Bucky Brooks Mock Draft 1.0
 

1.0

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300...g-4-to-pick-qb

Bucky Brooks 2019 NFL mock draft 1.0: Pats among 4 to pick QB

MOBILE, Ala. -- After a week of practices at the Reese's Senior Bowl, some NFL draft hopefuls have certainly helped themselves with their performance. However, for the top prospects in attendance, I didn't see anything here that made me re-evaluate much of what I saw on their game tape, although it did confirm some of the beliefs I already had about players like Missouri QB Drew Lock and Duke QB Daniel Jones.

Keep in mind, this mock is indicative of how I think teams view these players, and it's not necessarily a reflection of what I think they should do.

NOTE: Picks 31 and 32 won't be set until we know the Super Bowl result. The Patriots and Rams are ordered below with record as the tiebreaker.

Follow Bucky Brooks on Twitter @BuckyBrooks.

I like Baker.

There are a handful of corners who have upside that could be there at 29. They all have some flaws, but there should be a good option or two to coach up.

I heard Jeffery Simmons had some off the field issues, but man if he dropped that far maybe you trade up and then try and work out what to do with him, guys a beast.

Also this draft has Tillery going in the 2nd round. Not really sure about that.

I’d rather have Bush at that point and take a few corners later

I'm fine with it.

They need to address 2 of the 3 major spots (LB, Safety, CB) in FA.

After the Kareem Hunt shit, I'd rather not go down the DV dirtroad. Again.

Man, I wish Deandre Baker had a couple extra inches. I'd love for us to have a physical DB with some length. Fuller has potential to be more than solid, but he's right in that 5'11 190 range too.

Then again, if Baker had a few more inches he'd be Greedy Williams and a top 10 pick.

Amani Oruwariye is the corner I'm most curious to see how he tests out at the combine. He has size and is a technician.

I’d be very happy with Baker

I’m definitely leaning towards DB in the 1st

Trade up and get Devin White. We need to shore up the run D

If you include Tyreek, they are batting .500

I just keep hoping that enough teams are chasing the 'next Sean McVeigh' that they'll go looking for offense and over-saturating the top of their boards with offensive players as a result.

It only takes a single high-end defensive prospect slipping a few places for this draft to be just what the doctor ordered. We don't need to worry if there are 6 perfect prospects for us at 29, we just need to get one to fall. So every reach helps us a little and the offensive explosion (real or perceived) will fuel a few of those, IMO.

That’s not a bad thought dj

But say one of those offensive guys is there at our pick. Say, Noah Fant.

Would you take him?

That would be tempting but there’s just too many needs on defense

Don't we already have that thread somewhere? Yeah, I'd consider an offensive pick but it would have to be a particularly bare board for me to do it.

Regarding Fant specifically, I'm not sure he's even my favorite TE from Iowa this year. Hockenson has a higher ceiling, IMO. Fant may be more likely to become a Kelce sort of player; mostly a gigantic WR, but Hockenson could end up being a far better in-line TE and thus a way better fit with Kelce already in the fold.

It's funny how fast the top end of the TE class developed in this draft. Smith, Fant and Hockenson are all guys who could easily be 1st round picks. Albert O staying at Mizzou another year suddenly makes a lot more sense to me coming off his injury (and had he not gotten hurt, I think there would've been 4 legit potential 1st round TEs in this class).

Yeah, Hockenson makes sense too.

Its not my preferred way to go. But it's a potential way to make a strength stronger.

If Fant were there, I think you'd have to consider it. He has the potential to be great. There's really no gaps in his game. He's long, runs good routes, blocks well, he's a prototypical TE.

That being said, I really want a DB in the first. Adderley is my pick but I like Baker a lot too.

Hockenson just doesn't have the overall pedigree, particularly measurables, that Fant has. Hockenson is a dynamic player but he's more of an H-back. Fant has the ability to be Travis Kelce.

For this team, Hockenson might make more sense as a complimentary piece but if you want a complete, top-tier tight end for the next 10 years, one that can do everything well, that guy is Noah Fant IMO.

I'm at the point where I don't really care who it is, as long as it's a good player and not some crazy project.

Ideally it's a CB or a LB'er or safety. But if some top of the line prospect falls because other teams are stupid, pounce on him.

I don't really want to see them take an ILB early. And definitely not on board with spending high picks on offensive line or RB.

Other than that, I'm down for about anything. Would could use DL, DE, LB, S, CB, WR, TE in about any combination.

I'd be good with an ILB because I think that's the premium spot on defenses these days in order for the d to be good.

They have a pretty big cap hit wrapped up in Hitchens though and I think he plays inside.

Maybe

But I'd prefer to see him and DOD outside with a draft pick inside.

