2022 DRAFT--ITS TIME...

WELL.... It's time all of this comes together. I've been watching...and reading...and listening...and thinking. Everything is so confusing this year. There have been some H U G E deals made this year. And some more yet to be made (probably..). We have talked 'around' this mess for the past couple of months. There has been no consensus. The ONLY thing I know for certain is ....... The DRAFT is going to happen about 5 or 6 days from now. Starting on the 28th, the various teams will be "on the clock".
So, here's YOUR chance to tell us what you think. You can separate what you "want' or "hope" from what you "think". 

Alright-----All of you "armchair GMs" ---- You're 'on the clock'.!!!

OKAY, you guys....  What a bunch of non-swimmers.!!  Give 'em an inch and they'll take --- nothing.?? You guys need a little stimulation in your football lives. !!!

So, I think there will be several trades in the top ten. BUT, with both NY teams having two (2..) picks in the top ten, both the Jets and the Giants could easily be involved. Also, because Jacksonville is picking #1 AGAIN this year, they could move out of that slot to reap the benefits of more talent further down. Although...With NO spectacular, obvious, demonstratively superior player out there this year to BE the #1 pick.... Well, there may be very little incentive to trade up to #1. See where I'm going here.?? The real value EARLY in the draft will not be obvious until several teams have made selections. SO... I think the Panthers at #6 MIGHT be in a good position for a trade. Although the Giants at #5 might be worth looking at as well (especially because they also have #7..). So, with the Giants bookending the Panthers, it looks like a good position to be in --- tactically speaking.

To continue the thought process I started....up there ^^.  I believe the battle for the #1 pick will not develop this year. Even though the Jags HAVE the #1 pick right now, I could see them gladly trading it away to some other poor sucker---if one were to show up, which, I doubt will happen. Think about it like this. Which team, and their corresponding GM, wants which player who is widely sought after by multiple teams.?? The answer of course, is none. There is simply NO player so dominant in this draft that he couldn't be replaced or replicated by another similar player in this draft.

The general consensus is that an Edge guy or a Tackle will be #1 pick this year. So, a GM decides he wants a Tackle....He looks and sees he can choose Evan Neal, Ikem Ekwonu, or Charles Cross as a very 'worthy' choice early in the 1st round. What incentive does he have to pick a tackle with the #1 pick.?? There is NO reason. With these three all available, he could just as easily pick at #3 and be guaranteed to still get his Tackle. Truth told, there is an almost certainty that he could get one of these Tackles as low as #6, 7, 8 even. So why would this GM want to throw away draft capital to move up to #1 to pick a Tackle this year.??
The same can be said for the Edge guys, maybe even more so.!! There are FIVE (5..) Edge guys ranked in the top 15. If a GM wanted an Edge guy he could easily take his choice of Travon Walker, Aiden Hutchinson, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Jermaine Johnson II, or George Karlaftis. With all of these guys available, WHY in the world would a team trade up to #1 to pick one, when three or four of them are so evenly balanced.?? Stay somewhere in the top 10 and you will probably get one.  NOW---- Throw in Ahmad (Sauce) Gardner, Derek Stingley Jr., Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and Treylon Burks..... ALL as possible top 10 picks. It becomes obvious that there is no real REASON to move up to #1 to pick up a Tackle or an Edge guy.

Is there any other player out there who has a legitimate call as a #1 pick.?? If there is, I don't know who it would be. What position of need would REQUIRE a move up to #! to get the one dominant player that would make your team a WINNER.??  Sorry--- There isn't one. A QB you say.?? REALLY.?? That is the correct answer---USUALLY.  But not this year.!! No QBs out there worth more than say, a #15 pick. Nope, no QB going #1 this year.
Understand though, that does not mean a QB will not be taken above their value. Probably will happen. But at #1.??  NOPE. Ain't going to happen.!!

All of this to explain why I think the Jaguars have a 'lame-duck' #1 pick this year. It's usually good to have a #! pick. But this year, with NO player demonstrably superior enough to REQUIRE picking him #1, there is no reason to waste the pick. HOWEVER-- It should be noted that some team WILL pick at #1. Has to happen...

NOPE... I definitely do NOT want to be the Jaguars this year. Stuck with a #1 pick that no one else wants. Too bad. So sad. Better luck next year.!! 

Top 3 ot, or trade back if de/ot is picked clean. Doubt it’s a problem. Could be. What other pick we want w ot n edge going top 5?

We have our choice of all 3 t’s. Pick the fave, n run the card up. That’s it.

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Uh oh. We hesitated.

Glad we didn’t pick a qb at 6.

Well, I was a little disappointed because we picked at #6. Of course, it takes two to trade. Maybe there weren’t any real trade offers. I was PLEASED we took Ekwonu though.!!! He was my pick of the Tackles. 

A little surprised there were no trades in the top ten. Had a lot to do with available talent I guess. I am considering skipping tomorrow’s picks. I’m afraid if I do though, we will pull off some sort of a deal and end up with a pick somewhere and I’ll miss it.

Word was, trades were for sauce n stingley. They went, letting us have our choice of t’s. Don’t mind it at all.

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Me two hobbit. It’s why I watched the whole thing tonight.

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I think we’d need to send a player somewhere for a 2nd or third. Don’t know that’s the best idea. JMHO. Anderson has been mentioned. If we want BM or JG, it’d cost a 2 or 3. No please.

Yeah, the whole process often hinges on what other teams do (or don’t do..). I was happy to see that no one jumped into the QB market early. I guess the teams figured out the relative value of those guys. Shows all the idiots and their far-flung ideas and “mock” drafts how stupid they sounded. NOW they will have a party explaining how all the GMs and teams made terrible mistakes by not listening to their stupid pontificating.!!  

Pickett finally came off the board at #20, which is a decent spot I think. I had none of the QBs higher than #18….so I guess he fell into the general area where I thought he should have. Whadya know—-All these GMs DO know a little something about player talent after all. The rest of the QBs will have to wait for tomorrow (or Saturday..).!! It’s alright, a little humility is good for them. It will keep their egos down where normal folks live.

Only player I’d trade up for is Willis. Wonder who gets him. Howell if much later. We will see.