He is the best player in the draft, but positional value also factors in. I think WR is down the list from QB, Edge, and OT, tied with or below CB1. If you are building a team, a lock down corner is pretty enticing, makes your whole defense better, as does a premium edge rusher. Harrison is a complete WR probably better than the #1 on 25 teams even as a rookie. But..... what did Calvin Johnson ever win, he was a generational talent too, and I could argue better than MHJ. But without a QB his talent was being wasted. You could argue that for Randy Moss too, especially his first year with Brady.
Also just looked at a mock on draftek and they have the Vikings going all defense, than WR and eventually Milton. I read what you thought of Joe Milton and I wonder if others dont see the talent and take a flyer on him earlier.
50 years ago today, the Steelers had one of the best drafts ever Yesterday, 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk made a catch that reminded those of us who saw it live of the one-of-a-kind reception made by Steelers receiver Lynn Swann in Super Bowl X. As it turns out, Swann was drafted by the Steelers 50 years ago today. Yes, the draft used to be held before Groundhog Day. For the Steelers, every year had been Groundhog Day, with the exception of the season of the Immaculate Reception. On January 29, 1974, it all changed in the form of one of the greatest drafts of all time. Teresa Varley of Steelers.com takes a look back at the time the team drafted FOUR Hall of Famers: Swann (round one), linebacker Jack Lambert (round two), receiver John Stallworth (round four), and center Mike Webster (round five). The Steelers added a fifth Hall of Famer that year, but not in the draft. Safety Donnie Shell, unselected in a seventeen-round process, signed with the Steelers as a free agent. Making the haul of Hall of Famers even more amazing is that the Steelers found key players from USC, Kent State, Alabama A&M, Wisconsin, and South Carolina State without the benefit of a Scouting Combine or coast-to-coast Pro Day workouts. It’s arguably the best draft any team has ever had, and it helped create the foundation (along with quarterback Terry Bradshaw, defensive tackle Joe Greene, linebacker Jack Ham, running back Franco Harris, cornerback Mel Blount, and more) for a team that would win four Super Bowls between 1974 and 1979. PFT/Florio ___________ ____________________ Whoever the GM was back in the day that did that, I want him in Minnesota. I dont care if he's dead... dig his ass up and put him to work!
2024 NFL Mock Draft: Nick Simon of Draft Kings | NFL Mock Draft Database somebody listens, mock draft with teams swapping 1 & 2 like I suggested
2024 Senior Bowl Rosters American Team Kris Abrams-Draine Missouri DB Jarvis Brownlee Jr. Lousiville DB Caelen Carson Wake Forest DB D.J. James Auburn DB Elijah Jones Boston College DB Andru Phillips Kentucky DB Nehemiah Pritchett Auburn DB Beau Brade Maryland DB Javon Bullard Georgia DB Kamren Kinchens Miami (FL) DB Malik Mustapha Wake Forest DB Jaylin Simpson Auburn DB Tykee Smith Georgia DB James Williams Miami (FL) DB Jaylan Ford Texas LB Ty'Ron Hopper Missouri MLB Tyrice Knight UTEP MLB Trevin Wallace Kentucky LB Nathaniel Watson Mississippi State MLB Chris Braswell Alabama LB Nelson Ceaser Houston LB Jalyx Hunt Houston Christian OLB Cedric Johnson Ole Miss OLB Myles Cole Texas Tech LB Jaden Crumedy