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Well, we won't have to worry about a lot of things. Mind you, this is just my opinion on a lot of things (YES, I am trading Kupp in this offseason. I think it's a likely possibility, one we have to be prepared for, given the amount of injuries he's had and his age, even though I still believe he can be an elite player.), so I hope things go well:
Position Switch:
Steve Avila - LG to OC
Nick Hampton - EDGE to ILB/EDGE
(Both make sense. Avila provides a huge body at center, and he played the position for most of his TCU days. Hampton has pass-rushing moves, but he's too small out on the edge, and would do better as an off-ball linebacker in sub-packages.)
Re-sign:
Ernest Jones (four years, thirteen million per year (contract starts at end of rookie deal)
Carson Wentz (one year, eight million).
Alaric Jackson (RFA, first round tender).
Michael Hoecht (RFA, second round tender).
Tyler Johnson (RFA, original round tender).
(We lock up Ernest Jones early and rectify the mistake we made when we let London Fletcher go. Wentz provides solid quarterback play. I'd love to re-sign him for one more year. A-Jax gets a deserving first round tender, Hoecht could get a second round tender, and I may even trade him if the right offer comes (which, knowing me, it will). Johnson won't cost a lot of money as a former fifth round pick.)
Release:
Kevin Dotson
Akhello Witherspoon
Christian Rozeboom
Jonah Williams
Coleman Shelton
Jordan Fuller
John Johnson III
Royce Freeman
Tremayne Anchrum
Duke Shelley
Larrell Murchison
Carson Tinker
Austin Trammell
Troy Reeder
Brett Maher
Brycen Hopkins
(Dotson and Witherspoon will suck to lose, but we'll get some nice compensatory picks for them. Rozeboom and Williams are the RFAs that will cost too much to re-sign. Shelton, Fuller, JJ3, and Freeman are good, but not irreplaceable. Anchrum, Shelley, Murchison, and Tinker are replacement-level players. Trammell, Reeder, Maher, and Hopkins can go far, far away.)
Free Agency:
Josh Uche - three years, 8.5 million per year.
(Uche had a fantastic year in 2022: eleven-and-a-half sacks and two forced fumbles in a mere 374 snaps (fifteen games, none of them starts.) Last year? Not so good: his snaps dipped to 319 snaps (fifteen games, two starts) and he only had three sacks and fifteen tackles. Uche was still solid enough in coverage, despite playing less than thirty percent on New England's snaps, and I feel he could be a bargain at the right price. Let's be honest: with the Ernest Jones re-signing and trading Kupp, we're going to have to be smart with our money, go for potential bargains instead of signing big-name free agents. Uche could still be a solid player, and he's only twenty-five. Why not?)
Sean Murphy-Bunting- three years, 6.5 million per year (option year for year three).
(I'm shocked that Murphy-Bunting was had so easily by the Tennessee Titans. He's a 6'0" corner who has produced big numbers in limited time (twenty-nine pass breakups, eight picks, six forced fumbles in thirty-six games started with solid coverage skills. Herein lies the problem, though; he's had a lot of injuries that have cut into his time spent on the field. Quite simply, this is a gamble, but one that I feel could absolutely pay off in a big way; we're talking about a twenty-six-year-old cornerback who does damn near everything well and produces.)
Amik Robertson - two years, two million per year (option year for year two).
(Another gamble at cornerback, Robertson hasn't lived up to the hype that I thought would make him a top slot corner, but he's still recorded fifteen pass-breakups, four picks, and two forced fumbles in the last two years, while playing more for the Raiders than he did in his first two years. He's short (5'8"), but he reminds me of another short slot corner we had: Nickell Robey-Coleman. He's around the same age as NRC when he signed with us (twenty-five years old), and I feel that this could be an underrated signing.)
TRADES (as a note, I'm going by Tankathon's picks):
Cooper Kupp and 2025 fifth round pick to the New England Cheatriots for 2024 third round pick (#68 overall) 2024 fourth round pick (#104 overall) and 2025 conditional third round pick (becomes a second if Kupp eclipses 1,300 yards, 100 receptions or eleven touchdowns).
(I know this is borderline blasphemy. I know that Kupp is an amazing player with a huge dead-cap hit that might preclude us trading him. But I'm looking to the future, and I've outlined the very real concerns surrounding him. He has never been the healthiest player (he's missed four games last year, seven games the year before, and eight games in 2018), last year had even worse stats than the year before (where he had more receptions, yards, and touchdowns in less games than he had this year), and he'll be thirty-one in June. The Cheatriots are absolutely desperate for wide receiver help, and they've targeted Rams coordinators for their system. Quite simply, they need a veteran wide receiver for what will almost certainly be a rookie quarterback. This makes the most sense.)
Michael Hoecht to the Buffalo Bills for 2024 third round pick (#99 overall, comp pick).
(Buffalo is a desperate team when it comes to winning in the playoffs. I can't imagine that their head coach is satisfied with losing constantly in the playoffs to the Chiefs, especially with a glaring need at pass-rusher. They are likely going to lose a fair few pass-rushers in Shaq Lawson, A.J. Epenesa, and Leonard Floyd - and that's not even mentioning the shit happening with Von Miller - and they need someone aside from Gregory Rousseau. Enter Hoecht, who has had quite a few sacks in his time as a Ram, probably will fit as an end in a base package and overall be a chess piece with his athleticism in a 4-3. We're not getting a second-round tender for Hoecht, but I believe a very late third wouldn't be an absurd price for a player who has had ten-and-a-half sacks and two forced fumbles in the past two years.)
Derion Kendrick, Chatarius Atwell, and Ben Skowronek to the Atlanta Falcons for 2024 fifth round pick (#142 overall) and 2024 sixth round pick (#199 overall).
(Right now, the Falcons need help at receiver and cornerback. They will likely lose Jeff Okudah and their secondary was terrible anyway, and they have nothing at receiver aside from Drake London, Van Jefferson (who is a free agent anyway, but still, lawl) and Kyle Pitts - the latter of whom is very unhappy in Atlanta. Raheem could use a couple of veterans for what's likely going to be a very young Falcons team. Kendrick has starter experience (but the main reason I'm trading him is because I don't like him, shhh.), and Atwell and Skowronek are useful complimentary pieces. And best of all, it doesn't take away from the main pieces that Raheem will need if he wants to trade up for a quarterback. In return, we get a couple of mid-late picks, which is useful for depth.)
Joseph Noteboom and 2026 seventh round pick to the New York Jets for 2026 sixth round pick.
(A pick swap in two years, but Noteboom simply costs too much for us, and the Jets still need a left tackle for their porous offensive line.)
2024 first round pick (#19 overall) to the Houston Texans for 2024 first (#23 overall) and 2024 second round pick (#59 overall).
(Houston moves up for a falling defensive lineman (thinking Byron Murphy), while we move down a bit and pick up a late second.)
