Draft Targets at #26 and #34

[Chromeburn]

Originally Posted by VeveJones007

I'm moving Montez Sweat down from sure-thing Top 15 pick to one of the pool of players who could be available & fits for the Colts at 26/34.

So the one guy that Irsay tweeted about after his 40 may be available? I read somewhere Sweats condition is not as serious as Hurst’s last year. They had multiple opportunities to draft Hurst so I wonder if he is on the board?

Sweat falling means Burns moves up.

[VeveJones007]

“You want to filter out the guys you know just don’t fit.” He said athletic, schematic and character factors can all either help or hurt a certain prospect.
Speaking of: Ballard did say there are players that have what could be considered “character risks” on this year’s Colts draft board, but “we’re comfortable with them.”

That tells me Jeffrey Simmons is on the board.

[Coltsalr]

Originally Posted by VeveJones007

That tells me Jeffrey Simmons is on the board.

Wonder if that goes for Jachai Polite as well.

I think he has the potential to be a value steal if he gets into the right system where he can get good advice as opposed to the bad advice he’s apparently been getting from the idiots around him now.

[VeveJones007]

Alright, below is my best guess at getting to Ballard's list of 8 players who are targets at #26. Obviously not all of them will be there, but I'm trying to rank order them so that we can try to gauge who BPA is at any given point. Yes, NJColtsfan, this is hypothetical, but I find it interesting so here we are.

From my previous list, I'm moving Sweat out of the assumed Top 15 due to his heart condition, and also moving Tillery, Fant, and Jacobs from the 2nd list into the consideration set.

I'm assuming the italicized players will be gone, which gets the list down to 11. If Sweat or Simmons are off their board for medical concerns, that brings it to 9.

1st Tier:
EDGE: Brian Burns
DT: Christian Wilkins
DT: Jeffrey Simmons (lower due to injury)
EDGE: Clelin Ferrell
S: Jonathan Abram
TE: Noah Fant
CB: Byron Murphy
WR: AJ Brown
WR: N'Keal Harry
WR: Marquise Brown (I think they place more value on larger receivers)
OL: Chris Lindstrom
RB: Josh Jacobs
CB: Deandre Baker
EDGE: Montez Sweat (heart condition)
DL: Jerry Tillery (my personal reservations that he isn't a great scheme fit)


2nd Tier (unranked, sure-fire 2nd rounders):
DT: Dre'mont Jones
EDGE: Jaylon Ferguson
S: Taylor Rapp
WR: Riley Ridley
WR: Deebo Samuel
WR: Terry McLaurin
WR: Paris Campbell

I think two players from Tier 1 will be there at 26 & 34, but we'll see. The 2nd tier is more of a preliminary target list for 59 IMO.

[Dam8610]

If the Colts get Sweat and Simmons I'll be very happy. Two top 15 talents they have no business getting would go a long way toward building the defense.

[VeveJones007]

Originally Posted by Dam8610

If the Colts get Sweat and Simmons I'll be very happy. Two top 15 talents they have no business getting would go a long way toward building the defense.

No doubt, but I just don't see Ballard taking that degree of risk. One of them? Sure. Both of them? I can't see it.

[Dam8610]

Originally Posted by VeveJones007

No doubt, but I just don't see Ballard taking that degree of risk. One of them? Sure. Both of them? I can't see it.

There's risk from a draft capital standpoint, but to me the reward potential of two perennial pro bowlers far outweighs it. To me, Sweat is the guy you have to get if available, he's top 5 from a pure talent standpoint in this draft IMO. I also wouldn't be disappointed with something like Sweat and Tillery.

[Chromeburn]

Originally Posted by Coltsalr

Wonder if that goes for Jachai Polite as well.

I think he has the potential to be a value steal if he gets into the right system where he can get good advice as opposed to the bad advice he’s apparently been getting from the idiots around him now.

Polite didn’t interview well. I guess he rubbed a lot of teams the wrong way.

[YDFL Commish]

Originally Posted by Chromeburn

Polite didn’t interview well. I guess he rubbed a lot of teams the wrong way.

I would take Baker off of the list, because reports are that he didn't interview well either.

This will be interesting to see what Eberflus and Ballard truly value at safety. I'm not high on Abram and Rapp and am higher on guys like Adderly and Savage. But there's also Deionte Thompson, Chauncey Gardner Johnson, Jaun Thornhill and Amani Hooker.

Various sites have them all ranked differently and they all have their warts, which I believe make them all early to late 2nd round picks.

[FatDT]

Originally Posted by Chromeburn

Polite didn’t interview well. I guess he rubbed a lot of teams the wrong way.

I followed that and it seemed like the media over-covered it. I think he got some bad advice from his agent and flubbed it some, but I've read people talking about him falling to day 3 of the draft and I just don't see that at all.