2020 Draft Thread...

[boozeman]

It also makes you realize how awful the OT and edge rusher class is. They are both top heavy.

If you need one, you better get one in the first two rounds otherwise you are fucked.

 

[boozeman]

SAAD’S PICKS

First round, No. 17 overall: K’Lavon Chaisson, Edge, LSU

The importance of this pick for the Cowboys can’t be understated. The Cowboys front office has ridden the coattails of the 2016 draft to a favorable draft perception, but reality is that their subsequent three top picks — Taco Charlton, Leighton Vander Esch and Trysten Hill — have either already been declared busts, seem headed in that direction or have a foggy future due to injury concerns. Ironically, it’s the 2016 draft that also magnifies this one. Because of significant money tied into three draft selections (Ezekiel Elliott, Jaylon Smith and Dak Prescott) along with the departure of a starting-caliber talent (Maliek Collins), the Cowboys are in dire need of cheap, young talent to pan out as they remain entrenched in win-now mode.

Chaisson should be the answer there. He’s a talented player who also happens to fill in at a position of need following the departure of Robert Quinn in free agency. In our previous mock three weeks ago, I selected South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw here. This time, I didn’t have that option because the 49ers took him at No. 13 in the simulator. To be honest, him not being available hurts substantially less given the signings of Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe to help bolster in the interior. Florida’s C.J. Henderson is a player I would think about at No. 17, but he went off the board at No. 9 to Jacksonville in my mock, so he was also not a consideration.

My options at No. 17 included Chaisson, TCU cornerback Jeff Gladney, Alabama safety Xavier McKinney and perhaps the shiniest one, Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. So, why Chaisson out of that bunch? I believe there is one can’t-miss defensive back in this draft, and Ohio State’s Jeffrey Okudah won’t slip past the top five. Gladney and McKinney will probably be solid players, but either of their presence in the Cowboys secondary will do little to turn that weak unit into a strength.

Chaisson is potentially the final piece to fortifying an entire unit. If the defensive line rolls out some rotation featuring DeMarcus Lawrence, McCoy, Poe, Antwan Woods, Tyrone Crawford, Chaisson and even perhaps Randy Gregory, I’m feeling pretty good about that group. Add that to what the Cowboys believe to be a complete linebacking corps, and at least two of the three layers on defense are in decent shape. They may carry a heavier burden, getting to the quarterback quickly to mask the secondary’s deficiencies, but that beats having holes in multiple layers of the defense that the opposing offense can game plan towards.

Jeudy was the only player who rivaled Chaisson’s BPA (best player available) status, and though it was hard to pass on him, this draft is simply too deep at wide receiver. The gap between the Cowboys’ need at pass rush and their need for a receiver is too large to pass on Chaisson. His size, skill and athleticism make him an instant impact player that will feed off the attention paid to Lawrence on the other side.

Second round, No. 51 overall: Damon Arnette, CB, Ohio State

With second-round considerations Trevon Diggs, Grant Delpit and Antoine Winfield Jr. flying off the board early in the round, Damon Arnette was a relatively easy choice here. Safety Kyle Dugger was available, but Dallas added Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in free agency to pair with Xavier Woods, and I still have some semblance of hope for Donovan Wilson to pan out. Adding a cornerback seems like the logical way to go. Bringing back Anthony Brown to go with incumbents Jourdan Lewis and Chido Awuzie is fine, but losing Byron Jones leaves a hole none of those three can fill.

Arnette can play inside or out and wore a target on his back last season because nobody wanted to throw at the top-five talent in Okudah on the other side. He held his own, allowing a 45.1 percent completion percentage and becoming a big reason the Ohio State defensive unit flourished in 2019. He doesn’t force many turnovers but, hey, neither did Jones. The Cowboys would still have loved to keep him if the price wasn’t so high.

Third round, No. 82 overall: Darrell Taylor, Edge, Tennessee

The defensive line always needs depth, and with Gregory not dependable, first-round pick Chaisson is the lone pass-rushing threat opposite Lawrence. Darrell Taylor has a good motor and all of the tangibles it takes to succeed in the NFL. His deficiencies are all things that can be taught and new defensive line coach Jim Tomsula is one of the best in the business. Taylor may initially fit in as a situational pass rusher more than a full-time defensive end that can play the run and pass, but that should be something the Cowboys are able to work with in an increasingly passing league. He’s gotten better each season and finished his career at Tennessee with eight sacks in 2018 and then 8.5 sacks last season. He’s a solid depth piece at his floor, and the arrow is pointing up.

Fourth round, No. 123 overall: Devin Duvernay, WR, Texas

This is about the spot I’d be looking to draft that third wide receiver to fill the void of Randall Cobb. It pained me greatly that Michael Pittman Jr. went off to Washington at No. 66, and there was certainly an audible grunt when I saw Ohio State’s K.J. Hill selected just eight picks prior to this at 115, but the Cowboys could do much worse than this Longhorn.

The only two players to catch more passes than Duvernay in 2019 were LSU’s Justin Jefferson and SMU’s James Proche. Granted, Duvernay played in the Big 12, but he shared time with another capable receiver in Collin Johnson. He still found a way to get his own. Duvernay and the Cowboys are also a great fit because many of his weaknesses are strengths of Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup, so he won’t be exposed. There’s also a good chance that he’s the fifth threat on offense after Cooper, Gallup, Blake Jarwin and Ezekiel Elliott (Tony Pollard would be in the mix, too), but that just means there won’t be much pressure on Duvernay, which should allow him to thrive in his role.

