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2068 First Round Draft Review

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  • 2068 First Round Draft Review

    2068 FFL First Round Draft Review - Midyear Edition
    Nov. 8, 2068 2068 FFL Draft.jpg
    It's midseason in the Franchise Football League, which means it's a great time to look at the new rookies and how they have performed during the beginning of their careers. There have been superstars, developing impact players, and busts alike in this year's draft. We won't have time to review all 224 picks, so today, we are going to have a look at the first-rounders and how they are performing for their teams so far.

    1.01 - Lee Dennis, QB, Jaxonville Jaguars
    With Jaxonville owning the first two picks of the draft after trading with the Steelers, they ran the beginning of this year's class. Dennis was the consensus top quarterback this year and he has been as advertised. He has been eased into the league, attempting the least amount of passes for any full-time starter this year; this has seemed to work well for Dennis and the Jags. He is currently top 5 in the league in QB rate and number one in completion percentage. While he has not been far and away the best rookie QB this year, his play has more than warranted the number 1 overall pick and he should be a good NFL starter for years to come.

    1.02 - Victor Holzberger, WR, Jaxonville Jaguars
    This was a no-brainer pick to pair with the Jags' new rookie QB. Holzberger was seen as one of the best rookie WR prospects to come out in a long time, grading highly in basically every skill needed for the position. Even with a lot of star wide receivers in the league right now, Victor has already placed himself in that conversation despite playing for a rookie QB on a run-first team and being a rookie himself. He still has room to grow, particularly in his route running, so he has not even reached his full potential yet. It'll be a scary day when both he and Dennis grow into their best selves, shredding defenses across the league.

    1.03 - Emmanuel Woods, QB, Tennessee Titans
    Now is when the draft gets interesting. The first two picks were pretty much consensus throughout the league. It was at the third pick where real decisions had to be made. Tennessee already had a great defense coming into the draft, but they had a very poor passing offense. This team desperately needed a quarterback, but there was no easy pick after Dennis. The Titans decided to go with Woods, a high risk/high reward guy who had an up-and-down college career at West Virginia. He has not lived up to expectations in Tennessee. He has only played 4 games in 8 weeks, and he has one of the worst QB Ratings, Completion percentages, and Avg/A in the league. The Titans have also gone out and signed Terrance Patton, a solid but not great QB from Buffalo, which shows just how highly this organization already views their first-round quarterback.

    1.04 - Eli Sawle, S, Dallas Cowboys
    As the first defensive player off the board, Sawle was projected to be more of a box safety than a nickel corner type. His ability to sniff out the run and getting to the ball is what he was known for in school, and he excelled at it. His coverage was lacking, which is why some critics questioned him going as high as he did. One of the most underrated things he brings to the table, however, is his leadership and intelligence. Sawle has had some growing pains coming from a small school, but he has shown flashes of what he is capable of. While his stats have been mediocre at the start of his career, Sawle has shown growth over every game and should continue to grow into a high-flying, tackle machine for Dallas. Whether that was ultimately worth the 4th overall pick is another topic for debate.

    1.05 - Roger Boege, QB, Chicago Bears
    The third QB is taken in the top 5, and Boege may be the best of them all. That is, if the Chicago coaching staff can develop him into his full potential. He has had great games, like week 2 against Houston, and totally awful games, like week 4 against Carolina. Simply put, Boege is a very raw prospect that will need some time and experience to develop. The staff GM Chrustifus has put together simply adores his long-term potential. They even traded away their star QB George Suhocki to the New England Patriots because they believe in him so much. Right now, the Bears are struggling with a poor overall roster and raw rookie under center, but if they do well with the picks that Suhocki has netted them, Boege can become one of the league's bright young stars in the near future.

    1.06 - Tyrell Imme, EDGE, Seattle Seahawks
    Imme was projected as one of the best pass rushers in the class; he hasn't exactly lived up to the hype just yet. There is still plenty of time for him to come into his own, but so far, he hasn't made much of an impact on the field. Even though Imme has started all of Seattle's games and earned a significant amount of snaps, he just got his first sack and only has 8 hurries so far. The Seahawks are hoping for a second-half comeback for their young edge rusher. He has all the physical tools to do so, he just needs to tinker with his pass rush moves and then he can become the disrupting force Seattle picked him to be.

