Grade the Draft

[michiganalex]

Grade the Draft

 

[lgolfer]

I said C for the following reasons:

1. I didn't like the Ebron pick because I thought there were better players like Donald, Dennard, and Haha. Plus, it would've allowed us to take a WR in round 2, like Jordan Matthews or Donte Moncrief (fell to round 3).

2. I like the Van Noy pick. Don't know if we needed to trade up to get him though.

3. I like the fact that we drafted Swanson, but I feel that since we gave up our original 4th round pick to move up for Van Noy, Mayhew probably felt he couldn't wait until the end of the 4th round to take a center. Taking a guy like Donte Moncrief or someone else would've been better value in my opinion and could've helped the team more this year.

4. Not too excited about the Larry Webster pick. Just seems way too raw. Didn't initially like the Nevin Lawson pick, but starting to warm up to it now that I learn more about him.

5. I like the Caraun Reid pick. He sounds like a guy that can be part of our DT rotation immediately and maybe even start in the future.

6. I'm slightly optimistic with the TJ Jones pick. Sounds like he could be a decent slot WR.

7. I'm glad that we drafted a kicker and it doesn't hurt if Nate Freese hadn't missed all of last year.

Overall, the reason I give the draft a C is because I felt there were better options in round 1 and 3. Most of the late round picks I was fine with.

 

[LKP]

B unless someone before Detroit admits they would have taken van noy. That early 4th could have had so many good ones

Ebron is a talent and makes the offense dynamic with a matchup nightmare.

Like Swanson for future center.

Development guys are fine at cb, de,td and wr but I wish they got McCarron, savage, or Murray with one late 4th or even 5th.

Good kicker pick

 

[cheeno]

Golfer covered all my points. Great sum up of the draft for me as well so I won't add much just that Van Noy and Lawson make this draft a B for me - both will be immediate starters. Ebron will be an impact player just because the position he's put in, but I am far from a fan and thing he was value poor. Trade down would have need ideal which was negated by Mayhew putting it on auto draft. I would have take Lewan who is considered by some the top lineman or Donald who earns that same praise on the dline. I don't like Swanson either...scouts seem to be split.

All in all throw in the kicker and we get at least 4 who play and make an impact right away IMO.

 

[Mitchrapp]

Regardless why we pick who where, TE is good, same with Noy, we needed a C and the rest could add depth. B-.

 

[inkfreq]

I went B...


1) Like the Ebron pick a lot. I think I've explained that well enough the last three days.
2) LOVE the Van Noy pick
3) Not married to the Swanson pick, but I'm fine with it. Still think he's the best C in this draft.
4) Really like the Webster pick. Football pedigree, and all the measurables, just needs the experience and coaching to go with it. Don't like the Lawson pick at all. The guy was a 7th round (at best) projection, and he's no better than anything we already have. PS material.
5) Like Reid. Good place to take the big man.
6) Meh... not excited about TJ Jones, but what do you expect from a 6th round guy. May not make the roster.
7) Okay, we got a kicker who's very accurate, but not strong. We can make him strong. You can't make a kicker more accurate.

Ebron, Van Noy, and Freese will start day one. Reid and Swanson will be starters before long. Webster could be the hidden gem of this draft.

Three starters, three developmental contributors, two picks I don't think even make the team. It's not an A, but it's better than just "okay".

 

[cheeno]

I went B...


1) Like the Ebron pick a lot. I think I've explained that well enough the last three days.
2) LOVE the Van Noy pick
3) Not married to the Swanson pick, but I'm fine with it. Still think he's the best C in this draft.
4) Really like the Webster pick. Football pedigree, and all the measurables, just needs the experience and coaching to go with it. Don't like the Lawson pick at all. The guy was a 7th round (at best) projection, and he's no better than anything we already have. PS material.
5) Like Reid. Good place to take the big man.
6) Meh... not excited about TJ Jones, but what do you expect from a 6th round guy. May not make the roster.
7) Okay, we got a kicker who's very accurate, but not strong. We can make him strong. You can't make a kicker more accurate.

Ebron, Van Noy, and Freese will start day one. Reid and Swanson will be starters before long. Webster could be the hidden gem of this draft.

Three starters, three developmental contributors, two picks I don't think even make the team. It's not an A, but it's better than just "okay".

Have to disagree with you on Lawson. I think he's the steal of the draft.

 

[cheeno]

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1754721/nevin-lawson

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=109671&draftyear=2014&genpos=CB

Projected round 3-4

Sports illustrated projected him to go to us with the 111th pick of the fourth.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=294&sid=29724274

One man's scouting report on him

http://withthefirstpick.com/2014/03...tm_medium=Network&utm_campaign=Trending on FS

 

[inkfreq]

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1754721/nevin-lawson

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=109671&draftyear=2014&genpos=CB

Projected round 3-4

Sports illustrated projected him to go to us with the 111th pick of the fourth.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=294&sid=29724274

One man's scouting report on him

http://withthefirstpick.com/2014/03...tm_medium=Network&utm_campaign=Trending on FS

I had no idea who the kid was to be honest. I looked him up when we picked him, and the two sites I saw had him in the 7th.

I used that walterfootball.com site you guys reference a lot, and they don't even have him listed that I can find.

Buy hey, obviously you've found some places that have him going 3-4, so I hope your sites are better than mine for sure.

I will say I was hoping for one of those 6'3" corners, so a 5'9" guy just doesn't make me reach for my skeet blanket. Steal of the draft? I dunno, I think Webster has that potential... so maybe we got two big steals.

Here's hoping. The guy is a Lion now, so I hope he makes 5 All-Pro teams in the next 5 years and I eat my words. I'll never root against our guys to succeed thats for sure.

 

[cheeno]

I had no idea who the kid was to be honest. I looked him up when we picked him, and the two sites I saw had him in the 7th.

I used that walterfootball.com site you guys reference a lot, and they don't even have him listed that I can find.

Buy hey, obviously you've found some places that have him going 3-4, so I hope your sites are better than mine for sure.

I will say I was hoping for one of those 6'3" corners, so a 5'9" guy just doesn't make me reach for my skeet blanket. Steal of the draft? I dunno, I think Webster has that potential... so maybe we got two big steals.

Here's hoping. The guy is a Lion now, so I hope he makes 5 All-Pro teams in the next 5 years and I eat my words. I'll never root against our guys to succeed thats for sure.

You're telling me you don't follow the Utah State Aggies? Are you sure you like American football and not...soccer?

Walter had him in the fifth to the Falcons.

http://walterfootball.com/draft2014redraft_5.php

 

[LKP]

Lawson did well in the tape I just watched against Davonte Adams. And he gave up four inches but sticks with wrs

 

[inkfreq]

You're telling me you don't follow the Utah State Aggies? Are you sure you like American football and not...soccer?

That's correct. I don't know the first thing about them. I thought Texas A&M was the Aggies.

They are aren't they? Or am I nuts? I know I'm getting older, but I'm not old enough to be senile yet I don't think.

I'm sure some of the guys (*cough* LKP) had a full scouting report on him from his game film... but I seriously couldn't name one player on that entire team. I have never heard of Nevin Lawson before today.

Also, I had never heard of Chris Greenwood or Sammie Lee Hill before they were drafted, so I guess this is common for me. Honestly, didn't know who Larry Webster Jr. was either.

 

[inkfreq]

Lawson did well in the tape I just watched against Davonte Adams. And he gave up four inches but sticks with wrs

The... tape?

You mean a Youtube highlight there Mayhew Jr?

 

[mhughes0021]

B- for me. I see 3 day 1 starters (1 is a kicker so im not sure if that really counts, Van Noy and Ebron)...I was hoping for atleast 4 with the additional 4ths we had.

Rd 1 - #10(10) Eric Ebron (TE) UNC

Upgrade over Pettigrew. Far more dynamic in the passing game and can take advantage of the middle of the field as a playmaker and not just a 6 yard curl and fall type of guy. Full route tree. Will split out on most every down drawing LBs in space which he should beat 1 v 1 or a safety/corner which he has the size advantage over. True mismatch. Run blocking is weak for his size...but could be used as a valuable blocker on wr screens when hes split wide. Personally I would have went defense with this pick and/or tried harder than 20 seconds to trade down. If I was going offense I probably would have picked Lewan over Ebron. And most all of that is due to the Pettigrew resigning. However, as I stated prior to the draft I could argue for and against basically anyone we took at 10, so I cant be pissed at the pick like some. No one was going to be a "good" pick for us...and Ebron was a guy I had as a top 5 potential pick at that spot. To me, he was the 2nd best offensive weapon in the draft and we got him at 10....so in that sense...it was good value. If youre looking at it as a top 10 TE while already having a starting TE on the roster...it wasn't very good value.

Rd 2 - #8(40) Kyle Van Noy (OLB) BYU
Great pick in an area of need. Good value where we got him but we lost value by trading up to get him. olb for now but has the flexibility to kick inside if we start running more 3-4 type fronts. Kid makes plays on the ball and has good hands for a backer. Shines when able to speed rush but sometimes can be soft in run support if he cant beat the blocker with speed. Good in space/coverage. Versatile.

