Oh look, another mock draft!!!

Brock Purdy? You trying to make me throw up?

I would have read the whole mock, but fell over laughing seeing McDuffie at 27 and just now caught my breath  :p  Somebody needs to check that simulator.

@"Hawkvike25" said: Brock Purdy? You trying to make me throw up?

This team has a Mannion and something called a Mond...Purdy should make your stomach feel a little better.

@"RS Express" said: I would have read the whole mock, but fell over laughing seeing McDuffie at 27 and just now caught my breath  :p  Somebody needs to check that simulator.

Love the top half of your draft. And love that you added a high pick next year. But RSE is right. McDuffie at 27 is pretty unrealistic. NFL.com, Dane Brugler, Chris Simms and PFF all have McDuffie ranked as the 2nd corner. NFL.com and PFF have him ranked 7th overall. Where will he go? I'd say somewhere between 10 and 18. 

If the draft falls that way, I would stay at 12 and take Williams or Davis. No way McDuffie falls that far and that's why I hate the idea of trading down to the end of the first. Booth and Elam are also gone before 27 in this mock. The idea of trading down and trying to target a specific position at the same time(CB) is a poor draft strategy. Spielman got away with it last year with Darrisaw. I'm guessing because teams knew about his injury, but that could have easily blown up in his face. 

@"TBro" said: If the draft falls that way, I would stay at 12 and take Williams or Davis. No way McDuffie falls that far and that's why I hate the idea of trading down to the end of the first. Booth and Elam are also gone before 27 in this mock. The idea of trading down and trying to target a specific position at the same time(CB) is a poor draft strategy. Spielman got away with it last year with Darrisaw. I'm guessing because teams knew about his injury, but that could have easily blown up in his face. 

History shows that trading down results in better value than staying put. But I agree that this year Vikings can't trade down too far. If our target is corner (and it likely is), Vikings can't trade down much past 16-18 IMO.

I think there are three potentially elite corners: Sauce, Mac and DSJ. Booth is a notch down but just barely. After that, I think there's a drop off before you get to a blurry group of flawed corners including the likes of Gordon, Elam, McCreary, Woolen, Jones, Armour-Davis, etc. Vikings need to get one from that first group, not the second. 

Trade Mcduffie for Andrew Booth and that is more likely and I actually like Booth more than McDuffie too. 

Still trying to find any "tape" of McDuffie or Gordon facing an NFL caliber receiver. One that actually got drafted.  The hype on this young man is crazy.

I'll take Roger McCreary all day every day and twice on Sunday of McDuffie.

You're drafting McDuffie on traits and "tape" against scrubs.

The Husky run defense was so bad this year that teams just ran it.

Where is the actual "tape" of McDuffie shutting down any NFL caliber receiver.

I can wait.

@"MarkSP18" said: Still trying to find any "tape" of McDuffie or Gordon facing an NFL caliber receiver. One that actually got drafted.  The hype on this young man is crazy.

I'll take Roger McCreary all day every day and twice on Sunday of McDuffie.

You're drafting McDuffie on traits and "tape" against scrubs.

The Husky run defense was so bad this year that teams just ran it.

Where is the actual "tape" of McDuffie shutting down any NFL caliber receiver.

I can wait.

Shall we list all the busted corners who DID face top competition? LIke Jeff Okudah, CJ Henderson, Damon Arnette, Eli Apple, Dee Milliner, Morris Claiborne? Or how about a CB who's biggest red flag was getting beaten by the LSU receivers in the championship game couple years ago. I heard it over and over. That corner was AJ Terrell, by far the best CB from that draft. There's several dozen more of these examples if you want them. 

Drafting well is about identifying traits that translate to the NFL. McDuffie has many of those traits. Who you faced is just part of the picture, but it doesn't tell the whole story. 

First thing, I don't magically control the algorithm of a draft sim. Some of ya'll acting pissed that we maybe got lucky getting McDuffie is hilarious.

Second, I didn't start the sim with a particular position in mind in rd. 1. I was open to DT, Edge, or CB. That said, I think there are 4 Corners past Sauce and Stingley that all have potential 1st rd. grades. McCreary, Booth, Elam, McDuffie.  All have their fans and detractors. McDuffie fell in this sim. Maybe not realistic to 27, but not impossible given some will knock his height/arm length, and teams needs/schemes.  

