Official 2017 1st Round Of The NFL Draft Thread

[Joemailman]

Marlon Humphrey - CB - Alabama

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS Has the body type and athletic traits that are out of central casting. Fluid hips and hard-charging makeup speed. Well-versed in a variety of coverages. Plays with disciplined eyes and good balance between high-low responsibilities in zone. Good short-area acceleration to close out receivers and attack throwing lanes. Reactive athleticism helps erase coverage mistakes. Extremely competitive with an edge that spikes after he's beaten. Timid receivers should take the day off. Aggressive from press with a powerful punch. Looks to intimidate when the opportunity arises. Drives receivers out of bounds and out of the play if their vertical release takes them too close to the boundary. Will not let a blocking receiver punk him. Tears through blocker and attacks downhill. Searches for opportunities to strip the ball; forced three fumbles in 2016.

WEAKNESSES Impatient from press coverage. Opens inside or outside too early rather than waiting for a clear declare from receiver. Struggles to stay in phase throughout the route and allows separation opportunities. Feet are fast but sloppy. Footwork becomes bulky and balance diminishes when matched against quality route workers. Plays a scrambling style of coverage that is too reliant upon his athletic gifts. Issues playing the deep ball are a concern. From off coverage, overreacts to route fakes and opens the door to a big play. Allowed more than 19 yards per completion as a starter. Can be slow to locate the ball and finds himself out of optimal position to play the ball.

DRAFT PROJECTION Round 1

SOURCES TELL US "There are some things on tape that really worry you. If he has trouble playing the long ball it is going to be bombs away against him and his team might have to change how they cover because of that. Those issues usually don't go away." -- Scouting director for AFC team

NFL COMPARISON Jimmy Smith

BOTTOM LINE Talented height-weight-speed prospect who comes from NFL bloodlines. Might need time for his technique to catch up with his traits. Coverage inconsistencies could cause him to struggle against quality competition early on, but his mental makeup and recovery talent should help him pull through. Has the instincts and run-support skills to become an early starter for a zone-cover defense, but it will be hard for teams looking for a lockdown, man corner to pass on all of those physical gifts early in the draft.

[Brandon494]

I saw McCaffrey as 3rd rounder

I should make this my new signature

[red]

Jon Gruden seldom talks down a player. That's basically as close as damnation as he will give you. Gruden says Hooker will bust.

ive never heard him not love a player

[Joemailman]

Redskins are on the clock. This should be Dalvin Cook.

[smuggler]

The 'lowlight' video they showed of his tackling was pretty terrible. He's got range though. Might take him a few years to mature, if the Colts are willing to take their lumps with him.

[Cheesehead Craig]

I just don't get the QB love this draft. I'm not a believer of Watson. Good athlete who's a QB, not a QB who's an athlete.

[gbgary]

skins...allen

[Deputy Nutz]

I figured at least three qbs would go in the first round, I just didn't expect them all to come through teams trading up to get them.

[Joemailman]

Jonathan Allen - DE - Alabama

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS Taken to school by Alabama coaching staff and is technically proficient in all phases. Plays outside and inside. Quick off the ball. Superior hand-grappler who can control the wrists and forearms of his opponents with accurate hand placement over wild chops and slaps. Varied approach as a pass rusher. Excellent athletic ability and possesses flexible hips. Able to coordinate hands, feet, and hips to climb over the edge against tackles. Has play strength and quickness to rip through the weak inside post of a guard. Can club with either hand to soften the edge of a blocker. Has posted consistent quarterback pressure and sack numbers despite playing in less than half of the defensive snaps. Alert against the run. Quick to diagnose the mesh point against zone reads and gives chase to the ball. Strong on the edge. Has speed down the line to close down back-side cuts. Feet never seem to stop. Vocal leader willing to give strong corrections to teammates in practice. Came to Alabama as an outside linebacker and runs like it when he's in the open field.

WEAKNESSES Lacking the height teams look for from defensive ends. Not very long and could struggle to win the race for hand positioning against long NFL tackles. Found himself engulfed by linemen with mass from time to time. A move inside could require more bulk on his bones. Not built to take on double-team blocks for a living. Doesn't possess lateral quickness and twitch to contain speedy running backs from getting the corner when he's at defensive end. Teams utilizing one-gap scheme could question his lack of tackles on other side of the line. Might have benefitted by playing along so much NFL talent up front.

DRAFT PROJECTION Round 1
SOURCES TELL US "He's a really talented pass rusher but he's always been surrounded by enough talent that it's been hard for offenses to game plan their protection for him. He's skilled and very fundamentally sound but I just worry about his size and how he holds up to NFL running games." -- NFC director of player personnel

NFL COMPARISON Fletcher Cox

BOTTOM LINE Outstanding leader and athlete with an ability to rush the passer from outside or inside. Has produced against the run and pass thanks to his strength, agility, elite hand usage, and plus footwork. He might not be the cleanest fit inside as a full-time tackle for some teams, but his talent should trump any size concerns. Allen is a likely first-round selection with Pro Bowl potential down the road.

[gbgary]

Tenn...jackson

[Joemailman]

Titans are on the clock.

[Deputy Nutz]

I love this kid Jonathan Allen.

This is also the 4th defensive player taken in row

[red]

3rd cb

[smuggler]

Ten more fucking picks until GB trades back. Haha

[Joemailman]

Adoree' Jackson - CB - USC

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS Feel in coverage has improved substantially from his freshman season. Shows greater pattern recognition and is able to maintain coverage around the field. Has necessary hip flip and foot quickness to recover from mistakes in press and lapses in coverage in space. Plays in a variety of coverage techniques. Able to mirror and match from press. Features closing burst and takes playmaking angles to the throw. Excellent ball skills with well-timed leaps and aggressive tactics at the catch point. Good feel for when to defend a throw and when to take it away. Consistent tackler. When he gets there, he usually finishes his task. High-end return talent who can swing games in an instant. His eight career return touchdowns make him an immediate return man for any team that takes him.

WEAKNESSES Smallish for an outside cornerback. Might be limited to just work in the slot. Can be a little over-aggressive with pace of bail coverage when fearing speed. Has a very slight hitch in transition forward from his pedal. Allowed routes to leverage him too far out of the middle of the field when he had no safety help. Could have issues with big slots posting him up in space. Lack of size and run-support strength could make him an early target for teams who like to run out of 11 personnel (three wide receivers).

DRAFT PROJECTION Round 1-2

SOURCES TELL US "I didn't expect him to have the year he did in coverage. I saw ball skills and coverage ability that I didn't see last year. Those interceptions and return touchdowns will push him into the early second. That's my guess." -- South area scout for AFC team

NFL COMPARISON Johnathan Joseph

BOTTOM LINE There are two things teams love -- ball production from cornerbacks and return men who can play meaningful snaps on every down. Jackson fits those criteria. His lack of size and length are concerns, but he has the athleticism to step right in as a slot corner on the next level. His combination of coverage and return talent could make him an early impact player.