Official NFL Draft 1st Round Thread

[Joemailman]

JJ McCarthy

Overview
Enigmatic quarterback lacking the measurables and splash throws associated with early round quarterbacks but possessing elements that require more study and consideration. McCarthy lacks frame thickness and a plus arm. He’s fairly poised in the pocket but is average as a pocket passer. His ball placement and timing need to improve to help mitigate an average operation time due to a windup release. McCarthy doesn’t seek to play out of structure but is fairly consistent at making positive plays when it happens and ramps up his focus late in games and on third downs. He is confident and seems to have the ability to take slights and digest it as competitive fuel. McCarthy should continue to improve as a passer, but he fails to stand out in many of the areas that tend to be predictive of top-level success in the NFL.

Strengths
Plays with a chip on his shoulder and intensifies focus when needed.
Plenty of experience working under center in pro-style passing scheme.
Won’t hesitate to slide and find new launch points when pressure builds.
Adequate ability to locate throwing windows versus zone.
Makes drive throws between defenders with good decisiveness.
Delivers the ball smoothly on rollouts and in scramble mode.
One of the draft’s most efficient quarterbacks operating out of structure.
Toughness to deliver throws when taking a hit and squeeze out extra yards as runner.

Weaknesses
Sluggish getting through progressions and can get stuck on first read.
Modest arm strength might be magnified by windup in his delivery.
Ball placement on tape belies completion percentage on the stat sheet.
Leaves throws behind moving targets, allowing defenders to challenge catches.
Deep balls need to come out quicker and with more air under them.
Timing improved during the season but still crowds receivers to coverage.
Average escapability as a runner when scrambling.

[Fosco33]

My gut says JJ will be a good QB. Fucking Vikings.

[Teamcheez1]

My gut says JJ will be a good QB. Fucking Vikings.

Kirk Cousins light. I’m not impressed.

[red]

My gut says JJ will be a good QB. Fucking Vikings.

5 QBs have been taken so far

history tells us 4 of those will be duds

[red]

jets spend a high pick to protect a QB who will only be there for 1 more year at the most

[Bretsky]

I am very cool with either Barton or DeJean. Would prefer the DB; not excited about GB trading up.

If one of their guys does not fall into their laps, I hope they trade down

Worried Pittsburg will snag DeJean; he seems like a Pittsburg guy

[King Friday]

Denver would probably love to move down at this point, if GB was interested in moving up.

[red]

Denver would probably love to move down at this point, if GB was interested in moving up.

broncos pick is in

bo nix maybe?

[red]

broncos aren't just on the clock asshole

their pick has been in for 10 minutes

bo fucking nix at #12

6 QB's in 12 picks

[Frozen Tundra]

broncos pick is in

bo nix maybe?

Good lord, they did it.

This quarterback frenzy is irrational. Poor Raiders.... up until a half hour ago, they must have been 100% certan they were getting a quarterback tonight.

[Joemailman]

Brock Bowers

Overview
Prolific pass-catching tight end with a rare blend of acceleration, speed, body control and hands that could breathe new life into a stale NFL offense. Bowers was a high-volume target at Georgia and led the team in receiving yards in all three of his college seasons. He plays with relentless pacing as a route runner, allowing him to beat man coverage. Also, he’s highly effective at exploiting zone pockets for first downs and chunk plays. Bowers’ secret sauce might be his ability to rip through tacklers and pile on yardage after the catch. He’ll be an adequate move blocker and give effort at the point of attack, but that is the one area where his game falls short of George Kittle’s, for comparison purposes. Bowers is an explosive athlete but lacks the premium measurables typically associated with early first-rounders. It might take a year for him to acclimate to defenders who are bigger, faster and longer, but he appears destined to become a highly productive NFL player with Pro Bowl upside.

Strengths
Gets off the snap with good lean and early acceleration.
Capable of getting to his top speed very quickly.
Runs routes with controlled strides and cut-ready footwork.
Preserves play speed and begins to separate when turning routes.
Talent to beat man-cover linebackers on the next level.
Hands-catcher operating with good coordination and technique.
Exceptional toughness and contact balance with the ball in his hands.
Gets hands into proper positioning as a run blocker.

Weaknesses
Needs to become more forceful when fitting up his blocks.
Inconsistent sustaining run blocks in space.
Will need to improve route savvy underneath.
Limited catch radius.
Came out on the wrong side of contested catches in 2023.

[Joemailman]

Taliese Fuaga

Overview
Beefy right tackle capable of playing at a high level despite his lack of ideal pad level and lower-body bend. Fuaga plays with a fairly aggressive disposition. He’s a one-pop blocker who struggles to clinch into his run blocks and is therefore forced to work overtime to sustain and finish. The pass protection technique is outstanding, and he possesses the athleticism to mirror and match edge-to-edge rush movements. Fuaga’s hand work is exceptional in pass pro and will need to remain so, because of his lack of desired range for recovering when beaten. A team could slide him to guard to improve its interior protection, but he’s best-suited at right tackle, where he should become a good starter.

