Looking ahead to the draft

[obiken]

To move up We trade Russell Wilson; we get Marcus Mariota, my favorite Duck of all time!!

Seriously, we could get back up RB, at good OL, or a good DT.

[RiverDog]

To move up We trade Russell Wilson; we get Marcus Mariota, my favorite Duck of all time!!

Seriously, we could get back up RB, at good OL, or a good DT.

I don't think we'll be going after a backup RB, Obi, not unless Lynch announces his retirement or something. We've already got Turbin and Michael.

If losing Maxwell is a given, IMO we'll be in the market for a CB. Simon's play in the SB was horrendous. We're going to have to find someone that can play a slot receiver in the nickel better than he can or else teams will make us pay just like Brady and Edelman made us pay.

[NorthHawk]

I'm wondering if the short, quick passes underneath to smaller players is a result of the Defense we play rather than of personnel.
All schemes have weaknesses and maybe this is one. Fast LBs like Kevin Pierre-Louis might be able to help.

Regarding drafts, I've been surprised by each of the first selections for every draft after the first so I doubt this year will be any different.

To remind us, they want players who are ultra competitive and live for Football, but also have some special physical qualities.
That's hard to find in reading reviews, so good luck guessing even if it is fun.

I'll take a shot this early in the process, but I'm sure the players will move up and down as the Draft nears..
Possibility of a trade down at 31 (or 30 if the Browns lose a 1st pick from "Textgate").

As our FO seems to like selecting DL early my guess at this time is Michael Bennett from Ohio State.
He's a penetrating type of DT that we can use. He looks to me a bit like a Clinton McDonald type with both at about 6'2" but McDonald is about 10 lbs heavier.

If they go WR, I think 2 to watch are Sammie Coates or Devin Funchess.
Coates is fast - maybe as fast as Richardson, but he's 6-1 1/2 and 213 lbs as measured at the Sr. Bowl.
Funchess is 6-5 230 lbs and is a bit of a hybrid WR/TE as he played both the last 2 years at Michigan and has a reported very wide catching radius.

CB
If CB is the direction, maybe Jalen Collins from LSU at 6-2, 198 while running a 4.4 - 4.5 40 yd time.
He's got the length and athleticism we like as well he is a KR, too.
Later in the Draft Nick Marshall from Auburn - a former QB who is moving to CB. 602, 205 lbs at 4.38 - 4.45 40 (NFL DraftScout).
The talk at the Sr Bowl was everyone was impressed with his athleticism.

OL
I doubt they go OL in the first, but maybe one or two in the 2nd to 5th.
One guy I keep reading about is John Miller, G, Louisville 6-3, 315 lbs.
He apparently did well at the Sr Bowl against top DL.

[Zorn76]

Any number of ways to go here, depending on who's available.

OL is a must, pure and simple. Gotta find our next LT in case Okung leaves, and he can hardly be described as special anyway. His durability remains a question mark, and he likely gets a better deal elsewhere. At least the team has to plan on it.

Same with Carpenter. Good run blocker...and not much else. Game here and there where he looks great, then right back to "meh." Sign Sweezy now if they're sold on him. Still think he needs some legit competition brought in to push him.

That said, I'd still like to see us get a STUD pass rushing DE, if there's one available. Don't know who's out there FA wise, either, but Something has to be done. We have good guys up front, and will be getting a few back from injury next season, but it's been a Long Time since we had a double digit numbers sack guy that teams Have to account for.

It would open everything else up for the DL players we already have. Also - to my observation at least - DE's and DL can make an immediate impact, even more so than an OL, since protecting the QB is a skill that Really relies on the unit working together. Same with DL, but there is much more room to improvise.

We've all seen what this can do. I know there aren't JJ Watts growing on trees, but as best we can we have to get a high impact player there.

I go DE/DL, OL, WR, CB. On the latter, I'm not sold on Simon one bit. Guy can be an emotional wreck, and I think he's more a candidate for the Kelly Jennings award than pro bowl. That position is too important for us to wait around a few yrs to see if he develops. Pull the plug on him as a starter - guess keep him for depth - but get somebody else in there next year (assuming Maxwell is gone).

We'll see what happens. We're a great team. We were picked to reach (and win) the SB for 2014, and we nearly did it. No reason we can't trump the odds again this fall and get back to the big game.

I'm going to be 15 minutes away from next year's SB site, so I hope we do:)

[NorthHawk]

I wonder how Richardson is healing. If he's not going to be 100% by the start of the season, they might rate WRs as more of a priority.

A TE (if we go that way) might be Maxx Williams from Minnesota (6-4, 250), but I still like Funchess if he's there.
Williams is a Red Shirt Sophomore, but his father played in the NFL so he has an idea of what it's all about.
He's got great hands and regularly makes the circus catches with a large catching radius.
He also played FB and HBack as a Freshman.
NFL DraftScout has him ranked as the top TE of this class.

A later round pick (6th or so) might be Darren Waller from Georgia Tech. NFL DraftScout has him listed as 6-7, 242 lbs.
He's a bit of a project because GT doesn't pass much, but he's a mismatch for any DB. They have him rated as a 6-7 round prospect.

If you want smaller fast WRs, how about Philip Dorsett from Miami 5-10 183. He might be the fastest player at the Combine as NFL DraftScout has him at 4.22 to 4.44.
They have him ranked in the 2nd to 3rd round.