Time for the first mock draft of the year.
I wanted to mix things up a little bit compared to some of the mocks out there, but here’s a few pointers…
– Whichever team gets the #1 pick, I still think they’re going to find it very difficult to pass on Jadeveon Clowney. When you pick that early, you want a special player. Or at least a player with the potential to be special. Clowney and J.J. Watt could be a partnership for the ages, and something Houston simply has to consider even if they feel Case Keenum isn’t the guy. If I’d done a second round projection, I would’ve had the Texans selecting A.J. McCarron at #33.
– Sam Bradford has had a tough time in St. Louis. Multiple offensive coordinators. Very little consistency. A dearth of weapons. And his huge pre-CBA contract has severely limited the Rams’ ability to really attack free agency. At the same time, he has one year left on his contract. And because he’s been earning so much these last four seasons — any extension will need to be massive. I don’t see how you can make that commitment. The Rams have the luxury of two picks and could even end up with the #1 choice. They need to consider taking Teddy Bridgewater.
– The two positions of strength in this class are offensive tackle and receiver. That’s my take. But a ton of league sources are raving about the cornerbacks. I’ve tried to represent that in this mock.
– I’m not a Washington Huskies fan. I’m not a fan of any college team. The reason Bishop Sankey is in the first round of this mock is down to one thing and one thing only. He’s a hell of a football player.
– Cincinnati needs to find a quarterback. Andy Dalton teases the Bengals fans with 4-5 games every year where he looks the part. The rest of the time he wastes all that talent on the Cincy roster. That’s not to say Johnny Manziel is necessarily the answer. But surely the Bengals have to weigh up their options here? They’ll have to pay Dalton in a year. Do you really want to make that long term commitment?
– Keep an eye on UCF’s Blake Bortles. He’s a very modern NFL quarterback — a big, mobile presence with an arm. I can see Cleveland going down that road with one of their two first round picks ahead of someone like Derek Carr. And I like Carr, just not necessarily in round one.
– For the Seahawks I took a tackle. Brandon Scherff is a punishing run blocker and looks like a Tom Cable prospect. I sincerely hope the Seahawks find a way to keep Breno Giacomini, but it’s going to be tough to pay him and the likes of Richard Sherman, Golden Tate, Earl Thomas and Michael Bennett. You can see some Scherff tape at the top of this piece.
All thoughts welcome in the comments section.
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#1 Jadeveon Clowney (DE, South Carolina) Jadeveon Clowney next to J.J. Watt makes it acceptable to wait until round two for a quarterback. |
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#2 Teddy Bridgewater (QB, Louisville) The Rams are coming to a crossroads with Sam Bradford. Either they pay him mega bucks, or they move on. I’d move on. |
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#3 Anthony Barr (DE, UCLA) Gus Bradley’s new athletic LEO. Their defense needs a guy with his speed off the edge. |
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#4 Jake Matthews (T, Texas A&M) With the top two DE’s gone, this is the other big need in Atlanta. |
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#5 Cyrus Kouandjio (T, Alabama) The best tackle in this class for me. Superb talent. Not sure why he has so many critics. |
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#6 Re’Shede Hageman (DE, Minnesota) Athletic specimen. Why else have they stashed Josh Freeman? He must be the plan for 2014. Surely? |
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#7 Mike Evans (WR, Texas A&M) Who wouldn’t want a Vincent Jackson clone? |
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#8 Sammy Watkins (WR, Clemson) He’d be a great compliment to Josh Gordon in Cleveland. |
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#9 Greg Robinson (T, Auburn) Robinson’s a fast rising prospect who looks the part of a NFL left tackle. |
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#10 Antonio Richardson (T, Tennessee) Athletic ‘beast’ of a player with limitless potential. His play has been inconsistent this year, however. |
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#11 Eric Ebron (TE, North Carolina) Looks like a difference maker at tight end. Ebron’s production hasn’t dipped despite the change of quarterback at UNC. |
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#12 Darqueze Dennard (CB, Michigan State) Keep an eye on this guy against Ohio State. He could be the top corner for 2014. |
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#13 Vic Beasley (DE, Clemson) Elite speed off the edge, 12 sacks this year. Welcome to the modern day pass rusher. |
