We really should make a list of guys we think are going to be picked before our pick because this draft is likely to shake out really weird. Like you could sell to me that 2 or all 3 of those safeties are gone or that all of them are there. Same for the LBs.

Definitely disagree here.

When you get down to it, Epenesa has been almost as productive as Chase Young has the past 2 years. I also think his “poor combine” was overblown as his vertical and broad jump showed adequate explosion. His 40 time wasn’t ideal, but his 10 yard split was on par with other big edge rushers.

I thought he was overrated at the beginning of the process when he was considered a top 15 player, but I definitely think he’s top 20-25 and would be a damn good pick at 32. He can play SDE on early downs and slide inside in subs. When I watched the tape, he dominated inside against guards, so I think his pass rush upside is a little better than people think if you plan to utilize him in that way often. He’s definitely a fit here with his versatility IMO and Daly, former Pats DL coach, would probably use him in a similar fashion as the Pats would.

The defense was greatly improved when Spags moved Fuller to safety so replacing him with Delpit, Winfield or McKinney would likely give him the same options as Fuller but with a more athletic player.

I mentioned this a few weeks ago and was met with "But Sorensen, HB and Thornhill!", as if one of those guys isn't 30 and the other isn't coming off a recent ACL tear.

I just don't see an athletic guy that's going to wreak havoc on NFL offensive lineman. Also, looking at their schedule and the level of competition, I just didn't see him anywhere near a first rounder or in the same category as Chase Young, who is an absolutely monster.

But hey, the draft is a crapshoot and for all I know, this guy could end up like Jared Allen.

Or Manny Lawson.

And this defensive backfield is one Honey Badger injury away from going back to complete shit.

Totally.

And from what we've seen with recent ACL's (Houston, JC, etc.), I'm not sure why anyone would expect Thornhill to 100% by August and ready for a full workload come September because the guy tore his ACL on December 30th.

In no way was I saying he’s Chase Young, just saying his production was at that level. There’s definitely a reason he’s fallen to the bottom of the 1st and Young is considered the best player in the draft.

He has great technique and violent hands to go with functional strength and a varied pass rush, which is why I think he will continue to be a productive player at the NFL level, even if he’s not oozing athleticism.

But yea that’s why the draft is an art and not a science.

Riskiest Prospects

A.J. Epenesa, EDGE, Iowa

There's no way to say A.J. Epenesa disappointed over his three-year run with the Hawkeyes. His past two seasons featured 22 sacks and eight forced fumbles, and he wasn't even a full-time player until 2019.

But there's more to being a good NFL prospect than posting strong numbers in college. Given the rise in competition, question marks with athleticism can prove to be fatal flaws.

As Band wrote, that's a big red flag for Epenesa, since he fell short in virtually every physical test:

"At 6'5" and 275 pounds with 34½-inch arms, Epenesa has the ideal frame for the position, but his lack of speed (5.04 40), quickness (4.46 short shuttle, 7.34 3-cone), explosiveness (9-foot-9 broad jump, 32½-inch vertical leap) and strength (17 bench reps) all raise red flags for a potential early pick. If Epenesa is taken in the first round next week, he will be the first primary edge rusher dating back to 2003 to be selected in Round 1 despite running a 40-yard dash slower than 5.0 seconds."

Maybe the numbers don't matter. Perhaps he had a rough day at the combine. Or maybe he's just one of those players who performs more athletically on the gridiron.

But there's also a worst-case scenario in which Epenesa heads to the NFL as a first-round pick without a defined position. As far as the tests are concerned, he doesn't have the juice to be an outside pass-rusher or the size and strength to play inside. When teams are spending an opening-round selection on someone, they presumably want to know where that player will line up for the next 5-10 years.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...iest-prospects

I don’t care what one moron says. What about the other 99%?

Epenesa is a high floor prospect. It’s literally the biggest knock on him (lack of upside). That’s just one random shit take, but I’d expect nothing less from JakeF.

He's a strong side defensive end, he's now getting knocked that he can't play standing in a 3-4 basically, I mean god forbid a guy be better fit in a 4-3 these days.

We don’t need a damn DE

I want Kenneth Murray, probably won't be there seeing that he's better than Queen. I'd love to have another DJ type player in the lineup, and since Ragland is gone, Murray - Pennel - and the rest of this crew would lock this run defense down. The pass coverage is a bonus with this kid, very rangy.

Tell me why he's better than Queen cause I disagree with that.

Just go look at his stats, combine, film... Queen has one proven year, Murray has three.

Murray has played in more games, I don't think his workout is better, Queen is very fast and his coverage drops are outstanding, to me this is more new school old school.

Murray is a bit more traditional where Queen is a new school NFL backer in where he can cover like DB.