Now that the 2014 recruiting class is wrapped up, 11 of SB Nation's recruiting writers got together to draft teams based on this year's freshmen. Afterward, we compiled the average 247 Sports Composite rating of the players on each team, just for a glance at how each stacks up.
The rules of the draft:
- Each team must fill out a 22-man roster of one quarterback, five skill players, five offensive linemen, at least six front-seven defenders, and at least four secondary defenders.
- Team owners had to draft players for the positions they're projected to play in college. We frowned upon allowing a two-way player to play cornerback even though he was recruited as a wide receiver. And definitely no "Randy Moss plays defensive end in pass-rush situations in 'Madden 2001'"-type stuff.
- No junior college or prep school players.
At the end of the draft, SB Nation college football editor Jason Kirk came away with the highest-rated team on paper, but which would be the best on the field? The SEC led the way with 99 players on the list, more than twice as many as the second-place Big Ten (see chart at the bottom for the number of picks for each school and conference).
Bud Elliott, SB Nation
Pick | Position | Player | Composite rating | Actual school |
3 | DB | Jabril Peppers | 0.9992 | Michigan |
20 | LB | Rashaan Evans | 0.9918 | Alabama |
25 | DB | Marlon Humphrey | 0.9941 | Alabama |
42 | RB | Royce Freeman | 0.9817 | Oregon |
47 | LB | Dante Booker | 0.9721 | Ohio State |
64 | OT | Trevor Darling | 0.9541 | Miami |
69 | QB | Jerrod Heard | 0.9653 | Texas |
86 | WR | Trey Quinn | 0.9627 | LSU |
91 | DT | Derrick Nnadi | 0.9514 | Florida State |
108 | OT | Jaden Gault | 0.9423 | Wisconsin |
113 | WR | Justin Brent | 0.9537 | Notre Dame |
130 | DT | Jay Hayes | 0.9060 | Notre Dame |
135 | C | Frank Ragnow | 0.8913 | Arkansas |
152 | DE | Rick Leonard | 0.8878 | Florida State |
157 | TE | Jacory Washington | 0.9225 | LSU |
174 | DE | Joe Henderson | 0.8816 | Tennessee |
179 | LB | Korie Rogers | 0.9339 | Clemson |
196 | OG | Jimmy Byrne | 0.8927 | Notre Dame |
201 | DB | Germaine Pratt | 0.8809 | NC State |
218 | WR | Corey Holmes | 0.9233 | Notre Dame |
223 | DB | Drue Tranquill | 0.8961 | Notre Dame |
240 | OG | Billy Ray Mitchell | 0.8482 | Virginia Tech |
Offense average | 0.9359 | |||
Defense average | 0.9307 | |||
Team average | 0.9333 |
My draft strategy was first to get value in the early rounds, and then to form my Xs-and-Os strategy around whatever I picked. Corner Jabril Peppers (No. 3 overall) was too much to pass up, even though it meant letting Leonard Fournette go. There are so many good running backs, that I was willing to let that happen.
I then added linebacker Rashaan Evans, who has ridiculous versatility. And corner Marlon Humphrey was still there for the taking at 25, so I grabbed him and had a pair of lock-down cornerbacks.
Having missed on the super-elite defensive linemen, I looked around and saw two remaining big values: running back Royce Freeman at 42 and linebacker Dante Booker at 47. Regarded both as top-35 type players, so while I didn't expect to take a running back and a second linebacker in my first five choices, that's what I did.
With four defenders and just one offensive player, I made sure to address offense with the next three picks, grabbing tackle Trevor Darling and receiver Trey Quinn. Texas QB commit Jerrod Heard, who is far and away the best runner at the QB position for the class of 2014, is someone with whom I can run a Gus Malzahn-style offense.
I am excited and surprised about the defensive linemen I was able to pick up in the later rounds, and think my defense has a lot of versatility, while my offense is less talented, but the pieces fit well together.
