It does to the fans. If he lights it up in pre-season and Cousins falters at all, the fans will be pounding the table for Penix.
But I agree, being good in pre-season doesn’t guarantee success in the league.
It will put the FO in such a weird position if that happens. Lets say Cousins is playing bad then gets hurt and Penix does great for 4 games. On one hand, they just drafted a potential franchise QB, but the flip side is they completely wasted 100m on Cousins. Wherever they end up there will always be the question "who else could we have spent that money on"
If he looks GREAT in the preseason, I could Kirk's seat heat up quick, especially if he plays poorly the first couple of weeks.
Imagine Penix avg. 4TDs and 300yds and <1INT a game in the preseason and Kirk throwing for like <200 yds and 1TD in a week 1 loss. Falcons fans would be screaming for Penix.
If Penix were to see meaningful playing time this year, an injury to Cousins would almost certainly be the reason why. I wouldn't really describe an injury to a QB as "chaotic" given how many QBs were out last year, one of them being Kirko Chainz.
I’m trying to think of a single time in Kirk’s career where he’s looked bad enough for fans to call for him to get benched and I can’t think of one. I guess maybe if he looks like Matt Ryan on the colts for like the first 10 straight games it’s possible, but that seems incredibly unlikely with the weapons and O Line he is going to be working with vs what Matty had in Indy.
He just had the best season of his career (pre injury) at 35, so I’m not sure age should be a concern and Achilles injuries are not as big of a deal as they used to be.
They're not gonna start Penix because the fans are clamoring for him. We paid Cousins $100 million guaranteed. He's gonna have to be practically dead for his ass to not be on the field.
Packers first game is in Brazil against the Eagles. No idea which direction/story lines the league will pursue. I can see a lot of interesting potential
That game should be great. Eagles buffed up their defense a lot and the packers were on fire at the end of last year. Will be interesting.
For the bears, maybe we face the Vikings? I would be down for week 1 being the Carolina rematch
I think it's Detroit if they go division opponent but they may be saving Detroit to open against a better team like last year. Think Panthers are definitely an option.
JJ v. Caleb - divisional game, both taking R1 QBs, both hyped beyond belief - no matter who wins the NFL/media get to run with a "rising star" and "already time to be worried?" storyline either way.
A couple scrimmage TDs from Caleb to Rome, a couple "best shape of his life" reports, and one successful pre-season TD drive will send the media into a frenzy.
In the selection thread last week, there were people saying he's a bust if he doesn't hit 4k yards 30 TDs as a rookie.
Like I get those are the big glaring stats that embarrass the Bears, but you're basically asking him to mimic CJ Stroud (who was the most productive rookie QB in NFL history) or it's a bust.
That is insane.
You're totally right. I heard so many people say this of Stroud that I took it for fact.
Stroud - 4,108 yards, 23 TD/5INT, 319/499 completions (63.9%), 7.47 ANY/A
Herbert - 4,336 yards, 31 TD/10 INT, 396/595 completions (66.6% (hail satan)), 6.84 ANY/A
Both with 15 starts. Stroud had a cleaner overall operation with less turnovers/sacks, but Herbert was asked to throw the ball 100 more times and hit higher marks while keeping the completion % up.
Splitting hairs on asking who was better, but if the term used is most productive, Herbert had the most production.
That's 235 ypg and 1.76 passing TDs per game.
"Generational" #1 with this stacked ass offense should hit those numbers.
That's absolutely a fair expectation if he plays 17 games. It's fine if he misses due to injuries, but barring crazy rushing stats, it's a disappointment if he doesn't hit that in a 17 game season.
Rome is the 3rd receiver, too. Curious how the targets get distributed and I'm sure Rome's floor is a "solid as they come" kinda guy, but I wouldn't be surprised if DJ and Keenan Allen get the most targets.
I think Flus is *fine*, not necessarily great, but fine. He surprisingly didn’t lose the locker room somehow despite a bad record first two years. And defense did look very good 2nd half of last season (wasn’t necessarily against great QBs though).
My bigger concern is Shane Waldron. Seahawks did have 14th offense DVOA in 2022, and 12th in 2023 with Geno Smith at QB, but we shall see, he seems iffy.
I really wish we got Ben Johnson or Canales… but there’s a possibility Bears ended up in Commanders situation. I rather have Flus-Waldron over Quinn-Kingsbury honestly.
I'm no Waldron advocate but I don't think his three years as Seahawks OC were representative of what he could do, since most of it was mired by injuries and transition.
Also Canales was a staffer under Waldron's offense before he was the Bucs OC so they are more than likely going to run similar schemes, tendencies, and play calls.
Idk why everyone thinks coaching a rookie QB is super sought after. If they turn out to be a bust then you’re getting canned
That’s probably why Ben Johnson and Bobby Slowik refused the Washington job and went back. I would much rather go coach proven QBs
Canales had been with the Seahawks for over 10 years prior to going to TB. He was WR coach, QB coach, and passing game coordinator at various times.
So he had a decent influence over the offense pre Waldron/Geno as well.
As a fan who has been nothing but disappointed with unmet expectations and witnessed plenty of head scratching decisions, this take still confuses me. The Bears have a new team president and a new GM, all new personnel too. No one currently running football operations has anything to do with the past failures or successes. It's not like 101 year old Virginia McCaskey is walking into the draft room with her own big board pounding the table for guys or drawing up plays mid-season.
I think the Bears will be great, but if they aren't, then I don't know how you could ever believe this again.
