***Official 2023 NFL Draft Thread***

[mdb1958]

Thoughts?

Sims are the only tool we have to see if targets have a chance to be acquired.

Another question, are sims hard to do on a smart phone?

[Doctor]

I mean if you want to talk about holes in the defense and finding an impact at S/CB, I present to you BPA candidate Brian Branch of Alabama.

Branch screams Bowles to me. He see's the game at a very high level and has great instincts. He's got a fantastic burst and superb tackling form. This guy doesn't miss. He can play safety or in the slot or anywhere else. He brings to mind a fusion between our beloved Barber and Honey Badger. He's absolutely the perfect complimentary piece to maximize the strengths and minimize the weaknesses of this unit.

You want a high ceiling, plug and play stud for this defense? It's Brian Branch.


Oh yeah, and the dude packs a f--king wallop

[Backside]

Hard hitting, can’t miss, safety from Bama. What could go wrong

[Cheb]

I mean if you want to talk about holes in the defense and finding an impact at S/CB, I present to you BPA candidate Brian Branch of Alabama.

Branch screams Bowles to me. He see's the game at a very high level and has great instincts. He's got a fantastic burst and superb tackling form. This guy doesn't miss. He can play safety or in the slot or anywhere else. He brings to mind a fusion between our beloved Barber and Honey Badger. He's absolutely the perfect complimentary piece to maximize the strengths and minimize the weaknesses of this unit.

You want a high ceiling, plug and play stud for this defense? It's Brian Branch.


Oh yeah, and the dude packs a f--king wallop

I like Branch alot. He is smart, doesn't make mistakes, and misses like one tackle a year. He is going to be a ten year starter for somebody, and that very well could be us.

He's definitely on my shortlist for #19.

[MJW]

I mean if you want to talk about holes in the defense and finding an impact at S/CB, I present to you BPA candidate Brian Branch of Alabama.

Branch screams Bowles to me. He see's the game at a very high level and has great instincts. He's got a fantastic burst and superb tackling form. This guy doesn't miss. He can play safety or in the slot or anywhere else. He brings to mind a fusion between our beloved Barber and Honey Badger. He's absolutely the perfect complimentary piece to maximize the strengths and minimize the weaknesses of this unit.

You want a high ceiling, plug and play stud for this defense? It's Brian Branch.


Oh yeah, and the dude packs a f--king wallop

I like Branch alot. He is smart, doesn't make mistakes, and misses like one tackle a year. He is going to be a ten year starter for somebody, and that very well could be us.

He's definitely on my shortlist for #19.

If you made me bet my life on prospects that will make their teams happy, the top five would be:

Brian Branch
Peter Skoronski
Will Anderson
Dawand Jones
Matthew Bergeron

[mdb1958]

Wow! Can he be as good as Mark Barron?

[MJW]

Wow! Can he be as good as Mark Barron?

Barron was a Lovie problem. I mean, he's never going to live up to that draft pick. We realized that pretty quick. But after Schiano was fired, Lovie had no idea what to do with him and sold him for ten cents on the dollar. Then he played another five really good years for the Rams, mostly as as sub linebacker/big nickel safety.

He and Branch are totally different types of safeties. Branch can come up and tackle - he's one of the surest tackling safeties in the draft. But he can also do whatever you need in coverage. You want a good comp? Malcolm Jenkins. I'm extremely high on Branch. I don't think there's anything he can't do on the defensive side of the ball - LOS play, nickel corner, box safety, centerfield, deep man, etc. And I'm NOT someone who generally advocates drafting safeties high.

[mdb1958]

Wow! Can he be as good as Mark Barron?

Barron was a Lovie problem. I mean, he's never going to live up to that draft pick. We realized that pretty quick. But after Schiano was fired, Lovie had no idea what to do with him and sold him for ten cents on the dollar. Then he played another five really good years for the Rams, mostly as as sub linebacker/big nickel safety.

He and Branch are totally different types of safeties. Branch can come up and tackle - he's one of the surest tackling safeties in the draft. But he can also do whatever you need in coverage. You want a good comp? Malcolm Jenkins. I'm extremely high on Branch. I don't think there's anything he can't do on the defensive side of the ball - LOS play, nickel corner, box safety, centerfield, deep man, etc. And I'm NOT someone who generally advocates drafting safeties high.