Mississippi State IDL Justin Eboigbe Alabama DL Braden Fiske Florida State DL Marcus Harris Auburn DL McKinnley Jackson Texas A&M DL Jordan Jefferson LSU DL Byron Murphy II Texas IDL Darius Robinson Missouri IDL T'Vondre Sweat Texas IDL Eric Watts UConn DL Brandon Coleman TCU OT Javion Cohen Miami (FL) OL Jeremy Flax Kentucky OT Javon Foster Missouri OT Delmar Glaze Maryland OT Tyler Guyton Oklahoma OT Christian Haynes UConn OG Christian Jones Texas OT Beaux Limmer Arkansas C Patrick Paul Houston OT Andrew Raym Oklahoma C Layden Robinson Texas A&M OG Charles Turner LSU C Sedrick Van Pran Georgia C Jha'Quan Jackson Tulane WR Xavier Legette South Carolina WR Ladd McConkey Georgia WR Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint Georgia WR Ainias Smith Texas A&M WR Jamari Thrash Louisville WR Jordan Whittington Texas WR Johnny Wilson Florida State WR Jahiem Bell Florida State TE Ben Sinnott Kansas State TE Jared Wiley TCU TE Emani Bailey TCU RB Ray Davis Kentucky RB Jawhar Jordan Louisville RB Cody Schrader Missouri RB Jaylen Wright Tennessee RB Carter Bradley South Alabama QB Joe Milton II Tennessee QB Michael Pratt Tulane QB Spencer Rattler South Carolina QB National Team Johnny Dixon Penn State DB Willie Drew Virginia State DB Cam Hart Notre Dame DB Khyree Jackson Oregon DB Kalen King Penn State DB Max Melton Rutgers DB Quinyon Mitchell Toledo DB Chau Smith-Wade Washington State DB Cole Bishop Utah DB Jaden Hicks Washington State DB Kitan Oladapo Oregon State DB Josh Proctor Ohio State DB Sione Vaki Utah DB Evan Williams Oregon DB Michael Barrett Michigan MLB JD Bertrand Notre Dame MLB Jontrey Hunter Georgia State MLB Cedric Gray North Carolina MLB Edefuan Ulofoshio Washington MLB Marist Liufau Notre Dame LB Payton Wilson NC State LB Austin Booker Kansas LB Jaylen Harrell Michigan LB Brennan Jackson Washington State DE Adisa Issac Penn State DE Marshawn Kneeland Western Michigan DL Laiatu Latu UCLA OLB Braiden McGregor Michigan OLB Javon Solomon Troy DE DeWayne Carter Duke DL Tyler Davis Clemson IDL Brandon Dorlus Oregon IDL Gabe Hall Baylor DL Michael Hall Jr. Ohio State DL Keith Randolph Jr. Illinois IDL Isaiah Adams Illinois OT Cooper Beebe Kansas State OG Tanor Bortolini Wisconsin C Ethan Driskell Marshall OT Kingsley Eguakun Florida C Troy Fautanu Washington OT Taliese Fuaga Oregon State OT LaDarius Henderson Michigan OT Trevor Keegan Michigan OG Sataoa Laumea Utah OT Jordan Morgan Arizona OT Dominick Puni Kansas OT Jackson Powers-Johnson Oregon C Roger Rosengarten Washington OT Kingsley Suamataia BYU OT Javon Baker UCF WR Malachi Corley Western Kentucky WR Jacob Cowing Arizona WR Luke McCaffrey Rice WR Ricky Pearsall Florida WR Brenden Rice Southern California WR Devontez "Tez" Walker North Carolina WR Roman Wilson Michigan WR AJ Barner Michigan TE Theo Johnson Penn State TE Brevyn Spann-Ford Minnesota TE Rasheen Ali Marshall RB Isaiah Davis South Dakota State RB Dylan Laube New Hampshire RB Marshawn Lloyd Southern California RB Kimani Vidal Troy RB Sam Hartman Notre Dame QB Bo Nix Oregon QB Michael Penix Jr. Washington QB
As a Miami fan, I'm surprised to see Leanord Taylor III in the Shrine Bowl game instead of the Senior Bowl. I'm sure there's good reasoning, but I always thought the latter was the better chance for top prospects to show off. I'm probably missing a big chunk of the pie, here. I think he's going to be a good'un at the next level.
