导出博客文章Its December, that special time of year when it becomes NFL draft season. And
were officially less than 150 days until the festivities get underway in
Philadelphia. So, in what has become an annual tradition, we are here with a
quick, 25-question primer to get you going.1. Is this draft better on offense or
defense?Kiper: This is a defensive draft. Its incredibly strong there -- 15 of
my top 25 prospects are defenders, including eight of the top 10. And its deep
too, with pass-rushers and defensive backs galore. On offense, this draft is
lacking in premier talent at positions that are usually picked in the top five:
offensive tackles and quarterbacks. There just isnt much there.2. Who are the
quarterbacks well be talking about on the first night of the draft?Kiper: Theres
really only one guy right now, and he might not even enter the draft. Thats
North Carolinas Mitch Trubisky, a fourth-year junior who is in his first season
as the starter. Trubisky has thrown 28 touchdown passes to only four
interceptions, but hes still green -- with another year of seasoning, he could
be the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft. Hes not ready to play right away in the
NFL.I dont see any other first-rounders in the group. Notre Dames DeShone Kizer,
a third-year sophomore, has to go back to school. Clemsons Deshaun Watson has
taken a step back this season. Underclassmen Luke Falk and Patrick Mahomes could
use another year in school, and they dont project as first-rounders.I wouldnt
say its likely, but theres a chance no quarterback goes in the first round. The
last time that happened was 1996.3. Would you go so far as to call this a bad QB
class, Todd?McShay: Ill say this: Its not a great year to be drafting early and
needing a quarterback.?Theres some depth (depending on how many underclassmen
declare), but I dont see any elite prospects among those Ive reviewed so far. My
top five quarterbacks are all underclassmen -- and I hope most of them return to
school (Watson, my No. 2 QB, has already declared). Mel is right, Kizer needs
another year. Trubisky has only 12 starts. Miamis Brad Kaaya can continue to get
bigger/stronger. Falk comes with too many questions ranging from system to
frame.?4. Which prospect-to-player comparison do you think is most
spot-on?McShay:?Dalvin Cook and Chris Johnson. The Florida State RB has the
speed, suddenness and big-play ability that Johnson had when he was still in his
prime. Cook has 15 touches of 25 yards or more this season, tied for second
among Power 5 running backs.5. If you had to put your money behind one guy from
this class to be the NFLs next great pass-rusher, who would it be?Kiper: Theres
no question its Texas A&Ms Myles Garrett, who is No. 1 on my Big Board. He
has everything teams want in a premier edge rusher. At 6-foot-5, 265 pounds, hes
going to be a star. Others to keep an eye on: Alabamas Tim Williams and UCLAs
Takkarist McKinley. All could go in the top 10.6. What should the Browns do with
the first pick: best player or best QB?Kiper: The Browns have too many needs. It
has to be the best player, and as I mentioned above, theres no surefire top
quarterback in this class. Cleveland needs everything. No way should the Browns
reach for a quarterback in this draft.7. Dallas hit a home run last April -- how
do they hit another one next April?McShay:?Not sure its possible for the Cowboys
to have a draft thats anywhere near comparable to last year. Theyll be selecting
in the latter half of the first round as opposed to No. 4 overall -- and they
found a fourth-round quarterback whos currently 11-1. If they could find one
difference-making edge rusher, thatd be a win for Dallas.8. By the time its
April, Mel, who are people going to be saying, Oh, Kiper loves that guy!Kiper:
Its Alabamas Reuben Foster. He could be the best of the stellar group of Crimson
Tide inside linebackers to be picked in the first round recently (Rolando
McClain, Donta Hightower and C.J. Mosley). Foster is a complete player. Top five
isnt out of the question, which is rare for an ILB. Hes that good.9. How about
you, Todd?McShay:?LSU safety Jamal Adams. He hasnt gotten a ton of love
nationally, but hes one of the most complete players in this draft class. He has
everything you want -- intelligence, toughness, ball skills and explosive
tackling ability. Plus, hes a really good leader.10. Which prospect has helped