2025 first round pick and 2026 second round pick to the Detroit Lions for 2024 first round pick (#29 overall).
(I'm going for another bold move. I don't think that there's anyone in the 2025 draft that I'm interested in (as of yet; it's definitely subject to change) that would fall to our (Super Bowl) winning pick...so I'm going to trade it to a team that, at the moment, doesn't have a lot of real needs. Detroit could use that pick next year for an offensive tackle (to potentially replace Decker while Sewell moves to the left side) or, if Paschal fails to impress, an edge opposite Hutchinson. People say cornerback is deep (I don't, but I'm admittedly wrong a lot.), and Detroit might look at cornerback later. In return, we're going to take a shot at a falling wide receiver.)
2024 second round pick (#59 overall, Texans) and 2024 fifth round pick (#142 overall, Falcons) to the Baltimore Ravens for second round pick (#62 overall), 2024 fourth round pick (#131 overall) and 2024 fourth round pick (#134 overall).
(Baltimore moves up for a falling player, as they usually do (thinking an edge rusher). We move down and still get our target, as well as a couple of mid round picks.)
And now, the moment you've all waited for, let's do the fucking draft!
DRAFT:
#23 overall - Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State. (6'6", 312 lbs.)
(SUCK IT, COWBOYS, WE GOT HIM FIRST! NO TYRON SMITH REPLACEMENT FOR YOU! Ahem, anyway, that injury he suffered at the Combine may just be the opening for our left tackle for the next five years; had he not gotten his thigh injured, there's no way he'd be at #19, let alone here. Fashanu is, in my opinion, the best pass-protecting left tackle in this class (yes, even over Fautanu and Alt). Maybe not a bulldozing run blocker like Taliese Fuaga, but very mobile, able to climb to the second level with ease. He has issues with his technique that could also pose a problem, but this is a kid who is extremely coachable, has practiced against great pass-rushers, and will practice against even more deadly pass-rushers, a team captain with absolutely impeccable character. This is a kid you could use to protect Stafford's blindside. Maybe it's not the first day - I still think A-Jax has that spot down, so maybe he's your swing tackle this year - but next year? Absolutely, you could put him there, and he could very well surprise and take the job this year and run with it, force A-Jax to guard.)
#29 overall - Xavier Worthy, WR/PR, Texas. (5'11", 165 lbs.)
(SUCK IT, CHIEFS, WE GOT HIM FIRST! NO TYREEK HILL-LIKE SPEED FOR YOU! Obviously, you worry about the weight, how he'll react to press-coverage, contested catches. That's it. His speed is absolutely for real, but Worthy is no John Ross; his hands, while they aren't at the elite category of his teammate, Adonai Mitchell (who will go before we pick in this mock), are still solid. He doesn't win through physicality like Tyreek Hill, but clever route-running, versatility (he can play outside, in the slot, everywhere), selling his speed to branch the other routes off of that, like digs, curls, and crossing patterns. He has the speed we desperately, desperately have searched for, but we are not drafting a Cooks, an Atwell; Worthy is absolutely for real.)
#52 overall - Cooper Beebe, OG, Kansas State. (6'3", 322 lbs.)
(You guys all know that Beebe is my ultimate draft crush. Honestly, I'd be shocked if he lasted this long, but guards tend to fall on draft day (i.e., Avila having no business falling to the second, Larry Warford having no business falling to the third). Cooper Beebe is more of a left guard than anything, and with Avila moving to center and A-Jax (maybe Fashanu) on the left side, you've got a left side that opposing D-lines will absolutely hate to go up against in pass-protection. Beebe is an absolute wall in pass-protection and a mean-as-nails run-blocker whom running backs - and Stafford especially - will love. His short arms and bench press may knock him down in the eyes of some draftniks, but this is the one player I want us to get. Who knows if McSnead will listen, but he's going to be so fucking good as a guard.)
#62 overall - Ruke Orhorhoro, DE/DT, Clemson. (6'4", 294 lbs.)
(Orhorhoro is getting Justin Madubuike comparisons. That alone makes him worthy of this selection, but he's just so damn new to this game (he had to wait a while to play at Clemson, and when he did, he did a real bang-up job) that you look at potential. He's long (34-inch arms), the kind of DT you'd build in a lab, quick, powerful, and despite not starting a lot, he has a real plan when it comes to rushing the passer, collapses the pocket, forces the quarterback into mistakes. What he needs is to learn more hand-placement, counters, that sort of stuff. Fortunately, he has two of the absolute best teachers in AD and The Conductor. This could be an absolute bargain of a pick, especially once AD - eventually - retires.)
#68 overall - Jaylen Wright, RB, Tennessee. (5'10", 210 lbs.)
(I know what you're thinking: a running back this high? Memento, are you drunk/high/both? Well, Wright may change minds. He's not a running back; he's a pure weapon. He used to be a wide receiver and still runs the routes like one, so he could be much like a pseudo-Gibbs. But the main reason I'm picking him is because he's an explosive play waiting to happen, a dynamo with the ball in his hands, able to cause otherwise solid angles to flat out disappear with his speed, got ten-plus yards on over a quarter of his carries. But he does have weaknesses: four fumbles in 146 carries in 2022, and while he is absolutely capable of playing physical and getting tough yards, breaking tackles, he'll revert to running away. He's not a good interior runner yet; while he absolutely has above-average vision, he doesn't trust his eyes enough, and those holes close. But on jet sweeps, flips, reverses; hell, routes as a whole, Wright will show his potential there.)
#83 overall - Xavier Legette, WR/KR, South Carolina. (6'1", 221 lbs.)
(Legette is thick, physical, and uber-athletic. Think Deebo if Deebo was two inches taller and not a crying baby when his pathetic team loses. But like Samuel, Legette has his own flaws. He hasn't had a lot of experience catching the ball; this year was the first time he ever eclipsed thirty receptions, and his team's offense was anemic, even with one of the better quarterbacks in this class (for various reasons). He struggles with run-blocking technique (even though he's got the willingness to do it), struggles with his release on the line, definitely struggles with route running at this stage. But the positives? His hands are as solid as they can get, and it doesn't matter if it's contested; he'll still catch it. He's an immediate YAC threat, someone Stafford could hit on slants, go-routes, and watch him fly (hit 22.3 miles-per-hour), but he'll also show hints of more subtle routes, like on comebacks, digs, and hitches after threatening vertical. He's a long-term project, but that's fine with Nacua, Robinson and Johnson taking a lot of snaps. He's like a nice cake: takes time to make, but the payoff is super sweet in the end.)
#99 overall - Kris Abrams-Draine, CB, Missouri. (5'11", 179 lbs.)