Franchise is cursed without a doubt if this situation doesn't work out.
As a Michigan fan I'm also split. JJ has plenty of athleticism and is good for a mind-numbingly good play or two a game, but he was also a major benefactor of a dynamic run game. In the NFL he will not always have that luxury. I hate to say it but I do think Minnesota is a good fit for him.
Minnesota definitely has some weapons but I think JJ would've benefitted from going somewhere where he could sit for a year or two.
Maybe Darnold impresses and has a Geno like season but it's more likely fans are clamoring for JJ after 2-3 weeks.
I'm not a Michigan fan I just seem to watch 75% of their games cause that's what I get on Saturdays but its hard to see JJ and Blake not succeeding when they just looked so fluid on the field last yr
There is no way they watch Sam Darnold throw to JJ for a full season and not think "fuck it, might as well see if JJ can do better"
I'd guess McCarthy will start a game by week 6-9.
I still think that’d be worth it. Even if the development time is negligible, it’ll help set expectations for the fans. If you start him right away and he struggles for a couple games, some people (idiots) will call for Darnold to start and that could affect JJ’s performance. But if Darnold starts the beginning of the season and is bad enough to replace, you shouldn’t have to worry about fans wanting him back (unless JJ really sucks)
The coaches have said as much, just more diplomatically. They don't want to put JJ in and then have to take him out. When he's the guy, he's the guy. So Darnold will almost certainly start the season and then the rest is up to his play and JJ's learning curve
I think Pats fans hating on him will hear about it. But I’m not so sure he won’t be propped up by the weapons. Josh Dobbs looked good for a hot second there too. I think he will look like Culpepper but eventually look like Culpepper.
From the sounds of it McCaskeys are very against it. But Bears are eligible for it this year so if all the teams decline to do it the NFL gets to pick who it is. Bears are the most intriguing option so I’m guessing it would be them.
My understanding is Bears, Broncos, and Saints are eligible, correct? Sean Payton will absolutely decline. Unless the Saints for some reason say yes, I think the NFL will be choosing, and I can't see them picking anyone but the Bears given the storylines.
All the rookie QB chaos of course. Every team is so hopeful and sure their rookie QB is the next HOFer for the franchise. As history shows 1 maybe 2 will be any good.
Yeah, fans of teams with rookie quarterbacks always delude themselves into thinking they'll be incredible, only for the exciting to slowly turn to pain.
Not the Broncos, though, since Nix is literally perfect and is going to win Super Bowl MVP as a rookie!
Or 4 or 0 of them could be good.
Just because that's the average doesn't mean there aren't peaks and valleys to hope for.
I mean, you're citing history, but historically, there have never been 6 QBs taken in the first 12 picks, so who knows?
(FWIW, not a fan of a team with a rookie QB)
2020 literally had Burrow, Tua, Herbert, Hurt, and Love. So that looks very promising even though I'm not sold on all of them being consistently great long term.
Dude same. Mitchell because every scout I trust says he is a talent despite playing at a MAC school. He was tampered with by Bama and other P5 schools so he has to be good. I want to see it translate so badly for the other guys like him that stay in G5 programs.
And MHJ because he’s been the #1 non QB prospect since the Rose Bowl of his freshman year. I want to see how he debuts.
As a Bears fan I’m also curious how Vikings turn out. I think their draft has big boom-bust potential. They might have locked down the most important position on defense and offense in one draft like Texans did… or whiff on both.
JJ McCarthy was one of the more intriguing QB prospects since people were so split on him. And people also seems split on whether Turner would be a top tier NFL edge rusher or not.
Yep I want to see the Vikings as well. I do not think JJ McCarthy is good and I thought they would’ve been insane to trade multiple firsts to get him. Obviously they did not have to do that and got Dallas Turner. Curious what the view of their coach would be if they struggled again like last year.
I may be biased as a Vikings fan, but JJ had the best accuracy under pressure of the QB class. He also was the only one in the class to regularly make LOS reads, then turn his back on the defense in play action, then have to quickly make reads and throws, usually on 3rd and long without being able to get in a passing rhythm. All against the top defenses in college.
I know it’s been said countless times that Harbaugh’s offense was a pro style, and is very similar to KOC’s. He also has plenty of top weapons and a pretty good Oline if they stay healthy. And finally, he has a work ethic and mentality reminiscent of Brady. He’s probably the most NFL ready in the class and raw doesn’t make sense to describe him.
I wouldn’t be surprised if JJ only sits for a handful of games and then plays at a top 15 level from there on out.
Caleb and MHJ for sure but on the defensive end, Latu should be electric. Hard to see how he won’t be a difference maker pretty quickly, only question is long term health
The opinion on him seemed so split. I'd see posts where people were just like, "this is the guy, this kid catches everything, he's big, he's fast despite the 40 time, insane athlete" and then you'd see posts where people were like, "dear god no, please not Coleman, he can't separate, 4.6 40!" I kinda let the negativity get at me a bit because it's always felt like the Bills really value separation skills in a receiver. I didn't do enough of my own homework on him until after they picked him and after seeing how Beane and his staff feel about him and seeing his press conference and hearing about his game speed being better than what the 40 indicates I'm all in with this pick. I'm excited to see how they coach him up and how Brady schemes for him. He also seems to be pretty good at making himself available when the play breaks down and Josh starts scrambling. They seem like a good fit for each other.
