On The Clock: 2017 RCF NFL Mock Draft

[sportscoach]

@TheLand1287 is now on the clock!

 

[Soda]

With the 39th Pick in the 2017 NFL Draft the Steelers select:

Desmond King, Cornerback, from Iowa

Though quick question, what site are you guys getting that information from lol I will edit this in a minute

NFL.com....

 

[sportscoach]

NFL.com....

Some people are using PFF while others are using NFL so I am trying to figure out where people were getting the info. Don't forget this is my first time doing this so I don't know if there was a certain site I will should get the info from or not lol

 

[Sly]

NFL.com....

My process starts with their little league games, I follow and grade their performance throughout their life. I take copious notes on every play, and I spend the holidays with their family in order to get to know them on a personal level. Then I go to NFL.com and copy/paste w/e shit they have. But yeah.

 

[Sly]

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profiles/desmond-king?id=2557927

 

[sportscoach]

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profiles/desmond-king?id=2557927

I saw some people using PFF, so I wasn't sure if one way was preferred over the other lol

 

[Soda]

I saw some people using PFF, so I wasn't sure if one way was preferred over the other lol

Does not matter man. Use the analysis that aligns with your POV.

 

[The Wizard of Moz]

With the 39th Pick in the 2017 NFL Draft the Steelers select:

Desmond King, Cornerback, from Iowa

(From NFL.com profile)

HT: 5'10"
WT: 201LBS.
POSITION: CB/S
SCHOOL: Iowa
ARM LENGTH: 31 1/8"
HANDS: 9 5/8"

Overview
King had every opportunity to leave for the NFL after his junior year, but decided to stay with his team and earn his degree. The 2015 Jim Thorpe Award winner and unanimous Consensus All-American ranked second in the FBS with eight interceptions. He was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year as well, starting 14 times, making 72 tackles and breaking up 13 passes. King was a first-team All-Big Ten pick again as a senior, although he "only" had three interceptions and seven pass breakups as teams avoided him. King's promise was obvious in his freshman year, when he grabbed a starting spot right off the bat (69 tackles, three TFL, eight PBU). He started gaining notoriety by league media with an honorable mention all-conference sophomore season (started all 13 games, 72 tackles, three INT, five PBU). King also returned kicks (26.0 per) and punts (11.7 per) the past two years.


COMBINE STATS

• BENCH PRESS: 14 REPS
• VERTICAL JUMP: 34.0 INCH
• BROAD JUMP: 117.0 INCH
• 3 CONE DRILL: 6.67 SEC
• 20 YARD SHUTTLE: 4.18 SEC
• 60 YARD SHUTTLE: 11.57 SEC

ANALYSIS
Strengths
Four-year starter and ultimate iron man. Played in more than 94 percent of Iowa's defensive snaps over his four years and took 46 percent of the special teams snaps in 2016. Football instincts are off the charts. Focused quarterback reader who overlaps into other coverage areas to go make a play on the ball. Pattern reader with anticipation to keep him ahead of the route. Creates unique angles to throws, allowing for top-ball production. Obsessed with getting the ball; nabbed 14 interceptions in college and 29 in high school. Has ball-tracking, hands and high-point talent of a wideout. Stocky frame with physical play demeanor. Good press strength. Rough on slot receivers who can't make a quick get-away off the line. Viable option as both punt and kick returner. Not overly physical as tackler but tends to finish.

Weaknesses
Lacks long speed and height associated with bump and run cornerbacks. Struggles to carry receivers down the field. Can be mismatched by legitimate speed merchants. Grinder who lacks mirror-and-match fluidity and foot quickness. Relies on hands usage and grabbing over footwork to transition and match on intermediate routes. In press, can get behind when facing off against slick releases from slot weapons. Lacks recovery speed to consistently close open throwing windows on NFL level. Penalized 11 times, including five personal fouls, over final two seasons. Needs to show more explosion into tackles and improve wrap-up technique.

Sources Tell Us
"You worry about the physical limitations a little bit because teams will find your weaknesses and exploit them. But he's just so steady and productive and tough. He loves football and I think he'll just find a way." -- Midwest scout for AFC team

NFL Comparison
Jairus Byrd

Bottom Line
Lack of size and speed combined with his ball skills, instincts, and competitiveness all point to a transition to safety. While he can improve as a tackler, he's got the toughness and mentality to take on run-support duties. Can cover in man when asked and has the ball-tracking skills and anticipation that should allow him to thrive in two-deep and single-high situations. A likely second-day (Rounds 2-3) selection and could be targeted as a zone corner or a safety with early starting potential.

