10-20-2014, 11:06 AM
What's up guys. In case you don't remember me, I made a whole bunch of write-ups last year on the QB class. They were really raw and unrefined pieces, due in part to my lackluster writing ability and in part to the disparity of my coverage (case in point, I only broke down Blake's SoCar game, which was his worst, which really undervalued my rating of him). So this year, I'm going to apply my shoddy scouting skills to the other positions of need that we could take early in the draft, with better coverage equality, and maybe give you guys something fun and enlightening to read.
Side note before we start: I'm in India this year so my internet coverage is pretty bad at times. I'll try to stay posting if you guys are interested, but at times it can be difficult.
Anyway, on to the good stuff. The first thing to do is to break down our needs. I'll use a "Yes" if it's a clear need, "Maybe" if an upgrade would be nice but not absolutely crucial, or "No" if we are set at the position. For the sake of value-drafting, I will still endeavor to break down the top 1-2 players at every position. Here is my approximation of the Jags' needs (as of 20 October 2014):
QB: No (Blake is the best rookie QB I've seen in a while, has elite potential, and improved remarkably fast from college to the pros. And with Chad being our backup next year, I would be surprised if we took a QB unless the value was immense)
RB: Maybe (Remains to be seen if D Rob or the other guys can emerge as a feature back, until then it will probably be RBBC)
WR: No (AR15, Lee, Hurns, Ace, Cecil, and possibly Blackmon are a young, ascending corps, with at least top-10 potential)
TE: Yes (Marcedes is getting old and injury-prone, and Harbor is more H-back than TE. This IMO is our biggest weakness on offense)
OT: No (Joeckel is coming along very well and I think he will become a top-5 LT as projected. As for Paztor, anyone who has a history of stifling JJ Watt is good for me)
OG: Maybe (Linder is possibly our best OLman as a rook, but Beadles is older and has some concerns)
OC: Maybe (I think Bowanko is our C of the future, but wouldn't balk at a pick if good value was there)
The main thing with the offense (honestly with the whole team) is that it's so young that progression is very likely, so an accurate approximation of our needs is difficult.
DE: Yes (Clem and Red are getting old, and Branch looks to be ascending but is currently injured. DL rotation is important in our scheme, as is getting a young, dominant player, whether LEO or 5-tech)
DT: Maybe (Marks IMO is playing as well as any DT in the league right now, and Miller is more than holding his own. Yet here, too, rotation is a concern)
OLB: Yes (I think Telvin is the future at Will, but I'm not quite comfortable with JT Thomas at Otto)
ILB: Yes (Poz is a stud, but he's getting older, expensive, and more injury-prone)
CB: Maybe (Colvin is expected to nail down a starting job, and the combo of Gratz/McCray is pretty good. But this position is like DL in that you can't have enough talented players here)
FS: Yes (If Evans developed, it would be a coup for us. If not, however, we need an Earl Thomas. The role FS plays in our scheme is critical and we must satisfy this need)
SS: No (Cyprien is one of our best players and is steadily improving)
Ok, so, IMO, our biggest needs, in no particular order, are: TE, DE, OLB, ILB, and FS. Now, in terms of which prospects I'll be looking at, I don't have time to peruse each program for draft-eligible talent. So instead I'll be relying on the hard work of others! Haha I'll be using CBS's Big Board (www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/big-board ), and I'll also take suggestions for players to look at. Sound good? Good.
Post me some suggestions and I will try to get started right away.
Thanks and God bless.
Side note before we start: I'm in India this year so my internet coverage is pretty bad at times. I'll try to stay posting if you guys are interested, but at times it can be difficult.
Anyway, on to the good stuff. The first thing to do is to break down our needs. I'll use a "Yes" if it's a clear need, "Maybe" if an upgrade would be nice but not absolutely crucial, or "No" if we are set at the position. For the sake of value-drafting, I will still endeavor to break down the top 1-2 players at every position. Here is my approximation of the Jags' needs (as of 20 October 2014):
QB: No (Blake is the best rookie QB I've seen in a while, has elite potential, and improved remarkably fast from college to the pros. And with Chad being our backup next year, I would be surprised if we took a QB unless the value was immense)
RB: Maybe (Remains to be seen if D Rob or the other guys can emerge as a feature back, until then it will probably be RBBC)
WR: No (AR15, Lee, Hurns, Ace, Cecil, and possibly Blackmon are a young, ascending corps, with at least top-10 potential)
TE: Yes (Marcedes is getting old and injury-prone, and Harbor is more H-back than TE. This IMO is our biggest weakness on offense)
OT: No (Joeckel is coming along very well and I think he will become a top-5 LT as projected. As for Paztor, anyone who has a history of stifling JJ Watt is good for me)
OG: Maybe (Linder is possibly our best OLman as a rook, but Beadles is older and has some concerns)
OC: Maybe (I think Bowanko is our C of the future, but wouldn't balk at a pick if good value was there)
The main thing with the offense (honestly with the whole team) is that it's so young that progression is very likely, so an accurate approximation of our needs is difficult.
DE: Yes (Clem and Red are getting old, and Branch looks to be ascending but is currently injured. DL rotation is important in our scheme, as is getting a young, dominant player, whether LEO or 5-tech)
DT: Maybe (Marks IMO is playing as well as any DT in the league right now, and Miller is more than holding his own. Yet here, too, rotation is a concern)
OLB: Yes (I think Telvin is the future at Will, but I'm not quite comfortable with JT Thomas at Otto)
ILB: Yes (Poz is a stud, but he's getting older, expensive, and more injury-prone)
CB: Maybe (Colvin is expected to nail down a starting job, and the combo of Gratz/McCray is pretty good. But this position is like DL in that you can't have enough talented players here)
FS: Yes (If Evans developed, it would be a coup for us. If not, however, we need an Earl Thomas. The role FS plays in our scheme is critical and we must satisfy this need)
SS: No (Cyprien is one of our best players and is steadily improving)
Ok, so, IMO, our biggest needs, in no particular order, are: TE, DE, OLB, ILB, and FS. Now, in terms of which prospects I'll be looking at, I don't have time to peruse each program for draft-eligible talent. So instead I'll be relying on the hard work of others! Haha I'll be using CBS's Big Board (www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/big-board ), and I'll also take suggestions for players to look at. Sound good? Good.
Post me some suggestions and I will try to get started right away.
Thanks and God bless.