(KAD is my other crush. I know that scouts and teams love Rakestraw more (and believe me, I love Rakestraw, too), but Abrams-Draine is a ballhawking corner, as solid and smart in zone as can be, athletic, and will absolutely stick his nose physically. He's improved a ton in press-man from when he first started (came to Mizzou as a wide receiver, and the last cornerback on my team - Tigers or Rams - I saw who looked so natural in breaking up passes and catching the ball? Darious Williams, and that's my comp for KAD. Mind you, he's not going to suddenly win 50/50 ball situations, his tackling needs a bit of work, and he can't trust his athleticism to bail him out all of the time, but this is a scheme-versatile cornerback who simply makes zone coverage, press-man, and ballhawking look easy when it's not. I'd be proud to select him at this point, and honestly, I think he'll be a better pro than most of the corners in this class.)
#100 overall - Kiran Amegadjie, OT/OG, Yale. (6'5", 323 lbs.)
(Thirty-six-inch arms. That's all I have to say. I don't even know if Amegadjie will be here, I really don't. He's just a mold of clay, with that length, that body, those smarts. Yes, smarts; he did not get into Yale based on athletic ability. Yes, going from Yale straight to the NFL is going to be a huge shock; yes, he's going to have to work on hand placement and actually using his length. But based on what tape I saw, he's just so light on his feet, mean in the running game, and those goddamned arms, just...this is a kid who could absolutely take over Havenstein's spot on the right side in two years, given enough growth - and I am absolutely not going to trade Havenstein; I'm just saying how good this kid's potential is.)
#108 overall - Brenden Rice, WR, Southern California. (6'2", 208 lbs.)
(Obviously, Rice didn't test to what I thought he would. I don't care. I look at the film of this kid, and I see a dedicated worker to his craft, someone with some of the best hands in the draft, even if his physicality is lacking in some areas (even though he'll use his body to shield away defenders and break tackles, he lacks physicality against press-man), a smart route runner (courtesy of his father) and one of the smartest receivers when it comes to just doing all of the little things like making a target for a quarterback in duress (I'll say that he made Caleb Williams look a lot better than he was). He reminds me - just a little bit - of Kupp in those sheer instincts that you just cannot teach. He doesn't have a lot of wiggle after the catch, doesn't have a ton of lateral agility, but he will provide a body to throw to, and is a touchdown machine (with a score every 5.2 receptions in his college career), and his smarts are what really set him apart. Maybe he's not a number one, but as a reliable number two who will make an immediate impact? Absolutely.)
#131 overall - Dallin Holker, TE, Colorado State. (6'3", 241 lbs.)
(Let me be frank: this is not a good or deep tight end class like last year's was. You have Brock Bowers at the top, Ja'Tavion Sanders a long way below him, then very few whom I honestly believe are draftable (for various reasons. I like Erick All, but his medicals scare the absolute shit out of me), let alone like as prospects. Holker, however, is one of those few whom I actually like and I'd draft in the mid-rounds. Holker was not that good at Brigham Young, for whatever reason; he only had 521 yards, thirty-two receptions and three touchdowns, over three years. Then he transferred to Colorado State, and he became one of the Rams best pass-catchers - and arguably the most reliable - in a pseudo-LaPorta role (doubling touchdowns, more than doubling receptions, and 767 yards). He's no inline tight end, but he'll definitely stick his nose in, has the arm length and pad-level. He's not twitchy, he's not going to be a dynamic YAC tight end, but he's tough, his sheer body control and hands are insane (he caught TWO balls in the gauntlet, albeit completely by accident), and he's a solid enough athlete to be a threat and third-down machine in a lot of route combinations. He's not going to be spectacular, but he's going to be solid for a while.)
#134 overall - Javon Solomon, EDGE, Troy. (6'1", 246 lbs.)
(Solomon doesn't strike you as an edge at first glance. He's simply not a big or long guy; length really gives him trouble. But all he ever did at Troy was get sacks, rack up tackles for a loss, make the offensive line and quarterback's day a living hell; you simply don't get sixteen sacks by accident, no matter the competition. He's surprisingly athletic, smart with counter moves, constant effort, and he's overall a very smart player who plans his attack, usually from a wide base, but I would think that he could be a solid 3-4 linebacker. You worry about him against the run, of course, and of course, length and strength are usually game enders, but if he ever got counter moves for those, he could be a guy like Elvis Dumervil or Justin Houston and stay in the league for a very long time.)
#153 overall - Chau Smith-Wade, CB, Washington State. (5'10", 184 lbs.)
(Again, like I mentioned, I'm not in love with a lot of the supposed Day 2 cornerbacks, and I'm unsure on a lot of Day 3 corners as well. Smith-Wade might be one of the few Day 3 corners I absolutely love. I fucking love this kid as a potential slot/occasional outside corner. Is he the biggest? Absolutely not, but he seriously reminds me of Asante Samuel Jr., in that he could be a nickel corner/STAR position player who can stick on the bigger tight ends, slot receivers, running backs like glue, even though he may not have the athleticism necessary to stick with the outside. Sticky coverage (so much so that teams always threw away from him; that's why he didn't have many picks.), cat-quick, nice recovery speed on the rare occasions he's beat, underrated ball skills that he didn't often get to show, just a bunch of good attributes. The only thing that sticks is the size and frame; he will get big-boyed, miss tackles because he's slender, but even then, he's still willing at least stick his nose in run support with help. Honestly, while I may not love many Day 2 or 3 corners (KAD and Rakestraw aside), I love this kid.)
#154 overall - Isaiah Davis, RB, South Dakota State. (6'0", 218 lbs.)
(One word describes Davis: physical. He's always looking to break tackles, and he will never get driven backwards, will always fall forward. I wrestled a bit with Ray Davis - and I do love his production at Kentucky and his clear character - and Cody Schrader - whom I compare to Kyren Williams, and believe he will be a great pro - at this spot, but Isaiah fills a need as a powerful back, and is an absolute beast with the ball in his hands. His hands are soft, but not special, he's a pass-protecting rock, he's patient as a runner, maybe to a fault; when he sees a hole, he needs to actually go to it. He'll find alternate routes when there's nothing there, and that can be good, but he'll also maybe take too many steps, maybe bounce outside too much, getting away from what he's good at. But still, with a fifth-round pick, Davis is a running back who could easily be a number 3 in our stable with K-Will and Wright, someone you can consistently rely on to get the tough yards, like Freeman, but better.)
#157 overall - Nick Gargiulo, OC/OG/OT, South Carolina. (6'5", 318 lbs.)
(Another former Yale lineman, Gargiulo is basically a Swiss-Army knife, having played guard and tackle at Yale before transferring to South Carolina and playing center. Yes, Spencer Rattler (the quarterback) didn't have a good offensive line and defense, but I've looked at Gargiulo's tape, and honestly, for someone transferring from Division Two, playing every position at Yale, and then starting at arguably the second-most important position on the line as well as guard...he really didn't do bad. Is the tape absolutely mind-blowing? No, but he's solid enough. You need backups in the NFL as well, and I think that having that center/guard backup is just as important as a swing tackle, and I really think Gargiulo could provide that.)