Why would you draft a CB who isn't even as fast as your brother

 

[BimboColesHair]

Why would you draft a CB who isn't even as fast as your brother

 

[sportscoach]

Why would you draft a CB who isn't even as fast as your brother

Cause I prefer people who wouldn't be broken in half if they got tackled! Spd means nothing if ya cannot take a hit lol

 

[Otsego Mar]

Why would you draft a CB who isn't even as fast as your brother

Because there wasn't a stud QB sitting there with an arm as strong as his grand mammi.

 

[TheLand1287]

With the 40th pick in the RCF Mock Draft the Carolina Panthers select....

Budda Baker, Safety, Washington

Rational: Finding a safety to pair with Kurt Coleman in the draft was one of the top objectives for the Panthers this year. At FS the Panthers have Mike Adams and Tre Boston. Adams is a solid veteran that's better suited for backup duty and Tre Boston is just another guy. Malik Hooker received strong consideration in Round 1, but ultimately Dalvin Cook was decided on as a playmaking RB who the Panthers lack in a big way. Being able to grab Budda Baker in Round 2 to go along with Cook has everyone from Panthers front office to fans giving each other high fives as they filled two huge holes with two stud players. There were some defensive ends and tackles considered with this pick, but overall the talent dropoff after guys like Baker and Desmond King (just picked) at safety was too severe to pass

STRENGTHS: Rangy athlete with the instant accelerator to cover a lot of green -- state champion sprinter in high school. Twitchy reflexes to stay in phase in man coverage, showing suddenness when flipping his hips and changing directions. Instinctive and quick to click-and-close on plays in front of him. Secondary burst to recover in coverage or chase down ballcarriers. Plays with a "my ball" mentality, always looking for the turnover. Good timing and burst as a blitzer to create violent collisions. Physical tackler, staying low and driving his feet as a tackler. Understands pursuit angles and field leverage to find the quickest path to the ball, avoiding blocks. Plays with a little bit of crazy to him and teammates feed off his energy. Earned All-Conference Academic honors twice and stays focused on and off the field. Undersized, but boasts trademark toughness ("He's one of the toughest guys I've ever been around." -- Huskies defensive backs coach Jimmy Lake). Productive three-year starter with 200 tackles and 24 passes defended.


WEAKNESSES: Undersized and lacks the body type to comfortably carry 200 pounds. Lack of ideal height/length shows in coverage and as a tackler, gaining body position, but missing valuable inches. Wild break down skills dent his batting average as a tackler. Overaggressive angles and needs to be more consistent with his high-to-low finishing skills. Struggles to shed once engulfed by blockers. Needs to better anticipate in coverage to stay off his heels and eliminate spacing at the top of routes. Doesn't have a large catch radius with several dropped interceptions on his film. Lack of size leads to durability concerns, missing one game as a sophomore due to a sprained left ankle (Sept. 2015) -- also left the Utah game due to a concussion (Nov. 2015).



NFL COMPARISON: Tyrann Mathieu, Arizona Cardinals: Baker isn't quote on the same level as Mathieu, but he is cut from a similar cloth with the honey badger mentality to be a playmaker.

- Dane Brugler, CBS Sports

@thedarkness2332 is now on the clock

 

[Randolphkeys]

With the 39th Pick in the 2017 NFL Draft the Steelers select:

Desmond King, Cornerback, from Iowa

Lack of size and speed combined with his ball skills, instincts, and competitiveness all point to a transition to safety. While he can improve as a tackler, he's got the toughness and mentality to take on run-support duties. Can cover in man when asked and has the ball-tracking skills and anticipation that should allow him to thrive in two-deep and single-high situations. A likely second-day (Rounds 2-3) selection and could be targeted as a zone corner or a safety with early starting potential.

I really like Desmond King as an early 3rd rounder who learns to be a free safety. This might be a little high, but that kid is a football player.

 

[sportscoach]

I really like Desmond King as an early 3rd rounder who learns to be a free safety. This might be a little high, but that kid is a football player.

I felt he wasn't going to make it to my next pick, since in a lot of mock drafts he is going in the middle of the 2nd round.

