The Ed.

A place for stuff.

[theedblog]

2018 Pre-Season Awards

MVP 

Aaron Rodgers QB - Packers / Tom Brady QB - Patriots

Offensive Player of the Year

Le’veon Bell RB - Steelers / Todd Gurley RB - Rams

Defensive Player of the Year

Joey Bosa ED - Chargers / Jalen Ramsey CB - Jaguars

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Saquon Barkley RB - Giants / Sam Darnold QB - Jets

Defensive Rookie of the Year

Tremaine Edmunds LB - Bills / Derwin James DB - Chargers

Comeback Player of the Year

J.J. Watt DI - Texans / Aaron Rodgers QB - Packers

Breakout Player of the Year

Patrick Mahomes QB - Chiefs / T.J. Watt ED - Steelers

[theedblog]

The Ed’s 2018 NFL Mock Draft! It’s been awhile but I’m back for the best time of the year. To me the NFL Draft is the Super Bowl of NFL events. So here we go..Pardon the numbers get mixed up at #22 in the drawings.

1.CLE - Sam Darnold - QB - USC - 6′3,221.

Pro Comparison - Ben Roethlisberger, QB - Steelers.

2.NYG - Saquon Barkley - RB - Penn State - 6′0,233.

PC - David Johnson, RB - Cardinals.

3.NYJ - Baker Mayfield - QB - Oklahoma - 6′1,215.

PC - Russell Wilson, QB - Seahawks.

4.CLE - Bradley Chubb - ED - NC State - 6′4,269.

PC - Terrell Suggs, ED - Ravens.

5.DEN - Josh Rosen, QB - UCLA - 6′4,226.

PC - Eli Manning, QB - Giants.

6.IND - Quentin Nelson - OL - Notre Dame - 6′5,329.

PC - Zack Martin, OL - Cowboys.

7.TB - Denzel Ward - CB - Ohio State - 5′10,183.

PC - Marshon Lattimore, CB - Saints.

8.CHI - Minkah Fitzpatrick - DB - Alabama - 6′0,204.

PC - Jamal Adams, DB - Jets.

9.SF - Roquan Smith - LB - Georgia - 6′1,236.

PC - Lavonte David, LB - Buccaneers.

10.OAK - Tremaine Edmunds - LB - Virginia Tech - 6′5,253.

PC - Anthony Barr, LB - Vikings.

11.MIA - Derwin James, DB - Florida State - 6′2,215.

PC - Kam Chancellor, DB - Seahawks.

12.BUF - Josh Allen - QB - Wyoming - 6′5,237.

PC - Carson Wentz, QB - Eagles.

13.WAS - Vita Vea - DI - Washington - 6′4,347.

PC - Danny Shelton, DI - Patriots.

14.GB - Josh Jackson - CB - Iowa - 6′0,196.

PC - Marcus Peters, CB - Rams.

15.ARZ - Lamar Jackson - QB - Louisville - 6′2,216.

PC - Deshaun Watson, QB - Texans.

16.BAL - Dallas Goedert - TE - South Dakota State - 6′5,256.

PC - Tyler Eifert, TE - Bengals.

17.LAC - Mo Hurst - DI - Michigan - 6′1,292.

PC - Mike Daniels, DI - Packers.

18.SEA - Isaiah Oliver - CB - Colorado - 6′0,201.

PC - Artie Burns, CB - Steelers.

19.DAL - Leighton Vander Esch - LB - 6′4,256.

PC - KJ Wright, LB - Seahawks.

20.DET - Harold Landry - ED - Boston College - 6′2,252.

PC - Vic Beasley, ED - Falcons.

21.CIN - Mike McGlinchey - OL - Notre Dame - 6′8,309.

PC - Nate Solder, OL - Giants.

22.BUF - DJ Moore - WR - Maryland - 6′0,210.

PC - Golden Tate, WR - Lions.

23.NE - Jaire Alexander - WR - Louisville - 5′10,196.

PC - William Jackson III, CB - Bengals.

24.CAR - Marcus Davenport - ED - UTSA - 6′6,264.

PC - Ezekiel Ansah, ED - Lions.

25.TEN - Josh Sweat - ED - 6′4,251.

PC - Bud Dupree, ED - Steelers.

26.ATL - Taven Bryan - DI - Florida - 6′5,291.

PC - Malik Jackson, DI - Jaguars.

27JAX - Courtland Sutton - WR - SMU - 6′4,218.

PC - Alshon Jeffrey, WR - Eagles.

28.PIT - Rashaan Evans - LB - Alabama - 6′2,232.

PC - Lawrence Timmons, LB - Dolphins.

29.JAX - Connor Williams - OL - Texas - 6′5,296.

PC - Terron Armstead, OL - Saints.

30.MIN - Will Hernandez - OL - UTEP - 6′2,327/

PC - Marshall Yanda, OL - Ravens.

31.NE - Kolton Miller - OL - UCLA - 6′9,309.

PC - Eric Fisher, OL - Chiefs.

32.PHI - Mike Hughes - CB - UCF - 5′10,189.

PC - Adoree Jackson - CB - Titans.

[theedblog]

Ed Blog 2018 #bigboard second half..                                                                      

17.Harold Landry, DE - Boston College Eagles. 6′3,250. Pro Comparison: Vic Beasley, DE - Falcons.

18.Christian Wilkins, DT - Clemson Tigers. 6′4,300. PC: Cam Heyward, DE - Steelers.

19.Courtland Sutton, WR - SMU Mustangs. 6′,220. PC: Allen Robinson, WR - Jaguars

20.Arden Key, DE - LSU Tigers. 6′6,245. PC: Leonard Floyd, LB - Bears.

21.Connor Williams, OT - Texas Longhorns. 6′6,320. PC: Bryan Bulaga, OT - Packers.

22.Isaiah Oliver, CB - Colorado Buffalos. 6′1,195. PC: Artie Burns, CB - Steelers.

23.Maurice Hurst, DT - Michigan Wolverines. 6′1,285. PC: Mike Daniels, DT - Packers

24.Lorenzo Carter, LB - Georgia Bulldogs. 6′6,245. PC: Anthony Barr, LB - Vikings.

25.Denzel Ward, CB - Ohio State Buckeyes. 5′10,190 PC: Jason Verrett, CB - Chargers

26.Rashaan Evans, LB - Alabama Crimson Tide. 6′2,230. PC: Ryan Shazier, LB - Steelers.

27.Ronnie Harrison, SS - Alabama Crimson Tide. 6′3,215. PC: Reshad Jones, SS - Dolphins.

28.Calvin Ridley, WR - Alabama Crimson Tide. 6′1,190. PC: Stefon Diggs, WR - Vikings.

29.Josh Jackson, CB - Iowa Hawkeyes. 6′2,190. PC: Stephon Gilmore, CB - Patriots.

30.Raquon Smith, LB - Georgia Bulldogs. 6′1,225. PC: Deion Jones, LB - Falcons.

31.Martinas Rankin, OT - Mississippi State Bulldogs. 6′5,315. PC: Mike Pouncey, OC - Dolphins.

