2024 Chargers Draft Superthread - Prospect Discussion - Draft Has Started

[Boltjolt]

Obviously he missed the games against Georgia, Michigan, and LSU.

Oh i think Jeremiah is on top of it lol.

I didnt have him that low at 31 and i think he will go sooner but imo KoolAid wasnt top 10 either. Several players id pick over him if we trade down.

[sonorajim]

100%. Sports writers are looking at highlight clips without context. One of my favorite examples is the 1-handed catch Bowers makes vs (Auburn?). No one realizes that catch didn't count (as Bowers lined up incorrectly) because of illegal formation. Does it take away the great catch? No. But no one notices Brock's brain fart on the same play.

Sports writers will look at Kool-Aid's 2023 highlight reel... and not see anything spectacular. Unless they watch every Alabama game... every play... they won't understand how Alabama's pass defense was transformed by Kool-Aid's contributions. They'll look at Terrion's 2023 highlight clips and see many more plays (ignoring his man v man weaknesses)... ignoring the fact that offenses went after him instead of Kool-Aid. Some will say, "I didn't see Kool-Aid vs elite WR's (like Nabers)"... without realizing that they did go against each other (10+ plays). Now, none of those plays showed up on either's highlight reel (as LSU stayed away from Kool-Aid)... but there is game tape of it happening.

I saw an ESPN mock that had Kool-Aid going to Arizona with the 59th pick! Ay-yay-yay... they had Terrion going 16th (or something).
Some people will go straight to the Alabama v LSU boxscore... and point out that Nabers had 10 catches for 171 yards (he did). But 0 of those yards came against Kool-Aid. All of those yards came against Terrion and the safeties.

Nobody throws my way won't happen in the NFL. He's just untested. That seems odd.
CBs like Revis and Sanders had stats.
Is he better?

[Boltjolt]

Nobody throws my way won't happen in the NFL. He's just untested. That seems odd.
CBs like Revis and Sanders had stats.

Kool Aid isnt Pat Surtain.

[sonorajim]

Yeah, I posted this earlier. Every SB winner (in the last 10 years) has had a top-10 defense. The only exception is the Chiefs (16th best)... last year. Every SB winner for the last 20 years has had a top-10 defense. The other exception was NYG (the 2nd time they beat the Patriots) with the 21st defense. Of course their defense carried them through the playoffs and limited the Patriots to 17 points in the SB. And everybody remembers the Giants beating the 17-0 Patriots several years before that... limiting them to 14 points.

"Defense Wins Championships" !
I think I've heard that elsewhere also.
Clearly it can be a deciding factor when the teams are 90% top 10 offenses, 70% top 5 O.
Offense makes the postseason tournament,defense settles #1
A majority of seasons.

[Boltnut]

Nobody throws my way won't happen in the NFL. He's just untested. That seems odd.
CBs like Revis and Sanders had stats.
Is he better?

True. But teams will be throwing @Ja'Sir and Deanne nearly every play. And that is not a pretty thought. 30th pass defense wasn't all Staley's fault.
A 1st round CB makes ASJ a #2 CB. It also allows the other CB's fewer assignments (a big problem under Staley) and probably brings Derwin closer to the LOS a lot more. If you are able to shut down a #2 WR with Kool-Aid (and not worry about protecting deep on that side) then your whole secondary is freed up to play other assignments. That's what I saw watching Alabama's defense.

Is Kool-Aid better than Revis, Sanders, or Surtain...? Not Revis or Sanders... Surtain (maybe... maybe not). But does he make the whole secondary better...? Definitely. Does he have skills that Terrion (or any other 2nd/3rd round CB) doesn't have...? Definitely.

[blueman]

True. But teams will be throwing @Ja'Sir and Deanne nearly every play. And that is not a pretty thought. 30th pass defense wasn't all Staley's fault.
A 1st round CB makes ASJ a #2 CB. It also allows the other CB's fewer assignments (a big problem under Staley) and probably brings Derwin closer to the LOS a lot more. If you are able to shut down a #2 WR with Kool-Aid (and not worry about protecting deep on that side) then your whole secondary is freed up to play other assignments. That's what I saw watching Alabama's defense.

Is Kool-Aid better than Revis, Sanders, or Surtain...? Not Revis or Sanders... Surtain (maybe... maybe not). But does he make the whole secondary better...? Definitely. Does he have skills that Terrion (or any other 2nd/3rd round CB) doesn't have...? Definitely.

31st pass D with, what, top 3 in EDGE ranking? Need DBs, stat. That’s why if it’s Kool Aid, I’m cool with that, goes a very long way towards fixing what was the most broken on this team.

[Boltnut]

"Defense Wins Championships" !
I think I've heard that elsewhere also.
Clearly it can be a deciding factor when the teams are 90% top 10 offenses, 70% top 5 O.
Offense makes the postseason tournament,defense settles #1
A majority of seasons.

It's a cliche for a reason.

Go look at the 49ers teams of the 80's and 90's. Their offense was always top-10. But the only years they won SB's were the years their defense was top-5. They used to lose playoff games when their defenses were ranked lower.

This year, the #1-4 scoring defenses are: Baltimore, Chiefs, 49ers, Buffalo respectively.
There are no accidents. These teams have been picking the premium positions (OT/DE/CB/WR) for several years now.
There have been 2 TE's (Hayden Hurst and Kincaid) chosen in late 1st round. Hurst didn't make it to his 2nd contract with Baltimore. The Bills offense gained 9 extra yards (and 6 fewer passing TD's this year.

[blueman]

It's a cliche for a reason.

Go look at the 49ers teams of the 80's and 90's. Their offense was always top-10. But the only years they won SB's were the years their defense was top-5. They used to lose playoff games when their defenses were ranked lower.

This year, the #1-4 scoring defenses are: Baltimore, Chiefs, 49ers, Buffalo respectively.
There are no accidents. These teams have been picking the premium positions (OT/DE/CB/WR) for several years now.
There have been 2 TE's (Hayden Hurst and Kincaid) chosen in late 1st round. Hurst didn't make it to his 2nd contract with Baltimore. The Bills offense gained 9 extra yards (and 6 fewer passing TD's this year.

Ouch!

[Boltnut]

Ouch!

Josh Allen will get blamed. But wasn't the new TE supposed to help in that respect...?

[sonorajim]

Daniel Jeremiah has us picking Odense:

I like DJ. He has a good batting avg. Odunze over Nabers surprised me but I respect DJ. I look forward to seeing how they do in 2024.

* He had QJ early 2nd round last year.

[sonorajim]

Josh Allen will get blamed. But wasn't the new TE supposed to help in that respect...?

Still alive in the playoffs doesn't count?

[Boltnut]

I like DJ. He has a good batting avg. Odunze over Nabers surprised me but I respect DJ. I look forward to seeing how they do in 2024.

* He had QJ early 2nd round last year.

DJ had QJ going to the Bills @#27 last year... but in another QJ analysis, DJ said this:

"I think [Jordan] Addison will be gone, [Jaxon] Smith-Njigba will be gone, there seems to be some late push and buzz around the league for Quentin Johnston, who's getting a lot of attention, I think he's probably gone," Jeremiah added.

So was QJ a WR that was a guy that needed to develop... work on some of his inconsistencies... a WR that would need to be used on deeper routes or underneath drag routes (in order to maximize his longer-strides...?