DraftTek Simulator

[idymoe]

PK, tell me about Speivey, if you don't mind.

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by idymoe

PK, tell me about Speivey, if you don't mind.

A few quotes first;

GazetteOnline interview with Mike Mayock

“As far as corners, Spievey, I like him a lot as a physical, press, cover-2-type corner. I’m anxious to see what he runs; he’s only a junior so we don’t have any height, weight, speed on him. He’s one of those Iowa corners that also could translate, a la Charles Godfrey, to free safety, which adds to his versatility."

Read this interview on Scout.com

Ed Thompson: As you look back on your career at Iowa, what are you really proud of?

Amari Spievey: To start both years I was there after I got kicked out and came back, that was great. To be able to compete at a high level and help the defense win and to be a huge factor on the defense and lock down my side every game.

Thompson: You started out with a bump in the road, redshirting your freshman year and left to go to Iowa Central Community College. While you were there you got your academics on track and had a standout season for their football team. Talk about how that experience of being forced to leave Iowa benefited you in the long run.

Spievey: It re-humbled me. Getting kicked out and going there was a big wake-up call. It made me appreciate the opportunity and blessings I had at Iowa and made me fight even harder to reach my goal. I knew if I got a chance to come back it would be my last chance, and I wanted to make the best of it.

I not going to say I have watched a bunch of tape on this kid, but I like what I have seen. The kid is listed 5-11 190 and is expected to run a 4.5. I like the mental side in the interviews and he has man to man skill and can play in a zone. Something about him intrigues me.

[idymoe]

Thanks for the info.

[painekiller]

I just rewatched the Senior Bowl, BTW it will be replayed tomorrow evening on the NFL network, and was thinking outside the box. Roy's likes to use the BPA no matter the position, and after rewatching the game what if we go DE in the 1st?

In the mock we are using Drafttek #18,

the 19th pick, which we will be flipping a coin for tomorrow morning, is Brandon Graham Michigan DE43.

Roy had him select BPA in one of his mocks and I questioned him, but now I think he might be right. Graham is unblockable and he plays the run as well as Mario. Imagine a front four of Mario, NT/Robinson/Okam/Cody, Okoye/Smith,
Graham. Those DEs would be unblockable. Now I would go with the biggest body DT that produced that I had so the other teams could not run up the gut.

Now what do I do with Barwin? How about a 3-4 on passing downs? Smith-Okoye-Williams in front of Barwin-Cushing-Ryans-Graham. Bring the chaos, flood the gaps BTW not a bad idea for a base defense if you upgrade the NT, IMO.

2nd round be back to the teams idea of BPA, I like a handful of guys at 50.

[Roy P]

First, let me just say that I am behind the idea of a 3-man front on 3rd down. The question becomes how aggressive I am to put a 4th LB on the field or that extra DB on the back end. This is why I have no problem taking Weatherspoon in the first round.

Secondly, I didn't have Graham as my pick, it was Wooten from NorthWestern in the 2nd round at #50. Wooten is bigger and I could use him like Antonio Smith and use him as a pass-rushing DT when I brought in Barwin as a pass-rushing DE specialist. Graham and Barwin are essentially the same player-type in my estimation. Obviously, Graham is probably better against the run as he's more polished.

Now, will I have a problem taking Graham? Nope. I like pass-rushers, especially if there isn't any quality DBs available. Other than Haden, um, I don't see any "1st round" CBs in this draft. Ergo, select where the talent is. I just wouldn't go that route in the first round.

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by Roy P

Secondly, I didn't have Graham as my pick, it was Wooten from NorthWestern in the 2nd round at #50. Wooten is bigger and I could use him like Antonio Smith and use him as a pass-rushing DT when I brought in Barwin as a pass-rushing DE specialist. Graham and Barwin are essentially the same player-type in my estimation. Obviously, Graham is probably better against the run as he's more polished.

After I posted this i saw my mistake of Graham v Wooten. Even though the player was wrong, I will credit you with the position as a position not to overlook.

If you have a pass rush like Indy, the DBs do not need to elite. You can play base defense most of the game. When we took Mario that was the goal, but IMO we have played him out of position his whole career. He is the prototypical LE (guy that plays over the usually slower RT). The signing of Smith doomed Mario to playing out of position.

As for the CBs in this draft, I concur that only Haden appears to be a true first rounder.
I would not be opposed to cutting Smith if we drafted a stud RDE, or we sign Julius Peppers.

[NBT]

I view Julius Peppers in the same scene as I do LT, how much gas does he have in that 30 year old tank? I would be happier with someone in the draft to be coached up. We aren't going to win the big one this year, just get into the playoffs, right?

[Blitzwood]

Using their draft I would go with:

20. Brian Price, DT, UCLA
51. Anthony Dixon, RB, Miss St
82. Donovan Warren, CB, Michigan
119. Dekoda Watson, OLB, Florida State
152. Linval Joseph, DT, E.C.U.
177. Robert Johnson, FS, Utah
187. Reggie Stephens, OG, Iowa St.
213. *Leigh Tiffin or best kicker available*

[painekiller]

I think we all are going to be surprised when guys like Warren fly off the board in the 2nd, and Watson in the 3rd. The pro scouts have a whole different view on these guys then places like drafttek.

Saffold who drafttek has as a 2nd day guy, (the 4th round or high, old school) is looking more and more like a 2nd or early 3rd round guy.

As we get closer to the draft QBs and RBs tend to drop, this year I predict TEs dropping due to the depth at TE.

The CB position is always a position of need and there is a group of guys that ranked from the 2nd CB to about 10th that are pretty interchangeable. IMO we should try to grab two of those guys.

[Roy P]

Originally Posted by painekiller

I think we all are going to be surprised when guys like Warren fly off the board in the 2nd, and Watson in the 3rd. The pro scouts have a whole different view on these guys then places like drafttek.

Saffold who drafttek has as a 2nd day guy, (the 4th round or high, old school) is looking more and more like a 2nd or early 3rd round guy.

Warren could go anywhere between #50 - #94.

Drafttek has Saffold being drafted by the Steelers at #82 right in front of the Texans in the 3rd round.

The guys I see as being way underrated right now are OG John Jerry and RB Ben Tate and they are 4th round picks right now (#122 & #124).

[Blitzwood]

Originally Posted by painekiller

I think we all are going to be surprised when guys like Warren fly off the board in the 2nd, and Watson in the 3rd.

I was conflicted about drafting Watson because we have Adibi on special teams waiting for the right opportunity and Marcus Freeman on the practice squad. But one thing I did notice last year was how OLB's fell in the draft.

While I agree with you that CB's is always a position of need and the 2nd and 10th are pretty interchangeable, this is a pretty deep class of CB's and we should find a serviceable one in the third. That definitely wasn't the case last year when the talent fell off rather quickly after the forth or fifth CB taken.

This draft also seems to be heavy on DE's, as well.