STRENGTHS
Andraez is a long, lanky defensive back with the surprising strength to go up against those big tall receivers at the next level. He has excellent hands to make the interception and (I don’t say this often about a corner back but) he has a very large interception radius. That means he adjust to the ball in the air and catches it as well as any receiver. Andraez has those long legs that makes it easy for him to stay with receivers and track the deep ball. He’s a quick twitch athlete will the ability to change direction and stay with those pain in the buttock’s quick receivers too. He is very smart at reading the receiver and has the high football IQ to play in the different zone coverages for the next level. Andraez has the athletic talent to play more than one position in your defensive back field and shows leadership skills through his play on the field. He has the ability to turn the page and move on to the next play without it affecting his overall play. For Andraez each play is a different play and each play brings a new challenge, that he is ready and willing to defeat. There is no doubt in my mind that Andraez wants to be one of the best to ever play the game and I believe he will never stop trying to reach that goal.

CONCERNS
I’m seriously not going to bother to nit pick this kids game just to have something to write about. I will say this; his tackling leaves a lot to be desired as far as form is concerned but he gets the job done. He also will need to get off his blocks quicker but once again I’m not going to nit-pick his game…wait… I guess I just did.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 1.36
I really do think that Andraez can be something special once he develops his leadership skills. He has a high football IQ and uses mature techniques and he could help his fellow teammates more if he would become more of a coach on the field. I do believe that will come in time and when it does he will be special because of his pure and natural athletic talents, competitive nature and mental toughness. Andraez has played in the slot and on the corners and I believe because of his skill set to intercept the ball, that using him as a free safety might be a smart move also that’s if… he cleans up his open field tackling. If he keeps his head on straight off the field, there is no stopping him from becoming a fan favorite, a pro bowl player and an important piece of a defense that can be dominating.

STRENGTHS
Dalton is a multi -position, talented, offensive lineman. That means, he shows very good athletic talent to play any position on the offensive line at a high level. He is smart and uses good techniques when blocking for both the run and pass. Dalton shows excellent mental stamina and does not panic when he might get beat on the speed rush because, he is smart enough and strong enough to turn his hips and push his opponent up the field so that his quarterback can step up into the pocket. Dalton is a very good run blocker keeping his feet under his hips for balance and using good pad level to continue to drive his opponent off the line. He has a good first step and enough lateral agility to be used in any style blocking scheme. Dalton has played offensive center and right tackle and with his high football IQ, athletic talent and mature leadership qualities, I have no doubt that Dalton could play any position you ask him to and play them all, at a high level.

CONCERNS
The biggest concern I have with Dalton is what position to play him at that he will have the most impact? Personally, I think the best position would be offensive center where he can not only use his athletic talent but also use his leadership skills. That being said… tackle or guard, he gives you a lot of options and that concerns me because sometimes giving coaches too many options can be as debilitating as no options at all.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 1.38
Most people will tell you their skill positions on offense is QB, RB, WR. Not me, my skill positions on offense that I feel have to be address or your team will never get into the playoffs are, QB, LT, OC. That’s why all 32 teams will have a different draft board because of how they value the different positions. On Defense for me personally and depending on the defensive scheme, I value these position’s first, DT, CB, LB/ DE. My belief is, if you don’t stop the run you will never be able to stop the pass. But that’s just me. If I have two players with the same grade and one is a center and the other is a wide receiver, I would list the center ahead of the wide receiver, that’s if they both had the same grade. If the receiver had a higher grade than the center, than the receiver would be listed ahead of the center. Value comes into place AFTER I give a player a talent grade and ONLY if the grades are the same. Dalton can play center and has proven that he can play right tackle and has played both positions at a high level. To me, that is value and the fact that he is athletic, has a high football IQ, excellent leadership skills, solid techniques and can play multiple positions gives Dalton high rating on my board. Others may think differently because they might not be able to check all the boxes and they don’t value the position he plays as high as I do. All I can tell you is, that’s their mistake, and that’s how they get fired and then become “expert analyst” on game day. As far as I’m concerned if they are such experts they would have valued QB, LT, OC as THEIR skilled positions on offense and then they wouldn’t be the “expert analyst” on the TV… they’d still be GM or coaching.

