Draft talk time

[Old Lion]

Missing link? Are we really pretending that Perriman & Williams are quality WR 1 & 2's? Come on.

If we go WR, I hope it's Smith. Playing the comp game, I'd rather have Jerry Rice than Tyreek Hill.

No, they are role players. Thats why we need a dynamic WR to complete the list.

 

[Old Lion]

Respectfully disagree. Not saying Smith is definitely Rice, but he's closer to Rice than Ridley. Smith, technically, is as close to Rice as we've seen in some time.

I am willing to up the comp to Desean Jackson that can actually run routes. Final Offer

That's a fair comp but, I believe using Calvin Ridley as a comp to Smith is just as accurate - as receiver, route runner, hands etc. but Ridley probably timed better in a 40 (don't know about D. Smith but his on-field speed is More than Adequate. The list of superlatives defining Smith is far greater than Ridley's, imo)

I will go as far as Marvin Harrison. They have almost identical traits.

 

[Old Lion]

Resetting the Lions depth chart in the secondary (usatoday.com)

Dunbar getting the nod over Oruwariye

and

Walker being listed as DB. Makes one think about what the Front Office is thinking.

Walker could play both safety positions. Dunbar was solid last year. They will need to reprogram Amani but he still has potential. He will still get reps. It might be a 3 man rotation too.

 

[jayfan]

HC Campbell mentioned a few times how to build a team with the likes of a Luke Kuechly, Brian Urlacher and two more LB (forget their names)

Detroit Lions 2021 NFL Draft Top Ideal Picks Micah Parsons - Sports Illustrated Detroit Lions News, Analysis and More

Speaking at his pro day, Parsons indicated he had multiple conversations with Detroit's coaching staff.

"I talked to the Lions a couple of times," he said. "Honestly, I would be blessed to really go anywhere, but obviously playing on a team with Chris Spielman -- someone who could enhance my game -- would be terrific for me. Someone who I could learn and grow and push me to get better every day. That's all I need."

Yep, I hear you. And when Campbell was asked about the team's current linebackers during in March 29 presser, he was struggling to find positive things to say, outside of Collins. He then pivoted to, "It doesn't mean we're done [with the linebacking group]. And what he followed with could be taken as a hint that Parsons may be their guy at 7.... cued up:

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

Walker could play both safety positions.

He struggled playing box safety last year (not just versus run but also coverage at the slot/hash).

He shined the latter half in 2019 playing true Free Safety. His coverage skills (even though he made mistakes like every damn pro player will/does) were better than his run support.

Can you say/spell

just in case

M-O-E-H-R-I-G

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

Yep, I hear you. And when Campbell was asked about the team's current linebackers during in March 29 presser, he was struggling to find positive things to say, outside of Collins. He then pivoted to, "It doesn't mean we're done [with the linebacking group]. And what he followed with could be taken as a hint that Parsons may be their guy at 7.... cued up:

I still have that queezy feeling he ends up being the 1st round pick due to this draft having other options at WR that can be productive but maybe not that particular WR1 many of us covet. I wouldn't be upset one bit. I also don't value off-ball LB that high but he does bring more in his lunch-pail toolbox than other LB similar to him in size, experience for this draft.

I'm sure some fans will come back with...... but, there exists lots of depth at LB in this draft too. My response would be "yes, in quantity, but not in quality and not to the extent that Parson is as a prospect".

BTW, before anyone states that Jamin Davis' pro day athletic traits are superior to those of Parsons, I'll remind them that Davis' on field play is so much more raw than Parsons.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

Dunbar was solid last year.

Dunbar was solid for Washington/Seattle in 2019. He was traded to Seahawks at deadline.
Dunbar was injured last year for the Seahawks and only played in 6 games then went on IR mid season.
Dunbar played better at LCB than RCB also

still like him as a pickup.
let him and Oruwariye fight it out. Maybe Glenn and Pleasant combo get more out of Oruwariye but, I'm not counting on it.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

I rarely read pride of detroit fans posts (they're usually a hundred(s) or more comments for each article) but I saw this and had to read it (thanks to Zach ???)

