First Round Targets

[staylor26]

WR:

Treylon Burks, Arkansas
George Pickens, WR, Georgia
Jahan Dotson, Penn St.


EDGE:

David Ojabo, Michigan
George Karlaftis, Purdue
Boye Mafe, Minnesota
Arnold Ebiketie, EDGE, Penn St.



DT:

Devonte Wyatt, Georgia
Travis Jones, Connecticut
Perrion Winfrey, Oklahoma
Logan Hall, Houston


CB:

Andrew Booth Jr., Clemson
Kaiir Elam, Florida
Kyler Gordon, Washington


S:

Daxton Hill, Michigan
Lewis Cine, Georiga


Note: there are guys that I left off because I don’t think they have a shot to make it to our range.

[Tribal Warfare]

Originally Posted by Couch-Potato

NFLDraftBuzz.com has extremely high praise for Cam Thomas: 89.6 Grade


SCOUTING REPORT: STRENGTHS

Spoiler!

Faced multiple double and triple teams throughout his career and still managed to put up great pass-rushing numbers. At times he was simply un-blockable
Has elite hand speed and is equally impressive disengaging from offensive tackles.

Has a pro-ready bag of pass-rush skills --an impressive spin move and an even more dominating bull rush.

Very good athlete with great size, length, and elite pass rush moves to make an ideal 4-3 defensive end

Handles himself against bigger tackles when moving outside to prevent an edge rush he has the speed and quickness to counter inside with an elite-level swim move.

He is a TFL demon as he blows up run plays on a regular basis.

Offers impressive versatility - plays as a 0, 3, 5, and 7 technique and rushes from a two-and three-point stance with the playing speed to stand up in space.

Flashes strength as a bull rusher and his energy doesn't plateau.

Flashes nimble feet to chase running backs and mobile quarterbacks to the sideline when lined up at end.

Spins off blocks to get back into the play.

Has fluid footwork to redirect, reverse momentum and close with a burst.

Regularly first off the ball with good snap anticipation.

Easily gains inside leverage by shooting gaps.

Smart player with a high football IQ and an amazing none stop motor.

Possesses accurate snap anticipation and timing to beat blockers off the edge.


SCOUTING REPORT: WEAKNESSES

Never out of a play, but can get out of control and work himself away from the action.

Is a very good athlete but not quite as quick twitch as you would ideally look for and doesn't have the elite speed of a perfect edge rusher.

Can burn himself out in games - and seems to visibly tire in the fourth quarter of games.

Stands up well against the run but is very pursuit-conscious and will take unneeded wide angles.

Plays tall and gets upright off the snap. Wins with upper-body strength and needs to focus on leverage.

SCOUTING REPORT: SUMMARY

Cameron Thomas is rocketing up draft boards at the moment and with good reason, he's athletic with an incredible set of pass-rushing that terrify offensive linemen. He has no major weakness to his game that can't be worked out and therefore we are very high on him. His ceiling is at the all-pro/pro-bowler level with his floor a solid NFL starter. To us, he looks bust-proof.

Cameron Thomas is worthy of a mid-first-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft and should be considered in the same class as Thibodeaux, Hutchinson, and Karlaftis.

NFL.com gave him a 6.19 on a scale of 10. " Good backup with starter potential

[kcbubb]

I really like paschal. He looks quick and strong, uses his hands well.

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

He just brought a level of consistent aggression that we simply didn't have. His approached the game with the attitude Clark was sold as having.

He went out there looking to make his opponents life difficult every single snap. Even when he was taken out of a play, he made sure to make the guy across from him work for it.

He just looked like a miserable mother****er to be matched up against. He was like the defensive version of Trey Smith. Smith didn't win every rep, but he made you feel it even when he lost. And if he lost, it was because you beat him and not because he just jaked the play.

Now perhaps additional exposure would make it different for him, but that's such a prideful guy that I just can't see him being a player that takes plays, drives, quarters....even games off. He may run out of gas out there, but he won't pre-emptively pull the chute.

We have far too many veteran defensive players, many of whom were highly paid, who you cannot say that about.

[Couch-Potato]

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

NFL.com gave him a 6.19 on a scale of 10. " Good backup with starter potential

Yikes.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by kcbubb

I really like paschal. He looks quick and strong, uses his hands well.

Engabare is a similar sort of player.

Not sure he managed to test himself into the late 3rd, but he may be worth moving up for if he's still there in the mid-3rd. I don't know that I'd jump in the 2nd, though the rest of the draft could change my mind.

