2020 NFL Draft Thread

And none on TE's.
Must be happy with Warring and co.

Also we spent more time on RB's than anyone else.
And this is AFTER spending a 3rd, a 4th and an All-pro receiver on the position. Geesh!

 

Had a little fun with a mock; didn't go as I expected at all Looked at BPA with 2nd and 3rd, and then focused on best players at positions of need. Heavy with Texans (accept Dugger and Cager), but I kind of like it that way. Focused on defense with an emphasis on speed and playmakers. Although LB and S aren't top priorities it was impossible to not grab the value with Murray and Dugger. Plus it gives us some match-up flexibility for TEs/RBs in coverage. Really like what Robinson and Lynch could bring to our front 7 rotation; Weaver should be happy with this haul and Watt/Mercilus have new proteges. Swung for the fences in the 7th with players that have potential, but need some work. Very interested in what a guy like Cager could bring to ou WR corps.

40: R2P8 LB KENNETH MURRAY OKLAHOMA
90: R3P26 S KYLE DUGGER LENOIR-RHYNE
111: R4P5 EDGE ALTON ROBINSON SYRACUSE
171: R5P25 DL JAMES LYNCH BAYLOR
240: R7P26 RB PATRICK TAYLOR JR. MEMPHIS
248: R7P34 WR LAWRENCE CAGER GEORGIA
250: R7P36 G CORDEL IWUAGWU TCU

 

Could be that we spent a lot of time on RB before trading for DJ. Although I think they’ll still draft one later in the draft.

 

https://theathletic.com/1745820/202...-scouts-on-top-wide-receivers-and-tight-ends/

 

https://theathletic.com/1745820/202...-scouts-on-top-wide-receivers-and-tight-ends/

This is the 36th year Bob McGinn has written an NFL Draft Series. The series reluctantly adopted an all-anonymous format in 2015 at the request of most scouts. This will be a nine-part series, starting with receivers.

So many conversations about this class of wide receivers began with a common refrain.

“This is maybe the deepest wide receiver group,” said one longtime AFC personnel man. “But as far as like a Julio (Jones) or Calvin Johnson, absolutely not.”

The sheer numbers at wide receivers are astounding. “Deepest I’ve ever seen,” said one 20-year scouting veteran. “I like so many of them, and for different reasons.”

One scout counted at least 20 wideouts that “in the right circumstance could actually become a player in this league.” Another said a starter could be uncovered in the fourth round, much like how Washington found Terry McLaurin, its top receiver, in the third round a year ago. “The first 13 or 14 names that we have are all going to play,” an AFC executive said. “There’s some wild cards beyond that. There’s not any game-changers.”

“To me, the hardest transition from college to pro is the wide receiver position,” said an executive. “You have to be smart. Dummies won’t make it.”

The oldest method used by NFL teams to measure intelligence is the 12-minute, 50-question Wonderlic test. Many in the industry understand the test has its limitations. It’s why the continuing usage of matrices testing involving shapes and other non-reading material is thought by some to provide a clearer model of intellect. Yet, the Wonderlic has survived because teams still view it as a valuable tool in the evaluation of pro football players. The average score of the eight wide receivers voted to the Pro Bowl in 2019 was 21.6. The average score of my top 13 wide receivers in this draft is 17.1.

Two of the three lowest scores among the 2019 Pro Bowlers belonged to first-rounders DeAndre Hopkins (17) and Jones (15). Another first-round pick, Mike Evans, scored 25. The other five players, including two second-round choices, two third-round choices and one fifth, possess a wide array of strengths and weaknesses. The common bond, however, could well be their ability to think on their feet and make critical pre- and post-snap adjustments. Tyreek Hill led that group of five with a Wonderlic score of 27, followed by Chris Godwin (26), Jarvis Landry (23), Michael Thomas (21) and Keenan Allen (19).

My polling of 17 executives in personnel took place in the last 2 ½ weeks. Each scout was asked to rank the wide receivers on a 1 to 6 basis, with a first-place vote worth 6 points, a second worth 5 and so on.

CeeDee Lamb, with 87 points and 10 first-place votes, nosed out Jerry Jeudy, who had 86 and five. Following, in order, were Henry Ruggs (66, one), Justin Jefferson (28 ½), Tee Higgins (25 ½, one), Bryan Edwards (13), Brandon Aiyuk (12), Laviska Shenault (11), Jalen Reagor (10), KJ Hamler (4 ½), Denzel Mims (four), Lynn Bowden (three), Quez Watkins (three), Van Jefferson (two), Gabriel Davis (one) and Michael Pittman (one-half).

