2018 NFL Draft // Rolling Thread

[UOK]

This is for any and all draft thoughts, including the Bears.

[mmmc_35]

I know it's from Aaron Lemming but does this make any damn sense?

Not sure why but something tells me Ryan Pace has a secret love for Derwin James.

If the #Bears are forced to stay at 8 & Nelson/Chubb are gone, I could see a situation where a versatile DB could make some sense. #Bears

[Atkins&Rebel]

I know it's from Aaron Lemming but does this make any damn sense?

Not sure why but something tells me Ryan Pace has a secret love for Derwin James.

If the #Bears are forced to stay at 8 & Nelson/Chubb are gone, I could see a situation where a versatile DB could make some sense. #Bears

If he doesn't think he's re-signing Amos, then Safety makes sense and might be a better nickel/dime back than Callahan/LeBlanc/McManis

We have put a lot of scouting into the Safety position looking at all the meetings the Bears have had.

[wab]

Right now 48 hours before the draft, at 8 I think it’s Nelson or Smith.

[Adipost]

I know it's from Aaron Lemming but does this make any damn sense?

Not sure why but something tells me Ryan Pace has a secret love for Derwin James.

If the #Bears are forced to stay at 8 & Nelson/Chubb are gone, I could see a situation where a versatile DB could make some sense. #Bears

Todd McShay draft rumors:

With the 2018 NFL draft rapidly approaching, I've been making calls to my sources in the league to get a sense for when some of the big-name prospects could come off the board, players who are rising, where the quarterbacks will go and more.

I've compiled a bunch notes from those conversations below, including what I'm hearing from many top-10 teams.

Teams in top 10

Cleveland Browns (Picks 1 and 4) General manager John Dorsey is playing this one close to the vest. Every time I ask anyone I trust in the league, personnel directors and GMs don't know what the Browns are doing. I've heard from GMs further down the board that they've heard the pick at No. 1 will be QB Josh Allen, but they're not sure. The majority of reactions I've received are some form of: "I keep hearing Allen, and I'm surprised." It will be either Allen or Sam Darnold at No. 1.

At No. 4, the Browns will run the card up and take either Saquon Barkley or Bradley Chubb, from what I'm hearing. The question is only which one. If both are available, I'm not sure whom they prefer. Chubb would seem to make more sense to pair opposite Myles Garrett.

New York Giants (2) There is no indication at this point that the Giants are willing to move out of the No. 2 spot. If Allen does go No. 1, some people believe the Giants will take Darnold. I don't believe New York would take any other QB at No. 2.

Many people outside the organization have said to me, "Giants are taking, Chubb, right? It's the obvious pick." Inside the organization, anyone I've talked to who claims to know what's going on feels like the pick will be Barkley.

New York Jets (3) From what I understand, Darnold is their top choice if he's there. They've narrowed it to three QBs after moving up from No. 6. I'm not sure of the order after Darnold, but Baker Mayfield and Josh Rosen are the other two QBs they're considering.

Denver Broncos (5) Denver has become really interesting. Early in the process in February, one of my sources said they had legitimate interest in Mayfield. After the Broncos signed Case Keenum, I kind of wrote it off. But someone recently pointed out that Gary Kubiak loves Keenum, and when you watch the tape, you see similarities between Keenum and Mayfield. Mayfield could come in as a backup, learn and develop into a starter down the road. If they don't take Mayfield (or he's off the board), I don't think they love anyone outside of Chubb. If it's not Mayfield and if Chubb is off the board, look for Denver to try to move down. This draft is loaded with Day 2 talent and the Broncos could look to fill a few holes on their roster with additional picks.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7) It seems like they have narrowed in on Derwin James. James going to Tampa Bay seems like the worst-kept secret in the NFL right now.

Chicago Bears (8) They're in a good spot. If one of the four QBs is available here, this is probably when we'll see a QB-needy team (Buffalo, Arizona, etc.) move up. If not, Chicago needs a guard, CB and several other positions. The Bears could wind up with one of the top three players in this draft at No. 8 if Nelson is the pick.

Oakland Raiders (10) The name I keep hearing is Roquan Smith, but I think it's highly likely he's gone by this point. Two other names I've heard are Tremaine Edmunds and Vita Vea, but remember: Jon Gruden is back in charge, and it's his first draft. There could always be a last-minute change.

Buffalo Bills (12, 22) Buffalo is trying to move up. I feel very confident in saying if the Bills can't move up to get the QB they want, it won't be from a lack of trying.

