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Old 12-03-2018, 02:04 PM
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Default 2019 Draft Analysis

So I have some free time with the holidays here. Thought I would write up some thoughts on guys coming out next draft. This will be part of a draft guide at $19.95 it will feature my opinion and pictures from google image searches. I actually had the DTs and DE's written out already and my comp crashed so I will be doing it piecemeal. I will also go over a few scenarios and potential drafts. We have a long way to go still, combine, pro days, senior bowls and such. I'll try to update later on down the line, and expand it outside of the top 60 players or so. I will mostly concentrate on position groups I think we are looking at. I will plug in weight and height after the combine.

Sources

https://draftwire.usatoday.com/
https://coltswire.usatoday.com/
http://walterfootball.com/
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/
https://thedraftnetwork.com/
https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/

And watching the games.

Defensive Tackles

I've watched a lot of college ball this year and specifically the defensive lines. I think the Colts need a 3-tech for the future to build around and this is a great draft to find one assuming we don't win the Superbowl. I initially started looking around before we went on the win streak. Now I don't think we will pick top ten. I expect somewhere around 15-20, depending on injuries and such. The depth of the DT class will also push other positions down so we should have a pretty good choice come draft time. The order is not necessarily how I rank them yet.

Quinnen Williams
Alabama

So Quinnen Williams seems to have played himself into a top-five pick. That is very impressive considering the talent in this draft at defensive line. He could now be the top DT taken. I really liked Quinnen early in the season and hoped the Colts might have a shot at him after the big 3-4 DT's went. Not happening now. I just hope a division rival doesn't get him. So Quinnen raised some buzz in spring practice and before the season started as one of the most improved players. He really didn't do a whole lot last season. But he has been unstoppable this year. He has a great first step and speed for his size and combined with a good swim move he will leave interior o-line in the dust. He gets in the face of QB's and destroys the pocket. Now there are a couple caveats to him. One, he has only done this for one season. Two, he faced a lot of single man blocking, even now. Usually, Raekwon Davis is the one being doubled. Given he is destroying that single blocker, but he has not had to face double teams as much. He has made a few plays against double teams but they usually neutralize him. He is good enough to get by with one move, but when that first move doesn't work he kind of stalls letting the o-lineman into his pads to block him. He also plays on a super talented defense stocked with 1st rounders which makes his job a lot easier, they are also coached up to the max of their ability. Williams will get hustle sacks and is fast enough to get some of these QB's from behind. He needs to learn to string moves together and keep moving 100% of the time. The guy is a phenomenal athlete, I bet he blows up the combine. We have no chance at him baring a trade up.

Ed Oliver
Houston

I really like Oliver, and I think his stock has kind of taken a hit because his pass rush is not as effective as his run defense right now. But Oliver is a great athlete for the position, he always wins leverage battles despite being double teamed every single game. He has great speed and quickness out of his stance and will get under the pads of oline. He is a disrupter and fits the mold of a 3-tech perfectly. He is constantly in the backfield causing havoc and forcing running plays to break down. Now his run defense is better than his pass defense currently. He needs to learn some more moves, but he can certainly do it. His hands are good when he uses them and will get an offensive lineman's hands off him. If he wants to learn, with his speed, he will become a great pass rusher from the interior. If you are looking for a guy that looks like A-A-ron Donald, he is the closest match from a physical standpoint. I would really like to see what he could do against single blocking for a time.

Derrick Brown - Going back to school
Auburn

Brown and Simmons are kind of forgotten men this draft because their teams are not winning. Derrick Brown is young. He will be 20 starting next season. I am not usually a fan of young linemen. It is a man's game in the trenches and they will take a kid and absolutely destroy him. I have seen many young linemen come into the league and just wear down because they are not there yet mentally or physically. This isn't the NBA. I know all these guys think they could go right away, no you can't. So despite all that, Brown may be the most physically gifted in this class. He is a monster and wil do very well at the combine. His potential is sky high and some people have said he looks like a young Suh. I don't know about that, but whoever takes him I would use him on a snap count in a rotation for a couple years till he adjusts. Brown like Oliver faces a lot of double teams, but he stands his ground and is able to split them frequently. The guy is just strong, like country strong and will hold off lineman as if its nothing. I don't know if this is exactly what the Colts are looking for, but he is scheme diverse and can likely play anywhere.

