The way too early Draft 2021 thread

I'm starting to lean towards RT a lot more at 17. As much as I'd like to keep working on D with Parsons or Zaven, I think this would be the smarter BPA call. Still go S in round 2 or 3 and keep beefing up the lines and D with the rest.
 
I'm starting to lean towards RT a lot more at 17. As much as I'd like to keep working on D with Parsons or Zaven, I think this would be the smarter BPA call. Still go S in round 2 or 3 and keep beefing up the lines and D with the rest.

OK you have the positions locked up two weeks before the draft.

RT in 1 and S in 2.

Who you taking? What if all those guys go ahead of your pick? Just reach on some shitty scrub RT a couple rounds early to fill the need? Take whatever safety is left at 49 and cross your fingers?
 
If they go ahead of the pick, you go to your next BPA on your list. If we're thinking RT is our biggest need, we should have Tevin/Darrisaw there. Or as someone else pointed out, take AVT and slide Good out to RT, but only if AVT is gonna be a stud (haven't looked too much into him, TBH).

S has a few options in rounds 2 & 3 that can fill the need. I know Sleet has rattled off a few besides Grant and Cisco.
 
Caleb Farley interview with Collinsworth & Sherman at 8:52


Isn’t he literally still injured? They only surgically repaired the disk but not something else?
 
Isn’t he literally still injured? They only surgically repaired the disk but not something else?

“It’s an original deadlift injury that had herniated my L5 disc and bulged my S1. I chose to move forward and do the discectomy on the L5 herniation, which gave me immediate relief after,” he explained.

The plan was to let the S1 heal on its own.

“I did a great job managing over a year but that bulge is still in my S1 and, unfortunately, I irritated it a month ago,” he explained.

That caused him to cut down on his training and still planned on doing all the drills at his pro day and “put up some crazy numbers.”

However, he was advised to take care of it now so he could be ready for training camp and the regular season.

“It was not a reoccurring disk or anything like that,” he said. “What I had previously worked on is still intact. It was great news. I’m actually excited about this.”

He probably should have had both taken care of the first time. The fact that his first procedure was still good should be viewed as good news.
 
AVT's arm length bugs me, but let's not discount the possibility of him being drafted to play RT and being successful.
He does have very short arms as a potential OT... but seems like he has balance, movement, and technique skills that could help him overcome that deficiency at RT. The good thing with him is that it sounds like he’s a pretty sure bet if he has to kick inside. And ultimately going to need some reinforcements along the interior OL.
 
The Raiders’ 10 best NFL Draft prospect fits at defensive end: Edge rusher should be a Day 2 priority
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By Tashan Reed 2h ago
The signing of defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to a two-year, $26 million contract last month made it so that edge rusher was no longer the Raiders’ top priority going into the NFL Draft. It’s not that their pass rush is amazing now — Maxx Crosby, Clelin Ferrell and Carl Nassib all need to improve — but there are more pertinent needs elsewhere.

This isn’t a great class of defensive ends, anyway, and there aren’t huge gaps between the Day 1 and Day 2 prospects. There is no can’t-miss first-round prospect, so Las Vegas would be better off waiting until Day 2 to draft an edge rusher, especially considering there isn’t a path for a rookie to play that many significant reps barring multiple injuries.

The Raiders have three Day 2 picks: Nos. 48, 79 and 80. They should take a defensive end with one of those or package two of them to move up in a trade. The class gets pretty thin after the third round, though, so they should draft one before Day 2 ends. Here are the 10 best prospect fits at defensive end who may come off the board in that range:

1. Gregory Rousseau (6-foot-7, 265 pounds), Miami
Rousseau had an insanely productive season in 2019 with 15.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss, but the issue is teams don’t have much else to go on. He played only one game in 2018 and opted out of the 2020 season. It’s a bit of a risk to draft him in the first round based on one year of dated game film, which is why he could slide into the second round.