Then the personnel men were asked who among the top 10 or 12 players had the best chance to bust. Shenault led the way with eight votes followed by Mims with four, Higgins with two and Hamler, Reagor and Ruggs, each one.

“It’d be foolish for a team to sit there (in the teens) and take a wideout,” one scout said. “You can get another wideout in the second or third, a Bryan Edwards, a Michael Pittman, a Lynn Bowden … it’s a real deep pool but it’s shallow at the top. There’s nobody that’s super elite, height-weight-speed freakish Julio, Calvin Johnson.”

Could someone such as Aiyuk, Edwards, even Quez Watkins emerge as the best in the class three years from now?

“Sure,” said an AFC evaluator. “It all depends on where they go, what the system is and who’s coaching them.”

RANKING THE RECEIVERS
WIDE RECEIVERS

1. CEEDEE LAMB, Oklahoma (6-1 ½, 198, 4.48, 1)
2. JERRY JEUDY, Alabama (6-1, 193, 4.44, 1)
3. HENRY RUGGS, Alabama (5-11, 188, 4.24, 1)
4. JUSTIN JEFFERSON, LSU (6-1, 202, 4.47, 1-2)
5. BRANDON AIYUK, Arizona State (5-11 ½, 205, 4.53)
6. TEE HIGGINS, Clemson (6-3 ½, 215, 4.58, 1-2)

More than one personnel man identified him as having the best hands in the draft. “He’s an outside-only guy,” one scout said. “He’s a contested, 50-50 ball guy with strong hands and a big catching radius. He may need some help getting open, but he can catch it. He’s going to be covered a lot but he’s got the catching radius.” Arms measured a position-best 34 1/8 but hands were a small 9 ¼. “Just worried about the 40 time and his inability to separate,” said another scout. “They match up. He is really good down the field going up and getting the football. But getting off press, which you don’t see a lot at the college level, for a guy that isn’t real twitchy, he’ll have to win with size at the line of scrimmage. I think eventually he’ll be able to do it, but it’s going to be a transition for him.” Caught 135 passes for 2,448 (18.1) and 27 TDs. “Behind Ruggs, he’d be my next pick to bust,” a third scout said. “For a big, athletic kind of guy I don’t think he plays very strong. I don’t think he plays very sudden. And I don’t think he’s very tough. For the type of receiver he has to be, being that big guy making plays over people, I just don’t see that grit and toughness that you need. I wasn’t surprised at all (by the slow 40). He’s a buildup (speed) guy. Lot of that (production) was scheming him.” Wonderlic of 11. From Oak Ridge, Tenn.

7. BRYAN EDWARDS, South Carolina (6-2 ½, 212, no 40, 1-2)
8. JALEN REAGOR, TCU (5-10 ½, 206, 4.46, 1-2)
9. DENZEL MIMS, Baylor (6-3, 207, 4.38, 1-2)

Among his many achievements at the combine was a position-best 6.66 3-cone. “The 6.6 3-cone is crazy for a guy with that lever system,” said one scout. “He can really go up and make acrobatic plays on the ball. He showed at the Senior Bowl he can beat press coverage and get open at the top of routes. He’s better than Lamb and maybe better than Jeudy. He’s bigger, faster, longer. You’ve got a chance to really hit on Denzel Mims.” Mims was a three-year starter for a Baylor program that has never had a receiver make it big in the NFL. “He’s big, but I see a finesse guy who dropped too many balls in traffic,” a second scout said. “He’s got the height, weight, speed. I’ve seen too many guys with traits like that come in and fail out, and he doesn’t play special teams. I don’t see that kind of dog in him.” A three-year starter, he finished with 186 receptions for 2,925 (15.7) and 28 TDs. “He’s got vertical speed, he does have tracking skills and he understands how to use his size in the red zone,” said a third scout. “He’s an outside receiver. He’s going to need a lot of work on how to run routes. He has tight shoulders. Better high-ball catcher than low-ball catcher. More of a 400-meter guy. He’s got inconsistent hands. He’s going to need work on how to get off press. He’s just got average body control. I got him in the second round.” He’s from Daingerfield, Texas and posted a Wonderlic score of 17.