Jeffrey Simmons
Ole Miss

Simmons is very much on my radar. I think he fits the Colts well. He has good size and strength, he has great hands and is advanced in his technique for a college player. He faces a lot of double teams and takes them on well. He is the best player on a very good defensive line. I think he shows exactly when the Colts are looking for. Speed, size, ability to penetrate and disrupt, good technique. The problem is I don't think he makes it out of the top 15. Will we have a shot at him, I don't know. One problem with Simmons is that sometimes he will get caught hand fighting with the oline instead of moving on up the field. But the guy checks all the boxes of what you would want.

Raekwon Davis - Going back to school
Alabama

Raekwon is more of a NT in the scheme and take son a majority of the double teams, he is still a very good DT and does a lot of the dirty work allowing the other guys like Williams to shine. He has solid technique and is almost unmoveable vs the run game. Guys just can't move him laterally. He would be solid in a 3-4 or a NT 4-3. Could we use a new NT, sure, but I think we have better options on the board here. Still you could do worse, I think he will end up being a solid player.

Christian Wilkins
Clemson

Another member of that Clemson d-line. I really like Christian Wilkins, and he turned it up a bit near the end of the season. Wilkins has been on the draft radar for about 3 years. He has been overrated as high as a top 5 pick and now he is perhaps a bit underrated which is a mid-1 to mid-2. Wilkins shape reminds me of Sapp, despite being a big round guy he is a great athlete. The offense will use him as an h-back. The guy can play at any position along the defensive line, he will play at end and move inside on passing downs. His future is as a 3-tech though. Wilkins is stronger against the run than the pass at the moment, but he has a good first step and great at batting down o-line hands. Versatile, athletic, highly experienced. But what I like best about Wilkins is his attitude. The guy loves football and his teammates. He is always doing something on the sideline rallying guys or making them laugh. Every TD Clemson scores he runs out there to congratulate the guys. They score a lot of TD's. If you want a good presence in the locker room and practice Wilkins will check that box for you. I think he is a favorite of Pete Carroll so I doubt he makes it past him in the first, unless there is a good oline there. If we pick anywhere after 20 I think this guy would be a target. Besides Simmons, he is my favorite 3-tech in this draft that we might have a shot at.

Dexter Lawrence
Clemson

Another part of that Clemson dline and Wilkins running mate. The former number 2 recruit in the country, Lawrence is a huge human being. He tops the scales at 340, but the guy is no slug. He can really move and is stout in the run game. He plays primarily NT for Clemson and that would be his role in the pros. I am wondering what he would look like 20-30 pounds lighter. I bet his speed would go up a lot. But for right now he projects as a NT. We could do worse than taking Lawrence, he would likely be a great NT for a long time. You could probably keep him in on pass downs if you want also. The guy faces double teams all day long and he is rarely moved. 3-4 teams will definitely be eyeing him in the first. Lawrence also had a RAS score just below Williams that is the highest for a NT maybe ever.

Dre'mont Jones
Ohio State

Jones was supposed to be the two in the one-two punch of OSU's defensive line this year. Then Bosa got hurt, but funny thing, Jones didn't slow down. He kept dominating. Jones can play end or tackle. He would be best suited as a 3-tech on passing downs. Jones is perhaps the best technician at DT in the draft. His hands and moves are much more advanced than any of the other players in this draft. Jones will string moves together to get free of oline. He has been nearly unstoppable from the interior this year. With a lightning quick first step and great hands, he is just really good. If there is a caveat to Jones, it is his size. He is estimated to be around 6'3 270lb. That is pretty light for an NFL tackle. It has been done before, but h e would a good player beside him to help with the run game. I am back and forth on Jones. I don't like his size limitations, but his production and technique are fantastic. If Simmons and Wilkins are off the board I would be ok with taking him. He might be the best pass rusher in this draft, and that is never a bad thing. If you want Aaron Donald like production in the pass rush, Jones might be your best bet.