32.Christian Kirk, WR - Texas A&M Aggies. 5′11,200. PC: Jarvis Landry, WR - Dolphins.

[theedblog]

With the college regular season officially finished I thought I’d post The Ed’s first official #bigboard. The top 32 players in the country. First half now, second half later. After the championships and bowls are finished I’ll do another one. Then another after the combine. This is a combination of skill level and positional value. Pro Comparisons aren’t necessarily how good I think they will be as much as a mix of play style and potential. Here we go..

1.Baker Mayfield, QB - Oklahoma Sooners. 6′1,220lbs. Pro Comparison: Russell Wilson, QB - Seahawks.

2.Saquon Barkley, RB - Penn State Nittany Lions. 5′11,225lbs. PC: David Johnson, RB - Cardinals.

3.Lamar Jackson, QB - Louisville Cardinals. 6′3,205lbs. PC: Marcus Mariota, QB - Titans.

4.Sam Darnold, QB - USC Trojans. 6′4,225lbs. PC: Matt Ryan, QB - Falcons.

5.Josh Rosen, QB - UCLA Bruins. 6′4,220lbs. PC: Kirk Cousins, QB - Redskins.

6.Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB - Alabama Crimson Tide. 6′1,200lbs. PC: Jalen Ramsey, CB - Jaguars.

7.Bradley Chubb, DE - NC State Wolfpack. 6′4,275lbs. PC: Everson Griffen, DE - Vikings.

8.Mike McGlinchey, OT - Notre Dame Fighting Irish. 6′7,310. PC: Taylor Decker, OT - Lions.

9.Quenton Nelson, OG - Notre Dame Fighting Irish. 6′5,325. PC: T.J. Lang, OG - Lions.

10.Derwin James, SS - Florida State Seminoles. 6′3,215. PC: Kam Cancellor, SS - Seahawks.

11.Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, DE - Oklahoma Sooners. 6′1,240. PC: Melvin Ingram, DE - Chargers.

12.Clelin Ferrell, DE - Clemson Tigers. 6′5,260. PC: Chandler Jones, LB - Cardinals.

13.Derrius Guice, RB - LSU Tigers. 5′11,215. PC: Kareem Hunt, RB - Chiefs.

14.James Washington, WR - Oklahoma State Cowboys. 6′0,205. PC: Sammy Watkins, WR - Rams.

15.Orlando Brown, OT - Oklahoma Sooners. 6′8,345. PC: Cordy Glenn, OT - Bills.

16.Bryce Love, RB - Stanford Cardinal. 5′10,195. PC: Devonta Freeman, RB - Falcons.

[theedblog]

Although we are nearly to the half way point of the season these are The Ed’s quarter season awards. 

Although the team got a slow start and the defense is still looking rough, Tom Brady is still doing Tom Brady stuff. At 40 years old, Brady had 10 TDs to 0 INTs in the first quarter of the season. The runner up at this point is Alex Smith who has also had an incredible start to the season and the best of his career so far. I’ll give Brady the nod though because he seems to be doing it with less help.

I got cute with Offensive Player and Offensive Rookie of the year. Through the first quarter of the year Kareem Hunt has been easily the best offensive rookie but also probably the best offensive player. I didn’t want to give two of the five awards to Hunt so he will get Offensive Player and Deshaun Watson gets Offensive Rookie. Although Hunt has been better overall, stepping in and carrying the team as a rookie QB is always impressive. Seems like a good compromise. Watch out for Leo Fournette to make a push for Offensive Rookie. He’s been really steady and has started making big plays on the ground for Jacksonville. As far as Offensive Player, Le’Veon Bell has brushed the rust off and started looking like the best running back in the league. He should only get better.

Demarcus Lawrence gets Defensive Player. After missing time with injuries and suspension he’s finally taken off as a pro. Funny how that works out in a contract year..Calais Campbell has also been very disruptive but a lot of his numbers came in one game against the Colts. Lawrence has done it every game so far. There are a handful of good rookie CBs but Tre White has looked like a big time play maker. A Defensive Player candidate to watch is Khalil Mack. He started a little slow but with Derek Carr healthy again and the offense playing better The Raiders should be playing with the lead more often giving Mack more chances to pin his ears back and get to the QB. Saints rookie CB Marshon Lattimore has been playing like a Pro Bowler this year but might need to make some splash plays to pass over White a la Marcus Peters over Ronald Darby a couple years ago.

[theedblog]

Alright, NFC East time, y’all. There are a lot of super competitive divisions this season. The AFC West, AFC South, NFC South...all pretty fucking decent. The NFC East is definitely the toughest to predict though. The Cowboys won it last year and should keep things rolling this season, especially once Zeke gets back. Kirk Cousins keeps throwing for pretty decent numbers despite everyone assuming that this is the year he regresses. How is literally nobody convinced that he’s a good quarterback yet? Not even me and I am fully aware of how ridiculous that is. Carson Wentz is a ass hair away from being a top tier guy. One big step forward and Philly is a serious contender. Then there’s goddamn Eli Manning. Let’s get into it.

NFC East Crew..

QB - Eli Manning, Giants

RB - Zeke Elliot, Cowboys

TE - Jordan Reed, Redskins

WR - Odell Beckham Jr, Giants

WR - Dez Bryant, Cowboys

FLEX - Terrelle Pryor, Redskins

OL - Lane Johnson, Eagles

OL - Tyron Smith, Cowboys

OL - Trent Williams, Redskins

OL - Zack Martin, Cowboys

OL - Travis Frederick, Cowboys

DL - Brandon Graham, Eagles

DL - Fletcher Cox, Eagles

DL - Damon Harrison, Giants

DL - Olivier Vernon, Giants

LB - Jordan Hicks, Eagles

LB - Sean Lee, Cowboys

LB - Zach Brown, Redskins

DB - Josh Norman, Redskins

DB - Landon Collins, Giants

DB - Janoris Jenkins, Giants

DB - Malcolm Jenkins, Eagles

Offensive Player of the Year - Odell Beckham Jr, WR - Giants

Defensive Player of the Year - Fletcher Cox, DL - Eagles

Rookie of the Year - Evan Engram, TE - Giants

Breakout Player of the Year - Su’a Cravens, SS - Redskins

Comeback Player of the Year - Jason Pierre-Paul, DL - Giants

Newcomer of the Year - Alshon Jeffery, WR - Eagles

Offensive Player of the year would have been a no brainer for this division if Zeke Elliot weren’t missing the first six games of the year. Shit, I still think he ends up the best RB of the bunch. But you got another blue chipper in the division. ODB. I used to substitute teach at a school in Little Rock and all the cool kids had his hair. He’s this generation’s Deion Sanders and it’s not even close. Defensive Player of year is Fletcher Cox. He is a renaissance master’s oil painting of an NFL 3-technique. This division is so fucking loaded on both sides of the ball. With all the talent around him I would guess Cox comes out of this season with at least double digit sacks. Rookie of the year is going to Evan Engram. Tough call because TEs are generally not great as rookies but Engram could really be special early on. He’s already one of the most athletic TEs in football but a great route runner and landed on a team with a lot of talent around him. He’ll lose some targets but won’t get nearly as much attention as most first round picks at his position. I think Jonathan Allen will have the best career out of all the rookies in this division but he’s going to get so much attention all season. Plus he’s not playing a glory position. He’ll be two gapping in a division full of really excellent offensive linemen. Couple years down the road and he’s an All-Pro, for now he has a solid rookie year but lacks great numbers. Comeback player of the year is JPP. He’s got most of a year playing with 7.5 fingers under his belt. He should only get better from here, right? Not sure how that works. Newcomer is Alshon Jeffery to Philly. I actually don’t even think he’s the best new WR in the division. My guess is Terrelle Pryor goes for about 400 more yards and 2-3 more TDs. The difference is who’s throwing him the ball. Cousins isn’t Joe Montana but he’s definitely more settled in as who he is as a QB than Carson Wentz. Philly has hitched their wagon to the boy from Fargo. He was solid as a rookie last year but now has a true #1 WR. Breakout Player of the Year is Su’a Cravens who has retired and unretired since I started this blog post. With the uncertainty I’ll switch it up to Byron Jones for now.