#199 overall - Marist Liufau, ILB, Notre Dame. (6'2", 234 lbs.)
(Liufau plays linebacker the way Nacua plays wide receiver: full-out, balls-to-the-wall physicality. He will stick you, dump you, and he will let you know it, and he is an exceptional cover linebacker, particularly in zone and occasionally in man; always in position, intelligent, but not an athletic freak of nature. Against the run, he's constantly active...to a fault. He needs to do a better job of diagnosing where the running lanes are, and he's too impatient at times, doesn't fill the right hole, bites on RPOs, takes occasional wrong angles, and basically needs to trust his instincts and slow the game down. He'd probably be perfect for special teams as well, honestly; Liufau is an intelligent player, even with athletic limitations, and with a late sixth, that's worth its weight in gold.)
#212 overall - Jalyx Hunt EDGE, Houston Christian. (6'4", 252 lbs.)
(Can you believe that Hunt played safety at Houston Christian? This is a real shot in the dark as he's extremely raw (like, rawer than sushi, rawer than a bloody-recently-killed-carcass-raw), but Hunt has the athletic traits (34-inch arms, 1.6 split), that make you sit up and go, "Holy fucking shit...", even though he didn't even really start as an edge rusher (again, until very recently, he played safety and just outgrew the position). He actually tends to feel out offensive linemen, and even though he needs work on his hands, he does a hell of a job with his moves, setting up offensive linemen with footwork and explosion, for someone so raw and succeeds even without a plan. And since he was a former safety not too long ago, he really excels at coverage as well. Against the run, anchoring, yes, he'll struggle, yes, the level of competition isn't great, and he obviously, obviously needs a lot of time, but this kid could be special. I reiterate: this kid could absolutely be special.)
#217 overall - Khristian Boyd, NT, Northern Iowa. (6'4", 317 lbs.)
(Boyd was not invited to the Combine, but I believe he more than proved himself at the East-West Shrine Bowl against some really good offensive linemen. I think he's a fantastic option as a developmental nose tackle to pair behind Bobby Brown III. He's actually a very solid pass-rusher: ten-and-a-half sacks attests to that, but his real strength is stacking and shedding double-teams, and punishing the running back. He's big, and very quick for his size, definitely a smart and experienced player, but even though it may not seem like it, he'll need time in an NFL weight room with a planned meal course; he's simply not strong enough yet to withstand the grind, and Boyd himself even mentioned that Northern Iowa doesn't have the facilities that other colleges have (although he has a huge chip on his shoulder as a result of that). Boyd, like Hunt, is a long-term pick, but one that could flourish under the right circumstances.)
#218 overall - Ryan Watts, SAF, Texas. (6'3", 208 lbs.)
(Watts may have been listed as a cornerback at Texas, but he's not. He simply doesn't have the long speed or quickness to even stick in the slot; his tape proves it, and his cornerback tape is ugly; that's why he's here. But when you project this kid as a potential safety, things start to look up. For one, thirty-four-inch arms. For another, he's already got the physicality down pat; he'll hit you hard and let you know it, and he will also power through blockers. He's never going to wow with athleticism, but this kid could be a solid safety with decent ballskills and coverage ability, and for now, could be a solid, solid special teams ace.)
ROSTER:
QB - Matt Stafford, Carson Wentz.
(At this point, I'm not expecting Bennett to come back. Stafford is Stafford, Wentz is Wentz.)
RB - Kyren Williams, Jaylen Wright, Isaiah Davis, Zach Evans.
(K-Will is still starting, but if he gets hurt, Wright and Davis could share the reins. Evans could get first crack at backup, but I worry about his pass-protection and if that's improved. Rivers is also an option, I guess?)
WR - Puka Nacua, Demarcus Robinson, Xavier Worthy, Tyler Johnson (PR), Brenden Rice, Xavier Legette (KR).
(Nacua, Robinson and Worthy are your starters, while Rice and Johnson provide valuable rotational receivers (and punt returner, in Johnson's case). Legette is your kick returner.
TE - Davis Allen, Hunter Long, Dallin Holker. (Tyler Higbee PUP.)
(Someone on this team is going to get hurt before Higbee comes back, so I'm not totally concerned about leaving him on PUP. Tight end could be our weakest group, but it's also the most intriguing, given Allen, Long, and Holker.)
OL - Alaric Jackson, Cooper Beebe, Steve Avila, Warren McClendon, Rob Havenstein, Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Kiran Amegadjie, Nick Gargiulo, Logan Bruss, Zachary Thomas.
(The most interesting battle is A-Jax and Fashanu, but I'll say A-Jax's experience just wins out, while Fashanu could be your swing tackle. McClendon gets the first crack at the right guard job (and don't sleep on him) although Bruss or Thomas could say something about it, I guess? Gargiulo's your guard/center backup, while Amegadjie gets a redshirt year. ...Yes, I still have some faith in Bruss, what are you talking about?)
DL - Aaron Donald, Kobie Turner, Bobby Brown III, Desjuan Johnson, Ruke Orhorhoro, Khristian Boyd.
(AD is AD. The Conductor had a hell of a year last year, and I think he could be ascending. BB3 is your nose tackle, Johnson is a solid rotational piece, and Orhorhoro could be special, but should be eased along. Boyd is developmental.)
LB - Ernest Jones, Nick Hampton, Byron Young, Josh Uche, Javon Solomon, Jalyx Hunt, Marist Liufau, Jake Hummel.
(Hampton starts next to Jones (for now; we could see Hummel or Liufau start as well if Hampton falters), Young is a definite starter, and Uche (for now) is your other OLB (although Solomon could say otherwise.) Hunt gets a redshirt year. Sorry, but I'd rather have Hunt than Ochaun Mathis as a developmental edge rusher, although I guess Mathis could surprise.)
DB - Sean Murphy-Bunting, Cobie Durant, Amik Robertson, Russ Yeast, Quentin Lake, Kris Abrams-Draine, Chau Smith-Wade, Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, Jason Taylor II,, Tanner Ingle, Ryan Watts.
(Not exactly the best defensive back group, but I did the best with the limits I had. SMB and Robertson bring veteran presence to a very youthful group overall. I think Yeast and Lake can still improve, and I'm picking Durant to bounce back. KAD, CSW, and THT make up rest of the corners, while I'm going with five safeties: Taylor, Ingle (don't sleep on Ingle; he was one of our better players last preseason), and Watts.
ST - Tanner Brown, Ethan Evans (kickoffs), Alex Ward.
(No, I didn't draft a kicker for one reason: I like Tanner Brown, and I get the feeling that even if he struggles, it'll be easy to find a better kicker. Evans needs to practice on hang-time and coffin corners, but he could be one of the best punters in the game if he does. Ward was solid enough.)
