Draft notes, 1/17

Todd McShay offered some interesting nuggets during the coverage of this week's NFLPA Collegiate Bowl practices regarding the top players in the draft. His top 5 players:

Jadeveon Clowney
Jake Matthews
Greg Robinson
Anthony Barr
Sammy Watkins

Teddy Bridgewater was the only QB in McShay's top 10, and even he only came in at 10th. Johnny Manziel, who Mel Kiper currently mocks at #1 overall, wasn't even in the top 10. McShay acknowledges that teams needing QBs are going to take them well ahead of where he rates them.

CBS Sports

McShay says Matthews, who's played both RT and LT, is the most polished tackle but that Robinson has the tools to be the best tackle from this class 2-3 years from now. Robinson's name hasn't come up much in the discussion for the Rams' first pick, but at a minimum, the Rams aren't necessarily screwed at tackle on draft night if they trade down and miss out on Matthews.

USA Today

The ESPN panel also had a discussion of Watkins, with Desmond Howard saying he needs work with his route-running because Clemson doesn't really emphasize that. Uh-oh. He's an explosive vertical threat who can score from anywhere but can't run the route tree. Uh-oh. So if you draft Watkins, who is in the #2 pick talk here in St. Louis despite Les Snead's ludicrous suggestion the team doesn't need a #1 receiver, you're either getting Calvin Johnson, or you're getting Brian Quick. RamView currently prefers Marqise Lee, who Howard called more polished and from a system that requires the receivers run good routes. I don't know how much more patience I have waiting for receivers to develop. But hey, it's early. Plenty of time to change my mind a half-dozen times.

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