nycdan

I can't speak to the accuracy of this article but it does support a strong hunch of mine. https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2022/7/13/23206891/where-was-the-average-nfl-offensive-starter-drafted-by-position Here are the salient points: Final Thoughts Get your QB in the first round, because that's where you need to find him. And nothing is more important than finding him. Get your LT in the first round. Until you have your QB and LT, it's probably never a bad idea to spend a 1st rounder on those two positions. You can build the rest of an offensive line in the later rounds or even with UDFAs if you've got a good eye for talent. Get your stud WRs in the first two (maybe three) rounds. And spend more picks on WRs, because you need tons of them and a high % of UDFAs are playing big snaps right now. Don't spend 1st rounders on RBs, but don't neglect the position in the draft. Not many UDFA RBs are doing much. So to sum up - we are probably doing it in the right order.

Tighty Whiteys.

I'd bet on BUF to take Ladd McConkey tomorrow. He's fast and one of the last of the tier 2 WRs. Not a terrible outcome after sliding down so much honestly. That still leaves a few pretty interesting names like Mitchell, Franklin, Wilson, and Coleman. All probably gone too early for us, but there will be a guy for us in late-2, early-3.

Late run on WRs. Worthy, Pearsall, and now Legette. I'm guessing BUF wanted Pearsall because they just traded out of the 1st round. Their forum is pretty much on fire right now.

Bet Michael Mayer was even more salty.

Think back a dozen or so years to how successful the team was with Woody, Moore, Mangold, and Brick. I didn't hate that.

I remember the absolute horror of watching the Jets draft TWO OL in the 1st round one time. It was awful!

I detest these types of threads but I will say one thing. The last time the Bears took a WR many people here really liked, he was the 7th pick of the draft (we picked right before that pick and there was a lot of grumbling). That WR turned out to catch a total of 28 passes in his NFL career. Not saying Odunze is that, and I like the kid and hope he does really well, but let's not turn him into Jerry Rice just yet. Oh and just for kicks, Tyler Lockett was drafted in the 3rd round that year. He has 612 catches and 8,000 yards receiving.

Of course we do. But that's not a popular take here when you can bash the pick right now. What I'm trying to say is that we can realistically debate WHICH OT we might have taken (Fashanu vs. Fuaga vs. Fautanu) but that's really the only realistic thing to debate. There was no other possible choice to make at 11. Way to early for BTJ (who went at #23). And the cost of trading up, without even knowing if ATL would trade at all, compared to what we got to moving back a slot, probably gives OT/WR a pretty big edge over WR/OT. It's really sad to see the amount of negativity over the pick when there really was no better option on the table. Moving down and picking up a few extra chips was even a nice bonus. Honestly, JD did about as good as you could ask given the hand he held once Odunze was off the board.

I would have loved to see Odunze fall to us. Not 100% sure JD would have taken him but I think so. Anyway, now that the dust has settled, I look at it this way. Odunze would give us insurance against a Williams reinjury and also provide some good offensive weaponry at the same time although he would probably only have played in half the snaps unless he was better than advertised. Fashanu gives us insurance against Tyron Smith and possibly Morgan Moses getting injured. Sadly, I consider the odds of one of the tackles needing to be replaced a lot higher than MW. So from that perspective, this is a positive for 2024 and beyond. And that's assuming Fashanu doesn't outright outplay one of them by mid-season which is certainly something to hope for. Then there's the next pick. There is some very solid WR talent in rounds 2-3. We will get a guy. He will be a better WR than anyone we could possibly draft will be at OT. But Odunze wasn't there. So then there's the 'trade-up' consideration. We get Fashanu, and and extra 4th and 5th rounder, minus a sixth rounder. If we traded up to 8 (if it was even possible, which I suspect it was not) it would have likely cost us our 3rd rounder this year and at least a 3rd rounder in 2025. So the choice might have been: Odunze + 2024 6th rounder vs. Fashnu + 2024 3rd, 4th, 5th rounders +2025 3rd rounder. When I look at it like that, Fashanu looks pretty good.

If we're going OL...

Draft picks aren't going to turn them around. Will a rookie WR be better than Allen and Williams? They already have a really good LT, one of the best Safeties in the game, and two excellent pass rushers. They had a great RB last season who is now in Washington. On paper this team should have done much better than it did. I don't think it was a roster problem. If Harbaugh turns it around, it's going to be hard to deny it is the coaching that made the difference.

I expect one of these guys to be a Jet tonight: Odunze Fuaga Bowers Nabers (long shot) Alt (longer shot) And once it's done, I will be okay with whoever it is. Now if they reach down for someone else, I will be surprised, probably annoyed for a minute...but I will still be okay because the team will be a little better, deeper, younger than this morning.

It sounds like a minimum of 12 players will be gone before we pick at #10. Damn...

When's his birthday? Who attended his party?