PFF's Top-50 Big Board for the 2019 NFL Draft

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https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/draft-pffs-top-50-big-board-for-the-2019-nfl-draft
 

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PFF's Top-50 Big Board for the 2019 NFL Draft

 

Pro Football Focus’ Top-50 Big Board for the 2019 NFL Draft is live! PFF’s team of draft analysts, led by Steve Palazzolo and Mike Renner, have put together their top-50 prospects now that we’re officially one day into the month of April.

 

1. QB KYLER MURRAY, OKLAHOMA

Murray was the highest-graded QB in college football this past season. We haven’t seen a quarterback that is as dangerous with both his arm and legs since Russell Wilson.

 

2. EDGE NICK BOSA, OHIO STATE

Bosa had a higher pass-rush win rate as a true freshman than Brian Burns, Clelin Ferrell and Jachai Polite had this past season.

 

3. DI QUINNEN WILLIAMS, ALABAMA

Williams earned the highest grade we’ve ever given to a college interior defender (96.0) in his lone season as a starter at Alabama.

 

4. OT JONAH WILLIAMS, ALABAMA

The Alabama left tackle was the second highest-graded tackle in the nation despite facing stout SEC competition and allowed only 12 pressures.

 

5. EDGE JOSH ALLEN, KENTUCKY

Allen had far and away the highest pass-rushing grade of any college edge defender this past season at 94.3.

 

6. CB BYRON MURPHY, WASHINGTON

A 47.7% completion percentage against and 17 forced incompletions made Murphy the highest-graded corner in the country this past year.

 

7. DI JERRY TILLERY, NOTRE DAME

Tillery tied Quinnen Williams for the highest pass-rushing grade among interior defenders in college football. Tillery’s sack totals don’t tell the whole story as he was a dominant week in and week out.

 

8. DI JEFFERY SIMMONS, MISSISSIPPI STATE

He tore his ACL but did it so early in the process that he could still play as a rookie. Simmons had a run-defense and pass-rushing grade over 90.0 this past season.

 

9. CB GREEDY WILLIAMS, LSU

His sophomore campaign wasn’t quite as dominant as his freshman season, but he still only allowed 27 of his 74 targets to be completed.

 

10. QB DWAYNE HASKINS, OHIO STATE

Haskins certainly improved as the season went on, but his 84.9 passing grade leaves us with some reservations.

 

11. DI ED OLIVER, HOUSTON

His pass-rushing finally came around with a 90.8 grade this past season, but considering his size and the competition he was facing, he still has a ways to go.

 

12. LB DEVIN WHITE, LSU

No linebacker in college football had a higher grade in coverage than White’s 91.6 last season. His freakish athleticism suggests it was no fluke.

 

13. OT ANDRE DILLARD, WASHINGTON STATE

Dillard had the highest pass protection grade of any starting tackle in the country at 94.0 this past season.

 

14. EDGE BRIAN BURNS, FLORIDA STATE

Burns racked up the most pressures of any Power-5 defender in the country last year with 69.

 

 

15. OT JAWAAN TAYLOR, FLORIDA

Taylor came into his own on the right side for Florida this past season and finished with the third-highest run-blocking grade among starting Power-5 tackles.

 

16. CB DEANDRE BAKER, GEORGIA

Baker has posted back-to-back 90.0-plus graded seasons in coverage. This past year, he allowed all of 10 first downs all season and no touchdowns.

 

17. WR D.K. METCALF, OLE MISS

Metcalf’s numbers aren’t anything special, but his physical traits and high-end plays are promising.

 

 

18. LB DEVIN BUSH, MICHIGAN

Bush can be a weapon as a blitzer in the right scheme. He had top-five pass-rushing grades among off-ball linebackers each of the past two seasons.

 

19. OT DALTON RISNER, KANSAS STATE

Risner started all four seasons at Kansas State and his career low grade was 87.9 overall.

 

20. WR A.J. BROWN, OLE MISS

Brown was the definition of a complete receiver for Ole Miss. He forced 17 broken tackles, had 34 explosive plays and only dropped five passes on 90 catchable.

 

21. TE T.J. HOCKENSON, IOWA

Hockenson had the second-highest receiving grade among tight ends in college football this past year, dropping one pass on 51 catchable targets.

