Round 2—TRADE: (43)With Seattle for picks 59 and 64 in Round 2. Seattle moves up to take CB Jeff Gladney from TCU who is the 24th ranked player on First Pick’s Board. I can see Seattle moving up for a top flight CB.
Round 2(50)Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor, WR, Baylor, 6’3”, 210.
Mims was my first pick in my first Basket this year at #43. I’ll admit that after that first basket, I didn’t think that Mims would be available to us then, probably go in the first to Green Bay.
In fact, it’s one of the reasons I didn’t take him at #43 in this simulation. So I traded down. Surprise, surprise. He was still available at #50. Had to take him, and as I think about it, with all the WRs in this draft, particularly speed receivers, it’s very possible he could fall here. Round 2 (59) from Seattle—TRADE: with New England for picks #87, #98, and #100. New England moves up to grab Cole Kmet, TE, Notre Dame. After losing Gronk the way they have, I could totally see them moving up to take Kmet.
Round 2 (64) from Seattle: Ben Bartch, OT, St. John’s (Minnesota), 6’6”, 309.
The one thing I’m realizing for this draft is that if you want to get an offensive left tackle prospect, you’re going to have to grab one in the second. In the simulation, this was the only pick I had ranked below an A, but it had to be done. He wasn’t going to be there for our next pick.
Round 3(87) from New England: Ben Bredeson, OG, Michigan, 6’5”, 315.
For some inexplicable reason, Bredeson has fallen in this draft’s prognostications. Originally, my second pick at #50 in my first basket, he’s still my favorite guard in this draft. If he’s not here, there’s still plenty of guards available.
Round 3(98) from New England: TRADE—with Jacksonville for picks 116, 137, and 140. Jacksonville moves up to take Devin Duvernay. I could absolutely see them doing this, especially after they’ve released Marquise Lee. In fact, Duvernay would be somebody I’d target if we didn’t get Mims. This is the last trade I make in the simulation.
Round 3(100) from Seattle: Logan Wilson, OT, Wyoming, 6’2”, 241.
Sixth Round in my original basket. Apparently, he’s been moving up the boards. Still my favorite linebacker in this draft.
Round 4(116) from Jacksonville: Albert Okwuegbunam, TE, Missouri, 6’5”, 258.
Albert O still needs a lot of work. His routes are sloppy and rounded. He’s willing, but not the best blocker. But he has something that’s hard to teach—speed! The fastest TE at the Combine by a long margin with a 4.49 40. He can separate! A touchdown in every 4.2 touches testifies to that. And he has decent hands too. If we want to really open up our offense, this is the guy to do it. Seems like he was made for Nagy.
Round 4(137) from Jacksonville: Antonio Gibson, WR/RB, Memphis, 6’0”, 228.
My favorite player in this draft. Not just made for Matt Nagy, but sculpted for him. He gives us a speed receiver with size and a power RB with speed. Next year, when Tariq’s rookie deal is up, he’d be a bigger, faster, more powerful replacement for him. Did I say he could return kicks? Want to let Patterson and his 5.7 million dollar contract go? Here’s the guy to make that happen.
Round 4: (140) from Jacksonville: Tanner Muse, SS, Clemson, 6’2”, 227.
NFL.com describes Muse a “slow footed” safety whose best bet would be to shift to LB in the pros. Well, the Bears need an in the box safety. What could be better than a safety who’s projected to switch to linebacker. Muse certainly hits like a linebacker. He has the physicality to take on a TE. And with a 4.41 40, it’s hard to imagine that he’s “slow footed.”
While it’s true that Muse didn’t perform any of the quickness drills at the Combine, watching his game film, it seems that he’s more uncertain than “slow footed.” I know when he comes on a blitz, his speed makes it seem like he comes from nowhere. He’s also able to get to passes that many safeties wouldn’t be able to. With his speed and size, he’d make an excellent special teamer and provide backup as a nickel linebacker. He could also play in goal line situations as an in the box safety. He’s a hybrid player whose versatility allows for a myriad of contributions.
