On The Clock: 2017 RCF NFL Mock Draft

[Surge]

I paid a heavy price for Hooker (Theres a joke in there somewhere.) But the kid is very talented and very young. A very solid building block.

I offered to ban @The Oi for #9

 

[Triplethreat]

I offered to ban @The Oi for #9

I would have taken it.

 

[Lee]

I thought this trade was pretty realistic. The Cards needs help in the secondary and Hooker has All Pro potential. The Jets have a lot of holes to fill so that extra 3rd will help them.

Agreed, now if you can only trade for a fountain of youth pill for Palmer.

 

[The Oi]

Huge bombs getting dropped at headquarters:

Seahawks and Patriots are both looking to move up in the draft. They're both using different charts than the standard charts you're used to seeing.

Steelers are looking to move down for additional mid round picks to load up on defensive depth and may shock the world by taking a QB early, trading Landry Jones for mid round picks. Rumor is they aren't convinced he is the QB of the future after Ben retires, which may be sooner than expected.

Sources: Sources.

 

[Triplethreat]

While we wait for Sly, I figured I'd post this breakdown instead of jamming it into my first pick..... who knows when (Third, Fourth round maybe??) We the Jets will not be laughed at when we're the talk of the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th round I can guarantee that.

Anyways. Here goes:

Bengals Receive: Sheldon Richardson

My take:

The Jets have been reportedly shopping Sheldon Richardson for quite some time and would love to unload him before the draft. They accomplish just that with this trade with the Cincinnati Bengals. Immediately providing a morale boost to the locker room. Richardson has been a major problem in that department ranging from fights with star receiver Brandon Marshall to a lack of effort on the field in the last couple of seasons. There is no denying the talent he possesses, but with free agency right around the corner and the Jets unlikely to try and retain him, they decide to cash in now. Last year at the deadline the Jets were shopping Richardson for a first round pick, this off-season they come to the unfortunate realization that no one is likely to pay that premium for a hot-head in the last year of his deal so ultimately they settle.

Trade: Jets receive AJ McCarron


McCarron is a career long back-up since being drafted in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL draft by Cincinnati. AJ has shown some serious flashes of being able to be a good quarterback in the National Football league throughout his time there. Below you'll see some flashes of really good QB play against the best defense in the NFL, Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos.


The throws you see in this video clearly depict a player that has all the tools to be a starting NFL quarterback. In fact, I would argue that AJ should already have a starting job in the NFL.

Strengths:

McCarron possesses all the tools of a successful NFL QB. Size, arm strength and pin point accuracy in short, medium and even downfield throws. He has shown the ability to look off safeties and deliver strikes in crucial moments (see AFC Wild Card vs Pittsburgh). McCarron loves to throw the ball on a rope and can make the difficult throws to the sidelines look like a piece of cake. He doesn't hold the ball too long in the pocket and likes to drive the ball down the field with precision in order to test the defense. (Who wouldn't with a guy like AJ Green)



Other Strengths: Has a smokeshow of a girlfriend. (see below)





Weaknesses:

Despite being excellent at taking care of the football at Alabama, McCarron has shown the ability to make some severe lapses in judgement in the NFL. Especially when faced with heavy pressure. This will need to be cleaned up if McCarron ever wants to retain and NFL starting job. As stated earlier, McCarron loves to throw the ball on a rope, almost to a fault. While this allows him to make those excellent sideline throws and fit the ball into tight windows over the middle it has also lead to the tendency to sail the football. This has lead to numerous interceptions in his limited play. McCarron needs to learn how to apply touch on the football when the correct situation arises. Not very mobile. Finally, McCarron needs to clean up his footwork when working from the pocket. There are times when he should slide up in the pocket and doesn't resulting in a sack or unnecessary pressure.



Other Weaknesses: Being a total douche. (see below)






















Smokeshow:

We all know Musburger's thoughts....