Jeffrey Tillery
Norte Dame

Tillery has been a rock for the Norte Dame defense this year. Good against the pass and run, he is a huge man and has very good athleticism for being 6'6. I think Tillery is underrated in this draft. There is just so much defensive tackle talent that he has gotten lost in the mix a bit. But Tillery has been a very good pass rusher for ND up the middle. He almost took over the Michigan game. He has a quick first step and can get past tackles before they are out of their stance. His height gives QB's problems especially when he is bearing down on them. I really like his game. We perhaps have an inside scoop on him from Nelson. I can see Tillery being on the Colts radar especially if we are picking in the 20's. He has the height and production Eberflus would like for his 3-tech. He is almost as big as our current 3-tech Hunt. Tillery could also pack on a few more pounds. Tillery also had a RAS score just below Quinnen Williams. He could be a very good grab at the end of the draft.

Gerald Willis
Miami

The Miami defensive line has been very good the last couple years. With the talent in Florida, there is no excuse for Miami to be a bad team. Anyway, that is a separate conversation. So many of these guys will be picked in the next couple of years. Willis is another guy that should be a 3-tech in the pro's. He is good at getting upfield with nice hand fighting and slipping past blocks. His best move is a swim move that he will use to bring inside pressure on the QB. He also has a decent bull rush. He will need to work on stringing moves together at the next level, but he seems to have good athletism for the position. He does his best damage against the run and was stout in the middle for Miami. Willis might have played himself into the bottom of the first round, but could go all the way in the third. Willis might fall some due to some off-field issues.

Rennel Wren
Arizona

Wren has been popping up on drafts boards and is getting a lot of buzz. He has shown up in several of Stampede Blue's draft guides. He is a solid 6'6 and apparently very little fat on his frame. He looked the most in shape and intimidating of all DT's at the senior bowl weigh in. More importantly, he has been tearing it up at the senior bowl and too quick for the Oline there. I initially looked at Wren as a 4th round pick but his play at the senior bowl practices may be moving him up to the second round. This is a deep DT class and will be hard for him to break into the first. We could see as much as 10-15 defensive line going in the first round. So this alone would move Wren up. Wren likely projects as a 1-tech. But he could apply pass rush from that spot which makes him more valuable. Check out the senior bowl twitter feed for some highlights. Wren showed up on Feldman's Freak list which is hard to do, you need to be a phenomenal athlete. Gary is on that list which is why, despite production, people are still talking about him. Apparently, Wren runs a 4.85, squat 600lbs, bench 430, has a verticle of 34.5, and a 10-foot broad jump. He covers the measurables requirement.

UPDATE: Wren had a good combine and tested out overall better than Q Williams. That is impressive. Some people think he was misused at ASU and would be better as a 3-tech. He needs development still but the athletiscm is there.

Daylon Mack
Texas A&M

6'1 and about 327 from senior bowl weigh in. Mack is a late riser in the draft process. Mack was a five-star recruit for Texas A&M. He hasn't done much till his senior year where he noticably got better. Mack had a great East-West Shrine game and from that, he got invited to the Senior Bowl where he continued his great play. Mack doesn't have a ton of moves but what he does have in spades is leverage. In the words of Pacino, he has a great ass, this is where he gets his power. He is a beast against the run and because of his height he is able to get under lineman's pads, if you know line play, the low guy wins. Mack gets under the pads of guys and drives them back consistently in the pocket blowing plays up. It is why he has pretty good tackles for loss this year, 10 TFL and 5.5 sacks. He has probably played himself into the middle rounds. He would likely be a 1-tech for us and a disrupter against teh run and sometimes the pass.

Jonathan Ledbetter
Georgia


Daniel Wise
Kansas


Khalen Saunders
Western Illinois

Want to see a 320 lb man do a backflip? Here you go: https://twitter.com/TeamAthIete/stat...49712389419008
Saunders had a great week at the senior bowl and improved his draft stock. Everyone was having trouble blocking him and he showed tremendous strength. He has a non-stop motor and is very quick for 320 lbs. He has a few moves, but his bull rush was driving back the best oline at the senior bowl. On game day he did very well, was in the backfield a lot, and even got a sack. He is looking like a 2nd or 3rd round pick. I bet he is on our radar because he is a disruptive tackle that wants to get into the backfield and can play all along the line.

Defensive Ends

This is a nice DE Edge class this year, I'm not as high on some guys as others. I think the better players are the DT's but I would not be opposed if they took a DE. Joey Bosa is the overall top DE for this class, but there will be some good players available later. Maybe not as complete, but guys that could start for us.