 

[dark2332]

Biggest Needs (my take): ILB, DE, OG, WR

With the 41st pick in the 2017 NFL RCF Mock Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals select:

JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, University of Southern California

Combine Measurements:
Height: 6’1
Weight: 215 lbs
Hands: 10 1/2
Arm Length: 32 7/8
40 time: 4.54 seconds
Vertical: 32.5 inches

My take: I was hoping Forrest Lamp would fall into “trade-up” range for this Bengals team as the premier guard prospect in this draft. There’s a big need for interior linemen after losing Kevin Zeitler, and there’s quite a drop-off after Lamp. Thus, I considered going with a defensive end at #41 (Lawson) to replace an ineffective Michael Johnson opposite Carlos Dunlap. I was not exactly looking to make a sexy pick. However, there isn’t a guard that I love at the top of the 2nd round versus middle rounds, I’m not high on Lawson, and this Bengals offense needs some juice—WR is a true need. After failing last-minute in a trade-up attempt with @MGMT to get Samuel, I decided to take a receiver that I think is the most underrated weapon in the 2017 wide receiver class—JuJu Smith-Schuster. I love the guy.

You want production? You got it. All he did on campus in 3 years at USC is start 3 seasons, put up 213 catches, 3092 yards, and 25 touchdowns. That includes battling some injuries in 2016. His 2015 sophomore campaign of 89 catches, 1454 yards, and 10 touchdowns was stellar enough to make him a 2nd team all-American and 1st team all PAC-12. He’s about as polished as they come as a receiver out of school—ready to step in and play. He’s physical, built like a brick shit house, has a great understanding of body positioning, and is blessed with a strong set of 10 ½ inch mitts that act like suction cups around a football. He reminds me in some aspects of a blend of Anquan Boldin, Brandon Marshall (shorter), and Michael Thomas. Fortunately, two of these were mentioned by expert comparisons, so I’m clearly not alone. He can block, and enjoys sticking his nose in there and doing it. He is nasty with the football in his hands, trying to bully his way to the end zone with an array of stiff arms so violent that he has to send apology letters to DB’s mothers after games. The knock on him has always been “is he fast enough” to separate in the NFL as he has been able to collegiately. Well, that 4.54 at the combine may not be special, but it will do wonders for his draft stock. That is plenty fast enough to show the necessary speed to adapt to the next level—especially for a physical guy who plays around 220 pounds. It falls right in line with what Michael Thomas ran last year and faster than Anquan Boldin.

How does he fit on Cincinnati? After losing both Marvin Jones and Mohammed Sanu last offseason, the Bengals struggled to replace that production. Although he was re-signed this offseason, Brandon Lafell is not the future of the position. Tyler Boyd is a developing young player who projects as a solid number 3 receiver. Frankly, he does not have the same physical presence that Smith-Shuster could bring to this team. A.J. Green has been one of the best receivers in the game and has shown the ability to make All-Pro plays down the field. Putting a sure-handed specimen on the other side of him will only help this offense move the chains. That’s not to say JuJu is only a chain-mover—he is a very smooth athlete and is fast enough to continue to be an effective deep threat on the next level. He’s really a guy without any holes in his game. Smith-Schuster is the perfect fit in the AFC North, and his style of play—blocking included—will help this Bengals offense get back on track.

Game Tape:
2016 vs Arizona
2016 vs Penn State
2015 vs Idaho


Expert Take: Via Lance Zierlein at NFL.com -

OVERVIEW
"John "JuJu" Smith-Schuster (he officially changed his last name to honor his stepfather) took the mantle of the next great Trojan receiver immediately upon arriving on campus. A 12-game starter and second-team All-Pac-12 all-purpose selection, Smith-Schuster caught 54 passes for 724 yards and five scores, and also returned kicks for USC as a true freshman. He and quarterback Cody Kessler (2016 third-round pick of the Cleveland Browns) continued their partnership in his sophomore year, helping him attain first-team all-conference and second-team Associated Press All-American honors (89-1,454-10). Smith-Schuster has fought through injuries throughout the past few years, missing time in his senior year of high school, breaking his hand in 2015 (though he didn't miss action), and injuring his back during his junior year. That injury lowered his numbers (70-914, 10 scores), though he still received second-team all-conference recognition from league coaches.

