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2018 TT Mock Draft Selection Thread

The Colts #67 pick is Frank Ragnow OL from Arkansas


NFL Draft Scouting Report

by Erik Lambert3 months agoFollow @ErikLambert1

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Frank Ragnow is likely going to be one of the best centers available in the 2018 NFL draft. What does his scouting report reveal about his ability?
Position: C

School: Arkansas


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Year: Senior

Height: 6’5″

Weight: 317
 
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The New York Giants select Arden Key - EDGE, LSU

Long, athletic pass rusher with a ton of upside but who also has a bunch of questions. Most considered him a top 10 talent coming into this season before he dealt with injury issues and then took a leave of absence from LSU leaving scouts questioning his passion for football. However, the Giants have a huge hole at pass rusher after dumping Jason Pierre-Paul and are switching to a 3-4 defense so Key's upside is impossible to ignore at this point of the draft.
 
I'm going with who I think is the BPA at this point and could be a perennial pro bowler. Lance has him as a 2nd round guy. From Lance Zierlein -


Settle has rare gifts for a big man with good mass, play strength, quickness, and agility. His substantial jump in production in 2017 was due to weight loss and additional conditioning that allowed him to play more snaps and play faster. He's a disruptive, versatile defensive lineman who offers enough pass rush potential to warrant reps on passing downs. Settle is a natural 4-3 fit but can play in a 3-4 as well. He has the potential to become a very good starter with a Pro Bowl ceiling if he controls his weight and maintains his conditioning.


Tim Settle! Check him out...

 
My thoughts are, Tim Settle with JJ (Covington) on one side, Clowney (Blackson, who I really like and Kamalu) on the other, backed by Whitney, Cunningham and McKinney, you're not going to run against this defense. Settle will shut down the middle, allowing the LB's to blitz or with Cole, sit back and read the passing routes.

In my Jose Altuve voice, "I literally love Tim Settle".
 
Will teams really shy away from Orlando Brown based on a poor combine - after proving himself ingame for so long?
If he falls to Texans, it would seem dumb to not take him especially when you take into consideration it's the third round and Texans have a real chance at a likely boom prospect.
He could be Texans LT for years to come.
 
Settle sounds like a good prospect, although as a massive Reader fan, feel like it's developing a strength on a team with many needs.

The names I'd like to throw in the mix are:

Jessie Bates III - S - Wake Forrest
Holton Hill - DB - Texas

Feel like every mock draft we have ever done I have recruited for secondary help and missed out every year.

I'm DUE!!
 
I nominate Jessie Bates (S, Wake Forest).

He's my #3 Safety in the draft and a fringe 1st rounder IMO. By far the best player available on my board. He's a true modern Safety in that he can play in the box, man up the slot, and play deep zone. Also has a lot of room to grow as he mainly played baseball when he was younger and is relatively new to football.
 
WolverineFan said:
I nominate Jessie Bates (S, Wake Forest).

He's my #3 Safety in the draft and a fringe 1st rounder IMO. By far the best player available on my board. He's a true modern Safety in that he can play in the box, man up the slot, and play deep zone. Also has a lot of room to grow as he mainly played baseball when he was younger and is relatively new to football.
Click to expand...

That's two votes... do we win?
 
kiwitexansfan said:
Settle sounds like a good prospect, although as a massive Reader fan, feel like it's developing a strength on a team with many needs.

The names I'd like to throw in the mix are:

Jessie Bates III - S - Wake Forrest
Holton Hill - DB - Texas

Feel like every mock draft we have ever done I have recruited for secondary help and missed out every year.

I'm DUE!!
Click to expand...

Agreed and i’d like to throw Tarvarius Moore’s name into the ring for a safety prospect with elite measurables to complete the secondary makeover. Worried about the CBs giving up the deep ball? Take the safety witb 4.32 speed and shows it on film!