I could honestly go four different ways at QB. I went Eli because of the talent around him. Wentz and Dak Prescott have way more potential but I always worry about the possibility of a sophomore slump even if all things are pointing up. It’s very possible Eli is the absolute worst QB in this division. 

RB looks like this: 10 game Zeke > 16 game Rob Kelley. 10 game Zeke > 16 game Paul Perkins. 10 game Zeke > 16 game LaGarrette Blount.

There are a few guys that could’ve gone before Terrelle Pryor, maybe even on his team (Jamison Crowder) but Pryor went for over 1000 yards in his first full season as a WR in the NFL for the Browns when he had a mixture of Kevin Hogan, Cody Kessler, and I don’t know...Brian Hoyer??? throwing him the ball. A solid QB situation with a great offensive line, decent WR/TE options around him and no great running game...I think TPJ is going to go big this year. As far as the other two go..I think Dez could lead the NFL in TD receptions and ODB could lead the NFL in yards. 

Jordan Reed is the clear favorite at TE assuming he stays healthy unless you count blocking ability then Jason Witten might have a claim but nobody cares about blocking really. Zach Ertz has a chance to challenge Jordan Reed if Reed is hurt.

This is probably the best division for offensive linemen in the league. I’m an Arkansas boy. Lifelong Razorback and University of Arkansas alumni and so when I don’t include Jason Peters into this group it means this is a great group. The only question was Peters or Lane Johnson and I honestly believe Johnson is bound to be one of the three or four best linemen in the league. Also, how is Tyron Smith only like 26? He’s probably another year or so from hitting his prime.

This division may not have the best defensive line but it’s close. Even the Redskins and the Cowboys who are a little thin have good talent. Fletcher Cox along with J.J. Watt and Aaron Donald has a claim for the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL. Snacks Harrison is very one dimensional but he is just so fucking good against the run his lack of pass rush ability can be overlooked. Brandon Graham and Olivier Vernon are two of the most solid, all-around DEs in the game.

It was tough leaving Ryan Kerrigan out of this group (and also the DL for that matter) but these three linebackers are all three a little more well-rounded and better at what they specialize at than Kerrigan. Jordan Hicks is on his way to being one of the absolute best coverage linebackers in the league. Sean Lee does everything very well. Zach Brown was the closest but he beats his new teammate out by a hair. Better against the run, better in coverage, and although he will only have half the sacks..that’s not bad considering how much more productive he is in every other aspect of the linebacker position.

Byron Jones Su’a Cravens were really the only guys I was considering. Assuming Cravens actually plays this year and has his head in it, he should push for 100 tackles with plenty of opportunities as a pass rusher and in coverage. If Jones had more productive in coverage (as far as turnovers go) he would have made this list. On top of that, he is hoping a young, depleted line gets enough pressure on opposing QBs to give him looks at INTs. Janoris Jenkins and Marcus Peters both proved themselves last year as true shut down guys. Malcolm Jenkins and Landon Collins both have great athleticism and versatility. Jenkins is great but Collins has done nothing but produce at a top tier rate his two years in the league and with his best defensive crew around him I can’t help but think he’ll be even better this year.

This division is tough but I gotta go with the Giants. The NFC East is notorious for never producing repeat winners so you gotta think it’s different this year than last year. I think the Giants will have one of the best defenses in the game this year and if the O-line holds up there should be enough talent on that side of the ball to hold up.

Yeah boys and girls...AFC East up next. Oh shit, who wins that one, right?!

[theedblog]

Helllooooo y’all. The second edition of my division by division 2017 season preview is here. Still on the west coast but the slightly more mid-west version of the other west coast division. Also it’s much better. Way better. This is such a weird division. It’s a Paxton Lynch or Trevor Siemian getting good..or even decent at football away from having three Super Bowl contenders (assuming Tom Brady and probably Jimmy Garoppolo both cease to exist before the season starts). You also have the Chargers. We always forget about the Chargers. How is that? Phillip Rivers is the best quarterback in the division (I guess, right? ehhh..). They’re located in the second largest market in America. And we forget about this team. Their powder blues are the coolest uniforms in football and we just blank on who the fourth team in the AFC West is. I think I’d rather be a Browns fan than a Chargers fan. At least that way I’d get excited about a third place finish in the division. It feels like the Chargers haven’t been relevant in years and yet I get a feeling their fans feel like they are or at least should be and they have a shot every year. Sounds fucking miserable....anyway...yeah..AFC West preview.

All AFC West Crew:

QB - Derek Carr, Raiders

RB - Melvin Gordon, Chargers

TE - Travis Kelce, Chiefs

WR - Amari Cooper, Raiders

WR - Demaryius Thomas, Broncos

FLX - Tyreke Hill, Chiefs

OL - Kelechi Osemele, Raiders

OL - Gabe Jackson, Raiders

OL - Rodney Hudson, Raiders

OL - Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff, Chiefs 

OL - Matt Paradis, Broncos

DL - Von Miller - Broncos

DL - Khalil Mack - Raiders

DL - Joey Bosa - Chargers

DL - Chris Jones - Chiefs

LB - Jatavis Brown - Chargers

LB - Bruce Irvin - Raiders

LB - Dee Ford - Chiefs

DB - Aqib Talib - Broncos

DB - Chris Harris - Broncos

DB - Marcus Peters - Chiefs

DB - Eric Berry - Chiefs

Offensive Player of the Year - Derek Carr, QB - Raiders

Defensive Player of the Year - Von Miller, DL - Broncos

Rookie of the Year - Garrett Bolles, OL - Broncos

Breakout Player of the Year - Chris Jones, DL - Chiefs

Comeback Player of the Year - Mario Edwards, DL - Raiders

New Comer of the Year - Marshawn Lynch, RB - Raiders

The All-AFC West Defense team was all about new guys. I love me some Justin Houston, Derrick Johnson, Tamba Hali, etc.. but looking at how these players are trending compared to those like Dee Ford, Jatavis Brown, Chris Jones, etc.. and couldn’t help but feel like the times are a changin’. In the secondary you still have the Broncos’ CBs. I thought about taking one out and adding one of the Chargers’ CBs. Chris Harris is a lock but Casey Heyward and Jason Verrett over Aqib Talib was a thought. Those guys are both younger but I still went with Talib because he can cover bigger TEs that usually create big match up problems for teams. The offense was a little tougher. There wasn’t an obvious choice for RB. You know I wanted to pick Skittles but I think he, like Jamaal Charles over in Denver, are going to contribute but are a little past their prime. There’s also Spencer Ware and he’s fine. But that’s about it. Melvin Gordon is the only RB is the division I can see that represents a ton of potential. He showed it last year too before he got hurt. The WRs in this division are also a little tough to pick. I think Tyreke Hill looks more like a pure WR this year than a trick play guy and Amari Cooper could be a top tier guy. The third option was a little tougher. Demayrius Thomas, Michael Crabtree, Manny Sanders, Keenan Allen...I went with Thomas. They all have their issues but he’s the most proven out of the gang and has the best run-after-catch ability which lessens his dependence on other factors. Not a great division for offensive tackles but their are a bunch of good interior O-linemen.

