OFFICIAL 2025 Atlanta Falcons Watch Thread (Draft Pick)
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Makes me wonder how many blue chips we're talking before that dropoff point. And by blue chip I mean top end first rounders, after which there's kids usually considered by teams to be first round picks to somewhere midrounds depending on the class. But just in terms of your elite types...
You probably have 3 or 4 QBs in the early going, depending on who declares. Mendoza, Moore, Maiava all have enough tools to where they're not dinged for things like height, arm strength, etc. Simpson if he finishes strong and has a good pro day too. Who declares, I of course have no idea but I think for both Moore and Maiava maybe they think hey we're being told we could end up going real early so why not jump. So let's be conservative and call it 3, and any others who end up in that group the more the merrier.
Edges are legit as a group in round one. But to be conservative in terms of who goes in that top echelon, let's say it's Bain (I expect Faulk will end up there for his measurables but I don't like the workout or non-film types). So we'll go with 1.
RB you got Love. He's a blue chip dude for sure though as a RB that doesn't mean he goes in that group. So 1.
LT way I see it Fano is a blue chipper. He's got the length and smooth feet and can plug right in day one. 1 here too.
WR is where the lottery hit is in the upper group I think. I think there's 4, those being the big X types in Tyson, Boston, and Tate, and the smaller slot type in Lemon who also has enough juice I think for the outside. Now some may want to argue whether 4 of them are actual blue chips. But I think every one of them will be salivated over by offensive coaches, which includes McVay. He would not, for example, pass on Lemon if he's the last of the group on the board. WR is an elite position now, highly desired, and these boys are gonna blow up the combine. I have no idea who all declares, we'll see. But we're just spitballin here anyway. So 4 here.
CB as always I like the dudes who can play press man, and since we need a top draw who can erase MFers that's what I'd prioritize. Do the Rams agree? Probably not, they probably want Abney or similar, but who cares what the Rams want anyway. As to the blue chips I think there are two, those being Delane and Johnson, however to be conservative let's say there's 1. One of these guys will blow it up at the combine and measure in well and teams will have him way up there.
So by my rough napkin math here it looks like 11 top end options for the Rams to take with Atlanta's pick. We're well inside that right now. And even if I'm being too generous with the blue chip designation here, which is likely, Rams at 8 are going to be looking at one fine prospect. And if they're more towards 5 or so even better.
Even if it's a bad draft for QBs, teams sometimes reach when they feel there's a need.
Among the teams with three or fewer wins, as many as five could feel the need for a QB ... Jets, Browns, Raiders, Saints, Cardinals. In a weak QB-draft, not all would take a QB but a couple certainly could.
There's a real chance that the best prospect at one or two positions of need (WR, OT, CB) could be available.
That would be exciting.
Among the teams with three or fewer wins, as many as five could feel the need for a QB ... Jets, Browns, Raiders, Saints, Cardinals. In a weak QB-draft, not all would take a QB but a couple certainly could.
There's a real chance that the best prospect at one or two positions of need (WR, OT, CB) could be available.
That would be exciting.
WestCoastRam
Legend
Well - don’t see how you come up with that idea,other than just standard mumbo jumbo.
To date, this potential upcoming draft class has decent depth, but looks light on blue-chip talent to me.
QB
None
Ty Simpson & Fernando Mendoza look like potential top 10 selections, but neither are blue chip prospects.
Everything I've seen and heard is that Moore is staying in school. Anyone else who declares might also get the obligatory QB bump, but I have my doubts as of today.
WR
Jordan Tyson (medicals might be an issue (knee, collarbone).
The others are very good. But blue chip? I wouldn't take any over Ebuka who didn't go top don't go top 10 last year.
RB
Jeremiyah Love
TE
Kenyon Sadiq (Vernon Davis Part II)
OL
None
Top 10 blue chip OLinemen are blindside protectors, IMO. When I see or hear a kid may have adequate or below average arm length and questions if guard may be their best NFL position (Lomu, Mauigoa), they don't qualify in my book.
EDGE
None
Good Depth, but there's no Aidan Hutchinson, Chase Young, Nick Bosa type talents as far as I can tell.
Bain is a good player, but he's got to do better than 3 sacks - 3 1/2 sacks per season to be a blue chipper to me.
DT
None
Peter Woods was expected to be that guy, but he's just been solid from what I've seen.
LB
Arvell Reese
CB
Not Sure
Jermond McCoy has been injured all year and hasn't played a down
Brandon Cisse is making a late charge, but will it be enough?
S
Caleb Downs
So to date I count 5 blue chippers, 2 QBs given the obligatory QB bump, and a couple question marks.
The good news if the Rams can and want to make a top 10 selection, 3 of the blue chippers play positions (RB, S, TE) teams don't usually want to draft high.
QB
None
Ty Simpson & Fernando Mendoza look like potential top 10 selections, but neither are blue chip prospects.
Everything I've seen and heard is that Moore is staying in school. Anyone else who declares might also get the obligatory QB bump, but I have my doubts as of today.
WR
Jordan Tyson (medicals might be an issue (knee, collarbone).
