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

[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!???

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[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.

[gumby73]

@tour2ma said:

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. Amen, brother!

           I'm stuck between putting a angry lumber layer behind just as angry Shelton Richardson? ?... LB Missouri--Nick Bolton (us or keep this hammer out of                 the AFCN)_            https://www.profootballnetwork.com/missouri-lb-nick-bolton-challenge-top-linebacker-spot/

            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. 

• --OR---aka J.O.K..  Owusu from ND.. Watch this guy blanket cover a TE ?... Have i mentioned, Brian Kelly's coaching staff maybe coaching the best OL & Tackling techniques ahead of the draft? 
• 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.  I only saw pieces of McGrone vs Wisconsin.. hoping to see more of...he had his hands full

           Early note.. Tarheel's LB Chazz Surratt may have a higher GPA than Andrew Berry ? ...stay tuned..

my early bites ^^

[Dutch Oven]

I won't even pretend to know who should fill the following positions as of today,  but I'm going to take a leap of faith and say that the safety position will be manned next year by Harrison at SS and Delpit at FS. 

DLine needs help. Richardson's best days are behind him, and I'm if Ogunjobi will get an extension. Myles at the one DE spot is adequate, I suppose, but obviously there needs an upgrade opposite him at the other DE. 

LBs are obvious. There isn't a LB on the roster today that could not use an upgrade. Lot of youth on the roster at this position, but which of the young guys makes anyone go "Now, with THIS guy, we have something to build on!" 

Denzel Ward is a very good starter at CB, but I'd have no problem adding another high if it fell that way. Greedy Williams might as well be in the Witness Relocation Program, talking about how he ordered spaghetti with marinara and got egg noodles and ketchup. 

[Tour2ma]

@dutch-oven said:

... spaghetti with marinara and got egg noodles and ketchup. 

So now we're talkin' spaghetti sauces?

Well.... OK...

Hunt's Traditional is my base sauce, but only pour it after...

• browning a slab of ground It. sausage (mild) in EVOO... brown, flip brown and only then break up into chunks for final browning then set aside on papertowel;
• saute onions, garlic and mushrooms in EVOO of course.. also remove and set aside;
• deglazing the cast iron skillet with bad red wine that I cook down by half after adding It. seasoning and red pepper flakes;
• then comes the Hunts; and
• all the reserved goodies.

Add any left over Parm rinds... it'll do it no harm...

Simmer on low for about an hour or until thickened folding it occasionally and it'll rock your world...

Grandkids even named it... PAghetti sauce.

Sometime I'll tell you about Breakfast PAtatoes...

[gumby73]

^^^^ Ya See..... We already miss our drafting-god   Poe'G... hope all is well Poe... has not logged in since 9-6-2020

Football and coronavirus

PoeticG replied to Orion's topic in THE BROWNS BOARD

I think I've come up with a solution so that we can have football... I'm working on a prototype tomorrow after work.

•  August 5
•  
•  187 replies
•                                                                      no post since this one^^^

[Unsympathetic]

Sauteing those onions is good.. try caramelizing them!  And for slow-cooking a stew or curry, I can't get enough of my Staub enameled cast iron cocotte.

[Tour2ma]

@unsympathetic said:

... try caramelizing them! 

I do that sometimes... accidentally...

Actually had a great, happy accident once when I was prepping a topping for some Pork Loin cutlets.

I'd done them previously with onion. I'd done them previously with diced apple. This nite after a "why not" moment I was doing both in combo.

Anywho... I walked away for a bit and the caramelization of both began. It was freaking delicious.

[Tour2ma]

Meanwhile back at the thread...

Did another PFN mock... First, I have to say that anyone into mock sims needs to try this one. Very sophisticated... very well thought out user interface. When considering a trade you can see the needs of teams between you current and potential pick, and the sim's trade value chart by drafttek (it's a new-ish one).

It's only drawbacks are that:

• it offers no ranking choices so it tends to get repetitive; and
• while the sim is free the PFN Scouting reports are subscription... no biggie tho... I just open thedraftnetwork's mock-draft-machine in another tab and use their scouting summaries as a springboard to deeper dives as needed. One side benefit of opening TDN's page is you can see that rankings are far from consensus ATM.

See Repetition Exhibit A below... The only reason I did not end up with Kwity again was that I also drafted for HOU and "they" took him in at #70... but that freed me to trade down a few spots.

I included the Top 8 in this post. So far every sim run has Lawrence and Fields going 1-2. Lance, seen here at #7, is the interesting one. He is the #3 QB off the board, but teams move up to tab him in some pretty substantial trades. Below it was Indy who gave up about 5 picks to CIN to move up 16 spots, but in my first sim it was NE that gave up a couple future firsts in a six-pick package to DAL to take Lance at #4.