Plan B

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  • pigskin
    Registered Charger Fan
    • Jun 2013
    • 397
    • Southern Oregon
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    Plan B

    https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/...osen-and-more/

    Teams can't always land the prospects they covet the most in the NFL draft. And in one of the more-hyped classes of the past 20 years -- mainly due to the quarterbacks -- there will be a high rate of contingency plans being used on the second and third days of the draft in late April.

    This article will identify "lite" versions of top prospects who likely won't cost an early-round selection.

    Quarterback



    Plan A: Josh Rosen, UCLA

    Rosen was utilized under center more than any of the top quarterback prospects in this draft, which should be appealing to some of the more old-school offensive coordinators in football. His ball-handling on play-action fakes is fundamentally sound, and he's very accurate at the intermediate levels.

    Plan B: Nick Stevens, Colorado State

    At Colorado State, Stevens got loads of experience operating under center, and the system he ran in college was rooted in many classic pro-style elements. There are flashes of impressive accuracy in the 10-19 yard range too, although his ball placement isn't nearly as impressive as Rosen's.

    Running Back

    Plan A: Saquon Barkley, Penn State

    Barkley is eerily similar to Ezekiel Elliott as a prospect. He's more explosive and a better receiver than Elliott was when he entered the league out of Ohio State in 2015. Elliott was the better pass-protector and was more efficient between the tackles. Barkley's ridiculous flexibility to make jaw-dropping cuts and athleticism to quickly accelerate after jukes are what separate him from the other backs in this class.

    Plan B: Ito Smith, Southern Miss

    Smith is the runner with comparable film and overall skills to Barkley who won't likely be picked on either of the first two days of the draft. His jump cut covers a lot of ground and is arguably more effective than Barkley's when it comes to eluding a linebacker in the hole or cutting through a backside lane. He's also comfortable as a receiver, as he caught at least 40 passes in his final three seasons at Southern Miss and averaged a hefty 10.3 yards per grab in that span. There's some downfield juice to his game once he hits daylight as well.

    Wide Receiver

    Plan A: D.J. Moore, Maryland

    After a combine performance that quantified the spring-loaded athleticism he showcased on tape, Moore is a wideout who could sneak into the back end of the first round. He's a yards-after-the-catch monster who also flashed plus high-pointing ability despite not having a large, 6-foot-3 frame.

    Plan B: Korey Robertson, Southern Miss

    At nearly the same size as Moore -- 6-0, 212 pounds -- Robertson has a similar game, though he's not as speedy down the field. Then again, Moore wasn't a downfield burner at Maryland despite his 4.42 speed. Robertson has deceptive wiggle, is balanced, can absorb hits and stay on his feet after the catch. His film also features a handful of impressive grabs in contested-catch situations. Likely a Day Three selection, Robertson will represent fantastic value.

    Tight End

    Plan A: Dallas Goedert, South Dakota State

    Goedert has the finest combination of blocking ability, strong hands, and yards-after-the-catch skills of any tight end in this class. Yes, it may take him some time to acclimate to the speed of the professional game, but he has the size at almost 6-5 and 256 pounds to be a difficult matchup for any defender at the next level. He'll probably be picked in the second round, and if it weren't for some injuries during the pre-draft process, he would've had a decent chance to jump into Round 1.

    Plan B: Durham Smythe, Notre Dame

    Smythe's resume as a receiver can't stack up to Goedert's. He might be a better blocker though. The Notre Dame tight end was essentially a glorified offensive tackle for a sizable portion of his career in South Bend, and he flashed as a pass-catcher late for the Fighting Irish. Smythe won't provide the seam-threatening capabilities of Goedert. He's a similarly sized, hard-nosed blocker who can win in the red zone, and he likely won't be picked until the third or fourth round.

    Offensive Tackle

    Plan A: Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame

    McGlinchey has a good shot to be the first offensive tackle taken in the 2018 draft, and it'd be shocking if he wasn't one of the first two picked. He probably would've gone in Round 1 or Round 2 a year ago and certainly didn't have a disappointing senior campaign at Notre Dame. He's a skilled pass-protector who has some troubles against speed-rushers or those with plenty of power. In the run-game, he moves surprisingly well to the second level relative to his size.

