Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
Kent Somers prioritizes the Cardinals' draft needs as follows:
1. ILB
2. NT
3. OLB
4. QB
5. WR
The Cardinals have 5 picks in the first 124: #26, #58, #88, #89 and #124.
Rod Graves has indicated that he's very happy with the depth in the draft at the Cardinals' positions of need.
What that may suggest is that the Cardinals will take the BPA/N...in other words, the best player on the board that addresses one of their needs.
I think we all agree that if Rolando McClain and Sean Weatherspoon don't fall to #26, the Cardinals would likely look to select an ILB later, and the BPA/N would apply.
The five players at #26 that I consider BPA/N talent and impact wise are:
1. Brandon Graham, OLB/DE, Michigan. He is another Lamarr Woodley in the making and would be a stellar addition at SOLB. But, I think that he will be off the board.
2. Jerry Hughes, OLB/DE, TCU. He'd be such a good fit for the Cardinals because he's a left side rusher who could line up opposite Joey Porter. What's amazing about Hughes is that most elite pass rushers are right side (blind side to the QB) rushers. The left side rushers can be seen quicker by the QBs and yet in Hughes' case he converges to the QB so quickly that they have a hard time eluding him.
3. Jared Odrick, DT, Penn. St. The motor on this kid is sensational...not only does he have quick, relentless feet, he's big and strong (6-5, 301). I strongly believe that he would be a major threat at DE, NT and pass rushing DT. He's one of those players who you can line up anywhere and he will create havoc for the offense.
4. Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri. Plays with great intensity, and has the speed and range to deliver tackles from sideline to sideline. He's not as good, IMO, running downhill to the ball, but he's great in coverage, as evidenced by the interception he had in the Senior Bowl when he beat the RB up the right sideline to the ball and intercepted it right inside the pylon.
5. Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame. Does a superb job of shaking his man and is physical enough to stave him off when the ball is in the air. He is excellent at timing his jumps and catching the ball at its highest point.
I think any of these five players would be a great addition. All of them are NFL ready and can contribute immediately.
WILB candidates beyond the #26:
1. Sean Lee, LB, Penn. St. Another very good player from Linebacker U. Plays smart, instinctively and aggressively. Knee injuries have slowed him, which makes you a little leery.
2. Daryl Washington, LB, TCU. Perhaps the most gifted athlete at ILB in this draft. Can handle all the responsibilities of the position. Has very good range, is a good tackler and has the speed and instincts to be very good in coverage. But, he lacks experience, looks a little slow to react at times, and doesn't have as quick a forward gear as you would hope for.
3. Rennie Curran, LB, Georgia. I think he is one of the most under-rated players in this draft, because he lacks prototypical height and size. But, go watch him play. He played Dansby's WILB spot at Georgia and he has, without a doubt, save perhaps Rolando McClain, the best forward gear of his class. He has a penchant for blowing up plays, because he is extraordinarily quick to react and because he plays a highly physical style. However, because of his forward gear he can bite on play fakes at times, and will need to become more reliable in coverage.
4. Jamar Chaney, LB, Mississippi St. Lacks ideal size but plays fast and tough. Is a tackling machine and a pure sticker in coverage. You do not want to be trying to catch the ball with him in the vacinity. He will lay you out. The issue I saw with him is he's not a great sifter through traffic the way Curran is.
5. Dakota Watson, LB, Florida St. A superb athlete who can play WILB, IMO. He has the best and quickest range of the bunch. Because he played on the edge at FSU, he would have to learn the plug and coverage responsibilities, which may take a little time.
6. Koa Misi, LB, Utah. This guy is the Tasmanian Devil on the football field. He's always around the ball making plays and is exceptionally versatile. He can chase with the best of them, he can apply consistent heat as a pass rusher, he can tackle in space and he has the speed and agility to cover. He's dropped some weight recently which actually may make him even more suited to playing WILB.
7. Pat Angerer, LB, Iowa. Like Rennie Curran is undersized but plays with speed, instincts and toughness. Is very good in coverage.
Again, I would like any of these players...which gives you some flexibility at #58 if you want to wait until the #88 pick to take one them. I think all of them will be there at #88 except perhaps Lee (who still may slide due to his knee issues), Washington (who may slide due to his lack of experience) and Misi (who currently lacks the bulk to be a 3 down edge player).
To me the best and most physcial tackler of this group is Rennie Curran. This kid jacks people up. His lack of height doesn't concern me because he plays must bigger than he is and because it actually helps him sift through traffic quicker. What irked me so much about Karlos Dansby was that he was so slow ansd reluctant to step up on inside runs or to blow up screen and quick hitches to his side. Curran is so quick to the ball and so aggressive that the big plays the Cardinals have given up to the weak side for years now would be significantly fewer. I'd rather have a great tackler at WILB than a so-so tackler who can cover, because I believe that with good coaching Curran, with his speed and aggressiveness should be able to cover any back out of the backfield. And with Henderson in charge of the secondary, the Cardinals will now be shunning the soft zone for a steady diet of aggressive in your face man-to-man...something Curran should be able to handle very well.