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#14 Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (S, Alabama) The Rams defense is perhaps a great safety (or corner) away from being very scary. |
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#15 Taylor Lewan (T, Michigan) Solid, if unspectacular, offensive lineman. New York needs to rebuild in the trenches. |
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#16 Justin Gilbert (CB, Oklahoma State) He’s making plays and getting good reviews all year. |
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#17 Louis Nix (DT, Notre Dame) He’s not been dominant in 2013 and it’s a concern. Has he added too much bad weight? |
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#18 Cameron Erving (T, Florida State) Converted defensive lineman. Big upside. Would test well at the combine. |
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#19 Zack Martin (T, Notre Dame) A lot of people want to convert him to guard. I like him where he is — at left tackle. |
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#20 Kyle Van Noy (DE, BYU) Philly desperately needs talent on defense. Van Noy is a playmaker. |
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| #21 Odell Beckham Jr (WR, LSU) Terrific, polished, explosive receiver. He could go earlier than this. |
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#22 Loucheiz Purifoy (CB, Florida) Inconsistent corner but plays the run well and a decent athlete. |
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#23 Marqise Lee (WR, USC) Criminally underrated because he lacks elite physical tools. He could be a star. |
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#24 Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (CB, Oregon) Solid all-round corner prospect who can play outside or in the slot. |
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#25 Bishop Sankey (RB, Washington) Dallas reached for a center last year, so why not a running back? Sankey is a stud. |
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#26 Bradley Roby (CB, Ohio State) Average 2013 season could prove costly. Still, the talent is there. |
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#27 Johnny Manziel (QB, Texas A&M) Andy Dalton has had more than enough time to prove he’s the guy. Someone is going to roll the dice on Manziel. |
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#28 Blake Bortles (QB, UCF) Big, mobile quarterback who can get the ball downfield. Could begin a quick rise up the boards. Having a great season. |
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#29 Jason Verrett (CB, TCU) Small but highly competitive corner. |
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#30 Xavier Su’a-Filo (G, UCLA) Athletic freak who can play tackle or guard. He has a ton of upside. |
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#31 Marcus Roberson (CB, Florida) They need to add talent to that secondary. Roberson has character red flags. |
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#32 Brandon Scherff (T, Iowa) Punishing run blocker with attitude. Looks like a Tom Cable type player. |
Don’t you think the play of Bailey/Bowie has alleviated the need for a OT in the 1st, seems high even IF Giacomini is shown the door. Seahawks have shown they can get it done with 7th round picks, and the Carpenter/Moffitt flubs seem like John Schneider learning oppurtunities.
Just doesn’t feel like with 7 Tackles off the board according to your mock here that SEA would think hey the 8th best tackle in the draft, sweet let’s draft him.
It is a good year for tackles though.
That’s almost never how it works though Christian.
The 8th best guy could be the 3rd best by the time OTAs are done. And the best overall by the time the season starts.
Earl was the second best safety in his class. Sherman the 22nd to 30th (depending on source) rated corner. Wagner the 5th best MLB. Wilson the 6th to 8th best QB.
The fact is, often times there is very little separating the 2nd through the 10th best guy. Certainly there are factors that go into real production that are all post draft in nature (scheme fit, coaching, player intangibles, desire and ability to develop). These are aspects that aren’t obvious on tape — particularly at the superficial level even the most dedicated draftniks look at.
The reality is, if that 8th best tackle grades as an upgrade to what we have — then yeah I can see it. In addition if there is ‘something about a guy’ that we covet we will most definitely pull the trigger. This FO is downright famous for being able to see that special spark in a prospect and the balls to (over)draft them without batting an eye.
Scherff does have one thing that should appeal to Seattle. Attitude. It’s Giacomini’s stock in trade. Cable loves guys like that. It could propel him to above the likes of Richardson and Robinson who don’t show that degree of grit.
