2017 Draft Thread

[apballin]

Originally Posted by VeveJones007

How many titles have the Cowboys won with that line?

Theyre defense was worse than the Colts last season and they were on the brink of an nfc title game with a rookie qb because he never got touched back there

And as you know we play 6 games vs JJ Watt, Clowney, Calais Campbell, Jerrell casey all of whom have been beating up our qb since he's been in the nfl because our line couldn't touch them

[nate505]

Originally Posted by rcubed

---SCUTTLEBUTT---

saw on TV that mccaffrey has declined all private workouts and that a team in the teens has guaranteed him they will draft him if he is still there....

we draft in the teens, right?

The aforementioned scuttlebutt around here is that Denver wants him (being a local kid and all) and would trade up to 14 or 15 to get him.

Not that I believe any of this, but what is the good value for trading down to 21 (I think)? An extra 3rd rounder or so?

EDIT: Ok, so apparently they make a chart for this sort of stuff. According to the chart it would be a mid 3rd rounder. I wouldn't be upset, but would rather have the better player with the first round pick. Mostly because it feels like the Colts historically have been snake bitten with 3rd round picks, other than the year they got TY and Allen in the 3rd round. That was a home run of a 3rd round. Moncrief and Henry Anderson were good picks too, so I guess recently they were better at it. But looking at a list of 3rd round Colt players from 2000 on...yikes.

[Indiana V2]

Originally Posted by nate505

The aforementioned scuttlebutt around here is that Denver wants him (being a local kid and all) and would trade up to 14 or 15 to get him.

Not that I believe any of this, but what is the good value for trading down to 21 (I think)? An extra 3rd rounder or so?

EDIT: Ok, so apparently they make a chart for this sort of stuff. According to the chart it would be a mid 3rd rounder. I wouldn't be upset, but would rather have the better player with the first round pick. Mostly because it feels like the Colts historically have been snake bitten with 3rd round picks, other than the year they got TY and Allen in the 3rd round. That was a home run of a 3rd round. Moncrief and Henry Anderson were good picks too, so I guess recently they were better at it. But looking at a list of 3rd round Colt players from 2000 on...yikes.

I would absolutely trade down in the first to acquire another third.

[FatDT]

Originally Posted by Indiana V2

I would absolutely trade down in the first to acquire another third.

It would have to depend on who is there at 15.

[sherck]

My Work Mock Draft

Interesting experience this week. A guy at my work (around 3,000 in the building) got 32 folks together over lunch on Monday - Wednesday (with a lot of e-mails in between) who were fans of all 32 teams and we did a live, in-person mock draft. I had not done something like this in over 15 years since I last participated in an in-person fantasy football league.

I went in armed with what I perceived as the Colts team needs (CB, ILB, OLB[Rush] as starters as well as RB, TE, D-Line and Safety depth. I also went in with a combo of Gil Brandt’s Hot 150 list, PFF Big Board list and Walter Football’s positional ranking list.

Trades were not allowed since the complexity of that would have just thrown everything into a hot mess.

The top of the 1st round went just about how everyone expected except look who fell to the Colts at 1-15:

ILB Reuben Foster, Alabama
Foster is a vicious hitter with elite playmaking range and an ability to toggle between 225 and 240 pounds. Athleticism gives him cover ability that former teammate Reggie Ragland never possessed. Has Pro Bowl potential as a 3-4 inside linebacker or a 4-3 weak-side linebacker, but concerns over his medical history could be a consideration, according to some teams.

The 2nd round started with a surprise with RB Joe Mixon going with the first pick to CLE (who picked Trubisky #1 overall and Malik Hooker with the 1-12 pick). OLB Tim Williams went 2 picks prior to us to BUF relieving me of the burden of trying to decide if his potential off-field issues were too great for the Colts to take and I was faced with the choices of: CB Quincy Jones, S Budda Baker, DE/OLB Tarell Basham or CB Cordea Tankersley. I ended up picking with the #46 overall pick:

CB Cordea Tankersley, Clemson
Has an impressive body of work as a lockdown, boundary cornerback but he has some holes in his transitions that could open the door for more separation on the next level. While he's not always the most fluid in coverage, his 6-foot-1 frame and eight interceptions will be the two numbers some teams will focus heavily on. If he runs well at pre-draft workouts, his stock could soar thanks to his size and production.

The 3rd round was embarrassing because there was an absolute feast of folks available that I thought would go much higher. A real run started on offensive specialty players in the 2nd round continuing into the 3rd round that pushed some defensive folks on down the list. My choices were between: OLB Devonte Fields, CB Ahkello Witherspoon, OLB Duke Riley, CB Teez Tabor and CB Shaquill Griffin. I really wanted to go OLB here because our pass rush, while better on paper than in 2016, still needs help. However, I did not like the skill sets of Fields or Riley as much as I liked at #80 overall:

CB Teez Tabor, Florida
Tabor has terrific size and quickness, but his pedestrian 40 times at both the combine and his pro day workout are hard to ignore. While he has some lapses in judgement and awareness in coverage, his nine career interceptions didn't happen by accident. Tabor can pattern match around the field, but he may need safety help over the top if he's playing on the outside. If he's going to be a zone corner, he'll have to do a better job of tackling. Tabor looks like a second day pick.

