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2022 General Draft Thoughts

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
None of the reasons I listed was “the” reason, just one of a number of factors. This is all with the caveat that linderbaum is legit in the same cluster of prospects available talent wise, what I’m saying is that as it looks right now linderbaum could very well be justifiable as bpa at 14.

yes, he’s that good lol, he’s a damn good C prospect, undersized but he’s super strong at his size and he’s a master of leverage, leg drive, and hand/arm usage, supreme athlete, Garrett Bradbury isn’t a shining example but folks drooled over his athleticism, he seriously pales in that regard to linderbaum, and linderbaum is also much more powerful and is just more natural a people mover, his elite wrestling background shows up in his game.

I recommend you watch his film, it’s impressive as hell. Add ten pounds and I think he’s a blue chip center

the problem is im not sure you can add 10lbs to him and that's a big deal because ive seen him get driven back by bigger nose tackles - im not 100% confident in his ability to anchor and sit down when he doesnt stymie the rusher with his hands - he's pretty good at recovering but that's a bit of a concern for me that im going to be looking for when i properly get into his film because it's something ive noticed a few times when watching iowa live - they dont do a lot of straight dropback passing there so it's possible that stuff gets hidden - i do think as part of that lack of mass he's susceptible to getting jolted by DTs spiking inside on stunts and stuff like that and leaving gaps open

but if i can satisfy myself with his anchor and his strike power then everything else is elite and he has rare movement skills - he's an exceptional blocker in the running game and in space and L2 and would make him 100% worthy of a very very high pick if those 2 issues are satisfied
 

RaineV1

Ravens Ring of Honor
None of the reasons I listed was “the” reason, just one of a number of factors. This is all with the caveat that linderbaum is legit in the same cluster of prospects available talent wise, what I’m saying is that as it looks right now linderbaum could very well be justifiable as bpa at 14.

yes, he’s that good lol, he’s a damn good C prospect, undersized but he’s super strong at his size and he’s a master of leverage, leg drive, and hand/arm usage, supreme athlete, Garrett Bradbury isn’t a shining example but folks drooled over his athleticism, he seriously pales in that regard to linderbaum, and linderbaum is also much more powerful and is just more natural a people mover, his elite wrestling background shows up in his game.

I recommend you watch his film, it’s impressive as hell. Add ten pounds and I think he’s a blue chip center
To add to this, an elite center goes a long way in fixing o-line issues. He isn't my first choice, but I wouldn't complain at all about grabbing him at 14, especially if we can also get a solid tackle in the 2nd or 3rd.
 
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purplepittabread88

Staff Member
Administrator
I mean if we dont resign bozeman and linderbaum is gone we are fucked then

Even if boze wants top 5 money for a center its really not that much
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
I mean if we dont resign bozeman and linderbaum is gone we are fucked then

Even if boze wants top 5 money for a center its really not that much

idk about fucked - we've got 2 backup Cs who are fine in Colon and Mekari and if Bozeman does go elsewhere i imagine we'll add a veteran from somewhere else to fill that hole or at least add competition to the room

remember that we try and fill as many holes as possible before the draft with veterans in some fashion - not always stars and not always good players but we never try to leave a position bare

it's also possible to find interior OL later in the draft - we see it every year and even guys converting from tackle or guard to C too

but feels like this is a good free agency year to need a C if you're looking for starting experience - there's at least 7 full-time starters slated for free agency this offseason (albeit its possible a few get extended before they make it to free agency) and a few guys who've played significant snaps as backups too
 

purplepittabread88

Staff Member
Administrator
idk about fucked - we've got 2 backup Cs who are fine in Colon and Mekari and if Bozeman does go elsewhere i imagine we'll add a veteran from somewhere else to fill that hole or at least add competition to the room

remember that we try and fill as many holes as possible before the draft with veterans in some fashion - not always stars and not always good players but we never try to leave a position bare

it's also possible to find interior OL later in the draft - we see it every year and even guys converting from tackle or guard to C too

but feels like this is a good free agency year to need a C if you're looking for starting experience - there's at least 7 full-time starters slated for free agency this offseason (albeit its possible a few get extended before they make it to free agency) and a few guys who've played significant snaps as backups too
Only time I recall us not really filling a hole going into the draft was when it was essentially get patrick queen or die lol. I really like Colon, the last game vs Pitt made me iffy but to be fair that was up against Cam Heyward with Ben Cleveland next to him.

I feel strange about signing any vet there too because it's difficult to walk the line of (better than Colon) but cheaper than (bozeman) if that makes sense.

