The "It's-later-than-you-think" 2021 Mock Draft Thread

[Tour2ma]

Because they are there...

Not watching a lot of NCAA this season so thought I'd start mocking a little earlier than normal. I always use mocks to make me get more familiar with the draft class.

First up was PFN's slick mock sim complete with reasonable trade action. Focusing on top 100 or so I only did three rounds for now. 

Of course one of the things about mocking this early the sim guessing where teams will pick. PFN's has us picking 17th as of now.

I had multiple offers for the 17th pick and moved down to 18 turning a 5th rnd pick into a 3rd in the process in a deal with TN. Then I called back the Iggles who had offered me their 19th (bad guess on their finish.... I hope) and dealt #18 and the 5th I'd picked up for their 19th and a 2021 2nd-rounder. PTG made me an offer in the 3rd round that I did netting their 2021 5th.

Here are the results...

• The top two LBs were gone in the top 13 (3 QBs were taken in the top 4) so I went with VaTechs long, fast CB who has FS potential to boot.
• In round 2 I nabbed a potential bookend for MG.
• In the 3rd I got my fast thumper in the middle and the 2nd coming of the Mad Stork in Cal's 6'6", 250# Deng who played MLB for the Golden Bears, but I see moving outside. Deng is still raw, but he's fast and really agile for his height allowing him to cover TEs with ease.

[Tour2ma]

lol... I finished this post and hit my preset, "Browns News" google and up pops...

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2020/11/the-browns-might-have-a-choice-between-two-michigan-defensive-ends-in-the-first-round-2021-nfl-mock-draft-30.html

One was Kwity... it must be karma...

[TexasAg1969]

@tour2ma said:

lol... I finished this post and hit my preset, "Browns News" google and up pops...

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2020/11/the-browns-might-have-a-choice-between-two-michigan-defensive-ends-in-the-first-round-2021-nfl-mock-draft-30.html

One was Kwity... it must be karma...

Isn't Kwity a pretty big jump taking him mid-1st instead of mid-2nd or even later according to drafttek.

https://www.drafttek.com/2021-NFL-Draft-Position-Rankings/Top-College-Defensive-Ends-2021-NFL-Draft.asp

And Hutchison is even worse as a Tech-5 DE-not even better than a FA according to them.

https://www.drafttek.com/2021-NFL-Draft-Position-Rankings/Top-College-Defensive-Tackles5-2021-NFL-Draft.asp

Right now I'd pass on both for sure that high up.?

[Nero]

NO, TOUR. NO. 

We have been a laughing stock for years, starting draft threads even in October since there wasn't nothing else worth looking forward to. But this year is different. We are fighting for a playoff spot and I'm dreaming of becoming the upset for some team in the Wildcard Round. 

Please mods, proceed accordingly and delete this thread.  Whether you break OPs left or right hand is your choice. 

Signed: A finally hopeful and happy Browns' fan. 

[Tour2ma]

I blame CoVid...

[Dutch Oven]

@nero said:

NO, TOUR. NO. 

We have been a laughing stock for years, starting draft threads even in October since there wasn't nothing else worth looking forward to. But this year is different. We are fighting for a playoff spot and I'm dreaming of becoming the upset for some team in the Wildcard Round. 

Please mods, proceed accordingly and delete this thread.  Whether you break OPs left or right hand is your choice. 

Signed: A finally hopeful and happy Browns' fan. 

Last time we discussed favorite cereals...

Favorite ice cream flavor this time? ?

[The Gipper]

Well, you may make Woody happy picking two  FMU players....but that fact is that is a crappy team right now.....so...maybe?  those players could be crappier than is represented here?

[Nero]

@dutch-oven said:

Last time we discussed favorite cereals...

Favorite ice cream flavor this time? ?

Lemon. 

[Dutch Oven]

@nero said:

Lemon. 

Dude, I love just about anything lemon. 

Black cherry ice cream is damn good too. 

[TexasAg1969]

@dutch-oven said:

Dude, I love just about anything lemon. 

Black cherry ice cream is damn good too. 

Oh Please!???

• 
• 

 

 

[Tour2ma]

@dutch-oven said:

Favorite ice cream flavor this time? ?

Lately... black cherry ice cream with dark chocolate and black cherry pieces.

Previously... but it's a lil too sweet...

[Unsympathetic]

Delpit + Harrison should give us the positionless safeties for the next 3 yrs that we need in today's game.. Greedy coming back plus T.Mitchell's 67.2 would actually make the DB position look decent moving forward.  Need one more to replace the Kevin Johnson rental service.

LB is a different story.. M. Wilson and Taki are liabilities every play and if they're resigned for more than the vet minimum I'd be shocked.  Time to invest a 1 or 2 in that spot - and the other at DL.

2021 Browns Picks - Our own in all rounds PLUS rounds 3,4. Unclear status of 5 [rams] and 7 [bills] picks - ours could be swapped with that team.

1-LB/DL
2-DL/LB
3-LB, WR
4-DL, DB
5-7: BPA

Mint choco chip for me..

[Nero]

I like chocolate, but I think that ice cream chocolate is the worst kind of chocolate.

[SdBacker80]

I like Caleb Farley.  He’s the tall physical corner type that we need.  The other UM picks not so much.

Id make a couple assumptions with the Farley pick..

1. I’ve given up on Greedy.  
2. I’m not paying Wards next deal.

Farley is a bridge to these loses.  I’m also resigning T Mitch if the money is right.

So best available at LB, Safety and DT/DE with the 2,3,3 picks.  
 

Ice Cream.  Mint Oreo.   But I’d take Handels anything.  They are sprouting up in So. Cal I’m excited about that. 

