Grading the Mocking the Draft 7 Round Mock A.F.C
Oakland Raiders
Made a trade to Washington, can’t find details of that trade, presumably to get more picks next year
141. Asa Jackson, CB, Cal Poly
179. James Michael Johnson, LB, Nevada
I like the James Michael Johnson pick a lot. Really good value there for him. Asa Jackson I haven’t seen play a ton, but like what little I’ve been able to get ahold of him on him. I don’t know what trade the Raiders made, but if it was future pick considerations-bravo.
Grade: How do you grade two late round picks?
San Diego Chargers
1. Cordy Glenn, G, Georiga
2. Harrison Smith, SS, Norte Dame
3. Audie Cole, ILB, North Carolina State
4. Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan
5. Jonathon Massaquoi, OLB, Troy,
6. Kheeston Randall, DT, Texas
7. Devon Wylie, WR, Fresno State
Eagles and I swapped 5th rounders and I got a 5th rounder in next years draft
Picks I like:
Kheeston Randall, DT, Texas–Randall didn’t have a great season, but he has more ability than a typical 6th rounder. Getting a fifth round pick next year while still having 7 picks is always nice.
Jonathan Massaquoi, OLB, Troy
The Chargers need a pass rusher and Massaquoi is fine value there. He should be a good situational pass rusher.
Picks I don’t like:
Harrison Smith, Norte Dame
A solid instinctive player. I know Mayock has him as a second round pick so I could be wrong on this, but I don’t have him as a second round prospect. Safeties though are hard to find in the N.F.L.
Picks that are solid:
Cordy Glenn-I like Glenn as a prospect. This pick I don’t love though because in order to make this pick the Chargers would have had to pass on Mike Adams (which they did). I would not have done that.
Audie Cole, Kirk Cousins, Devin Wylie
All solid picks. I’ve never bought the Cousins 2nd round talk so fourth round is right in his range to me. Cole is an intriguing prospect who will probably be drafted in the third round. Cole’s best position fit is on a wide spectrum with a lot of differing opinions. A 7th round WR prospect is hard to knock. It’s hard to knock any 7th round pick really.
Grade C+
If we consider “C” an average draft that’s what this is to me. There are no picks here that I think present tremendous value.
Tennessee Titans
20: Zach Brown LB UNC
52: Keleche Osemele OG Iowa State
84: Leonard Johnson CB Iowa State
116: Jake Bequette DE Arkansas
171: Darron Thomas QB Oregon
180: Trenton Robinson FS Michigan State
204: Grant Garner C Oklahoma State
212: Lavasier Tuinei WR Oregon
It’s interesting to see two players from the same “small” school (Iowa State) go to the same team with back to back picks.
Picks I like:
Zach Brown-Adding Brown with McCarthy and Ayers gives the Titans one of the best young linebackers corps in the entire N.F.L. Brown is one of the only UNC players who looked like he cared during their bowl game. Brown doesn’t have Kuechly like instincts, but he has the terrific athleticism. He’s been compared to Aaron Curry.
Kelechi Osemele
I like this pick in the back part of the second round. A lot of athletic ability. He’s not a first rounder to me, but late second rounder? Good pick.
Jake Bequette, Arkansas
Bequette is a player I think can come right in and give good snaps in pass situations until he develops.
Picks I don’t like:
Darron Thomas, QB,Oregon
If I’m nitpicking a pick that was made 171st overall that’s not a bad thing. Just don’t understand it. Perhaps he was clearly the best player left on their board than it can be justified.
Solid picks:
Leonard Johnson is a top 50 player to some, but I like him where the Titans got him. I have a lot of questions about his athletic ability. He does a terrific job positioning himself to use the sideline as a defender which negates his limitations a bit, but not enough that I’d take him top 50.
Trenton Robinson is a tweenter without a position. Is he an undersized safety or a Safety trying to convert to cornerback?
Grant Garner and Lavasier Tuinei are like most other late round picks. Inconsequential for now. We’ll see how they develop.