For this reason, he's the guy I would take at #88, so that I could take Jerrry Hughes at #26 and address another need at #58.
Let's get the #58 pick. The big question here becomes NT or WR?
If you think, for example, that NT Cam Thomas is head and shoulders better than Linval Joseph, Torrell Troup or Al Woods, then Thomas is your guy at #58. While I like Thomas and thought he played solidly at the Senior Bowl, I like Troup and Woods just as much and I can see them both being available at #89...and even possibly at #124.
This is why I want to grab in impact WR at #58...unless, CB Kareem Jackson of Alabama is on the board. Jackson is the best press CB in this draft and would be perfect fit for Donnie Henderson's style.
The WR I love (second to Golden Tate) is Mardy Gilyard of Cincinnati. This kid is a TD waiting to happen. Just as DRC lit up the Senior Bowl, so did Gilyard. But, the game of Gilyard's that I remember the most is the Pittsburgh game that was, in effect, the Big East Championship game...and it was in late November, it was snowing heavily and the field was slick. The game was somewhat like the Cardinals' Packers' playoff bonanza in that both teams were scoring left and right and the lead was seesawing back and forth. QB Tony Pike was struggling with the conditions...but down the stretch Gilyard took the game over and caught the game winner on a nifty double move sideline pass. He's fast and slithery and sure footed, and can catch seemingly everything thrown in his direction. As he shopwed in the Senior Bowl too, he has an uncanny penchant for slipping behind his CB. Plus, Gilyard is a gifted return man. He averaged 29 yards per kickoff return this past year.
if Gilyard is off the board, there are still some major talents at WR to snag at #58:
1. Damian Williams, USC. NFL ready. Polished and nifty route runner. Excellent hands.
2. Brandon LaFell, LSU. Q Jr.?
3. Dexter McCluster, Mississippi. Greased lightning on a football field. Excellent reurn man as well.
4. Arrelious Benn, Illinois. Great size to speed ratio.
5. Jordan Shipley, Texas. A faster, slightly taller, Wes Welker?
6. Taylor Price, Ohio. A speed burner with good hands.
7. Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas. Clutch WR. Rises to the occasion. A real chain mover.
I would be fine with any of these WRs. I didn't inlcude Demaryious Thomas of GT because I think he will be taken early in the second round. I also think Benn and McCluster will be taken prior to #58. But, I think Gilyard has a chance and if he's there I would do cartwheels.
At #89...here's where I am looking at NT Torrell Troup or Al Woods...but...I think they can still be had in the early or portion of round 4 or at #124 and if we can trade down and recover the 5th round pick we gave up in the Boldin deal, we do it. If we can't trade down we take Troup or Woods.
Why would the #89 pick garner some interest for a trade? It would be the end of the second night and teams with extra picks could easily want to move up to that spot to take a player on the board they think might go in the last few picks of the third round.
So, if a trade can be made...I think we become concerned that overnight teams that want to draft a QB may be looking to draft one in the 4th round, so we take a QB there with the first of our two 4th round picks. The two I like the best at that point are Mike Kafka and Levi Brown. Either one would be fine with me. Then we hope that at #124 Troup or Woods is on the board. I think Woods will be, so he's the pick. If both of them are taken, we look for a CB (Javier Arenas) or DT (Earl Mitchell) here and look to draft a NT like Stanford's Ekom Udofia (6-4, 326) or Georgia's Cade Weston (6-5, 318) in round five or six.
What I would hope for is that we could take Udofia or Weston in round 6 and draft Iowa's ILB A.J. Edds in round 5. Edds may be the best cover ILB in this class, and would be the perfect compliment to Rennie Curran.
As for the 7th round, as I've said, I would love to add the new Sean Morey in Virginia Tech's SS Cody Grimm who would like to say a nice little hello to the likes of Ted Ginn, Jr. and C.J. Spiller.
The Results:
1. Jerry Hughes, OLB, TCU
2. Mardy Gilyard, WR/KR, Cincinnati or Damian Williams, USC
3. Rennie Curran, ILB, Georgia or Jamar Chaney, Mississippi St.
4a. Mike Kafka, QB, Northwestern or Levi Brown, Troy
4b. Javier Arenas, CB/NB/PR, Alabama or Al Woods, NT, LSU
5. A.J. Edds, ILB, Iowa
6. Cade Weston, NT, Georgia
7. Cody Grimm, SS, Virginia Tech
Your thoughts?
