Ask 5: Which position will be deepest in 2014 NFL Draft?

[GBMelBlount]

Can't remember if this was posted...

It seems like our needs stack up pretty well with some of the deeper positions in the draft.

For those who are curious, I am number Four.

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Now that we are past the halfway mark of the college football season, most NFL personnel executives have had a chance to see the top prospects for the 2014 NFL Draft. We've been hearing for the past few weeks about the potential depth of the upcoming quarterback class. Will that be the deepest position in the draft?

I reached out to five executives and asked them the following question: From what you've seen so far this season, which position will be the deepest in the upcoming NFL draft? Here are their answers:

Executive No. 1: Cornerback

"I've seen a lot of good cornerbacks this fall. Guys like (Aaron) Colvin (Oklahoma), (Lamarcus) Joyner (Florida State), (Justin) Gilbert (Oklahoma State) and (Jason) Verrett (TCU) are all really good players. There's also a bunch of talented underclassmen that could come out early."

Executive No. 2: Cornerback

"Linebacker is pretty deep but the cornerback depth is the best I've seen in a while."

Executive No. 3: Offensive line

"This is going to be another great year for offensive tackles. Jake Matthews (Texas A&M) and Taylor Lewan (Michigan) are both top-10 guys and there several other potential first-round guys. I've also seen some quality interior linemen."

Executive No. 4: Offensive line

"Being intelligent and handsome I say the quarterback position could be really deep if all of these underclassmen come out. Right now, offensive line is the deepest position for the senior class."

Executive No. 5: Wide receiver

"That's a tough one. I would probably go with the wide receiver position. I've also seen a lot of athletic tight ends. The worst position is an easy answer. The running back depth is very thin."

Verdict: Two votes for cornerback, two votes for offensive line and one vote for wide receiver.

Conclusion: There wasn't a consensus among these executives and I was a bit surprised that quarterback didn't receive any votes. I think they will be hesitant to go with that position until they find out which underclassmen actually declare for the draft.

It is shaping up to be a great draft for teams in need of offensive linemen and cornerbacks. Also, there figures to be plenty of wide receiver depth, as well.

Last year's class lacked star power, but there was a very deep pool of NFL starter-caliber players. This year's class should match that depth while also providing some big-name talents at the top of the first round.

Follow Daniel Jeremiah on Twitter @MoveTheSticks.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000273758/article/ask-5-which-position-will-be-deepest-in-2014-nfl-draft

[Dwinsgames]

we could potential break a modern era record for most T taken in the first round this year .... 2008 had 7 go back 20 years and you wont find more than 6 and as little as 2 go in round 1 .....

it will take an early run on them to surpass the 7 total for the round but there are some fringe players who could sneak into the late first round to tie or surpass that record ... Scherff deciding to stay in school could prove to be the difference maker on whether it is broken or not ...so yes very deep ( first half of the draft ) for Tackle


CB is light at the top end but grows as you get into the second and third round , not as good DB wise IMO as last years class who was loaded esp at S , several of this years crop of CB will be S at the next level before it is all said and done I think

WR like DB is light in the top but grows as you go down and there is talent to be had throughout IMO

[GBMelBlount]

we could potential break a modern era record for most T taken in the first round this year .... 2008 had 7 go back 20 years and you wont find more than 6 and as little as 2 go in round 1 .....

it will take an early run on them to surpass the 7 total for the round but there are some fringe players who could sneak into the late first round to tie or surpass that record ... Scherff deciding to stay in school could prove to be the difference maker on whether it is broken or not ...so yes very deep ( first half of the draft ) for Tackle


CB is light at the top end but grows as you get into the second and third round , not as good DB wise IMO as last years class who was loaded esp at S , several of this years crop of CB will be S at the next level before it is all said and done I think

WR like DB is light in the top but grows as you go down and there is talent to be had throughout IMO

Seems consistent with the LT, CB, WR that are 1,2,3 on a few draft boards.

NT is a big question mark then. If they don't take Nix it sounds like they may not take a NT until much later in the draft.

[Dwinsgames]

Seems consistent with the LT, CB, WR that are 1,2,3 on a few draft boards.

NT is a big question mark then. If they don't take Nix it sounds like they may not take a NT until much later in the draft.


Yea and I really think 15 is way to early for Nix talent wise but like McCullers later on round 4 prospect , BIG man

[Psycho Ward 86]

the positional depth in this draft is perfect for us. If last year's draft and this one hit, we are back in business as a perennial AFC stalwart once again.

We MUST nail this draft.

[GBMelBlount]

Yea and I really think 15 is way to early for Nix talent wise but like McCullers later on round 4 prospect , BIG man

As big as Ta'amu?

Perhaps we should trade up for him if he's still there in the 4th. :wink02:

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the positional depth in this draft is perfect for us.

If last year's draft and this one hit, we are back in business as a perennial AFC stalwart once again.

We MUST nail this draft.

This could be a really exciting draft for us.

[Steeldude]

CBs are deep with average players. There are no first round CBs from what I can tell.

