Thoughts On The Draft: Prospects And The Selection Process Kalil v. Blackmon

As far as the backup guard: what are her measureables? LOL!
I actually thought of taking Claiborne with the 6th pick. A couple of potential factors convinced me otherwise:
1. I thought that Claiborne would be selected prior to pick six. Blackmon would likely be gone as well. Reiff is a great LOT prospect; I placed a higher value on WR; particularly Kendall Wright.
2. In my scenario I used the hypothetical that Brandon Lloyd would go to New England. This made WR a higher priority IMO.

Thanks for taking the time to read my post! I truly appreciate it.

Debate is a great way to share opinions and ideas.

1. Kendall Wright over Jeffery and Floyd: IMO I think Wright and Floyd are the better of the the three WR’s. My reasons:

a. It is tough to jam either Floyd or Wright at the LOS. Floyd is quick and powerful. He uses his hands well to fight off jams. Wright uses extreme quickness and the threat of world class speed which gives him a decided edge. Jeffery is a big strong WR. It was hard to grasp why he had trouble disengaging from certain CB’s at the LOS. Casey Hayward played him primarily in man. He left very little cushion between himself and Jeffery. On more than one occasion Jeffery had trouble getting into his route b/c of Hayward’s jam. Jeffery had a fine game statistically against Dennard of Nebraska. That was the one where both he and Jeffery were kicked out for fighting. Dennard gave up some big plays to Jeffery; but throughout the game Dennard the smaller player, played Jeffery physical and was able to delay him at the LOS.
I gave Wright the edge over Floyd b/c of speed. They both have great hands, get off the LOS, make plays after the catch, and use route running to effectively set up the DB’s. The difference is here. Wright has that all world speed and elusiveness that just cannot be taught. He is IMO a more dangerous option in the passing game. Just my opinion.

CB:

I had a hard time with this one. Hayward is a ballhawk with solid tackling technique. Janoris Jenkins will in all likelihood; not make it past the first round. I see a lot of similarities between Jenkins and Harris as defenders and p/k returners. They both offer the ability as solid coverage guys who can not only make plays on the ball; but who can turn an INT into a TD in the blink of an eye. This is why I chose Harris over Hayward; Harris has a more diverse skill set.

Teams may look upon Pead as one dimensional in terms of return ability. This could allow him to become an UDFA. I agree with you that it is unlikely. Janzen Jackson and Wagner could bring much needed speed to the defense.
Thanks for reading! Your opinions are excellent. I learn a lot from persons with opinions different from my own. Thanks!

Had not gone back for his senior year at Purdue; I would agree. He brings both the ability to rush the passer and stop the run. Short displayed alertness at the LOS when he got his long arms up to impede the QB’s vision or knock the ball down. I thought he was a better candidate than Devon Still after watching them both last season.
I watched recordings of Dontari Poe. IMO he is a lot like Alameda Ta’amu; big bodies that occupy space but offer little in the way of pass rush. If A DT is taken in the first three rounds; IMO, he should be capable of providing pass rush, defending the run, occupy multiple blockers. It is hard to find a DT capable of doing all these things. Which is why I chose Akiem Hicks in the 7th round. By not being invited to the Senior Bowl Hicks; a very skilled and huge DT may fall to the lower rounds or become an UDFA. During The Shrine Game practice week and the actual game Hicks displayed; IMO, as much talent if not more than DT’s rated ahead of him.
Academic issues kept him out of LSU. The talent is there.
Dominique Hamilton , Mizzou 6’4 320 and Hebron Fangupo,BYU 6’1 331 are the type of DT’s that do not have the complete game, but have strong attributes in run defense and occupying blockers. These players will probably wind up as UDFA’s. They could bring a lot of value to The Rams.

I did this post with the idea that Brandon Lloyd would leave The Rams. I thought about Claiborne at this spot, but I thought he would be drafted sooner. I think Wright has value b/c of his exceptional talent. His talent IMO, and his position with Lloyd leaving; hypothetically, make him worthy of the sixth pick overall.

Would be in an offense like the WCO which does not require the O-Line to sustain blocks for extended periods of time. Amendola does not play well as a #1 WR. Does that mean “He Sucks”, or does it mean that he is not suited for that particular role.

I hope that some of these guys get overshadowed in the hype of the NFL Draft which has become more entertainment than talent evaluation in regard to the large sports networks. This makes the draft more like Wall Street with the players as stock and the network pundits as CNBC market analyst! LMAO! Just crazy!
It is amazing to think that the opinion of certain analyst can drive a player’s stock up or down. Now I’m just talking about an opinion; not game tape, not postseason workouts, but opinions. INSANE!
I appreciate your draft work. It is not easy trying to do a mock for all 32 teams. You focused on what you alone thought. Popularity did not enter your mind; which was evident by some of the comments you got! WHEW! LMAO! Great Job!

You are right. A couple of things that may work in The Rams favor:

A couple of QB’s and RB’s may sneak into the 1st round, thereby pushing Brown and Wagner further back. Cordy Glenn may also have have place himself in the 1st round with a strong Senior Bowl.

CB’s will likely be taken earler as well. Janoris Jenkins, Josh Hamilton,Brandon Boykin, Asa Jackson and Ryan Steed have all made cases to move up in the draft.

Brown is seen as pretty one dimensional: A WIL OLB exclusively. This may allow him to fall to the second round. Bobby Wagner may fall do to the demand for other positions earlier on.
What are yourthoughts?

I just hope The Rams keep a lot different options on the plate. I think Blackmon is a tremendous receiver and would do well on The Rams but; I would not want to keep the focus on just Blackmon or Kalil. You know what I mean? This team is more than a Kalil or Blackmon away from being competitive. It is only my opinion but; focusing on just these two players is kinda like a QB who locks on to his primary receivers. He will miss a lot of potential openings. Thanks for reading, I appreciate it!

I think it is more about who the WR were than using a top draft pick on the position. Lets use a few examples. The Lions:

Charles Rodgers had issues prior to the draft. Certain off the field concerns that The Lions simply ignored. I would take a chance on a talented kid with certain red flags but not with a first round selection.
Roy Williams wasa decent WR out of Texas, but not elite in terms of speed or displaying game changing ability. The Lions liked his size and figured they could turn him into the WR that they wanted. Bad call.
Conversley, The Lions hit the jackpot with Calvin Johnson. No major off field concerns, 4.3 speed from a huge WR, and tremendous hands.

It has merit. It is just a different type of philosophy that many teams employ.

I think I remember you advocating strongly for Gaither at the time! Great Call!

What do you think The Rams could get for their first pick in the second round? How much value would you place on that pick. There will probably be some excellent talent that might fall to the second round. Some teams my reach.

This is a great idea! Post it. You have an instant rec* from me!