Flex Mock 2.0.

[JoeyFlex5]

since we have a good idea of where were picking, and college is about to wrap up so prospects will be relatively in-place until the combine nears, i thought it would be a good time to give it another go until the draft process really heats up. 

for reference of where i project us to be come draft time(not going to bother with players buried on the depth chart, focusing on major roster moves)... 

cuts: kendrick lewis, dennis pitta, elvis dumervil, ben watson. 

losses to FA: brandon williams 

re-signings/extensions: kyle juszczyk, rick wagner, lardarius webb(cut and re-signed on the cheap), mike wallace, kamar aiken, terrence west, lawrence guy.

possible FA signings: i wouldnt be surprised to see us bring in vincent jackson, typical ravens WR pickup, veteran guy who can hold onto the ball and can give flacco a legit target to look to at least for a year or 2. kenny britt is another guy who fits that mold although hes less of a veteran presence and more of a playmaking presence(i think garcon gets re-signed). JC tretter will be our blockbuster addition.

 

now, onto the draft... 

ROUND 1:  

Jabril Peppers, S, Michigan. 

im calling the ravens to go pure BPA here. i think sidney jones has a meteoric rise to be the top corner taken, we wont want jalen tabor because hes a bust waiting to happen(could elaborate if anyone wants) and i think both barnett and williams are going before we pick, if williams isnt taken its because of character concerns which means we will steer clear as well. Might not get everyone excited because he doesnt fill an immediate need and doesnt seem to be an upgrade in coverage, but its ok... he is still going to be a star, he was used as a linebacker at michigan which could explain his lack of plays in coverage, but that doesnt mean hes a slouch. his football IQ looks to be on the same level as Mosley when he was coming out, and he probably has the 4th/5th best overall combination of athleticism, build, and pure football ability of any player in this class aside from garrett, allen, and fournette. the tweener label drops a top 10 talent to the mid teens where we snatch him up, and just like with mosley, fans wont see the big picture and throw a fit over it, but 2 years from now when webb is gone and we have a first team all pro SS in his place, the complaining will stop. he'll be an elite return man as a rookie and will likely make a big impact in the nickel, and before the season is over weddle is playing single high and peppers is taking the strong role. 

ROUND 2: 

 

Tre'Davious White, CB, LSU. 

all remaining pass rush prospects are gone, i believe elflein is going to go much earlier than hes currently projected(ryan kelly situation, and elflein is much better), and i dont really see any prospects being available at this point that would be better. ive been a big fan of this guy since last year when everyone thought he was a shoe-in to declare, he was getting 2nd round hype then, and hes gotten the same hype all year in 2016, which is fitting for such a steady cover corner. hes a fluid athlete and cover guy, good change of direction and loose hips. he gets handsy at times, but hes subtle and keeps his distance and doesnt mug guys up and down the field like jalen tabor. always turns his head, "plays the ball" rather than making the play on the ball, in other words he defends the pass first and goes for turnovers second. good recovery speed and seems to improvise well on broken/extended plays. put tavon young in the slot because this guy is our #2 almost immediately, and with him and peppers, our secondary goes from inconsistent and reliant on jimmy, to elite. 

ROUND 3: 

 

Cooper Kupp, WR, Eastern Washington. 

this guy has "Flaccos go-to-guy" written all over him. he is a nifty route runner, quick and nimble yet big bodied, sure handed, physical as hell, great YAC, and sneaky speed. this kid is THE sleeper of the draft in my opinion. small school status and seeming lack of explosiveness will keep his stock low, but he has excellent pro traits and would fit right in with the ravens offense. 

COMP: 

Ryan Anderson, OLB, Alabama. 

Albert McLellan can now step aside. this guy is a solid all around outside linebacker with room for growth. underrated player in bamas front seven, provides a little edge rush, holds the edge well, moves well in space and in traffic, just all around steady, fits the ravens mantra. he could be a fixture in the future, giving us a solid blue collar OLB who offers more upside than say an upshaw or jarrett johnson did, because he does have some pass rushing chops, having a decent first step, low center of gravity and decent bend and hand usage as well, he could improve in those areas but he isnt exactly lacking anywhere. maybe a redshirt guy, or maybe he earns a starting spot with smart play and a high motor, could stand to add about 10 lbs at which point he could be an excellent 1st and 2nd down OLB. 

4TH ROUND: 

Ejuan Price, OLB, Pitt. 

spark plug, one of my most underrated guys. his burst and bend is elite, he is a smaller guy, but with his low center of gravity and excellent lean and flexibility he is able to go untouched into the pocket quite often, and i think he could do the same in the NFL. i would think hes an immediate fan favorite with his great intensity. he actually plays stronger than his size would suggest, he brings a punch with his momentum and low center of gravity and has lightning quick hands to keep himself disengaged. he wont ever be a starter and wont ever be setting any edges, but he is a dangerous player to pair with other pass rushers, because he HAS to be accounted for simply because of how quickly he can make a play if he isnt. 

 

thats all im gonna do for now. BPA early and avoiding reaches for needs, and in turn we address future needs and find studs. double dip at OLB hoping we strike gold with polar opposite picks, one being a steady contributor and the other being undersized thus questionable but having a high ceiling because of his incredible burst and bend. tried my best to be ravens-like and realistic here which is why i took peppers who i think would be a typical ozzie move, and the realism comes in round 2 because i dont think guys like elflein/feeney/davis/king etc. will be available there. however i think tre'davious white will be.

 

 

 

 

[Wildabeast88]

I like the picks although where does Peppers play is he an ILB/OLB/S I just don't have a clue we are set at ILB with CJ/Orr he isn't a FS do do we cut Webb and move Weddle I just don't know what to think of Peppers I would go a different direction there. I do like the other picks. Also, I think we may redo Pitta's contract instead of cutting him also I think we try to resign Williams whether he is to expensive we will see but I'm good with the other resigns Juice, Wagner, although I feel less sure of him coming back, Aiken I wonder if some team throws some money at him, West, Guy, Wallace extension

[BmoreBird22]

I think Ryan Anderson is getting first round/second round buzz currently, but if where there for a comp, oh boy. 

Really glad to see someone give White some love. He seems like the forgotten man.

[JoeyFlex5]

5 minutes ago, Wildabeast88 said:

I like the picks although where does Peppers play is he an ILB/OLB/S I just don't have a clue we are set at ILB with CJ/Orr he isn't a FS do do we cut Webb and move Weddle I just don't know what to think of Peppers I would go a different direction there. I do like the other picks. Also, I think we may redo Pitta's contract instead of cutting him also I think we try to resign Williams whether he is to expensive we will see but I'm good with the other resigns Juice, Wagner, although I feel less sure of him coming back, Aiken I wonder if some team throws some money at him, West, Guy, Wallace extension

i think the FO begins a slow transition from webb. he played a good season but he got caught flat footed a few times and occasionally he showed his age by not having the recovery speed you want. i also think weddle is more suited to playing free than strong, weddle does good in run support, but is generally a weak blitzer and isnt built to cover TEs. peppers brings everything to the SS that weddle lacks and at an elite level. so with peppers we would phase him in by giving him nickel snaps, and by year 2 weddle would be playing a more traditional safety role, we preserve his body and let his IQ take over, and peppers takes the role that weddle played this year, roaming up close, covering TEs and shallow zones, blitzing etc.

5 minutes ago, BmoreBird22 said:

I think Ryan Anderson is getting first round/second round buzz currently, but if where there for a comp, oh boy. 

Really glad to see someone give White some love. He seems like the forgotten man.

im one person who has never forgotten white, i wanted him in the 2nd last year and was really upset when he didnt declare. hes always been one of my favorites. and i havent seen anderson getting that kind of buzz? both guys at walterfootball have him going in the late 3rd and cbssports has him in the 2nd but idk. walterfootball has gotten much bettter over the years and i trust their input more than cbssports at this point, since cbssports is strictly media and WF actually communicates with people in the NFL. 

[ravensnation5220]

I like this draft. It's a little hopeful that peppers makes it to us but you never know. I'm not a huge fan of white. I think he really lacks in physicality, he's a great cover corner but he doesn't help much in run support which I think the ravens covet highly. The biggest problem I see here is no interior lineman and pass rushers. Also a little hopeful on Anderson falling to the 3rd. Other than that I see a lot of guys that will bring immediate production for us. They'll all play day 1 and that's the biggest thing we need in this year's draft

[BmoreBird22]

5 minutes ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

im one person who has never forgotten white, i wanted him in the 2nd last year and was really upset when he didnt declare. hes always been one of my favorites. and i havent seen anderson getting that kind of buzz? both guys at walterfootball have him going in the late 3rd and cbssports has him in the 2nd but idk. walterfootball has gotten much bettter over the years and i trust their input more than cbssports at this point, since cbssports is strictly media and WF actually communicates with people in the NFL. 

I think Matt Miller spoke to an area scout that gave him first round buzz. I know he regularly communicates with scouts and FO personnel and Anderson seems to be picking up steam amongst some scouts.

[Wildabeast88]

8 minutes ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

i think the FO begins a slow transition from webb. he played a good season but he got caught flat footed a few times and occasionally he showed his age by not having the recovery speed you want. i also think weddle is more suited to playing free than strong, weddle does good in run support, but is generally a weak blitzer and isnt built to cover TEs. peppers brings everything to the SS that weddle lacks and at an elite level. so with peppers we would phase him in by giving him nickel snaps, and by year 2 weddle would be playing a more traditional safety role, we preserve his body and let his IQ take over, and peppers takes the role that weddle played this year, roaming up close, covering TEs and shallow zones, blitzing etc.

Ok in that case it makes more sense but I do not like his stone hands 1 Int at Michigan he is an athletic specimen but I don't know if it's the Buckeye in me but I feel he is Elam 2.0 a safety I like that is going in round 3-4 in most mocks that I like better is Quin Blanding from UVA he could play both FS or SS I believe as a freshman he had 7 picks ACC defensive rookie of the year and led the team in tackles this year possibly last too. He also gives us that which safety is playing what role to confuse QBs

[JoeyFlex5]

4 minutes ago, ravensnation5220 said:

I like this draft. It's a little hopeful that peppers makes it to us but you never know. I'm not a huge fan of white. I think he really lacks in physicality, he's a great cover corner but he doesn't help much in run support which I think the ravens covet highly. The biggest problem I see here is no interior lineman and pass rushers. Also a little hopeful on Anderson falling to the 3rd. Other than that I see a lot of guys that will bring immediate production for us. They'll all play day 1 and that's the biggest thing we need in this year's draft

i dont think any team covets run supporting corners in this day and age, its just an added bonus to coverage abilities. nobody is drafting a corner early because they play the run well but cover at a 3rd round level. coverage comes first. also, ejuan price and ryan anderson are both pass rushers, and i also projected JC tretter as a FA pickup, so theres the interior lineman, and i also tried not to reach and be realistic here so elflein or feeney in the mid 2nd is very hopeful and anyone after that imo is a reach, i also dont like orlosky in the 3rd. 

i havent seen anderson getting first or second round buzz so im just going off of what ive seen so far. i could certainly change that to be more realistic, i like vince biegel there as well.

[ravensnation5220]

3 minutes ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

i dont think any team covets run supporting corners in this day and age, its just an added bonus to coverage abilities. nobody is drafting a corner early because they play the run well but cover at a 3rd round level. coverage comes first. also, ejuan price and ryan anderson are both pass rushers, and i also projected JC tretter as a FA pickup, so theres the interior lineman, and i also tried not to reach and be realistic here so elflein or feeney in the mid 2nd is very hopeful and anyone after that imo is a reach, i also dont like orlosky in the 3rd. 

i havent seen anderson getting first or second round buzz so im just going off of what ive seen so far. i could certainly change that to be more realistic, i like vince biegel there as well.

True. I just don't see enough pass rush production from Anderson. He doesn't have many pressures and his sacks aren't always all him. I just see him as a Upshaw kind of guy with a little more pass rush potential. 

[JoeyFlex5]

Just now, ravensnation5220 said:

True. I just don't see enough pass rush production from Anderson. He doesn't have many pressures and his sacks aren't always all him. I just see him as a Upshaw kind of guy with a little more pass rush potential. 

i see him as a big upgrade from mclellan and a guy who wont be a liability on 3rd down if we dont have any other options. he doesnt bring great pass rush but he isnt totally devoid of the ability either, and we still need real linebackers on the field, you cant just litter the field with pass rushers on all 3 downs lol. 

