[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image source=”featured_image” img_size=”large”][vc_column_text]Thoughts from the sometimes ridiculous Mind of Mike, the first of many on the NFL Draft.
— Jermaine Johnson is going to make some folks pay as he fell and fell and fell and landed to the NY Jets at No. 26. I spoke to a few NFL scouts who said he’s the best player in the draft. Not DE, but best player overall. This was a month or so ago even before he was projected as a top 10 pick.
— Can someone tell me why Bill Belichick does this? Is it because he thinks he’s smarter than anyone else? Is it because he IS smarter than anyone else? OG Cole Strange? A mid-round value in round one? Why not trade back and take him in round two or three? I guess if you win a million Super Bowls you can do what you want.
— The run on wide receivers was interesting to watch and seven in round one speaks to two things. 1) the ridiculous contracts for players like Christian Kirk have elevated contracts for the AJ Brown and Deebo Samuel types and teams would rather pay first-round money than $100 million. 2) This is a top-heavy group at wide receiver with a significant risk/reward drop-off to round two.
— The order of the tackles wasn’t a surprise but I still think Evan Neal to the Giants is the big catch here. Charles Cross is a risk and Ickey Ekwonu is solid and will be fine, but Neal is a gold jacket talent and the Giants fans are going to love him. He’s better than current LT Andrew Thomas and will eventually be on that side.
— CB’s Sauce Gardner and Derek Stingley Jr. will be compared for years. They don’t play in the same division but each will be tasked to be a shutdown guy in the AFC where elite QBs roam. Stingley Jr. shows exactly how much recent film means nothing. His 2019 season cemented him as a top-five pick.
— The Cowboys are ridiculous. With EDGE Jermaine Johnson available, OC Tyler Linderbaum is a no-risk option, and even with the thought of landing LB Devin Lloyd to go with Micah Parsons, they take a risk on OT Tyler Smith who is a penalty machine.
More Sports News
— The Ravens killed it. S Kyle Hamilton and OC Tyler Linderbaum are two of the safest picks in the first round. One NFL source told me Hamilton is the next Justin Simmons and that Linderbaum is a 10-year starter and captain.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
