2018 NFL Draft Prospects

College football and the NFL Draft

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mmmc_35
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Notre Dame' s Brown is at the top of the list for me at WR. This draft could have several good Ers.

As for Kirk. Dude is fun to watch. Size and system are question marks. That and he body catches everything. OBJ isn't a fair comp. I think more Steve Smith. Whom I would love on the Bears.
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As far as first round WR prospects, my votes for Christian Kirk. Speed, routes, returnman.
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Pace and Champ Kelly at ND/USC.

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Moriarty
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UOK wrote:Image

Pace and Champ Kelly at ND/USC.
Bring on the McGlinchey!
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Probably looking at EQ.
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mmmc_35
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I wish the Irish could get him the ball.
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I'm a pretty big fan of EQ myself, not sure if he's 1st round worthy but I'd like a do-over on the White pick.

I also really like James Washington a lot as well. The one gripe I have with EQ is that he tends to body catch a little too much for me at his size. I'd like to see him catch the ball with his hands more. James Washington has no problems with that.
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wab
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Washington is my top WR. My only gripes are that he doesn’t run the cleanest routes and he’s not ver big.
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wab wrote:Washington is my top WR. My only gripes are that he doesn’t run the cleanest routes and he’s not ver big.
Height/Weight can sometimes be a little overrated for a WR. Odell Beckham Jr is one of the top WR's in the game and he's 5'11. Antonio Brown is what, 5'10 max? I think Washington has plenty of size, 6'1 205 but you make a good point about route running - I haven't watched his routes that much to know how well he's running them. If that's a concern, then maybe he shouldn't be considered as a 1st round pick? Perhaps a 2nd round value?

We've seen issues with WR's coming out of college that don't run crisp routes (Kevin White) and how that can hinder their development.
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RustyTrubisky wrote:
Moriarty wrote:
RustyTrubisky wrote:
Moriarty wrote:After 1/4 of the season, I've updated the shopping list:

Position….Rounds…………………..Comment
1) WR..….1-2…………………..A wreck, could use a vet and a prospect
2) OLB….1-2……………………Age, injury, and expense problems, all in one
3) S………1-2……………………One old guy with not much time left plus one young maybe
4) OT……1-2……………………both mediocre at best, but can’t dump Leno until 2019
5) K……….5-7………………….Barth fair with no range and a FA
6) P……....5-7………………….Off to an unusually good start in a contract yr, but I’m watching you

Not having a R3 sucks. That's still a really quality round.

With this being an awesome year for FA WR
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... ue-for-wrs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
and not enough picks to go around (as always), my current blueprint is
* Pay for a stud veteran WR (live with FA, Wright/Wheaton, Cam, White at your top spots)
* Get a R1 OT to help Mitchy in pass pro. Play him at RT for 2-4 yrs, then move to LT and cut Leno, once there's limited dead money involved. Looks like a solid to good OT year.
* R2: probably OLB, but S or WR, if
I just dont see how they would take a safety early, especially after they potentially just hit on a FS in the fourth, finally allowing us to move amos to what is obviously his natural position, SS.
WR, CB, OT, OLB, ILB (we are starting Timu/Jones this week FFS) in that order before you consider a safety.
Jackson's a maybe and that's about all that's going on there. Amos is steady and versatile and all, but he's also a definite part of the reason this defense hasn't been creating turnovers for 2.25 yrs.
CB I strenuously disagree with. They've got 3 starters and good depth. After they lose 1 in free agency, there's still 2 solid starters with good depth.
ILB?? That's just temporary injuries. Timu started the season on PS and he'll be lucky if that's not where he starts 2018, even without any additions.
i guess i'm not so rosy about how this year's CB depth chart translates to next year. Cooper is solid and locked up for two more years. Bryce is solid when he's not injured so we can probably count on bringing him back, but maybe never more than as depth. Amuk is here on a one year deal because he's always injured, and... he's always injured. Fuller very well might pull an Alshon and tell us to fuck off, stemming back to Fangio calling him out a bit.

That doesnt look like a settled depth chart to me.

As for ILB, freeman is, while one of our better players, on IR and 31. Trevethan has ended two of his seasons on IR already the only real depth at all is a 4th rounder who's effectively done nothing beyond having a polish last name.
Timu is notable RIGHT NOW because it shows how shitty our ILB depth is.
After this quarter, we're a lot closer.
I'm willing to watch Amos at SS a little longer right now.
Freeman getting another suspension and talking lingering head trauma is a real double whammy.

Position….Rounds…………………..Comment
1) WR..….1-2…………………..A wreck, could use a vet and a prospect
2) OT……1-2……………………both mediocre at best, but can’t dump Leno until 2019
3) OLB….1-2……………………Age, injury, and expense problems, all in one
4) ILB……4-5……………………Freeman is probably done, Jones a FA who may be better outside
5) K……….5-6……………………Barth fair with no range and a FA
6) QB….…4-6……………………Will need a new 3 and it’s a good QB year
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mmmc_35
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Clearly the Bears need to look at giving Trubs some offensive help. I think WR will be taken in FA and Draft. You can't just rely on the draft with group.
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Calvin. Ridley.
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mmmc_35
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Wan what's your opinion on the tackle from Notre Dame?
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McGlinchey to me looks like a RT at the NFL level. Not sure he has the feet to be a RT. Connor Williams on the other hand looks like a pure LT with his athleticism - the thing that worries me about him (other than his injury) is he has relatively short arms for a LT, IMO.
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G08
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I have yet to dig into this year's draft prospects, but Minkah Fitzpatrick intrigues me.

