The Swordmaster's Mock 12.31.2020
 

I was antsy and bored at work today, so I ran a mock. Shocker!

Site: ProFootballNetwork

Selections

• 1.32 | No real trades to be had, though I tried to find one. I end up selecting Jaelan Phillips, DE, Miami. Phillips gives me a dynamic athlete with tons of upside, a potenital center piece
  • Also considered: TE Pat Freiermuth, OT Jaylen Mayfield, WR Kaderius Toney, DE Carlos Basham
• 2.64(3.67) | The phone rings with a pair of intriguing offers. The Lions want this pick (and #159) and offer #73 and 103 in return. It's intriguing, especially with that early 4th, but there are too many good players on the board (Terrance Marshall Jr, Creed Humphrey, C, Oklahoma, Josh Myers) that I want to take that big of a drop. However, apparently Bill O'Brien is still running the Texans, because they're offering #67 and #130 for this pick + my seventh. I take it, and they take Marshall. The Jets take Myers right in front of me (who I actually wanted), but with Humphrey still there, I'm content to take him and still call it a win.
  • Also considered: Staying at 64 and taking one of Marshall or Myers; CB Elijah Molden, Washington
• 3.95 | The phone rings again. It's the Lions again, with another weak offer (#103 and a 2022 4th for #95 and 159). I say no to them and laugh at Mike Mayock, who offered me #111 and 149 for the pick. Then I repeat the 2020 draft and take a T out of the Big 12 - Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State, who is nasty and versatile. He may be a Day 1 starter at RT, and he's the last guy in his cluster left on the board.
  • Also considered: LB Jabril Cox, LB Charles Snowden, OG Trey Smith, WR Marquez Stevenson
• 3.96 (Projected comp pick) | If I have this, I still take Jenkins (and the Lions took an OT, so we know the computer was taking them to Jenkins if i make the trade), I probably use it on Jabril Cox, LB, LSU.
• 4.121 | As the 4th unfolds, I have my eye on Dayo Odeyingbo, DE, Vanderbilt. After the Browns take Shaka Toney at 17, I pounce, trading #128 and a 2022 5th round pick to move up with Tampa. It's a slight overpay, but I'm ok with that price to get another high-upside, versatile DE. I personally think if he played for a better team with more help around him, Dayo's stock is much higher.
• 4.129 (projected comp pick) I see Marquez Stevenson, WR, Houston on the board and feel like kccrow is on my shoulder, and take him. Big-time upside with his size, speed, and RAC ability.
• 5.131 | Just looking at BPA here, I grab Khalil Herbert, RB, Va Tech. He's not flashy, but he is a physical runner with the physical traits Brett Veach likes. Also will be a nice complement to CEH in 2022.
  • Also considered: South Carolina WR Shi Smith, Iowa State TE Charlie Kolar, PItt S Paris Ford
• 5.162 | I face some tough choices here, with several players I like still on the board. Iowa C Tyler Linderbaum beckons, as does Miss. State LB Erroll Thompson and a few corners. Ultimately, I land on Tyree Gillespie, S, Missouri. He's an athletic S who is pretty versatile and held up well against Alabama's elite WR group, while also being a hard hitter. The goal here is to give Dan Sorenson an understudy who replace him in 2022.
• 5.163 (projected comp pick) | I grab Erroll Thompson, LB, Miss. State. He's not flashy, but he's smart and competent.

And with that, I'm done. I've added much needed depth and upside at DE and OL. I've added promising pieces at WR and LB as well, while adding to overall depth.

Other offseason moves: Extend Mathieu and Eric Fisher; convert 15-20M of Chris Jones' base salary into signing bonus. This frees up a large amount of cap space if it's flat, and a solid amount if it hits the floor. I fill in depth pieces, consider spending big on an edge rusher, and end up adding a veteran WR in FA. I'm tempted to make a splash with former Titan Corey Davis, who would give me an intriguing size-speed combo, but decide to avoid adding another long contract.

2021 Depth (bold denotes draft pick/signee)

QB | Mahomes/Henne
RB | Edwards-Helaire/Damien Williams/Khalil Herbert
WR | Hill/Stevenson
WR | Veteran WR (A.J. Green, David Moore, Marvin Jones)
WR | Mecole Hardman/Stevenson
TE | Kelce/Jared Cook (I'm tempted, again, to add that second TE via FA and make it Jonnu Smith, who I think has been criminally underused by the Titans, but go with the vet who has skills, won't cost as much, and may be motivated to ring-chase at age 35).

LT | Fisher/Rammers
LG | Allegretti/Rankin
C | [strong]Creed Humphrey[/strong]/vet
RG | Wiley/Jenkins or Niang
RT | Jenkins or Niang

RDE | Jaelan Phillips/Danna
LDE | Clark/Odeyingbo
NT | Nnadi/Saunders
DT | Jones/Wharton

OLB | Gay/Cox
MLB | Hitchens/Niemann (with Thompson factoring in)

CB | LaJerius Seed/Rashad Fenton[list]

• Slot

CB | Charvarious Ward/DeAndre Baker[list]

• Baker/Fenton to outside CB when Sneed is playing slot

FS | Juan Thornhill/Sorenson
SS | Tyrann Mathieu/Sorenson
Nickel S | Sorenson/Gillespie

Would be ok with this.

solid.

This shows outstanding effort. Great work.

I'd like it.

I did chuckle at the consideration of Paris Ford in round 5 though. From most accounts, he's a likely 1st rounder and at worst 2nd round.

I would have taken Marshall in the 2nd. I think he's going to be special.

Agree, but I don’t think he’ll make it that deep.


I was showing guys that were on the board ... agree that he won’t be there.


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Right.

I'd actually take him at #32 but if he were there in your scenario, I'd absolutely take him in the 2nd.

Here's what the same could look like, but with taking Marshall at 32. No trades involved early in this one.

1.32 - Terrance Marshall, Jr., WR, LSU
2. 64 - Creed Humphrey, C, Oklahoma
3.95 - Trade this one for #107 and 156 to add some volume.
3.96 - Comp pick for Bienemy - Dayo Odeyingbo, DE, Vanderbilt
4.107 - Walker Little, OT, Stanford (This is an upside swing... Little is raw but has tremendous upside. Could sit for a year or two in development and then play LT or RT. Also gives some insurance for Niang/Schwartz.
4.127 - Paris Ford (haha)
5.156 - Erroll Thompson, LB, Miss. State
5.159 - Marquez Stevenson, WR, Houston
7.221 - Pooka Williams, RB, kansas (Just a dart at the end here, but Williams has breakaway speed and seems to be able to catch the ball. Worth a shot).

I love it. Still get a potential starting center but get the game-breaking WR too.

I'm really high on Marshall.

Yeah, I actually think he'll end up going higher and be the #3 or #4 WR taken.

I’ll jump on the T. Marshall bandwagon. I used to play a pretty mediocre jaw harp.

Chris Olave is going back to Ohio St