UKColt Mock Draft

[UKColt13]

I'm predicting a trade down this draft. In the grand scheme of things the whole thing adds up to a moderate trade down in the first in exchange for a trade up from the mid-3rd to the early 2nd. We trade down with the Giants to #23. The Giants could trade up with us if any of Taco Charlton, Derek Barnett, OJ Howard or similar prospects drop. In return we pick up a 2nd round pick (#55).

 

Round 1 #23: Jarrad Davis - ILB - Florida - 6'1 238lbs - An every down ILB who excels against the run and has the athletic ability to cover at a high level. Coaches are effusive in their praise of his leadership, work ethic and character. Missed the combine due to injury but bossed his pro day, running a 4.56 40yd dash, and recording a massive 38.5inch vertical leap, as well as putting up a respectable 23 reps on the bench. His ability to cover ground, operate with loose hips in space, and finish his tackles make him an effective all purpose ILB. Effective in spy role with athleticism to mirror mobile quarterbacks. Has a closing burst that could become a weapon as a blitzer. Already an excellent A-gap blitzer due to his overall athleticism. Wrap-up tackler with strong finishing rate. He needs to do a better job of taking on blocks since he got washed out by Olinemen in the run game more often than you would like. Although Florida's Dline didn't do him many favours as they struggled to hold down their man in the run game. He is an immediate impact starter in the middle. 

 

Round 2: Sidney Wilson - CB - Washington - 6'0 186lbs - Press man cover corner from a talent loaded Washington defense. Doesn't play around with his jam from press. Throws a stiff lead right into the shoulder of receivers like a boxer. Prioritizes ball over man and attacks catch point with slaps and rips. Has nine career interceptions and got a hand on 21.3 percent of balls thrown his way over last two seasons. Mirrors receiver acceleration out of their breaks. Tore his Achilles tendon at his pro day which will require an extensive rehab process. He will need to redshirt this season to be fully healthy for the 2018 season. Since we are highly unlikely to be making a big play at a championship this year, I am more inclined to take a more medium term look at this pick. In the end, best case scenario, we get a 1st round talent in the 2nd round, and for that I'm happy to wait through a season of Rashaan Melvin at CB#2 with Wilson waiting in the wings. This is an especially important pick considering that Vontae may not be resigned after this year due to his own health problems and large salary. Wilson is an ideal replacement if we decide to move on.

 

Round 2 #55: D'Onta Foreman - RB - Texas - 6'0 233lbs - Dropped about 15lbs since the end of his college career. Perfect combination of movement speed and physical power. Has a killer 2nd gear to break short gains into longer runs if given the opportunity. Ran a 4.45 40yd dash at his pro day and posted a very respectable 33inch vertical jump with his leaner frame. He also received some really good reviews for his work in drills. Has outstanding foot quickness and wiggle for a back his size, but he will need to use his size, run behind his pads and with more aggression on the next level. He is your 2 & potentially 3 down starter of the future and gets the chance to learn behind Frank Gore before taking the reigns in 2018.

 

Round 3: Jourdan Lewis - CB - Michigan - 5'10 188lbs - Lewis often gets overshadowed by Peppers but is a very talented player in his own right. He is a balanced and fluid athlete. He does a great job keeping in-phase with his target and limiting separation. His ability to stick to his target is thanks to his short-area quickness, fluidity and commitment to keeping his pads down. Ultra-competitive with an overwhelming drive to succeed. Allowed just seven catches in 2016 for completion percentage against of 23.3. An annoyance from press coverage. Squats on top of his target waiting to punch and impede. Twitchy feet can stick and close to the ball instantly when he reads pass. Somewhat limited in coverage options due to matchup concerns against elite NFL size. Maintains tight coverage downfield and waits for the receiver's eyes to cue him in on when to turn and find it. In three years as a starter, he's credited with 42 passes defended, including six interceptions. Allowed just two touchdowns during same time frame. Due to his arrest on a domestic violence incident he COULD drop but maybe not as far as some are expecting. The comments from the police make me think it wasn't a serious incident since they've said it wasn't initially clear who the instigator was. Due to his mix of lack of ideal size but fantastic short area quickness, it makes him an great fit as a slot corner. This may seem a little high for him right now, but he's a guy I really like so I'm perfectly willing to take him here.

