The Official 2017 NFL Draft Thread

[TUA TAGOVAILOA]

And Etling couldn't win the job at Purdue. That's a bit different than not winning the job at Tennessee with a guy like Dobbs there.

 

[smitty22]

Once again dbu :Bombaye:

Shot out to @Freddie.Cane and The U 2002

 

[315]

Once again dbu :Bombaye:

Shot out to @Freddie.Cane and The U 2002

i'd be cool with either one of them

 

[Swagnificent]

He was under center a ton too. And either way he had the much better #s

No he doesn't. Dobbs has another 32 TDs rushing and over 2000 yards on him.

You are completely ignoring the fact Dobbs dominated the game running the ball as well.

All in all his numbers completely dwarf Peterman.

 

[Swagnificent]

Tennessee was in the SEC east that's like being in the ACC. And Tennessee had WAY more talent as we all know. Peterman's #s got better as he progressed as a player and Pitt had a ton of talent last year.

Etling is trash he can't beat a good defense its been proven

Not along the offensive line. That is the main reason Peterman sucked at Tennessee. Dude was deer in the headlights under pressure. He went to Pittsburgh and got a better o-line and didn't have to face the SEC d-lines Dobbs had to.

Tennessee had talent at the sexy skill positions. But along the offensive line, they might have been the worst in the FBS. Downright putrid. And it was all on Dobbs and Kamara to create magic every Saturday to give us a chance with that o-line.

 

[TUA TAGOVAILOA]

Do u watch the NFL at all? Read option isn't going to work with him in the NFL obviously.

 

[Swagnificent]

Once again dbu :Bombaye:

Shot out to @Freddie.Cane and The U 2002

And just like the U in 2002, you'll have one star, one bust, and one average player from this crew.

Malik Hooker = STAR (if he can stay healthy)
Marshon Lattimore = BUST
Gareon Conley = AVERAGE

 

[Swagnificent]

Do u watch the NFL at all? Read option isn't going to work with him in the NFL obviously.

I watch the NFL and I saw Cam Newton win an MVP with 500+ yards rushing every year and I saw Russell Wilson win a superbowl with 500+ yards rushing every year as well.

This myth that running the ball as a QB isn't a valuable skill in the NFL is just that a MYTH. Obviously you need to be able to throw the ball first and foremost. But being a dual-threat is the ULTIMATE WEAPON. And that is exactly what Dobbs is. He's a dual-threat in the same mold as Randall Cunningham and he will be the ULTIMATE WEAPON in the NFL as a runner and passer.

Josh Dobbs will make the scrambling QB cool again.

 

[Swagnificent]

Even Volsnation is laughing at you for this

The Los Angeles Chargers will select Josh Dobbs in the 2nd round (38th overall pick) - VolNation

Are you really trying to start an internet rumor on several boards to try and boost his ranking?

ESPN seems to be catching on.

 

[smitty22]

And just like the U in 2002, you'll have one star, one bust, and one average player from this crew.

Malik Hooker = STAR (if he can stay healthy)
Marshon Lattimore = BUST
Gareon Conley = AVERAGE

Hooker missed 0 games at OSU. He's Ed Reed like
Lattimore just as much as a ball hawk as Hooker with great coverage skills. Apply your healthy assessment to him, although he hasn't missed any games either
Conley is like Eli Apple lite. I think it will take him a couple years to have a impact.

 

[O.iatlhawksfan]

And Etling couldn't win the job at Purdue. That's a bit different than not winning the job at Tennessee with a guy like Dobbs there.

It doesn't matter Peterman was trash at Tennessee, Dobbs as a freshman passed him up.

Lmao yu can keep overthinking it but Peterman started flourishing under Canada, and now he's with Etling.

 

[TUA TAGOVAILOA]

It doesn't matter Peterman was trash at Tennessee, Dobbs as a freshman passed him up.

Lmao yu can keep overthinking it but Peterman started flourishing under Canada, and now he's with Etling.

There aren't many QBs who can play against SEC as a freshman.