 

22. OT CODY FORD, OKLAHOMA

In Ford’s lone season as a starter, he allowed all of seven pressures all season long and didn’t allow a sack until the playoffs.

 

23. WR J.J. ARCEGA-WHITESIDE, STANFORD

Arcega-Whiteside led the entire draft class with 19 contested catches this past season on only 32 contested opportunities.

 

24. QB WILL GRIER, WEST VIRGINIA

Grier tied Drew Lock for the NCAA lead with 33 big-time throws and has the second-best best passing grade behind Kyler Murray.

 

25.DI CHRISTIAN WILKINS, CLEMSON

Wilkins was top three in both run-defense and pass-rushing grade among interior players this past season.

 

26. C ELGTON JENKINS, MISSISSIPPI STATE

The Mississippi State center allowed all of five pressures this past season on 369 pass-blocking snaps.

 

27. S NASIR ADDERLEY, DELAWARE

Adderly earned a 90.3 overall grade with Delaware a year ago, and his 89.9 2018 coverage grades leads all draft-eligible safeties. 

 

28. S DARNELL SAVAGE, MARYLAND

Savage has back-to-back seasons with grades over 86.0 overall. He’s a missile around the line of scrimmage, laying some impressive hits in the flat.

 

29. EDGE CHASE WINOVICH, MICHIGAN

Winovich is coming off back to back seasons with grades over 90 overall – the only such qualifying power-5 player in the draft class that can boast that.

 

30. WR ANDY ISABELLA, MASSACHUSETTS

Isabella was the highest-graded wide receiver in the country, racking up 1,696 yards, including 219 against Georgia.

 

31. WR MARQUISE BROWN, OKLAHOMA

Brown was a threat to take it to the house every time he touched the ball. He broke 17 tackles on 77 catches and scored 10 touchdowns.

 

32. DI DEXTER LAWRENCE, CLEMSON

Nose tackles of 340-plus pounds are going the way of the Dodo in the NFL, but Lawrence is a pretty ridiculous athlete for his size. He had the 12th best pass-rushing grade among interior players in college football.

 

33. CB DAVID LONG, MICHIGAN

Long allowed all of 18 catches on 595 coverage snaps in his entire college career at Michigan

 

34. OT GREG LITTLE, OLE MISS

Over the past two seasons, Little allowed all of 26 total pressures on 993 pass-blocking snaps.

 

35. EDGE CLELIN FERRELL, CLEMSON

Ferrell racked up 14 sacks and 14 hits on the season and has ideal build to fit in any scheme.

 

36. CB AMANI ORUWARIYE, PENN STATE

Oruwariye had the best week of any corner at the Senior Bowl, notching the highest win rate among all defenders in the one-on-ones.

 

37. QB DREW LOCK, MISSOURI

Lock paired an NCAA leading 33 big-time throws with only six turnover-worthy plays as a senior.

 

38. S TAYLOR RAPP, WASHINGTON

Rapp was one of the most assignment-sure safeties in the country this past season and missed all of two tackles on 56 attempts.

 

39. CB JUSTIN LAYNE, MICHIGAN STATE

Layne’s 89.5 coverage grade last year was ninth best among Power-5 corners in the nation. He also dabbled at receiver where he took 36 snaps this past season.

 

40. EDGE ZACH ALLEN, BOSTON COLLEGE

Allen was one of the best run defenders in college football in 2017 before a 90.3 pass-rushing grade this past season. He was an ironman for BC, playing 107 snaps against Wake Forest this past season.

 

41. C GARRETT BRADBURY, NC STATE

Bradbury was a top-five graded center each of the past two seasons and the highest-graded Power-5 center in this draft class both years as well.

 

42. WR HAKEEM BUTLER, IOWA STATE

Butler’s size (6-foot-5, 227 pounds) might suggest a possession receiver, but he had more receptions 20-plus yards downfield (19) than anyone in the draft class.

 

43. TE NOAH FANT, IOWA

Fant is the most freakishly athletic tight end in this draft class, but his inconsistent hands are still a concern. He’s dropped 11 passes on 80 catchable the past two seasons.

 

44. S AMANI HOOKER, IOWA

Hooker’s 91.1 coverage grade last season was the second-highest of any defensive back in the country.

 

45. CB JULIAN LOVE, NOTRE DAME

Love’s 21 forced incompletions were the sixth-most in college football last season and his 14 coverage stops ranked 10th.

