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- Jan 14, 2013
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This mock won't be as much fun as @Memento 's mock but I'm bored and procrastinating. I'm going to base where we are picking on our current draft position.(obviously, if we finished below .500, I wouldn't want Fisher sticking around but there's still a lot of time left in the season)
Cut
Jared Cook TE
Rodger Saffold OG
Kenny Britt WR
Akeem Ayers LB
Re-sign
Janoris Jenkins - 5 years $40 million
Trumaine Johnson - 4 years $28 million
Mark Barron - 3 years $15 million
Greg Zuerlein - 3 years $9 million
Rodney McLeod - 3 years $15 million
Will Hayes - 2 years $6 million
Tim Barnes - 2 years $3 million
Daren Bates - RFA Tender
Benny Cunningham - RFA Tender
Cody Davis - RFA Tender
Cory Harkey - RFA Tender
Brian Quick - 1 year $3 million ("prove it" deal)
Free Agency
Brandon Brooks OG - 5 years $32.5 million
DL Depth
LB Depth
Trade
Rams trade Round 1 Pick #17
Atlanta trades Round 1 Pick #29 and Round 2 Pick #29
Atlanta moves up for a pass rusher or a DB.
NFL Draft
Round 1 Pick #29 - Tyler Boyd WR Pittsburgh
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSh6yeGjWs8
Analysis: Boyd is the type of WR that falls on draft day. He's not huge (6'2" 200ish) and doesn't have outstanding straight-line speed. However, he possesses great acceleration, outstanding agility, a high level understanding of the game (high football IQ), advanced route running ability, top tier body control, and a good pair of hands. Boyd will drop some easy passes and his motor can run hot and cold as a blocker but he'll make a lot of difficult catches and is excellent at creating yardage after the catch. Like any college player, his route running needs some development but he's very advanced for a college WR and already uses subtle nuances in his route running that you typically only see in veteran NFL WRs. He's also coming from a pro style offense.
NFL Comparison: Keenan Allen
Round 2 Pick #17 - Nick Martin C/OG Notre Dame
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xUzWyiwXoY
Analysis: Zack's younger brother is a strong prospect in his own right. Isn't quite the nasty mauler that Evan Boehm is but Martin has a strong understanding of angles, good functional strength, and excellent feet and hands. I prefer him over Boehm because Martin is excellent in pass pro. He has quick feet and hands, a solid punch, and uses his hands extremely well. He definitely has polished handwork, good punch timing, and is comfortable handling games and blitzes up-front. Will give up a bit too much ground when getting bullrushed at times (although, I said the same thing about his brother) but keep his man in front of him, keeps his hands locked on, and does a great job of extending his arms and keeping the defender locked out. The only major knock I saw is that he has a tendency to get over-aggressive in both the run and passing game and can get caught with his head over his toes at times. But he's a polished, smart OL that can play anywhere on the interior OL and fits our hybrid power/zone scheme.
NFL Comparison: John Sullivan
Round 2 Pick #21 - Scooby Wright III ILB Arizona
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PUWnNxGqYE
Analysis: According to Arizona, Scooby Wright had 163 tackles, 29 TFLs, 14 sacks, and 6 FFs in 2014 ALONE. Unfortunately for him, he's missed almost this entire season thus far with injuries. This is a kid that doesn't have the NFL look. He's listed at 6'1" 246. I think he'll come in closer to 5'11" 240. But he's a guy that plays with so much passion, relentlessness, and heart that his average athleticism and underwhelming size don't limit his game. He has top tier instincts, great play strength (gym rat), and plays with reckless abandon. Sometimes, that reckless abandon will cause him to miss tackles but it's worth it with how often he's in the back-field making plays. He's Arizona's defensive leader, he is the guy that makes sure everyone is lined up properly, and he's the heart of that defense. They also will move him down to DE on certain passing downs and he's a disruptive, relentless pass rusher. This guy is James Laurinaitis's heir apparent and I have a feeling Gregg Williams will find a way to use his versatile skill-set in the mean time.
NFL Comparison: Chris Borland
Round 2 Pick #29 - Carson Wentz QB North Dakota State
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA1CLzZoCsw
Analysis: Wentz is my favorite developmental QB prospect in this draft because I believe he has enough flaws where he won't go first round but none of the flaws are fatal to me. They're all what I'd deem to be correctable with time and development. Wentz's biggest flaws are related to his lower body mechanics. He doesn't keep his feet active in the pocket. He tends to get flat-footed and let them die. This hinders his ability to use his lower body in throws, move in the pocket, and his accuracy. But this is a problem that I think can be easily fixed with time. What I think makes Wentz potentially special is that he has all the tools along with the instincts and intelligence. He's 6'5" 230 with great mobility and a rifle for an arm. He doesn't panic under pressure, understands how to climb the ladder in the pocket, and is willing to take a hit to deliver passes. I think he needs to do a better job of not locking onto his WRs as he'll sometimes miss open WRs because he gets tunnel vision. I also think he needs to do a better job of protecting the football as he fumbles a bit more than I like. Honestly, though, I feel bad for him because he's got such a cannon but has no WRs with any sort of speed at all. I think if you give this kid a year or two to develop behind Nick Foles, he could be a star. He led his team to a National Championship in his first year as a starter on a game winning TD drive in the final minute of the 4th quarter (the game linked above is the FCS National Championship). He has that "clutch" gene imo and he's the most physically talented QB to come out since Colin Kaepernick/Cam Newton.