I am and will always be a huge fan of line contingency especially considering how we saw 2020 get wrecked almost as equally by covid as we did bad snaps
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
Only time I recall us not really filling a hole going into the draft was when it was essentially get patrick queen or die lol. I really like Colon, the last game vs Pitt made me iffy but to be fair that was up against Cam Heyward with Ben Cleveland next to him.

I feel strange about signing any vet there too because it's difficult to walk the line of (better than Colon) but cheaper than (bozeman) if that makes sense.

I am and will always be a huge fan of line contingency especially considering how we saw 2020 get wrecked almost as equally by covid as we did bad snaps

tbh i dont even think we were that desperate in 2020 for a LB anyway - we had fort and board and it was obvious we'd pick one somewhere but we didnt need to take a 1st round guy at that position (although queen seemed like a pretty obvious pick for a while before we picked him but that was a delightfully convenient marriage of talent and need)

i think it's true to say we sometimes go into a draft knowing we need to add someone at a particular position at some point to at least add competition and depth but it's rare we absolutely need to find an immediate starter at a position (obviously many times we're hoping and expecting to but it's not required)

2019 really is the only year to me it felt like we were taking a WR in the 1st round at all costs and i think that's partly because they knew before we even got close to the draft that they were taking hollywood
 

purplepittabread88

Staff Member
Administrator
tbh i dont even think we were that desperate in 2020 for a LB anyway - we had fort and board and it was obvious we'd pick one somewhere but we didnt need to take a 1st round guy at that position (although queen seemed like a pretty obvious pick for a while before we picked him but that was a delightfully convenient marriage of talent and need)

i think it's true to say we sometimes go into a draft knowing we need to add someone at a particular position at some point to at least add competition and depth but it's rare we absolutely need to find an immediate starter at a position (obviously many times we're hoping and expecting to but it's not required)

2019 really is the only year to me it felt like we were taking a WR in the 1st round at all costs and i think that's partly because they knew before we even got close to the draft that they were taking hollywood
No that wasn’t nearly as obvious as when we all knew we were gonna trade up in the first round and take Lamar Jackson after a 25 year old tight end… hehe
 

JoeyFlex5

Hall of Famer
I think travon walker has a really good chance to fly up boards, he’s the freakiest, most physically dominant player in this class at any position, hands down I’d say. He is going to crush the combine, his film is loaded with ridiculous feats of strength, just benchpressing blockers like toddlers, running down skill players who he outweighs by 80+ lbs, fluid zone drops, verticals, stunts, big hits, he is just a fucking machine.

Oweh has changed my Perspective, I want to have a defensive front full of absolute freaks, I think walker has a real chance to go in the top 20, and I feel like we’re gonna see value elsewhere at 14, but man I’d love to pair walker with Oweh and madubuike
 

RaineV1

Ravens Ring of Honor
I did Draft Network simulator with purposely trying to avoid the early round people we tend to zero in on. I think it still turned out really well, and we'd reinvent our defensive backfield while still patching up the O and D lines a bit.
Screenshot_20220112-142134.png
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
I think travon walker has a really good chance to fly up boards, he’s the freakiest, most physically dominant player in this class at any position, hands down I’d say. He is going to crush the combine, his film is loaded with ridiculous feats of strength, just benchpressing blockers like toddlers, running down skill players who he outweighs by 80+ lbs, fluid zone drops, verticals, stunts, big hits, he is just a fucking machine.

Oweh has changed my Perspective, I want to have a defensive front full of absolute freaks, I think walker has a real chance to go in the top 20, and I feel like we’re gonna see value elsewhere at 14, but man I’d love to pair walker with Oweh and madubuike

100% with you - not grading juniors yet because im in senior bowl mode (which sucks because the most fun guys and the top of the class are normally juniors) but just based on who ive seen bits and pieces of id be surprised if he's not in (or at least close to) my top 15

and 100% with you on building a DL of freaks
 

Charm City

Pro Bowler
Been looking at ILB tape and scouting reports and I keep seeing ILBs described as either two down or three down linebackers and I’m wondering why we are still using this nomenclature for players. If an ILB is poor at coverage then he may as well be a one down player because in todays pass happy NFL a team is going to pass at least 2/3 of the time and if you can’t cover then you are going to get manipulated by the offense. These players probably shouldn’t get drafted until at least the 3rd round imo. Anyone else think otherwise?
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
Been looking at ILB tape and scouting reports and I keep seeing ILBs described as either two down or three down linebackers and I’m wondering why we are still using this nomenclature for players. If an ILB is poor at coverage then he may as well be a one down player because in todays pass happy NFL a team is going to pass at least 2/3 of the time and if you can’t cover then you are going to get manipulated by the offense. These players probably shouldn’t get drafted until at least the 3rd round imo. Anyone else think otherwise?

the other part of that is that LBs who offer some elite or special quality on 3rd down are extra valuable - see JOK, Fred warner etc
 

JoeyFlex5

Hall of Famer
Been looking at ILB tape and scouting reports and I keep seeing ILBs described as either two down or three down linebackers and I’m wondering why we are still using this nomenclature for players. If an ILB is poor at coverage then he may as well be a one down player because in todays pass happy NFL a team is going to pass at least 2/3 of the time and if you can’t cover then you are going to get manipulated by the offense. These players probably shouldn’t get drafted until at least the 3rd round imo. Anyone else think otherwise?
Eh, seems like semantics, it’s not like edge LBs and off-ball LBs being categorized together as if tj watt and Patrick queen play the same position, it’s just a way of saying “this LB offers little to no value in pass defense” and we all know exactly what the term means
 

JoeyFlex5

Hall of Famer
100% with you - not grading juniors yet because im in senior bowl mode (which sucks because the most fun guys and the top of the class are normally juniors) but just based on who ive seen bits and pieces of id be surprised if he's not in (or at least close to) my top 15

and 100% with you on building a DL of freaks
I still don’t know if I’d like walker more at edge for us or hand in the dirt, but then again if winks here it doesn’t really matter lol. I know neither of us are super high on Jordan Davis, but if there was some possible way we could add walker and Davis and have a front four of oweh and walker standing up, and Davis and madubuike at DT, it sounds like a lot of fun, that shit would melt OLs on freakish physical ability alone
 

Charm City

Pro Bowler
Eh, seems like semantics, it’s not like edge LBs and off-ball LBs being categorized together as if tj watt and Patrick queen play the same position, it’s just a way of saying “this LB offers little to no value in pass defense” and we all know exactly what the term means
Sure it’s just a way of saying they can’t cover, just like you said, but my point was that if a player can’t cover can they even be considered in the first three rounds since coverage is so integral to the position now.
 

Simba

Staff Member
Moderator
I think travon walker has a really good chance to fly up boards, he’s the freakiest, most physically dominant player in this class at any position, hands down I’d say. He is going to crush the combine, his film is loaded with ridiculous feats of strength, just benchpressing blockers like toddlers, running down skill players who he outweighs by 80+ lbs, fluid zone drops, verticals, stunts, big hits, he is just a fucking machine.

Oweh has changed my Perspective, I want to have a defensive front full of absolute freaks, I think walker has a real chance to go in the top 20, and I feel like we’re gonna see value elsewhere at 14, but man I’d love to pair walker with Oweh and madubuike

No tape study yet of course but that dude has stood out every single game I’ve watched them. At his size I think you can do a lot with him too. Not too difficult to stand him up but I really see him excelling with his hand in the dirt in our 4-3 under style we run.
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
I still don’t know if I’d like walker more at edge for us or hand in the dirt, but then again if winks here it doesn’t really matter lol. I know neither of us are super high on Jordan Davis, but if there was some possible way we could add walker and Davis and have a front four of oweh and walker standing up, and Davis and madubuike at DT, it sounds like a lot of fun, that shit would melt OLs on freakish physical ability alone

i mean im pretty high on jordan davis - i just have questions about his conditioning - im pretty satisfied at this point that he's got some ability as a pass rusher or at least has the potential to develop that way

as for walker - i think he's the kind of versatile guy who'd play all over the front - he'll put his hand in the dirt and he'll stand up on the edge

that would be an amazing front 4 but its completely unfeasible lol - if we want freaks across the front 4 we might have to go jordan davis in R1 and then find a way to get someone like Boye Mafe who i think is going to out-test thibodeaux and hutchinson at the combine

but what a wild but unrealistic thought lol - turn a weakness into a freakish nightmare
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
Sure it’s just a way of saying they can’t cover, just like you said, but my point was that if a player can’t cover can they even be considered in the first three rounds since coverage is so integral to the position now.

it depends what you mean by can't cover...
if they cant cover at all then sure they wont get drafted early for sure - but it's difficult to find a college LB who doesnt get dropped into coverage a decent amount

but like what if they're decent dropping into zones but maybe not very good in man coverage
or what if they're good mirroring but lack awareness when spot dropping
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
No tape study yet of course but that dude has stood out every single game I’ve watched them. At his size I think you can do a lot with him too. Not too difficult to stand him up but I really see him excelling with his hand in the dirt in our 4-3 under style we run.

georgia used him all over their front - there's nothing so far on his tape to suggest that doesnt continue in the pros
 
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