Yes but you don’t take what everybody else has as the 8th best OT in the first you take him in the 3rd because that’s where the 8th OT has gone the last two years, or in this case if you really want him, and we don’t have a 3rd you take him in the 2nd. Arguing with you guys is retarded because all you ever do is circle the wagons and try to explain how a ridiculous proposition could possibly come true 5 tackles were taken in the 1st last year that was a record. the 8th still didn’t get taken till bottom of third. 8 Tackles WILL NOT get taken in the 1st ya’ll is crazy.
Now am I saying Seattle doesn’t draft sherff in the first Hell I don’t know, my point and only point is 8 tackles not going in 1st
It’s not about circling wagons or trying to ‘be right’. You have to concede, that the draft is a fluid and relative process. What’s true in one year isn’t so the next.
For example, if there are 5 teams badly needing OT help, you can be pretty confident that most if not all five end up selecting one * IF the talent is there *.
What would be some reasons that a team would take an OT beyond those first 5?
1. Well, obviously if you had more teams needing OT help.
Possibly. Although there are OT selections in this mock I’d be suspicious of. Ultimately, it’s a mock — not an exact prediction. It’s a window into possibility.
2. The OT class is unusually deep
Check that. This is a very strong class relative to other years over a 5 year period. And pretty equal to last years’ class.
3. Relative strength/weakness of other positions
This looks like a unique draft. It’s really good and deep at WR. It’s really good and deep at OL. It’s deep but not particularly top heavy at CB. Beyond that, the DT/LB/S/RB/TE groups are really kind of lean — depth and at the top. DE is good at the top, but lean in depth as far as the first round goes.
While historically, you’re right, the 8th guy didn’t come off till much later — the fact is that this draft doesn’t have a breadth of alternative options like you’d expect in most years. The talent is pretty rigidly siloed into just a few position groups.
You are probably correct that there won’t be 8 tackles taken in this first round. Although it’s not a given that Seattle doesn’t take one with it’s first pick (whenever that may be).
Ultimately, that 8th best OT may be superior in talent to the 3rd CB or the first LB. And Seattle is pretty notorious for taking guys earlier than expected.
I’m torn on that one. Bowie had some good moments, but also struggled at times too. I’m not sure what their plan is for Bailey — will they ultimately see him as a guard?
Rob I don’t know much about bridge water but didn’t you say he was just average in your QB review if your the rams do you want to saddle your self to another average QB with a high pick? Perhaps they would rather try a vet or maybe just give Bradford another shot next year and punt the deciosn until next time
It’s not so much that he’s average, I just wonder whether he’s truly ‘special’. I do think he can work an offense that has some pieces. And the cost of Bridgewater is minimal compared to the amount they’d be paying to re-sign Bradford. So even if he was average, at least he’s average at the right price.
I’m curious Rob, what makes you so sure that it would take “massive” money for the Rams to keep Bradford? His career numbers are average at the very best, and he’s missed 15 games over his first 4 years due to injury. Is some QB desperate team gonna be willing to overpay for him, thus driving up the price on St. Louis? I can’t really think of any precedent that would point to that being the case.
The reason is he’s already on massive money because he signed a pre-CBA contract. So unless he’s willing to take a pay cut, any extension will be substantial.
I think he’ll have no choice but to take a paycut. Who is gonna want to pay him what he’s making now?
That could be very possible, but I doubt it’ll be a 75% cut he takes.
I bet it was satisfying for you to put the Hawks at #32. Don’t think I’ve seen that here before
Never done it before.
I find it hard to imagine the Niners would pass on a WR in the first.
They have barely anything at corner. It’s a major need. At least they have Crabtree, Davis and Boldin in the passing game.
Boldin is an UFA, though, and I think they’re pretty tight against the cap.
Possibly, but he can’t expect to earn $6m again so might take a deal to try and earn a ring.
Rob,
Love reading these mock drafts, keep up the great work. Do you know the arm-length measurement on Scherff? I want an OL that can be versatile enough to back-up Carpenter at LG or Okung at LT when either of those inevitably get hurt again. I hope the Seahawks either draft OL or a tall WR in round one.
-D
I think someone mentioned it before, but won’t the contract the Giacomini will most likely get be roughly on par with that of a first round pick? Right tackles simply aren’t valued enough for him to get big money, so he will take a reasonable deal to return to a super bowl team.
