NFL DRAFT SCOUT 1/30 mock (Alan Branch, DT)

[wilsowilso]

There's so much wrong with that particular mock draft I don't even know where to begin. Adams too high. Johnson way way too low. Okoye too low. Posluzny too high. I can go on and on and on and even though I have no idea how the first round will play out this mock draft is the definition of what won't happen IMO. The pick of Branch going to us seems to be a pretty common choice for us in the 40 million or so online mocks.

[AlvinWalton'sNeckBrace]

we. need. more. picks.

[redsk1]

Originally Posted by AlvinWalton'sNeckBrace

we. need. more. picks.

No question, we have a need lb, secondary, line and not alot of FA $ to go around.

[Pocket$ $traight]

Originally Posted by redsk1

No question, we have a need lb, secondary, line and not alot of FA $ to go around.

Money is not a problem this year.

[56FAN]

i know we need d line help. but i would have to do a real long double take at calvin johnson before drafting a dlineman. my thinking is that though that branch and jamaal would be my first choices on the dline johnson is a once in a decade talent.just like bailey was a once in a decade cb. i think you take the rare talent over the need. we can fill it in other ways.these defensive players are good but not dominating. but johnson could be dominating with moss and cooley and portis to play along side. again yes d line is the greatest area of need but you can't go by complete need at the beginning of the draft. maybe in later rounds you can, but in that position. i;m taking johnson.i guess im kinda cookey like that,

[FRPLG]

Johnson doesn't fall. Someone will trade up for him. He is considered the best prospect in the draft. He goes top 3.

[staylor825]

Well if some reason Calvin Johnson falls to us, we should consider trading our pick to the falcons. They need a receiver in the worse way and would give us they 1st and 2nd for the right to draft Calvin Johnson

[FRPLG]

AD runs that team(into the ground) for sure. Why do you think they are such a disaster?

[gabe1984]

How good is Calvin Johnson? I for one don't really know how good this guy is. Yeah, I've read the draft reports, and heard all the hype, but that doesn't really mean much to me. I've seen the guy play before and no doubt he's a stud, but how much better is this guy than some of the other young wideouts in the league? Is he head and shoulders better than guys like Larry Fitgerald, Anquan Boldin, Andre Johnson, or Marques Colston?

The Lions have used draft picks on plenty of wide receivers like Roy Williams, Charles Rodgers, and Mike Williams. Mike Williams may have been the most hyped receiver coming out of the draft in the last 10 years. Now, Charles Rodgers isn't even in the NFL I believe, Mike Williams got benched, and Cade McKnown was put in to play receiver over him!

It seems to me like it's too big of a gamble to take wide receivers that high because the talent level at that position is commonly misjudged. Is this guy really THAT good? I don't think anyone can really say for sure. So is it really worth taking a gamble when we're already deep at receiver and passing up a defensive lineman, or trading to get more draft picks? Two things that we absolutely NEED.

[GhettoDogAllStars]

Originally Posted by gabe1984

How good is Calvin Johnson? I for one don't really know how good this guy is. Yeah, I've read the draft reports, and heard all the hype, but that doesn't really mean much to me. I've seen the guy play before and no doubt he's a stud, but how much better is this guy than some of the other young wideouts in the league? Is he head and shoulders better than guys like Larry Fitgerald, Anquan Boldin, Andre Johnson, or Marques Colston?

The Lions have used draft picks on plenty of wide receivers like Roy Williams, Charles Rodgers, and Mike Williams. Mike Williams may have been the most hyped receiver coming out of the draft in the last 10 years. Now, Charles Rodgers isn't even in the NFL I believe, Mike Williams got benched, and Cade McKnown was put in to play receiver over him!

It seems to me like it's too big of a gamble to take wide receivers that high because the talent level at that position is commonly misjudged. Is this guy really THAT good? I don't think anyone can really say for sure. So is it really worth taking a gamble when we're already deep at receiver and passing up a defensive lineman, or trading to get more draft picks? Two things that we absolutely NEED.

Very true. I agree that it's too risky, especially when we have far greater needs. However, I would LOVE for him to fall to us, because that would give us a lot of leverage in trading down.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by gabe1984

How good is Calvin Johnson? I for one don't really know how good this guy is. Yeah, I've read the draft reports, and heard all the hype, but that doesn't really mean much to me. I've seen the guy play before and no doubt he's a stud, but how much better is this guy than some of the other young wideouts in the league? Is he head and shoulders better than guys like Larry Fitgerald, Anquan Boldin, Andre Johnson, or Marques Colston?

The Lions have used draft picks on plenty of wide receivers like Roy Williams, Charles Rodgers, and Mike Williams. Mike Williams may have been the most hyped receiver coming out of the draft in the last 10 years. Now, Charles Rodgers isn't even in the NFL I believe, Mike Williams got benched, and Cade McKnown was put in to play receiver over him!

