NFL Draft Geek 2 round mock 1/29/14

Predictable. No thought in this.

I don't see his logic with respect to Aaron Donald.

I have no issue with him being pegged at #30. It may even happen. But he criticizes Donald's frame (which is 6'1" not 6'0") and arm length, then goes on to suggest that the frame is a reason he could fit at 3-4 DE?

That doesn't really compute. The guys you put at 3-4 DE need to have very large frames and big size. They need to be able to dominate multiple gaps and a huge frame is almost a prerequisite for doing that. There are players that can do it without the frame but I think it's rare. Donald is a rare player but it just seems counter-intuitive.

Much more likely he goes to a 4-3 team as an under tackle and defensive end combination player. He can play end on some base downs when you feel the need for a little extra run presence. He's pass rushed from an end spot against good NFL caliber tackles in college and made them look silly (Justin Pugh comes to mind). So he could even be counted on for pass rush when he moves out to the wing in some base packages. And then on passing downs you want him on the interior penetrating.

Overall I think you want him playing like a Henry Melton did in Lovie Smith's defense. You want him playing a Geno Atkins position. He could be another Warren Sapp or John Randle. Both were about the same size as Donald.

I just think the dude who made that mock draft was off on his logic there.

Predictable might not be a bad way to go this year, the need on the OL is extreme.

Paul Richardson at #26 overall. Yikes he's really staking out a position on that one.

I'm not hoping for predictable, I'm hoping we have two or three new OL before the draft. Free agency can't come quick enough.

If Dennis Hickey executes a predictable draft then we'll know he was full of sh-t when he claimed that he always takes the best player and doesn't consider need, and that his drafts feature a vertically stacked board ranked 1 thru 500 and that there aren't really even any decisions to make on draft day (except perhaps trading), it's a matter of who is still available when his team picks.

"gunn34 wrote:

I'm not hoping for predictable, I'm hoping we have two or three new OL before the draft. Free agency can't come quick enough.

I'm looking at one solid OL starter and not much in reserve, pretty much a total rebuild, so I hope that we nail OL in FA and the draft. Quality bodies are needed.

I would much rather the Dolphins pick up a couple of starting linemen from FA, and round up the line with a couple of middle round picks. First 2 rounds will be stocked full of potential game changing talent and going into the draft with the flexibility to get some will be important.

For instance in this mock, both first round TE are available for the Dolphins first pick, and in the second round Tre Mason went before the Dolphins pick, but Seastrunk was not picked. In the real draft, realistically at least one of each could be available for each of the first 2 rounds.

Would be amazing if Ebron or Clinton Dix fell to 19... *I fully anticipate LT to be addressed in FA rather than drafting a rookie to protect RT*

"Clark Kent wrote:

Would be amazing if Ebron or Clinton Dix fell to 19... *I fully anticipate LT to be addressed in FA rather than drafting a rookie to protect RT*

Could be, but at the same time I could see the opening day LT being Kouandjio, Lewan, Martin or maybe Moses.

"ckparrothead wrote:

Paul Richardson at #26 overall. Yikes he's really staking out a position on that one.

Daniel Jeremiah has Richardson at 23: http://www.nfl.com/draft/2014/mock-drafts

That's just so overrated for a guy whose singular trait is being really fast.

"NUGap wrote:

Daniel Jeremiah has Richardson at 23: http://www.nfl.com/draft/2014/mock-drafts

That's just so overrated for a guy whose singular trait is being really fast.

Are we even positive that he's that fast? I mean I know he's fast but do we know he's going to go out there and break off some Mike Wallace times?

Mike Wallace ran a 4.28 at his pro day. NFL Draft Scout has Richardson running 4.48 at preseason campus testings.

"ckparrothead wrote:

Are we even positive that he's that fast? I mean I know he's fast but do we know he's going to go out there and break off some Mike Wallace times?

Mike Wallace ran a 4.28 at his pro day. NFL Draft Scout has Richardson running 4.48 at preseason campus testings.