His cap hit this year was $4.25m so unless he’s willing to take a major pay cut, he’ll be asking for more than a first round pick.
In comparison, Tyler Eifert (drafted 21st overall in 2013) never earns more than $2.6m in a single season. In fact his cap hit as a rookie is just $1.5m and next year it’s $1.8m.
Matt Elam (drafted 32nd overall in 2013) never earns more than $2.1m and his cap hit this year is just $1.2m. Next year it’s $1.5m.
So you can see the difference is pretty substantial. Giacomini would need to take a pay cut of around 75% to match up to those numbers.
FWIW, Seattle made no secret that they were targeting OL with their first pick last year, but the guy they wanted didn’t make it.
My guess is that they sign Giacomini to a competitive 2-3 year deal that is easy to get out of in 2015 while drafting a tackle in a way that fits their board, preferably early on.
I can see that happening. But I also think, that they’ll be picking between Tate, Baldwin, Bennett and Giacomini in that case. Giacomini and McQuistan should be enough to keep the first three on that list.
I don’t see a good alternative where they resign McQuistan or Giacomini. Although I could certainly be wrong — the fact is we’re going to need to trim good/not great players from the roster to keep some of the more valuable contributors.
A competitive 2+ year deal is going to be pretty ballpark to what he’s earning now. I expect we will go Bowie, try again for an OT in the draft and/or get a lower priced journeyman RT. This year’s cap shuffling is going to be big and that’s presuming we get some relief from Rice (restructure or release).
I think he well might be the first player we’d like to resign but really can’t afford to do so. I think he’s going to be the price for not extending Tate when it would have been cheaper to do so last offseason.
I think Sankey has a shot at the first round, but probably not to big D. Murray is pro-bowl caliber back when he’s 100%, and their new guy (who just got banged up), Dunbar, was turning some heads as well. Dallas is hurting on defense.
The Browns though, they could use a RB. It might seem counter-intuitive to trade away a RB for a 1st rounder only to draft another 1st round RB, but make no mistake, they are the NFL’s most RB needy team in this draft. I think the Browns grab Manziel with their higher pick. I don’t think Lombardi’s intense interest in Manziel is a smokescreen, and Wilson’s MVP caliber season is upping Manziels draft stock is causing many to think he’s a top 12 lock in the draft.
Would be shocked to see Van Noy in the first round. He’s not going to test well, he’s from a smaller conference, and his production disappeared in 2013. I think he’s a 3rd rounder, and I wouldn’t take him until the 5th.
I liked that you had Watkins top 10. I don’t know where he goes, but dude was a stud when I watched him in 2012.
Murray is just ‘meh’ IMO… Plus he’s really struggled to stay healthy. He’ll also be due an extension soon that I’m not sure they’ll be willing to pay.
Disagree strongly on Van Noy too. He’s faced a ton of double teams all year and it’ll be an upset for me if he doesn’t test well.
After watching Manziel play a few times I would question whether he is accurate enough to make it in the NFL. I’ve never seen a top 10 winning team with a QB that makes such errant passes.
I would expect strongly that Dallas will go defense heavy this draft.
Their defense is pretty atrocious. And they are in year one of a transition from a 3-4 to a 4-3. They need to add scheme correct talent there in bunches.
They may go with a RB in R2/3. Assuming they haven’t/won’t trade those picks away like they seem to do every year.
I remember thinking they’d do this last year too — and it was a bit of a surprise to see a center taken with their pick. The thing about a draft is teams won’t always do what we expect — and I’ll always try to represent that in the mocks.
Good mock draft.
I can see the Hawks going with OT with the first pick, but a tall WR to replace Rice might be more of a need. Either Jordan Matthews or Allen Robinson would be great.
Considering how well Wilson distributes the ball, It seems that OL would tilt the field more than WR in the first round.
It all depends on the players in question. There are some receivers in this draft they’ll struggle to pass on.
