Smonroe

Venturi said it best - Defenses are going to put 9 close to the line to stop JT, the QB run, and short passes over the middle. That takes away Pitt, Downs and the TEs. We need a WR who is quick and fast enough to beat man coverage on the outside. I think Shane has those guys now.

We have all 22 starters returning, and I think we just improved two spots on day 1 with the first two picks. Depth possibility improved with the rest of the draft. So on paper, that’s an excellent draft. Of course we can’t give it a real grade until we see them play. Now bring in a veteran CB and Safety!

I like when they show highlights of the player against real competition. Except for UMass and Vandy, he played against guys who will be in the NFL. Admittedly, these are highlights but they show his potential.

Agreed. And good options. I'm sure Ballard (I hope) addresses both positions. I like the young guys but we need a vet or two in the rooms. I was kind of hoping we'd draft a RB in the 5th. But there will still be plenty of choices even after the draft. And Sermon is no slouch when he's healthy.

Nope. We shouldn't allow this guy on the team with that RAS! https://ras.football/2019/12/27/deforest-buckner-ras/#:~:text=Deforest Buckner was drafted by,out of a possible 10.0.

As Bowen said, Ballard is adjusting his stance. RAS is important, but production is as important. After all, we have a guy starting on our DLine who had a RAS less than 4. And he’s not bad, lol!

I hope Cross comes around. He has the physical speed to play FS. But that position is all about mental speed. Not sure he’s there yet.

Venturi said he was taught that you want a guy who can put the ball in the endzone or a guy who can knock down their QB. Not my idea of a sexy pick, but we haven't had a true edge rusher that teams had to worry about in a long, long time.

All that thought we could have traded down - it takes another team who wants to trade up. With so many QBs and O players taken, I’m guessing a lot of teams knew they’d get someone high on their board without having to give something up. More importantly. Even though we had a to of sacks, how did we rank with pressure?

Not very bold - but we trade with either the Steeler or Eagles to get an extra second rounder. Our pick is Thomas Jr. (although I'd be happy with Worthy). Get a CB and interior OL in the 2nd. But here's a really bold prediction: The line for the number of draft picks is 7.5. I'm taking the under.

I figure it’s a PA team. Steelers or Eagles.

I'm hoping your second one comes true. Which PA team do we trade with?

Then pack their bags and high tail it out before the pitchfork mob catches them!

No pick is a guarantee, just ask the Jets (and you can look at a lot of 1st rounders picked before ours who've busted). I'm not trying to defend CB, and I'll give you Hooker. Even though at the time everyone thought it was a steal, but injuries did him in. So what if Buck was a 49ers pick, we got him cheaper than they did as far as draft capital. Bottom line, "First round grade" is subjective and hindsight is... I'll still take CB's draft success over most GMs.

I guess it depends on your definition of “first round grade”. IMO, it’s someone they believe can start day one and make a positive impact on the game. Ballards #1’s have been Hooker, Q, Buck (in a way), Kwity and AR. Pretty good track record when you think about it.

They do a good job with that series. The one after the draft is a must watch!

No, the NFL allows them to work out with the team prior to being taken off the list.

I couldn't agree more with the bolded statement. Once a player is on the team, the only thing his draft position does for him (aside from the money) is maybe give him a little more time to develop. Mainly because teams are reluctant to admit that their research didn't pan out and they want to see their guy succeed. As far as defense, I feel the number one responsibility of the GM and the coach is to help the franchise QB be the franchise QB, if you get what I mean. And until that's proven, if it means sacrificing a need on defense in order to enhance the QB's arsenal, so be it. But that's just me...

Third and fifth round picks….just for reference. While I’d love to see what Shane would do with Bowers, I feel the TE room as a collective is pretty good. I’m hoping for a breakaway WR like Thomas Jr. That room is pretty thin.

I’d prefer Verse over any CB, unless Sauce is reentering the draft, lol! A better pass rush means the DBs don’t have to be superstars. But if I were to guess, I’d say when it comes to our pick we’ll hear “The Indianapolis Colts have traded their pick to….”

A rookie CB is a crap shoot. Wilson, Rock, JuJu - none were very productive their first season. (I understand they weren’t #1s but they were high picks) Bowers or a WR like Thomas Jr will make immediate impacts IMHO. We can get a veteran CB to work in with Juju, Flowers and Jones.

No problem, I was probably off on a tangent anyway. I also do not want us to take a CB at 15, or even trade back for one. I want a receiver, either Bowers or Thomas Jr. Second choice would be an edge rusher. Pick up a veteran CB and let JuJu, Flowers, and Jones learn from him.

That's true, but hasn't Ballard stuck to the plan since he's been here (for better or worse)? He's not going to spend big on free agents. He's going to wait until the frenzy is over and then he'll probably pick up a veteran or two for bargain rates. People can say it hasn't worked, but he hasn't had the right QB since Luck to prove out his MO. I'm not trying to defend him, he's obviously made some mistakes. But overall he's done well IMHO. Okay, my complaint is that he passed on a bunch of Edge rushers this year. Yes, they would have cost and he probably wouldn't have been able to 'run it back'. But a dominant D line makes it a lot easier for the DBs.

Did Ty Law intercept it?

The commissioner can make the decision no matter what the legal outcome happened to be. Not exactly the same, but Zeke Elliot was suspended six games after not being found guilty in a similar situation. (I want to emphasize that I know it was different) Again, I really don’t want to get into his guilt or innocence. I’m just curious on how the Colts will handle it. I think he’s a very good TE. (And I’m not just saying that because he went to one of my Alma’s)