The 4th round was where I hoped to find some help at immediate depth folks and I was not disappointed. Still a lot of good folks available. For the #121 pick, I possibly picked him a bit high but my hope for pass rush and his athleticism and production (at a small school) just married up and I could not ignore him. After the pick, the Cheats fan who was picking (the friend that I reference occasionally), indicated that he was planning on picking him with his #131 pick so that made me feel better:

OLB Trey Hendrickson, Florida Atlantic
More of a second-effort sack man than a quick-win specialist, but he did show some edge rushing ability at the Shrine Game practices that didn't flash as often on tape. His lack of length on the edge will be a turnoff for some, but he flashes enough to warrant a third-day draft selection as a backup 4-3 defensive end who could continue to develop as a rusher with additional work.

The #137 pick ended up being the spot where I sort of had some wildcard choices. My “highest” rated guys left on the board included: S John Johnson, Boston College, S Montae Nichoson, Michigan State, OG Nico Siragusa, San Diego State, WR Mack Hollins, North Carolina and ILB Ben Boulware, Clemson. I wanted to take Siragusa because of the name (no relationship to Tony) but, in the end picked:

FS John Johnson, Boston College
Ascending defender with the experience, athleticism and ball skills to play as a high safety or in man coverage. Johnson is well above average as a ball-tracker and has the soft hands to finish at the catch-point against receivers. He has decent size but won't be a banger as a tackler, however, his ability in coverage has NFL personnel men buzzing as a potential early starter in the league.

With the last pick of the 4th round, the sweet spot for RB had arrived. My choices? Brian Hill, Wyoming, Corey Clement, Wisconsin, Wayne Gallman, Clemson, Joe Williams, Utah or James Conner, Pittsburgh. My choice?

RB Brian Hill, Utah
A well-rounded running back, Hill is a stout downhill runner who became one of the most productive runners that Wyoming has ever seen. Hill’s production comes from the running back’s great vision and balance. A quick decision maker, Hill channels his way through blockers to consistently pick up tough yardage. Being over six feet and 210-pounds, Hill also carries a variety of power moves that he can use to get tough yardage. Hill does not avoid contact and will drive through defenders in the open field. A plus in pass protection, the Wyoming product has the vision and intangibles that many teams will want to add to their roster. Hill may never be a face of the franchise type back but being a serviceable starter is not out of the question.

And finally our 5th round choice came around. My highest rated players left on my board were: TE Michael Roberts, Toledo, OT Dan Skipper, Arkansas, WR Amara Darboh, Michigan, OT Collin Buchanan, Miami (OH), TE George Kittle, Iowa and WR Deangelo Yancey, Purdue. It was a hard choice between Dan Skipper, Michael Roberts or Amara Darboh but in the end, I picked:

OT Dan Skipper, Arkansas
Size will be appealing to some NFL teams as will his experience at both tackle positions. His experience in Arkansas' physical rushing attack should work in his favor, but he lacks the sand in his pants to consistently match power with power against bigger, NFL-caliber talent at the point of attack. The same height that will intrigue some teams might ultimately rob Skipper of the necessary leverage he needs at the next level. Could project as a third-day (Rounds 4-7) swing tackle prospect who will have to battle to win a roster spot.

Skipper will battle the likes of Haeg, Good and Cooper for depth OT spot.

There you have it, Freaks. I was pretty surprised as some of the picks who were still available and hope that the defensive depth of this draft class affords Ballard the same quantity of quality choices in a week. Fun exercise.

Cheers,

[Coltsalr]

Originally Posted by nate505

The aforementioned scuttlebutt around here is that Denver wants him (being a local kid and all) and would trade up to 14 or 15 to get him.

Not that I believe any of this, but what is the good value for trading down to 21 (I think)? An extra 3rd rounder or so?

EDIT: Ok, so apparently they make a chart for this sort of stuff. According to the chart it would be a mid 3rd rounder. I wouldn't be upset, but would rather have the better player with the first round pick. Mostly because it feels like the Colts historically have been snake bitten with 3rd round picks, other than the year they got TY and Allen in the 3rd round. That was a home run of a 3rd round. Moncrief and Henry Anderson were good picks too, so I guess recently they were better at it. But looking at a list of 3rd round Colt players from 2000 on...yikes.

I'd rather trade down to where the Chiefs are at #27. At that point, our #15 would be worth both their 1st and 2nd. I wonder if Ballard would be able to hook that up with his old buddies, particularly if the Chiefs want a quarterback, trading up is what you usually have to do in order to get your guy.

[smitty46953]

Originally Posted by sherck

My Work Mock Draft

Interesting experience this week. A guy at my work (around 3,000 in the building) got 32 folks together over lunch on Monday - Wednesday (with a lot of e-mails in between) who were fans of all 32 teams and we did a live, in-person mock draft. I had not done something like this in over 15 years since I last participated in an in-person fantasy football league.