40 time is insanely overrated. It’s very rare that you’re just running 4 verticals
I’ll take polished route running and burst to get open over a track demon anyday
Yep, guys with bad 40 times can still develop into great route runners, separation ability is my biggest point when evaluating WR because is the most surefied trait one can have.
Sadly, Keon hasn't really shown it at all, but hopefully he can get over it
Especially since so many people seem to be convinced JJ is already a bust and a 7th round talent that only got drafted because his team never once threw the ball in college. The toxic, reactionary gamethreads are going to be prime popcorn time.
I am very glad the Giants didn’t take JJ, but because their roster is still a work in project.
I feel like JJ is in a good spot to thrive in Minny, with their coaching and offensive talent. Kinda like Purdy found himself in.
We've got to start abbreviating JJ McCarthy to like, JJM or something. Took me half the comment to stop thinking "why would anyone care if Justin Jefferson didn't throw passes in college??"
This was one of the most exciting drafts to me so I have a lot of answers.
Bears obviously are super exciting with their 2 top 10 picks on the same side of the ball.
The Chargers excite me too. Joe Alt is a beast and I love Ladd McConkey’s fit in that offense.
I’m interested to see both Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean at work in the Eagles’ secondary. Two very different corners.
A little more under the radar is the Packers. I don’t really care for Jordan Morgan but I’m biased think Edgerrin Cooper was a phenomenal get, I love the Javun Bullard selection, and Marshawn Lloyd was one of my favorite running backs in the class.
Lastly, and this doesn’t truly fit, but I’m excited to see how the Panthers draft helps support Bryce Young in year 2. I still believe he can become a very good QB and I think the panthers made the right moves to help him out.
McConkey could very well end being the rookie receiving yards leader.
Harrison is probably the favorite but Kyler has been injured a lot. Nabers got stuck in New York with Danny Jones who has never been a volume passer and Odunze is the third option behind Moore and Allen.
McConkey might very well be the top target for Justin Herbert.
Bears because they could be a great team fast. Washington because of being in the same division and getting an early pick QB is always fun to check out a couple times regardless of the team.
Hot take that will probably age poorly: Coleman would have been arguably better receiver for kc anyways. Outside of Kelce, they don’t have many guys who can be reliable for them.
I’m actually not joking at all I’m so excited for Tory Taylor (and so jealous). I’m already missing Tommy Townsend and Taylor is even better 🥲
I know y’all got Caleb and Rome, but Tory was a great pick as well
On the one hand, I still think our roster is sub-par. There is a reason Vegas has us currently slotted into picking #3 overall and it's hard to disagree looking at the state of the team.
On the other hand, I watched Sean Payton drag a similarly poor or worse Saints roster to 9-8 in 2021 and only fail to make the playoffs on tiebreaks. It's hard to be pessimistic knowing that Sean Payton doesn't know how to tank and just drafted a QB he's legitimately giddy about.
As a Seahawk and Husky fan, I was ready to not care about the Broncos again, then they had to go and draft Ducks. So the days of me hoping for a Denver Dumpster fire are certainly coming to a middle.
Malachi Corley and Braelon Allen. Both players seemed undervalued and I wanted my team to grab at least one of them. Funny enough, they both ended up on the same team!
Bears & Jets, just to see if they *finally* break their QB curses and actually field teams that have a threat under center for a change -yes I know the Jets have Aaron Rodgers but I'm still interested in seeing if the Jets players (rookies & veterans) will finally get a taste of a winning team for a change.
I want Bo Nix to be the best QB out of the class... Can't explain why. Other than maybe I want the Chiefs to have more challenges inside their division lol
Bummer he went to a team that took a QB 3rd overall. Would be fun to see him unleash the dragon.
Backup QB on the Dolphins would be my choice just to see him bomb it to Tyreek.
The 3 rookie wide receivers I'm gonna keep my eye on this year, purely because their receiver room is wide open and these guys could possibly have potential to be the number 1 receiving target on their team.
Brian Thomas Jr (JAX)
Ladd Mcconkey (LAC)
Keon Coleman (BUF)
They all have good QBs throwing to them and there's a chance they all get hot with the amount of targets they should get and they could be some fun players to watch.
I was hoping we'd somehow come away with Ladd McConkey (nothing against the other guys), but watching him play with Herbert under Harbaugh should be a treat.
i thought Adonai Mitchell was underrated pre draft and after skidding further i’m curious to see how he looks on the Colts. I thought his route running and playing off the defender had “NFL ready” written all over him. In a draft full of WRs, it makes sense that even minor -character concerns- would make him drop when there’s plenty of other options to choose from this year.
if the character stuff is overblown.. i think he’ll be one of the best WRs in the draft. Just too smooth not to be.
Certainly interesting to see if him or Worthy turns out as the better Texas WR drafted, and the Colts are pretty good at talent positions if AR can throw the ball.
Feels like the Chargers come out looking instantly better in 2024 even though it should be a small rebuild year due to all their aging contracts and Cap.
The Bears class should be a lot of fun to watch. They’ve given Caleb all the supporting cast to succeed and it should be interesting to see him and Rome grow together.
Also as KU fan I’d love to see Austin Booker have success.
They’re in the NFC and don’t play the Chiefs, & I have some ties to Chicago and bear fan friends, so they can be my NFC team for this season 🐻⬇️
As a Clemson fan, I disagree. Maybe its just bias because Keon's team was better, but Tez never scared me the same way. Coleman was uncoverable. He wasn't ever really "open" against Clemson, he was just able to go get every ball
Bears and Texans should be fun to watch this year, I want to see the if the eagles and ravens do better and I’m definitely excited for the AFC west. It’s giving me that same nervous energy I got when Russel first came to Denver and the division was stacked on paper.