Douche:

How many fucking bow-tie, hair gelled selfies can one guy take!?!? That's a lot of douche in one man.









In the end, the New York Jets come away extremely satisfied with a massive upgrade at QB as compared to the hell they went through last season. Although they don't know if McCarron will realize his potential as a FQB. They buy themselves time and assets to improve their roster through in the coming years and have found a guy that can easily bridge the gap to a future draft pick at the position if need be.

 

[The Wizard of Moz]

I would've given you 3 firsts and a 2nd for Sheldon Richardson

But the return you got was good too

 

[Sly]

With the 10th overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft... the Buffalo Bills select CB Marshon Lattimore, Ohio State.

HtWt: 6'1"- 192
College: Ohio State
ESPN Rank: #6 - Grade: 92
NFLN Rank: #9 - Grade: 6.5
CBS Rank: #4

ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS: Uber-athlete. Parks under receiver's chin at line of scrimmage. Uses disruptive inside hand to slow the release and can punch out of his pedal. Patient from his press, utilizing well-timed opening to match the receiver. Plays with explosive hip flip that jump-starts him into top speed when forced to turn and run. Has balance and footwork to remain in phase with target throughout the route. Has electric, flat-footed closing burst. Can shadow a nine route from release to completion. Has twitch to drive hard toward the throw from his lateral shuffle. Plays with plus instincts. Targeted 35 times this season and credited with 14 passes defensed, including four interceptions. Has burst and instincts to make plays from any coverage asked of him. Forceful open-field tackler. Works through blockers to get to both wide receiver screens and running plays. Wrap-up hitter who sees what he hits.

WEAKNESSES: Only one year of starting experience. Wasn't tested by high-end receiving talent very often. Will be much tougher to consistently slow NFL receivers with jam and might have to learn to play some off coverage. Showed slight transition hitch when matched up against in inside release. Will read receiver's eyes to assess ball-timing down the field rather than getting his head around early. Film shows infrequent issues recovering against speed merchants.

SOURCES TELL US: "I've studied the top cornerbacks coming out and he's the best I've seen. He's so athletic that he can just post up under the receiver's chin and shadow him all over the field. And he's tough, too. He'll be one of the top cornerbacks pretty quickly." -- Pro personnel director for AFC team

NFL COMPARISON
Vontae Davis

BOTTOM LINE
Average-sized, one-year starter with explosive athleticism and a loaded tool box. He has the feet, hips and agility to be a lockdown cornerback and the ball skills to make teams pay for looking in his direction. His lack of experience could show up early, but he has the confidence and competitive nature that should help him overcome those issues. He has the ability to become a Pro Bowl cornerback early in his career.


[SIZE=1]@TopGun[/SIZE]

 

[TopGun]

With the 11th pick in the 2017 RCF Mock Draft, the New Orleans Saints select

Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee

In 2016, the Saints were the worst passing defense in the NFL through a combination of inability to rush the passer and a lack of talent in the secondary. A trade seems to be in the works to bring Malcolm Butler to the Saints, so it seemed like a good idea to address the need to replace Paul Kruger as a starter .on the defensive line. Barnett is not a speed rusher, but instead uses technique and solid hands to fight off blocks and create pressure.

Player Overview
A three-year starter, Barnett lined up primarily at right defensive end in a three-point stance in Tennessee's 4-3 defense, occasionally standing up or rushing from inside position -- most productive collegiate resume among pass rush prospects in this class. He developed at an early age, which allowed him to make an instant impact in the SEC and established himself as the "heart and soul" of the Vols' defense, according to defensive coordinator Bob Shoop. He became the first Tennessee true freshman to start a season opener on the defensive line, setting school freshman records for tackles for loss (20.5) and sacks (10.0) in 2014 to earn Freshman All-American honors. Barnett started all 13 games in 2015 and led the team with 10.0 sacks, adding 69 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and one fumble to earn Second Team All-SEC honors. As a junior in 2015, he finished with a career-best 13.0 sacks and also led the team with 19.0 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles to earn First Team All-SEC honors.
Unlike most productive pass rushers, Barnett lacks explosive traits, but makes up for his methodical burst with powerful hands and off-the-charts awareness to consistently be in the right place at the right time. Although he doesn't have a high pro ceiling as a pass rusher due to his average athleticism, Barnett is a reliable run defender and his consistency on every snap is valuable.