STRENGTHS
Irv reminds me a lot of the Eagles Zach Ertz. He has the athletic talent that only a few tight ends/H-backs bring into the NFL. He shows on film the quick feet and lateral agility to run routes like a receiver and to block in the open field. He has those soft and yet strong hands to catch contested passes and the size to be a matchup nightmare for DB’s to deal with on third downs. Irv is a weapon in the red zone and if your defense is not strong defending the middle of the field on passing downs, and third downs, Irv will embarrass your defensive coordinator. Irv has a big catch radius with the flexibility to adjust to the ball in the air and catch the difficult less then accurate pass, thrown by a quarterback under duress. When you select Irv in this draft your selecting not just a talented player but a player who can become a weapon for your offense and a player defenses will have to game plan for.

CONCERNS
Irv is a weapon for your passing game but if he truly wants to become a great player than he has to become more consistent and stronger blocker. He struggles to stay with his blocks because he doesn’t always keep his feet moving when engaged to finish his blocks. That will be magnified at the next level. He needs to get stronger and to continue to move his feet after he engages.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 1.96
You can look at the profile I did on Zach Ertz (Archives). That should give the team selecting Irv his potential impact for their offense. Of course, that’s only if they have a smart offensive coaching staff, interested in using Irv the same way Zach has been used. If you’re not going to do that then your wasting your time selecting him…it’s really that simple. Irv has done inline blocking for his college team and has done a solid job but he does have to continue to gain strength in his upper body and not have it affect his flexibility to run routes and catch the ball. Flexibility, is the key to impacting as a TE /H-back. Lateral agility is also a key athletic talent and skill that players must have to run routes and block in the open field also. Irv has both so, it doesn’t take genius to figure out that he can become a weapon if you use him correctly. Zack Ertz was the 35th pick of the 2013 Draft. I gave him a 1st round talent grade so I suspect Irv will be selected at about the same spot, that’s if teams are smart enough and want to add a player with the same type of talent to impact like Zach Ertz.

STRENGTHS
Ben is the type of person who was put on this earth to play offensive guard in the NFL. He has the size and footwork to pass block or run block and he can do both very well. When you select Ben, no matter what offensive line blocking system you use he will be excellent in all of them. He shows just enough lateral agility when pass blocking to keep his opponent from slipping around him. He is quick out of his stance and has just enough foot speed to shut down those quick, 1 gap attack defensive lineman, having the strength to turn his hips and push them up the field so his quarterback can slide and manipulate in the pocket. Ben is a leader and the type of offensive lineman you can plug in and play for the next ten years.

CONCERNS
I’d like to see if he could play center in a pinch but that’s not a reason not to select Ben early in this draft. It’s just a preference of mine. I’m sure they will work him out at center at the Senior Bowl practices and if he shows he can make the snaps and get out of stance quick enough Ben could be a very early pick. Ben is inconsistent with his pad level when run blocking. Coming from an offense that relies on more passing plays than running plays between the tackles, this is expected and I’m sure Ben will correct this issue quickly at the next level. Truth is, Ben is a hell of an offensive lineman.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 1.87
Drew’s Draft rules number 11 says; “Don’t just draft guards, draft centers who can play guard and guards who can play center”. Now I believe in those rules but I also believe that there are exceptions to every rule and if Ben shows he can play center that would be great. But if he can’t, then as far as I’m concerned, he becomes the exception and I select him early anyway. Most offensive guards are better run blockers than pass blockers, Ben can do both. When you find an offensive lineman who play’s any one of the positions on the line and can do both, you don’t pass on them because of some rule…you draft them as quickly as you can. The draft is all about selecting talent, not following rules that supposedly dictate talent. I believe in rules but like I stated before, I also believe in exceptions, and I believe that Ben is the exception to Drew’s draft rules number 11. He’s a plug in and play, offensive lineman for the next ten years.

