NB's Pre-Combine Big Board

Here it is:

1. OT Jake Matthews (Texas A&M)
2. DE Jadeveon Clowney (South Carolina)
3. LB Anthony Barr (UCLA)
4. OT Greg Robinson (Auburn)
5. WR Sammy Watkins (Clemson)
6. LB CJ Mosley (Alabama)
7. LB Ryan Shazier (Ohio St)
8. WR Mike Evans (Texas A&M)
9. LB Khalil Mack (Buffalo)
10. WR Marqise Lee (USC)
11. QB Blake Bortles (UCF)
12. QB Teddy Bridgewater (Louisville)
13. S Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix (Alabama)
14. DT Timmy Jernigan (FSU)
15. DT Aaron Donald (Pittsburgh)
16. CB Justin GIlbert (Oklahoma St)
17. OT Cyrus Kouandjio (Alabama)
18. DT Louis Nix (Notre Dame)
19. OT Taylor Lewan (Michigan)
20. OT Zack Martin (Notre Dame)
21. OG David Yankey (Stanford)
22. CB Louchiez Purifoy (Florida)
23. DE Trent Murphy (Stanford)
24. DT Ra’Shede Hageman (Minnesota)
25. DE Kony Ealy (Mizzou)
26. DE Dee Ford (Auburn)
27. DT Stephon Tuitt (Notre Dame)
28. CB Darqueze Dennard (Michigan St)
29. QB Derek Carr (Fresno St)
30. TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins (Washington)
31. S Calvin Pryor (Louisville)
32. LB Christian Jones (Florida St)

A couple of Notes:

- If I extended this to Top 40, there you would find the other two TEs, and many WRs.
- I don't have Manziel as a 1st round pick. I'm not even sure I would have him as a 2nd round pick.
- There's a few prospects (Shazier, Donald, Purifoy, Murphy, Jones) that you won't find as high on other Big Boards. I just really like all of them.

Dissect away!

 

Wow, much different than mine.

I don't know where to start.

 

I would assume you have Ebron about 20 slots higher .

Not sure where you are on the QBs, but I am not a big fan of this year's crop. I'm not really sold on Bridgewater. I think he is better than Geno Smith from last year but I would hate to make that gamble on him, although ultimately, a desperate team will. I don't think he is anywhere close to say Andrew Luck. I like Bortles skill set and I think he has the higher ceiling, but he 2-3 years way from making an impact IMO. Ultimately, Carr & Jimmy G could emerge as the 2 best signal callers from this class. It would not surprise me.

Obviously I don't like any of the RBs this year as a 1st round pick. Same as last year.

I like the O-line in Round 1 aswell as the D-line. Some special LBs in Round 1. A couple of good DBs.

 

I can also say that I think the Top 5 players will be ELITE superstars in this league. I draw a line after them.
I then draw another line after #10. This group will definitely be playmakers.
The two QBs are kind of off on their own.
I draw another line after #16. These guys I think will be really good players.
After that I think you have some solid players but certainly guys with some questions marks.

 

If Ebron is #40 on your big board I have him going about 30 slots higher..

 

He's probably right there at #33 or #34. I just don't currently have him ranked as a 1st round talent based on tape and based on production.

Now don't get me wrong, if he goes to the combine and runs low 4.5 and looks extremely agile in drills, of course I'm going to move him up. He really is bragging up his athleticism, and let's be honest here, he knows alot better than I do. I just don't see the Vernon Davis type athletic freak. Plus he can't hold a candle to Davis' blocking skills.

 

He doesn't finish blocks enough but when he "wants" to, he can flat out run block IMO.. I've seen him put some big boys on their backsides on film.

 

1. I am EXTREMELY high on Mosley. I've always been big on 'Bama backers, and I think he is the best to come out in the past few years (Hightower, Upshaw). Clearly the best MLB in this draft IMO. He is highly athletic and cover sideline to sideline. He lacks the instincts of Kuechly and the absolute strength of Willis, but he is going to be a great inside backer. I think Mosley would actually be better in a 4-3 than a 3-4, but will succeed in either. I don't have him in that ELITE 5, but he right on top of that next group.

2. To be completely honest I acknowledge my evaluations of QBs in the past have been sub par at best. Its not a position group that I grasp at all. That being said, from a physical skill set, I think Bortles has the highest ceiling. It will take time for him to get there though. In the right system, I think he can be really good. Personally I could have easily put Bortles & Brdigewater in the 30s other than 11 and 12. The purpose of keeping them outside the Top 10 was to say that I don't think they are elite level QBs. That being said, they probably will both go in the Top 5 and the value of QBs are typically overinflated.

3. I haven't seen anything on film to tell me that Seferian-Jenkins isn't the best overall TE. TO me Ebron and Amaro are just oversized WRs. I don't like their blocking. So now I am comparing them against that next crop of WRs found early in the 2nd round.

I don't mind Dennard but I question how good of an athlete he can be. Combine will show me a little about that. I think he is solid, but I think he is just more of the same of what we already have. I think Gilbert is the better playmaker and I think Purifoy is a better shut down corner.

 

I think if Mosley goes to the right team, he is a legitimate Defensive ORY candidate. I just truly believe he has all the necessary skills to be an impact player. Is he going to go #6 overall? Of course not. But I do believe he will go in the Top 15. ILBs have LONG been underrated IMO.

To some degree we "gambled" on Big Ben and that worked out very well for us didnt it? Not saying Bortles will have that kind of success, mostly because I don't think he will find success for a few years. This isn't a strong QB class. Its much like last year, albeit a bit better.

Agreed on your TE assessment.

For me, yes, I have Purifoy ahead of Verrett and Roby. I think Purifoy might be the best athlete amongst the top CBs. I'm not a huge Roby fan (which means we'll probably draft him in Round 2) and Verrett still has question marks including his size and his drop in production in 2013.

 

I've heard this a lot and while not the best blocker, he is willing and pretty darn good at it when asked to..

Here's Bernard's highlight tape from last year at UNC. Ebron can be seen in a handful of them engaged with a DE or LB holding his own.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZjOFCkBR3M

 

FWIW, Mayock just said in his conference call that Mosley is a top ten prospect. He also thinks Ebron is, so...

 

Mayock is brilliant..