Season 23 Draft News

Week 1:
"QB Riley Brockel is the son of a legendary high school football coach"
SMLE Draft Expert: A potential superstar in the making, will coaches fall in love with his intangibles over QB Zach Mili's raw talent? A good combine will shatter the impression he's just a statue in the pocket with an above average arm.
Combine Review: 5.7 - Brockel turned in the reasonable combine for a pocket passer, whilst he didn't flash, there were also no red flags and it was good to see at least some mobility and the highlight was seeing his great vertical, if only that would help a QB in the nfl...
Current Draft Prediction: Top5 Pick

Week 6:
"Down and out - ruptured pectoral ends collegiate career of Penn DT Sanchez Middleton, will require surgery"
SMLE Draft Expert: Missing key time in the college season will surely impact Middleton's draft stock and slow his development.
Combine Review: 5.7 - Sanchez managed to make it back from injury in time for the combine where he put up decent numbers enough to be drafted but not good enough to recover his stock. Some good speed, burst and agility shown but was it enough?
Current Draft Prediction: Falls to between rounds 3 to 5

Week 8
"Critical safety - RE DeMarcus Phinisee forced and incredible safety late in Wisconsin's game that helped seal the victory"
SMLE Draft Expert: Phinisee looks like the next Julius Peppers. Good college tape and possessing veteran style pass rush moves will only look better if he turns in a decent combine. Queston is, has he nearly peaked already?
Combine Review: 7.0 - Phinisee turned up and put on a monster show, showing super human strength, crazy agility and great burst in the drills. Everyone lined up ready to be wowed by his 40 but the Achilles heel to Phinisee's potential was discovered as he put up a 5.04s 40, visibly slowing over the second half. Likely pushed him into the middle of the first round as scouts are asking him to move inside the DL. 
Current Draft Prediction: Picks 10 to 20

Week 10
"Record Shattered - WR Kawai Lynch snags 15 passes en route to a big victory and the teams single game reception record"
SMLE Draft Expert: Lynch looks like a big play highlight receiver. Whilst the game film doesn't show a burner he has decent hands, a big body and his quick mind eats film.
Combine Review: 7.3 - Lynch did everything everyone expected. He showed up, looked good in the gauntlet and showed above average leaping ability and agility. He's not a burner and it showed with some likening his boom or bust potential to Laquon Treadwell. 
Current Draft Prediction: Top16 Pick

Week 11:
"Dedicated to finish - Louisville standout CB Tuni McMahon will forgo his senior season choosing instead to pursue his MBA in hopes of one day representing himself in the NFL".
SMLE Draft Expert: Whilst McMahon was considered a Top15 pick there is enough tape on him to cement his 1st round standing. Combine is key to prove if he's a lockdown corner or not.
Combine Review: 7.0 - The time away from football did little to slow McMahon down showing good speed and great agility. The time off did reflect in his bench press and broad jump where some muscle conditioning might have been lost. Good show moves him up the draft board. 
Current Draft Prediction: Picks 10 to 20

Week 12:
"Block and release - Tulane LG Josh Klein rebounds with 4 pancake blocks in victory after dismal performance last week"
SMLE Draft Expert: Buyer beware on Klein, whilst the highlights look good and the physical ratings are off the charts, some have questioned his love of the game, effort and mental ability.
Combine Review: 6.2 - Klein almost managed to prove his doubters wrong with a good Combine. The burst, agility and strength were all there but not enough to alleviate fears about his motor and mind.
Current Draft Prediction: Rounds 2 to 4

Week 15:
"The Year of Defense - Auburn FS Javian Meriweather joins the exclusive club of Heisman winning defensive players after taking the trophy home this week."
SMLE Draft Expert: I'm sure some draft other draft experts will exclaim how rare this is, "let me say it again, he's a defender, and he won the Heisman" for instance. There's no doubt Meriweather is a superstar playmaker on D and ready to take it to the house but his lack of size and in the box skills make some question his value in the first round. 
Combine Review: 7.1 - Meriweather officially looks like the next Ed Reed. Turning in the fastest 40 of his group and showing decent agility and strength some of the concerns about his run support were quelled. Look for him to make a push into the top 10 with new rival Ali. 
Current Draft Prediction: Top10


Superbowl/College All-Star Game
"King of the Skies - With 2 INTs and smothering pass coverage, SS Bradley Ali is named MVP of the College All-Star Game"
SMLE Draft Expert: The play-making ability of Ali was never under scrutiny, but his consistency was, the All-Star game has proven his high potential and coverage consistency as the next likely great deep field enforcer. 
Combine Review: 6.8 - While Meriweather showed off his all around skillset, Ali looked like he'd been studying Rambo. Straight line speed and a crunching hit, he's the antithesis of Meriweather and scouts are drooling over his ability to make a WR hear footsteps. 
Current Draft Prediction: Top10