    1.07 - Cornelius Kinney, WR, San Francisco 49ers
    While Kinney has been stuck under the spotlight of Holzberger this season, he is still a great prospect in his own right. Kinney has not been given the heavy workload that Holzberger has, so his FFL outlook is still up in the air. Head Coach Reggie Hoppe has leaned more on Arnold Bernstein and Theodore Chafee instead of overwhelming Kinney at the start of his career. Maybe he hasn't picked up the playbook as quickly as intended, maybe the 9ers want to wait for a permanent solution at QB before seeing what Kinney can do. There's no way of knowing why Kinney hasn't taken over the WR1 position for San Francisco yet, but the majority of FFL insiders believe he will take over that role sooner rather than later.

    1.08 - Denzel Gammon, G, Denver Broncos
    When taking a guard in the top 10, you better know they are going to be great; Denzel Gammon is going to be great. Straight out of college, he is performing like an average to above-average guard at a position that requires cohesion with your fellow lineman. It's hard for a rookie lineman to come in and be great right away, so the fact that he is at the level he is right now this early shows how great he can be in the coming years. There's no doubt he will become a star guard for Denver once he gets up to FFL speed and connects with his teammates.
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  • #2
    1.09 - Drake Peters, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
    Peters, this year's combine darlin', was seen as a prototypical three-down back that can both run and catch with ease. Something must have happened during the Eagles' training camp because he has not taken a significant amount of carries from Ben Schrope yet. FFL insiders believe he has the ability to perform if given the opportunity, but head coach Dexter Reynolds refuses to create touches for his 9th overall pick. He's been decent enough to warrant more touches when he does get the ball, so you would think someone with his draft capital would be given a chance to succeed. What is even more puzzling is his usage in the passing game. While he was a very good runner at Tulane, where he really excelled was as a mismatch against linebackers in the passing game. Despite this, Reynolds has not given him many designed passing plays. Let's hope the Philadelphia coaching staff figures out how to use their pick, otherwise, Peter's full potential may never be reached.

    1.10 - Gino Chandler, QB, Houston Texans
    As the fourth quarterback taken in this year's draft, Chandler is proving he is one of the best. Despite given full reign of the offense, unlike Lee Dennis, Chandler has held his own as the starter. He has a great 96.7 QB rating and has fewer interceptions than Dennis with 37 more attempts. After his monster game against the Bengals this week, he now has more touchdowns than Dennis as well. Chandler has been playing much better than expected, especially with a negative supporting cast. As long as the Texans work to bring in help for their new QB, Chandler should continue to get better and become a very good starter in the FFL.

    1.11 - Craig Griffin, EDGE, Cleveland Browns
    The Browns targeted the edge rusher heavily in this draft, taking two in the top 15. They seemed to be looking for guys to come in as their top edge guys are beginning to age out. Because of this, I don't blame Griffin for playing as much as you would expect from a top 15 pick. Even with a very solid starter in front of him, he has earned himself a decent amount of playing time and has racked up 4.5 sacks and 11 hurries in that time. Once starter Jimmie Fuller's contract expires in 2070, expect Griffin to immerge as a perennial 10+ sack guy for Cleveland.

    1.12 - Rodolfo Beckles, CB, Las Vegas Raiders
    Beckles came into the FFL expecting to be a great starter from day 1; he has failed to disappoint. Through the Raiders' first 7 games, Beckles is first in Pass Defense Percentage for all corners with significant playing time. His 4 interceptions are also just behind Andres Gliniak and Russel Dunlap's 5. To put it simply, Beckles has been playing very well. His run defense was nothing special in college, though, and this seems to be continuing to the pros. Despite his lack of tackles, he is still a great corner for Vegas and his ballhawk ability can become a game-changer for them.

    1.13 - Lester Zarate, CB, Washington Football Team
    Back-to-back corners are taken at 12 and 13, but sadly, Zarate has not turned out as well for Washington as Beckles has for the Raiders. Zarate was suspended for the entirety of his rookie season for off-the-field issues. This puts into serious doubt both his dedication to the Football Team and his mental maturity. This kind of thing hasn't been an issue for him in college, so hopefully this was a one-time thing for the first round corner. Luckily, Washington has two great corners already on the team, so Zarate can take this time off to better himself on and off the field before next season.