Cam Underwood, State of the U
Pick | Position | Player | Composite rating | Actual school |
9 | WR | Speedy Noil | 0.9951 | Texas A&M |
14 | DT | Andrew Brown | 0.9941 | Virginia |
31 | RB | Sony Michel | 0.9902 | Georgia |
36 | DT | Travonte Valentine | 0.9672 | LSU |
53 | QB | Deshaun Watson | 0.9791 | Clemson |
58 | DB | J.C. Jackson | 0.9382 | Florida |
75 | OT | David Sharpe | 0.9434 | Florida |
80 | S | Trey Marshall | 0.9265 | Florida State |
97 | DE | Kentavius Street | 0.9506 | NC State |
102 | OT | Mason Cole | 0.9408 | Michigan |
119 | OLB | Dillon Bates | 0.9536 | Tennessee |
124 | WR | Cameron Sims | 0.9610 | Alabama |
141 | TE | Mavin Saunders | 0.9017 | Florida State |
146 | DE | Davon Godchaux | 0.9328 | LSU |
163 | WR | Isaiah McKenzie | 0.8917 | Georgia |
168 | S | Kiy Hester | 0.9054 | Miami |
185 | CB | Chris Lammons | 0.9165 | South Carolina |
190 | OG | Tanner Farmer | 0.9021 | Nebraska |
207 | C | Terrell Cuney | 0.8632 | Texas |
212 | LB | Darrion Owens | 0.8832 | Miami |
229 | LB | Melvin Keihn | 0.8770 | Virginia Tech |
234 | OG | Nathaniel Devers | 0.8665 | Marshall |
Offense average | 0.9330 | |||
Defense average | 0.9313 | |||
Team average | 0.9309 |
First off let me say that I love my team. I really like how things came together and think that we have all the right talent to win this hypothetical season.
WR Speedy Noil was my first pick, followed by DT Andrew Brown. Those two, both elite talents, gave me my overall drafting philosophy: speed on offense (and lots of it) and size up front on defense. Grabbing Sony Michel at No. 31 was an absolute steal, and after missing out on DE Chad Thomas to pair with Brown on the edge, I instead beefed up the inside with DT Travonte Valentine.
To run my hyper-speed spread, I brought in Deshaun Watson, the No. 1 dual-threat QB. I turned to another elite athlete next, picking CB J.C. Jackson to help contain opposing passing games.
OT David Sharpe, S Trey Marshall, DE Kentavius Street, and OT Mason Cole continued my strategy of balancing offense and defense.
WR Cameron Sims and WR/RB/weapon Isaiah McKenzie filled out the skill positions, while DE Davon Godchaux was the final piece up front. For my Canes followers, I got S Kiy Hester and OLB Darrion Owens to be dynamic players on defense and increase my team’s swag by about a million.
Derrell Warren, @yssd
Pick | Position | Player | Composite rating | Actual school |
8 | WR | Josh Malone | 0.9818 | Tennessee |
15 | ILB | Raekwon McMillan | 0.9894 | Ohio State |
30 | ATH | Allen Lazard | 0.9616 | Iowa State |
37 | DT | DeMarcus Christmas | 0.9363 | Florida State |
52 | LB | Christian Miller | 0.9796 | Alabama |
59 | TE | Mike Gesicki | 0.9130 | Penn State |
74 | DE | Andrew Williams | 0.9076 | Auburn |
81 | ATH | Terry McLaurin | 0.9051 | Ohio State |
96 | TE | Bryce Dixon | 0.9492 | USC |
103 | OT | Andy Bauer | 0.9290 | Missouri |
118 | S | Dylan Sumner-Gardner | 0.9607 | Boise State |
125 | WR | Markell Pack | 0.9380 | Ole Miss |
140 | RB | Derrell Scott | 0.9408 | Tennessee |
147 | RB | Donte Thomas-Williams | 0.9087 | West Virginia |
162 | QB | Jacob Park | 0.9433 | Georgia |
169 | OT | Kyle Trout | 0.9010 | Ohio State |
184 | DB | Kendarius Webster | 0.8887 | Ole Miss |
191 | S | Koa Farmer | 0.8807 | Penn State |
206 | OG | Marcelys Jones | 0.8806 | Ohio State |
213 | LB | Dwight Williams | 0.8848 | UCLA |
228 | WR | Dallis Todd | 0.9127 | Oklahoma |
235 | DB | Mattrell McGraw | 0.8834 | Oregon |
Offense average | 0.9271 | |||
Defense average | 0.9253 | |||
Team average | 0.9262 |
Initially, I employed a best-player-available strategy. With my first choice, I took Josh Malone to give me a nice blend of size and speed on the perimeter. In running a base 4-3, I needed an athletic eraser in the middle to anchor the run defense. Who better to fulfill that role than "The Chef" himself, Raekwon McMillan?