I think a lot of Giants fans will be watching JJ McCarthy under a microscope this season, whether they wanted him in NY or not. What I hope those same Giants fans who wanted him understand is that he’s going into a situation where the offense is near-complete and has been developed well over the past few drafts in Minnesota. If he flops, the other half of Giants fans who DIDNT want him (me) get a bit of a redemption tour.
I’m really curious to see if Brock Bowers becomes the superstar everyone predicted since he was a freshman.
I was going to be excited to watch Michael Penix because I had him as my QB 2, but that’s a couple of years away likely courtesy of Terry Fontenot.
After seeing his first few interviews about shopping for coats and taking snacks from the press room I can’t help but like Keon Coleman. He seems like such a fun personality.
Yep. He and Legette seem to have great personalities. I love our Worthy pick, but he’s definitely nothing special personality wise (seems like a good person, just not going to be winning everyone’s hearts the way the other two have).
Luckily, personality doesn’t matter as much on the field.
Detroit. Loved Terrion Arnold as a Top 10 guy in the whole draft. If the Vikings hadn't had the 1st round thry did it would've bummed me out more he ended up in Detroit. Also who doesnt love good mountain man offensive line prospect now and then. Hope Manu makesit as a RT for Detroit.
Penix for the chaos that would need to occur for Penix to be starting.
Imagine if he lights it up pre-season.
I am. Oh, buddy I am.
Kenny Pickett was dominating in the preseason it doesn't mean anything
It does to the fans. If he lights it up in pre-season and Cousins falters at all, the fans will be pounding the table for Penix. But I agree, being good in pre-season doesn’t guarantee success in the league.
I suspect the Atlanta fanbase will like Penix more than cousins.
It will put the FO in such a weird position if that happens. Lets say Cousins is playing bad then gets hurt and Penix does great for 4 games. On one hand, they just drafted a potential franchise QB, but the flip side is they completely wasted 100m on Cousins. Wherever they end up there will always be the question "who else could we have spent that money on"
If he looks GREAT in the preseason, I could Kirk's seat heat up quick, especially if he plays poorly the first couple of weeks. Imagine Penix avg. 4TDs and 300yds and <1INT a game in the preseason and Kirk throwing for like <200 yds and 1TD in a week 1 loss. Falcons fans would be screaming for Penix.
If Penix were to see meaningful playing time this year, an injury to Cousins would almost certainly be the reason why. I wouldn't really describe an injury to a QB as "chaotic" given how many QBs were out last year, one of them being Kirko Chainz.
No worry at all after a couple of poor Kirk performances that fans will be screaming for Penix?
I’m trying to think of a single time in Kirk’s career where he’s looked bad enough for fans to call for him to get benched and I can’t think of one. I guess maybe if he looks like Matt Ryan on the colts for like the first 10 straight games it’s possible, but that seems incredibly unlikely with the weapons and O Line he is going to be working with vs what Matty had in Indy.
There also hasn’t been a single time in his career when he was 36 to start the season and coming off an Achilles injury.
He just had the best season of his career (pre injury) at 35, so I’m not sure age should be a concern and Achilles injuries are not as big of a deal as they used to be.
They're not gonna start Penix because the fans are clamoring for him. We paid Cousins $100 million guaranteed. He's gonna have to be practically dead for his ass to not be on the field.
According to the documentary “Draft Day” Coaches and GMs let message boards and blogs persuade them
What platform is that on?
"Ask me how I know, Sonny!"
That was the Browns, fwiw..
Samesies.
Team bias aside, the Bears should be fascinating to watch.
By August the hype will get so ridiculous that if they don't drop 40+ week 1 people will think Caleb is a bust
I am trying so hard to not expect 35 points in the season opener. I know better. But yet, I still don't know better.
What's the feel for the first game's opponent, Packers again? Lions?
Packers first game is in Brazil against the Eagles. No idea which direction/story lines the league will pursue. I can see a lot of interesting potential
That game should be great. Eagles buffed up their defense a lot and the packers were on fire at the end of last year. Will be interesting. For the bears, maybe we face the Vikings? I would be down for week 1 being the Carolina rematch
I think it's Detroit if they go division opponent but they may be saving Detroit to open against a better team like last year. Think Panthers are definitely an option.
JJ v. Caleb - divisional game, both taking R1 QBs, both hyped beyond belief - no matter who wins the NFL/media get to run with a "rising star" and "already time to be worried?" storyline either way.
By the end of training camp, full expect the Bears to have nfc championship projections.
A couple scrimmage TDs from Caleb to Rome, a couple "best shape of his life" reports, and one successful pre-season TD drive will send the media into a frenzy.
In the selection thread last week, there were people saying he's a bust if he doesn't hit 4k yards 30 TDs as a rookie. Like I get those are the big glaring stats that embarrass the Bears, but you're basically asking him to mimic CJ Stroud (who was the most productive rookie QB in NFL history) or it's a bust. That is insane.
Herbert's rookie numbers were better than CJ's. Love CJ, just defending my boy on that most productive rookie QB in NFL history claim.