    1.14 - Jose Johnstone, EDGE, Cleveland Browns
    A second edge rusher for Cleveland! GM Steel must enjoy a devastating pass rush. As a prospect, Johnstone was nowhere near Griffin, performing worse as a smaller school than his new teammate. No one expected Johnstone to have such a horrendous camp, however. The first-rounder has failed to even be active through the first 8 weeks of the regular season. It's a little too early to call anyone a bust, but not even being a benchwarmer on Sundays does not bode well for him. Steel and the Browns coaching staff better hope he gets himself together because right now it isn't looking good for him.

    1.15 - Sammy Patterson, RB, Buffalo Bills
    Finally, a player that actually got to play this season. Patterson came into the league as a stocky, one cut back who can take what his line gives him into huge gains. While not as versatile as someone like Drake Peters, Patterson's skill set is still a very valuable one in this league. While he did not instantly come in as the starter like some other first-rounders, he has slowly earned more and more carries. He even earned the starting role the last three weeks. While he has yet to produce crazy numbers, just seeing him work his way into the starting role gives hope. If he can continue to work and the Bills coaching staff continues to work with him, I can see Patterson as a very capable running back in this league.
    Last edited by kmkuiken; 03-26-2021, 07:25 AM.

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    • #3
      1.16 - Justin Sigmon, DT, Los Angeles Rams
      The Rams seem to have a very solid rotational piece for their defensive line who should become a full-time starter in due time. Sigmon has played a key role for Los Angeles this season, even if he isn't considered a starter. Although his time on the field has been limited, his spotlight off the field has definitely not been. Sigmon's boisterous personality has not gelled well with some of the veterans on this defense, but the fans can't get enough of it. As a rookie with relatively limited time, Sigmon has managed to flash his talents and shown he can become a very productive piece for the Rams. Injuries have been a problem for Los Angeles' line so far this year, so Sigmon's time to shine may come earlier than expected.

      1.17 - Harry Ellis, TE, Los Angeles Chargers
      Tight end has notoriously been a tough position to pick up as a rookie. Many of the top tight ends in the league right now only had mediocre to good seasons at best in their first year in the FFL, so we should keep that in mind when discussing Ellis. While he has had some good games and bad games, overall he has been playing pretty well for the Chargers. His 7.6yds/tgt is better than Jay Riemersma and Todd Heap, two tight ends who were rewarded with the Legends of the Game award at the end of their careers. Now, this obviously isn't implying that Ellis is an otherworldly tight end after playing only 7 games, but it is nice to see his statistics in perspective. There is no reason that, with a little experience, Harry Ellis can become a top 15 tight end in this league.

      1.18 - Lonnie Jamison, WR, Seattle Seahawks
      The Seahawks hoped they had found their new deep threat when selecting Jamison 18th overall. His potential was sky-high: he burned everyone he saw at Western Kentucky and proceeded to run a 4.37 40 to prove that blazing speed. Sadly, it doesn't look like we will be seeing the likes of Jamison in the near future. He has a lot of work to do with his technique if he wants to get open at the next level: he won't be able to just run by everyone as he did in college. On top of that, team doctors discovered that he has arthritis. This will for sure hinder his long-term health and could affect his route running ability, something the majority of front offices see as a necessary trait for FFL pass catchers.

      1.19 - Levon Logan, G, Atlanta Falcons
      Logan is a part of a group of very capable lineman who were pushed down the draft board in favor of more flashy positions; he might be the best of all of them when it's all set and done. He has only allowed one sack while starting for Atlanta since day one. Once he begins to mesh with the rest of the line and develops his game further, Logan will be babying defensive tackles across the league. Logan will go down as a steal for the Falcons, who were looking for a dominant guard to pair with the Cooley brothers at tackle and center.

      1.20 - Darien Ford, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
      Like Lonnie Jamison, Ford was a speedster through and through. His bread and butter at Syracuse was the go route and maybe a comeback here and there. Some scouts in this league see that as a lack of knowledge in the technical aspects of the position, while others see an incredibly fast human that just kept doing what worked. The speed was unquestionably there, the question for Ford is: can he refine the rest of his game to reach his true potential? So far he only has one reception for -1 yards, but at least he is getting on the field, unlike Jamison. Only time will tell if Ford can put it all together for the Bucs.

      1.21 - Toby Cook, T, Miami Dolphins
      Cook is the first tackle to go off the board, and he happens to play the most important side for a young QB. Similar to the other lineman taken in the first round in this year's class, Cook hasn't shown himself as a dominant force just yet but he has played very sound football for Miami. He came right in as a starter and hasn't allowed a sack all year. Being able to grab a franchise left tackle this late in the first has to help this offense that desperately needs a spark.

