We wade through draft rumors in today’s links. Will Stanley go third overall? Will the Jags trade back? Does Tunsil or Ramsey fall to Baltimore? Can Apple cook? When will Rams tell Goff they’re taking him? Will Cowboys take Elliott? We wrap things up by seeing where the Ravens rank with their 1st round picks in the past 10 years.
Draft Rumors Heating Up
10 Things Peter King Is Hearing Going Into Draft Day
Could Ronnie Stanley be the pick for the Chargers at number 6? The answer looks like it could be yes, according to Peter King. I usually disregard any rumors I hear around this time, but why would the Chargers feel the need to float that rumor out there? It doesn’t elevate the value of the pick, and the first two picks are all but set in stone. King says that Stanley might also be the top tackle on Jacksonville’s board.
King isn’t the only one who’s heard this, either.
Everyone I talk to in the league says the Chargers are taking Stanley. I believe it. https://t.co/CppJd03vfm
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) April 28, 2016
The reason teams are valuing Stanley higher now? “Reliability on the field, and a spotless record off it.”
King is sticking with his original mock where the Cowboys take Ezekiel Elliott, so Jalen Ramsey will fall to the fifth pick. As much of a tease as this is, I still just can’t see the Jags passing him up.
Mike Mayock Mock draft 1.0: Jack falls to Raiders, Stanley goes 3rd
The annual Mayock mock draft has Ronnie Stanley going third overall. This contrasts starkly with what we’ve heard and thought this entire draft season: the Ravens taking Stanley at 6 is a reach. Is there something we’ve missed with Laremy Tunsil?
Myles Jack’s grim confession could cost him millions
“[The degenerative problems are] there, but it’s nothing extreme,” Jack said at an NFL event for prospects at Grant Park. “Down the line, possibly I could have microfracture surgery — potentially. Who knows what will happen?
“Nobody knows how long anybody is going to play in this league. To play three years in this league would be above average.”
Before this quote, I was in the smokescreen lane when it came to Jack’s knee. But this? Just a startling confession from a player who was supposed to go in the top 5 or 10. NFL teams already know this issue from his medicals. I don’t fault him for being honest, but now I don’t want the Ravens to touch him with a ten foot pole (or even a second-round pick).
Eli Apple can’t cook? Dumb quote marks apex of drat lunacy
Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports explores the foolhardiness that is the rumors surrounding Eli Apple, the cornerback out of Ohio State. A scout told Bob McGinn of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinal that Apple scares him to death. “I worry about him because of off-the-field issues. The kid has no life skills. At all. Can’t cook. Just a baby. He’s not first round for me. He scares me to death.”
The only issue? He can cook.
.@BruceFeldmanCFB Umm… pic.twitter.com/bDjMtwLx7J
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 27, 2016
Eli has made me some fire fried chicken and mac and cheese. The source seems to be pretty unreliable ??
— Ezekiel Elliott (@EzekielElliott) April 27, 2016
Just proof that anything you hear from an anonymous source is worthless.
Rams will not tell new QB they're picking him until they're on the clock, per source. Expectation is Rams draft Goff 1, Eagles draft Wentz 2
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 28, 2016
…Why? What is wrong with you, Jeff Fisher? You know whom you’re picking. Just tell Jared Goff and get it over with.
If the Cowboys take Ezekiel Elliott, I'd expect the 49ers to try very hard to move up for Jalen Ramsey
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) April 28, 2016
These types of trades haven’t been a big topic of discussion this draft season. All the talk has focused on the quarterbacks. They’re much easier to predict, so it makes sense. But these are the types of trades you see more often. If the 49ers are trying to move up for Ramsey, the goal is to jump ahead of the Ravens. Maybe Baltimore likes him as much as we do. Still, it’s just another reason that we shouldn’t expect Ramsey in town any time soon.
Ranking the best and worst drafting teams in Round 1
The Ravens rank 3rd according to Sharon Katz numbers. Obviously, that makes plenty of sense when you consider the type of player who’s been taken there. Three Hall of Famers in 20 years ain’t too shabby. The biggest hit in the past 10 years according to the metrics has been Joe Flacco.
The biggest miss is Jimmy Smith. Obviously, their data is flawed. Matt Elam is definitely the biggest miss. The metric they used is Approximate Value from Pro Football Reference. Even they would tell you that number should be considered along with other metrics.