Feel free to critique.
Position Switch:
Steve Avila - LG to OC
Nick Hampton - EDGE to ILB/EDGE
(Both make sense. Avila provides a huge body at center, and he played the position for most of his TCU days. Hampton has pass-rushing moves, but he's too small out on the edge, and would do better as an off-ball linebacker in sub-packages.)
Re-sign:
Ernest Jones (four years, thirteen million per year (contract starts at end of rookie deal)
Carson Wentz (one year, eight million).
Alaric Jackson (RFA, first round tender).
Michael Hoecht (RFA, second round tender).
Tyler Johnson (RFA, original round tender).
(We lock up Ernest Jones early and rectify the mistake we made when we let London Fletcher go. Wentz provides solid quarterback play. I'd love to re-sign him for one more year. A-Jax gets a deserving first round tender, Hoecht could get a second round tender, and I may even trade him if the right offer comes (which, knowing me, it will). Johnson won't cost a lot of money as a former fifth round pick.)
Release:
Kevin Dotson
Akhello Witherspoon
Christian Rozeboom
Jonah Williams
Coleman Shelton
Jordan Fuller
John Johnson III
Royce Freeman
Tremayne Anchrum
Duke Shelley
Larrell Murchison
Carson Tinker
Austin Trammell
Troy Reeder
Brett Maher
Brycen Hopkins
(Dotson and Witherspoon will suck to lose, but we'll get some nice compensatory picks for them. Rozeboom and Williams are the RFAs that will cost too much to re-sign. Shelton, Fuller, JJ3, and Freeman are good, but not irreplaceable. Anchrum, Shelley, Murchison, and Tinker are replacement-level players. Trammell, Reeder, Maher, and Hopkins can go far, far away.)
Free Agency:
Josh Uche - three years, 8.5 million per year.
(Uche had a fantastic year in 2022: eleven-and-a-half sacks and two forced fumbles in a mere 374 snaps (fifteen games, none of them starts.) Last year? Not so good: his snaps dipped to 319 snaps (fifteen games, two starts) and he only had three sacks and fifteen tackles. Uche was still solid enough in coverage, despite playing less than thirty percent on New England's snaps, and I feel he could be a bargain at the right price. Let's be honest: with the Ernest Jones re-signing and trading Kupp, we're going to have to be smart with our money, go for potential bargains instead of signing big-name free agents. Uche could still be a solid player, and he's only twenty-five. Why not?)
Sean Murphy-Bunting- three years, 6.5 million per year (option year for year three).
(I'm shocked that Murphy-Bunting was had so easily by the Tennessee Titans. He's a 6'0" corner who has produced big numbers in limited time (twenty-nine pass breakups, eight picks, six forced fumbles in thirty-six games started with solid coverage skills. Herein lies the problem, though; he's had a lot of injuries that have cut into his time spent on the field. Quite simply, this is a gamble, but one that I feel could absolutely pay off in a big way; we're talking about a twenty-six-year-old cornerback who does damn near everything well and produces.)
Amik Robertson - two years, two million per year (option year for year two).
(Another gamble at cornerback, Robertson hasn't lived up to the hype that I thought would make him a top slot corner, but he's still recorded fifteen pass-breakups, four picks, and two forced fumbles in the last two years, while playing more for the Raiders than he did in his first two years. He's short (5'8"), but he reminds me of another short slot corner we had: Nickell Robey-Coleman. He's around the same age as NRC when he signed with us (twenty-five years old), and I feel that this could be an underrated signing.)
TRADES (as a note, I'm going by Tankathon's picks):
Cooper Kupp and 2025 fifth round pick to the New England Cheatriots for 2024 third round pick (#68 overall) 2024 fourth round pick (#104 overall) and 2025 conditional third round pick (becomes a second if Kupp eclipses 1,300 yards, 100 receptions or eleven touchdowns).
(I know this is borderline blasphemy. I know that Kupp is an amazing player with a huge dead-cap hit that might preclude us trading him. But I'm looking to the future, and I've outlined the very real concerns surrounding him. He has never been the healthiest player (he's missed four games last year, seven games the year before, and eight games in 2018), last year had even worse stats than the year before (where he had more receptions, yards, and touchdowns in less games than he had this year), and he'll be thirty-one in June. The Cheatriots are absolutely desperate for wide receiver help, and they've targeted Rams coordinators for their system. Quite simply, they need a veteran wide receiver for what will almost certainly be a rookie quarterback. This makes the most sense.)
Michael Hoecht to the Buffalo Bills for 2024 third round pick (#99 overall, comp pick).
(Buffalo is a desperate team when it comes to winning in the playoffs. I can't imagine that their head coach is satisfied with losing constantly in the playoffs to the Chiefs, especially with a glaring need at pass-rusher. They are likely going to lose a fair few pass-rushers in Shaq Lawson, A.J. Epenesa, and Leonard Floyd - and that's not even mentioning the shit happening with Von Miller - and they need someone aside from Gregory Rousseau. Enter Hoecht, who has had quite a few sacks in his time as a Ram, probably will fit as an end in a base package and overall be a chess piece with his athleticism in a 4-3. We're not getting a second-round tender for Hoecht, but I believe a very late third wouldn't be an absurd price for a player who has had ten-and-a-half sacks and two forced fumbles in the past two years.)
Derion Kendrick, Chatarius Atwell, and Ben Skowronek to the Atlanta Falcons for 2024 fifth round pick (#142 overall) and 2024 sixth round pick (#199 overall).
(Right now, the Falcons need help at receiver and cornerback. They will likely lose Jeff Okudah and their secondary was terrible anyway, and they have nothing at receiver aside from Drake London, Van Jefferson (who is a free agent anyway, but still, lawl) and Kyle Pitts - the latter of whom is very unhappy in Atlanta. Raheem could use a couple of veterans for what's likely going to be a very young Falcons team. Kendrick has starter experience (but the main reason I'm trading him is because I don't like him, shhh.), and Atwell and Skowronek are useful complimentary pieces. And best of all, it doesn't take away from the main pieces that Raheem will need if he wants to trade up for a quarterback. In return, we get a couple of mid-late picks, which is useful for depth.)
Joseph Noteboom and 2026 seventh round pick to the New York Jets for 2026 sixth round pick.
(A pick swap in two years, but Noteboom simply costs too much for us, and the Jets still need a left tackle for their porous offensive line.)
2024 first round pick (#19 overall) to the Houston Texans for 2024 first (#23 overall) and 2024 second round pick (#59 overall).
(Houston moves up for a falling defensive lineman (thinking Byron Murphy), while we move down a bit and pick up a late second.)
2025 first round pick and 2026 second round pick to the Detroit Lions for 2024 first round pick (#29 overall).
