by Anthony Fernandez, January 10th, 2014
[1.17] 
LE Dee Ford, Auburn | B
Dee Ford looks a little bit like an outside linebacker playing defensive end. At 6'2" and 252 lbs, he is a bit scheme limited, and his 83 speed, 71 agility, and 85 acceleration don't jump off the page. He's not a particularly great tackler, either. But, he is only 21 years old, and he's strong as f*ck. 87 strength is truly unique and worth exploring! It looks like Kev MAY have already put +1 speed and +1 acceleration into him too? I may be reading his card wrong, but that would seem to cap his ceiling a bit, too. I dunno. He's a good player, I think a good comp for him is actually Jason Worilds on my roster, who has been very productive (not this year, but the 3 prior) tallying up 34 sacks in three years. Worilds was taken near the end of the 2nd though, so I'd probably consider this a slight reach (or at least gamble) for GM Mullendore, but I have learned over the years to never doubt him. This is a B, with room to grow.
[1.18] 
WR Jarvis Landry, LSU | A
Jarvis Landry was heavily rumored to be NOLA bound, but the 6'1" blazer will end up in chilly Denver with newly minted WR AJ Green. Anytime you can nab a guy who is already 99/99/99 at the back half of the 1st, it's a win. Landry will end up a couple inches shorter than Latimer (who went 15th), but he will require NO activity points to max out speed and quickness, which allows Tom to focus on other aspects of his team. Landry also has decent hands for a rookie, and avoided the STR/INJ scares that some of the prospects had. I do feel like with the Green trade, plus the pick last year of DeAndre HOPkins, that this might have been a bit of a luxury pick. But when you have THREE first round picks (plus a 4th you traded away), some of them are bound to be picks of the rich getting richer.
[1.19] 
LT Jake Matthews, Texas A&M | A
Now I'm ready for blowback on this, since I downgraded the Seahawks Lewan pick at the top of the 1st... but this pick kind of confirms why I did that. Both players are amazing, there is not debate to that. But the draft capital required to pick in the top 10 picks vs. right around 20 is pretty insane. Matthews is, by comparison, -2 speed, -2 agility, -5 acceleration, -1 strength, -3 pass block, and +7 awareness - so it's not a PERFECT trade off. But it's pretty damn close. Both players will still be pretty elite. The Seahawks opted to move Lewan inside to Guard (perhaps to protect him from early career low-awareness sacks, as some do, with the intention to eventually kick him outside)... but I still think the value of Matthews at 19 is so much greater than Lewan in the Top 10. I could be way off with this, and that's fine, but I love the addition for the Ravens.
[1.20] 
ROLB Marcus Smith, Louisville | A-
The Jaguars opted to get younger and faster at linebacker here, and Marcus Smith is a fine addition. He's 84 speed, 83 agility, 89 acceleration, 84 strength, and 80 tackle. He's just a tad too good for Training Camp, which sucks, but ultimately he's someone they can plug and play early and see production. They went with him on the right side - I may consider boosting his speed and acceleration and moving him to the left side, but to each their own.
[1.21] 
LT Mitchell Van Dyk, Portland State | A
Another offensive lineman off the board, this time a kid from Portland State. His athletic measurables are very solid at 67 speed, 73 agility, and 78 acceleration. He's a proven blocker at 85 pass block and 86 run block. His awareness isn't too bad at 59. His injury is a concern at 59... but early returns are that his main injury concerns are him allowing his QB to get injured giving up 7 sacks in half a year. This is the danger of starting a young tackle, but the value is definitely there for Van Dyk. I personally like him better here than taking a guy in the Top 10, and apparently Apolo did, too, as he got two other studs in the Top 10 instead and still landed his future stud tackle.
