Memento
Your (Somewhat) Friendly Neighborhood Authoress.
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2010
- Messages
- 18,546
- Name
- Jemma
Here's how I'll grade the draft now that I look at it:
Todd Gurley - A+. He's a generational talent at running back who reminds me of a faster genetic hybrid of Marshawn Lynch and Steven Jackson. Wanted Peat or Parker, but I won't complain about this pick. Worried about the ACL, of course.
Rob Havenstein - B-. Like the player, thought he was too early. Not the best pass-blocker, but at least he's a lineman. And Wisconsin linemen tend to dominate when people say that they won't.
Jamon Brown - B-. Again, I like the player, thought he was too early. Better pass-blocker than Havenstein, but too short to stick anywhere but guard. But still, he's an offensive lineman, so I can't fault that pick too much.
Sean Mannion - F. Hate the player. Like a few people thought, he wasn't even the best quarterback at this juncture. I'd have even taken Hundley over him, and I don't like Hundley. And Paul Dawson was right there, sitting for the taking. Very, very disappointed with this pick.
Andrew Donnal - B. Another offensive lineman, but he fits the range. Don't like the injury history, but he's just as talented as Scherff is, in my opinion, and unlike Scherff, he can stick at tackle. Good pick.
Bud Sasser - F. With a bunch of better receivers on the board (McBride, Lutman, etc.), they take someone who disappeared too often for my liking, someone who couldn't take over games, someone who, at a lot of times, was eclipsed by fellow wide receiver Jimmie Hunt (now with the Packers). In my opinion, the only draftable skill position player on that offense this year should've been Marcus Murphy (running back). I feel that Sasser will be lucky to make the roster over all of the other guys we have because he just doesn't do anything that would separate him from the pack of wide receivers that we already have. He isn't as tall as Britt or Quick, he doesn't have the sticky hands of Bailey, he doesn't have the game-breaking ability of Austin, doesn't have the speed of Givens, he can't separate like Blake, he doesn't return kicks like Wylie, and he can't play special teams as well as Williams. I'm a Mizzou guy...but I don't see the logic of taking a guy whose ceiling is a lesser Austin Pettis.
Cody Wichmann - A-. I love this pick, actually. He's better than this range, and he held up okay against Leonard Williams, which proves that he brings it against top competition. He's good, and he could end up being a starter when Saffold is cut.
Bryce Hager - C-. Can't argue with a linebacker, but in the seventh round, you're supposed to take risks. You're supposed to try to get players who have a shot at making your roster. Hager's a good player, but he's the exact same as all of the other linebackers we have. Hager is a fast, yet finesse guy who can't shed blocks. Would have preferred Taiwan Jones if we absolutely had to have a linebacker.
Martin Ifedi - D-. I can't see him making this roster, to be honest. And with Lynden Trail and Ryan Delaire still on the board, I would have gone for one of them or Al-Hajj Shabazz or Donald Celiscar. You're supposed to take risks on guys who could make the roster in late rounds like the seventh. This guy is risky...but in a different way. He reminds me of a poor man's Victor Adeyanju. He's a run-stopping tweener (too slow to play defensive end, too small to play defensive tackle) who isn't as good as Ethan Westbrooks is. The only reason I'm not going to give him an "F" is because this is the seventh round.
Undrafted Free Agency - A. Louis Trinca-Pasat is an absolute steal. So is Imoan Claiborne, who was once projected as a potential third-to-fourth round pick. I like Isiah Ferguson more than Sasser. I like Matt Longacre more than Ifedi. Overall, I have nothing to complain about with the UDFAs. Like they have since they've gotten here, Snisher finds the gems that slip through the cracks.
Overall grade - C+. I originally gave it a "poor" grade, but they at least decided to fix the problem that had been there for years (offensive line). They drafted Gurley, a dynamic player. I can't fault them for that. I hated the Mannion and Sasser picks. I didn't like the Ifedi pick because I don't see a fit, and I don't like taking a linebacker who is the exact same as all of the others we currently have in Hager. I didn't like the fact that after Gurley, Snisher went solely for low-upside picks (Wichmann aside) instead of taking risks in the sixth and seventh rounds, which I'm used to seeing them do.
If Gurley becomes what I think he'll become, I'm easily bumping this grade up to a B+. If the offensive lineman do their part and get a little better at pass-protection as well, I'm bumping it up to an A. Right now, though, I can't be sure about this draft.
