A rare Slimm mock draft

[BlueFin]

1. Tyler Eifert* / TE / Notre Dame

2. Eric Reid* / S / LSU

2. Ryan Swope / WR / Texas A&M

3. Robert Alford / CB / S.E. Louisiana

3. Leon McFadden / CB / San Diego St.

4. Chris Gragg / TE / Arkansas

5. Luke Marquardt / OT / Azusa Pacific

7. Quanterus Smith / DE / Western Kentucky

7. Jeff Nady / OT / Nevada

The Dolphins have been so quiet about TE in the first round it does me make wonder if Eifert is the target, I would have no problem with that. I would like to see Eifert or Austin to help this offense truly be hard to scheme for.

Your draft is a good one if we assume the signing of an OT in free agency.

 

[ANUFan]

Hmmm! Couple thoughts...

1) Why Cornellius with the 12th Pick? He barely made Mayocks top 5
2) Addressing the Safety position before the Db position suggests either/both 1) Higher priority or/and 2)BPA . I don't think priority-wise thats the case especially with Philbin gushing all over Mccray the other day!
3) Based on the recent hype D.J. Hyden has been getting lately I strongly doubt you can pick him up in the 3rd round.
4) I think we're going to pick a TE relatively high! 1) Because of the system we run 2) I think the F.O. is ready to move on from Egnew if he doesn't show serious improvement this year 3) Keller's one year deal
5) I think we pick a RB High. The departure of Bush, the uneasiness about D.Thomas(See fumbling, concussions), uncertainty about Gray.

1. (12) Cornellius Carradine / DE / Florida St. {6'4", 276}

2. (42) Eric Reid / S / LSU {6'1", 213}

2. (54) David Amerson* / CB / N.C. State {6'1", 205}

3. (77) D.J. Hayden / CB / Houston {5'11", 191}

3. (82) Jamie Collins / OLB / Southern Miss {6'3", 250}

4. (111) Luke Marquardt / OT / Azusa Pacific {6'7", 314}

5. (146) J.C. Tretter / OG / Cornell {6'3", 307}

5. (166) Mike James / RB / Miami {5'10", 223}

7. (217) Michael Mauti / ILB / Penn St. {6'2", 243}

7. (224) Jeff Nady / OT / Nevada {6'5", 303}

7. (250) Zach Sudfeld / TE / Nevada {6'7", 253}






If you can't win with that.... something's wrong.

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

Hmmm! Couple thoughts...

1) Why Cornellius with the 12th Pick? He barely made Mayocks top 5
2) Addressing the Safety position before the Db position suggests either/both 1) Higher priority or/and 2)BPA . I don't think priority-wise thats the case especially with Philbin gushing all over Mccray the other day!
3) Based on the recent hype D.J. Hyden has been getting lately I strongly doubt you can pick him up in the 3rd round.
4) I think we're going to pick a TE relatively high! 1) Because of the system we run 2) I think the F.O. is ready to move on from Egnew if he doesn't show serious improvement this year 3) Keller's one year deal
5) I think we pick a RB High. The departure of Bush, the uneasiness about D.Thomas(See fumbling, concussions), uncertainty about Gray.

1. I don't go by Mike Mayock's opinion. He's only about 6 months late on D.J. Hayden as it is. I have Carradine as my #2 overall prospect. Furthermore, nobody watches more college football than me. Including Mike Mayock.

2. I think Miami needs an impact player/talent with the ability to bait quarterbacks into ill advised throws. Clemons is a back-up caliber safety, and I like McCray as a developmental player. Had him as my #7 safety in last year's draft. But you don't allow a player who's greatest accomplishment to date is a quote by the head coach to cause you to pass up talent at a position in need of attention. The impact that a player like Reid has on your defense is significant.

3. I have him as my 66th overall player. I have to go by my board, not smoke signals.

4. Definitely a possibility. Thus why I also like Eifert as an option as #12 also. Sudfeld is underrated.

5. Eddie Lacy, Giovani Bernard, Montee Ball, and Zac Stacy are the only 3 backs that make sense to me for Miami to take 'high'... as in the first 3 rounds. I could see RB being a priority if they're ready to move on from Daniel Thomas (like I am). However, I'm not sure how they feel about it. Most likely give Thomas one more season, and give him some competition late in the draft. I like Mike James as an option to accomplish that.

 

[ITS!MATEO]

Slimm, I keep wanting to bag on your assessment of Eric Reid, but every time I look for some more flaws in his game I find more upside


I still think we don't need him because I like how well Jones and Clemons compliment each other, but I can definitely see the talent that kid has now. I even think there could be an argument of whether or not he's the top safety coming out.

