Burner's Burning Questions: Free Agency, Mock Drafts, Camps, Roster Predictions, 2018
Greetings from BBQ to everyone in BGO land and guests from social media – we hope you become a member here.
The ride to the 2018 NFL draft is over and it has been quite the experience. Eight new draftees will now begin their NFL careers as they put on the burgundy and gold at practices. All of them will not only try to make the final roster of fifty-three, but will seek to carve out their roles with the team.
Today is the day when BBQ does a self-evaluation of the mocking process. We stumbled to a late start this year and catching up was a chore. The mocking process for BBQ generally begins in mid-October and increases exponentially in early winter. Due to many circumstances, we could not begin the evaluations until late December. It started to feel like cramming for finals or hurriedly meeting a critical deadline for that business proposal. But we made it work and the results – well, take a look in the next paragraph and the grades below.
BBQ had what is undoubtedly the best mocking process ever. The first two players were mocked exactly where they were selected. We listed third round prospects in recent weeks in anticipation of acquiring a third round selection and that happened. Three players selected on day three of the draft were mocked at various times by BBQ. Two players selected on day three were positions that we highlighted in the final rounds often – inside linebacker and cornerback. We rarely mocked an offensive tackle (we emphasized guards) and one was taken in the third round – our only pure miss.
That kind of success really helps the members of BGO to focus on the players who were truly prospects and what the Redskins were looking for during the 2018 off-season. It feels good to provide everyone here with the kind of service you expect from BBQ.
So here comes the self-grading process. We will also have a final overall grade.
Without any further delays, let's take a look.
Round One: Da'Ron Payne, DT/DE, Alabama
We mocked Payne the most of any player by far, including the final two mocks. We never really believed it would be another player.
BBQ Grade: A+
Round Two: Trade
We emphasized trading in either round one or two quite often. During the last month of the draft, we listed third round targets with the second round possibilities and had a strong inclination that the team wanted to regain a third round selection. It happened.
BBQ Grade: A-
Round Two: Derrius Guice, RB, Louisiana St.
Running back was the heavy emphasis for the entire mocking process. Guice was a focus over the last three weeks and we had him in the last two mocks.
BBQ Grade: A+
Round Three: Geron Christian, OT, Louisville
Forecasting the third round addition was good, but the forecast of selecting an offensive tackle was a total miss. In the third, BBQ mentioned defensive end, offensive guard, and tight end mostly. Predicting a trade is the only thing that prevents a failing grade here.
BBQ Grade: C-
Round Four: Troy Apke, FS, Penn St.
We had Apke mocked to the Redskins over the last two months – in the seventh round. Yes, this is a hit. However, we thought it would be a strong possibility late in the draft.
BBQ Grade: B+.
Round Five: Tim Settle, DT, Virginia Tech
We had Settle mocked at times, mostly in the fourth round and then we dropped him to the fifth round in a few mocks and as one to watch in the same round. A near exact hit.
BBQ Grade: A
Round Six: Trade
We did predict trades at times in the latter rounds, but it is difficult to predict when it will actually happen. However, it was trading down, not up and that is what happened. Not too shabby.
BBQ Grade: B
Round Six: Shaun Dion Hamilton, ILB, Alabama
We had an ILB mocked in the process often in the fifth and sixth rounds, but it was mostly Micah Kiser and Oren Burks. Close, but no cigar.
BBQ Grade: B
Round Seven: Greg Stroman, CB, Virginia Tech
We did have Stroman mocked a time or two and as one to watch through the entire process. Cornerback was often a focus in the seventh round. Pretty decent.
BBQ Grade: B+
Round Seven: Trey Quinn, WR, Southern Methodist
BBQ had receivers listed in the seventh round most of the time. We never listed Quinn because he was thought to be a fourth rounder and a slot – not a focus of our attention. A hit and a miss (more of a miss) at the same time.
BBQ Grade: C+
Overall Grade: This was our best mocking season thus far in the years we have been doing these mocks (We started doing mocks in 2011 – 2010 if you count the BGO contest that year). It wasn't perfect, but it was fairly good. BBQ will try to do better next year.
B+
We will have more reports and analyses as the week continues. See you as we go along.
Hail To The Redskins!