Also, Benjamin from FSU looks wicked. 6′-5″ of Go-GO Gadget arms.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTkyr7Qv8mc
I’ve been thinking quietly to myself that Kelvin Benjamin would be an awesome grab for the seahawks. Not a lot of things I dislike. He isn’t terribly explosive but is a great big receiving threat who just happens to get open deep and wins jump balls at almost every opportunity. Might be better for this team than a mike evans who needs to be fed the ball. Benjamin wouldn’t mind sharing with percy and dougie (tate will probably be a raider or jag after this season).
I’ve just watched some tape. It’s one game, but here’s what I took out of it. Borderline lazy with his effort. Didn’t high point either deep ball thrown his way. Blocking completely inadequate in the open field. Allowed one interception because he made zero attempt to compete for the ball, and almost coughed up another after tripping up and then giving up on the play despite getting back to his feet. Looks like he needs to return for another year with Jameis Winston.
I’ve had a look at the stats — and really he’s had one big game this year, against a demoralised Florida team. The rest has been hit and miss, although he has scored touchdowns (12). Mike Evans is on a different level IMO at this stage. Not saying Benjamin can’t get there, but Evans’ effort, ability to high point the ball, consistency at winning jump balls and huge games against powerhouse teams like Alabama and Auburn give him a major edge. And I know his last two games haven’t been great, but Manziel has been shut down by LSU and Mizzou on the road. And when he has had time to throw, he’s been off.
Thank you Rob,
It is deceiving to just watch the highlight film.
That highlight reel certainly makes him look like Sidney Rice on steroids. I have no idea what kind of player he actually is but thanks for showing the video Don; those highlight reels can be entertaining and its always fun to entertain how players would fit into our offense even if those notions are delusional. 😛
I haven’t watched too much tape butni do try to stay away from highloght reels unless I just want to watch a fun video. The difference that I see betweent benjamin and evans isn’t so much that evans lacks any talent. Instead I feel like he would demand the ball more than we can give him. He doesn’t seem like a cog. Benjamin is a cog. Just one more piece in the offense. Another year would benefit him a bit but he won’t be evans. On this team he is a younger, faster, stronger BMW. On another team I’m not sure what his role is. Maybe jump ball/endzone threat. I just see him as a great compliment to percy. Add some height and size to our small corp.
Anyway we can move a first round pick for J. Gordon? I know its a pipe dream but he is as good as Calvin 3 years ago.
I’d be very concerned that he’s one slip up away from a life ban. Someone would’ve traded for him this year if that wasn’t hanging over his head.
And given how our team environment seems to be conducive to drug violations, I’d stay away from him.
If the Rams get a QB like Bridgewater from Washington’s pick, I think Redskins fans will be sickened. Imagine trading the #2 pick for the #2 pick, #6, #22 and #39!
The Cardinals should draft a QB as well, but I’m not sure they should be looking at one in the first round.
I could see the Cards waiting until the second to take Tajh Boyd. He seems like the kind of player Bruce Arians would like to develop.
I’d love to get WR Evans or TE Ebron. Especially Evans. The big WR has been such a holy grail for this regime. I wonder if this is the draft where they finally get one that sticks.
What happened to Brandon Coleman?
He will be waiting for a round or two. I’d love to know what schools offered him a scholarship because what a cluster f**k he ended up with choosing Rutgers.
Tough year. He’s not helped himself, he had knee surgery and the Rutgers offense is a mess. He could still go quite early based on upside, but right now he’s a mid rounder at best.
I read that he is most likely staying in school for another year. He was planning on going out this year but after this season wants to stay one more to improve his stock.
I did not realize he had surgery. If he declares, I wouldn’t mind drafting him. I mean YOU convinced me lol 🙂 Thanks for the update.
Rob, with so much going right this year, the negative side of my mind has had to find something to keep itself busy. So I’ve been thinking for a while about the inevitability that we will soon be losing some of the players on this, my favorite team of all time. In trying to get a handle on who will stay and who will go, you really need to have an idea of what kind of money each guy would command on the open market.
A few weeks ago I thought Golden Tate was the player most likely to play is way out of our price range. I’m wondering now if K.J. Wright might be that guy, given how well he has played really since being drafted. Wright will still be under contract next year, so it’s not quite here yet, but what do you think he will command in his second NFL deal?