Offensively, I was able to grab a traditional thunder-and-lightning backfield combo towards the middle to later rounds. Donte Thomas Williams will be deployed as the starter, while speedster Derrell Scott will serve as a change of pace option.
Overall, the foundation of my offense will be the run game. We'll use play action passes to take deep shots down the field, courtesy of quarterback Jacob Park. We'll no doubt present some matchup problems with tall, speedy targets Malone, Allen Lazard, and Dallis Todd. Pass-catching tight ends Bryce Dixon and Mike Gesicki will allow my offense the flexibility to stress a defense vertically.
I tried to go for value towards the middle of my draft and pick up quality talents such as defensive end Andrew Williams. I was able to pick up multi-dimensional talents like corner Kendarius Webster and safeties Mattrell McGraw and Koa Farmer late in the draft. Their coverage ability is complimented by weakside backer Dwight Williams, who will give us the opportunity to stay in base personnel, even vs. spread offenses. Sam backer Christian Miller will help fortify the pass rush.
Jason Kirk, SB Nation
Pick | Position | Player | Composite rating | Actual school |
5 | RB | Leonard Fournette | 0.9996 | LSU |
18 | S | Quin Blanding | 0.9966 | Virginia |
27 | ILB | Clifton Garrett | 0.9857 | LSU |
40 | OT | Kc McDermott | 0.9764 | Miami |
49 | OG | Braden Smith | 0.9678 | Auburn |
62 | OT | Quenton Nelson | 0.9678 | Notre Dame |
71 | DT | Bijhon Jackson | 0.9622 | Arkansas |
84 | CB | Nick Harvey | 0.9698 | Texas A&M |
93 | OG | Viane Talamaivo | 0.9608 | USC |
106 | TE | Dalton Schultz | 0.9513 | Stanford |
115 | ILB | Zach Whitley | 0.9549 | UCLA |
128 | RB | Joseph Yearby | 0.9767 | Miami |
137 | QB | Justice Hansen | 0.9321 | Oklahoma |
150 | C | JC Hassenauer | 0.9263 | Alabama |
159 | DE | Dontavius Russell | 0.9311 | Auburn |
172 | S | Parrker Westphal | 0.9379 | Northwestern |
181 | TE | Daniel Helm | 0.9182 | Tennessee |
194 | DE | Dexter Wideman | 0.9271 | South Carolina |
203 | CB | Nick Watkins | 0.9237 | Notre Dame |
216 | OLB | Dewayne Hendrix | 0.9428 | Tennessee |
225 | OLB | Andrew Trumbetti | 0.9347 | Notre Dame |
238 | WR | Trevion Thompson | 0.9426 | Clemson |
Offense average | 0.9627 | |||
Defense average | 0.9451 | |||
Team average | 0.9539 |
My plan: draft skill players last, due to the class' depth and the greater importance of quality in the trenches. Thus I ended up picking a running back first. I planned on a run-heavy offense anyway, so I couldn't pass up No. 1 overall talent Leonard Fournette, especially since top target Cameron Robinson was gone.
I intended to work on my lines, but No. 6 overall freshman Quin Blanding, a safety, was available. Since everybody else would likely be loading up on receivers, I'd need to build my secondary soon anyway.
Got back on course, assembling one of the draft's two best offensive lines, a second lethal running back, my targeted value quarterback (who's also a power run threat), and two of the country's top five tight ends. Our lone receiver is also a fit, as he's a big possession target. We're running a Stanfordized Auburn offense.
Defensively, I didn't settle on a 3-4 until the end, when I converted my second DE to OLB, though that means we're #multiple. With this much front-seven beef (1,820 high school pounds -- nearly NFL size before they even get on campus), we won't have an outstanding pass rush (and tight ends would eat us alive, if anybody but me drafted them), but nobody's running on us.
