TheCity5
MVP
Well, I thought that since we are almost halfway through the NFL season, that I put out a mock for the first time this season. These are the prospects that I do hope we take. We currently have the 9th pick in the draft so I am going off of that for now. I have not had a complete look at all of the top College prospects so please bear with me for now as I'm going with just three rounds. With all that being said, here's my mock.
Round 1, Pick 9: Bradley Chubb, DE/OLB NC State:
I might catch some flack for this, but I think Chubb is going to rise in the class big time. He has a great blend of size/strength and burst. I think Chubb is a riser in this years class as a high-floor/high ceiling player. I question where we will place him because at this moment he's either a DE or OLB wherever he goes. I think the need for a DE is dramatically underrated here. The DL has been a disappointment and Kaufusi/Wormley have been getting manhandled against the run while putting on a pedestrian performance in the pass rush department. I think Chubb would be a guy we either flex as a DE/Edge depending on whoever running the defense puts him. Regardless, Chubb will be a drastic boost to our pass rush and run stopping, I think the value of Chubb trumps anyone. A lot of people point to Brandon Williams poor play last season as to why our run D declined, but another important piece to our DL who also hit a wall was Timmy Jernigan, who we failed to replace in the worst way possible. I think as the season progresses, people will begin to further see that this DL had more problem then just Brandon Williams injury.
I wanted Fitzpatrick or even James but I think those two will get snatched up before we even have a shot.
I feel like I have to address why I have us passing on Quenton Nelson so I'll just lay out it here. I do not think he will make our offense better. Let's ask this question, if Yanda and Lewis never suffer injuries, is our offense the 32nd ranked offense in the league? No, but are they that much better? No. I think what we haven't addressed in regards to the Ravens is their complete lack of play-makers, I think that's a bigger issue then the OL. What can you honestly do if you not only lose your starters, but your back ups, and then your 3rd string guard? It's a terrible situation from the start. When it comes to receivers, you don't have any of that type of problems, just guys not playing up to standards, but after that, who do you think has a future here? I don't know, it looks bleak for every single one of them.
Now, I've talked up the WRs yet we don't take one round 1, well, that's why I have that as my 2nd round selection.
Round 2: Dante Pettis, WR, Washington
This is my guy at WR. I think Pettis is going to be a stud. One thing I really love about a receiver is a quick twitch guy, someone who can fake out a CB off the LOS of scrimmage, Pettis is so quick off the line and has that burst that will help him get separation in an instant. He's not just a deep threat, he can run routes, find the soft spots in coverage. Oh, and did I forget to mention he's a magnificent punt returner? I really hope he's there for us in the 2nd round because he would be a great asset to this team. Does he have flaws? Yes, you wish he was just a bit bigger at the receiver position and sound the alarms, he has issues with drops, but I don't think they're Perriman level stone hands by any means. He offers more value at a huge need then anyone else.
Round 3: Braden Smith, OG, Auburn: Now here's our guard, took long enough didn't it? Now, I understand the need for a LG, but I think that Smith is guy who would provide significant depth as a guard. Obviously it won't happen immediately but I think he can provide some solid play for them as a starter. He's not further along the curve in the run blocking area as Nelson is, but he's certainly was one of the better pass blockers in College Football. A lot of people worry about his size and playing strength, but against top competition, he really preformed well. I think Smith is definitely a potential riser and could find himself in the 2nd round, but for now I think we'll be able to find him here in the early 3rd.
Round 1, Pick 9: Bradley Chubb, DE/OLB NC State:
I might catch some flack for this, but I think Chubb is going to rise in the class big time. He has a great blend of size/strength and burst. I think Chubb is a riser in this years class as a high-floor/high ceiling player. I question where we will place him because at this moment he's either a DE or OLB wherever he goes. I think the need for a DE is dramatically underrated here. The DL has been a disappointment and Kaufusi/Wormley have been getting manhandled against the run while putting on a pedestrian performance in the pass rush department. I think Chubb would be a guy we either flex as a DE/Edge depending on whoever running the defense puts him. Regardless, Chubb will be a drastic boost to our pass rush and run stopping, I think the value of Chubb trumps anyone. A lot of people point to Brandon Williams poor play last season as to why our run D declined, but another important piece to our DL who also hit a wall was Timmy Jernigan, who we failed to replace in the worst way possible. I think as the season progresses, people will begin to further see that this DL had more problem then just Brandon Williams injury.
I wanted Fitzpatrick or even James but I think those two will get snatched up before we even have a shot.
I feel like I have to address why I have us passing on Quenton Nelson so I'll just lay out it here. I do not think he will make our offense better. Let's ask this question, if Yanda and Lewis never suffer injuries, is our offense the 32nd ranked offense in the league? No, but are they that much better? No. I think what we haven't addressed in regards to the Ravens is their complete lack of play-makers, I think that's a bigger issue then the OL. What can you honestly do if you not only lose your starters, but your back ups, and then your 3rd string guard? It's a terrible situation from the start. When it comes to receivers, you don't have any of that type of problems, just guys not playing up to standards, but after that, who do you think has a future here? I don't know, it looks bleak for every single one of them.
Now, I've talked up the WRs yet we don't take one round 1, well, that's why I have that as my 2nd round selection.
Round 2: Dante Pettis, WR, Washington
This is my guy at WR. I think Pettis is going to be a stud. One thing I really love about a receiver is a quick twitch guy, someone who can fake out a CB off the LOS of scrimmage, Pettis is so quick off the line and has that burst that will help him get separation in an instant. He's not just a deep threat, he can run routes, find the soft spots in coverage. Oh, and did I forget to mention he's a magnificent punt returner? I really hope he's there for us in the 2nd round because he would be a great asset to this team. Does he have flaws? Yes, you wish he was just a bit bigger at the receiver position and sound the alarms, he has issues with drops, but I don't think they're Perriman level stone hands by any means. He offers more value at a huge need then anyone else.
Round 3: Braden Smith, OG, Auburn: Now here's our guard, took long enough didn't it? Now, I understand the need for a LG, but I think that Smith is guy who would provide significant depth as a guard. Obviously it won't happen immediately but I think he can provide some solid play for them as a starter. He's not further along the curve in the run blocking area as Nelson is, but he's certainly was one of the better pass blockers in College Football. A lot of people worry about his size and playing strength, but against top competition, he really preformed well. I think Smith is definitely a potential riser and could find himself in the 2nd round, but for now I think we'll be able to find him here in the early 3rd.