 

46. EDGE MONTEZ SWEAT, MISSISSIPPI STATE

Sweat’s 19.1% pressure percentage was top 10 among edge defenders in the draft class and the third highest in the SEC last season.

 

47. DI KHALEN SAUNDERS, WESTERN ILLINOIS

Saunders moves like an edge and even played there at times for Western Illinois. He went to the Senior Bowl and had the second-highest win rate among interior players in the one-on-ones.

 

48. DI RASHAN GARY, MICHIGAN

Gary’s production has yet to catch up to his freakish athleticism. He earned a 68.3 pass-rushing grade this past season.

 

49. S CHAUNCEY GARDNER-JOHNSON, FLORIDA

Gardner-Johnson is perfect for the slot/safety hybrid role in today’s NFL. He led all secondary players with 22 coverage stops this past season.

 

50. OT MAX SCHARPING, NORTHERN ILLINOIS

The four-year starter had pass protection grades above 87.0 every season of his career.

 

 

 

Notables:

-Kyler Murray ahead of the pass-rushers. They seem to really believe in him

-Jonah Williams at no. 4

-Jerry Tillery at no. 7... the 2nd best interior lineman. 

-Dalton Risner in the top 20

-JJ Arcega-Whiteside at 23. They really like him

-Darnell Savage in top 30!!!

-David Long from Michigan no. 33!! This is the highest I've seen him.

-Montez Sweat ranked in the 40s... this is wild. I have no idea why. 

-Rashan Gary ranked 48th... 

[#12.]

I've been watching their shows.  He said he was thinking about putting Ja'Von Rolland-Jones top 50.  He does not jump off the film to me at all.  Yeah, he loves Savage, too.

 

It's an interesting list, but many of them are questionable.  I bet Tillery is still available at 34.

[Superman]

They overrate their college grading and struggle with projections, but that's typical. They have some clear wins over the years.

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11 minutes ago, Superman said:

They overrate their college grading and struggle with projections, but that's typical. They have some clear wins over the years.

The thing they've been reiterating is that they truly believe in their DL projections. They say those project best from college grading to the NFL. That's where their best hits have been too...

[Superman]

1 minute ago, stitches said:

The thing they've been reiterating is that they truly believe in their DL projections. They say those project best from college grading to the NFL. 

 

Chris Jones stands out. But they also had Andrew Billings really high, which is questionable. 

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6 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

Chris Jones stands out. But they also had Andrew Billings really high, which is questionable. 

They had both Grady Jarrett and Trey Flowers as 1st rounders in their draft class. 

 

BTW they are comparing Jerry Tillery to Chris Jones.

 

There will always be hits and misses, the question is over a big enough sample, how they do compared to average NFL team... or even to the best of them. 

[Defjamz26]

3 minutes ago, Superman said:

They overrate their college grading and struggle with projections, but that's typical. They have some clear wins over the years.

Couldn’t agree more. I’d like to see them actually factor in scouting when they do their prospect rankings instead of just listing them in order according to their computer generated player grade. They do the same thing with their mock drafts too.

[chad72]

Oh snap, Jerry Tillery is too high!!!

 

Also, Andy Isabella and Darnell Savage cracked the Top 50. I am fine with Savage but Isabella???

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3 minutes ago, Defjamz26 said:

Couldn’t agree more. I’d like to see them actually factor in scouting when they do their prospect rankings instead of just listing them in order according to their computer generated player grade. They do the same thing with their mock drafts too.

They don't list them according to their computer generated player grade. 

 

First the grades are done by people who watch the film snap by snap and they watch all the snaps. In a way this is the ultimate scouting. They also don't order the players strictly based on the grades, there are things they take into account like level of competition, what kind of snaps that grade was generated by, etc. They do try to project... but Superman is right, they do put too much emphasis on what the player is now vs what he can become. My criticism of their grading is that they under-emphasize splash plays and overemphasize not-losing snaps. 

 

One example of them trying to project rather than rely on their grading is Metcalf for example. Here are their grades of the WRs and their ranking of the WRs. As you can see it's not based purely on their grades:

 

 

 

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12 minutes ago, chad72 said:

Oh snap, Jerry Tillery is too high!!!

 

Also, Andy Isabella and Darnell Savage cracked the Top 50. I am fine with Savage but Isabella???

