Thread for draft simulations:

[Michael K.]

If John doesn't take an OL in the first two rounds i will be truly miffed. Two would be great


PFN_Draft_result_1739460709466.png

Isn't the Jackson kid from Ohio State pretty highly regarded?

[Michael K.]

Cam Ward went 7th to the Jets!

I traded back twice, once because I thought I could move back one and still get Booker. He went in my spot at 18. Then I traded back, gambling that Cameron Williams and Josh Simmons would stick around. They didn't, went four and five spots ahead of me. So? At least I didn't draft an edge first! LOL

Derrick Harmon
DT
Oregon
Height: 6 - 5 |
Weight: 310 lbs |
RAS: N/A
A Michigan State transfer, Harmon showcases an explosive first step and versatile pass-rushing skills. In 2024's regular season, he tallied 39 tackles, eight tackles for loss, four sacks, and two forced fumbles for the Ducks. Harmon’s impressive performance makes him a strong first-round candidate for April’s draft.

I almost took Sawyer at 50, but went with the QB. Plus? I didn't want to get yelled at for taking another Edge. Haha.

LSU WRs seem to be hot commodities. I don't know much about this guy though.

Kyren Lacy
WR
LSU
Height: 6 - 2 |
Weight: 213 lbs |
RAS: N/A
Kyren Lacy is a physical and athletic wide receiver with the ability to create mismatches against defenders. His size and strong hands make him a reliable target in contested catch situations, particularly in the red zone. Lacy excels at using his body to shield defenders and secures the ball through contact. He has smooth route-running ability and enough burst to create separation, while his strength allows him to break tackles and pick up yards after the catch. There are some concerns about his ability to recognize pockets within zone coverage, and he has a tendency to telegraph his breaks when running routes. With continued refinement in his release and route tree, Lacy’s combination of physicality and playmaking ability makes him a consistent offensive threat.

I also love O Lineman from Georgia.

Jared Wilson
OC
Georgia
Height: 6 - 3 |
Weight: 310 lbs |
RAS: N/A
Jared Wilson projects as a high-upside starter in the NFL. While he is still raw as just a one-year starting center, the three-star Bulldogs recruit has the athleticism and natural leverage understanding to be one of the first pure center prospects off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft. The 6’3”, 310-pound starter starting center has a strong base and impressive hand usage while also possessing the fluid mobility to work in space.

Que the criticism for drafting an Edge! LOL, couldn't resist.

Que Robinson
EDGE
Alabama
Height: 6 - 4 |
Weight: 236 lbs |
RAS: N/A
Que Robinson emerged as a key defensive player for Alabama in 2024 after five years, transitioning from special teams to a prominent pass rusher. Standing 6’5” and weighing 241 pounds, he combines exceptional length and versatility with disciplined edge rushing. Despite an injury-shortened season, Robinson is projected as a promising Day 3 NFL prospect.

All in all I don't mind this draft. And I loaded up for next year with two second rounders.

[Sibelius Hindemith]

Here's what Pro Football Network wrote about Christian Haynes last year...

Haynes grades out as a fringe first-round prospect and a top-50 talent in the 2024 NFL Draft. For teams in need of an offensive guard, he’s worth late first-round capital. In the second and third rounds, he’d be a tremendous value addition with schematic versatility and impact starter potential.

Across Haynes’ game, there is an over-arching need for greater control. As a run blocker, he sometimes drifts past optimal angles and can pass up opportunities to correct leverage with over-aggression. And in pass protection, that same overaggression can leave him in the lurch against rushers who know how to set up blockers.

All this being said, there’s a passable operational foundation present to cement Haynes as a starter early in his career, and his ceiling is one of the highest in the 2024 NFL Draft interior offensive line class. He could experiment with a switch to center, but he translates best at his most natural position: Guard.

At 6’2 1/2″ and 318 pounds, with near-34″ arms, Haynes has an elite combination of natural leverage, mass, and proportional length.

His physical profile and raw strength allow him to control reps in pass protection, but he also has the high-end explosiveness, flexibility, and power output to be a road-grader in the run game.

Haynes functions as a high-floor pass blocker with good anchor timing, placement, and awareness. Meanwhile, in the run game, he has versatility across gap and zone variations, and his verified mauler mentality makes him a tone-setter and a brutal finisher in space.

As a sixth-year senior, Haynes may be an older rookie, but he has the traits to make a Day 1 impact, and the runway toward being an impact two-phase starter shouldn’t be a long one.

https://www.profootballnetwork.com/chri ... ting-2024/

[57reasons]

love this part :

His physical profile and raw strength allow him to control reps in pass protection, but he also has the high-end explosiveness, flexibility, and power output to be a road-grader in the run game.

wth????? so just what was it that didnt translate yet, to the point that coaches were saying he wasnt strong enough?

[Sibelius Hindemith]

Yeah i didn't see much raw strength or explosiveness out of Haynes. Fringe first round prospect? Has the traits to make a Day 1 impact?

They sure missed on that one. Makes me wonder how seriously i should take any of their write-ups on other O line prospects. Other than Banks and Booker there aren't any OG prospects that i have much confidence will be anything special, despite all their glowing draft profiles.

[Sibelius Hindemith]

I tried a best player available (based on PFN rankings) approach to the draft and the first 4 times i picked the best available player was a Safety lol. I ended up with 4 safeties, three RBs, and two DTs.

[Donn Beach]

I tried a best player available (based on PFN rankings) approach to the draft and the first 4 times i picked the best available player was a Safety lol. I ended up with 4 safeties, three RBs, and two DTs.

What if you traded down when the best player available wasn't a player you wanted?

[Sibelius Hindemith]

I tried but no team wanted to draft some RB named Quinshon Judkins who was ranked 61st overall and i didn't want him so i had to keep trading back over and over until i had amassed a bunch of picks in the low to mid 100s. Then i was finally able to draft a TE. I had used the #18 pick on a LB. Then i took a WR, but then another WR kept dropping so i finally gave up.

[Sibelius Hindemith]

I tried a best player available (based on PFN rankings) approach to the draft and the first 4 times i picked the best available player was a Safety lol. I ended up with 4 safeties, three RBs, and two DTs.

What if you traded down when the best player available wasn't a player you wanted?

Obviously one shouldn't expect to get a balanced group of players by drafting solely by BPA, but i was still surprised that for each of the Seahawks' first four picks a safety was the highest ranked player left on the board. That seems to indicate something about the algorithm, such as random devaluation of a position group. Also, how does a player (like Judkins) who is ranked 61st in the draft simulation go well into the 100s becore being drafted? Even in a model that balences BPA with need that seems bizarre. In the real world we'll see players fall but that's almost always due to some event (e.g. criminal act) occuring shortly before the draft that casts doubt on their character or mental state. But, given that when i had the simulator do a complete draft by itself, it seemed to draft with little regard to need i don't know why players would drop so far or certain position groups would be ignored early.

Here's two articles that argue opposite views on BPA vs need in NFL drafting...

https://www.fantasylabs.com/articles/wh ... -strategy/

https://www.hogshaven.com/2019/4/7/1811 ... l-redskins

[Captain 97]

Wheeled and dealed ended up with 4 mid to late second round picks and 5 4th round picks. I heard Brock say good things about the kid from Louisville so I took a flyer on him as a backup.