STRENGTHS
Myles is a sneaky good, running back whose style of running reminds me a lot of former Bears Matt Forte. He glides along the field almost like he is skating on ice. His cuts are effortless and smooth making the tackler think that he is going to get a full hit and then Myles just kind of… slides by and gains extra yardage before he is taken down. He has enough speed and good reliable hands to catch the ball out of the back field. Myles is a good blocker and has the football IQ to read defenses before the snap. He might be one of the smartest position players in this draft. He does a good job following his blocks, and his timing when to break off from his blockers, is excellent because of his vision and running patience. Myles is the type of running back who just makes plays all game long. He has excellent mental stamina to go along with that sudden, effortless quickness, that makes him not that impressive to watch until you see his stats at the end of a game. That’s when you turn on the film once again and really watch him and that’s when you realize just how impactful he was all game long. He’s sneaky and good and can impact for the team that selects him very much like Matt Forte did early in his career for the Bears.

CONCERNS
Myles lacks the bulk to take the pounding of a starting running back in the NFL. On film, from what I can see, he also lacks the body type to bulk up a lot more than he is right now but if he can without losing his suddenness and effortless quickness than Myles can be as impacting as any running back in this draft. Myles style of running, may be like Matt Forte’s but he is not as big.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 2.53
Remember, all you can do on draft day, is select a player with the information you have in front of you at that time. My information is that Myles should fit as a third down back because of his intelligence and blocking. If he lacks the body type (as I suggest) to add bulk than its hard to see him staying on the field as a starting running back and the type of running back you can build your running offense around for a 16-game schedule. Of course, with the injury factor at that position you might be able to say that about a lot of running backs coming out in any Draft. I mean, they all seem to get injured during the season so why not pick Myles before some other running back who may have better size but lacks the football IQ, vision, hands out of the backfield and blocking skills? So, why not select him before the others…I would, but that’s just me…talking to myself. Injury factor aside, Myles could become an impact player very much like Matt Forte was for the Bears. Matt was an impact player both running the ball and receiving and like I stated before, Myles has that same style of running the ball and catching the ball that surprises you.

STRENGTHS
Greg has the size, arm length, and foot quickness to play one of the offensive tackle positions for the team that selects him. He does an excellent job using his techniques that he is taught in practice, on to the field on game day. When he engages he is on balance and set’s well when pass blocking. When he run blocks, Greg is quick enough out of his stance to make the initial blow before his opponent can engage him. Greg is an athletic kid and might be the most athletic offensive tackle in this draft and could play on either side of your offensive line. He is young and will take time to learn the in’s and out’s of playing at the next level but that is no reason not to select Greg in this draft.

CONCERNS
My biggest concern is that Greg lacks a “feel” for his position. What do I mean, Greg wants to do plays like they were made up on the board? He wants to use his techniques exactly as he has learned to use them. When a defensive player doesn’t do or play, the way Greg practiced, he struggles to adjust mentally and physical. He also needs to get a lot stronger in his upper body. He struggles to handle physical players and gets off balance easily when up against a more physical and aggressive opponents.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 2.17
Remember the Talent Board round gives you a combination of where I think a player’s talent level is at and what round I would select a player if I was drafting in a perfect world. We all know the draft is far from a perfect world. Greg has very good talent but lacks the repetitions right now to understand how to play when everything around him is spinning out of control and not working they way things are supposed to work, like in practice. I expect my first-round selections to be plug and play type players and too me Greg is a bit away from that level right now. I’m sure after he works out he will move up on everyone’s boards but for me, I just go by the film and the film says he’s not ready for the NFL right now but he will be in a year or two. It you’re a playoff team I think you’d be crazy not to select Greg in the last part of the first round. If you’re a team that needs offensive lineman to play right away you might want to wait until the 2nd round and see if he is still available and then go for it because selecting this kid early and expecting him to preform quickly might be a little too much to ask of him. He needs more repetitions at the college level, so don’ think he’s going walk on to your team and not get your quarterback taken off on a stretcher if you play him at Left Tackle right away, trust that’s exactly what will happen. Don’t get me wrong, I like this kids’ talent and I love they way he is coachable but, in this draft, there is little talent at the offensive tackle position and my gut feeling is that Greg is being rushed to satisfy that lack of talent.