The others are very good. But blue chip? I wouldn't take any over Ebuka who didn't go top don't go top 10 last year.
RB
Jeremiyah Love
TE
Kenyon Sadiq (Vernon Davis Part II)
OL
None
Top 10 blue chip OLinemen are blindside protectors, IMO. When I see or hear a kid may have adequate or below average arm length and questions if guard may be their best NFL position (Lomu, Mauigoa), they don't qualify in my book.
EDGE
None
Good Depth, but there's no Aidan Hutchinson, Chase Young, Nick Bosa type talents as far as I can tell.
Bain is a good player, but he's got to do better than 3 sacks - 3 1/2 sacks per season to be a blue chipper to me.
DT
None
Peter Woods was expected to be that guy, but he's just been solid from what I've seen.
LB
Arvell Reese
CB
Not Sure
Jermond McCoy has been injured all year and hasn't played a down
Brandon Cisse is making a late charge, but will it be enough?
S
Caleb Downs
So to date I count 5 blue chippers, 2 QBs given the obligatory QB bump, and a couple question marks.
The good news if the Rams can and want to make a top 10 selection, 3 of the blue chippers play positions (RB, S, TE) teams don't usually want to draft high.
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WestCoastRam
Legend
No safeties, IDL, LBs, TEs that are blue chip? I ask as one who doesn't get into the prospects until a reasonable time...like the offseason.
Come on. You gotta give us a basis for this opinion. He's not doing well at LT?
What's your specific issue with Mendoza?
I've heard Mendoza being compared to Goff with more mobility and slightly less arm talent. Goff went #1 and was certainly considered blue chip. His career also aligns with that assessment.
What I want to see is how Mendoza plays in CFP. He's not facing Maryland, Illinois and UCLA. He was clutch vs Oregon and led nice GW drives vs Iowa and Penn St though, but the latter was won because of a miraculous catch in the back of the end zone. It was only 3rd down so there would have been one more chance for him to win it but it didn't look good at the time. If Cooper doesn't make that catch who knows if they win that game? If he does something like he did vs Oregon, Iowa and Penn St. he'll solidify his standing as the #1 off the board.
WestCoastRam
Legend
I think he's fine at LT but if there's a superior prospect in the draft, I think you explore moving him. He's always shown his strength has been in run blocking and I think he could be a top flight RT, given how he can be protected in pass blocking there.
Additionally, his medical stuff will probably be an ongoing thing for him during his career and it would be a lot more manageable for a team if he wasn't protecting someone's blindside. Even if a team doesn't move him to RT, if he's out for an extended period of time and a suitable or even better player is waiting in the wings, a possible scenario is he loses his job but maybe reclaims it at RT.
As I said in my post, his future "could" be at RT.
It's hard to explain. Few, if any, "Wow" moments for me, I guess. Plus, it bothers me that Kurtis Rourke put up stong numbers just last year under Cignetti.
And Goff put up big numbers for a couple years. Not just one.
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Mendoza put up good numbers at Cal in his sophomore year, throwing for 3000 yards 16 TD’ & 6 picks in 2024. This year with a better team against tougher competition he has up his game substantially. What is not to like? IMO he’s a better prospect then Goff was.
IMO - what you see is what you get.Alaric Hackson has been a LT from Day1. Actually looking back he played well at RG.
I’ll leave it there,just like finding a QB in the future.Right now The Rams have 3 QB’s.
Humpries not blocking on a FG that got Karty’s kick blocked made me think The Rams got SO lucky Alaric hasn’t had issues. Plus being resigned for the next 2 seasons.
Warren has played well when given the chance at RT.Think they’ll keep building within for now.
There's no way Goff was considered blue chip. It he was the Rams wouldn't have been able to move up from #15? to get him.
All the idiot talking heads said Goff and wentz were way worse than Winston and Mariota. Idiots. Lucky for the Rams teams felt the same way.
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Yep, blue chip ro me is Drake May, Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels. That 2024 top 3. Or go back ti guys like Andrew Luck and what they thought RG3 was going to be. These guys are close to Dart or at best Goff. Goff & Wentz went #1 because those teams were desperate for QBs.
Not sure I buy this logic. The only way this is true is if the 2016 draft had no blue chip prospects.
If Goff and Wentz weren't considered blue chip they would have been taken later instead of 1st and 2nd, such as 7th like Josh Allen, 6th like Herbert, or 10th like Mahomes. It's a hard sale to say the #1 pick isn't blue chip.
When 1st round QBs aren't considered blue chip, other true blue chip prospects do routinely get drafted ahead of them.
Not when a qb starved team like the Rams give the team sitting at #1 a huge collection of picks. The Rams had to do it to get a qb and the Titans couldn't say no. They had picked their qb the year before, some stiff, Mariota maybe.
If Andrew luck was sitting there the Titans would have told the Rams where to go, picked luck and shipped Mariota in a split second.
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Yeah and when I use the term blue chip with QB it just means they're good enough to go in that top three, maybe top 5 picks. There's more variance with them because of the position but they still have to be of a certain quality.
But you're right that the rare QBs don't get traded. Unless they force it.