[The Gipper]

Steelers invest heavily in LBs.    3 of their 4 are  1st round picks.  They have one of the best defenses in the league as a result.    Browns have invested little in comparison:  Their starters are a 3rd rounder, 5th rounder, and  a middling FA who was an original 4th rounder.  They are one of the worst defenses in the league.

It seems like a simple equation.  It probably is not that simple, but it seems that way.

2021 NFL Draft: Preseason linebacker rankings

• Micah Parsons, Penn State. If you haven't already done so, go and read why I believe Parsons is the best linebacker prospect in nearly a decade. ...
• Nick Bolton, Missouri. ...
• Dylan Moses, Alabama. ...
• Chazz Surratt, North Carolina. ...
• Jack Sanborn, Wisconsin. ...
• Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. ...
• Jabril Cox, LSU. ...
• K.J. Britt, Auburn.
• https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2021-nfl-draft-preseason-linebacker-rankings

[Unsympathetic]

Steelers are one of the few to run a 3-4 and so the biggest roster component of their D is LB's.. slightly different case because their starting DL are all DI and roughly interchangeable; a 3-4 "DE" is someone we'd play at DT and say he "is a DI who can pass rush". 

Ravens 3-4 of a few yrs ago was led by the 320# Ngata at "DE" rushing up the middle not beating T's outside.  They always had a NT next to him over C.

But the point is well taken.  Steelers D is led by.. a early-season FA DB just like our acquisition of Harrison.

Moses/Parsons are the first-round LB; the others are 2+.  Surratt looks like a possibility to rise to our spot in 1 given his addressing his issues.

[Tour2ma]

Front to back and inside-out... the time-tested path for building a Defense. Right now we have two building block studs and they both skip a level and are on the outside. So we have plenty of holes to fill. I only followed the recipe with one pick out of the first four, but I never let need purely dictate picks.

Not to be defensive, but I already said I don't know enough at this point. This was my first effort here to deep drive in the upcoming class. Actually took me about 2 hours to get thru the 3 rounds I did as I researched the prospects in the PFN rankings that were within hollering distance of whichever of my picks that was currently on the clock.

The thing about posting the picks any of us make in a mock is they are completely out of context... the context of the way the draft fell. No way in any reasonably sized post to communicate the entire draft, who was already off the board and who you passed over as every pick we own comes up. In this draft's case:

• Both the consensus stud LBs, Parsons and Moses, were off the board after pick 13. Parsons went at #5 overall IIRC.
• DT class is mixed... one did go top 10 IIRC.
• So as I mentioned I did two trade downs, 17 to 18 and then 18 to 19, and took what looked to be the BPA in Farley, who may only play CB vs. S because he's too damn good of a CB.

On the double Wolverines...

• I did not even realize I did that until my summary popped up. Were they both BPA? No idea, but at least I have seen both of these players and the research I read on them matched what I saw. Namely...
• ... while Paye is not quite the quick-twitch, sack-stud MG or Chase Young is, he has what I see as Carlos Dunlap level potential with great run-pass balance. Opposite MG his pass rush impact would be amplified.
• ... meanwhile McGrone is a fast (4.5-ish) LB with nice size (6'1", 235#) who hits sideline to sideline. Play recognition needs work, but he's a strong prospect. Side note is that I went into the mock not thinking about him, but rather Browning (tOSU), Rice (UGA) and Britt (Auburn) as MLB targets all of whom IIRC were ranked much lower by PFN... rankings that I was surprised the reports I read confirmed.

I think I summed up the Deng pick as well as I can in the OP... a raw athletic, kid with a high-ceiling but a low floor. I'll add that I paused a good while over his pick as he feels better built for a 3-4 approach, but in the end some tape of him playing in the middle of Cal's Defense convinced me to pull the trigger. The guy is actually better in pass coverage than he is run D at this point. I shit you not... he flips his hips so well that CBs are jealous.

As I said... "not to be defensive"...

[Orion]

Black Raspberry,  mint chocolate chip,  pistachio...   (black raspberry w/ hot fudge)

[gumby73]

         Chocolate! Anything with Chocolate.. The Wife's grocery list always includes her favorite? Neapolitan .. And just like the kids that refuse to grow-up? We ask, "Why is the Chocolate side, always the first to go? ...

If Nick Chubb can run 'out of bounds' at the one yard line? Than me thinks ? we can put College draftable's & Mock draft talks into a Forum called COLLEGE FOOTBALL(it could sure use some views)... at least, it has it's place till the Browns are eliminated... read ya than... till than.. Let's Beat them Eagles!

Just your luck...The Doc, put me out of work till next Tuesday.... I'll act retired.. do my prescribed drugs & avoid the Polly Board...?    

[Tour2ma]

@gumby73 said:

Than me thinks ? we can put College draftable's & Mock draft talks into a Forum called COLLEGE FOOTBALL(it could sure use some views)

Good Idea... I'll ask hoorta to move it.

Meanwhile I just checked out Fanspeak's Sim and with some help from thedraftnetwork.com ended up with this 3-rounder... Fanspeak gives you options on ranking to use, needs assessment list and other things.

A couple notes:

• Yeah.. Parsons ain't likely to fall to us, but if he's there you run to the podium... virtually or otherwise.
• Shelvin feels like more of a 2-gap NT to me, but we offset our DL enough to get him near head up on the C. Run stuffer deluxe and certainly pushes the pocket in Pass rushes.
• I haven't seen much of Ossai, who is listed as Edge suggesting he's more of a 3-4 OLB, but then I read about his coverage abilities and pulled the trigger.
• And then there is my lone repeat Mike, McGrone. Took a long listen at this podcast to help the decision here... It's a bit dated, but he kid is growing on me.
• Note that a couple of my earlier PFN sim picks are top 12 here.