his stock the most this season?Kiper:?McKinley has gone from just a guy to a
potential top-10 pick, and its all because of his ability to rush the
quarterback. The former junior college transfer had 10 sacks for the Bruins this
season after just seven in his first two years. Hes not huge (6-foot-2, 240
pounds), but his speed off the ball is fun to watch.11. Which prospect has hurt
his stock the most this season?McShay:?This is a tough one. Oklahoma
cornerback?Jordan Thomas really struggled at times in coverage this season, and
Georgia running back?Nick Chubb wasnt himself coming off his season-ending
injury in 2015. Chubb had a solid final few weeks to the regular season, but his
best performance since his 222-yard opener against UNC was against
Louisiana-Lafayette (108 yards on 16 carries). It will be interesting to see if
Chubb returns to school or if he makes the leap, despite his struggles this
season. Thomas should absolutely return to school.12. If my team needs a ______,
were in luck in this draft.Kiper: Pass-rusher. The class is littered with
talented rushers -- for both a 3-4 and 4-3 scheme. The next-deepest positions:
tight end and center.13. What about offensive line: Is there a cornerstone
blindside protector in this draft?McShay:?This is not a great offensive tackle
class. Alabamas Cam Robinson is my top-ranked offensive tackle (No. 15 overall),
but I wouldnt classify him as a cornerstone blindside protector. There are more
right tackles and offensive guards -- such as Wisconsins?Ryan Ramczyk and
Western Kentuckys?Forrest Lamp -- in this class than there are true left
tackles.14.?Leonard Fournette is the most talented running back prospect since
when?McShay:?Adrian Peterson in 2007. Yes, Fournette has some durability
concerns (an ankle injury has hobbled him all season), but?the same was said for
Peterson when he was leaving Oklahoma.?15. Which teams could target
Fournette?Kiper: Running backs have been devalued, but Id be surprised if
Fournette slipped out of the top eight. Not many of the teams projected to pick
there need a RB, so why not Cleveland? Fournette is that good, and the Browns
could do much worse than a plug-and-play, three-down back. Maybe its Carolina,
who has aging backs. The Panthers have bigger needs, though. It might have to be
a team that likes Fournette enough to trade up. Maybe Philadelphia for the
second straight season. Maybe the Lions or Giants, who are among the worst
running teams in the league.16. Who are the guys well all be calling freaks
after the NFL combine?McShay:?Myles Garrett is the top all-around physical freak
in this class. Hell test off the charts for a pass-rusher. Two others: UCLA
outside linebacker?Takkarist McKinley and Virginia Tech tight end?Bucky Hodges.
McKinley has elite speed for an edge guy; Hodges, a former quarterback, is long,
fast and athletic.17. Which school will be this years Ohio State and dominate
the early rounds?Kiper: Five Alabama prospects make my newest Big Board,
including four in the top 13. I have the Tide with the top offensive tackle, top
inside linebacker, top two outside linebackers, and second-best defensive end
and tight end. They also have the best punter in the draft, plus some players
who will go in the mid-rounds. One school that is going under the radar:
Florida. While the Gators lost to Alabama in Saturdays SEC title game, they have
an outside shot at four defenders being picked in the first round.18. Whos the
underclassman who could use another year of development?McShay:?All of the
underclassman quarterbacks (see above). Texas A&M wide receiver?Ricky
Seals-Jones, too.19. What about the underclassman with nothing left to prove to
NFL scouts?Kiper: LSUs Leonard Fournette. Theres only so much tread on the tires
of running backs. Hes going to be a star on day one.20. Who are the best
pass-catchers in this draft for teams in need of more weapons?McShay:?The tight
end class is unusually strong with Alabamas O.J. Howard (No. 23), Michigans Jake
Butt (No. 26) and Hodges (No. 32) all in the Top 32 right now. All three are
legit weapons in the passing game. The wide receiver class isnt so strong at the
top. Clemsons Mike Williams is the only wide receiver in my top 15, but theres
plenty of depth in the middle rounds. USCs JuJu Smith-Schuster, LSUs Malachi
Dupre, Washingtons John Ross, Virginia Techs?Isaiah Ford, Western Michigans
Corey Davis and Eastern Washingtons?Cooper Kupp could all be top-60 picks.21.