 

Round 4: Jake Butt - TE - Michigan - 6'6 250lbs - Far from a finished product but has benefited from playing under Jim Harbaugh in a pro-style system and being played often as a traditional tackle-adjacent inline TE. As a blocker, he is very raw. There are times when he displays a decent punch and gets his hands inside, but more often than not he doesn't get locked onto a defender and won't routinely win against LBs in the run game. This will need to be coached. He needs to add strength in his upper body in order to display a stronger punch that jars the defender. As a receiver, the added strength will help him in his routes more than anything. He usually gets an easy release and good separation. Outside of that, he is pretty gifted as a receiver. He is ahead of most college tight ends in the amount of routes he can run effectively. He separates well and extends his hands to the ball routinely. He'd be a very effective running mate and support for Jack Doyle. Although he is currently recovering from an ACL tear.

 

Round 4: Alex Anzalone - ILB - Florida - 6'3 241lbs - Talented ILB who just happens to be the guy that has played next to Jarrad Davis for the past couple of years. This pick all depends on whether he can stay healthy. When healthy he is a top 60 player, the only problem is that that hasn't been nearly often enough in recent years. He has the size and athleticism to fit as a our MIKE, next to Davis as the WILL. Has excellent range for a guy his size to make tackles all over the field. Races downhill to get a taste of what ISO blockers are serving up. Three-down linebacker who showed off the speed to carry running backs down the field in coverage. Squeezes routes from zone and has acceleration to match seam-running tight-ends. Has closing burst and enough wiggle to challenge the pocket as a blitzer. He needs to work on his ability to shed blocks. He can play anywhere you want him to and at this point he is another low risk/high reward pick if he can stay healthy.

 

Round 4 (Comp Pick): Eddie Jackson - S - Alabama - 6'0 201lbs - Former cornerback-turned-safety with decent instincts and good ball skills but a finesse mentality as a tackler relative to those around him. Has solid athleticism for the safety spot. Not a speed merchant but has the instincts and range to play over the top. Gets secondary lined up. Can cover tight ends and the occasional slot receiver. Former cornerback who played wide receiver in high school. Has the tracking, timing and hands to take the ball away when he gets his shot. Will do what he has to against the run, but he's not going to be a tone-setter with his hitting. Dominant defensive front made his job in coverage much easier. Had some easy, no-brainer interceptions float his way on overthrows. He has plus ball skills, but playing on an Alabama defense with CBs that rarely needed much help over the top may have helped mask some issues. He's a developmental talent to groom as a potential FS in the post-Darius Butler world.

 

Round 5: Eddie Vanderdoes - DE/DT - UCLA - 6'3 300lbs - Hugely talented but derailed by an ACL injury in the 2015 season. Didn't regain his form in 2016, but if he does regain his form with NFL level coaching & strength and conditioning training then he could be a steal. His body type belies his surprising athleticism. Solid functional lateral movement and change of direction. Able to spin out of blocks with quick feet. Gives good chase along backside. Booming power in his hands to tilt rep in his favour after initial punch. Explodes hips into contact to dislodge blockers. Has strength and ability to play nose tackle or three-technique. All of this is entirely dependant on whether he can regain his earlier form. At this point he is a low risk high reward pick.

