@Lost asked me to post his Final Mock Draft. Enjoy
Final Mock Draft
Round One: Patrick Queen, ILB, LSU
So Patrick Queen is the second best ILB in the draft to me behind Simmons. It’s not hard to see why. Despite limited starting time, he dominated in all of those starts and showed his ability as a leader, and in coverage down the line.... There is one big flaw in his game though. I don’t trust him against blockers... He’s not a MIKE in this scheme. He’s a WILL. A very, very good one who serves as a huge upgrade over Peanut. Which bodes well for this team. But he gives us a leader, a sound tackler, and someone who is really good in coverage, and when you can get that, with the defensive line we’ve built, that’s a win to me. You take him, and you don’t look back.
Round Two: Micheal Pittman, WR, USC
This is the easiest pick I’ll make all day. Pittman may not not be the burner type(though he doesn’t lack speed), but he gives Lamar Jackson a reliable target. He’s a really good route runner, and he’s got great hands. Pittman’s physicality is good, but I wouldn’t say it’s as amazing as some are indicating. Harbaugh will love him for one reason and one reason only: he plays special teams, and he’s really good at it. I get that Speed is the name of the game, but Pittman has more than enough to get open on a consistent basis.Most seem to have him going late third, and in any other draft class I would call you insane for this. But since WR is going to be so deep in this draft, I can see this happening. Every year there always seems to be one WR who falls for some unknown reason. This year it’ll be Pittman, and that’s a mistake every team will come to regret. But I get it, you’d rather have speed. Don’t worry, that’s coming.
Round Two: Damien Lewis, OG, LSU
Strong powerful guards don’t grow on trees. What you need in a power scheme is a powerful guard. I wonder about his ability to transition to C at some point but with his strength and power he should be able to start in Yanda’s place
Round Three: Logan Wilson, ILB, Wyoming
While WR drops did play a key role in the playoffs, I’d attribute that more to a bad game than I would having issues. Those are issues the team needs to fix, hence the multiple picks. The WR room does need work, especially with injuries and certain players being FAs next year, as evident by the next player I take, but Wilson is just too good to pass up. And we have a huge hole at ILB. Wilson is the perfect MIKE in this scheme. Great blitzer, smart, sound run defender, and underrated in hook zone coverage. With Queen there to play as the WILL, we suddenly have our duo of the future and the two future leaders of the defense. It’s time we bring in high end talent on the defense. This covers the biggest hole on the team and turns it into a strength. This isn’t just the best player available, this is an identity pick. I’d say he comes in as a big upgrade to Bynes, as he can give us what Bynes brings to the table on day one
Round Three: Devin Duvernay, WR, Texas
Duvernay is a personal favorite of mine. He’s not the best route runner, but he’s got elite straight line speed and very strong hands. We need that in case Hollywood gets hurt. Additionally, Snead is a FA next year and it could be extremely useful to replace him with someone who offers better speed and punt return ability.
Round Four: Kevin Dotson, G, Louisiana
As much as I hated James Hurst... He was depth. Dotson provides an upgrade over Hurst and future depth. I do think Powers has earned a starting spot, but Dotson, while raw, actually flashes the upside to maybe develop into a starter one day.
Round Four: Bryce Huff, Edge, Memphis
Most of you have probably never heard of him. He can play. Not sure how he didn’t get a combine invite. He’s not a finisher, but he does put pressure on the QB. With how bad this edge rushing class is, you have to consider that you need role players. Which we do. I think he’s more of your Tyus Bowser replacement than he is a Judon replacement. He should be able to step in and contribute as a pass rusher.
Round Five: Dalton Keene, TE, Virginia Tech
He’s an H-Back. Not a pure TE. I’m looking for one thing. Someone to play the Hayden Hurst role. Words cannot describe how in trouble this offense is if Andrews goes down. Keene provides a talent to step up as a receiver should the worst happen.
Round Seven: Derek Tuszka, Edge, NDSU
This needs to be said. This edge class is horrible. We don’t have a depth problem right now with pure edge guys but two of them are FAs next year. I think we focus more on depth guys especially since we also have two players who can platoon on the edge. So terrible that I think we should focus on the strengths of the draft. Which are inside linebacker and WR. Tuszka strikes me as a future key part of the rotation and he plays like a Raven. He sets a hard edge in the run game, and he has some pass rushing moves with a non-stop motor. He does have a couple of glaring flaws that I think prevent him from being a starter at the next level. With all this, I also think he’d be a valuable ST contributor.