Nick Bosa
Ohio State

The top guy at the position. Bosa has a brother who plays in the NFL already. His technique and strength is fantastic. Speed, length, power, effort, Bosa should be the top defensive player selected. He will be a top-five pick despite missing the season because of injury. We have no shot at him, so I'll just move on.

Clelin Ferrel
Clemson

Ferrel has been on the draft radar for a couple years playing at Clemson. He compliments that great tackle play with steady pressure from the outside. He is tall, has long arms, is well coached, and produces. He has a great first step and with good hand, usage finds his way to the QB. Ferrel will unlikely last to us and could be picked anywhere from top five to late teens. If he did, he would be a great pick considering he can play the run and the pass. I doubt he lasts.

UPDATE:
Ferrel seems to be dropping for some reason. He is still likely a first rounder, and all his measurables are great. But maybe he is suffering from over analysis. He also isn't the most bendy end. I think he will go somewhere in the first.

Josh Allen
Kentucky

Allen returned to Kentucky and it proved a very good decision. If Allen last to our pick we should jump all over him. When I picture a complete DE it is Allen. Fast, long, athletic, bend, he is even versatile enough to play linebacker and move to end on passing downs. Colts fans will like him because his game will remind them of Freeney and Mathis. Relentless in pursuit and some nice moves. I don't see Allen making it past 15. The Lions would be a good bet to draft him if I had to pick someone.

Rashan Gary
Michigan

Gary sets off my spidey sense big time. Gary has been a good player for Michigan, the problem is he hasn't been great. Making the athletic freak list, Gary should have more production than he does. That worries me big time and he falls into the looks like Tarzan and plays like Jane category for me. Size and ability wise he is right up the Colts alley, I think they like athletic tall guys they can coach up. But Michigan has good coaching and they didn't get more out of him. I can see Gary lasting to the second round and be very tempting to draft. I have heard some other people say that Gary was double teamed a lot and that he projects as a better pro with the ability to play all over the line. I don't know, my gut says to avoid and I'm usually pretty accurate when it comes to that. I don't like guys with that much athletiscm with pedestrian numbers.

Isiah Buggs
Alabama

Buggs is part of that dominate Alabama line. Only the Clemson line has been better at rushing the passer this year. Buggs has about 9.5 sacks on the year. Buggs has been credited with only bringing pressure on 10% of his rushes, per PFF. However, Buggs is attributed with about 78 rushes that generated pressure which is tops on Alabama. So there is some discrepancy there and shows you need to double check those PFF stats. I think Buggs has benefited from Williams forcing the QB out of the pocket, at the same time Williams benefited from Buggs and Davis also on the line. He is 6'2 285lbs, with an ok first step. He has a powerful rip move and can throw a tackle around if he gets leverage. Buggs will probably be a 3-4 end who is decent at setting the edge and holding up against the run with some occasional pass rush. But I don't see him fitting in the Colts system as either an end or DT. I just don't think he has the flexibility or bend to play a 4-3 end. He is a bit of a tweener between DT and DE.

UPDATE: Buggs was voted best defensive lineman at the senior bowl practices for the week. That is very impressive considering the amount of talent that is there. Buggs had a great week, was dominating everyone and moved all over the line. He might have raised himself an entire round with his performance. I might go back and watch more of him. I thought he benefited a lot from Q Williams getting most of the attention at the end of the year. I also have a picture of him giving up on a play in the championship game. But he might be worth a second look.

Zach Allen
Boston College

Allen plays for BC and led that BC defense this season. Allen is kind of a dilemma for me. If you watch him he will remind you of JJ Watt, and it makes sense considering he studies Watt and tries to copy his game. Allen wins with outstanding effort, he just never stops. My biggest issue with Allen is his lack of bend, he just doesn't do it. He has good hands and moves, a bull rush, good against the run. He is a load for college tackles and he wins a lot of battles and sacks by effort. You can have a long career as an effort player in the NFL, you will get a lot of sacks by simply going to the whistle and busting your ass. Will he win that initial pass rush and be the first guy to the QB? Probably not. But he will always give 100% effort and that is infectious. I see his ceiling as a poor man's JJ Watt and you could certainly make worse picks.