I'm taking a flyer on Milton, kid has size and a rocket for an arm. Has some issues reading the field, but you cannot coach arm strength and height, or replace SEC competition
2024 NFL Draft: Five takeaways from National's 16-7 win over American in Senior Bowl - Eric Edholm/Lead Draft Writer (NFL.com) 1) Rattler top performer at QB. The early star on Saturday was South Carolina's Spencer Rattler, who threw a pretty 29-yard touchdown pass on a fade to Georgia WR Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, giving the American Team a 7-0 lead. Rattler worked the first two series of the game, completing 4-of-4 passes for 65 yards and the TD. Rattler was named the MVP of the game on Saturday. He threw a pick on the first day of practice this week but otherwise had a very respectable showing, arguably as the most consistent QB throughout the week. Oregon's Bo Nix also led a touchdown drive to tie the game for the National Team, fitting in a tight-window pass to Minnesota TE Brevyn Spann-Ford for a 2-yard score. Nix started slowly this week but gradually improved, especially in red-zone work. Notre Dame's Sam Hartman had a tough game, completing 7-of-25 passes for 69 yards and a pick. He took the majority of the National Team snaps with Washington's Michael Penix Jr. not playing in the game. Hartman was under duress on several snaps and never really was able to get into a passing rhythm. Tennessee QB Joe Milton III completed 9-of-13 passes but struggled to get much going. He took a sack deep in his own territory on his first snap, misfired on an open checkdown pass and threw an end-zone interception, one of his two picks on the day. The other one was a clear overthrow right after he'd had his best stretch of the game. Neither Tulane's Michael Pratt nor South Alabama's Carter Bradley (son of Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley) had much success either. Pratt (4 for 10, 45 yards, INT) and Bradley (1 for 6, 6 yards) both suffered from poor protection. 2) Defensive backs turn heads. The two best defensive plays in Saturday's game were diving interceptions. Oregon safety Evan Williams nabbed the first one in the second quarter. QB Joe Milton III extended the play with his legs and could have taken off but opted to try to hit Missouri RB Cody Schrader in the end zone for a touchdown pass. Enter Williams, who came flying in to secure the catch. It was a heck of a play by a safety who showed off his coverage ability in practice versus tight ends and backs. The second diving pick was even more prolific. Washington State's Chau Smith-Wade dove for and caught Milton's overthrow -- and for a moment, Smith-Wade stood still after the pick. But this game is played with NFL rules, not college, and Smith-Wade quickly realized he had not been touched down and could return the pick. And boy, did he ever, running it back 83 yards, juking about six players along the way, but he was stopped one yard shy of a pick-six. Smith-Wade had another takeaway on the final play of the game, picking off Michael Pratt's deep throw. Louisville's Jarvis Brownlee Jr. also made an interception, capping a strong week for him. Brownlee, who was one of my colleague Lance Zierlein's Day 2 standouts, stepped in front of an errant Hartman throw for an interception in the red zone, running it back 32 yards in the final minute of the first half. Brownlee's arrow is pointing up. Georgia S Tykee Smith also had a strong showing and a good all-around game. He made several nice plays, including breaking up a deep pass to North Carolina WR Devontez Walker at the end of the first quarter, one of three pass breakups Smith made, and helping tackle Troy RB Kimani Vidal for a loss. 3) Fiske leads DL group with strong effort. In a Senior Bowl first, a player was traded prior to Saturday's game. Florida State DT Braden Fiske was a menace for the American Team all week in practice, wearing out offensive linemen with his tenacious effort and quickness off the ball, being named one of NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah's 10 practice standouts. Then on Saturday, because the National Team was short on defensive linemen, Fiske swapped teams -- and was a huge addition. Fiske made four tackles (1.5 for losses), half a sack and had a pressure that led to an incomplete pass. He made a hustle play to tackle Emani Bailey from behind, made two quality run stops close to the line of scrimmage and nearly took down Joe Milton III for a safety in the fourth quarter. 