Arizona Cardinals (15) They've been really quiet throughout this process, but it won't surprise me a bit if they deal up for a QB. I know there's some love for Allen and some love for Mayfield in that building.

New England Patriots (23, 31) If you've heard anything, let me know. True to form, I've gotten nothing of substance about their draft.

Players

Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville

I've thought for a while that he would go in the first round, but now I feel stronger than ever that will be the case. I just don't know which team. The four teams I'm hearing are most likely, based on their creative thinking and offensive minds: Jacksonville, New Orleans, New England and Pittsburgh.

Mike Hughes, CB, UCF

Multiple teams have asked me about him. On tape, he's a top-15 or top-20 pick (he's my 18th-ranked prospect), but teams are trying to sort through some off-field baggage. He's a player with a wide range in selection, probably from 20 to 40, but it has nothing to do with his talent on the field.

The three likely first-round wide receivers I hear are

Calvin Ridley, D.J. Moore and Courtland Sutton. Ridley is the best route runner, Moore is great after the catch and Sutton will likely go Day 1 because he's 6-foot-4 and ran well.

If there's going to be a second RB in Round 1

Sony Michel has the best chance. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it was Barkley, and then the next two backs were from Georgia. There are more questions surrounding Derrius Guice and Ronald Jones II than there were at the end of the season. Best guess is Guice won't be in Round 1, and Jones won't be one of the top three RBs off the board.

It's not a draft full of elite talent along the offensive line, but teams are keenly aware there will be a run -- and when the run happens, the talent remaining will be ugly.

Offensive linemen I'm hearing are likely to go in Round 1:

OT: Nelson, Mike McGlinchey, Kolton Miller

OC/OG: James Daniels, Connor Williams

Don't be surprised if Geron Christian and Orlando Brown are gone by the end of Round 2, because O-line talent drops off severely after them.

Here are a few players being widely debated, along with the range in which they could be selected:

Marcus Davenport, DE, UTSA: Picks 14-23

Harold Landry, OLB, Boston College: 20-30. He's looked at as a 3-4 OLB. After first two edge rushers, he's the next guy.

Taven Bryan, DT, Florida: Some mixed opinions. Likely a late-Day 1 or early-Day 2 pick.
And a few players with durability or off-field concerns:

Isaiah Wynn, OG, Georgia: A potential first- or early-second-round pick, but multiple teams are looking into a durability issue. Nothing major, but could cause him to slip in the second.

Mo Hurst, DT, Michigan: Because of the nature of his heart condition, several teams have taken him off their board. It's a risk-reward issue, but he could fall into Day 3.

Rasheem Green, DE, USC: More durability issues than I was aware of early on.

WRs Jordan Lasley (UCLA) and Antonio Callaway (Florida): Character concerns about Lasley and Callaway are real. Not a big surprise. You could make an argument that Callaway is the most talented WR in the draft, but he could go Day 3. If Lasley was clean, he could be a Day 2 pick

[G08]

Right now 48 hours before the draft, at 8 I think it’s Nelson or Smith.

With you 100 percent.

[Z Bear]

Why do people think the Bears need a CB? I just do not see the need as you have Prince and Fuller on the outside for a decent chunk of cap space, plus Cooper backing them up. Then you have LeBlanc and Callahan in the slot plus Sherrick McManus. That is already a crowded DB room and really not much of a chance to upgrade. I do not see anyway possible the Bears use a 1st or 2nd day pick on a CB this year.

[UOK]

Why do people think the Bears need a CB? I just do not see the need as you have Prince and Fuller on the outside for a decent chunk of cap space, plus Cooper backing them up. Then you have LeBlanc and Callahan in the slot plus Sherrick McManus. That is already a crowded DB room and really not much of a chance to upgrade. I do not see anyway possible the Bears use a 1st or 2nd day pick on a CB this year.

Prince is injury prone, Fuller missed virtually an entire season to a knee injury, Cooper proved he can't be relied on whatsoever, Callahan is a solid nickel but not much else, LeBlanc is the same, McManus is elite special teams & a poor corner. There is massive room to upgrade.

[thunderspirit]

Why do people think the Bears need a CB? I just do not see the need as you have Prince and Fuller on the outside for a decent chunk of cap space, plus Cooper backing them up. Then you have LeBlanc and Callahan in the slot plus Sherrick McManus. That is already a crowded DB room and really not much of a chance to upgrade. I do not see anyway possible the Bears use a 1st or 2nd day pick on a CB this year.