      1.22 - Zachery Winkel, G, Arizona Cardinals
      Another very good lineman goes late. Winkel hasn't been as sound as others that went before him, allowing two sacks in his 8 games played. But, since Winkel was one of the more raw prospects at o-line this year, we shouldn't hold that against him right now. With the full support of Arizona's coaching staff and all the playing time he is getting right now, Winkel should reach his full potential very soon and be a long-term option for the Cardinals on the interior.

      1.23 - Cornelius Aleman, T, Baltimore Ravens
      Aleman was a high variance prospect coming out of South Carolina State. He had the technique of an FFL starter in college, but he never seemed to dominate his competition in the way you would expect a first-rounder to at a school like South Carolina State. Still, GM QuikSand saw he had the skills to play at the next level despite his strength concerns. That trust in technique is paying off for the Ravens. He has the second-highest key block percentage out of any of the 8 linemen taken in the first. Also, he has only allowed one sack while playing in the very pass-heavy Baltimore offense. Aleman proves that linemen do not have to be crazy strong to succeed in this league: you just need to know how to play the position efficiently and effectively.

      1.24 - Dylan Bradley, WR, Detroit Lions (Signed by Washington)
      It isn't often you see someone invest such a high draft pick in a guy and then cut them before they even play one snap in the regular season. The Lions were desperate for a wide receiver to play opposite Barry Tucker, but even with essentially no other competition, Bradley managed to get cut. I guess we'll never find out what happened in Detroit's front office to warrant this series of moves, but at least they had the courage to admit their mistake and move on from Bradley this quickly. Don't expect much out of him in Washington: he was most likely only signed because of his draft capital.

      1.25 - Dominique Blair, WR, Indianapolis Colts
      Viewed as one of the most pro-ready wide receivers in this class, Blair has found a way to make his name known in a very crowded receiver room. The Colts already have three very talented receivers on their roster, but they are beginning to grow old. It would be totally acceptable for Blair to learn from seasoned vets like Jerald Erickson and Herman Thomas this year, but Blair commanded playing time through his return skills. He has proven himself to be a great return guy, both on punts and kickoffs. Once Erickson retires, Blair should be able to take that electric play that makes him a great returner and translate it to the passing game.

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      • #4
        1.26 - Lawrence Burnett, S, Cincinnati Bengals
        Burnett has been able to prove to the world that you don't need to be big to play the safety position. His size was always one of his largest flaws during the draft process, but that hasn't seemed to affect his play. He is ranked top 10 in coverage for starting safeties and has three picks as a rookie which is great, especially for someone as young as Burnett. He definitely does not play the same role as someone like Eli Swale, but his coverage role is still key for any defense. Burnett looks like he will be a long-time starter at centerfield for Cinci.

        1.27 - Shaquille Frazer, T, New York Giants
        Fraizer was the complete opposite type of player from Cornelius Aleman. Instead of winning through skill and technique, his highlight reel consisted of barreling through the competition with his 6' 4'' frame. It doesn't look like that is a way to win in the FFL. Frazer has only earned a limited amount of snaps so far, and he hasn't done much with them. Seeing all these other linemen come right in as starters doesn't help his look, either. Maybe New York's coaching staff can teach him how to play tackle, because right now, Fraizer is essentially a large man with no coordination or skill.

        1.28 - Abraham Gaylor, QB, Minnesota Vikings
        The Vikings looked to fix their quarterback vacancy with 5-year college player Abraham Gaylor. Taking someone who played so long at Wake Forest, you would hope they come into the FFL ready to play on day one. Head coach Richard Foltz did not think he was ready to take over his offense. Due to his age, it's hard to invest a long amount of time into grooming Gaylor. This led to Minnesota going out and trading for former Texan Brian Bernard. Bernard has been playing pretty decent for his new team, so it doesn't look like Gaylor will get his chance to play anytime soon, at least for the Vikings.

        1.29 - Carlton Burroughs, G, Los Angeles Chargers
        With their second pick in the first round, the Chargers decide to double-dip on the offense, grabbing Burroughs for their lacking offensive line. He is one of the youngest prospects in this class, so I would expect Burroughs to be a little rough around the edges. Los Angeles has still given him 5 starts out of their 7 games, so it looks like they will give him every opportunity to succeed. While he has allowed the most sacks out of anyone drafted so far, he hasn't played awful enough to lose his starting role. As long as the Chargers continue to support their young guard, he should blossom into a great interior piece for them.

