Path to the Draft, 4/10

Appearing: Paul Burmeister, Charles Davis, Charlie Casserly, Mike Mayock, Michael Lombardi

Team news:

Titans at 20: Titans are expected to take the best defensive player available. They need help at all three levels. Realistic defensive names put out there include Dre Kirkpatrick and Michael Brockers. The cornerback position's where they're likeliest to get the best value for their pick. Peter Konz is also a consideration; the Titans had at least four free agent centers in for visits and they all signed with other teams.

Seahawks at 12: another vote for an edge rusher for Seattle. Beat writer thinks Pete Carroll could motivate Quinton Coples to play at a high level. (I beg the Seahawks to pick Coples using that logic. It's a bust almost every time.) A couple of names mentioned this high in the draft for the first time on this show: Nick Perry and Whitney Mercilus.

Big Dead at 13: Michael Floyd would be a very attractive player to have, but the Cardinals desperately need offensive line help. Beat writer would like to see them trade down.

 

Cowboys at 14: Let me guess, Mark Barron? Yes, he's mentioned along with Dre Kirkpatrick and Dontari Poe.

Eagles in second round: Eagles have two 2nd-round picks and could expend one to trade up into the top ten for Ryan Tannehill (that was the original rumor; turns out they're actually interested in Fletcher Cox). Can add an offensive weapon at TE in Coby Fleener or Dwayne Allen. Tough players against the run like NT Alameda Ta'amu or LB Bobby Taylor would help. They've also whiffed on safeties the last two years in the second round.

Rams in second round: Casserly says the Rams can get two first-round players with picks 33 and 39. Says they should think about Doug Martin or Lamar Miller. On the offensive line, they could use a tackle like Bobby Massie or a guard like Kevin Zeitler. At WR, they could use Stephen Hill or Reuben Randle. And at DT, Casserly says they could use “James” Worthy. Well, he probably still has some athleticism, but he's six inches too tall for DT, probably 75 pounds too light, and he's probably about 48 years old and isn't even eligible for the draft. Bah, I was hoping for specific recommendations here, not a laundry list. So I'll add that if they don't get Blackmon, they need to take a WR at 33; they should probably think about taking a WR at 33 even if they do get Blackmon. Use 39 to start filling defensive holes at WLB and DT. Oh, and Doug Martin trumps all other needs.

Player news:

Justin Blackmon rates behind A.J. Green and Julio Jones from last year's draft. The two 2010ers are more explosive, more sudden, better big-play threats. On the field, Davis doesn't see Blackmon as any better than Dez Bryant. Blackmon plays bigger than his size, is excellent after the catch and will beat defenders up at the line of scrimmage, but doesn't have the explosive first step of the other two. Mayock says a fairer comparison would be to Hakeem Nicks or Dwayne Bowe.

Michael Floyd is a stiffer, tighter wide receiver than Blackmon. Doesn't play as fast as his timed speed. Doesn't consistently get separation on deep routes. Lombardi thinks Floyd will struggle to get off press coverage. Mayock thinks he's as explosive off the line as Julio Jones. Still has the talent to be picked between 7 and 10, if teams aren't put off by his DUI issues.

Kendall Wright's stock took a hit at the Combine but is back on the way up and into the first round. His size and speed will dictate that he be used as a slot receiver. Should be a valuable third-down weapon. Similar to Randall Cobb. Not afraid to go over the middle, can contribute in return game.

Stephen Hill draws inevitable comparisons to Demaryius Thomas. Elite vertical speed, plays fast. Height and long arms will allow him to win jump balls. Faster than Thomas but Thomas catches the ball better. Hill looks better running routes in workouts than he does running them on tape. He doesn't appear to go at it full speed when he runs routes with breaks. Still learning to run routes. Some teams have him in the first round for his physical tools, others see him as a developmental player and don't grade him any higher than the second.

Reuben Randle right now is a more developed receiver than Hill. Speed receiver who can run by SEC defensive backs, but not very physical, doesn't like to block. Neither Randle nor Hill played on offenses with very good QBs.

