FanPost

What To Do In the Draft


Hi everyone, this is my first ever post. I decided to join after reading all of your interesting theories about the draft and did some thinking of my own on the subject. When I researched the draft, I put players in tiers according to team needs. Here they are with ESPN's rank of them:

Tier 1: Shazier OLB (27), Nix DT (20), Donald DT (13), Jernigan DT (12)

Tier 2: Crichton DE (45), M. Martin C/G (46), D. Jones DT (54), D. Bucanon S (47), J. James OT (51), K. Martin DE (57), Van Noy OLB (62)

Tier 3: Sutton DT (81), C. Richardson OG (99), Easley DT (103), Mewhort OT (63), J. Jeffcoat DE (94), C Smith DE (82), S. Henderson OT (90)

Tier 4: D. Johnson CB (125), C. Reid DT (89), C Watt OG (106), J. Urschel OG (78), J. Hurst OT (136), T. Turner OG (114)

Now to draft day. These are my targets. My strategy is to trade down when I can without leaving a tier downward in order to pick up more picks in this decidedly deep draft (I am of the opinion that a two year process can have this roster bursting with talent).

My draft day strategy is to create demand for my pick. I used first-pick.com to run my draft simulation and only took those trades I felt I could pull off.

Round 1: Oh my goodness, Donald is gone at 16 and the following have fallen Evans, Barr, Manziel. Also left are Ebron, Mosely and Cooks. I get on the phone to both Baltimore and NYJ (both looking for big receivers); and let them know the other is offering me a 1 and 2 to get to Evans. Baltimore takes the hook and I get 17 and 48 for No. 16. I then pick up the phone and call AZ (who really wants Barr) and create panic that he is going to go in the next pixk. AZ offers me 20 and 52 so I take it an immediately open a phone channel to Cleveland (who inexplicably did not take Manziel at 4) and New England (who needs Ebron or Cooks) and create demand there. Cleveland wins and offers me 26 AND 37 to take John Pigskin. That leaves me with the following 26, 35, 47, 48, 52, 78, 115, 146, 206, 208, 215. Here we go:

26: R. Shazier OLB from tOSU. I know we need DL help but I can get that back in the draft. I trade 35 and 146 to get a combo of 125 and 40 or so.

40: S. Crichton DE OSU (Oregon not Ohio). I think he has some Jason Pierre-Paul in him.

47: D. Bucanon S WSU. I know we need a FS and he is listed at SS but put him and Wilcox at the back end and you have two fast hard hitting ball-hawking safeties. With dreams of Seattle I move to number 48.

48: K. Martin DE UNC. Wow, I now have two pretty explosive double digit sack types at DE (three if you count Ware).

52: D Jones DT PSU: Got me a 1 tech DT and a very good one (Ithink).

78: W. Sutton DT ASU: Will tell him to get to 285 immediately. At that weight he had better production his junior year than Donald did his senior year.

115:C. Watt OG ND. Offensive line is the really weak spot for the forseeable future for this team.

125: D. Johnson CB NC State: A 6'2.5" corner who ran 4.45 forty and 6.82 3 cone at the combine.

206: J. Abbrederis WR Wisco: I think he has some Jordy Nelson in him.

208: K. Pierre Louis OLB BC: Cat ran a 4.51 forty. All I can think about is Troy Aikman remarking that Malcolm Smith ran a 4.48 forty after his touchdown in the Super Bowl.

215: B. Allen DT Wisco: Another 1 tech.

There you have it. To some it may seem like pie in the sky but if the right chips fall, it could happen.

Another user-created commentary provided by a BTB reader.