Jrry32 Post-Cooks Trade Mock Draft (04/11/2020)

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jrry32

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After the Cooks trade, I figured I'd take stab at it. 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).

Trades
Rams trade Round 2 Pick #20, Round 2 Pick #25, and Round 3 Pick #40
Dolphins trade Round 2 Pick #7, Round 3 Pick #6, and Round 4 Pick #35

Rams trade Round 3 Pick #6
Vikings trade Round 3 Pick #25, Round 3 Pick #41, and Round 6 Pick #22

Rams trade Round 3 Pick #41
Jaguars trade Round 4 Pick #10 and Round 5 Pick #19

NFL Draft
Round 2 Pick #7 - Tee Higgins WR Clemson

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TZqnA-48ik

Analysis: Y'all know me, I rarely propose trade ups. I usually only want to trade down, but this is a special circumstance. Some of y'all might think it's nuts to trade up for a WR, but Higgins is the guy that McVay has been searching for since he took over as HC. This is a kid who would go top 15 or 20 in a normal WR draft class. Higgins is 6'4" 215 with freakishly long arms (over 34 inches). Why do I want to move up for him? It's simple. He is the most dominant contested catch WR I've scouted since Mike Evans and Alshon Jeffery. I pounded the table for both of those guys when people doubted their separation skills. They call them 50/50 balls. But in college, they were 90/10 balls for Higgins. Why is he so dominant? He has stellar ball-skills and body control with a 6'4" frame, those freakishly long arms, and vice grips for hands. He just reaches over CBs and snatches the ball with ease.

In addition to his contested catch dominance, Higgins can separate. Like Mike Evans, he's a long strider with breakaway speed. CBs tend to underestimate his speed, and once he's past them, he stacks them and uses that big body to keep them on his heels. He's just absolutely dominating on deep passes. He caught 15 of the 23 deep balls thrown to him in 2019. On the season, he posted 59 catches for 1167 yards (19.8 YPC) and 13 TDs. That's despite the fact that he sat out during a lot of second halves when Clemson had large leads. Higgins is also a legitimate YAC threat with the balance, quickness, and strength to slip out of tackles and make defenders miss. A final huge positive for me? Higgins is a great run blocker.

What are the negatives? Higgins is an unpolished route runner who relies more on physical gifts at this point in time. He has a tendency to round off his breaks and drift. He also runs his routes too upright. He's going to need to work on sinking his hips and making sharp cuts. He also needs to improve his releases against press coverage. He's late with his hands, makes himself too easy of a target, and spends too much time dancing on the LOS. The good news is that with his quickness, freakishly long arms, and strength, he should be able to bully CBs off the LOS once he gets the technique down.

How does this kid fit into our offense? Josh Reynolds is a FA at the end of the year, but I wouldn't be surprised if Higgins finds his way onto the field a lot as a rookie. This kid replaces Brandin Cooks's ability to threaten vertically and offers us a red-zone monster to pair with Kupp. He will absolutely feast in our scheme in the intermediate and deep parts of the field. McVay took shots on Watkins and Cooks. Higgins finally gives him the red-zone monster and consistent deep threat that he has been seeking.

NFL Comparison: Mike Evans

Round 3 Pick #20 - Zack Moss HB Utah

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tU24goTDhE

Analysis: I have told many of you that I don't believe we need a hammer to pair with Darrell Henderson. I stand by that opinion, but when you have a guy with Moss's talent falling to this part of the draft, you draft him. And he's very much the hammer many of you want. 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 3 Pick #25 - Jonathan Greenard EDGE Florida

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpktRUEvnfo

Analysis: I love Jon Greenard, and it's not just because I am a Gator homer. If you want to talk about violence, watch Greenard play football. The man looks like he's killing people on the field. He just absolutely decletes HBs and QBs when he gets the chance. There are so many things I love about Greenard's game. He has an explosive first step, he is a savvy pass rusher who uses beautiful footwork and varied pass rush plans to screw with the tackle he's facing, and he is extremely disciplined on the field. Add to that the kid has incredible character, work habits, and toughness (played through a bad ankle sprain most of the year and was arguably the best pass rusher in the SEC). He can drop into coverage (not his forte, though), and he plays the run extremely well.

But let's be honest, pass rushing is what matters the most here. I've talked a little bit about Greenard as a pass rusher. His explosive first step and knack for timing the snap count make him a headache for OTs. But adding to that headache is his footwork on his rushes. Unlike a lot of guys who just run the loop, Greenard throws a bunch of stutter and jab steps into his rushes. Because he's a legitimate threat to explode into the inside gap and get pressure, his fakes force the OT to react and soften the corner when he attacks the edge or opens up the inside move when he wants to jump inside. In addition to his footwork, he uses sophisticated rush plans to keep OTs guessing and has an array of moves (using clubs, arm-over swims, and rips most often).