I went in armed with what I perceived as the Colts team needs (CB, ILB, OLB[Rush] as starters as well as RB, TE, D-Line and Safety depth. I also went in with a combo of Gil Brandt’s Hot 150 list, PFF Big Board list and Walter Football’s positional ranking list.

Trades were not allowed since the complexity of that would have just thrown everything into a hot mess.

...

There you have it, Freaks. I was pretty surprised as some of the picks who were still available and hope that the defensive depth of this draft class affords Ballard the same quantity of quality choices in a week. Fun exercise.

Cheers,

Looks like fun ... Just curious do you have the complete first couple rounds you can post ?

[smitty46953]

Probably better pass on this guy if available with any of our picks ...

Oklahoma RB Joe Mixon allegedly punched a female while in high school.

The allegation comes from Anthony Hernandez, who says for a "fact" that Mixon hit his daughter when the two were in high school. "He threw my daughter to the ground and hit her," Hernandez said. "I went to the school and they hid him in the office. He got no punishment. The police even came. I was escorted off the campus as if I did something wrong. These are simply the facts, he's a woman beater." Longtime personnel man Gil Brandt said this incident is of concern among NFL teams, in addition to the video of Mixon laying out a girl with a punch at Oklahoma. Mixon could be drafted anywhere from Day 2 to being an UDFA. Apr 19 - 10:19 AM


Source: Profootballtalk on NBC Sports
http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/12147/joe-mixon

[sherck]

Originally Posted by smitty46953

Looks like fun ... Just curious do you have the complete first couple rounds you can post ?

1st round live in-person 2017 draft.

Draft Slot / NFL Team / Person Picking / Selection

1-01 / CLE / Tom Harris / QB Mitchell Trubisky, North Carolina
1-02 / SF / Joe McBuckley / DE Myles Garrett, Texas A&M
1-03 / CHI / Zach Carroll / DE Solomon Thomas, Stanford
1-04 / JAX / Pete McAllister / RB Leonard Fournette, LSU
1-05 / TEN / Carol Jennerison / TE O.J. Howard, Alabama
1-06 / NYJ / Terrence Osborne / QB Deshaun Watson, Clemson
1-07 / LAC / Russ Mutch / RB Christian McCaffery, Stanford
1-08 / CAR / Abe Wagner / S Jamal Adams, LSU
1-09 / CIN / Mitch Buttison / DE Jonathan Allen, Alabama
1-10 / BUF / Peter McLaffulan / OT Cam Robinson, Alabama
1-11 / NO / Josh Welton / CB Marshon Lattimore, Ohio State
1-12 / CLE / Tom Harris / S Malik Hooker, Ohio State
1-13 / ARI / Sally Wrightiner / QB Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech
1-14 / PHI / Jeremy Stackford / WR Mike Williams, Clemson
1-15 / IND / Thad Sherck / ILB Reuben Foster, Alabama
1-16 / BAL / Randy Davis / OLB Derek Barnett, Tennessee
1-17 / WAS / Bob Mitchell / LB Haason Reddick, Temple
1-18 / TEN / Carol Jennerison / WR Corey Davis, Western Michigan
1-19 / TB / Gary Handcock / DE Takkarist McKinley, UCLA
1-20 / DEN / Larry Roddney / S Jabrill Peppers, Michigan
1-21 / DET / Cory Patrick / DE Jordan Willis, Kansas State
1-22 / MIA / Dan McFannish / OT Ryan Ramczyk, Wisconsin
1-23 / NYG / Andy Loswener / OG Forrest Lamp, Western Kentucky
1-24 / OAK / Steve Rotz / TE David Njoku, Miami
1-25 / HOU / Linda Holmes / S Josh Jones, North Carolina State
1-26 / SEA / Ryan Plumber / CB Kevin King, Washington
1-27 / KC / Tony Ryan / RB Davin Cook, FSU
1-28 / DAL / Nathan Pickerton / DE T.J. Watt, Wisconsin
1-29 / GB / Brian Allen / CB Chidobe Awuzie, Colorado
1-30 / PIT / William Johnson / WR John Ross, Washington
1-31 / ATL / Tom Fields / OT Dion Dawkins, Temple
1-32 / NO / Josh Welton / ILB Jarrad Davis, Florida

Some interesting picks in Dawkins, Awuzie, jones and Njoku in the first round but not terrible. Some notable names:

CB Tre’Davious White went #34 overall.
OLB Taco Charleston went #37 overall.
CB Gareon Conley went #39 overall.
OLB Charles Harris went #40 overall.

If trades had been allowed, I would have traded up from #46 to #40 to get Harris (or #39 to get Conley).

It was a fun experience.

Cheers,

[VeveJones007]

Originally Posted by apballin

Theyre defense was worse than the Colts last season and they were on the brink of an nfc title game with a rookie qb because he never got touched back there

And as you know we play 6 games vs JJ Watt, Clowney, Calais Campbell, Jerrell casey all of whom have been beating up our qb since he's been in the nfl because our line couldn't touch them

How many titles have the Cowboys won with that line?

Follow-up questions: What QB did they lose to in the playoffs last year? Is there a comparable QB who you could envision getting in the Colts way in the AFC?