(I'm going for another bold move. I don't think that there's anyone in the 2025 draft that I'm interested in (as of yet; it's definitely subject to change) that would fall to our (Super Bowl) winning pick...so I'm going to trade it to a team that, at the moment, doesn't have a lot of real needs. Detroit could use that pick next year for an offensive tackle (to potentially replace Decker while Sewell moves to the left side) or, if Paschal fails to impress, an edge opposite Hutchinson. People say cornerback is deep (I don't, but I'm admittedly wrong a lot.), and Detroit might look at cornerback later. In return, we're going to take a shot at a falling wide receiver.)
2024 second round pick (#59 overall, Texans) and 2024 fifth round pick (#142 overall, Falcons) to the Baltimore Ravens for second round pick (#62 overall), 2024 fourth round pick (#131 overall) and 2024 fourth round pick (#134 overall).
(Baltimore moves up for a falling player, as they usually do (thinking an edge rusher). We move down and still get our target, as well as a couple of mid round picks.)
And now, the moment you've all waited for, let's do the fucking draft!
DRAFT:
#23 overall - Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State. (6'6", 312 lbs.)
(SUCK IT, COWBOYS, WE GOT HIM FIRST! NO TYRON SMITH REPLACEMENT FOR YOU! Ahem, anyway, that injury he suffered at the Combine may just be the opening for our left tackle for the next five years; had he not gotten his thigh injured, there's no way he'd be at #19, let alone here. Fashanu is, in my opinion, the best pass-protecting left tackle in this class (yes, even over Fautanu and Alt). Maybe not a bulldozing run blocker like Taliese Fuaga, but very mobile, able to climb to the second level with ease. He has issues with his technique that could also pose a problem, but this is a kid who is extremely coachable, has practiced against great pass-rushers, and will practice against even more deadly pass-rushers, a team captain with absolutely impeccable character. This is a kid you could use to protect Stafford's blindside. Maybe it's not the first day - I still think A-Jax has that spot down, so maybe he's your swing tackle this year - but next year? Absolutely, you could put him there, and he could very well surprise and take the job this year and run with it, force A-Jax to guard.)
#29 overall - Xavier Worthy, WR/PR, Texas. (5'11", 165 lbs.)
(SUCK IT, CHIEFS, WE GOT HIM FIRST! NO TYREEK HILL-LIKE SPEED FOR YOU! Obviously, you worry about the weight, how he'll react to press-coverage, contested catches. That's it. His speed is absolutely for real, but Worthy is no John Ross; his hands, while they aren't at the elite category of his teammate, Adonai Mitchell (who will go before we pick in this mock), are still solid. He doesn't win through physicality like Tyreek Hill, but clever route-running, versatility (he can play outside, in the slot, everywhere), selling his speed to branch the other routes off of that, like digs, curls, and crossing patterns. He has the speed we desperately, desperately have searched for, but we are not drafting a Cooks, an Atwell; Worthy is absolutely for real.)
#52 overall - Cooper Beebe, OG, Kansas State. (6'3", 322 lbs.)
(You guys all know that Beebe is my ultimate draft crush. Honestly, I'd be shocked if he lasted this long, but guards tend to fall on draft day (i.e., Avila having no business falling to the second, Larry Warford having no business falling to the third). Cooper Beebe is more of a left guard than anything, and with Avila moving to center and A-Jax (maybe Fashanu) on the left side, you've got a left side that opposing D-lines will absolutely hate to go up against in pass-protection. Beebe is an absolute wall in pass-protection and a mean-as-nails run-blocker whom running backs - and Stafford especially - will love. His short arms and bench press may knock him down in the eyes of some draftniks, but this is the one player I want us to get. Who knows if McSnead will listen, but he's going to be so fucking good as a guard.)
#62 overall - Ruke Orhorhoro, DE/DT, Clemson. (6'4", 294 lbs.)
(Orhorhoro is getting Justin Madubuike comparisons. That alone makes him worthy of this selection, but he's just so damn new to this game (he had to wait a while to play at Clemson, and when he did, he did a real bang-up job) that you look at potential. He's long (34-inch arms), the kind of DT you'd build in a lab, quick, powerful, and despite not starting a lot, he has a real plan when it comes to rushing the passer, collapses the pocket, forces the quarterback into mistakes. What he needs is to learn more hand-placement, counters, that sort of stuff. Fortunately, he has two of the absolute best teachers in AD and The Conductor. This could be an absolute bargain of a pick, especially once AD - eventually - retires.)
#68 overall - Jaylen Wright, RB, Tennessee. (5'10", 210 lbs.)
(I know what you're thinking: a running back this high? Memento, are you drunk/high/both? Well, Wright may change minds. He's not a running back; he's a pure weapon. He used to be a wide receiver and still runs the routes like one, so he could be much like a pseudo-Gibbs. But the main reason I'm picking him is because he's an explosive play waiting to happen, a dynamo with the ball in his hands, able to cause otherwise solid angles to flat out disappear with his speed, got ten-plus yards on over a quarter of his carries. But he does have weaknesses: four fumbles in 146 carries in 2022, and while he is absolutely capable of playing physical and getting tough yards, breaking tackles, he'll revert to running away. He's not a good interior runner yet; while he absolutely has above-average vision, he doesn't trust his eyes enough, and those holes close. But on jet sweeps, flips, reverses; hell, routes as a whole, Wright will show his potential there.)
#83 overall - Xavier Legette, WR/KR, South Carolina. (6'1", 221 lbs.)
(Legette is thick, physical, and uber-athletic. Think Deebo if Deebo was two inches taller and not a crying baby when his pathetic team loses. But like Samuel, Legette has his own flaws. He hasn't had a lot of experience catching the ball; this year was the first time he ever eclipsed thirty receptions, and his team's offense was anemic, even with one of the better quarterbacks in this class (for various reasons). He struggles with run-blocking technique (even though he's got the willingness to do it), struggles with his release on the line, definitely struggles with route running at this stage. But the positives? His hands are as solid as they can get, and it doesn't matter if it's contested; he'll still catch it. He's an immediate YAC threat, someone Stafford could hit on slants, go-routes, and watch him fly (hit 22.3 miles-per-hour), but he'll also show hints of more subtle routes, like on comebacks, digs, and hitches after threatening vertical. He's a long-term project, but that's fine with Nacua, Robinson and Johnson taking a lot of snaps. He's like a nice cake: takes time to make, but the payoff is super sweet in the end.)
#99 overall - Kris Abrams-Draine, CB, Missouri. (5'11", 179 lbs.)
