Annual CBS sports draft game, what are your picks?

First off, I hate the title, but I couldn't come up with anything better.
This has been done in years past and thought since we are a month out, we should do it again.

Using CBS rankings, tell us who you would take for the Patriots.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospectrankings

Rules:
1. In round 1, you may select a player 5 spots ahead of the Patriots pick or any player after their pick
2. In rounds 2 and 3, 7 spots ahead or any after
3. Rounds 4-7, 10 spots ahead or any after
IF you decide to do trades, please make them realistic, here is a trade value chart
http://www.draftcountdown.com/features/Value-Chart.php

For example:
In round 1, you could chose Arik Armstead(#27) or anyone beyond.

The Patriots picks:
RD 1: #32
RD 2: #64
RD 3: #96
RD 3: #97(not tradeable)
RD 4: #101
RD 4: #131
RD 6: #178
RD 7: #220
RD 7: #254(not tradeable)

Go!!!

Is this to be predictive of what will happen or what we want to happen?

OK, I'll go first. This is a sort of prediction of what I think might happen.

Trade

Trade 96 and 101 for 85. I realise this gives up value but I needed the trade to make the mock work. Not really worried about matching values exactly.



32 Byron Jones, CB, UConn

64 Tre Jackson, OG, Florida State

85 Grady Jarrett, DL, Clemson

97 Ben Heeney, LB, Kansas

131 Kenny Bell, WR, Nebraska

178 Malcolm Brown, RB, Texas

220 Cassius Sendish, S, Kansas

254 Angelo Blackson, DL, Auburn

Double down on the DL, OL and CB. CBS Rankings are off an some of these won't be there come draft day.

RD 1: #32 TJ Clemmings OT Pitt - Guard or tackle, smart and as bust proof a pick as there is still with a high ceiling.
Trade to 40-ish for Jordan Phillips DT Oklahoma - Boom or bust gamble
RD 2: #64 + #96
RD 3: #96 traded
RD 3: #97(not tradeable) Marcus Hardison DT ASU - Between Phillips and Hardison two different players who solidify the line.
RD 4: #101 Eric Rowe CB Utah - press corner
RD 4: #131 Justin Cox CB MSU - Double dip with big athletic corners who's worse case is safety.
RD 6: #178 - Malcolm Brown RB Texas - One cut back who's fast in short area but will fall due to top end speed.
RD 7: #220 traded
RD 7: #254(not tradeable) - Jarvis Harrison OG Texas A&M - I like the size and small area speed combo.

manxman2601 said:

Is this to be predictive of what will happen or what we want to happen?

Click to expand...

This one has traditionally been what we would do. The who will the Pats take contest just before the draft covers that one.

everlong said:

Double down on the DL, OL and CB. CBS Rankings are off an some of these won't be there come draft day.

RD 1: #32 TJ Clemmings OT Pitt - Guard or tackle, smart and as bust proof a pick as there is still with a high ceiling.
Trade to 40-ish for Jordan Phillips DT Oklahoma - Boom or bust gamble
RD 2: #64 + #96
RD 3: #96 traded
RD 3: #97(not tradeable) Marcus Hardison DT ASU - Between Phillips and Hardison two different players who solidify the line.
RD 4: #101 Eric Rowe CB Utah - press corner
RD 4: #131 Justin Cox CB MSU - Double dip with big athletic corners who's worse case is safety.
RD 6: #178 - Malcolm Brown RB Texas - One cut back who's fast in short area but will fall due to top end speed.
RD 7: #220 traded
RD 7: #254(not tradeable) - Jarvis Harrison OG Texas A&M - I like the size and small area speed combo.

Click to expand...

That's a boom or bust top three picks. Will either get you venerated as a GM or sacked. Not criticising because I love Clemmings and Hardison but I'm not sure I could be that bold.

manxman2601 said:

That's a boom or bust top three picks. Will either get you venerated as a GM or sacked. Not criticising because I love Clemmings and Hardison but I'm not sure I could be that bold.