Grade:
B+
Pittsburgh Steelers
Traded to get picks from Carolina (out of the first round) and Cleveland (to move up to get Chris Marve, I believe)
40. Ronnel Lewis, LB, Oklahoma
56. Brandon Washington, G, Miami Hurricanes
88. Nate Potter, T, Boise State
101. Juron Criner, WR, Arizona
120. Billy Winn, DL, Boise State
136. Brandon Taylor, S, LSU
165. Chris Marve, LB, Vanderbilt
184. Devlin Johnson, NT, Marshall
Another terrific draft.
I can’t find the trade details, but I think they may have gotten a future first or something.
Ronnell Lewis can be a force on the outside for the Steelers. Brandon Washington is solid value there who has versatility and depth to the Steelers offensive line. Nate Potter was once considered a first round tackle to get him 88th overall is godo value.
Juron Criner has a load of talent and size.
Billy Winn was another player who at one point in time, briefly was considered a top 32 prospect on some big boards (Rob Rang’s for one), but he had a subpar season.
Taylor was overshadowed in LSU but is a rangy safety and could play meaningful snaps this year.
Marve has been often injured at Vanderbilt which may have sapped him of his athleticism. He has a reputation as an athletic linebacker, but I haven’t seen it in games I’ve watched. Interesting prospect to follow. A developmental NT in the 7th round is good value.
Grade: B+/A-
Wish I could find the trade details for their first round pick. Good value all around, but maybe lacking a true ideal playmaker. Took a lot of players that fell in the draft for one reason or another throughout the season which is my only pause for concern here.
Denver Broncos
25. Donta Hightower, LB, Alabama
57. Brandon Thompson, DT, Clemson
89. LaMichael James, RB, Oregon
121. Russel Wilson, QB, Wisconsin
153. DaJohn Harris, DT, USC
167. Robert Blanton, CB, Notre Dame
193. Marqis Maze, WR, Alabama
217. Lance Lewis, WR, East Carolina:
This draft managed to address needs while getting solid values.
Picks I like
Russel Wilson, QB, Wisconsin.
Wilson is higher on our boards than almost everywhere else out there. Kellen Moore is not very good, but I have Wilson can be good in the right systems. A terrific back-up Quarterback candidate who has Doug Flutie written all over him. Flutie was an effective starter a few years.
LaMichael James, RB, Oregon
Good value there for a rare playmaker. The Broncos lack pop out of their backfield and adding a home run threat could make their running game even more effective. When Tebow is rolling outside to run the option and the threat of him is pitching to James who could take it to the house, Tebow might find more running room up as well.
Robert Blanton, CB, Norte Dame
Blanton is going to be coveted I think by the time the pre-draft process ends and don’t see him being available this late. Big , tall, physical cornerbacks are going to be the next trend in the N.F.L I think, thanks in part to the success of the Seahawks defensive secondary scheme.
Solid Picks:
DaJohn Harris and Brandon Thompson are much needed on the Broncos defensive line. Thompson doesn’t offer a lot of pass rushing ability, but that’s not a big deal for the Broncos who have Miller and Dumervil to handle the pass rushing duties. He can however be a really good run defender.
Harris adds more talent and depth to the defensive line.
It’s going to be a rare situation for me when I knock a sixth or seventh round pick. Most of these players don’t last more than a year or two in the N.F.L. Grabbing two developmental WR prospects is fine. Hopefully one sticks.
Houston Texans
1st Round – WR Alshon Jeffery – South Carolina
2nd Round – NT Josh Chapman – Alabama
3rd Round- DE Derek Wolfe – Cincinnatti
4th Round – C/G Philip Blake – Baylor
5th Round – OG Lonnie Edwards – Texas Tech
6th Round – RB/KR Bobby Rainey – Western Kentucky
7th Round – QB Case Keenum – Houston
This is a draft other people will like a lot more than I personally like. Doesn’t make either of us right. Just my opinion. Sorry Texans fans.
Picks I love:
I love the Alshon Jefferey pick. Good luck A.F.C. South defenses.
Picks I like:
Case Keenum. If the Texans draft Keenum it’ll be a good move I think. They’ll have watched Keenum play a lot because he’s right in their wheelhouse and he provides another depth quarterback. That’s the only interesting facet of this is that the Texans have both T.J. Yates and Keenum backing up Schuab now, but that’s ok. The Texans don’t have a lot of needs so it’s find to take a guy there you like. I think Keenum is ok value as high as the fifth round.
