Three really good mid-rounders, and three I hate.

[Direckshun]

Just because. Midrounders are anything from low-3rds to 5th round.

I LIKE:

OT/G Joel Bitonio, Nevada -- At this point, he's looking more like a guard, since he played there all of the Senior Bowl. However, Bitonio played extremely well at the Senior Bowl, ending up one of my Top 10 players from that week. Bitonio (6'4", 307 lbs) is a very, very athletic tackle who could crawl into the 2nd round if that athleticism translates to a sub-5.0 40 time, which I honestly think it will. He looks like a great zone blocker at guard, but I honestly think he can play tackle -- he played Anthony Barr to a standstill. Blocked for the NCAA's 2nd most rush yards, and held excellent protection at left tackle for the Wolf Pack.

DE/DT Dominique Easley, Florida -- I absolutely adore Easley. Extremely high effort, high-athleticism guy who absolutely never quits. He can push back against bigger OLs, and penetrate, penetrate, penetrate. The big question is -- where do you put him. He played everywhere in Florida's 4-3, but 280 lbs is pretty light for defensive tackle in the NFL, even at undertackle. He's a little on the short side (6'2") but powerful enough for DE in the 4-3, but he played primarily at DT for the Gators, so he's a project there. As for the 3-4... I hate him on the edge in a two-point stance. His first step is far too valuable to take him out of the three-point. So he'd have to play DE in our system, making him purely a passrush specialist. I don't know if that'd be worth the 3rd we'd have to spend to get him, but I really want him on our roster. He's 1st round talent, coming off a terrible ACL tear.

TE Xavier Grimble, USC -- I think Grimble is going to pleasantly surprise everybody. His numbers in college were hampered by the great talent he played with and the injuries he suffered, but here's what we do know: Grimble is a fast, athletic, big (6'5", 255) tight end with good hands. His performance at the Combine could endear him to a lot of people, if he holds his own in blocking drills and looks sharp getting in and out of the cuts in his routes.

I DON'T LIKE:

S Ahmad Dixon, Baylor -- Bernard Pollard 2.0. If you want big hits, he's an option. But even with those big hits, Dixon (6'0", 205) isn't that great in the run game, and he's disasterous in the passing game. He doesn't break down for tackles at all, and will throw his shoulder instead of wrapping up. His coverage will be passable on backs out of the flat, but he will struggle keeping up with NFL caliber TEs and god help him against WRs. More of a strong safety. No discipline. Had an assault charge on him over the offseason.

ILB/OLB Lamin Borrow, LSU -- Can somebody tell me why anybody thinks anything of this guy? He's consistently rated as a mid-rounder but aside from his rangey speed, I don't see why. He's not good in coverage. He can't shed blocks. He doesn't make plays behind the line of scrimmage. He's fast but not especially so. He's not especially big (6'2", 232). He's just a guy. He's not a difference maker, wasn't in college, and won't be in the NFL. Blah.

OLB Demarcus Lawrence, Boise State -- A great athlete with a good motor, but undersized. He has some experience standing up, but he really struggled against the scant NFL talent he went up against. The best player he played all year was Bitonio, and he avoided him most of the game. The few meetings these players had was soundly won by Bitonio. He's just too undersized to play in a three-point stance in a 4-3, so he'd have to occupy some Von Miller role as an OLB in that setup, but he has almost no experience in coverage. I think Lawrence will be a valuable special teamer, nothing more.

[OldSchool]

Originally Posted by O.city

I'd love for Easley to be there in the 3rd. When healthy, he's as good as Donald

Yup, might be faster off the snap too. He might be available in the 4th though, due to his injury history plus size concerns.

[O.city]

Best thing about taking him there, is that he can be a sub package player only to learn the system

[Direckshun]

He doesn't quite have Allen Bailey's size, but he has every bit of his ferociousness and should be a more talented passrusher.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

He doesn't quite have Allen Bailey's size, but he has every bit of his ferociousness and should be a more talented passrusher.

That's why I'm a big Hageman fan. We need for lack of better terms, psychotic guys on this defense.

Just crazy ass monsters

[Direckshun]

CB Deion Belue, Alabama -- Belue is a player who made a name for himself the hard way. He dominated junior college talent so badly that nobody other than Nick Saban roped him into the best program in college football. What really sets Belue apart isn't his size (5'11", 183), or his speed (projects to a 4.4), or his technique (which, as an Alabama DB, will obviously need work) but his competitive intensity. He plays with every bit of Brandon Flowers' intensity -- he is at his best when he's allowed to jam at the LOS, fight a WR all the way down the field, and battle through his arms when the ball comes in. He struggles against bigger WRs who are just bigger and stronger than him, but so do most corners. My primary fear with Belue, honestly, is my prejudice against Alabama corners under Saban, who never seem to pan out in the NFL as well as you'd hope. He definitely fits the aggressive CB scheme that Sutton runs, but again, it's hard with these 'Bama DBs to know how well they'll translate. I'd look at him with a late rounder, maybe.

[milkman]

One thing I've learned through the years is that Direckshun could give Matt Millen a run for his money in the area of talent evaluation.

[O.city]

I hope bailey and catapano really take off for us next year

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by milkman

One thing I've learned through the years is that Direckshun could give Matt Millen a run for his money in the area of talent evaluation.