Very much a pure SDE sort of player. Not terribly dynamic but technically sound and powerful. Good punch, good plan as a pass-rusher. Not a terribly high ceiling but probably a good floor and solid contributor fairly early on.

And as I've said elsewhere, a 'pure' SDE would really free us up to target a dedicated edge rusher elsewhere and lean into those under fronts that can free up your weakside DE to make some noise.

Hell, given the state of our DL, we may even be better served w/ a 3-4 sort of alignment next season. It would be easier to find a stand-up edge rusher at OLB than a strict 3-down DE. And if you have Ingram back, he can do that job and probably even kick down to a 3-tech at this stage of his career. We know Jones can make an impact as a 3-tech and Nnadi would be an adequate 0.

[kccrow]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Engabare is a similar sort of player.

Not sure he managed to test himself into the late 3rd, but he may be worth moving up for if he's still there in the mid-3rd. I don't know that I'd jump in the 2nd, though the rest of the draft could change my mind.

Very much a pure SDE sort of player. Not terribly dynamic but technically sound and powerful. Good punch, good plan as a pass-rusher. Not a terribly high ceiling but probably a good floor and solid contributor fairly early on.

And as I've said elsewhere, a 'pure' SDE would really free us up to target a dedicated edge rusher elsewhere and lean into those under fronts that can free up your weakside DE to make some noise.

Hell, given the state of our DL, we may even be better served w/ a 3-4 sort of alignment next season. It would be easier to find a stand-up edge rusher at OLB than a strict 3-down DE. And if you have Ingram back, he can do that job and probably even kick down to a 3-tech at this stage of his career. We know Jones can make an impact as a 3-tech and Nnadi would be an adequate 0.

So many speedy, undersized rushers coming out these days that it seems it would be advantageous to switch back to a 3-4. There are also a lot of 3-4 LBs composing the top 20 of sack leaders.

That said, most teams run the majority of plays out of 4-2-5 nickel alignments over the past couple of seasons, rendering a base front relatively moot.

With a guy like KC has in Chris Jones who can be a multiple player at either 5T or SDE, it would seem the benefit would be in running 4 man under and over fronts in a 4-2-5 base.

This is where I get the idea that playing Gay as the SAM could be a huge benefit for the Chiefs. In that under front, you could send him instead of your WDE at times, similar in operation to a 3-4, where his size and athleticism should allow him to generate pressure. When you pop into an under front, he plays back in space like he does now.

This would let you take a guy like Arnold Ebiketie, Drake Jackson, Nik Bonitto, and so forth to play WDE early without worrying as much about size since alignment will be wider much of the time. You end up being able to run kind of a multiple defense without much change in personnel.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by kccrow

So many speedy, undersized rushers coming out these days that it seems it would be advantageous to switch back to a 3-4. There are also a lot of 3-4 LBs composing the top 20 of sack leaders.

That said, most teams run the majority of plays out of 4-2-5 nickel alignments over the past couple of seasons, rendering a base front relatively moot.

With a guy like KC has in Chris Jones who can be a multiple player at either 5T or SDE, it would seem the benefit would be in running 4 man under and over fronts in a 4-2-5 base.

This is where I get the idea that playing Gay as the SAM could be a huge benefit for the Chiefs. In that under front, you could send him instead of your WDE at times, similar in operation to a 3-4, where his size and athleticism should allow him to generate pressure. When you pop into an under front, he plays back in space like he does now.

This would let you take a guy like Arnold Ebiketie, Drake Jackson, Nik Bonitto, and so forth to play WDE early without worrying as much about size since alignment will be wider much of the time. You end up being able to run kind of a multiple defense without much change in personnel.

I think we're going to see some teams break out a true 3-3-5 as a base sometime in the near future.

But with more traditional even front "LE" types as the ends (rather than the beefier Es you usually see in a 34). The SAM backer is a traditional odd front OLB (bigger, good at rushing the passer, more of a RE in a traditional even front) and you're rolling with your coverage sideline-to-sideline MIKE and a WILL who also has pass rush traits.

basically, adapting a 34 to match up better in the passing game by putting an extra DB on the field instead of the "THUMPER" downhill-only MLB.

[staylor26]

And just like that, every safety but 1 is off the board.

I’m going to leave Dax Hill in, because drafting him could allow you to move Sneed outside to replace Ward, and just gives your entire secondary more flexibility.

I doubt he’d be the pick, but I still wouldn’t write him off completely because of his versatility and value at 30.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by kccrow

So many speedy, undersized rushers coming out these days that it seems it would be advantageous to switch back to a 3-4. There are also a lot of 3-4 LBs composing the top 20 of sack leaders.

