Memento said:
I don't like the first draft much. DeCastro was a much safer prospect than Warmack. Look what happened in his first year. Besides, guards tend to take a long time to mature and develop. And there's no way I take Ertz that high, even if Eifert is off the board.
I absolutely loathe that second draft. Lane Johnson is a second round prospect that shouldn't be anywhere near the sixteenth overall pick. I'd rather take Warmack. Worse still, the twenty-second overall pick is Eric Reid, a borderline second/third round strong safety prospect whose coverage abilities are currently worse than Craig Dahl's. No, no, no, a million times no to that draft.
I don't know how DeCastro was a safer prospect than Warmack...and he got hurt. If you're going to shy away from players because they MIGHT get hurt, you might as well just not draft anyone. And no, Guards don't generally take a long time to mature and develop. They are one of the quickest developing positions and one of the easiest to plug and play. As for Warmack vs. DeCastro, Warmack is both safer and better imo. While DDC was better at pulling and a better overall athlete, Warmack is far more powerful, has more refined technique and is a better pass blocker due to his anchor and his ability to both "punch" and "grab" effectively.
As for Eifert, no idea why people love the kid so much. He's an amazing athlete and a great receiving talent but in my book, Ertz is easily the better talent at TE. Eifert is not physical, is very weak for his size and cannot block effectively. Eifert is basically a receiver in a TE's body...in both the good ways and the bad ways(reminds me of Greg Olsen). Ertz, on the other hand, has impressive fluidity and movement skills for a guy his size but doesn't sacrifice power or blocking ability. His blocking needs refinement but he's very strong and capable of washing his man out while blocking. He can block inline or split out at WR. I just wish he'd be a bit more physical when running routes. Needs to use his strength better as a receiver.
Finally, Lane Johnson...he's actually a guy that I really like. Some will have Jason Smith come to mind but I think that's a mistake. Lane has that same sort of attitude that Harvey Dahl has that we all love...Smith lacked. Johnson is mean and he's an enforcer on the field. He plays through the whistle and finishes his blocks. On top of that, he offers positional versatility as he can play both LT and RT. Watching his game, he needs a lot of work on his technique but that's to be expected with a guy who only has 2 years of OT experience. However, his length, athleticism, feet, balance and range are all exactly what you're looking for in a dominant LT. The guy has long arms, powerful hands and rarely is on the ground. He's also an impressive drive blocker considering he needs to add some bulk and functional strength to his frame...which is not close to maxed out. Some might think of Jason Smith but I'll throw you out another name...Duane Brown. He was a guy who only had 2 years of OT experience at VT...1 year at RT and 1 year at LT like Lane Johnson. Brown was a guy I REALLY liked as a sleeper LT prospect back in 2008. Many people had him pegged as a 3rd rounder at the end of the season but he ended up rising up boards and was selected in the late 1st round by the Texans. He struggled in his rookie year but since then has developed into arguably the NFL's best LT. He was named to the NFL All Pro team in both 2011 and 2012.
Let Boudreau work with Lane Johnson and you could see a similar thing happen. I have a lot of trust in Boudreau. Johnson needs technical refinement but in terms of attitude, physical skill-set and motor...everything is there for him to develop into an elite player. Just needs NFL coaching and some time in a NFL S&C program as he has the frame to carry 315 to 320 pounds.
If that kid ends up the in right situation, he's going to be great...which is why I have had him going to the Rams in my last few Rams mocks.