From Lance Zierlein:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.nf...alse&p.tcm=%23ffffff&p.bgc1m=%23000000&sr=amp

Tarvarius Moore, S, Southern Miss


The 6-1, 195-pound Moore caught my attention with a scintillating pro day that included a 4.32-second 40-yard dash, a 38.5-inch vertical leap and an 11-foot, 1-inch broad jump. When a player produces speed and explosive numbers like that, it requires an extra look at the game tape because those traits are going to be highly coveted by NFL teams. What I found on tape was a safety with good size, play speed that matched his timed speed as well as the smooth footwork and athleticism needed to handle his coverage duties. Moore has cover skills and he's a downhill run supporter. He has quality ball skills andinstincts. Somehow, Moore wasn't invited to the NFL Scouting Combineand has flown well under the public's radar, but NFL teams are all very well aware of him. He's likely to come off the board on Day 2 (Rounds 2-3) of the draft. He has the potential to be a good NFL starter.
 
Sounds like a good prospect Joker, I guess I'd like to see something there about instincts. I feel those are the key traits of a potentially special S.

I'm happy to have that name in the mix though.
 
WolverineFan said:
I nominate Jessie Bates (S, Wake Forest).

He's my #3 Safety in the draft and a fringe 1st rounder IMO. By far the best player available on my board. He's a true modern Safety in that he can play in the box, man up the slot, and play deep zone. Also has a lot of room to grow as he mainly played baseball when he was younger and is relatively new to football.
Click to expand...

He's the #3 safety on NFL.com. He lacks experience and he has durability concerns. Kevin Johnson was a great prospect that came into the league with durability concerns due to his light frame as well. Thus, I have issues with Bates. Not to mention the Texans have addressed safety already this offseason.
 
What do you guys think about Brian O'Nell for the Texans at the 68 pick?



2560112.jpg

BRIAN O'NEILL (OL29)
HT: 6'7" WT: 297LBS.

POSITION: OT

SCHOOL: Pittsburgh

ARM LENGTH: 34 1/8"

HANDS: 9 3/8"


OVERVIEW
O'Neill's athleticism helped him win honors as Delaware High School Defensive Player of the Year (five sacks, 13 pass deflections, also 33 receptions, 614 yards, and eight touchdowns as a tight end) in football and the state's basketball Player of the Year award. His talent came as no surprise since his father was a running back at Dartmouth and his mother a swimmer at Northeastern University. O'Neill was a tight end during his redshirt season in 2014 and the following spring but moved over to offensive tackle before the 2015 season. He played in all 13 games, starting the final 12 (one at left tackle, the rest at right tackle). O'Neill continued his improvement on the line, starting all 13 games at right tackle and earning second-team All-ACC from league coaches. Injuries on the line caused him to move to left tackle for his junior season, where he started all 12 games and garnered first-team all-conference honors. Pitt coaches used O'Neill' athleticism as an offensive weapon as a rusher (two scores, one on a lateral and the other on an end-around) and passer (0-for-2). He won the satirical "Piesman Trophy" in 2016 for one of his touchdowns.


COMBINE RESULTS
  • 40 YARD DASH: 4.82 SEC
  • BENCH PRESS: 22 REPS
  • VERTICAL JUMP: 29.5 INCH
  • BROAD JUMP: 107.0 INCH
  • 3 CONE DRILL: 7.14 SEC
  • 20 YARD SHUTTLE: 4.50 SEC

ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
Good arm length. Athletic and fluid as a move blocker. Good lateral quickness and able to race ahead of the pack on pull blocks and screens. Redirects weight and works feet into position to square second level blocks. Accelerates into down blocks and runs feet through contact. Makes subtle weight shifts to keep defender centered during his block. Stays connected to his blocks for the long haul. Plays with adequate lift and hip roll at point of attack. Fires out of his stance into initial kick-slide. Has ability to slide and mirror defender around the arc when technique is right. Nimble feet and good reactive athleticism to recover when beaten around the edge. Quality "snap and find" talent on End/Tackle twists.

WEAKNESSES
Linear build lacking core strength. Technique will go on vacation at inopportune times. Struggled during Senior Bowl reps to maintain his pass pro posture. Tends to defaults to a "nose-over-toes" approach with too much waist-bending. Hands take too many outside tracks to the target. More grabber than puncher. Oversets and opens the inside path. Lack of play strength could be debilitating on the next level. Panics and forgets his footwork. Gets caught on balls of his feet and can be walked into pocket in pass pro. Makes initial contact before working his feet into position as lateral blocker. Doesn't have enough upper body strength to seal and finish some backside reach blocks. Allows defenders to rip through his edge.