(KAD is my other crush. I know that scouts and teams love Rakestraw more (and believe me, I love Rakestraw, too), but Abrams-Draine is a ballhawking corner, as solid and smart in zone as can be, athletic, and will absolutely stick his nose physically. He's improved a ton in press-man from when he first started (came to Mizzou as a wide receiver, and the last cornerback on my team - Tigers or Rams - I saw who looked so natural in breaking up passes and catching the ball? Darious Williams, and that's my comp for KAD. Mind you, he's not going to suddenly win 50/50 ball situations, his tackling needs a bit of work, and he can't trust his athleticism to bail him out all of the time, but this is a scheme-versatile cornerback who simply makes zone coverage, press-man, and ballhawking look easy when it's not. I'd be proud to select him at this point, and honestly, I think he'll be a better pro than most of the corners in this class.)
#100 overall - Kiran Amegadjie, OT/OG, Yale. (6'5", 323 lbs.)
(Thirty-six-inch arms. That's all I have to say. I don't even know if Amegadjie will be here, I really don't. He's just a mold of clay, with that length, that body, those smarts. Yes, smarts; he did not get into Yale based on athletic ability. Yes, going from Yale straight to the NFL is going to be a huge shock; yes, he's going to have to work on hand placement and actually using his length. But based on what tape I saw, he's just so light on his feet, mean in the running game, and those goddamned arms, just...this is a kid who could absolutely take over Havenstein's spot on the right side in two years, given enough growth - and I am absolutely not going to trade Havenstein; I'm just saying how good this kid's potential is.)
#108 overall - Brenden Rice, WR, Southern California. (6'2", 208 lbs.)
(Obviously, Rice didn't test to what I thought he would. I don't care. I look at the film of this kid, and I see a dedicated worker to his craft, someone with some of the best hands in the draft, even if his physicality is lacking in some areas (even though he'll use his body to shield away defenders and break tackles, he lacks physicality against press-man), a smart route runner (courtesy of his father) and one of the smartest receivers when it comes to just doing all of the little things like making a target for a quarterback in duress (I'll say that he made Caleb Williams look a lot better than he was). He reminds me - just a little bit - of Kupp in those sheer instincts that you just cannot teach. He doesn't have a lot of wiggle after the catch, doesn't have a ton of lateral agility, but he will provide a body to throw to, and is a touchdown machine (with a score every 5.2 receptions in his college career), and his smarts are what really set him apart. Maybe he's not a number one, but as a reliable number two who will make an immediate impact? Absolutely.)
#131 overall - Dallin Holker, TE, Colorado State. (6'3", 241 lbs.)
(Let me be frank: this is not a good or deep tight end class like last year's was. You have Brock Bowers at the top, Ja'Tavion Sanders a long way below him, then very few whom I honestly believe are draftable (for various reasons. I like Erick All, but his medicals scare the absolute shit out of me), let alone like as prospects. Holker, however, is one of those few whom I actually like and I'd draft in the mid-rounds. Holker was not that good at Brigham Young, for whatever reason; he only had 521 yards, thirty-two receptions and three touchdowns, over three years. Then he transferred to Colorado State, and he became one of the Rams best pass-catchers - and arguably the most reliable - in a pseudo-LaPorta role (doubling touchdowns, more than doubling receptions, and 767 yards). He's no inline tight end, but he'll definitely stick his nose in, has the arm length and pad-level. He's not twitchy, he's not going to be a dynamic YAC tight end, but he's tough, his sheer body control and hands are insane (he caught TWO balls in the gauntlet, albeit completely by accident), and he's a solid enough athlete to be a threat and third-down machine in a lot of route combinations. He's not going to be spectacular, but he's going to be solid for a while.)
#134 overall - Javon Solomon, EDGE, Troy. (6'1", 246 lbs.)
(Solomon doesn't strike you as an edge at first glance. He's simply not a big or long guy; length really gives him trouble. But all he ever did at Troy was get sacks, rack up tackles for a loss, make the offensive line and quarterback's day a living hell; you simply don't get sixteen sacks by accident, no matter the competition. He's surprisingly athletic, smart with counter moves, constant effort, and he's overall a very smart player who plans his attack, usually from a wide base, but I would think that he could be a solid 3-4 linebacker. You worry about him against the run, of course, and of course, length and strength are usually game enders, but if he ever got counter moves for those, he could be a guy like Elvis Dumervil or Justin Houston and stay in the league for a very long time.)
#153 overall - Chau Smith-Wade, CB, Washington State. (5'10", 184 lbs.)
(Again, like I mentioned, I'm not in love with a lot of the supposed Day 2 cornerbacks, and I'm unsure on a lot of Day 3 corners as well. Smith-Wade might be one of the few Day 3 corners I absolutely love. I fucking love this kid as a potential slot/occasional outside corner. Is he the biggest? Absolutely not, but he seriously reminds me of Asante Samuel Jr., in that he could be a nickel corner/STAR position player who can stick on the bigger tight ends, slot receivers, running backs like glue, even though he may not have the athleticism necessary to stick with the outside. Sticky coverage (so much so that teams always threw away from him; that's why he didn't have many picks.), cat-quick, nice recovery speed on the rare occasions he's beat, underrated ball skills that he didn't often get to show, just a bunch of good attributes. The only thing that sticks is the size and frame; he will get big-boyed, miss tackles because he's slender, but even then, he's still willing at least stick his nose in run support with help. Honestly, while I may not love many Day 2 or 3 corners (KAD and Rakestraw aside), I love this kid.)
#154 overall - Isaiah Davis, RB, South Dakota State. (6'0", 218 lbs.)
(One word describes Davis: physical. He's always looking to break tackles, and he will never get driven backwards, will always fall forward. I wrestled a bit with Ray Davis - and I do love his production at Kentucky and his clear character - and Cody Schrader - whom I compare to Kyren Williams, and believe he will be a great pro - at this spot, but Isaiah fills a need as a powerful back, and is an absolute beast with the ball in his hands. His hands are soft, but not special, he's a pass-protecting rock, he's patient as a runner, maybe to a fault; when he sees a hole, he needs to actually go to it. He'll find alternate routes when there's nothing there, and that can be good, but he'll also maybe take too many steps, maybe bounce outside too much, getting away from what he's good at. But still, with a fifth-round pick, Davis is a running back who could easily be a number 3 in our stable with K-Will and Wright, someone you can consistently rely on to get the tough yards, like Freeman, but better.)
#157 overall - Nick Gargiulo, OC/OG/OT, South Carolina. (6'5", 318 lbs.)
(Another former Yale lineman, Gargiulo is basically a Swiss-Army knife, having played guard and tackle at Yale before transferring to South Carolina and playing center. Yes, Spencer Rattler (the quarterback) didn't have a good offensive line and defense, but I've looked at Gargiulo's tape, and honestly, for someone transferring from Division Two, playing every position at Yale, and then starting at arguably the second-most important position on the line as well as guard...he really didn't do bad. Is the tape absolutely mind-blowing? No, but he's solid enough. You need backups in the NFL as well, and I think that having that center/guard backup is just as important as a swing tackle, and I really think Gargiulo could provide that.)
