Bear Hands

If I had to pick one guy -- leaning towards/almost pound the table that could possibly be had in the 3rd: Elijah Roberts He's an EDGE that I have a hard time not seeing make an impact.

I agree with the limited R1 grades but not his names. Jahdae Barron is a guy just skyrocketing on a few boards and publications. My guess is word from the scouting community must be trickling out and pushing him ahead of Morrison (and Johnson for some) Mykel Williams is a first on paper, not on tape. I just can't get on board with that. He's a guy that's dependent if a team thinks they can carve him into a better rusher. He needs a lot of development IMO. But Miller has fallen off in recent years. He was the guy claiming Willis & Ridder were going to be 1sts.

Good shout outs. I'm definitely preferential to Shemar. Don't know how high I'd be willing to take him, but I have a hard time not seeing him make an impact in the league. As mentioned, he consistently is collapsing OLs. 6'6 280ish. He's athletic to stand and set an edge, can get his hands in the dirt in sub packages. Good prospect with huge upside. He's built like a machine.

WR: Tez Johnson, Horton, Kyle Williams, & Nash RB: Brashard Smith, Kyle Monangai, and that Tuten kid ILB: Jay Higgins (love) EDGE: Elijah Roberts & Oladejo DL: Norman-Lott S: Xavier Watts

NE and JAX are who I think could benefit/fit. But at the same time, both of their QBs need help and that could be Tmac and Campbell. In front of that would be Ward, Hunter and Carter so the Raiders would be looking at Sanders. I’d say it’s way more possible Graham is there at 7 than many realize. All depends on NE and JAX. And with the Jets, they want a vet QB but Davante possibly out, Warren could be a weapon to finally give them offense w Wilson and Hall. Graham could honestly just be there for us come pick 8. It’s not too far fetched.

That's close to my thinking if we're being Panthers specific, because then needs and fit come into the equation beyond my own ranks. Pearce vs. McMillan is tough IMO. If they both hit max potential, I lean Pearce because of what you could get with him and how that impacts games in the trenches. But I probably have Warren ahead of both if we're considering receiving weapons and someone that completely changes the offense/elevates the team blueprint. And I'm a big JT Sanders (and even Tremble) fan. 1-Graham 2-Walker 3-Warren 4A/B-Pearce/Tmac 5-Grant

I didn't highlight him as a fit, but I feel like I could have. I'm close with him, and I'd probably take him over TM and Pearce, but need does have some weight. If you're getting even 80% of what Bowers was, it's still tempting.

I like Jared Ivey (and Princely as well). Ivey may not quite fit our defense from my view, he’s more suited to have his hands in the dirt the bulk of the time. Princely is a guy I almost put on the list but he’s a bit too stiff and slow with his counter. Just doesn’t have the quickness you want but could definitely make an impact early situationally.

So what I like about him so much is how well he maintains his balance once he gets initial contact on OLs. And when that happens, it’s his handwork combined with surprising power that makes for a real weapon. And once he either ghosts, swims or crosses (he has a bunch of moves/isn’t a one trick pony), his acceleration to wrap up a play is special. Once he clears a block, he makes sure the play is over. And considering those traits with his offball skills, you basically get a guy who can be absolutely perfect for simulated pressures in our nickel packages. He’s a perfect disguise weapon to for the 2HS. Would compliment Clowney well while we continue to stay patient about finding a large rusher/edge setter to compliment.

Will say I was bracing for pushback on my Starks drop haha. Welcome the chat with these edge rushers. Lots of different flavors.

He is a twitchy lightning bolt with great bend against the undersized OTs Marshall faced, but I'm just having a hard time placing him too high. He's got good hands and some legit finesse but the competition level and the unknown UVA incident that got him dismissed temper his expectations for me. Interviews will be big for him. Also, when he got engaged by bigger OLs, he notably got thrown off course. He runs off the shear momentum of the snap and that initial burst & move. It seems a lot of the tools are there but I'm hesitant. On Stewart's end, if you wanted to grab the most optimally built dude, it's him. Ripped, athletic, length, he's like 6'6 280. He's got the toolset just like Green to become a top guy. He has moves too, but he hasn't racked up the sacks for some reason. So on paper I wasn't thinking highly, but watching him, man, he's caving in OLs consistently and I'm not finding any huge problems with his game in the technical sense. only thing were some minor pad level tendencies. Pressures went way up this past year, he's developed well.