DRAFT PROJECTION
Round 2-3

NFL COMPARISON
Jake Fisher

BOTTOM LINE
O'Neill has good length and is a terrific athlete, but his inconsistencies at the Senior Bowl practices will be hard for teams to get out of their minds. What might be even more troubling is the way he seemed to panic and lose technique in certain matchups. O'Neill is a classic zone scheme blocker, but teams may take a look at him as a move guard with tackle potential rather than locking in with him as a blind-side tackle. O'Neill needs to get thicker and stronger or swing tackle could be his ceiling.


-Lance Zierlein
 
Texansballer74 said:
BOTTOM LINE
O'Neill has good length and is a terrific athlete, but his inconsistencies at the Senior Bowl practices will be hard for teams to get out of their minds. What might be even more troubling is the way he seemed to panic and lose technique in certain matchups. O'Neill is a classic zone scheme blocker, but teams may take a look at him as a move guard with tackle potential rather than locking in with him as a blind-side tackle. O'Neill needs to get thicker and stronger or swing tackle could be his ceiling.


-Lance Zierlein
Click to expand...

I'd love a good OL, but when I saw PANIC, I was put off.
 
I'll throw another Tackle out there - Chukwuma Okorafor.
Another giant ranked 37th on CBSSports.com and Texans have had two peeks at him.
 
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Texansballer74 said:
What do you guys think about Brian O'Nell for the Texans at the 68 pick?



2560112.jpg

BRIAN O'NEILL (OL29)
HT: 6'7" WT: 297LBS.

POSITION: OT

SCHOOL: Pittsburgh

ARM LENGTH: 34 1/8"

HANDS: 9 3/8"


OVERVIEW
O'Neill's athleticism helped him win honors as Delaware High School Defensive Player of the Year (five sacks, 13 pass deflections, also 33 receptions, 614 yards, and eight touchdowns as a tight end) in football and the state's basketball Player of the Year award. His talent came as no surprise since his father was a running back at Dartmouth and his mother a swimmer at Northeastern University. O'Neill was a tight end during his redshirt season in 2014 and the following spring but moved over to offensive tackle before the 2015 season. He played in all 13 games, starting the final 12 (one at left tackle, the rest at right tackle). O'Neill continued his improvement on the line, starting all 13 games at right tackle and earning second-team All-ACC from league coaches. Injuries on the line caused him to move to left tackle for his junior season, where he started all 12 games and garnered first-team all-conference honors. Pitt coaches used O'Neill' athleticism as an offensive weapon as a rusher (two scores, one on a lateral and the other on an end-around) and passer (0-for-2). He won the satirical "Piesman Trophy" in 2016 for one of his touchdowns.


COMBINE RESULTS
  • 40 YARD DASH: 4.82 SEC
  • BENCH PRESS: 22 REPS
  • VERTICAL JUMP: 29.5 INCH
  • BROAD JUMP: 107.0 INCH
  • 3 CONE DRILL: 7.14 SEC
  • 20 YARD SHUTTLE: 4.50 SEC

ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
Good arm length. Athletic and fluid as a move blocker. Good lateral quickness and able to race ahead of the pack on pull blocks and screens. Redirects weight and works feet into position to square second level blocks. Accelerates into down blocks and runs feet through contact. Makes subtle weight shifts to keep defender centered during his block. Stays connected to his blocks for the long haul. Plays with adequate lift and hip roll at point of attack. Fires out of his stance into initial kick-slide. Has ability to slide and mirror defender around the arc when technique is right. Nimble feet and good reactive athleticism to recover when beaten around the edge. Quality "snap and find" talent on End/Tackle twists.

WEAKNESSES
Linear build lacking core strength. Technique will go on vacation at inopportune times. Struggled during Senior Bowl reps to maintain his pass pro posture. Tends to defaults to a "nose-over-toes" approach with too much waist-bending. Hands take too many outside tracks to the target. More grabber than puncher. Oversets and opens the inside path. Lack of play strength could be debilitating on the next level. Panics and forgets his footwork. Gets caught on balls of his feet and can be walked into pocket in pass pro. Makes initial contact before working his feet into position as lateral blocker. Doesn't have enough upper body strength to seal and finish some backside reach blocks. Allows defenders to rip through his edge.

DRAFT PROJECTION
Round 2-3

NFL COMPARISON
Jake Fisher

BOTTOM LINE
O'Neill has good length and is a terrific athlete, but his inconsistencies at the Senior Bowl practices will be hard for teams to get out of their minds. What might be even more troubling is the way he seemed to panic and lose technique in certain matchups. O'Neill is a classic zone scheme blocker, but teams may take a look at him as a move guard with tackle potential rather than locking in with him as a blind-side tackle. O'Neill needs to get thicker and stronger or swing tackle could be his ceiling.


-Lance Zierlein
Click to expand...

I'd like to see the Texans move back over to a ZBS. It looks like O'Neill would be a good fit in the ZBS. He'd have to have better lateral quickness for ZBS in the NFL. And gotta have good footwork.
 
kiwitexansfan said:
Settle sounds like a good prospect, although as a massive Reader fan, feel like it's developing a strength on a team with many needs.

The names I'd like to throw in the mix are:

Jessie Bates III - S - Wake Forrest
Holton Hill - DB - Texas

Feel like every mock draft we have ever done I have recruited for secondary help and missed out every year.

I'm DUE!!
Click to expand...

The Texans defense use a lot of 4-3 looks. With the LB's (Cole, Mercilus, Cunningham, McKinney alternating) the Texans have, and Clowney standing up at one end, Watt at the other and DJ and Settle anchoring the middle, what are defenses going to do? The Texans would rule the LOS and give those DB's a chance at turning the ball over.

As for the Texans O-Line, go lighter, more athletic and run the ZBS. Now's the time for change with this team.
 
Gotta draft for the system don't we. OB hasn't indicated a move to the ZBS right?

I could be talked into Settle if that is what the board wants.
 
kiwitexansfan said:
Gotta draft for the system don't we. OB hasn't indicated a move to the ZBS right?

I could be talked into Settle if that is what the board wants.
Click to expand...

So far I'm the only one voting for Settle. Your guy is still in the lead.

Now I will mention the Texans do run some zone blocking on offense. Remember, OB is a "game by game schemer" and so far it hasn't worked out real well. Kubiak was a "I'm going to run my offense no matter what" kind of coach and he was criticized for that.

The only offense that will satisfy fans (like me) is the one that wins a Super Bowl. Until then, it's all crap.
 
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I'm nominating Royce Freeman, RB - Oregon. There are only a couple of RBs left that can produce right away, and Freeman is the best fit for the Texans. Has been super productive in a single back, shotgun offense that will be be similar to the new Texans offense. Freeman is an inside slasher who also has a feel for screens. What he's not is a home run hitter, but would be a nice compliment to Lamar Miller.

 
For the Texans:

Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma
Jessie Bates, S, Wake Forest
Dalton Schultz, TE, Stanford
Desmond Harrison, OT, W. Georgia


@jaysonbraddock via Twitter:

I also love Orlando Brown's film. Reminds me of Bryant McKinnie, red flags and all.

His film makes him the top OT prospect in this draft, imo.

He fits the Texans bigger, stronger, longer, faster, M.O.

6'8 - 345
35" arms
 
kiwitexansfan said:
Dark Queen? Is that his nickname of what?

Could totally go a CB.

Thoughts on Holton Hill?
Click to expand...

Holton natural position maybe free safety. He has the size and decent speed for his 6-3 Frame. Not type of DB I would project to CB, his hips are just too stiff and plays too high. So not a sticky, cover corner I would covet, like Jackson who explodes into routes and is very disruptive.
 
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I feel Orlando will always battle his weight and conditioning. If you can live with that draft him if not don’t, pretty simple.

I would prefer Alex Cappa, Humboldt State. Who? He is a 6-7 Senior Bowl participant (which means caught Texans coaches eyes) then followed it up with solid combine. Watching him couldn’t take my eyes off his light feet, competitiveness and all out hussle. Think he goes earlier than projected and could work his way into starting lineup sooner than later.
 
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I'm going on the Orlando Brown (LT - Oklahoma) bandwagon. This is as good a place in the draft, as any, to take a risk. Before this guy went out and ran in his underwear, he was projected as one of the top RD1 LT's in the draft. Jump to the Combine and his underwear workout....everything went south in a hurry.