Also, I think Marcus Lattimore will get serious consideration if he's there at our 5th round pick.

 

[2413fanphins]

I love eric reid. I think he's an upgrade over clemons.

slimm... wanted to see how you felt if you had to choose between some scenarios...

mauti/klein

gragg/stoneburner

sudfeld/stoneburner

swope/steadman bailey

robert alford/leon mcfadden

hayden/slay

just curious on your thoughts if you have time... don't have to get to in depth, just wondering who you'd rather...

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

Slimm, I keep wanting to bag on your assessment of Eric Reid, but every time I look for some more flaws in his game I find more upside


I still think we don't need him because I like how well Jones and Clemons compliment each other, but I can definitely see the talent that kid has now. I even think there could be an argument of whether or not he's the top safety coming out.Also, I think Marcus Lattimore will get serious consideration if he's there at our 5th round pick.

He's the top safety in the draft in my opinion, particularly at F/S. I like Shamarko Thomas as the #2 safety, but he's more of a S/S. I'm looking to upgrade the F/S position, not Jones. Reid is the kind of player in the back end of the secondary that a team like Miami hasn't had since Marion. If you can get a guy capable of intercepting 5+ passes a season from that position, it has a significant impact on your defense and the way teams are required to prepare.

 

[ITS!MATEO]

You will lose major speed back there though if you put him ahead of Clemons. Maybe in a year or 2 from now when he can react faster and play instead of thinking, but this year I wouldn't want him starting for us. That's pretty much any new safety we put back there. Clemons will beat out any of them like he always does either way lol. But yeah, I wouldn't be upset if we took him there.

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

I love eric reid. I think he's an upgrade over clemons.

slimm... wanted to see how you felt if you had to choose between some scenarios...

mauti/klein

gragg/stoneburner

sudfeld/stoneburner

swope/steadman bailey

robert alford/leon mcfadden

hayden/slay

just curious on your thoughts if you have time... don't have to get to in depth, just wondering who you'd rather...

The comparisons you've made here were actually some of the most difficult that I had to make in terms of seperating them from one another, because they all compare so favorably.

I like Mauti better than Klein if both players were healthy, and both are currently dealing with injury issues. I like the instincts of both, and especially the special teams ability that Mauti brings.

Gragg and Stoneburner are both two of my favorites. I gave Gragg a very slight edge based on character. Nothing significant, but I remember when Stoneburner got himself in trouble with the law at Jack Nicklaus' golf tournament last year in Ohio that Tiger Woods won. Urinating in public and then took off running from the police. Both very talented players.

Stoneburner over Sudfeld in terms of athletic ability and upside, although Sudfeld's height, speed, and soft hands make him a little better seam threat, and more difficult to match up with in the redzone. Sudfeld probably complements Miami's current group of TE's better because of the height factor, and can be had later. Stoneburner was basically used as a wide receiver split out wide as a Senior. Stoneburner tests really well athletically, and it translates to the football field.

Like both Bailey and Swope, but I have a higher grade on Bailey. I think his skillset is as unique as a 5'10", 190 pound receiver can possibly be blessed with. The concussion issues with Swope are a factor.

This was a tough one. Alford has more upside, but McFadden has competed and shown well against the top competition in college football. However, Alford proved to me at the Senior Bowl that he belonged with the best Senior talent. I went with Alford here by about a round.

This was a very difficult comparison with Slay and Hayden. We're essentially splitting hairs here. If I know Hayden is healthy and there are no lingering effects from the freak injury he suffered, I'll go with Hayden here. I knew he was one of the best DB's I saw in college football watching film back in October. Ideally, I think you'd like to come away with a combo of Slay/Hayden with back-to-back picks if you intend to double down at the position.

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

You will lose major speed back there though if you put him ahead of Clemons. Maybe in a year or 2 from now when he can react faster and play instead of thinking, but this year I wouldn't want him starting for us. That's pretty much any new safety we put back there. Clemons will beat out any of them like he always does either way lol. But yeah, I wouldn't be upset if we took him there.

Clemons speed is overrated. He beats out guys that can't play in the NFL. Miami hasn't made giving him legitimate competition a priority with legitimate talent.

 

[hoops]

You are straight up stealing getting Jamie Collins that late. The more I look at that kid the more I like it. Sick burst and explosion

 

[2413fanphins]

The comparisons you've made here were actually some of the most difficult that I had to make in terms of seperating them from one another, because they all compare so favorably.