Why? Isabella is good and dynamic. He's drawing Tyreek Hill and TY Hilton comparisons. He can win both on the inside and on the outside and he's got legit burner speed to stretch the field. 

[#12.]

2 minutes ago, stitches said:

Why? Isabella is good and dynamic. He's drawing Tyreek Hill and TY Hilton comparisons. He can win both on the inside and on the outside and he's got legit burner speed to stretch the field. 

 

Top 50?  Top 59?  Would you take him with 26, 34 or 59?  

[stitches]

@#12. I haven't finished my board, but when it's said and done he will probably be somewhere between 34 and 59 for me. 

 

[chad72]

8 minutes ago, stitches said:

Why? Isabella is good and dynamic. He's drawing Tyreek Hill and TY Hilton comparisons. He can win both on the inside and on the outside and he's got legit burner speed to stretch the field. 

 

I am not sure how good he is against physical CBs, given the competition he has faced. Hey, Jordy Nelson came out of Kansas State, could catch everything thrown his way and Andy could very well follow along those lines of underrated WRs that produce at the next level.

 

I would take him with 59, just not earlier, but that is just me. 

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1 minute ago, chad72 said:

 

I am not sure how good he is against physical CBs, given the competition he has faced. Hey, Jordy Nelson came out of Kansas State, could catch everything thrown his way and Andy could very well follow along those lines of underrated WRs that produce at the next level.

 

I would take him with 59, just not earlier, but that is just me. 

He went for 220 yards and 2 TDs vs Georgia 

[#12.]

8 minutes ago, stitches said:

@#12. I haven't finished my board, but when it's said and done he will probably be somewhere between 34 and 59 for me. 

 

I like Isabella.  I would consider him at 59, too.  From our perspective, if you traded down and got another pick, he's someone I would be even more interested in.

 

That said, through two years of Ballard and one of Reich, I couldn't tell you what they are looking for in wideouts.

[chad72]

10 minutes ago, stitches said:

He went for 220 yards and 2 TDs vs Georgia 

 

He got way too many free releases where they played off him consistently, and Georgia was leading the game cushily that they were mainly playing prevent D, IMO. I am not going to get carried away with it.

 

Let us hold off on the Tyreek and TY comparisons.

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9 minutes ago, #12. said:

I like Isabella.  I would consider him at 59, too.  From our perspective, if you traded down and got another pick, he's someone I would be even more interested in.

 

That said, through two years of Ballard and one of Reich, I couldn't tell you what they are looking for in wideouts.

 

IMO for as good as Ballard has been with his evaluations both in FA and in the draft, his WR evaluations so far have been sketchy. He's missed on most of the ones he's signed/drafted(Aiken, Grant, Fountain... we don't know about Cain yet). He's on the record saying how hard scouting WR coming from the draft is because there aren't many snaps where they face physical press-coverage so we don't really know how they will fare against that type of defense which is more prevalent in the league. I guess samples are way too small so far to make any conclusions... 

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7 minutes ago, chad72 said:

 

He got way too many free releases where they played off him consistently, and Georgia was leading the game cushily that they were mainly playing prevent D, IMO. I am not going to get carried away with it.

 

Let us hold off on the Tyreek and TY comparisons.

Just for the record, when I make draft to NFL comparisons I'm doing a style/type comparison, NOT end product expectation comparison. When I say Isabella is TY/Tyreek type... I am not saying I expect him to be 1300 yards+ receiver on a yearly basis. If I did, I'd be picking him in the top 5, not in the 30s or 40s, where he's most likely to end up for me on my board. 

[chad72]

9 minutes ago, stitches said:

 

IMO for as good as Ballard has been with his evaluations both in FA and in the draft, his WR evaluations so far have been sketchy. He's missed on most of the ones he's signed/drafted(Aiken, Grant, Fountain... we don't know about Cain yet). He's on the record saying how hard scouting WR coming from the draft is because there aren't many snaps where they face physical press-coverage so we don't really know how they will fare against that type of defense which is more prevalent in the league. I guess samples are way too small so far to make any conclusions... 

 

Well said. For this reason, Riley Ridley intrigues me with his potential that has everything you want with his route breaks and the strength to beat press coverage. He can be coached to be a complete WR, even better than his brother Calvin Ridley, IMO.  Damarkus Lodge is another underrated one vs press coverage too, I am finding out.

