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Well, here is my second-to-last mock of the year. I'll try to put out my final mock after the first round of the draft (assuming we don't trade into the first). Trades are always a crapshoot, so I'm just trying to make trades that are realistic in terms of value. There's no way to project what will happen on draft day, but I tried to embrace my inner Les Snead with all the trades (and hopefully didn't confuse myself and end up making a mistake on which picks are ours). Also want to note that all NFL comparisons assume the player develops.
Trades
Rams trade Round 2 Pick #25 and Round 3 Pick #20
Jets trade Round 3 Pick #4, Round 3 Pick #15, and Round 4 Pick #14
Rams trade Round 3 Pick #40
Jaguars trade Round 4 Pick #10 and Round 5 Pick #19
Rams trade Round 4 Pick #20 and Round 5 Pick #19
Jaguars trade Round 4 Pick #31 and Round 4 Pick #34
Rams trade Round 4 Pick #34
Bears trade Round 5 Pick #17 and Round 6 Pick #17
Rams trade Round 6 Pick #17 and Round 6 Pick #20
Texans trade Round 5 Pick #25 and Round 7 Pick #36
NFL Draft
Round 2 Pick #20 - Laviska Shenault WR Colorado
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLdox2cEGKE
Analysis: Laviska Shenault is the definition of a boom/bust prospect. If I didn't have faith in Sean McVay, I wouldn't draft him. At 6'1" 227 pounds, Shenault is built more like Todd Gurley than a WR. However, what is apparent to me watching his tape is that he has rare athleticism. Shenault has the separation quickness you typically see in 6'0" 195 pound WRs. It's unreal that he can cut and explode the way he does at nearly 230 pounds. But while the kid has the quickness to separate, he also understands that he's bigger and stronger than the CB he's facing and is happy to use that to create separation. Simply put, he's a bully. In terms of YAC, he's the best player in this class. He's elusive but also runs like a power HB when he can't evade defenders. To top it all off, he has quality hands. Why is he risky? He plays a physical style of football and has legitimate durability questions, and he's a very raw WR. He's more an athlete than WR right now. But he has all the traits and a natural feel for the position. As a rookie, this kid can contribute on returns, can play any of the WR slots, and can line up in the backfield as a HB or wildcat QB.
NFL Comparison: Anquan Boldin with more explosiveness
Round 3 Pick #4 - Matt Hennessy C Temple
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPyzS70PXh4
Analysis: Well, I took a risky player with our first pick, so I'll circle back with a guy I think is a very safe pick. At 6'4" 307 pounds, Hennessy is the prototypical size for a NFL Center. That was good to see for me because I thought he looked lighter on tape. While he only possesses average power, Hennessy is an athletic, heady Center who easily qualifies as a technician. He has the mobility to make all the blocks our scheme asks of him and the smarts and technique to contribute early. There's an open question as to whether he can play Guard. I'm not too concerned about that because I think he'll make a quality starting Center. He is steady and reliable in every sense of the word. He may lack the power to ever qualify as an elite Center, but his mobility, grip strength, leverage, flexibility, balance, and football IQ will make him a mainstay in the middle of our OL for years. It's also worth noting that Hennessy posted the best Wonderlic score (34) of any OL in this class.
NFL Comparison: J.C Tretter
Round 3 Pick #15 - Zack Moss HB Utah
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tU24goTDhE
Analysis: Moss has a lot of mileage, some durability questions, and ran a 4.6 40. That's why he's still on the board. I don't care. He's a 5'10" 225 pound HB who runs with violence and does not go down easy. He has great contact balance due to his low center of gravity and does not shy away from any contact. If anything, his violent, physical style puts him at injury risk. He also sees the field well. His instincts are top notch. He'll be an effective runner in both the outside-zone and the inside-zone concepts. But most importantly for me, Moss is a superb pass blocker and pass catcher. I think having a versatile HB is absolutely necessary in McVay's scheme. You need a guy who can play all three downs. You don't want to tip your hand to the defense. Moss is a guy who can stay on the field no matter the down. This kid is the perfect sort of player to pair with Darrell Henderson.
