FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICK ENDORSEMENTS

[wist43]

Everything about this draft makes me think Ted is trading down. However:

one of the rumblings that has not yet become conventional wisdom is that the extra time has actually been enough for teams to talk themselves out of guys they had liked and highly rated less than a month ago. Rapaport was just talking about this and I saw someone else mention it on CBS.

So its also possible someone surprising falls to 21.

I don't expect these guys to drop necessarily, but I wouldn't touch Clowney or Manziel; all of the 1st round QB are iffy - Bortles is about the only one I'd say has the tools.

Other guys with 1st round grades that I don't like are Darqueze Dennard, CJ Mosley, Cyrus Kouandjio, Derrick Carr, and Kony Ealy - among others.

I wouldn't take Clowney if he dropped all the way to 21, Manziel either.

[red]

with the draft being so damn deep at WR, to me, that means you can still get a damn fine WR in rounds 3 or 4 or even later

for for me, that means you don't take one of the best wr prospects in the first 2 rounds, when you have such greater needs at areas with much shallower talent pools

what happens if we don't draft a starting safety this year, just like we didn't last year? free agency is over, there's no more upgrades to be found there

hyde would be forced into the role by default, and thats never a good thing.

you could have pro bowlers at every position on defense, but if you're two back end players remain as incompetent as they were last year, then we are gonna continue to be a sieve in the passing game

[smuggler]

We have to take Clowney at 21 if hes there. That would make our roster 4-3 compatible almost immediately.

[HarveyWallbangers]

with the draft being so damn deep at WR, to me, that means you can still get a damn fine WR in rounds 3 or 4 or even later

for for me, that means you don't take one of the best wr prospects in the first 2 rounds, when you have such greater needs at areas with much shallower talent pools

what happens if we don't draft a starting safety this year, just like we didn't last year? free agency is over, there's no more upgrades to be found there

hyde would be forced into the role by default, and thats never a good thing.

you could have pro bowlers at every position on defense, but if you're two back end players remain as incompetent as they were last year, then we are gonna continue to be a sieve in the passing game

I've generally agreed with the guys you like, but not Bortles. I just don't see it. He has good size, poise, and mobility--but I don't think much of his arm and mechanics. He throws a pretty pathetic middle to deep ball. I'm probably the only person that wouldn't take him in the first round.

[wist43]

We have to take Clowney at 21 if hes there. That would make our roster 4-3 compatible almost immediately.

Talent wise?? Yeah, he's the #1 pick, hands down...

Football player wise?? motor wise?? Attitude wise?? Don't want anything to do with him...

I watched a couple of SC games - the guy was invisible. I watched him every play. You could see the athletecism, you could see the ability - but at the same time, you could that he just wasn't that interested in being the best player on the field. Seriously, the guy was invisible when I watched... I'm sure he has all the ability in the world to flip the switch and make highlight film plays - but how often will that be??

I think the guy is going to be a headcase in the NFL.

[woodbuck27]

Hell, I don't know what to think. My head's spinning now. Mosley - great athlete, but can he cover a tight end, and is he injury prone? Pryor? Too much an in-the-box guy, like they think Burnett should be, and maybe out of control? Ward? Big enough? Shazier - can he play inside?

I'm so confused. Just have the damn draft already, and pick someone, for god's sake.

What I don't seem to be able to see is a guy that might be even within seven or eight picks of their #21 spot who could be that all-pro difference-maker. I seem to see a lot of guys who could be good, or maybe really good, but I'm not seeing that Clay Matthews/Aaron Rodgers kind of guy being available after the first six or so guys are gone.

But what do I know? Not much. I do like reading all of your assessments. Better than most national blah blah draft reports.

Fritz it's not easy to try to do a realistic Mock, even with all the information available to us. As a fan and with some concerted effort I do feel we can get a decent grip on it in Round 1-4. After that it gets a bit sketchy.

The thing I gain from getting more absorbed in this exercise is that I realize/appreciate that the pressure on TT and his draft team to get it best they can is somewhat large.

I believe that TT has to be looking at priority picks @ SS ( both FS's Hasean Clinton-Dix and Calvin Pryor may be gone); ILB C.J. Mosely most likely will be gone (he won't slip past the Chicago Bears @ Pick #14) and one or both of OLB34 Ryan Shazier and DT Louis Nix will be available at Pick #21.

Where Ted Thompson has to be at his BEST and RIGHT is with that # 21 pick. Is the BPA available a true fit or does he trade down?