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I think for where they're drafted they're all calculated gambles. I wouldn't take Phillips in the first but at 40 with his ceiling it's a lesser gamble. I thought about trading up for your guy Jones too but I really like the value of Rowe and Cox later.

At 97 swinging for the fences makes sense.

I guess I don't see Clemmings as a big risk. I really think he's Vollmer 2.0 but can also slide inside.

everlong said:

I think for where they're drafted they're all calculated gambles. I wouldn't take Phillips in the first but at 40 with his ceiling it's a lesser gamble. I thought about trading up for your guy Jones too but I really like the value of Rowe and Cox later.

At 97 swinging for the fences makes sense.

I guess I don't see Clemmings as a big risk. I really think he's Vollmer 2.0 but can also slide inside.

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I have Clemmings as a first round choice but it's hard to have watched him in the senior bowl and not consider him a risk, he was pretty poor.

manxman2601 said:

I have Clemmings as a first round choice but it's hard to have watched him in the senior bowl and not consider him a risk, he was pretty poor.

Click to expand...

Good point. Hopefully an anomaly.

This is hard because I don't think that CBS's rankings are at all reflective of what will happen. So I'll do 2 versions:

1. Best case scenario based on CBS' rankings (includes optional tampering pick scenario):

32. Marcus Peters, CB, Washington (29)
[Optional: Pats swap #63 and #37 with the Jets for tampering; Pats trade #37 (530 points) to Philadelphia for #52 and #84 (550 points)
52. Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana (62)]
64 (without optional scenario) or 84. Ali Marpet, OL, Hobart (80)
96. Marcus Hardison, DL, Arizona St. (95)
97. Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M (100) or Donovan Smith, OL, Penn St. (102)
101. Davis Tull, EDGE, Tennessee-Chattanooga (103)
*** Trade: Pats trade #131 and #178 (61.2 points) to Houston for #116 (62 points)
116. Eric Rowe, CB, Utah (118)
220. DeAndre Smelter, WR, Georgia Tech (381)
254. Tyeler Davison, DT, Fresno St. (285)

Realistically, I don't think Cedric Ogbuehi will drop to the end of the 3rd round, I doubt Ali Marpet will last until 64 or Marcus Hardison until 96, and there's no way Eric Rowe lasts to #118.

2. More realistic scenario: (assumes Eric Rowe and Cedric Ogbuehi are gone before 97)

32. Marcus Peters, CB, Washington (29)
64. Ali Marpet, OL, Hobart (80)
** Trade: Pats trade #96 and 101(212 points) to Houston for #82 and 152 (210.6 points)
82. Marcus Hardison, DL, Arizona St. (95)
97. Davis Tull, EDGE, Tennessee-Chattanooga (103)
131. Chris Conley, WR, Georgia (122)
152. Jamil Douglas, OL, Arizona St. (152)
178. Nick Marshall, CB, Auburn (177)
220. DeAndre Smelter, WR, Georgia Tech (381)
254. Tyeler Davison, DT, Fresno St. (285)

Mayo is right, this is harder than I thought it would be. I tried to stay away from binkies, but couldn't avoid it with Smith at 97.

#32 traded to Washington for #38 & #105
#64, #101, and #220 traded to Detroit for #54

#38 - DJ Humphries (OT) (When will BB's obsession with this school end?)
#54 - Byron Jones (CB) He'll be gone by this pick. Maybe Jalen Collins or Alex Carter?
#96 - Jaquiski Tartt (SS) Chung backup this year and replacement next year.
#97* - Za'Darius Smith (DE) Pick may seem redundant, but his play intrigues me.
#105 - Mitch Morse (G) Think of this guy as a poor man's Jake Fisher G covert project.
#131 - Leterrius Watson (DT)
#178 - Alani Fua (OLB) They used him all over the place at BYU.
#254* - Kyle Brindza (K) Ghost insurance. Hopefully just a camp kicker.

Pretty much a consensus regarding cb with the first pick. It's unfortunate and I was ill prepared for losing both Revis and Browner. I had other plans with this draft and their departure definitely puts a wrench in things.

