NFL Draft Round 1

[eaglefan5]

Which way do you guys think you'll go with this pick?
_________________

[Boltstrikes]

[21BoltSalute]

[mgoblue44]

IMO, these would be our options (assuming we pick in the middle)

1) RT

Our biggest asset is Phillip Rivers, despite how the defense is playing. If we cant protect Rivers, we have no offense.

2) 3-4 DE

Missing Olshansky really hurt us. No matter who we put there this year, they are not a long term answer. We need an immediate fix.

3) NT

Williams isnt getting any younger and were seeing how much his absence hurts us on the line. We could look for his sucessor.

4) FS

Gregory and Ellison havnt played bad, but there is definately room for improvement.

5) RB

Im not saying LT is finished, but getting his sucessor would help with his development playing behind LT.

I think we are going to resign Jackson and McNeil. To be honest, I think we should trade back in the first, get a late first rounder and pick up another second or 3rd round pick.
_________________

Deadpulse on the sig

NHL: Toronto Maple Leafs
NFL: San Diego Chargers
NBA: Toronto Raptors
MLB: Toronto Blue Jays

[Duffman57]

Just to give a couple of faces... (not in any particular order)

Rolando McClain (even though this isn't the biggest need, it brings another leader to our D)

Arthur Jones (great 2 gap run stopping DT who would be a perfect DE in the 3-4)

Vince Oghobaase (if have him rated this high, then he might not be a bad pick. See Jones for description)

Allen Bailey (again, if you have him rated this high. He is a freakish athlete but a little raw. Has all the potential in the world, and would be a great fit in the 3-4)

Jerry Hughes (this is only if Merriman leaves, and even if he does, this wouldn't be a big choice, but if everyone else is gone)

Kristopher O'Dowd (We need a C that can actually play for a couple of games at a time. Again, if most other people are gone)

Someone i am really hoping for in the 2nd round:

Mike Iupati (can play both G and RT, is really aggressive, and if he lost some fat, then he would be even better)
_________________

[AntonioGates]

Defense would be a good place to start. Nose tackle, defensive end, safety would all be places that will be looked at. I would not be opposed to taking an inside linebacker like I was this past draft. No need for corner or outside linebacker.

Then the running game needs a boost. We have a decent enough line. Hardwick's return will hopefully help, but his biggest asset is identifying blitzers. Our longterm running back situation isn't good. I expect a 2nd or 3rd round pick to be spent on a running back if the right guy is there.

Then some developmental players at wide receiver, quarterback, and tight end would be good.
_________________

[The LBC]

I think a lot of it is more a question of who do we "want" versus who is more "likely" to be the pick.

OT is a glaring need on this team. You'll find the opinion around here split about 66%/33% (if not more heavily on the former) that Jeromey Clary is barely serviceable at RT. I would contend that even if he's barely serviceable that's quite frankly not good enough for a team that has perennial playoff aspirations. He doesn't seal the edge well enough to play tackle, they guy may have plenty of potential at guard, but with a recent mid-round pick invested in Vasquez (who is stronger than Clary and arguably a better pass-blocker) and Dielman still under contract for several more years, I can't see a spot other than back-up detail where Clary is suited.

However...

We're talking A.J. Smith as out GM here and the earliest the man has ever taken an offensive lineman was the 2nd round with Marcus McNeil and that was in a draft that had extremely limited depth at the tackle position. So I'll be honest, after Oher fell to us last season and he passed on him, I'm fairly convinced he simply doesn't value offensive linemen as a very early need and in a draft of standard depth will be more than content to wait till rounds 2-5 to find his guy.

5-T DE is a position we've shown a history of addressing in the early rounds, though it tends to be uber-athletic freaks versus big plugs (Castillo, Olshansky, and even Jamal Williams when he was coming out of Okla St fit this description). So if Allen Bailey comes out, even though he's more raw than I think most give him credit for being, I think he'll get a serious look from us because he fits the bill of what AJ has traditionally looked for and pursued in a DT to convert to DE. I would even go so far as to rank him in likelihood over Arthur Jones because he's considerable more of an athletic specimen than Jones is. I need to check Academic All-American records since we have no Wunderlic scores to go off of, but AJ also tends to favor "intelligent" prospects pretty heavily (see Rivers, Castillo, Cason, Martin, and Hardwick I believe as well).

McClain is the only LB I could see us going after in the 1st because he's the only one I can see projecting as a TED. Yes, we're more light at MIKE right now, but the rule of thumb has tended to be that if you can lay your hands on a stud TED (e.g. Willis, Mayo) then that's the only 3-4 ILB position worth drafting in the 1st as far as value goes, because of the premium on those guys being able to shed blocks while shooting the interior line. McClain would be very much an "English-type" pick, he'd see a fair amount of rotational duty as a rookie and the team will be constantly looking for an opportunity to get him on the field, and eventually (i.e. 2011) he's the successor to Stephen Cooper. Spikes can't shed blocks (reminds me ALOT of a bit bigger James Laurinaitis... or a faster Rey Maualuga, neither of which projected all that fantastically to the 3-4 for the same reason, and were passed on by numerous 3-4 teams despite being worked out by them on account).

I think the pick that may surprise folks (outside of Chargerland) in the 1st, is that we could very well go safety if the right one is there. Chad Jones is an intriguing option, depending on where in the round we're picking (if he declares, I'd say he had good value outside of the Top 15-20). Deunta Williams is another guy that may boost his stock to fringe 1st round status by draft day, but I think s probably more likely a 2nd rounder. Nate Allen won't jump to 1st round status unless by reach without a monster breakout that's yet to happen, but he's good 2nd round value. And another sneaky pick if he declares could be ReShad Jones of Georgia.

Cody's a "trendy" pick to give any 3-4, but I'm not sure he's athletic enough to fit AJ's tastes, and he also raises the question of where do you put him on the field next season if Jamal is back and healthy, because he lacked the lateral mobility to put in reps at DE, thus we'd be spending a 1st orund pick for a guy that might see 10-15 snaps per game in his rookie year. I'm not sure we're in a position to have that luxury.

I don't see RB as anywhere near a 1st round need (again, it's a trendy pick that folks see for the Chargers), if for no other reason than unless Smith and the staff become enamored with Spiller, I'm not sure that any of the RB's in this class that might garner a 1st or 2nd round grade fit what our staff looks for in a runner. Best has major questions with regard to his ability to pound the rock in 1 and 2 gaps, as well as with his pass-blocking (God knows we don't need another RB who struggles in pass-pro on this team). Dwyer has pass-pro questions as well as speed questions (unless you've got All-Pro stud stamped on your butt like Adrian Peterson, backs do not tend to garner 1st round grades without elite speed). If we draft a back (which we may in the mid-rounds), we're likely to look for someone more in a Michael Turner mold than a Darren Sproles mold. Whoever it is they have to have good hands out of the backfield and at least respectable speed. Assuming he continues to stay healthy and on the track he's on, I really like Montario Hardesty from Tennessee whose the kind of back that's a lot of us around here liked a couple years ago in Jonathan Stewart. Ben Tate and Chris Brown (Oklahoma) are other guys that fit our kind of RB that are good mid Day 2 prospects.
_________________

ryknowssd's 2010 Draft Preview - An LBC-recommended Read