SI.com: Peter King's pre-draft notes and rumors

[jim1]

Four quarterbacks and six wideouts in the top 32 for Brandt, if he had to pick it today. Contrast that to last year, when there was one quarterback, wideout or running back in the top 15—receiver/returner Tavon Austin, who went eighth to St. Louis. This year a very similar player in size and production, Brandin Cooks of Oregon State, could be the sixth wideout picked. Regarding the passers, Derek Carr of Fresno State joins the big three quarterbacks, and at receiver, the depth is so good that former unheralded guys like Cody Latimer of Indiana are creeping into view high in the second round now.

The stunner this draft season is a quarterback who threw 83 passes as a Rutgers sophomore in 2010, then didn’t play college football in 2011 or 2012 as he transferred from Rutgers to Arizona to Pitt. “The hottest guy in the draft,” Brandt of Tom Savage.

One more thing: The great value in this draft will be from about 20 to 50. So guess what team is in great position to capitalize on the depth in rounds one and two? San Francisco, with the ability and the recent history of moving around so well. The rich-get-richer Niners hold the 30th, 56th, 61st, and 77th overall picks. If they want someone in the forties, they’ve got the currency to get him. The Browns are in good shape to do some damage too, with picks 26, 35, 71 and 83.

http://mmqb.si.com/2014/04/14/nfl-draft-jadeveon-clowney-monday-morning-qb/

 

[xXwarXx]

I understand the want to compare cooks and Austin, but realistically I don't see it.

Cooks is way more polished as a WR, and actually has good hands and can beat the press, and attack downfield.

Tavon with the ball is as dangerous as it gets, unfortunately as St Louis learned this past year, you really need to work to get him the ball, and it's hard to keep him on the field at this level.

 

[jim1]

I understand the want to compare cooks and Austin, but realistically I don't see it.

Cooks is way more polished as a WR, and actually has good hands and can beat the press, and attack downfield.

Tavon with the ball is as dangerous as it gets, unfortunately as St Louis learned this past year, you really need to work to get him the ball, and it's hard to keep him on the field at this level.

They're both smaller receivers with extreme speed and quicks, great burst. Both solid reurners, too. The question is, if Cooks is as good or better than Austin and Austin went #8 overall last year, how good of a value would Cooks be at #19? In my opinion, a pretty darned good one.

 

[spiketex]

I understand the want to compare cooks and Austin, but realistically I don't see it.

Cooks is way more polished as a WR, and actually has good hands and can beat the press, and attack downfield.

Tavon with the ball is as dangerous as it gets, unfortunately as St Louis learned this past year, you really need to work to get him the ball, and it's hard to keep him on the field at this level.

I was guilty of getting infatuated with the Tavon Austin video highlights. You are right, when he gets the ball he has such blazing speed and can change directions instantly. But you have to be able to get him the ball and for much of the year he was on the sidelines watching the game.

 

[mahmacoat]

"Tom Savage has the strongest arm in the draft" like Druckenmiller and Boller before him.

 

[DKphin]

receiver/returner Tavon Austin, who went eighth to St. Louis. This year a very similar player in size and production, Brandin Cooks of Oregon State, could be the sixth wideout picked.
http://mmqb.si.com/2014/04/14/nfl-draft-jadeveon-clowney-monday-morning-qb/

I would think that Dri Archer would be a more apt comparison.

 

[Roman529]

So do you guys think we would take a WR in round one, with all of the receivers we already have on our roster? I think we should get a TE before a WR. Of course projecting that there will be a lot of QB's/WR's taken early, and seeing what actually happens our often two different things. Also Gil Brandt is 80 years old...shouldn' he be hitting the white ball around the golf course?

Also here is Brandt's article on Tom Savage:


http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap20...age-the-best-qb-prospect-youve-never-heard-of

 

[DKphin]

So do you guys think we would take a WR in round one, with all of the receivers we already have on our roster? I think we should get a TE before a WR. Of course projecting that there will be a lot of QB's/WR's taken early, and seeing what actually happens our often two different things. Also Gil Brandt is 80 years old...shouldn' he be hitting the white ball around the golf course?