And you think Branch will work wonders with no d-line?

[mdb1958]

@Cheb Why is Jonah Tavai getting the bad rap? Do they think his college game will not translate to the pros?

[mdb1958]

Why the lack of DL3T's in this draft? There are plenty of DL5T's - would anyone agree that some of them could have played 3 tech but didnt because those rolls were already filled on their perspective teams.

[Doctor]

I never understood why Lovie never tried Barron out at Mike.

[Four Verticals]

Wow! Can he be as good as Mark Barron?

Barron was a Lovie problem. I mean, he's never going to live up to that draft pick. We realized that pretty quick. But after Schiano was fired, Lovie had no idea what to do with him and sold him for ten cents on the dollar. Then he played another five really good years for the Rams, mostly as as sub linebacker/big nickel safety.

Didn't the Rams play Barron at WILL which would have been tough for the Bucs because of David already being there?

[Selmon Rules]

All fair points. Theoretically, which of OT/S/CB would you drop down from high priority to depth priority in order to get an impact pass rusher?

Of those 3 safety. A high impact pass rusher goes further than another high impact safety.

I high impact pass rusher will turn a decent safety into a good one by simply making his job easier

[MJW]

Why the lack of DL3T's in this draft? There are plenty of DL5T's - would anyone agree that some of them could have played 3 tech but didnt because those rolls were already filled on their perspective teams.

It's just not a good class for them. After Carter and Breese, not much there.

The good news is...we don't really use those kind of one-gappers in this scheme. We need a monster to play the Suh/Hicks role. I think that's the plan with Logan Hall? And we have Vea as that zero/one tech. Those are really the only two spots where we always have someone with his hand in the dirt.

[mdb1958]

Remain the same? For something that didnt work?

[Doctor]

No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.

Do pro teams do weigh ins at any point? I'll feel a lot better about Hall when he finally fills out his frame. If he's not 300lb by now, or at least week 1 fire the strength coach.

[Snake]

No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.

Do pro teams do weigh ins at any point? I'll feel a lot better about Hall when he finally fills out his frame. If he's not 300lb by now, or at least week 1 fire the strength coach.

1. Take steroids (they all do).
2. Lift weights (doesn’t take an overpaid NFL S&C coach to find a suitable program to follow.)
3. Eat lots of food.

It’s not complicated.

[Cheb]

No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.

Do pro teams do weigh ins at any point? I'll feel a lot better about Hall when he finally fills out his frame. If he's not 300lb by now, or at least week 1 fire the strength coach.

Logan Hall was 300 pounds when he was at training camp his rookie year.

Weight wasn't the problem. It was technique and strength. Both should be improved his sophomore season.

[mdb1958]

Upgrade the river and who hangs out with you at the river.

[_MB_]

This river needs an upgrade!

[mdb1958]

This river needs an upgrade!

I meant scheme as the river and who hangs out at the river are the players. If there is no Suh or Hicks, then you have to come up with something else. If Hall is taking that position, then bring in some serious competition for him.

Same with Charles Snowden and Hamilcar Rashed. Tryon too. If Cam Gill and Shaq Barrett can't be right, then we know what needs to happen.

[Cheb]

I like to do a Big Board during the offseason to cover possible targets for our first round pick. I do this for my own edification, but figured that posting it drives board conversation, so here we go. Prospects are sorted into rough tiers in alphabetical order, and there's some wiggle room up and down those tiers based on combine results. Without further adieu, here's a top 28 Big Board for y'all to disagree with.

Zero Chance He's There at #19 (1-8)

- Will Anderson, Edge, Alabama. He was the best collegiate defender in the country last year and he is again this season. I'd draft him first overall.
- Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia. Ready for an unpopular opinion? Jalen Carter is gonna bust. I don't understand why people like him, just like I didn't understand why they liked Travon Walker. But he'll be gone in the top five I guess, so good for him.
- Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU. I don't think he's a top 10 pick necessarily, but I think he definitely goes within the top 15 as the first drafted receiver.
- Will Levis, QB, Kentucky. I'd assume he's the third QB off the board. Maybe not a top ten pick, but maybe he will be. I expect he will be gone though and we won't have a shot to draft him (thank God).
- Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson. Maybe a top five pick, certainly a top ten selection. I wish him luck in his future 4-3 scheme.
- CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State. Probably the second QB off the board. Another in the long line of Ohio State WB busts? Maybe.
- Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech. He ain't making it out of the top ten. Maybe the second best pass rusher in the draft, but Murphy gives him a run for his money.
- Bryce Young, QB, Alabama. He can play but damn he's little. He's the best QB in the class so he won't make it out of the top three picks. Wish him luck, he's fun to watch.