Prince is injury prone, Fuller missed virtually an entire season to a knee injury, Cooper proved he can't be relied on whatsoever, Callahan is a solid nickel but not much else, LeBlanc is the same, McManus is elite special teams & a poor corner. There is massive room to upgrade.

All of this.

That said, three years of Ryan Pace drafts tells me that any upgrade is likely to wait until Day 3 in any case.

[Mikefive]

Right now 48 hours before the draft, at 8 I think it’s Nelson or Smith.

I'm thinking Nelson or Edmunds. Edmunds has the uncoachable physical characteristics.

[Mikefive]

Why do people think the Bears need a CB? I just do not see the need as you have Prince and Fuller on the outside for a decent chunk of cap space, plus Cooper backing them up. Then you have LeBlanc and Callahan in the slot plus Sherrick McManus. That is already a crowded DB room and really not much of a chance to upgrade. I do not see anyway possible the Bears use a 1st or 2nd day pick on a CB this year.

Prince is injury prone, Fuller missed virtually an entire season to a knee injury, Cooper proved he can't be relied on whatsoever, Callahan is a solid nickel but not much else, LeBlanc is the same, McManus is elite special teams & a poor corner. There is massive room to upgrade.

So starting Lynch or Acho at OLB and Kush at OG is somehow in the same problematic zip code as the $27M duo of Fuller and Prince with a side of Callahan at CB???? Either I'm misunderstanding you or I don't share your view there.

[UOK]

Why do people think the Bears need a CB? I just do not see the need as you have Prince and Fuller on the outside for a decent chunk of cap space, plus Cooper backing them up. Then you have LeBlanc and Callahan in the slot plus Sherrick McManus. That is already a crowded DB room and really not much of a chance to upgrade. I do not see anyway possible the Bears use a 1st or 2nd day pick on a CB this year.

Prince is injury prone, Fuller missed virtually an entire season to a knee injury, Cooper proved he can't be relied on whatsoever, Callahan is a solid nickel but not much else, LeBlanc is the same, McManus is elite special teams & a poor corner. There is massive room to upgrade.

So starting Lynch or Acho at OLB and Kush at OG is somehow in the same problematic zip code as the $27M duo of Fuller and Prince with a side of Callahan at CB???? Either I'm misunderstanding you or I don't share your view there.

I'm confused here a bit myself.

I was simply trying to make an argument for why the Bears drafting a corner wouldn't be a short-sighted/foolish thing to do.

[Mikefive]

Why do people think the Bears need a CB? I just do not see the need as you have Prince and Fuller on the outside for a decent chunk of cap space, plus Cooper backing them up. Then you have LeBlanc and Callahan in the slot plus Sherrick McManus. That is already a crowded DB room and really not much of a chance to upgrade. I do not see anyway possible the Bears use a 1st or 2nd day pick on a CB this year.

Prince is injury prone, Fuller missed virtually an entire season to a knee injury, Cooper proved he can't be relied on whatsoever, Callahan is a solid nickel but not much else, LeBlanc is the same, McManus is elite special teams & a poor corner. There is massive room to upgrade.

So starting Lynch or Acho at OLB and Kush at OG is somehow in the same problematic zip code as the $27M duo of Fuller and Prince with a side of Callahan at CB???? Either I'm misunderstanding you or I don't share your view there.

I'm confused here a bit myself.

I was simply trying to make an argument for why the Bears drafting a corner wouldn't be a short-sighted/foolish thing to do.

I read you wrong then. That's on me.

[wab]

Legere's mock isn't bad:
http://www.profootballweekly.com/lists/ ... xml?page=7" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Notre Dame OG Nelson could be the pick if Bears stay at No. 8
FOLLOW @PFWEEKLYBy BOB LeGERE -- blegere@profootballweekly.com
Published: April 25, 2018 — 10:41 a.m.
Updated: April 25, 2018 — 10:42 a.m.

The Bears are missing a third-round pick this year after trading it last year to move up to take QB Mitch Trubisky.

Rumor has it that GM Ryan Pace wants to get back into Round Three, and the best way to do that is by trading down in the first round. It doesn’t sound like Pace wants to move down more than a few spots, but he needs a willing partner to make a deal.

For now, we’ll assume they remain at No. 8.

And, one final thing before we get to the picks, if you haven't already, subscribe today for Greg Gabriel's full scouting reports on more than 200 draft prospects. Whoever the Bears select, you'll want Greg's full report, and it's only 99 cents to start.

