2023 NFL Draft Thread

[dbair1967]

Ultimately you make a better team drafting the best players.

If Pollard were 100% healthy I would probably say we don't need to draft Robinson if he were there, but he isn't and very well might be less than 100% for some, if not all the season.

Also when you think about the cap charge vs the production return, Robinson is a huge value because you clearly can let Pollard walk after this season, and possibly even trade him before or during the upcoming season.

I probably wouldn't feel the same if we were drafting in the top-10 or so picks, but at 26 if he is there it makes too much sense and it becomes a really safe pick too. Unless he has some sort of career altering injury, he should be really good for his length of time here.

 

[icup]

najee harris, 24th overall
travis etienne, 25th
clyde edwards-helaire, 32nd
josh jacobs, 24th
saquon barkley, 2nd
rashaad penny, 27th
sony michel, 31st
leanard fournette, 4th
christian mccaffrey, 8th
zeke, 4th
todd gurley, 10th
melvin gordon, 15th

those are all the 1st round RBs drafted in the last 10 years

even transcendent, highly productive college players like fournette, gurley, and gordon, not worth it

of course there are hits and there are misses at all positions, but RB is easily replaceable. why blow your 1st rounder on that? not worth it

i prefer to avoid RB until later because you can get similar production w/o missing out on other players that will have long dried up in later rounds

 

[dbair1967]

And Robinson is considered a far better prospect than everyone on that list except for Zeke and Barkley when they came out.

Again, it's the 26th pick of the draft. If he falls in our laps he will almost assuredly be the highest rated player on our draft board.

Since you listed all the RB's drafted with 1st rd picks. Here's a listing of the last 10 guys drafted 26th overall (regardless of position)

Jermaine Johnson (backup as a rookie, too early to tell), Greg Newsome (has started 26 career games in 2 yrs at CB, yet to record an interception), Jordan Love (hasnt played much but about to find out with Rodgers almost assuredly gone to Jets), Montez Sweat (quality NFL starter will get paid big $$$ in free agency if WASH cant resign him before), Calvin Ridley (good player on the rise before suspension for gambling, traded to Jags and will battle for a roster spot), Tak McKinley (on 4th NFL team now with 20 career sacks, now battling for a roster spot here), Paxton Lynch (out of the league after just a couple seasons, mega bust), Breshad Perriman (still in league but 5 teams and still less than 100 career catches), Marcus Smith (out of the league 6 1/2 career sacks), Datone Jones (out of the league 10 career sacks)

That's a pretty bleh list. There's a couple good players but for the most part where we are drafting is a complete crap shoot. If Robinson is there, he is a pretty safe bet to be a very good player (barring injury) and again, helps our cap situation immensely for a number of years (compared to the Pollard tag and what a long term deal would cost and what we did with Zeke)

It's probably a moot point anyway, because I don't think there's any way he gets to 26. But IF he gets into the 20's I would bet someone will trade up ahead of us to get him anyway.

 

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[icup]

And Robinson is considered a far better prospect than everyone on that list except for Zeke and Barkley when they came out.

Again, it's the 26th pick of the draft. If he falls in our laps he will almost assuredly be the highest rated player on our draft board.

Since you listed all the RB's drafted with 1st rd picks. Here's a listing of the last 10 guys drafted 26th overall (regardless of position)

Jermaine Johnson (backup as a rookie, too early to tell), Greg Newsome (has started 26 career games in 2 yrs at CB, yet to record an interception), Jordan Love (hasnt played much but about to find out with Rodgers almost assuredly gone to Jets), Montez Sweat (quality NFL starter will get paid big $$$ in free agency if WASH cant resign him before), Calvin Ridley (good player on the rise before suspension for gambling, traded to Jags and will battle for a roster spot), Tak McKinley (on 4th NFL team now with 20 career sacks, now battling for a roster spot here), Paxton Lynch (out of the league after just a couple seasons, mega bust), Breshad Perriman (still in league but 5 teams and still less than 100 career catches), Marcus Smith (out of the league 6 1/2 career sacks), Datone Jones (out of the league 10 career sacks)