I'm not overthinking anything. LSU fans are the only one's overthinking that Etling is any good, and none of y'all are confident about that so sit the fukk down. And Peterman put up good #s as a junior too, he progressively got better like u are supposed to do.. Canada is a good OC, he isn't anything special. LSU still won't do jack shyt against Bama's defense thats for sure. Not Auburn's either and probably a few other teams

 

[Dr. Narcisse]

Quarterbacks: Who’s going where?
— I don’t expect any quarterbacks to be drafted in the top four picks. The 49ers have Mitchell Trubisky graded high, and he’d be their pick if they surprise. The Bears like Deshaun Watson the most. The Jaguars are the one wild card people around the league believe are in play for a QB. One scout from another team said they might be thinking Trubisky.

— If there’s one strong quarterback-team connection, it’s Trubisky and the Bills. They’ve had strong interest throughout the season and draft process, and they actually were one of the teams he looked to for advisement when he was making his decision to declare for the draft. While I don’t believe the Jets will draft a quarterback, the Bills might trade with the Titans to ensure they can get to Trubisky before New York. I would be surprised if they target a different quarterback, but they’ve done their due diligence on all of them.

— Our top-rated quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, has many interested suitors. That said, I don’t think he’ll be a top-12 pick, but No. 13 to the Cardinals is where it gets interesting. I don’t believe Bruce Arians wants to use his first-round pick on a quarterback.

— The odds-on favorites to land Mahomes are the Chiefs. But the Texans are a close second. One hypothetical: The Chiefs trade up with the Colts (now led by former Chiefs executive Chris Ballard) to ensure them their top-ranked quarterback.

— All signs point to Watson slipping on draft day. The Bears and Saints appear to have the most interest, but I don’t expect either team to covet Watson as a top-20 pick. Watson’s arm strength, transition from his college offense and overall upside has been in question. I expect him to go somewhere between pick 24 and 32. Once he gets into the mid-20s, multiple teams might look to move up from the second round to get him.

— I’ve reported it previously, but I still firmly expect DeShone Kizer to slip on draft day. It’s unlikely he’s a first-round pick, though the Texans at 25 and the 49ers and Bears trading up from Round 1 could all be in play. Mental makeup and lackluster reviews from Notre Dame personnel, along with lackluster fourth quarterback play, are key reasons why he could slip to the late second round.

— Davis Webb of California has an outside chance of going in Round 1 (though I doubt it). But there’s a chance Pittsburgh’s Nathan Peterman could go ahead of him if both get to the second day. After Trubisky, Peterman could have the most near-unanimous approval from NFL evaluators. Webb could be a Chief or Cardinal. Peterman could be a Jaguar, Saint, Redskin or 49er, and by the third round, he could be a pick for any number of teams. If I had to pick one team for Miami’s Brad Kaaya, it’d be the Saints (though many teams compare him to Jared Goff in his mental makeup).

Team-quarterback pairing predictions:
Bills: Trubisky

Chiefs: Mahomes

Bears: Watson

Cardinals: Webb

Jaguars: Peterman

Saints: Kaaya

Dobbs: Browns

Individual player/position notes
— Leonard Fournette is a special talent, and most NFL teams appreciate him far more than the media or fans do. The 49ers are a darkhorse to consider him at No. 2, but the Jaguars at No. 4 might be his most likely

destination. The Jets at No. 6 and the Panthers at No. 8 are his other options.

— Christian McCaffrey will be the next running back taken, and he won’t last beyond the top 15 picks.

— Some teams have reservations on Florida State’s Dalvin Cook, but there are enough with interest that I no longer think he’ll fall on draft day. He could be a top-20 pick. The Raiders, however, will not take him.

— Joe Mixon has plenty of suitors and shouldn’t last long in Round 2, just like Dorial Green-Beckham two years ago.

MORE: Top 10 RBs in NFL Draft

— We probably won’t see a receiver drafted before pick No. 16, but if it happens, it’ll be Clemson’s Mike Williams. The Bills (if they don’t get Trubisky), the Jets (who desperately need receiver help) and the Titans (who could draft him fifth overall) all value Williams highly.

