Gridiron Seasonal

Jaguars – Trevor Lawrence, Clemson Quarterback

Jets – Trey Lance, North Dakota State Quarterback – New coach Robert Saleh is going to be familiar with how devastating it is to have to gameplan against a mobile quarterback. Not only has Lance been extremely accurate with longer passes, he’s a terrific runner and went to the same school as another QB Douglas will be familiar with, Carzon Wentz. The Jets will be in the mix for DeShaun Watson and would likely prefer him most.

Dolphins – Justin Fields, Ohio State Quarterback – Miami looks DECIDEDLY not interested in staying together with Tua Tagovailoa. Fields can physically do things Tua will never be able to do, and Miami may not have a top five pick for a long time. If Watson does get traded, I struggle to see Houston sending him to an AFC squad. Fields is a high ceiling, high floor, mobile, high IQ guy. Dolphins GM Chris Grier still has some additional picks to build out the offensive line to support Fields’ passing tendencies.

Falcons – Rashawn Slater, Northwestern OL – I believe Terry Fontenot will do his homework on Zach Wilson, I don’t feel Fontenot and (Arthur) Smith will want to hitch their wagon to a quarterback with one good season against bad teams and who struggled with injury most of his career. They have time to decide if they want Ryan long term or not. Slater erased Chase Young in the Northwestern/Ohio State game and can play probably anywhere on the offensive line. Arthur Smith is used to having a group of bullies up front.

Bengals – Ja’Marr Chase, LSU WR – I like Penei Sewell a lot, but Chase is the best wide receiver and maybe player in this draft. He also caught passes from Joe Burrow at LSU.

Eagles – DeVonta Smith, Alabama WR – They need help at offensive line and wide receiver. Smith knocked everyone’s socks off and helps make the eagles scary again.

Lions – Caleb Farley, VA Tech CB – Brad Holmes had an elite defense in LA, and while they could draft Zach Wilson, I can’t imagine trading for that Jared Goff contract and then immediately turning around and drafting a QB very first thing. Farley can play with tight ends and wide receivers, like Aqib Talib or Richard Sherman in his prime.

Panthers – Zach Wilson, Brigham Young Quarterback – The Panthers look to have established an optimistic culture with some skilled players on offense to help Wilson grow as a passer. I can’t imagine Carolina passing on any of the top 4 QBs if available. Joe Brady should be able to tailor an playbook to help Wilson look good and build confidence as a rookie.

Broncos – Patrick Surtain II, Alabama CB – The Broncos still need a quarterback. Surtain gives Denver good value here.

Cowboys – Kyle Pitts, Florida TE – Dallas needs plenty of help on defense. This might be the highest scoring offense in football if they draft Kyle Pitts and are otherwise healthy on offense. They’ve never replaced Jason Witten.

Giants – Penei Sewell, Oregon OT – I don’t really believe Sewell will be available here, but there is no planet where Dave Gettleman passes on Penei Sewell. Even after drafting Andrew Thomas early last season.

49ers – Christian Darrisaw, VA Tech OT – Trent Williams has been excellent in San Francisco, but unless they move on from Jimmy G. and draft a rookie quarterback, I don’t see how they will come up with the money to retain Williams. Lynch has made the offensive line a priority in the past, drafting Mike McGlinchey in the top half of the draft while they still had Joe Staley at left tackle.

Chargers – Teven Jenkins, Oklahoma OT – The Oklahoma Behemoth has loads of experience in pass pro and Telesco might want him for the franchise left tackle. I would like Jaylen Waddle here to keep up with Kansas City, but that doesn’t feel like something Telesco would do.

Vikings – Kwity Paye, Michigan DL – Zimmer was vocal about having a terrible defense in 2019. They still need help at secondary, but the front four is even worse. Paye should be able to start at any position up front.

Patriots – Jaylen Waddle, Alabama WR – Belichick just has to not be an idiot.

Cardinals – Micah Parsons, Penn State LB – The Cardinals will have to be looking at wide receivers here, but Parsons may fall because of a supposed lawsuit at Penn State. Parsons makes the most sense here.

Raiders – Christian Barmore, Alabama DT – We’ve seen Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock take a close look at title game standouts. Barmore played great in the CFB Playoffs against Notre Dame and Ohio State. Gruden knows he needs a pass rush. They will also look at right tackles here as Trent Brown has missed half his games and is making a ton of money.

Dolphins – Jaycee Horn, South Carolina CB – Horn’s played really well against SEC wide receivers and has desirable size at corner. Chris Grier has shown an understanding for a good defensive backfield.

Football Team – Mac Jones, Alabama QB – I don’t know that Rivera will want Jones. Washington doesn’t have a quarterback on the roster for the long term, Jones has played well and would be going to a team with a strong leadership culture with Rivera and Martin Mayhew. Washington may be open to trading for Tua Tagovailoa or DeShaun Watson. Jones stood out at the Senior Bowl and did everything right this season at Alabama.

Bears – Samuel Cosmi, Texas OT – The Bears have several holes, but building the offensive line will be a safe pick here. Cosmi’s performed well in pass pro and as a run blocker. The Bears will consider drafting Mac Jones if he is available.