He plays safety, right? Can he play corner in the NFL?
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G08 wrote:I have yet to dig into this year's draft prospects, but Minkah Fitzpatrick intrigues me.

He plays safety, right? Can he play corner in the NFL?
He's listed as a safety, but he plays more corner than anything. He's similar in a lot of ways to Ramsey. I think he projects as a corner in the NFL.
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I've always been a little skeptical when it comes to Alabama CB's and how they translate to the NFL. But yes, Fitpatrick plays Safety for Alabama and some think he has the skillset to play CB in the NFL. Alabama Safeties have been doing just fine - so whoever drafts him, I'd keep him at Safety IMO.

I personally would like the player I'm drafting in R1 to have a clearly defined position. He has some talent but I think I'd rather the Bears look at OLB or OT in R1.
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[video][/video]

I love this dude's feet and start-stop ability... early man crush for this draft for me.

Draft him and he's your Z, Meredith can be your slot, and White/Inman/another FA can be your X.
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If after the whole Kevin White debacle, Ryan Pace STILL drafts a WR with an early pick and if for any reason this Ridley guy doesn't turn into a consistent All-Pro then Pace needs to be fired.

Amazing how people wants Pace to channel his inner Matt Millen and draft another WR in the first round.
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The Marshall Plan wrote:If after the whole Kevin White debacle, Ryan Pace STILL drafts a WR with an early pick and if for any reason this Ridley guy doesn't turn into a consistent All-Pro then Pace needs to be fired.

Amazing how people wants Pace to channel his inner Matt Millen and draft another WR in the first round.
Yeah, WR is not a position to be taking top 10, unless you're confident you've got the next Calvin Johnson.

Nobody I've seen feels that good about Ridley, so I'll be pretty pissed if he goes that route a second time.
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I don't think Pace should not draft a WR early in R1 because of Kevin White. He shouldn't draft one because there isn't a WR in this year's draft that is worthy of a top 10 pick. If there was a Calvin Johnson or Julio Jones type then it'd be a different story.

Also, OT and OLB are huge needs. I think Pace finds a WR in FA and addresses it again in R2 or R4 of the draft.
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Positions you should draft high are QB, edge rusher, OT, and interior DL.

EDIT: Exceptions can be made for someone you truly consider a generational talent (Calvin and Julio fit that mold; Gurley and Fournette might, too). But generally, it's not a good idea.
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dplank wrote:I agree with Rich here
RichH55 wrote: Dplank is correct
:shocked:
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thunderspirit wrote:Positions you should draft high are QB, edge rusher, OT, and interior DL.

EDIT: Exceptions can be made for someone you truly consider a generational talent (Calvin and Julio fit that mold; Gurley and Fournette might, too). But generally, it's not a good idea.
Cornerback as well surely? I'd also say your OTs need to have LT potential or they aren't worth it. Perhaps even modify edge rusher and interior DL to anyone who can rush the QB.

Weirdly WR should be a position that would be good to draft high, based on their compensation at least, but they do seem to have shorter careers now even outside of the round 1 bust rate. One to plug in free agency and scheme around I hope...
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The general rule of thumb is that unless there is an otherwise generational type talent - guys that are worthy of top ten picks are QBs, guys that protect the QBs, and guys that get after the QBs.
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wab wrote:The general rule of thumb is that unless there is an otherwise generational type talent - guys that are worthy of top ten picks are QBs, guys that protect the QBs, and guys that get after the QBs.
This.

You can cover CB play with a better pass rush.
You can't cover a poor pass rush with good CB play nearly as well.
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dplank wrote:I agree with Rich here
RichH55 wrote: Dplank is correct
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wab wrote:The general rule of thumb is that unless there is an otherwise generational type talent - guys that are worthy of top ten picks are QBs, guys that protect the QBs, and guys that get after the QBs.
Then I have to ask: who are some 2nd round WRs you like
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I think more WRs that are ranked as 1st rounders will be available in the 2nd round than people expect.
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WR's I like in R2 right now (in no order):

Dante Pettis
Anthony Miller
Simmie Cobb Jr.
Equanimeous St. Brown
James Washington
Arden Tate
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mmmc_35
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ESB is shown as a second rounder on many boards. Dude is perhaps the most physically gifted WR in the draft. Fortunately his team couldn't get him the ball.

Kirk is lightning in a bottle. He does body catch everything. So I question that. He though is a guy you want to get if he is there.

Washington has everything you want. The question is route running due to his college spread system. Those guys generally are slower to develop in the nfl.
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DaSuperfan wrote:WR's I like in R2 right now (in no order):

Dante Pettis
Anthony Miller
Simmie Cobb Jr.
Equanimeous St. Brown
James Washington
Arden Tate
As I start delving into the draft, one name that is on the "soon to be known" list is Michael Gallup from Colorado St. PFF has him listed as a top graded WR.
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