Montez Sweat
Ole Miss

Montez Sweat played next to Simmons who rightfully received most of the attention. I don't like Sweat as much as others. Considering all the single blocking he received he should have put up better numbers. Sweat has the prototypical build, speed, and strength to play the position. The guy looks the part bug time. He has had dominant performances against good teams. He also beat up Branden Smith last year. He is regularly being talked about as a first rounder. I haven't quite put my finger on it, but something seems off to me and I need to watch him a little closer. I wanted to see more with Simmons getting most of the attention. I'll likely revisit after the combine.

UPDATE: Sweat measured in at the senior bowl and has great size and length. His arm length is very nice and only Omenihu has longer arms. Sweat has been having good senior bowl practices and I might be coming around on him. He looks a lot more technically developed than I thought and he makes adjustments to counter the OT's adjustments. That shows me a developed game that he is thinking ahead. Like those kinds of smarts.

UPDATE 2: Sweat blew up at the combine and ran a 4.41 at 250 lbs. One of the fastest runs ever. Even Jim Irsay tweeted about it. BArring a trade up, we will not get him. He should be a top 12 pick.

Chase Winovich
Michigan

Chase will have that white guy high effort label through the draft process. But looking deeper, he has a pretty solid game. I think Chase was the driving force behind that Michigan D, which is a trait I love and something that is undervalued or ignored by a lot of draft evaluators. Two safeties I really wanted the Colts to draft were Eddie Jackson and Ronnie Harrison both from Alabama. When I watched them, they were nuts on the field, but also they were the attitude behind those defenses. I like to use Rodney Harrison as an example, that guy was single-minded on the field. It was never enough, his teammates were always trying to calm him down. Those guys bring an intensity that can help a defensive get back into a game when down. I see a similar impact by Winovich. He is a very good athlete with strong active hands and great speed. He is always active and causing a disruption. He has 15 tackles for a loss and shows he is always getting into the backfield. He will also set the edge well and anchor against linemen driving the run back inside. He might be a little light for a DE full time. But as a rotational piece in a line like ours, I can see him doing a lot of damage and being a thorn in the side of an offense all game. I would not be surprised to see the pats draft him.

Charles Omenihu
Texas

Charles was called a big ball of clay by one draft website. He is big, fast, and athletic. But also a little raw. He was invited to the senior bowl I believe so it will be important to see how he does there. Considered a raw prospect, he will need some coaching up. He ceiling is very high, but I am always wary of raw players. I like guys to have some recognizable instincts, and I will usually take a high performer over a raw guy. But that is just me and there have been some very good guys that started out very raw. Of course, there have been some huge busts as well. You just need to juggle that draft position vs potential aspect as a team. Omenihu will likely get some buzz because of his athleticism.

UPDATE: I watched more of Omenihu and I am starting to like him. He also has super long arms which will help him keep blockers off his frame. I watched him in his bowl game and he was a game wrecker, Georgia had no answer for him. Georgia didn't show up and looked flat overall. Still, Omenihu looked a lot more developed than I initially thought. I could see him slipping into the bottom of the first or the top of the second now. I think with his athleticism, size and motor he fits what we want to do and are looking for. I bet he is very much on the team's radar.

Ronheem Bingham
Arkansas St

Keep an eye on this guy. He has been picked out by PFF because of his high-pressure rate. I like guys that have a high-pressure rate because it should eventually turn into sacks. But even if it doesn't, causing pressure on the QB will still influence a game. I would rather have a guy that 20% pressure rate over a guy who has about ten, but gets a sack in the game. Bingham has around a 25% rate which is good. I expect scouts to put him through the wringer to make sure he wasn't just taking advantage of lower competition.

Sutton Smith
Northern Illinois

Sutton is a small school stand out that had a very good year. I think he might have the highest pressure rate in college. Unfortunately, he is around 6 foot and I don't see him big enough to play end for us. Someone will take a flyer on him as an Edge later in the draft.

Jachai Polite
Florida

Jachai is fast fast fast. I love his speed and reminds me of Mathis in this area. Jachai blew up this year and played very well for Florida. He is around 260 pounds, but what is nice is he is not a one trick pony that can only rush the passer. Jachai plays the run very well and would not be a liability when setting the edge. I would really like him for the Colts because I think he would add some needed speed that could chase down some of these QB's. Polite doesn't have as high a pressure rate as say Burns or Ximenes, but when he does apply pressure he gets the sack about half the time. Jachai will likely go somewhere in the second half of the 1st round.