I think he could well get a better than expected deal. He’s had success in Seattle. A 4-3 team will offer him a nice 3/4 year contract. I’m pretty resigned to losing him down the line unfortunately.
Yeah, I have thought that for a long time too. KJ is a unique cat, but he’s also physically not anything like all of the LBs we have on the roster right now. We covet speed, and Wright is not fast in the least. He makes up for that in other ways. But overall, I don’t see him as unique a talent as say, Kam Chancellor is at strong safety.
He’s more than just a guy. But those kinds of players can be reloaded via the draft fairly cheaply.
Ultimately, he’s a good, not great player. The kind of player who will get paid, but by some other team. It’s the flip side to being a good drafting team. You have to be selective of the guys you give big money to.
I expect fully, we will treat him similarly to other guys like that. We will let him test the market, but will make it known we will resign him and want him if the market is cooler than the player hoped. We’ve done that a lot and there seems to be a significant appeal/affinity between the club and players who appear to genuinely appreciate the opportunity to get the cash if it’s out there to be had.
The Hawks have already clinched the 25th – 32nd pick.
Let’s be real here. The 2nd round of the draft starts with the 21st pick of the 1st round. That’s where 2nd rounders end up in the 1st, and 1st rounders fall to the 2nd.
With that said, I think Aaron Donald is a worthy pick. I know Rob isn’t completely sold on him, but I am. Nevertheless, the more I watch him, the more I like him.
He’s starting to get a lot of attention.
Wondering if you think a corner for Carolina is a bigger upgrade than an offensive weapon for cam Newton. Haven’t watched many Carolina games this year though. I’m just of the position that the Seahawks aren’t necessarily looming at a certain position group but someone with unique talents. Whether it’s height/speed at WR, strength/quickness on the DL, someone who can play all the positions on the OL, or just a freak of nature at a position of strength. Don’t know if I made any sense. Just my line of thinking lately.
Rob, I’m surprised that you don’t have CJ Mosely going in the first round. Last year Seattle surprised many by taking a RB with their highest pick, since it seemed that they sufficed at the position. Maybe they surprise at LB this year?
I’ve not been that impressed with Mosley this year to be honest. And I don’t think he’s going to test particularly well either.
I think Mosely will test better than Van noy. Just sayin……
Given one is a likely 4-3 MIKE or SAM linebacker and the other a speed edge rusher, it’d be an upset.
I haven’t seen any tape on Scherff aside from what you provided, but he does not look like a guy that could handle pass pro in the NFL. I don’t see a major difference between him and Bowie to be completely honest. If I was to go for a versatile lineman in that range, I’d probably trade down(I know you generally don’t do trades in your mock drafts) and take Billy Turner from North Dakota State. He plays with really low level competition but absolutely dominates there, has great measurables and looks to do great in the combine. He is a guy that many have as a mid rounder but will likely rise to the 2nd-3rd round after the combine. There obviously are questions to how good a guy is when dominating that level of competition, but he does not show a lot of weakness. His size, speed, strength, and even technique put together separate him effectively and if he kills the combine then he should rise fast.
I seem to kind of stand alone on Billy Turner. I really didn’t like what I saw of him even a little bit. I wanted to like him and wanted to see what was getting people so excited about him. But I don’t see a player there. He dominates in a completely awkward and non translatable way to even good FBS competition.
Ultimately, I hate his footwork, balance and base. I tried comparing him to Terron Armstead from last year and the two don’t even look in the same class. Armstead has been inactive pretty much all year for NO.
This is as nice a mock as I’ve seen this early in the game. The only thing I might quibble with is in a QB-heavy class, you only have one going in the top 3/4 (at #2) of the first round. There isn’t another taken until #27 then just one more at #28.
I can’t imagine all these needy teams like J’ville, Cleveland, Oakland, Minnesota, Arizona, Houston, NYJ and Green Bay (and a few who aren’t as QB-needy but might be fishing for an upgrade like Cincy, St. Louis & Tenn) will pass on that many opportunities just to see what they might be able to flesh out of the second or third rounds.