[1.22] 
WR Donte Moncrief, Ole Miss | C-
Moncrief was someone we scouted and didn't love. 6'3" is obviously great, but the 96 speed, 92 agility, 94 acceleration would have made him feel like such an inferior version of Cody Latimer on our roster. So he was kind of off our board. We WERE hoping for a wide receiver at this point though, as we were smitten with Martavis Bryant, so we were bummed to see Moncrief go just because it was one less receiver and might motivate teams to snatch them up. We think he's a fine player... he's a little more likely to contribute right now than Bryant is. With some work, he'll be good, but we had an easy 2nd round grade on him. A bit of a reach here by the Bears, but I think they were hoping to reclaim a decent pick for veteran receiver Vincent Jackson (who I think was being asked for a SECOND round pick directly after this pick was made). That proved a little too rich, as his value to the Bears was higher than taking the 4th or 5th he's probably worth at 88/86/88 plus 31 years old and regressing at $5 million per year. Had they got a decent pick for Jackson, I might have bumped this up to a B-... but as it stands I just think there were better options.
[1.23] CB Darqueze Dennard, Michigan State | B
Dennard is a player that a lot of GMs liked on draft day, and I vaguely remember GM Brent Lachappelle getting praised for his pair of picks. I also, personally, would have went another direction. Dennard is quick, but if I'm drafting an under 6' cornerback in the 1st round, he's going to have to be faster than 95 speed, 91 agility, 92 acceleration. He also has worse hands than Aikens, who was still on the board. He's a fantastic tackler, and his awareness is much further ahead... but he's just not a freak enough for me to justify a 1st. But at #23, we aren't THAT far from this being a "top of the 2nd round steal", so I still think it's a solid B pick. I just think there was a more appealing player on the board. That said, I'm thankful they made the decision they did, as if they took Aikens, they may have blown up my whole draft. Thanks, Brent.
[1.24] 
DT Aaron Donald, Pitt | B-
Love Gary, think he's doing a fine job in Green Bay - but this pick is a clear example of where we differ a bit in our GM philosophies. I think Donald is great, and he's a clear
upgrade on DT Gerald McCoy, who he essentially traded to me for a 3rd Round Pick. But will he be that much of an upgrade production wise? So far they are essentially the same, and while Donald is younger and cheaper, I wonder if they could have gotten similar production from a DT drafting one in the 2nd or 3rd round. I will say the 86 overall is very nice on Donald as a rookie, but I do wish he was more of a freak athlete to justify the 1st round grade. 96 strength and 80 acceleration is a nice pairing, but he's very light in the ass. His speed is still so low at 58 that I don't think it would be very smart to play him at defensive end... even in a 3-4... so he's kind of pigeon holed into the under tackle role McCoy was filling for them the last 3 years. Could he be very good in that role? Sure! I bet he'll have a very nice career. But if I'm taking a DT in the 1st, I need them to be a little more unique... like, say DT McCullers that goes a few picks later to Tampa
[1.25] 
CB Walt Aikens, Liberty | A+
This was a pivot point for me in the draft, as I was the owner of this pick after having acquired it from the Titans. My main motivation in wanting to turn some future assets into current ones was a few years coming up where we have basically either offloaded all expiring contracts, or negotiated new deals for young players in our 10-year plan. So with having available restructures coming up (we already extended Sophomore Glennon for 7 years, for example), the time was right to add another young weapon in the passing game after we had solved our Running Back problem (trading 1/2/3 for Super Bowl Champion McFadden). We had Wide Receivers in our scope to pair with Wide Receiver Adam Theilen and Tight End Dion Sims, even after the drafting of Wide Receiver Cody Latimer. The main problem was that we had not YET found a suitor for Wide Receiver Devin Thomas... who we would eventually trade for a 2nd+. This had us looking at other positions of need... primarily younger options at Middle Linebacker and Cornerback. Walt Aikens was the leader in the clubhouse, as