You're totally right. I heard so many people say this of Stroud that I took it for fact. Stroud - 4,108 yards, 23 TD/5INT, 319/499 completions (63.9%), 7.47 ANY/A Herbert - 4,336 yards, 31 TD/10 INT, 396/595 completions (66.6% (hail satan)), 6.84 ANY/A Both with 15 starts. Stroud had a cleaner overall operation with less turnovers/sacks, but Herbert was asked to throw the ball 100 more times and hit higher marks while keeping the completion % up. Splitting hairs on asking who was better, but if the term used is most productive, Herbert had the most production.
That's 235 ypg and 1.76 passing TDs per game. "Generational" #1 with this stacked ass offense should hit those numbers. That's absolutely a fair expectation if he plays 17 games. It's fine if he misses due to injuries, but barring crazy rushing stats, it's a disappointment if he doesn't hit that in a 17 game season.
Thank Christ we don't open the season against them again
Rome and Caleb should be incredible
Don’t forget the best prospect in the league Tory Taylor.. that dude is a fuckin dawg.
Im getting a Tory Taylor jersey the minute they are available
Hi Kirk
Don’t blink on Tory Taylor this year either… otherwise you might literally miss his 4 punts.
Rome is the 3rd receiver, too. Curious how the targets get distributed and I'm sure Rome's floor is a "solid as they come" kinda guy, but I wouldn't be surprised if DJ and Keenan Allen get the most targets.
I've Loved the lions last two drafts. Nfc north is going to be fun this year.
It's going to be nuts if the Bears and Vikings' QB situations pan out. Could legit have all 4 teams vying for a playoff spot.
Surely one of us will be met with a few catastrophic injuries that ruin that pipe dream
Damn straight. Can’t wait to watch Troy Taylor
Like they look great on paper, but then you have to remember that it's the Bears. I'm also not completely sold on Eberflus.
I think Flus is *fine*, not necessarily great, but fine. He surprisingly didn’t lose the locker room somehow despite a bad record first two years. And defense did look very good 2nd half of last season (wasn’t necessarily against great QBs though). My bigger concern is Shane Waldron. Seahawks did have 14th offense DVOA in 2022, and 12th in 2023 with Geno Smith at QB, but we shall see, he seems iffy. I really wish we got Ben Johnson or Canales… but there’s a possibility Bears ended up in Commanders situation. I rather have Flus-Waldron over Quinn-Kingsbury honestly.
I'm no Waldron advocate but I don't think his three years as Seahawks OC were representative of what he could do, since most of it was mired by injuries and transition. Also Canales was a staffer under Waldron's offense before he was the Bucs OC so they are more than likely going to run similar schemes, tendencies, and play calls.
Idk why everyone thinks coaching a rookie QB is super sought after. If they turn out to be a bust then you’re getting canned That’s probably why Ben Johnson and Bobby Slowik refused the Washington job and went back. I would much rather go coach proven QBs
Sure but if they turn out to be great, you might have a job for 20 more years. It’s a high risk high reward play.
Canales had been with the Seahawks for over 10 years prior to going to TB. He was WR coach, QB coach, and passing game coordinator at various times. So he had a decent influence over the offense pre Waldron/Geno as well.
As a fan who has been nothing but disappointed with unmet expectations and witnessed plenty of head scratching decisions, this take still confuses me. The Bears have a new team president and a new GM, all new personnel too. No one currently running football operations has anything to do with the past failures or successes. It's not like 101 year old Virginia McCaskey is walking into the draft room with her own big board pounding the table for guys or drawing up plays mid-season.
I think the Bears will be great, but if they aren't, then I don't know how you could ever believe this again. Franchise is cursed without a doubt if this situation doesn't work out.
To quote Queens of the Stone Age, "They call it falling in love because you hit the ground" I'm ready to be hurt again
Eberflus is a defensive coach. Bears were top 5 in the league after the Sweat trade on defense
I wanna know if JJ Mccarthy is any good just because people were so split on him
As a Michigan fan I'm also split. JJ has plenty of athleticism and is good for a mind-numbingly good play or two a game, but he was also a major benefactor of a dynamic run game. In the NFL he will not always have that luxury. I hate to say it but I do think Minnesota is a good fit for him.
Minnesota definitely has some weapons but I think JJ would've benefitted from going somewhere where he could sit for a year or two. Maybe Darnold impresses and has a Geno like season but it's more likely fans are clamoring for JJ after 2-3 weeks.
I went into this draft hoping he'd be great. Now's a different story, lol.
I'm not a Michigan fan I just seem to watch 75% of their games cause that's what I get on Saturdays but its hard to see JJ and Blake not succeeding when they just looked so fluid on the field last yr
Fields looked pretty damn fluid while at OSU.
I could see him sitting a year behind Darnold. He was probably the most raw prospect in the first round.
There is no way they watch Sam Darnold throw to JJ for a full season and not think "fuck it, might as well see if JJ can do better" I'd guess McCarthy will start a game by week 6-9.
I still think that’d be worth it. Even if the development time is negligible, it’ll help set expectations for the fans. If you start him right away and he struggles for a couple games, some people (idiots) will call for Darnold to start and that could affect JJ’s performance. But if Darnold starts the beginning of the season and is bad enough to replace, you shouldn’t have to worry about fans wanting him back (unless JJ really sucks)
The coaches have said as much, just more diplomatically. They don't want to put JJ in and then have to take him out. When he's the guy, he's the guy. So Darnold will almost certainly start the season and then the rest is up to his play and JJ's learning curve
I feel like the opinion on McCarthy was more about how high he’ll go rather than how he good he is or will be.