10. LAVISKA SHENAULT, Colorado (6-0 ½, 227, 4.58, 2-3)
11. VAN JEFFERSON, Florida (6-1 ½, 200, no 40, 2-3)
12. MICHAEL PITTMAN, USC (6-4, 223, 4.52, 2-3)
13. KJ HAMLER, Penn State (5-8 ½, 178, no 40, 3)

Third-year sophomore. “He’s small, but his speed is rare,” said one scout. “He is electric after the catch. He’s a human joystick. He has home-run ability. You’re going to have to scheme him a little bit to get him the ball.” One scout said he had the worst hands in the draft. “He’s like a 50-50 guy,” said a second scout. “He probably has the best chance to bust because he can’t catch. He can stretch the field. He played tough. He went up for balls. The thing that killed me is he can be a return guy, but he just didn’t perform, which is weird. He was just average in every sense of the word.” Finished with 98 catches for 1,658 (16.9) and 13 TDs. “He would run across the formation and he wouldn’t even look and the quarterback is looking at him,” said another scout. “After seeing that three, four, five times, something was up with this kid. He’s a slot receiver. To play outside I think would be ridiculous. He is tiny. Third round.” From Pontiac, Mich, with a Wonderlic of 15.

OTHERS, in order: Lynn Bowden, Kentucky; Quez Watkins, Southern Mississippi; Gabriel Davis, Central Florida; Devin Duvernay, Texas; Isaiah Hodgins, Oregon State; Isaiah Coulter, Rhode Island; James Proche, SMU; Darnell Mooney, Tulane; Collin Johnson, Texas; K.J. Hill, Ohio State; Dezmon Patmon, Washington State; John Hightower, Boise State; Donovan Peoples-Jones, Michigan; Joe Reed, Virginia; Antonio Gandy-Golden, Liberty; Trishton Jackson, Syracuse; Quintez Cephus, Wisconsin; Tyler Johnson, Minnesota.

 

(...continued...)

An NFC personnel director summed up the talent pool at tight end thusly: “It’s the *****.”

Before conducting the poll at tight end, the decision was made to classify Chase Claypool, a wide receiver at Notre Dame, as a tight end. This time, votes were asked to rank the tight ends on a 1-2-3-4-5 basis.

Cole Kmet easily won with 78 points and 11 first-place votes. Following, in order, were Adam Trautman (44, one), Claypool (41, two), Harrison Bryant (29, one), Albert Okwuegbunam (22, one), Devin Asiasi (16, one), Hunter Bryant (nine), Brycen Hopkins (six), Thaddeus Moss (five), Colby Parkinson (four) and Dalton Keene (one).

“It’s not a strong group,” one personnel man said, “when you’re more excited to work with a wide receiver projection (Claypool) than guys that played tight end their whole life.”

Tight ends often are divided into Y (play-side base blocker), U (back-side base blocker), F (detached as a receiver) and H (move). The numbers of conventional Y and U players continues to dwindle. As scouts debate whether a tight end has the speed to threaten a two-deep secondary or blocks well enough in-line, intelligence seems to be a very important factor for the position.

“That’s a killer at tight end,” said one scout. “They’re asked to do so much. It’s hard to play with dumb tight ends.”

My top seven tight ends posted an average Wonderlic score of 27.1.

TIGHT ENDS
1. COLE KMET, Notre Dame (6-5 ½, 262, 4.68, 1-2)
2. CHASE CLAYPOOL, Notre Dame (6-4, 238, 4.44, 1-2)

Made 33 starts at WR over four seasons. Some teams are vociferous about him playing outside in the NFL. Others see him as a TE. “I think he’s big enough to be a tight end,” said one scout. “He’s every bit as big as Travis Kelce. He’s faster than Kelce. That’s who I saw.” His combine numbers were the best by a tight end. “I just don’t see the blocker at tight end,” a second scout said. “I don’t see how he holds up. People had the same conversation with Devin Funchess. You’re talking about the Jared Cook’s of the world. That’s just a different body type.” Finished with 150 catches for 2,159 (14.4) and 19 TDs. “The big ones that don’t make it, like Jonathan Baldwin, is because they’ve got a long ways to go because of (lack) of polish,” the second scout continued. “He’s not that far away. He’s fast, aggressive, has good hands. He was a dog on special teams. If you try to make him a multi-cut route runner, it’s going to be a problem. Let him be a big, fast, vertical, take-the-lid-off, contest-catch-winning guy. Mike Evans is a vertical route runner. I’m not calling this kid Mike Evans, but there are some comparable traits.” From Abbotsford, B.C., Claypool is the first Notre Dame signee from Canada since 1994. He posted a Wonderlic score of 27.

