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so obviously, i meant 2017 draft. but there doesn't seem to be any way to fix the title of the post. doh!
1) edge - taco charlton, michigan 6'5", 277
2) cb - fabian moreau, ucla 6'0", 206
3) olb - tyus bowser, houston 6'3", 247
4) og - dorian johnson, pittsburgh 6'5", 300
5a) te - jeremy sprinkle, arkansas 6'5", 252
5b) rb - james conner, pittsburgh 6'1", 233
6) wr - josh malone, tenessee 6'3", 208
7) db - shaquill griffin, central florida 6'0", 194
1) edge - taco charlton, michigan 6'5", 277
Rare combination of size, length and athletic traits as a rusher. Long-levered frame with athletic, knotted calves. Brings freaky athletic traits to table and is still growing into his body. Flashes instant reaction time off snap and up the field thanks to his twitch. Has enough upfield juice to push offensive tackles into hasty retreat. Generates pop through speed-to-power element. Very good flexibility throughout. Able to sink and swerve around corner if he gets early lead in race to the edge. Possesses hip swivel combined with shoulder turn to slip and flip around the corner of an offensive tackle he's engaged with as a pass rusher. Rushes with forward lean that keeps his momentum downhill. Uses rip-and-stab move and an ominous spin move that could turn into a dominant rush trait in the NFL. Elongated lateral slides can open into sprint very quickly to chase run play bouncing outside. Length gives him a shot at dramatically increasing his play-making ability against the run. Hand usage is improving.
2) cb - fabian moreau, ucla 6'0", 206
Former running back with a thick frame and great speed. Showed off his ability to jam and reroute receivers at Shrine Game practices. Patient from press. Fluid athlete with good lateral quickness and agility to press and match against plus athletes. Maintains good feel for the route as it progresses. Early accelerator with recovery quickness and "makeup" long speed. Good physicality inside the route. Shows enough reactive twitch to challenge slants. Uses size and speed to crowd vertical routes and fight off receivers' attempts to stack him on their hips. Showed noticeable improvement in confidence and coverage skills from 2014. Has upper body strength to stack and shuck most receivers. Break-down, wrap-up tackler with the build to challenge NFL runners with size.
3) olb - tyus bowser, houston 6'3", 247
Explosive, quick-twitch athlete. Bursts out of his stance and challenges the edge. Good shoulder turn at the edge of rush and can dip and corner with very tight radius. Showed ability to play in variety of spots. Crisp change of direction ability. Took to his coaching and showed drastic improvement against the run this year. Played two years of college basketball at Houston which shows up with his footwork and fluidity when dropping into space. Has ability to pattern match tight ends. Light is starting to come on for him.
4) og - dorian johnson, pittsburgh 6'5", 300
Solid athlete when asked to play in space. Plays with leg drive as run blocker. Uses choppy, accelerated feet into contact and keeps chopping them through contact to secure the block. Operates with quality balance and limited waist-bending. Has the arm length of a tackle. Understands his job on each play. Has an accurate radar in seeking out second-level targets and connecting at a high percentage. Excels on short pulls with smooth lateral footwork and solid, squared contact. Keeps hands inside and will punch and re-set hands when necessary. Sets up with good base and anchor in pass pro.
5a) te - jeremy sprinkle, arkansas 6'5", 252
Combination tight end who doesn't have to leave the field. Has arm length and base to help in pass protection. Effective blocker willing to do the physical work. Snaps into down blocks and secures. Strong hands lead to sustained blocks. Able to engage and sustain against safeties in space. Long frame with room to carry more weight. Has arm length and hand size of an NFL offensive tackle. Big, presentable target over the middle. Plus red-zone worker. Sells blocks on delayed-release play-action. Burrows into holes of zone and protects passes with his frame. Goes down to pick low throws off top of grass. Sneaky build-up of speed in routes. Long strides eat up ground as route progresses. Can pull away from linebackers on intermediate routes. Uses height, arm length, and high-point technique to go way up the ladder and over top of defenders. Nasty stiff-arm after catch. Above-average body control for size.
5b) rb - james conner, pittsburgh 6'1", 233
Team captain known for incredible resilience and mental toughness. Leaned down and added more muscle mass this season. Arm tackles are a waste of time. Carries heavy momentum behind pads at finish. Drops shoulder to punish final tackler. Uses wicked stiff-arm to punch and swat tacklers to the ground. Creates for himself through brute force. Natural power in lower half. Doesn't need a clean point of entry for aggressive, downhill charge. Excellent contact balance despite heavy shots on his legs. Short-yardage specialist who can move the chains and score touchdowns. Willing to leave his feet and sacrifice body near goal line. Willing blocker in pass pro and showed ability to come out of backfield in wheel routes, swing passes and outs.
6) wr - josh malone, tenessee 6'3", 208
The Gallatin, Tennessee native made a lot of people happy by staying in-state to play with the Volunteers. The state's Mr. Football was a top-five receiver recruit nationally, and figured he would play right away in Knoxville. Malone was correct, as he started six games in 2014, catching 23 passes for 231 yards and a touchdown. He was a full-time starter as a sophomore (31-405, two TDs) but came into his own in 2016. Tennessee's top receiver caught 50 passes for 972 yards and 11 touchdowns in his final year with the Vols.
7) db - shaquill griffin, central florida 6'0", 194
Has good size and strength. Has a disruptive punch and feet to impede in press coverage. Loose and athletic in his movement. Able to flip hips and match receivers without giving up much early separation in his transition. Allowed just 32.9 percent of throws his way to be completed. Possesses plus ball skills. Uses well-timed leaps and strong hands to challenge at the catch point. Is a rake it or take it cornerback with 34 passes defensed over the last two seasons, including six interceptions. Runs through targets looking to jar the catch loose. Aggressive in run support. Looks to play through receivers on the way to the ball. Can wrap up or chop down running backs.
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