Why is Greenard still available? Because he didn't test well and has a long list of injuries. He wins as a pass rusher with an explosive first step, savvy, and technique. The question is if his physical traits are good enough for his savvy to work in the NFL. That all said, he still has some tricks to develop. He suffered a major wrist injury in 2018 and wasn't using one his arms the way he could. If he's willing to unleash that arm, he could develop a devastating stab move and speed-to-power rush to add to his arsenal.

NFL Comparison: Alex Okafor

Round 4 Pick #10 - Davion Taylor ILB Colorado

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_IXEM6WcA8

Analysis: Davion Taylor is a fascinating player because of his limited football experience and freakish athleticism. At 6'0" 228 pounds, Taylor ran a 4.49 40, a 6.96 three cone drill, and posted a 10'07" broad jump. Basically, he tested like a WR while being the size of a LB. Taylor was a track guy. He wasn't allowed to play football in high school because of his family's religion (he practiced with the team but couldn't play in games). He came to Colorado as a sushi raw JUCO transfer. He played for former NFL DC Mel Tucker. Tucker said Taylor is one of the most coachable kids he has ever had. And he plays like it. For a kid who is inexperienced as he is, Taylor is a disciplined, sound linebacker. He knows his assignment and sticks to it.

However, that's also part of the problem. Taylor hasn't played enough football to have the savviness and creativity that top LBs have. He is too rigid in how he carries out his assignments. Basically, his instincts are a work in progress. While he doesn't lack for the physicality, he also has a lot of developing to do technically when it comes to taking on blockers. That all said, Taylor can run for days, has the agility to cover just about anybody, and doesn't lack any of the mentality. He just needs experience, coaching, and time. I think he can be an effective subpackage player and special teamer early in his career with the potential to develop into a starting LB down the line.

NFL Comparison: Shaq Thompson (if he develops)

Round 4 Pick #20 - Nick Harris OL Washington

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKQvM-7Q9Jo

Analysis: I know that some of y'all won't like this because Harris is small and not an overpowering player, but he's very experienced and a great scheme fit. Harris had a rough Senior Bowl week and is undersized at 6'1" 300, but the Senior Bowl wasn't really a place where he'd stand out. It doesn't play to his strengths. Harris is a great athlete with outstanding movement skills and really shines as a combo blocker. He's also a very smart Center who uses angles well and is a quality technician. He's an active player who compensates for his lack of size with his aggression and core strength. Harris is likely to fall down the board due to his small stature and lack of positional flexibility, but he has the potential to be an effective starter in a ZBS like ours.

NFL Comparison: Matt Paradis

Round 4 Pick #35 - Joe Bachie ILB Michigan State

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5IqepldsuQ

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 strength, 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 #19 - Julian Blackmon S Utah

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tMjYzbHu5Q

Analysis: Julian Blackmon had a very rough start to the year after making the transition from CB to FS. USC (and Michael Pittman) absolutely victimized the kid. Blackmon was taking bad angles, not getting proper depth as a single-high safety, and was tentative attacking the football. However, as the year went on, his film changed greatly. By the time he suffered his knee injury against Oregon in the Pac-12 Title Game, Blackmon was a completely different safety. He was quick to trigger downhill on plays in front of him, he was reliable playing deep zone coverage, he showed the ability to tackle in space, and he was versatile enough to play single-high, play in the box, and man up on TEs. As a former CB, he has great ball-skills and the man coverage skills to make life difficult for TEs. He wasn't quick enough to remain at CB, but he has the physicality, tackling ability, and range to stick as a versatile safety. Once he gets healthy, I think he'll be an excellent third safety for us.

NFL Comparison: Jordan Poyer

Round 6 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: Bryce Callahan

Round 6 Pick #22 - Quintez Cephus WR Wisconsin

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vavq_ROKhCA

Analysis: I had Cephus pegged as a fourth round pick before the Combine, and then Cephus ran a 4.7 40. But it's hard for me to write him off entirely due to the 40. I still think he's worth a chance. Cephus has vise grips for hands and catches everything in sight. It doesn't matter if the CB is in his grill or he's about to take a huge hit. He's fearless. He separates more based on precise routes, physicality, and boxing out defenders. His athleticism is very underwhelming. But he's also a great blocking WR. I think Cephus has the potential to be an effective #4 WR and possibly even develop into a good big slot. He's very sure-handed, physical, and savvy.

NFL Comparison: James Jones

Round 7 Pick #20 - Tyler Bass K Georgia Southern

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5rhb-CZV3U

Analysis: Kickers are hard to project, and I don't have the knowledge to say much about the position. From what I can tell, Bass has a strong leg and was consistent on PATs during his college career. He was up and down in terms of accuracy, but so were a lot of other successful NFL kickers in college. He seems like the guy most likely to be drafted after Blankenship. I don't want to spend a mid-round pick on Blankenship. I'd bring Bass, Sam Sloman, and at least one veteran Kicker into camp to compete.

