Ron Wolfley predicts Jerry Hughes to Cards at #26

[187]

I think there's about a 50% chance we take Hughes or another OLB in the first round. If Weatherspoon is gone I don't see us reaching for an ILB, so chances are it will be OLB or possibly a guy like Kyle Wilson if he is still around, which does not seem very likely. There are a lot of guys I would be happy with in the first round this year, so our FO will have to make a pretty odd pick to disappoint me.

 

[JeffGollin]

Sadly, I think Hughes is long gone by then. If Miami doesn't move I think they'll take him at their current spot.

The nature of the draft is that there are at least a half-dozen guys we could be ecstatic about who will be "long gone" by #26.

Only thing is - unless no one drafts guys like Clausen, Spiller, Suh, McCoy, Berry or all the offensive tackles - there will be a surplus of available guys when we pick, because "you can't draft everybody."

There figures to be 9 guys guaranteed to be gone by #26 (Bradford, Clausen, Suh, McCoy, T Williams, Okong, Bulaga, Berry, Spiller). Add to this another 5 players from "Group B" (McClain, Bryant, E Thomas Haden, Iupati).

That leaves 12 unfilled spots before #26 and at least one of the following 12 players mathematically has to be there when we draft: B Graham, Hughes, Pierre-Paul, Kindle, D Morgan, Weatherspoon, K Wilson, McCourty, Griffen, Dan Williams, Pouncey, Charles Brown.

I'd be very happy with any one of these. Which one (if any) it turns out to be depends on (a) who falls earlier and (b) how these guys (and possibly others) stack up on the Cardinal board.

But I'm kind of hoping it will be Graham (because of his production and motor) followed closely by Hughes.

 

[Mitch]

The nature of the draft is that there are at least a half-dozen guys we could be ecstatic about who will be "long gone" by #26.

Only thing is - unless no one drafts guys like Clausen, Spiller, Suh, McCoy, Berry or all the offensive tackles - there will be a surplus of available guys when we pick, because "you can't draft everybody."

There figures to be 9 guys guaranteed to be gone by #26 (Bradford, Clausen, Suh, McCoy, T Williams, Okong, Bulaga, Berry, Spiller). Add to this another 5 players from "Group B" (McClain, Bryant, E Thomas Haden, Iupati).

That leaves 12 unfilled spots before #26 and at least one of the following 12 players mathematically has to be there when we draft: B Graham, Hughes, Pierre-Paul, Kindle, D Morgan, Weatherspoon, K Wilson, McCourty, Griffen, Dan Williams, Pouncey, Charles Brown.

I'd be very happy with any one of these. Which one (if any) it turns out to be depends on (a) who falls earlier and (b) how these guys (and possibly others) stack up on the Cardinal board.

But I'm kind of hoping it will be Graham (because of his production and motor) followed closely by Hughes.

Graham and Hughes are my two favorites too, Jeff. And I'd be happy with Kindle as well. If all three are gone, I say go with Tebow (if he's still there---I actually think that Chan Gailey (Bills) is going to find a way to take him, and I think he might do so right at #9 for fear that the Jaguars might take him one pick later at #10).

 

[WildBB]

That leaves 12 unfilled spots before #26 and at least one of the following 12 players mathematically has to be there when we draft: B Graham, Hughes, Pierre-Paul, Kindle, D Morgan, Weatherspoon, K Wilson, McCourty, Griffen, Dan Williams, Pouncey, Charles Brown.

To that list you could add Anthony Davis as a RT starter. Good base for run blocking power and good agility. Could move Keith and Johnson to challenge for OG spots along the line. Or in Keith's case, possibly push for a LT spot. Especially if Lutui doesn't re-sign, we have a plan for the following season. It's a tough call between him and Brown, but since Levi is moving to LT, A. Davis would be able to start quicker, unless they'd leave L. Brown at RT, then Brown could be utilized sooner.

I think Tony Washington from Abeline Christian in the 3-4th or Ducasse and Veldheer in the 2nd are possibilities as well however, because it definately looks like the first will be on the D side.

But I'm kind of hoping it will be Graham (because of his production and motor) followed closely by Hughes.

True that. Spoon may be sliding some too.

 

[JeffGollin]

...I say go with Tebow...).

Actually -since it ain't my team, my career or my money, I'd be inclined to roll the dice on Tebow based 100% on gut-intuition (I like the look in his eye).

But if it were my team, my career or my money, I'd be more inclined to chicken out and follow more conservative football logic - namely that QB's are risky by definition and they're costly (both in misinvested dollars and in the rep-time diverted from other QB's on your roster - should the kid fail).

At least you'd like to see a young QB look terrific doing stuff you have to do in the pros on the field. Because of Tebow's lack of experience under center and funky throwing motion, he becomes somewhat of an uproven entity (maybe worth the risk in round 2 or 3 but not in round 1 - where bad picks set back franchises by years if not decades).

(One interesting observation by a young NFL QB - "When real bullets are flying over his head, a young QB usually reverts to the way he played when he was 7 years old").

The CW is that the Vikes like Tebow and could take him at #30 to understudy Favre for a year, learn the pro game and be gradually phased in.

If he were there at #58, I'd definitely consider him. But not at #26. Not with our need for 3 or 4 stud defenders on our roster. I wouldn't do it.