Luke Zimmermann, SB Nation
Pick | Position | Player | Composite rating | Actual school |
11 | QB | Sean White | 0.9342 | Auburn |
12 | RB | Dalvin Cook | 0.9937 | Florida State |
33 | CB | Jalen Tabor | 0.9923 | Florida |
34 | CB | John Smith | 0.9901 | USC |
55 | RB | Roc Thomas | 0.9890 | Auburn |
56 | DB | Edward Paris | 0.9786 | LSU |
77 | DB | Jamal Adams | 0.9847 | LSU |
78 | WR | Budda Baker | 0.9721 | Washington |
99 | WR | Michiah Quick | 0.9703 | Oklahoma |
100 | LB | Ronnie Clark | 0.9659 | Alabama |
121 | WR | Johnnie Dixon | 0.9639 | Ohio State |
122 | LB | Bryson Allen-Williams | 0.9503 | South Carolina |
143 | DE/LB | Dante Sawyer | 0.9475 | South Carolina |
144 | DE | Justin Thornton | 0.9422 | Auburn |
165 | DE | Jesse Aniebonam | 0.9404 | Maryland |
166 | OT | Alex Bookser | 0.9223 | Pittsburgh |
187 | OT | Jackson Barton | 0.9043 | Utah |
188 | OG | Chris Brown | 0.9079 | USC |
209 | OG | Will Clapp | 0.9054 | LSU |
210 | C | Connor Mayes | 0.8726 | Minnesota |
231 | DT | Anthony Moten | 0.9266 | Miami |
232 | DT | Sam Mustipher | 0.9123 | Notre Dame |
Offense average | 0.9396 | |||
Defense average | 0.9574 | |||
Team average | 0.9485 |
Though I used subjective perspective of players I'd scouted in the past as a tiebreaker (and my personal affinity for Auburn commit Sean White's game to make him my "franchise" player), when in doubt, I just went straight down the 247Sports Composite rankings. The net result is what you see.
A few thoughts: Our secondary would be one of the best in the country within two years or so. Our offensive line would be a bit of a bullfighting act in Year One, with both tackles counting as project types.
Back on defense, the lack of a real inside linebacker and an abundance of edge rushers and hybrids would probably result in us needing to play some 4-2-5 type of base defense.
I like our chances to move the ball and keep the opposing offense off the field overall, though.
Miles Joseph, Land-Grant Holy Land
Pick | Position | Player | Composite rating | Actual school |
4 | QB | Kyle Allen | 0.9950 | Texas A&M |
19 | RB | Bo Scarbrough | 0.9916 | Alabama |
26 | WR | KD Cannon | 0.9853 | Baylor |
41 | DB | Damon Webb | 0.9820 | Ohio State |
48 | RB/WR | Curtis Samuel | 0.9695 | Ohio State |
63 | C | Demetrius Knox | 0.9518 | Ohio State |
70 | ILB | Kain Daub | 0.9647 | Florida State |
85 | OL | Roderick Johnson | 0.9415 | Florida State |
92 | WR | Drake Harris | 0.9663 | Michigan |
107 | DB | Todd Kelly Jr. | 0.9686 | Tennessee |
114 | DT | Matt Elam | 0.9272 | Kentucky |
129 | OLB | Sam Hubbard | 0.9230 | Ohio State |
136 | CB | Kalvaraz Bessent | 0.9419 | Auburn |
151 | OT | Juwann Bushell-Beatty | 0.9010 | Maryland |
158 | ILB | Gavin Bryant | 0.8976 | Tennessee |
173 | S | Cortez McDowell | 0.9235 | Tennessee |
180 | DE | Lawrence Marshall | 0.9250 | Michigan |
195 | C | Brian Allen | 0.8915 | Michigan State |
202 | DE | Garrett Dickerson | 0.9122 | Northwestern |
217 | WR | Mark Andrews | 0.9387 | Oklahoma |
224 | LB/DE | Denzel Ware | 0.9051 | Kentucky |
239 | OG | Natrell Curtis | 0.8863 | Oklahoma |
Offense average | 0.9471 | |||
Defense average | 0.9337 | |||
Team average | 0.9404 |
Going into the draft my plan was to take an elite quarterback and take multiple play-makers on the offensive side of the football in the early rounds. The plan was to wait on defense, as I love the depth in the 2014 class.
On offense, we're going to pass early and often. For my first pick, Kyle Allen, the top player on my board, was still available. Next I wanted to get him some weapons. With my second round pick I took Bo Scarbrough, who will mainly play at running back, but can also play in the slot. Right after that, I took KD Cannon, one of the top overall receivers. To round out the receiving corps I took Curtis Samuel, Drake Harris, and Mark Andrews (Allen's former high school teammate).
The offensive line isn't elite, but I was able to get a couple of solid guys, headlined by Demetrius Knox and Roderick Johnson.
