Draft Game? Why not...

[tapeANaspirin2it]

Some team will love Connor Cook too, and that dude is going to stink out loud. The it thing you need at QB he just doesn't have.

i have heard that Cook is an ******* and most of his teammates don't like him. The Alabama game will hurt him. Most games, he had all day to throw and because their play action was so good, he usually had an open WR. Against Bama, his first option was covered and he had pressure and he looked rattled. He would not pull the trigger on guys who were open, but not wide open.

Small window throws will be another thing scouts like in Hack's film. Nearly every throw he makes is into a tight window while most of the other QBs will only have a few of those type throws per game.

It's similar to RBs who play on a really good team. Many of their runs are through gaping holes. I don't even count those runs when i evaluate RBs. I want to see a guy who finds a small crack and gets the 4 yards then makes somebody miss to make it 8 yards. Those type players often get lost in the shuffle because they don't have big stats.

 

[FordFairLane]

Hackenburg won't last until the 4th. He is too physically talented to last that long. He was very good as a freshman in O'Brien's NFL passing game where he had time to throw and Allen Robinson to throw to. The next 2 years he struggled behind a horrible OL and when he did have time, the young WRs were rarely open and not always running the right routes.

His accuracy did suffer the last 2 years but that's common for a QB getting hit as often as he did. Because the OL was so bad, most teams got pressure without blitzing so Hack was throwing against 7 and 8 in coverage. His production went down but he did get better as a QB as evidenced by him throwing only 6 INT this year while under intense pressure.

I've heard people like Dilfer, Jaws, and Greg Cossell say that grading QBs is harder these days because of all the spread offenses in college. Nothing in these offenses translate to the NFL. Most of the throws are to wide open receivers and the throws are pre defined. Baylor QB Bryce Petty admitted when he got to the Jets that he didn't even know how to take a snap or point out the Mike LB for the OL protection.

Scouts will view his tape a lot differently than fans. And once he starts throwing in workouts, some team will love him.

I agree and like I stated I personally don't think he gets past the Pats or Texans in round 2. I could easily see the Texans take him in the first also. When he starts throwing in shorts and teams see him throw the ball with a Favre type arm and NFL body someone will fall in love with him. It wouldn't surprise me a bit if he climbed to a top ten pick with pro day, combine, and personal workouts. So if I got him in the 4th I'd be ecstatic to stuff him behind Ben to learn a few seasons.

 

[nitsuj1225]

i have heard that Cook is an ******* and most of his teammates don't like him. The Alabama game will hurt him. Most games, he had all day to throw and because their play action was so good, he usually had an open WR. Against Bama, his first option was covered and he had pressure and he looked rattled. He would not pull the trigger on guys who were open, but not wide open.

Small window throws will be another thing scouts like in Hack's film. Nearly every throw he makes is into a tight window while most of the other QBs will only have a few of those type throws per game.

It's similar to RBs who play on a really good team. Many of their runs are through gaping holes. I don't even count those runs when i evaluate RBs. I want to see a guy who finds a small crack and gets the 4 yards then makes somebody miss to make it 8 yards. Those type players often get lost in the shuffle because they don't have big stats.

I don't understand, the same argument you make against Cook you made an excuse for Hack. His freshman year you said Hack had a better oline with more time to throw and a top WR and he looked capable. Give him some pressure the last 2 seasons and he folds. This is the exact same thing you criticized Cook for against Alabama and that was only 1 game, not 2 full seasons. Also, that's against Alabama not the likes of Buffalo and Northwestern.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

The Browns would take a flyer on Hack in the second round and I bet the Texans would not allow him past their pick in R2 also.

 

[oicu8ad]

last try for today lol

Your Picks:
Round 1 Pick 25: Su'a Cravens, OLB/SS, Southern California (B)
Round 2 Pick 25: Hunter Henry, TE, Arkansas (B+)
Round 3 Pick 25: Braxton Miller, WR, Ohio State (A+)
Round 4 Pick 25: Kenneth Dixon, RB, Louisiana Tech (A)
Round 7 Pick 8: Adairius Barnes, CB, Louisiana Tech (D-)
Round 7 Pick 25: Brian Poole, CB, Florida (A)

Sorry Slash, but if we go TE, WR, and RB BEFORE we grab a CB my head will explode.

 

[Bigappleyinzer]

Sorry Slash, but if we go TE, WR, and RB BEFORE we grab a CB my head will explode.

