A rare Slimm mock draft

[j-off-her-doll]

I understand the confusion.

I have 7 WR's ranked higher with my board stacked vertically, but I don't draft vertically. Very few teams that I know of draft vertically... it goes against the principle of what you're trying to accomplish in the draft.

I only have 1 wide receiver with a strong 1st round grade, which is Cordarrelle Patterson. The rest I gave 2nd round status.


In my first mock, Carradine isn't on the board at 2(a). I feel like he's the 2nd best player in the draft when he's healthy, combined with the high value of the position he plays. However, I think it's 60/40 that he doesn't make it out of the 1st round. The 40% chance that he does, and is available at the top of the 2nd round prompts my next strategy.

I have a complete draft board that consists of 350+ players counting some potential UDFA's that I like. However, my team specific draft board in Miami's case for example, only consists of 247 prospects. Several factors contribute to the streamlined board.

I had assumed Carradine was either off the board, or you just saw the need at FS as that much greater than the need at DE opposite Wake. I'd prefer the mock with Carradine, but I like and can see the merits of both.

 

[hoops]

we'll see what happens in free agency but i'd be subbing robert woods or quinton patton for reid at #42 in that scenario if carradine was off the board there...and i'd probably be willing to roll the dice on a bigger body wr in the mid rounds a dobson if he got there...i do like stoneburner in the 4th though...

i don't think all those wrs will be gone at pick #42 that were listed but i guess it's possible

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

Those corners are too small for this regime. Do you really think we'd take two corners under 5'11"?? I don't.

And idc what anyone says, 12 is waaaaay too high for Eifert.

I don't know if they will or not, but I'm not attempting to predict what Ireland will do. If I were going to attempt that, you'd see a trade up for an ineffective running back.

This is only to show what I would do if the opportunities were there. However, if you look back through the history of the Bengals drafts while Coyle was the DB coach, there's multiple CB's selected that are under 5'11".

The difference with Alford and McFadden is that they both have 32"+ arms... which is why they play bigger. Those are the kind of arms that are on the plus side of a 6'1" corner. Just because you're tall doesn't mean you can cover, nor does it mean you can match up with bigger receivers... nor does it mean you can tackle. I watched two of the tallest CB's in this draft (Banks and Amerson) get roasted week in and week out, and gave up more TD's than just about all the rest combined.

Furthermore, #12 isn't too high for Eifert, especially when I'm the one doing the picking. The gap between Eifert and the rest of the TE's is larger than the top prospect and the rest at any other position.

I selected the #1 TE in the draft, and the #1 safety in the draft with my first 2 picks. I got the only other receiver besides Cordarrelle Patterson that's at least 6'0", 200+ pounds with 4.3 speed. When you factor in his familiarity with the system and built-in chemistry with the quarterback who'll be throwing him the ball, it makes the pick that much more valuable.

Two CB's in the 3rd round that excel in man-to-man coverage because they're able to match up. Balanced corners who don't hesitate to stick their nose in there and tackle.

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

we'll see what happens in free agency but i'd be subbing robert woods or quinton patton for reid at #42 in that scenario if carradine was off the board there...and i'd probably be willing to roll the dice on a bigger body wr in the mid rounds a dobson if he got there...i do like stoneburner in the 4th though...

i don't think all those wrs will be gone at pick #42 that were listed but i guess it's possible

Obviously you're allowed to select anyone you want wherever you want if you choose to do one. Point being, I have a 3rd round grade on Robert Woods and a 2nd round grade on Quinton Patton. Again, I'm not passing up the #1 safety on my board for the #7 or #12 receivers on my board.

This goes back to the issue of drafting vertically and why it doesn't make sense. A WR could conceivably be the highest ranked player on my board everytime I'm on the clock other than the 12th overall pick. I'd have to draft 8 WR's with my next 8 picks if I drafted vertically. That's why teams don't do it.

 

[hoops]

i don't recall alford coming in at any 5 ft 10...maybe i'm wrong on that but i thought it was at least 5 ft 11 and some change...which is pretty tall for a corner...corner class as a whole guys had good size...i do think mcfadden was 5 ft 10 and some change...they both have good arm length...

---------- Post added at 07:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:47 AM ----------

Obviously you're allowed to select anyone you want wherever you want if you choose to do one. Point being, I have a 3rd round grade on Robert Woods and a 2nd round grade on Quinton Patton. Again, I'm not passing up the #1 safety on my board for the #7 or #12 receivers on my board.

This goes back to the issue of drafting vertically and why it doesn't make sense. A WR could conceivably be the highest ranked player on my board everytime I'm on the clock other than the 12th overall pick. I'd have to draft 8 WR's with my next 8 picks if I drafted vertically. That's why teams don't do it.

i get it...if you don't want any feed back no problem...

