Official 2020 NFL Draft thread

[IStillLoveTheMs]

Once again with the “other people might have taken him.”

Let them....let someone else pay first round money for a MLB when we have the best in the game there. Let someone else draft a MLB in the first and ask him to change positions. Stop telling me someone else might have stolen him, then drafting him, and having him make little to no impact!

This is C Mike and Penny all over again. Maybe this guy is worth the 27th pick, but he shouldn’t be on this team. You pay first round money to rush the passer or defend he WR. This was dumb, and even dumber when the best player in football plays his spot.

It's like you have cotton balls in your ears.

He's not going to play Wagner's position... he's going to play opposite Wagner.

If other teams were going to take him within 5 picks of where he was drafted, that's an indicator that NFL teams had a different view on him than the media... thinking that means "other teams are dumb as well... and I'm smarter than them" is an interesting take.

They have LJ Collier, Rasheem Green, Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa all competing to play the position opposite Clowney. If they believe they are going to sign Clowney, they weren't going to draft an edge rusher. If he doesn't sign, and they don't go after someone who is really good to play opposite these guys, then you have a point in them being wrong for not taking an edge rusher... that said, Yetur Gross Matos and Zach Baun were really the only guys expected to go in that realm and both weren't selected in the next 5 picks after the Hawks... could be a thing where a lot of teams weren't sold. Baun was a very late riser as well... he had a 3rd round grade before the combine. Matos is an enigma... good athlete with a lot to polish in his game... far from a sure thing.

If not edge, you wanted them to draft a corner or safety?

They currently have one of the top corner tandems in the NFL with Griffin and Dunbar...

They have Diggs and McDougald at safety with Blaire surely getting a lot more playing time this year. I happen to think Diggs and Blaire is a stellar combo as safety... I liked Xavier McKinney, but I didn't see safety as a need at all... I maybe saw a slot corner, but certainly not in the 1st round.

[ThePro]

He's not going to play Wagner's position... he's going to play opposite Wagner.

How do you know this? It makes more sense for this guy to play Kendricks spot and Barton to play Will. But we know that's not going to happen. Hawks will have another 1st round pick sit again.


They currently have one of the top corner tandems in the NFL with Griffin and Dunbar...

Once again. How do you know this? You're hoping for this outcome. Teams don't trade top corners for 5th round draft picks. That's a fact.

[Michael K.]

It's like you have cotton balls in your ears.

He's not going to play Wagner's position... he's going to play opposite Wagner.

Yep, we used the 27th pick on a small LB AND we are going to ask him to play a new position. I don't have cotton balls in my ears, I am reading what you are typing. Once again...I don't care what you think. Watch this video. The guy who likes him calls him Bobby Wagner. So, we drafted a guy we hope will be the guy we already have, who just signed an extension!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQS6SUbYRHI

If other teams were going to take him within 5 picks of where he was drafted, that's an indicator that NFL teams had a different view on him than the media... thinking that means "other teams are dumb as well... and I'm smarter than them" is an interesting take.

Believing that it HAS to be true because you heard it is dumb also. We keep being told by guys like you and this organization that they reached for a guy because other would have taken him. When is the last time that was a big time success? Irvin? Ifedi? McDowell? Penny? C Mike? Which one of these future Hall of Famers are you referring to that I should simply believe this logic is solid?

They have LJ Collier, Rasheem Green, Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa all competing to play the position opposite Clowney. If they believe they are going to sign Clowney, they weren't going to draft an edge rusher. If he doesn't sign, and they don't go after someone who is really good to play opposite these guys, then you have a point in them being wrong for not taking an edge rusher... that said, Yetur Gross Matos and Zach Baun were really the only guys expected to go in that realm and both weren't selected in the next 5 picks after the Hawks... could be a thing where a lot of teams weren't sold. Baun was a very late riser as well... he had a 3rd round grade before the combine. Matos is an enigma... good athlete with a lot to polish in his game... far from a sure thing.

So, your philosophy is that two guys we used to have and let go and were never better than the third best pass rusher on our good teams, are going to team with a guy who last year got three sacks and isn't even on our roster, and two other former high draft picks that have never done shit...to improve a pass rush that was terrible? Wish in one hand and shit in the other and see which one fills up first.

If not edge, you wanted them to draft a corner or safety?

I'd have easily celebrated the Safety from Bama...because those guys never pan out right?

They currently have one of the top corner tandems in the NFL with Griffin and Dunbar...

They have Diggs and McDougald at safety with Blaire surely getting a lot more playing time this year. I happen to think Diggs and Blaire is a stellar combo as safety... I liked Xavier McKinney, but I didn't see safety as a need at all... I maybe saw a slot corner, but certainly not in the 1st round.

I love it. Your logic is we can't take Safety because we have Diggs and McDougald, but having Wagner and KJ no reason to not take a LB. Cant' take a Corner because we signed Dunbar, since apparently you only need two of those guys, but we needed the next Bobby Wagner, and we needed to pay a first round price to get him. Genius.

[Sibelius Hindemith]

What evidence is there that he has any coverage skills? People that have studied tape on him say that he doesn't. Should be fun watching him at OLB run down tight ends from behind after they've converted on that 3rd and long.

[Michael K.]

The youtube video I linked above? The guys that likes him says he is a good blitzer. He plays in a pass happy Conference, and this "good blitzer" got three sacks!

[IStillLoveTheMs]

@ThePro

Its in his draft profile that he played Wagner's position in college but has the athleticism to play WILL and that's a viable path for him in the NFL.