3. ADAM TRAUTMAN, Dayton (6-5, 255, 4.78, 2-3)
4. HARRISON BRYANT, Florida Atlantic (6-4 ½, 243, 4.73, 3-4)
5. ALBERT OKWUEGBUNAM, Missouri (6-5 ½, 258, 4.50, 3-4)
6. DEVIN ASIASI, UCLA (6-3, 257, 4.79, 3-4)
7. HUNTER BRYANT, Washington (6-2, 248, 4.75, 4-5):

OTHERS, in order: Brycen Hopkins, Purdue; Thaddeus Moss, LSU; Colby Parkinson, Stanford; Dalton Keene, Virginia Tech; Sean McKeon, Michigan; Cheyenne O’Grady, ex-Arkansas; Jared Pinkney, Vanderbilt; Stephen Sullivan, LSU; Charlie Taumoepeau, Portland State; Jacob Breeland, Oregon; Ahmad Wagner, Kentucky; Kyle Markway, South Carolina; Mitchell Wilcox, South Florida.


THE SKINNY

UNSUNG HERO

Isaiah Coulter, WR, Rhode Island: Bidding to become the Rams’ first drafted player since 1986 when T Bob White went in the seventh round to the Jets. Lightly recruited, he improved each of his three seasons before surprisingly declaring a year early. Lean at 6-2, 198, but ran fast (4.42) and is a smooth route runner.

SCOUTS’ NIGHTMARE

Thaddeus Moss, TE, LSU: As the son of Hall of Fame WR Randy Moss, there are advantages and disadvantages. Moss played just one season for the Tigers as the fifth wheel in a wildly explosive offense, so scouts wonder how much of his production (47 receptions, four TDs) was the result of defenses basically ignoring him. Medically excluded at the combine, Moss’ 40 time has been estimated at 4.85 and 4.9. At his size (6-2, 250), that type of speed won’t cut it.

SCOUT TO REMEMBER

C.O. Brocato: Anyone who ever scouted the Southwest knew him and no doubt liked him. For more than 40 years he worked for the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans, driving from his home in Arlington, Texas to colleges throughout Texas, Arkansas and elsewhere. Not only was Brocato an engaging personality, he also was a pioneer in terms of drills used at the combine and elsewhere. He deserves credit for coming up with the 3-cone run of today that replaced the outmoded four-square run. He died in 2015 at age 85.

QUOTE TO NOTE

NFC personnel executive: “Lamb, Shenault and Aiyuk aren’t your natural, traditional, fluid, route-running receivers. They’re almost Anquan Boldin types, but today people say Deebo Samuel. You get the ball out quick, run after catch, end around, slip screens, that kind of stuff they’re doing so much more now of with receivers.”

 

I want one of those receivers in that 8-13 range. If we can trade back, pick up an extra third, and get one, it'd be ideal.

 

McGinn’s NFL Draft Series: Scouts on top offensive linemen

At least almost everyone is in the same pressurized boat when it comes to tackles.

“There’s no team that feels good about its two tackles,” an AFC personnel man said. “Maybe one or two teams in the league. Everyone needs to get better.

“Where are you going to get them? You’re not going to get a tackle in the third round or the fourth round. If you want a guy, you’ve got to get a guy.”

The prospects/suspects presumably at the head of the class, in alphabetical order, are Louisville’s Mekhi Becton, Georgia’s Andrew Thomas, Alabama’s Jedrick Wills and Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs. (Wirfs is ranked below in our Guard category).

“It has talent, but it has questions,” the AFC exec said of the tackle group. “Andrew Thomas had a couple average games late in the season but early played really well. Wirfs is physically gifted, but it doesn’t always translate. With Becton, consistency is the question. Wills, I think he could play left tackle, but that’s going to take some time.”

An AFC personnel director rated Wills No. 1 because he sees him as a complete player. As for the others, he said, “Wirfs has unbelievable athleticism but needs to finish a little better.

“If Becton is motivated enough he can be the best of the group. But he’s going to have to find the work ethic, drive and the coachability that NFL teams will demand.