"Uncoachable? - After a public dispute with the coaching staff, Texas WR Ray Sears slips in the latest mocks"
SMLE Draft Expert: Sears likely has the physical tools and natural hands you crave in a WR but the locker room disruption he could bring would likely slow his route tree development in the NFL. 
Combine Review: 6.7 - Sears is further hurt by a very good overall WR class but did enough to stop slipping any further. Decent agility and burst with a great 4.34s 40 means he could work his way onto an NFL roster in the special teams unit and rotating with the WRs. All is not lost yet. 
Current Draft Prediction: Rounds 2 to 4

"Beastly looking at the All-Star Game - ROLB Frank Jones had one of the best All-Star games among linebackers, finishing with over a dozen tackles with several in the backfield"
SMLE Draft Expert: Jones demonstrated his wicked lightning quick hands that will likely translate quickly into the NFL, look for comparisons to Von Miller if he turns in a solid combine. 
Combine Review: 7.4 - Confirmed, Von Miller has cloned himself. He could be even faster, stronger, more agile than the original. 245lb, 4.53s 40, 28reps bench and insane 3 cone/20yrd shuttle. Lookout QBs!!!
Current Draft Prediction: Top10

Combine
"The Workout Warrior - MLB Sherard Carter looked like one of the stronger linebackers at the Combine, excelling in the bench press and broad jump"
SMLE Draft Expert: Carter embodies the Pitt attitude as he flies around the field, a true general on D. Expect him to hit hard and hit often, nothing his escaping this tackle machine.
Combine Review: 7.2 - The great film and superb Combine have everyone talking like this guy is the next Patrick Willis. Great 40, superhero agility, strong and quick. While Burrough might have almost matched Carter drill for drill, Carters pedigree and hit stick tackles separate his value. 
Current Draft Prediction: Top10 Pick

"Skillfully Slow - RT Rafael Hinton has to be embarrassed after running the slowest 50 of any skill position at the Combine this week"
SMLE Draft Expert: Hinton has a nasty streak and can hit D linemen in the mouth but he's also painfully slow and stiff on film which leads to him being abused by speedy rushers.
Combine Review: 5.1 - Hinton did not do enough to quell the fears he's a statue on the line which limits his draft options to run first teams looking for a bully. 
Current Draft Prediction: Rounds 3 to 5

"Combine Report: DB Class - Aming DBs, Florida State CB Curry Dyer had one of the worst Combine performances, showing lack of hip control among other issues"
SMLE Draft Expert: Dyer looked like a top CB prospect, especially with McMahon out but some poor film and a stiff combine has some questioning whether he's a football player or just an athlete.
Combine Review: 6.3 - Dyer rocked the Combine with a 4.26s 50 and decent vertical but his poor bench press and average agility could slow his development as big receivers go through him, tall receivers go above him and quick receivers go around him. He'll have the 1 trick speed receivers locked though. 
Current Draft Prediction: Rounds 1 to 2

"Lacks Reach - TE Lewis Ball had issues reaching for passes thrown high during receiver drills at the Combine"
SMLE Draft Expert: Ball put together some stunning college tape with great body catches and acrobatic saves but the combine has questioned whether he's a natural hands catcher. 
Combine Review: 5.7 - Ball did well at the Combine putting together solid well rounded numbers and showed some fantastic agility and burst. But in the gauntlet he proved he was a body catcher which so QBs will be slow to trust him on leading throws. 
Current Draft Prediction: Rounds 2 to 4

Nice one Matt, you can make my picks for me

Good stuff Matt

I was so tempted to write draft profiles for Hugh Niswanger and Curry Willy...

well done Matt appreciatted

Bump Week 15

Bump

Class Matt

Bump for combine review

Hey guys. There's a DT with no combine score, have I missed an injury storyline or something? Help needed.

No mate. Think he just elected not to participate

Lazy

A great unknown for a 2nd round pick...

Where are they now...
QB Riley Brockel was chosen by the Bears as the No3 pick behind the Zach “Milibomber” Mili and Frank “SpeedFreak” Jones. He had a solid career with the Bears but some leave of absence by the coach, he never tasted the playoffs and missed out on ROTY to Dolphons QB Paul Martinek. Post Julio Jones trade, Jones and Brockel are currently on pace for a 30td season each and about to taste the playoffs any day now.