I like Mauti better than Klein if both players were healthy, and both are currently dealing with injury issues. I like the instincts of both, and especially the special teams ability that Mauti brings.

Gragg and Stoneburner are both two of my favorites. I gave Gragg a very slight edge based on character. Nothing significant, but I remember when Stoneburner got himself in trouble with the law at Jack Nicklaus' golf tournament last year in Ohio that Tiger Woods won. Urinating in public and then took off running from the police. Both very talented players.

Stoneburner over Sudfeld in terms of athletic ability and upside, although Sudfeld's height, speed, and soft hands make him a little better seam threat, and more difficult to match up with in the redzone. Sudfeld probably complements Miami's current group of TE's better because of the height factor, and can be had later. Stoneburner was basically used as a wide receiver split out wide as a Senior. Stoneburner tests really well athletically, and it translates to the football field.

Like both Bailey and Swope, but I have a higher grade on Bailey. I think his skillset is as unique as a 5'10", 190 pound receiver can possibly be blessed with. The concussion issues with Swope are a factor.

This was a tough one. Alford has more upside, but McFadden has competed and shown well against the top competition in college football. However, Alford proved to me at the Senior Bowl that he belonged with the best Senior talent. I went with Alford here by about a round.

This was a very difficult comparison with Slay and Hayden. We're essentially splitting hairs here. If I know Hayden is healthy and there are no lingering effects from the freak injury he suffered, I'll go with Hayden here. I knew he was one of the best DB's I saw in college football watching film back in October. Ideally, I think you'd like to come away with a combo of Slay/Hayden with back-to-back picks if you intend to double down at the position.

thanks for your input man. This has been my dilemma... so many guys when compared to each other are 6 of one half dozen of the other... very hard to seperate some of these guys, and project where you can get better value in the draft at a similar position. I have always wanted to double up de and cb in this draft. the wrinkle in the VIP draft was jesse williams falling... I tried and tried to talk myself out of it, but I decided to take him, thus making my cb and wr scenarios that much more complicated for my next few picks.

I also have pause about swopes concussion issues, and I have shifted gears to bailey and wheaton type players for miami. But if swope gets into some kind of freefall into the third, I'd have to consider. Klein for me is a beast. I see a lot of his games as I live within an hour drive to ames iowa. I actually like a lot about both of the backers from ISU in klein and knott... but we have touched on the linebackers quite a bit in free agency, so that becomes a 5-7th round train of thought for me...

the headwringing part for me now, is what cbs, wrs, and safeties perhaps to take, and just exactly where to take them.

thanks for the reply. nice to have your insight.

 

[j-off-her-doll]

Favorite mock to date.

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

You are straight up stealing getting Jamie Collins that late. The more I look at that kid the more I like it. Sick burst and explosion

That's about how I feel about it also. Kid just has incredible explosion, agility, and speed for a 6'3", 250 pounder. He's just not physical or stout enough at the POA to function at DE. However, if you're a team that likes to blitz linebackers, he's a perfect fit. Already an outstanding pass rusher and blitzer. 39.5 TFL's, 16.5 sacks, and 5 forced fumbles the last 2 years. His athleticism has translated into playmaking ability on the field at Southern Miss.

 

[ITS!MATEO]

He beat Gibril Wilson, Crocker, Jimmy, Culver, Johnson and Anderson in his career here. I know not superstars, but some started plus years for other teams.


I've heard his speed was overrated his whole career here, but somehow someway teams never throw bombs over the tops of us when he's back there.. Hmmmm... And what' funny about that is when Gibril was starting for us a few games before Clemons took over he would get bombed on every game lol. I think Clemons reaction speed is not great, but you can't say he plays slow. He just can't react well ie ball in the air, body control etc.

I think Reid is a talent and could eventually beat him out after a year or 2 though. Guy will be a stud :up:

 

[hoops]

That's about how I feel about it also. Kid just has incredible explosion, agility, and speed for a 6'3", 250 pounder. He's just not physical or stout enough at the POA to function at DE. However, if you're a team that likes to blitz linebackers, he's a perfect fit. Already an outstanding pass rusher and blitzer. 39.5 TFL's, 16.5 sacks, and 5 forced fumbles the last 2 years. His athleticism has translated into playmaking ability on the field at Southern Miss.

I kinda wonder about the instincts for lb but I also think why couldn't this kid be a plug and play situational rusher? He's got serious tools