Post Draft Thoughts

[Amherstcavsfan]

I'll get this thread started. For a bonus, I'll do a quick recap of AFC North, my favorite drafts and the ones that don't look so good.

1: Baker Mayfield: Oh Baker, man, what hasn't already been said and debated about him? I'll try and keep this short...

I think Baker is probably going to be, at minimum, a decent game manager. He is accurate, he knows where to go with the ball and how to set up a defense. His arm is probably somewhere in the strong to average category. Will he ever lead a passing offense? Will he ever be that franchise guy? He definitely has a chance. He needs to improve in some key areas but I think he's probably the best chance they have had since Couch.

2: Denzel Ward: I love Ward, it's rare to find guys like this in any draft. He's not big physically, but his athletic ability, technique and willingness to get down and dirty is rare. He fills a large need as the shutdown man cover and can truly be a dominating cover guy for this defense. Pair that with the improving pass rush, he's exactly what they needed.

3: Austin Corbett: This pick had me head scratching at first. I think Corbett is probably an interior guy, maybe a center, maybe a guard. I didn't know how he would fit and you want to draft a starter at 33. Then I heard Hue said if he doesn't work at tackle, they would consider moving Bitonio to tackle and Corbett inside. I am fully on board with that because he is a nasty blocker. Overtly physical, takes his man out of the play, nasty, and wants to break the will of other players.

4: Nick Chubb: Favorite player in this draft. He, IMO, is the best running back prospect in most years. He is a physical runner with good burst and can be a problem in the open field. He didn't look like he would make a full recovery last year but this year, he has looked much more athletic. I know some fear what happened against Alabama...maybe it's just a bad matchup for him. I'll take his full body of work over what happened in one game. He reminds me so much of Hunt or Lynch where he is always going to get you positive yardage.

5: Chad Thomas: An Ogbah clone and has nearly the same flaws coming out. He doesn't give 100% effort every play. Now I think that's a common problem with big guys. Sometimes it's hard to give that effort every play. I will say, unlike Ogbah, he's not that impressive when he is giving full effort. He's more of a clean up guy than a natural pass rusher. I do think he's strong setting the edge but...ehhh. Not my favorite prospect.

6: Antonio Calloway: A total and complete Shithead. I know he was acquitted, I don't freaking care. As a football player, he is very talented. He reminds me of DJ Moore or Stephon Diggs. He has problems staying focused and disciplined catching the ball. With the ball in his hands, he is dynamic and can break the play wide open. I just wish he wasn't a shithead.

7: Genard Avery: I really like him. Super athletic, effective pass rusher who is going to be moved to full time off the ball linebacker. He's a good teammate, good leader and oozes effort. I think using him as a hyper aggressive blitzing linebacker and special teamer until he gets the position down is the right thing to do. Should have some sort of impact plays sprinkled in this year:

I didn't see the last two guys. Both are supreme athletes with profiles that could mean success.

Overall, this is a solid but not the game breaking draft I was hoping to see. They did successfully identify the biggest needs on the team, which means the front office knows how to self scout. They also were fairly successful in identifying good talent, I would say. Ward was clearly my CB1, Corbett could have been a first rounder, Chubb was an easy top 40 pick and Mayfield, for all his warts, does sound like he was QB 1 on his board. I wish they went with some more production and less shitheads in the 3rd day but I'm not going to be harsh. I think they had a successful draft but left some meat on the bone, so to speak.

The AFC North:

Steelers: They had a rough couple of days. Edmunds was a fringe 2nd round pick that they way overreach on. Thank god they didn't get Evans. I'm not scared by Washington, although I do think he is an adequate Bryant replacement. We will see on Rudolph but I don't think he's anything super special. Starter and likely Ben successor but he's not Tom Brady. Think they mismanaged a lot of assets. Of note, Samuels is a move around do everything kind of guy. Okorafor is not bad.

Ravens: Wasted a pick on a 25 year old TE who frankly isn't that good in Hayden Hurst. But then Ozzie made it up to everyone and one last parting shot to the AFC North and got Lamar. If Lamar pans out, it's going to be a headache for a long time here. It's a good thing Lamar can run, too, because Zeus Jr is going to get wrecked in the North. Of note with their later selections, I think DeShon Elliot is a really good player and a steal where they got him and Zach Sieler is the next Matt Judon. Solid but some real clankers like Hurst, Brown, Lasley and Young.

Bengals: The Bengals finally realized that they needed a center and took Billy Price. Thankfully, they also totally ignored their other tackle spots and Glenn isn't that great so OL is still a huge weak spot. However, the Bengals know how to find pass rushers. Malik Jefferson and Sam Hubbard is two very good edge players to get added to their defense which already has Lawson on the outside. Of their other players, Andrew Brown is a hell of a player when he is motivated and Logan Woodside could be a good long term backup QB.

I don't think anyone in the AFC North, including the Browns, had a great class.