Round 5(163): Anthony Gordan, QB, Washington State, 6’2”, 205.
Took over for Garner Minshew at Washington State after playing second fiddle to him for three years. Threw for over 5,500 yards, a 72% completion percentage, and 48 TDs last year. Doesn’t have a tremendously strong arm, but he’s very accurate (as his completion percentage attests) with a great touch and a good long ball. Not a great runner, but he moves in the pocket well and seemingly without any concern (doesn’t get the jitters). He would be a good prospect as a developmental QB. With Foles, we’ve adopted the Titan model—a veteran QB to push the second pick QB, and with Gordon, we’ve adopted the Jacksonville model—a rookie Washington State QB to push Foles. At this point with our QB situation, we have to pull all the stops.
Round 6(196): A.J. Green, CB, Oklahoma State, 6’1”, 202.
With his three years of starting experience and his size, you’d think Green would be a second day pick minimum. In fact, when I showed my kid his highlights, he told me there’s no way he’d be there at this selection. But his 4.62 40 at the Combine is absolutely going to kill him. The thing is that on the field, he doesn’t appear near that slow. In fact, he held Denzel Mims to only 1 catch for 16 yards, CeeDee Lamb only 4 catches for 36 yards, and Quartney Davis to only 6 catches for 48 yards. At a certain point, you have put aside track and field tests and look at what actually happens on the field. With Green, this is what you’ll find:
Can’t help but think of Richard Sherman…?
Round 6(200): D.J. Wonnum, DE/OLB, South Carolina, 6’5”, 254.
Make no mistake, despite decent production, this is a developmental guy. He has good size and decent speed (4.72 40). He started as a sophomore and finished with 57 stops, 13 TFLs, and 6 sacks and was named permanent team captain for his performance and his work ethic. And ankle injury in ’18 limited him to five games where he had 11 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, and 2 sacks. As a senior he had 37 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, and 4.5 sacks. Despite that decent production, his technique is crap. He has no hand game at all, yet still he shows flashes.
If he can increase his strength and work on some hand techniques and counter moves, he could develop into something. He’ll certainly work at it.
Round 7(226): Josiah Deguara, TE, Cincinnati, 6’2’, 242
Yes, straight out of my original basket but down a round. Surprised he was there. The more tape I watch the more I’m convinced that he’s the best blocking TE in the draft. With his size, blocking ability, and hands, he’d make an excellent H-Back slash fullback. Would love to see him rather than Holz in our I.
Round 7(233): L’Jarius Sneed, S/CB, Louisiana Tech, 6’1”, 191.
Kind of surprised but the fastest safety at the Combine wasn’t on First Pick’s draft board at all (took Antoine Brooks instead). With his athleticism, he’ll probably go higher, but what the hell, this is MY Picnic Basket. You would have thought the same of Stephen Denmark last year. Sneed played CB for three years until he moved to safety last year. Not only is he fast, but he’s pretty physical as well.
Speed kills.
That’s my Final Picnic Basket for 2020. Man, if this were to happen, I’d be absolutely ecstatic. The one thing this Basket illustrates is how much we need to trade down. We can address just so many areas in the third and fourth rounds. I tried to keep the trades reasonable, and the basket shows how many picks we can recoup in that area if we’re willing to do so. The other thing I noticed is that if we want a developmental tackle, we have to get him in the second or early third. And lot of OTs are going in the first round. But having said all this, Pace will probably trade up.
Incidentally, I didn’t include clips for prospects from my first basket. If you want them, they are here. viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14117
BRING ON THE DRAFT!
If that happens, I would have no problem taking Claypool at #50. I tend to shy away from Hamler as being too Gabrielish. But I do like DuVernay in the 3-4 or Watkins, Mooney, or Hightower much later. But the one WR I absolutely must insist on is WR/RB Antonio Gibson. I'll be tremendously bummed if we don't get him. He's such a perfect fit for Nagy. AN-TOE-KNEE-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooo! lol
Or did you get it and are just conveniently twisting my argument...? Again....