1. ILB
2. NT
3. OLB
4. QB
5. WR
The Cardinals have 5 picks in the first 124: #26, #58, #88, #89 and #124.
Rod Graves has indicated that he's very happy with the depth in the draft at the Cardinals' positions of need.
What that may suggest is that the Cardinals will take the BPA/N...in other words, the best player on the board that addresses one of their needs.
I think we all agree that if Rolando McClain and Sean Weatherspoon don't fall to #26, the Cardinals would likely look to select an ILB later, and the BPA/N would apply.
The five players at #26 that I consider BPA/N talent and impact wise are:
1. Brandon Graham, OLB/DE, Michigan. He is another Lamarr Woodley in the making and would be a stellar addition at SOLB. But, I think that he will be off the board.
2. Jerry Hughes, OLB/DE, TCU. He'd be such a good fit for the Cardinals because he's a left side rusher who could line up opposite Joey Porter. What's amazing about Hughes is that most elite pass rushers are right side (blind side to the QB) rushers. The left side rushers can be seen quicker by the QBs and yet in Hughes' case he converges to the QB so quickly that they have a hard time eluding him.
3. Jared Odrick, DT, Penn. St. The motor on this kid is sensational...not only does he have quick, relentless feet, he's big and strong (6-5, 301). I strongly believe that he would be a major threat at DE, NT and pass rushing DT. He's one of those players who you can line up anywhere and he will create havoc for the offense.
4. Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri. Plays with great intensity, and has the speed and range to deliver tackles from sideline to sideline. He's not as good, IMO, running downhill to the ball, but he's great in coverage, as evidenced by the interception he had in the Senior Bowl when he beat the RB up the right sideline to the ball and intercepted it right inside the pylon.
5. Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame. Does a superb job of shaking his man and is physical enough to stave him off when the ball is in the air. He is excellent at timing his jumps and catching the ball at its highest point.
I think any of these five players would be a great addition. All of them are NFL ready and can contribute immediately.
WILB candidates beyond the #26:
1. Sean Lee, LB, Penn. St. Another very good player from Linebacker U. Plays smart, instinctively and aggressively. Knee injuries have slowed him, which makes you a little leery.
2. Daryl Washington, LB, TCU. Perhaps the most gifted athlete at ILB in this draft. Can handle all the responsibilities of the position. Has very good range, is a good tackler and has the speed and instincts to be very good in coverage. But, he lacks experience, looks a little slow to react at times, and doesn't have as quick a forward gear as you would hope for.
3. Rennie Curran, LB, Georgia. I think he is one of the most under-rated players in this draft, because he lacks prototypical height and size. But, go watch him play. He played Dansby's WILB spot at Georgia and he has, without a doubt, save perhaps Rolando McClain, the best forward gear of his class. He has a penchant for blowing up plays, because he is extraordinarily quick to react and because he plays a highly physical style. However, because of his forward gear he can bite on play fakes at times, and will need to become more reliable in coverage.
4. Jamar Chaney, LB, Mississippi St. Lacks ideal size but plays fast and tough. Is a tackling machine and a pure sticker in coverage. You do not want to be trying to catch the ball with him in the vacinity. He will lay you out. The issue I saw with him is he's not a great sifter through traffic the way Curran is.
5. Dakota Watson, LB, Florida St. A superb athlete who can play WILB, IMO. He has the best and quickest range of the bunch. Because he played on the edge at FSU, he would have to learn the plug and coverage responsibilities, which may take a little time.
6. Koa Misi, LB, Utah. This guy is the Tasmanian Devil on the football field. He's always around the ball making plays and is exceptionally versatile. He can chase with the best of them, he can apply consistent heat as a pass rusher, he can tackle in space and he has the speed and agility to cover. He's dropped some weight recently which actually may make him even more suited to playing WILB.
7. Pat Angerer, LB, Iowa. Like Rennie Curran is undersized but plays with speed, instincts and toughness. Is very good in coverage.
Again, I would like any of these players...which gives you some flexibility at #58 if you want to wait until the #88 pick to take one them. I think all of them will be there at #88 except perhaps Lee (who still may slide due to his knee issues), Washington (who may slide due to his lack of experience) and Misi (who currently lacks the bulk to be a 3 down edge player).
To me the best and most physcial tackler of this group is Rennie Curran. This kid jacks people up. His lack of height doesn't concern me because he plays must bigger than he is and because it actually helps him sift through traffic quicker. What irked me so much about Karlos Dansby was that he was so slow ansd reluctant to step up on inside runs or to blow up screen and quick hitches to his side. Curran is so quick to the ball and so aggressive that the big plays the Cardinals have given up to the weak side for years now would be significantly fewer. I'd rather have a great tackler at WILB than a so-so tackler who can cover, because I believe that with good coaching Curran, with his speed and aggressiveness should be able to cover any back out of the backfield. And with Henderson in charge of the secondary, the Cardinals will now be shunning the soft zone for a steady diet of aggressive in your face man-to-man...something Curran should be able to handle very well.
