Bri what do you think they will go after in the draft? OL to protect Mariota?
I'd try to trade the top pick if they get it for more picks.
It is soooo early.
Free agency still has to happen as does a new coach coming on.
Today there is no one at the top that suits them or their needs but a wealth of guys from like pick 5 on. It's tough to imagine a good trade today with every team knowing they want to trade down.
A new coach will bring cuts and maybe a switch back to 4-3. FWIW their best D the last two years has been a 5-2 set not 3-4 or 4-3.
That'll change their needs if so. I think they are very well set to go to 4-3.
Second thing will be tape review and is the secondary top 5 like they were the first 8 games or horrible like they were the second 8? I think it's gonna be the latter so today I think CB Ramsey is the least reach.
If 4-3 and Morgan goes back to end then Jaylon Smith is top OLB at about pick 5 like Ramsey. He's kinda small at 233lbs.
Normally this would absolutely be an O or D lineman but there is this need for a sexy pick to appeal to the casual fans they've lost. WRs won't go til mid to late round 1 so they can get one and some mocks only have RB Elliot in round one so they can easily go RB in round two also.
I think savvy fans will want trenches, casual fans want "names" and...they'll go with a name.
I do not think the GM matters unless the team is sold. I seriously think whomever is there gets told "get me a star" from Strunk and that's that. I'll be more fearful of a guy like Heyward Bey going so early.
Traditionally the safest top pick is a DL and then OT, IIRC. I'm totally fine with Lewan. They have almost no DTs or NTs under contract for 2016. If Strunk insists on a star, then they'll have to get DL in free agency. They don't need 3rd 4th round DL to rely upon. Those guys should be depth.
With only one RB in round one, I think it's almost a lock they get a RB in round two. This, however, is one of the positions I expect to change most by draft day. This is not worse than the William Green and TJ Duckett draft and even they went round one. The counter to this is how fluid the RB position is today and how so many rookie starters in 2014 were not in 2015. Maybe they do have less value?
I see the two at Oklahoma (no clue if either go to NFL) and Derrick Henry and...those guys can really play ball. There's no way every GM skips RBs and only lets Elliot go in round one. A sweet senior bowl, a nice 40, an impressive film room interview...something somewhere will change this.
Today though, yep I'd pencil them in for 2nd best RB in round two.