copy/pasta time from my google drive... Overall Notes: Awesome Front-7 class. Diverse. A few at the top, but it is deep and super interesting at LB & DL. Not a ton of nose tackles or elite ILBs, but some fun scheme versatile types. RB class is one of the healthiest I’ve seen in a while. Not as many pass-catchers as you’d expect, but it’s a really good group. Receiving class is deceiving. I think it’s a pretty interesting class, there’s just a bit of a void between Golden/Egbuka and the next tier. Don't like the CBs. Some potential guys late, but #3-10 is a bit iffy for me. I’m sure there will be plenty of disagreements, but hey, that’s what this is all about. Time to check things out through my lens...(blue are Panther fits) Big Board Tier 1 (Blue Chip) 1. Abdul Carter OLB Penn State - I was a bit lukewarm on him but after some rewatch, I have caved and now view him over Hunter. Top edge rushers are the diamonds to land come draft day. 2. Travis Hunter DB/WR Colorado - I view him more as a DB that will come in for some offensive packages, but not a full-time WR. He’s a rare and extremely talented player. I feel the hype aligns with his value. 3. Mason Graham DT Michigan - His quickness to disengage a block and pursue is for real. Top end talent here. Can do it all. Tier 2 (Instant-Starter/All-Pro Ceiling) 4. Ashton Jeanty RB Boise State - I love Jeanty. He’s going to be a stud. Don’t think he is drafted top-5, probably not even top-10, but he’s going to make a team very happy. 5. Cameron Ward QB Miami - I’ve been following him for 3 years, thought of him highly along with Penix and Daniels. He was a bit behind them developmentally but really impressed me how he matured as a passer at Miami. He is still a bit reckless, but a fun/ceiling’s worth-it reckless. He’s the only QB worth a high 1st. 6. Will Campbell OT LSU - He has all the tools and meets all the size wants for a LT in the NFL. The top OL in the draft. 7. Jalon Walker OLB Georgia - Walker is all over the place on boards. For me, he’s a top-notch pass rusher. I came away surprised at his power against lineman. He brings a lot to the table, and is not a gimmick position-less guy. He’s a dynamic EDGE who plays well in coverage and can help control the box. With his pass rush & offball traits, he’s going to make an impact. He just needs the right fit. If a guy like Nick Herbig can do it at that frame, holy heck could Walker at his talent level. 8. Tyler Warren TE Penn State - This draft class is a strange one, Warren would probably have been behind Bowers last year, but he’s a fantastic TE prospect. A guy you can center an offense around just like the Raiders quickly did. 9. Tetairoa McMillan WR Arizona - I am a fan of T-Mac. That being said, the combination of not being the most physical (which is surprising at his size) and his work against man coverage keeps me from viewing him as a top-end WR. Overall, he has a very high ceiling, superb size, and is a great overall talent. Could see him as the OROY in this class but I’m just a bit lukewarm for some reason. 10. James Pearce Jr OLB Tennessee - He was eyed as a top-5 pick preseason for a reason. He still had a great year, just didn’t light up as much as Carter. Tape won’t immediately jump out but he’s a damn good talent with a sky high ceiling. Excellent PR win rate (23.0%), solid in run-d (84.0+), size, length, bend, & burst to show. His run-defense needs some coaching up that will come with NFL conditioning. Think Will McDonald with a bit better burst. 11. Kenneth Grant IDL Michigan - A pass rushing NT is rare, and his size+athleticism is just as rare. Can play 4-3 DT, 3-4 DE or NT. If his ceiling gets even somewhat close to being touched, teams will regret skipping on him. I don’t see him falling, but rising, especially after teams saw what happened with Sweat last year. Higher than elsewhere for me, outlier, but I think he is worth it. 12. Armand Membou OT/G Missouri - Plug and play on the line. Just depends on who snags him. Instant impact, excellent prospect. 13. Walter Nolen IDL Ole Miss - He is fun to watch for an interior DL. Productive, quick, and powerful interior DL are gems to be coveted. 14. Colston Loveland TE Michigan - I really don’t see Loveland that far behind Warren and view him in the same tier. This kid is going to be really good at the next level. Looking at LAC & his old coach wanting him for Herbert. -My Round 1 grades end-(mostly) Tier 3 (Instant Starters: Damn Solid but not Elite [or] Untapped Potential) 15. Will Johnson CB Michigan - I’m a fan, think he’s a plug and play - strong press-zone corner. But I’m a bit lower because of his play in man coverage. He can get outmatched more than you’d expect for a high-R1 CB. But he's still a definitive tier above the remaining CBs. 16. Luther Burden WR Missouri - A versatile guy, some may place as slot-only but he can play outside no problem (37% of the time in school). Big play ability, a game breaker, a guy to get the ball in space. He’s the modern prototype that passing games can be structured around. If he's viewed more than slot, he's going high. If slot-exclusive then he may be WR4. 17. Shemar Stewart DE/EDGE Texas A&M - If he had a bit more production he would be higher, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed watching him even without huge plays. A constant problem for OLs, a constant disruptor. Needs to close better but he will give a DL a nice boost. 18. *Josh Simmons OT OSU - A bit unknown because of medicals, but he’s everything you want in an OT prospect. An asterisk because of injury concerns. 19. Matthew Golden WR Texas - Big riser but I can see why and I view him highly. Made big plays in big moments. Great quickness, route-running, explosiveness. Some injuries peg him down/needs to get checked out by teams. If he passes, he could be WR3 come draft day. 20. Mike Green OLB Marshall - I really like what I’ve read and seen in my limited availability, but there’s a level of unknown with the competition played. Hard to justify much higher but he nails a ton of metrics. Also some character rumors, keeping Green from that next tier, but still a quality talent w/potential. 