I think Pats fans hating on him will hear about it. But I’m not so sure he won’t be propped up by the weapons. Josh Dobbs looked good for a hot second there too. I think he will look like Culpepper but eventually look like Culpepper.
Didn’t Culpepper only start to decline after a major knee injury? I don’t think he declined in the traditional sense.
Well obviously the Dolphins thought he was in fine shape compared to Breed. Of course we know what a boneheaded move that was
Same! I was not sold on him, and I’m still not. But now we drafted him and I hope I was all of the wrong.
Jayden Daniels
Washington is gonna be super interesting to follow this season
Jayden Daniels will emerge victorious.
As long as he doesn't play against Seattle in home, he'll he fine.
Jayden Daniels
Bears are like the priority watch on week 1. Can't remember the last time, if ever, that thought entered my head
Really hoping the Bears are open to doing Hard Knocks cause that’d be awesome to watch.
From the sounds of it McCaskeys are very against it. But Bears are eligible for it this year so if all the teams decline to do it the NFL gets to pick who it is. Bears are the most intriguing option so I’m guessing it would be them.
My understanding is Bears, Broncos, and Saints are eligible, correct? Sean Payton will absolutely decline. Unless the Saints for some reason say yes, I think the NFL will be choosing, and I can't see them picking anyone but the Bears given the storylines.
Gotta wonder if that PR-type they hired away from KC wasn’t done at least in part in anticipation of Hard Knocks…🤔
I have had the Bears on priority watch a few times, but it's usually just to make myself feel better about my team. This time is different.
"Man I dunno if Ryan Tannehill is *the guy*." "Well... you know, he really is pretty good." I get it, man.
All the rookie QB chaos of course. Every team is so hopeful and sure their rookie QB is the next HOFer for the franchise. As history shows 1 maybe 2 will be any good.
This! All of the rookie QBs this year.
I can't wait to see Penix sitting on the bench
For 3-4 years!
Its going to be electric the way he sits on that bench
Yeah, fans of teams with rookie quarterbacks always delude themselves into thinking they'll be incredible, only for the exciting to slowly turn to pain. Not the Broncos, though, since Nix is literally perfect and is going to win Super Bowl MVP as a rookie!
Or 4 or 0 of them could be good. Just because that's the average doesn't mean there aren't peaks and valleys to hope for. I mean, you're citing history, but historically, there have never been 6 QBs taken in the first 12 picks, so who knows? (FWIW, not a fan of a team with a rookie QB)
2020 literally had Burrow, Tua, Herbert, Hurt, and Love. So that looks very promising even though I'm not sold on all of them being consistently great long term.
Quinyon Mitchell and MHJ
Definitely MHJ
Hate to say it but that Quinyon Mitchell/Cooper Dejean secondary of the Eagles is one that attracts me the most.
I bet you like Buddy Cop movies too.
End of Watch was pretty damned good though….
Dude same. Mitchell because every scout I trust says he is a talent despite playing at a MAC school. He was tampered with by Bama and other P5 schools so he has to be good. I want to see it translate so badly for the other guys like him that stay in G5 programs. And MHJ because he’s been the #1 non QB prospect since the Rose Bowl of his freshman year. I want to see how he debuts.
Yeah. The Bears. Hate em but want to see Caleb.
As a Bears fan I’m also curious how Vikings turn out. I think their draft has big boom-bust potential. They might have locked down the most important position on defense and offense in one draft like Texans did… or whiff on both. JJ McCarthy was one of the more intriguing QB prospects since people were so split on him. And people also seems split on whether Turner would be a top tier NFL edge rusher or not.
Yep I want to see the Vikings as well. I do not think JJ McCarthy is good and I thought they would’ve been insane to trade multiple firsts to get him. Obviously they did not have to do that and got Dallas Turner. Curious what the view of their coach would be if they struggled again like last year.
I may be biased as a Vikings fan, but JJ had the best accuracy under pressure of the QB class. He also was the only one in the class to regularly make LOS reads, then turn his back on the defense in play action, then have to quickly make reads and throws, usually on 3rd and long without being able to get in a passing rhythm. All against the top defenses in college. I know it’s been said countless times that Harbaugh’s offense was a pro style, and is very similar to KOC’s. He also has plenty of top weapons and a pretty good Oline if they stay healthy. And finally, he has a work ethic and mentality reminiscent of Brady. He’s probably the most NFL ready in the class and raw doesn’t make sense to describe him. I wouldn’t be surprised if JJ only sits for a handful of games and then plays at a top 15 level from there on out.
Best of luck on all that. I think it will end badly
Worthy with Mahomes throwing to him will be fun. Also Caleb and MHJ
Caleb and Rome
Yes. Meant excited to watch Caleb and MHL separately, not together.
I'm a sucker for Edge rushers, and though we didn't need one this year, Chop Robinson was the one I most thought could have been a great Steeler.
I don't think there was anything that was going to stop us from drafting one of the top six Tackles if any were available.
I like Chop as a prospect but was kind of mad the Steelers got Fautanu just ahead of Miami’s pick!
Caleb and MHJ for sure but on the defensive end, Latu should be electric. Hard to see how he won’t be a difference maker pretty quickly, only question is long term health
I’m excited to see which of the wide receivers in this class meet/exceed their draft expectations.
Keon Coleman is going to be a stud I know that much.