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: Nick Harris
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: Tyler Bass
P: Johnny Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide
 
Last edited:

OldSchool

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Each player is either my favorite at the spot or one of top couple aside from the DB's who I don't know much about. Very nice draft imo.
 

Limey

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Was hoping you would do another mock after the Cooks trade. Would be delighted if they come away with this draft.
 

den-the-coach

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Excellent in depth analyses as always Counselor and the trades make sense. Love going up to get Tee Higgins and you have mocked Moss so much to the Rams I'm almost thinking they already have him. Davion Taylor is someone I really like and overall if the Rams came away with that draft I think all of us would forget about life for awhile and every time Tyler Bass makes a field goal, Ram fans will partake in drinking of Bass Ale!
 

Memento

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Count me as one who would be pleased with this draft (Cephus aside, but that's a minor quibble, and I totally get why you picked him).
 

Wisconsinram

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Thank you, I have been anxiously waiting!

Absolutely love the mock. Going up for Higgins while grabbing Moss, Hill, Bass, and Q are all outstanding values. My primary concern coming out of the draft is getting a starting center and I'm not totally sold on Harris, but if we could pull off something like this I would gladly roll with it. Hope McSnead read this:)

Thanks again.

BTW, I am a big Badger fan and will share that Cephus ran in the mid 4.5's at his pro day. The kid should have never declared early for this WR-packed draft, but hopefully it's the Rams who benefit.
 

iamme33

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not my kind of draft but it certainly fills most needs with some good looking players.thanks jrry you must do a tremendous amount of work on these draft mocks. that means a lot to computer challenged people like me.
 

Malibu

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If we are trading up we are not reading up for a WR. Makes absolutely zero sense! Wr are a dime a dozen. Why trade Cooks for Tee Higgins seriously? Potential to get Taylor or 4th OLB. We need another RB Henderson imo is far from the answer.

This mock did not address the Oline for the most part. The line is terrible period. We don't need more receivers we need guys that can give Goff time to throw or open holes to run through.

The 3 minimal areas that must be addressed is a strong RB we have none on the team. Both G and C position are scary. Not sure we have a Whit replacement in the team. The last area is a strong ILB. Kiser, Howard, Reeder are not the answer. You will see how bad we are going to miss Littleton even with his weak run stopping skills, but his coverage skills are fantastic.
 

Ram Ts

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This draft for the Rams is so very interesting to me. Where the rams are at, and with two picks close together, a couple of studs will unexpectedly drop to them. The question is what happens if those guys are ones that are not a need. We have a desperate need anywhere along the OL and LB...debatably at RB and Edge too. So you figure they go OL/lB early and hot those other spots (along with WR) after 52/57. But what happens if there’s a stud WR, DL, etc there that is an immediate difference maker? Tough spot to be. Preferably others see that and offer a boat load to trade down. But if not....

dang I wish the draft was tomorrow
 

jrry32

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If we are trading up we are not reading up for a WR. Makes absolutely zero sense! Wr are a dime a dozen. Why trade Cooks for Tee Higgins seriously? Potential to get Taylor or 4th OLB. We need another RB Henderson imo is far from the answer.

This mock did not address the Oline for the most part. The line is terrible period. We don't need more receivers we need guys that can give Goff time to throw or open holes to run through.

The 3 minimal areas that must be addressed is a strong RB we have none on the team. Both G and C position are scary. Not sure we have a Whit replacement in the team. The last area is a strong ILB. Kiser, Howard, Reeder are not the answer. You will see how bad we are going to miss Littleton even with his weak run stopping skills, but his coverage skills are fantastic.

I'm trading up for a WR long before I trade up for a HB. Taylor's college workload makes it likely that his NFL career won't be a long one. The mock did address the OL. If you think we're going to draft a bunch of OLs, well, let's just say I don't agree and my mocks aren't going to ever include that scenario. The Rams don't seem panicked over it.

Simply put, I believe in drafting for value. I'm not going to force need picks when the value isn't right. The ILB and OG options likely to be on the board in Round 2 aren't the type I'd spend a premium pick on (unless Zach Baun falls, which looks unlikely).
 

TexasRam

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I do like the possibility of infusing the offense with some playmaker talent and also addressing our edge and ILB needs.

But I prefer an early pick or even a move up for an Oline or I think we are fielding another mediocre Oline with too many holes.

The Niners has a better offense than us last year with minimal playmakers and a better Oline.
 

hotanez

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Really nice mock draft, I would be very happy if it turned out like this. Nice work Jrry32
 

jrry32

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I do like the possibility of infusing the offense with some playmaker talent and also addressing our edge and ILB needs.