Expect the usual run in the 1st rd. of OT (4), WR (5), Edge (6), DT (4), CB (6), a couple safeties, a few will reach on QB's. A few players are going to drop and a few will rise.  

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"MarkSP18" said: Still trying to find any "tape" of McDuffie or Gordon facing an NFL caliber receiver. One that actually got drafted.  The hype on this young man is crazy.

I'll take Roger McCreary all day every day and twice on Sunday of McDuffie.

You're drafting McDuffie on traits and "tape" against scrubs.

The Husky run defense was so bad this year that teams just ran it.

Where is the actual "tape" of McDuffie shutting down any NFL caliber receiver.

I can wait.

Shall we list all the busted corners who DID face top competition? LIke Jeff Okudah, CJ Henderson, Damon Arnette, Eli Apple, Dee Milliner, Morris Claiborne? Or how about a CB who's biggest red flag was getting beaten by the LSU receivers in the championship game couple years ago. I heard it over and over. That corner was AJ Terrell, by far the best CB from that draft. There's several dozen more of these examples if you want them. 

Drafting well is about identifying traits that translate to the NFL. McDuffie has many of those traits. Who you faced is just part of the picture, but it doesn't tell the whole story. 

@"MarkSP18" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"MarkSP18" said: Still trying to find any "tape" of McDuffie or Gordon facing an NFL caliber receiver. One that actually got drafted.  The hype on this young man is crazy.

I'll take Roger McCreary all day every day and twice on Sunday of McDuffie.

You're drafting McDuffie on traits and "tape" against scrubs.

The Husky run defense was so bad this year that teams just ran it.

Where is the actual "tape" of McDuffie shutting down any NFL caliber receiver.

I can wait.

Shall we list all the busted corners who DID face top competition? LIke Jeff Okudah, CJ Henderson, Damon Arnette, Eli Apple, Dee Milliner, Morris Claiborne? Or how about a CB who's biggest red flag was getting beaten by the LSU receivers in the championship game couple years ago. I heard it over and over. That corner was AJ Terrell, by far the best CB from that draft. There's several dozen more of these examples if you want them. 

Drafting well is about identifying traits that translate to the NFL. McDuffie has many of those traits. Who you faced is just part of the picture, but it doesn't tell the whole story. 

It was obvious you would respond as he is your favorite.  Cool.

He still has not faced any receiver that is getting drafted besides in 2019.

Since we are not talking about the other corners you mentioned (a lot of Ohio State dudes) then it is not relevant.

We are only talking about McDuffie.

I am waiting for the "film".

McDuffie reminds me of Traye Waynes. Fantastic run defending corner who has sideline to sideline ability to pursue and neutralize run after the catch yardage. The lack of Pac10 receiver talent he has faced in coverage is the unknown concern with him plus he is a little bit smaller and may struggle to match up against taller NFL receivers. Those are his risk factors just like Stingley's durability, injury history, and consistency. He's never been as good as his freshman year. 

If we trade down and can land McDuffie I would be all for it. I think he will definitely make our defense better. He's a tenacious defender and battles on every play. Having said that, he's not elite. I don't want to trade down for him if there are better players on the board by staying put. Jordan Davis and Jameson Williams are both freak athletes who have played in the best conference against elite competition. Davis can't be single blocked. He would eat Bradbury alive. He would be our best interior lineman from day 1. Tomlinson was a disappointment last year IMO. He was invisible for long stretches and was a terrible run defender. He's not disruptive. Phillips will be a nice addition, but will he be as good on a Vikings defense that is nowhere near the caliber of Buffalo who was #1 overall in 2021?
 
Williams would be the top receiver in this draft if he didn't have the ACL injury during the championship game. Pairing him with Jefferson, Thielen, Osborne, and Smith would be a nightmare for teams to stop.

I'm fine looking for a corner in Round 2 to pair with what we already have. Donatell's defensive scheme is a Spot/Drop zone. You pick up a man when he enters your zone, and then deliver him to the next defender when he exits your zone. Having an elite Press Man Corner is not part of his defensive scheme or philosophy.  