Teams also don't draft converted wideouts in the 5th round and turn them into perennial All Pro's at corner... not saying Dunbar is an All-Pro... but he's certainly been a very good corner the last number of years and I for one think the Hawks see him in a very similar light to Sherman... former wideout with great ball skills and route reading ability.

@Michael K

1. He's a small linebacker? He's 6'0 240 lbs with 33 inch arms. I wouldn't call him small. Yeah they call him Bobby Wagner, like that's a bad thing? He's going to play opposite Wagner... what, do you actually think they are just going to sit him for 3 years? Pete is already talking about him playing outside...

2. If you do the research... Brooks made an appearance in the rumor mill over and over in the weeks leading up to the draft about possibly being drafted in the late first round. I don't think those rumors are unfounded... no reason not to believe them because they became true. Irvin has been a quality player in the NFL and def helped in their Super Bowl years... he got PAID. McDowell nailed his head... so we'll never know. CMike was one of the last picks in the 2nd round, while it wasn't a great selection... he didn't carry the same weight as a 1st rounder. Ifedi was drafted exactly where he was projected. I hated the Penny pick... that's the one where I think the Hawks truly fucked up. But that's going to happen from time to time.

3. One thing to take into account is the other best pass rushers you're talking about were Bennett, Clemons and Avril. 2 were undrafted and one was a 3rd rounder who was shipped to us after playing for a team that had 0 wins... so that should tell you about the current regime and where they believe they can find edge talent. I think Collier and Green have some upside opposite Clowney, Green certainly showed up last year, and Mayowa/Irvin will be a nice duo as situational rushers opposite Clowney. If they sign Clowney... all this edge talk will be for not.

4. I like Diggs + McDougald + Blaire. Thought Blaire looked really, really good in his limited time last year. Diggs is an absolute stud and McDougald is both solid + affordable. I think KJ played at a replacement level last year but at a starter's price... which is why he's a prime candidate to be cut. That would leave just Barton and Wagner, which is why I think the move was made in the draft. I just don't see the need to add another safety into the fold when all are relatively young, controlled and affordable. I do see them drafting a safety somewhat early next year though!

5. No... they have 2 quality starting outside corners in Griffin and Dunbar + Flowers as depth... they also have Akeem King and Ugo Amadi in the slot. I have them taking a corner... but not in the first round. Likely in the 5th round + like they typically do and purely for depth reasons.

[IStillLoveTheMs]

The youtube video I linked above? The guys that likes him says he is a good blitzer. He plays in a pass happy Conference, and this "good blitzer" got three sacks!

You know they don't only blitz on passing plays right? He had 20 tackles for loss... he's incredible at shooting gaps and making plays in the backfield... hence the 20 TFL's.

[Michael K.]

The youtube video I linked above? The guys that likes him says he is a good blitzer. He plays in a pass happy Conference, and this "good blitzer" got three sacks!

You know they don't only blitz on passing plays right? He had 20 tackles for loss... he's incredible at shooting gaps and making plays in the backfield... hence the 20 TFL's.

So, run defense was what you were worried about when you watched us get torched on third and long for the past two or three years? Defenders are drafted in the first round, and earn that contract, by rushing the passer or covering a WR. We spent a first round pick on a guy we hope will someday replace the guys we got in the third and fourth rounds several years ago.

Answer me this...when is the last time you watched the draft and the Commissioner announced a pick on Thursday night, and didn't have someone to hug and hand a jersey to? 58 players were "invited" to the draft last night by having cameras sent to their homes. Our guy, picked at 27, would have left the commissioner standing there by himself. Maybe I have a poor memory, and that happens often?

[Michael K.]

There are names on here that haven't been chosen yet...duh, 58 is greater than 32. But, there is only one name of the 32 taken yesterday not on this list. But remember, people were lining up to take him! We were just faster and smarter.


http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... -nfl-draft

[IStillLoveTheMs]

The youtube video I linked above? The guys that likes him says he is a good blitzer. He plays in a pass happy Conference, and this "good blitzer" got three sacks!

You know they don't only blitz on passing plays right? He had 20 tackles for loss... he's incredible at shooting gaps and making plays in the backfield... hence the 20 TFL's.

So, run defense was what you were worried about when you watched us get torched on third and long for the past two or three years? Defenders are drafted in the first round, and earn that contract, by rushing the passer or covering a WR. We spent a first round pick on a guy we hope will someday replace the guys we got in the third and fourth rounds several years ago.

Answer me this...when is the last time you watched the draft and the Commissioner announced a pick on Thursday night, and didn't have someone to hug and hand a jersey to? 58 players were "invited" to the draft last night by having cameras sent to their homes. Our guy, picked at 27, would have left the commissioner standing there by himself. Maybe I have a poor memory, and that happens often?

I don't know why you think that matters. It's clear the league didn't consult well enough to determine that Brooks was someone who should have had a camera in his house.

They had what... 60 players with cameras? Brooks was guaranteed to go in the top 50 picks according to what I've heard... so it sounds like the league fucked up and didn't do their homework.

The Hawks were the 5th worst defense in run defense per play last year at 4.9 yards per carry and 11th worst in rush yards allowed.

Edit: Also... there's 64 picks in the first 2 rounds... 58 players had cameras according to you. You could argue that Fromm, Eason and Hurts shouldn't have had cameras but did because they're QB's... so that leaves 55... I would argue that Gallimore, Prince Tega, Cushenberry, Terrell Lewis are also fringe 3rd rounders... so that drops the list to 51 who truly should have been there... as many as 7-10 players will end up drafted in the 1st or 2nd rounds who could have had a camera present. Brooks being one of them.

And to answer your question, the corner the raiders picked wouldn't have been on the stage either... he went way earlier Brooks.