NFL Comparison: None (can't think of anyone)
Round 3 Pick #17 - Austin Hooper TE Stanford
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmCxxE-tGsw
Analysis: Hooper might be my favorite TE in this draft class. I've still got a lot of guys to evaluate and I haven't finished my evaluation on Hooper either but so far, I like what I see. The number 1 thing that really drew me in on him was watching him block inline. He's a very good blocker and an asset in the running game for Stanford. He has the strength to push LBs off the LOS, he's capable of using his technique to seal defenders, and he does a nice job of using angles in the run game. In the passing game, he's not the athlete that Zach Ertz and Coby Fleener were but I still think he's an effective weapon. While he doesn't possess their straight-line speed, Hooper has good get-off, he runs solid routes, and he possesses strong hands. He has no issues making tough catches in traffic. He's a tough kid and throw-back TE. Type of kid that you can send over the middle to make those tough 3rd down catches. Basically, I think he's the anti-Jared Cook. Not an elite athlete (he's a good athlete though) but a good blocker that gives a lot of effort with a reliable pair of hands that will make the tough and routine catches for you. My only big concern is that he'll choose to return to Stanford for another season. Which I think is more likely than him declaring for the draft.
NFL Comparison: Zach Miller
Projected Starters
QB: Nick Foles
HB: Todd Gurley
FB: Cory Harkey
XWR: Tyler Boyd
ZWR: Tavon Austin
SLWR: Stedman Bailey
TE: Lance Kendricks
LT: Greg Robinson
LG: Brandon Brooks
C: Nick Martin
RG: Jamon Brown
RT: Rob Havenstein
LDE: Chris Long
LDT: Michael Brockers
RDT: Aaron Donald
RDE: Robert Quinn
OLB: Alec Ogletree
MLB: James Laurinaitis
SPUR: Mark Barron
LCB: Trumaine Johnson
RCB: Janoris Jenkins
SLCB: E.J. Gaines
FS: Rodney McLeod
SS: T.J. McDonald
K: Greg Zuerlein
P: Johnny Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide
Cut
Jared Cook TE
Rodger Saffold OG
Kenny Britt WR
Akeem Ayers LB
Re-sign
Janoris Jenkins - 5 years $40 million
Trumaine Johnson - 4 years $28 million
Mark Barron - 3 years $15 million
Greg Zuerlein - 3 years $9 million
Rodney McLeod - 3 years $15 million
Will Hayes - 2 years $6 million
Tim Barnes - 2 years $3 million
Daren Bates - RFA Tender
Benny Cunningham - RFA Tender
Cody Davis - RFA Tender
Cory Harkey - RFA Tender
Brian Quick - 1 year $3 million ("prove it" deal)
Free Agency
Brandon Brooks OG - 5 years $32.5 million
DL Depth
LB Depth
Trade
Rams trade Round 1 Pick #17
Atlanta trades Round 1 Pick #29 and Round 2 Pick #29
Atlanta moves up for a pass rusher or a DB.
NFL Draft
Round 1 Pick #29 - Tyler Boyd WR Pittsburgh
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSh6yeGjWs8
Analysis: Boyd is the type of WR that falls on draft day. He's not huge (6'2" 200ish) and doesn't have outstanding straight-line speed. However, he possesses great acceleration, outstanding agility, a high level understanding of the game (high football IQ), advanced route running ability, top tier body control, and a good pair of hands. Boyd will drop some easy passes and his motor can run hot and cold as a blocker but he'll make a lot of difficult catches and is excellent at creating yardage after the catch. Like any college player, his route running needs some development but he's very advanced for a college WR and already uses subtle nuances in his route running that you typically only see in veteran NFL WRs. He's also coming from a pro style offense.
NFL Comparison: Keenan Allen
Round 2 Pick #17 - Nick Martin C/OG Notre Dame
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xUzWyiwXoY
Analysis: Zack's younger brother is a strong prospect in his own right. Isn't quite the nasty mauler that Evan Boehm is but Martin has a strong understanding of angles, good functional strength, and excellent feet and hands. I prefer him over Boehm because Martin is excellent in pass pro. He has quick feet and hands, a solid punch, and uses his hands extremely well. He definitely has polished handwork, good punch timing, and is comfortable handling games and blitzes up-front. Will give up a bit too much ground when getting bullrushed at times (although, I said the same thing about his brother) but keep his man in front of him, keeps his hands locked on, and does a great job of extending his arms and keeping the defender locked out. The only major knock I saw is that he has a tendency to get over-aggressive in both the run and passing game and can get caught with his head over his toes at times. But he's a polished, smart OL that can play anywhere on the interior OL and fits our hybrid power/zone scheme.