I Can't Believe He Fell But Imma Draft Him (9-11)

- Brian Branch, DB, Alabama. There's one thing I'm a sucker for as a draft enthusiast and that's swiss army defensive backs, and Branch is one. He can play nickel or safety as a pro and probably outside corner if you want. An excellent tackler, great in space. I worry a bit about his frame being able to hold up over time given his physical style, but I'll take that chance. He has a Pro Bowl ceiling and a floor of being a reliable starter.
- Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon. May be a tier higher after the combine if he tests as well as I think he will. In short, he's a big dude who runs really well but also shows quickness with a phone booth. Imagine a smoother Jamel Dean and you're in the right ballpark. He is a bit rough around the edges but if you polish those down he has CB1 potential.
- Peter Skoronski, OL, Northwestern. People will cry havoc at his stumpy arms and want to bounce him inside to guard, which I think is a very bad idea. Skoronski was born to play LT, and I think his mirroring skills would be wasted on the interior, plus he isn't that powerful in the run game. He's a day one starter at tackle and I'd run to the podium to turn in the draft card. If I were to poke a hole in his game it would be that he lacks nasty, but I'd be paying him to be a dancing bear, not a mauler. I've heard it said that Skoronski is one of the better pass blocking prospects in recent memory, and watching him play I believe those statements. He may be in the tier above this, but his size and arms may keep teams away.

Realistic Targets I Can Get Behind (12-22)

- Broderick Jones or Paris Johnson, OTs, Georgia or Ohio State. Long story short, J&J are day one starters at left tackle. They have some problems from a technique standpoint but nothing that isn't coachable.
- Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas. While we can argue about positional value and first round running backs, what most can agree on is that Bijan is a great talent. He can run, catch, block, and can make his own bread by forcing missed tackles by either his agility, speed, or power. Wouldn't be my most wanted pick at nineteen, but we could do far worse.
- O'Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida. He's big, strong, and the best guard in the draft. While he's a mauler, he is a bit of a plodder, so I wonder if he would fit in a predominantly zone run scheme as I presume we would be running. I wouldn't be too upset about it though.
- Darnell Washington or Michael Mayer, TEs, Georgia or Notre Dame. Both dudes are big tight ends with the ability to block and make contested catches. While we can stick with Cade Otton and Ko Kieft, I wouldn't be too mad if we added a thoroughbred at the position if we use tight ends as much as I think we will.
- Devon Witherspoon or Joey Porter or Emmanuel Forbes or Cam Smith, CBs, Illinois or Penn State or Mississippi State or South Carolina. Witherspoon may be in the next higher tier of prospects to be honest, but we will see. Even if it's just Porter or Forbes or Smith available, I wouldn't be upset with any of those guys.

Disappointed (23-28)

- Jordan Addison or Jalin Hyatt, WRs, Tennessee or USC. They're good... but seriously? Either of these guys would be luxury picks. Especially if this is a precursor to trading Evans or Godwin, I'd be hopping mad.
- Bryan Bresee or Lukas Van Ness, DL, Clemson or Iowa. I've seen these guys hyped as first rounders and I just don't see it. These would be poor value imo.
- Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah. Ain't got time for no nimbly-bimbly move tight end in the first round.
- Drew Sanders, LB, Alabama. I mean I get it, he's a passrushing MLB who has flourished since he left Alabama. But he's an odd duck; he plays his best downhill and on the edge but he's too light in the ass to do that consistently at the moment, and I think he's miscast as an off-ball linebacker for a myriad of reasons. For one, I don't trust him in coverage against NFL talent, and for two forcing him to do that on half his snaps ain't smart. Some may find his skillset intriguing but I don't. If we draft him as an edge defender and added ten to twenty good pounds to him I'm okay with it I guess, but as a MLB replacement for LVD this makes little sense to me.

Goddamnit (Please God No)

- Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida. Jesus Christ.