STRENGTHS
Josh is an excellent, complete football player who happens to play the position of running back. He has the talent to play more than one position on your offense and special teams. He is a quick twitch athlete with size and bulk to handle the pounding at the next level to become an impact player who you can design an offense around. He is one of the best blocking running backs and is smart and quick and possess the lateral agility to make blocks both in the running game and in the passing game. Josh is strong and quick, running between the tackles and when he gets to the second level, I pity the poor safety or cornerback who thinks they have the quickness and strength to take him down alone. Josh is smart and understands how to read defenses and at the same time is a patient back understanding and giving his offensive line the time to make their blocks for him. He can catch the ball down the field like a receiver and this along with his blocking ability, power to make third downs, speed to not get caught from behind, and his mental strength and stamina makes him a complete back who reminds me a lot of former running back for the Buffalo Bills Thurman Thomas.

CONCERNS
As with all football players he has to stay healthy to impact but that is no reason not to select this kid early in this draft.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 1.34
Josh has talent equal to Panthers Christian McCaffrey and the Giants Saquon Barkley and his impact will be as those two have had for their teams. Trust me, this kid is the real deal, and it will be hard to replace his talent and impact for your offense, when he is not on the field. His lateral burst, balance and vision in and out of breaks is what makes him dangerous add to that, his power to break tackles and you have a running back who can close out games for your 4 minute offense. With Josh’s overall talent it will be very hard to take him off the field on any down and distance but… take him off the field you must. Even the great Thurman Thomas had a running mate who himself was a pretty good back, (Kenneth Davis) to help extend his career. For the younger Draftniks, Kenneth was a similar style back to the Bills Chris Ivory. Josh has the talent and high football IQ to be used in a no huddle offense and in multiple positions. He is a matchup nightmare in a passing game and his ability to block like a fullback in the running game will make it easy to use him in a two back offense if need be. Josh will give your offensive coordinator options he has only dreamed about. Let’s not forget that he also could be used as a returner on special teams if you absolutely needed him when your team reaches the super bowl and believe me, it’s just a matter of time before you see Josh in a super bowl because his talents dictate it. I call him Josh (Green Light) Jacobs because when you select him you just gave your fans a green light to travel to a Super Bowl…it’s just a matter of time.

STRENGTHS
Clelin has the size, length, strength, quickness and change of direction skills to be one of the best complete defensive linemen to play this game. He can be as disruptive as you want him to be depending on your defensive scheme and calls. He has the athletic talent to be used as a spy against those athletic quarterbacks and the power to obliviate any size player who is trying to block him. Clelin can power rush or use a little finesse and speed to get into the backfield and disrupt or sack the quarterback. He has excellent techniques and strength to defend against the run also. He is what I call a shut down Defensive End because you can’t run around his side with any kind of success, you just run at him to keep him honest. Clelin shows good effort on every play, works well with his line mates and looks to have a solid football IQ to go along with his natural strength and athletic talent. Clelin has the potential to be the type of player who becomes the standard for his position in the very near future.