— NFL Draft fans might be mad, but Western Michigan’s Corey Davis is more likely to go in the second round than in the top 20. He has a lot of high second-round grades, and I don’t think he’ll last long in Round 2.

— John Ross won’t be a receiver for whom teams trade up (because of his injury history). He will have plenty of interest by the middle/end of Round 1, though he doesn’t have a clear suitor.

— Alabama’s O.J. Howard likely will be drafted in the top half of Round 1, with his ceiling likely at pick No. 5 with the Titans. But it’s possible Miami’s David Njokujoins Howard as a top-15 pick and maybe even goes ahead of him. The Cardinals, quietly, also might be considering tight end.

— Despite a weak offensive tackle class this year, we still will see eight to 10 offensive tackles drafted in the top three rounds. For teams that need offensive tackles, it’ll be slim pickings. Here are my picks for the eight: Garett Bolles, Cam Robinson, Ryan Ramczyk, Taylor Moton, Antonio Garcia, Roderick Johnson, Will Holden and Julian Davenport.

— The position for which team-to-team rankings vary the most this year is defensive tackle. In a class that is not top-heavy, teams are selective as to which defensive linemen fit their defenses. The two who seem to have the most consistently high grades: Alabama’s Dalvin Tomlinson and Charlotte’s Larry Ogunjobi.

— I wrote about Malik McDowell in February. While we saw Robert Nkemdiche drafted in the first round last year despite off-field issues, I stand by what I said back then about his projection: second round.

— Some have said Jonathan Allen of Alabama might fall due to his shoulder injury issues, but that’s not what I’ve been told. Virtually every team I’ve spoken with has high first-round grades on him. I don’t think he gets past the Bears at third overall.

— UCLA’s Takkarist McKinley, who has been mocked as high as the top 10, does not have a lot of high or even mid-first-round grades, and I firmly expect him to be taken somewhere after the top 20, if not out of Round 1 altogether. His shoulder surgery has played a part in it. The Cowboys would be a great fit.

— Missouri defensive end Charles Harris has multiple top-10 grades from NFL teams, and I expect him to be drafted in the top 15. His ceiling might be sixth overall to the Jets, and his floor might be the Colts at No. 15.

— Two of my favorites since before the Combine, Houston’s Tyus Bowser and Kansas State’s Jordan Willis both should go somewhere between the early 20s and the end of Round 1.

— After Malik Hooker, safeties might fall on draft day. Jamal Adams, Jabrill Peppers and Obi Melifonwu have similar grades (depending on the teams), and I wouldn’t be surprised if Adams is not the first of the bunch taken. All three could be available for the Redskins at No. 17.

— I believe we’ll see five non-FBS players drafted in the top 100: Youngstown State’s Derek Rivers, Villanova’s Tanoh Kpassagnon, Lamar’s Brandon Langley, Eastern Washington’s Cooper Kupp and Bucknell’s Julien Davenport, in that order.

Team notes: Who are they considering?
— The Browns’ coaching staff wants Myles Garrett, and someone else is pulling the strings to consider Trubisky. (My guess is ownership.) Coach Hue Jackson can win six-plus games with a Garrett-led defense and with Brock Osweiler, Cody Kessler and Josh Dobbs as his quarterbacks.

— As I reported in March, the Kirk Cousins-49ers connection is sincere, and with the ongoing issues in negotiations between the Redskins and Cousins, it’s not dead yet. The Redskins like Trubisky a lot. If the 49ers don’t get Cousins, Kizer might be their target in Round 2 and Nathan Peterman their target in Round 3.

— Since 1980, just one team has drafted a quarterback in the top-four rounds three straight years: the 2007-2009 Dolphins (John Beck, Chad Henne, Pat White).
History (and logic) is against the Jets taking a quarterback that early again. Their desire to drum up interest for teams to move in front of them has been impressive.

— The Panthers will take Fournette if he's available at No. 8. If not, I believe they’ll take Derek Barnett, Harris or Howard and target a running back in Round 2. If Barnett does not become a Panther, I believe he’ll be taken by the Bengals.

— I believe the Saints will get a deal done for Malcolm Butler, but keep in mind they don’t want to give up another early-round pick. They want to address their offensive tackle depth need by Round 3, if not earlier.