        1.30 - Sergio Chamberlin, CB, New York Jets
        With an extremely old roster in 2067, the Jets were desperate for some kind of youth on this team, especially on the defense. They decide to go with the corner out of Temple. He is very small for an outside corner at 5'8'', but he plays like he's 6'2''. The question is: will that type of extremely physical play translate to the FFL with much larger receivers? So far, that seems to be a no. His 70.9 pass defense percentage is not ideal for a starter, even as a rookie. Maybe his size and physicality lends itself better to a slot role, but with the Jets desperate at the secondary position, they have no choice but to play him outside. His play should improve as long as New York can get a prototypical outside corner to allow Chamberlin to play inside.

        1.31 - Russel Dunlap, CB, Carolina Panthers
        With such a late pick for the Front Office Bowl runner-ups, it's tough to find a great starter like you can in the top 15 picks. Nevertheless, the Panthers managed to grab exactly that in Russel Dunlap. He has been a human highlight reel for the Panthers already, pulling together a league-leading two pick-6s and three more interceptions. He is the definition of a ballhawk, and quarterbacks around the league need to realize this and stop throwing to him otherwise they will keep throwing interceptions. Dunlap is playing like a top 5 pick right now and if he can keep this up, don't be surprised to see the Panthers deep in the playoffs again this year.

        1.32 - Jeffery Martinez, G, Pittsburgh Steelers
        The Steelers have a new identity, and Jeffery Martinez fits right in with that. Grabbing stud running back Dustin Bruce and up and coming center Johnny Geis, Head Coach Robert Griffin III wants to run the ball early and often. To do so, they will need an abundance of lineman, which is where Martinez fits in. He hasn't been a full starter just yet, but he has swapped in and out with Pittsburgh's other guards on a weekly basis. His addition gives this line a great amount of depth, something they will need if they are going to run as much as they have so far. Martinez looks like a solid starting guard for the Steelers and provides much needed depth for this 1930's style offense.

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        • #5
          Awesome stuff. Yeah I cut Bradley mostly because I was ****ed at yet another 1st round WR bust.

          Comment


          • #6
            Good stuff man. Let the the Dennis vs Chandler debate continue for the next few years.

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            • #7
              Excellent write up!

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              • #8
                Nicely done! Spot on with the Woods pick. With the losses piling up we are letting him take his lumps and he has improved a little bit. I don't anticipate him being elite but maybe he can be OK.

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                • #9
                  Awesome write up!

                  I originally wanted to use a double-TE attack with Battle/Ellis, but in week 3 Battle had to be put on IR due to a leg injury so Ellis stepped into the TE1 role and has performed well; Burroughs was used sparingly in the first few games, but eventually passed Escobar on the depth chart and our running game has improved to a league leading 5.18 YPC
                  Rick Vicedo
                  GM Chicago Bears

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                  • #10
                    First off - GREAT write up.
                    Thanks for doing this

                    Second
                    Originally posted by hbcook86 View Post
                    Good stuff man. Let the the Dennis vs Chandler debate continue for the next few years.
                    I'll be VERY VERY happy if this is a debate we keep having.
                    Was very concerned with the SR bar and still holding my breath. We'll see when he fully fills out.





                    w24olfpack
                    Attitude determines altitude.



                    Wanna get away?
                    http://www.castawaycruises.com

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                    • #11
                      Just saw this write up.

                      KM, awesome write up. It really brings you into the story of the players and the league.
                      ...
                      Last edited by SteelStone; 03-29-2021, 06:29 PM.

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                      • #12
                        Such an awesome write up, thank you for taking the time to do this.

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                        • #13
                          Thank you for doing that - brilliant read

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                          • #14
                            Looking at historical stats

                            Thru 10 games - Rookie QB Gino Chandler is on pace for the 4th highest rushing total for a QB ever, behind the likes of Mariota and Dugan.
                            I like that he's in that kind of company.
                            w24olfpack
                            Attitude determines altitude.



                            Wanna get away?
                            http://www.castawaycruises.com

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by w24olfpack View Post
                              Looking at historical stats

                              Thru 10 games - Rookie QB Gino Chandler is on pace for the 4th highest rushing total for a QB ever, behind the likes of Mariota and Dugan.
                              I like that he's in that kind of company.
                              Offensive Rookie of the Year doesn't hurt either

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