Round 1 (No. 8 overall) OG Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame
After four straight seasons with at least 10 losses, Pace has to be feeling the heat, even though he’s only been around for three of them. The Bears have several positions that could benefit from this pick.

What makes Nelson the most attractive option is that he’s perhaps the closest thing to a can’t-miss star in this draft, and Pace cannot afford to miss after WR Kevin White in 2015, and Leonard Floyd in 2016. White has contributed just 21 receptions in three years because of injuries that sidelined him for 43 of 48 games. Floyd has been a more productive pick, but he’s missed 10 of 32 games and has 11.5 sacks.

The consensus is the 6-foot-5, 329-pound Nelson could be a Pro Bowl-caliber guard as a rookie and might be good enough to play left tackle. After declining the $8-million option on four-time Pro Bowler Josh Sitton, the Bears have a gaping hole at left guard. That’s where Nelson started for three years for the Irish, where he often dominated. He also spent four years under Harry Hiestand, the Bears’ new OL coach.

The Bears also have a question mark at right guard, where Kyle Long is trying to bounce back to his Pro Bowl form after three surgeries since his last game.

Round 2 (No. 39 overall) DL Harrison Phillips, Stanford
Can the Bears depend on 2016 third-round draft pick Jonathan Bullard to be the full-time starter at right end? Maybe. But that’s not good enough. If Bullard had lived up to expectations, he would have replaced journeyman Mitch Unrein as the starter last year, and he did not. Phillips may not be as athletic as Bullard, but he’s taller, heavier, stronger (42 reps of 225 pounds on the bench), and he plays hard all the time.

Phillips also had 14 sacks over the past two seasons, although he’s not considered a great pass rusher. The 6-foot-4, 307-pound Phillips played nose tackle at Stanford but still had an amazing 103 tackles in 2017.

Round 4 (No. 105 overall) OLB Dorance Armstrong, Kansas
The Bears have to get more pass rush off the edge, and after going in other directions on the first two days, they will be thrilled if Armstrong is still available at the start of Day Three. He surely fell on some draft boards when he had just two sacks last year after getting 10 as a sophomore in 2016, when he had 20 tackles for loss.

But a defensive scheme change was more responsible for Armstrong’s drop-off than poor performance. His 4.87 40-time won’t impress anyone, but he’s 6-foot-4, 257 pounds and has long arms (34.75 inches). He had a 33-inch vertical and did 25 bench-press reps of 225 pounds at the Jayhawks’ pro day.

Round 4 (No. 115 overall) ILB Josey Jewell, Iowa
He ran 4.82 at the combine, which would normally knock a 6-foot-1, 235-pound inside linebacker into the sixth or seventh round. But Jewell ran a 4.68 at his pro day, and he plays even faster than that because he’s a film junkie who plays with great instincts and takes good angles to the ball.

A shoulder injury last year knocked him out of five games and probably down a few notches on many draft boards. But the Bears got a steal last year in the fourth round on S Eddie Jackson because he suffered a fractured leg at Alabama in 2016, and they could do likewise with Jewell. He piled up 250 tackles in 2015-16 before the injury limited him to 97 last year, but he still had 11.5 tackles for loss in 2017.

Round 5 (No. 145 overall) OLB Josh Sweat, Florida State
The Bears’ returning outside linebackers had a total of just 8.5 sacks last year, so it’s worth using another late pick on an edge rusher. Teams are concerned with the health of Sweat’s left knee, which was severely injured in high school (ACL, MCL and PCL damage) and nicked up again in 2016 with meniscus damage. If he checks out medically, Sweat could have a future in the NFL as a situational pass rusher.

He’s 6-foot-4, 251 pounds, has 34.5-inch arms, and he ran a 4.53 40 at the combine, where he had a 39.5-inch vertical. He had a modest total of 10 sacks over the past two seasons and needs to get a lot stronger to make any impact at all as a run defender. But he has many pass-rush skills that could be developed by some hard coaching.

Round 6 (No. 181 overall) WR Trey Quinn, SMU
Depth at wide receiver is still a concern for the Bears after they lost RFA Cam Meredith to the Saints. Quinn isn’t huge (6-foot, 212 pounds) or super fast (4.55), but the LSU transfer put up impressive numbers in his only season at SMU, catching 114 passes for 1,236 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Quinn has excellent hands and much better quickness than flat-out speed. He ran a limited route tree at SMU but not so at LSU, even though he caught just 22 passes there in two seasons. He’s probably limited to a slot role, but Quinn is a strong runner after the catch and has enough size to be an effective blocker.