32. Marcus Peters cb, Wash st. IMO bar none the best cb in this draft talent wise and it isn't even close. Hopefully he can put everything behind him and become a man with some guidance from the Patriots locker room. I highly,highly doubt he is available at 32. Just like Gurley, talent wise he is going to be hard to pass up for a lot of teams needing a cb. Pittsburgh and Baltimore for example. I absolutely hate going CB with this pick as it was not a need less than a month ago.

64. Ali Marpet G, Hobart. Another pretty much consensus pick here. Athletically gifted and physically dominating. I wouldn't be shocked if he was picked at 32. Btw, did the Pats work him out or attend his pro day?

96. Marcus Hardison DT, Arizona st. Pretty much a DT that has huge upside at where he is projected here. These ranking are flawed if people think he will be here.

97. Eric Rowe cb, Utah. Inject more size, youth and athletisism into the backfield. Very promising secondary for years to come with McCourty guaranteed to be around to help them with the rookie transition.

101. Josue Matias G, Florida st. 3 year starter from a great program. One hell of a oline they've had. With some technique adjustments could be a another Florida st oline steal.

131. Zach Hodges LB, Harvard. I like these types of players and I'm definitely ok with the Pats reaching on these types of players. When you hit your a genius. When you miss you end up with Crable and Bequette haters for life. This pick may add to their ammo but screw them. A good gamble once inawhile never hurts.

178. Shaq Mason C, Georgia Tech. Height brings him down the draft boards. I doubt this far, but easily an easy choice at 178. Give the kid some NFL coaching and I could see some nice contributions from him.

220. Deandre Smelter WR, Georgia Tech. Reminds me of a Brandon Tate type pick. Hopefully with better results. I've read the discussions between Manx and Mayo for a long while and am somewhat intrigued by his upside. Put him in a system that plays to his strengths and you just may have a super sleeper. No hurry as Dobson is in a make or break year I believe.

254. Jean Sifrin TE, Massachusetts. 27 year old rookie but has shown well in the red zone. Like Victor Cruz plays right in the Patriots back yard. Will they pass on this red zone beast?

I suppose since I started this thread I better put my thoughts out there.
I decided to manipulate the board and do some trades:
Trade #1:
Jacksonville gets pick #32, Patriots get #36, #139, and #221
Pick #36-Marcus Peters, CB- My #1 corner in this draft and I think if they can get him it gives them options from a scheme standpoint.

Trade #2:
Patriots get pick #57, Carolina gets #64, #131, #178
Pick #57- Danielle Hunter, DE- I am higher on him than most, but his freakish size and movement skills are so enticing. Gives BB another player to mold and use in a variety of positions and situtations.

Trade #3:
Patriots get pick #87, Steelers get #96, #139, #221
Pick #87-Ali Marpet, OG- This pick is off of very limited tape, but his performance at the Senior Bowl and Combine were enough to get excited about and take this early. Hopefully he can start day 1, but may need some time to adjust to nfl speed.

Pick #97-Marcus Hardison, DT- I think enough has been written on Hardison on this board, but he has a great first step to create disruption and enough size to stay in and play the run. Not a finished product, but can contribute situationally day 1.

Trade #4:
Colts get pick #101, Patriots get #128, #165 and a 3rd round pick next year.
Pick #128-Eric Rowe, CB- The more I watch and read about Rowe, the more I really like him. He has position flexibility but will get his shot as a #2 press corner (think Brandon Browner.) Very aggressive, great tackler, locates the ball well. Long speed on tape is an issue, but showed at the combine the speed is there.

Pick #165-Zack Hodges, LB- Hodges is another player with some position flexibility that could play a reserve role in year 1. He is known for his pass rush skills, but he moves well enough in space and is a good enough tackler that he could play some ILB as well.

Pick #254-Tyrell Williams, WR- I am going to assume that since BB went and personally worked this kid out at his pro day that there is some interest. He is a freak athlete with great size and if he can be developed, the Patriots could have a steal on their hands with their final pick.


