The 2025 Draft Thread

Slotball said:
I think scheme has a lot to do with it. Playing only two LB, and one being a gap-shooting, downhill player, leaves you susceptible, unless you have really good safeties that can get into run support quick, and make tackles. Chinn and Wagner are good players, but their better days are behind them. Gonna need to find replacements sooner rather than later.

We’ve got a ton of money invested in IDL, so I don’t see going there early in the draft, but would not be opposed to a monster run stuffer on day 3.
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Good post. Scheme is definitely the reason why our run defense sucks and it requires better LB/SS play than we're consistently getting. Payne and Newton have been pretty good this year.

Our inconsistent offense also has a lot to do with our run defense. Winning games at the last second, allows teams to play ball control against us. If we could get out front early, then use a consistent run game to control the game, teams won't be able to run on us.

People want to find a Ngata or Wilfork, even though the Quinn/Whitt defense doesn't run players like that.
 
Wagner has had a phenomenal season. His leadership, instincts and game knowledge are off the charts and get him into positions to make plays but he has slowed. It will be interesting to see what happens with him this off-season, It feels sacrilegious but I don't see him back next year unless he took a big pay cut. I would love to see him onto the coaching staff. We need another stud LB, I don't have any faith in McGee sadly due to injury
 
DWinzit said:
Wagner has had a phenomenal season. His leadership, instincts and game knowledge are off the charts and get him into positions to make plays but he has slowed. It will be interesting to see what happens with him this off-season, It feels sacrilegious but I don't see him back next year unless he took a big pay cut. I would love to see him onto the coaching staff. We need another stud LB, I don't have any faith in McGee sadly due to injury
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Maybe, Wagner has one more year of school, so he'll be in the area. He might want to play.

Bolton might hit FA.
 
Hail Raiser said:
Maybe, Wagner has one more year of school, so he'll be in the area. He might want to play.

Bolton might hit FA.
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I keep looking at Bolton on all the FA lists. I love the way the guy plays, always have. My only question is how well does he fit the need in teaming with Luvu. I worry about his speed. Like Wagner, Bolton is gifted with football instinct most only dream of. Probably should be in the FA thread with this but figured I'd respond here to you
 
Hail Raiser said:
Good post. Scheme is definitely the reason why our run defense sucks and it requires better LB/SS play than we're consistently getting. Payne and Newton have been pretty good this year.

Our inconsistent offense also has a lot to do with our run defense. Winning games at the last second, allows teams to play ball control against us. If we could get out front early, then use a consistent run game to control the game, teams won't be able to run on us.

People want to find a Ngata or Wilfork, even though the Quinn/Whitt defense doesn't run players like that.
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I fell our run defense deficiencies are more due to the play of our d-line. Our ends can't set an edge for the life of them and neither payne or allen are good run stuffing DT's, they are better pass rushing DT's and neither lived up to the hype they had when they were drafted. Allen was good, but never great . . . and payne was ok with one good year (contract year). Newton is not a ton better as he is more of a disruption player too. We need a 350lb run stuffing DT for the middle (like Vita Vea from Tampa) and some DE's that aren't a 100% liability against the run and can set an edge.
 
SkinsGuru said:
I fell our run defense deficiencies are more due to the play of our d-line. Our ends can't set an edge for the life of them and neither payne or allen are good run stuffing DT's, they are better pass rushing DT's and neither lived up to the hype they had when they were drafted. Allen was good, but never great . . . and payne was ok with one good year (contract year). Newton is not a ton better as he is more of a disruption player too. We need a 350lb run stuffing DT for the middle (like Vita Vea from Tampa) and some DE's that aren't a 100% liability against the run and can set an edge.
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So, who should we get to be our DC?
 
I've grown to like Witt. The improvement of our D from the beginning of the season to now has been big. The first few games were Jack Del Rio and Haslett bad. Since then, we've climbed all the way up from dreadful to average or above average. All this, without any real change in roster although we can see some of the more recent slippage is because we had to reinsert Davis and others as starting CBs again.

The fact that we went from thirty second worst to top half is commendable. At least I think so.
 
My point was that the Quinn defenses never had big DTs. They ranged from 280-306 I believe.

Ridgeway was the typical DT they ran.

We definitely need better ends.
 
Hail Raiser said:
My point was that the Quinn defenses never had big DTs. They ranged from 280-306 I believe.

Ridgeway was the typical DT they ran.

We definitely need better ends.
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I keep thinking that Nic Scourton would be a perfect scheme for as a big athletic guy that can get some pressure and also stop the run.
 
SkinsGuru said:
I fell our run defense deficiencies are more due to the play of our d-line. Our ends can't set an edge for the life of them and neither payne or allen are good run stuffing DT's, they are better pass rushing DT's and neither lived up to the hype they had when they were drafted. Allen was good, but never great . . . and payne was ok with one good year (contract year). Newton is not a ton better as he is more of a disruption player too. We need a 350lb run stuffing DT for the middle (like Vita Vea from Tampa) and some DE's that aren't a 100% liability against the run and can set an edge.
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Vita Vea is much more a 1 gap ‘get up field and destroy the play’ type DT. He’s not a 2 gap space eater. He can destroy single blocks and wreck a play (though he’s inconsistent and sometimes runs himself out of plays rather than holding his gap) but he’s a bad comp for a 2 down ‘run stuffer’.
 
Well, the good news is our "smaller, quicker" DL aren't getting any pressure, either. So may as well go bigger.
 