 

Depth Chart:

Offense:

QB - A Luck, S Tolzein

RB - F Gore, D Foreman, R Turbin, UDFA

WR - T Hilton, D Moncrief, K Aiken, P Dorsett, C Rogers

TE - J Doyle, J Butt, E Swoope, B Williams

OT - A Castonzo, L Clark,

OG - J Mewhort, D Good, J Haeg

C - R Kelly, B Schwenke, A Blythe

Defense:

NT - A Woods, D Parry

DT - K Langford, T McGill, M Hunt, H Ridgeway

DE - H Anderson, E Vanderdoes

SAM - J Simon, C Maggitt

RUSH - J Sheard, B Mingo

MIKE - A Anzalone, A Morrison, 

WIL - J Davis, S Spence, E Jackson,

CB - V Davis, S Wilson, J Lewis, R Melvin, UDFA

FS - D Butler, E Jackson, M Farley

SS - C Geathers, TJ Green

 

Special Teams:

K - A Vinatieri

P - J Locke

LS - M Overton

[krunk]

I've been thinking about a trade down for Jarrad Davis for a couple days now .

[Defjamz26]

1 hour ago, krunk said:

I've been thinking about a trade down for Jarrad Davis for a couple days now .

Spoilers, but my next mock will have us taking him in the 1st too. I think he makes too much sense. He's a HWS prospect and the tape is impressive. He's an explosive playmaker. We can get a CB in the 2nd. I think you trade down 5 spots and take him. Or take him at 15.

[twfish]

I assume you mean Sydney Jones? Taking two recently injured prospects with the first two picks would catch alot of flack and truly a high risk but high reward picks if they would work out

[WarGhost21]

I don't like that there aren't any pass rushers taken but I do really like Davis and Jones, as long as he can get back to 100%

[JRnINDY]

The theme to your draft is injury. 3 players currently injured and 1 seemingly always injured and 1 character concern.

Lets just try and draft some day one starters.

[UKColt13]

9 hours ago, JRnINDY said:

The theme to your draft is injury. 3 players currently injured and 1 seemingly always injured and 1 character concern.

Lets just try and draft some day one starters.

 

Davis is back to 100% as far as I know. Day 1 starter.

Jones will redshirt. Future no.1 or excellent no.2

Foreman is healthy. Day 1 contributor in the RBC. 

Lewis is healthy. Day 1 starter.

Jake Butt is on track to be back later on during the season.

Anzalone's issue is health, sure, but when it comes to talent and BPA you wont find many better than him at this point in the draft. I'm pretty sure he didn't miss a game last year for Florida either. Day 1 starter if healthy.

Eddie Jackson broke his leg in October so he should be on the right track by camp. Competes for a spot behind Butler with TJ Green.

And Vanderdoes is a late round flier on what could be a steal if he gets back to pre injury form. Day 1 contributor in the rotation.

 

Only really Jake Butt and Jones that won't be available day 1. I looked medium term with this one.

 

[UKColt13]

11 hours ago, twfish said:

I assume you mean Sydney Jones? Taking two recently injured prospects with the first two picks would catch alot of flack and truly a high risk but high reward picks if they would work out

 

Yeah I did mean Jones. Sidney Wilson is a member of one of my favourite bands lol. Only realised when I woke up this morning.

[Manning1887]

Your projected 3rd day picks could result in a major haul if they can stay healthy. 

[Tmoney]

Dope dope dope!! I'd do little things differently but overall love this.

[UKColt13]

19 hours ago, Tmoney said:

Dope dope dope!! I'd do little things differently but overall love this.

 

Yeah I wanted to go more medium term. I'd have like to grab a passrusher too, but I wanted to fill some gaping holes with talent first.

[Tmoney]

3 hours ago, UKColt13 said:

 

Yeah I wanted to go more medium term. I'd have like to grab a passrusher too, but I wanted to fill some gaping holes with talent first.

I would've grabbed that pass rusher instead of Foreman. Derek Rivers, TJ Watt, Jordan Willis. Jake Butt is really overrated IMO and he doesnt compliment the TEs we already have. Eddie hopefully runs on April 8th, it would be a pretty bad time if he fell to the bottom of the 4th. Eddie V doesn't really have the size/strength at the POA to hold up at NT. He honestly reminds me of David Parry who is awful. Stevie T or Jarron Jones as a project, weak NT class.