2017 Official Draft Thread - Round 1

[Formula 21]

I don't know how we get an OLT at 10 without over drafting or trading down. It's a weak position this year.

[OhioBolt]

I don't know how we get an OLT at 10 without over drafting or trading down. It's a weak position this year.

You mean without getting a Fluker type!!!!!

[Formula 21]

Here's the guy I'd like to get in the 3rd (Fat chance) after building the lines

Curtis Samuel is Ohio State's most dangerous player since Ted Ginn Jr.: Doug Lesmerises
Curtis Samuel scored three touchdowns Saturday and continued to prove how dangerous he is. (Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer)
November 12, 2016 at 7:00 PM, updated November 13, 2016 at 11:22 AM

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Ohio State has figured how and how much to use him, which means Curtis Samuel will enter the stretch run of this season as the most dangerous Buckeye on offense since Ted Ginn Jr.

Quarterbacks Braxton Miller and Terrelle Pryor immediately leap to mind as Buckeyes who could refute this premise, two quarterbacks who could throw it and run it and make defenses shudder.

But quarterbacks are quarterbacks, and every week defenses prepare to stop them no matter how they play. Of course Miller and Pryor were difficult to prep for and harder to contain. Miller's stutter steps and Pryor's long strides were rare and effective in their own way.

But that's not exactly what we're talking about here.

We're talking about the guy who gets it after the quarterback takes the snap. The guy a defense needs to line up against and figure out how to cover.

In that regard, Samuel is as difficult to stop as any Buckeye in a decade.

Ginn, as a receiver and punt returner, was taken as the No. 9 pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the same year receiver Anthony Gonzalez went No. 32 in the first round. Since then, only two other Ohio State offensive skill players have been drafted in the first round -- Beanie Wells at No. 31 in 2009 and Ezekiel Elliott at No. 4 in 2016.

Elliott was a workhouse. He averaged 140 rushing yards per game and 6.3 yards per carry last year and 125 yards per game and 6.9 yards per carry in 2014.

Take a handoff, get a hole, run you over or run by you, Elliott could control games. Still, not quite what we're talking about.

Ginn was never used enough. In his final season in 2006, he touched the ball on offense 62 times in 13 games, fewer than five times per game. He added another 44 touches in the return game, the primary option on punts and kickoffs.

He wasn't necessarily shifty, and he didn't have great hands, but when Ginn lined up or dropped back for a return, you could imagine the defense asking a version of "What are we going to do?"

And then, often, he'd be gone.

Jim Tressel's offense too often threw Ginn screens that saw him catching the ball flat-footed, then trying to make a move. All Ginn needed was a couple steps to reach top speed, but too often he didn't get that chance.

But when he did ...

That's the point Samuel has reached. In basically one half of action Saturday in Ohio State's 62-3 blowout of Maryland, Samuel caught five passes for 74 yards and a touchdown and ran it four times for 38 yards and two touchdowns.

He now has 637 rushing yards and 750 receiving yards, a total of 1,387 yards for a 138-yard per game average. That's with two weeks of basically not playing in the second half as the Buckeyes plugged in their subs.

Samuel ran the ball out of the backfield with Mike Weber as a lead blocker. He gained yards in motion on a jet sweep. He ran one in on a reverse. He caught a touchdown while asserting his existence as the Buckeyes best deep threat. He worked the middle of the field and beat Maryland by finding holes in the zone.

He even worked in as a punt return option.

Each time, you can imagine it from the Terrapins -- "What are we going to do?"

Ginn's danger came from his speed. Samuel's derives from his versatility. Defenses can't adjust to his presence on the field because he line up anywhere. Outside, he'll beat one-on-one coverage as a receiver. Inside, he'll take a handoff and turn upfield with a burst.

Two weeks from now against Michigan, the Buckeyes may not have their typical playmaker edge against the Wolverines.

But they will have Samuel. At Maryland he showed again why he means as much as any OSU offensive player in recent memory.

[Faded blues]

I want pumphrey in the 4th.

Dude is a stud that stays healthy.

He is light years ahead of hilman.

[Faded blues]

And get Munson and kazee.

Freaking ballers.

[Boltx]

Curtis Samuel is going to be a real productive pro....find a way to get him.

[OhioBolt]

Curtis Samuel is going to be a real productive pro....find a way to get him.

That would be a nice pick he can spell Melvin Gordon and can be very dangerous as a slot receiver and he would resolve our lack of KR\PR

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

Stevie Johnson replacement.

[Classic]

Fuck running backs not named Forunette and Cook and maybe McCaffrey. What we need is too lose out, can Mike McCoy's sorry ass and have our choice of the best BPA avaliable.

I think Peppers will go Top 5, his just that good and verstalile and well this draft is weak in blue chippers.

I think we pick around Top 10 - 15, at the point I like the following.

1. Cornerback - Adoree Jackson - We have to be lucky he drops out of the top 10 but he is a Verrett/Peterson clone.
2. Outside Linebacker - Derek Barnett - Tough and can really push the OL backwards.
3. Pure BPA - Dalvin Cook - This year's Ezikeil Elliott
4. Trenchs and Shit - Malik McDowell, Cam Robinson(HA!), Carlos Watkins

[vinabolt]

Winning raise the team value and improve the position to do things, re-sign players, sign extension, recruiting FAs and coaches. Winning reduce the chance of ugly holdouts due to the lack of respect the rookies' family have for your organization. Winning is the goal here. One or two dominant players can't single handly win you a football game. There are good players in every position in the draft. The draft isn't the only way to obtain players. Goodell took away NE's four first day picks, including two first-round picks, and their roster is just fine.

[Bearded14YourPleasure]

I'm assuming we're going to be picking in the 10-15 range so tried to set my wish list to that range. Looking at next year I think our biggest need once we get people back from injuries is at S, luckily that's a position of strength in this draft. In the first I would love a guy like Adams or Desmond King. King plays CB at Iowa but doesn't have the top end speed to be an elite cover CB in the NFL. However he has outstanding instincts, is great at attacking the ball while it's in the air, has pretty good hands, is a very sure tackler, has experience as a returner, and takes really good angles on tackles. He's usually best when the play is in front of him so putting him at FS/Nickle CB would really maximize his skill set (think a less aggressive Mathieu). Adams is more of a SS type obviously and as such is more of an in-the-box presence than King but still can cover pretty well and is more of a vocal leader than King.

In the second I think we can add a quality OLB prospect such as Ryan Anderson of Bama or Takkarist McKinley of UCLA. Jerry has been a huge disappointment this year and Emanuel should be relegated to a backup. McKinley is the more athletically gifted of the two and may fly up draft boards after the combine because of it but his game needs a lot more work. Anderson has been outstanding, like pretty much every other player on Bama's defense this year, and really beat up on USC's Banner (one of the better OT prospects in the country) to start the year. Better against the run than McKinley but not as explosive of a pass rusher. He may be the better compliment to Ingram.

In the third I would really love to add an offensive playmaker. If Samuel is still on the board he definitely deserves mention but I think he'll go mid- to late-2nd. Cooper Kupp or Darren Carrington are both guys that can line up inside or outside and can run the whole route tree. Kupp comes from FCS, but absolutely dominated at that level. He lacks top-end speed but is very sure handed and isn't afraid to run over the middle. He's one of those guys that can really gain a QB's trust and become a security blanket. Carrington is the more explosive athlete and has the size and speed to really stretch the field. He also has experience returning kicks and punts.

Haven't done enough research to go further in the draft right now but that's how I'd like to see it play out.

[Formula 21]

Love the early prep B14yp.