[MJW]

Great write-up Cheb.

Right now:

I'd Love To See:
A Trade Down
Bryce Young
CJ Stroud
Jalen Carter
Will Anderson
Peter Skoronski
Christian Gonzalez
Devon Witherspoon
Quentin Johnston
Broderick Jones
Brian Branch
Trenton Simpson
Jaxson Smith-Njigba
Tyree Wilson
Cam Smith
Joey Porter Jr
Anton Harrison

I'd Make Peace With:
Michael Mayer
Darnell Washington
Will Levis
Jordan Addison
Jalen Hyatt
Keion White
Kelee Ringo
Derick Hall
O'Cyrus Torrence
BJ Ojulari
Myles Murphy
Bryan Bresee
Drew Sanders
Dawand Jones
Lukas Van Ness

I'd Be Disappointed/Horrified With:
A Trade Up
Bijan Robinson
Dalton Kincaid
Anthony Richardson
Paris Johnson Jr
Nolan Smith
Emmanuel Forbes
Hendon Hooker
Jahmyr Gibbs
Antonio Johnson
Zay Flowers
Josh Downs

[Phantom]

The Bears leaning toward trading the first pick. I think the Colts move up to 1st

[Bootz]

Torrence I think will he high on our list, especially if we run more of a zone scheme. Our guard spots are shakey at best. Goedeke was a disaster. Leverett wasn't a disaster but wasn't as bad as Goedeke so people saw that as a positive. Mason was meh at best.

This offense needs more work than people want to admit and it starts up front.

@Cheb The last category in your write up had me laughing harder than I had any right to. I think Richardson will be this year's Malik Willis.

[Bootz]

[real bucs fan]

Im going to wait until after the combine before I really dive into the corners as I just find having an understanding of their size and movement skills before watching the tape adds some context. But right now, I think corner makes sense as I think it’s a need but also the depth of the draft makes pick 19 a sweet spot to take one. We have a chance to take a guy at 19 who would usually go top 15.

[Bootz]

@real bucs fan Do you still have that weird infatuation with the RB position?

[mdb1958]

@real bucs fan Do you still have that weird infatuation with the RB position?

We must have some young guys loading these sims, I just ran a auto sim and we picked 3 RB's.

[real bucs fan]

@real bucs fan Do you still have that weird infatuation with the RB position?

This whole narrative came from my insistence to take advantage of the epic 2017 RB class. Had we drafted Kamara or Cook on Day 2 like I wanted to, I don’t think we’d have regretted it.

This also appears to be a great RB draft, but for the first time in forever I believe we have a legitimate young talent at the position in Rachaad White. Finding a bruiser to pair with him wouldn’t be the worst idea, Zach Charbonnett would be great in that role but not sure I want to spend a Day 2 pick on a 1B.

More than anything I’m a believer in taking advantage of the strengths of drafts. This year I like the CB group in the first round.

[Phantom]

WR Zay Flowers anyone?

[real bucs fan]

WR Zay Flowers anyone?

Had Brady come back and Arians was still coaching he’d be a great fit as he looks like an AB clone.

[Doctor]

Damn Cheb, I was just about to create a Big Board thread!

[Cheb]

Damn Cheb, I was just about to create a Big Board thread!

Feel free to do so. I'd expand upon what I have already done to allow for trade downs, and trading down would be a smart move by Licht. Adding another second or third or fourth rounder in this draft would be HUGE, imo. The talent difference between #19 and say #26 isn't that big, and there's plenty of gems to mine in those upper-middle rounds.

[mdb1958]

@real bucs fan Do you still have that weird infatuation with the RB position?

This whole narrative came from my insistence to take advantage of the epic 2017 RB class. Had we drafted Kamara or Cook on Day 2 like I wanted to, I don’t think we’d have regretted it.

This also appears to be a great RB draft, but for the first time in forever I believe we have a legitimate young talent at the position in Rachaad White. Finding a bruiser to pair with him wouldn’t be the worst idea, Zach Charbonnett would be great in that role but not sure I want to spend a Day 2 pick on a 1B.

More than anything I’m a believer in taking advantage of the strengths of drafts. This year I like the CB group in the first round.

Clark Phillips might be the only CB left in round one when we pick. The next five are all gone before 50.