It seems to me like it's too big of a gamble to take wide receivers that high because the talent level at that position is commonly misjudged. Is this guy really THAT good? I don't think anyone can really say for sure. So is it really worth taking a gamble when we're already deep at receiver and passing up a defensive lineman, or trading to get more draft picks? Two things that we absolutely NEED.

I agree. If we draft Calvin Johnson I will be pissed. WE DO NOT NEED HIM. You don't take a player you don't need with a team that could contend. You take a guy who instantly improve you. I don't care how good he is he will not instantly improve us all that much. When there are other players who are clearly very quality players who can help you then you either trade down or take of the other guys. ANyways I still think CJ doesn't even get close to us. If he does we be trading baby. Someone will want him at 6. I would rather have Anderson but Branch will do if Anderson is gone.

[That Guy]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

I agree. If we draft Calvin Johnson I will be pissed. WE DO NOT NEED HIM. You don't take a player you don't need with a team that could contend. You take a guy who instantly improve you. I don't care how good he is he will not instantly improve us all that much. When there are other players who are clearly very quality players who can help you then you either trade down or take of the other guys. ANyways I still think CJ doesn't even get close to us. If he does we be trading baby. Someone will want him at 6. I would rather have Anderson but Branch will do if Anderson is gone.

well, he'd be better than ARE, and the offense would improve... but without a better defense, the W-L would probably stay the same :/. if CJ is there, it'd give us great leverage to pick up a 2nd round pick though, to use on a DL/LB/OG (if needed)/CB(wilson?).

[SouperMeister]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

I agree. If we draft Calvin Johnson I will be pissed. WE DO NOT NEED HIM. You don't take a player you don't need with a team that could contend. You take a guy who instantly improve you. I don't care how good he is he will not instantly improve us all that much. When there are other players who are clearly very quality players who can help you then you either trade down or take of the other guys. ANyways I still think CJ doesn't even get close to us. If he does we be trading baby. Someone will want him at 6. I would rather have Anderson but Branch will do if Anderson is gone.

I'll be even more pissed if Johnson is there, we settle for Branch, and Johnson ends up being the second coming of Jerry Rice. 6'5" 230 lb receivers with 4.4 speed, 40" vertical, and great hands come along once every 10 years or so. For those who say we don't need a WR, keep telling yourselves that we solved our #2 WR issues with Lloyd and/or ARE. Johnson could make Jason Campbell great the same way a young Randy Moss made Jeff George, Randall Cunningham, and Brad Johnson look pretty damn good in Minnesota once upon a time.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by SouperMeister

I'll be even more pissed if Johnson is there, we settle for Branch, and Johnson ends up being the second coming of Jerry Rice. 6'5" 230 lb receivers with 4.4 speed, 40" vertical, and great hands come along once every 10 years or so. For those who say we don't need a WR, keep telling yourselves that we solved our #2 WR issues with Lloyd and/or ARE. Johnson could make Jason Campbell great the same way a young Randy Moss made Jeff George, Randall Cunningham, and Brad Johnson look pretty damn good in Minnesota once upon a time.

I don't think we have a great second receiver, but we are deep enough at reciever to warrent passing on a guy like Johnson.

Think of it this way, if we were to take Johnson and he became a great player for us, where do his receptions come from? Moss is better after the catch, so you don't want him taking his receptions. Cooley is a great target and leads all TEs in YAC, so you don't want him taking his balls. So where does Calvin Johnson become a big enough part of the offense to justify the 6th overall pick? We'd have to throw 50-55 times a game to get 30+ completions on a good day. On a day like this, Johnson could touch the ball 7-8 times and not cut in to Moss and Cooley's production. But then we are only running 10-15 times a game...thats not Redskins football.

Alternatively, we can throw 25-30 times a game, run it 35-40 times, and let Randle El have his patented 2-3 catch days and be satisfied with his role as our PR. Then we don't burn the 6th overall pick on improving an adequate situation.

[JGisLordOfTheRings]

Originally Posted by SouperMeister

I'll be even more pissed if Johnson is there, we settle for Branch, and Johnson ends up being the second coming of Jerry Rice. 6'5" 230 lb receivers with 4.4 speed, 40" vertical, and great hands come along once every 10 years or so. For those who say we don't need a WR, keep telling yourselves that we solved our #2 WR issues with Lloyd and/or ARE. Johnson could make Jason Campbell great the same way a young Randy Moss made Jeff George, Randall Cunningham, and Brad Johnson look pretty damn good in Minnesota once upon a time.

2 Good points

1: I totally agree. His measurements and his skills are all there but, we are pretty deep at WR and the frickin D needs Mary Poppins type help.

2: Wha? Lloyd? Yea, ok, he's not all that but ARE is a whole diff story. He's talented in so many areas it's hard to confine him to WR. He throws, he runs, he returns kicks AND he seems to have gelled with the team a little and also seems to enjoy it here (sidenote:for THAT kinda money, I guess he would like it here!)

All in all, the D needs help WAYYYY worse than our receiving corps right now. If we pick him, we should trade for more picks, if we dont, its fine with me.