    Plan B: Will Richardson, NC State

    Richardson is a brick-wall pass-protector who's nearly 6-6 with long, powerful arms, a noticeable mean streak, and impressive athleticism. Like McGlinchey, he could stand to add some weight to help in anchoring situations against bull rushes, but that's nit-picking. Richardson is steady in pass-protection due to his length and constantly moving feet. He's also more than capable on reach blocks and when he needs to block linebackers beyond the line of scrimmage. The former NC State standout will likely be picked in one of the middle rounds and has the complete skill-set to start as a rookie.

    Offensive Guard

    Plan A: Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame

    Nelson is a ultra-physical, punishing guard prospect with good feet and loads of experience. On occasion he's beaten by a counter move. Much more often than not, he resets wonderfully and battles through the whistle. You want him leading the way on the frontside of run plays.

    Plan B: Austin Corbett, Nevada

    Though Corbett played tackle at Nevada, he looks ready to be man a guard spot in the NFL. He delivers a devastating punch and continues to use his powerful hands to his advantage throughout the play. He's mobile enough in a straight line to kick inside to guard, too, and probably isn't quick enough to deal with fast speed-rushers on the edge. For teams that missed on Nelson but are in the market for an offensive lineman with a nasty demeanor and the strength to back it up, Corbett is the one to target in the second or third round.

    Center

    Plan A: Billy Price, Ohio State

    Price is one of the most experienced players in the entire draft, and he can play center or guard at the next level. He's an old-school battler who'll maul in the run-game and has had many high-quality reps in pass protection.

    Plan B: Will Clapp, LSU

    I feel similarly about Clapp as I do about Price. The former LSU star is an SEC-tested pivot who's the less-athletic version of Price, and he frequently gets the job done in the run game or when blocking on pass plays. Like Price, Clapp played guard in 2016 then moved to center for his final collegiate campaign and thrived. Don't be surprised when he's picked in one of the late rounds and ultimately carves out a nice career in the NFL.

    Edge-Rusher

    Plan A: Bradley Chubb, NC State

    Chubb is the consensus premier edge-rusher in this class. He wins with strength, speed, bend, and hand-usage. Outside of being a freak athlete like Myles Garrettproved to be at the 2017 combine -- and Chubb's combine wasn't bad -- the nearly 6-5, 269-pound former NC State star checks all the boxes.

    Plan B: Duke Ejiofor, Wake Forest

    An injury kept Ejiofor from participating at the combine. On the field, he's one of the most NFL-ready edge-rushers in this class. While not an electric speed-rusher, Ejiofor has active, powerful hands and deploys them frequently when rushing the passer. He also uses those hands to stack and shed blocks in the run-game often. Ejiofor has a noticeably well-rounded game, and likely will hear his name called in one of the middle rounds ... maybe on Day 2.

    Defensive Tackle

    Plan A: Vita Vea, Washington

    Vea is a first-round lock at the defensive tackle position. Blessed with nose-tackle size and scary athleticism, Vea gradually became a quality pass-rusher at Washington and has NFL veteran strength to toss offensive linemen aside. He's extremely difficult to move -- even when double teams are utilized.

    Plan B: Foley Fatukasi, UConn

    Another nose tackle at heart, Fatukasi is immensely strong and utilizes his lead-pipe arms to wreck run plays often. He's not as dynamic of an athlete as Vea is, but he'll likely be available in the third or fourth round and can provide most of what Vea can at much better value.

    Linebacker

    Plan A: Rashaan Evans, Alabama

    Evans is an experienced, hard-hitting middle linebacker who may take an extra split second to recognize the play design but will get to the football in a hurry, especially coming downhill. He doesn't lack in the aggression department and has moderately good speed to the sidelines and in coverage.

    Plan B: Jason Cabinda, Penn State

    Cabinda is essentially the same player as Evans, and he's likely to be on the board on Day 3. He amassed 268 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and seven sacks in his last three seasons at Penn State. From his middle-linebacker spot, Cabinda was a menace against the run, rarely allowing blocks to move him backward. In fact, he jolted offensive linemen with his pop and often shed blockers to make plays on the football. His movements are more jagged than fluid, and he was effective in coverage because he never stopped moving and quickly reacted to the eyes of opposing quarterbacks. Cabinda is one of my favorite sleepers in this class.

    Cornerback

    Plan A: Denzel Ward, Ohio State

    Ward has a smaller frame than most early first-round cornerbacks. That's the only major ding on his game. He has 4.32 speed and smooth athleticism to stay with the more gifted wide receivers and typically gets his head around to make plays on the ball down the field.

