[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”]
[et_pb_row admin_label=”row”]
[et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”]
Even with the NFL draft months away, it is never to early to start looking at some of the many prospects that will be future NFL players. There will be more comprehensive profiles completed, and Big Boards assembled as the draft draws closer, especially after the offseason All Star events and NFL Combine are completed, and more tape is studied. However, this preview series will give a brief view at this point to some of some of the popular players we will hear about as potential first or second round picks in April, and if they could be a fit for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Nick Emmanwori is a blend of hard-hitting old-school NFL safety and a modern-day coverage ability player. His style of play represents what the safety position has transitioned to in the last decade, players with size that can play in space, be aggressive in run support, and have enough athleticism to cover receivers. When watching the tape, what really stands out is the speed he plays at for his size, which translates to his tackling. Emmanwori is a punishing hitter, but is a very sound tackler, especially in space, rarely missing the opportunity to take his target down. He is also adept at diagnosing plays and has a knack for diagnosing routes or getting downhill quickly on screens to make tackles near the LOS.
While his willingness to hit and play aggressively is an asset, it is sometimes a liability as he can overrun plays and be susceptible to play action and misdirection plays. His coverage ability is better in man than in zone coverage where he is more concerned about playing centerfield for the pick instead of reacting to the players entering his zone, but that is something that can be coached out at the next level. He will also need to improve his deep ball tracking ability as sometimes he lets defenders stack him easily for plays over the top.
Not every player is perfect, and Emmanwori has his flaws, but not everyone has his physical gifts. The NFL is trending toward players that can be interchangeable at all three levels of the defense, and he has the skill set to be able to match up with TE in coverage, come down and play in the box, or be able to roam the deep third. For almost any team he can step in and be a day one starter. Some teams might view him more exclusively as a big nickel, but that would not be maximizing his potential at being a three-down player. Depending on the scheme, I could see him being selected anywhere from the back half of round one to mid second round.
I think he would be a fantastic fit for the Chargers with Gilman only having one year left on his deal and Molden set to be a free agent. He would also be a great running mate for Derwin as they both have similar, but not the same, play styles. Minter would probably love the packages he could create with two well rounded DB that can just as easily blitz, as cover a TE, or play in a two high shell. I just do not think that the Chargers will have the luxury of selecting him in round one with other positions most likely needing to be considered at pick #22, and I doubt he lasts until pick 55.
Agree he’d be a great defensive fit but we can’t afford the draft capital.
Yep, another great breakdown but there’s no chance they’re taking a safety that early unless its like a “Kyle Hamilton” situation. I don’t think that scenario (a safety who many had as top 5 overall player) even exists in this draft. I guess maybe Malaki Starks, but I don’t think he’s even the same level of prospect that Hamilton was at the time.
I think Jeanty may be the one player in this draft where this scenario applies (meaning, a top 5 talent in the draft who may slip largely due to position value).
With a high draft capital on the defense, I would rather they use a on a CB1. Having a CB1 would significantly improve the defense being the coverage has to run thru him. Not sure this draft has CB1’s outside of Travis Hunter who will be gone w/in the first five picks. But having a CB1 like a Patrick Surtain and McDuffie, just to name the two star corners in the division, would be a dream.
@tui1hit Trent McDuffie would be nice, but I’d rather have a dominant DT if given the opportunity.
In other words, I’d take Chris Jones over Trent McDuffie any day of the week. Top QBs and offensive coordinators can scheme around #1 corners. The best way to stop elite offenses is by disrupting the pocket.
@blue-beers Mason Graham is the only top 10 worthy IDL in this draft. The next best prospects like Grant and Nolen could be available at #22, but Edge might be a bigger priority and might have the better prospects. CB could be in play also as Morrison, Revel and Barron might be higher graded and available at #22. None of these players should be available at #55 unless something unforeseen comes up between now and April.
@evolz3737 I’ve only done a surface skim of the draft this year so far, but it looks like there are a number of DT prospects who are going to fall into the 15 – 35ish range. Not necessarily saying that guy is going to be a HOFer like Chris Jones, but I do think the Chargers need young talent at the position. They haven’t drafted a DT higher than the 4th round since 2019 (Tillery), and just he and Justin Jones (3rd round) were the only ones selected higher than the 4th round since Kendall Reyes in 2012.
That’s a long, long time to basically ignore the beef on your DL and I don’t expect Hortiz to operate that way.