“A super-long athlete, Rousseau keeps his momentum going downhill with violent hands and easy acceleration, helping him to quickly disengage from blocks,” The Athletic draft analyst Dane Brugler wrote last month. “He is an intelligent player and can talk the talk when it comes to breaking down pass-rush execution, but he is upright and overly reliant on speed/length and needs to improve his anchor, technique and diagnose skills. Overall, Rousseau is a faith-based projection with clear bust potential because he is still learning how to be impactful from snap to snap, but his natural instincts and traits (length, frame, athleticism) give him a Chandler Jones-type of ceiling.”

Rousseau has great size, which allowed him to play inside on passing downs in 2019. That versatility, plus his ability as a pure pass rusher off the edge, make him a potential steal on Day 2. I don’t see him falling to No. 48, though, so the Raiders would probably need to trade up into the 30s to grab him.

2. Carlos Basham Jr. (6-3, 281), Wake Forest
Basham is a surer bet than Rousseau as a three-year college starter who registered five sacks in six games in 2020. He also may still be on the board at No. 48, so the Raiders could get him without swinging any trades. But he probably doesn’t have as much upside despite being a highly productive player who compiled 19.5 sacks and 35.5 tackles for loss in four years.

“While he can be slowed, Basham is rarely controlled due to his active play style, power and hustle, which directly leads to production,” Brugler wrote. “His hands have some pop, but his stiff hips show when trying to bend the corner and he must develop his pass-rush sequence. Overall, Basham needs to become a more creative pass rusher, but his size, explosiveness and effort are above average and allow him to rush from different alignments. He projects similarly to the Texans’ Charles Omenihu as a starting base end with scheme versatility.”

Basham has inside-outside versatility and would be a nice alternative option to Ferrell at strong-side defensive end. He’s physically strong and was an active run defender on his way to racking up 173 tackles in his college career. He won’t wow anyone as a pass rusher, but he’s an edge setter who can still create havoc along the defensive line.

3. Joe Tryon (6-4, 263), Washington
Tryon is another player who opted out in 2020 and had his only starting season come in 2019. He posted a nice stat line of 8.0 sacks and 12.5 TFL that year as a hybrid edge rusher who lined up at traditional end and outside linebacker.

“Tryon looks straight out of central casting with his frame, length and athleticism and he doesn’t stray from his competitive edge,” Brugler wrote. “While eager to initiate contact, he needs to do a better job setting up and eluding blockers while also maturing his anticipation and arsenal of moves (needs to play more with his mind and not just his heart). Overall, Tryon is still a work in progress, but he owns the tools to streamline his pass-rush skills with added coaching. He projects as a future NFL starter similar to Marcus Davenport when he was coming out of college.”

Tryon is largely a speed rusher at this point, but the same thing was said about Crosby coming out of college and he’s registered 17 sacks in two seasons. Tryon would be a nice third-down rusher behind Ngakoue and Crosby in Year 1 who could mature into an every-down starter one day.

4. Joseph Ossai (6-3, 255), Texas
I’m not certain how the Raiders feel about players who opted out, but if it’s an issue, they could prefer Ossai over Tryon. He was a two-year starter in college and recorded 10.5 sacks and 29 TFL during that span. He stood up as an edge rusher in a 4-2-5 scheme, so it wouldn’t be a huge adjustment to slide into the Leo role (weak-side defensive end) with the Raiders.

“An impressive pursuit player, Ossai is consistently around the football and makes plays that he has no business making due to his play speed and hustle,” Brugler wrote. “While he plays quick, he wins more with effort than explosion and his body stiffness hinders his ability to win at the top of his rush. Overall, Ossai is a linear athlete who lacks fluidity in his rush or redirect, but his foot is always on the gas with the compete skills and locked-in effort that helps mask some of his issues. He projects as a physical 3-4 edge defender.”

Ossai has the size of an edge rusher, but that’d clearly be an inaccurate way to describe his game. That may become an issue at the next level against bigger and more physical offensive linemen, but there’d be no immediate pressure on him to play major snaps. He could spend his rookie year learning and putting on more weight before stepping into a larger role in Year 2.

5. Payton Turner (6-5, 270), Houston
Someone who doesn’t have a size issue is Turner, who has one of the most impressive physical profiles among the edge rusher class. He didn’t flash much as a three-year starter until 2020 when he finished with 5.0 sacks and 10.5 TFL in just five games. He wasn’t much of a difference-maker before then, so it’s almost certain that he’ll be on the board well into the second round, but he’s the type of player you draft there based on potential.