NFL Comparison: Kareem Hunt
Round 4 Pick #10 - Troy Dye ILB Oregon
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQfVpEj0BHY
Analysis: It's funny that in the off-season where we lose Littleton that we draft an ILB who compares so well to him. At 6'3" 231 pounds, Dye is a long kid who is a smooth athlete with sideline-to-sideline range. There are concerns about his ability to keep on weight and his play strength. But there's no denying that he's a three-down LB with legitimate cover skills. While Dye may have some trouble with the ultra-quick HBs if left on an island in M2M coverage, he is quite effective against TEs and a heady, athletic zone defender. He's the sort of guy you can trust to carry a TE up the seam. In the running game, Dye has good instincts and is a proficient tackler. He's also effective at avoiding blockers and getting into gaps. However, he's not very effective at getting off blocks when a blocker gets his hands on him. And while Dye will rack up tackle production, he's not a big hitter. Ultimately, his upside is that of Cory Littleton, a very good ILB in coverage but a pretty average run defender.
NFL Comparison: Cory Littleton
Round 4 Pick #14 - Devin Asiasi TE UCLA
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xgn1JYgWcRQ
Analysis: I am a huge fan of Devin Asiasi, and I hope the Rams draft him. I think he's going to be one of the best value picks in this draft. Asiasi is an old-school Y (inline-blocking TE) who will contribute in the passing game as a possession target in the short-to-intermediate ranges. At 6'3" 260 pounds, Asiasi's separation quickness for his size is shocking. As he polishes his routes, he has the potential to be a real mismatch against LBs due to his quickness in and out of his breaks and large frame. He has natural hands and shows no issues snatching the ball away from his frame or making catches in traffic. Asiasi lacks the top-end speed to be a major vertical threat at the position, but he'll do plenty of damage inside 20 yards. In addition to his receiving talent, Asiasi has all the traits to be a legitimately good inline blocker. He's big, he's long, he's strong, and he's willing. Once he polishes his technique, he's a guy you can trust to hold his own against edge rushers and LBs. He actually held his own quite well against Bradlee Anae this year. Ultimately, I see Asiasi's potential as a well-rounded TE who can be trusted as a blocker and is capable of putting up 600 to 700 yards per year as a chain-moving, possession receiver.
NFL Comparison: Alge Crumpler
Round 4 Pick #31 - Joe Bachie LB Michigan State
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKnxAT1ver0
Analysis: I think Joe Bachie is flying way under the radar right now because of his PED suspension during his final year at MSU. He tested much better than expected at the Combine (including a 4.67 40). I think a lot of people saw him as a try-hard dude with great instincts, but I think he plays to his athleticism. Bachie is a master of reading keys and watching film. He's one of the few guys I've seen overrun plays because he beats the HB to the gap he's supposed to run through. Bachie is a heady defender who plays balls to the wall every down he's on the field. He's very much an emotional leader sort of guy at the Mike. As a run defender, he has the strength and contact balance to meet pulling OLs in the hole and stonewall them. However, due to his lack of length, he struggles to disengage once OLs get their hands on him. But he's strong enough to keep them from running over him. In coverage, Bachie is a heady and effective zone defender. That all said, he doesn't have the quick-twitch athleticism to stick with agile HBs. At a minimum, he's good depth and a heck of a special teamer, but I think Bachie could quickly earn his way onto the field.
NFL Comparison: Paul Posluszny
Round 5 Pick #17 - J.R. Reed S Georgia
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DSZ36a4apg
Analysis: On Day 3, I have always leaned towards drafting really good football players over projects with huge athletic potential. That has served me well in some cases and not so well in others. Reed is another case of me seeing a really good football player and thinking he's worth a shot. He actually tested better than expected at the Combine (running a 4.54 40 and jumping fairly well). At 6'1" 202 pounds, he's not the biggest safety, and he doesn't have the range to be a single-high FS. However, he's an instinctive defender who has the tackling ability and smarts to play in the box and the cover skills to play as a split safety deep. He also has sufficient man coverage ability to cover TEs and HBs. Reed is a good third safety to have and could play well enough to earn a starting job if there's an injury or we eventually let one of our starting safeties go.
