The ability to be able to go back in the past and change a draft pick is an idea that would excite most fans, especially with some of the recent New Orleans Saints first round selections. However, in the eyes of Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox, one recent selection would stay the same. While re-drafting the 2020 NFL draft, Knox stated that the Saints would stick with offensive lineman Cesar Ruiz if given another chance. Here is his reasoning:
Taking an interior lineman in Round 1 doesn’t generate headlines or much draft-day excitement. However, Ruiz has provided the Saints with good, reliable play on their offensive line.
Ruiz appeared in 15 games with nine starts as a rookie and performed well right out of the gate.
Ruiz certainly didn’t have a great start to his career in New Orleans, and while his play has improved greatly, taking him in the first while given another chance would be extremely puzzling. I could see New Orleans still wanting him on day two, but not at all in the first round.
If New Orleans would have wanted an offensive lineman still, Ezra Cleveland or Damien Lewis would have made much more sense. Though, in this scenario, it would make sense to jump on another skill position player you knew would work out at a better value. Brandon Aiyuk still being there on the board would be a much more intriguing option.
Quentin Johnston fits the Chargers’ preference for big receivers, but he’s in need of some development before he can reach his potential.
(Syndication: Detroit Free Press)
Chargers general manager Tom Telesco loves big receivers, and Johnston certainly fits that paradigm, but with Johnston, there are some legitimate questions about his route palette, and the drops are a real problem that Los Angeles’ coaches will have to rectify. He’s a yards-after-catch monster with all kinds of explosive potential, but this is an iffy pick with so much other receiver talent still left on the board.
Wingspan: 81⅝” (96th) Arm Length: 33⅝” (91st) Hand Size: 9⅝” (68th)
Bio: Johnston was a basketball and track star at Temple High School in Temple, Texas, but football was his primary avocation. A four-star recruit, Johnston originally committed to Texas, but repeated entreaties from then-TCU head coach Gary Patterson and receivers coach Malcolm Kelly had Johnston changing his mind in favor of the Horned Frogs. Over three seasons with TCU, Johnston caught 115 passes in 199 targets for 2,158 yards and 14 touchdowns. In 2022, he had 412 snaps out wide, and 35 in the slot.
Stat to Know: 533 of Johnston’s 1,069 receiving yards came after the catch in 2022, the most YAC for any receiver in this class. Even a cursory look at his game tape will leave you completely unsurprised by this particular metric.
Strengths: Johnston’s size/speed profile forced defenses think more than twice about giving him single coverage; you really needed a bracket to deal with him when he was on point. As a deep crosser/post weapon, he is a real problem.
That’s also where the after-catch magic comes in; unless you’ve got your shoulders square to attack Johnston when he’s got the ball, you are in for a rude education.
Not that Johnston is limited to after-catch magic. This 51-yard catch against Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship game saw him shaking cornerback Julius Brents out of the picture, and adjusting to a pressured throw from quarterback Max Duggan.
Weaknesses: Johnston’s much-discussed issues with drops are definitely a thing. He had eight last season, and most of them were either simple focus drops, or instances in which he was so into turning and getting upfield, that he forgot to bring the ball with him. Oops.
And for a receiver his size, with his physicality as a pass-catcher, you’d certainly want him to be a more consistent and willing blocker.
Conclusion: Johnston profiles as a legitimate WR1 at the NFL level from a size/speed/traits perspective, but there are elements to his game that are lacking at this point, and he’s going to have to firm them up before he can really be that level of asset for his next team. Not that he can’t be a contributor in the NFL right away, but early on, there might be as much frustration as there is expectation until and unless he cuts down on the drops, expands his route palette, and plays in a more physical style that befits the archetype.
NFL Comparison: Tee Higgins. Selected with the first pick in the second round of the 2020 draft (the same draft that gave the Bengals Joe Burrow with the first overall pick), Higgins came into the league as a big (6-foot-4, 219 pound) receiver with all the traits, but gaps in consistency. Higgins has been incredibly productive in the NFL, especially over the last two seasons, and like Higgins, Johnston could be the same in any offense where he’s not the alpha dog, with the point of defensive focus on him every week. He could be part of a hellacious one-two punch, as Higgins is with Ja’Marr Chase, pretty quickly.
The Seattle Seahawks need a new franchise quarterback after having foolishly traded theirs away to the Denver Broncos.
The Seattle Seahawks need a new franchise quarterback after having foolishly traded theirs away to the Denver Broncos. While they still have time to find a replacement, right now the PFF offseason improvement index has Seattle ranked dead last among the 32 teams in the NFL.
Our best guess is that head coach Pete Carroll prefers an experienced point-guard type of quarterback, but we can’t rule out them taking a QB at some point in the 2022 NFL draft. Today, they’ll be getting a good look at one of the top quarterback prospects in the class. According to Corbin Smith at Sports Illustrated, the team has sent QBs coach Dave Canales to Pitt to watch Kenny Pickett throw at his pro day.
#Seahawks quarterback coach Dave Canales in Pittsburgh for Kenny Pickett's pro day.
Pickett (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) has five years’ worth of experience at the college level. During his time at Pitt he threw 81 touchdown passes to go with 32 interceptions and a rating of 136.3.
Omar Kelly, a Miami Dolphins beat writer for the Sun-Sentinel, took to Twitter to post a mock draft he created in a scenario in which the…
Omar Kelly, a Miami Dolphins beat writer for the Sun-Sentinel, took to Twitter to post a mock draft he created in a scenario in which the Dolphins choose to pass on former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
As we are less than a month away from the 2020 NFL Draft we couldn’t be any less sure about the potential landing spot for Alabama’s 2018 Heisman-finalist.
A commonly discussed destination for Tagovailoa to begin his NFL career is Miami. There are plenty of other theories to consider, but the most realistic one seems to be with the Dolphins at pick No. 5.
Kelly decided to see what a draft would look like if Miami chose to overlook Tagovailoa and address another positional need.
Sooooooo…..I did a Tua free mock draft using fanspeak. I’m trying to see what the board looks like if the Dolphins dont select Tua. What you think? Be honest. pic.twitter.com/xCwIXNgFwa
Instead of selecting Tagovailoa at No. 5, Kelly has the Dolphins draft former Clemson line backer Isaiah Simmons. This would allow the Los Angeles Chargers to fill their vacancy at quarterback with the former Alabama star at No. 6.
Though they passed on Tagovailoa in this mock draft, the Alabama connection stays alive as Kelly predicts Miami selecting Jedrick Wills at No. 18 overall.
Kelly has the Dolphins drafting a Utah State’s Jordan Love with pick No. 26, their final of three picks in the first round. The idea of selecting Love over Tagovailoa would likely put a knot into any football fans stomach, but theres a chance that the Dolphins prefer Love and would like to address other positional needs first.
The idea that Love is Miami’s favorite in the 2020 quarterback class may not be so far fetched, as Kelly tweets out in response to criticism of his unorthodox mock draft.
We won’t know for sure what will happen in the 2020 NFL Draft until it unfolds live, but we can always have a little fun with our guesses! Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on all things Alabama and the 2020 NFL Draft.