Maybe not. He's definitely quick and probably has solid speed, but I don't think it's going to be Mike Wallace speed, or even Brandin Cooks speed. I just went back and took a look at Richardson's highlights and the majority of his deep ball plays either came from broken coverages, holes in deep zones along the sidelines, or beating a CB with no safety to the post. Not that those are a bad thing, but they're also not plays that will always be there in the NFL.

According to this: (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000320462/article/jeremiah-10-underclassmen-wrs-could-go-in-first-two-rounds?campaign=Twitter_nfl_cb) Jeremiah has Richardson over Cooks, Robinson, and Odell Beckham. I like the stuff that Jeremiah puts out, but I'd would be wildly surprised if any of those happened.

"NUGap wrote:

Maybe not. He's definitely quick and probably has solid speed, but I don't think it's going to be Mike Wallace speed, or even Brandin Cooks speed. I just went back and took a look at Richardson's highlights and the majority of his deep ball plays either came from broken coverages, holes in deep zones along the sidelines, or beating a CB with no safety to the post. Not that those are a bad thing, but they're also not plays that will always be there in the NFL.

According to this: (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000320462/article/jeremiah-10-underclassmen-wrs-could-go-in-first-two-rounds?campaign=Twitter_nfl_cb) Jeremiah has Richardson over Cooks, Robinson, and Odell Beckham. I like the stuff that Jeremiah puts out, but I'd would be wildly surprised if any of those happened.

I'm not going to lie. I don't want to come off like Dennis Hickey here but I heard about Paul Richardson so I went into a tape dive (Draft Breakdown stuff) and I came away thinking...sorry, he's J.A.G. and it's going to be hard to get me off that.

At least when I initially viewed Allen Robinson I thought to myself he's definitely good but I'm not sure if he's great. Further tape watch is what made me appreciate the details in his game and say yeah I think he's worthy of putting up there with Mike Evans and Sammy Watkins.

Richardson is very skinny at around 6-1 170 lbs, that's a concern imo. I saw a picture of him from the side and his leg almost disappeared.

"NUGap wrote:

Maybe not. He's definitely quick and probably has solid speed, but I don't think it's going to be Mike Wallace speed, or even Brandin Cooks speed. I just went back and took a look at Richardson's highlights and the majority of his deep ball plays either came from broken coverages, holes in deep zones along the sidelines, or beating a CB with no safety to the post. Not that those are a bad thing, but they're also not plays that will always be there in the NFL.

According to this: (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000320462/article/jeremiah-10-underclassmen-wrs-could-go-in-first-two-rounds?campaign=Twitter_nfl_cb) Jeremiah has Richardson over Cooks, Robinson, and Odell Beckham. I like the stuff that Jeremiah puts out, but I'd would be wildly surprised if any of those happened.

To go back to it, look at this play:

You get all excited about this (not you personally). What a great play. Huge play. And it's just pure speed, right?

Except it's not. It's a junior corner named Jonathan McKnight who has 4.53 speed according to NFL Draft Scout (which gets those numbers from Sports Xchange, which gets the numbers from preseason campus testing sessions). It's a guy playing off coverage and turning the complete wrong direction, then playing catch-up the rest of the way.

Does Paul Richardson get credit for turning McKnight the wrong way. Sure. We can give it to him. All he did was veer to his right slightly about two steps, never used his hear or shoulders to sell the outside move. But it worked.

The question is, can Paul Richardson make his way in the NFL doing this, getting open on the deep ball in this manner. The answer is no. The guys in the NFL are more likely to run 4.33 than 4.53 and they're not nearly as likely to completely turn the wrong direction in off coverage like that, especially as the result of a (let's be honest) kind of weak fake by the receiver.

Yet it's plays like these that has everyone jazzed about Richardson. It's not the LITTLE plays. As you say, he has a high drop rate and low YAC. It's the BIG plays that have people excited. Yet it's the BIG plays that are the least likely to translate because he doesn't have the underlying physical ability to support translation.

Later in that video the same corner (Jonathan McKnight) defends the same route and this time he's there with Richardson easily step for step, has him WELL shadowed. But the refs threw the flag for pass interference because Richardson (to his credit) did a nice acting job.