@"TBro" said: McDuffie reminds me of Traye Waynes. Fantastic run defending corner who has sideline to sideline ability to pursue and neutralize run after the catch yardage. The lack of Pac10 receiver talent he has faced in coverage is the unknown concern with him plus he is a little bit smaller and may struggle to match up against taller NFL receivers. Those are his risk factors just like Stingley's durability, injury history, and consistency. He's never been as good as his freshman year. 

If we trade down and can land McDuffie I would be all for it. I think he will definitely make our defense better. He's a tenacious defender and battles on every play. Having said that, he's not elite. I don't want to trade down for him if there are better players on the board by staying put. Jordan Davis and Jameson Williams are both freak athletes who have played in the best conference against elite competition. Davis can't be single blocked. He would eat Bradbury alive. He would be our best interior lineman from day 1. Tomlinson was a disappointment last year IMO. He was invisible for long stretches and was a terrible run defender. He's not disruptive. Phillips will be a nice addition, but will he be as good on a Vikings defense that is nowhere near the caliber of Buffalo who was #1 overall in 2021?
 
Williams would be the top receiver in this draft if he didn't have the ACL injury during the championship game. Pairing him with Jefferson, Thielen, Osborne, and Smith would be a nightmare for teams to stop.

I'm fine looking for a corner in Round 2 to pair with what we already have. Donatell's defensive scheme is a Spot/Drop zone. You pick up a man when he enters your zone, and then deliver him to the next defender when he exits your zone. Having an elite Press Man Corner is not part of his defensive scheme or philosophy.  

I never saw Waynes as a physical DB coming out of MSU at bout 185 lbs. He was not known for a run stuffer as he was always arm tackling, but he got a little better under Zimmer. He was fast. He just never got consistently better in ball awareness/coverage. Neutralizing the run after the catch is another way of saying, sucking at your main responsibility.

I don't hate McDuffie. I would be just fine drafting him. I just think Booth will surprise a ton with his skill set, work ethic, and instincts 

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"MarkSP18" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"MarkSP18" said: Still trying to find any "tape" of McDuffie or Gordon facing an NFL caliber receiver. One that actually got drafted.  The hype on this young man is crazy.

I'll take Roger McCreary all day every day and twice on Sunday of McDuffie.

You're drafting McDuffie on traits and "tape" against scrubs.

The Husky run defense was so bad this year that teams just ran it.

Where is the actual "tape" of McDuffie shutting down any NFL caliber receiver.

I can wait.

Shall we list all the busted corners who DID face top competition? LIke Jeff Okudah, CJ Henderson, Damon Arnette, Eli Apple, Dee Milliner, Morris Claiborne? Or how about a CB who's biggest red flag was getting beaten by the LSU receivers in the championship game couple years ago. I heard it over and over. That corner was AJ Terrell, by far the best CB from that draft. There's several dozen more of these examples if you want them. 

Drafting well is about identifying traits that translate to the NFL. McDuffie has many of those traits. Who you faced is just part of the picture, but it doesn't tell the whole story. 

It was obvious you would respond as he is your favorite.  Cool.

He still has not faced any receiver that is getting drafted besides in 2019.

Since we are not talking about the other corners you mentioned (a lot of Ohio State dudes) then it is not relevant.

We are only talking about McDuffie.

I am waiting for the "film".

Go watch Khalil Mack's film at Buffalo and name the NFL competition he faced. You won't find any.

What he had were traits that translate to the NFL. IMO, there are traits that matter, overrated traits and underrated traits. Level of competition is something to consider, but if you look through draft history, all the players who went to small colleges versus those who played at big schools, you'll find this is not one of those factors to hang your hat on. 

I'm not going argue with your strawman. You don't like McDuffie, fine. We'll find out soon enough.

@"Hawkvike25" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"MarkSP18" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"MarkSP18" said: Still trying to find any "tape" of McDuffie or Gordon facing an NFL caliber receiver. One that actually got drafted.  The hype on this young man is crazy.