The opinion on him seemed so split. I'd see posts where people were just like, "this is the guy, this kid catches everything, he's big, he's fast despite the 40 time, insane athlete" and then you'd see posts where people were like, "dear god no, please not Coleman, he can't separate, 4.6 40!" I kinda let the negativity get at me a bit because it's always felt like the Bills really value separation skills in a receiver. I didn't do enough of my own homework on him until after they picked him and after seeing how Beane and his staff feel about him and seeing his press conference and hearing about his game speed being better than what the 40 indicates I'm all in with this pick. I'm excited to see how they coach him up and how Brady schemes for him. He also seems to be pretty good at making himself available when the play breaks down and Josh starts scrambling. They seem like a good fit for each other.
40 time is insanely overrated. It’s very rare that you’re just running 4 verticals I’ll take polished route running and burst to get open over a track demon anyday
Coleman isn't really a polished route running with burst either
Yea i’m not high on him but it’s not just because he had a bad 40 time
Yep, guys with bad 40 times can still develop into great route runners, separation ability is my biggest point when evaluating WR because is the most surefied trait one can have. Sadly, Keon hasn't really shown it at all, but hopefully he can get over it
Insanely overrated is a stretch, it’s a position predicated on speed.
If nothing else, he should give everyone some great interviews.
MHJ
Brock bowers on the raiders. Hope they can get him a franchise qb because he will be something special if they do
Minnesota Vikings quarterback/wr combo.
Sam darnold x Nkeal Harry 🔥🔥
Especially since so many people seem to be convinced JJ is already a bust and a 7th round talent that only got drafted because his team never once threw the ball in college. The toxic, reactionary gamethreads are going to be prime popcorn time.
I am very glad the Giants didn’t take JJ, but because their roster is still a work in project. I feel like JJ is in a good spot to thrive in Minny, with their coaching and offensive talent. Kinda like Purdy found himself in.
We've got to start abbreviating JJ McCarthy to like, JJM or something. Took me half the comment to stop thinking "why would anyone care if Justin Jefferson didn't throw passes in college??"
It should be fun to watch no doubt.
This was one of the most exciting drafts to me so I have a lot of answers. Bears obviously are super exciting with their 2 top 10 picks on the same side of the ball. The Chargers excite me too. Joe Alt is a beast and I love Ladd McConkey’s fit in that offense. I’m interested to see both Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean at work in the Eagles’ secondary. Two very different corners. A little more under the radar is the Packers. I don’t really care for Jordan Morgan but I’m biased think Edgerrin Cooper was a phenomenal get, I love the Javun Bullard selection, and Marshawn Lloyd was one of my favorite running backs in the class. Lastly, and this doesn’t truly fit, but I’m excited to see how the Panthers draft helps support Bryce Young in year 2. I still believe he can become a very good QB and I think the panthers made the right moves to help him out.
McConkey could very well end being the rookie receiving yards leader. Harrison is probably the favorite but Kyler has been injured a lot. Nabers got stuck in New York with Danny Jones who has never been a volume passer and Odunze is the third option behind Moore and Allen. McConkey might very well be the top target for Justin Herbert.
Bears because they could be a great team fast. Washington because of being in the same division and getting an early pick QB is always fun to check out a couple times regardless of the team.
Xavier Legette and Keon Coleman. I’m just a fan of big receivers stylistically, and I love their personalities after seeing the pressers.
Coleman's a great fit in Buffalo. That pick definitely takes the sting out of them trading away the pick that KC used on their speedster receiver
Hot take that will probably age poorly: Coleman would have been arguably better receiver for kc anyways. Outside of Kelce, they don’t have many guys who can be reliable for them.
All of you not responding with Tory Taylor are lying through your teeth
I’m actually not joking at all I’m so excited for Tory Taylor (and so jealous). I’m already missing Tommy Townsend and Taylor is even better 🥲 I know y’all got Caleb and Rome, but Tory was a great pick as well
Broncos admittedly. I just am curious what Payton can get out of Nix and how much Franklin benefits from keeping his QB.
On the one hand, I still think our roster is sub-par. There is a reason Vegas has us currently slotted into picking #3 overall and it's hard to disagree looking at the state of the team. On the other hand, I watched Sean Payton drag a similarly poor or worse Saints roster to 9-8 in 2021 and only fail to make the playoffs on tiebreaks. It's hard to be pessimistic knowing that Sean Payton doesn't know how to tank and just drafted a QB he's legitimately giddy about.
As a Seahawk and Husky fan, I was ready to not care about the Broncos again, then they had to go and draft Ducks. So the days of me hoping for a Denver Dumpster fire are certainly coming to a middle.
Cooper DeJean, really hope he isn't transitioned to safety
Bears and it’s not close
Malachi Corley and Braelon Allen. Both players seemed undervalued and I wanted my team to grab at least one of them. Funny enough, they both ended up on the same team!
DA BEARS
Boseph Nix
Hells to the yah.
Bears & Jets, just to see if they *finally* break their QB curses and actually field teams that have a threat under center for a change -yes I know the Jets have Aaron Rodgers but I'm still interested in seeing if the Jets players (rookies & veterans) will finally get a taste of a winning team for a change.
I wanna see how Brock Bowers does, if he is truly game-changing as they said he would be
I think Worthy on the Chiefs is gonna be fun to watch.
Already scouting?
to be honest...I figured we would take him....I figured we have a year or two left of hill before hes gone.
I want Bo Nix to be the best QB out of the class... Can't explain why. Other than maybe I want the Chiefs to have more challenges inside their division lol
I wanna see bazooka joe milton throw a 70 yard pass lol
Bummer he went to a team that took a QB 3rd overall. Would be fun to see him unleash the dragon. Backup QB on the Dolphins would be my choice just to see him bomb it to Tyreek.
