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If we truly want to get better we need to take the best players that are available to us at each point in this draft. The BPA vs Need is always a hot button topic, but there really isn't any question about what to do when given this opportunity, you must always take the best player available if you want to have a complete football team. Look at the best teams out there at drafting, the Packers, the Ravens, the Steelers, etc. they take the best player that is out there when they are up on the clock.
That being said you also have to take a good strong look at a position where you have something, even the smallest ray of light vs a position where you have nothing, in my opinion if you have something that can provide some hope (I'm talking legitimate haven't really had a shot yet to prove themself, or are in their 2nd season type development, not I hope John McCargo or Ashton Youbouty finally breakthrough this year type hope).
With that, this is what my dream mock would look like, these are the positions I consider very little if anything going on at. I believe that Torrell Troupe and Alex Carrington are going to get their chance this year. OLB, RT, TE, ILB, DE
1ST RD PICK 3 - Von Miller - OLB - Texas A&M
- By all accounts the best pash rusher available in the entire draft. We have had ZERO pass rush since the late 90's for the most part. This would be something that we could build our scheme, our LB's and our defense around. With Miller, Poz (hopefully), another rookie ILB, and then Moats and Merriman, think we would finally have something going at the LB'ing core. Size is not a concern for Miller, anyone who follows the NFL with any sort of knowledge base knows that with a year or two in a NFL program, oh by the way, naturally growing up Miller is going to be a NFL weight LB. Von Miller is not an Aaron Maybin one year wonder who most think is a late 1st, he is a guy that could have gone top 10 last year, but stayed in school to get better at his deficiencies and to graduate.
- For those of you who like comparison and want to see what I am talking about ...
- Clay Matthews, who no one can argue isn't the gold standard of OLB right now in the NFL, at the combine
Height: 6' 3"
Weight: 240lbs
40: 4.62
225lbs: 23
-Clay Matthews now
Height: 6' 3"
Weight: 255lbs
- The Aaron Maybin comparisons are laughable, not too mention every player is their own player, and every player is different and no two players are ever exactly the same. While I agree you have to learn from the past, you also can't be afraid to draft someone based on the fact that you think that they are a clone of the past. Maybin was an undersized DE trying to make a transition, Von Miller is the LB in college football last season and arguably the season before it, and a 4 year LB starter.
2ND RD 34th PICK - Kyle Rudolph - TE - Notre Dame
- Can we finally find a TE? This is one of our biggest needs PERIOD DOT. He is a natural pass catching TE, who is a willing, and adequate blocker, which I would assume that with NFL coaching he becomes better at. Number 1 talent at a position of HUGE NEED for us.
- If we can come away with the #1 OLB, and the #1 TE after the first 2 rounds we have addressed both huge need and gotten BPA and huge talent.
3RD RD 66th PICK - Joseph Barksdale - OT - LSU
- An underrated tackle prospect out of one of the elite college football programs in all of the country. 6'5" - 315lbs with prototype 36" arms. 3 Years starter for the Bayou Bangles. At best our future RT, at worst great depth for the OL. RT - Another spot we have pretty close to 0 going on at.
4TH RD 99TH PICK - Casey Matthews - ILB - Oregon
- Good bloodlines, has great football IQ and ability to diagnose plays. A bit undersized, but the same things were said about his brother. Goes against what Nix has said he is looking for size-wise in his ILBers, saying he wants to get much bigger at that position, but he is everything else he is looking for. Not sure this happens. But if it does, Moats, Poz, Matthews, and Miller is definitely a LB'ing core for the future.
4TH RD 121ST PICK - Kendrick Ellis - NT - Hampton
- Project athletic, big NT. Could provide good depth on the DL and possible future starter.
I know we don't address DE or QB in this draft, but I think DE can be addressed possibly in place of one of these selections, or with the development of Alex Carrington. There is no doubt that we need DE's on this team someway somehow, logisitically we don't even have enough on the team right now. Free agency possibly, or maybe top of the 2nd instead of Rudolph or 3rd instead of Barksdale, this is where Nix and Galley need to determine what is a greater need RT or DE.