Offensive Player of the Year in this division wasn’t close. Defensive Player of the Year though...Von Miller and Khalil Mack are, in my opinion, two of the five best defenders in football. I also believe Khalil Mack is the slightly better player. That doesn’t always matter though. I think Oakland is thin at linebacker and Khalil Mack has to take his hand out of the dirt and do some dirty work. Von Miller will be going balls to the wall after all the quarterbacks this year. So basically I think Mack will end up with MVP tape but the state sheet will have more sacks under Von Miller’s name and that’s what will end up mattering more. Joey Bosa could also put together an Defensive MVP type of year. He has that type of potential but until it’s more than that I can’t vote him over Miller or Mack.

This isn’t a great division for rookies. I don’t really see a guy who’s really going to make a huge impact for KC or LA this year. Oakland has a few guys that will play and may be pretty good. Gareon Conley and Obi Melifonwu should help out in the secondary while Marquel Lee and Eddie Vanderoes are penciled in as starters in the front seven. Butt Denver getting a day one starter on a O-line that was pretty bad last year should be the biggest impact.

Living in Northwest Arkansas I saw a lot of Chiefs games last year so I saw a lot of Chris Jones. I was pretty surprised when I went a looked at his 2016 stats. They were pretty minimal. Obviously a defensive lineman like him can have a big impact without a ton of stats but still...it felt like he was always blowing guys up and getting in the backfield. This year I think the numbers match the film and he could sniff double digit sacks and grab a bunch of tackles for loss and pass deflections.

Mario Edwards never actually hit that point that I couldn’t also make him a candidate for Breakout Player but this is more about the potential as a thunder/lightning kinda duo he was forming with Khalil Mack before his injury. 

The best new comer to the division was between two veteran RBs, Jamaal Charles and Marshawn Lynch. They will both be part of a committee of decent RBs but Skittles will likely be the bell cow while Charles will probably be more of a change of pace/third down back to CJ Anderson’s early/short yardage role.

All in all, this isn’t an easy division to predict. The Broncos could win it with even decent QB play. Their defense is going to be that good. The Chiefs are what the Broncos would like with a decent QB. However, when it all wraps up I think the Raiders take this division.

[theedblog]

Hey-O! The only thing I love more than the football season is the couple weeks leading up to it. So much hope...so much promise...mmmmm yeah. I’m no Pro Football Focus but I do have doodles to go along with my much less researched opinions so it pretty much evens out. I’ll break my 2017 Preview down by Division, including The Ed’s All-Division teams and Divisional Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Breakout Player of the Year, and the most important new comer to each division. Just a heads up, I added a FLEX position on offense which is available for any RB, WR, or TE. On Defense I was pretty open ended about Edge, labeling them either LB or DL. This was just so I didn’t leave out any top tier players in a division that happened to be full of good D-Linemen and thin on Linebackers and vice versa.

We’ll start our tour with the NFC West. The division that was seen for a brief moment as the new tough guy division. The Niners/Seahawks rivalry was the new Steelers/Ravens (puh-leeeeez). This was the lunch pale division for the length of a tuna melt sandwich and a cup of joe barely enjoyed with greasy hands on a steel beam sixty stories up. But then Jim Harbaugh left and we all woke up and remembered what this was...a group of goddamn west coast elites (amirite? right?!). Even the Legion of Boom just kinda bitches about stuff now. Let’s take a look at how the ol’ NFC West is gonna shake out.

All NFC West Crew:

QB - Russell Wilson, Seahawks

RB - Dirt Johnson, Cardinals

TE - Jimmy Graham, Seahawks

WR - Doug Baldwin, Seahawks

WR - Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals

FLEX - John Brown, Cardinals

OL - Jared Veldheer, Cardinals

OL - Mike Iupati, Cardinals

OL - Andrew Whitworth, Rams

OL - Justin Britt, Seahawks

OL - Joe Staley, 49ers

DL - Mike Bennett, Seahawks

DL - Aaron Donald, Rams

DL - Chandler Jones, Cardinals

DL - Markus Golden, Cardinals

LB - Deone Bucannon, Cardinals

LB - K.J. Wright, Seahawks

LB - Bobby Wagner, Seahawks

DB - Richard Sherman, Seahawks

DB - Patrick Peterson, Cardinals

DB - Earl Thomas, Seahawks

DB - Kam Chancellor, Seahawks

Offensive Player of the Year - DangerRuss Wilson, QB - Seahawks

Defensive Player of the Year - Aaron Donald, DL - Rams

Rookie of the Year - Reuben Foster, LB - 49ers

Breakout Player of the Year - Robert Nkemdiche, DL - Cardinals

Comeback Player of the Year - Robert Quinn, DL - Rams

New Comer of the Year - Andrew Whitworth, OL - Rams

This division was actually pretty easy. There weren’t too many tough choices. The offensive Flex position could’ve gone to a couple different guys. I thought about calling a Todd Gurley return which is very likely but that team is going to be shit and they’ll be abandoning the power running attack before half most games. In that Arizona offense John Brown is going to get his deep looks one way or the other. Even if the second best looking and second best quarterback of the Hanson Brothers (not sure if any of them can play or not, I just have a hard time saying Blaine Gabbert is the best quarterback in any group of people) ends up playing, the rock is going deep in the desert. Carlos Hyde was also a thought but he’s starting to feel like the Sam Bradford of running backs. Every year is ‘the year it all comes together’. The only really tough choice was going with both the Arizona edge guys over the other two edge rushers in Seattle or Robert Quinn. But Cliff Avril and Frank Clark are going to be rotational players (very good ones to be fair) and Quinn is coming off a couple down seasons. I gotta give the edge (no pun intended) to the Arizona boys. I wanted to put Navarro Bowman at linebacker over Deone Bucannon but I just can’t believe at this point he will put together a full 16 game season while Bucannon is a dynamic talent with the potential to hit an elite level of play.

