With our current OL regardless of where drafted, a couple of these positions Guard, Right Tackle and even Center when Kelly is sidelined are just turds in the punch bowl. Doesn't matter the scheme or who is coaching them. No matter how much you polish a turd it is still a turd...:cool:

Unfortunately you could say the same thing about most positions on the roster.

My ideal draft would be getting Chubb at #6, but if he is off the board then trading #6 to Buffalo for #12 and #22 and drafting any two of Landry, Davenport, Wynn,or Hernandez.

You can get the ball out quickly by design. That's a lot of what the Eagles offense has done the past few years. That's what I expect Reich will do. It makes Nelson entirely unnecessary, a luxury pick, and a bad one at that. This team needs a defense if it's going to get anywhere, adding to the OL instead of taking an impact defender makes no sense.

Heh....Crosby and Daniels are the 2 guys that I wanted us to target even before seeing this list.

Crosby should be able to be gotten with one of our 2nd round picks and Daniels should be available at the top of the 3rd round.

If we could come out of the draft with Edmunds/Smith in the 1st, Crosby, CB, LB/DE in the 2nd round and Daniels in the 3rd round I would consider that a heck of a draft.

4 guys for the O-Line/Front 7 and a CB2 to pair with Wilson. That would be amazing.

Walk Worthy,

I wouldn't be surprised if Daniels makes it into Rd 1. He's definitely going before Rd 3 at the very least.

and I suspect the Bills GM feels the same way in reverse: he wouldn't entertain a conversation where both picks ARE in play, unless it's with the Giants or maybe the Browns, to get past #6 to the greater value at #4 or #2.

if Beane WERE willing to trade both picks for #6, IMO 1) he's incompetent and 2) if I'm Ballard I make that trade in a nanosecond unless Chubb's still there

Ballard:

"I have Miami and Arizona offering their 1 and 2, plus additional picks. It's going to take at least 12 and 22 for me to get this done."

That's how I've felt for a couple weeks. And if that includes Barkley at 2, then that leaves Chubb at 6.

that tells us Ballard's side of it, but not Beane's.

I respect McShay's evaluation of QBs (especially since he was a starting QB in college) and he feels only 2 of the "4 QB's" everyone mentions are deserving of being drafted in the top 10 of this draft. That's not to say they won't be drafted in the top 10, they likely will. And Jackson later in Round One, and Rudolph may even move up into Round One, near the end. IMO the current NFL rules cause teams to over-value QBs in general.

But speaking personally, if I'm Buffalo's GM, I'm not valuing #6 in this draft enough to give up #12 and #22 for it, especially if there's any shot at #4 or #2.

Agreed here. I think Buffalo and Cleveland work out a deal for #4.

Tony Pauline has a source saying the 49ers like Edmunds.

I doubt we get either Edmunds or Smith at 12. I’m guessing McIchy or Davenport at 12.

I think if Ballard trades down for #12, it would be with the expectation that Smith and Edmunds will both be gone, and he'll be looking at someone like Ward, Fitzpatrick or James.

And, hopefully, additional 2nd-round picks (unless he can somehow talk Beane into #22 as well as #12).

If it's 12 and 22, I'd expect Fitzpatrick and LVE.

some scouts apparently feel that, although Fitzpatrick had a better overall college career, James will be a better pro, FWIW. And if Ward truly is the best cover corner in the draft, I'd be mildly surprised to see him still there at #12, but I guess it could happen.

supposedly the Cowboys like LVE at #19, but they'll also be under pressure from their fan base to "replace Dez" in the first round and might pick Ridley if he's there at #19.

if Malik Jefferson slides all the way to #49, I might be tempted to take him too.

I like Jefferson a lot as a Rd2 target, especially if they don’t go LB in Rd1.

I would be pretty disappointed if they come out of Rd1 with a secondary player. The LBs are better prospects, IMO.

Another reason why I think Ballard stays at 6.

Per Matt Miller:

Maurice Hurst falling would be interesting. Could be a good fit in the 4-3.

If Ragnow and Price go Rd1, maybe Daniels or Hernandez makes it to them in Rd2.

I'm a bit perplexed as to why Jefferson appears to be sliding so much. I can understand it happening with some other potentially problematic guys like Jefferson's teammate Hill, or Key (LSU), but not so much with Jefferson.

For all I know, Ballard may have Smith and Edmunds almost as highly rated as Chubb, and be happy with any of them at #6.

If it is Smith, I just hope he's 100% healed and healthy. And assuming he is, then I don't think either of them will likely be there at #12 (unless there's another trade somewhere around #7-to-#11, and if there is I'd expect that might happen AFTER the Colts picked at #6).

I would think Ballard probably has Edmunds rated right behind Chubb, especially the way he's talking about LBs lately.

Not sure he’s really sliding. He’s a very athletic prospect who didn’t produce up to his potential in college and is clearly behind the likes of Smith, Edmunds, Evans, and LVE.

FWIW, Eric Edholm says the Colts love Smith. Possible there’s a Ballard-Edholm connection from Ballard’s Chicago days.

If Chubb doesn't slide to #6, I could probably be OK with either Edmunds or Smith (if medically cleared).

I'm actually in some ways more interested to see who's still available at #36, #37 and #49. I'm expecting some promising OLs, RBs, and CBs to be around then. Maybe some LBs and WRs too.

IIRC, he was the #1-rated LB prospect coming out of high school. Couple of friends of mine who are UT grads/fans insist Jefferson was "misused" in their defense.

Think Eberflus could probably fix that if the Colts were to draft him.

