Uncle Gil "This Is One F'ed Up Draft"

• The five players in this draft Gil Brandt loves:
1. Jaelan Phillips, pass-rusher, Miami. “He’s the guy everybody will be talking about two years from now. A bit of medical risk due to concussions, but to me he has the biggest upside in the draft. You hit on him, you’ve hit a home run with the bases loaded.”
2. Elijah Moore, wide receiver, Mississippi. “Really fast. A 4.35 guy who could be a lot like A.J. Brownout of Ole Miss a couple of years ago. Not the same body type, but I think Moore will be better in the NFL than he was in college.”
3. Kyle Pitts, tight end, Florida. “Best I’ve seen since Kellen Winslow out of Missouri. Such a fluid guy. The size and speed will be a huge matchup problem in the NFL.”
4. Penei Sewell, tackle, Oregon. “Reminds me of Jonathan Ogden.”
5. Michael Carter, running back, North Carolina. “Love this guy. He shared the job at UNC, but 6.6 yards per carry in his career. I think he’ll lead all rookie running backs in yards in the league next year.”
(From above link)

A lot of good stuff in there. 

• “DeVonta Smith is one of the best football players I’ve ever seen,” said one GM. “I know he scares teams with his size , but his hands and his presence and how smart he plays . . . I think he’ll have an incredible career.”
• “If I could pick one player in this draft who’s got the best chance to go to the Hall of Fame, it’s Penei Sewell,” one coach told me. “He’s my left tackle from day one.”
• Asked another coach about Gil Brandt’s most-unusual-draft-ever statement, and this coach said: “I agree wholeheartedly. And I agree about how worried he is about the opt-outs. This year’s unprecedented. I’m worried about all the things we don’t know. We don’t really know the prospects, personally or medically, the way we should.”
• Kyle Trask could go anywhere from the bottom of the first round to the fourth. He’s an incredible story. Never started a game in high school, playing behind current Miami QB D’Eriq King. Got scholarshipped out of a Florida football camp to play for the Gators—and told me he would have gone to McNeese State otherwise. Redshirted in ’16, broken foot in ’17, broken foot in ’18. Threw 68 TDs and 15 picks in his last two seasons, and nearly passed Florida to a stunning upset of Alabama in the SEC title game last December.
• The problem with Baltimore tackle Orlando Brown, who wants to be traded to a team who would play him at left tackle, may not be Baltimore agreeing on a fair trade. Although Brown has offered to play this season on the last year of his rookie deal ($3.38 million), he would soon need a new deal, and figuring that out in a time of such cap uncertainty could be a problem.

Jaelen Phillips is a time bomb. The doctors told him to retire as soon as 2018. I’d rather we draft CBs 1,3,3 then draft him. 

@"AGRforever" said: Jaelen Phillips is a time bomb. The doctors told him to retire as soon as 2018. I’d rather we draft CBs 1,3,3 then draft him. 

JMO but all these edge guys are a gamble of some type. If I'm rolling the dice I'm going with the guy who is hands down the best talent in Phillips, over a guy like Kwity Paye who at best looks like an average edge at the next level. 

I think the Vikings are going edge with their first round pick and if it's not Phillips I'd be very surprised 

@"supafreak84" said:

@"AGRforever" said: Jaelen Phillips is a time bomb. The doctors told him to retire as soon as 2018. I’d rather we draft CBs 1,3,3 then draft him. 

According to Jim Mora Jr, his leaving UCLA had more to do with other factors surrounding the program then injuries. 

JMO but all these edge guys are a gamble of some type. If I'm rolling the dice I'm going with the guy who is hands down the best talent in Phillips, over a guy like Kwity Paye who at best looks like an average edge at the next level. 

@"supafreak84" said: I think the Vikings are going edge with their first round pick and if it's not Phillips I'd be very surprised 

The biggest number I wanted to see was the 10 yard split for Rousseau. He smoked the field. If I can trade back with Washington and still land him and follow that up with a guy like Brown or Cosmi in the second, I'm a happy man.

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"supafreak84" said:

@"AGRforever" said: Jaelen Phillips is a time bomb. The doctors told him to retire as soon as 2018. I’d rather we draft CBs 1,3,3 then draft him. 

According to Jim Mora Jr, his leaving UCLA had more to do with other factors surrounding the program then injuries. 