As far as rookies in this division go there are a few good ones. Solomon Thomas is my bet to be the best of the bunch but I get a feeling they are really going to stretch his abilities thin in a variety of roles as a rookie. Hasaan Reddick is another one that will be good but he is switching positions and is likely to play behind Karlos Dansby early on. Budda Baker is going to be a fun player to watch and a great compliment to the Honey Badger (the nickname combos should be great) but is a guy Arizona will have to move around to find his best position as a pro. He will also probably start out playing behind a veteran (Antoine Bethea). Gerald Everett will get touches for the Rams but he’ll have to transition from a small school to the NFL at a position that already sees a lot of guys struggle with that jump. Reuben Foster is not only pro-ready but actually going to a more simple defense where he will just be asked to chase and tackle. At the combine he really showed how well suited he was for playing linebacker in the NFL. We didn’t get to see him run a 40 or do reps of 225 because he got kicked out of the combine for going ape shit on some lunch lady asking ‘DON’T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!?!!’ showing supreme confidence and blind rage.

Former first round O-linemen like Josh Garnett and D.J. Humphries were options as breakout candidates but it’s tough to picture guys like that making as big an impact as stat getters (gatherers?) like pass rushers, running backs, etc.. Maurice Alexander was a thought. He should be really good as a full time starter for L.A. this year in place of departed T.J. McDonald. However, he may end up playing high safety too often to really rack up tackles in the box. Instead, I think Robert Nkemdiche has a Jadeveon Clowney kind of impact this year. He may not be a double digit sack guy yet but like Clowney he should start hitting his stride as a dominant run defender. Give him some time to get them dreads out and he’ll be a damn spitting image of former Cardinals bad ass, Darnell Dockett.

Comeback player in this division wasn’t close in my opinion. Robert Quinn is a former All-Pro pass rusher who is still young enough to bounce back from a couple down seasons. It helps he plays with maybe the best defensive player in the league, Aaron Donald and will fill the rock star position in Wade Phillip’s super aggressive defense. He will have the green light to get down field this season and I suspect he gets back to form.

San Fran has loaded up with new faces but they are mostly all just place holders on a bad team. The Seahawks will win this division regardless so I’m looking to the future when it comes to this division’s best new comer. Less-pretty-and-probably-less-good-at-Quarterback-Ryan Gosling (I find myself having the same problem with Jared Goff as I do Blaine Gabbert) has zero chance of being worth all of those draft picks if they don’t at least give him a chance to throw the ball. So bringing in one of this generation’s best offensive linemen was a smart move for the Rams (awful move for Whitworth however). We should get a better look at Goff as an honest to god QB and not just the face of the organization this year.

Dirt ‘David’ Johnson was the only real contender for the NFC West’s Offensive Player of the Year but as soon as Carson Palmer goes down in week 6 this team will start going to shit real quick. It’s hard to pass over the best QB in the division playing for the best team in the division (Russ Wilson).

There are some truly elite defenders in this division. Maybe more so than any other in football and yet it wasn’t even close. Aaron Donald was the best defensive player in football last year and as long as J.J. Watt is having constant back problems Khalil Mack is the only real contender for that title.

Seahawks win this division. Even with an absolute shit offensive line they should sweep the Rams and 49ers and I’d guess split the Cardinals series. Next up...The AFC West.

[theedblog]

Faces of Fred part too.

[theedblog]

Episode 4 of The Ed’s 2018 Way-Too-Early Mock Draft. The last QB taken in the first round goes. Washington makes a boring first round pick for the second year in a row. And check it out, Clemson produces another top tier WR. Here it is, picks 13-16..

1.New York Jets: Sam Danrold, QB - USC.

2.San Francisco 49ers: Josh Rosen - QB - UCLA.

3.Cleveland: Darian Guice - RB - LSU.

4.Los Angeles Rams: Derwin James - SS - Florida State.

5.Chicago Bears: Arden Key - LB - LSU

6.Jacksonville Jaguars: Lamar Jackson - QB - Louisville.

7.Arizona Cardinals: Josh Allen - QB - Wyoming.

8.New Orleans Saints: Harold Landry - DE - Boston College.

9.Miami Dolphins: Tavarus McFadden - CB - Florida State.

10.Buffalo Bills: Courtland Sutton - WR - SMU.

11.Cincinatti Bengals: Christian Wilkins - DT - Clemson.

12.Los Angeles Chargers: Mike McGlinchey - OT - Notre Dame.

13.Washington Redskins: Derrick Nnadi - DT - Florida State. 6′1,310.

Pro Comparison: Sheldon Rankins, DT - Saints.

14.Minnesota Vikings: Mason Rudolph - QB - Oklahoma State. 6'4,235.

Pro Comparison: Joe Flacco, QB - Ravens.

15.Tennessee Titans: Malik Jefferson - LB - Texas. 6′2,240.

Pro Comparison: Derrick Johnson, LB - Chiefs.

16.Detroit Lions: Deion Cain, WR - Clemson. 6′1,210.

Pro Comparison: Allen Robinson, WR - Jaguars.

[theedblog]

Part THREE of The Ed’s 2018 utterly, no-use-what-so-ever, completely ridiculously early, early Mock Draft! This is where most of the big names have already been picked which means things are about to get reeeeaaallllll irrelevant. Hold on to your butt’s y’all...a CORNER BACK TO MIAMI! Whuuuuhhh?! A Wide Receiver from SMU to the Bills! Oh jeez, an SMU player going to the Bills, I didn’t realize until I typed it out QUITE how pointless this post was. BUT THIS IS WHAT WE LIVE FOR! Alright, here it is..

1.New York Jets: Sam Darnold, QB - USC. 6′4,225.

2.San Francisco 49ers: Josh Rosen, QB - UCLA. 6′4,215.

3.Cleveland Browns: Darian Guice, RB - LSU. 5′11,215.

4.Los Angeles Rams: Derwin James, SS - Florida State. 6′2,215.

5.Chicago Bears: Arden Key, LB - LSU. 6′6,240.

6.Jacksonville Jaguars: Lamar Jackson, QB - Louisville. 6′3,205.

7.Arizona Cardinals: Josh Allen, QB - Wyoming. 6′5,230.

8.New Orleans Saints: Harold Landry, DE - Boston College. 6′3,250.

9.Miami Dolphins: Tarvarus McFadden, CB - Florida State. 6′1,200.

Pro Comparison: Aqib Talib, CB - Broncos.

10.Buffalo Bills: Courtland Sutton, WR - SMU. 6′4,220.

Pro Comparison: Demaryius Thomas, WR - Broncos.

11.Cincinnati Bengals: Christian Wilkins, DT - Clemson. 6′4,310.

Pro Comparison: Kawann Short, DT - Panthers.

12.Los Angeles Chargers: Mike McGlinchey, OT - Notre Dame. 6′7,310.

Pro Comparison: Taylor Lewan, OT - Titans.

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Hollllrrrrrrrrr Part TWO out of 8 of The Ed’s quite early 2018 NFL mock draft. Bears to the Saints. Bears get a replica of their top pick of a couple years ago to get a perfect pair of leggy linebackers. Jaguars dump the Bortles project to start the Jackson project which I would guess we are all in favor of. The Cardinals get their next arm to drop bombs to Larry Fitzgerald for the next decade. And the Saints miss out on Brees’ replacement but still come out okay with an ink’d up pass rusher.