I’m not saying all those teams will take a QB in round one, but some of them might. You may also end up seeing some other team we haven’t thought of as needing a QB come up and draft someone they like. Candidates here are Denver, New England, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, NYG, Chicago and NOLA.
Lots of grand old vets getting old out there, and the lack of a good backup is showing folks what can happen with a single injury (read: Aaron Rodgers). Not a bad idea to start thinking about taking a good QB in a heavy class and letting him learn a year or two behind the vet and also be ready to step in if there’s an injury.
I think there’s a tendency with a lot of mocks out there to just go, “Who needs a QB?” and place the next best one at that spot. I’ve tried to be a bit different here and pick a couple of teams who actually aren’t getting a lot of attention in the QB stakes.
With Mariota choosing not to declare, I’m struggling to place another top-15 QB. Manziel’s character issues can’t be forgotten here, they exist. And while he’s a magician at times extending plays and making things happen, the last two weeks we’ve also seen him bottled up and struggling to have an impact. Is a bad team going to look at a guy with his character background and personality and say — “this is the guy I’m going to put my franchise in the hands of as a top-10 pick”? I’m really not convinced there.
I wanted to put Bortles in as a prototype, modern QB who will get interest — but I’m wary of putting him too high up the list. And Carr/McCarron/Boyd etc for me don’t deserve to be top-15 picks.
We saw last year that teams won’t force things (one first round QB) so I think we might see something similar again in 2014.
I just simply do not think the Seahawks will draft any offensive linemen early unless it is a very special player. Kyle Long, to me, was a special player and had he been there in the second round I think the Hawks would have taken him. With this year’s OL class, the only way the Hawks would consider taking one is if there was one they had graded highly still hanging around. However, considering none of the o-linemen really jump out this year, I think JS would much rather trade down than draft an o-lineman they just kind of like, or take a WR they’ve graded lower than said o-lineman.
I thought Scherff looked good in this tape, but I think it’s really really tough to scout o-linemen prospects because what they can do is clouded by the fact they’re playing against nothing close to NFL competition.
As a UW fan, I like seeing Bishop on here, but just curious why you went him over Kadeem?
Personal preference. I think Sankey is more likely to have an impact.
Sankey reminds me of Ray Rice when he came out of college. I’m a Dawg fan, but I love what Sankey does. Nice for someone to see his upside.
The Mock is back!!! Early mocks are tough but it’s good to see names and get familiar with the prospects.
My questions concerns tight end. During the Saints game our 3rd string TE Davis missed a block that would have allowed TE Miller to score a TD on that long pass play and the other was the dropped ball near the goal line. Luckily our FB was there to pick it up and fall into the end-zone.
Do you think the Hawks will look to resign TE McCoy and maintain Miller, Willson and (McCoy) or might they make a move for a stud TE that could be our future new #1? Miller has a big salary hit, just saying…
How great is it when I am taking about our 3rd string TE:).
Stuart,
The plan initially was Miller, McCoy and Willson. McCoy’s growth was going to allow Willson to be eased in. When McCoy got hurt, it definitely changed things and Willson developing so quickly in the offseason made the team comfortable. Kellen Davis will not be re-signed in my opinion. McCoy could be an option due to his growth within our system and familiarity. I’d say Willson’s growth would determine that.
If we drafted a TE, I don’t think it’d be early.
I think there’s every chance they re-sign McCoy and stick with what they’ve got — unless there’s an athletic freak out there we don’t know about. Ebron would be a nice option but could go early.
Most of my fellow posters seem to share my feeling that the key challenge to PC/JS in the coming years is to hang on to as many of the key players that are on the current roster. With this in mind, what effect would trading Percy Harvin have on our cap numbers in the coming years? Would it make sense to trade a guy that has tremendous talent, but hasn’t had the chance to demonstrate it on the field because of injury, and by making such a trade, retain some more guys who have made key contributions? The thought of losing Tate and/or Baldwin and retaining Harvin seems to me to be betting on Harvin making a full recovery from his surgery and we haven’t seen much evidence that this is happening. I’d prefer to use the cap savings we would get from trading him to help retain Sherman, Thomas, Tate, Baldwin, RW, etc.