That's a pretty bleh list. There's a couple good players but for the most part where we are drafting is a complete crap shoot. If Robinson is there, he is a pretty safe bet to be a very good player (barring injury) and again, helps our cap situation immensely for a number of years (compared to the Pollard tag and what a long term deal would cost and what we did with Zeke)

It's probably a moot point anyway, because I don't think there's any way he gets to 26. But IF he gets into the 20's I would bet someone will trade up ahead of us to get him anyway.

dude... you want a guy rated LOWER than zeke???? wtf ??? c'mon really ??

and robinson is rated better than fournette, mccaffrey, gordon, and gurley ??

the money thing is not a good argument, because the money thing is mostly my whole argument... picking RB early is a waste of resources

RBs are cheaper than every position except fullback, kicker, punter, and long snapper

 

[dbair1967]

Zeke was a fucking stud when he came out of Ohio State dude. And he was awesome with us for a few years, especially as a rookie.

I really think the whole suspension thing got in his head and fucked him over some. He got totally screwed by Goodell and the league office and everyone knew it.

Yeah, I do think Robinson is better than those guys you just listed, and judging by most scouts comments they seem to agree.

I don't disagree that in todays league it's relatively easy to find capable backs in middle to late rounds, but again it's the 26th pick of the 1st rd. Why pass on a fairly sure thing who's one of the higher rated prospects in this draft for a guy thats going to be much more of a gamble?

And if drafting Robinson means they STFU about any long term contract for Pollard, that makes it even more easy for me to get behind.

Like I said, probably a moot point because he won't make it to 26 anyway.

 

[icup]

quite the irresistible force vs immovable object situation we got here

 

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i hope so! *prayer hands*

 

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[dbair1967]

What's the latest on which QB will go No. 1 overall?​

Fowler: I asked at least 20 NFL personnel people on this, and the votes are essentially split between Alabama's Bryce Young and Ohio State's C.J. Stroud. There might be a slight edge to Young, but it's still too close to decipher who the true favorite is right now. The Carolina Panthers have done a stealth job holding the suspense, and only a few people in their building truly know the name that's going on the draft card.

Many scouts and execs believe Stroud's stature (6-foot-3, 214 pounds) and status as one of the safest prospects in the class will help him secure the No. 1 spot. But the Panthers' evaluation process is not done. Carolina will host several of the quarterbacks as part of their top-30 visits. Owner David Tepper values analytics, so it will be interesting to see if that plays a role here, too.

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What are the chances one of the top four quarterbacks slides out of the top 10?​

Reid: There's always a chance. We saw something similar in 2021, when Justin Fields fell to No. 11 before the Chicago Bears traded up to take him. Who could it be this year?

Kentucky's Will Levis seems to be the most likely candidate. I'm still of the belief that he will be selected inside the top 10, but a minor slide beyond the No. 10 spot wouldn't come as a surprise. Ultimately, I think a team will trade up for Levis because of his excellent physical traits and mobility, along with the high-end moments we saw from him during his breakout 2021 season. The loss of his offensive coordinator and multiple midround offensive linemen -- as well as nagging injuries -- hampered him last season. He ended up throwing 10 interceptions over 11 starts.

"He looked much better [in 2021] because he was healthy and the offensive coordinator helped him out a ton," said a pro scout. "It was completely different [last season] because he was banged up, but the talent is easy to see."

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Could Hendon Hooker really go in Round 1?​

Miller: Absolutely! With the top four quarterbacks expected to come off the board within the first 10 selections, the door is open for quarterback-needy teams to use a late-Round 1 pick on Hooker. That includes teams that could look to trade up from the second round to get him.

I've often said that if it were not for the left ACL injury he suffered in mid-November, Hooker would have been a first-round prospect. I love his ability to throw the deep ball and layer his passes over coverage to spots where his receivers can make a play. And given the positive news we've heard regarding his recovery and likely availability sometime this season, it shouldn't be scoffed at that he could be a legitimate option for, say, the Minnesota Vikings at pick No. 23 overall or even the Baltimore Ravens at No. 22 if Lamar Jackson is traded. Hooker also met with the New Orleans Saints and Tennessee Titans early this week and has a visit with the Green Bay Packers as part of 13 total pre-draft visits he'll take, per a source.