“Thomas is athletically very gifted. He’s probably got to work on his anchor and his strength a little bit.”

Then there was this from another executive who underscored the crapshoot the draft is at every position.

“I think the tackle class is really overrated,” he said. “There’s not a great one, not a Joe Thomas, in the group. All these guys have their warts.”

Part of the problem is the top four tackles all spent just three seasons in college. Offensive line was the last position to see large numbers of underclassmen declaring for the draft. A general feeling persisted for years that offensive linemen needed as much physical maturation as possible before going pro.

In 2000, just two of the top offensive linemen were juniors. Marvel Smith, a tackle from Arizona State, and Cosey Coleman, a guard from Tennessee, were taken in the second round. In 2010, just three of the top 10 vote-getters in my poll of the top offensive linemen were juniors. Two tackles, Rutgers’ Anthony Davis and Iowa’s Bryan Bulaga, were taken in the first round as was center Maurkice Pouncey of Florida.

In 2020, 10 of the top 11 vote-getters in the same poll asking scouts to rank their top offensive linemen regardless of position were underclassmen. The only senior, Houston’s Josh Jones, finished eighth in the voting.

My poll of 17 personnel people over the last two weeks showed four juniors packed together at the top with almost no separation. Scouts were asked to rank their top six offensive linemen, with a first-place vote worth 6 points, a second worth 5 and so on. Thomas led with 78 points and seven firsts but tight on his heels were Becton (75, five), Wills (71, two) and Wirfs (71, three).

“There’s no consensus with these guys,” an NFC personnel director said. “We have different orders between scouts, coaches. It’s kind of your flavor. You probably will get six tackles (in the first round) but there’s only four you feel good about. Then it falls off.”

There was a precipitous drop off to fifth place in this year’s poll. That was Cesar Ruiz, who totaled 16 points. Others receiving votes were Austin Jackson (12), Isaiah Wilson (10), Josh Jones (five), Ezra Cleveland (four), Lloyd Cushenberry (four), Matt Hennessy (four), Hakeem Adeniji (three), Matt Peart (two) and Robert Hunt and Shane LeMieux, each one.

Meanwhile, at center, some teams like the group while others don’t. There seemed to be close to unanimity when it came to guard, where one team emerged from meetings with merely three draftable players.

“The bar is so low for centers and guards in the NFL,” said one executive. “People are just so desperate for bodies.

RANKING THE OFFENSIVE LINEMEN

TACKLES
1. ANDREW THOMAS, Georgia (6-5, 315, 5.17, 1)
2. MEKHI BECTON, Louisville (6-7 ½, 357, 5.11, 1)
3. JEDRICK WILLS, Alabama (6-4, 312, 5.06, 1)
4. AUSTIN JACKSON, USC (6-5, 322, 5.08, 1-2)
5. ISAIAH WILSON, Georgia (6-6 ½, 350, 5.37, 1-2)
6. EZRA CLEVELAND, Boise State (6-6, 311, 4.97, 1-2)
7. JOSH JONES, Houston (6-5, 319, 5.28, 2)

Spent five years with the Cougars, starting at LT from 2016-’19. “He almost left Houston as a grad transfer,” one scout said. “He was fed up with all the coaching changes and no continuity or stability. He stayed one more year and it paid off for him. He’s a basketball-background guy. This was his real year of production and got on the radar of people. He’s athletic. Sort of technique-flawed. It’ll take him a little time to get it all buttoned up. He’s a serviceable, functional NFL tackle. You can get by with him, I think.” He posted a Wonderlic score of 14 and his arms were 33 7/8, hands were 10 1/8. “Understands how to use his hands in pass pro,” said a second scout. “Struggles to move guys at the point of attack. Inconsistent.” Didn’t start playing football until his sophomore year of high school in Richmond, Texas. “He’s not a kid you want to sign off on completely,” a third scout said. “He definitely showed flashes of talent. He’s a little bit inconsistent. Pass pro’s his thing. His run blocking is a little iffy.”

8. MATT PEART, Connecticut (6-6 ½, 318, 4.10, 2-3)
9. PRINCE TEGA WANOGHO, Auburn (6-5, 305, no 40, 2-3)
10. LUCAS NIANG, TCU (6-6, 315, no 40, 4)

OTHERS, in order: Saahdiq Charles, LSU; Jack Driscoll, Auburn; Yasir Durant, Missouri; Charlie Heck, North Carolina; Alex Taylor, South Carolina State; Colton McKivitz, West Virginia; Trey Adams, Washington; Tyre Phillips, Mississippi State; Terence Steele, Texas Tech; Blake Brandel, Oregon State; Anthony McKinney, TCU; Drew Richmond, USC.

 

GUARDS
1. TRISTAN WIRFS, Iowa (6-5, 320, 4.87, 1)
2. ROBERT HUNT, Louisiana (6-5, 323, no 40, 2)
3. SHANE LeMIEUX, Oregon (6-4, 308, 5.12, 3)
4. JONAH JACKSON, Ohio State (6-3 ½, 306, 5.26, 3)
5. BEN BARTCH, St. John’s (Minn.) (6-5 ½, 309, 5.16, 3)
6. DAMIEN LEWIS, LSU (6-2, 327, 5.24, 3-4)
7. JOHN SIMPSON, Clemson (6-4, 320, 5.26, 4)
8. HAKEEM ADENIJI, Kansas (6-4 ½, 301, 5.18, 4)
9. KEVIN DOTSON, Louisiana (6-4, 313, no 40, 4-5)
10. LOGAN STENBERG, Kentucky (6-6, 317, 5.34, 4-5)

Stenberg was a three-year starter at LG. “Remember Joe Jacoby and Conrad Dobler, guys like that?” one scout said. “He’s an old-time player. They just want to get in the dirt. I’m sure if he doesn’t get 60 pins a game he’s had a bad game. Tough, nasty, mauler type. Questionable lateral quickness and change of direction. I don’t like this guy as an athlete, but I like him as a player. These guys line up and play.” He has short arms (32 ½) and was heavily penalized, but he’s durable. Another scout calls Stenberg, from Madison, Ala, a “country boy … he has a pickup truck, chews tobacco. Mother’s a teacher, father’s retired Army lieutenant colonel. Has a farm now and raises cattle. Smart kid.”

OTHERS, in order: Ben Bredeson, Michigan; Netane Muti, Fresno State; Tremayne Anchrum, Clemson; Michael Onwenu, Michigan; Cameron Clark, Charlotte; Jon Runyan, Michigan; John Molchon, Boise State; Solomon Kindley, Georgia; Kyle Murphy, Rhode Island; Cordel Iwuagwu, TCU; Simon Stepaniak, Indiana.

CENTERS
1. CESAR RUIZ, Michigan (6-2 ½, 307, 5.11, 1-2)
2. LLOYD CUSHENBERRY, LSU (6-3, 312, 5.28, 2-3)
3. MATT HENNESSY, Temple (6-4, 307, 5.18, 3-4)
4. DANNY PINTER, Ball State (6-4, 306, 4.88, 4-5)
5. NICK HARRIS, Washington (6-1, 302, 5.13, 5-6)

OTHERS, in order: Keith Ismael, San Diego State; Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin; Darryl Williams, Mississippi State; Trystan Colon-Castillo, Missouri; Cohl Cabral, Arizona State; Justin Herron, Wake Forest; Jake Hanson, Oregon.

THE SKINNY

UNSUNG HERO
Trey Adams, T, Washington: The course of his career was altered in October 2017 when he suffered a torn ACL in a non-contact injury. Then he needed season-ending lumbar disc surgery two games into 2018. Adams (6-8, 318) returned to start at LT in ’19 but wasn’t effective and then ran 5.60 at the combine. “He was a sure-fire No. 1 pick in ’17,” said one scout. “After that he was a shadow of himself. Even when he walks now he looks like he’s still limping.”

SCOUTS’ NIGHTMARE
Saahdiq Charles, T, LSU: This is a first-round talent. Charles (6-4, 321, 4.98), a three-year starter at LG, has terrific feet, flexibility and body control. “Nobody ever beats this guy,” said one scout. “…But guys might get scared away from this dude.” Multiple failed drugs for mar1juana led to a six-game suspension last season.

SCOUT TO REMEMBER
Joe Woolley: A long, tall Arkansan, he was a successful prep coach in Texas and then a scouting/personnel director for the Oilers, Saints, Eagles and Cardinals for about 20 years. One of Bum Phillips’ favorite people, Woolley worked under him in Houston and New Orleans before going to Philly and Phoenix with Buddy Ryan. In New Orleans, he was responsible for establishing an extensive film library that became a model for the NFL. Never one for a loss for words, Woolley loved to wisecrack at draft time. When asked about Wayne Simmons, the combustible linebacker from Clemson, not long before the 1993 draft, Woolley drawled, “Keep him sober and not beating up bartenders and he’ll be all right. He’s got a little shaky character in him but I’ll tell you what. I’d rather have them f—— that will fight than those that won’t.” Awaiting a heart transplant that never came, he died in 2003 at age 65.

