The 2021 NFL Draft

[G51]

7 minutes ago, ICTChris said:

Surely the lack of experience is an issue, although all players are going to have that hanging over them this season given Covid.  Jones has played 17 games, Lance the same but only one last year.  Justin Fields has 22 starts in his career.  Last time a QB with such little experience was drafted very high, as far as I can see, was Mitch Trubisky which didn't go well.

Yeah I don’t particularly like the move for any of those QB’s, but if I had to bet on one after reading a bit more into it, I think the bet is Fields. 

Jones is accurate but he’s a pocket passer, which isn’t in fashion these days. He might look better Year 1 but is his ceiling any higher than Garoppolo’s? He just has AJ McCarron written all over him IMO.

Lance is the polar opposite, athletic as hell but can’t pass all that well. You can’t bet big on a guy that can’t pass.

Fields is slight but he is accurate and mobile. He has more tools in the chest than the others.

I wonder if the rationale for Shanahan is that he can scheme wide open lanes for receivers, making Jones the pick. Surely not.

Edited April 28, 2021 by G51

[BukyOHare]

3 hours ago, AmericanFan said:

Going to free agency for a QB is way more expensive and just as risky as drafting one

More expensive? Definitely. 

Riskier? Less.

Generational talent like Watson who come on the market should be snapped up. Assuming there are no off field "distractions" lingering in the background.

But there are a lot of perfectly serviceable guys out there, who've served their apprenticeships and can do a good job f you can give them an O Line that gives them above average protection and receivers. That's where early round picks should really be used in my opinion. 

[ICTChris]

I don't really envy NFL front offices making draft choices.  Just looking at the quarterbacks drafted in the first round in the last five drafts

2016 - Goff, Wentz and, er, Paxton Lynch.  All now departed from their team, although Goff and Wentz did have significant upside.

2017 - Trubisky taken before Mahomes and Watson, costing Chicago four draft picks.

2018 - Darnold taken third overall following a big jump in a trade and Rosen taken ninth. Lamar Jackson almost slipped to day two.

2019 - Dwayne Haskins taken 16th overall, binned after less than two seasons.

2020 - Jordan Love taken in the first but doesn't play a single down of football all season - time will tell I guess.

I don't recall many of these calls being ridiculed at the time - maybe the Jordan Love pick.  

[Brummie Clyde]

Hoping that 49ers select Jones and Fields falls to around no. 11 and we can make a trade to draft him.

Patriots would probably nip in ahead of us.

They need to have a few decades with a shite QB.

Sounds like Trey Lance would take at least 2 years before being decent on the League, but still would take him if available.

Apparently no decent QB prospects next year.

[Fuctifano]

The Trubisky pick was definitely panned at the time, I remember the clip about a minute in.

 

Anyway, as I say every year the draft is the one bit of NFL I can't get excited about, think unless your team is picking in the top 5 it's not worth getting worked up about.

However the Bills people I follow on twitter are getting very worked up about pick 30 and whether a RB should be picked if available at that point. I always assumed you would go O or D  lineman in round 1 unless you're drafting a QB as that seems to be where the most reliable picks are.

[Louis Litt]

It's been a good few weeks since they started and the Mac Jones at 3rd shouts are coming across equally mental. I still think he's gonna be nothing better than a late first rounder. 

[G51]

Have taken the following bets:

Fields to be drafted before Lance @ 11/10

Jones draft position over 3.5 @ 11/5 (really like that one)

Caleb Farley over 27.5 @ 5/6

Eric Stokes under 37.5 @ 8/11

Rashod Bateman under 28.5 @ 5/6 (really like that one too)

[lichtie23]

Teddy Bridgewater off to Denver for a 6th round pick 

[Super_A]

The best realistic landing spot for any of the QBs, out with Lawrence, is Atlanta where they can sit for a year. I like Fields so I hope he ends up there.

[lichtie23]

Happy draft day lads

[Brummie Clyde]

Rather hoping we can somehow get Fields, but can't see it.

Bears apparently heavily scouting the second day QBs, Mond, Mills and Trask. Mond seems the most exciting to me. Trask would be a dead duck behind our OLine

I am fully prepared to be really annoyed when the Bears pick a WR at 20, instead of an OT.

[Slacker]

I keep seeing analysts saying not to take a RB in the first round, while we're (the Dolphins) thinking about Najee Harris with our #18 pick. Now considering the consensus seems to be there are three 'elite' RBs in this draft in Harris, Etienne and Williams, would it not then make sense to use the #36 pick on a RB instead? Would it be safe to assume that at least one of those three will still be on the board at #36? I know Harris would likely be gone (to the Steelers?) but I'd think you might still get a very good RB early in the second round. Suppose it depends on much they like Harris but I just think with picks 6, 18 and 36 we could end up with three great players - instead of two great players and a very good one, if you go for a RB early.

[Brummie Clyde]

Kind of want us to take OT Teven Jenkins.

Darrisaw sounds like he has more talent, but can be lazy and I don't think Slater will be available

[Bully Wee Villa]

We will pick a WR in round one. Even though you can nearly always get a decent WR in later rounds. We will have a rubbish O-Line for the foreseeable future and a shite QB for the rest of time. It's Da Bears Way.

[Brummie Clyde]

I keep seeing analysts saying not to take a RB in the first round, while we're (the Dolphins) thinking about Najee Harris with our #18 pick. Now considering the consensus seems to be there are three 'elite' RBs in this draft in Harris, Etienne and Williams, would it not then make sense to use the #36 pick on a RB instead? Would it be safe to assume that at least one of those three will still be on the board at #36? I know Harris would likely be gone (to the Steelers?) but I'd think you might still get a very good RB early in the second round. Suppose it depends on much they like Harris but I just think with picks 6, 18 and 36 we could end up with three great players - instead of two great players and a very good one, if you go for a RB early.

I personally hate drafting WRs and RBs high in drafts, as you can pretty much always pick up good ones in later rounds.

By pick 36 I would be pretty surprised if all 3 RBs were gone, particularly as it's likely that 5 QBs will go in the 1st round.

[ICTChris]

I don't really know what I want Detroit to do.  I mean, I'd like them to take someone like Lane or Fields if they were there but I don't think they will.  If Pitts was there then he seems like the sort of player you take no matter what.  Defensively it looks a meagre draft but that's where a lot of weaknesses are for the Lions.  I don't think there is any expectation that the Lions will have any sort of winning season next time out so we may just look to take the best player available as part of a longer term rebuild.

[Brummie Clyde]

I think you'll take a WR like Waddle, assuming Pitts has gone.

Certainly hope you don't draft Fields or Lane, as hoping by some miracle, the Bears can get one of them.

You could go CB, but seems a bit high at 7, unless you trade down. Broncos or Eagles might trade up (not to mention Bears).

[G51]

Vontae Mack no matter what

[Brummie Clyde]

Not gonna be able to watch the Draft live this year.

Does anyone know whether it will be available to download on Demand?

[GNU_Linux]

3 hours ago, ICTChris said:

I don't really know what I want Detroit to do.  I mean, I'd like them to take someone like Lane or Fields if they were there but I don't think they will.  If Pitts was there then he seems like the sort of player you take no matter what.  Defensively it looks a meagre draft but that's where a lot of weaknesses are for the Lions.  I don't think there is any expectation that the Lions will have any sort of winning season next time out so we may just look to take the best player available as part of a longer term rebuild.

Think Pitts chances of being drafted by the Lions have increased with Hunter Bryant being waived due to a non-footballing injury. Other likely options are LB Micah Parsons out of Penn State & OT Penni Sewell out of the University of Oregon.