Brian Burns
Florida St

Burns has a very high upside and is explosive off the edge. He has been consistent in his years at FSU and should be a disrupter at the next level. The knocks on him is he is light even though he is about 6-5. Playing at an estimated 230lbs, he is not built for a 4-3 DE. That won't stop some teams, but he would be better suited for a 3-4 edge. He will likely go around our pick so we should keep an eye on him. I don't see him going to us unless he can show he can put on weight and keep his explosion.

Joe Jackson
Miami

Joe Jackson is a big solid defender who is equally capable against the run and pass. He has some bend but is big enough to defend the run. He has been part of a very good Miami line over the last couple of years. He looks to be around a 3rd round pick. He would make a good rotational piece and his size and weight would work in our defense. The biggest knock on him is that he is inconsistent. He has flash plays and looks dominant and with 14 TFLs he can get in the backfield. Then other times he will get dominated by lesser talent. That inconsistency will keep him as a day three pick. He might have been better served returning for another year, but he could be an asset as a rotation player till he learns the league.

Oshane Ximines
Old Dominion

Ximines had a good year with 18 TFL's and 12 sacks. He has been getting some buzz and he should test well at the combine. This is his second year of decent production. I would not be surprised to see him go in the 2nd round. One warning flag on him is that he did not have a good senior bowl and seemed to be overwhelmed.

Jaylon Ferguson
Louisianan Tech

Ferguson has been in the news lately with his invitation rescinded to the scouting combine for battery charges filed years ago. This happened before he was even a freshman so it is a little silly to punish him now. Anyway its the NFL anbd they worry a lot about their image. He has been invited again but on a limited basis. Ferguson played against lesser competition and had 26 TFLs and 17 sacks. He also had a good senior bowl. His strengths are his hand play and ability to switch between moves. His explosion is a little above average. He can bend, can stunt, has long arms to keep the tackle at bay, he can cross over the tackle and attack the guard. There is a lot to like about him. He may find himself sneaking into the second half of the 1st. His pro day is coming up and we will see what his measurables are like.

Anthony Nelson
Iowa

Nelson doesn't have great explosion off the edge and his bend is just ok. He is huge at 6-7 and has good smarts and strength. He will ragdoll guys sometimes when he is the point of attack in the run game. He will use his brains and set up defenders with his moves. His combine results will be important to how high he goes.


Linebackers

Devin White
LSU

Guy ran a 4.42 at the combine. He will be a top 10 pick. We have no chance at him. I like his athleticism, still think he takes bad angles and his tackling could be cleaned up. I would rather have Devin Bush.

Devin Bush
Michigan

Bush is a sleeper 1st round for us. He might make it to 26. I like him for our defense. He can run like the wind posting a 4.44 and he is smart and sets his defense up before the snap. I think he would be equally as dangerous as Leonard and they would form a good combo staying on the field for all three downs.

TeVeon Conley
Norte Dame

Conley has fallen a bit and I'm not sure why. He is a good smart Mike and can stack and shed while also being pretty good in coverage. I will expand on him more.

Germaine Pratt
NCSU

Pratt is my favorite in this group. He could play the Mike or the Sam spot for us. He shows up consistently on tape more than just about anyone else. He is an A+ athlete and can run sideline to sideline. He still needs some work on diagnosing but he has long arms to shed blocks and shows good technique when tackling. He might make it to the 3rd round, but a late 2nd will probably get him.

Terrill Hanks
WVU

Hanks blew up at the senior bowl and showed a lot to teams. There have been comparisons to Leonard. He is a lanky and fast linebacker that should go around the 3rd or 4th round.

Secondary

Greedy Williams
LSU

Greedy is a big fast corner. He would ideally be in a press man defense. But really any defense can use a talent like him.

Deandre Baker
Georgia

Baker is a bit shorter than the other top CB but he is a a good instinctive corner with impressive man coverage abilities.

Byron Murphy
Washington

Many people like Murphy for our defense. He is a bit slower than average but would fit well in a zone defense. He is very fluid in his hips and turns well to stay with receivers. He has decent size and most of all he has good instincts and can break on the ball really well in a zone scheme. He will likely be around where we pick and could be a guy they take.