4) Undersized running backs stand tall. It wasn't the loudest week for either Emani Bailey (TCU) or Cody Schrader (Missouri), but both American Team backs made the most of their chances in Saturday's game. The 5-foot-7, 208-pound Bailey showed his ability to power through contact by running for 53 yards on 10 carries and adding four receptions for 34 yards. He had a long run of 14 yards and a long catch of 14, displaying a little juice on each. Bailey also made the hustle play of the day by tackling Washington State DB Chau Smith-Wade one yard shy of a touchdown on an 83-yard INT return. Like Bailey, Schrader is a thickly built, shorter back at 5-8 and 207 pounds. And similarly, Schrader showed off some of the contact balance he displayed in a brilliant season for the Tigers, powering through contact on a few plays. He was held in check as a runner (7-12-0 rushing, long run of 7) but was effective on checkdowns and quick passes, with 54 yards receiving on five catches. The National Team also had a few moments from their backs, as South Dakota State's Isaiah Davis (who had a solid showing this week) had a 20-yard run and Troy RB Kimani Vidal ripped off a 23-yarder. 5) McCaffrey among other standouts. Saturday's game turned out to be a defensive battle, but there were contributors in all three phases who made their mark. On offense, not many receivers were given great chances to thrive, but Rice WR Luke McCaffrey -- the brother of 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey -- had two nice catches. He made a one-handed stab for 13 yards, a 15-yard catch and a 5-yard run. He also added a 20-yard punt return, showing the added value he can bring to an NFL team. Two offensive linemen, Wisconsin's Tanor Bortolini and Connecticut's Christian Haynes, each deserve praise for their blocking work. Bortolini played both guard spots and took snaps at center, and Haynes also played guard and center. With a limited number of capable snappers, both blockers deserve credit for their work, even if the QB-center exchanges were a bit dicey at times. Two defenders who were highly active in the game were North Carolina LB Cedric Gray and Kentucky LB Trevin Wallace. Gray tied for a game-high seven tackles and broke up two passes in the second half, nearly intercepting both of them. Wallace set an early tone by racking up six tackles, including three within a yard of the line of scrimmage. Iowa P Tory Taylor had a good day, averaging 44.8 yards per punt with good hangtime. Stanford K Joshua Karty made three of his four field-goal attempts, missing from 32 yards but also hitting one purely from 52. Alabama K Will Reichard missed his only try, but it was from 57 yards, hitting halfway up the upright for about as impressive a miss as you'll see in a college all-star game. _________ ____________________ ND's, Sam Hartman may have wished he stayed home, he got left out there. I wonder if you under-perform in these types of games if it kills your draft value or is most of that determined during the 3 days of practice and drills leading up to the game?
Well the quickest way to sum it up is your tape should do 80-85% of the talking. But I remember when the talking heads were debating whether Tim Tebow could be a 1st round pick, and someone respectable said it only takes one team to like you. Well Hartman could be the reverse. Maybe there’s 1-2 teams who were considering you as early as the 4th, and now you’ve got them second guessing because you struggle to “rise to the occasion”. What could that mean for your draft slot? It might not be what you would hope
My take: Both Georgia safeties improved their stock. Cedric Gray is a 3 down LB they don’t grow on trees. Rattler and Nix are NFL backups, Milton blows. Quinyon Mitchell will be the second cb drafted
Interesting. You were high on him, now not so much? On Mitchell, I believe he's a first rounder and hasnt shown a reason as to why not. Wish him the best, he's a hometown favorite here in Toledo.
It’s as simple as this with Milton. He has the arm strength but accuracy and touch are rough to say the least.
He throws like Richardson, but plays like Milton from Office Space. I study 5 mocks a day, when they came out. Some trends I am seeing. Kool Aid continues to slide, Fuagua is really rising, Powers-Johnson I saw mocked at high as 17. Starting to see Drake Maye drop a bit and Daniels move past him, I post on another forum, but I did predict this. Does anyone have any day 2 or 3 bang the table guys? For me Cedric Gray really adds value as a 3 down LB. A guy not getting a ton of chatter is Khyree Jackson. A few knocks on him is hand size and gives up some cushion at the LOS. But with the run on OT and CB that are we will see in round 1, I think teams that go OT early will go CB on day 2. Jackson is 6-3, CB's with that length (78 inch wingspan) they don't grow on trees. I also like TJ Tampa on day 3, another tall CB from Iowa State.
