeah, I'd be just fine with Vanderesch as well.

I feel the exact same way. I think he literally is the most under rated player in the entire draft. He's athletic. Has more frame to fill and has an amazing motor with no injury flags. I'd be all over him at 14..

Balls2TheWalls · Post #405 » by **Balls2TheWalls** » Tue Mar 6, 2018 12:14 am

If he and Roquan Smith are there at 14 and we take Vander Esch, I will be furious.

Mags FTW · Post #406 » by **Mags FTW** » Tue Mar 6, 2018 3:37 am

Balls2TheWalls wrote:If he and Roquan Smith are there at 14 and we take Vander Esch, I will be furious.

Vander Esch at 14 in any scenario is a reach.

LUKE23 · Post #407 » by **LUKE23** » Tue Mar 6, 2018 4:01 am

Roquan for sure if he's there.

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RRyder823 · Post #408 » by **RRyder823** » Tue Mar 6, 2018 10:05 pm

Maybe it's the Seminole fan in me but I am really starting to think grabbing James at 14 is the way to go. Let's u let Burnette walk without worrying about the back end and give us a swiss army knife to work with and would probably be our most athletically gifted player in the secondary since Woodson/Collins.

If not James I'm all about trading back and bringing in Jackson

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Post #409 » by **ReasonablySober** » Wed Mar 7, 2018 12:01 am

I probably lean Vander Esch over Smith because of his size and being no less explosive. I can see him being a double digit sack edge rusher too, and no way Smith is offering that.

Post #410 » by **ReasonablySober** » Wed Mar 7, 2018 12:01 am

RRyder823 wrote:Maybe it's the Seminole fan in me but I am really starting to think grabbing James at 14 is the way to go. Let's u let Burnette walk without worrying about the back end and give us a swiss army knife to work with and would probably be our most athletically gifted player in the secondary since Woodson/Collins.

If not James I'm all about trading back and bringing in Jackson

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Would be fine (and a little scared) with James too.

Balls2TheWalls · Post #411 » by **Balls2TheWalls** » Wed Mar 7, 2018 12:50 am

ReasonablySober wrote:I probably lean Vander Esch over Smith because of his size and being no less explosive. I can see him being a double digit sack edge rusher too, and no way Smith is offering that.

I have no idea where you are getting the idea that he could be a double digit edge rusher. He has 5 career sacks in the Mountain West and is a 240 pound guy. Roquan Smith did not have sacks coming into this season, but had 6.5 this season in the SEC. He also had almost double the tackles for loss. Smith's film reminds me of Lavonte David coming out of Nebraska. He is all over the field, great blitzing, and has the instincts you are looking for. I generally find that the combine is the time when suddenly people who didn't look like great football players on the field get insane credit because of something they did while no football was being played.

Mags FTW · Post #412 » by **Mags FTW** » Wed Mar 7, 2018 12:57 am

For as much as I’ve read “speed, speed, speed” on this board, I’m surprised people are on board with taking a guy with a slower 40, 3 Cone, and 20 yard shuttle than AJ Hawk.

Balls2TheWalls · Post #413 » by **Balls2TheWalls** » Wed Mar 7, 2018 1:06 am

Mags FTW wrote:For as much as I’ve read “speed, speed, speed” on this board, I’m surprised people are on board with taking a guy with a slower 40, 3 Cone, and 20 yard shuttle than AJ Hawk.

AJ Hawk tested elite at the combine. His 3 cone would have been tied for 3rd. His 20 shuttle would have beaten everyone. Broad jump would have been the highest, and his vertical would have been the 2nd highest. He was an absolute monster at the combine. He also ran a 4.47 at his pro day. There was more of an issue with his athletic nature not being suited for the pros, and not his measurables. I think that the combine needs to be treated differently than it is being treated. Being able to run fast and jump high is not all that important if you can't make it happen on the field. This is why there have been a lot of "out of nowhere" monsters created at the combine that get drafted and do nothing. It should be treated as a barrier to entry. If you show that you can do it on the field, and then teams find out that you can't run at an acceptable speed to be able to translate it to the pros, then you are a bad fit.

Post #414 » by **ReasonablySober** » Wed Mar 7, 2018 2:34 am

Balls2TheWalls wrote:
ReasonablySober wrote:I probably lean Vander Esch over Smith because of his size and being no less explosive. I can see him being a double digit sack edge rusher too, and no way Smith is offering that.

I have no idea where you are getting the idea that he could be a double digit edge rusher. He has 5 career sacks in the Mountain West and is a 240 pound guy. Roquan Smith did not have sacks coming into this season, but had 6.5 this season in the SEC. He also had almost double the tackles for loss. Smith's film reminds me of Lavonte David coming out of Nebraska. He is all over the field, great blitzing, and has the instincts you are looking for. I generally find that the combine is the time when suddenly people who didn't look like great football players on the field get insane credit because of something they did while no football was being played.

He was over 250 at the combine, and he played exclusively in the middle at Boise. No reason with his size and length he couldn't play outside.

Post #415 » by **ReasonablySober** » Wed Mar 7, 2018 2:39 am

Mags FTW wrote:For as much as I’ve read “speed, speed, speed” on this board, I’m surprised people are on board with taking a guy with a slower 40, 3 Cone, and 20 yard shuttle than AJ Hawk.

He's taller, weighs 15 lbs more, and has a better 40, Vert, Broad, 3-Cone, and 20 yard shuttle than Clay Matthews.

WeekapaugGroove · Post #416 » by **WeekapaugGroove** » Wed Mar 7, 2018 2:42 am

Smith seems like a nice prospect and if he's far and away the bpa sure take him. But edge rusher and cb are far bigger needs at more important positions.

LUKE23 · Post #417 » by **LUKE23** » Wed Mar 7, 2018 2:57 pm

I feel like Smith is a Kuechly level ILB, so I would love to add him. I do agree that in a vacuum, edge rusher is easily the biggest need, but still need to go BPA. I just think Smith is a more dynamic process than Vander Esch.

Balls2TheWalls · Post #418 » by **Balls2TheWalls** » Wed Mar 7, 2018 3:21 pm

LUKE23 wrote:I feel like Smith is a Kuechly level ILB, so I would love to add him. I do agree that in a vacuum, edge rusher is easily the biggest need, but still need to go BPA. I just think Smith is a more dynamic process than Vander Esch.

There is a *steep* drop off at edge rusher after Chubb. We have had our shot to draft a guy like Smith a couple of times. I was very attached to CJ Mosley before the Ravens picked him up (the Ravens always seem to get the linebackers I want). Realistically I would like for us to get Edmunds or Smith if they fall to mid round. If both of them are gone, then going CB, WR, TE are all viable options. Payne out of Alabama might be another piece to add, even though we are looking into Wilkerson. It looks like 3, maybe 4, QBs could be gone before us. Hopefully some QB swoops make teams panic.

Post #419 » by **MickeyDavis** » Wed Mar 7, 2018 6:30 pm

Read on Twitter

IrishRainbow · Post #420 » by **IrishRainbow** » Wed Mar 7, 2018 6:58 pm

MickeyDavis wrote:

Read on Twitter

Yeah, Barqs has bite. (I need to copyright that*) and despite the recent RB draft value trend should be #1. Draft bpa at 4 throw cash to Cousins. Cuz/Barq/JoGo....load the D and trenches the rest of the way.

*oh, wait...

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