(05-01-2022, 05:14 AM)Caldrac Wrote: This was a good draft on paper overall. A good defense can add valuable time of possession or create turnovers for your offense. Between the additions they made and the investments they made in free agency I am not upset about how this draft unfolded.

There's a reason why a record number of WR's went early in this year's draft between the first two rounds and why a good number of players on offense that we all coveted ultimately ended up falling multiple rounds. It was not a good year on offense class wise.

I think the most overlooked and understated aspect of this off season though has been the fact that Pederson runs an RPO and Lawrence was comfortable and excelled within a RPO system at Clemson. He should be able to showcase his ability and his football IQ more this year. I also trust Pederson as a play caller a whole hell of a lot more than anybody this team has had over the past decade.

Baalke went with value early. I am not going to bash him for that. He signed Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, Evan Ingram & Brandon Scherff on offense this year and he already invested a pick/player via trade in Dan Arnold last year and an additional first round selection was made for Etienne. Arnold was actually making some decent progress despite being gained a month into the season. Walker Little was also a 2nd RD pick last year.

I think Fortner and Conner will add a lot of value to the team this year when it's all said and done. We needed a Center with Linder's retirement. We needed a power runner in the backfield and an insurance policy with Robinson and Etienne still on the mend and shaking the rust off. You got that with Conner. Hit the end zone a lot in spite of limited touches in his career.

Everyone wanted a WR. They got one for free essentially yesterday with Kevin Austin and there's still a chance to keep churning the UDFA market or even trade for or sign another veteran. What's funny to me is that, the guy that NEVER drafted a quality WR during his tenure in San Francisco, the guy that got made fun of on here because of his inability to find a quality receiver? Is now getting blasted for not drafting one. It's hilarious. He didn't reach. He didn't take anybody coming off an ACL this year.

He went out and got smart, fast & physical football players on defense that we desperately needed. Tough crowd on here.

As to your second paragraph, it goes back to what Pederson was saying before the draft...that the depth was not there at WR and interior OL.

As to the value of the picks vs the position, let's face it, we couldn't have gotten value at WR in the first round without trading up higher.  The Jaguars got no offers to trade back from #1 overall, so that wasn't an option.   Though some of us would not have minded taking Jameson Williams #1 overall, had Baalke done that or taken any other WR, he would have been savaged by critics.  Williams is the one WR who, when healthy, displays rare traits.  But the thing about Baalke being obsessed with guys who tear ACLs would have resurfaced.  The team who actually took Williams had the 2nd overall pick, and didn't take him until 122th overall.  Now I will temper my excitement for Austin until he starts proving it in minicamp/training camp/preseason.  But the bottom line is it was virtualy impossible to maximize value at WR in the first 3 rounds.

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(05-01-2022, 04:26 AM)ChrisJagBoy Wrote:

(04-30-2022, 11:07 PM)flsprtsgod Wrote: In a League designed for offense and with a generational talent at QB...we took linebackers and cornerbacks.

We took players to try and slow them down.

Let me put it this way.  I don't see how anyone who watched our game against San Francisco last year could possibly object to going defense early.  Might you object to what defender we took #1 overall?  Sure.  But the fact there were offensive needs on the team does not negate the defensive needs also on the team.

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