NFL Draft news, notes with the clock ticking

One of my favorite things to do every year is read Bob McGinn’s terrific draft series with insights from scouts from the top prospects in the draft. This year, unfortunately, it’s a paid subscription site (bobmcginnfootball.com) so there’s not much I can give away, but here’s a tidbit.

A personnel man for a team with an established starter at the position recognized some of the current angst. Then he looked at a board with Southern Cal’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield and Wyoming’s Josh Allen at the top and had many more positive thoughts than negative ones.

Don’t even suggest that he might be happy not to be in position of having to draft a quarterback next week.

“You know, you can say that every year,” the NFC executive said. “It’s kind of a copout. I wouldn’t be worried. At least you have some good candidates.”

There is no consensus best quarterback in this class though most experts would agree that it’s between Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen. It seems to me that those closer to the league (coaches/G.M) prefer Sam Darnold because he has more of that prototypical quarterback about him (plus very positive traits) while draftniks prefer Josh Rosen because he’s extremely polished, poised, and just good on the football field. Much like the 2004 draft class no matter what happens there will be a handful of QB who are compared to each other over the next decade and I think there’s a good chance all of them are successful in the league.

Derrius Guice could see his draft stock fall after interviewing oddly at the NFL combine. Guice is a talented runner in a class full of them.

“Is he talented? Yep. Do you have to have a handle on how to deal with him? Absolutely,” an offensive coordinator said. “He’s not a bad person -- he’s just immature, silly. If he wasn’t all that other stuff, he’d be drafted in the top 20 picks. And he still might be in the top 20 picks.”

He’s one of four players who could fall further then their talent dictates, the others are Arden Key, Florida CB Mike Hughes, and Antonio Callaway

Lance Zierlein compares Quenton Nelson to Larry Allen. That’s high praise.

ESPN’s Louis Riddick (he who interviewed for the Giants open G.M. position) and Greg Cosell break down the Giants draft options at #2, it’s really a good read. Cosell is one of the best.

On Bradley Chubb:

“[A] guy who projects very well to the scheme that James Bettcher will run there is obviously Bradley Chubb, who can play in a two-point, play out of the three-point, is very multiple like that, and is just like Chandler Jones,” Riddick said. “When you think about it, he’d be perfect for a team like this…That’s the kind of player who would fit well with the Giants as well.”

Riddick has high praise for Barkley.

“I think Saquon Barkley is just a special kid, I really do,” Riddick said. “I think he will help Eli because he will give him someone who he can turn around and hand the ball off to between 25 and 28 times a game. His versatility as far as being able to catch the ball out of the backfield, his willingness to pass protect, his willingness and ability to help this offense overall, as far as ball control will make the defense better…that would be my pick.”

On UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen:

Riddick: “Quite honestly, from a prototypical pro-style quarterback is the best one to me by far. He is smooth as silk in the pocket. He is smooth as silk pre-snap, the pocket, post-snap. How he moves defenders with his eyes, how he moves defenders with pump fakes, how he can subtly buy time within the pocket…He’s not the kind of guy who’s going to get out on the perimeter and be a dual run-pass threat. He has a very high football IQ. I do not right now disparage him for his outside interests and all the other things he has going on in his life at a young age. I’d want to know more about him because he plays the game like someone who really cares about the game.”

Chris Trapasso at CBS sports ranks Bradley Chubb vs. the best recent edge rushers .

Well this draft notebook ended up being heavy-handed on the top options for the Giants picks, but with less than a week away from the NFL Draft the focus is still clearly on what the Giants will two with the number two pick.