Todd Gurley - A+. He's a generational talent at running back who reminds me of a faster genetic hybrid of Marshawn Lynch and Steven Jackson. Wanted Peat or Parker, but I won't complain about this pick. Worried about the ACL, of course.
Rob Havenstein - B-. Like the player, thought he was too early. Not the best pass-blocker, but at least he's a lineman. And Wisconsin linemen tend to dominate when people say that they won't.
Jamon Brown - B-. Again, I like the player, thought he was too early. Better pass-blocker than Havenstein, but too short to stick anywhere but guard. But still, he's an offensive lineman, so I can't fault that pick too much.
Sean Mannion - F. Hate the player. Like a few people thought, he wasn't even the best quarterback at this juncture. I'd have even taken Hundley over him, and I don't like Hundley. And Paul Dawson was right there, sitting for the taking. Very, very disappointed with this pick.
Andrew Donnal - B. Another offensive lineman, but he fits the range. Don't like the injury history, but he's just as talented as Scherff is, in my opinion, and unlike Scherff, he can stick at tackle. Good pick.
Bud Sasser - F. With a bunch of better receivers on the board (McBride, Lutman, etc.), they take someone who disappeared too often for my liking, someone who couldn't take over games, someone who, at a lot of times, was eclipsed by fellow wide receiver Jimmie Hunt (now with the Packers). In my opinion, the only draftable skill position player on that offense this year should've been Marcus Murphy (running back). I feel that Sasser will be lucky to make the roster over all of the other guys we have because he just doesn't do anything that would separate him from the pack of wide receivers that we already have. He isn't as tall as Britt or Quick, he doesn't have the sticky hands of Bailey, he doesn't have the game-breaking ability of Austin, doesn't have the speed of Givens, he can't separate like Blake, he doesn't return kicks like Wylie, and he can't play special teams as well as Williams. I'm a Mizzou guy...but I don't see the logic of taking a guy whose ceiling is a lesser Austin Pettis.
Cody Wichmann - A-. I love this pick, actually. He's better than this range, and he held up okay against Leonard Williams, which proves that he brings it against top competition. He's good, and he could end up being a starter when Saffold is cut.
Bryce Hager - C-. Can't argue with a linebacker, but in the seventh round, you're supposed to take risks. You're supposed to try to get players who have a shot at making your roster. Hager's a good player, but he's the exact same as all of the other linebackers we have. Hager is a fast, yet finesse guy who can't shed blocks. Would have preferred Taiwan Jones if we absolutely had to have a linebacker.
Martin Ifedi - D-. I can't see him making this roster, to be honest. And with Lynden Trail and Ryan Delaire still on the board, I would have gone for one of them or Al-Hajj Shabazz or Donald Celiscar. You're supposed to take risks on guys who could make the roster in late rounds like the seventh. This guy is risky...but in a different way. He reminds me of a poor man's Victor Adeyanju. He's a run-stopping tweener (too slow to play defensive end, too small to play defensive tackle) who isn't as good as Ethan Westbrooks is. The only reason I'm not going to give him an "F" is because this is the seventh round.
Undrafted Free Agency - A. Louis Trinca-Pasat is an absolute steal. So is Imoan Claiborne, who was once projected as a potential third-to-fourth round pick. I like Isiah Ferguson more than Sasser. I like Matt Longacre more than Ifedi. Overall, I have nothing to complain about with the UDFAs. Like they have since they've gotten here, Snisher finds the gems that slip through the cracks.
Overall grade - C+. I originally gave it a "poor" grade, but they at least decided to fix the problem that had been there for years (offensive line). They drafted Gurley, a dynamic player. I can't fault them for that. I hated the Mannion and Sasser picks. I didn't like the Ifedi pick because I don't see a fit, and I don't like taking a linebacker who is the exact same as all of the others we currently have in Hager. I didn't like the fact that after Gurley, Snisher went solely for low-upside picks (Wichmann aside) instead of taking risks in the sixth and seventh rounds, which I'm used to seeing them do.
If Gurley becomes what I think he'll become, I'm easily bumping this grade up to a B+. If the offensive lineman do their part and get a little better at pass-protection as well, I'm bumping it up to an A. Right now, though, I can't be sure about this draft.