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

There's no issue with the feedback. I'm explaining why I selected who I selected and where..... giving feedback to the feedback.

 

[j-off-her-doll]

Nfl.com has each listed at 5'10. But each is very long, so they don't look it.

Either way, 5'10 is fine for a CB. You'd love 5'11 or 6'0, but it's kind of how a 4.47 is fast enough. Anything over 4.5, you're probably going to have to eliminate that guy as a serious vertical threat. Anything under 5'10, and you worry about putting a guy on the boundary. But as Slimm noted, they both have long arms (McFadden is listed at 32 3/8 - while Alford is 32), and Alford has a 40 inch vert.

 

[hoops]

well i'm a big guy on height when it comes to a boundary corner especially...ok with little guys in the slot/nickle but on the boundary i want height and look for it...and i know i was paying attention to what the corners were listed at while they were running their 40's and i don't recall hiccupping at all when i saw alfords especially...

i don't like anything under 5 ft 10 and usually i get nervous when a guys over 6 ft when it comes to how good his feet and his balance are and how much wasted movement or gathering of himself must he make when a guy crosses his face or makes a quick cut...

too tall gives me pause too short no thanks...

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

There's only 8 corners in this draft at least 6'0", and only 6 of those are draftable.

Of the 6 that are draftable, one runs 4.6.

Of the 5 left, one runs 4.44 with hips as tight as a hat band.... gave up 5 TD's in one game.

Of the 4 left, only two break the 4.5 barrier.

The two left are Xavier Rhodes and Sanders Commings.

 

[J. David Wannyheimer]

I'd be thrilled if we landed Eifert. Absolutely thrilled. Any chance we can forward a copy of this to Jeff?

 

[ITS!MATEO]

I have issues with his speed at the free safety position. Clemons is a 4.3 guy and you could see it back there with how teams never got the chance to go over the top of us, but having two 4.5 guys back there would really be a liability, imo.

I'd probably plug-in Justin Hunter or Kevin Minter(if he somehow fell) in that 2a pick, with the 4th I'd plug-in Kevin Reddick ahead of Gragg, but I wouldn't be upset if it went that way. I'd leave the rest the same. Great job, Slimm :up:

 

[j-off-her-doll]

I have issues with his speed at the free safety position. Clemons is a 4.3 guy and you could see it back there with how teams never got the chance to go over the top of us, but having two 4.5 guys back there would really be a liability, imo.

I'd probably plug-in Justin Hunter or Kevin Minter(if he somehow fell) in that 2a pick, with the 4th I'd plug-in Kevin Reddick ahead of Gragg, but I wouldn't be upset if it went that way. I'd leave the rest the same. Great job, Slimm :up:

Most people don't remember this, because he ran an eventual 4.35 (or something along those lines) at his Pro Day, but Earl Thomas ran a 4.53 at the combine. 11'2 Broad, 40.5 Vert. He's an explosive athlete, and he plays much faster than Clemons.

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

False steps, angles, and instincts all factor in to game speed. Jairus Byrd has 4.6 speed and has made more plays than Clemons will ever make. Steve Atwater ran a 4.68. Brian Dawkins had 4.5 speed. Ed Reed, Donovin Darius, Leroy Butler, Lawyer Milloy, Darren Woodson, etc...and many more were all consistently 4.5 speed safeties. Rodney Harrison was considered slow.

There's a long line of 4.3 safeties that are terrible.


It's ironic that a 5'11" linebacker with 4.8 speed like Minter wouldn't be considered a liability.. particularlly in the 2nd round. Rest assured, he'll see well into, and potentially beyond the 2nd day.

 

[ITS!MATEO]

I'm pretty sure they measured Minter at 6 feet tall, but who cares about an inch. He was clocked as low as 4.68 before the combine and i'm sure he'll post some better numbers at the pro day, so I'm not worried about that. Minter has great instinct.

The game has changed with all the fast seam threat tight ends and quick slot receivers. I'd say having a little speed back there would be better than a Torrey Smith like player blowing past a bigger slower Eric Reid every other play. I don't have an issue with him at SS, but at FS i'm not convinced it would be best for this team. When you look at Reed in Baltimore you can't overlook the help he had from the pressure of the D-line/Lb'ers. Same with Dawkins and same with Phillips in NY. The Dolphins don't have the rushers those teams had/have. You can'y afford to have slower safeties. You need quicker coverage guys. I do like Reid just not at free safety.

 

[ITS!MATEO]

Most people don't remember this, because he ran an eventual 4.35 (or something along those lines) at his Pro Day, but Earl Thomas ran a 4.53 at the combine. 11'2 Broad, 40.5 Vert. He's an explosive athlete, and he plays much faster than Clemons.

He fits perfectly in that system Seattle runs. Plus, Earl Thomas is just a freak of nature