First Round Targets

[staylor26]

RB:

TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio St.

OT:

Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon
Josh Simmons, Ohio St.


DT:

Derrick Harmon, Oregon
Kenneth Grant, Michigan
Tyleik Williams, Ohio St.

EDGE:

Mykel Williams, Georgia
Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
J.T. Tuimoloau, Ohio St.

[Tribal Warfare]

Originally Posted by Couch-Potato

Who’s the most out of left field, black swan, unexpected 1st round pick you think we could take?

Mine would be RB Henderson.

Jeanty goes in the top 12 to LV, CHI, or DAL, and Hampton to one the those or DEN… leaving Henderson as the potential next up RB on the board.

Elijah Arroyo Miami Hurricanes TE is my darkhorse pick

[Couch-Potato]

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

Elijah Arroyo Miami Hurricanes TE is my darkhorse pick

He’s a name I’m seeing all over the board, interesting choice!

[DJ's left nut]

I just don't see what's special about Hampton to the point that we'd take him over a slew of other similarly situated prospects at positions of far greater need.

Especially when you look at the RB depth in this class.

I mean there are folks that are in love with the guy and man, I just don't see it. He's fine. Probably gonna be a good player. But he's not a game-breaker. He's not a guy that fundamentally alters how defenses have to play this offense.

He's also not someone that's likely to see a 2nd contract here by virtue of the position he plays.

I mean we've gone from mocking Crow for Gibbs or that other knucklehead for his fascination with Jonathan Taylor to now wanting a guy in Hampton who's not as good a prospect as either of them.

It's odd. I don't get it.

Mostly I hope some team takes him in the top 20. Then everyone gets to be happy. Y'all get to be right because Hampton went high. I get to be happy because we didn't use a 1st rounder on him.

Everyone wins.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by staylor26

I think this is a terrible idea. The quality of player at 31 will be better than it has maybe any other year with us picking that late, and now we're going to trade back for a measly 4th?

Hurray!!!!!

Another convert to the "Don't trade out of the 1st unless you're screwin' 'em" club!!!!

I just don't understand why folks are so eager to move down 10-15 spots for a pick that has a 20% chance of making a meaningful impact.

If someone wants to blow our socks off, fine -- gimme a spare 2nd and I'll gladly rip you off. But I hate hate hate HATE trading out of the 1st round pretty much every year it gets discussed.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by RunKC

It won’t happen bc it isn’t Veach’s style, but a Bills like trade back 4 spots would not be bad at all if we got a 4th or 5th.

It depends on what’s there. But I think it should absolutely be an option in this draft.

It worked out super well for the Bills...

[staylor26]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Hurray!!!!!

Another convert to the "Don't trade out of the 1st unless you're screwin' 'em" club!!!!

I just don't understand why folks are so eager to move down 10-15 spots for a pick that has a 20% chance of making a meaningful impact.

If someone wants to blow our socks off, fine -- gimme a spare 2nd and I'll gladly rip you off. But I hate hate hate HATE trading out of the 1st round pretty much every year it gets discussed.

You didn't even have to convert me. I've never advocated for it honestly. It just makes even less sense this year.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by staylor26

Starting to feel a little better about Scourton possibly falling to us after the combine. Not because he had a bad one, but because of how others knocked it out of the park.

This is how I feel about Mykel Williams.

I think it's looking like he could make it to us and I think he's a fantastic fit. I don't think he tested poorly necessarily but he didn't exactly set the place on fire.

In a draft with a lot of shiny objects, he might just be the Karlaftis sort that emerges from it.

And like Karlaftis, I've seen him projected anywhere from a top 10 pick to a 2nd rounder.

I hadn't really considered him at all early in the process but I do think there's a chance he has one of those strange slides where a guy who just looks like a good football player sits at the #2 slot on a BUNCH of draft boards but doesn't sit at #1 when their pick comes up.

[Rain Man]

I feel like draft coverage is like stock market coverage. With stocks, no one ever says anything negative. It's pretty much just "hold, buy, or buybuybuybuy!" When I read about the draft, I come away every year with the impression that the draft is full of burgeoning stars. This makes me always want to trade down, because instead of getting one star in the first round, let's trade down and get two stars in the second and third. But a few years later, all of those second and third round stars dilute out into an average draft class.

[RunKC]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

It worked out super well for the Bills...

The Bills are stupid franchise though. Has any draft pick in recent memory been a true blue chip for them? Spencer Brown was a hell of a get but aside from him?

It was truly unbelievable that they passed on McConkey. I don’t give a shit if you have Shakir. McConkey was that good and we all knew it. Coleman was a reach and we all knew that too. The Bills **** up their draft picks no matter what they do. They just got rid of Elam and Kincaid has not been good and their fans hate him.

It depends on the draft. This one is very very good in rds 2-5.

Just saying. The last time this franchise traded back, they drafted a first ballot HOF DT (Chris Jones) and parlayed the trade compensation (Parker Ehringer) into a pro bowl/2nd team all-pro corner (Charvarius Ward).

[staylor26]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

This is how I feel about Mykel Williams.

I think it's looking like he could make it to us and I think he's a fantastic fit. I don't think he tested poorly necessarily but he didn't exactly set the place on fire.

In a draft with a lot of shiny objects, he might just be the Karlaftis sort that emerges from it.

And like Karlaftis, I've seen him projected anywhere from a top 10 pick to a 2nd rounder.

I hadn't really considered him at all early in the process but I do think there's a chance he has one of those strange slides where a guy who just looks like a good football player sits at the #2 slot on a BUNCH of draft boards but doesn't sit at #1 when their pick comes up.

I like Mykel, I just wish he showed more as a pass rusher. I totally agree that he could fall to us now, and he'd likely be BPA, though.

[RunKC]

We are going to draft Conerly aren’t we?

JOSH CONERLY, Oregon (6-4 ½, 313, 5.04, 1-2): Third-year junior, two-year starter. “If you need a left tackle he would be it,” one scout said. “He has the agility and athletic ability to protect the blind side. He’s only going to get better. Great kid, very young. I had a clear vision for him, especially if I needed a left tackle.” Shifted from running back to the offensive line as a high-school sophomore in Seattle. “Big thing was he played well against Penn State’s Abdul Carter,” said another scout. “That really jumped out. Better pass pro than run blocker. Not super talented. Not a gifted athlete. He’s just getting by on his guile and craftiness. He’s going to start and be a good player.” Started at left tackle opposite right tackle Ajani Cornelius. “Both their tackles were really up and down all year,” said a third scout. “They had a hell of an offense but nether one was consistent. They just really struggled with second moves in the pass game. The Boise State game. (Sept. 7) was that way. I’d probably go with Cornelius just because he’s got a little more upside. It was a struggle getting those kids to practice hard, go hard, play hard.” Arms were 33 ½, hands were 10 3/8. “If you’re asking a guy as a rookie to protect the blind side he would be a really good option,” a fourth scout said. “One thing he’ll have to get better at is strength in the run game if he wants to become a long-time Pro Bowl player. He doesn’t have in-line strength and power to displace vertically. He doesn’t have it, and you hope because he’s such a young guy that he can develop that.” Struggled in the Senior Bowl game. “He’d be on my all-overrated list,” a fifth scout said. “Has some athleticism but didn’t play smart, didn’t play with very good technique. I didn’t feel this guy.”
6. JOSH SIMMONS, Ohio State (6-5, 317, no 40, 2): Suffered a torn patellar tendon in Game 6 and underwent season-ending surgery Oct. 12. “He was just pass-setting and went down,” said one scout. “Boom! What a shame. He’s the best athlete in the group and maybe the best in the last few years. He is what you want. The movement is just easy for him. He’s also got some grit to him. He’s not a power dude but it’s easy for him and he yokes people up. Pro Bowl talent. If he didn’t get hurt I’d probably have him over Campbell.” Another scout said the knee would stop him from choosing him in the first round. “Patellar tendons can be longer than ACL,” he said. “It’s definitely going to drop him. There aren’t many patellar tendons in the offensive line. He’s an outstanding athlete. Lacks some pop and power but he’s got really good feet and bend.” Fourth-year senior redshirted in 2021, started 13 games at right tackle in 2022 and 19 games at left tackle in 2023-’24. “His arm length is (33) and some people don’t like that,” a third scout said. “He can stick-and-stay in space. He has sustain. He can kick out in line. Well-rounded tackle.” Removed from consideration by one team for makeup issues. Another team expressed serious reservations. “Kind of a f-----,” said a fourth scout. “His (issues) are more football character. He has a complete bullshit sense of urgency, like a total finesse player. Mental is an issue. Lacks power, struggles to anchor. Fundamentals are poor. Plays like a guy that was at a JUCO and just came here. Now, he is a natural athlete and a knee bender. He’s got quickness, balance and body control, real light on his feet. He can pull and get to the second level. I did see the athletic positives but the whole football player I wasn’t crazy about.” Hands were 10. Four-star recruit as a guard from San Diego.

Oregon OT Josh Conerly v. Penn State Edge Abdul Carter pic.twitter.com/qrjRj2uX3J

— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) March 6, 2025

[kccrow]

Update 3/26

1. Josh Conerly, Jr., OT, Oregon
2. Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota
3. Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon
4. Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan
5. TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
6. J.T. Tuimoloau, DE, Ohio State
7. Nic Scourton, DE, Texas A&M
8. Azareye'h Thomas, CB, Florida State
9. Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State
10. Carson Schwesinger, LB, UCLA

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by staylor26

I like Mykel, I just wish he showed more as a pass rusher. I totally agree that he could fall to us now, and he'd likely be BPA, though.

I wish the fact that he hasn't shown a ton as a pass rusher made us less likely to take him.

It just doesn't. Or at least it hasn't.

Maybe as Jones ages (and we all agree he declined a bit last year, right?) they'll get away from using our DEs like Romeo did when we were 2-gapping. He uses the DEs to occupy blockers and space to free up Jones. Maybe when Jones isn't the game to game force that he was at his peak, we'll get away from that a bit.

But if we're gonna, the time to do it is now. Don't wait until Jones is on fumes -- do it now. Do it when it's starting to look like he has to pick his spots a little more than he did in the past. Do it in a way that ALLOWS him to pick spots and get some breaks now and again.

Don't wait until we've used him up.

[DJ's left nut]

Ah draft season.

One guy: "Mediocre athlete, great kid..."

Other guy: "Fantastic athlete, complete asshole..."

I'll say this, his functional strength really did look pretty poor against Carter even when he was getting the job done. It was angles and momentum he was using. Some of that stuff might have been called a hold. Most of it might not have worked against someone a little stronger. And if he's a starter and they start going right at his chest, that's gonna be a struggle.

He was able to get his angles right and use Carters momentum against him to win more than he lost in that clip but even in a pretty positive film package, you could see the strength is a real issue.

[staylor26]

Updated list and I think this one's final.