BFTB Mailbag: Who do you got in the first?

Welcome everyone to the first mailbag of the 2019 calendar year. We’ve got some good questions lined up so let’s try and fill this empty void of an off-season with some good conversation.

Here we go.

My two biggest preferences in the first round at the moment are offensive tackle and interior defensive line.

There is a wealth of offensive tackles at the top of the draft and there is a good chance one may fall to the Chargers at 28. Same goes for defensive line. If there is an early run on quarterbacks and edge rushers, there are some good trench players that may slide into the end of day one.

Some of the more realistic names that could be there at pick 28 are Notre Dame defensive tackle Jerry Tillery, Washington State offensive tackle Andre Dillard, and Clemson defensie tackle Dexter Lawrence.

Man, you’re coming in hot with the controversial questions.

This question would be much tougher to answer if Forrest Lamp was a starter this season and did everything we expected of him. But my wife is pretty great and that is the obvious choice here.

I’m keeping all of my fingers crossed for a Forrest Lamp breakout year in 2019 and I hope all of you will do the same.

Offensive line:

• LT Russell Okung
• LG Dan Feeney
• C Mike Pouncey
• RG Forrest Lamp
• RT Draft Pick (Greg Little, Andre Dillard, Jawaan Taylor, David Edwards)

Defensive Line:

• DE Joey Bosa
• DT Darius Philon
• DT Draft Pick (Renell Wren, Jerry Tillery, Dexter Lawrence, Christian Wilkins)

I don’t have a true ranking for the guys at the Senior Bowl just because I mostly watched the offensive and defensive linemen during the week. If I had to name my five favorite players from Mobile, they would be:

• Notre Dame running back Dexter Lawrence - He looked awesome all week. Hit the holes hard, excelled on zone runs, and showed some soft hands in the passing game. He was as consistent as anyone during the showcase.
• Washington State offensive tackle Andre Dillard - His polished footwork and mechanics in pass protection were visibly ahead of the pack in Mobile. His weigh-in and measurements were all excellent and it’d be tough not take him in the first round. If he can clean up his run game mechanics, he will have one of the highest floors at the position.
• Texas A&M defensive tackle Daylon Mack - A former five-star recruit, Mack finally put it all together during the all-star showcases. He first dominated the Shrine Game before getting the call up to the Senior Bowl and continuing his eye-turning performance. You could count on one hand how many times he lost a rep in 1-on-1’s, if you could even find one.
• New Mexico State linebacker Terrill Hanks - Hanks was one of the biggest winners of the weigh-ins at the Senior Bowl. He came in at a chiseled 234 pounds at an even 6-foot-2. He also possesses a massive 80 ¹⁄₂ inch wingspan, one that bests a number of offensive tackles who also attended the showcase. All week, Hanks was a menace in stopping the run. Stoning running back after running back in the hole. If you’re looking for this year’s Darius Leonard, Hanks may be your guy.
• Mississippi State center Elgton Jenkins - Even with consensus top center Garret Bradbury also in attendance, Jenkins did a hell of a job showcasing his strength and power during the week. Even against the likes of the aforementioned Daylon Mack, Jenkins had the answer to just about every tackle that he faced. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Jenkins shoot up draft boards and potentially find a landing spot early on day two.

I have a bad feeling that they are going to let Perryman go and allow Verrett to stay another year. But, as always, if the money is right, I don’t see why they both can’t stay. Perryman really makes this defense better, we’ve seen plenty of the defense with and without him over the last few seasons. We’ve also seen how good this defense can be without Verrett. It’s tough. These are good players. But it’s a business.

My top three at the moment are Florida right tackle Jawaan Taylor, Notre Dame’s Jerry Tillery, and Washington State’s Andre Dillard

Taylor is a perfect balance between a mauler and a nimble protector. After being a 350-pound high school recruit, Taylor has trimmed himself down to 330 pounds, allowing him to gain some agility while maintaining his brutish nature. I would feel very content with him joining up with Russell Okung to help protect Philip Rivers in his last few years in the NFL.

Tillery is a 6-foot-7 presence that would be a refreshing site in the middle of the Chargers defense. When I watch him, I see a lighter version of Akiem Hicks. Hicks has about 35 pounds on Tillery and is known better for stopping the run while Tillery has a nice bag of pass-rushing tricks up his sleeve. But it’s the intimidation factor that interests me the most. Guys like Hicks and Calais Campbell always draw attention.

And I spoke on Dillard in an above question so refer back to that for my opinion on him.

Scharping was one of the biggest letdowns of the entire Senior Bowl. He constantly gave up ground in pass protection without making the defender earn it and didn’t show much of anything that you would want in an NFL offensive linemen. His feet were heavy and there isn’t a chance in hell he would survive on the outside.

My favorite dog breed is the Caucasian Ovcharka, or Caucasian Sheperd. They are massive dogs that can grow to be 180-200 pounds. Back in the day, they were used to help hunt bears, if that tells you anything...

I think they keep him. He had a good 2017. One bad year shouldn’t turn their entire opinion of him sour. As a former UDFA, he’s already achieved more than most have. They’ll keep him for at least another year or two.