Brown's initial projections were based on what this guy produced on the field. His film was reviewed by a lot of analyst who then didn't waste any time in announcing this athlete as a RD1 prospect. A couple of days out of pads and this guy has free-fallin all the way to RD3-68 and suddenly no one is even aware of what this guy did on the field of play...in pads for the past few seasons.

One thing I'm very certain of, the teams picking behind the Texans are not going to let Brown finish his free-fall to 16th pick of RD3. The majority of those teams could use an OT and to get an OT that was originally projected in RD1, in the third...they're going to take that risk.

Texans need a LT at the highest order, I'm siding with the potential that with his pads on, we get a RD1 LT with the 68th pick. It would really be disappointing if we bypassed Brown, he's then selected by another team before the 16th pick, and winds up giving them his Oklahoma type of performances at LT while the Texans would be waiting until the 2019 FA period and/or draft to address the LT position.

Texans can still get a high caliber FS with the 16th or 34th pick. TE should be addressed in RD3.
 
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Good point by Optimistic Texan. The way this board has fallen there is less of a talent drop off in the secondary than at OT. Only issue I have is that from a BPA perspective i’d still say safety is the way to go.

I do like Bates’ baseball background tracking the deep balls that have terrorized the Texans and Moore’s elite athleticism. Moore’s instincts certainly look good on film as well albeit against lesser competition.

Not sure if I get a vote but I still go Moore because you can’t teach 4.32 speed and he looks to have a nose for the ball as well. Could push Hal for his starting position year 1 and would contribute in 3 safety packages Crennel likes to deploy and special teams regardless.
 
I've got (2) athletes in mind that can play either FS or SS, have the size for either position, possess the speed to get the job done in either position and could be on the board at #16. This is my biggest position on why moving on a LT first and DB next....the DB's this year represent a really deep and talented group of athletes. I'm also watching another SS who could be falling strictly based on an injury (originally projected as a RD3 or RD4 SS) that would be worth a RD7 pick if for nothing else, a solid ST's guy for a season...unless the Badger re-signs. The Texans need to have a backup in training in the event the Badger moves on in 2019.

Sorry I'm not mentioning names but they could be targets for the teams I'm drafting for or recommendations for the Texans at #16.
 
Is there a OT that's a slam dunk to beat out Davenport or are we looking at someone that might eventually develop into a starting OT? Seems like we're looking at developmental OTs at this stage, which if this is the case, doesn't it make sense to draft a position that will immediately contribute? DB, interior Dline, RB, TE and WR all seem to be areas someone could rotate in and contribute. I do like the film on Settle - reminds me of Warren Sapp and could see him immediately getting 3rd down snaps and applying pressure up the middle (much needed imo). The good news is that it seems like there's a number of ways to go and we shouldn't get stuck over drafting a position of need.
 
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I'm going to go in on Jessie Bates. I think he would be a real asset as a versatile Safety. He can play center field, he can play man, and he can come up and make plays in the run game. I think he brings a different skill set than Hal and Mathieu, and would make a great partner to each. He's also the top available talent left on my board. Perfect match.

My count as of now:

(3) Jessie Bates - S, Wake Forest - @bah007 @kiwitexansfan @WolverineFan
(1) Royce Freeman - RB, Oregon - @Lucky
(1) Orlando Brown - OT, Oklahoma - @OptimisticTexan
(1) Alex Cappa - OT, Humboldt St - @beerlover
(1) Chukwuma Okorafor - OT, Western Michigan - @Texansphan
(1) Tim Settle - DL, Virginia Tech - @banned1976
(1) Tarvarius Moore - S, Southern Miss - @TheRealJoker


Some of you mentioned more than one name so I didn't count your vote yet.

I'd say we need to come to a consensus by 11:00 AM. If we are unable to, then whoever leads the vote at that time should be the pick and we move on.
 
My top 3

Chukwuma Okorafor - The most likely of the remaining tackles to start as a rookie
Brian O'Neil - not concerned with bad reps at senior bowl in 1 v 1. Never play 1 v 1. Has athleticism to play LT in zone or power
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo - Would give insurance for Mercilus/Clowney injuries, OLB is position we have the least depth on team
 
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