NFL Comparison: Bradley McDougald
Round 5 Pick #25 - Anfernee Jennings OLB Alabama
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vE28WwPrps
Analysis: Anfernee is the definition of a glue guy on defense. He does all of the little things well and brings the physicality and effort you need out there. The problem with Anfernee is that he doesn't show a lot of pass rush potential. He isn't explosive off the LOS, doesn't have the speed/flexibility to make NFL OTs sweat on the edge, and doesn't have the explosive quickness to burn them inside. Instead, if Anfernee is to be anything more than an effort rusher, he's going to have to become more savvy and technical. He has an effective stab move and enough power to do some damage if harnessed properly. He's also flashed the savvy footwork to make things more difficult on OTs. But ultimately, I wouldn't count on him to be anything more than a JAG as a pass rusher. What Anfernee does well is defend the run. He sets a hard edge, he plays physically when taking on pullers, he's adept at finding the football, he's assignment sound, and he has great instincts. That also makes him very effective at sniffing out screens and deflecting passes when he can't get home with his rushes. Finally, Anfernee is competent in coverage. He is a smart and aware zone defender and has the ability to man up when needed against slower TEs. All in all, he's a solid edge defender who will contribute in non-flashy ways.
NFL Comparison: Ryan Anderson
Round 7 Pick #20 - Lavert Hill CB Michigan
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLC8OTKEZtw
Analysis: Lavert Hill is missing a lot of things. He's short. He doesn't have great speed. He's fairly light. But the man can stick to a WR. He's strong for his size and very physical. This can cause him problems on the outside when matched up against fast WRs and asked to cover them on vertical routes. He gets grabby. But in the slot, he has a lot of upside. He plays the game a lot like former teammates David Long and Jourdan Lewis. He's not the athlete that Long is, but he has that similar natural, sticky coverage ability. He's very physical with WRs at the LOS and disrupts throughout the route. He'll have to be a little careful in the NFL to not get penalized, but I think he could develop into an effective slot CB given the time.
NFL Comparison: Brian Poole
Round 7 Pick #36 - Khaleke Hudson ILB/S Michigan
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tACMOXsu0ak
Analysis: Yes, I am selecting former Ram Daren Bates as Hudson's comparison because I think Hudson will be a dynamite special teamer. He blocked a total of five kicks/punts during his career at Michigan and offers the same sort of special teams demon skill-set that Bates once did for us. However, Hudson is also an intriguing LB/S hybrid. He doesn't have the deep coverage skills to be a full-time safety or the length to fit as your prototypical LB. At 5'11" 225 pounds, Hudson is the definition of a tweener. But what's interesting watching him is his speed, quickness, physicality, and underrated strength allow him to absolutely pester TEs in coverage, and he's a surprisingly instinctive run defender as a LB. Despite his strength, Hudson isn't going to get off blocks at the NFL level because he's short with short arms, but he might have some upside as a box safety in subpackages or even a chase LB behind a big DL that can keep bodies off of him. He's an intriguing player because he has some really nice athletic traits combined with good instincts. He just has the wrong body for a LB.
NFL Comparison: Daren Bates
Projected Starters
QB: Jared Goff
HB: Darrell Henderson
WR: Josh Reynolds
WR: Robert Woods
WR: Cooper Kupp
TE: Tyler Higbee
LT: Andrew Whitworth
LG: Bobby Evans
C: Matt Hennessy
RG: David Edwards
RT: Rob Havenstein
SDE: Michael Brockers
NT: A'Shawn Robinson
UT: Aaron Donald
OLB: Samson Ebukam
ILB: Travin Howard
ILB: Micah Kiser
OLB: Leonard Floyd
LCB: Jalen Ramsey
RCB: Troy Hill
SLCB: David Long Jr.
