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The first of four 7 round mocks from Popper.
Have at it!
@blue-beers yeah, I’m not a fan of it either. Just figured since it’s Popper I’d post as a conversation starter.
@blue-beers Agreed this mock is not good, but it is still pre combine and FA so lots can and should change. I am not in love with Booker as much as some, but I have not really dove into his tape a bunch yet. But from guys I have watched more extensively I prefer Membou. He has the length of an OL, but I do not think he has the lateral quickness, but I think he will be another riser and probably not available at 1.22. I am watching the WR group right now which is why I dislike the Pat Bryant pick. This seems to be selected from matching need to size. TBH, I have not done a full cut up of Bryant but I did watch some cross film of him against PSU while watching Kevin Winston and he didn’t stand out. He is a big WR, but he looked slow and not very athletic. If we were intent on only targeting a true X receiver I prefer Jaden Higgins way more. His catch radius is enormous and he looks faster off the line. hell I am watching Jack Bech right now and he could be a fantastic Z option also if we wanted to target that style of WR. Now that the SB is over, I will try to get 2-3 profiles out a week with more prospects.
@evolz3737 Winston’s game speed looks really sluggish to me.
I’m somewhat intrigued by Savion Williams outta TCU. He has that MWill size. He could flourish with Herb as his QB.
Popper mock draft 1.0: removed link
Round 1, Pick 22: Tyler Booker, G, Alabama
The Chargers have a great opportunity to use their unprecedented cap space to fill a few big needs in free agency, taking those positions out of consideration for premium picks. This is one of those positions.
They should sign a free agent guard to start in Pipkins’ place. If not Trey Smith, someone else. It’s a strong free agent group this year. I really don’t want an OL in the first round. I think that pick should probably be Edge or IDL or possibly TE.
Round 2, Pick 55: Mason Taylor, TE, LSU
I don’t love this but could go along with it. If they can’t get Warren or Loveland, IMO they should sign Juwan Johnson. Then they can still draft a TE, but not in the second round.
Round 3, Pick 86: Pat Bryant, WR, Illinois
Not a fan of this pick. He isn’t in Brugler’s top 100, which is all that has been posted to date (I think). PFF has him at #143.
Round 4, Pick 124: David Walker, edge, Central Arkansas
I would not want an undersidzed edge player from Central Arkansas in the 4th. Too risky IMO.
Round 5, Pick 159: Seth McLaughlin, C, Ohio State
I like this pick paired with signing Ryan Kelly or Bozeman.
Round 5, Pick 177: Kalel Mullings, RB, Michigan
I like this pick paired with re-signing Dobbins. But I have a hard time believing the Chargers will wait on RB until the 5th comp pick.
Round 6, Pick 183: Bilhal Kone, CB, Western Michigan
Round 6, Pick 201, Jamaree Caldwell, IDL, Oregon
Round 6, Pick 215: Kurtis Rourke, QB, Indiana
Round 7, Pick 253: Teddye Buchanan, ILB, California
Given these are all 6th and 7th round picks, whatever. My only issue here is waiting until pick 201, a 6th comp pick, to draft IDL.
Tried to post the link twice, and it was removed both times. Not sure what the deal is.
@tau837 if you mean the link to Popper’s mock, I already posted it a few posts above yours. Perhaps there’s a limitation on duplication?
@buck-melanoma OK, cool. I’m not sure why I didn’t see your post and the replies before I posted… I would have just replied to your post. I don’t find the nesting of comments in this forum format to be ideal.
@tau837 I agree, the nesting isn’t ideal. I think I may have run into the issue you had before. 🙂
This is a horseshit prediction….no pun intended since the trade is with the Colts. Is Trevor Sikkema actually RkyMtnGuy? lol
OK, WTF???? My link to a PFF article got removed, just like Tau reported about the Popper draft article. @kylededi , any insight on this?
removed link
removed link
@buck-melanoma Hey Buck – no idea why this is happening, but it may have something to do with some funkiness that started when I had to do a site reboot. I’ll tinker.
