New ESPN and SI Mock Drafts

by matto619 on Mar 12, 2009 1:14 PM PDT Comment 26 comments

ESPN's, with Todd McShay and Mel Kiper, is here (maybe Insider only)

SI's, with Don Banks, is here

McShay goes with Malcom Jenkins, CB from Ohio State

Kiper gives us Rey Maualuga (Trojan, hell yes!)

and Banks throws us Jeremy Maclin, WR from Missouri

I don't see us using our 1st pick on CB or WR, so I'd have to go with "The Hair" on this one. How long until the draft?

This FanPost was written by a member of the Bolts From The Blue community and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Bolts From The Blue editors or SB Nation.

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NFL.com

Pat Kirwan of NFL.com always has us going with Rey Rey

by matto619 on Mar 12, 2009 1:19 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Bill Williamson just did too

by matto619 on Mar 16, 2009 4:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I read his Snap Judgments columns during the week religiously, but that’s the worst mock draft I’ve ever seen. Why the hell would we draft Maclin in the first round when we have at least 6 positions that we need to draft before that (S, HB, RT, ILB, DT, DE)? Also, out of our current WR group we only have one first round pick and he’s the one who has shown the least amount of talent on the field.

The Michael Oher thing is confusing to me. I’m about 30 pages away from The Blind Side and it’s definitely a little worrisome and shady, but he went from being a guaranteed top 10 pick a week ago to falling out of the first round on some drafts (Kiper and Banks), falling slightly in some (McShay) and falling to the second half of the first round in others (Kirwan). Since the draft is all about fear, I have no doubt that he’ll fall all the way down to the second round unless someone smart (like Belichek) picks him up.

I like Maualuga if he’s there (I keep seeing him going to Denver, but I don’t buy it) and I like Jenkins even better. I still think AJ is going with Peria Jerry or an OT though.

"I did not invent the wheel, I was the crooked spoke adjacent." - Aesop Rock

by John (obviousman) on Mar 12, 2009 4:27 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

30 pages away from finishing The Blind Side*

"I did not invent the wheel, I was the crooked spoke adjacent." - Aesop Rock

by John (obviousman) on Mar 12, 2009 4:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Four

first round CBs; I’m not seeing it. Also we are stacked at WR, hard to picture that either. I like Maualuga too; heh, basically I agree with everything Matto said. It’s funny nobody has us going OT.

The Draft is in 43 days.

"Football is a physical sport, sometimes you have a disagreement on what's going on, and you have a discussion about it." Kris Dielman

by Brian (DaBolts) on Mar 13, 2009 6:33 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I think it will be a bit like last year

There will be an early run on OTs and there will be no more 1st round quality ones to draft at 16. I agree with you though I really don’t see them drafting another CB unless they plan on moving Cason back to SS and I don’t see them drafting a WR in the entire draft let alone the first round.

by Steve (Grey Suit) on Mar 13, 2009 9:51 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

With LT resigning and the singing of Burnett

I really think that the Chargers will trade down to get a 2nd round pick and take one of the top 2 safties in the draft.

by Steve (Grey Suit) on Mar 13, 2009 9:54 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

The thing is....

The top 2 safeties are definitely not good enough to garner a first round pick (and first round money). However, Malcolm Jenkins is a good enough corner and has the skills to be a fantastic safety (which he played a little bit of in college). If we grab Jenkins, it’s as a safety and not a move that will move any of our current CBs.

Trading down is a move AJ liked to do when we had no holes. This year we have holes. Even with LT and Burnett, those positions still need upgrading. The running game was quite bad last year, so you can’t bring back the same guys and expect better results. Also, there’s no guarantee that Burnett is going to start at ILB. He may simply be coming in to replace Wilhelm as our ILB in passing situations.

Quite simply, AJ is double-insured for everything. Can’t get a good OT? That’s fine, we leave Clary at RT (where he’s adequate) and put Forney in at RG. Can’t get a good RB? That’s fine, because our need is for a second running back and not a first. A second running back can be grabbed after camp cuts (Larry Johnson will be one name out there). Can’t get a good LB? That’s okay, because Dobbins is good enough against the run and Burnett seems good enough against the pass. Can’t get a good Safety? Well let’s move our nickel corner out to FS, move Weddle to SS and either pick up a corner (see: Drayton Florence) or see if Gordon can handle the role.

AJ is simply making sure that come training camp, every hole is filled with someone spectacular or someone adequate. He’s doing a hell of a job too. And he’s putting himself in a position where that first round pick will fill a hole either way. We don’t NEED to draft a first round anything, but getting Maualuga, Oher, Jenkins, Moreno or Jerry would all work out equally as well for the team in upgrading the position.

"I did not invent the wheel, I was the crooked spoke adjacent." - Aesop Rock

by John (obviousman) on Mar 16, 2009 7:11 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

We don’t NEED to draft a first round anything, but getting Maualuga, Oher, Jenkins, Moreno or Jerry would all work out equally as well for the team in upgrading the position.

This is exactly right. There is bound to be a quality guy left somewhere there I think; the only thing that worries me is if both QBs fall out of the top 16.

"Football is a physical sport, sometimes you have a disagreement on what's going on, and you have a discussion about it." Kris Dielman

by Brian (DaBolts) on Mar 16, 2009 7:57 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think we do have needs

I think we do have needs that only a first round pick will solve. Specifically, I think that we need to address either DT or safety. I think we need to pick up a guy who can start for us right off the bat (or close to it), and I think you only get an immediate starter at those positions in the first round. I think Bingham is a solid backup, but I don’t think he is starter material at DE. And I think the difference between where Hart is and where we could be at safety is big enough that we need to upgrade there. Obviously we can’t address both in the first round, but I bet we address one of them in the first round.

I think ideally you want to be able to take the best player available, but I don’t think we’re there.

by Stephen (shaynes41) on Mar 16, 2009 9:43 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not Bingham

But I can see giving Cesaire a shot; if Merriman comes back anything close to full speed he is going to make everyone better. I do think we have a need at safety, but there isn’t a first round safety out there; if Jenkins falls I can see taking him. Oliver is an interesting candidate for safety, but if they don’t like him the third rounder should net a reasonable candidate. There isn’t much we can do at safety with the first rounder anyway; and I’m a little leery trading down for a safety that isn’t good enough to be in the first round. I’d like to see a DT or a linebacker with first rounder just because I think that front seven is the heart of a defense. Raji is the only NT worthy of the first rounder, but he won’t slip that far.

"Football is a physical sport, sometimes you have a disagreement on what's going on, and you have a discussion about it." Kris Dielman

by Brian (DaBolts) on Mar 16, 2009 10:09 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

We could trade down to the second

And Ron Brace could be a future NT.

But, I think I already discussed the difficult “math” involved with trading down. To summarize, it’s a very difficult scenario involving one or two specific trade partners that are equipped to give us adequate return value and that return value is probably not equal to what people think of when they imagine us trading down.

1-10-DEN 18 (9:52) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short right intended for 19-E.Royal INTERCEPTED by 93-L.Castillo (95-S.Phillips) at DEN 18. 93-L.Castillo to DEN 14 for 4 yards (62-C.Wiegmann). 6-J.Cutler pouts ob to DEN 25 for 11 yards.

by Wonko on Mar 16, 2009 1:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sorry should have been more clear

I meant draft a safety with the 2nd round pick they would/could acquire by trading down.

by Steve (Grey Suit) on Mar 16, 2009 10:02 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Jenkins, who is being looked at as a safety as well as a cornerback due to slow times in the 40, tried to improve on his 40 numbers at the pro day, but was unsuccessful. He turned in times of 4.58 and 4.55 in Columbus after running between 4.52 and 4.58 at the NFL combine in Indianapolis (4.55 or quicker is considered ideal for NFL corners). He stood on the rest of his numbers from the combine.

"I did not invent the wheel, I was the crooked spoke adjacent." - Aesop Rock

by John (obviousman) on Mar 17, 2009 11:15 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Something scares me about moving Jenkins to FS

I have not seen him play enough how did he look against the run?

by Steve (Grey Suit) on Mar 17, 2009 2:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Really good

The best college corner I’ve seen against the run since Jammer (who was the best by far). Not only that, from what I’ve been able to watch of Ohio State in the last two years Jenkins spends a couple of plays per game as FS (although it’s usually on the right side of the offense, where the SS usually plays, because that’s where he lines up as a corner most of the time). He would have no problem playing FS, but it seems like he might not be comfortable with the idea of him as a FS instead of a corner. Everything I read has him desperately trying to run better than 4.55 so he can get back to being a “corner” in the draft instead of “corner or safety”.

"I did not invent the wheel, I was the crooked spoke adjacent." - Aesop Rock

by John (obviousman) on Mar 17, 2009 5:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It seems to me

guys like this get drafted as a CB, spend a year there and then end up moving (Antrel Rolle comes to mind) even though the experts say they aren’t a CB. Which isn’t really an option on our team.

by Wonko on Mar 17, 2009 5:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

You may be right

But I’m trying to stay positive and think this is similar to Michael Griffin, who started as a dominating corner and moved to safety during his career at safety. In the draft he was considered a “corner or safety” and has stuck at safety with the Titans.

"I did not invent the wheel, I was the crooked spoke adjacent." - Aesop Rock

by John (obviousman) on Mar 18, 2009 4:23 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

And I guess my thought is

We better be damned sure he is willing (and maybe even excited?) to be an NFL safety before spending our 1st round pick on him. I don’t want to end up with a guy that’s going through the motions at safety while still thinking about how he could’ve been a shutdown corner.

by Wonko on Mar 18, 2009 12:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree 100%

I neglect to think about these things when I’m dreaming about rookies making an impact on our team.

"I did not invent the wheel, I was the crooked spoke adjacent." - Aesop Rock

by John (obviousman) on Mar 18, 2009 1:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

rhe draft last year i picked our 1 and the trade for a 2 rd pick

A FEW YEARS AGO I HAD MY OWN NETWORK SHOW

unless a major talent such as smith f\rom ala OR BJ RAJI

the chargers will grabb two draft choices in the first later a nd second round

sanchez or freeman will be a AVAILABLE AND ANOTHER TEAM will make a deal for that spot

detroit is picking a tacKle first probely smith baylor rams taking crabtree stafford going to the 49ners a lot of tacles will be in the first round chargers taching de or tackle DETROIT HOPES FREEMAN AVAILABLE AT 20

rb from liberty GOOD THRID ROUND CHOICE

by alrissoto on Mar 18, 2009 1:48 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I just have to say...

WTF is going on here?

by Wonko on Mar 18, 2009 12:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah.....

I was going to “hide” that post, then I realized that he wasn’t really spamming or saying anything wrong. It just looks like he was typing with a broken keyboard.

I’d like to know what network show he had though…

"I did not invent the wheel, I was the crooked spoke adjacent." - Aesop Rock

by John (obviousman) on Mar 18, 2009 1:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs