CBS Draft Scout-2018 NFL Draft preview

Originally posted by strickac:

I don't know. The Bucs and Panthers also improved. Throw in the Falcons and the Saints have some rough sledding in their division.

They get a few softballs with the Bears, Jets, Rams, and maybe the Bills, but they also drew the Pats and Packers. The Vikes, Lions, Skins and Dolphins are a toss up, IMO.

I think they'll be lucky to break even. 7-9 or 8-8 is where I see them. Consider, they've been 7-9 for 4 of the past 5 seasons. Did they really improve that much? I say no.

They're no better on offense. They upgraded their running game, but thats always been a position group underutilized under Payton. They're weaker at WR and have a sketchy Oline. A rookie RT and losing your veteran Center is a bad combo for a pass-happy team.

On defense, they're good up front. They have inconsistent LB play and their secondary is very vulnerable. At CB, it really isn't looking good and Lattimore has to beat the odds just to stay healthy. They're a young and beatable secondary that won't hold up in a shootout.

I think we're looking at the same ole Saints facing a strengthened division. I'd put that pic in the #40-50 range. You never know though. Saints-watch has officially started.

Oh yea, I definitely don't expect them to get more than eight wins I just don't think that losing cooks and unger is going to make them a worse team than they were last year. I expect more of the same from the Saints

Rawleigh Williams III apparently has retired from football due to neck injury.

Since this team was interested in Ross if they traded down a little more, I totally see Shanahan fall in love with Kirk. He is possibly the most dangerous return man since Hester plus he is actually good at being a receiver.

One thing that we all have to get used to is not fall in love with the projected top Running backs in each draft year. A lot of us dangerously fell in love with LF when in reality Shanahan probably didnt consider him unless its a worst case scenario where Foster, Thomas, and Trubisky got picked before we picked.

I am really interested in Lamar Jackson. Not as a QB, but as a receiver. Unless he dramatically improves as a passer and proves that he can be a good qb in the NFL, he should convert to receiver. If Pryor did that earlier he wouldve been given the big paycheck he was looking for. He is a great athlete and I think Kyle is confident enough to coach him up to be a good deep threat receiver.

Originally posted by adrianlesnar:
Aside from Unger, who's a big blow, saints should be fine this year...they massively upgraded their D in the draft, and they have Michael Thomas at WR, they still have drew brees, and a RB corps of Adrian Peterson, Mark Ingram, and Alvin Kamara is absolutely RIDICULOUS. They also signed Tedd Ginn who, while definitely no brandin cooks, offsets the loss of his speed.

They had one of the nicer drafts this year, imo. Pretty much played it perfectly as it related to their needs

Adrian Peterson/Ingram and Kamara means Brees isn't throwing...which is their best threat.

They added talent in the secondary but while I wouldn't be surprised if Lattimore is a great corner 3+ years down the road I'm not sure he'll be a stud early on especially since the Saints pass rush isn't exactly studly. The kid had 1 year of playing experience and has issues with his hamstrings. I can see him getting burned a lot as a rookie. Two rookie starters in teh secondary(if they both start) is begging for big plays.

An injury to Brees and they're quickly a one dimensional offense with a lot of inexperience on defense.

I don't wanna debate too much about the saints here on NT, but I assume AP gets 70% of the carries, and Kamara is used more how they used sproles.

232 receptions for 1981 yards (8.6avg) and 16 TDs vs. 188 carries for 1067 yards (5.4ypc) and 5 TDs.

Between Kamara and Michael Thomas (92 receptions, 1137 yards, 12.4 avg, 9 TDs), brees is going to put up 4k+ yards, and with AP and Ingram in the backfield, saints still have a potent offense.

Originally posted by adrianlesnar:

I don't wanna debate too much about the saints here on NT, but I assume AP gets 70% of the carries, and Kamara is used more how they used sproles.

232 receptions for 1981 yards (8.6avg) and 16 TDs vs. 188 carries for 1067 yards (5.4ypc) and 5 TDs.

Between Kamara and Michael Thomas (92 receptions, 1137 yards, 12.4 avg, 9 TDs), brees is going to put up 4k+ yards, and with AP and Ingram in the backfield, saints still have a potent offense.

I think AP will get about 10-15 carries a game. Ingram will get around 5-10 touches and Kamara will slowly start getting some touches towards the end of the year.

They have a strong offense, but as always, they can't stop anyone.

Auburn senior T Braden Smith's 33-inch vertical jump and 9-foot-9 broad jump both would have led all offensive lineman at the NFL Scouting Combine this year.
Not only that, but Smith can run a 4.95 40-yard dash, do a 600-pound squat, and do a 495-pound bench press at 6-foot-6, 303 pounds. His teammates call him "Drago," "The Terminator" and "The Hulk." Said strength coach Ryan Russell: "The most impressive thing to me is his mobility in his ankle(s) and his hips. Normally a guy his size who is that strong and powerful will be stiff and has trouble moving efficiently. Braden's movement efficiency is incredibly smooth and is something you don't see too often with a guy that size."

Rotoworld

NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah compares Texas junior T Connor Williams to Joe Staley and writes that Williams is an "exceptionally talented player in both the run and passing game."
"Both guys are natural athletes and play with a physical edge," Jeremiah wrote. The 6-foot-6, 320-pound Williams went No. 9 to the Jaguars in a 2018 mock draft published by Rotoworld's Thor Nystrom over the spring. "As a run blocker, he takes good angles, rolls his hips on contact and shows a nasty demeanor to keep moving opponents both to and through the whistle," Jeremiah wrote. "When you have a mauling run blocker, that player often lacks some athleticism as a pass protector. That's not the case with Williams. He's a graceful mover with tremendous knee bend, balance and the ability to redirect."

Rotoworld

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/super-early-2018-nfl-mock-draft-get-ready-for-top-quarterbacks-to-go-1-2-3/

"The Browns, Jets and 49ers find their franchise QBs of the future in a 2018 class loaded with passers"

2. San Francisco 49ers (2-14)
Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA: Brian Hoyer is a nice stop-gap option for the 49ers, but if they wind up with another top pick in a QB-heavy class, it seems safe to bet on John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan taking the plunge.

Originally posted by genus49:
I can't take Jackson seriously as an NFL QB. He may have another monster college season but he will get ripped apart once he declares.

He's unique, line Mike Vick.

Hard to scout him, everyone will fall in love with his athleticism. The kid is a beast!!!!

Originally posted by glorydayz:

Originally posted by genus49:

I can't take Jackson seriously as an NFL QB. He may have another monster college season but he will get ripped apart once he declares.

He's unique, line Mike Vick.

Hard to scout him, everyone will fall in love with his athleticism. The kid is a beast!!!!

He couldn't be further from what shanny wants...if there's one QB in this class he won't go for jackson would be him (my opinion).