 

15 minutes ago, Wildabeast88 said:

Ok in that case it makes more sense but I do not like his stone hands 1 Int at Michigan he is an athletic specimen but I don't know if it's the Buckeye in me but I feel he is Elam 2.0 a safety I like that is going in round 3-4 in most mocks that I like better is Quin Blanding from UVA he could play both FS or SS I believe as a freshman he had 7 picks ACC defensive rookie of the year and led the team in tackles this year possibly last too. He also gives us that which safety is playing what role to confuse QBs

ooh i dont see elam 2.0 in peppers lol. elam wasnt really a specimen himself he was just a big hit highlight reel in college, peppers is extremely smart on the field and fundamentally sound, elam was neither of those and still isnt.

[Wildabeast88]

19 minutes ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

i see him as a big upgrade from mclellan and a guy who wont be a liability on 3rd down if we dont have any other options. he doesnt bring great pass rush but he isnt totally devoid of the ability either, and we still need real linebackers on the field, you cant just litter the field with pass rushers on all 3 downs lol. 

 

ooh i dont see elam 2.0 in peppers lol. elam wasnt really a specimen himself he was just a big hit highlight reel in college, peppers is extremely smart on the field and fundamentally sound, elam was neither of those and still isnt.

Like I said probably the Buckeye in me. What are your thoughts on Blanding

[JoeyFlex5]

1 minute ago, Wildabeast88 said:

Like I said probably the Buckeye in me. What are your thoughts on Blanding

not ringing any bells but elaborate a bit and ill check him out when i get a chance lol

[Wildabeast88]

Just now, JoeyFlex5 said:

not ringing any bells but elaborate a bit and ill check him out when i get a chance lol

Quin Blanding from UVA he is a junior S 3 year starter in 3 years he had 358 tackles averaging 10.0 tackles a game but I just read in my research he announced today he is going back to UVA for his senior season.

[Wildabeast88]

9 minutes ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

not ringing any bells but elaborate a bit and ill check him out when i get a chance lol

2016 - Sporting News All-American second-team ... All-ACC first-team ... Coaches All-ACC first-team ... College Sports Madness All-American third-team ... Associated Press All-ACC first-team ... Phil Steele first-team All-ACC ... Touchdown Club of Richmond's defensive back of the year ... Bednarik preseason watch list ... Nagurski preaseason watch list ... Thorpe preseason watch list ... Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list ... preseason All-ACC ... Athlon Sports fourth-team preseason All-American ... Phil Steele fourth-team preseason All-American ... Phil Steele first-team preseason All-ACC. 2015 - USA Today All-American second-team ... Sports Illustrated All-American honorable mention ... College Sports Madness All-American second-team ... All-ACC first-team ... All-ACC Coaches second-team ... Touchdown Club of Richmond’s defensive back of the year ... Bednarik Award preseason watch list ... Bronko Nagurski Trophy preseason watch list ... Thorpe Award preseason watch list ... preseason All-ACC ... Phil Steele preseason fourth-team All-American ... Athlon Sports preseason third-team All-American ... first-team Phil Steele preseason All-ACC ... first-team Athlon Sports preseason All-ACC. 2014 - Scout.com National Defensive Rookie of the Year ... FWAA Freshman All-American ... Scout.com Freshman All-American ... ESPN.com Freshman All-American ... Sporting NewsTrue Freshman All-American ... USA Today Freshman All-American ... Phil Steele Freshman All-American ... 247Sports True Freshman All-American ... ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year ... ACC Coaches Defensive Rookie of the Year ... All-ACC second-team ... All-ACC Coaches second-team ... VaSID Defensive Rookie of the Year ... ECAC National Co-Rookie of the Year ... ECAC All-Star ... VaSID second-team all-state ... USA Today Midseason Top-5 Freshman List ... Phil Steele Midseason All-ACC second-team ... UVA's recipient of the Z Society Bill Dudley Award presented to the first-year player that exemplifies excellence in the classroom, on the field and in the community. 
 