1.New York Jets: Sam Darnold, QB - USC. 6′4,225.

2.San Francisco 49ers: Josh Rosen, QB - UCLA. 6′4,215.

3. Cleveland Browns: Darian Guice, RB - LSU. 5′11,215.

4.Los Angeles Rams: Derwin James, SS - Florida State. 6′2,215.

5.Chicago Bears: Arden Key, LB - LSU. 6′6,240.

Pro Comparison: Leo Floyd, LB - Bears.

6.Jacksonville Jaguars: Lamar Jackson, QB - Louisville. 6′3,205.

Pro Comparison: Marcus Mariota, QB - Titans.

7.Arizona Cardinals: Josh Allen, QB - Wyoming. 6′5,230.

Pro Comparison: Carson Wentz, QB - Eagles.

8.New Orleans Saints: Harold Landry, DE - Boston College. 6′3,250.

Pro Comparison: Cameron Wake, DE - Dolphins.

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The Ed’s very pointless 2018 NFL mock draft part 1 of 8. Yeah that’s right, I just wasted a LOT of time drawing 32 of college football’s best for a mock draft that will take place in April of 2018 and will more than likely be pretty, pretty, prrreetttyy inaccurate. But shit yeah this is America and it’s almost America’s birthday so I’m giving her some beautiful fucking sports content. Enjoy, my fellow countrymen and women but probably mostly men if I had to guess. I will drop these picks on y’all like a bag of dicks...FOUR dicks at once actually. Here we go.

1.New York Jets: Sam Darnold, QB - USC. 6′4,225.

Pro Comparison: Matt Ryan, QB - Falcons.

2.San Francisco 49ers: Josh Rosen, QB - UCLA. 6′4,215.

Pro Comparison: Eli Manning, QB - Giants.

3.Cleveland Browns: Darian Guice, RB - LSU. 5′11,215.

Pro Comparison: Ezekiel Elliot, RB - Cowboys.

4.Los Angeles Rams: Derwin James, SS - Florida State. 6′2,215.

Pro Comparison: Kam Chancellor, SS - Seahawks.

[theedblog]

Ready to burn your new LeBron jerseys ye good folk of Cleveland? Because The King is leaving again. What’s that? That had nothing to do with him leaving? Oh..you were just very cold..well..

WELL HE’S LEAVING AGAIN ANYWAY! Whether it’s this year or next, LBJ will be taking his talents somewhere. I’ll give you a hint...it’s somewhere warmer...so literally anywhere else probably. I asked a few local experts where the King will be taking his talents this time.

Rodgers McAfee says..

If he leaves for the west, probably San Antonio. Then he can beat Golden State in the Western Conference Finals and the league finals will be a lock. Popovich is the draw. You really think LeBron is gonna be coached by Luke Walton??? Naw. I really don’t know that he’ll leave the east because he’s at least a lock for the finals wherever he goes in the east. The question is where do some of his buddies land? CP3, Melo, Wade, even Paul George and Blake Griffin. Those are the things that will peak my interest I’m sure he isn’t thinking about any of this right now. I wouldn’t be. I’d be getting fucked up on a private island or a yacht or a yacht on a private island or anything other than thinking about basketball 3 days after losing in the finals.

Eric Olson says..

Cleveland is a barren wasteland. Where did Bron Bron go when left the first time? MIAMI, one of the most un Ohio places in the country. And of all the houses he owns where does live in the offseason? Los Angeles. LeBron has caviar tastes and he ain’t tryin to chill in no damn San Antonio with no boring ass Kawhi and a bunch of foreigners (he will spend time with some Foreigns, but that's a different thing and he’s married, so neither here nor there). To be fair, I’m not sure LeBron is a good culture fit with the Spurs. Of course the Spurs would bend over backwards to take him because he is a superhero in normal human disguise, but that doesn’t mean they’re excited about dealing with all the headaches that come with bringing the center of the basketball universe on your team. On the court it be a beautiful game, off the court is a media circus, the trivial questions after every loss, and the catering to LeBron’s stardom. All of it sucks and nothing about it is “The Spurs Way”. I say he goes to LA. The real question is Clippers or Lakers? Both have pro’s and con’s. I think it comes down to Magic using that charm to get LeBron to fux with the vision. Can Magic convince Bron they’re going to get Paul George and Russell Westbrook? Is that team enough to beat the Warriors? Does Bron want to unite the Banana boat squad? More importantly, which team will piss off Dan Gilbert the most? Fuck Dan Gilbert.

Dan Weik says..

Nah, Phoenix, dog. Booker is the floor spacer he always needed. Plenty of athletes to play defense. Plus the best medical staff in the biz. Or back to Miami. Fuck it.

The ED says..

He’ll pull the ultimate power move and go to Golden State where he replaces Steph with Ray Allen.

[theedblog]

There is nothing better than a good combo pick in the NFL draft. Like the Colts taking Andrew Luck then two Tight Ends in the next two rounds or the Jaguars taking Blake Bortles then Marquis Lee and Allen Robinson in the second round. Sometimes picks just kinda go well together.

These picks, man…these picks go kinda fuggin’ well together.

1.White Christ McCaffery (Rd 1) and Curtis Samuel (Rd 2), Carolina Panthers.

I really wish Curtis Samuel’s parents were thinking of how electric he would be on the field when they named him because they clearly were not. Carolina’s top Wide Receivers are big and slow like Tight Ends and their best receiver is actually their Tight End. Their Running Back looks like Mike Tolbert and their Fullback is (was) actually Mike Tolbert. Not really complaining about that last part but I’m making a point here. Carolina’s offense needed to catch up to their defense and this is how you do it. Cam is a sun and until this draft he had a bunch of large, dense planets circling him. These two picks change the pace of the entire team.

2.Jamal Adams (Rd 1) and Marcus Maye (Rd 2), New York Jets.

Todd Bowels did magic things with his deep stable of safeties in Arizona. He had a good combo in Marcus Gilchrist and Calvin Pryor when he got to New York however they were not actually a good combo but more like…just like two safeties that both played for the same team. Adams and Maye are both dynamic, versatile, and aggressive football players. I assume Maye will mostly play center field while Adams is used as a Swiss Army knife closer to the line of scrimmage but they are the type of guys who will be swapped in and out allowing Bowles to find mismatches. The only real reason I didn’t rank these two as my favorite combo pick is because, let’s be real, how much fucking good are two safeties going to do the Jets?

3.Tyus Bowser (Rd 2) and Tim Williams (Rd 3), Baltimore Ravens.

Ty Bowser may have been my favorite player in the draft by the time draft day actually got here. Raw, athletic, aggressive, versatile. He will probably play inside for this team and scoop 100 tackles but he could also end up on the edge scoopin’ 10 sacks. Not sure if it will happen this year but if it clicks for him early he will be a serious contender for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Tim Williams could be the steal of the draft. He was a top five selection in most of the pre-season mock drafts and other than some off-field stuff maybe and some try-hard stuff maybe he just kinda cooled off and fell to the third round. He’s got loads of potential though. He may not ever be more than a situational player for the Ravens but like Elvis Dumervil, he could still be a very productive pass rusher. If John Harbaugh gets the most out of these guys he has two guys that can play inside or outside, rush the passer, stop the run, cover Tight Ends, etc. As a Steelers fan, I would have loved for these two to end up on Pittsburgh’s roster. Even if they had taken these two in rounds 1 and 2 I would’ve been completely satisfied.