Round 7 (No. 224 overall) CB Levi Wallace, Alabama
You can never have enough cornerbacks in the NFL, and you have to love a kid who walked on at Alabama, didn’t play for two years, finally earned a scholarship in 2016 and became a starter in 2017. Wallace has bulked up to 183 pounds but is still skinny at an even 6 feet, though that doesn’t prevent him from supporting vs. the run. He doesn’t have much speed (4.63), but he’ll compete with anyone. Had three interceptions last year and led Alabama with 15 pass breakups.

[wab]

It's a lot of LB's and I don't love any of the ones he picked, but so far it's the "expert" mock that I hate the least.

[G08]

It's a lot of LB's and I don't love any of the ones he picked, but so far it's the "expert" mock that I hate the least.

JOSEY!!!

[Boris13c]

Michael Vick will announce Falcons' second-round pick in NFL Draft

ATLANTA - Michael Vick has a deep passion for the city of Atlanta. On Friday, the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback will announce the team’s second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, according to the National Football League.

Drafted as the No. 1 pick in the 2001 NFL Draft out of Virginia Tech, Vick played for the Falcons from 2001 to 2006, throwing for 11,505 passing yards and 71 touchdowns. He also rushed for 3,859 yards and 21 touchdowns.

[thunderspirit]

It's a lot of LB's and I don't love any of the ones he picked, but so far it's the "expert" mock that I hate the least.

Yeah, pretty much.

[Mikefive]

Interesting move to go for a big strong DL guy in R2. That plays to my bias for DL and pass rush guys. And if you're not going to take an OLB pass rusher in R1 or R2, taking 2 swings at it in 4 and 5 at a pretty thin position makes a certain amount of sense. I kinda like it. We could certainly do worse, IMO.

[wab]

One of these guys is Danny Trevathan. One is Roquan Smith

Guy one
6'1 237
4.84 40
32 inch arms
9.4 broad jump
31 inch vertical
10 inch hands

Guy 2
6'1 237
4.51 40
32 inch arms
9.9 broad jump
10 inch hands

[G08]

I think Guy one was the 6th round pick

And look who's rounding up now!

[Adipost]

Ian Rapoport
‏
@RapSheet
6m6 minutes ago

The new #Packers may be on display Thursday night. They are among the teams plotting a potential trade up -- from No. 14 -- for a top-tier talent, sources say. It would be their first opening round move up since Clay Matthews in 2009.

[mmmc_35]

Ian Rapoport
‏
@RapSheet
6m6 minutes ago

The new #Packers may be on display Thursday night. They are among the teams plotting a potential trade up -- from No. 14 -- for a top-tier talent, sources say. It would be their first opening round move up since Clay Matthews in 2009.

Ward? Looking for their Revis.

[Z Bear]

I have read they are high on Minka Fitzpatrick to play CB. Makes sense considering their lack of talent in the secondary.

[Adipost]

Mayock’s live mock draft so far...

#1 Cleveland - Darnold
#2 NYG - Barkley
#3 NYJ - Mayfield
#4 Cleveland - Chubb
#5 Denver - Nelson
#6 Buffalo (trade) - Josh Allen
#7 Tampa Bay - Derwin James
#8 Bears - Roquan Smith
#9 49ers - Denzel Ward
#10 OAK - Mike McGlinchey

[G08]

If we go Roquan Smith I'm assuming it's with Fangio's blessing... which I guess is fine with me.

[G08]

I just hope we don't regret leaving a pass rusher on the board... might be time to start digging into the day 2 EDGE guys even more... I don't hate Sam Hubbard, I guess.

[Adipost]

I just hope we don't regret leaving a pass rusher on the board... might be time to start digging into the day 2 EDGE guys even more... I don't hate Sam Hubbard, I guess.

You compared him to Sam Acho

[Adipost]

#11 Miami - Edmunds
#12 Indy - Minkah Fitzpatrick
#13 WASH - Vita Vea
#14 GB - Jaire Alexander
#15 ARI - Josh Rosen
#16 BAL - Lamar Jackson
#17 LAC - Da’Ron Payne
#18 SEA - Marcus Davenport
#19 DAL - Courtland Sutton
#20 DET - Harold Landry

[G08]

I just hope we don't regret leaving a pass rusher on the board... might be time to start digging into the day 2 EDGE guys even more... I don't hate Sam Hubbard, I guess.

You compared him to Sam Acho

I did say he's a white Sam Acho... but I say things I don't always mean when I'm angry