I can see the B+ grade, but I'd go with an A- myself. I also would not have chosen Lawrence over Wilkins. They each are better than the other on certain things and I think they cancel each other out, but Wilkins has those intangibles that you want and need on a rebuilding team. This kid will be a leader by example AND verbally. He's the type of guy you want to play with and not let down. He and Minkah are winners, leaders, and phenomenal in what they do. Saying that, they both must be used correctly. And if Flores' defense is anything similar to the Pats, they will be. At 13 a team is typically in a damned if they do damned if they don't situation...However, in this case I think they made the right choice at the right time. That's not saying that there weren't a few other right choices. Trading down, for example, would have still been right if they had the right compensation.
It seems as if you grade players using a static method. As if no player ever gets better with experience or is able to learn new things from their new NFL coaches.. That should be a part of any evaluation...That's why these guys are called prospects.
Picking at 13 is a tough spot to be in. We may have possibly been able to hold a ransom for Dwayne Haskins if the circumstances had been a bit different. I like the Wilkins pick, I think he's going to be a good one for us. Maybe not Aaron Donald level, but he's going to be a mainstay at the position. You have to love the young talent we have at the defensive tackle position. Stopping the run should be a strength of ours as early as next season. I have actually been more intrigued about what we will do with our second round pick than I have our first. I think the majority of us knew our first round pick would be an interior player on either offense or defense. It's the second round pick that has it's mystique in my opinion. There are some big names that have fallen, but i'm afraid that they will all be taken by the time our pick for that round is up. DK Metcalf, Drew Lock, Ferguson, Greedy Williams, Taylor....There are some talented names still left on board. Do we trade up? Do we stand pat and take the best player available? Are any of these players even on our radar?
No, there are a ton of things that go into it but I am not a professional, so I can be very wrong. You have to balance the raw skill set versus his upside improvement in areas where he is deficient....what effect are "fixing" his deficiencies going to have on the things he does well....does teaching him a curveball hurt his fastball??????? With Wilkins his hands are his greatest attribute...the further he gets from the 0 technique the less impactful his first step is....so you have to look and ask yourself what is going to make him a better anchor or create better awareness when he is chipped inside. the answer is likely nothing since that is about size, build and instincts, not smarts, hands, versatility or character which are his strong suits.....as you go further our to a 5/7 or 9 technique he becomes a third round grade and the value of his hands becomes less because he is slower off the ball, his hands are less effective and he becomes a 60-75 type pick.... so then you ask yourself how can you improve his speed off the ball which is likely awareness, instincts and reshaping his body to get a little bit leaner which in turn hurts his anchor inside...so his strength is in his versatility but his skill set is so pigeon holed that the value just is not there at 13.....IMHO please understand I think they guy brings some things to the table....versatility being number 1, character number 2 but he is best inside and gets to be a lower value the further he moves off the zero IMHO....he is a 20-25 type pick inside, and a 60-75 type outside...but you just don't pick 0/3/5 technique guys at any higher than 15-20 if they are not elite talents and he is not (even inside).......being versatile enough to play both brings him up some but he is not a 13 type value IMHO. At 13 at DT, you pick a guy that is elite at that position that fell to you and not a guy that has questions. I love the kid and the character and his enthusiasm and he will be above average IMHO, but no way he is elite Pro Bowl type guy IMHO and he is not IMHO only value at 13.
One of my favorite players in the last 3-4 drafts in total from a value versus projected pick standpoint in Jahlani Tavai BTW....times a little slow but plays 4.4, intense and fundamentally very solid.......a 4-6 type guy that is IMHO already a good player, like a top 45 PLAYER without top 45 measurables, kid can play. Love to see him land in Miami!