It has to do with everyone’s post count showing as “zero.” I’ll contact the admins to have it corrected
@kylededi thx buddy. I thought it might be a post count thing….I have just enough (now ancient) forum admin knowledge to be dangerous. 😆
@buck-melanoma No worries! I’ve emailed the powers -that-be… and requested aa quote (again) on getting the forum re-formatted with comments descending chronologically, like what we had at BFTB and what we have on our article pages. They blew that request off last time, but let’s see if it goes through this time.
Here’s what I was trying to refence in the above post….
But if the Chargers can land Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, they need to make it happen. Producing a post-Super Bowl mock draft, Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus has found a way. He has the Chargers trading into the No. 14 slot, making a deal with the Indianapolis Colts, and selecting McMillan.
Here are the terms of the proposed trade:
Chargers receive: 2025 first-round pick (No. 14), 2025 fourth-round pick (No. 116)
Colts receive: 2025 first-round pick (No. 22), 2025 second-round pick (No. 55), 2025 fourth-round pick (No. 124), 2025 fifth-round pick (No. 159)
The Chargers then select McMillan at No. 14, arguably the best wide receiver in this class depending on what happens with Travis Hunter at the professional level.
@bolt_dk I don’t even see how McMillan lasts until 14. I wouldn’t say his stock is falling, but others are ascending pushing him down the board a bit. Still, I would be shocked if he wasn’t taken somewhere in the top 10. Now, if we are trading that to move up for Warren…….
@buck-melanoma I think Warren is such a perfect slam dunk fit for this offense that I would entertain that trade. If you look it, we are swapping 1’s and giving away a 2 and 5. But we are swapping up in Rd 4. Don’t get me wrong, not having the 2nd rounder will hurt on draft night as we watch a bunch of players go off the board that we have no shot at. However if we used the FA $ to acquire Higgins and maybe another IOL, then giving up that capital to secure a stud TE for the next decade is worth the shot. With so many other picks in later rounds we can still add some depth pieces for the roster. But an offense with Higgins, Ladd, Warren, new WR, QJ, Dissly, New RB, Dobbins/New RB, Vidal sure is a good start.
@evolz3737 I’m not opposed to this, though I do wonder if Warren is this much better than Colston who (I know they’re only mocks) has been available consistently at 1.22. And he has that Harbaugh connection.
I’m a bit surprised you’d be willing to do this but again, I’m not entirely opposed to the idea. In reality? I don’t think it happens.
@evolz3737 I also think Warren is the perfect TE for this offense, but I wouldn’t trade that far up for him. Not having the 2nd rounder this year hurts because many good prospects will be available at 54. It’s the best stretch of this year’s draft (~20-60). They will be gone in the 3rd.
If you could trade with the Bucs at 19 and leapfrog the Broncos for a 3rd or 4th and a late pick – that’s a slam-dunk trade and pick. It would be crazy to see Warren fall that far. We said the same about Derwin and Slater, though.
@bolt_dk I could see them slipping because they’re TEs. Period. Look at Bowers last year who was a better prospect than Warren. Historically GMs who reach for TEs don’t keep their jobs very long.
Warren would be a great fit in the offense, but I wouldn’t trade up even one spot for him unless the plan is to make him the focal point of the offense who is going to get 150 targets. If that is the case, then go for it I guess, but that doesn’t seem very likely.
@blue-beers I would trade up for Warren and not Loveland because he wouldn’t only help the passing game. Loveland would need 150 targets and be the focal point to warrant a trade u-. Warren is a great blocker too and can do some Brock Bowers stuff if you want to be creative (e.g. wildcat formation). Warren would be your Gronk. He is a perfect fit to create a tough running team and be a great receiving option. Warren doesn’t need 150 targets to warrant a trade-up.