I understand, and I especially think we are set at RB (Bell, DWill, Fitz are a solid group), but...

We are going into to camp next year with possibly 7 bodies at CB:

Grant
Golson
Cortez
Gay- Probably
Blake- Probably
Cockrell- Probably
Ross- Probably

It is HIGHLY unlikely that at our draft position we see any high caliber CB. I would rather build up the DL and S depth than just throw another body on this CB heap...

 

[GRBman]

Sorry Slash, but if we go TE, WR, and RB BEFORE we grab a CB my head will explode.

...somebody had Brian Poole (FL) drafted... please, no. I'm a Gator fan, Poole is not the guy. Now, NEXT year UF will have two guys entering the draft that are going to be AWESOME (Quincy Wilson and Jalen Tabor)...

Also, NO on Demarcus Robinson.

 

[antdrewjosh]

view each team's draft

25: R1p25
cb eli apple
ohio state
58: R2p27
te hunter henry
arkansas
89: R3p26
qb christian hackenberg
penn state
120: R4p25
cb maurice canady
virginia
199: R7p10
s jordan lucas
penn state
214: R7p25
cb cyrus jones
alabama

 

[antdrewjosh]

25: R1p25
s jayron kearse
clemson
58: R2p27
olb su'a cravens
usc
89: R3p26
te hunter henry
arkansas
120: R4p25
g jordan walsh
iowa
199: R7p10
cb ken crawley
colorado
214: R7p25
cb cyrus jones
alabama

 

[steelerscotty]

Traded back twice to make up for tomberts regular season mistakes:

Your score is: 7269 (GRADE: A-)

Your Picks:
Round 2 Pick 7 (JAX): Kendall Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech (A-)
Round 2 Pick 25: Su'a Cravens, OLB/SS, Southern California (A)
Round 3 Pick 25: Devon Cajuste, WR/TE, Stanford (A+)
Round 3 Pick 27 (G.B.): Joe Haeg, OT, North Dakota State (A-)
Round 4 Pick 5 (JAX): Sheldon Day, DT, Notre Dame (A)
Round 4 Pick 25: Charles Tapper, DE, Oklahoma (A-)
Round 4 Pick 27 (G.B.): Christian Westerman, OG, Arizona State (B+)
Round 5 Pick 7 (JAX): Carl Lawson, DE/OLB, Auburn (A-)
Round 7 Pick 8: Frankie Williams, CB, Purdue (A-)
Round 7 Pick 25: Keenan Reynolds, QB, Navy (B+)

Your Future Picks:
2017 Round 1 Pick
2018 Round 1 Pick

 

[Tibs]

I think the Steelers re-sign Cam Thomas for a reasonable price tag.

 

[Hines57]

I see if Suisham is worth a 5th or 6th rounder and trade him, extend Boswell.

The mock isn't just ready yet. Still need time to see who we let walk UFA and if we actually sign anyone.

Foster walks and I go LG in the first round instead of DB. We also need a new SS opposite Mitchell.

Villanueva should be brought back as the starting LT IMO.

Lots of roster moves to work on before figuring out who we mock where.

 

[bermudasteel]

Hackenburg won't last until the 4th. He is too physically talented to last that long. He was very good as a freshman in O'Brien's NFL passing game where he had time to throw and Allen Robinson to throw to. The next 2 years he struggled behind a horrible OL and when he did have time, the young WRs were rarely open and not always running the right routes.

His accuracy did suffer the last 2 years but that's common for a QB getting hit as often as he did. Because the OL was so bad, most teams got pressure without blitzing so Hack was throwing against 7 and 8 in coverage. His production went down but he did get better as a QB as evidenced by him throwing only 6 INT this year while under intense pressure.

I've heard people like Dilfer, Jaws, and Greg Cossell say that grading QBs is harder these days because of all the spread offenses in college. Nothing in these offenses translate to the NFL. Most of the throws are to wide open receivers and the throws are pre defined. Baylor QB Bryce Petty admitted when he got to the Jets that he didn't even know how to take a snap or point out the Mike LB for the OL protection.

Scouts will view his tape a lot differently than fans. And once he starts throwing in workouts, some team will love him.

Interesting...

Here's my dark horse pick at QB - if he comes out - Jake Coker, QB Alabama.

It's my opinion, with time in this offense and time working with Ben and Coach Haley - the drop off should be minimal, if any at all. The kid does not make a lot of mistakes with the ball, and GUESS WHAT - he throws it away when he doesn't see anyone open. He also is a big, tough and gritty guy. Very Ben-like...