I would have drafted Mark Sanchez #3 overall in 2009, Jimmy Clausen #5 overall in 2010, and Geno Smith #1 overall in 2013.

You all should honestly have me on ignore.

[Direckshun]

QB Tajh Boyd, Clemson -- Though the headlines are all about Manziel, there is probably no more perplexing QB prospect this year than Tajh Boyd. Last year, so many fans (myself included) were looking forward to the 2014 Draft's great QB class, of which Boyd would definitely be a part. Boyd was, after all, a tremendous QB with Russell Wilson qualities his sophomore and junior year, with a great arm, unshakeable confidence, awesome leadership skills, and "plus" athleticism. His senior season, however, combined with his ass-ugly weeklong suckfest at the Senior Bowl, has left him reeling and too many people are projecting him now to be a 3rd day pick. But in this terrible QB class, I can't help but think a team will gamble on Boyd in the 3rd. His inaccuracy, lack of vision, and footwork are all coachable things, even if his stature is short (6'1", 225 lbs). I'd definitely take a shot with him over guys like Jimmy Garopollo or David Fales, but mostly I'd prefer not to have to take that shot at all.

[Direckshun]

CB Andre Hal, Vanderbilt -- Another prospect that has a wide array of assessments is Hal, who was a second-team all-SEC guy and regarded on NFLDraftScout.com as "one of the best cover guys in the SEC." But I don't see it. Any time he faced legit NFL-caliber talent in either size or speed, Hal got burnt pretty bad. QBs are not afraid to throw in his direction, and Hal seems to lack size (5'10", 190 lbs) and speed (projected 4.5 or even 4.6). He does seem to blitz decently, but isn't that great of a tackler, either. WRs frequently blocked him out of plays. I'd probably pass on him entirely.

[Direckshun]

RB Marion Grice, Arizona State -- If you're asked to write down the qualifications for what you'd like a 3rd down back to be, it would look exactly like Marion Grice. He is a decent blocker out of the backfield, but a terrific receiver out of the backfield -- the best this draft has to offer. Grice is a solid, smart runner who is fairly athletic with some wiggle to him. He's not a homerun hitter, however; he doesn't have second-level speed, but he can reliably churn out yards due to his patience in letting things develop in front of him. I just don't know how effective he'll be on those first two downs compared to his tailor-made skillset for third and long. I'd start looking at him in the 5th, but he consistently receives higher grades than that, so what do I know.

[Direckshun]

C Tyler Larsen, Utah State -- Larsen is about as much of a known quantity as there is in the Draft this year. He's got 51 games of tape under his belt, and if you've watched any number of them (I've seen three) you'll get bored. He's the exact same guy every game he plays, which, in a way, is a safe investment for a team to make. Here's what you're getting: a perhaps-too-big C (6'4", 315 lbs) who is somewhere around average in terms of athleticism and strength -- he doesn't move people like you'd think a center his size should. His technique has always been a little inconsistent, which is compounded by the fact that he has always had a tendency to take plays off. I anticipate he's a better fit for a power scheme, but he's going to need a season or two to get stronger. As for me, personally, I'd pass on the guy. I need a guy that plays to the whistle, but this center class is so pathetic, I betcha he'll get drafted in the midrounds.

[Direckshun]

WR Jeff Janis, Saginaw Valley State -- It's always hard to know what to make of Division II players. But we know quite a bit of Janis from his prolific work: nearly 4,000 yards receiving in his career, with over 100 receptions this past season. He has nice size at 6'2", 215 lbs, and will reportedly flirt with running in the 4.3s at his Pro Day. That's a fantastic combination. He creates huge mismatches as bigger corners can't hang with his speed, and smaller corners struggle to jam him. His primary goal will be proving he can run sharp routes and get separation, something he had limited success with at the Senior Bowl... Based on his measurables alone, he's going to get drafted. I'd definitely spend a 6th on him, maybe a 5th if I could discern how well he'd respond to coaching.

[Direckshun]

DE Taylor Hart, Oregon -- Hart has absolutely fantastic size: 6'6", 285 lbs. He should become an ideal fit as a 3-4 DE, especially considering the length of his arms as well as his great strength. The biggest issue with Hart is that he seems to be a complete project in terms of his technique. I have rarely seen stranger technique out of a nearly 300 lbs defensive lineman than Hart. Sometimes he's in a decent three-point stance, other times he's in this weird frog stance where he squats like he's taking a dump. Needless to say, the frog squat is total bullshit at the next level -- he gets too high coming out of it, and it gives him no strategic advantage that I can determine. Hart has great physical skills (and even better effort), so if he's coachable, he's a great mid-rounder, maybe even as soon as the 3rd depending on how quickly you think you'd see results. He'd be really hard to turn down in the 4th.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

I would have drafted Mark Sanchez #3 overall in 2009, Jimmy Clausen #5 overall in 2010, and Geno Smith #1 overall in 2013.

You all should honestly have me on ignore.

Well if you were to have drafted Sanchez in 09 you would not have been looking at Clausen in 2010. But you would have been in the market for Geno Smith in 2013.
So you are more likely to be John Idzik or Mike Tannenbaum. Just sayin.