That being said you also have to take a good strong look at a position where you have something, even the smallest ray of light vs a position where you have nothing, in my opinion if you have something that can provide some hope (I'm talking legitimate haven't really had a shot yet to prove themself, or are in their 2nd season type development, not I hope John McCargo or Ashton Youbouty finally breakthrough this year type hope).
With that, this is what my dream mock would look like, these are the positions I consider very little if anything going on at. I believe that Torrell Troupe and Alex Carrington are going to get their chance this year. OLB, RT, TE, ILB, DE
1ST RD PICK 3 - Von Miller - OLB - Texas A&M
- By all accounts the best pash rusher available in the entire draft. We have had ZERO pass rush since the late 90's for the most part. This would be something that we could build our scheme, our LB's and our defense around. With Miller, Poz (hopefully), another rookie ILB, and then Moats and Merriman, think we would finally have something going at the LB'ing core. Size is not a concern for Miller, anyone who follows the NFL with any sort of knowledge base knows that with a year or two in a NFL program, oh by the way, naturally growing up Miller is going to be a NFL weight LB. Von Miller is not an Aaron Maybin one year wonder who most think is a late 1st, he is a guy that could have gone top 10 last year, but stayed in school to get better at his deficiencies and to graduate.
- For those of you who like comparison and want to see what I am talking about ...
- Clay Matthews, who no one can argue isn't the gold standard of OLB right now in the NFL, at the combine
Height: 6' 3"
Weight: 240lbs
40: 4.62
225lbs: 23
-Clay Matthews now
Height: 6' 3"
Weight: 255lbs
- The Aaron Maybin comparisons are laughable, not too mention every player is their own player, and every player is different and no two players are ever exactly the same. While I agree you have to learn from the past, you also can't be afraid to draft someone based on the fact that you think that they are a clone of the past. Maybin was an undersized DE trying to make a transition, Von Miller is the LB in college football last season and arguably the season before it, and a 4 year LB starter.
2ND RD 34th PICK - Kyle Rudolph - TE - Notre Dame
- Can we finally find a TE? This is one of our biggest needs PERIOD DOT. He is a natural pass catching TE, who is a willing, and adequate blocker, which I would assume that with NFL coaching he becomes better at. Number 1 talent at a position of HUGE NEED for us.
- If we can come away with the #1 OLB, and the #1 TE after the first 2 rounds we have addressed both huge need and gotten BPA and huge talent.
3RD RD 66th PICK - Joseph Barksdale - OT - LSU
- An underrated tackle prospect out of one of the elite college football programs in all of the country. 6'5" - 315lbs with prototype 36" arms. 3 Years starter for the Bayou Bangles. At best our future RT, at worst great depth for the OL. RT - Another spot we have pretty close to 0 going on at.
4TH RD 99TH PICK - Casey Matthews - ILB - Oregon
- Good bloodlines, has great football IQ and ability to diagnose plays. A bit undersized, but the same things were said about his brother. Goes against what Nix has said he is looking for size-wise in his ILBers, saying he wants to get much bigger at that position, but he is everything else he is looking for. Not sure this happens. But if it does, Moats, Poz, Matthews, and Miller is definitely a LB'ing core for the future.
4TH RD 121ST PICK - Kendrick Ellis - NT - Hampton
- Project athletic, big NT. Could provide good depth on the DL and possible future starter.
I know we don't address DE or QB in this draft, but I think DE can be addressed possibly in place of one of these selections, or with the development of Alex Carrington. There is no doubt that we need DE's on this team someway somehow, logisitically we don't even have enough on the team right now. Free agency possibly, or maybe top of the 2nd instead of Rudolph or 3rd instead of Barksdale, this is where Nix and Galley need to determine what is a greater need RT or DE.
"Expect rejection, but expect more to overcome it."
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