21. Marcus Mebow OT Purdue - This kid is awesome, definitely one of my favorite prospects on the OL. Hits a lot of what you want but there were some scouts disappointed at the Senior Bowl. Thing is, he really does check most boxes and has shown it off quite well. Can play T/G. Depends on the team/fit, could go higher than expected. 22. Emeka Egbuka WR Ohio State - I am a big fan of Emeka. He just gets it done; nothing flashy. It makes sense why he’s coming out of the same program and role as JSN. Can’t go wrong with him, plays right away. Just isn’t a top-WR prospect like the Nabers/Chases/etc. of the world. He’s the next peg down. 23. Donavon Ezeiruaku OLB/EDGE Boston College - One of my guys in the draft, but he’s only a pass-rush specialist at this point. But if you compare him to guys like Anudike-Uzomah or Byron Young in recent years, leaps and bounds better pass rush arsenal, is just 21. He’s one of my faves in this class/I'm ranking higher than elsewhere. 24. Tyler Booker OG Alabama - Here come more OLs. Really solid guard prospect who should be able to start right away for most teams. Nothing splashy, but a solid, high character kid who should start at guard for some time. 25. Jack Sawyer EDGE/DE Ohio State - Just a solid all-around talent that should be able to contribute right away to a team. Gritty, quality, just doesn’t have anything setting him apart that makes him the top-end type talent. 26. Omarion Hampton RB UNC - Interesting blend of a physical back and home-run hitter. One cut, gets skinny and bursts through the right seams nicely. Solid RB talent who should be the head of a RB room. Deion’s Kid 27. Shedeur Sanders QB Colorado - I am not sold but he will go high. I watch him and then a McCord or Dart, I don’t see what is all that special. But I'd be a bit silly to not fit him in, he's still pretty solid and seems like a case where a team will bite early. Tier 4 (Great Prospect but room to grow) 28. Derrick Harmon DT/DE Oregon - Quality prospect. He’s played heavier and excelled, played lighter and excelled. But hasn’t found his sweet spot. But pure OL disruption wise, not many did what he did in CFS last year. 29. Nick Emmanwori S South Carolina - I have him above Starks. I’ll explain why with Starks, but this kid is all over the place in games. Play maker, communicator, awesome play speed and size. Stud. Just love his style of play. Size, strength, IQ, he brings a lot to the equation that is not a typical safety role. Will be highly coveted IMO. 30. JT Tuimoloau EDGE/DE Ohio State - If you’re looking for the size, length, combination of ceiling and floor, and a decent PR moveset, JTT offers just that. His hands and bend are what set him back, but he’s a great athlete who made big plays, big impacts in games. OLs focused on him, not Sawyer (to their detriment). I get a sense he may just be the young guy that explodes eventually. 31. Malaki Starks S Georgia - Outlier #1 - I really liked him but after a further dive, his deep speed leaves a bit to be desired and that’s not very correctable and you need that at safety. On top of that, safeties simply aren’t as valuable as other spots. He’s a quality talent, but his role and big play give-ups bring him down a peg for me. My opinion of him is evolving after I've dove in. Also-he's a safety 32. Josh Conerly Jr OT Oregon - When he’s at his best, he looks great. Needs some development, but high end talent who seems like quite the locker room presence. Could start for a team with the need, and have some bumps, or be a great in-waiting LT. 33. Mykel Williams OLB/DE Georgia - Another outlier for me, #2 - I’m not as high on Mykel but I can’t drop him too far for what he brings as a specimen alone. He needs some coaching and I just thought he looked lost at times. But the talent is there to tap. 34. Kelvin Banks OT Texas - Has the tools but had a lot of blips in big games. I'm not a huge fan but he is a very coachable kid with the size and potential. 35. Tyleik Williams DT/NT Ohio State - One of the more sure-thing run stuffers in the draft. Great talent. 36. Omar Norman-Lott IDL Tennessee - He has flashes where you think he’s the best DL in the class. His good stretches are THAT good. But he’s just not consistent enough. Some coaching and discipline but an excellent talent with potential to crack into. 37. Nic Scourton DE/EDGE - He was a guy many thought would be at the top of this class but underwhelmed this year. Although, the talent is there, the motor and size is there. Maybe some things just need tapping into coaching wise. He could end up a steal if he’s there day 2. 38. Kaleb Johnson RB Iowa - Solid RB prospect who should be able to take on a 10+ carry role if a team has the need. 39. Mason Taylor TE LSU - He may get lost in the shuffle but I see him above the remaining TEs but definitely below Warren & Loveland. Better than guys that have been 2nd-3rds like Strange or Schoonmaker. As with many young TEs, may need a tad of development to hit his potential. 40. Xavier Watts S Notre Dame - Watts is a case I feel very much like Kyle Hamilton. May just not stick out enough and could fall, but it seems like he does everything very well. Should by all means be a legit safety. Hard to Grade But I like: 40. *Benjamin Morrison CB Notre Dame - Great talent with a high ceiling. Ballhawk and has the position down pat. He just plays on the outside extremely confidently and is very disciplined. Injury history gives him the asterisk and a bit of an unknown where I’d fit him in, but he’s a top talent. He could be as high as a top-15 but injuries man… 41. Grey Zabel C/T/G NDSU - Watch out for this kid. A bit Graham Barton-esque but has a little more room to grow. If we want a center this draft, he’s an option. Need to Be Sold a Bit More: The remaining CB class, Kyle Kennard, Jihaad Campbell, & Donovan Jackson Thanks for reading. Ciao