The top five teams with the highest RAS grades since 2001 | PFN (profootballnetwork.com)

5) Indianapolis Colts​

Since the 2001 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts have selected 141 players who have qualified for a RAS grade. Of those 141 players, 71 — or 50.35% — have qualified for an “Elite” grade, which is a grade of 8.0 or higher.

Over that span, the Colts have been particularly focused on “Elite” athletes in the first round. They have selected 12 players in the first round who qualified for a RAS grade, and only one did not turn in an “Elite” grade.

What has the focus on athleticism gotten for the Colts? Since the 2001 season, they have racked up 187 wins and have missed the playoffs just six times. They’ve had 13 seasons with double-digit wins, and have taken home the Lombardi Trophy once. All of this while enduring two seasons of four wins or less, mainly due to injuries to their star quarterbacks.

4) New York Giants​

Since the 2001 NFL Draft, the Giants have selected 18 players in the first round who qualified for a RAS grade, and 14 of those achieved “Elite” RAS status. Of the 126 players they’ve selected over that time period who qualified for a RAS grade, 50.79% have had an “Elite” grade.

3) Oakland / Las Vegas Raiders​

Over the past 20 NFL Drafts, the Raiders have selected 17 players in the first round who qualified for a RAS grade. Of those 17, 14 have had an “Elite” grade, and the Raiders overall average RAS grade in the first round has been 9.0 out of 10. The Raiders strongly prefer top-flight athletes at the top of their drafts.

2) Kansas City Chiefs​

By percentage, the Chiefs had drafted the second-most “Elite” RAS-graded players since the 2001 NFL Draft. Over that period, they have drafted 127 players, with 66 achieving an “Elite” RAS grade of 8.0 or higher, just shy of 52%.

Since the 2001 NFL Draft, the Chiefs have drafted 14 players in the first round who qualified for a RAS grade. Only seven of those 14 achieved an “Elite” grade, with four rating as “Good” and three designated with a “Poor” grade. Athleticism matters to the Chiefs, but they’re clearly valuing other factors as well.

1) New Orleans Saints​

Though the Saints have only drafted 109 players who qualified for a RAS grade over the past 20 years, 59 of those have been “Elite” athletes with a grade of 8.0 or higher. In the first round of the NFL Draft, the Saints have selected 19 players who qualified for a RAS grade. Of those 19, only five did not achieve an “Elite” grade of 8.0 or higher.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

The bottom five teams with the lowest RAS grades since 2001 | PFN (profootballnetwork.com)

5. Washington Redskins​

The Redskins have done a good job of identifying and drafting “Elite” talent in the first round. Of 14 players the team has drafted in the first round over that span who achieved a RAS grade, 12 of them graded out as “Elite”. Only one of their first-round picks since 2001 graded out as “Poor” — a RAS grade of under 5.0.

It’s the rest of the draft where the team has struggled to identify and secure players with elite athletic traits. Since the 2001 NFL Draft, Washington has drafted 126 players who achieved a RAS grade, with only 47 of those (or just over 37%) coming in with an “Elite” grade. That percentage puts them 28th overall in the league during that span.

4. Detroit Lions​

The Lions come in as our fourth-worst team since 2001 at identifying and drafting “Elite” RAS talent. Of the 122 players the Lions have drafted since the 2001 NFL Draft who have a RAS grade, just 45 of them have come in with an “Elite” grade. Unlike Washington, this trend is also reflected in the Lions first-round picks, with just 12 of their 21 first-round picks achieving an “Elite” grade.

3. Arizona Cardinals​

Since the 2001 NFL Draft, the Cardinals have selected 133 players who qualified for a RAS grade. Of those 133, only 48 — or approximately 36% — have achieved an “Elite” grade of 8.0 or higher. That lack of identifying elite talent has been a particular problem in the first round for the Cardinals.

Since 2001 they’ve selected 16 players in the first round with a RAS grade. Only eight of those players scored as “Elite”, with six achieving a “Good” grade (a score between 5.0 and 7.9), and 2 scoring as “Poor.”

2. San Francisco 49ers​

The 49ers have made 148 draft picks over the past twenty years who have had a qualifying RAS grade. Only 53 of those selections have had “Elite” RAS grades of 8.0 or higher — just shy of 36%. Unlike Detroit and Arizona, though, the 49ers have made a concerted effort to draft “Elite” talent in the first round, with 13 of their 21 qualifying picks scoring an “Elite” grade.