    Plan B: Parry Nickerson, Tulane

    Nickerson might have the best ball skills of any corner in this class. Seriously. He had the same 40-yard dash time as Ward at the combine and a similar build. While Nickerson doesn't click and close as rapidly as Ward, he's seemingly always aware of when the ball is arriving and is ultra-aggressive in his pass-breakup attempts. Nickerson will likely be available in one of the middle rounds.

    Safety

    Plan A: Derwin James, Florida State

    Play James anywhere in the secondary and he's going to make a variety of plays. He's an impeccable blitzer with the speed and bend to get to the quarterback, and it's rare to see him miss an open-field tackle. At 6-3 and 210-plus pounds with long arms and explosive athleticism, the former Florida State star will be a true difference-maker at the next level.

    Plan B: Justin Reid, Stanford

    Reid isn't quite the same athlete as James, yet he's capable of handling multiple responsibilities in the secondary. There are some bad tackling whiffs and lapses in coverage on film, and he counters those plays with many displays of high football IQ, reps in which he peels off one wideout to make a play in a different zone. With plenty of experience and production in the box and at slot corner, Reid is ready for today's NFL.
    Last edited by pigskin; 04-19-2018, 05:45 PM.
  • Steve
    Administrator
    • Jun 2013
    • 6839
    • South Carolina
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    #2
    Normally, when I see a team with no obvious holes in the roster (like I think we are this season), I tend to think of going for quality picks rather than quantity. My general reasoning that it is better to add a few impact players rather than try and add a lot of players of lower quality. Presumably, a well-rounded roster would be harder for all the rookies to make the squad anyway.

    QB -like the way the QB competition for #2 is shaping up, but we still need at least 1 more camp arm.
    RB-Need either a 3rd down RB or a change of pace (#2) RB depending on whether Ekeler steps up his pass protection. Even if he does, we still need another body.
    TE-OK, but no one behind Henry is anything more than a goalline or obvious run down guy.
    WR-OK as long as either Davis or M. WIlliams steps up.
    OT- Schofield is OK, but would be nice to have someone compete with Barksdale
    OG/C-Pulley is it, and he needs to do a better job against stunts.
    DT- solid, but unspectacular.
    DE-Thin unless Lynn was telling the truth and we can resign McCain
    LB- a bunch of role players
    CB-OK as long as Verrett stay healthy (which will be 30 sec after the 1st kickoff in preseason).
    S- Only have Jenkins.

    Comment

    • blueman
      Registered Charger Fan
      • Jun 2013
      • 8910
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      #3
      If we had no obvious holes our W/L record would be better, we would make the playoffs consistently, and we would not lose to KC year after year. I see obvious holes in your assessment of the D, at least to me they are holes.

      Comment

      • chris9341
        Registered Charger Fan
        • Jul 2013
        • 784
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        #4
        Originally posted by Steve View Post
        Normally, when I see a team with no obvious holes in the roster (like I think we are this season), I tend to think of going for quality picks rather than quantity. My general reasoning that it is better to add a few impact players rather than try and add a lot of players of lower quality. Presumably, a well-rounded roster would be harder for all the rookies to make the squad anyway.

        QB -like the way the QB competition for #2 is shaping up, but we still need at least 1 more camp arm.
        RB-Need either a 3rd down RB or a change of pace (#2) RB depending on whether Ekeler steps up his pass protection. Even if he does, we still need another body.
        TE-OK, but no one behind Henry is anything more than a goalline or obvious run down guy.
        WR-OK as long as either Davis or M. WIlliams steps up.
        OT- Schofield is OK, but would be nice to have someone compete with Barksdale
        OG/C-Pulley is it, and he needs to do a better job against stunts.
        DT- solid, but unspectacular.
        DE-Thin unless Lynn was telling the truth and we can resign McCain
        LB- a bunch of role players
        CB-OK as long as Verrett stay healthy (which will be 30 sec after the 1st kickoff in preseason).
        S- Only have Jenkins.
        LOL we have the second worst run defense this season and you have our DT as solid but unspectacular. You should change that to horrible.

        Comment

        • Panamamike
          Registered Charger Fan
          • Jun 2013
          • 4141
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          #5
          Originally posted by blueman View Post
          If we had no obvious holes our W/L record would be better, we would make the playoffs consistently, and we would not lose to KC year after year. I see obvious holes in your assessment of the D, at least to me they are holes.
          A decent/average kicker and we had at least 11 wins if not 12. That was before Lamp and Pouncey further solidify our oline. Center and PK were definitely our biggest holes and they have been filled. This draft should see reinforcements on D and very athletic and fast roster.