Strengths
Glides into pass sets with controlled slides, ready hands and quiet upper body.
Throws stiff right-left combinations, creating disruption for rusher.
Hands are highly active through the rush, helping to keep opponent centered.
Mirrors with fluidity, with little to no stall when changing direction.
Flashes ability to dig in with leveraged hand strikes at point of attack.
Gathers and adjusts his track to make his blocks in space.
Smooth and accurate when working from block to block.

Weaknesses
Pops up tall off the snap and gets behind in back-side cutoffs.
On first contact, tends to hit and bounce rather than hit and stick.
His run blocking is much less organized and technical than his pass blocking.
Doesn’t have the range in pass sets to succeed when tardy out of his stance.
Occasional issues allowing weight to slide too far out on outside foot.
Washington had some success beating his outside hand and trimming the edge.

[Frozen Tundra]

Man, the Jets stared the Vikings down and made them believe someone else was on the phone wanting #10.

May even have been the truth, but considering that it's the Vikings I hope it isn't. And they got pantsed.

For all we know, Joe Douglas texted his wife and told her "call me on this number and stay on the line; we can even argue about the new carpet in the living room. Just stay on the line so I can humiliate the Vikings."

[Rastak]

Man, the Jets stared the Vikings down and made them believe someone else was on the phone wanting #10.

May even have been the truth, but considering that it's the Vikings I hope it isn't. And they got pantsed.

Nah, do you really think they believe Rodgers is a long term answer? Two years at best for me. Plus, the price wasn't that high.

[Joemailman]

Laiatu Latu

Overview
Latu possesses the kind of rare maturity to his game that you usually see from NFL veterans. He rarely stays blocked by tackles as a run defender and dominates blocking tight ends on the collegiate level. His pass-rush approach is both well conceived and instinctive, and he’s brilliant at taking possession of the rep using clever hands and slippery angles to pry open opportunities. His eyes play beyond blockers, and he feeds off of a voracious motor that keeps him pushing forward as a run defender and pass rusher. Concerns surrounding his neck injury (while at Washington) will certainly come into play when he gets to medical exams, but his durability and play at UCLA are certainly promising. Everything about Latu’s skill set and production is translatable to the NFL, and he could become a Pro Bowler as a 3-4 outside linebacker with a heavy influence on the game.

Strengths
Menacing portfolio of movement and entry angles in his rush.
Mensa-level hand usage with slaps, swats, rips, counters and stabs at his disposal.
Motor and strength to drive through redirect blocks once he finds an opening.
Times up bull rush to attack tackle’s change of weight distribution in his slide.
Quick-win rusher when allowed to reduce inside against guards.
Brutish take-on typically eliminates blocking tight ends in short order.
Stacks and sheds blockers with good timing to sink into running backs.
Has the athletic ability to drop and swerve in short-area coverage.

Weaknesses
Medical concerns surrounding his neck injury (while at Washington) will need to be evaluated.
Frame build-out and body type are average.
Legs straighten out during rush engagement, robbing him of leverage.
Plays with good power but doesn’t carry a firm anchor against the run.
Pursuit speed to boundary or sideline is very average.

[Bretsky]

Let's ALL go to this F'cking thing next year !

[Fosco33]

Let's ALL go to this F'cking thing next year !

For sure.

[Joemailman]

OLUMUYIWA FASHANU

Overview
A toolsy two-year starter with loads of potential, Fashanu is still learning to be less mechanical and more instinctive with his play. At this point, he could impose his traits upon most collegiate opponents and stack the deck in his favor. As a pro, he will need to play with better control and more consistent technique to prevent being countered and beaten by NFL talent. There is still room to get bigger and stronger, but he’s already playing with good focus and drive as a run blocker. Issues with footwork and landmarks can be corrected with more coaching. He’s long and has really effective recovery agility to help keep his quarterback clean, but inconsistent pass slides and excessive leaning could make things harder than they need to be early on. Overall, the work ethic, traits and tape make it easier to project Fashanu’s continued improvement into a very good left tackle.

Strengths
Prototypical height/weight/length with proportional mass as left tackle.
Team captain; head coach called him a “high production, low maintenance” guy.
Grip strength can shut down a rush once he gets locked in.
Can swivel open outside half to mirror around the arc and keep the pocket closed.
Uses technique and bend to help stall rush momentum and drop anchor.
Fits up base blocks with good strike, leverage and drive.
Improved fight and strain in power swaps at point of attack from 2022 to 2023.
Controlled lateral slides help cut off moving targets as second-level blocker.
Length is best served as a recovery mechanism to corral leaky opponents.

Weaknesses
Inconsistent slide width creates inconsistent body control in his mirror.
Needs better patience and timing to eliminate lunging with his punch.
Forward lean into rushers will get him countered as a pro.
Must learn to step down to B-gap sooner to protect against T/E twists.
Oversteps landmarks, diminishing leverage and control as run blocker.
Needs to improve footwork/positioning post-contact to improve block finishing.
Struggles to reach back-side cutoffs due to faulty technique off the snap.

[SkinBasket]

Kool-aid

[King Friday]

That would be quite a reach at 12.