Mel Kipers big board

[shopson67]

How is Carson Wentz above Dak Prescot as a NFL prospect? Prescot outperformed him in the Senior Bowl, played against far superior talent, First team All-Sec, and he's an All-American.

Did you actually watch the Senior Bowl, or are you judging by stats? One play by each showed a clear difference between the two prospects. Wentz looked off the safety and completed a pass downfield to his receiver. Dak narrowly avoided a redzone INT when he brought the safety right to the ball with his eyes, but lucked out when the safety made a terrible drop. Wentz was also hurt by several drops on well-thrown balls (including Braxton Miller, btw).

 

[shopson67]

I hate making this comparison because Im going to use one of my favorite college players of all time as a comp but Braxton Miller is basically the Brad Smith of this draft. A guy you just draft because he is too good to not play football somehow and if you have an OC with a brain then you'll get him the football somehow.

Is a Brad Smith type worth a 2nd round pick? Some even have Miller climbing into the 1st round...

 

[Clayton]

Is a Brad Smith type worth a 2nd round pick? Some even have Miller climbing into the 1st round...

Its hard to say. Brad Smith only got 1,000yds receiving, 1,000 yards rushing, 50 yards passing and 3,000 yds kick returning in his entire career. Not good. But he also spent his entire career with Mark Sanchez, early career Fitzpatrick, Brian Schottenheimer and Chan Gailey.

Miller also has a 1 year head start of Smith which is massive but only had 26 receptions and 42 rushes. So not a lot of touches at all. Miller might be the kind of player that only gets 50 touches a season.

3rd round grade imo

 

[shopson67]

3rd round makes a bit more sense to me.

 

[Clayton]

3rd round makes a bit more sense to me.

I feel like Braxton Miller would be a waste on the Rams. Austin basically does all of the things Miller would do on a team. Miller would be a better receiver I'd imagine and could moonlight as a wildcat but Austin is a better RB and special teams threat. A team like the Niners could go for him. Maybe a team like the Cowboys.

 

[shopson67]

I feel like Braxton Miller would be a waste on the Rams. Austin basically does all of the things Miller would do on a team. Miller would be a better receiver I'd imagine and could moonlight as a wildcat but Austin is a better RB and special teams threat. A team like the Niners could go for him. Maybe a team like the Cowboys.

Oh I agree, I was thinking in general, not for the Rams. He might be an interesting Harvin replacement for the Bills though.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Its hard to say. Brad Smith only got 1,000yds receiving, 1,000 yards rushing, 50 yards passing and 3,000 yds kick returning in his entire career. Not good. But he also spent his entire career with Mark Sanchez, early career Fitzpatrick, Brian Schottenheimer and Chan Gailey.

Miller also has a 1 year head start of Smith which is massive but only had 26 receptions and 42 rushes. So not a lot of touches at all. Miller might be the kind of player that only gets 50 touches a season.

3rd round grade imo

If he's only going to get 50 targets/touches he's not worth a 2nd rd pick...that's WR3 production....I think on the right team (NE, ATL come to mind)...I think he can be more productive than he would on a team like SF.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I'm going out on a limb here...I think if Miller runs sub 4.4 he's going no worse than top of the 2nd...probably to CLE.

I've got CLE, going Wentz/ or Goff...still don't know which yet, but at 32...I have them taking Nassib, DE Penn St...I have Miller going to JAX @ 38.

 

[Clayton]

I'm going out on a limb here...I think if Miller runs sub 4.4 he's going no worse than top of the 2nd...probably to CLE.

I've got CLE, going Wentz/ or Goff...still don't know which yet, but at 32...I have them taking Nassib, DE Penn St...I have Miller going to JAX @ 38.

I haven't done a mock yet but Id put him between pick 65-68 with Cle, SD, Dallas and SF.

Tyler Boyd, Michael Thomas, Corey Coleman and Laquon Treadwell should all be long gone before him. I feel like there are 1 or 2 other ones that might sneak ahead of him once I actually look at them. Miller is really raw.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I haven't done a mock yet but Id put him between pick 65-68 with Cle, SD, Dallas and SF.

Tyler Boyd, Michael Thomas, Corey Coleman and Laquon Treadwell should all be long gone before him. I feel like there are 1 or 2 other ones that might sneak ahead of him once I actually look at them. Miller is really raw.

I just started last night and I didn't think the combine would effect the 1st two rounds a ton. I'm only thru 2 rounds currently at ATL in the second...I'm working a what if trade this ...I'm convinced that LA will trade up to 6 with BAL if Ramsey is off the board and Goff or Wentz is on the board. (15+45+111 FOR 6)

In both cases I have Treadwell going in the 15 slot....if no trade I have Coleman to WAS at 22, Fuller to @ 36 and I mentioned Miller to Jax @ 38.

