Ian Rapoport@RapSheet
I had a GM tell me, “The media is wronger about mock drafts this year than you guys have ever been.” Point being, players are going to be taken in places no one expects.

Daniel Jeremiah@MoveTheSticks
I believe we’ll see less groupthink in the draft this year. At pro days, coaches & scouts (from diff teams) spend so much time around each other & they end up forming a consensus on players. Not the case this year. Some will be shocked at how high/low these guys go.

POWER RANKINGS

ALBERT BREER

With the draft a week away, I figured we’d get a little creative with this, and rank the five strongest position groups in this year’s class. So here you go…

1) Wide receiver: There’s no Calvin Johnson or Julio Jones (in fact, the 2021 class may have two guys who wind up being better than anyone this year), but there’s depth on depth on depth. Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy and Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb are 1-2 in some order, with Henry Ruggs’s game-breaking ability giving him a chance to go before either or both. But some teams will wait in Round 1, thinking that maybe someone like, say, Arizona State’s Brandon Aiyuk or Clemson’s Tee Higgins or Penn State’s K.J. Hamler is there for them in Round 2. Or even that they could address that need in Round 3, because maybe USC’s Michael Pittman or Kentucky’s Lynn Bowden slides a little. You get the picture. There are lots of receivers.

2) Offensive tackle: Louisville’s Mekhi Becton, Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs, Alabama’s Jedrick Wills and Georgia’s Andrew Thomas should all be gone in the first dozen picks or so. And the second tier, headed by USC’s Austin Jackson, might start coming off the board earlier than most expect (maybe even in the teens). Boise’s Ezra Cleveland, Houston’s Josh Jones and Georgia’s Isaiah Wilson could also be in the first-round mix. And you’ve got sleepers like Div. III star Ben Bartch, from St. John’s in Minnesota, after that.

3) Cornerback: Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah comes off the board, and there might not as big a gap between the Buckeye All-American and the next one picked as many originally believed. Florida’s C.J. Henderson has a lot of uneven tape, but All-Pro athletic ability, LSU’s Kristian Fulton will likely be someone’s safer first-round play, and Clemson’s A.J. Terrell is likely to come off the board on Day 1 too. Alabama’s Trevon Diggs, TCU’s Jeff Gladney (who’s fighting some character flags) and Ohio State’s Damon Arnette shouldn’t be waiting too long on Friday, if they don’t go Thursday. Bottom line: The options should be good here through two rounds or so.

4) Running back: There’s no Saquon Barkley or Ezekiel Elliott, but there are a handful of starters. Georgia’s D’Andre Swift is a borderline first-rounders, and Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor, Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins, and LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire should be gone within the top 60 picks or so. And even past those guys, Florida State’s Cam Akers, BC’s A.J. Dillon and Utah’s Zack Moss have potential. If you need a starting tailback, you’ll probably be able to dig one up here.

5) Safety: One thing that’s surprised me is how universal the love for Alabama’s Xavier McKinney seems to be. He’s a 21st -century safety in his versatility, and he’s drawn comps to Earl Thomas. LSU’s Grant Delpit has great potential (he was seen as a top 10 pick going into 2019), despite a really down final year in Baton Rouge. And guys like Jeremy Chinn (Southern Illinois), Kyle Dugger (Lenoir-Rhyne), Antoine Winfield Jr. (Minnesota) and Ashtyn Davis (Cal) are interesting prospects who bring a lot to the table.

And yes, I thought about going with QB as the fifth best position in this year’s class. Joe Burrow certainly will be a worthy first overall pick. But there are real questions with every other prospect, which prompted me to give safety the nod at five.

Billy_T wrote:

If I’m still being as clear as mud, apologies in advance.

So, you’re saying, you’re being perfectly clear and Nittany should apologize. Got it.

I think calling Nittany “mud” though is a little too strong.

Here they are.

Not what I was expecting.

.

W, we always have to supply links with articles.

I fixed this one though.

Rams’ draft prep mostly unaffected by working remotely

Stu Jackson

https://www.therams.com/news/rams-draft-prep-mostly-unaffected-by-working-remotely

The COVID-19 pandemic has closed the facilities of NFL teams, forcing them to conduct draft meetings from inside their homes.

Fortunately for the Rams, the impact of working remotely has been minimal.

“The plan from here is really get with our IT department and make sure each home is is locked and loaded from an IT standpoint,” Snead said on a video conference last week. “Interestingly, in today’s time, we’re probably finding the number one obstacle is somebody who has an actual phone line, a hard line.”

Small hurdle to clear aside, Los Angeles has actually been ahead of the curve when it comes to virtual preparations.

With so many key members of their personnel department living in different parts of the country, they began implementing virtual meetings over the last year and a half, according to Snead, in an effort to make the time scouts spend on the road, away from families and meeting with the front office in-person more efficient.

“We’ve been practicing this a little bit so it’s not as foreign to us,” Snead said.

If there is one area where the Rams – and likely other NFL teams – have been impacted the most, it’s top-30 visits.

Normally, teams are allowed to have up to 30 prospects visit their facilities prior to the draft. Besides a tour of those facilities, those visits also typically include in-person meetings with front office executives, scouts and position coaches, making it an important part of the pre-draft process. Two years ago, the Rams used two of them on future starters Cooper Kupp and Gerald Everett.

Despite the cancellations of those visits, though, Rams head coach Sean McVay said the thorough background vetting done by the personnel department, especially on prospects’ character, gives the team confidence and peace of mind. McVay also said the tape is the best evaluation tool of a prospect.

“We’ve had a chance to watch more tape than I know I would in normal a year,” McVay said.

With that worry out of the way, it appears the phone line hiccup has also been resolved.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport on Monday reported teams’ IT departments have completed their work, including installing cameras in the homes of coaches and general managers for this year’s virtual draft broadcasts and compliance. A systems test will be conducted next week in the form of a mock draft with all 32 teams participating through Microsoft teams, and a separate and secure line established by the NFL for draft trades will also get checked out.

Between those additional safeguards and the Rams’ early adoption of virtual meetings, the circumstances are more than manageable.

“I think big picture, right, less distraction at home, probably depending on the age of your kids,” Snead said, chuckling. “But less distraction at home, more specific preparation for meetings and intentional about your communication. You can make this work, for sure.”

waterfield wrote:

But most progressives apparently do feel that anyone outside their small club are “evil”. And I genuinely believe that is what turned off many a moderate Dem. voter who thought Biden was too old and would have preferred Sanders. But the “you play by my rules or I take my ball and go home ” crowd didn’t help Sanders in the end. And that’s too bad in my opinion.

Do you envision that kind of statement as an effort to bring progressive voters into the fold and reason them into voting for Biden?

Cause…that approach is not going to work.

You’re bashing.

As a rule, you don’t persuade people through bashing them. Right?

Regardless how you excuse it.

….