MOCKINGJAY DRAFT

Everyone and their brother had mock drafts leading up to the big event, so I decided to do something a little different and conduct what I will call my Mockingjay Draft if I was general manager instead of Ted Thompson.

 

One caveat is once I change a pick everything after that changes - but, of course, all you Trekkers know about the ripple effect in the time line of changing something in the past, so we'll just forget that aspect of it - and I will chose from the remaining undrafted guys in each round if I change the pick.

 

Round 1-30: Thursday night I said I would have drafted defensive tackle Malcom Brown from Texas instead of free safety Damarious Randall. But upon further reflection I would take Clemson ILB Stephone Anthony, who went to the Saints with the next pick. Either pick would have been better than Randall, but I will go with need at that point.

 

Stephone Anthony

Mike Mayock said: "Anthony is a big inside linebacker; a prototype. I think his best football is ahead of him. He'll be a starting inside linebacker immediately. He blew it up at the combine. For a guy that big, he's highly athletic."

Round 2-30 (overall 62): Thompson drafted S Quentin Rollins. I would have then drafted Arizona State FS Damarious Randall here in deference to Thompson's superior ability of assessing talent (I hope this sooths the "Trust in Ted" crowd). I think he would have still been available because Thompson reached in the first round. However, there is a possibility the 49ers would have grabbed him at the 14 spot (they went for strong safety Jaquiski Tartt), so if that was the case then Rollins would have been fine since there was a run on cornerbacks (10. Jalen Collins; 15. Eric Rowe; 18. Ronald Darby; 24. Senquez Golson) and the safeties started to be picked (1. SS Landon Collins; 14. SS Jaquiski Tartt).

 

Mike Mayock said: "Randall is what today's free safety is all about. He is by far the best cover safety in this draft. Randall can play man-to-man; he has cornerback-level cover skills. You give up some physicality, but his coverage ability is where the NFL is going. Remember Jimmie Ward was a first-rounder last year (to the 49ers) with a similar skill set."

 

Round 3-30 (overall 94): Thompson took wide receiver/kick returner Ty Montgomery. I would have went with TCU ILB Paul Dawson. He was the top ranked inside linebacker with severe character issues. I trust the Packers coaching staff to take a Top 10 talent and make him a Top 10 pro. It would be hard to pass on him after he dropped this low. He would be taken by the Bengals five picks later with the final pick of the third round.

 

Paul Dawson

Mike Mayock said: "Paul Dawson's tape is as good as anybody's in the country. He is a little bit like Chris Borland. The question is why he wasn't a first- or second-round pick. He's not a tester; his measureables weren't good. And, there are questions about character."

 

Round 4-30 (overall 129): Thompson took inside linebacker Jake Ryan and since I've already taken two inside linebackers I won't need to take him here, so let's assume Stanford WR/KR Ty Montgomery is still available and needing a kick returner for a long time I would take him here. He has a problem with dropped passes and hopefully he can be coached up to get better like James Jones did. I think he is a better value in Round 4 than in the third round.

 

Mike Mayock said: "Montgomery had a disappointing senior season. Some thought he'd be a first-round pick entering the season. He brings something in the return game."

Round 5-30 (overall 166): This is where Thompson traded this pick and his No. 7-30 (247) for No. 5-11 (147). He went for quarterback Brett Hundley. I do not like this pick at all. I think he is a very flawed quarterback, so he will be a huge project (as compared to Randall and Rollins, who will be just projects). So at this point I would go ahead and make the trade, but would draft Boise State RB Jay Ajayi, who went two picks later to the Dolphins.

 

Jay Ajayi

A NFC running back coach said: "Of all the backs in this draft, Ajayi might be my favorite because he can do everything you want from a back and you don't have to find a complementary back to pick up the slack for him in any one area." A AFC scout in charge of grading running backs said: "I like every single thing about him except that he doesn't show the instincts you are looking for. If you don't have instincts you will always be limited."

Mark Dulgerian said: "Miami needed running back depth and they got a potential steal in the 5th round. Ajayi slipped due to serious knee concerns, but if he stays healthy he can be a 18-25 carry back in the NFL. The Dolphins got a potential replacement for Lamar Miller, who's in a contract year."
 

Round 6-30 (overall 206): Thompson took Oklahoma fullback Aaron Ripkowksi and I'm fine with this pick.

 

Round 6-34 (overall 210): Thompson went totally off the grid and took Louisiana-Lafayette defensive end Christian Ringo, who was not even rated. I'm not wowed by this pick and there was a better athlete on the defensive line who is recovering from an injury. I would have taken a flier onRice DT Christian Covington instead, who went six picks later to Houston.

 

Christian Covington

This is what was said of him: "Shoots out of stance and into blocker with good pad level and forward lean. Brings natural power to the party. Effective two-gapper who plays with proper arm extension. Keeps linemen at end of his length and keeps eyes trained on the backfield. Frees himself from blocks with jerk-and-shed action. Athletic movement in space. Can cave interior of the pocket with initial jolt and sustained bull rush."

 

Round 6-37 (overall 213): Thompson drafted UAB tight end Kennard Backman. I'm not wowed with him either because of his lack of blocking skills. I'll take Thompson's word on this pick and stay with a tight end here. However, I would go with Notre Dame TE Ben Koyack.

 

Ben Koyack

Mark Dulgerian said: "Jacksonville continues to add potential targets for their young quarterback in Ben Koyack. The tight end has NFL size and will convert contested catches in traffic."

So to sum up I took two inside linebackers (compared to one), one defensive back (compared to two), the same wide receiver/kick returner, the same fullback, a different defensive lineman, a different tight end and finally a running back instead of a quarterback. And in the final analysis I still took three of Thompson's selections.

 

1-30: ILB Stephone Anthony (FS Damarious Randall)

 

2-62: FS Damarious Randall (S Quentin Rollins)

 

3-94: ILB Paul Dawson (WR/KR Ty Montgomery)

 

4-129: WR/KR Ty Montgomery (LB Jake Ryan)

 

5-147: RB Jay Ajayi (QB Brett Hundley)

 

6-206: FB Aaron Ripkowski (FB Aaron Ripkowski)

 

6-210: DT Christian Covington (DE Christian Ringo)

 

6-213: TE Ben Koyack (TE Rennard Backman)

 

File this away and check back in a year or two to see how I did compared to the experts.