2021 NFL Draft thread - Day 1 discussion

[Puck]

Originally Posted by Dam8610

What's difficult for me is how do you draft a pass rusher who doesn't know how to pass rush? And if you're going for the traits, why not get the guy with the 35 inch arms who is faster, quicker, and more explosive? That could be either of Turner or Oweh.

Dam. you do this every yr. Last yr you HATED the JT pick. You were wrong and I suspect you'll be wrong again this yr. But seriously every year you hate the picks.

Ballard really does know what he's doing. JSYK

[ukcolt]

I watch a lot of Chris Simms' unbuttoned podcasts, and he has been going through his player rankings the past month or so. He is really high on Kwity Paye and has him as his No. 2 edge guy and thought that he was a top 15 guy. He says he is not the guy who is likely to be the speed rusher causing huge problems on the outside for the offensive tackle. But he is the strongest upper body guy, and someone who disrupts almost every play. Sack production is not everything, sacks are hugely over rated in my opinion, if you have forced the QB to make a decision quicker than he originally wanted to, that is a win, as more often than not it will cause an incompletion, or at least a completion for less yards than it could have been. He will also be a guy who will hold up against the run and help tremendously against the likes of Derrick Henry and Najee Harris. I like Paye and think he will fit this defense perfectly. He replaces Autry's role in the defense last year.

[JAFF]

Originally Posted by Dam8610

You should be pissed off about Paye. He sucks. He's straight up athletic traits with no idea how to play DE, and he's not even the best player in this draft in that category. Oweh ran a 4.37 with a 1.59 10 split. His 3 cone time is 6.9 and his vert and broad are far superior to Paye. He didn't put up as many reps of 225. Neither Paye nor Oweh currently have any idea how pass rushing works. Oweh's way more likely to get it because he's longer, faster, and more explosive. It doesn't matter where a player is drafted, or how many were drafted at his position in front of him. To your point on QBs, Joe Montana wasn't even a first rounder and was the 4th QB taken in his class, he did pretty okay. You know who else was the 5th QB taken in their class? Dan Marino, he turned out pretty okay, too.



Ojulari has a rush plan on any given play and absolutely demolished the 17th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, go watch the game if you'd like. I don't care that his RAS is lower mostly because of his size and bench scores. I didn't, and still haven't, seen Paye's 3 cone time, because I can't find it anywhere, but I highly doubt it was better than Oweh's 6.9.



I don't understand the reluctance of teams to take OTs in this draft, but I am certain it is not a talent gap. This is the best OT class by far in some time.

When the NFL starts having a cone drill during the game, And then they start to have a track meet, some of those numbers might mean something

[IndyNorm]

Originally Posted by Dam8610

Holy shit NO got a much better EDGE 7 picks later.

I'm not so sure that NO did, but Buffalo appears to have. Rousseau only played 1 year since he sat out this past year due to COVID, but damn did he produce in that one year: 15.5 sacks and 19.5 TFL. Compare that to Paye who had 11.5 sacks and 23.5 TFL in his entire collegiate career. WTF Ballard? If we were going to draft an EDGE project then why not draft one who has proven he can produce at a high level??

[IndyNorm]

Originally Posted by Oldcolt

Ballard continues to build the locker room with Payne. High caliber person and freakish athlete. Will be interesting. None of the tackles were taken right after us validating Ballard passing on them, at least the professionals seem to agree.

Darrisaw was taken 2 picks after ours. Hopefully Paye works out, but most of us would be a lot happier if we had drafted a day 1 starter at LT rather than a project at EDGE with our 1st rounder.

[Luck4Reich]

Originally Posted by IndyNorm

I'm not so sure that NO did, but Buffalo appears to have. Rousseau only played 1 year since he sat out this past year due to COVID, but damn did he produce in that one year: 15.5 sacks and 19.5 TFL. Compare that to Paye who had 11.5 sacks and 23.5 TFL in his entire collegiate career. WTF Ballard? If we were going to draft an EDGE project then why not draft one who has proven he can produce at a high level??

It will be fun going back and reading this thread after he has a stand out year with our Defense.. Quit putting so much stock in Sacks... He was very disruptive. Like others have already said already.

[njcoltfan]

Originally Posted by IndyNorm

Darrisaw was taken 2 picks after ours. Hopefully Paye works out, but most of us would be a lot happier if we had drafted a day 1 starter at LT rather than a project at EDGE with our 1st rounder.

I for one would have been !! The Colts now have 3 pojects/prospects to rush the passer, but no quality protector for Wentz's blindside, it will be a long year if they don't get one !

[IndyNorm]

Originally Posted by Luck4Reich

It will be fun going back and reading this thread after he has a stand out year with our Defense.. Quit putting so much stock in Sacks... He was very disruptive. Like others have already said already.

I certainly hope that you're right, and we'll obviously see how it goes. If I were to make a wager though, I'd definitely put my money on Rousseau being better.

[Luck4Reich]

Originally Posted by IndyNorm

I certainly hope that you're right, and we'll obviously see how it goes. If I were to make a wager though, I'd definitely put my money on Rousseau being better.

A lot of people would have put money on other Linebackers being better than Leonard when Ballard drafted him.

[IndyNorm]

Originally Posted by Luck4Reich

A lot of people would have put money on other Linebackers being better than Leonard when Ballard drafted him.

Apples and oranges. Leonard was highly production in college, although against FCS competition:

He became one of the nation's most productive players, starting all 43 games in his collegiate career while racking up 394 tackles (54 for loss), 22 sacks, eight forced fumbles, six interceptions and 13 passes defensed. He was named the MEAC's defensive player of the year in 2016 and 2017.

http://hosted.stats.com/nfldraft/players.asp?id=235682