Some interesting nuggets in today's Stick to Football podcast from Bleacher Report:

1) At least 5 teams have LVE off their board due to health concerns, but Matt Miller knows of teams picking in the top 10 who cleared him.
2) Teams are concerned with Josh Sweat's knee, thinking it will shorten his career. Some teams will view him as a 5 year player and will be okay with selecting him in rounds 2 or 3.
3) Taven Bryan is seen as a highly probable pick for the Falcons. I could see him as a potential Ballard target if he moved back up into late Rd1.
4) Thinks the Jets are going to pick Rosen and Browns will pick Chubb at 4.
5) Thinks Edmunds will go to 49ers at 9.
6) Hears that Vea will go top 15, probably to MIA or WAS.
7) Hears there are major concerns with Hurst's medicals (heart) and thinks he will go Day 3.
8) Only sees 7 blue chip players in this draft and about 15-20 1st round grades. But Miller has 50 or so 2nd round grades on players. Thinks some really good players will fall to 2nd round due to 5 or 6 QBs going Rd1.

Now that Ballard has confirmed that John Simon is a DE in the new scheme, we have ZERO viable starting calibre LBs on the roster.

4th year player / 01 NFL games started / 37 NFL games played in / 5th round draft pick / Jeremiah George
3rd year player / 19 NFL games started / 31 NFL games played in / 4th round draft pick / Antonio Morrison
2nd year player / 00 NFL games started / 06 NFL games played in / Undrafted into NFL../ Darnell Sankey
2nd year player / 02 NFL games started / 10 NFL games played in / 5th round draft pick / Anthony Walker Jr
2nd year player / 00 NFL games started / 11 NFL games played in / Undrafted into NFL../ Jermaine Grace

I know that 40 yard dash times are not football; however with Ballard beating the drum of getting "faster" on defense:

40 times from Combine or Pro Day of current LBs:

4.55 = Darnell Sankey
4.57 = Jermaine Grace
4.65 = Anthony Walker Jr
4.91 = Jeremiah George
5.16 = Antonio Morrison

Our two guys with 2 or 3 years NFL experience are also our slowest LBs. They were also brought in by Grigson and all the newer guys brought in last year by Ballard are much faster.

40 times from Combine or Pro Day of draftee LBs:

4.38 = Shaquem Griffin, Central Florida * (WSLB)
4.51 = Roquan Smith, Georgia * (MLB)
4.52 = Malik Jefferson, Texas * (WSLB)
4.53 = Jerone Baker, Ohio State
4.54 = Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech * (MLB)
4.59 = Genard Avery, Memphis
4.59 = Oren Burks, Vanderbilt
4.61 = Dorian O'Daniel, Clemson
4.63 = Andre Smith, North Carolina
4.64 = Fred Warner, BYU
4.65 = Leighton Vander Esch, Boise State * (WSLB)
4.66 = Micah Kiser, Virginia

==== Speed Break ? ====

4.70 = Darius Leonard, South Carolina
4.75 = Rashaan Evans, Alabama (Did not run at Combine or Pro Day. This numbers is from an Alabama football fan website from "team" numbers" from the 2017 season. His 2016 time was 4.65 and his 2015 time was 4.60)
4.75 = Christian Sam, Arizona State
4.76 = Mike McCray, Michigan
4.77 = Tegray Scales, Indiana
4.82 = Josey Jewell, Iowa

* = Guys I like as probably starters on a Colts 4-3 defense in 2018.

My guess is that we will get a max of two LBs drafted and then either have to produce a SSLB from our internal guys or potential veteran free agents still on the market like Kevin Minter or Gerald Hodges.

I really think that we need to come out of this draft with two LBs picked in the first 3 rounds of the draft. We really have no one on the roster currently who inspires confidence at the positions.

Walk Worthy,

Barring a trade back I really expect the pick at 6 to be either Smith or Edmunds. I think that may be the case even if Chubb is still available. Personally I think I’d slightly prefer Edmunds. Maybe it’s having watched the Dungy lead defense get ran all over time and time again, but Smiths size concerns me. Even with me knowing how great he is in coverage and how important that is in the modern NFL I just can’t shake it. Maybe it’s like a sports induced PTSD

Think Thomas Davis, Deion Jones, and Bobby Wagner. Those guys are studs who are "undersized" LBs.

Really, it's the speed and instincts that set Smith apart. Yes, he could get blocked, but not if he beats you to the spot.

Teams play nickel 50% of the time, so 3rd LB isn't nearly as important as having a good MLB and WLB. Agree that it would be nice to come out with two good options, but it'll depend on the board. So many other holes to fill as well.

And Shaq Griffin is not a LB in a 4-3. You can't put a guy there with one hand.

Vander Esch is more likely a MLB here, could even play SLB if needed. I'd like to see two of the first four picks go to LBs (the other two going to DL would be my preference), then hopefully another LB later in the draft. I hope all of Days 1 and 2 go to defense.

Also, you forgot Najee Goode in your analysis of LBs currently on the roster.

I’m not at all against Smith at 6, I just personally lean towards Edmunds due to that fear and Edmunds pontential.

Well where do you play him if not at WLB? OLB in a 3-4?
But really, the whole story with him is that the hand isn't a limiting factor. But how NFL GM's feel about it remains to be seen.

seen the tape and heard the stories. still makes me nervous as hell sending out a guy with one hand, especially using a high pick on him.

At what point would he be worth the risk? Guy has some physical talents to go along with the limitation.

We brought in a free agent Tight End with NO hands:confused:

not sure.

Surprised this is even a question. He's obviously a situational pass rusher in passing situations. Do you really want him to try and wrap up a TE or RB with a head of steam in the open field?

You have to be comfortable with him on ST to warrant a spot on the roster. I'm not sure he will.

I think a creative DC could/would use Griffin to avoid having to make subs to go from 4-3 base to nickle base. He reminds me a lot of Adalius Thomas with the Ravens, and I think a smart, creative DC would use him that way.