Soul Rebel's 6 Days To Go Mock Draft

[Soul Rebel]

This draft is contingent on OBJ & Latimer being gone at 28. In which case, I would take one of them at 28, and flip Turner out with Adams in the 2nd....and the rest stays the same.

1.28 : JOEL BITONIO - OT NEVADA

Bitonio is an athletic and flexible OL that can play anywhere on the line. A very sound tackle with a mean streak, he also shows discipline with his low penalty ratio. Ideally, I'd like him at LT, but if the team would rather slot Chandler/Bell/June 1 cut at LT, then Bitonio is talented enough to slide to the strong side or kick inside. He might lack "ideal LT" size like Moses/Turner, but Bitonio's athleticism and talent fits our system very well, and would strengthen our run game.

2.60 : DAVANTE ADAMS - WR FRESNO ST

It took me a bit to warm up to Adams as I'm concerned the system and QB at FSU might have made him. Watching tape of him, he passes the eye test as a WR1 in the NFL. His vertical, hands, ability to get open and high point the ball are amazing. Comparisons to Crabtree are fair and I think Adams can improve his route tree with vets like Cotchery and Avant, as well as Proehl on the sideline. Cam needs WRS that can catch the ball in traffic and the red zone, and Adams will serve him well.

3.92 : CJ FIEDOROWICZ - TE IOWA

At 6'5" and 265, CJ is a big target for Cam but is a great blocking TE to help keep defenses honest. Even though Ed Dickson was added, Fiedorowicz is a much more balanced TE that is equally (if not more) a better blocker than receiver. IMO, he is a hybrid Gronk/Miller TE that will allow Shula to utilize him with Olsen and yield better efficiency. I think going with a two TE package like we had with Shockey/Olsen will add another dimension back to our offense that Cam will appreciate.

4.128 : ROBERT HERRON - WR WYOMING

Herron is a shifty and elusive WR best served in the slot but could also move around to the Z in certain packages. At 5'9" 193, Herron plays much bigger than his size and is strong fighting for the ball in traffic. He is fast in short space, can tear the roof off a secondary with his 4.48 speed and is that flashy home run threat with the ball in his hands. Can definitely contribute to ST immediately and could see Cam loving him on smoke routes and quick slants. Herron needs some polish on his game, but he will not be leaned on to contribute immediately in '14.

5.168 : MICHAEL SCOFIELD - RT MICHIGAN

Scofield was overshadowed by Lewan at Michigan, but Scofield will fly under e radar as a nasty run blocking RT. instantly adds toughness to our line and his style will help Shula again ground and pound. Scofield has some work to do as a pass protector, but has the work ethic to reach that point. He and Bitonio help add that grit and toughness that we've lacked in the trenches of late.

6.204 : DONTAE JOHNSON - S/CB NC STATE

Not sure if Johnson will be here late in the 6th, but he would be a great addition to the secondary. Played CB at State, but his 6'2" 200 pound frame looks more safety than CB in the NFL. Regardless of which position he plays for Carolina, he is a perfect zone cover guy, rangy, 38.5" vert and 4.45 speed to run with WRs. His athleticism allows him to match up against all types of players though he will have to be more aggressive at the line against smaller WRs and RBs.

7. 225 : ETHAN WESTBROOKS - DE WEST TEXAS A&M

Small school kid with a lot of potential. Great athleticism, explosive edge rusher, and nose for getting to the QB. Had some off the field concerns and going against small school talent leads to inflated stats (60 tackles, 28 TFL, 19.5 sacks). He was named Defensive MVP in the East-West Shrine game and could be worth the gamble this late in the draft. Still raw and will need some time to gain experience and confidence.

[Its The Milk]

This would please me

[carolina-chuck]

Like

[davos]

I'd be very happy with this.  Practical approach

[ctrcat]

Solid B. not "wild" about Bitonio at 28, but meh, OK, time will tell. Really like the rest.

[Jackofalltrades]

Works for me.

Sent from my iPhone using CarolinaHuddle

[C47]

Bitonio is a meh. Don't reach for a need, take the best football player at 28. That won't be Bitonio.

[Kuech the Sneak]

Great

[Soul Rebel]

Thanks for the feedback.  I get the Bitonio pick being unliked by some, but really feel like he is projected to go late 1st and fills a need.  I guess it depends on opinion of where you feel he is worth going.  I think he starts with us at 28 and works into the early part of the 2nd, so it's not much of a reach, IMO... but I get how some see him as more of a tweener worthy of a mid-2nd. 

 

I think we were able to do a pretty good facelift of our defense after the 2013 draft settled.  Star, KK, AJ, Melvin and Lester helped elevate our D.  I think if we get Bitonio & Scofield, Adams, Herron and CJ, we will be able to do the same with our offense.  Sprinkle in some FAs in 2015, and this team is an NFC powerhouse moving forward.

[uscgamecocks]

Bitonio feels like the worst case scenario to me at 28 - and that's not a bad outcome. Personally, I'm not a huge fan but if all of the other first round WRs, OTs, and DBs are gone then Bitonio makes sense as a pick and would immediately improve our O line. My concerns with him stem from his ability to play OT vs OG - if we see him as a lock at either tackle position I'm 100% on board with the pick.

I know a lot of people here are fans of Adams - and it's hard to disagree with him at 60 - but I'd be disappointed if he's the best receiver we draft. He looks great on tape but it seems like he dominated inferior competitor with a potential first-round pick at QB. When the playing field is more level, will he still be able to perform? If he can win contested balls in the NFL like he did in college it's a no-brainer pick. Personally, I'd prefer Matthews / Moncrief / Robinson and maybe Benjamin to Adams but most or all of those guys are probably gone by 60. As with Bitonio, Adams isn't my favorite 2nd round prospect but he seems realistic and I wouldn't argue with the pick - if he's the best receiver on the board at that point then we should pull the trigger.

I think picks 3-6 are all excellent.

Good and realistic mock.

[WOW!!]

I'd take it.