Unfortunately, there is no way the Patriots could pull off this draft, it is about as perfect (to me) as it could get. It addresses major needs, it adds a pick in next years draft, and it gets a couple of my binkies. I couldn't quite swing get "diggy" on the team, so it is not quite perfect, but this draft would leave a smile on my face for sure.

midwestpatsfan said:

Trade #2:
Patriots get pick #57, Carolina gets #64, #131, #178
Pick #57- Danielle Hunter, DE- I am higher on him than most, but his freakish size and movement skills are so enticing. Gives BB another player to mold and use in a variety of positions and situtations.

Click to expand...

I like both Hunter and Benardrick McKinney as 2nd round EDGE rushers with a lot of versatility, explosiveness and upside. Both are a bit raw, though. Davis Tull has similar (if not better) versatility and athleticism, though he lacks their length and played against a lower level of competition; I could see going EDGE in the 2nd as a possibility, though.

Your Picks:
Round 1 Pick 32: T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh (B+)
Round 2 Pick 32: Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana (A-)
Round 3 Pick 32: Marcus Hardison, DT, Arizona State (A)
Round 3 Pick 33 (COMP): Eric Rowe, CB/FS, Utah (B)
Round 4 Pick 2: Josue Matias, OG, Florida State (B)
Round 4 Pick 32: Ben Koyack, TE, Notre Dame (A)
Round 6 Pick 2: Laurence Gibson, OT, Virginia Tech (F)
Round 7 Pick 2: Stefon Diggs, WR, Maryland (A)
Round 7 Pick 36 (COMP): Anthony Jefferson, SS, UCLA (A-

Kevin Johnson Wake cb , g/t Erving,1--- Ogbuehi type in 2nd, grady jarrett 2/3, Tyler Lockett 4th, then value depth findssss. Fill Dt G CB needs then its just depth for poss injuries and nxt years replacements

midwestpatsfan said:

Unfortunately, there is no way the Patriots could pull off this draft, it is about as perfect (to me) as it could get.

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That's the problem with this game. It's fun, but not very realistic. Prospect rankings on one general media board have very little value as a draft tool.

Wait! How about this one?:
Your Picks:
Round 1 Pick 32: T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh (B+)
Round 2 Pick 32: Byron Jones, CB, Connecticut (A)
Round 3 Pick 32: Grady Jarrett, DT, Clemson (A)
Round 3 Pick 33 (COMP): David Cobb, RB, Minnesota (A)
Round 4 Pick 2: John Miller, OG, Louisville (A)
Round 4 Pick 32: Chris Conley, WR, Georgia (B)
Round 6 Pick 2: Greg Mancz, C, Toledo (C)
Round 7 Pick 2: Justin Manton, K, Louisiana-Monroe (A)
Round 7 Pick 36 (COMP): Antwan Goodley, WR, Baylor (B+

YOUGOTMOSSED said:

Wait! How about this one?:
Your Picks:
Round 1 Pick 32: T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh (B+)
Round 2 Pick 32: Byron Jones, CB, Connecticut (A)
Round 3 Pick 32: Grady Jarrett, DT, Clemson (A)
Round 3 Pick 33 (COMP): David Cobb, RB, Minnesota (A)
Round 4 Pick 2: John Miller, OG, Louisville (A)
Round 4 Pick 32: Chris Conley, WR, Georgia (B)
Round 6 Pick 2: Greg Mancz, C, Toledo (C)
Round 7 Pick 2: Justin Manton, K, Louisiana-Monroe (A)
Round 7 Pick 36 (COMP): Antwan Goodley, WR, Baylor (B+

Click to expand...

Your first three picks are close to perfect. Byron Jones at 64 probably ends up being somewhat ambitious however.

32 - OG Cann (with a corner likely available later, this is a huge bargain)
54 - CB Jones (trade using 64 and 96)
97 - RB Cobb
101 - DT Hardison
116 - CB Rowe (trade using 131 and 178)

I think that we need to sign veterans backups at OG and LB.