Seaside NFL Draft Thoughts, 4/21

Tuesday’s draft thoughts

• Browsed this video about the Eagles and what they could do in the draft. Some broad notes: Howie Roseman loves action and rarely uses original picks; Dave Gettleman (has pick ahead of Philadelphia) has apparently never traded his first round pick as a GM; Roseman has always said he’s a “best player available” guy; Eagles could definitely take someone other than a CB or WR; Roseman more likely to trade down than trade up; player like Rashawn Slater would definitely be a consideration; Daniel Jeremiah sees mock drafts as a “necessary evil”; more below…

• Many high-ranking position coaches and coordinators have no idea who their team will draft; Roseman once went on the field and paced around for a long time because the Eagles didn’t have a third round pick and he badly wanted one; Philadelphia could likely draft an offensive lineman with first pick; Eagles value versatility with offensive linemen; former first round pick Andre Dillard is “a left tackle or he’s not playing” and doesn’t fit with versatility model.

• Who are Chris Simms’ top five tight ends? Hunter Long just missed. Briley Moore was fifth, Brevin Jordan was fourth, Tommy Tremble was third, Pat Freiermuth was second, Kyle Pitts was first. I put some money on there being a second tight end drafted in the first round after Pitts. It’s a long-shot but I think Freiermuth and Tremble have a chance. Tight end value is really high right now.

• Simms knocked Jordan’s run blocking and route running was raw, might not be a true tight end at the pro level. He noted that Tremble didn’t have a lot of production in college and the broadcast also pointed out that Notre Dame wasn’t shy about going to another tight end in the passing game. Tremble’s versatility may have cost him opportunities to play more tight end in college. Loves contact and is “the most violent blocker in the draft” for a tight end. Fantastic blocker. This guy feels like someone Seattle would love.

• Freiermuth is not actually “Baby Gronk” according to Simms. “NFL ready right now” and compares him to Hunter Henry. “Special route runner.” Blocking is good, not as violent as Tremble. Not a lot of weaknesses. This is my best bet for a second tight end on day one and I think a team could trade up into the first to go get him. Feet at the line of scrimmage is “by far the best thing he does.”

• “I don’t recall seeing a tight end like (Kyle Pitts),” says Simms. Phenomenal body control on 50/50 balls. There’s a big gap between him and recent top-ten pick T.J. Hockenson.

• I like to watch Chris Simms videos with only the audio playing while watching highlights of the player he is referring to. Here’s one on Pitts:

• I follow the draft closely every year and yet somehow I always hear names called during the first round of the draft that I had been unaware of, thereby revealing that I don’t follow the draft as closely as I think. I’m attempting to not have that happen this year despite the fact that it seems as though at least one major shocker will happen on day one because of the unorthodox circumstances.

• Today was the first time I’ve learned about defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike, a player who opted out in 2020 but had a good performance in the Senior Bowl. He’s flashed moments of being a potential star at the position, but not consistently, and it seems as though he could sneak into the late first round.

• Eric Stokes is a cornerback at Georgia and he could be a second round pick, which means that a team could even take him near the first round. It seems he may be a slot corner at the next level. This video has him ranked 35th on their big board.

• Richie Grant, a safety at UCF, was 45th. His pro comparison at NFL.com is Tedric Thompson. Yet he’s 45th? He is said to be a “fast riser” at the moment and that may be due to the value of the safety position getting a bump recently thanks to some changes in defensive philosophy. Some of which may have even been ignited by Pete Carroll, Kam Chancellor, and Earl Thomas.

• Carlos Basham, Jr is a 6’3 defensive end out of Purdue who might be one of the most underrated pass rushers in the draft apparently. At least, he’s been underrated by me up to this point based on my ignorance of his existence. Now he’s rated pretty nicely by me based on my knowledge of his existence.

• Paulson Adebo is ranked 48th and is a cornerback at Stanford, just like Richard Sherman used to be. Lance Zierlein sees him as more of a playmaker than a cover corner.

• Guys who they seem low on are Gregory Rosseau, Jamin Davis, Najee Harris, Alex Leatherwood, Davis Mills, Quinn Meinerz, Baron Browning, Tommy Tremble, among others.

• Most underrated player according to one of these guys: Dayo Odeyingbo, DE, Vanderbilt. Odeyingbo didn’t have a lot of production but has great size. Tore his Achilles prior to the Senior Bowl.

• Another guy’s underrated player: RB Larry Rountree II, Missouri. Doesn’t fumble the football. May never be a starting running back but quality complement.

• Another guy’s: DB Kary Vincent Jr., LSU. Size is considered an issue. Opted out.

• Finally the last guy’s underrated player: CB Zech McPhearson. Athletic. Meant to be good in coverage. Potentially late day three pick but one of these guys in that video up there has him as a day two pick. I don’t agree with everything these guys are saying but I appreciate their vast knowledge of WHO is in the draft and they won’t be surprised by names like I will.

• Players these guys said are overrated: DT Milton Williams, DE Quincy Roche, CB Kelvin Joseph, DT Daviyon Nixon.