Bobby Rainey
You’re not going to find a player more productive than Rainey! One of my favorite late round sleeper picks.
Picks I don’t like/Solid picks
These would be considered solid picks by everyone else, I just don’t love these players
I’m not a Chapman or Wolfe fan, but understand the picks. And others will love these picks. Chapman plays a position that’s difficult to find players at and he played hurt for a lot of this past season so he could end up being a good value. Wolfe is versatile, I’m just not convinced he’s worth a day two pick.
I’ve missed something on Philip Blake I think and I’m going to go back and watch some film on him. He’s always mocked around the fourth round I barely have a draftable grade on him. I’m not impressed with the centers in this class at all.
Lonnie Edwards is a solid pick.
Grade: B-
Just personal preferences here. I understand all the picks and think it would score much better in a lot of other places if this was their actual draft. Just not one for me.
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens had no fourth round pick because of the trade for Lee Evans
29. Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State University
61. Amini Silatalou, G, Midwestern State
93. Marvin McNutt, WR, Iowa
157. Quentin Saulsberry, G, Mississippi State
189. Tramain Thomas, S, Arkansas
221. Tavoy Moore, KR, Idaho State
Another solid draft.
Picks I like:
Vontaze Burfict. I don’t like Burfict going to every team, but I think going to a team with good leadership and a history of a violent defense is a good way to go. Doesn’t Burfict just seem like a Ravens type player? If the Ravens can get the most out of him, whew. Worth the risk here.
Amini Silatalou
I was reading something from NFL.com (Bucky Brooks maybe?) where he quoted a Personell director as saying something to the effect of “the kid from Midwestern State is more talented than DeCastro, will he maximize that ability”. The Ravens need an OT more than a guard perhaps, but a solid pick there.
Marvin McNutt is good value at 93. He’s a player that was getting (underserved) first round grades at one point during the season. Late third round is really good value.
Solid picks:
Quentin Saulsberry, Tramain Thomas, and Tavoy Moore are all solid pick to provide depth or help out on special teams.
Grade B+
I’m the only draftnik left who thinks Vontaze Burfict is worth a first round pick. I think the Ravens are an ideal situation for him and am holding out faith that he’ll be a terrific N.F.L. player. If I had more reservations about him this grade would be a B-. Solid draft.
New England Patriots
New England had no pick after 127th overall.
27. Mark Barron, S, Alabama
31. Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi
48. Kevin Zeitler, G, Wisconsin
63. George Illoka, S, Boise State
95. Kendall Reyes, DL, Uconn
127. Jarius Wright, WR, Arkansas
Solid Picks:
This is a really good solid draft.
Not everyone is a fan of Mark Barron, but I am. I think he’s worth the first round pick even after the double hernia. The only issue here though is I’m not sure Chung is best fitted as a Free safety, which Barron does not play.
Fletcher Cox at 31 is a good pick for the Patriots. Cox is versatile enough to play in their 34 or 43 fronts that they deploy with regularity. Cox doesn’t get a lot of attention for whatever reason, but should get more as draft day approaches.
Zeitler can come in and replace Brian Waters who is in the twilight of his career. Zeitler has been proclaimed first round worthy by the almighty Mayock.
Kendall Reyes is another guy who can give the Pats looks in both fronts, though I think he’s better in a 34 front. The Patriots need help on their defensive line. They have drafted a myriad of different cornerbacks lately so taking some defensive linemen is a good move.
Jarius Wright is a smaller speedy WR that the Patriots tend to gravitate towards and is fine value where he was selected.
Picks I don’t like:
I don’t understand the George Illoka pick. I don’t think he offers such great value that you’re forced to take him there and the Patriots now have three strong safety types, there are so many different options they could have gone here at the end of the second round with quality players.
Grade B
Other than the Illoka pick all really solid picks that represent fair to good value. It doesn’t “wow” me, but it’s a nuts and bolts kind of draft the Patriots need. Maybe waited too long to take a WR (players like Marvin McNutt, Dwight Jones, etc), but that’s a position I’d expect the Patriots to address in free agency.
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