If we did trade Harvin at this stage of his recovery, what could we get for him?
Trading Harvin is a non starter for me. Giving up on a player after one injury/season wouldn’t send out the right message. There’d be zero chance at getting back what they paid. You’d be giving up on a titanic deal because of one snag.
There is a way out of the deal after year three I believe, but let’s hope it never comes to that. Seattle made a bold move to get an offensive X Factor. I’m just looking forward to finally seeing it put to use. Let’s hope that’s sooner rather than later.
I posed my questions because I don’t think there are clear answers to them. Sure, “Giving up on a player after one injury/season wouldn’t send out the right message.” But, what kind of message is sent if it comes down to losing one or more key contributors to this year’s team to retain one who has not contributed much?
As you point out, “there’d be zero chance at getting back what they paid.” You’re probably right. But, I think another way of looking at it is who will have to be lost to free agency if they decide to retain Harvin? If he was traded, maybe the Seahawks could retain those lost players plus get remuneration in the form of additional (cheap) draft choices.
“You’d be giving up on a titanic deal because of one snag.” Again, you are right. But, without knowing the seriousness of Harvin’s continuing problems, maybe better now than later.
Maybe Harvin will finally hit the field in the remaining regular season games or in the playoffs, and maybe he will once again show the ability that he displayed pre-injury. If he does, there’s no doubt that he will be retained. But what if he is shut down for the rest of the year? When the time comes to decide which of the current contibutors will have to be cut, his name will surely come up as an alternate solution.
Tate and Baldwin are 4-6 million dollar players on another team. So if we bump up against the cap, we have traded Percy Harvin for Tate and Baldwin. That’s what we gave up. Lets hope that the Hawks find cap space. Harvin has 22 million guaranteed money so we my as well keep him for the three years.
Here is hoping that Harvin recovers enough to be in the playoffs.
I am having a hard time with which of these two the team should keep. I get stuck because I feel that Tate is more talented/diverse. Then I think Baldwin is more Talented as a pure receiver. The good news is we could keep both this year for less than the savings from rice. Baldwin I think gets 2 million for the second round tender that I think will be placed on him. And Tate will probably get around a 5 yr 30 m contract.
In this scenario we probably loose Baldwin after the 2014 season. Then Kearse will get an RFA tender at that point.
really think it is possible to keep the WR together one more year minus Rice. Drafting a WR this year is significant as a replacement for Rice and he has time to develop for a year or two before being counted on in a major role.
I hope Marquise Lee’s stock keeps dropping all the way to the Hawks.
Me too.
Hey, we agree on something! 😉
Speaking of Percy Harvin…Finally, finally, finally he comes back and plays sensational, for 1 game. The Hawks record with Percy is 1-0, without Percy 10-1. There is no question that his every game contribution would take us to an even higher level that we are today, but….
I wanted Percy for the SF game, fine if he sits out all the rest of the regular season. He’s now out for the SF game. OK, shut him down now for the rest of the regular season and save him for the playoffs. We now know what he can do first hand. Not concerned with rust in the least! His rust against Minnesota was sensational.
Did any of you think that Crabtree would be back and contributing before Percy?
Nice Mock! This year’s draft is loaded with quality OT’s and IMO we should draft one in the first few rounds. Be it in the 1st or maneuvering around in the 2nd or 3rd round get a particular OT prospect.
I’m surprised to not see Buffalo LB Khalil Mack somewhere in the 1st round.
Notre Dame DT Louis Nix has been struggling with knee tendinitis since last year and he had knee surgery this year. With that info, Nix may slide down the draft somewhere between rounds 2-4 draft. Is Nix damaged goods? Our own DT Jesse Williams was a 1st-2nd round prospect last year but slide in the draft because of issues with his knee.
Here is an article that talks about Nix’s injury.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1860696-louis-nix-injury-updates-on-notre-dame-dts-knee-surgery-and-recovery
Brandon Scherff is not coming out announced today
Better get another pick ready for Seattle…