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4 minutes ago, chad72 said:

 

Well said. For this reason, Riley Ridley intrigues me with his potential that has everything you want with his route breaks and the strength to beat press coverage. He can be coached to be a complete WR, even better than his brother Calvin Ridley, IMO. 

Ridley's route running is so damn impressive. I don't know what to do with him and his combine testing. It was so disappointing. I was ready to put him in R1 and then ... this: 

 

https://www.mockdraftable.com/player/riley-ridley

 

Yuck! This is ugly. I think at the end I will swallow my revulsion and get him in the 2nd round range. 

[SouthernIndianaNDFan]

Watched Tillery look like Quinnen and Oliver for stretches this season, and am a believer that he can be an absolute game wrecker on our d-line. Hope they take him at 26, not sure he's gonna be there at 34. 

[NewColtsFan]

Perhaps I’m guilty of too much group think?   Perhaps I get caught up in the echo chamber of popular opinion?

 

But this Top-50 is hard to take seriously.     

 

I’ve said this often....   I thought they do a nice job on their NFL evaluations, but their college work, for me, leaves something to be desired....

 

Just sayin....

 

[John Hammonds]

5 hours ago, stitches said:

-Kyler Murray ahead of the pass-rushers. They seem to really believe in him

I'm sorry, but I have to question whether they truly believe this undersized one-year wonder is the best overall player in the draft, or whether they're just putting him first because they're predicting the Cardinals will pick him first.

[MikeCurtis]

5 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

Perhaps I’m guilty of too much group think?   Perhaps I get caught up in the echo chamber of popular opinion?

 

But this Top-50 is hard to take seriously.     

 

I’ve said this often....   I thought they do a nice job on their NFL evaluations, but their college work, for me, leaves something to be desired....

 

Just sayin....

 

 

I 100% agree

 

JJ at 23????

Sweat at 46???

 

They have some stuff I agree with.... but sheeze

 

I think they are WAY off on many

 

Only time will tell

[EastStreet]

Love Tillery, and I'm fine with him higher in the draft...... but having him higher than Oliver is a head scratcher. 

 

Isabella is going to make a team very happy. Savage and Arcega-Whiteside way high IMO. Ferrell way low.

[akcolt]

8 hours ago, SouthernIndianaNDFan said:

Watched Tillery look like Quinnen and Oliver for stretches this season, and am a believer that he can be an absolute game wrecker on our d-line. Hope they take him at 26, not sure he's gonna be there at 34. 

I'll admit I'm an Irish homer but I don't want to draft our players every year. This year is different there are a handful of guys I'd love to grab and that starts with Tillery with either of the early picks. He is the number 1 guy I want in the horseshoe. 

 

Next is Julian Love he doesn't meet Ballards size profile and I'm not sure we need a CB early but I wouldn't complain if he was still there in the second. He was the unsung hero of the D. Boykins in the 4th would be great although after his combine he's probably late day 2 

 

We have a couple guys I'd look at day 3. Our TE Mack is one This deep class and his injury riddled career at ND will push him down but could be a steal. Finally Dexter Williams is a RB I think would pair well with Mack. 

[NewColtsFan]

3 hours ago, MikeCurtis said:

 

I 100% agree

 

JJ at 23????

Sweat at 46???

 

They have some stuff I agree with.... but sheeze

 

I think they are WAY off on many

 

Only time will tell

 

Hey....     I like JJ as much as anyone....    but 23?     No.

 

I don't want us to pick him either at 26 or 34.

 

If we go for him at pick 59 I'd be fine.     Pick 89 might not be very realistic.   But I'd be thrilled if he fell that far and we nabbed him there.     I just want to be reasonable.    

 

The 20's?    Oh, Heck, no!

 

[stitches]

9 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

Perhaps I’m guilty of too much group think?   Perhaps I get caught up in the echo chamber of popular opinion?

 

But this Top-50 is hard to take seriously.     

 

I’ve said this often....   I thought they do a nice job on their NFL evaluations, but their college work, for me, leaves something to be desired....

 

Just sayin....

 

What are the things you don't like? 

[NewColtsFan]

8 minutes ago, stitches said:

What are the things you don't like? 

 

Well....

 

A very close friend of yours had this list of notables....   and I'll add to that...