That effort to draft “Elite” talent early, along with a handful of innovative coaches and systems, has led the 49ers to two Super Bowls in the past two decades. They’ve also made an additional two trips to the NFL Championship game, falling just short of even more Super Bowl appearances.

1. Buffalo Bills​

Since the 2001 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills have selected 142 players who achieved a RAS grade. Of those 142, only 49 of them have achieved an “Elite” grade of 8.0 or higher, the lowest percentage in the league, and just under 35%.

In their favor, they’ve also been the most risk-averse of the five teams on this list in the first round. Of the 18 RAS-qualifying players they’ve selected in the first round since 2001, 13 of them have scored as “Elite” while none of them have turned in a “Poor” grade.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

2021 Draft Class RAS (relativeathleticscores.com)

you can type in a players name in that first line after Link

2020 Draft Class RAS (relativeathleticscores.com)​

RASRAS by draft class (relativeathleticscores.com)

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

uhh ooohhh

Those #'s are Not good for vert, short shuttle and 3-cone. I don't mind the 4.55 40 so much. Anquan Boldin type receiver though is my comp.

Friday, April 9

UAB

WR Austin Watkins

Height: 6'1″ (54th percentile)
Weight: 209 (67th)
Arm: 31 3/4 (45th)
Hand: 9 5/8 (75th)
Vertical: 32 (8th)
Broad: 116 (17th)
Bench: 18 reps (82nd)
40-yard: 4.55 (28th)
Short shuttle: 4.39 (19th)
3-cone: 7.35 (3rd)

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

This kid has received a lot of praise but his toolbox is somewhat raw

from media and draft sites

Payton Turner EDGE Houston - Draft Player Profile | The Draft Network



Ideal Role: 4-3 base end or 3-4 5-technique that gets chances to rush on the interior on long and late downs.

Scheme Fit: Any.

Houston

EDGE Payton Turner

Height: 6'6″ (92nd percentile)
Weight: 268 (70th)
Arm: 35 3/8 (96th)
Hand: 10 1/2 (95th)
Vertical: 36 (76th)
Bench: 23 reps (57th)
Short shuttle: 4.25 (84th)
3-cone: 6.70 (99th)

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

I like their thinking.

just missed out on Baron Browning going at No.40 but, Elijah Moore was still there and taken at No. 46 to Patriots - Edelman Replacement minus Edleman's blocking

Sikkema's 2021 NFL Mock Draft 5.1 | The Draft Network

7.​

Lions​

Ja'Marr Chase​

WR, LSU​

The Lions’ biggest need on their team might just be safety, but there’s no way they would take one here in the top 10. They also certainly still need wide receivers. People have asked what kind of wide receiver the Lions need exactly, and the answer is simply: good ones. It has been reported that Chase is the consensus WR1 for most NFL teams. He’ll be the first off the board.

41.​

Lions​

Amari Rodgers​

WR, Clemson​

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

The 6-foot-6 and 245-pound Philadelphia native showed real signs of improvement as a blocker in 2020, as his 65.8 run-blocking grade this past season at Florida was a clear step above the 42.6 grade he earned the year prior.

There were multiple examples on his tape — such as the one above — that showed he was a willing blocker when lined up inline. He helps clear a lane here for Kyle Trask to break off a 20-plus-yard gain on third-and-short.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

The 6-foot-1, 170-pound receiver plays way above his weight at the catch point, and his releases and routes make it difficult for opposing cornerbacks to capitalize on their size advantage. Take the data point below, for example.



Smith wasn’t just successful against press coverage — he was dominant against it. No other college receiver since 2016 has come within a half yard of Smith’s second-best season against press coverage in terms of receiving yards per route run.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

I like the Vandy kid, Odeyingbo, but, he just tore his achilles this January working out for his upcoming pro day. That type of an injury could completely change a player. ask Jason Jones even though he had age as a disadvantage. He brings the nasty though or did.

