True.

Looking through 3 round mocks, I see Brace going late 2nd to early 3rd.

BTW, while searching for 3 round mocks, I noticed Walter Football has a very intriguing mock for us:
1. BJ Raji (NT)
2. Clint Sintim (OLB)
3a. Jamon Meredith (OT)
3b. Mark Parson (CB)

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Good picks. But why does anybody feel like CB is a need? What, C-Wood, Harris, Tramon, Pat Lee and Blackmon isn't enough. I maybe understand Jenkins because is a once-in-a-decade athlete at that position that could potentially fall to us. I'd much rather take a 3-4 DE at that spot.

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I think because we rarely draft for immediate need, but rather good picks that will pay off a few years down the road as the players develop. CB will probably be a need in a few years, at least for depth.

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I understand, but getting fit for the 3-4 seems like a bigger need right now. And Cullen Jenkins is the only prototype in our team for that DE position right now.

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There you go talking about what we "need" again and like has been said here Ted Thompson will NOT draft based on need.

Here's why you don't draft for need. Once you have isolated your "needs" down to say two positions your focus narrows DRAMATICALLY to about two players at each position. Either this guy or that guy.

The entire rest of the field has been essentially eliminated from the process and the focus on this one draft pick coming up next is these one or two guys. It's FOOLISH.

Our former GM pulled this crap all the time and failed miserably. Back when we were in NEED of a DE he goes and picks Reynolds. Later when we were short at CB he takes what turns out to be a huge disaster. In fact, for good measure he picked ANOTHER CB next and HE turned out lousy too.

Your odds of failure increase proportionally with the number of players or positions you take off the board. Why pick an OT or DT if you feel in all of the evaluation you've done for months points to this other player at another position as the one most likely to have a great career?

More than likely there will be many here not happy with how Ted Thompson works this coming draft which is kind of funny because this is when he's at his best.

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War, he can draft BPA, but he neeeeds to pick up a couple lineman in Free Agency. We can't go into next season without beefing up DE and OT.

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Yup Dakota......both of our lines HAVE to be fixed, or it will be another long season ahead.

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I don't disagree that both lines need some attention. My point is that ROOKIES coming in and asked to start is not a business model for success.

Again, you work your rookies in and gradually increase their PT until they can play at a level that your team needs them at in order to be successful.

Yes, we all hear of the instant success stories and players that contribute at a high level in their first year. For every one of those are ten guys going through growing pains and having to learn the teams system, proper techniques, and the speed of the NFL game.

In other words if we had two or even three first round picks I don't think you plug their names in and say "SB here we come." Those guys will contribute much more to SB victories down the line.

This especially holds true for both the O and D lineman. Any NFL Line coach will tell you it takes that first year to get up to speed and the biggest improvements will be seen between year one and two.

Hell, the best defensive lineman on the Steelers got cut like twice before he finally started to show he was a player and Mario Williams basically sucked his first year before he got it and now he's everything they thought he would be. It should not be forgotten that these rookies, as good as they may be, are boys up against mature men with every possible trick in the book.

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This is exactly why when I see a post by Warhawk I click and read it twice and slowly.

It makes me a more wise and knowledgeable football fan.

+ 1

R.P.

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While it would be nice to have the players to be able to let a rookie learn for a year before being expected to contribute. That isn't always possible. The team needs to have the players as starters for this to be possible, and I think there are a couple glaring holes that need to have somebody come in.

Sure a FA or two could take care of that allowing the draft picks to mature. But there are situations where that isn't possible. It would be nice for the early picks to have the talent to play day 1.

If we could get lucky like we did with Clifton and Tauscher and get a couple players that can get thrown in and produce for years to come.

I know, when dreaming Dream big.

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