 

Notables:

-Kyler Murray ahead of the pass-rushers. They seem to really believe in him

-Jonah Williams at no. 4

-Jerry Tillery at no. 7... the 2nd best interior lineman. 

-Dalton Risner in the top 20

-JJ Arcega-Whiteside at 23. They really like him

-Darnell Savage in top 30!!!

-David Long from Michigan no. 33!! This is the highest I've seen him.

-Montez Sweat ranked in the 40s... this is wild. I have no idea why. 

-Rashan Gary ranked 48th... 

 

A great starting list.    Here are a few more,  and I was conservative.

 

6. Byron Murphy

24.  Will Grier

29   Chase Winovich

30   Andy Isabella

35   Clelin Ferrell

37   Drew Lock

 

Your list is 9 deep....   I added 6 more conservatively.    Is that enough?

 

[stitches]

2 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

Well....

 

A very close friend of yours had this list of notables....   and I'll add to that...

 

Notables:

-Kyler Murray ahead of the pass-rushers. They seem to really believe in him

-Jonah Williams at no. 4

-Jerry Tillery at no. 7... the 2nd best interior lineman. 

-Dalton Risner in the top 20

-JJ Arcega-Whiteside at 23. They really like him

-Darnell Savage in top 30!!!

-David Long from Michigan no. 33!! This is the highest I've seen him.

-Montez Sweat ranked in the 40s... this is wild. I have no idea why. 

-Rashan Gary ranked 48th... 

 

A great starting list.    Here are a few more,  and I was conservative.

 

6. Byron Murphy

24.  Will Grier

29   Chase Winovich

30   Andy Isabella

35   Clelin Ferrell

37   Drew Lock

 

Your list is 9 deep....   I added 6 more conservatively.    Is that enough?

 

Mine are just notables... Not all of them are things I hate about their ranking(For example it's very possible I will have Tillery about as high as they did when I post my final rankings). I leave a lot of room for difference of opinion in the range of "disagree-but-reasonable". To me Sweat in the 40s is the biggest wth moment and one that I cannot get behind... most of the rest are just things I listed that go against the grain and against what most other analysts have... some of them are also players I haven't watched so... I cannot really say(example David Long). 

[NewColtsFan]

6 minutes ago, stitches said:

Mine are just notables... Not all of them are things I hate about their ranking(For example it's very possible I will have Tillery about as high as they did when I post my final rankings). I leave a lot of room for difference of opinion in the range of "disagree-but-reasonable". To me Sweat in the 40s is the biggest wth moment and one that I cannot get behind... most of the rest are just things I listed that go against the grain and against what most other analysts have... some of them are also players I haven't watched so... I cannot really say(example David Long). 

 

Tillery?     Really?    Nearly as high?     Yikes!!

 

I like him and would be fine with the Colts at 26, though I'd prefer 34.   But top-10/12?   Really?

 

Can't wrap my head around that, at all.    In ths DL class?    Not at all.

 

[stitches]

3 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

Tillery?     Really?    Nearly as high?     Yikes!!

 

I like him and would be fine with the Colts at 26, though I'd prefer 34.   But top-10/12?   Really?

 

Can't wrap my head around that, at all.    In ths DL class?    Not at all.

 

Yes... Tillery is one of the best pass-rushers in this draft... not just interior... pass-rushers period. We just don't have anything close to it as a pass-rushing talent right now(well, except for Houston, but he's not a long-term investment for this team). I value pass-rush more than run-defense... by a decent margin so I will always choose the exceptional pass-rush ahead of more well-rounded players that don't do as well in pass-rush situations. I like Quinnen and Oliver better than him and I like Simmons better than him, but Simmons is injured and has red-flag that I don't know how to evaluate because I don't have the info. I don't think anybody else from this draft class is a better prospect than Tillery on the interior. And this is NOT a knock on the other players in the class.. I just like Tillery this much. 

[NewColtsFan]

19 minutes ago, stitches said:

Yes... Tillery is one of the best pass-rushers in this draft... not just interior... pass-rushers period. We just don't have anything close to it as a pass-rushing talent right now(well, except for Houston, but he's not a long-term investment for this team). I value pass-rush more than run-defense... by a decent margin so I will always choose the exceptional pass-rush ahead of more well-rounded players that don't do as well in pass-rush situations. I like Quinnen and Oliver better than him and I like Simmons better than him, but Simmons is injured and has red-flag that I don't know how to evaluate because I don't have the info. I don't think anybody else from this draft class is a better prospect than Tillery on the interior. And this is NOT a knock on the other players in the class.. I just like Tillery this much. 