[steeldawg]

I think Justin gilbert out of okstate is a sure fire first round cornerback.
Also Darqueze Dennard out of Michigan state is another sure fire fist round corner.

[Dwinsgames]

I think Justin gilbert out of okstate is a sure fire first round cornerback.
Also Darqueze Dennard out of Michigan state is another sure fire fist round corner.


those are the only 2 first round CBs and IMO like Nix not worthy of pick 15 , there is not a significant drop in talent from the best CB in the draft and the 5th best CB in the draft enough to merit a 1st round pick vs a 2nd round pick IMO ...

I would take Dennard with a trade back to gain value for later in the draft but not at 15 , the problem with that logic is someone else will have not have issue drafting the best CB in the draft when they pick if it is a need value proportionate or not is my guess ..... Dennard at 20 ( and picking up another selection in the late 2nd early 3rd I am all for it ) otherwise i'll pass

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As big as Ta'amu?


6'6" 377 big enough ?

[GBMelBlount]

those are the only 2 first round CBs and IMO like Nix not worthy of pick 15 , there is not a significant drop in talent from the best CB in the draft and the 5th best CB in the draft enough to merit a 1st round pick vs a 2nd round pick IMO ...

I would take Dennard with a trade back to gain value for later in the draft but not at 15 , the problem with that logic is someone else will have not have issue drafting the best CB in the draft when they pick if it is a need value proportionate or not is my guess ..... Dennard at 20 ( and picking up another selection in the late 2nd early 3rd I am all for it ) otherwise i'll pass

So by process of elimination (NT, CB) and feeling WR is light at the very top....is this how you are arriving at an offensive tackle in the first?

What's your take on Linebacker?

[Dwinsgames]

So by process of elimination (NT, CB) and feeling WR is light at the very top....is this how you are arriving at an offensive tackle in the first?

What's your take on Linebacker?

my two favorite LB in this draft are Mosley and Skov likely 1st and late 2nd early 3rd round pick ... depends on Mosley he could go top dozen but with so many T and QBs likely to be drafted in the first he could slide down we likely won't know until it happens ebb and flo of the draft will dictate where he lands .....

partly why I would love to trade back we have need at LB , CB, WR and TE as well as T from my perspective and with the value in rounds 2 and 3 and just 1 selection ( as it stands now without comp picks ) being loaded in those two rounds we are set up to lose out on a ton of talent ....

if we could move back twice in the first selecting late and add a couple picks in those two rounds we could do ourselves a whole lot of good IMO

[GBMelBlount]

Do you think talent is greater than need in the first or vice versa relative to most drafts.

If there is a glut of high first round talent then I would imagine teams would be less likely to trade up?

No?

[Dwinsgames]

Do you think talent is greater than need in the first or vice versa relative to most drafts.

If there is a glut of high first round talent then I would imagine teams would be less likely to trade up?

No?

it is not talent stricken as much as it is talent deprived in areas of need for this team , that is quite different IMO ... the talent is there and there is top flight talent at need spots for us as well if you believe WR or TE or T is the teams top priority ... I do not think TE or WR is the top priority but a need none the less , leaving us with Tackle ...

my logic is the disparity in the top 3 vs next 5 is fairly significant , we wont be in pos to take one of the top 3 so lets look at 4-8 for me ( others may see it differently ) I just do not see a ton of value difference from 4-8 talent wise , they all have issues /weaknesses to some degree in their game , not to say they can't work them out with good coaching ( do we have good coaching at the O-Line ??? no clue don't even know the coaches name yet ) but that aside the value difference for me between the #4 Tackle and the #7 or 8 Tackle is negligible and dependent upon scheme as to whom filters where some are more Man up kind of guys while others are more zone type of players and again we do not know who will be coaching this unit yet and what scheme they will try and implement ....

trading back just makes more sense to me than anything else when all things are considered regardless of whether the top priority is WR, TE ,T, LB, NT ... to much talent in round 2 and 3 at many of those pos to settle for someone at 15 that simply is not significantly better ... there is no Darell Revis in this draft , the next Jerry Rice is not in this group either , we are not going to find the next Lawrence Taylor here but in trading back and collecting some additional picks we could find us a few solid football players that can make an impact early on and help take this team from 8-8 to 11-5 or better over the next couple years and at the end of the day that is what it is all about getting better as a team so you are more prepared to compete week in and week out .....

[Steelman]

Do you think talent is greater than need in the first or vice versa relative to most drafts.

If there is a glut of high first round talent then I would imagine teams would be less likely to trade up?

No?

I've been wondering if it might have the opposite effect with more teams wanting to trade up or down to get their guy.

Regardless though, I expect a couple of high talents to fall pretty far and this is how we're going to trade back a few spots and still get a top-10 talent.

It's only January, so I would imagine that between now and May there will be a more solidification of the who's top-10 and who's not. Seems like we have 50-60 guys who are being billed as first round talent right now. There's only 14 spots ahead of us, so that should give us prime opportunity to nab a faller or trade back.

I think we have chance to really nail this draft. I sincerely hope we go with the flow and be shrewd on draft day.