#199 overall - Marist Liufau, ILB, Notre Dame. (6'2", 234 lbs.)
(Liufau plays linebacker the way Nacua plays wide receiver: full-out, balls-to-the-wall physicality. He will stick you, dump you, and he will let you know it, and he is an exceptional cover linebacker, particularly in zone and occasionally in man; always in position, intelligent, but not an athletic freak of nature. Against the run, he's constantly active...to a fault. He needs to do a better job of diagnosing where the running lanes are, and he's too impatient at times, doesn't fill the right hole, bites on RPOs, takes occasional wrong angles, and basically needs to trust his instincts and slow the game down. He'd probably be perfect for special teams as well, honestly; Liufau is an intelligent player, even with athletic limitations, and with a late sixth, that's worth its weight in gold.)
#212 overall - Jalyx Hunt EDGE, Houston Christian. (6'4", 252 lbs.)
(Can you believe that Hunt played safety at Houston Christian? This is a real shot in the dark as he's extremely raw (like, rawer than sushi, rawer than a bloody-recently-killed-carcass-raw), but Hunt has the athletic traits (34-inch arms, 1.6 split), that make you sit up and go, "Holy fucking shit...", even though he didn't even really start as an edge rusher (again, until very recently, he played safety and just outgrew the position). He actually tends to feel out offensive linemen, and even though he needs work on his hands, he does a hell of a job with his moves, setting up offensive linemen with footwork and explosion, for someone so raw and succeeds even without a plan. And since he was a former safety not too long ago, he really excels at coverage as well. Against the run, anchoring, yes, he'll struggle, yes, the level of competition isn't great, and he obviously, obviously needs a lot of time, but this kid could be special. I reiterate: this kid could absolutely be special.)
#217 overall - Khristian Boyd, NT, Northern Iowa. (6'4", 317 lbs.)
(Boyd was not invited to the Combine, but I believe he more than proved himself at the East-West Shrine Bowl against some really good offensive linemen. I think he's a fantastic option as a developmental nose tackle to pair behind Bobby Brown III. He's actually a very solid pass-rusher: ten-and-a-half sacks attests to that, but his real strength is stacking and shedding double-teams, and punishing the running back. He's big, and very quick for his size, definitely a smart and experienced player, but even though it may not seem like it, he'll need time in an NFL weight room with a planned meal course; he's simply not strong enough yet to withstand the grind, and Boyd himself even mentioned that Northern Iowa doesn't have the facilities that other colleges have (although he has a huge chip on his shoulder as a result of that). Boyd, like Hunt, is a long-term pick, but one that could flourish under the right circumstances.)
#218 overall - Ryan Watts, SAF, Texas. (6'3", 208 lbs.)
(Watts may have been listed as a cornerback at Texas, but he's not. He simply doesn't have the long speed or quickness to even stick in the slot; his tape proves it, and his cornerback tape is ugly; that's why he's here. But when you project this kid as a potential safety, things start to look up. For one, thirty-four-inch arms. For another, he's already got the physicality down pat; he'll hit you hard and let you know it, and he will also power through blockers. He's never going to wow with athleticism, but this kid could be a solid safety with decent ballskills and coverage ability, and for now, could be a solid, solid special teams ace.)
ROSTER:
QB - Matt Stafford, Carson Wentz.
(At this point, I'm not expecting Bennett to come back. Stafford is Stafford, Wentz is Wentz.)
RB - Kyren Williams, Jaylen Wright, Isaiah Davis, Zach Evans.
(K-Will is still starting, but if he gets hurt, Wright and Davis could share the reins. Evans could get first crack at backup, but I worry about his pass-protection and if that's improved. Rivers is also an option, I guess?)
WR - Puka Nacua, Demarcus Robinson, Xavier Worthy, Tyler Johnson (PR), Brenden Rice, Xavier Legette (KR).
(Nacua, Robinson and Worthy are your starters, while Rice and Johnson provide valuable rotational receivers (and punt returner, in Johnson's case). Legette is your kick returner.
TE - Davis Allen, Hunter Long, Dallin Holker. (Tyler Higbee PUP.)
(Someone on this team is going to get hurt before Higbee comes back, so I'm not totally concerned about leaving him on PUP. Tight end could be our weakest group, but it's also the most intriguing, given Allen, Long, and Holker.)
OL - Alaric Jackson, Cooper Beebe, Steve Avila, Warren McClendon, Rob Havenstein, Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Kiran Amegadjie, Nick Gargiulo, Logan Bruss, Zachary Thomas.
(The most interesting battle is A-Jax and Fashanu, but I'll say A-Jax's experience just wins out, while Fashanu could be your swing tackle. McClendon gets the first crack at the right guard job (and don't sleep on him) although Bruss or Thomas could say something about it, I guess? Gargiulo's your guard/center backup, while Amegadjie gets a redshirt year. ...Yes, I still have some faith in Bruss, what are you talking about?)
DL - Aaron Donald, Kobie Turner, Bobby Brown III, Desjuan Johnson, Ruke Orhorhoro, Khristian Boyd.
(AD is AD. The Conductor had a hell of a year last year, and I think he could be ascending. BB3 is your nose tackle, Johnson is a solid rotational piece, and Orhorhoro could be special, but should be eased along. Boyd is developmental.)
LB - Ernest Jones, Nick Hampton, Byron Young, Josh Uche, Javon Solomon, Jalyx Hunt, Marist Liufau, Jake Hummel.
(Hampton starts next to Jones (for now; we could see Hummel or Liufau start as well if Hampton falters), Young is a definite starter, and Uche (for now) is your other OLB (although Solomon could say otherwise.) Hunt gets a redshirt year. Sorry, but I'd rather have Hunt than Ochaun Mathis as a developmental edge rusher, although I guess Mathis could surprise.)
DB - Sean Murphy-Bunting, Cobie Durant, Amik Robertson, Russ Yeast, Quentin Lake, Kris Abrams-Draine, Chau Smith-Wade, Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, Jason Taylor II,, Tanner Ingle, Ryan Watts.
(Not exactly the best defensive back group, but I did the best with the limits I had. SMB and Robertson bring veteran presence to a very youthful group overall. I think Yeast and Lake can still improve, and I'm picking Durant to bounce back. KAD, CSW, and THT make up rest of the corners, while I'm going with five safeties: Taylor, Ingle (don't sleep on Ingle; he was one of our better players last preseason), and Watts.
ST - Tanner Brown, Ethan Evans (kickoffs), Alex Ward.
(No, I didn't draft a kicker for one reason: I like Tanner Brown, and I get the feeling that even if he struggles, it'll be easy to find a better kicker. Evans needs to practice on hang-time and coffin corners, but he could be one of the best punters in the game if he does. Ward was solid enough.)
Feel free to critique.