DT Sanchez Middleton was a surprise 3rd round draft pick by Jaguars Coach Zill, after trading a DT, to draft a less good oft injured DT. Middleton floated about a few teams/practice squads but after slipping on a puddle in the locker room and tearing the ACL, MCL and PCL in both knees he now works the deli counter at the local market awaiting a HUGE payout from the Jags.

DE Demarcus Phinisee was chosen No5 overall by the Titans in an already stacked D-Line. The slow 40 time didn’t matter much in the Titans 3-4 Defense and he had a solid career so far as a rotational player. Considered a reach as he doesn’t put up the sacks but no-one can move him in the run game. Everyone is still talking about his potential…

WR Kawai Lynch was drafted by the Bucs at No13 overall and was a surprising quick learner and not the boom or bust pick that everyone suspected. He’s currently setting the anti-trend of a WR who doesn’t run his mouth and has no social media, which is currently causing flame wars on social media but Lynch goes about being all Zen.

CB Tuni McMahon was the 3rd Bears 1st round pick at No22 (from the Jags, who knows what they traded?) after taking RT Eduardo Compton at RT no14. He had a solid career but like all Bears during this time, got pretty down at the losses (where is coach??) but revitalized himself with a new part time business venture, Tuni’s Tuna is now a successful tinned seafood brand all across the North East.

LG Josh Klein was drafted by the Falcons at No20 overall and was elated to be joining such a stacked Superbowl bound team!!! Then Coach Santanite traded Julio for another Jones (Zay) and all the potential in the world (1st and 2nd round picks). Everyone got sad though and started to refuse to resign and thus the bidding frenzy began on all the Falcons on the Market. Klein is still playing for the Falcons and holds Matt Ryan’s crutches in the huddle.

FS Javian Meriweather was spoiled! The Superstar FS was drafted with the No12 pick by the Browns (from Texans) and joined an already loaded 19-0 team. He quickly got a reputation as a great safety, giving up no receptions… but that’s because the ball was in Garret’s hands for a Sack-Fumble-Recover-TD every play. All the Browns thought they were hot stuff, so all wanted paying. Coach Hiero retired and the Browns are now $0.01 under the cap and 1-15 on the season.

SS Bradley Ali was a surprise slip, all the way to No29 as the 49ers rubbed their hands greedily at everyone else’s incompetence (the Bills coach still regrets not landing 2 back to back Superstars in that draft as CB Drakeford was a lockdown DB with butter fingers). Ali thrived under Coach David but once he left town to coach in other leagues, Ali took his foot off the pedal and the 49ers descended into mediocrity. Ali is still amazing, just the rest of the team isn’t.

WR Ray Sears looked like an Al Davis Raider, all speed and problems! The Cowboys picked up the phenom head case at No28 and stuck him on punt return duties while ET beat the Cowboy way into him! “It’s run-run-run-run-run-PA deep for a TD got that!!!?!”. Sears earned Pro Bowl honours as a returner and 3 Superbowl rings later Sears is a mellowed out mature character who shares the occasional PA-Deep for TD with John Ross.

OLB Frank “SpeedFreak” Jones was an insane athlete drafted by the Ravens at No2 overall. The Ravens really needed a QB but without Coach MaxPower being in town yet, the CPU decided to reform the 2005 Ravens. Jones was a shining light for the Ravens in a brutal division with 3 constant playoff and Superbowl teams who just schemed around the SpeedFreak! Frank Jones currently has 40sacks and 5TDs on the season, more TDs than the starting running back.

It was all about MLB Sherard Carter vs MLB Kazeem Burrough in the lead up to the draft. Burrough turned out to have a cough syrup problem after heading to the Raiders at No6 and Carter became a Superstar Field General with the Colts at No7. After spending the first few years gloating at Burrough’s demise he was forced to create the Cough Syrup Rehabilitation centre to save his public image and endorsement contracts.

RT Rafael Hinton was drafted by the Vikings in the 2nd round as the slowest OL of the class. However, the Vikings OL situation was that bad he was easily named the day 1 starter as training camp opened up. Hinton is still regular used on compare cam as Rich Eisen runs his 40yard dash at about the same speed!

CB Curry Dyer was drafted by the Cardinals at No23 and entered an already loaded DB group. He learned from the best as Pat Peterson took him under his wing. It didn’t count for much though as the amazing Cardinals D would give up zero yards but the Dalton-Taylor hyrbid-QB monster would gain zero yards under Coach Yabbas.

TE Lewis Ball could not ball… drafted by someone in the draft??, he got paid for being the 3rd string TE but was never cut due to his great ability with motivational speeches and expert Hi5s. He currently tours his self help show “If I can get paid to sit, so can you” about minimum effort and maximum reward working.

Lol!!!! Nice read Matt Self help show lololol