I'm getting a little long winded here so I'll wrap this up quick with a few notes:

The Cardinals and the Packers had the two best classes IMO. Rosen and Kirk is going to be a really solid connection for a long time. They also managed to get one of my favorites in Chase Edmonds later to add to David Johnson in the running game.

The Packers really solidified their pass defense with Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson. Pettine really has some weapons there, along with King. They also managed to steal ESB in the 6th round, which is just crazy value.

And boy did the Raiders and Bills have bad classes. Jon Gruden is actively out to destroy the Raiders with those two tackle in Parker and Miller. Neither is going to be ready any time soon and Tom Cable hasn't developed a prospect in his life. The Bills took Josh Allen

Ok, so I'm done now but please, I'd love to read your thoughts on the draft as well.

 

[FiveThous]

I liked the Dolphins picks through round 3.

 

[dark2332]

Alright, @Amherstcavsfan

GUNS UP LET'S DO DIS

#1 Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

I have long known I could convince myself to love him, and now that a few days have gone by, I’m down. Darnold was my boy. He still is my boy. I believe he’s going to be a very good player. That said, I think Baker Mayfield has a number of great traits that translate to the NFL and I’ve said as much throughout.

For starters, it’s going to take a special kind of personality to lead the Cleveland Browns out of the abyss. I’m talking about the fact that we are a complete post-apocalyptic wasteland and we need someone brimming and oozing confidence, self-belief, and leadership to shepard us through the storm. No matter what they say, this locker room has a case of the “here we go agains” when things start to go wrong in a game. We expect to lose. An ultra competitor is what’s needed. A culture changer is needed. No matter how he rubs you, Baker Mayfield is that guy. Much like Cleveland, he’s been mocked. Much like Cleveland, he’s a hard worker. Much like Cleveland, he has a chip on his shoulder. Much like Cleveland, he wants to prove all the doubters wrong. He embodies us.

In terms of talent, his arm is as accurate as I’ve ever seen. He throws great on the run, from the pocket, and can change arm angles to fit balls through lanes. In terms of arm talent, he’s very underrated. For as much as I hate the stat, his velocity of 60 mph at the combine was second only to Josh Allen of the quarterbacks. On tape, you see multiple throws travel 65 yards in the air with impressive trajectory. He’s just a natural thrower. Plenty of zip when he needs it, plenty of touch when the situation calls for it.

His two knocks are system and height. I don’t mind the height, he’s a stout guy and makes a habit of throwing through lanes. All QB’s at the next level throw and see through lanes and him being 6’2 wouldn’t change that. Dorsey isn’t concerned so neither am I.

The offense is a legit concern. That said, he has the tools and his recall and football IQ seem to be generational from all accounts. Thus, with a year to learn, I’m not worried.


#4 Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State

This pick was fantastic. Chubb/Ward, couldn’t have gone wrong here. I like grabbing the unanimous #1 corner of this draft. This was a case of taking their BPA, and I applaud it despite the noise.

He’s a tad undersized, but he makes up for it with elite athleticism and speed. His 5’11 height and 185 lb build would lead you to believe he’s a cover man who struggles in run support. If you guessed that, you’d be wrong.

This dude is very physical. He’s an outstanding tackler, he loves to mix it up, and he’s not backing down from anybody. In fact, he’s a big time hitter by corner standards. In terms of coverage, he’s elite. He was asked to lock down his man consistently in zero press man packages at Ohio State. As a result, he eliminated half the field.

It goes beyond the play with him, too. He’s highly intelligent as a football player, and his character is off the charts. He’s a great example of how to handle yourself away from the field. Humble and hard working. We found our #1 corner for the next ten years.


#33 Austin Corbett, LT, Nevada

Well, we went back to the Nevada well. This dude is so soft spoken off the field, but on the field, he’s straight up nasty. Watching his technique, balance, body control, and play strength, I have no doubts he could be a stud interior lineman. You can see that wrestling background when you watch him. He’s probably a better prospect than Joel Bitonio was coming out of school, which is saying something.

However, I really think that he’s juuuuust long enough and has solid enough feet to stay at left tackle. He was a 4-year starter there in college. We’ll see. This was a weak tackle class, and he was considered by many as a stout guard once he shifts inside. If he can stick on the outside, he’s a steal at #33. If he can’t, we can live with moving him inside to guard or center and having a solid 10-12 year career in the middle.

I went back and watched his tape of the 2015 Nevada game against Texas A&M and Myles Garrett. Remember, he's a sophomore starting tackle and it was likely an adjustment to the raw speed as Nevada had no way of replicating Garrett on the scout team. The dude was the #1 pick in the draft and "generational pass rushing talent" for a reason. In the very early stages, he gave up an ugly sack where Garrett straight up beat him on the outside with speed. This was the first offensive possession of the game.