Hitchens played outside in college for most of his snaps. MLB was his fill-in, even in Dallas.

Yeah, I just don't know about having him inside. I'd prefer him outside but with that him and DOD are a bit redundant so they're probably putting Hitch inside.

See I view Fant as more of the H-back type and Hockenson as a far better long-term blocker and in-line player.

I'd take Irv Smith over either of them though...

I watched the AFCCG again and I really think if we had Kareem Hunt, we would have scored in the first half. Patriots didn’t care about our rushing attack bc it want good. I like Damien Williams, but he’s best suited as a 3rd down back.

Think we all agree that the focus is helping our pieces around Mahomes. I think those pieces should revolve around stopping the run and running the ball.

Doubtful it happens, but I would definitely consider Josh Jacobs at 29 assuming that the board is bare bc all of the defensive players we want are gone.

I wouldn't take him there even if everyone was gone. It's just not valuable enough.

I think Williams is a good RB option, screen game, etc. But he's not really a tackle breaking dude like Hunt was. They need that.

We have other slammer possibilities named Williams already on the roster. If they spend a high draft pick on a RB, that's just dumb. This team has needs at every level of the defense, WR, and offensive line before they should even think about another RB. They're a dime a dozen.

Yeah, if you want to take one in the 3rd or something, have at it. It's just not worth that high of a pick I don't think.

It seems teams take one high thinking he's the last piece but it just allows other holes to open up.

RB is exactly the kind of position you target a little later at this point since the position has become devalued.

I mean if Saquon or his ilk falls then you're looking at a guy who's such a screaming bargain that you take him. But even when RBs were considered high-end commodities, a player like Jacobs wouldn't go more than a few picks higher than he's likely going to go now. Maybe he goes in the high teens/early 20s if this draft were done 15 years ago?

Taking him a few picks after where he'd go at 'peak value' isn't a significant enough adjustment, IMO. Maybe I'm just wrong on his value - maybe he's a top 5-10 guy when RBs were still as highly sought after and that the only reason he'd fall to us in the late 20s would be the market adjusting so we should take him to try to stay ahead of the market. But what I see there is an upright runner with above average but not elite speed and solid but unspectacular lateral agility. His hands are...fine, his acceleration is good but not great. He's a very well rounded big back and those are nice guys to have but on this team at this time I just can't see a desperate need for that skill set. Honestly...I kinda see Fournette in him and that's just not been a recipe for success of late.

I just don't think he alters the team's trajectory significantly.

Yeah, I mean, I feel like you could find a guy that can put his head down and get 3 yards every play in every draft.

If you want a RB for this current offense, you need (sigh, **** we had him here already) a Kareem Hunt type guy that has great vision and balance.

I think Williams is a little Kamara light in that he can catch it and is good in the open field. He's not great there but good enough.

If you want to add the next dimension to this offense, probably going to have to draft a C or LG early or look for a WR or another TE. Rb just isn't the place to go.

I really think the biggest offensive game-changer this team could add would be a big-time TE.

You want to see this run game take a step forward, allow us to play 75% of the time in 12 personnel. The team plays so much from the shotgun that it's hard to incorporate the FB as much without telegraphing what you're doing or fundamentally altering the character and timing of the offense by working under center.

But when you're in 12 personnel, you essentially have the modern day 'pro set' by having that extra blocker in there, he's just there in the form of a TE instead of a FB. And with as much motion as we run, you could effectively have him blocking from the backfield if you wanted.

The best way (schematically) for this running game to be truly dangerous would be to make it more powerful and less predictable. The only way to do both of those things is with a TE that is a plus run-blocker and dangerous in the pattern. That would allow us to come out in 12 personnel most of the time and give opposing defenses no obvious tells. To me the best combination of those traits is probably Hockenson but I think Smith is potentially so dynamic in the pattern that merely credible as a run-blocker and terrifying as a pass-catcher puts him ahead of the Iowa kids.

I wouldn't take a RB higher than the 4th. Those first 3 rounds need to be instant starters, preferably on defense.

I get that people think RB is a need - it isn't. They're committed, both contractually and playing time-wise, to Williams.

Smith, Hockenson, or Fant - any of them opposite of Kelce would be devastating. You summed it up perfectly.

Know what’s interesting? Last year Terez (who I think is one of the best sources for Chiefs news/rumors etc) was talking a lot about the Chiefs possibly taking a TE in rd 2. He even mocked that to them.

I think that is a real possibility.

Is terry beckner jr an option in this new defense?

I really like Josh Oliver out of San Jose State at TE and he should be there at the end of 2. I doubt at the end of 3, where I'd prefer the Chiefs took one, but you never know.

Would not go TE nor RB in round 1.