4.Jonathan Allen (Rd 1) and Ryan Anderson (Rd 2), Washington Redskins.

The Redskins just got SOOOOO lunch pale bro. Jonathan Allen was hands down the best pick of the entire draft. He was the best player in this draft and 16 of these dudes went before him. SIXTEEN. I watched Alabama play my alma mater from the sidelines and I’ve never seen my Arkansas Razorbacks look more helpless than trying to block Jonathan Allen. He is Justin Smith without a Budweiser tattoo. In fact, if Jonathan Allen comes into the pre-season with a Budweiser tattoo I will come back and edit this post and move this pick up to #1. Then if taking the best player on one of the best college defenses of a generation wasn’t enough they went and got one of his college teammates. The fact that they now have 2/11 of that starting defense is a good way to re-start that defense. Unless they end up playing the Texans in a Super Bowl because we all saw what Deshaun Watson did to 11/11 of the players on that D.

5.Leo Fournette (Rd 1) and Cam Robinson (Rd 2), Jaxonville Jaguars.

I’d like to say this is a commitment to getting tougher on Offense but I think it’s safe to say that this is a commitment to hiding Black Bortles. However, if both these guys stay healthy the Jaguars will definitely be tougher on Offense. I think we will all miss watching their offense consist of Bortles closing his eyes and launching atom bombs to Allen RobinHurns but you probably won’t have to wait long because I have a feeling Fournette is hurt by game uuuhhhh four? six? Let’s call it game five. And then there’s Cam Robinson. He has allllll the potential in the world. Just like Cyrus Kouandjio and DJ Fluker did. I feel like I’m not making a good argument for these two. How about this..I love these picks. If the Steelers or the Patriots or the Ravens or whatever had picked these two we are talking rookie Pro Bowl alternates be we over here talking about the Jags. Somehow they it won’t work out. Good look though, Jags.

6.Larry Ogunjobi (Rd 2) and Caleb Brantley (Rd 6), Cleveland Browns.

Like Tyus Bowser earlier, Ogunjobi is a second round pick who checks every box but is just a bit raw. He should benefit from playing between Myles Garrett and Danny Shelton. He should never see a double team and he should be allowed to just get up field. Generally, I would never say landing in Cleveland is a good situation for a rookie but I get a feeling Hue Jackson saw a younger Geno Atkins and should know how to deploy him. Caleb Brantley is going to push him from day one for the starting three-tech position. I would say the Browns got a great bargain with Brantley but that would be unfair because if you weren’t aware he broke a girl’s face right before the draft but I get a feeling Hue Jackson coached under Marv Lewis and is super into second chances when a difference making Defensive Tackle is sitting there in the sixth round.

7.Derek Rivers (Rd 3) and Antonio Garcia (Rd 3), New England Patriots.

These guys aren't really a combo pick because they play on opposite sides of the ball but how..how..the..shit do the Patriots not have a pick until the third round and yet come away with a potential future Left Tackle and star pass rusher. Especially Derek Rivers. Belichick trades away his best player on Defense (Jamie Collins) then goes out and gets a younger, more athletic version of him a round later than he did for Collins a few years ago. Antonio Garcia’s only real knock was he needed to beef up a little. My guess is he spends the next couple years as a Tight End/Offensive Tackle hybrid then eventually takes over for Nate Solder when the Patriots decide they don’t want to pay him.

8.Rayshawn Jenkins (Rd 4) and Desmond King (Rd 5), San Diego Chargers.

This is probably the biggest projection because Jenkins is super raw and Dez King could end up playing Nickel Back. But this could be Gus Bradley’s new Earl Thomas/Kam Chancellor. Like Diet Earl Thomas/Kam Chancellor. Not sure how King fell to the fifth round but I think he’ll be a player.

[theedblog]

With only one day before Game 2 of the 2017 NBA Finals I bring you The Ed’s Good, Bad, and Ugly segment for this third straight Golden State v Cleveland Finals match up. I brought my boy Eric Olson in for some good ass basketball talk. So he rolled his sleeves up, cracked open a cold one and did a little business for The Ed. Eric previously helped out with the NBA Future Squad post. This was posted in a hurry and after game 1 so lets not get hung up on the little things but rather lets just crack a cold one and enjoy

THE GOOD

LeBron vs Kevin Durant

The cavs started winning after Bron started guarding Draymond in last season’s finals. BUT NOW THE WARRIORS FUCKING HAVE KEVIN DURANT!!!! This really isn’t fair. Bron is in a no win situation on defense. Expect a lot of LeBron hanging his head as Kyrie or Color me Kevin get abused in pick and rolls. LeBron is a maestro on defense but you can’t cheat off of 4x scoring champion Kevin Durant. On the flip side, Durant’s so lucky to have other people on his team that can even think about slowing LeBron down. It’s like finding a $20 in your pocket then expecting to find it all the time. But if Andre Iguadala isn’t 100%, Durant’s death on defense will be slow. LeBron is methodical and patient in the ways he likes to gut the defense of mere mortals. Durant’s lanky frame is going to take a beating from all the heavy screens thrown his way. You can only run into a brick wall so many times before you start peering over your shoulder; and that very moment is when LeBron kills you.

THE BAD

Kevin Love Playing Defense Vs Steph Curry playing Defense (especially getting switched on any of GSW’s 3 headed monster of Steph, Durant, or Klay).   Hiding bad defenders will be the name of the game for both teams. Sidebar: If you’re a “I Hate the NBA” Guy because “no one plays any defense” Guy then fuck you. These are peak physical specimen who put more hours studying defensive philosophy than PhD students and are trying to stop other superheros that can literally jump over cars. They’re trying to calculate 8 trillion variables that are changing with every dribble, but your dumbass can’t even keep piss off the seat, so fuck you. WOOSAH back to center. Anyway, a team is only as strong as it’s weakest yada yada yada. Kevin and Steph are going to be run through the ringer on pick and rolls and switches. Steph lunges for steals and takes bad angles on screens while KLove’s slow feet are tasked with closing out on deadly three point shooters who can also blow by him when he over pursues. Their efforts won’t be futile; Steph is top 5 in steals every year and we saw Color me Kevin’s greatest career achievement of shutting down Steph for the final play of last year’s finals, so fuck you again pal.

THE UGLY

Draymond Green v Tristan Thompson notes* Draymond is the warriors toughest player, their enforcer and their glue guy. He’s incredible. Cavs toughest player is Dahntay Jones who doesn’t play except as a hired goon who gets kicked out and fined his year’s salary in 3 minutes. Both of these players are insanely scrappy and annoying but they’re also lynch pins for their team’s preferred style of play. This could be THE ex-factor matchup of the series. If Draymond wins the rebounding battle he turns into the Juggernaut leading a fast break flanked by 3 war machines. I’m talking about a bumrush more unstopable than a drunk college kids crashing a T Bell after 2am / or a buzzed vegan crossfitter at a bbq just itching to talk about their lifestyle choices. As a buzzkill, if Tristian Thompson can control the offensive boards he slows the pace down, gives Bron and Co another chance to score and utterly demoralizes steph curry by making him play more defense. These 2 guys don’t like each other and neither has any backdown, and also Draymond Green hates ballsacks so no way this doesn’t get ugly.