FS: John Johnson III
SS: Taylor Rapp
K: Lirim the Leg
P: Johnny Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide
Trades
Rams trade Round 2 Pick #25 and Round 3 Pick #20
Jets trade Round 3 Pick #4, Round 3 Pick #15, and Round 4 Pick #14
Rams trade Round 3 Pick #40
Jaguars trade Round 4 Pick #10 and Round 5 Pick #19
Rams trade Round 4 Pick #20 and Round 5 Pick #19
Jaguars trade Round 4 Pick #31 and Round 4 Pick #34
Rams trade Round 4 Pick #34
Bears trade Round 5 Pick #17 and Round 6 Pick #17
Rams trade Round 6 Pick #17 and Round 6 Pick #20
Texans trade Round 5 Pick #25 and Round 7 Pick #36
NFL Draft
Round 2 Pick #20 - Laviska Shenault WR Colorado
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLdox2cEGKE
Analysis: Laviska Shenault is the definition of a boom/bust prospect. If I didn't have faith in Sean McVay, I wouldn't draft him. At 6'1" 227 pounds, Shenault is built more like Todd Gurley than a WR. However, what is apparent to me watching his tape is that he has rare athleticism. Shenault has the separation quickness you typically see in 6'0" 195 pound WRs. It's unreal that he can cut and explode the way he does at nearly 230 pounds. But while the kid has the quickness to separate, he also understands that he's bigger and stronger than the CB he's facing and is happy to use that to create separation. Simply put, he's a bully. In terms of YAC, he's the best player in this class. He's elusive but also runs like a power HB when he can't evade defenders. To top it all off, he has quality hands. Why is he risky? He plays a physical style of football and has legitimate durability questions, and he's a very raw WR. He's more an athlete than WR right now. But he has all the traits and a natural feel for the position. As a rookie, this kid can contribute on returns, can play any of the WR slots, and can line up in the backfield as a HB or wildcat QB.
NFL Comparison: Anquan Boldin with more explosiveness
Round 3 Pick #4 - Matt Hennessy C Temple
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPyzS70PXh4
Analysis: Well, I took a risky player with our first pick, so I'll circle back with a guy I think is a very safe pick. At 6'4" 307 pounds, Hennessy is the prototypical size for a NFL Center. That was good to see for me because I thought he looked lighter on tape. While he only possesses average power, Hennessy is an athletic, heady Center who easily qualifies as a technician. He has the mobility to make all the blocks our scheme asks of him and the smarts and technique to contribute early. There's an open question as to whether he can play Guard. I'm not too concerned about that because I think he'll make a quality starting Center. He is steady and reliable in every sense of the word. He may lack the power to ever qualify as an elite Center, but his mobility, grip strength, leverage, flexibility, balance, and football IQ will make him a mainstay in the middle of our OL for years. It's also worth noting that Hennessy posted the best Wonderlic score (34) of any OL in this class.
NFL Comparison: J.C Tretter
Round 3 Pick #15 - Zack Moss HB Utah
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tU24goTDhE
Analysis: Moss has a lot of mileage, some durability questions, and ran a 4.6 40. That's why he's still on the board. I don't care. He's a 5'10" 225 pound HB who runs with violence and does not go down easy. He has great contact balance due to his low center of gravity and does not shy away from any contact. If anything, his violent, physical style puts him at injury risk. He also sees the field well. His instincts are top notch. He'll be an effective runner in both the outside-zone and the inside-zone concepts. But most importantly for me, Moss is a superb pass blocker and pass catcher. I think having a versatile HB is absolutely necessary in McVay's scheme. You need a guy who can play all three downs. You don't want to tip your hand to the defense. Moss is a guy who can stay on the field no matter the down. This kid is the perfect sort of player to pair with Darrell Henderson.
