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2018 RCF NFL Mock Draft

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With the 167th pick the Minnesota Vikings select:

UTJohnKelly.jpg

John Kelly, RB, Tennessee

Why:

The Vikings lost Jerick McKinnon to free agency, Dalvin Cook is coming off an ACL tear, and Latavius Murray is a soon to be free agent. Kelly can replace some of what McKinnon did with his pass catching and pass blocking skills.

Overview:

Kelly is a little undersized but is a tough runner and capable pass catcher who has the potential to play all three downs if needed. He can add additional yardage with plus contact balance and an ability to push through tackles, but his average burst between the tackles and around the edge could mean he'll have to live the life of a grinder. Kelly is a solid committee back with the ability to handle full-time duties if called upon.

@King Stannis and the Seattle Seachickens are on the clock.
 
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With the 168th Pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks and the Emerald City welcome Rashaan Gaulden, CB, Tennessee.

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My take:

Seattle is trying to rebuild without a lot of high picks which necessitates taking the best player available at any position of need. With Richard Sherman gone and Kam Chancellor a question mark, the secondary needs help. That a CB as talented as Gaulden is still available at the end of the 5th Round is a boon as he has Top-50 physical attributes. With coaching and maturation Gaulden could easily develop into a starter.

Rashaan Gaulden is a big corner with good speed whose physical attributes will translate very well to the NFL. He was Tennessee's best defensive player and had a storied SEC career. He has great instincts and agility with great footwork that allows him to change direction easily. His speed is good enough to stay on a receiver and he has both lateral and linear speed. He has good size and plays the run well. He has good instincts and a nose for the ball.

Gaulden's biggest drawback is an emotional fire that can sometimes knock him off his game. The greatest example of this is the Alabama game in which he mixed it up with the Alabama student section. He can get rattled and forget his technique. Maturity issues are the likely reasons he will not be selected until at least the third round.

Good coaching, and growing up, will address these shortcomings.

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View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WGXIZMH74s


Strengths
  • Big athlete
  • Good lateral quickness
  • Sticks to the receiver
  • Good vertical jump
  • Good footwork resulting in quick change of direction
  • Physical player who plays the run well
Weaknesses
  • Emotionally immature player
  • Lacks a true second gear
  • Can get rattled in big game situations

@Easybreezy you are the next contestant on the Price is Right. @gijimbo be mindful. @kriegs, put it away and zip it up. You have research to do.

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With the 169th pick in the 2018 RCF mock draft,

The Philadelphia Eagles select..

Allen Lazard. WR. Iowa State
(Eagles have intent to make him a Pass catching TE)
gettyimages-899911598.jpg


Height : 6'5 . Weight : 227

40 time : 4.55. Vertical : 38"

Notre Dame, Stanford, and others were interested in signing a top 150 prospect in Lazard –- but he was a Cyclone at heart. His father, Kevin, was a team captain at ISU in 1993 and his brother, Anthony, also played for the 'Clones. He was the Western Iowa Offensive Player of the Year as a senior (49 receptions, 1,065 yards, 21 touchdowns receiving) and also intercepted five passes on defense. Lazard found a starting spot as a true freshman, beginning 11 of 12 games played and finishing second on the team with 45 catches for 593 yards and three scores. The following year, Big 12 coaches named him second-team all-conference (56 receptions, 808 yards, six touchdowns in 11 starts) and he also averaged 19.5 yards on his 11 punt returns (not enough to qualify for national leaders). Lazard was the team MVP for the second straight year in 2016, as well as a team co-captain and first-team All-Big 12 pick, after catching 69 passes for 1,018 yards and seven scores. The tall, striding receiver with strong hands is only seven receptions and 678 yards away from a school career records in those categories.

Overview
Lazard has been a productive, four-year player who relies on his size and strength to muscle Big 12 cornerbacks around when making the contested catch. Lazard is a possession receiver, but his lack of play speed and athletic ability could make separating from NFL cornerbacks a difficult challenge. With his size and toughness, a switch to pass-catching tight end might give him a better shot at having a productive NFL career.
Strengths
  • Outstanding size with a frame that will be tough for quarterbacks to miss
  • Is smart and extremely physical
  • Plays to his size when working between the hashes
  • Tough guy who doesn't mind working the middle of the field
  • Hands catcher who can pluck and tuck it quickly in traffic
  • Uses supreme focus and strong hands to thrive in contested catch situations
  • Able to dig out the low throws
  • Decent hand fighter off the line of scrimmage when faced with handsy press cover corners
  • Gets eyes on the ball flight early so he can beat cornerbacks with an early adjustment to it
  • Uses elbows, shoulder, hips, and hands to shield defenders from the catch point
  • Has experience inside and outside
  • Shows an ability to latch and finish as a run blocker on the perimeter
Weaknesses
  • Lacks explosiveness as an athlete
  • No juice into his patterns
  • Talented press corners will be a challenge to shake
  • Doesn't have the speed to force cornerbacks into an early retreat at any point
  • Tight hips prohibit sinking into route breaks
  • Short area movement and change of direction is labored and sluggish
  • Unlikely to uncover against tight man coverage on the next level
  • May need to be moved around and played in bunch formations to help create clean releases
  • Cornerbacks with recovery speed might be able to squat on possession routes
  • Very little threat with the ball in his hands
@gijimbo is on the clock.
 
Easybreezy said:
With the 169th pick in the 2018 RCF mock draft,

The Philadelphia Eagles select..

Allen Lazard. WR. Iowa State
(Eagles have intent to make him a Pass catching TE)
gettyimages-899911598.jpg


Height : 6'5 . Weight : 227

40 time : 4.55. Vertical : 38"

Notre Dame, Stanford, and others were interested in signing a top 150 prospect in Lazard –- but he was a Cyclone at heart. His father, Kevin, was a team captain at ISU in 1993 and his brother, Anthony, also played for the 'Clones. He was the Western Iowa Offensive Player of the Year as a senior (49 receptions, 1,065 yards, 21 touchdowns receiving) and also intercepted five passes on defense. Lazard found a starting spot as a true freshman, beginning 11 of 12 games played and finishing second on the team with 45 catches for 593 yards and three scores. The following year, Big 12 coaches named him second-team all-conference (56 receptions, 808 yards, six touchdowns in 11 starts) and he also averaged 19.5 yards on his 11 punt returns (not enough to qualify for national leaders). Lazard was the team MVP for the second straight year in 2016, as well as a team co-captain and first-team All-Big 12 pick, after catching 69 passes for 1,018 yards and seven scores. The tall, striding receiver with strong hands is only seven receptions and 678 yards away from a school career records in those categories.

Overview
Lazard has been a productive, four-year player who relies on his size and strength to muscle Big 12 cornerbacks around when making the contested catch. Lazard is a possession receiver, but his lack of play speed and athletic ability could make separating from NFL cornerbacks a difficult challenge. With his size and toughness, a switch to pass-catching tight end might give him a better shot at having a productive NFL career.
Strengths
  • Outstanding size with a frame that will be tough for quarterbacks to miss
  • Is smart and extremely physical
  • Plays to his size when working between the hashes
  • Tough guy who doesn't mind working the middle of the field
  • Hands catcher who can pluck and tuck it quickly in traffic
  • Uses supreme focus and strong hands to thrive in contested catch situations
  • Able to dig out the low throws
  • Decent hand fighter off the line of scrimmage when faced with handsy press cover corners
  • Gets eyes on the ball flight early so he can beat cornerbacks with an early adjustment to it
  • Uses elbows, shoulder, hips, and hands to shield defenders from the catch point
  • Has experience inside and outside
  • Shows an ability to latch and finish as a run blocker on the perimeter
Weaknesses
  • Lacks explosiveness as an athlete
  • No juice into his patterns
  • Talented press corners will be a challenge to shake
  • Doesn't have the speed to force cornerbacks into an early retreat at any point
  • Tight hips prohibit sinking into route breaks
  • Short area movement and change of direction is labored and sluggish
  • Unlikely to uncover against tight man coverage on the next level
  • May need to be moved around and played in bunch formations to help create clean releases
  • Cornerbacks with recovery speed might be able to squat on possession routes
  • Very little threat with the ball in his hands
@gijimbo is on the clock.
Click to expand...
Great pick. He’s going to be a good one. I hope he ends up in Cleveland.
 
thedarkness2332 said:
Great pick. He’s going to be a good one. I hope he ends up in Cleveland.
Click to expand...

Right. His measurables are insane .. 6'5, great frame, 4.55 40 and an almost 40" vert? Check please. Simply clutch and sure handed. Goes up and gets it and does it strong. Could go either way... Mike Evans at the combine measured 6'5 as well, 231lbs, 4.53 40, and a 37" vert..damn near identical. Add on 20-30lbs though and you got a more athletic and quicker Tyler Eifert.
 
Last edited:
I posted this somewhere in the prospects thread, but I tuned into The Liberty Bowl to watch the high scoring Memphis offense and Anthony Miller - who is going to have a fine career in the NFL - but the MVP of that game hands down was Lazard. He reminds me of young Terrell Owens, before he developed under the Niners.
 
@MGMT you're on the clock now and again once @Phills14 makes his selection after your first choice.
 
Just saw this.

Green Bay selects

IMG-8447-Avonte-Maddox.jpg


Avonte Maddox, Nickel Cornerback, Pitt
Height 5'9, Weight 184
40 yard dash 4.39

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/avonte-maddox?id=32462018-0002-5600-12bf-c3b700c65bca

Don't be misled by Maddox's smallish frame, he's proven himself a tough-minded defender since putting on his Panther jersey for the first time. Maddox was a third-team All-ACC selection as a senior, starting 10 games (missed two with an arm injury), making 27 tackles, four for loss (all sacks), intercepting two passes, breaking up 11 others, and forcing three fumbles. He also missed three games with an arm injury in 2016, but played in 10, starting nine for the year. He recorded 49 tackles, 8.5 for loss, 2.5 sacks, and led the team with three interceptions (one for a 33-yard touchdown) and eight pass breakups. Maddox was voted honorable mention All-ACC in 2015 after starting all 13 games, posting 75 tackles and a team-best three interceptions and nine pass breakups. The two-way Detroit Metro high school star (35-956, 14 TD receiving; 65-717, four TD rushing; four interceptions, two returned for scores) was an impact freshman for the Panthers in 2014, starting six of 13 games played, compiling 32 tackles and three pass breakups.

@Phills14 and Oakland are on the clock!
 
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