 

Interesting....   you're voicing a view that I see a fair amount around here...

 

That we need more pass rush from inside.     And I find myself thinking....   Really?

 

I never see the name Denico Autry here.    And yet he led the Colts with 9 sacks in just 12 games.  And I believe all of them came from inside at the 3-tech.    Ballard has talked him up this off-season and I believe he's expecting same or maybe more this year.    Autry feels like he's below the radar of many around here.

 

[stitches]

20 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

Interesting....   you're voicing a view that I see a fair amount around here...

 

That we need more pass rush from inside.     And I find myself thinking....   Really?

 

I never see the name Denico Autry here.    And yet he led the Colts with 9 sacks in just 12 games.  And I believe all of them came from inside at the 3-tech.    Ballard has talked him up this off-season and I believe he's expecting same or maybe more this year.    Autry feels like he's below the radar of many around here.

 

Not all sacks are created equal(a ton of Autry's sacks are cleanup/coverage sacks, which is still valuable, just not as valuable as what the Chris Jones' and Fletcher Cox's of the world do) and there is more to pass-rush than sacks. Pressures and hits are both more stable and more impactful than sacks... simply because there are a ton more of them.  

 

And again, I feel like I have to put a disclaimer that I like Autry and that I think he's been great value for the buck for us. I just think Tillery has the potential to be on a completely different level. Never let good talent prevent you from acquiring exceptional talent. 

 

Also... keep in mind that we are not drafting for next season only. When you draft in the 1st you are drafting with the hope and expectation that the guy will be part of your team for the next 5-10 years. neither Autry, nor Ward, nor Hunt(the ones that played the 3tech last season) are in any way long-term solutions for the position. The only one that might be is Tyquan Lewis, but from what we've seen from him, he wouldn't stop me from drafting what I consider a potential difference maker at the position. 

[NewColtsFan]

17 minutes ago, stitches said:

Not all sacks are created equal(a ton of Autry's sacks are cleanup/coverage sacks, which is still valuable, just not as valuable as what the Chris Jones' and Fletcher Cox's of the world do) and there is more to pass-rush than sacks. Pressures and hits are both more stable and more impactful than sacks... simply because there are a ton more of them.  

 

And again, I feel like I have to put a disclaimer that I like Autry and that I think he's been great value for the buck for us. I just think Tillery has the potential to be on a completely different level. Never let good talent prevent you from acquiring exceptional talent. 

 

Also... keep in mind that we are not drafting for next season only. When you draft in the 1st you are drafting with the hope and expectation that the guy will be part of your team for the next 5-10 years. neither Autry, nor Ward, nor Hunt(the ones that played the 3tech last season) are in any way long-term solutions for the position. The only one that might be is Tyquan Lewis, but from what we've seen from him, he wouldn't stop me from drafting what I consider a potential difference maker at the position. 

 

Agree with all of this,  especially the last two paragraphs.    They are points of view I have often voiced here on the website...

 

[PureLuck]

9 hours ago, John Hammonds said:

I'm sorry, but I have to question whether they truly believe this undersized one-year wonder is the best overall player in the draft, or whether they're just putting him first because they're predicting the Cardinals will pick him first.

 

That question can easily be answered. They are on record that Kyler would be their No. 1 as early as January, so way before the rumors about the Cardinals were made public. They had Baker No. 1 all the way last year as well and that turned out to be a hit for both them and the Browns. We'll see how Kyler comes around if he goes No. 1 as well...

[John Hammonds]

16 hours ago, PureLuck said:

 

That question can easily be answered. They are on record that Kyler would be their No. 1 as early as January, so way before the rumors about the Cardinals were made public. They had Baker No. 1 all the way last year as well and that turned out to be a hit for both them and the Browns. We'll see how Kyler comes around if he goes No. 1 as well...

Let's hope they're right, for the Cardinals' sake.

As for myself, I'm suspicious this draft will resemble the 2011 draft.  A lot of teams drafting a QB in the first round out of desperate need, but most of them turn out to be second class.

