It's mid-week, that means it's time to mock draft!
With only five picks to work with in the roster reformation Adofo-Mensah has quite a boulder to try and roll. Compensatory selections might add one or two but that would still leave them as spectators for most of the first two days of the draft. With the 23rd pick the opportunity to trade down, get high value in return and maintain a presence in the first round (fifth-year-option) is unlikely, even if he can bamboozle another GM the way he was during Thursday & Friday last year. So trying to project selections is even more of a pickle than usual.
Enough pretense though, it's time to get on with it!
As there always is, murmurs and mutterings about a new quarterback joining the team has continued to increase. Getting a quality one on a rookie deal is the best way to hack the salary cap and this year's group of snap-takers is promising. During the run-through four were tabbed to be taken in the first eight picks. It's possible that KA-M & KO will be so enamored with an heir to Kirk Cousins job that they will go to the extreme lengths required to move up & grab one of them.
Possible but not likely due to the dearth of picks.
The annual rise of players at that position will once again drive down others who may have higher ceilings at less impactful positions. With all the needs on defense that could lead to them getting a top-10 to 15 level player for Brian Flores' band. In this iteration Maryland CB Deonte Banks and Edges Andre Carter II (Army) & Nolan Smith (Georgia) were among the supposed best. Considering Flores' propensity to bring pressure adding an athlete to the front-seven makes loads of sense. The ongoing activities in Indianapolis will shape some of the perceptions of the players but for now it seems that one is the best fit.
Andre Carter II
Depending how the roster management goes with Za'Darius, Danielle & the rest of the pass rushers it might make sense to double-dip at DE. There is also uncertainty about the linebacker group so getting someone who could get pressure and work in coverage would be great value at the 87 pick.
The best possibility for that was LB DeMarvion Overshown (Texas).
The top two picks being for defense would probably make O'Connell itchy to add to his offense in pursuit of 40+ points every game. Beyond Jefferson & the Norseman there isn't a clear best option for the quarterback to attack with currently on the roster. We'll know more once the Adam Thielen & Dalvin Cook situations are ironed out but for now, round four seems like a good place to add another threat.
Michael Wilson (Stanford) was the top-rated WR this time so he got the nod to contend for third place on the hierarchy.
Back to the other side of the ball, not since Kevin Williams has the team had a consistent threat to the QB from the interior of the defensive line. The odds of finding the one to break that streak in the fifth round is low but a Chanticleer could help resurrect the echoes of the Williams Wall.
Jerrod Clark (Coastal Carolina)
So with two full rounds remaining the Purple could potentially be sidelined after the last pick of round five. Talk about a far-cry from the days of Rick Spielman! If that proves to be the team's wild-card selection they could go in any direction.
At this point UAB CB Sterling Thomas was at the top of the board. There was also a center from Penn State & a couple of safeties to choose from.
But in a zag when everyone is zigging sort of selection, I opted for the two-time national championship quarterback. The hope would be that there's a diamond in the rough with higher upside than Bennett appears to have. He has physical limitations but more importantly he knows how to win games which is the best quality of a backup. The team may re-sign Nick Mullens to serve in that capacity but with the cost-cutting that needs to occur Mullens may be among the casualties, thus opening the door for a selection such as Bennett.
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