NFL Comparison: Kareem Hunt
Round 4 Pick #10 - Troy Dye ILB Oregon
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQfVpEj0BHY
Analysis: It's funny that in the off-season where we lose Littleton that we draft an ILB who compares so well to him. At 6'3" 231 pounds, Dye is a long kid who is a smooth athlete with sideline-to-sideline range. There are concerns about his ability to keep on weight and his play strength. But there's no denying that he's a three-down LB with legitimate cover skills. While Dye may have some trouble with the ultra-quick HBs if left on an island in M2M coverage, he is quite effective against TEs and a heady, athletic zone defender. He's the sort of guy you can trust to carry a TE up the seam. In the running game, Dye has good instincts and is a proficient tackler. He's also effective at avoiding blockers and getting into gaps. However, he's not very effective at getting off blocks when a blocker gets his hands on him. And while Dye will rack up tackle production, he's not a big hitter. Ultimately, his upside is that of Cory Littleton, a very good ILB in coverage but a pretty average run defender.
NFL Comparison: Cory Littleton
Round 4 Pick #14 - Devin Asiasi TE UCLA
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xgn1JYgWcRQ
Analysis: I am a huge fan of Devin Asiasi, and I hope the Rams draft him. I think he's going to be one of the best value picks in this draft. Asiasi is an old-school Y (inline-blocking TE) who will contribute in the passing game as a possession target in the short-to-intermediate ranges. At 6'3" 260 pounds, Asiasi's separation quickness for his size is shocking. As he polishes his routes, he has the potential to be a real mismatch against LBs due to his quickness in and out of his breaks and large frame. He has natural hands and shows no issues snatching the ball away from his frame or making catches in traffic. Asiasi lacks the top-end speed to be a major vertical threat at the position, but he'll do plenty of damage inside 20 yards. In addition to his receiving talent, Asiasi has all the traits to be a legitimately good inline blocker. He's big, he's long, he's strong, and he's willing. Once he polishes his technique, he's a guy you can trust to hold his own against edge rushers and LBs. He actually held his own quite well against Bradlee Anae this year. Ultimately, I see Asiasi's potential as a well-rounded TE who can be trusted as a blocker and is capable of putting up 600 to 700 yards per year as a chain-moving, possession receiver.
NFL Comparison: Alge Crumpler
Round 4 Pick #31 - Joe Bachie LB Michigan State
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKnxAT1ver0
Analysis: I think Joe Bachie is flying way under the radar right now because of his PED suspension during his final year at MSU. He tested much better than expected at the Combine (including a 4.67 40). I think a lot of people saw him as a try-hard dude with great instincts, but I think he plays to his athleticism. Bachie is a master of reading keys and watching film. He's one of the few guys I've seen overrun plays because he beats the HB to the gap he's supposed to run through. Bachie is a heady defender who plays balls to the wall every down he's on the field. He's very much an emotional leader sort of guy at the Mike. As a run defender, he has the strength and contact balance to meet pulling OLs in the hole and stonewall them. However, due to his lack of length, he struggles to disengage once OLs get their hands on him. But he's strong enough to keep them from running over him. In coverage, Bachie is a heady and effective zone defender. That all said, he doesn't have the quick-twitch athleticism to stick with agile HBs. At a minimum, he's good depth and a heck of a special teamer, but I think Bachie could quickly earn his way onto the field.
NFL Comparison: Paul Posluszny
Round 5 Pick #17 - J.R. Reed S Georgia
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DSZ36a4apg
Analysis: On Day 3, I have always leaned towards drafting really good football players over projects with huge athletic potential. That has served me well in some cases and not so well in others. Reed is another case of me seeing a really good football player and thinking he's worth a shot. He actually tested better than expected at the Combine (running a 4.54 40 and jumping fairly well). At 6'1" 202 pounds, he's not the biggest safety, and he doesn't have the range to be a single-high FS. However, he's an instinctive defender who has the tackling ability and smarts to play in the box and the cover skills to play as a split safety deep. He also has sufficient man coverage ability to cover TEs and HBs. Reed is a good third safety to have and could play well enough to earn a starting job if there's an injury or we eventually let one of our starting safeties go.