OVERALL PREDICTION

Warriors in 6. Cavs might even win the first game and their first home game. But it’s all blowouts after that. This Warriors team is one of the greatest teams ever assembled. They’re just too good, too well rounded and too few weaknesses to expose. (UNLESS THE NBA DECIDES TO FIX THIS SERIES LIKE THEY DID LAST YEAR AND TAKE IT TO 7!!!) Or fuck it Warriors in 7. This means too much to the NBA. THEY NEED THIS TO BE DRAMATIC. They’ll do everything in their power to milk this for every bit of drama they can. Expect moar injuries. Expect moar inexplicable flagrant fouls and blown calls. Expect Draymond Green to continue his war against opponent nutsacks. Or Fuck it Cavs in 7 BECAUSE WE NEED THE NARRATIVE!!!!!!

[theedblog]

*to the tune of the Final Countdown* IT’S THE FINAL MOCK DRAFT!!! buna NOW NOW buna NOWNOWNOW!!

Alright, no mock drafts are ever all that accurate but every year I go into it thinking I’m going to hit like 70% and I don’t get close but this year is different guys...I am certain I will get everything wrong. Mostly because of the quarterbacks. I have three going in the first round and it’s possible that none will but there are a lot of really bad decision makers in the NFL so who knows what will happen! I LOVE THE NFL DRAFT IT’S BETTER THAN THE SUPERBOWL!

I predicted a trade. I know that’s stupid and pointless but so are mock drafts so whatev.

I’m going to grade myself on a point system.

1 point if I mock the right player going in the right slot. (Example, if I mock the Jets taking Mitch Trubisky with the 6th pick but Cleveland trades picks with them and takes him instead)

1 point if I mock a team picking the right position in the right slot. (Example, if I mock the Jets taking Mitch Trubisky with the 6th pick but they pick Deshaun Watson instead)

1 point if I mock a team picking the right player. (Example, if I mock the Jets taking Mitch Trubisky with the 6th pick but they trade up to the 2nd pick and take him then)

So that is a potential of 3 points if I pick the right team picking the right player in the right slot. (Example, if I mock the Jets taking Mitch Trubisky with the 6th pick and that is indeed the pick)

Alright, let’s do it.

ROUND 1.

1.Cleveland Browns: Myles Garrett, DE - Texas A&M. 6′4,271. Pro Comparison: Jadeveon Clowney, DE - Texans.

2.San Francisco 49ers: Deshaun Watson, QB - Clemson. 6′2,221. PC: Marcus Mariota, QB - Titans.

3.Chicago Bears: Jamaal Adams, SS - LSU. 6′0,214. PC: Eric Berry, SS - Chiefs.

4.Jacksonville Jaguars: Solomon Thomas, DE - Stanford. 6′3,273. PC: Michael Bennett, DE - Seahawks.

5.Cleveland Browns (Titans(Rams): Mitch Trubisky, QB - North Carolina. 6′2,222. PC: Alex Smith, QB - Chiefs.

6.New York Jets: Marshon Lattimore, CB - Ohio State. 6′0,193. PC: Darrell Revis, CB - Jets.

7.Los Angeles Charges: Malik Hooker, FS - Ohio State. 6′1,206. PC: Ha Ha Clinton Dix, FS - Packers.

8.Carolina Panthers: Leo Fournette, RB - LSU. 6′0,240. PC: Adrian Peterson, RB - New Orleans Saints.

9.Cincinatti Bengals: Jonathan Allen, DE - Alabama. 6′3,286. PC: Gerald McCoy, DT - Buccaneers.

10.Buffalo Bills: Mike Williams, WR - Clemson. 6′4,219. PC: Brandon Marshall, WR - Giants.

11.New Orleans Saints: Derek Barnett, DE - Tennessee. 6′3,259. PC: Cameron Wake, DE - Dolphins.

12.Tennessee Titans (Browns(Eagles): O.J. Howard, TE - Alabama. 6′6,251. PC: Martellus Bennett, TE - Packers.

13.Arizona Cardinals: Patrick Mahomes, QB - Texas Tech. 6′2,225. PC: Matthew Stafford, QB - Lions.

14.Philadelphia Eagles (Vikings): Christian McCaffrey, RB - Stanford. 5′11,202. PC: Julian Edleman, WR - Patriots.

15.Indianapolis Colts: Reuben Foster, LB - Alabama. 6′0,229. PC: Thomas Davis, LB - Panthers. 

16.Baltimore Ravens: Corey Davis, WR - Western Michigan. 6′3,209. PC: Jordy Nelson, WR - Packers.

17.Washington Redskins: Dalvin Cook, RB - Florida State. 5′10,210. PC: Davonta Freeman, RB - Falcons.

18.Tennessee Titans: Marlon Humphrey, CB - Alabama. 6′0,197. PC: Stephon Gilmore, CB - Patriots.

19.Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Charles Harris, DE - Missouri. 6′3,253. PC: Markus Golden, LB - Cardinals.

20.Denver Broncos: Ryan Ramczyk, OT - Wisconsin. 6'6,310. PC: Jake Matthews, OT - Falcons.

21.Detroit Lions: John Ross, WR - Washington. 5′11,188. PC: Desean Jackson, WR - Buccaneers.

22.Miami Dolphins: Hasaan Reddick, LB - Temple. 6′1,237. PC: Ryan Shazier, LB - Steelers.

23.New York Giants: Garrett Bolles, OT - Utah. 6′5,297. PC: Terron Armstead, OT - Saints.

24.Oakland Raiders: Gareon Conley, CB - Ohio State. 6′0,195. PC: Des Trufant, CB - Falcons.

25.Houston Texans: Forrest Lamp, OT - Western Kentucky. 6′4,309. PC: Joel Bitonio, OG - Browns.

26.Seattle Seahwks: Kevin King, CB - Washington. 6′3,200. PC: Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, CB - Giants.

27.Kansas City Chiefs: Malik McDowell, DT - Michigan State. 6′6,295. PC: Malik Jackson, DT - Jaguars.

28.Dallas Cowboys: Tre White, CB - LSU. 5′11,192. PC: Ronald Darby, CB - Bills.

29.Green Bay Packers: Takk McKinley, DE - UCLA. 6′2,250. PC: Dee Ford, DE - Chiefs.

30.Pittsburgh Steelers: Jabrill Peppers, LB - Michigan. 5′11,213. PC: Keanu Neal, SS - Falcons.

31.Atlanta Falcons: Taco Charlton, DE - Michigan. 6′6,277. PC: Carlos Dunlap, DE - Bengals.

32.New Orleans Saints (Patriots): Jarrad Davis, LB - Florida. 6′1,238. PC: Kwon Alexander, LB - Buccaneers.