I'm going to be running a 3-4 defense, with big Matt Elam in the middle. I got two corners I really like in Damon Webb (my first defensive pick) and Kalvarez Bessent, to go along with two good safeties in Todd Kelly Jr. and Cortez McDowell. I was also able to get good value at the linebacker position, headlined by Kain Daub and the ultra-athletic Sam Hubbard.
I think opposing defenses will struggle to stop my offense, with elite play-makers and Allen running the show. While the defense isn't elite, I definitely think it's formidable and will be able to get stops.
Nam Le, California Golden Blogs
Pick | Position | Player | Composite rating | Actual school |
6 | DB | Adoree Jackson | 0.9959 | USC |
17 | DE | Malik McDowell | 0.9843 | Michigan State |
28 | RB | Joe Mixon | 0.9898 | Oklahoma |
39 | WR | Ermon Lane | 0.9889 | Florida State |
50 | DT | Josh Frazier | 0.9609 | Alabama |
61 | OT | Casey Tucker | 0.9617 | Stanford |
72 | QB | Will Grier | 0.9758 | Florida |
83 | DB | Erick Smith | 0.9665 | Ohio State |
94 | OG | Toa Lobendahn | 0.9383 | USC |
105 | LB | Michael Ferns | 0.9284 | Michigan |
116 | OLB | Lorenzo Featherston | 0.9219 | Texas |
127 | TE | Tyler Luatua | 0.8946 | Notre Dame |
138 | DB | Steven Parker | 0.9466 | Oklahoma |
149 | OT | Donell Stanley | 0.9317 | South Carolina |
160 | WR | De'Andre Thompkins | 0.9098 | Penn State |
171 | CB | Stephen Roberts | 0.9415 | Auburn |
182 | LB | Chris Register | 0.8929 | Clemson |
193 | DL | Derek Barnett | 0.9164 | Tennessee |
204 | DB | Evan Berry | 0.8934 | Tennessee |
215 | WR | Erik Brown | 0.9306 | California |
226 | OG | Larry Allen | 0.8641 | Harvard |
237 | OG | George Panos | 0.8849 | Wisconsin |
Offense average | 0.9334 | |||
Defense average | 0.9408 | |||
Team average | 0.9372 |
I went for versatility in my base 11 personnel, which allows for a balanced attack. Team Le can slide into the power run game or stretch the field with multiple receivers equally well, thanks to Ermon Lane, Joe Mixon, and Tyler Luatua in particular. Each boasts gamebreaking potential, with the absolutely-lethal-in-space Mixon certain to be a matchup nightmare for opposing backers. Sling away, Will Grier. Sling away. Up front, the strength of this line is definitely on the left side, with tackle Casey Tucker and guard Toa Lobendahn, two of the finest the West had to offer.
Nick Polak, Black Shoe Diaries
Pick | Position | Player | Composite rating | Actual school |
7 | DE/LB | Da'Shawn Hand | 0.9978 | Alabama |
16 | DT | Thomas Holley | 0.9628 | Florida |
29 | LB | Tre Williams | 0.9856 | Auburn |
38 | RB | Jalen Hurd | 0.9793 | Tennessee |
51 | WR | Travis Rudolph | 0.9781 | Florida State |
60 | S | Laurence Jones | 0.9753 | Alabama |
73 | OT | Ross Pierschbacher | 0.9646 | Alabama |
82 | CB | Malkom Parrish | 0.9659 | Georgia |
95 | LB | Jacob Pugh | 0.9657 | Florida State |
104 | OT | Alex Bars | 0.9471 | Notre Dame |
117 | OG | Isaiah Wynn | 0.9456 | Georgia |
126 | DT | DeShawn Washington | 0.9333 | Texas A&M |
139 | CB | Tyler Whiley | 0.9259 | Arizona State |
148 | DE/LB | Qualen Cunningham | 0.9289 | Texas A&M |
161 | WR | Saeed Blacknall | 0.9369 | Penn State |
170 | S | Dravon Henry | 0.9353 | West Virginia |
183 | OG | Corey Martinez | 0.9061 | Florida State |
192 | C | Joshua Casher | 0.8956 | Alabama |
205 | QB | David Cornwell | 0.9624 | Alabama |
214 | WR | Parris Campbell | 0.9359 | Ohio State |
227 | S | Marcus Allen | 0.8877 | Penn State |
236 | TE | Ian Bunting | 0.8904 | Michigan |
Offense average | 0.9402 | |||
Defense average | 0.9513 | |||
Team average | 0.9457 |
I went into this draft without the mindset of drafting for a certain scheme.