Rd 3 - #12(76) Travis Swanson (C) Arkansas
The need for raoilas replacement was heavily debated on this board....I was in the camp of I just don't get it. It not like Centers need to sit and be groomed....you need 1...you draft a good one...and you start them. I think if raoila retired next offseason we could easily draft his replacement. Now we have a 3rd rd pick sitting the bench until raoila is ready to leave....guess what...that might not be next off season....and if that's the case...its an even dumber pick. As far as value goes...it wasn't a very center rich draft as far as blue chip guys go. The consensus top center went at the top of the 2nd...decently high. Once san fran took Marcus Martin at the top of the 3rd this pick seemed rushed just a bit. That being said...it was decent value if he was actually going to play...now we just have to sit and wait to see when that will be. One last note now that I saw how the rest of the draft played out....if we really are making a push to the 3-4 were missing 1 very big key component...literally....we need a NT. With Nix on the board how do you not pull the trigger if that truly is a plan for down the road.

Rd 4 - #11 Where our pick would have been had we not jumped the gun on Van Noy. Potentials on the board include:
DT Daquan Jones
CB Colvin, McGill, Desir (listed since we picked cb later in the round - not cause I wanted one)
WR Martavis Bryant
...that is a shame

Rd 4 - #33(133) Nevin Lawson (CB) Utah St
I am and will always be meh on mid round cbs. So with that being said im sure someone will bring up SEA's corners and then ill say to them...what in the world does Nevin Lawson have that resembles anything of SEA's corners? the answer is nothing...not size, not speed, not pedigree, not competition level. Ladarius Webb is his NFL comparison and if that's the case he will be a good pick. Or he will just sit on the bench with the handful of other mid round corners on this roster.

Rd 4 - #36(136) Larry Webster (DE) Bloomsburg
This pick is what first started making me think were making the transition to a 3-4 hybrid scheme. Then I heard a bunch of analysts say he might be moved to TE. Then I hit myself in the forehead without words....I have no idea what to think of this pick. All I know is hes supposedly a "special" athlete that might play DE or TE.

Rd 5 - #18(158) Caraun Reid (DT) Princeton
This pick is when I moved from thinking we might move to a 3-4 to "were certainly going to run some 3-4. Projected to play very well in a 3-technique. Good pick, good value.

Rd 6 - #13(189) TJ Jones (WR) Notre Dame
A rd 6 version of Broyles. Don't really see how he will see the field behind Tate and Ebron surely to play in the slot....but it does offer some depth if there are injuries. That's all you can really ask for out of a rd 6 pick. I did think there were some WRs still on the board with more talent/upside...but TJ Jones is a good player with a good attitude.


Rd 7 - #14(229) Nate Freese (K) BC
Needed a kicker. Got a kicker. Some sites I read had him rated very high after not missing a kick last year. Some sites had him as the 18th ranked kicker coming out.

 

[LKP]

The... tape?

You mean a Youtube highlight there Mayhew Jr?[/QU

The full game. And also a highlight that shows the matchup on draft breakdown

 

[inkfreq]

The... tape?

You mean a Youtube highlight there Mayhew Jr?[/QU

The full game. And also a highlight that shows the matchup on draft breakdown

Sorry, you just made me roll my eyes so hard, I am now blind. Can't see enough to tell you how much bullshit you talk.

 

[cheeno]

That's correct. I don't know the first thing about them. I thought Texas A&M was the Aggies.

They are aren't they? Or am I nuts? I know I'm getting older, but I'm not old enough to be senile yet I don't think.

I'm sure some of the guys (*cough* LKP) had a full scouting report on him from his game film... but I seriously couldn't name one player on that entire team. I have never heard of Nevin Lawson before today.

Also, I had never heard of Chris Greenwood or Sammie Lee Hill before they were drafted, so I guess this is common for me. Honestly, didn't know who Larry Webster Jr. was either.

I know sarcasm can be lost in print format. But who the fuck follows the Utah State Aggies? I hear they have a good Geography department. If you did know who all these random players are I'd be amazed/worried.

 

[Mitchrapp]

Let's all watch the Lions games again..

 

[LKP]

The game was the mountain west championship not some random game and the internet is a beautiful place full of lots of fun videos.

 

[cheeno]

The game was the mountain west championship not some random game and the internet is a beautiful place full of lots of fun videos.

I posted the video in a thread dedicated to my Lawson love. Just scroll down the page you don't even have to look for it.