          Comment


          • blueman
            blueman commented
            Editing a comment
            Agree we need reinforcements on D. But it’s not like a kicker would have won the SB for us.
            Last edited by blueman; 04-20-2018, 08:27 AM.
        • Steve
          Administrator
          • Jun 2013
          • 6839
          • South Carolina
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          #6
          Originally posted by chris9341 View Post

          LOL we have the second worst run defense this season and you have our DT as solid but unspectacular. You should change that to horrible.
          There is a lot to run D and if you think only one area is to blame you are kidding yourself. Adding one top draft pick at LB or at DT or at S is not going to make us a good run D.

          It is about run fits, tackling, AND shedding blocks. You have to be good at those things at all the positions in the defense. It is going to take more than position change or two to give us a top notch run D. On most of the long runs we gave up (which were numerous) there was at least 2 or 3 (and often 4 or 5) mistakes. Any one of which is going to allow a longer run. Run D is a team sport.

          The other thing that just is killing me about how everyone bitches about the run D is they forget we had the #1 red zone D as well as a good 3rd and short D. It is not that the guys we have are totally inept stopping the run. They are not only good, but very good in some situations. To me that says it is not the personnel.

          The biggest and quickest way for us to have more success vs the run is to score more points on offense. Total running yards is best controlled by getting a lead and forcing the other team to be one dimensional. If they want to continue to run the clock when we are scoring points, I am willing to let them run the clock out on themselves. Look a the teams who made the playoffs, several of them allow very high YPC against their D.

          Chargers 4.9
          NE 4.7
          Rams 4.7
          Washington 4.5
          NO 4.4
          Pitt 4.4
          Buffalo 4.3
          Jacksonville 4.3
          from ESPN http://www.espn.com/nfl/statistics/t...sition/defense

          The other takeaway is having a good D, it is not necessary to be dominant vs the run. Better to be a really good pass D.

          If you had to pick one spot here or there to have the biggest impact on our D overall, it would be a pass rushing DT or better S. We allowed an absurd number of short passes to be completed (19th in percentage, even though we were 3rd overall in yards allowed). So, either do better on the pass rush inside (outside rush doesn't help against short passes) and/or have the DB close and jump the short passes. The DT pass rush is probably the single quickest way, and it would help the outside rush as well, who missed too many sacks when the QB could just step up and away from Bosa and Ingram.

          It's a passing league. Overall defensive standings are really dictated by pass D. We have many of the same elements of being a dominant pass rush as Jacksonville, only they only allow 56.8% completion compared to the 63.2% that we allow. And if you look at the other top pass D, not only are they similar (but a little behind) jacksonville, they force teams to take away the shorter routes and throw longer, lower percentage passes and give their pass rushers more of a chance to get after the QB. If nothing else we get all the late hits by Bosa which aren't nearly as late if the QB has to start going deeper into his progression.

          Comment


          • blueman
            blueman commented
            Editing a comment
            Disagree our issues are not personnel related. Looking forward to new faces being out of position, not shedding, not wrapping up I guess.
        • RTPbolt
          Charger Fan till the end
          • Jun 2013
          • 2568
          • North Carolina
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          #7
          I do think us being year 1 into anew defense is abig factor in our run defense being below average. Yes talent would help but sticking to assignments and playing better together is going to yield better results than just 1 guy inserted thats a stud. I look at the Pats and they dont have top guys typically but their team D has kept them in the tight games and they play stout.

          I agree with Steve we dont have glaring holes that we didnt address in FA. Center and PK were the MUST upgrade positions in my mind and on paper we have solid solutions. DT and Safety are probably where we have the most needbut Boston is still out there so we may be able to address that still to firm that area. DT I think has the potential for more impact so Im hoping for an inside DL talent in round 1 or 2. TE I see as a role we need another good quality body especially if Gates doesnt return (its odd we have heard nothing from him) but a day 2 guy to groom is fine by me.

          day 3 picks for depth and ST may actually be where we can really strengthen this team. We need a few really good ST players to improve that part of our game. That said ST is another play as a tesm in your assignments area too.

          This should be an exciting draft for us. We are in a position to land a very good player at 17 that slips due to this apparent QB run that may get us a true top 10-12 talent. We will get a #1 positional player at 17. I do hope we dont go QB in the first as I prefer a starter and Rivers I think isnt done yet...few 2-3 years in him i feel comfortable stating. But that said I do trust TT to steer the talent ship here.

          RTPBOLT

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