Official NFL Draft 1st Round Thread

[red]

Is that the last QB that goes in R1 ?

probably not

but i don't know any of the other QBs by name

[King Friday]

So glad our team isn’t looking to build up on offense at 25. Wow.

[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.

[Fosco33]

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

For sure.

[Frozen Tundra]

Is that the last QB that goes in R1 ?

Almost has to be. Who else is left? Rattler, a consensus mid-late Day Two? That'd be just completely crazy.

Takes one option away from Green Bay. I figured there'd be a marginal QB still available in the mid-20s, and some team would want to trade up and get him. Pick up a couple more Day Two picks.

Ain't happenin' now.

[red]

still no defense after 14 picks

we could trade up right now and take the best defensive player in the draft

[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]

So, here comes the "Tackle Phase" of the 1st Round.

[King Friday]

Don’t think we should move back at this point. A very good defensive player will be there.

[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."

[Frozen Tundra]

Don’t think we should move back at this point. A very good defensive player will be there.

Yeah. We'll get our DB for sure at this rate, and it may very well even be DeJean.

[King Friday]

A lot of smart drafting teams coming up. They all seem content to wait and load up on good defenders. Saints and Colts ain’t hearing the phones ring.

[red]

finally a d player at #15

liauliaio lautuao

[Rastak]

Good evening guys. I obviously don't watch the draft like I used to. McCarthy to the Vikes is so-so. At least they retained their second first.

[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.