[JoeyFlex5]

4 minutes ago, Wildabeast88 said:

Quin Blanding from UVA he is a junior S 3 year starter in 3 years he had 358 tackles averaging 10.0 tackles a game but I just read in my research he announced today he is going back to UVA for his senior season.

ahh. i actually have heard the name a few times around here. i dont watch much from safety prospects tbh, so hard to guage a college safety. but ill check him out sometime.

[Wildabeast88]

2016 - Started all 12 of UVA's games ... finished season No. 2 in the ACC with 10.0 tackles per game ... recorded seven tackles in the season opener against Richmond ... shared the team lead with nine tackles at then-No. 24 Oregon ... at UConn shared the team lead for the second game in a row with Micah Kiser with 11 tackles, eight of which were solo stops ... led UVA with 12 tackles against Central Michigan ... made seven stops and his first interception of the season at Duke in the ACC opener ... his interception against the Blue Devils was one of five by the Cavaliers on the day, tying a team program record that has been reached 10 times ... set a new career high with 16 tackles against Pitt ... his 16 stops against the Panthers gave him 300 for his career, making him the third-fastest Cavalier to reach the mileston and the fastest defensive back ... led UVA with 13 tackles and 1.0 TFL against then-No. 22 North Carolina ... made eight tackles, broke up two passes and intercepted one against then-No. 5 Louisville ... returned his third quarter interception 30 yards ... made seven tackles at Wake Forest ... made six tackles at Georgia Tech ... was second on the team with 12 stops at Virginia Tech in the season finale. 2015 - Started all 12 of UVA's games ... finished the regular season No. 2 in the ACC and No. 20 in the nation with 115 tackles ... it's the second year in a row he finished No. 2 in the ACC in tackles ... registered double-digit tackles in seven of UVA's 12 games ... led UVA with 38 tackles on passing plays ... recorded 76 tackles on rushing plays ... along with teammate Micah Kiser, became the only teammates in all 10 FBS conferences to finish the regular season ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in tackles in their respective leagues ... along with Kiser, became the first UVA set of sophomores to be named first-team All-ACC since Terry Kirby and Chris Slade in 1990 ... tallied 10 tackles and one tackle for loss at No. 13 UCLA ... made eight stops against No. 9 Notre Dame ... made seven tackles against William & Mary ... made seven tackles and recovered a fumble at Pitt ... led UVA with 12 tackles in UVA's win over Syracuse that went three overtimes ... six of his tackles were solo against the Orange ... named the team's defensive player of the game against North Carolina when he led the Cavaliers with 12 tackles and one interception ... he forced a fumble also against the Tar Heels ... seven of his tackles at North Carolina were solo stops ... named ACC Defensive Back of the Week after posting a game-high 15 tackles against Georgia Tech ... eight of his stops against the Yellow Jackets were solo and he broke up two passes ... his second pass breakup came on a fourth down opportunity for Georgia Tech with 1:06 left and solidified the win ... seven of his 15 tackles against Georgia Tech came in the fourth quarter ... tallied five tackles at Miami ... led UVA with 14 tackles, nine of which were solo, at Louisville ... tallied 11 tackles in a win over Duke ... six of his stops against the Blue Devils were solo tackles ... tied for the team lead with 10 tackles in the season finale against Virginia Tech. 2014 - One of four true freshmen to see playing time and one of two to start at least one game ... one of 10 cavaliers to start all 12 games ... was the first UVA true freshman to start a season opener at one of the two safety positions since Tony Blount did so at Washington on Sept. 11, 1976 ... finished the regular season No. 2 in the ACC and No. 12 nationally with 123 tackles ... broke UVA's freshman record for tackles that was previously held by Ahmad Brooks' 117 tackles in 2003 ... led the nation's freshmen with 123 tackles ... tied for the team lead with three interceptions (Richmond, UNC, Miami) ... led UVA with 79 tackles on rushing plays ... finished rookie campaign tied with Jamie Sharper (1996) for No. 10 in the UVA record book for tackles in a season ... one of two freshmen in the nation to led his team in tackles (NC State's Jerod Fernandez) ... recorded nine tackles in his collegiate debut against UCLA ... made seven combined tackles, broke up two passes, and made first collegiate pick against Richmond ... recorded nine total tackles and one broken up pass against No. 21 Louisville ... had a total of eight tackles at BYU ... led the team with 13 combined tackles in a victory over Kent State ... set a career high and set the team's season high with 15 tackles in a win over Pitt ... made nine tackles at Duke ... recorded six total tackles and the only interception against the Tar Heels ... led the team with 13 combined stops at Georgia Tech ... led the team again with 13 total tackles at No. 2 Florida State ... had seven tackles and had returned an interception for six yards in a win over Miami ... led the team with a total 14 stops including one sack in the season finale at Virginia Tech ... earned first letter.