I know there's a big 4-3 contingent, but if you have the front-7 figured out personnel wise in a 3-4 base, that can be a real winner. We run 5-6 DBs so much the trick is getting a 3-down clog in the middle and the quicker pass rush talent that still set an edge. So the trick here is that Nose-- someone to get double teamed, maintain leverage and control run gaps. Tuttle has never been that, and it's been a huge problem that Brown masked, but without Brown, it was a domino effect throughout the defense last year. The other part is getting the splashy edge rusher, even if it's not a top-end talent (Carter, Pearce, Walker), there's some excellent guys that I'd classify as a specialist that can bloom into a 3-down type. If you take away where our picks are, just assess the field, I see a options for both of these roles: IDL: Kenneth Grant (love), Tyleik Williams, Norman-Lott (love), Alfred Collins, Jordan Phillips, Deone Walker EDGE: Sawyer, Ezeiruaku (love), JT Tuimoloau, Princely, Elijah Roberts, Gillotte, Powell-Ryland, Oladejo

Didn't see you posted it. He's getting a bit annoying at this point.

And he doubles down... I get the angle he's trying to make, but calling everyone "sensitive" isn't gonna help you out here.

oh wow an NFL player flew into Charlotte Douglas.

I can easily see that ~8-10ish number for first round graded prospects. There's not much top end talent this season. I think it's been clear for a minute this class is severely lacking all-pro level players. If I had to shoot something out right now, I have around 12 guys as 1sts: Hunter, Carter, Graham, Ward, Johnson, Jeanty, Warren, Starks, Grant, Pearce, McMillan, Nolen Some fringe like Zabel, Morrison, Egbuka, Green, etc. Not high on the OTs but teams will reach. We're in a good position to see who makes the stupid picks ahead of us and land one of the few higher end guys. Let it fall into our laps and don't reach just because we're all dying for a better Nose or OLB. I do think there's a potential IDL and EDGE that could work at 8, but I'm reserving my arguments/cheerleading for now on specific prospects.