I can see willing trade down partners emerging.

ie @ Pick #26 Cleveland (Pick #24 and Cincy and a possible strong move early @ QB); Pick #30 San Fran (OLB and CB and WR and needing to pull out all the stops in 2014) and even Rd. 2 Pick #34 Washington needing as priorities both OLB and ILB; CB and Safety).

[Fritz]

I wonder if Ted will go big, with the Beej being on a one year deal and Boyd, from what I've read, suited to a tech more than a nose. Nix, maybe, the only obvious nose tackle available?

Then trade up in the second to nab a safety - Ward, Brooks, whomever? Then get a WR in the third?

Hell, what do I know?

I'd like to see them get an ILB and a safety both before the fifth round, though. I don't think this team can afford to take a safety who's going to take four years to develop, and that's what you seem to get the later you take one.

[Bretsky]

I wonder if Ted will go big, with the Beej being on a one year deal and Boyd, from what I've read, suited to a tech more than a nose. Nix, maybe, the only obvious nose tackle available?

Then trade up in the second to nab a safety - Ward, Brooks, whomever? Then get a WR in the third?

Hell, what do I know?

I'd like to see them get an ILB and a safety both before the fifth round, though. I don't think this team can afford to take a safety who's going to take four years to develop, and that's what you seem to get the later you take one.

I want a talent guy with a high motor ......as opposed to a slug who lacks the high motor

[pbmax]

I want a talent guy with a high motor ......as opposed to a slug who lacks the high motor

Did you see Patler's write up of him?

[Bretsky]

Did you see Patler's write up of him?

I've read quite a bit about him to form my view
but
I missed Patler's write up of him

[wist43]

I just don't know what the point would be of drafting another DL or OLB high in the draft. We have a shit-ton of front seven players that are all pretty good, but dunderdummy wastes their talent - so why bring in more guys just to have them stand on the sideline??

Our weakest front seven position is ILB - but somehow, dunderdummy dreams up gameplans in which they are on the field for every play, while players like Perry and D.Jones are on the sideline - or if they are on the field, they are misused.

Outside of ILB, any pick in the front seven will be a waste b/c of dunderdummy. It's why signing Peppers was probably a waste - TT hasn't figured out that the problem isn't the players he's drafting - it's dunderdummy.

[Fritz]

I wouldn't be as upset as some here if TT took Nix so that the team could develop a much-needed true nose tackle for the defense.

I am afraid that Mosely's shoulder problem will come back to haunt him; I'm not convinced Pryor or Clinton-Dix will be there to take, and I'm less sold on Clinton-Dix now anyway - he seems like he'll be an okay, serviceable guy but not much more. I don't want that for a first round pick (unless you can get your pro bowler with your next pick or two). Watching the little bit of Shazier tape that I did makes him seem less impressive than I'd hoped.

The wide receivers I don't know much about. But I know a defense starts with a stout middle. And Raji is a one-year rental - if he plays well he'll leave; if he plays poorly he'll be gone.

[pbmax]

I've read quite a bit about him to form my view
but
I missed Patler's write up of him

My bad. Patler wrote up Tuitt, not Nix.

http://packerrats.com/showthread.php?26777-Who-Should-TT-Pick-In-the-First-Round-3-0-Final-Version&p=782425&viewfull=1#post782425

[wist43]

My bad. Patler wrote up Tuitt, not Nix.

http://packerrats.com/showthread.php...l=1#post782425

Tuitt looked like a beast a couple of years ago, but then go injured and came back overweight and out of shape. In that condition he looked like a slug... he definitely cost himself a lot of money b/c of that. Where he is drafted depends on what teams think of his attitude and committment.

He could be a steal if he's healthy and dedicated, but if either of those criteria are lacking, he'll be a bust.

[wist43]

I'd be okay with a DL or OLB if I had any faith that the guy would even be used. And if you do take a guy at those positions, and he does play a lot - then you're going to have to sit one of the previous high draft picks.

Are we ready to admit that Perry is a bust?? Is Neal gone after next year?? Raji will likely be gone...

I would agree that drafting a front seven guy could be argued as perfectly logical - but we already have a shit-ton of those guys standing on the sideline whenever dunderdummy goes to his beloved fancy pants defenses - which is more often than not.

If 1st and 10, and 2nd and 6 are nickel situations to dunderdummy - what the bloody hell do we have any use for a guy like Nix??