[Wildabeast88]

2 minutes ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

ahh. i actually have heard the name a few times around here. i dont watch much from safety prospects tbh, so hard to guage a college safety. but ill check him out sometime.

Sorry for the length of the articles but is a really good player but since he is going back I guess wait til next year

[allblackraven]

Good players but I don't like the draft, simply because it completely ignores our by far biggest need, top shelf pass rusher. They are kind of in there but Anderson is not sliding past 2nd round and Price is too old, particularly after we drafted Juddon last year. We will be in a range to get our hands on elite pass rusher and I'd hate to see us spend that pick on a guy whose position is not very clear.

White in 2nd round is a great pick.

[JoeyFlex5]

16 minutes ago, allblackraven said:

Good players but I don't like the draft, simply because it completely ignores our by far biggest need, top shelf pass rusher. They are kind of in there but Anderson is not sliding past 2nd round and Price is too old, particularly after we drafted Juddon last year. We will be in a range to get our hands on elite pass rusher and I'd hate to see us spend that pick on a guy whose position is not very clear.

White in 2nd round is a great pick.

what elite edge rusher do you see in that range though? i really dont see anything close to that. i think williams and barnett are both taken by then and im not taking charles harris or takk mckinley in the top 20.

[allblackraven]

17 minutes ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

what elite edge rusher do you see in that range though? i really dont see anything close to that. i think williams and barnett are both taken by then and im not taking charles harris or takk mckinley in the top 20.

I think one of Barnett or Williams is there or at least close enough to trade up. I wouldn't mind McKinnley either. 

[JoeyFlex5]

4 minutes ago, allblackraven said:

I think one of Barnett or Williams is there or at least close enough to trade up. I wouldn't mind McKinnley either. 

i would love to have one of the first 2 i just dont see it though. 

i cant give mckinley a top 20 grade man, i just cant. great hustle, good explosion and bend, but not enough imo, he doesnt disengage well and looks like a project to me.

[ravensnation5220]

We need a vote mock for our first round pick already!!!!!!! I'd create one if I knew how lol

[allblackraven]

24 minutes ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

i would love to have one of the first 2 i just dont see it though. 

i cant give mckinley a top 20 grade man, i just cant. great hustle, good explosion and bend, but not enough imo, he doesnt disengage well and looks like a project to me.

I like McKinnley's burst and effort. He is a finisher.

[ravensnation5220]

Just now, allblackraven said:

I like McKinnley's burst and effort. He is a finisher.

He's just too raw and inconsistent though. Only one year of true production

[Wildabeast88]

20 minutes ago, ravensnation5220 said:

We need a vote mock for our first round pick already!!!!!!! I'd create one if I knew how lol

Might as well wait until after the game and we know for sure where we are picking.

[ravensnation5220]

2 minutes ago, Wildabeast88 said:

Might as well wait until after the game and we know for sure where we are picking.

Ya I know. I'm just impatient lol

[Wildabeast88]

20 minutes ago, ravensnation5220 said:

Ya I know. I'm just impatient lol

Me too I have been on draft speak and already done about 15 mocks so I can't talk

[JoeyFlex5]

update: 

WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO PEPPERS IN PREGAME???

[allblackraven]

2 minutes ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

update: 

WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO PEPPERS IN PREGAME???

left hammy, week ago in practice

[JoeyFlex5]

9 minutes ago, allblackraven said:

left hammy, week ago in practice

ohh. man that sucks. i havent been paying much attention to bowl game news lol. 

i wonder how different dalvin cook would be looking right now if peppers was in