he checked so many boxes (6', 95 speed, 95 agility, 98 acceleration, 70 catch, 67 tackle). He is just SO polished. Also just being 21 years old, he should have a very long career in SFL. That said, we also REALLY liked Wide Receiver Martavis Bryant, who we almost took at 15 overall, but we couldn't yet justify taking another pass catcher. So we began to work the phone lines. One of those calls was to Browns GM Ian Coyle who, little did we know, was also targeting Aikens (as I'm sure other GMs were). They offered a very appealing option - WR Victor Cruz, OR, a Future 1st to slide down to 2.13 overall. We loved Cruz... but again, couldn't justify adding a wide receiver until we moved Devin Thomas. So we opted for the Future 1st, to which would help compensate for moving our own 1st round pick (which we got great value for since for whatever reason many GMs in SFL think we suck). By the time we were up to pick at 2.13, We had agreed to trade Devin Thomas to Pittsburgh for a 2nd (and other considerations), so we felt completely justified nabbing wide receiver Martavis Bryant, who is a 6'4" beast who we will slowly develop over the next couple seasons through Training Camps and Activity Points. Ultimately we MAY have had hoped he'd be more of an immediate contributor in the slot... but the 72 overall rendered him more of a project. In response we were able to eventually move the Browns 1st BACK to them for WR Cruz, who fits in as a more immediate helper in the passing game as we try to develop Mike Glennon and compete in the NFC East. As for the Browns, they easily got the best player left in the draft at the 25th pick, and ended up doing so for the compensation I think they preferred to start... WR Cruz. They are now fully in control of their own first round pick, so if the bottom falls out in the tough AFC North this year, they can focus on building up some of these young studs like the two defensive backs they added that day, while not worrying about someone else drafting in the Top 10 for you the following year. That's the definition of a win-win trade.
[1.26] 
MLB Christian Kirksey, Iowa | A+
Now while I may have been perceived to be critical of the Panthers pick of Kelvin Benjamin earlier in the round, this pick is a slum dunk. I think that SFL is so flooded with talented middle linebackers that they almost get devalued on draft day and very talented ones fall to the end of the 1st, or even well into the 2nd (as we will see). That said, Kirksey was one I liked most, probably my #2 (or at the very least #3) on my board. He's a little undersized at 6'2" and 233 lbs, but the pairing of 84 strength, 85 speed, 85 acceleration, and 83 tackle plays all the tunes of the linebacker greatest hits. Near the end of the 1st round, this is such a great pick and it also fills a really big need for them as well. Keenan Clayton, fresh off that new 7-year contract after I reminded Mr. Mellon to restructure him in the twilights hours of last season, is their best LB for sure. They have Bobby Wagner on the other side, but the middle was void of talent. This gives them a young trio that should really zip around the field and keep opposing rushers well below 4 yards per carry for the season. Really wanted Kirksey in Dallas.
[1.27] 
NT Daniel McCullers, Georgia | A+
Back-to-Back great picks by Mellon boys. McCullers is an absolute freak at 6'6" 365 lbs and 97 strength. He's also already pushing 80 tackle, and his quickness isn't even THAT bad for a man his size (61 speed, 66 agility, 71 acceleration). We weren't drafting a defensive tackle this cycle anyway, after drafting Brandon Williams in the 2nd last year and trading for/restructuring Gerald McCoy), but McCullers was for sure the one we liked most. He's a guy that, as a real life Bucs fan, I was thinking, "if I ever end up in Tampa, I hope he's still on the roster!" He should really clear some holes for last years Top 5 middle linebacker (too high still, but very good player) Jonathan Bostic, to blitz through. Bostic, by the way, now sitting at 90 speed, 90 agility, 92 acceleration. Pretty insane. Hate that he's already 25 years old, but there are the early makings of a defense who could be a real bitch to play against for the next half decade. For now? They are giving up 26.3 points per game, good enough for 24th in SFL, and I'm sure as GM Mellon would tell you... not good enough.