That said, most teams run the majority of plays out of 4-2-5 nickel alignments over the past couple of seasons, rendering a base front relatively moot.

With a guy like KC has in Chris Jones who can be a multiple player at either 5T or SDE, it would seem the benefit would be in running 4 man under and over fronts in a 4-2-5 base.

This is where I get the idea that playing Gay as the SAM could be a huge benefit for the Chiefs. In that under front, you could send him instead of your WDE at times, similar in operation to a 3-4, where his size and athleticism should allow him to generate pressure. When you pop into an under front, he plays back in space like he does now.

This would let you take a guy like Arnold Ebiketie, Drake Jackson, Nik Bonitto, and so forth to play WDE early without worrying as much about size since alignment will be wider much of the time. You end up being able to run kind of a multiple defense without much change in personnel.

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I think we're going to see some teams break out a true 3-3-5 as a base sometime in the near future.

But with more traditional even front "LE" types as the ends (rather than the beefier Es you usually see in a 34). The SAM backer is a traditional odd front OLB (bigger, good at rushing the passer, more of a RE in a traditional even front) and you're rolling with your coverage sideline-to-sideline MIKE and a WILL who also has pass rush traits.

basically, adapting a 34 to match up better in the passing game by putting an extra DB on the field instead of the "THUMPER" downhill-only MLB.

I think we'll see more teams go back to big physical offensive sets and just gash these types of sets though. This always seems cyclical and it seems we're nearing the point where teams rush alot.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by O.city

I think we'll see more teams go back to big physical offensive sets and just gash these types of sets though. This always seems cyclical and it seems we're nearing the point where teams rush alot.

It's just so damn hard to do that well, especially over the course of a 17 game season AND a post-season.

I mean if there were a dozen teams in the NFL like the Titans and a half dozen teams like the Chiefs, wouldn't you still bank on one of the half dozen teams like the Chiefs to win it?

[O.city]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

It's just so damn hard to do that well, especially over the course of a 17 game season AND a post-season.

I mean if there were a dozen teams in the NFL like the Titans and a half dozen teams like the Chiefs, wouldn't you still bank on one of the half dozen teams like the Chiefs to win it?

It's a work around with having or not having the QB.

[The Franchise]

The #Chiefs are bringing in Georgia DT Devonte Wyatt for a top-30 visit, suggesting he’s in play at pick No. 30. https://t.co/cebPvvvUaM

— Chiefs Wire (@TheChiefsWire) March 17, 2022

[duncan_idaho]

Wyatt definitely picking up steam at the end of the 1st. He’s a baller.

He also has opened my mind up to DT in general. Think he or Jones from UConn may be the best values at 30.

[The Franchise]

Wyatt, if we get him, would go along way to fixing this defensive line.

[RunKC]

Is he gonna fall to around our pick? Figured he’d be a top 25 player

[Couch-Potato]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Engabare is a similar sort of player.

Not sure he managed to test himself into the late 3rd, but he may be worth moving up for if he's still there in the mid-3rd. I don't know that I'd jump in the 2nd, though the rest of the draft could change my mind.

Very much a pure SDE sort of player. Not terribly dynamic but technically sound and powerful. Good punch, good plan as a pass-rusher. Not a terribly high ceiling but probably a good floor and solid contributor fairly early on.

And as I've said elsewhere, a 'pure' SDE would really free us up to target a dedicated edge rusher elsewhere and lean into those under fronts that can free up your weakside DE to make some noise.

Hell, given the state of our DL, we may even be better served w/ a 3-4 sort of alignment next season. It would be easier to find a stand-up edge rusher at OLB than a strict 3-down DE. And if you have Ingram back, he can do that job and probably even kick down to a 3-tech at this stage of his career. We know Jones can make an impact as a 3-tech and Nnadi would be an adequate 0.

Reposting this here:
Curious why these two aren't on our radar at the bottom of the 1st?


5. KINGSLEY ENAGBARE, SOUTH CAROLINA
BIG BOARD RANK: 26
Enagbare isn’t a spectacular athlete but wins with his elite length and hand usage, so much so that he’s barely behind the likes of Aidan Hutchinson with a 92.4 pass-rushing grade this season.


7. ARNOLD EBEKETIE, PENN STATE
BIG BOARD RANK: 37
Ebiketie transferred from Temple to Penn State and proved his production from 2020 was no fluke. He beat up on quality tackles en route to a 90.5 pass-rushing grade and 52 pressures.


...PFF Top 10 Edge Rushers