CONCERNS
There are times in a game when Clelin’s footwork is a little clumsy and there are times when his hand usage is slow and he is slow to use his hands to his benefit. He might have the slowest spin move I have ever seen, that being said, these “concerns” just might mean that Clelin is still growing into his body and that is a scary thought for offensive coordinators to have to think about. I guess that could be considered a “concern” also… that is for offensive coordinators.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 1.33
Clelin’s overall size and athletic talents reminds me a lot of Bengals Carlos Dunlap and if he has a career equals to Carlos’s he will be worthy of being selected very early in this draft. That being said, I think Clelin could be even more impacting and dominating than Carlos has been and that is saying a lot. I’ve seen Clelin move off the line of scrimmage at times and that is the curse of an athletic defensive lineman these days. Defensive coordinators will use athletes like Clelin in coverage situations instead of attacking the line of scrimmage and, I see on film that because of Clelin’s athletic talent he was used (at times) outside to defend screens and sweeps lined up in the slot. My guess in this case because of the talent on the line scrimmage it was a smart move to do what this DC did on those downs. Nevertheless, it limited Clelin’s impact as a pass rusher and that might be the reason there is some clumsiness to his pass rush footwork and hand usage at times. At least that’s what I think and that’s what I see. So, if you want to down grade a player with this type of potential because at times he seems clumsy…go right a head but I wouldn’t do it. Nope, not me because, this kid could be the standard for the defensive end position in the future and I’m not passing on that just to nit-pick myself out of selecting a player with this type of potential. I call him Clelin (The Works) Ferrell because he has all “the works” or the full range of possibilities, to become the standard for his position in the near future.–

STRENGTHS
Kyler is an excellent quarterback. He has a very strong arm and shows accuracy from the pocket or when on the move. He can easily manipulate the pocket and shows the skill needed to throw the ball from different release points without losing any velocity or accuracy. Kyler is very athletic and could play more than one skill position on your offense and I’m sure would be an excellent cornerback on defense if he were asked. He is a quick twitch athlete with the speed of a gazelle in the open field. Kyler is one of the quarterbacks in this draft that has the decision-making skills to go along with a strong arm, accuracy in and out of the pocket and the athletic talent to become a franchise quarterback for the team that selects. That being said…as with any quarterback coming out in the draft there are some negative issues and Kyler has one big one for sure.

CONCERNS
The biggest concern is that Kyler signed a guaranteed contract to play baseball. Of course, his lack of height and bulk will make some teams just say no, because they are scared to put their careers on the line for a quarterback who might be 5’ 9’ if you stretch him, but HOW he plays the game is not in question.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 1.37
I would struggle selecting Kyler in the top ten because of his commitment to baseball and because of his lack of bulk to take the pounding in the NFL at any position. I would have no problems with moving back into the first round after my first pick and selecting him because this type of athletic talent to play any position in the NFL in any size body does not come along very often and having a 5th year option might come in handy. He is a special player and special players are hard to find on either side of the ball. I know you might need to adjust your offense but as far as I’m concern that’s what’s needed for any quarterback coming out in any draft. So, lets devise a plan before the draft, on how I might select Kyler, that includes him signing that baseball contract. Remember the NFL is a business so the first thing I would do is write up a special contract now and see if the NFL and NFLPA would allow it. If they agree than I go to Kyler’s agent and ask him, if I selected Kyler would he agree to this special contract. If he said yes than I have a plan for selecting Kyler and although that plan might not happen depending on if he declares or is tied up with his baseball contract, at least I had a plan. The other option might be to select him if I had a compensatory pick in any round even if Baseball was not off the table. That would not give me a 5th year option but you’re talking about top ten talent to play multiple positions and impact. Kyler could play receiver, or be a third down running back or be an impact returner on special teams not to mention… play quarterback! Why would anyone pass that up? I’d let him play baseball if he was willing to be a specialty player…why not? Like I said, the kid runs like a gazelle and we know he has the hands to catch the ball so…why not? I rest my case.

UPDATE; 4/29/2018 – Kyler has fully committed to playing football and now he doesn’t need a special contract so just draft him, put in the offense he can play in and let him do the rest. He has the talent to be a franchise QB.