QUOTE TO NOTE
NFL executive in personnel: “Here’s the problem. Those guys at (Louisiana) Lafayette and Temple and Houston and Florida Atlantic, they have never seen an NFL defensive lineman. They never have gone against one in those leagues. They don’t know what one looks like. It’s called level of competition. That’s why I watch SEC film. Even Big Ten guys play against better competition than they do.”

 

https://theathletic.com/1750702/202...ert-fills-the-draft-needs-of-afc-south-teams/

Texans

Picks: 40, 90, 111, 171, 240, 248, 250

“The Texans have deep threats in Brandin Cooks, Will Fuller and Kenny Stills, but after trading away DeAndre Hopkins, the team needs another receiver who can make contested catches. Houston could also add a defensive lineman after losing D.J. Reader to the Bengals. Ideally, the Texans find someone who provides the interior pass rush the team lacked a season ago.” — Aaron Reiss

Missouri defensive tackle Jordan Elliott might be the answer at No. 40. Elliott (6-4, 302) is quick, strong and comfortable either shooting gaps or controlling them. His ability to collapse the pocket from inside would help ease the loss of Reader.



The question is whether Elliott is still available because he could get snapped up a few picks earlier. If he is available, grab him. If not, take a receiver for all the reasons I listed in the Colts and Jaguars sections. There is so much depth there that any team with a need at receiver should be able to find someone it wants.

Let’s say the Texans get Elliott at No. 40. They still could find a receiver at No. 90. Collin Johnson, a 6-6 Texas alum, could still be around. He’d add size to a group that already has plenty of speed. UCF’s Gabriel Davis (6-2, 216) isn’t as long, but he’s an all-purpose pass catcher who stretched the field as well as Cooks, Fuller and Stills did in college.

Or perhaps they use No. 90 to seek a tackle to play opposite Laremy Tunsil. LSU’s Saahdiq Charles (6-4, 321) could be available here. Charles was one of the best tackles in the SEC, but he missed six games last season due to a suspension for what LSU termed a violation of team rules. If not for that, Charles probably isn’t available here. That’s the risk a team must take to get a player with first- or second-round talent late in the third round.

If the Texans stick to the line of scrimmage with their first two picks, they could still probably find a capable receiver in the fourth round (or later). Minnesota’s Tyler Johnson averaged 15.3 yards per catch and caught 13 touchdown passes as a senior, and given the field-stretching capabilities of the other receivers on the Texans’ roster, Johnson could give Deshaun Watson a target who could find those empty spaces created by DBs flying downfield with Cooks or Fuller.

 

Texans seem very interested in Dobbins. It would be a weird pick since they just traded for DJ and the other DJ last year. But he JK was available in this mock draft so I figured I’d see what the rest of the draft could look like if we for some reason went Dobbins at 40. Dobbins, Taylor and Kenneth Murray were all still available. My guess is we could easily trade down in that scenario and gather some extra picks, but I don’t have the TDN premium feature to make trading draft picks available, so went with Dobbins.



What would y’all think about a draft like this?

40. JK Dobbins RB Ohio State
90. Amik Robertson CB Louisiana Tech
111. Bradlee Anae EDGE Utah
171. Bravvion Roy, IDL Baylor
240. Kamren Curl CB Ok St
248. Scott Frantz OT K State
250. Carter Coughlin EDGE Minn.

 

We are high on Murray too. He was the first prospect for a visit before the virus I believe.

 

O'Brien: "You're not going to draft on need. you're doing to draft on the best player for your team when you're drafting at that pick." #Texans

— SportsRadio 610 (@SportsRadio610) April 16, 2020

When asked on needs, O'Brien referenced defensive line and safety. "There's not one specific need. There's several." #Texans

— SportsRadio 610 (@SportsRadio610) April 16, 2020


#Texans coach Bill O'Brien says he thinks they can add someone at safety in the draft.

— Mark Lane (@therealmarklane) April 16, 2020

 

Grant delpit could possibly be available at 40