Pre-Draft Hott Reads

Well I really don’t have time to do another mock draft before the 2017 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday night so here are some of my quick thoughts on what’s going to happen this weekend.

• I’m going to watch at least some of the first round on Thursday night on ESPN because Trey Wingo is replacing Chris Berman as the host of first night so now I can enjoy ESPN’s coverage again.  Mel Kiper and Todd McShay aren’t Mike Mayock so I’ll catch some of NFL Network’s coverage too but ESPN also has Adam Schefter, he’s the best in the business.
• If Cleveland takes a QB at #1 instead of Miles Garrett that’s pretty much the kiss of death for that guy (likely Mitchell Trubisky).  Of course if they somehow trade for the #22 overall pick and pick a QB there every Cleveland Browns fan is going to jump into Lake Erie and hope to end their misery.  Seriously, Johnny Manziel, Brandon Weeden and Brady Quinn were all taken #22 overall by the Browns, yikes.
• The 49ers are bluffing so hard about taking a QB at #2 John Lynch’s head is going to explode.  They want to trade out of that spot and pick up picks, don’t buy anything they say this week.  If John Lynch or Kyle Shananhan try to tell you the sky is blue and water is wet, don’t believe them.
• There is a real chance Cleveland trades back up into the top 5 to grab Trubisky after taking Garrett #1.  However, the analytical front won’t overpay to do so, they are smarter than previous Cleveland front offices.  If they take Trubisky #1 overall forget everything I just said, this would be a clear sign it doesn’t matter who’s running the Browns, being a Browns executive makes you stupid.
• There are always prospects I kind of fall in love with and prospects I generally hate come draft time.  Here’s a look at a few.
• Jonathan Allen DL Alabama- Allen is a stud no matter where he plays.  He’s best as a DE in a 3-4 defense but he’ll work in any defense.  He won’t be flashy but he’ll be a fantastic defender for 10 years.
• Corey Davis WR Western Michigan- Western Michigan wasn’t good just because PJ Fleck was their coach.  Davis is a legitimate #1 WR in the NFL.  He’s big, fast and physical, think Demaryius Thomas.  Depending on where he goes he could be the Offensive Rookie of the Year.
• Desmond King DB Iowa- Call me a homer, I don’t care.  King is going to go in the second round as a FS for someone and then be a 10-year pro and be fantastic.  There are some things you just can’t measure and being an superior football player is one of them.  Call him too slow, call him too short and call him stiff in the hips, I don’t care, he’s better than most of the top rated DBs in this draft.
• Sidney Jones CB Washington- You won’t here his named called early like it should have been because he tore his Achilles tendon at his pro day but if he gets healthy he’s a future star.  By the way, two of my previous CB favorites in the past few years were Desmond Trufant and Marcus Peters, I don’t usually toot my own horn but I’m pretty good at picking out the good CBs.
• Like most executives that aren’t blinded by the need to get a QB I’m not impressed by this QB class.  Trubisky, Deshaun Watson, DeShone Kizer, Patrick Mahomes and Davis Webb are the 5 top rated players at the position but I would gladly take Nathan Peterman or CJ Beathard a couple of rounds later and give them a shot.  Some people like Josh Dobbs from Tennessee (I’m looking at you Todd McShay) but he’s not the next Dak Prescott, he’s the next Trevon Boykin.
• Here’s how I see the QBs coming off the board.  Trubisky first (probably top 10), Mahomes second with Watson third (both somewhere between 12-25 in round 1).  Webb goes early second round and Peterman mid-second round.  Kizer goes front half of the third round with Dobbs and Beathard going somewhere in the fourth round.
• I really don’t like Malik McDowell out of Michigan St.  He’s a tweener (not fast enough to play DE, too tall to be an effective DT).  He needs to be a DE in a 3-4 defense but I still think he’s missing the fire it takes to be a dominant force.
• If there is a late riser that could make his way into the top 10 and nobody is talking about him, it’s Hassan Reddick.  The LB out of Temple was a pass rushing DE making a transition to ILB most likely and he’s got the athleticism to pull it off.  If you think that can’t work, ask Tedy Bruschi.
• Florida ILB Jarrad Davis is moving up the draft board late because he’s a talented prospect but I would still have concerns because he has a hard time staying healthy.  Ohio St. ILB Raekwon McMillan isn’t getting enough credit and he may be a bit limited but he’s a better bet than Davis.
• There are two safeties I like that are likely to go somewhere between the 2nd and 4th rounds.  Alabama SS Eddie Jackson, he missed this last season with an injury but he’s a good bet to start for someone sooner rather than later.  Texas A&M SS Justin Evans is also a good bet to go in the middle rounds and probably be a rookie starter.
• Mike Williams, Corey Davis and John Ross have gotten the lion’s share of the coverage at WR and rightfully so but there is one other guy I really like.  East Carolina’s Zay Jones is a really good prospect.  Depending on where he goes he could be a dark horse for Rookie of the Year. He’s got great size, good speed and he was the definition of productive.  He had 158 catches last year.
• A guy who should go higher than he will is Washington S Budda Baker.  He’s a difference maker.
• I hate this OT class even more than the QB class.  The OT class doesn’t even have anyone I like late in the draft.  The best sleeper prospect is Julie’n Davenport out of Bucknell, yep, it’s bad.
• Good luck to the Hawkeyes hoping to get drafted.  I see Beathard, King, George Kittle and Jaleel Johnson getting drafted.  I hope LeShun Daniels is picked but RB is a crap shoot.  CB Greg Mabin will get a shot in camp with someone and maybe Riley McCarron convinces someone he can be a camp body.  I don’t know if Cole Croston will get a shot, no offense but I wouldn’t spend the time on him.