Here’s my offense centric mock with no trades. This would fix the offense in a hurry, but we would need FA to fill in the defense.
@evolz3737 definitely offense centric! No issue with the picks except Lampkin. I doubt he’ll ever put on enough heft to make it in the NFL.
Fun exercise.
Some pundit just had us trade our 1st, 3rd, and 4th for AZ’s first and 2026 5th for Loveland. No fucking way.
OK evolz3737 here’s my defense-centric, no trades shot at 4:46am EST….lol. Same caveat, offensive woes will largely hafta be solved via free agency in this scenario.I showed some love to my Virginia Tech guys and took close to BPA in the first 5 rounds.
@buck-melanoma I actually like the idea of drafting Lampkin and using him as the FB instead of Matlock. I think he’d be an upgrade.
@buck-melanoma Fair enough but there’s almost no distinction between pick 220 and UDFA lol it’s the same shit at that point.
@blue-beers you’re probably right. I’ve watched the player enough by virtue of geography that I just don’t see him being successful at this level.
@blue-beers First of all, I think Harbaugh and Roman are happy with Matlock, so I don’t expect them to be interested in drafting a FB.
As for no distinction between pick 220 and UDFA, there is a big distinction. It guarantees the Chargers get the player. If you wait until after the draft, he might sign with another team.
Indication that the Chargers had a very good 2024 draft: https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/redrafting-2024-nfl-draft-bo-nix-to-giants-bucky-irving-to-cowboys-athletic-linebacker-to-chiefs/
In this re-draft, CBS Sports has 3 Charger picks going in the first round: Alt (to the Chargers, I THINK this was the only pick that didn’t change), McConkey going 14 (third WR off the board behind Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr) and Still at 31. Over his entire career, I do not think Telesco had 3 of his picks land in the first round of a re-draft. Refreshing how competent the new front office is.
I can easily see the board unfolding like this. Not optimal, IMO.
@buck-melanoma Man Buck, didn’t this feel a little lazy by Popper? I guess it’s hard to be in his position making a mock this early in the process, but I just think Tart and Ford will get extended, so justifying the pick with their absence is (hopefully) a miss.
But yeah – I’ve done minimal scouting work thus far but Loveland, Warren, and Jeanty are three guys I hope make it to our spot. Brutal seeing none of them there.
@kylededi yeah, it did have a “I’m just throwing this together” feel….but a lot of the mocks I see have that to me. I get your take though. Popper has the Charger beat…he should put more effort into analyzing our pick.
So you’d take Jeanty at 1.22?
@buck-melanoma For now yes, partially because I haven’t done enough scouting to have small bunch of guys I like there. Warren, Loveland, and Jeanty are my favorites right now.
I know it’s controversial to go RB in round 1, but if we can fix the OL in FA, there’s a strong argument that blue chip RBs are a great vale at the back of Round 1. The old “don’t draft RBs in the first” should apply to the picks 20-32, IMO.
@kylededi I guess you meant shouldn’t apply?
I say no to Jeanty with 1.22 but like I told someone (maybe EV) here recently, I’ll be skeptical about the value until he starts ripping off chunks of yardage. Not sure what that makes me other than maybe self-aware? lol
The freaks article I posted in the Combine thread compared him to LaDainian and MJD (for the record, IMO MJD was very good but no LT). That’s an opinion but it did give my heart a quiver. I can’t deny that I’d love to see another RB in bolts slashing and dashing.
Honestly? I think Jerrah and the Cowpies pick him. They’re seeing what Saquon is doing in Philly and I know it’s eating Jerrah up. And I love it for him. 😆
Kai Kroger the Punter from South Carolina is my new Must-Draft player, he’s an Offensive Weapon.
Ok, I want to play. I’m no draftnik and I don’t watch much college ball, but I’d be happy with this draft. I don’t think any of these players will be available at these picks, but that’s what the computer says.
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