• Listening to these guys argue about prospects reminds me of people arguing about NFL players and that reminds me that nobody ever wins an argument. It just keeps on going forever. Even long after they’ve stopped playing.

• Their best players not on the top-250: QB Brady White, WR/TE Jacob Harris, WR Austin Trammell, WR Jonathan Adams, Jr..

• I have heard of Harris. The Rams are interested. He’s too skinny.

• The guy I was most interested in by that talk was Trammell. He had 10 quarterbacks in the last three years. He had 335 yards and six touchdowns in three games last season. What the hell.

• I don’t know what the heck this is

• There aren’t many highlights of Trammell because he played at Rice. After more discovery, I need to do a longer look at Trammell for work.

• I am checking out more of this channel’s videos now. Trill Williams is apparently PFF’s top corner on screen passes.

  More Pass Rusher Names:

  

  Link:

• Jaelan Phillips continues to look like a potential top-ten pick, but then others believe he could fall to day two because of his injuries.

• Georgia DE Azeez Ojulari is someone I haven’t looked into much yet. I am late on getting to the pass rushers.

• I have no idea where Rousseau is going to roo-go.

• Washington DE Joe Tryon could get on the precipice of the first round.

• Houston DE Payton Turner has an injury history but could go in the second round. Interesting to see what he could become with good coaching.

• Some sleepers at CBS Sports by Ryan Wilson (who I now LOVE because he has Mac Jones third in his QB rankings): LB Dylan Moses, WR Nico Collins (opt out), RB Rhamondre Stevenson

• RB Kenneth Gainwell is also “rising” and he could go as early as the second round despite not playing in 2020. That might actually work in his favor since he is a running back and had fewer than 300 career carries in college.

• Trey Lance is ranked 27th in the NextGen Stats athleticism rankings. It’s just hard to judge Lance by anything given his path to the draft via North Dakota State and a pandemic that canceled his season.

• Zach Wilson is 22nd in those rankings. These are obviously not “QB rankings” or a big board, just some athleticism measurements and some production measurements and a mishmash of both.

• S Andre Cisco is 17th, Richie Grant is 16th, Daviyon Nixon is 10th, WR Elijah Moore is ninth and could be a first rounder, S Jacoby Stevens is seventh, Stokes is fifth, Najee Harris is ninth, RB Travis Etienne is second, Pitts is first.

• I just ran across this as I was watching something about how Jaycee Horn might struggle in his first year if he’s asked to play a lot of zone coverage. It led me to this article from last year mentioning that Seattle ranked third in zone coverage in 2019. Not that the Seahawks were going to have a chance to draft Horn, just found that interesting. Which corners in the draft this year excel in zone coverage? Or at least had experience with it? Adebo is one. Trill Williams is another. Nahshon Wright of Oregon State. Rodarius Williams, Oklahoma State. Shaun Wade, Ohio State. Kelvin Joseph, Kentucky. Benjamin St-Juste, Minnesota. Tyson Campbell, Georgia. Elijah Molden, Washington. Asante Samuel, Jr., Florida State. Then some guys outside of the Seahawks’ range. Which some of these guys also probably are.

• Good write-up on the corners.

• The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, consistently pretty great, gave some insight into the Raiders pick: More likely to trade down than up, Gruden and Mayock preach BPA but then usually go with obvious needs for lesser prospects, they love players from powerhouse colleges. That sounds like Alex Leatherwood going earlier than expected.

• Clemson WR Cornell Powell will be an interesting day three pick for a team.

• St-Juste is brought up again as a sleeper in that video, and he’s also 6’3. Had a good Senior Bowl showing.

• MORE: WR Josh Palmer didn’t have a wide range of routes at Tennessee but improved each year in college. Mostly projection. EDGE Malik Herring, 6’3, 280 lbs, productive SEC defensive lineman for three years, lacks athleticism, more of a run stopper than a pass rusher.

• CB Rodarious Williams shows up again. Odd fact of the year: He is Greedy Williams’ older brother. Trill Williams is a versatile DB, including safety and slot and maybe on the outside. Long, rangy. WR Anthony Schwartz is a “bubble screen and go route guy” as a track star. This could be a “Shane Waldron” kind of prospect.

• OT Larry Borom might be the first offensive lineman who I’ve seen this group talk about, which could be indicative of something, I’m not sure. Allowed four pressures on 324 snaps. Sounds like his draft range could be late day two to undrafted? CB Rachad Wildgoose is going to change the game on “pun headlines” if he becomes a star. He might blossom in the right system with the right opportunities at the next level. Didn’t break out at Wisconsin.

• WR Josh Imatorbhebhe is called “the best athlete in the draft class.” Reported 46”+ vertical at pro day, which would break combine record. Pro day numbers are suspicious, but Imatorbhebhe was already known for an unbelievable vertical leap prior to this. Limited route tree. 6’2, 220 lbs. IDL Darius Stills is undersized but is a good pass rusher. S Divine Deablo has a strong first and last name. Is also a strong safety, mostly in the box, and yes there’s a comparison made to Kam Chancellor.

Okay, that’s it for today.