2021 NFL Draft DL Superlatives: Best hands, most athletic, best pass-rushing moves and more | NFL Draft | PFF

MOST VERSATILE: DAYO ODEYINGBO, VANDERBILT​

Some defenses love players with inside/outside versatility, and no one has shown as well in that regard than Odeyingbo. At 6-foot-5, 276 pounds with absurdly long 35.25-inch arms, that versatility should translate to the next level as well. Over the past two seasons, Odeyingbo earned a 71.6 pass-rushing grade on 266 snaps on the edge and an 84.9 pass-rushing grade on 297 snaps inside the tackles. That kind of even split is very likely to be his role in the NFL.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

2021 NFL Draft OL Superlatives: Best feet, most versatile, best pass sets and more | NFL Draft | PFF

MOST ATHLETIC: SPENCER BROWN, NORTHERN IOWA​

This one was hotly contested this draft season. Illinois’ Kendrick Green (36-inch vertical and 9-foot-11 broad jump) as well as Texas’ Sam Cosmi (4.87-second 40, 36 bench reps, and 7.35-second three-cone) both had all-time pro-day figures in their own right.

But it was Brown who put up arguably the single freakiest offensive line testing figure we’ve ever seen. He ran a 6.96 three-cone at 311 pounds. That’s the fastest ever recorded for an offensive lineman. To put that into perspective, Antonio Brown only ran a 6.98 three-cone coming out of Central Michigan.

Spencer Brown is a pure project at this point, but you won’t find better project tools.

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

keep an eye out for this kid possibly late day 3. I believe he had pretty short arms though

Jack Anderson IOL Texas Tech - Draft Player Profile | The Draft Network

G Jack Anderson

Height: 6'5″ (64th percentile)
Weight: 314 (64th)
Arm: 31 7/8 (7th)
Hand: 9 7/8 (54th)
Vertical: 30 (70th)
Broad: 105 (63rd)
Bench: 27 reps (62nd)
40-yard: 5.28 (38th)
Short shuttle: 4.83 (27th)
3-cone: 7.90 (35th)

MOST EXPERIENCED: JACK ANDERSON, TEXAS TECH​

With 2,941 career snaps, Anderson has the most snaps played of any lineman in the top 250 on PFF’s 2021 NFL Draft Big Board. Others who have cracked 2,700-plus career snaps are Northwestern’s Rashawn Slater (2,700), Iowa’s Alaric Jackson (2,758), South Carolina’s Sadarius Hutcherson (2,759), Nebraska’s Brenden Jaimes (2,785), Cal’s Jake Curhan (2,827), Texas A&M’s Carson Green (2,927) and Kentucky’s Drake Jackson (2,940).

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

Ranking the best YAC receivers in the 2021 NFL Draft | NFL Draft | PFF

1. JAYLEN WADDLE, ALABAMA​

No Power 5 wide receiver with 100-plus receptions since 2014 averaged more yards after the catch per reception than Alabama’s Jaylen Waddle (9.8). After averaging a stellar 8.0 yards after the catch per reception as a true freshman in 2018, Waddle cleared 10.0 in both his true sophomore (12.2) and true junior (10.1) seasons in Tuscaloosa. The 5-foot-10, 182-pounder is a stick of dynamite with the ball in his hands with absurd straight-line speed and dynamism.



Waddle’s rare athletic talents also translated to high-end production as a return man at ‘Bama. Among the 88 college football players with 30 or more punt returns since 2014, Waddle ranks first in average yards per return (18.1). Only three other receivers even cleared a 15.0 yards per return average: KaVontae Turpin (16.1), Mecole Hardman (15.4) and Dante Pettis (15.0).

 

[Gulf of Brazil]

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Top eight WRs in the 2021 NFL Draft class, per PFF​

Player	Receptions	ADOT	YPR	YAC/Reception	Missed Tackles Forced/Reception
Jaylen Waddle	106​	9.3​	18.86​	9.83​	0.179​
DeVonta Smith	234​	8.44​	16.94​	8.77​	0.141​
Kadarius Toney	120​	4.78​	13.19​	8.5​	0.358​
Ja'Marr Chase	107​	13​	19.56​	6.92​	0.252​
Rondale Moore	178​	3.2​	10.75​	7.54​	0.264​
Elijah Moore	190​	7.48​	12.89​	5.48​	0.168​
Rashod Bateman	147​	10.43​	16.29​	6.16​	0.245​
Terrace Marshall Jr.	106​	10.63​	15.04​	5.1​	0.132​