“Turner is among the best effort players in this draft class who uses his long strides and speed to chase down ball carriers,” Brugler wrote. “He is a high-cut rusher and battles balance issues vs. leveraged power, but he does a great job keeping his hands and feet in lockstep to attack and work off blocks. Overall, Turner needs to cultivate his pass-rush sequence, but he has outstanding length, foot quickness and competitive energy. He projects as an eventual NFL starter with inside/outside versatility.”

Turner will probably be a better pro than he was a college player. He’d back up Ferrell at strong-side end in Year 1 and could start eating into starter snaps in the years to come if he stays healthy and develops properly.
 
6. Ronnie Perkins (6-3, 248), Oklahoma
Perkins may have first-round talent, but teams have concerns after he was suspended for six games in 2020 due to a failed drug test. It was marijuana, which the NFL eliminated suspensions for during the 2020 season (although it still issues fines) and is legal in Nevada, so it’s really not a huge deal. Perkins was a three-year starter and posted 16.5 sacks and 32.0 TFL in only 32 games, which is the main reason teams may not care much about the suspension.

“With his length and heavy hands, Perkins attacks the chest of blockers, sticking, stabbing and keeping distance,” Brugler wrote. “He benefited from the Sooners’ slanting attack, but he can hit his landmarks as a rusher and his play strength and pursuit keeps him near the football. Overall, Perkins must develop his rush plan and arsenal of moves, but he uses his length, power and balanced movements to free himself from blocks and make plays. He projects as an NFL starter in a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme.”

Sounds pretty good, right? I wouldn’t hesitate to draft him in the second round, but I think the Raiders should draft a safety with one of their first two picks and an offensive tackle with the other, so maybe they can package picks Nos. 79 and 80 to move up and get him.

7. Dayo Odeyingbo (6-5, 279), Vanderbilt
Odeyingbo is a wild card. He was a three-year starter in college and had 5.5 sacks and 8.0 TFL in only eight games in 2020, but he suffered a torn Achilles tendon while training in January. Still, he’s intriguing as a player with great size, athletic traits and inside-outside versatility.

“Odeyingbo uses forceful hands and outstanding length to create movement or detach from blocks, although he needs to play with consistent leverage to drive through his man,” Brugler wrote. “He has pass-rush talent and operates with a competitive motor, but he is more of an inside-track player than arc rusher and lacks natural move-to-move transitions. Overall, Odeyingbo’s recent Achilles injury complicates matters, but he has the length and explosive traits of a future NFL starter. He projects best as a scheme-versatile defensive end who can reduce inside on passing downs.”

The Achilles would scare me off from drafting Odeyingbo in the second round, but he’s worth swooping up with either of picks No. 79 or 80 if the Raiders hold on to those selections. He probably won’t play much if at all as a rookie, so his true impact won’t be seen until 2022.

8. Rashad Weaver (6-4, 265), Pittsburgh
If Odeyingbo’s Achilles injury is a deal-breaker for the Raiders, then Weaver is a good alternative. He was a three-year starter in college and was consistently productive: Three sacks and six TFL in 2018, 6.5 sacks and 14.0 TFL in 2019 and 7.5 sacks and 14.0 TFL in 2020. He suffered a torn ACL in 2019 but bounced back nicely.

“Weaver isn’t the type of pass rusher who will scream off the edge and win with pure speed, but his length and handwork at the top of his rush allow him to break down blockers,” Brugler wrote. “He also offers the position flexibility to play inside the tackle and win vs. guards due to his powerful, long levers. Overall, Weaver might not be a dynamic athlete by NFL standards, but he is stout at the point of attack with efficient stack/shed skills to be reliable vs. both the pass and the run. That gives him NFL starting potential in different schemes.”

Weaver is another option to compete with Nassib to back up Ferrell this year. He may not be someone who could start in 2022, but he should be able to make Nassib expendable by that point. Especially if Nassib plays better and improves his value in 2021, the Raiders should trade him and allow Weaver to take his place.

9. Jordan Smith (6-6, 256), UAB
Smith originally signed with Florida out of high school but never played there before transferring to a junior college in 2018. He transferred to UAB ahead of the 2019 season and was immediately an impact player. He registered 12.5 sacks and 23.5 TFL in only 21 games the last two seasons.

“A tall, long pass rusher, Smith has the foot quickness and flexibility of a much smaller player, using his lateral agility to attack gaps or his body fluidity to dip and shave the corner,” Brugler wrote about Smith last October. “He has also improved his hand usage, displaying a well-timed hand swipe and better counters than last season.”

Smith didn’t show enough in 2020 to come off the board on Day 1, but he’d be a nice pick if he’s on the board in the third round. He needs to gain some more weight to play strong-side end, so perhaps he learns at the Leo position and then switches over later if the Raiders staff thinks he can carry more weight at 6-6 without sacrificing his speed and athleticism.

10. Patrick Jones (6-4, 256), Pittsburgh
Jones was Weaver’s running mate as a two-year starter at Pitt the last two seasons. He picked up 17.5 sacks and 24 TFL during that span and actually played well enough that some people may have him rated higher than Weaver. They’re around the same size, too, so you really can’t go wrong with either one if you’re talking about a third-round pick. Really, anyone included on this list should get the job done for what the Raiders need.
 
I think Gruden agrees with your line of thinking.

Find the hole and fill it with whatever is there.

You fill holes in free agency. Not with the draft.
A) Not filling a hole with whatever is there. You have a BPA list that fits what you need. Raiders need RT, S, LB, DT. They would like to get some other positions as well, but those are the needs.

B) Holes were filled in FA. DE and DT has a lot of depth guys now, with potential to be starters. Kujo is the same at S, but doubtful to be a longterm answer. WR/RB have depth. Johnson is Incognito insurance and the future of LG. James and Martin will challenge for starting C, the other will be backup C and/or RG competition. Good is back and can do RG/RT, but we still need a longterm answer at one of those spots. Parker is a good backup LT, not so much as RT. LB is thin and needs a true SLB starter (Morrow is above average).

C) Hole filling and depth do come from the draft. While it's better to do it on the latter and not the former, it does happen with every team, every year.
 
6. Ronnie Perkins (6-3, 248), Oklahoma
Perkins may have first-round talent, but teams have concerns after he was suspended for six games in 2020 due to a failed drug test. It was marijuana, which the NFL eliminated suspensions for during the 2020 season (although it still issues fines) and is legal in Nevada, so it’s really not a huge deal. Perkins was a three-year starter and posted 16.5 sacks and 32.0 TFL in only 32 games, which is the main reason teams may not care much about the suspension.

“With his length and heavy hands, Perkins attacks the chest of blockers, sticking, stabbing and keeping distance,” Brugler wrote. “He benefited from the Sooners’ slanting attack, but he can hit his landmarks as a rusher and his play strength and pursuit keeps him near the football. Overall, Perkins must develop his rush plan and arsenal of moves, but he uses his length, power and balanced movements to free himself from blocks and make plays. He projects as an NFL starter in a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme.”

Sounds pretty good, right? I wouldn’t hesitate to draft him in the second round, but I think the Raiders should draft a safety with one of their first two picks and an offensive tackle with the other, so maybe they can package picks Nos. 79 and 80 to move up and get him.

7. Dayo Odeyingbo (6-5, 279), Vanderbilt
Odeyingbo is a wild card. He was a three-year starter in college and had 5.5 sacks and 8.0 TFL in only eight games in 2020, but he suffered a torn Achilles tendon while training in January. Still, he’s intriguing as a player with great size, athletic traits and inside-outside versatility.

“Odeyingbo uses forceful hands and outstanding length to create movement or detach from blocks, although he needs to play with consistent leverage to drive through his man,” Brugler wrote. “He has pass-rush talent and operates with a competitive motor, but he is more of an inside-track player than arc rusher and lacks natural move-to-move transitions. Overall, Odeyingbo’s recent Achilles injury complicates matters, but he has the length and explosive traits of a future NFL starter. He projects best as a scheme-versatile defensive end who can reduce inside on passing downs.”

The Achilles would scare me off from drafting Odeyingbo in the second round, but he’s worth swooping up with either of picks No. 79 or 80 if the Raiders hold on to those selections. He probably won’t play much if at all as a rookie, so his true impact won’t be seen until 2022.

8. Rashad Weaver (6-4, 265), Pittsburgh
If Odeyingbo’s Achilles injury is a deal-breaker for the Raiders, then Weaver is a good alternative. He was a three-year starter in college and was consistently productive: Three sacks and six TFL in 2018, 6.5 sacks and 14.0 TFL in 2019 and 7.5 sacks and 14.0 TFL in 2020. He suffered a torn ACL in 2019 but bounced back nicely.

“Weaver isn’t the type of pass rusher who will scream off the edge and win with pure speed, but his length and handwork at the top of his rush allow him to break down blockers,” Brugler wrote. “He also offers the position flexibility to play inside the tackle and win vs. guards due to his powerful, long levers. Overall, Weaver might not be a dynamic athlete by NFL standards, but he is stout at the point of attack with efficient stack/shed skills to be reliable vs. both the pass and the run. That gives him NFL starting potential in different schemes.”

Weaver is another option to compete with Nassib to back up Ferrell this year. He may not be someone who could start in 2022, but he should be able to make Nassib expendable by that point. Especially if Nassib plays better and improves his value in 2021, the Raiders should trade him and allow Weaver to take his place.

9. Jordan Smith (6-6, 256), UAB
Smith originally signed with Florida out of high school but never played there before transferring to a junior college in 2018. He transferred to UAB ahead of the 2019 season and was immediately an impact player. He registered 12.5 sacks and 23.5 TFL in only 21 games the last two seasons.

“A tall, long pass rusher, Smith has the foot quickness and flexibility of a much smaller player, using his lateral agility to attack gaps or his body fluidity to dip and shave the corner,” Brugler wrote about Smith last October. “He has also improved his hand usage, displaying a well-timed hand swipe and better counters than last season.”

Smith didn’t show enough in 2020 to come off the board on Day 1, but he’d be a nice pick if he’s on the board in the third round. He needs to gain some more weight to play strong-side end, so perhaps he learns at the Leo position and then switches over later if the Raiders staff thinks he can carry more weight at 6-6 without sacrificing his speed and athleticism.

10. Patrick Jones (6-4, 256), Pittsburgh
Jones was Weaver’s running mate as a two-year starter at Pitt the last two seasons. He picked up 17.5 sacks and 24 TFL during that span and actually played well enough that some people may have him rated higher than Weaver. They’re around the same size, too, so you really can’t go wrong with either one if you’re talking about a third-round pick. Really, anyone included on this list should get the job done for what the Raiders need.
You omitted Charles Snowden. :hmph:
 
He does have very short arms as a potential OT... but seems like he has balance, movement, and technique skills that could help him overcome that deficiency at RT. The good thing with him is that it sounds like he’s a pretty sure bet if he has to kick inside. And ultimately going to need some reinforcements along the interior OL.

That's my thinking. Worked out well with Mo Collins.
 
Parsons is putting off a ton of turd vibes everyone is ignoring. Just sayin.

And yes, it does bother me that Sewell opted out..

There's nothing guaranteed about first round guys.

No I'm not lumping in Sewell with my Parsons hate.
 
“It’s an original deadlift injury that had herniated my L5 disc and bulged my S1. I chose to move forward and do the discectomy on the L5 herniation, which gave me immediate relief after,” he explained.

The plan was to let the S1 heal on its own.

“I did a great job managing over a year but that bulge is still in my S1 and, unfortunately, I irritated it a month ago,” he explained.

That caused him to cut down on his training and still planned on doing all the drills at his pro day and “put up some crazy numbers.”

However, he was advised to take care of it now so he could be ready for training camp and the regular season.

“It was not a reoccurring disk or anything like that,” he said. “What I had previously worked on is still intact. It was great news. I’m actually excited about this.”

He probably should have had both taken care of the first time. The fact that his first procedure was still good should be viewed as good news.
Back injury's never really go away. It will probably haunt him his whole career.
 
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