 

[Clayton]

I just started last night and I didn't think the combine would effect the 1st two rounds a ton. I'm only thru 2 rounds currently at ATL in the second...I'm working a what if trade this ...I'm convinced that LA will trade up to 6 with BAL if Ramsey is off the board and Goff or Wentz is on the board. (15+45+111 FOR 6)

In both cases I have Treadwell going in the 15 slot....if no trade I have Coleman to WAS at 22, Fuller to @ 36 and I mentioned Miller to Jax @ 38.

Jax is pretty set at WR, I think. Fuller is a wildcard. He is so fast but I dont know where that gets you drafted. I might do a mock tomorrow morning now that Ive looked at about 50 players. It shouldn't be too difficult to get 2 rounds done.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Jax is pretty set at WR, I think. Fuller is a wildcard. He is so fast but I dont know where that gets you drafted. I might do a mock tomorrow morning now that Ive looked at about 50 players. It shouldn't be too difficult to get 2 rounds done.

I think you're right...I had Floyd, OLB UGA in 38 initially, then then Kendall Fuller, CB, Vitech...will probably go back to the LB.

Thought the same thing last night, but 2 hrs later I shut it down on 2.50.

 

[SteelersPride]

If he's only going to get 50 targets/touches he's not worth a 2nd rd pick...that's WR3 production....I think on the right team (NE, ATL come to mind)...I think he can be more productive than he would on a team like SF.

why the rams did that with tavon austin for a few years and he was top 10

 

[shopson67]

why the rams did that with tavon austin for a few years and he was top 10

Tavon had 186 touches on offense plus 47 returns his senior year (compared to Miller's 68 touches). He was a proven product already as a WR compared to Braxton. Besides, that trade up to pick him hasn't been that popular with Rams fans as the Rams have struggled to get Austin involved enough to justify that draft position.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

why the rams did that with tavon austin for a few years and he was top 10

Rams targeted way too high on Austin.

50 targets is nothing in this passing era...Wheaton was a 3rd rd pick and got 79 targets as the WR3...heck DWill got 47 targets.

 

[cdumler7]

This is where teams have to figure out what the heck they are even going to do with this player. Talent matters but fit matters almost as much in my opinion. To me a player like Tavon Austin in an offense like that of the Patriots is an All-Star in this league. Just get the ball in his hands 10 times a game and watch how this kid explodes. With the Rams lacking any kind of QB play though to get the ball in this kids hands he is just being wasted. Usually if you only have an average QB or worse you need the bigger style WR's that are not really known for YAC but more being able to catch the errant throws consistently.

 

[shopson67]

This is where teams have to figure out what the heck they are even going to do with this player. Talent matters but fit matters almost as much in my opinion. To me a player like Tavon Austin in an offense like that of the Patriots is an All-Star in this league. Just get the ball in his hands 10 times a game and watch how this kid explodes. With the Rams lacking any kind of QB play though to get the ball in this kids hands he is just being wasted. Usually if you only have an average QB or worse you need the bigger style WR's that are not really known for YAC but more being able to catch the errant throws consistently.

There also has been a learning curve for Austin, as he also came from a spread offense and had limited experience with a route tree. He was largely a bubble screen kind of guy coming out.

 

[cdumler7]

There also has been a learning curve for Austin, as he also came from a spread offense and had limited experience with a route tree. He was largely a bubble screen kind of guy coming out.

There is that too but even then I don't think it would be too hard to ask that he add say 3-4 different routes in an off season working with the Rams. It wouldn't be hard to teach him a 5 yard slant to take advantage of his speed. Or the quick come back route. If he cannot learn those routes quickly then yeah I question his ability to make it but I also think some of that is just not having a system in place and especially a QB in place to use those type of routes to take advantage of his skill set.

 

[shopson67]

There is that too but even then I don't think it would be too hard to ask that he add say 3-4 different routes in an off season working with the Rams. It wouldn't be hard to teach him a 5 yard slant to take advantage of his speed. Or the quick come back route. If he cannot learn those routes quickly then yeah I question his ability to make it but I also think some of that is just not having a system in place and especially a QB in place to use those type of routes to take advantage of his skill set.

He has improved his route running, but QB play (and unimaginative OCs) have held him back as well. I don't question his ability (and I'm a fan), but there has been a learning curve for him, that's all. The Rams offense has been a mess for a while now, and at least the addition of Gurley and some nice OL picks last year have the running game improving. This year, time to add some targets and hopefully upgrade at QB.

 

[cdumler7]

He has improved his route running, but QB play (and unimaginative OCs) have held him back as well. I don't question his ability (and I'm a fan), but there has been a learning curve for him, that's all. The Rams offense has been a mess for a while now, and at least the addition of Gurley and some nice OL picks last year have the running game improving. This year, time to add some targets and hopefully upgrade at QB.

Any clue what the team plans to do with the QB position? Seems like they are drafting way too late to get one of the top-2 guys at the position and FA not looking that great unless some teams don't get contracts done.