I'll take Roger McCreary all day every day and twice on Sunday of McDuffie.

You're drafting McDuffie on traits and "tape" against scrubs.

The Husky run defense was so bad this year that teams just ran it.

Where is the actual "tape" of McDuffie shutting down any NFL caliber receiver.

I can wait.

Shall we list all the busted corners who DID face top competition? LIke Jeff Okudah, CJ Henderson, Damon Arnette, Eli Apple, Dee Milliner, Morris Claiborne? Or how about a CB who's biggest red flag was getting beaten by the LSU receivers in the championship game couple years ago. I heard it over and over. That corner was AJ Terrell, by far the best CB from that draft. There's several dozen more of these examples if you want them. 

Drafting well is about identifying traits that translate to the NFL. McDuffie has many of those traits. Who you faced is just part of the picture, but it doesn't tell the whole story. 

It was obvious you would respond as he is your favorite.  Cool.

He still has not faced any receiver that is getting drafted besides in 2019.

Since we are not talking about the other corners you mentioned (a lot of Ohio State dudes) then it is not relevant.

We are only talking about McDuffie.

I am waiting for the "film".

Go watch Khalil Mack's film at Buffalo and name the NFL competition he faced. You won't find any.

What he had were traits that translate to the NFL. IMO, there are traits that matter, overrated traits and underrated traits. Level of competition is something to consider, but if you look through draft history, all the players who went to small colleges versus those who played at big schools, you'll find this is not one of those factors to hang your hat on. 

I'm not going argue with your strawman. You don't like McDuffie, fine. We'll find out soon enough.

Except for when Khalil Mack had 2.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles vs Ohio State…

McDuffie at 27 is fine by me, just not at 12 as I’m not convinced he plays outside. I like the trade back

@"StickyBun" said:

@"Hawkvike25" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"MarkSP18" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"MarkSP18" said: Still trying to find any "tape" of McDuffie or Gordon facing an NFL caliber receiver. One that actually got drafted.  The hype on this young man is crazy.

I'll take Roger McCreary all day every day and twice on Sunday of McDuffie.

You're drafting McDuffie on traits and "tape" against scrubs.

The Husky run defense was so bad this year that teams just ran it.

Where is the actual "tape" of McDuffie shutting down any NFL caliber receiver.

I can wait.

Shall we list all the busted corners who DID face top competition? LIke Jeff Okudah, CJ Henderson, Damon Arnette, Eli Apple, Dee Milliner, Morris Claiborne? Or how about a CB who's biggest red flag was getting beaten by the LSU receivers in the championship game couple years ago. I heard it over and over. That corner was AJ Terrell, by far the best CB from that draft. There's several dozen more of these examples if you want them. 

Drafting well is about identifying traits that translate to the NFL. McDuffie has many of those traits. Who you faced is just part of the picture, but it doesn't tell the whole story. 

It was obvious you would respond as he is your favorite.  Cool.

He still has not faced any receiver that is getting drafted besides in 2019.

Since we are not talking about the other corners you mentioned (a lot of Ohio State dudes) then it is not relevant.

We are only talking about McDuffie.

I am waiting for the "film".

Go watch Khalil Mack's film at Buffalo and name the NFL competition he faced. You won't find any.

What he had were traits that translate to the NFL. IMO, there are traits that matter, overrated traits and underrated traits. Level of competition is something to consider, but if you look through draft history, all the players who went to small colleges versus those who played at big schools, you'll find this is not one of those factors to hang your hat on. 

I'm not going argue with your strawman. You don't like McDuffie, fine. We'll find out soon enough.

Except for when Khalil Mack had 2.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles vs Ohio State…

McDuffie at 27 is fine by me, just not at 12 as I’m not convinced he plays outside. I like the trade back

Agreed. McDuffie is not Mack from an impact perspective. 

@"Canthony" said: I don't hate McDuffie. I would be just fine drafting him. I just think Booth will surprise a ton with his skill set, work ethic, and instincts 

I agree that Booth is underrated. He's a great open field tackler and that is one of the traits I think is underrated. I'd be very happy trading down and taking Booth. My fear is trading down too far and missing on whom I think is the last of the top tier corners.