 

[SteelerFan448]

Interesting...

Here's my dark horse pick at QB - if he comes out - Jake Coker, QB Alabama.

It's my opinion, with time in this offense and time working with Ben and Coach Haley - the drop off should be minimal, if any at all. The kid does not make a lot of mistakes with the ball, and GUESS WHAT - he throws it away when he doesn't see anyone open. He also is a big, tough and gritty guy. Very Ben-like...

Interesting pick. I've always liked Kevin Hogan as a potential late-round option.

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

I don't understand, the same argument you make against Cook you made an excuse for Hack. His freshman year you said Hack had a better oline with more time to throw and a top WR and he looked capable. Give him some pressure the last 2 seasons and he folds. This is the exact same thing you criticized Cook for against Alabama and that was only 1 game, not 2 full seasons. Also, that's against Alabama not the likes of Buffalo and Northwestern.

I was talking about production when I mentioned his freshman year. Hack showed he could produce when he has somebody to throw to and decent protection.

The difference between Hack and Cook and pressure and tight coverage is that Cook was rattled by it. He did have second and third options open but did not want to make the throws. Hack did make throws in those situations into the tight Windows. He is used to that and Cook is not. That's the point. Many college QBs never shake that fear of throwing into tight Windows. That has been Landry's main issue.

Hack has tons of difficult throws on his film, so that major question mark of whether he will throw into a tight spot is not as big an issue for him as other QBs. He has 2 seasons of beatings where he keeps getting up, standing in the pocket and looking downfield. He has experienced more of what it's like to be an NFL QB than anybody else.

If Cook played more games against that much pressure and tight coverage, maybe he does much better as he gets used to it. Maybe not. That is why it is more of a question with Cook. He doesn't have many games where he was in such tough situations. Hack has 2 years of it where he kept his head in the game and didn't crack.

You also have to see Hack live or have some all 22 film to evaluate him. I have a bunch of friends who are PSU fans who wanted him benched, blamed all the struggles on him. Then they went to a live game and their opinion totally changed. They commented how the WRs are rarely open and when they are it is by a step. They would have to keep TEs and RBs in to block against teams rushing just 4 . That meant usually 3 receivers trying to get open against 7 in coverage.

On TV you are yelling at him for taking a sack but live you see he had nowhere to throw. Hack made a lot of good throws on incompletions where nobody was open so he tried to put the ball in a spot where only the WR could make a play.

He does have his flaws. He did develop bad habits from getting hit so much. His footwork is terrible. I just think when scouts and QB coaches watch his films, they will see a kid who checks the boxes on the tough stuff and his negatives are correctable.

 

[slashsteel]

Sorry Slash, but if we go TE, WR, and RB BEFORE we grab a CB my head will explode.

Draft comes AFTER free agency starts. We can get Gay and sign another corner then...

wait

wut

 

[Tibs]

First mock draft. Here we go...

R1P25 CB ELI APPLE OHIO STATE
R2P27 S JAYRON KEARSE CLEMSON
R3P26 S DEANDRE HOUSTON-CARSON WILLIAM & MARY
R4P25 CB WILLIAM JACKSON III HOUSTON
R7P10 CB RASHARD ROBINSON LSU
R7P25 S DOUG MIDDLETON APPALACHIAN STATE

 

[nitsuj1225]

I was talking about production when I mentioned his freshman year. Hack showed he could produce when he has somebody to throw to and decent protection.

The difference between Hack and Cook and pressure and tight coverage is that Cook was rattled by it. He did have second and third options open but did not want to make the throws. Hack did make throws in those situations into the tight Windows. He is used to that and Cook is not. That's the point. Many college QBs never shake that fear of throwing into tight Windows. That has been Landry's main issue.

Hack has tons of difficult throws on his film, so that major question mark of whether he will throw into a tight spot is not as big an issue for him as other QBs. He has 2 seasons of beatings where he keeps getting up, standing in the pocket and looking downfield. He has experienced more of what it's like to be an NFL QB than anybody else.

If Cook played more games against that much pressure and tight coverage, maybe he does much better as he gets used to it. Maybe not. That is why it is more of a question with Cook. He doesn't have many games where he was in such tough situations. Hack has 2 years of it where he kept his head in the game and didn't crack.