STRENGTHS
Outstanding size and a very available target. Shows no concern working over the middle. Known for his competitive spirit and alpha demeanor. Hyper-aware of defenders around him in space. Works back to the ball as aggressively as he needs to when defenders are attempting to ball-hawk. Searches and sinks into the optimal openings against zone coverage. Plays to his size and has plus route strength. Shows effective uses of frame to shield cornerbacks from contested catches. Plucks it way out front of his body with strong, confident hands. Tremendous ball tracker with ability to search, find and follow the pass in over his shoulder. Has body control to twist and contort in mid-air to pull the throw in. Plays with sideline awareness and consistently drops feet in-bounds on boundary catches. Rugged, aggressive runner after the catch with a stiff-arm to hurt feelings.. Has field vision after catch for maximum YAC yardage. Reliable blocker who can help spring a big run. Able to sustain blocks with power.

WEAKNESSES
Needs to get better at freeing himself at the break point of his routes. Doesn't seem to get cornerbacks tilting with his routes. Missing the sudden acceleration out of his cuts to generate separation and an easy throwing window. Contested catches will have to be a big part of his future. Rarely shows a second gear to run under the deep throws. Will coast when turning to find deep ball rather than maintaining play speed. Off-man corners may squat on underneath routes if they don't fear his vertical speed. Can be slow to release against press coverage. Plays with a delayed open to the quarterback on his comeback routes. Will need to pay better attention to his angles as a blocker. Eight of his ten touchdowns this season came in three games.

SOURCES TELL US
"He has a mom and stepdad who keep him grounded. His passion and enthusiasm are second to none and he absolutely loves football. He came in as a safety and probably could have gone pro as a safety as well if he had stayed there." - Former USC assistant coach

NFL COMPARISON
Anquan Boldin

BOTTOM LINE
Smith-Schuster will get dinged for his lack of speed and separation but he reminds me of Anquan Boldin with his strong hands, physical approach and ability to win the combat catches. JuJu is missing some of the speed traits teams want from their WR1, but he could become a high-volume, possession target with the size to win some 50/50 throws down the field. Teams who have a speed merchant at one spot would be wise to take a look at Smith-Schuster as a physical counterpart."



Expert Take: via CBS Sports via Rob Rang –

OVERVIEW:
It was clear from the beginning that even among the great pass-catchers to play at Southern Cal, JuJu Smith-Schuster was cut from a different cloth.

The five-star recruit signed with the Trojans already sporting an NFL-ready frame at a rock-solid 6-foot-2, 220 pounds and wasted no time in announcing his presence, hauling in four passes for 123 yards against Fresno State in his debut at the college level - the most yardage gained by any true freshman receiver in his first game in USC's storied history. His production since has been even more noteworthy.

Despite breaking his right hand against California midway through the 2015 season, Smith-Schuster hauled in 89 passes for 1,454 yards and 10 touchdowns, earning him consensus First Team Pac-12 accolades from conference coaches and media alike. Smith-Schuster missed no playing time due to the injury (or the subsequent surgery), catching eight passes for 138 yards and a touchdown against Arizona just five days after having a plate and eight screws inserted into his hand.

STRENGTHS: With his broad shoulders and thick, powerful limbs, Smith-Schuster has the prototypical frame for the split end receiver position. He slaps away attempts at pressing him at the line of scrimmage, showing off his strength and lateral agility. While perhaps lacking elite top-end speed, Smith-Schuster glides off the line of scrimmage, accelerating smoothly to gobble up the cushion and sneaking past corners to serve as an effective deep threat. He uses his broad frame to shield defenders from the ball, easily out-muscling corners at this level to win contested passes and shucking would-be tacklers after the catch with a wicked stiff-arm, leg drive and determined running.

WEAKNESSES: Smith-Schuster does not possess elite top-end speed to take the top off of defenses. Further, too often he's been able to win with just his size and strength as a route-runner, pulling in passes with defenders draped over him simply because of his bulk and the accuracy of the passes being thrown to him. Smith-Schuster is a coordinated athlete but does not explode out of breaks. Competitive and physical, Smith-Schuster is already ahead of most college receivers as a downfield blocker but he has not maximized his potential in this regard, failing to sustain blocks by stopping his feet on contact and pushing opponents rather than surging through contact.

IN OUR VIEW: NFL teams in search of a big, physical tone-setter on the perimeter will value Smith-Schuster's physical talent, work ethic and toughness.

COMPARES TO: Brandon Marshall, New York Jets: Though two inches shorter than the 6-4, 220 pound Pro-Bowler, Smith-Schuster offers a similar blend of physicality, reliable hands and competitiveness on the outside.


Previous Picks: #6 - Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama



The New Orleans Saints and @TopGun are now on the clock.