After that, however, he adjusted and settled in and more than held his own. He got a little help at times, but he also had many one-on-one battles with Myles where he locked him out. Additionally, he absolutely pushed Garrett around in the run game. In the 2nd half, TAMU really started moving Garrett around. He had 1.5 sacks coming from playing inside away from Corbett. Then, he got Corbett one last time in the 4th on a 3rd and 19 on a deep drop. Certainly, he showed times where he struggled with Garrett's speed, but his footwork also improved from his sophomore to senior year. I'd be interested in seeing Round 2 in training camp.


#35 Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia

If you’re upset with Nick Chubb, you aren’t a football fan.

Sure, Sony Michel has that diverse skill set. However, at the top of the 2nd round, we picked up our AFC North back (to quote Hue).

Alonzo Highsmith compared him to Jamal Lewis. He compares himself to Frank Gore. Eliot Wolf raved over his balance and feet for his size. The combine showed how explosive and strong he is. From a freak standpoint, he’s probably #2 behind Saquon Barkley for his size. 4.52 forty, 38.5 inch vertical at 230 lbs, 29 bench reps... just crazy.

The difference from Barkley? He runs big. He doesn’t look to avoid the contact and get to the sideline. He looks to humiliate your entire family by running your ass over. He’s the definition of putting cleat marks up your chest when you see him enter the 2nd level.

He doesn’t get nearly enough credit for his agility or his hands. He has great vision, outstanding burst, and is going to be extremely productive in Cleveland. Further removed from his wicked knee injury, he’s back. I expect him and Duke to form the perfect tandem long term in Cleveland.

Guice is a great back, too, but with his maturity issues, I’m all aboard the Chubb train. Nick Chubb is a man of great character, a relentless work ethic, and an attitude that embodies what you want your football team to be. Little known fact, but Chubb comes from a farming family and was an agriculture major at Georgia. He’s blue collar and country strong.


#67 Chad Thomas, DE, Miami

I liked this pick. Would I have been behind Sam Hubbard, too? Sure. But it’s hard to argue with a man who can move like this at 6’5 280 pounds.

He’s strong against the run, but he’s a little predictable as a pass rusher. With a little development behind Ogbah and Garrett, I think adding to his repertoire will go a long way for him. After all, he hasn’t been playing this game very long.

He seems like a good kid and a willing worker. He’s also a guy who can kick inside in sub-packages.


#105 Antonio Callaway, WR, Florida

This pick was controversial. However, I love it. Absolutely love it. We are talking about a guy who was likely the WR1 or WR2 in this draft without the baggage.

He kind of reminds me of what we hoped Corey Coleman was going to be out of school. As a player, he’s explosive, he has strong hands, and plucks the ball out of the air. He’s a fantastic return man, and he’s a big play waiting to happen as soon as he touches the ball. He was the best thing about the Florida offense the two years he could see the field. He reminds me of Steve Smith. I know “undersized outside receiver, Steve Smith.” But no, it’s because he plays with fire on the field. He is soft-spoken off of it.

As a person, sure. We have concerns. However, there is no doubt that Dorsey and company spent a lot of time and resources vetting this situation. I trust him. By all accounts, the birth of his daughter has changed him and he speaks openly as a man who was a knucklehead and only has himself to blame. I think he’s hungry. This could be a huge boom from a 4th rounder.

He can play the X or the Z. Also, Dorsey has a history of successful gambles like this.


#150 Genard Avery, LB, Memphis

A self described “effort” player, that’s what pops off the page with him. He’s a guy in elite physical shape who is a force on the football field.

He’s going to be an outstanding special teams player, but has a shot to be much more than that.

He’s probably the best pash rushing inside backer in this draft outside of Evans. He’s a “see ball, get ball” guy, and I see him being able to play both the Mike and Sam here for us.

This is a guy who ran a 4.59 at the combine at 250 lbs. He’s a monster. But even better, in terms of work ethic and character, think the LB version of Larry Ogunjobi.


6th round duo Damion Ratley, WR, TAMU and Simeon Thomas, DB, Louisiana-Lafayette

With a filled-out roster and added veterans, these are classic “swing for the fences” style picks. I love that from Dorsey.

6th round picks are long shots to make the roster on decent football teams. We hope to become that. So, shoot your shot.

Dorsey took size, length, speed, SPARQ guys with question marks in hopes that NFL coaching makes them impact guys.

Ratley is a long burner as a receiver who was primarily a college deep threat. He has some size at 6’3.

Thomas is just under 6’4 as a DB and runs a 4.4. He’s a physical player on tape. He has questionable character, having been suspended multiple times in his career. I’m not sure if they see him as a corner or a safety, but this is a shot at an athlete.

Overall, I liked the draft. The more I get to chew on it, I like it more and more.

I think we took 5 guys who have a chance to be starters down the line (Mayfield, Ward, Corbett, Chubb, Callaway) and 2 guys who have a chance to be high-quality depth for years (Thomas, Avery).

We’ll have to wait a few years to judge, but this team definitely got better over the weekend.

 

[red.]

Joe Thomas thoughts.