You also have to see Hack live or have some all 22 film to evaluate him. I have a bunch of friends who are PSU fans who wanted him benched, blamed all the struggles on him. Then they went to a live game and their opinion totally changed. They commented how the WRs are rarely open and when they are it is by a step. They would have to keep TEs and RBs in to block against teams rushing just 4 . That meant usually 3 receivers trying to get open against 7 in coverage.

On TV you are yelling at him for taking a sack but live you see he had nowhere to throw. Hack made a lot of good throws on incompletions where nobody was open so he tried to put the ball in a spot where only the WR could make a play.

He does have his flaws. He did develop bad habits from getting hit so much. His footwork is terrible. I just think when scouts and QB coaches watch his films, they will see a kid who checks the boxes on the tough stuff and his negatives are correctable.

Good points and you could be right, I don't follow Penn State too closely other than a few games a season since I live in PA. I just know the games I did watch I kept wondering what the hype was about. Maybe O'Brien just knew how to get the best out of him so hopefully the Texans do pick him up.

You just don't see many college QBs struggle for 2 seasons and all of a sudden become successful in the NFL except for maybe Brady and we all know there's more than just his talent involved in that success story.

For people to suggest we should take him at all given our much more pressing needs and limited number of draft picks is mind boggling to me. We don't need to or have the luxury to spend a 3rd or 4th round pick on another Landry Jones.

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

Good points and you could be right, I don't follow Penn State too closely other than a few games a season since I live in PA. I just know the games I did watch I kept wondering what the hype was about. Maybe O'Brien just knew how to get the best out of him so hopefully the Texans do pick him up.

You just don't see many college QBs struggle for 2 seasons and all of a sudden become successful in the NFL except for maybe Brady and we all know there's more than just his talent involved in that success story.

For people to suggest we should take him at all given our much more pressing needs and limited number of draft picks is mind boggling to me. We don't need to or have the luxury to spend a 3rd or 4th round pick on another Landry Jones.

HAck had so much hype because he was the top QB recruit the year he came out. He went to the Elite 11 competition which is a contest with the 11 best high school QBs. It's like a week of drills and coaching where the kids get points for everything from throws to work on a chalkboard. Trent Dilfer pretty much runs it and he he absolutely loves Hack after working with him all week, Hack went back there before this season kind of as a counselor of sorts and reports were that he put everyone else to shame.

Physically, he is the perfect pocket passer. Big, strong, with a great arm.

I don't see any way he's a steeler. I just hope he doesn't wind up in Cleveland. The kid has taken enough beatings.

 

[Stryker]

These are hard, I'm no draft guru...

Round 1 Pick 28 (K.C.): Cody Whitehair, OG, Kansas State (B-)
Round 2 Pick 25: Jayron Kearse, SS, Clemson (A-)
Round 2 Pick 28 (K.C.): Jarran Reed, DT, Alabama (A+)
Round 3 Pick 27 (G.B.): Cardale Jones, QB, Ohio State (B+)
Round 4 Pick 25: Eric Murray, CB, Minnesota (B)
Round 5 Pick 7 (JAX): Josh Ferguson, RB, Illinois (A-)
Round 6 Pick 6 (JAX): Keyarris Garrett, WR, Tulsa (A+)
Round 7 Pick 8: Devon Cajuste, WR/TE, Stanford (C-)
Round 7 Pick 25: Terrance Smith, OLB, Florida State (B+)

 

[Coach]

Pretty easy. I tend to doubt we get this many trade offers in real life, but it does make the game fun. I would take this draft right now as it gives us two very good prospects at CB and S, two productive pass rushers, a flex TE, and an upgrade at punter.

The site did not like Deion Bush. He's a UM guy. A hitter type for forces lots of fumbles. Ideal for special teams, I thought. They say grade D.

In my opinion the key to any draft is matching your value with need and filling those needs without reaching, and not selecting positions where we have very good players in their primes starting.


Here's who I picked

Your Picks:

Round 1 Pick 25: Kendall Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech (B)

Round 2 Pick 30 (DEN): Shilique Calhoun, DE/OLB, Michigan State (A+)

Round 3 Pick 25: Jayron Kearse, SS, Clemson (A+)

Round 4 Pick 16 (OAK): Kyler Fackrell, OLB/DE, Utah State (A-)

Round 4 Pick 25: Bryce Williams, TE, East Carolina (A)

Round 5 Pick 4 (OAK): Deon Bush, FS, Miami (Fla.) (D)

Round 5 Pick 15 (OAK): Adam Gotsis, DT/DE, Georgia Tech (B)

Round 7 Pick 8: Tom Hackett, P, Utah (A+)

Round 7 Pick 25: Joe Dahl, OG, Washington State (D)

Your score is: 6602 (GRADE: A-)

 

[Coach]

After watching PSU games for the past 2 years, i don't touch Hackenberg. The only thing he possesses is size for a QB. Above the neck, he's not a reliable QB.