Also here is Brandt's article on Tom Savage:


http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap20...age-the-best-qb-prospect-youve-never-heard-of

I watched 3 of his games and the first thing that came to my mind was that he looked like Chad Henne. Needless to say, that erased him from my possibilities.

 

[Hungover]

Gil Brandt is obviously hugely respected in some quarters but his latest rankings are pretty absurd.

 

[xXwarXx]

I remember when Brandt found out the size of Manziels feet.

For three days all he talked about was the size of johnnys feet, it was ridiculous.

 

[spiketex]

So do you guys think we would take a WR in round one, with all of the receivers we already have on our roster? I think we should get a TE before a WR. Of course projecting that there will be a lot of QB's/WR's taken early, and seeing what actually happens our often two different things. Also Gil Brandt is 80 years old...shouldn' he be hitting the white ball around the golf course?

Also here is Brandt's article on Tom Savage:


http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap20...age-the-best-qb-prospect-youve-never-heard-of

Roman - I still prefer going O-line with the first pick but we don't know how bold Hickey is going to be. He may go for a playmaker and take the BPA as he has stated repeatedly. There appears to be more top tier WRs in this Draft class than I can ever recall. The fact that they are having private workouts and have attended the Pro Days suggests that they are doing their homework thoroughly. Marqise Lee is clearly talented but so is Watkins, Beckham, Cooks, etc. I happen to really like Allen Robinson from Penn State. He's expected to go in the 2nd round but any other year - he's seen as a definite 1st round talent. He's big and physical - 6'2", 225 lbs - built more like Brandon Marshall. And having gone through the Penn State difficulties and stuck it out means that he's pretty loyal too. (Don't forget that we have a couple of top Penn State guys in Wake and Odrick on the team).
Other possibility is that we draft Kelvin Benjamin in 2nd round and turn him into a TE as the seam threat. He's huge. Somebody described him as just a few cheeseburgers away from being a TE now.

 

[LANGER72]

All the WR's are a smoke screen. We are going LB at 19. Mosely or Shazier

 

[spiketex]

All the WR's are a smoke screen. We are going LB at 19. Mosely or Shazier

Why are you so certain? If Marqise Lee is the top rated player on our board and Mosely and the best OTs have been taken, you may be surprised.
Yes, we have greater needs but top playmakers are rare.

 

[SF Dolphin Fan]

I could honestly see Miami going wr in round 1 if guys like Lewan and Martin are off the board. Cooks is a difference maker something the Dolphins could still use on offense. Hopefully Wallace and Tannehill get a better connection going, but can you imagine Cooks in the slot? He's a 100 catch guy in that role and his ability with the ball in his hands is special.

This is a passing league and Miami's receivers are decent maybe somewhere in the middle of the NFL pack. Why wouldn't the GM try to improve that position in a draft that is loaded at wide receiver? The Dolphins could get a starting caliber offensive lineman like James from Tennessee in R2.

 

[j-off-her-doll]

I mentioned it a while back, but it's not difficult to envision a scenario where Miami's BPA at 19 is a WR. Both Lee and Beckham Jr. are very well suited for our system. I said it in a different thread, but couldn't be upset about Lee at 19. I think he's comfortably one of the 15 best players in the draft. I think Shazier is the most obvious pick at 19, but I don't believe he'll be there.

I don't have any of the CB's rated very close to Lee.
I have Shazier and Mack rated ahead of Lee, and I have Barr one slot lower than Lee, but of those three, Shazier is the only one who might be there, and he's the only immediate fit.
Aaron Donald is the only DT I have rated ahead of Lee.
Robinson, Matthews, and Lewan are the only O-linemen I have rated ahead of Lee.
I have Ward rated ahead of Lee, and I have Bucannon close.

Again, if Shazier is there, I think it's an easy pick. After that, I'm probably asking myself if I feel better about drafting Lee (if he's available) in the 1st and hoping one of Ward/Bucannon are still there at 50, or Ward/Bucannon at 19 and hope one of the WR's I like is there in the 2nd. I think we can get our combination of RT, OG, and RB somewhere in the 3rd-6th. But I would not bypass Hill at 50 unless we bypass S in RD 1 and Ward/Bucannon are there at 50.