It’s their play style. Near mirror one another, super similar. The way they run, how they fight DBs. Similar to Michael Pittman as well, but not as muscle bound. Honestly, surprised USC didn’t recruit him at all.

McMillan reminds me a ton of Drake London, shades of Pittman. It would be a fine pick considering the lack of top talent in this draft class, but I do think those guys were slightly overdrafted. Funny enough, both found themselves kind of stuck in mediocrity on teams with lackluster defense and overly-hyped talent on offense. I'm cool with it, but expectations should be tempered a bit. I do recognize some are VERY high on the kid here... Defense wise (without knowing who's got a screw loose and will fall): Tier 1/Blue Chip - there are 3 on defense: Hunter, Carter, & Graham (none on offense IMO) - Given the SB outcome, unlikely Graham falls. But it would be cool if he did. Tier 2 - this is where I divert from others...right now, my next is Kenneth Grant, Will Johnson, James Pearce, Walter Nolen. Kenneth Grant is one of the guys that has been pegged as a mid-1st but I could see rise given how DL is coveted. Freak at his size. *Even being a bit more lukewarm on Tmac, I see an argument for him to be above those guys in Tier 2. But I really like Kenneth Grant and Pearce Jr. for us. Elsewhere, Malaki Starks & Jalon Walker would up there be if they were different positions/roles. Their talent is legit. You won't go wrong picking them, and I think who they fall to will be very happy. Benjamin Morrison isn't far but he has an injury history to prove wrong. Mike Green has surged up boards, but I won't pretend I can tell if it's a comp level thing or if he's legit. Scourton could have been top of class, but his inconsistent year has me scratching my head with him. Mykel Williams fell far for me.

Wouldn't be thrilled with this. The WR market is pretty meh and the draft is as well. If we somehow land a weapon via trade, it needs to be a game changer. We have young talent that I don't want stunted by older fillers. This should happen only if a prime candidate who can truly make an impact is there, but if we're just grabbing a starter for a year or two, it doesn't serve us well for the build around Bryce and co. Trade candidates in that respect would be a guy like Pittman or Wilson.

I think you gotta stay BPA with the front-7 weighted. But sitting at 8, knowing at least Carter, Hunter, & Ward go ahead...Sanders likely as well, and how much teams value OLs, a top defender will be there. It's likely going to come down to Graham, Johnson, Pearce, & J Walker. And if a guy we label as a blue chip/all-pro ceiling is there, he's going over an edge rusher in our next board block. You stick to the board, don't let need overtake you, get the top talent who slips. That's what the new champs have done with Carter, Mitchell, & Nolan Smith. They fell right into their laps and happened to fit needs. We're positioned this year to grab a guy who slips because the crap teams ahead of us continue to make bad decisions. So let's stop making bad decisions ourselves and reaching. Some of our best picks fell into our laps bc other teams were busy reaching (Star, Luke, etc.) Round 1 is about choosing the right guy, not the right position. And overall, we drafted 21 defensive players with our last 36 draft picks. We just need to start hitting more than missing.

They draft very very well. A lot of guys who needed some development started shining this year. Nakobe Dean, Nolan Smith, Jordan Davis, all came through this season. Milton comes up big last night. Teams keep letting top talent drop to them in R1 ha

Also - I kind of like your Will Johnson take; if Quinyon was in this draft, he'd be ahead of WJ. If injuries weren't there, Benjamin Morrison would be CB1 this year - elite press corner, ballhawk, run support. His knock is he's just not the physical man type prototype, but he's gonna be making plays in the NFL.

Nice write up. Not sure I agree with the Pearce Jr assessment as he's a strong run defender and one of the few 3-down EDGEs in this class that aren't either just edge setters or PR specialists. He's got sneaky power and he could easily fill into around 260. Top of class run stop rate % (10.1) and pass rush win rate (23.0%) -pff And he's just really strong on tape IMO. Has great decisiveness with peeling off blocks to laterally get to runners. Top tier spatial awareness/understanding of what's going on. The awareness also came in handy when TEN pulled him back and he stepped into coverage instead of rushing. Huge added ability that not many of the bigger guys can pull off. Bend - check, burst - check (explosive), hands -check, run defense - check. I've seen a Leonard Floyd comp which I think makes some sense.