STRENGTHS
Gardner has the potential to be an excellent WCO quarterback. He has good accuracy and throws the ball with good velocity to complete those short and intermediate passes that make the WCO so difficult to defend against. Gardner is a rhythm passer and when he is in rhythm he can rip a defense apart with lasers like throws that come out so quickly it makes the defense struggle to adjust and make the necessary tackles to limit the yards after the catch. Gardner shows excellent leadership skills and his game management skills are excellent using all the tools around him to “matriculate” the ball down the field. He does a good job protecting the ball and this along with his ability to be a coach on the field gives me reason to believe that in the right system Gardner can become a starting quarterback for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
Like most rhythm passers Gardner will struggle to get back into rhythm if constantly harassed in the pocket. He handles pressure well but doesn’t have the arm velocity when out of rhythm, to make throws down the field needed to back linebackers and safeties off from applying that pressure. The system he plays in and the play caller will be very important to Gardner’s success or lack of success.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 2.01
Gardner’s talents are intriguing but as far as I can tell he is a system quarterback and that system should be the WCO. This is not an insult; Andrew Luck is a systems quarterback and until he found the right system this year, he struggled to be consistent. I’m not suggesting that Gardner has the talent that Andrew has I’m just saying that most quarterbacks to be successful fit a system and only a few franchise quarterbacks can run any style of offensive system. Gardner reminds me of Jimmy Garoppolo, he doesn’t have the same arm strength but he has the same type of style in his play. He is accurate and has really good mechanics and comes over the top like Garoppolo. Gardner can throw from different releases points with accuracy but once again its mostly to check downs and intermediate throws. It’s possible that Gardner just hasn’t been challenged enough to make throws deep when they will be contested and maybe he just needs to be challenged? Gardner knows he can keep making first downs by being smart with the ball. He is patient and will go through his progressions with surgeon like calmness because he believes in his check downs. I don’t know what round Gardner could be selected in. He could sneak into the last half of the 1st round if some team wants the 5th year option with him. If not, your guess is as good as mine so keep track of Rob’s value board for that information. He has the talent to become a starter and if a team agrees with me than he just might surprise us all what round that he gets selected in. They will challenge him at the Senior Bowl practices for sure and if he impresses them with better arm strength on the deep ball than he shows on film, Gardner will move up on everyone’s board for sure. I got a feeling, he just might do that.

STRENGTHS
Christian is a uniquely, talented and athletic football player. He can play multiple positions in multiple fronts on your defensive line and impact at all of them. He shows excellent leadership skills and is a coach on the field. He is smart and uses excellent techniques when defending against the run or when he is used to rush the passer. Christian has the athletic talent and the quick explosion off the line of scrimmage that makes it hard for offensive lineman to get set before he engages with them. He gains leverage because of his pad level and natural strength at just about any position you play him at on the defensive line or against any one of the offensive linemen immediately off the snap of the ball. On passing downs, when put over the center, he requires a double team or he will beat that center off the line and disrupt or sack the quarterback almost every time. Christian has the potential to be as good a football player as former Eagles and Packers Hall of Fame defensive lineman Reggie White. For you young Draftniks think of Christian as a bigger version of the Rams Aaron Darnold.

CONCERNS
Christian has to watch his weight if he wants to reach his full potential. If stays at about 310lbs or 315lbs he can become a monster to deal with at any defensive line position. If he starts to go above that the truth is, he still might be the best in this class but not as dominating or multi-dimensional.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 1.32
Christian has made impacting plays on defense, on offense and on special teams. He can play defensive line at any position or become a dominating complete blocking and catching the ball Tight End on offense or…he can be and outstanding Christian Okoye style running back (look him up, I can’t do everything for you), if that is how you want to use him. That’s how his college team used him so why not? What is the most outstanding attribute that Christian will bring to the team that selects him, his character and that alone is worth the signing money this kid should receive. He is a leader who understands that the team concept is more important than just one person doing their job. His college team will struggle to replace this kid’s impact on and off the field for this program. So, if you need to add a multi-talented, athletic big man who can play multiple position for you on defense or offense and will be a coach on the field and a leader in the locker room and… has the character to make the community and team he plays for proud, then it would be smart to select Christian. I know I would if I’m in the top ten trying to build a team… for sure. I call him Christian (The Answer) Wilkins because he is the type of player who will be the answer to a team’s prayers.