Agreed. Hackenberg is about the 6th to 10th rated QB in the draft. I'll stick with Grad and hope a free agent type can push Jones.

This QB draft class is going to test GM's as two of the best ones are from ( Lynch and Wentz ) Memphis and North Dakota State! Sure they are big and have nice arms, but the level of competition makes things very hazy. The senior Bowl week means alot for these two.

Cal's QB Goff has a first round grade. Michigan State's QB ( Cook ) has the skills needed, but I hear he was not a well-liked guy.

 

[nitsuj1225]

Your score is: 7810 (GRADE: A)

Your Picks:
Round 1 Pick 25: Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson (A+)
Round 2 Pick 25: Jaylon Smith, OLB/ILB, Notre Dame (A)
Round 3 Pick 25: Karl Joseph, SS, West Virginia (A)
Round 4 Pick 25: Sheldon Day, DT, Notre Dame (A)
Round 7 Pick 8: Morgan Burns, CB, Kansas State (A+)
Round 7 Pick 25: Frankie Williams, CB, Purdue (A+)

No trading

This goes against my better judgement of drafting LBs early yet again but I just couldn't pass on Lawson or Jaylon in those spots. Harrison may not be back and Jarvis has obviously been below stellar. Dupree is promising but unproven still. I've seen Lawson go top 20 in most mocks. He's almost the exact size of Dupree who both have 25lbs on Jarvis. Jaylon is a top 10 pick easily if he doesn't blow out his knee in the bowl game so to get him in the 2nd is a steal provided his knee checks out with docs. We have some depth at ILB that we could afford to be patient with him. A rotation of Timmons/Shazier/Jaylon would be quite the athletic group of ILBers. And we all know Shazier will miss a couple games here and there. Sheldon Day, Tuitt and Heyward would be a young and insanely talented front 3. Plus Tuitt played with both Jaylon and Sheldon at ND so they all have some familiarity there. Don't know anything about the CB's but maybe one could pan out?

There was just little in the way of good CB talent where we were picking that I could find. If we go CB early, it'll be strictly for need (barring a trade up in the 1st or 2nd) and not BPA (I went BPA with this mock). Although if I knew I could get Jaylon in the 2nd, I probably would've went Fuller in the 1st.

 

[Tibs]

Your Picks:
Round 1 Pick 25: Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson (A+)
Round 2 Pick 25: Jaylon Smith, OLB/ILB, Notre Dame (A)
Round 3 Pick 25: Karl Joseph, SS, West Virginia (A)
Round 4 Pick 25: Sheldon Day, DT, Notre Dame (A)
Round 7 Pick 8: Morgan Burns, CB, Kansas State (A+)
Round 7 Pick 25: Frankie Williams, CB, Purdue (A+)

Love your thinking with an all-defensive draft. It also highlights the oft-cited paradox of 'pressure on QB' vs. 'strong secondary' as being the key to a good pass D. Having said that, I hope they take a blue chip corner or safety early in the draft, where we could really use a talent upgrade. Otherwise I totally agree with the direction of a draft like this....nice work nitsuj.

 

[antdrewjosh]

Been messing with this all day. Did numerous where I traded down. Finally did one where I traded up any takers


YOUR TEAM: PITTSBURGH STEELERS
GAME OVER!
New Draft Home (Scores)

Your score is: 6680 (GRADE: A-)

Your Picks:
Round 1 Pick 6 (BALT): Vernon Hargreaves III, CB, Florida (A-)

Round 3 Pick 3 (S.D.): Greg Pyke, OG, Georgia (A-)

Round 3 Pick 25: Bryce Williams, TE, East Carolina (B-)

Round 3 Pick 29 (N.E.): Chris Jones, DT/DE, Mississippi State (A-)

Round 4 Pick 4 (S.D.): Karl Joseph, SS, West Virginia (A+)

Round 4 Pick 25: Eric Murray, CB, Minnesota (B)

Round 7 Pick 8: Kevin Hogan, QB, Stanford (A-)

Round 7 Pick 25: Daniel Braverman, WR, Western Michigan (A+