Tonight's game is loaded with future 2025 draft picks. There are so many players that could fully upgrade the commanders roster
 
Hail Raiser said:
So, who should we get to be our DC?
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I think we should keep Witt . . . i think they should replace both DT's and DE's . . . have newton trim from 295 to 280 and play the DE . . . get some BIG BOYS for the middle!! Its not coaching, its players that are not up to par!!
 
Hail Raiser said:
My point was that the Quinn defenses never had big DTs. They ranged from 280-306 I believe.

Ridgeway was the typical DT they ran.

We definitely need better ends.
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In Atlanta, when they switched from a 3-4 to a 4-3 they brought in Dontari Poe (6'3" - 346lbs) . . . intention was to fix poor run defense.
 
There seems to be an obvious emphasis on preventing the big play - we’re 3rd in the league in percentage of 6 man boxes, and long passing tds are way down from last year. Of course I’m not sure how much of that is related to secondary issues (hello St Juste/Davis).

Some other random points/thoughts:
We have generally increased the number of times we play 3 linebackers.

We have the added problem of our dline not getting a ton of pressure, and Luvu being our best pass rusher. If we rush Luvu or Wagner, or both, it becomes an even bigger problem if/when the back finds a hole.

We’ve adjusted well vs the run for the most part, though some of those changes (Payne at DE, 3 linebackers, dropping Chinn in the box, etc) open up a new problem - usually in the short to intermediate passing game. And because of this, it’s tough sledding for our D when going up against good olines with a decent qb behind them.

The defense comes off as a bend but don’t break style, though I get the sense Whitt likes to try to take advantage of the occasional run stuff (or sack) on 1st down.

On the whole, I think we’re just missing some key pieces. A good outside corner (or 2), a dangerous edge rusher, a dominant DT. Any one of those likely gives Whitt more leeway to scheme things differently.
 
I know the defense could use some love but all other things being equal I'm picking the offensive player every time in this draft until like, the 5th round. I want Jayden surrounded by dangerous talent. FA could change that but we only have 3 picks in the top hundred this year and easily more than 3 spots we could upgrade on offense.

I like BRob a lot but I do think there's a ceiling there. He's improved his YPC every year (3.9 y1, 4.1 y2, 4.3 this year) BUT somewhere between his injuries, inability to create without OLine push, it feels like he's probably not ever gonna be a 1200 yard back. 1000 yards I think he could get to, but I think more needs to go right than this year and I'm not ready to move on from him BUT this draft has SO much RB talent I feel like it'd be a waste not to grab a guy (or 2...).

There's a Bucky Irving somewhere in the mid rounds. Maybe 2.

Jeanty is long gone by our pick of course.
Hampton would be a great get but it's hard to tell where he's gonna go. I could see a team drafting him late in the first and I'm not sure I'm comfortable throwing our first at an RB. I do also think he's gone by our 2nd round pick tho.
Kaleb Johnson would be a good pick in the 2nd if he's still there.

I kind of like the idea of Henderson in the early 3rd as a complement to BRob. Kind of a Detroit thing with those two and that might complement BRob's ceiling more.
 
Distinctly both sides of the ball need upgrades from the trenches to play-makers (We do want DL that are play-makers). The good thing is we have a lot of wiggle room cap wise in FA. It will allow for us to fill some new positions and make draft day more pleasant to be able to not be forced to select based on need only.

For the Commanders draft, I was looking forward to watching last nights game due to all the draftable players involved at positions of need. I was only able to watch a couple portions at least so far. These were the areas of my main focus:

Ohio States defensive front go against Texas's OL. Defense won from the portions I saw.
Both Ohio Sate RB's and their 2 WR's. The RB's and Egbuka all looked good. Barron and the rest of the Texas DBs did an incredible job of shutting down Jeremiah Smith. It was evident Texas made a decision that they were not going to give up the big play to him. They used what Commander Wraith was discussing a couple posts above, no big play. They did later give u that giant play on the screen to Henderson.

Either of Ohio States RBs in the 3rd round would be an incredible add to Daniels weaponry.
Barron although more a slot CB feels like a nice fit in our defensive scheme
 
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Outside of how good this RB class is I'd be okay trying to build what we did this year again. Whether Ekeler is the guy to complement BRob again I don't know, and I'd be content to try and get a diamond in the rough in the 4th given the depth of the class but we unfortunately don't have a 4th.

I will say I do not want the WR corps to lack a #2 like this year. I dunno if we wanna pay Tee his money, or if we roll the dice on Godwin or Cooper still being effective, but that to me is the biggest hole that you probably can't fill with middling guys.

An OLine, with B talent, if they play together and gel, can get you decent results, so I do want upgrades there but Coleman with some seasoning, Cosmi, Biadasz are probably good. Allegretti and Wylie could be upgraded but I dunno, Peters gives me the "imma get B, B+ steals in the 2nd/3rd tier of FA and in the mid rounds of the draft" vibe.

I remember during the draft when we weren't picking OTs a bunch of us were like "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? GET AN OT!" and then they picked Coleman and people were like "who's this guy" and now he's actually not too shabby. Some warts but he's a rookie. Same thing with FA, didn't go after flashy guys.

Small sample size for Peters but wouldn't surprise me if he doesn't go Oline early.
 
PFF has 14 OT's ranked in their top 90. 5 in the top 30s; 5 with second round grades.

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