da bruinz and patchick

[bbell31]

I'm interested in seeing yalls mock draft of our first four pix and your favorite/top prospects for 22

 

[patchick]

I'm interested in seeing yalls mock draft of our first four pix and your favorite/top prospects for 22

Who, me? :blush:

I really don't feel like a have a good handle on this draft class yet, but FWIW here's my current working mock:

22 TRADE: New England trades #22 + #190 to Minnesota for #30, #93 and #161. Minnesota drafts safety Taylor Mays.
1 - 30 Koa Misi, OLB
2 - 44 Austen Lane, DE/OLB
2 - 47 Jared Veldheer, OT
2 - 53 Mardy Gilyard, WR
3 - 93 Linval Joseph, DE/DT
119 - TRADE: New England trades #119 and #231 to Kansas City for #144 and #149. KC drafts NT Arthur Jones.
5 - 144 Deji Karim, RB
5 - 149 Mike Kafka, QB
6 - 205 (comp) Michael Hoomanawanui, TE
7 - 229 Shawn Lauvao, OG
7 - 231 Brent Bowden, P
7 - 247 (comp) Scott Long, WR
7 - 248 (comp) Roddrick Muckelroy, LB
7 - 250 (comp) Keiland Williams, RB

 

[patchick]

Who, me? :blush:

I really don't feel like a have a good handle on this draft class yet, but FWIW here's my current working mock:

22 TRADE: New England trades #22 + #190 to Minnesota for #30, #93 and #161. Minnesota drafts safety Taylor Mays.
1 - 30 Koa Misi, OLB
2 - 44 Austen Lane, DE/OLB
2 - 47 Jared Veldheer, OT
2 - 53 Mardy Gilyard, WR
3 - 93 Linval Joseph, DE/DT
119 - TRADE: New England trades #119 and #231 to Kansas City for #144 and #149. KC drafts NT Arthur Jones.
5 - 144 Deji Karim, RB
5 - 149 Mike Kafka, QB
6 - 205 (comp) Michael Hoomanawanui, TE
7 - 229 Shawn Lauvao, OG
7 - 231 Brent Bowden, P
7 - 247 (comp) Scott Long, WR
7 - 248 (comp) Roddrick Muckelroy, LB
7 - 250 (comp) Keiland Williams, RB

Upon review, I seem to have lost #161. A shame, really.

 

[TriplecHamp]

Upon review, I seem to have lost #161. A shame, really.

I like the Lane and Kafka picks!

 

[StraightCashHomey81]

You really view Arthur Jones as an NT? I like him more as a 5-technique DE at 6'3 301 with pretty good lateral agility.

 

[DaBruinz]

Bbell - I won't be doing my Mock for another couple weeks yet.

However, my favorites for #22 are:
Spiller, McClain, Odrick, Bulaga

 

[Nonentity]

Bbell - I won't be doing my Mock for another couple weeks yet.

However, my favorites for #22 are:
Spiller, McClain, Odrick, Bulaga

Only one of those will fall to 22, in all likelihood.

 

[mgteich]

We only get to draft one player.

Only one of those will fall to 22, in all likelihood.

 

[mgteich]

Now that's a list that hard to argue with. I look forward to your mock. Odrick is falling on lots of mocks, so I suppose he could still be there on your mock and in real lfe.

Bbell - I won't be doing my Mock for another couple weeks yet.

However, my favorites for #22 are:
Spiller, McClain, Odrick, Bulaga

 

[patchick]

Now that's a list that hard to argue with. I look forward to your mock. Odrick is falling on lots of mocks, so I suppose he could still be there on your mock and in real lfe.

And predictably, Odrick is the one of the four I'm not crazy about. Such is life.

Aside from that, I agree with both of you. If one of the OTs (Williams or Bulaga) falls, I'm there; Spiller is the one skill player who'd tempt me; and I'd take the chance on McClain. I'd be surprised if any of them make it to 22, though, which is why my mock ended up with a trade down.