This led to some interesting scenarios with my roster. The strength of my team clearly lies in the defensive line and linebacking corps, but due to the somewhat unorthodox combination of talents, we will run a 3-3-5 on defense. The defensive line will consist of Holley and Washington, with Hand and Cunningham alternating between standing up and starting down. Standout linebackers Tre' Williams and Jacob Pugh will account for the rest of the linebackers, giving me a ridiculous amount of athleticism around the line of scrimmage.
The theme of versatility carries over the secondary as well, which is full of playmakers. It's not a perfectly constructed defense, but I didn't want to sacrifice talent for positional need early on.
The offensive line is solid, with Pierschbacher and Bars as the foundation. I had my sights set on two Penn State commits for my offense in Gesicki and Thompkins, but both were snatched away from me in the rounds I was set to take them. I instead chose to go with three big bodies for opposing defenses to deal with at the wide receiver slots in Rudolph, Blacknall, and Campbell. I chose David Cornwell to be under center, as his big-time throwing arm should fit well with the playmakers on the outside. I'm banking on Jalen Hurd putting on some weight to develop into a more powerful, between-the-blocks runner.
I reached for Thomas Holley in the second round, but he was a priority, and I didn't think he would last to my next pick. I also was able to hit on some Penn State targets/decommitments that the Nittany Lions missed out on in real life, such as Holley, Dravon Henry, and Alex Bars.
Paul Crewe, And The Valley Shook
Pick | Position | Player | Composite rating | Actual school |
1 | DE | Myles Garrett | 0.9992 | Texas A&M |
22 | WR | Malachi Dupre | 0.9915 | LSU |
23 | DE | Lorenzo Carter | 0.9911 | Georgia |
44 | QB | Keller Chryst | 0.9745 | Stanford |
45 | OG | Roderick Taylor | 0.9758 | Ole Miss |
66 | OT | Brian Wallace | 0.9574 | Arkansas |
67 | RB | Jeff Jones | 0.9689 | Minnesota |
88 | WR | Artavis Scott | 0.9661 | Clemson |
89 | OT | Bentley Spain | 0.9433 | North Carolina |
110 | S | C.J. Hampton | 0.9534 | Ole Miss |
111 | RB | Elijah Hood | 0.9760 | North Carolina |
132 | DT | Nifae Lealao | 0.9501 | Vanderbilt |
133 | CB | Nick Ruffin | 0.9432 | Auburn |
154 | S | Montae Nicholson | 0.9174 | Michigan State |
155 | LB | Bobby Okereke | 0.9268 | Stanford |
176 | LB | Shaun Hamilton | 0.9173 | Alabama |
177 | CB | Wesley Green | 0.9279 | South Carolina |
198 | DT | Khairi Clark | 0.9226 | Florida |
199 | LB | Brandon Lee | 0.8962 | Missouri |
220 | TE | Nic Weishar | 0.9037 | Notre Dame |
221 | OL | Reilly Gibbons | 0.8877 | Stanford |
242 | C | Coleman Thomas | 0.8584 | Tennessee |
Offense average | 0.9458 | |||
Defense average | 0.9405 | |||
Team average | 0.9431 |
Much like the NFL, I put a premium on three things: protecting the pass, making the pass, and rushing the pass. From that grouping, I thought Myles Garrett was simply the best prospect. He's got elite physical tools. I think he can play with his hand in the dirt or as a standing, rush LB. I'm sure he'll be moving all over the formation in College Station.
From there, I really just went best-player-available, which started to make things convoluted. I don't love taking WR high, but Chi Dupre at 22 was hard to pass up, especially as an LSU guy. That pick works fine, but it's Lorenzo Carter that's a bit more confusing. His skill set is similar to Garrett's. So that gives me two rush end-types. My pass rush will be dynamite, but this might be a redundancy, considering I was gearing more toward a 3-4 or a 4-3 under.
After taking two rush ends in my first three picks, I went heavy offense with seven of my next eight. Thought I got great value on Roderick Taylor, who is one of my favorite OL in this class, even if he projects inside only. Keller Chryst is a good QB headed to a great QB coach. Brian Wallace gives me a super athletic OT. And Jeff Jones looked as good as any back during UA practices, so long as his academic issues are overcome.