1/1 Carolina Panthers - Cam Newton, Auburn

1/8 Tennessee Titans - Jake Locker, Washington

1/10 Jacksonville Jaguars - Blaine Gabbert, Missouri

1/12 Minnesota Vikings - Christian Ponder, Florida St

2/35 Cincinnati Bengals - Andy Dalton, TCU

2/36 San Francisco 49ers - Colin Kaepernick, Nevada

 

[Shive]

On 4/3/2019 at 1:18 PM, Superman said:

They overrate their college grading and struggle with projections, but that's typical. They have some clear wins over the years.

From a lot of the PFF podcasts I've listened to, they have tried to narrow down over the past few years what traits translate most to NFL success and which don't. They'll have misses, but I think they do a pretty great job of evaluations.

[ColtsBlueFL]

The latestvtop 50 from C. Landry-

 

6.9 = Early 1st Round (2)
1. NICK BOSA–DE–OHIO STATE (M)
2. QUINNEN WILLIAMS–DT–ALABAMA

 

6.5 = Mid to Late 1st Round Value (21)
3. JOSH ALLEN–DE/OLB–KENTUCKY
4. ED OLIVER–DT–HOUSTON
5. CLELIN FERRELL–DE–CLEMSON
6. CHRISTIAN WILKINS–DT–CLEMSON

7. DEVIN WHITE–ILB–LSU
8. JEFFREY SIMMONS–DT–MISSISSIPPI STATE (M,C)
9. JONAH WILLIAMS–OT/OG–ALABAMA
10. TJ HOCKENSON–TE–IOWA
11. RASHAN GARY–DT–MICHIGAN
12. BYRON MURPHY–CB–WASHINGTON
13. JOSH JACOBS–RB–ALABAMA
14. DWAYNE HASKINS–QB–OHIO ST.
15. MONTEZ SWEAT–DE/OB–MISSISSIPPI STATE
16. GREEDY WILLIAMS–CB–LSU
17. ANDRE DILLARD–OLT–WASHINGTON STATE
18. JAWAAN TAYLOR–ORT–FLORIDA
19. KYLER MURRAY–QB–OKLAHOMA
20. DEVIN BUSH–LB–MICHIGAN
21. NOAH FANT–TE–IOWA
22. MARQUISE BROWN–WR–OKLAHOMA
23. D.K. METCALF–WR–OLE MISS

===============END OF FIRST ROUND GRADE VALUE==================
6.4 – 6.0 = Potential Starter (59)
6.4 = Early 2nd Round Value (30)

24. JACHAI POLITE–DE/OB–FLORIDA (C)
25. DREW LOCK–QB–MISSOURI
26. BRIAN BURNS–DE/OB–FLORIDA ST.
27. GARRETT BRADBURY–C–NORTH CAROLINA STATE
28. JOHNATHAN ABRAM–S–MISSISSIPPI STATE
29. IRV SMITH–TE–ALABAMA
30. DEXTER LAWRENCE–DT–CLEMSON
31. JERRY TILLERY–DT–NOTRE DAME
32. ROCK YA-SIN–CB–TEMPLE

 

————————END OF FIRST ROUND NUMBER PICKS——————————

 

33. CODY FORD–OT–OKLAHOMA
34. DEANDRE BAKER–CB–GEORGIA
35. NASIR ADDERLEY–S–DELAWARE
36. RILEY RIDLEY–WR–GEORGIA
37. AJ BROWN–WR–OLE MISS
38. DALTON RISNER–ORT–KANSAS STATE
39. DANIEL JONES–QB–DUKE
40. KALEB MCGARY–OT–WASHINGTON
41. MILES SANDERS–RB–PENN STATE
42. L.J. COLLIER–DE/OB–TCU
43. JAYLON FERGUSON–DE/OB–LOUISIANA TECH (C)
44. TAYLOR RAPP–S–WASHINGTON
45. ERIK MCCOY–C–TEXAS A&M
46. N’KEAL HARRY–WR–ARIZONA ST.
47. JUSTIN LAYNE–CB–MICHIGAN ST.
48. DEEBO SAMUEL–WR–SOUTH CAROLINA
49. TRAYVON MULLEN–CB–CLEMSON
50. TYTUS HOWARD–LT/RT–ALABAMA ST.

[RNGDShobby]

No Devin White? Huh?