JMO but all these edge guys are a gamble of some type. If I'm rolling the dice I'm going with the guy who is hands down the best talent in Phillips, over a guy like Kwity Paye who at best looks like an average edge at the next level. 

I don't agree on Paye. I think he's the 2nd best edge in the draft after Phillips. Phillips may be worth the gamble. He'd be a very exciting/scary pick. It would be one thing if he were the only worthwhile player available where we pick, but the calculation will be is he worth the gamble when there are other very good edges in that area (not to mention OLs) that don't come with the same risk. Whoever takes him will have to have done their homework. 

@"supafreak84" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"supafreak84" said:

@"AGRforever" said: Jaelen Phillips is a time bomb. The doctors told him to retire as soon as 2018. I’d rather we draft CBs 1,3,3 then draft him. 

According to Jim Mora Jr, his leaving UCLA had more to do with other factors surrounding the program then injuries. 

JMO but all these edge guys are a gamble of some type. If I'm rolling the dice I'm going with the guy who is hands down the best talent in Phillips, over a guy like Kwity Paye who at best looks like an average edge at the next level. 

I don't agree on Paye. I think he's the 2nd best edge in the draft after Phillips. Phillips may be worth the gamble. He'd be a very exciting/scary pick. It would be one thing if he were the only worthwhile player available where we pick, but the calculation will be is he worth the gamble when there are other very good edges in that area (not to mention OLs) that don't come with the same risk. Whoever takes him will have to have done their homework. 

I just don't see it with Paye. There's just not a lot of production and what is there is a lot of coverage/garbage time sacks. Not a lot of game altering type plays. Frame-wise he isnt what Zimmer necessarily wants at the position (ideally). 

@"BarrNone55" said:

@"supafreak84" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"supafreak84" said:

@"AGRforever" said: Jaelen Phillips is a time bomb. The doctors told him to retire as soon as 2018. I’d rather we draft CBs 1,3,3 then draft him. 

According to Jim Mora Jr, his leaving UCLA had more to do with other factors surrounding the program then injuries. 

JMO but all these edge guys are a gamble of some type. If I'm rolling the dice I'm going with the guy who is hands down the best talent in Phillips, over a guy like Kwity Paye who at best looks like an average edge at the next level. 

I don't agree on Paye. I think he's the 2nd best edge in the draft after Phillips. Phillips may be worth the gamble. He'd be a very exciting/scary pick. It would be one thing if he were the only worthwhile player available where we pick, but the calculation will be is he worth the gamble when there are other very good edges in that area (not to mention OLs) that don't come with the same risk. Whoever takes him will have to have done their homework. 

I just don't see it with Paye. There's just not a lot of production and what is there is a lot of coverage/garbage time sacks. Not a lot of game altering type plays. Frame-wise he isnt what Zimmer necessarily wants at the position (ideally). 

26% rush win rate. Might be one of those guys who needs to learn how to finish. Or, he's just another Udeze. 

@"BarrNone55" said:

@"supafreak84" said: I think the Vikings are going edge with their first round pick and if it's not Phillips I'd be very surprised 

I'd feel better about this risk if Hunter was 100%. It's a crap shoot, but why not mitigate as much risk as possible? If someone asked me to point out an edge defender who won't see a second contract, I pick Phillips. If someone asked me who is most likely to succeed, I'd also say Phillips.

The biggest number I wanted to see was the 10 yard split for Rousseau. He smoked the field. If I can trade back with Washington and still land him and follow that up with a guy like Brown or Cosmi in the second, I'm a happy man.

All of the DE's have question marks which is why I wouldn't take any of them at 14. There are some great Edge prospects that will be available in the 2nd and 3rd round that will not be much of a drop off IMO. It's a weak prospect pool this year so why would you overdraft in the first round when there will be better players at other positions available at 14.   

Having said all that, I'm not the one making the decision which brings up a question I have about this year's draft. If Spielman is fighting for his job, is he going to be influenced by Zimmer and pick who Zimmer wants, or is he going to stay true to his process and pick who he wants? After all these years, I still don't have any idea what Rick wants unless he's a player from Notre Dame. Maybe that means we trade down to the end of the first and take Eichenberg or Owusu-Koramoah? Hopefully he comes to his senses and figures out he needs to get the Oline fixed.