 

[bucky]

If one of the OTs (Williams or Bulaga) falls, I'm there;

I really don't understand this obsession with drafting OL in the first round. We spent 3 picks on OL last year - 2 of them fairly high. We're returning essentially 6 starters. Are they all Pro Bowlers? Of course not. But all OL get beat sometimes. Watch Bulaga get abused by Graham in last year's Michgan/Iowa game and you might think twice about spending a 1st round pick on him. I'm not saying he's not a 1st round prospect, just that we don't need to spend a 1st on OL - any OL.

 

[patsfan55]

Who, me? :blush:

I really don't feel like a have a good handle on this draft class yet, but FWIW here's my current working mock:

22 TRADE: New England trades #22 + #190 to Minnesota for #30, #93 and #161. Minnesota drafts safety Taylor Mays.
1 - 30 Koa Misi, OLB
2 - 44 Austen Lane, DE/OLB
2 - 47 Jared Veldheer, OT
2 - 53 Mardy Gilyard, WR
3 - 93 Linval Joseph, DE/DT
119 - TRADE: New England trades #119 and #231 to Kansas City for #144 and #149. KC drafts NT Arthur Jones.
5 - 144 Deji Karim, RB
5 - 149 Mike Kafka, QB
6 - 205 (comp) Michael Hoomanawanui, TE
7 - 229 Shawn Lauvao, OG
7 - 231 Brent Bowden, P
7 - 247 (comp) Scott Long, WR
7 - 248 (comp) Roddrick Muckelroy, LB
7 - 250 (comp) Keiland Williams, RB

LOVE the Lane pick. Really like the Gilyard pick. Lane is my second round binkie.

 

[Nonentity]

I really don't understand this obsession with drafting OL in the first round. We spent 3 picks on OL last year - 2 of them fairly high. We're returning essentially 6 starters. Are they all Pro Bowlers? Of course not. But all OL get beat sometimes. Watch Bulaga get abused by Graham in last year's Michgan/Iowa game and you might think twice about spending a 1st round pick on him. I'm not saying he's not a 1st round prospect, just that we don't need to spend a 1st on OL - any OL.

I think it's easier to project a OL into the NFL than any other position - they obviously have their share of busts but it's generally all there on tape to see. Scheme is less important and they are less dependent on their surrounding players. This then leads to the best OLs being drafted in the early rounds and fewer sleepers in the later rounds. Sure, centers get drafted later on, but they're like kickers - everyone needs one, but you can only have one on the field at any one time, meaning that depth isn't especially important. The result of that is less demand for centers since there can only be 32 starting centers in the league.

Looking at our own offensive line, we have Light (2nd round, Pro Bowl x 2), Mankins (1st round, Pro Bowl x 2), Koppen (5th round, Pro Bowl x 1), Stephen Neal (UDFA wrestler), Nick Kazcur (3rd round) and Sebastian Vollmer (2nd round, future Pro Bowler).

Aside from Neal, who no-one could have predicted, talent really does correlate to draft position. You can easily contrast that to positions like WR where draft status seems practically irrelevant. Top offensive linemen are generally either from the first 2 rounds of the draft or were conversion projects like Jason Peters (used to be a TE) or Stephen Neal.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I think it's easier to project a OL into the NFL than any other position - they obviously have their share of busts but it's generally all there on tape to see. Scheme is less important and they are less dependent on their surrounding players. This then leads to the best OLs being drafted in the early rounds and fewer sleepers in the later rounds. Sure, centers get drafted later on, but they're like kickers - everyone needs one, but you can only have one on the field at any one time, meaning that depth isn't especially important. The result of that is less demand for centers since there can only be 32 starting centers in the league.

Looking at our own offensive line, we have Light (2nd round, Pro Bowl x 2), Mankins (1st round, Pro Bowl x 2), Koppen (5th round, Pro Bowl x 1), Stephen Neal (UDFA wrestler), Nick Kazcur (3rd round) and Sebastian Vollmer (2nd round, future Pro Bowler).