[1.28] MLB Avery Williamson, Kentucky | A-
I don't have insight into where Williamson fell on GM Kevin Mullendore's big board in comparison to say... Kirksey, who went a couple picks prior... but damn Williamson turned into a nice player. I was initially a little scared off of the 72 strength for a middle linebacker, but he was still firmly in the MLB discussion in Dallas just simply for his freakish quickness. At 85 speed, 84 agility, and 91 acceleration... he's essentially Top 5 levels of quick. He's also only 21 years old, a reliable tackler for a rookie, decent hands, and not too dumb. The 65 injury history and 71 overall might scare some off for such a physical position, but I think it's a smart gamble for a savvy, veteran general manager. He'll end up being a project and a luxury pick for a team that's got ample talent at linebacker, but I won't be surprised if he's either logging major Pro Bowl level minutes at MLB (or out of position at OLB) in the next few years... or flipped for multiple appealing assets by GM Kevin Mullendore.
[1.29] 
HB Carlos Hyde, Ohio State | C+
Carlos Hyde was mocked to me multiple times before the Darren McFadden acquisition, as high as the 15th pick. I personally had lovers eyes for just Davonte Freeman, so never really considered Hyde. Furthermore, I just don't see the appeal of him as a 1st Round Pick. I think this might be the first pick that GM William Cook has made that I didn't love. Yes, Hyde is 242 lbs. Yes, he's (barely) over 90 in the speed, agility, and acceleration categories we all like to think are so important for running backs. He also already is at 82 break tackle and 71 strength. All in line to make him perfectly.... adequate? He's also 22 years old, so even if he starts as a rookie (which it appears he is), his window is about two contracts. He should average around 1000 yards and 10 TDs a year over that span, which is solid. BUT, when there are guys like McFadden and Murray available for a 1st and 2nd (or in Murray's case, he eventually went for a pair of 2nds), then I'm not sure I love the value. It also means that you'll likely (now or at some point) have to trade your existing runner Brandon Jackson - who JUST hit the trade block, and while the move saves you cap space, it feels very lateral. I don't have a crystal ball, but I'd bet that if GM William Cook is in San Diego in 4 years, neither of these runners will be.
[1.30] 
WR Ryan Grant, Tulane | B+
Grant was one of the few wide receivers that wasn't on our radar and didn't get the private workout. I believe I remember reading he skewed up a bit, which is nice for (a very already talented) 49ers team. For me, however, being just 6'1", he didn't really fit what we are trying to do in Dallas, which is create opportunistic mismatches through the passing game while pounding the ball down teams throats to control the clock while our defense limits first downs and snuffs out drives. Grant's role in that vision, as it will probably be on many SFL teams, is in the slot (at least initially). 98 speed, 97 agility, 98 acceleration does put him on track to get very close to 99/99/99, which is good value for a guy late in the 1st who isn't super short. He also has solid hands for a rookie and they still might get two training camps out of him. It's not a bad pick, I just personally liked another WR (or two) better at this spot.
[1.31] 
LT Justin Britt, Missouri | B
I personally didn't have 4 offensive lineman coming off the board in the 1st round, but it's hard to argue with the talent of Britt at the end of the first round. The 71 acceleration is a tiny bit lower than I'd like for a 1st round talent at tackle... BUT... 71 speed, 79 agility, 99 strength, plus 84 pass block AND run block? That's a pretty polished 22 year old! This 6'6" 235 lb behemoth will be a nice building block for what GM Cohen is starting to build. Maybe I'm misremembering, but I think they even have a stockpile of 1st round picks next year, as well? The Steelers appear to be in very good hands.
[1.32] LOLB Carl Bradford, Arizona State | A-
Last pick of the 1st round! And it's my buddy Tom again. I'm gonna drop the "buddy" facade... I know he hates me and roots for my downfall. But that's life. I can't say that Bradford was on my radar at all, since I'm very happy with the state of the outside linebackers on our roster, but Bradford checks all the boxes. He's 87 speed, 85 agility, 90 acceleration, 61 catch, 82 tackle. He stayed in school a bit longer that you'd like, as a 23 year old rookie, but I have a feeling he'll be a highly productive linebacker in Denver for quite some time. He may have benefited from being 78 or 79 overall... so they could have got a training camp (or two) out of him, but all things considered he should have a very productive career for Tommy boy.
Thanks for reading! Hopefully the 2nd Round will post later this week.