NFL Comparison: Bradley McDougald
Round 5 Pick #25 - Anfernee Jennings OLB Alabama
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vE28WwPrps
Analysis: Anfernee is the definition of a glue guy on defense. He does all of the little things well and brings the physicality and effort you need out there. The problem with Anfernee is that he doesn't show a lot of pass rush potential. He isn't explosive off the LOS, doesn't have the speed/flexibility to make NFL OTs sweat on the edge, and doesn't have the explosive quickness to burn them inside. Instead, if Anfernee is to be anything more than an effort rusher, he's going to have to become more savvy and technical. He has an effective stab move and enough power to do some damage if harnessed properly. He's also flashed the savvy footwork to make things more difficult on OTs. But ultimately, I wouldn't count on him to be anything more than a JAG as a pass rusher. What Anfernee does well is defend the run. He sets a hard edge, he plays physically when taking on pullers, he's adept at finding the football, he's assignment sound, and he has great instincts. That also makes him very effective at sniffing out screens and deflecting passes when he can't get home with his rushes. Finally, Anfernee is competent in coverage. He is a smart and aware zone defender and has the ability to man up when needed against slower TEs. All in all, he's a solid edge defender who will contribute in non-flashy ways.
NFL Comparison: Ryan Anderson
Round 7 Pick #20 - Lavert Hill CB Michigan
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLC8OTKEZtw
Analysis: Lavert Hill is missing a lot of things. He's short. He doesn't have great speed. He's fairly light. But the man can stick to a WR. He's strong for his size and very physical. This can cause him problems on the outside when matched up against fast WRs and asked to cover them on vertical routes. He gets grabby. But in the slot, he has a lot of upside. He plays the game a lot like former teammates David Long and Jourdan Lewis. He's not the athlete that Long is, but he has that similar natural, sticky coverage ability. He's very physical with WRs at the LOS and disrupts throughout the route. He'll have to be a little careful in the NFL to not get penalized, but I think he could develop into an effective slot CB given the time.
NFL Comparison: Brian Poole
Round 7 Pick #36 - Khaleke Hudson ILB/S Michigan
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tACMOXsu0ak
Analysis: Yes, I am selecting former Ram Daren Bates as Hudson's comparison because I think Hudson will be a dynamite special teamer. He blocked a total of five kicks/punts during his career at Michigan and offers the same sort of special teams demon skill-set that Bates once did for us. However, Hudson is also an intriguing LB/S hybrid. He doesn't have the deep coverage skills to be a full-time safety or the length to fit as your prototypical LB. At 5'11" 225 pounds, Hudson is the definition of a tweener. But what's interesting watching him is his speed, quickness, physicality, and underrated strength allow him to absolutely pester TEs in coverage, and he's a surprisingly instinctive run defender as a LB. Despite his strength, Hudson isn't going to get off blocks at the NFL level because he's short with short arms, but he might have some upside as a box safety in subpackages or even a chase LB behind a big DL that can keep bodies off of him. He's an intriguing player because he has some really nice athletic traits combined with good instincts. He just has the wrong body for a LB.
NFL Comparison: Daren Bates
Projected Starters
QB: Jared Goff
HB: Darrell Henderson
WR: Josh Reynolds
WR: Robert Woods
WR: Cooper Kupp
TE: Tyler Higbee
LT: Andrew Whitworth
LG: Bobby Evans
C: Matt Hennessy
RG: David Edwards
RT: Rob Havenstein
SDE: Michael Brockers
NT: A'Shawn Robinson
UT: Aaron Donald
OLB: Samson Ebukam
ILB: Travin Howard
ILB: Micah Kiser
OLB: Leonard Floyd
LCB: Jalen Ramsey
RCB: Troy Hill
SLCB: David Long Jr.
FS: John Johnson III
SS: Taylor Rapp
K: Lirim the Leg
P: Johnny Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide
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