But I prefer an early pick or even a move up for an Oline or I think we are fielding another mediocre Oline with too many holes.

The Niners has a better offense than us last year with minimal playmakers and a better Oline.

The Niners have a Shanahan running things. They're able to work magic with OLs and running games. The Niners starting OL last year was:
LT: Joe Staley (7 games; great OT)/Justin Skule (8 games; Rookie 6th Rounder)/Daniel Brunskill (1 game; JAG)
LG: Laken Tomlinson (16 games; previously a bust)
C: Weston Richburg (13 games; great C)/Ben Garland (3 games; JAG)
RG: Mike Person (14 games; JAG)/Daniel Brunskill (2 games; JAG)
RT: Mike McGlinchey (12 games; good OT)/Daniel Brunskill (4 games; JAG)

Simply put, there isn't an interior OL in this class I'd trade up for in the 35 to 50 range. I wish there was. There isn't an easy fix for our OL. If two or more of David Edwards, Bobby Evans, Austin Corbett, Brian Allen, and Joe Noteboom progress into decent or better starters and Rob Havenstein returns to his previous form, we should have a solid at worst OL. We can try to help matters by drafting an OL somewhere between our second round pick and fourth round pick. But there's really no guarantee that does anything for us in 2020. Hopefully, coaching, experiencing, and better chemistry (from having played together longer) results in a better OL.
 

TexasRam

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The Niners have a Shanahan running things. They're able to work magic with OLs and running games. The Niners starting OL last year was:
LT: Joe Staley (7 games; great OT)/Justin Skule (8 games; Rookie 6th Rounder)/Daniel Brunskill (1 game; JAG)
LG: Laken Tomlinson (16 games; previously a bust)
C: Weston Richburg (13 games; great C)/Ben Garland (3 games; JAG)
RG: Mike Person (14 games; JAG)/Daniel Brunskill (2 games; JAG)
RT: Mike McGlinchey (12 games; good OT)/Daniel Brunskill (4 games; JAG)

Simply put, there isn't an interior OL in this class I'd trade up for in the 35 to 50 range. I wish there was. There isn't an easy fix for our OL. If two or more of David Edwards, Bobby Evans, Austin Corbett, Brian Allen, and Joe Noteboom progress into decent or better starters and Rob Havenstein returns to his previous form, we should have a solid at worst OL. We can try to help matters by drafting an OL somewhere between our second round pick and fourth round pick. But there's really no guarantee that does anything for us in 2020. Hopefully, coaching, experiencing, and better chemistry (from having played together longer) results in a better OL.


I follow you brother. McGlinchey as a run blocker was one of the highest rated RT's though. And the FB, TE blocking they get is pretty dam good. So i think overall they have more run game firepower. Not to take anything away from Shanny, because I know he is a big part of it.

Hopefully we do get Havenstein back in full form. And trust me I am a big proponent of not reaching in a draft.

But how much improvement do you honestly think Biadasz would be over Blythe?
 

PressureD41

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Good mock, but I don't like the OC you mocked to us. I admit I prefer 6'3 320 guys. Im a OC height/weight snob lol
 

jrry32

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I follow you brother. McGlinchey as a run blocker was one of the highest rated RT's though. And the FB, TE blocking they get is pretty dam good. So i think overall they have more run game firepower. Not to take anything away from Shanny, because I know he is a big part of it.

Hopefully we do get Havenstein back in full form. And trust me I am a big proponent of not reaching in a draft.

But how much improvement do you honestly think Biadasz would be over Blythe?

A lot. I could have swapped Moss out for Biadasz. But I liked the Harris/Moss combo more than Biadasz/Vaughn.

Good mock, but I don't like the OC you mocked to us. I admit I prefer 6'3 320 guys. Im a OC height/weight snob lol

I respect that, but I think it's more likely we go for somebody lighter and more mobile. Look at Kromer's starting Centers over the years:
2019: Brian Allen (6'2" 305)
2017-2018: Jon Sullivan (6'4" 310)
2015-2016: Eric Wood (6'4" 310)
2013-2014: Roberto Garza (6'2" 310)
2011-2012: Brian De La Puente (6'3" 305)
2009-2010: Jonathan Goodwin (6'3" 320)

Goodwin is the only guy who meets your criteria, and he was the starting Center when Kromer took over the OL in NO. His scheme values athleticism, combo blocking, football IQ, and blocking in space/on the second level more than power. I think the two guys who best fit the scheme are Matt Hennessy (6'4" 305) and Nick Harris (6'1" 300). But I wouldn't rule Tyler Biadasz (6'4" 315) out because of how technically refined and intelligent he is.
 

PressureD41

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Thx @jrry32 some good knowledge there. I do like from your list Hennessy & Biadasz.

Cheers