Rock-Ya Sin
Temple

Sin had a great senior bowl and was one of the few guys who actually gave Deebo Samuel problems in practice. Samuel burnt everyone else there. Sin is a physical and competitive corner. He takes the fight to the receiver and doesn't back down. Extremely confident, he has the size, speed, and most importantly cockiness you want in a corner.



Wide Outs

Wow, this is a deep draft of wideouts. There seems to be all kinds of players whatever you are looking for, big slot, small slot, big contested catch guy, small fast route runners, home run threats and chain movers. I also think it is a bit of a minefield. Some of these guys scare me, especially the big ones who I suspect cannot separate from coverage.

DK Metcalf
Ole Miss

This year's combine buzz winner. Metcalf ran a blazing 40, looks like Tarzan, good attitude, breezed through the combine drills like they were nothing. Still I would not draft him. He ran a limited route tree, his 20 yard shuttle and 3 cone make me wonder how good his cutting is and whether he is not just a long ball receiver. He has only caught 67 total throws in college, and also had a neck injury this year. This is a deep WR draft class, I would look elsewhere unless he fell to the right pick which, for me, would be the third round.

AJ Brown
Ole Miss

AJ Brown was the top WR going into the season. He has fallen down a bit but is still dynamic. He is a big slot and a fit for this offense. He is built like a RB and can get you great YAC. Brown will have to work on his route tree and his separation. But he had a good combine and really isn't much less athletic than Metcalf. I personally would take him over Melcalf, I think he is the safer bet. Solid hands and good measurable all around. He would be a good pick at the 34 slot if they wanted to WR.

Hollywood Brown
Oklahoma

The cousin of Antonio Brown. He is built much the same way. Hollywood has had comparisons to Hilton, and you can see it in his game. Brown will not get you contested catches or any physicality. He will be able to take the top off a defense and can run a whole route tree. Brown creates tremendous separation out of his breaks and is a homerun threat everytime he catches the ball. He would be your X receiver and would likely draw safety help over the top. He needs to work on escaping press coverage which can stall him significantly. Otherwise Brown is a burner who is a threat to score everytime he catches the ball. Brown would be dangerous in our offense because he is good at sifting through the middle. This is not something Hilton is good at. Hilton is not a YAC receiver, Brown is. So I don't see him as redundant. A lot of those WR screens and short yardage throws would be very good for him. Brown and Parris Cambell would also fit that role well.

Kelvin Harmon
NC State


N'Keal Harry
Arizona


Riley Ridley
Georgia

I really liked Ridley at first but I have cooled on him. His athleticism is very average and so are his hands. He should make a good WR three at the next level, I just don't see him being great.

JJ Arcega Whiteside
Stanford

Whiteside is a route running and contested catch nitemare for a defense. This guy wins contested catches and has the highest win rate among this years receivers. Contested catches is one of the traits that does translate to the NFL and usually seems to be accurate translation about a player. Whiteside is not going to win a speed battle or lose guys in routes. But he knows how to shield defenders away from the ball, use his height and jumping ability, and come down with the catch. He also runs great routes. Whiteside will move the chains on 3rd and is a redzone headache for a defense. He has been compared to Alshon Jeffrey and I bet he is on the Colts radar. He shoudl go anywhere from late 2nd to top of the 4th.

Deebo Samuel
South Carolina

My draft crush for receivers. Samuel had excellent production at South Carolina, he then tore up the Senior bowl and the practices. He was uncovervable. Samuel is a route technician and just burns guys using quickness and good routes to separate from guys. His hadns are also very good. But don't think this is a skinny route runner. Deebo is very physical and is solidly built for a 6 foot receiver. He can easily beat press coverage and should keep CB's on their heels. I think he is going to be a very good receiver for a long time. I hope the Colts take him.




Running Backs

Bryce Love
Stanford

I like Love, and he was one of the more dynamic backs coming out of college. But an injury has hampered him this year, and there are now rumors that his torn acl repair is not going great and there is stiffness in the ligament. That said, Love is a dynamic back running and out of the backfield when healthy. A speed back he could break any run into a touchdown. If you draft him you may have to wait a little while for him to get back to shape. Love was going to be a late round pick, but now I could see him falling out of the draft altogether. I might still spend a 6th or 7th on him betting on a healthy back. If he had come out his junior year he might have been a top 60 pick.




Offensive line

Draft Crushes

Last edited by Chromeburn; 06-09-2019 at 02:52 PM.
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