But that's a 4.53 corner and he's step for step with your "deep threat" dominating him with over top leverage on his back hip. I don't give two rat farts that you managed to (in the announcer's words) "pull a great Italian soccer player" move and draw the fake-@ss flag from the official's pocket. That's not going to translate. That's extraneous. What I take from that is the corner didn't get completely turned the wrong direction by a weak fake this time and at 4.53 he was step for step and dominating the route.

Man if Eric Ebron is there we should take him....I'd love to see our offense with him, Clay, Wallace, Hartline a healthy Gibson and hopefully a revamped running game/offensive line. Ebron should go to Tampa if they are serious about giving Glennon a chance but if he drops to us he should be seriously considered. I can't think of a better target for a young Qb that has come out recently.

"ckparrothead wrote:

I don't see his logic with respect to Aaron Donald.

I have no issue with him being pegged at #30. It may even happen. But he criticizes Donald's frame (which is 6'1" not 6'0") and arm length, then goes on to suggest that the frame is a reason he could fit at 3-4 DE?

That doesn't really compute. The guys you put at 3-4 DE need to have very large frames and big size. They need to be able to dominate multiple gaps and a huge frame is almost a prerequisite for doing that. There are players that can do it without the frame but I think it's rare. Donald is a rare player but it just seems counter-intuitive.

Much more likely he goes to a 4-3 team as an under tackle and defensive end combination player. He can play end on some base downs when you feel the need for a little extra run presence. He's pass rushed from an end spot against good NFL caliber tackles in college and made them look silly (Justin Pugh comes to mind). So he could even be counted on for pass rush when he moves out to the wing in some base packages. And then on passing downs you want him on the interior penetrating.

Overall I think you want him playing like a Henry Melton did in Lovie Smith's defense. You want him playing a Geno Atkins position. He could be another Warren Sapp or John Randle. Both were about the same size as Donald.

I just think the dude who made that mock draft was off on his logic there.

Agree on all points, especially the bold part that I've been thinking the same way on as well- unless you're a Tampa2 or the like that needs the services of a Henry Melton type DT, then let Donald be a run stuffer at DE in base package or when you wanna get bigger there since he's not a liability against the run on the outside and then move him inside on passing downs or in base D against passing teams.

I think it's possible that you could put him in a penetrating 1-gap 3-4 and he'd do ok, but like you, I feel he's a better fit in a 4-3.

Poor man's Ted Ginn in just about every regard . nuff said. Looks more like a train wreck than 1st rounder. Twiggy, weak, long-strider likely to get owned by press coverage in the NFL. Lucky he rarely got pressed in college considering how easily DBs pushed him around at times in the blocking game. WND- would not draft .


...and I wanna know WTH he's doing on this play after the catch? What idiot runs blindly backward for 5 yards as a ball carrier? [2:53 if timestamp doesn't work]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ezRBYbkChgQ#t=173

"jim1 wrote:

Richardson is very skinny at around 6-1 170 lbs, that's a concern imo. I saw a picture of him from the side and his leg almost disappeared.

No kiddin'. I wouldn't know whether to draft him or put him in a Sally Struthers commercial.

"phinsational wrote:

Poor man's Ted Ginn in just about every regard . nuff said. Looks more like a train wreck than 1st rounder. Twiggy, weak, long-strider likely to get owned by press coverage in the NFL. Lucky he rarely got pressed in college considering how easily DBs pushed him around at times in the blocking game. WND- would not draft .


...and I wanna know WTH he's doing on this play after the catch? What idiot runs blindly backward for 5 yards as a ball carrier? [2:53 if timestamp doesn't work]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ezRBYbkChgQ#t=173

Someone who is begging to get hurt.

"ckparrothead wrote:

Someone who is begging to get hurt.

imagine him doing that with Bernard Pollard. LOL. It'd be another taco tackle, the successor to Johnny Knox's.

Nice backpedal though. Perhaps you draft him and move him to corner. :shifty: