(03-23-2021, 10:33 AM)TheO-LineMatters Wrote:

(03-23-2021, 09:02 AM)Bullseye Wrote: I know you and Rico got into it in another thread about the topic of Barmore post free agency.
We now have numbers at the DL positions, and I suppose we have a starting three of Malcolm Brown, Davon Hamilton (Or "Hawkins" as UM called him) and maybe Alualu.  In addition at least we have rotational guys like Jihad "watch your mouth" Ward and RRH.  But I'm all about favorable matchups.  I don't know that I see any of those guys as dominators/matchup problems for other teams, though admittedly that may be more a function of my lack of exposure to some of those guys as opposed to any weaknesses in their games.  But to the extent those guys are more a functional unit as opposed to a dominant one, the team could always benefit from adding a potentially dominant player.
But given the number of holes on the roster, there is the question about sensible allocation of resources.  If we have solid, if unspectacular starters at one position, wouldn't it make sense to strengthen other areas of the team that are less than solid if unspectacular?  Is it better to lift the floor of the whole team-especially at ostensibly more important positions-than to raise the ceiling of one position?

Perhaps therein lies the issue.  Perhaps Meyer has more of a defensive emphasis than we may think.  When he talked of building the team, he talked about rebuilding the defense from the front back.  If so, and depending on how they have structured their board, D-Line may yet be a high priority, especially if Barmore is still on the board.

But this draft addresses gaping holes on the roster.  The whole offseason, we are among the many who have urged this team to upgrade the T positions.  This draft addresses T early in the draft.  This draft also addresses holes at TE and FS, and they address those positions seemingly all at the approximate part of the draft where the consensus projects them.  But you hate the draft.  Why?

If the goal is to provide protection and targets for Trevor Lawrence, it does that.  What is your problem with a RT that proved he can hold his own Chase Young?  Do you think Jawaan Taylor could come close to that?  I know you think Friermuth looks slow, but TE isn't exactly a position loaded with world class sprinters.  Penn State hasn't had their pro day yet.   By your own admission, you may have underestimated the Oregon safety.

As for Shelvin

, a 3-4 NT is worth his weight in gold.  If you can find a NT with his size and ability, you make room for him.  Taking him in the 3rd or 4th round as this mock does would be a great pick.

I'm not thrilled with Dazz Newsome, either, and I'd rather have his teammate.  I don't think Newsome has the speed that Meyer seems to crave at the position.  But I have to assume Dyami Brown-who has the deep speed Meyer likes-would be long gone by this stage in the draft.

Is the draft perfect?

No.

But what mock draft is in March?

As far as getting value and addressing positions of need, this draft is far from horrible.

We spent big money on Robertson-Harris. If he isn't starting, that's a bad contract. None of our starting guys are gonna wow you in a pass rush, but all are very good against the run and you can tell by the way this team signed free agents, that they are focusing the front 3 on stopping the run. Barmore is way better as a pass rusher, than as a run stopper. Given what we now have on the D-Line, I am satisfied as long as we add another good pass rusher at OLB. If all of our other positions were as solid as our front 3, we'd be a playoff team, but we're a long way off from that. 

I hate the draft, because imo, we've addressed the D-Line. We should move on. As for addressing other areas, I just think the actual players drafted in this mock are bad fits for the team. I don't have Mayfield ranked very highly at all. He's a pure RT, which is fine, if that RT is elite, but I don't think Mayfield is at all. I think there are much better players on the board, even at RT. To me, this is a reach. I think Holland is a reach based on his limited play due to his opt out. I just don't like gambling that early. It's not my nature. Freiermuth is not an athletic TE. He just isn't the type of speed player Meyer said he likes. I don't need a 40 time to tell me that. He plays slow, so I believe that is a bad fit as well. As for the pass rushers, we drafted 3-4 OLB's to play 4-3 DE's in the past and so far, that hasn't worked. Now, we're drafting 4-3 DE's to play 3-4 OLB's? That's basically the same thing in reverse. I just would prefer more versatile pass rushers. 

With Shelvin, I agree he is a very good player, but is he better than Hamilton or Brown? I doubt it. We are already 2 deep at a single position. I don't see the sense in drafting another NT. 

With Newsome, I see much better receivers available on the board. Personally, I don't think Newsome gets drafted, but you never know about how each team's boards stack up. All it takes is for one team to like him. 

I disagree about this draft filling gaping holes for our team. IMO, it just adds a logjam on the D-Line, never addresses the hole at LT and adds a bunch of bad picks and poor scheme fits. Maybe I'm wrong, but it's just the way I see it, when I look at it.

Though the ideal is finding a franchise LT to go with our franchise QB, with us picking at 25, that may not be in the cards this year. One of the top LTs likely will not fall to us at 25, and while Baalke has proven willing to trade in the past, there's no guarantee he could pull off a deal to move up to land one of the tackles.  If not, I'd much rather take Mayfield, a pure RT who can pass protect, than no T at all.  At minimum, he upgrades Taylor and helps improve our depth along the OL at two positions.  He more than held his own against Chase freaking Young.  Does Taylor manage that?  What do you dislike about his game?  If we upgrade the pass protection on the right side, there are things we can do to bolster the left, like line up a TE on that side and keep him in to block, and use RBs to chip a DE.

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