Throw in Bentley Spain, Artavis Scott, and Elijah Hood, and I think I probably have the most dynamic offense of any team that participated. It'll be a pro-style, power rushing attack.
Defensively, I had to make up ground, though. I did so by targeting guys with high athletic upside like Nick Ruffin, Bobby Okereke, Brandon Lee and Khairi Clark. For going offense heavy, I was pretty pleased with my defensive haul. Don't love Wesley Green, but I wanted another CB with size. I slipped up taking Shaun Hamilton, who should be a fine player, when I should have grabbed Derik Calhoun, who I really love as a playmaking LB.
Pete Volk, Testudo Times
Pick | Position | Player | Composite rating | Actual school |
10 | CB | Tony Brown | 0.9951 | Alabama |
13 | OT | Damian Prince | 0.9858 | Maryland |
32 | OG | Damien Mama | 0.9808 | USC |
35 | DE | Chad Thomas | 0.9877 | Miami |
54 | RB | Nick Chubb | 0.9835 | Georgia |
57 | DE | Derick Roberson | 0.9675 | Texas |
76 | DT | Bryan Mone | 0.9434 | Michigan |
79 | LB | Nyles Morgan | 0.9727 | Notre Dame |
98 | S | Davion Hall | 0.9753 | Baylor |
101 | OG | Garrett Brumfield | 0.9517 | LSU |
120 | ILB | Kenny Young | 0.9253 | UCLA |
123 | OLB | Kyle Berger | 0.9285 | Ohio State |
142 | WR | Treon Harris | 0.9417 | Florida |
145 | OT | Dyshon Sims | 0.9084 | Georgia |
164 | S | Jaleel Wadood | 0.9433 | UCLA |
167 | CB | Adarius Pickett | 0.9373 | UCLA |
186 | RB | Christian McCaffrey | 0.9556 | Stanford |
189 | OLB | Derik Calhoun | 0.9271 | Arizona State |
208 | WR | Jalen Brown | 0.9471 | Oregon |
211 | QB | Drew Barker | 0.9425 | Kentucky |
230 | WR | Juwann Winfree | 0.9010 | Maryland |
233 | C | Jared Cohen | 0.8771 | North Carolina |
Offense average | 0.9432 | |||
Defense average | 0.9548 | |||
Team average | 0.9490 |
I'm quite happy with my squad -- focused on the offensive line and the defense first, as there is an abundance of talented offensive skill players in the class. We're going to run a zone read-style offense, with Nick Chubb and Christian McCaffrey in the backfield and Treon Harris available for some gadget plays from the slot position. Barker can move, and his throwing ability on top of that will help stretch the field with Jalen Brown and Juwann Winfree.
The offensive line might be the strongest unit, landing Damian Prince and Damien Mama along with Jared Cohen, a guy I'm real high on.
On defense, we're running a 3-4 with Bryan Mone at the center of it all. Nyles Morgan and Kenny Young give a solid base up the middle as the two inside linebackers, while Derik Calhoun and Kyle Berger offer two different kinds of player at the outside positions. My first pick, Tony Brown, helps lock down the secondary, and grabbing Jaleel Wadood and Adarius Pickett out of UCLA late was also quite nice.
Wescott Eberts, SB Nation
Pick | Position | Player | Composite rating | Actual school |
2 | LT | Cameron Robinson | 0.9979 | Alabama |
21 | DE | Solomon Thomas | 0.9881 | Stanford |
24 | DT | Gerald Willis | 0.9824 | Florida |
43 | OT | Jamarco Jones | 0.9696 | Ohio State |
46 | CB | Arrion Springs | 0.9595 | Oregon |
65 | DT | Lamont Gaillard | 0.9358 | Georgia |
68 | CB | Marshon Lattimore | 0.9729 | Ohio State |
87 | QB | Brandon Harris | 0.9645 | LSU |
90 | DE | Jalyn Holmes | 0.9622 | Ohio State |
109 | TE | Jeb Blazevich | 0.9381 | Georgia |
112 | WR | Frank Iheanacho | 0.9589 | Texas A&M |
131 | LB | Delvin Purifoy | 0.9212 | Florida State |
134 | RB | Nathan Starks | 0.9210 | UCLA |
153 | WR | Armanti Foreman | 0.9448 | Texas |
156 | LB | Otaro Alaka | 0.9273 | Texas A&M |
175 | S | Armani Watts | 0.9160 | Texas A&M |
178 | OG | Steven Moss | 0.9157 | Virginia |
197 | S | Devin Voorhies | 0.9156 | LSU |
200 | WR | Jamil Kamara | 0.9377 | Virginia |
219 | OG | Montel McBride | 0.8761 | Alabama |
222 | C | Dalton Risner | 0.8681 | Kansas State |
241 | LB | Edwin Freeman | 0.9264 | Texas |
Offense average | 0.9357 | |||
Defense average | 0.9461 | |||
Team average | 0.9409 |
I wasn't really worried about drafting for value too much in the early rounds, but mostly wanted to focus on building my offense and defense with the toughest pieces to find first -- offensive tackle, defensive tackle, defensive end, and cornerback. As a result, the cornerstone of my draft was Cameron Robinson, the elite left tackle who looks like he might start for Alabama as a true freshman.