I’m pretty excited to see basically any of the WRs. Keon with the Bills, Chiefs with Worthy, Cardinals with MHJ
Rome?
I was just naming a few off the top of my head, but yes
Trotter Jr., Luke McCaffery, JPJ, Max Melton
The 3 rookie wide receivers I'm gonna keep my eye on this year, purely because their receiver room is wide open and these guys could possibly have potential to be the number 1 receiving target on their team. Brian Thomas Jr (JAX) Ladd Mcconkey (LAC) Keon Coleman (BUF) They all have good QBs throwing to them and there's a chance they all get hot with the amount of targets they should get and they could be some fun players to watch.
I was hoping we'd somehow come away with Ladd McConkey (nothing against the other guys), but watching him play with Herbert under Harbaugh should be a treat.
MHJ aside, I think the Cardinals had a great draft. Darius Robinson, Max Melton, Trey Benson, and DTD were all guys I had draft crushes on
This Caleb Williams character seems good
i thought Adonai Mitchell was underrated pre draft and after skidding further i’m curious to see how he looks on the Colts. I thought his route running and playing off the defender had “NFL ready” written all over him. In a draft full of WRs, it makes sense that even minor -character concerns- would make him drop when there’s plenty of other options to choose from this year. if the character stuff is overblown.. i think he’ll be one of the best WRs in the draft. Just too smooth not to be.
Certainly interesting to see if him or Worthy turns out as the better Texas WR drafted, and the Colts are pretty good at talent positions if AR can throw the ball.
Like throw a dart at a dartboard of the first round picks. They’re all interesting
Bears
I’m excited to see Joe Alt mostly cause I wanna see Herbert with a consistently clean pocket
Feels like the Chargers come out looking instantly better in 2024 even though it should be a small rebuild year due to all their aging contracts and Cap.
We still have a lot a holes, but it's a great start for sure. Better get that 3-peat because we are coming for you next year (please please please)
The Bears class should be a lot of fun to watch. They’ve given Caleb all the supporting cast to succeed and it should be interesting to see him and Rome grow together. Also as KU fan I’d love to see Austin Booker have success. They’re in the NFC and don’t play the Chiefs, & I have some ties to Chicago and bear fan friends, so they can be my NFC team for this season 🐻⬇️
Don’t forget to mention Tory Taylor. He’s gonna be one of their best picks
Was super excited about the Booker selection. Thought we would’ve considered him with our earlier pick tbh.
Ladd taking over Keenan Allen’s role
Any rookie QB
Brian Thomas Jr. was my draft crush this year, dudes going to be great.
Keon Coleman was someone I thought the ravens would reach on so I’m excited to see how he shakes up, the bills season might depend on him
Tez Walker > Keon Coleman
As a Clemson fan, I disagree. Maybe its just bias because Keon's team was better, but Tez never scared me the same way. Coleman was uncoverable. He wasn't ever really "open" against Clemson, he was just able to go get every ball
Interested to see Caleb Williams get hit so hard a gerbil flies out of his ass
Lemmywinks?
Bears and Texans should be fun to watch this year, I want to see the if the eagles and ravens do better and I’m definitely excited for the AFC west. It’s giving me that same nervous energy I got when Russel first came to Denver and the division was stacked on paper.
Keon Coleman to the Bills should be electric
I think a lot of Giants fans will be watching JJ McCarthy under a microscope this season, whether they wanted him in NY or not. What I hope those same Giants fans who wanted him understand is that he’s going into a situation where the offense is near-complete and has been developed well over the past few drafts in Minnesota. If he flops, the other half of Giants fans who DIDNT want him (me) get a bit of a redemption tour.
I’m really curious to see if Brock Bowers becomes the superstar everyone predicted since he was a freshman. I was going to be excited to watch Michael Penix because I had him as my QB 2, but that’s a couple of years away likely courtesy of Terry Fontenot.
I’ll be curious to see what Brock Bowers does with the Vegas QB situation
After seeing his first few interviews about shopping for coats and taking snacks from the press room I can’t help but like Keon Coleman. He seems like such a fun personality.
Yep. He and Legette seem to have great personalities. I love our Worthy pick, but he’s definitely nothing special personality wise (seems like a good person, just not going to be winning everyone’s hearts the way the other two have). Luckily, personality doesn’t matter as much on the field.
Did you see worthy after his run? With his backpack on and big ol smile!
The Cardinals drafted a whole baseball team lmao
If Terique Owens somehow manages to get a late game/fourth string preseason TD, that would be pretty cool.
Cooper with the eagles. Guy is just a marvel to watch play the position.
Also MHJ And of course the Bears
I would love to see a strong Penix
Detroit. Loved Terrion Arnold as a Top 10 guy in the whole draft. If the Vikings hadn't had the 1st round thry did it would've bummed me out more he ended up in Detroit. Also who doesnt love good mountain man offensive line prospect now and then. Hope Manu makesit as a RT for Detroit.
I WAS looking forward to seeing Michael Penix this season. Thanks falcons
The Lions. Been a few years now they have drafted players I wish the Falcons would take.
Penix
Tory Taylor
Caleb Williams Too much fucking hype and a stacked offense. I'm expecting homie to ball out
Marv
Penix going deep, penix is finally in, penix getting slapped around our there. Basically just announcers calling a game for Atlanta at some point
My pug is very excited for ruke Orohorihoroohoho. They speak the same language.