STRENGTHS: Stout body type with broad shoulders and well-distributed mass. Natural flexibility to dip, stay low and get underneath blockers. Great snap anticipation to time up his get-off. Not an elite speed rusher, but controls his momentum well in short spaces to make stops. Flashes violence in his hands to free himself from blocks. Uses body position and pad level to leverage blocks. Persistent effort in pursuit to chase down ballcarriers from the backside. Extremely alert football player with above average run awareness, seeing through blockers to locate the ball. Smart reads to disrupt throwing lanes, knocking down five passes in 2016 and notching his first interception. Some experience standing up and dropping in space. Not a vocal leader, but teammates feed off his relentless energy and intense playing temperament -- the type of intangibles that will draw him to NFL coaches. Durable and highly productive with double-digit sacks all three seasons in Knoxville, breaking Reggie White's school record for career sacks (33.0) -- also tallied 52.0 tackles for loss over 36 starts.
WEAKNESSES: Can bend off the edge with his flexibility, but lacks explosive twitch to win the corner on athleticism alone. Initial quickness based more on timing than burst, leading to offsides penalties or late movements out of his stance when he misreads the snap. Pass rush repertoire lacks variety and hand usage mid-rush still a work-in-progress. Aggressive play style will lead to missed tackles in the open field. Needs to improve his break down skills. Tight-hipped in space and has limited potential as a stand-up player.

NFL COMPARISON: Robert Ayers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Similar to another former Tennessee product, Barnett doesn't have dominant athletic traits, but he understands how to be productive with his ball awareness and technique.

--Dane Brugler (1/22/17)

 

[Triplethreat]

Calling Watson to the Browns right now.

Your move @AZ_

 

[AZ_]

******TRADE*******

The Cleveland Browns and the Tennessee Titans have agreed to a deal:

Titans receive:
Pick #12


Browns receive:

DL DaQuan Jones
Pick #18
Pick #69


@The Wizard of Moz and the Titans are now on the clock.

 

[The Wizard of Moz]

I'm in a training session right now, I'll pretty this up in a bit, but the Titans are very pleased to go out and get their true #1 WR to pair with their FQB in Mariota

At #12 the Tennessee Titans Select

Mike Williams, WR, Clemson

Titans picks so far:

#5 Jamal Adams
#12 Mike Williams

@Triplethreat on the clock

 

[Randolphkeys]

Never pass on an offer of #69, Cleveland!

 

[AZ_]

I'm in a training session right now, I'll pretty this up in a bit, but the Titans are very pleased to go out and get their true #1 WR to pair with their FQB in Mariota

At #12 the Tennessee Titans Select

Mike Williams, WR, Clemson

Titans picks so far:

#5 Jamal Adams
#12 Mike Williams

@Triplethreat on the clock

That's a franchise escalating draft.

 

[Triplethreat]

With the 13th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.. The New York Jets (finally).. select Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama.

My Take:

After moving back multiple times early in the draft and addressing a key need in the QB position as well as garnering a few picks. The Jets strike gold by landing an extremely physical corner. Fighting through the temptation to draft a QB, they fill a major need left by the corpse of Derrelle Revis and can now comfortably enter 2017 knowing Buster Skrine won't be the guy they entrust to cover Brandin Cooks in New England, and Sammy Watkins in Buffalo for four games a year.