— Eagles first-round considered players: Harris, Barnett, Gareon Conley, McCaffrey and Ross. Of those five players, only one is expected to be available, and the Eagles will draft that one.

— Barring a top prospect like Harris falling, I expect the Redskins andBuccaneers to take two of the these three prospects: Peppers, Melifonwu and Cook.

— The Lions want a tight end early, as I reported back in February. It doesn’t look like Njoku will be available at No. 21. In Round 2, Bucky Hodges of Virginia Tech likely would be their target.

— The Dolphins are optimistic a top safety will fall to them; Adams, Peppers and Melifonwu all are on their wish list. If none of those are available, Justin Evans, Willis and guard Forrest Lamp are the players they’ll consider.

— Two one-time underrated prospects, Wisconsin’s T.J. Watt and Bowser, likely won’t make it to the Cowboys at No. 28. If they do, I expect one of them to be the pick. McKinley might be their ideal target if he slips.

— The Falcons have interest in and are a perfect match for Willis. If he’s gone, they could strongly consider adding to their offensive line at No. 31.

— We’ll see at least one team move up for a quarterback in the back end of Round 1. The Bears, Browns and Jaguars (in that order of likeliness) could do it to grab a falling Watson.

— Darkhorse first-rounders: Alabama’s Dalvin Tomlinson, Ole Miss’s Evan Engram, Temple’s Dion Dawkins and Florida’s Marcus Maye.

 

[Dr. Narcisse]

Does DeShone Kizer have "diva qualities?"
Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer is projected to be a mid- to late-first round pick in the upcoming draft, but has seen his stock fall since the end of the college season. Albert Breer of The MMQB provided some insight into that, as one anonymous AFC coach told him that he thinks Kizer has "diva qualities:"

"He's got the size, the arm talent and he's very bright," the anonymous coach said. "But there's a disconnect there. There are diva qualities there, and he seems to get voices in his head, like he's fighting who he is. And once the cycle starts, he can't get himself right."

Kizer passed for 2,925 yards with 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions while rushing for 472 yards and eight more touchdowns.



Scouts high on Joshua Dobbs
While Kizer has been falling, Tennessee's Joshua Dobbs has been one of the hot names in league circles about being a late-round pick with starting potential. Via Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport:

One AFC college scouting director told Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks of NFL.com that despite an uneven 2016 throwing the ball that included 12 interceptions, he's convinced Dobbs has the potential to start in the NFL:

"Dobbs definitely has the tools to be a solid player in the league. He's smart, tough and athletic. Plus, he showed at the Senior Bowl that he could adapt to a pro-style offense. ... I'm not saying he is a Day 1 guy, but I would certainly take a chance on him as a developmental player. He's a much better player than people think."

Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson, who coached Dobbs in that Mobile, Alabama, game agrees.

"I thought he ran the offense, moved the ball and did the things we thought we could do," Jackson told NFL Network (h/t Shehan Jeyarajah of SEC Country). "He did a good job."

Dobbs passed for 2,946 yards with 27 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season while rushing for 831 yards and 12 more scores.

Jaguars interested in Nathan Peterman
Pitt quarterback Nathan Peterman has also continued to rise up draft boards in the pre-draft process, and the Jacksonville Jaguars have now taken an interest in him, according to Kristian Dyer of the Sporting News:

Pittsburgh quarterback Nathan Peterman recently has emerged as a hot name in the 2017 NFL Draft and has had a number of private workouts with teams. They'll continue early this week.

Peterman will work out for the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday, a source tells Sporting News.

Jaguars executive Tom Coughlin hasn’t ruled out drafting a quarterback this year, and his comments throughout the offseason have not exactly been ringing endorsements of incumbent starter Blake Bortles.

Peterman, who transferred from Tennessee to Pitt after two seasons, passed for 2,855 yards with 27 touchdowns and just seven interceptions last year while rushing for 286 yards and three more scores.

 

[Swagnificent]

After Trubisky, Peterman could have the most near-unanimous approval from NFL evaluators.

hmmm.....i wonder why?