Fifth round, No. 164 overall: Lamar Jackson, CB, Nebraska

We’re entering the territory of taking chance on prospects with potential, and that’s exactly what Lamar Jackson is. He also brings something to the table that the Cowboys don’t have on their roster aside from the unproven Canady: a large (6’2, 208 pounds) cornerback. Jackson’s man-to-man game needs work, but he can be a good zone cornerback when the Cowboys need him to be and has the physical tools to be a problem for opposing wide receivers at the line of scrimmage. Mike McCarthy has said that he won’t try to mold every player into his scheme, rather using players’ strengths to bolster his unit. With his size, Jackson could give McCarthy and Mike Nolan some options that the current depth chart cannot.

Fifth round, No. 179 overall: Utah, S, Julian Blackmon

If the Cowboys can add Blackmon at this point in the draft, it’s a no-brainer. He’s a true value pick at 179 because his skill set is so versatile. His 2019 season was the first in which he starred at safety, and he was instantly a hit, gaining first-team All-Pac-12 honors with 60 tackles, four pass breakups, a couple of forced fumbles and a team-high four interceptions. Before his senior season, Blackmon was a cornerback and though he wasn’t as good, he wasn’t a throwaway at that position, either. This is where you pick players like Blackmon, and the Cowboys are no stranger to that. In 2016, they selected Anthony Brown out of Purdue, who had played outside corner but flashed ability to play inside. Due to an injury to Orlando Scandrick that season, Brown made the switch inside and played well enough to make Scandrick expendable.

A late-season knee injury is part of the reason Blackmon would fall here, but he was a playmaker in college, something the Cowboys have lacked in their secondary for years. He can also serve as a safety net across the board in the secondary and is well-worth the selection here.

Seventh round, No. 231 overall: Austin Mack, WR, Ohio State

To be quite honest, nobody on the board here really caught my attention. Mack comes from a winning program and has some physical tools to work with. He might be somebody the Cowboys can use in training camp to give other receivers a breather, and perhaps he finds his way on special teams and can make an impact there. If not, he’d be a fine piece to stash on the practice squad in case of a rainy day.

This draft is complete shit.

 

[boozeman]

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[Stasheroo]

It also makes you realize how awful the OT and edge rusher class is. They are both top heavy.

If you need one, you better get one in the first two rounds otherwise you are fucked.

I think if we can't get Chaisson in round one, "we're fucked!" Cornerback I think I can get in round two or three. Edge rusher? There's two in my opinion, and then ---------------------------------------------- everybody else.

 

[shoop]

Report: Dolphins attempting to acquire No. 1 pick
ReutersMarch 31, 2020, 12:20 PM EDT

Armed with three picks in the first round, the Miami Dolphins are making a run at the No. 1 selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Miami Herald reports.
The Dolphins are believed to be most interested in LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, the Heisman Trophy winner widely viewed as the top prospect at the position in the draft. But the Cincinnati Bengals, who have the top pick in the draft, are smitten with Burrow, who has Ohio roots and ran an offense not unlike that of second-year head coach Zac Taylor.
Miami has its own draft pick, No. 5, in addition to the 18th and 26th picks. The Dolphins received the 18th overall pick in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, and landed the No. 26 from the Houston Texans for offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil.
The Dolphins also have the 39th, 56th and 70th picks to package in a deal to move up.
With a pair of former No. 1 overall picks available in free agency -- 2011 top pick Cam Newton was released by the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn't re-sign 2015 top pick Jameis Winston -- the Dolphins could opt to go a number of different directions if the Bengals set the price for the No. 1 pick in the 2020 draft too high.
Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen, acquired from the Arizona Cardinals in 2019, are under contract for 2020 in Miami.
--Field Level Media

 

[Plan9Misfit]

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This is exactly why I don't want him. The guy can't tackle for shit. My 77 year old mother can juke that guy out of his fucking cleats.

 

[Cotton]

 

[jsmith6919]

 

[Cotton]

Brugler's draft guide is now out. I tried to attach it but the file it too large. You can view/download it at

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The password is Bea$t20! with the exclamation mark. Let me know if you have issues getting it and I can email it to you.

 

[shoop]

/\ Nice. Thanks!

 

[Cotton]

/\ Nice. Thanks!

 

[shoop]

I'd invite Shea Patterson to training camp. Low risk potential backup.

 

[Plan9Misfit]

Brugler's draft guide is now out. I tried to attach it but the file it too large. You can view/download it at

.

The password is Bea$t20! with the exclamation mark. Let me know if you have issues getting it and I can email it to you.

LOVE this draft guide. Thanks, @Iamtdg

 

[boozeman]

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[Rev]

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This is really an issue? They do know having Jerry in the war room is a handicap, right?

 

[Plan9Misfit]

I'd invite Shea Patterson to training camp. Low risk potential backup.

A noodle armed QB who gets the yips every time he touches the ball? No thanks.

 

[Cotton]

LOVE this draft guide. Thanks, @Iamtdg

 

[shoop]

A noodle armed QB who gets the yips every time he touches the ball? No thanks.

Harbaugh got way too much credit for Andrew Luck. He sucks at developing Quarterbacks. Patterson would be a UDFA. COsts us nothing and if he develops then great.

 

[boozeman]

 

[boozeman]

I may be in the minority, but I like this proposal.