And just glanced at the Ravens draft history and they’ve drafted a DE/DT higher than the 4th almost every single year of the last decade (except 2018)
@blue-beers I can see the need, but if we sign Ford and Tart back, maybe we can push off DT to 3rd rd? I always feel that LB and DT are good spots in FA to find some quality vets at a good price. We see how it worked this year for us and on other clubs with guys like Zach Baun (LB Eagles), Takitaki (LB Pats), Fatukasi (DT Texans), Stewart (DT Colts) just to name a few.
@evolz3737 I believe that too – for now. It’s very early to make any sort of calls. Nobody (mostly) thought Sauce Gardner would be a top 5 pick at this time of the year. He wasn’t even a consensus first round pick yet.
@bolt_dk I believe Sauce was an All American along with Stingley? This draft is not that strong, particularly because the QB are so weak that it is not creating much depth in the first round. I am still watching tape and sorting players, and I love to dive into the Senior Bowl and Combine workouts to start stacking my positions, so I still have work to do, but it looks like RB and Edge are two of the deeper positions this year right off the bat. WR, outside of Hunter (if he even gets drafted as a WR), does not look to have a blue chip Nabers/Chase/Jefferson/Odunze player this year, which has been a position that filled the top 15 of the last few drafts. It’s very early to make any declarative statements, but this draft looks to be a bunch of “good” players without many “elite” level talents. QB usually dominate the top of round 1, but this year the top two prospects, Sanders and Ward, would have been the 7th or 8th best QB last year and the best OL prospect this year would be the 5th or 6th best last year. The lack of high end talent at usual top of the draft positions could make the draft very interesting for the mid to lower teams in Rd1. If teams decide select players at these positions early because the talent is thin there, then good BPA players can slide down this year. Like I said, it’s still a little early to start crafting boards, but the top of this draft looks less traditional than the last few years.
@evolz3737 Love the work that you do and I very much enjoy reading it all!
It’s very early to make any declarative statements […]
That’s all I meant 😊
[…] it looks like RB and Edge are two of the deeper positions this year right off the bat.
That’s great to hear. I would love a few good value picks from those positions in this draft. I suspect Mack will be back, and Bosa will be gone.
[…] WR, outside of Hunter (if he even gets drafted as a WR), does not look to have a blue chip Nabers/Chase/Jefferson/Odunze player this year […]
I’m a bit surprised by that. I thought McMillan and Burden would have stood out more this season to warrant a blue chip “evalution”. I also thought Egbuka and Bond could have been viewed as elite prospects. There’s still time left as you said, so let’s see how they move up and down the board in the off season.
[…] the best OL prospect this year would be the 5th or 6th best last year.
From my own research so far, I’ve read some different statements. Not to say that you are wrong. I haven’t really seen a consensus yet on the OL rankings, it seems a bit all over the place. As an example, I saw an article from The Draft Network calling OT Marcus Mbow the “Patrick Mahomes of OT prospects”, as in the best OT the writer had scouted in years (don’t put too much stock on that statement).
[…] the top of this draft looks less traditional than the last few years.
Seems like a good time to not have a high draft pick, to me.
I don’t disagree on DT as a crucial need. If there is another Chris Jones out there, he would be a top pick, and if there’s a chance to land him, I would be pounding the table for Hortiz to throw in the kitchen sink to get him. But there isn’t one in this draft, a draft that is DT deficient. After seeing this defense with Coach Minter for one season, I believe if he’s given the choice with the first pick between CB and DT, I believe he would go CB in this year’s draft. Hortiz and Jim Harbaugh still put emphasis on building the trenches of which I believe they will do in the FA market especially at the G and C position.
@tui1hit Not sure where you’re getting that? Looks like more DT talent in this draft than the last couple of years.
You’re right. I was looking at a different group and forgot about the like of Graham, Nolen, Grant, Sanders, and Harmon to name a few DT’s. I guess I meant to say there isn’t a crazy talent who could be a Chris Jones type. After looking at this list though and compared it to the list of CB’s for this draft, I would be okay with going DT this year, but the CB1 hole still needs to be filled soon.
You and Erick have probably done more leg work on these NT’s, do you have a top three/five?
@tui1hit Out if the top 10 DT available the only player that I would consider a true NT and not a hybrid 3 tech is Deone Walker from Kentucky. Other than that there are guys like Kenneth Grant or Tyliek Williams who could slide to 0 tech occasionally if needed. Like you said, the DT aren’t terrible, but there’s a huge drop off IMO from Graham. He’s the only blue chipper here, but there are still plenty of guys you could add to a rotation day 1.
[/et_pb_row]
[/et_pb_section]