This is the year of the ______.Kiper: Third-year sophomore, potentially.
Michigan linebacker/safety Jabrill Peppers, Alabama cornerback Marlon Humphrey
and Ohio State cornerback Marshon Lattimore are all draft-eligible sophomores on
my latest Big Board. Then theres Stanford defensive end Solomon Thomas, Oklahoma
offensive tackle Orlando Brown and Ohio State safety Malik Hooker, plus two from
Notre Dame: quarterback DeShone Kizer and guard Quenton Nelson. Some of these
guys will likely return to school, but some wont. The talent level here is
incredible.22. Whos going to catapult up boards like Carson Wentz did last
year?McShay:?Washington wide receiver John Ross could be an early pick if he
leaves school -- and runs as fast as expected. Im also interested to see if the
two Ohio State defensive backs Mel just mentioned (Lattimore and Hooker) decide
to return to school for a second season as full-time starters,?or if they bolt
after the upcoming playoff. Both need more game experience, but both are very
talented.23. Do the Jets have a QB starter currently on their roster? Should
they reach for one early?Kiper: I dont think so, but the Jets shouldnt draft a
QB early just to get one. They just took Christian Hackenberg in the second
round last year -- 84 spots ahead of Dak Prescott, by the way -- and they need
to try to develop him to see if he has a future. He needs major, major
development, though, and that takes time. Hes almost certainly not the guy in
2017. New York might be better off surveying the backup market. Tony Romo or Jay
Cutler, maybe? How about Mike Glennon?24. The Panthers could be drafting in the
top 10 without a need at quarterback. What holes should they look to
fill?McShay: Offensive tackle, defensive end, wide receiver and running back are
the top needs that come to mind. The latter three positions all have some depth
in this class.25. Which team needs to hit a home run in this draft?Kiper: Cmon,
its Cleveland. The Browns havent won a game! They have to get some talent, and
luckily for them, they have the picks to do it (including two in the first
round). The Browns have to hit on some stars in the second year of their total
analytical approach. One more thats interesting: Tennessee, which is on the cusp
of being really good. The Titans have two first-round picks -- they have the
Rams pick from the Jared Goff deal -- and they could use one of those to beef up
their secondary.
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easier than it really was," Ivanovic said. Sydneys rookie ruck pairing for their
AFL semi-final against Adelaide wont be overawed by the occasion at the SCG on
Saturday night, according to assistant coach Henry Playfair.The Swans have
called up Toby Nankervis to replace Kurt Tippett, who broke his jaw in week one
of the finals. Nankervis, who is 22 and has played 11 games, will partner Sam
Naismith in the ruck.Naismith came to the club via the 2013 rookie draft and
made his finals debut against Greater Western Sydney. last weekend. It was the
10th game of Naismiths career. The stakes will be even higher at the SCG, where
the Swans season will end if theyre unable to defeat Adelaide.Naismith and
Nankervis will confront Crows star Sam Jacobs, who has been one of the leagues
best ruckmen this year, and Josh Jenkins. Jacobs and Jenkins boast a combined
total of 240 games worth of experience, some 219 more than their
counterparts.Both of them have played earlier this year and showed what they can
do. They are inexperienced but theyre quite mature people, and both really
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youre a little bit inexperienced, if youve got those other two attributes you
can usually hold your own and potentially get on top. They are fiercely
competitive and theyve got talent, so we expect them to bring that at the SCG.
Off-season recruit Callum Sinclair, who hasnt played since round 18 because of a
knee injury, trained on Tuesday but the Swans opted against rushing the ruckman
back into their side. Sinclair and Tippett could both be in the mix to return in
Friday nights preliminary final, should the Swans progress to week three of the
finals. Novice ruckman Reilly OBrien isnt among Adelaides three emergencies for
the semi-final but travelled to Sydney on Friday with the squad.Jenkins has been
carrying an ankle injury but the Crows expect he will take the field alongside
Jacobs.The only time he gets a game is if Sam Jacobs does something in the
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