Jackson is sliding a bit for reasons Im not aware of and he is a big dude at that position, Cam Hart is hanging in there and could be a find for teams looking to get a good player at CB if the top notchers go early, like Kool -aid, Wiggins, Arnold and Mitchell (who Im rooting for as he's from my alma matter Toledo). Whats your opinion on Hart?
Re-signing Calvin Ridley would cost Jaguars a higher pick in trade with Falcons Calvin Ridley led the Jaguars in receiving yards last season, so it was no surprise when Jaguars General Manager Trent Baalke said at a season-ending press conference that “We would love to have Calvin back. We are going to work toward that.” But it’s Falcons fans, not Jaguars fans, who should really be hoping the Jaguars re-sign Ridley. That’s because the trade terms of the deal that sent Ridley from Atlanta to Jacksonville included a condition that if Ridley re-signs a contract with the Jaguars, the Falcons get the Jaguars’ 2024 second-round draft pick. If Ridley does not re-sigh with the Jaguars, the Falcons get the Jaguars’ 2024 third-round draft pick. When the trade was first announced, it was called a conditional fourth-round pick in 2024 that the Jaguars would send the Falcons. That has already been moved up to a third-round pick because of Ridley’s strong 2023 season. Now it could move up to a second-round pick. That doesn’t mean the Jaguars won’t re-sign Ridley, but it is a consideration when they decide whether to re-sign him. Ordinarily re-signing a free agent doesn’t affect a team’s draft picks, but in the case of the Jaguars, it will. PFT
Nice little clause that. So many of these conditionals are dependant on either playing time(% of snaps), which can be greatly impacted by injury so therefore vulnerable to luck of sorts, or hitting some arbitrary performance target which means they've had a good season(also reliant on avoiding injuries btw). But if a WR misses say a 1,200yard target by 20yards they still had a good season but the team gets no escalator. And if there's no limit on how big/small the contract resign needs to be then that's also clever. The Falcons gave themselves a big window to hit with this escalator and have a great chance to hit it. A bump up into the 2nd round would be very nice indeed. Now they just have to hope Ridley doesnt ruin it by getting to greedy on the contract demands. Ridley's good but not great numbers + a deep draft class at WR this year might help with that.
Its a fun scenario as the Jags high priority in this draft is WR and as you stated some good targets are on the board. On the other hand as the article pointed out, the Falcons can really really dig that 2nd rounder. Jags made their bed, but they may want to go young stud over paying high on Ridley with the risk involved, but then again the whole damn thing always reeks of risk.
That's the kicker isn't it? What value do you place on Ridley? Regardless, you are losing a 3rd rounder, so you don't get out of compensation without signing him.. Moving back from 48 to 79, but LOSING out on signing him is what the value we are discussing is. The real question is, what can you get to replace him? Well, two parter, what is his required salary? If his salary is in line with the bottom half of the league, then you need to attempt to sign, imho. If he is asking for top 10 money, then let the market make your decision for you. If he is reasonably within the top 10-20 range, I see that as his value hot spot. This is where it would start to get dicey. I would pay him top 10 money, if that money is made up of incentives and not look back. Guarantees commiserate with the bottom half of starting salaries, then load it with manageable incentives to make him a highly paid receiver. You have one thing working to your advantage... his past. If he is comfortable in Florida, you have another advantage. He grew up in Florida, went to college in Alabama, so I don't think he can get more comfortable than possibly Tampa Bay. Talent-wise, you have a player that caught over 1,000 yards and had 8 TDs after a 18 month layoff... the potential is certainly there. Draft replacement? #17, you would probably be looking at over-drafting someone like Brian Thomas Jr or Troy Franklin. #48, you will be looking at the 7th to 10th WR taken. So, while the class is deep with top end talent, you could potentially still miss out on the top 10 WRs in the draft waiting until the 2nd round. At that point, it will be a crap shoot of who is left and possibly multi-year development. Are you in win now mode? Having Christian Kirk as your #1 WR probably isn't going to carry you to that next level... year two with Trevor Lawrence could vault Ridley into that top 10 WR status, if his head is on straight. This is a tough call, but I certainly wouldn't let moving back from 48 to 79 influence my train of thought on re-signing him...