Colts – Alijah Vera Tucker, USC OT – The Colts will miss Anthony Castonzo, and will need to replace him. They may look to sign Trent Williams out of San Francisco. They may trade up for a Quarterback if they can’t get Carson Wentz or another capable starting quarterback.

Titans – Jeremiah Owusu Koramoah, Notre Dame linebacker – JOK was always around the football and a major player in Notre Dame’s win over Clemson in the regular season. Owusu Koramoah isn’t the biggest linebacker, so he may get moved to safety, but his athleticism and aggression should catch Coach Vrabel’s eye.

Jets – Jalen Mayfield, Michigan OT – In need of a right tackle, Mayfield has experience starting at right tackle and won’t need to learn the position. Mayfield is a stellar blocker in his own right.

Steelers – Liam Eichenberg, Notre Dame OT – Notre Dame has been an offensive lineman factory. Eichenberg is battle tested with games against Alabama and Clemson. He’s got terrific size and should fit well with Pittsburgh’s commitment to the run.

Jaguars – Jaelan Phillips, Miami DE – Phillips has won the praise of Daniel Jeremiah with his consistency this season. If his medical situation checks out, Trent Baalke and Urban Meyer would get a great value pick here.

Browns – Azeez Ojulari, Georgia OLB – Vernon’s contract is up, and with the salary cap crunch, Berry may feel compelled to replace him in the draft. Ojulari is a favorite of the analytics crowd, and the scouting community has given him positive feedback as well. At 240, Ojulari’s not a huge defender, but plays consistently.

Ravens – Tutu Atwell, Louisville WR – Tutu does an excellent job of creating yards after the catch. Brown is unhappy with his involvement and downfield receivers like Brown may not be a fit for Lamar as a passer. The Ravens don’t draft receivers early often, but I could see them drafting for Lamar’s growth.

Saints – Dylan Moses, Alabama Linebacker – Moses is a value selection here. The Saints will be looking at wide receivers, tight ends, and quarterbacks here.

Packers – Rashod Bateman, Minnesota WR – The Packers should still be making wide receiver a priority for Rodgers and Love’s sake.

Bills – Jay Tufele, USC DT – Buffalo struggled to stop the run. This team is strong overall, Tufele makes them more competitive against offensive mega teams like KC.

Buccaneers – Quincy Roche, Miami DE – Roche played well at the Senior Bowl and has been steady throughout his college career. Tampa relies on a strong pass rush with how much they force other teams to throw the ball.

Chiefs – Wyatt Davis, Ohio State G – Davis is a brutal, crushing run blocker. Reid still has a soft spot for building up the offensive and defensive line.

Lawrence V. Fields 2021

Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields have both looked like elite quarterbacks for at least two years now, and we’re three short months away from the 2021 draft, after both players have officially declared for the draft. It seems a forgone conclusion that Jacksonville will draft Trevor Lawrence, the Jets may trade down or even draft an offensive lineman at number two overall but are the most likely team to draft Justin Fields. Many skilled young passers struggle to adapt to the change from a “top of the tops” high school program and a “top of the tops” college program to one of the worst, most poorly run NFL franchises that expects to lose most of their games (Johnny Manziel, Dwayne Haskins, Sam Darnold). The hiring of Urban Meyer and Robert Saleh were meant, at least in part, to ease that transition. Meyer’s been lauded by Daniel Jeremiah as culture first coach and Saleh’s generally recognized as a perpetually pumped, excited young coach, not unlike the Rams’ Sean McVay.

Lawrence is an overall good decision maker with the football and is very accurate as a deep and intermediate thrower. He can scramble reasonably well and does so with the most success near the endzone.

Justin Fields has a strong arm and has actually completed a higher percentage of his passes and for more yards per attempt than even Lawrence over the past two seasons. Fields is inarguably a better scrambler and is a stocky fellow, weighing 228 lbs at 6 ft 3 (Lawrence is a towering 6 ft 6 at a lanky 220 lbs). I expect Fields to have more success early on as his feet will give defensive coordinators a challenge and he can still throw deep with accuracy. One knock against Fields is that he holds on to the ball for a long time until he finds a pass he really feels comfortable with. This can often be a bad trait, but some quarterbacks, specifically DeShaun Watson and Aaron Rodgers have built long, extremely successful careers as quarterbacks who hold the football for longer than average. Fields’ running ability and competitive nature (on display against Clemson in 2020) I believe give him a distinct advantage if both quarterbacks are placed in bad offensive situations without much support. Lawrence is still a great overall prospect and can literally see the field well with his height advantage, he may be the better prospect if both are given great offensive support structures (offensive line, playcalling, receivers who can get open and catch).

Most quarterbacks don’t get the Peyton Manning-Colts treatment with star skill players and o-linemen making their life easier. Given that Jacksonville and New York have been generally unstable teams in supporting quarterbacks, I think Fields is more likely to be remembered as the better quarterback when both careers come to an end. Justin Herbert’s performance and especially Josh Allen’s incredible season demonstrate that really no one knows anything about evaluating quarterbacks. Maybe the smartest guys in the industry are going to be right 55 out of 100 times, but the draft is clearly an art, not a science. The best quarterback in the draft will probably be Jamie Newman because no one thinks he will be good.

Song of the post – “Santiana” by The Longest Johns