For this reason, he's the guy I would take at #88, so that I could take Jerrry Hughes at #26 and address another need at #58.
Let's get the #58 pick. The big question here becomes NT or WR?
If you think, for example, that NT Cam Thomas is head and shoulders better than Linval Joseph, Torrell Troup or Al Woods, then Thomas is your guy at #58. While I like Thomas and thought he played solidly at the Senior Bowl, I like Troup and Woods just as much and I can see them both being available at #89...and even possibly at #124.
This is why I want to grab in impact WR at #58...unless, CB Kareem Jackson of Alabama is on the board. Jackson is the best press CB in this draft and would be perfect fit for Donnie Henderson's style.
The WR I love (second to Golden Tate) is Mardy Gilyard of Cincinnati. This kid is a TD waiting to happen. Just as DRC lit up the Senior Bowl, so did Gilyard. But, the game of Gilyard's that I remember the most is the Pittsburgh game that was, in effect, the Big East Championship game...and it was in late November, it was snowing heavily and the field was slick. The game was somewhat like the Cardinals' Packers' playoff bonanza in that both teams were scoring left and right and the lead was seesawing back and forth. QB Tony Pike was struggling with the conditions...but down the stretch Gilyard took the game over and caught the game winner on a nifty double move sideline pass. He's fast and slithery and sure footed, and can catch seemingly everything thrown in his direction. As he shopwed in the Senior Bowl too, he has an uncanny penchant for slipping behind his CB. Plus, Gilyard is a gifted return man. He averaged 29 yards per kickoff return this past year.
if Gilyard is off the board, there are still some major talents at WR to snag at #58:
1. Damian Williams, USC. NFL ready. Polished and nifty route runner. Excellent hands.
2. Brandon LaFell, LSU. Q Jr.?
3. Dexter McCluster, Mississippi. Greased lightning on a football field. Excellent reurn man as well.
4. Arrelious Benn, Illinois. Great size to speed ratio.
5. Jordan Shipley, Texas. A faster, slightly taller, Wes Welker?
6. Taylor Price, Ohio. A speed burner with good hands.
7. Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas. Clutch WR. Rises to the occasion. A real chain mover.
I would be fine with any of these WRs. I didn't inlcude Demaryious Thomas of GT because I think he will be taken early in the second round. I also think Benn and McCluster will be taken prior to #58. But, I think Gilyard has a chance and if he's there I would do cartwheels.
At #89...here's where I am looking at NT Torrell Troup or Al Woods...but...I think they can still be had in the early or portion of round 4 or at #124 and if we can trade down and recover the 5th round pick we gave up in the Boldin deal, we do it. If we can't trade down we take Troup or Woods.
Why would the #89 pick garner some interest for a trade? It would be the end of the second night and teams with extra picks could easily want to move up to that spot to take a player on the board they think might go in the last few picks of the third round.
So, if a trade can be made...I think we become concerned that overnight teams that want to draft a QB may be looking to draft one in the 4th round, so we take a QB there with the first of our two 4th round picks. The two I like the best at that point are Mike Kafka and Levi Brown. Either one would be fine with me. Then we hope that at #124 Troup or Woods is on the board. I think Woods will be, so he's the pick. If both of them are taken, we look for a CB (Javier Arenas) or DT (Earl Mitchell) here and look to draft a NT like Stanford's Ekom Udofia (6-4, 326) or Georgia's Cade Weston (6-5, 318) in round five or six.
What I would hope for is that we could take Udofia or Weston in round 6 and draft Iowa's ILB A.J. Edds in round 5. Edds may be the best cover ILB in this class, and would be the perfect compliment to Rennie Curran.
As for the 7th round, as I've said, I would love to add the new Sean Morey in Virginia Tech's SS Cody Grimm who would like to say a nice little hello to the likes of Ted Ginn, Jr. and C.J. Spiller.
The Results:
1. Jerry Hughes, OLB, TCU
2. Mardy Gilyard, WR/KR, Cincinnati or Damian Williams, USC
3. Rennie Curran, ILB, Georgia or Jamar Chaney, Mississippi St.
4a. Mike Kafka, QB, Northwestern or Levi Brown, Troy
4b. Javier Arenas, CB/NB/PR, Alabama or Al Woods, NT, LSU
5. A.J. Edds, ILB, Iowa
6. Cade Weston, NT, Georgia
7. Cody Grimm, SS, Virginia Tech
Your thoughts?
I luv Gilyard, you must have been looking at some of my earlier posts 
