So we all know what all the mocks out there have us doing, depending on what happens with the 3 teams before us.
And we all know our #1 need is pass rush. Pressure on the QB. One way or another, we need it and we need it badly. A great edge guy like Josh Allen or Clelin Ferrel or Montez Sweat, when you put him together with Arden Key and Mo Hurst going into their 2nd seasons, MIGHT be able to do that for us.
But if we went in a slightly different direction I think we might be able to get solid pressure more CONSISTENTLY, which is what we should really be looking for. I just read a mock that went the way I’ve been thinking for a while now.
We follow the Rams model.
Pick #1: Quinnen Williams. I’m starting to get an erection for this dude. I’m reading comparisons to Warren Sapp. Put this guy in next to Hurst on 3rd down and they’d be in the QB’s lap.
Pick #2: Hockensen, Fant or Irv Smith here. In that order, depending on availability. Irv’s about as low-rent as I’d go in the 1st round. Gotta deal w TE once and for all. THIS is the draft to do it in.
Pick #3: We’ve got to upgrade our LB corps and I’d love to get Devin Bush here. I think he’d be a righteous spark plug for us. If he’s not there, we should still look for LB help. Brian Burns MIGHT be available here, he’ll be a badass OLB in the NFL and whenever we need to bring the house, he’ll terrify the QB.
A lot of mocks have us taking a CB in rd 1 but I don’t think we should do that for one simple reason: I really like the tandem of Conley/Worley as our starters. They’re just flat out good and I think they will BOTH break out. The dude from the Lions is a starter as well, and Nick Nelson is going to be ok.
Pick #4: Round 2. Jaylon Ferguson. This kid gets knocked because of some off-field BS. But it was a 1-time deal, and it was a long time ago. He got un-invited from the combine so people have it all blown out of proportion, but this shit is really not a big deal.
More importantly, dude had 17.5 sacks and will give us the pressure we need.
One of the things I really like about a draft like this is that guys are playing positions they’re suited for. We’re not trying to stick a 235-lb pass rusher at DE, or a 285-lb 3-4 DE at 5-3 DE.
Let’s recap
Quinnen and Hurst up the middle.
Key and Ferguson off the edge.
Burns and and occasionally Karl Joseph blitzing.
AND Carr throwing to Antonio Brown, Tyrell Williams and Noah Fant.