One scout has this to say about Humphrey:


“He is the most complete corner I’ve seen come out of there,” the scout told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I’ve done Dre Kirkpatrick, Dee Milliner, Kareem Jackson. He can be a big-time player. He’s as violent as I’ve ever seen a corner be. He comes up to smack people. It’s rare to see a corner of his caliber that seeks contact. I guess a little of that comes from his dad (former NFL running back Bobby Humphrey). … Looks the part. Track guy. He’s got to get some eye discipline. He likes to jam, but his eyes will lose discipline.”






College Career

When you are part of the machine that is the Alabama Crimson Tide football program, it is sometimes tough to differentiate between a great player and a great team. Humphrey became the starter in 2015 when Alabama won the National Championship and contributed 45 tackles, 3.5 for loss, and three interceptions. This past season he was slightly less productive with 36 tackles, three for loss, and two interceptions. Part of the reason for the drop-off was teams testing him less because he had already established himself as a top college cornerback. As is often the case with defensive players, the box score doesn’t tell the full story of a talented player that has the ability to succeed in the league.


Pros
Marlon Humphrey has all of the skills that will allow him to be a successful corner back at the next level. He is a very physical corner that has the strength and speed to bother receivers.

The first thing you’ll notice from Humphrey is that he doesn’t shy away from contact. He will lower to boom and looks like a safety with corner coverage skills. His physicality also shows up in the run game. He ranked 22nd out of 183 corner backs against the run according to Pro Football Focus.

This is very important at the next level as shedding blocks of good run-blocking wide receivers is necessary to stop running backs from getting into the second level. This block shedding also shows up in the screen and short pass game. Humphrey’s physical nature allows him to get past or blow up blockers on screen passes or rally up and prevent costly yards after catch on short passes.

Humphrey also has great speed. He ran a 4.41 40-yard dash time, good for seventh out of 50 defensive backs, and the eighth-fastest three cone drill time out of 32 runners. This speed provides him the ability to stay with receivers down the field and stay in their airspace, making every play a tough catch for the wide out.

Lastly, Humphrey has great instincts that you just can’t teach. He relies on these instincts to put him in the best position to come up with big pass breakups or interceptions. Below is an example of Humphrey using those instincts and coming away with a game changing turnover. Humphrey has a medium zone and is responsible for the receiver running the seven yard out, but his ability to read the play and trust his instincts allows him to drop back in coverage, undercut a receiver running a corner route, and come away with the pick.

When he acts on instinct, Humphrey is a dangerous player …



Cons

… but that can also come with it’s disadvantages, as seen below.

Here Humprhey is responsible for an outside zone, but follows the wideout who is running an in to the middle of the field. He neglects the slot receiver running the corner route, which would have resulted in a big completion were it not for the slightly inaccurate throw and dropped pass.

Thee type of plays are a result of Humphrey being very raw. Despite his talented play which has launched Humphrey to the first round of draft boards, he has only played two seasons, after redshirting his freshman year. There is still plenty that Humphrey needs to learn before he is able to maximize his abilities.

Most of the other knocks on Humphrey stem from this raw aspect in his game. He can get beat deep. Although he has good foot speed, as mentioned above, he is forced to rely on this a bit too often as he can get beat at the line of scrimmage as a result of his poor press coverage technique. He gave up around 20 yards per completion last year.
Humphrey has good hand placement on jump balls down the field, but his reactions can sometimes be a second slow, which prevents him from getting much needed pass breakups. Getting beat on deep balls is a huge no-no in the NFL, and if you don’t have elite deflection skills, it is even more noticeable. Early on, he will need good safety play behind him as he hones his skills and gains consistency and reliability in coverage.

NFL Comparison
Jimmy Smith

@Spectre and the Philadelphia Eagles are now on the clock.

 

[Surge]

******TRADE*******

The Cleveland Browns and the Tennessee Titans have agreed to a deal:

Titans receive:
Pick #12


Browns receive:

DL DaQuan Jones
Pick #18
Pick #69


@The Wizard of Moz and the Titans are now on the clock.

Not flashy enough...

People pay to get wet, B00bie....