Brian Quick – 6'3.5” 220, long arms. Intriguing size and speed, long arms, really good hands. Ran the 40 in around 4.5. Took a while to get up to speed at the Senior Bowl and will probably need a year before he can really compete at the pro level. Mayock gives him a third round grade; his size and hands could push him up into the bottom of the 2^nd.

Mohamed Sanu – 6'1.5”, 211, also long arms. Ran over 4.6 at the Combine but had it down around 4.5 at his pro day. Good hands and physical. Mostly wins contested balls; will not get much separation from anybody. Excellent competitor who was held back in college by having to play every year with a different freshman QB. Third round grade.

Marvin McNutt – 6'3”, 216. Has the measurables – around 4.5 in the 40, 37” vertical. Productive receiver at a respected program, but doesn't play to his timed speed and struggles to separate. Needs to learn how to defeat press coverage. Struggled in bowl game, was just ok at the Senior Bowl and the Combine.

Tommie Streeter – same height/weight/speed as Stephen Hill. One-year production. Just wins one-on-one routes out wide and doesn't play to his timed speed. Long way from being productive at the next level, fourth-round grade at best. Funny how he's two rounds worse than Hill when all Mayock did this whole time was describe Hill, except Hill “plays faster on tape.”

T.Y. Hilton – now we switch to the smaller receivers, 5'9.5” 183. Big-play threat who ran a 4.3 and a 4.36 at his pro day. Very good short-area quickness and long speed. Also a major threat returning kicks. Third-round grade.

Ryan Broyles – coming off torn ACL. Quicker-than-fast, tough slot receiver who can contribute as a returner. Had second-round potential had he stayed healthy, projects as a third-rounder now. In 2013, the team that drafts him will get the real player who broke the NCAA receptions record this year.

Keshawn Martin – 5'11.5” 188, versatile, tough, another quicker-than-fast slot receiver. Scored almost every possible way in college: catching, running, throwing, returning kicks. Fourth-round grade.

Casserly's advice with picks in the second-round is to take the best player available. The success rate of getting starters out of the second round is only 50%. Since some teams in the first round inevitably reach for need, at the top of the second round, you can still easily find first-round-quality players.

Some of Mayock's and Casserly's value picks for the second round:

Bobby Massie – 6'6” 316, long arms. Played 29 straight games at right tackle but has left tackle skills. Needs work on technique, but can start right away at RT and can be refined into a starting LT in a couple of years.

Harrison Smith – best range of any safety in the draft and willing tackler. He makes sense for any of the teams at the top of the second round, including the Rams, according to Mayock. So, about the only position on the team the Rams have two starters set and decent depth, and Mayock thinks they should use a second-rounder on it.

Vinny Curry – 6'3”, 266-lb pass rusher. Not the greatest straight-line speed, but is strong and explosive off the ball. Natural pass-rusher with a great bull-rush and good inside moves. Doesn't have the size, explosion or arm length to be a first-rounder but is worth selecting in the second. A lot of interest around the league in him.

Kevin Zeitler – 6'3.5”, 322. Strong, smart, physical. Can anchor against the pass rush and knock people off the ball run-blocking. Gets to second level well on combination blocks. Sustains his blocks. Lacks the top athleticism and change of direction to be a first-rounder but will be a 10-year player for somebody out of the second.

Davis tries to play up the Rams having interest in Quinton Coples at #6 because he was one of the players invited for a pre-draft visit. Well, Davis, they invited Chris Givens, too, why don't try to you start a #6 rumor about him? Or Michael Brockers? Kendall Wright at #6, that's the ticket! Casserly says the Rams could be looking at Coples as an option if they traded down out of #6, and you can never have too many pass rushers.

Casserly closes with good things to say about Josh Norman. Very good at the Shrine Game. Improved from the 4.6s at the Combine to the 4.5s at his pro day despite running on a wet grass field. Going to at least half-a-dozen teams for pre-draft visits.

-$-