NFL Comparison: John Sullivan
Round 2 Pick #21 - Scooby Wright III ILB Arizona
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PUWnNxGqYE
Analysis: According to Arizona, Scooby Wright had 163 tackles, 29 TFLs, 14 sacks, and 6 FFs in 2014 ALONE. Unfortunately for him, he's missed almost this entire season thus far with injuries. This is a kid that doesn't have the NFL look. He's listed at 6'1" 246. I think he'll come in closer to 5'11" 240. But he's a guy that plays with so much passion, relentlessness, and heart that his average athleticism and underwhelming size don't limit his game. He has top tier instincts, great play strength (gym rat), and plays with reckless abandon. Sometimes, that reckless abandon will cause him to miss tackles but it's worth it with how often he's in the back-field making plays. He's Arizona's defensive leader, he is the guy that makes sure everyone is lined up properly, and he's the heart of that defense. They also will move him down to DE on certain passing downs and he's a disruptive, relentless pass rusher. This guy is James Laurinaitis's heir apparent and I have a feeling Gregg Williams will find a way to use his versatile skill-set in the mean time.
NFL Comparison: Chris Borland
Round 2 Pick #29 - Carson Wentz QB North Dakota State
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA1CLzZoCsw
Analysis: Wentz is my favorite developmental QB prospect in this draft because I believe he has enough flaws where he won't go first round but none of the flaws are fatal to me. They're all what I'd deem to be correctable with time and development. Wentz's biggest flaws are related to his lower body mechanics. He doesn't keep his feet active in the pocket. He tends to get flat-footed and let them die. This hinders his ability to use his lower body in throws, move in the pocket, and his accuracy. But this is a problem that I think can be easily fixed with time. What I think makes Wentz potentially special is that he has all the tools along with the instincts and intelligence. He's 6'5" 230 with great mobility and a rifle for an arm. He doesn't panic under pressure, understands how to climb the ladder in the pocket, and is willing to take a hit to deliver passes. I think he needs to do a better job of not locking onto his WRs as he'll sometimes miss open WRs because he gets tunnel vision. I also think he needs to do a better job of protecting the football as he fumbles a bit more than I like. Honestly, though, I feel bad for him because he's got such a cannon but has no WRs with any sort of speed at all. I think if you give this kid a year or two to develop behind Nick Foles, he could be a star. He led his team to a National Championship in his first year as a starter on a game winning TD drive in the final minute of the 4th quarter (the game linked above is the FCS National Championship). He has that "clutch" gene imo and he's the most physically talented QB to come out since Colin Kaepernick/Cam Newton.
NFL Comparison: None (can't think of anyone)
Round 3 Pick #17 - Austin Hooper TE Stanford
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmCxxE-tGsw
Analysis: Hooper might be my favorite TE in this draft class. I've still got a lot of guys to evaluate and I haven't finished my evaluation on Hooper either but so far, I like what I see. The number 1 thing that really drew me in on him was watching him block inline. He's a very good blocker and an asset in the running game for Stanford. He has the strength to push LBs off the LOS, he's capable of using his technique to seal defenders, and he does a nice job of using angles in the run game. In the passing game, he's not the athlete that Zach Ertz and Coby Fleener were but I still think he's an effective weapon. While he doesn't possess their straight-line speed, Hooper has good get-off, he runs solid routes, and he possesses strong hands. He has no issues making tough catches in traffic. He's a tough kid and throw-back TE. Type of kid that you can send over the middle to make those tough 3rd down catches. Basically, I think he's the anti-Jared Cook. Not an elite athlete (he's a good athlete though) but a good blocker that gives a lot of effort with a reliable pair of hands that will make the tough and routine catches for you. My only big concern is that he'll choose to return to Stanford for another season. Which I think is more likely than him declaring for the draft.
NFL Comparison: Zach Miller
Projected Starters
QB: Nick Foles
HB: Todd Gurley
FB: Cory Harkey
XWR: Tyler Boyd
ZWR: Tavon Austin
SLWR: Stedman Bailey
TE: Lance Kendricks
LT: Greg Robinson
LG: Brandon Brooks
C: Nick Martin
RG: Jamon Brown
RT: Rob Havenstein
LDE: Chris Long
LDT: Michael Brockers
RDT: Aaron Donald
RDE: Robert Quinn
OLB: Alec Ogletree
MLB: James Laurinaitis
SPUR: Mark Barron
LCB: Trumaine Johnson
RCB: Janoris Jenkins
SLCB: E.J. Gaines
FS: Rodney McLeod
SS: T.J. McDonald
K: Greg Zuerlein
P: Johnny Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide
