On The Clock: 2017 RCF NFL Mock Draft

[Soda]

Thought I could snag Watt later. Son of a goddamn bitch.

I, too, think he'll be a first rounder. Pedigree and motor.

 

[I LOVE YOU ABBY]

I think the Packers' WR depth is garbage without Adams. Cobb is only 26, but he's a slot WR that can't create separation anymore.

Geronimo Allison was an UDFA last year, while Jeff Janis was a late round flier that hasn't worked out. One of them is now starting on the outside.

GB would be a Jordy Nelson injury away from trotting out the worst WRs in the league. Aaron Rodgers is a robot, but he can actually look human when he doesn't have a full set of weapons around him.

I see your point.

Bear in mind, this mock trade scenario was preceded by my Packers mock signing Anquan Boldin to a 1-year deal.

To be fair though, if any team's #1 receiver got hurt their WR depth would take a serious hit. And if you take out the year Jordy lost to a torn ACL, he's been rather reliable at staying on the field.

You have to give something to get something, and I don't think the deal would have gotten done without including Adams (you can tell me if i'm wrong or not). The Packers trotted out one of the worst defenses in the league last year, so I addressed it.

 

[The Oi]

Does anyone want Trubisky?

 

[AZ_]

@TopGun is still on the clock.

 

[TopGun]

With the 32nd pick in the 2017 RCF Mock Draft, the New Orleans Saints select

Jabrill Peppers, SS, Michigan

With Derek Barnett selected 11th, the Saints look to continue rebuilding their defense with possibly the most dynamic player in the draft. Peppers is a tremendous athlete with a high football IQ. He excels at shutting down screens and outside runs with his ability to avoid blockers and get to the ball. He may take a little while to adapt to a move to safety full time, but his work ethic and love of the game leads me to believe he will not fail.

PLAYER OVERVIEW
The NFL prizes versatility and in 2016, no one proved more capable of starring in multiple roles than Peppers, the most celebrated player at Michigan since the great Charles Woodson, still the only primarily defensive player to ever win the Heisman Trophy.
Earning snaps at 15 different positions on defense, offense and special teams, Peppers was an easy choice for the Paul Hornung Award as the nation's most versatile player and also was honored with the Lott IMPACT Trophy as the nation's top overall defender. The First Team All-American and Heisman finalist was the first player in Big Ten history to win three individual awards, being named the conference's Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year, Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year and Rodgers-White Return Specialist of the Year.

In addition to the two national awards he received, Peppers was also a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, Maxwell Award, Bronko Nagurski Award and Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award.

The multi-talented Peppers finished third in both tackles (72) and all-purpose yardage (an average of 62.6 yards per game) for the Wolverines in 2016, while leading the team with 16 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, including four sacks. Dynamic with the ball in hands, Peppers averaged 6.2 yards per rush, 14.8 yards per punt return and 26 yards when fielding kickoffs, scoring four touchdowns on the season.

Peppers' ascent into college football superstardom was a hardly a surprise. He signed with the Wolverines as one of the more highly touted preps in the country and appeared ready to make an immediate impact before a series of leg injuries forced his redshirt after three games.

Peppers primarily played linebacker in 2016 but saw most of his action in the defensive backfield as a redshirt freshman a year earlier, recording 45 tackles (including 5.5 for loss) and 10 passes broken up. He also ran for 72 yards (on 18 carries), caught a career-high eight passes for 72 yards and served as a punt and kick returner, averaging 11.4 and 27.9 yards per return, respectively.

The decision to move Peppers closer to the line of scrimmage in 2016 was seen by some as an indication of weakness in coverage. In reality, it may have been a testament to Michigan's experience and talent in the secondary and relative lack of speed at linebacker. Showing the combination of instincts, aggression and remarkable athleticism scouts are searching for, Peppers is one of the true stars of the 2017 draft class, projecting best as a safety in the NFL.

STRENGTHS: Peppers possesses a compact, muscular frame and the easy athleticism that translates well to the NFL. Peppers is one of the most instinctive players in the country, showing terrific awareness and the closing speed to take full advantage of his awareness. He accelerates quickly, showing the quick-twitch burst to flash through gaps and close on ballcarriers and easily changes directions, possessing loose hips, greasy knees and flexible ankles to elude would-be blockers or defenders attempting to tackle him, alike. Peppers' agility and acceleration help him remain in the hip pocket of receivers, helping him project well to safety or even cornerback at the next level, should that be the need of his future NFL team. Despite his lack of ideal size for playing near the line of scrimmage, Peppers is a highly competitive and surprisingly physical defender, unselfishly taking on blockers to push ballcarriers toward the cavalry. Though he will occasionally come in too hot and leave himself off-balanced, Peppers is a very reliable open-field tackler, showing impressive closing speed and surprising pop with his hits. He wraps securely and does not back down from bigger ballcarriers, showing toughness and technique, alike, to limit yards after contact. Peppers is a natural with the ball in his hands, showing excellent vision, patience, elusiveness and acceleration as a returner. Though he only has one career interception, Peppers tracks the ball well and shows good hands, including the ability to pluck outside of his frame. Peppers possesses excellent straight-line speed. He won the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash at the New Jersey Meet of Championships as a junior and senior, becoming the second male in meet history to win both events in consecutive years, breaking the state record in the 200 meter dash with a time of 20.79 seconds in the championship meet as a junior.

WEAKNESSES: Will be viewed by some as a tweener, lacking the bulk to remain close to the line of scrimmage, and has limited experience playing deep in coverage. He is surprisingly strong but is often reliant upon avoiding rather than taking on blocks and is knocked to the ground too often, struggling to recover when knocked off-balance. He is hyper-aggressive in pursuit, attacking the ball with such fervor that he leaves cutback lanes for savvy ballcarriers to exploit. This issue is exacerbated by Peppers' lack of ideal length, leaving him grasping at air as runners hesitate and let him run by. Despite his reputation as a playmaker, Peppers recorded just one interception (and one forced fumble) during his college career.

IN OUR VIEW: A wolverine personified, what Peppers lacks in size he makes up for with ferocity and speed. Michigan featured him on offense, defense and special teams and his NFL team would be wise to do the same as Peppers is a natural playmaker capable of starring in any number of roles, depending on the down, distance and creativity of his coaches.

COMPARES TO: Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh Steelers (retired) -- Few players can match Polamalu's instincts, improvisation and flair for the dramatic but Peppers is close. He will occasionally frustrate with his over-aggressive style of play but like Polamalu, Peppers will make more big plays than he will ever surrender.

--Rob Rang (1/22/17)

 

[TopGun]

@AZ_ and the Cleveland Browns are now on the clock.

 

[Triplethreat]

I love love love love Peppers to the Saints all the way at 32. Too good to pass on that far for a team that needs defensive players this badly.

Excellent pick.

 

[I LOVE YOU ABBY]

I'm excited to see what the Browns do here.

 

[dark2332]

I'm excited to see what the Browns do here.

I'd imagine they would have pounced on Peppers right there if he had fallen one more spot.

 

[I LOVE YOU ABBY]

Gotta be Obi right?

 

[AZ_]

With the 33rd pick in the 2017 RCF Mock Draft, the Cleveland Browns select:

OBI MELIFONWU - S - UCONN

OVERVIEW
Obi Melifonwu (pronounced OH-bee mel-un-FON-woo) has been a four-year starter at UConn. The Massachusetts area high school star redshirted his first year with the Huskies, and became the team's starting free safety in 2013 (70 tackles, three tackles for loss, two interceptions, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles). He started 11 games the next season (75 stops, 3.5 TFL, three PBU), and 12 as a junior (88 tackles, two TFL, two INT, five PBU). Melifonwu was a first-team All-American Athletic Conference selection and his team's top tackler in 2016, making 118 hits, 2.5 for loss, leading the team with four interceptions and breaking up three other passes.
ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS
Elite size with premium athletic traits that should show up at combine testing. Four-year starter. Sharp focus when ball is in the air. Takes path to the ball with undercut of the route at the last second. Plus hand-eye coordination to flip the field with interceptions. Former cornerback who has the athleticism to cover matchup tight ends and some big slots. Posted six interceptions over last two seasons. Uses big frame to body-up seam-runners and constrict their windows. Downhill tackling machine. Plus range with a wide net to bring runners down once he gets his arms into them. Body-up hitter. Drastically reduced penalties totals over junior and senior season.

WEAKNESSES
Leggy and gets feet bundled up when asked to turn and sprint. Lacks desired instincts and will play with slow eyes at times. Has to see ball in the air before charging over to help on deep throws. Inconsistent with coverage responsibilities from high safety. Takes time to diagnose play-action. Rub routes found him near goal line. Can take inefficient paths to the ball that get him there a step too late. Would benefit from high-pointing rather than waiting on throws.

SOURCES TELL US
"He's a freak. He's going to blow away the combine. He's fast and will post some of the best vertical and broad numbers at his position. He's going to get a lot better in the pros and he has that elite size that will get him overdrafted." -- AFC Pro Personnel Director

NFL COMPARISON
George Iloka

BOTTOM LINE
Big and athletic, he may lack the coverage qualities and instincts needed to work as a "last line of defense" player in a pass-happy division. Melifonwu is an effective downhill tackler who has the ability to match up against tight ends and make a living near the line of scrimmage. His football instincts aren't up to par, but the size and traits will be extremely enticing for teams who covet traits first.

COMBINE STATS

• 40 YARD DASH: 4.40 SEC
• BENCH PRESS: 17 REPS
• VERTICAL JUMP: 44.0 INCH
• BROAD JUMP: 141.0 INCH

 

[Soda]

I'd imagine they would have pounced on Peppers right there if he had fallen one more spot.

The fact that Obi is being looked at as a hybrid safety/CB tells me that the Browns are happy to see Peppers go to New Orleans.

 

[Randolphkeys]

With the 34th pick in the 2017 fake draft, the San Francisco Forty Niners select:

David Njoku, TE, Miami

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profiles/david-njoku?id=2557986

HT: 6'4" WT: 246LBS.
40 YARD DASH: 4.64 SEC
BENCH PRESS: 21 REPS
VERTICAL JUMP: 37.5 INCH
BROAD JUMP: 133.0 INCH
3 CONE DRILL: 6.97 SEC
20 YARD SHUTTLE: 4.34 SEC
ARM LENGTH: 35 1/4"
HANDS: 10"

Strengths
Great muscular definition with long arms and room for 10 more pounds. Elite athlete and seam buster deluxe. Can stick a foot in the ground and break in either direction at a 90-degree angle in shorter routes. Tremendous acceleration out of breaks to separate and widen the window for quarterbacks. Opens the throttle in open field. When he catches it on the move, the YAC yards can become an avalanche. Was 7 foot high-jumper in high school and can go up and over most everyone he faces. Hand quickness to get a last second push-off and still get hands up to secure catch. Finds soft spots against zones. Plays outside, from the slot and in-line. Willing to compete as a blocker. Can push defensive backs around from slot. Gets early arm extension into defender and looks to create some turn. Shows lateral blocking ability for zone scheme.

Weaknesses
Inexperienced at the position and still a work in progress. Needs to add to his play strength to handle in-line blocking as a pro. Don't skip leg days, bro. Struggled badly to stay in front of Pitt powerhouse Ejuan Price. Hands too high and wide at point of attack. Inconsistent hands over two years at Miami. Focus drops were a problem. Had eight drops over last two seasons for drop rate over 11 percent. Speed allows him to uncover on downfield routes and hasn't had to learn nuances of setting up defenders with route work. Needs to get head around and find ball quicker when working over top of linebacker.

NFL Comparison
Greg Olsen

My Take:

I was planning to take Evan Engram from Ol' Miss here, never expecting Njoku to fall this far. Njoku is just a redshirt sophomore. Two years ago he was a lean national high jump champion at a height of 7'1. He has packed on 30 pounds since then, dabbled in playing outside rush linebacker, and is still learning the position of tight end. For his career, he scores a touchdown every 5 touches. At the end of the day, we've all seen Kyle Shanahan's offense. He puts a matchup nightmare in motion all over the field to create mismatches. Vance McDonald can continue to be the in line tight end, signing a big contract last December. Njoku can be the focal point of the offense while Shanahan, a former University of Texas receiver, polishes his route running.

@SuperSurge up next.

 

[The Wizard of Moz]

I'd say the Packers biggest need now is WR after trading a young budding star in Davante Adams.

Packers trade grade: F-

Dude you just traded up to take Deshone Kizer in the first round I wouldn't be so smug

 

[Surge]

The Jacksonville Jaguars select:
Evan Engram (TE)
HT: 6'3" WT: 234LBS.
POSITION: TE
SCHOOL: Mississippi

Jacksonville traded away Julius Thomas, and Engram has the tools to be much better than him. Would have taken him or Njoku, whover dropped here.

Bortles, shit or get off the pot....

From NFL.com
Overview
Ole Miss was one of the few teams in the country that utilized their athletic tight end to his full potential. The nation's most prolific tight end won first-team All-SEC and All-American accolades by catching a team-high 65 balls for 926 yards and eight scores. The two-time team captain was productive throughout his career, starting with a great freshman season (21-268, three TD) in spite of missing a month of the regular season with an ankle injury. In 2014, Engram was a first-team all-conference pick after leading the nation's tight ends with a 17.4 yards per catch average (38-662, two TD). That average dropped the following year, but league coaches still voted him second-team All-SEC (38-464, two TD).


COMBINE STATS

• 40 YARD DASH: 4.42 SEC
• BENCH PRESS: 19 REPS
• VERTICAL JUMP: 36.0 INCH
• BROAD JUMP: 125.0 INCH
• 3 CONE DRILL: 6.92 SEC
• 20 YARD SHUTTLE: 4.23 SEC

ANALYSIS
Strengths
Good explosion over the first 5 yards of his route. Plus athletic ability with easy-opening hips. Nimble feet with quick, controlled strides into and out of his breaks. Accelerates out of his breaks to uncover from defenders for quarterback. Will have to be guarded by defensive backs. Opens quickly to find the ball. Successful working all three levels at Ole Miss. Has true vertical speed to attack the seams. Competitive, athletic runner after the catch. Springy leaper. Jumped out of the gym to snare a touchdown over the head of a Georgia defender. Able to pluck balls low, high, and behind him.

Weaknesses
Needs to learn when and where to sit down in the middle of the field. Must learn to do a better job of working back to the ball. Doesn't post up defenders effectively. Allows defender to work through him and disrupt the catch. Has had issues with drops and contested catches could be an issue. Allows throws to beat him up at times. Needs to do better job of selling a two-way go to the top of his routes rather than giving route direction away. Move tight end only who lacks dependability as a blocker.

NFL Comparison
Jordan Reed

Bottom Line
Makes up for his lack of size with athletic ability and plus speed for the position. Engram has experience as a safety blanket for Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly and can work all three levels of the field. He will appeal strictly to teams looking for a move tight end who can be deployed as a chess piece in a matchup-based passing attack. Engram's ability to stress defenses could land him on Day 2 (Rounds 2-3) of the draft and a potential starting role early in his career.

@CosmoKramer and Da Bears are up next.