Aside from Neal, who no-one could have predicted, talent really does correlate to draft position. You can easily contrast that to positions like WR where draft status seems practically irrelevant. Top offensive linemen are generally either from the first 2 rounds of the draft or were conversion projects like Jason Peters (used to be a TE) or Stephen Neal.

Yes, but NE also won three SBs with journeymen at LG & RT, a fifth rounder at C, a world class Wrestler conversion at RG, and journeymen as the two primary back-ups (both of whom got starts in SBs). BB has used the luxury of depth elsewhere to draft Mankins & Kaczur & Vollmer - all college LTs, to upgrade the OL.

 

[patchick]

I really don't understand this obsession with drafting OL in the first round.

For me, it's largely a matter of draft strategy. I think that Williams & Beluga are solid values at 22 -- and tackles go very high these days, so it's kind of all or nothing. If you want one you'll have to bite early. Whereas plenty of attractive WRs, for instance, should be available from the mid-2nd on.

(If there were really an obsession with OL in the 1st, then Pouncey would be on all of our lists.)

 

[bucky]

For me, it's largely a matter of draft strategy. I think that Williams & Beluga are solid values at 22 -- and tackles go very high these days, so it's kind of all or nothing. If you want one you'll have to bite early. Whereas plenty of attractive WRs, for instance, should be available from the mid-2nd on.

(If there were really an obsession with OL in the 1st, then Pouncey would be on all of our lists.)

That's what I'm saying. Pouncey is on waay too many lists. So's Bulaga. So are guys like Staffold. There's a real opportunity to improve the quality of the defensive front 7, TE, and skill positions on offense in the first 2 rounds. I don't want any OL or DBs in these top 4 picks. And obviously no Tebow.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

For me, it's largely a matter of draft strategy. I think that Williams & Beluga are solid values at 22 -- and tackles go very high these days, so it's kind of all or nothing. If you want one you'll have to bite early. Whereas plenty of attractive WRs, for instance, should be available from the mid-2nd on.

(If there were really an obsession with OL in the 1st, then Pouncey would be on all of our lists.)

Bulaga comes from the Iowa zone blocking scheme that is very similar to ours, if he fell to #22, I think BB would have to seriously consider drafting this kid.

Williams and Pouncey are not on my Pats type players board.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Bulaga comes from the Iowa zone blocking scheme that is very similar to ours, if he fell to #22, I think BB would have to seriously consider drafting this kid.

Williams and Pouncey are not on my Pats type players board.

Williams surprised me with his Combine athleticism, he clearly could run & dance with the rest of NE's OL. I like a kid who can play both OTs and kick inside to OC when his team needs a reliable replacement for a bowl game, there may be a question or two about work habits, but I can see him as a fit for NE...not that he's a "need."

I wouldn't expect the OTs to slide much in this draft, I think the run on OTs in the mock draft game is pretty real world NFL - it's the late start on DEs which surprised me. Anywho, Williams or Bulaga at 22 would make nice trade bait.

 

[bucky]

I wouldn't expect the OTs to slide much in this draft, I think the run on OTs in the mock draft game is pretty real world NFL - it's the late start on DEs which surprised me. Anywho, Williams or Bulaga at 22 would make nice trade bait.

Ah yes. A number of players could slide down to 22 making nice trade bait. Any of the OL or 43 LBs (Weatherspoon) are candidates as are any of the DBs. But the most interesting trade bait of all is Clausen. I think if he gets past Buffalo, he will be in free-falling mode a la Brady Quinn. Ironically, Quinn was drafted at the 22nd slot by the Browns who gave up pick # 36 and the following year's #1.

 

[mgteich]

Bulaga will be picked in the top 10. If he were to reach 22, I would think that he must have a drug problem. But, if are simply talking about whether Bulaga is worth #22 to us, I strongly disagree with your analysis. We would be set at OT for 5 years.

That's what I'm saying. Pouncey is on waay too many lists. So's Bulaga. So are guys like Staffold. There's a real opportunity to improve the quality of the defensive front 7, TE, and skill positions on offense in the first 2 rounds. I don't want any OL or DBs in these top 4 picks. And obviously no Tebow.