2022 Official Bolts Draft Superthread

[Boltnut]

Now with Khalil Mack at EDGE for the Chargers, the Chargers just got a ton on flexibility on where to go in the draft.

Yep. Take all of those EDGE players off of the mocks...

[Lone Bolt]

Now lacking a second round pick, and defense still being the weakness of this team, it's gotta be a defender at 17....DT or CB most likely.

If the pundits are actually right, and this is as deep a draft as many are claiming...we should be shopping that 17 for a later first and another day 2 pick....but we'll see.

[Boltnut]

And take your Round 2 players... throw them in the trash.

It's down to RT's and CB's.

[Formula 21]

Now lacking a second round pick, and defense still being the weakness of this team, it's gotta be a defender at 17....DT or CB most likely.

If the pundits are actually right, and this is as deep a draft as many are claiming...we should be shopping that 17 for a later first and another day 2 pick....but we'll see.

I'd trade down to later in the 1st in an instant. Trade with Pitt and get the same player?

[Stinky Wizzleteats+]

If TT trades down and gets a second back he will be the man!

[beachcomber]

I understand the part that I have bolded to be a reference to my statement that Penning's tested movement skills are comparable to Slater's. Specifically, that statement refers to Penning running within one one-hundredth of Slater in the 40 and having a better three cone drill time than Slater by about a quarter of a second.

I have heard people state that Penning has technique issues such as wide hand placement at times and I think that point is fair. I have honestly never heard of Voch Lombardi in well over 45 years of following NFL football.

And if his opinion is that Penning lacks the movement ability to play tackle when he played left tackle at Northern Iowa over Spencer Brown, who is currently the starting RT for the Bills, then I think we can dismiss just about anything he has to say, at least as it relates to Penning.

The combine testing numbers speak for themselves and say that Penning was within one one-hundredth of a second of being the fastest OL player clocked at the combine and that he was the fastest OL player clocked in the three cone drill. As you know, the three cone drill measures agility, change of direction and balance.

At LT, Penning gave up one sack in 2021 on 654 snaps in addition to being the highest graded run blocker in PFF history. He played well against Will McDonald, who was 8th in the nation in sacks last year. I would say that he will be more than adequate as a pass protector at RT and when his technique improves, he has a chance to be very, very good. He has a chance to be an elite run blocker.

I like Faalele's size, but he seems very slow. While realizing that he has long arms, his 24 bench press reps were not exactly awe inspiring for a potential NFL OT. I think he is a project player that may never be an every down starting RT.

Finally, your method of argumentation is flawed as it relates to your discussion of Ramczyk and DeCastro. Sure, years after a draft we can go back and pick out great OL players that were drafted late in the first round and suggest that an unknown Penning does not measure up to that standard. But based upon what was known at the time of those drafts, Penning fits as a first round selection and possibly even a top 10 selection. And he is not going to be a top 10 pick because he is "stiff and needs to be moved inside to guard".

jftr, I love to listen to Voch Lombardi, and listen to most everything he has to say, along w/quite a few other pundits, who alone are of course not always correct, but on the whole def contribute to our draft pool of knowledge.

did like Spencer Brown some, but also thought he was a bit of risk, and yes his panning out does favor/bode well for Penning's success @RT in the NFL.

and yes, short shuttle and pressures allowed are two pivotal benchmarks/touchstones for Olinemen.... if you're looking for movement skills, I tend to favor Zion Johnson.

and you have decided that Will McDonald is barometer sufficient enough for a top ten valuation ?? personally I hope you're right, as would love to see Penning off the board before 17.

however eye do take pause when he only gave up one sack, w/none too many snaps against NFL caliber talent, and happened across more than a time or two that he got beat @the SB, not to mention he was pretty darn grabby while throwing peoples to the deck, for the if and when that happened.... if he's out to embarrass or even possibly hurt his opposing players, that could come back to haunt him.... I think he's gonna end up getting embarrassed more than a time or two, as I know if I was JH and Penning was my LT, I'd be looking over my shoulder more oft than not.

and will admit to going over the top a bit on Faalele, as agree he has quite a bit of risk himself, and did hedge my bet by volunteering Faalele as a day two selection, as compared to a round one choice.

and call it what you want, but I was all ways 'til Sunday at the front of any RR draft train, as dearly wanted him @7, in the top ten, as thought he was well worth it, and posted near incessantly about just the such, and couldn't believe it when we went MW instead, and.... what is true, is that if Penning has anything close to a ho hum career in the NFL, it'll be crickets from the likes of your bandwagon.

[Maniaque 6]

If TT trades down and gets a second back he will be the man!

A very good RT could be there in late 2nd.

[Guest]

jftr, I love to listen to Voch Lombardi, and listen to most everything he has to say, along w/quite a few other pundits, who alone are of course not always correct, but on the whole def contribute to our draft pool of knowledge.

did like Spencer Brown some, but also thought he was a bit of risk, and yes his panning out does favor/bode well for Penning's success @RT in the NFL.

and yes, short shuttle and pressures allowed are two pivotal benchmarks/touchstones for Olinemen.... if you're looking for movement skills, I tend to favor Zion Johnson.

and you have decided that Will McDonald is barometer sufficient enough for a top ten valuation ?? personally I hope you're right, as would love to see Penning off the board before 17.

however eye do take pause when he only gave up one sack, w/none too many snaps against NFL caliber talent, and happened across more than a time or two that he got beat @the SB, not to mention he was pretty darn grabby while throwing peoples to the deck, for the if and when that happened.... if he's out to embarrass or even possibly hurt his opposing players, that could come back to haunt him.... I think he's gonna end up getting embarrassed more than a time or two, as I know if I was JH and Penning was my LT, I'd be looking over my shoulder more oft than not.

and will admit to going over the top a bit on Faalele, as agree he has quite a bit of risk himself, and did hedge my bet by volunteering Faalele as a day two selection, as compared to a round one choice.

and call it what you want, but I was all ways 'til Sunday at the front of any RR draft train, as dearly wanted him @7, in the top ten, as thought he was well worth it, and posted near incessantly about just the such, and couldn't believe it when we went MW instead, and.... what is true, is that if Penning has anything close to a ho hum career in the NFL, it'll be crickets from the likes of your bandwagon.

Let me start by clarifying that while some mock drafts/big boards have moved Penning into the top 10, I do not have Penning as a top 10 player. A top 10 quality player would be a player like Slater. I hope I have been clear that I do not think Penning is as good as Slater. But I do think he is at least 90% as good as Slater (better run blocker, worse pass protector) and that will make him a good OL player that I think can be a Pro Bowl player by the end of his third season. I think he is good value at #17 overall, but would not be good value if selected in the top 10.

I agree that Penning has not played against top notch competition like Power Five conference players have. But he did do well against a good Power Five conference player (McDonald) when he had the opportunity.

I also agree that Penning has some technique issues in pass protection. But one, I think those issues are correctable, and two, I have been discussing Penning as a RT for us. Penning moves well for a LT and is a mauler. So, of course, he should be able to play RT in terms of his movement ability. And the key here is that Penning played LT over Brown, who is a starting RT in the NFL right now. I think this strongly suggests that Penning, at a minimum, can play an effective RT for us. The physical tools and drive/determination/nastiness are there in spades.

I see Faalele as a high risk, limited reward kind kind of player. So, even though Faalele in the second round involves less draft capital than Penning in the first, I still think Penning in the first is a better value.

But if it is any consolation, I am going through the same mental exercise with Davis in the first versus Jones in the second (or maybe even the third if we are exceptionally lucky). Everyone was quick to tout Davis's 40 time (4.78), which was remarkable for a 341 pound player, but Travis Jones (quietly) ran a 4.92 at 325 pounds. And while I get that Jones does not have Davis's full athletic ability, Jones also does not carry the weight/conditioning/stamina issues that seem to have affected Davis. Jones's body fat is only 13%, which is fantastic for an IDL player and he proved that he could play many more snaps than Davis could. And Jones played well during Senior Bowl week.

Everyone has to draw his or her own conclusions, but for me, I would much rather have Penning and Jones than Davis and Faalele.

[equivocation]

Let me start by clarifying that while some mock drafts/big boards have moved Penning into the top 10, I do not have Penning as a top 10 player. A top 10 quality player would be a player like Slater. I hope I have been clear that I do not think Penning is as good as Slater. But I do think he is at least 90% as good as Slater (better run blocker, worse pass protector) and that will make him a good OL player that I think can be a Pro Bowl player by the end of his third season. I think he is good value at #17 overall, but would not be good value if selected in the top 10.

I agree that Penning has not played against top notch competition like Power Five conference players have. But he did do well against a good Power Five conference player (McDonald) when he had the opportunity.

I also agree that Penning has some technique issues in pass protection. But one, I think those issues are correctable, and two, I have been discussing Penning as a RT for us. Penning moves well for a LT and is a mauler. So, of course, he should be able to play RT in terms of his movement ability. And the key here is that Penning played LT over Brown, who is a starting RT in the NFL right now. I think this strongly suggests that Penning, at a minimum, can play an effective RT for us. The physical tools and drive/determination/nastiness are there in spades.

I see Faalele as a high risk, limited reward kind kind of player. So, even though Faalele in the second round involves less draft capital than Penning in the first, I still think Penning in the first is a better value.

But if it is any consolation, I am going through the same mental exercise with Davis in the first versus Jones in the second (or maybe even the third if we are exceptionally lucky). Everyone was quick to tout Davis's 40 time (4.78), which was remarkable for a 341 pound player, but Travis Jones (quietly) ran a 4.92 at 325 pounds. And while I get that Jones does not have Davis's full athletic ability, Jones also does not carry the weight/conditioning/stamina issues that seem to have affected Davis. Jones's body fat is only 13%, which is fantastic for an IDL player and he proved that he could play many more snaps than Davis could. And Jones played well during Senior Bowl week.

Everyone has to draw his or her own conclusions, but for me, I would much rather have Penning and Jones than Davis and Faalele.

So in case you missed it, we no longer have a round 2 pick.

[Guest]

If TT trades down and gets a second back he will be the man!

Yes, that would be an awesome accomplishment.

[Guest]

So in case you missed it, we no longer have a round 2 pick.

No, I did not miss the Mack trade.

However, I think a more accurate statement would be that we do not have a 2nd round pick at this time. A trade back to the late first round or a trade up during the second round could get us a second round pick.

And the current draft pick allotment does not alter my player valuation.

[Rambler]

Depending on who is left at pick 17, I could see a trade-back, or maybe two. Doesn't make sense now to take an edge with that high pick. I'm not sold on either of the Georgia DTs that high. But picking one in the late first/early second, and having an extra pick or two to work with in the second, third or fourth rounds? We have a few great top-line players on both sides of the ball, but you need to add some younger players with promise, fill out the roster, shore up the weakest links, and build some depth.