After that, I wanted to draft a defensive tackle, but with Andrew Brown already off the board, I couldn't resist picking a Texas kid in Solomon Thomas, who is as stout against the run as any high school defensive end and has shown some upside as a pass rusher despite coming in at 260 pounds. Then it was back on track, picking defensive tackle Gerald Willis to provide a disruptive force at the three-technique.
I didn't want to wait too long to take another offensive tackle, so I grabbed Jamarco Jones and stayed in Texas to grab a lock-down corner with elite speed in Arrion Springs. Keeping with the defensive theme, I added a nose tackle in Lamont Gaillard and another cover corner in Marshon Lattimore, valuing height and ability to press opposing wide receivers in man coverage.
With Jerrod Heard off the board with the No. 69 pick, I was getting concerned that I might lose out on the dual-threat quarterback that I really wanted to run my spread-and-shred offense. So I picked Brandon Harris, a kid who doesn't have the relative polish of Heard, but has a better arm and reasonably equal athleticism.
I noticed that defensive end Jalyn Holmes was still on the board, a guy I consider a physical freak with fantastic ability to get to the quarterback, so that felt like a no-brainer. I turned my focus towards skill players, grabbing a tight end in Jeb Blazevich who has the size to block and the athleticism to make a difference in the passing game, as well as a big possession wide receiver to convert red-zone opportunities into points in Frank Iheanacho, who can really move around for his size.
I still needed some strength in the middle, even with a defensive line that I think has to be among the best anyone picked, so I picked up Delvin Purifoy, an inside linebacker who is really physical.
With many of the top running backs off the board, it was bit disappointing not to see many truly special playmakers left, but I felt like that I could still take a guy like Nathan Starks and get good production. To make sure there was some playmaking on offense, I grabbed Armanti Foreman, who has the dynamic ability to turn short passes into big gains.
The end was about picking players who fit what I wanted my defense to look like, so I took three players from Texas: linebackers Otaro Alaka and Edwin Freeman to provide some sideline-to-sideline range and a really good athlete with hitting ability in Armani Watts. I also wanted some size on the back end, a guy to come up into the box if necessary, so Devin Vorhees seemed like a good fit.
Filling out the offense were Jamil Kamara, an outside wide receiver and tremendous value, a mobile offensive guard in Steven Moss, and Montel McBride, a guy who stood out because Alabama evaluates offensive linemen extremely well. Then it was Dalton Risner at center because Bill Snyder at Kansas State knows what he's doing, too.
My offense might not have the most highly-rated players at the skill positions, and it would have been nice to grab a difference-making running back, but I think that my team is really strong at the positions I believed would be hard to find late in the draft.
Player distribution by school and conference
Not surprisingly, seven of the top 10 schools were in the SEC. The only non-SEC schools to make the top-10 cut were traditional powers Ohio State, Florida State, and Notre Dame. While the SEC stole the show in the conference ratings, the much-maligned Big Ten was second, if only because it was aided by Ohio State's 16 selections.
School | Players selected | Conference | Players selected |
Alabama | 17 | SEC | 99 |
Ohio State | 16 | Big Ten | 42 |
Florida State | 13 | ACC | 37 |
LSU | 13 | Pac-12 | 29 |
Notre Dame | 13 | Big 12 | 19 |
Tennessee | 13 | Independent | 13 |
Auburn | 10 | FCS | 1 |
Georgia | 10 | Mountain West | 1 |
Texas A&M | 9 | Conference USA | 1 |
Florida | 8 |
With assistance by Chris Fuhrmeister and Kevin Trahan.