The 2018 XFL Mock Draft - Offensive Guards

In anticipation of Vince McMahon bringing the fun back to football (more concussions, woohoo!), Lukewarm Jonah and I went back and forth to do an XFL Draft. Instead of breaking this down round by round, we are going to go by position groups. Today, we continue with the offensive line with our guards.

Offensive Guard

Jonah: Andrew Tiller, Tim Lelito, Mike Harris, Orlando Franklin

Joe: Tre Jackson, Cyril Richardson, Danny Watkins, Jordan Walsh, Eddie Hall

Joe: At guard, I started off with established guys who I knew could get the job done. Tre Jackson was a unanimous All-American at Florida State while winning a national title with them. He then joined the Patriots and won a Super Bowl last year. Now he just needs an XFL Championship to complete the championship trifecta.

Cyril Richardson is another former unanimous All-American during his time at Baylor, with the added benefit of being 6’5”, 330 pounds which means we can bounce him out to tackle if necessary since my depth is lacking on the outside.

Danny Watkins also went to Baylor and was a first round pick because of his dominant work in college. Of course, he was doing this at 26 years old. It turns out being five years more mature than the competition helps quite a bit, and when he didn’t have that advantage, he wasn’t all that good. Don’t care. He can now play in the XFL and fight fires in his spare time.

After that, I took another obligatory Iowa selection in Jordan Walsh. He was very good in college but never found a fit in the NFL. In the XFL, he could become an All-Pro.

Last but actually most, I went with another wildcard pick. Eddie Hall is 6’2”, over 400 pounds, and is the current World’s Strongest Man. He retired from the sport after winning the title, and he seems destined to find his next career in the XFL. Vince McMahon is going to take one look at this guy and name him the MVP of the league.

Jonah: There weren’t a lot of exciting free agent guards out there as I didn’t want to take a World’s Strongest Man competitor.  Andrew Tiller is a guy who’s 28 years old and has started 14 games in the NFL.  He’s a safe boring pick to solidify my line.

Mike Harris played for the Vikings for 3 years so I got to see him a decent amount.  He’s nothing special, but also wasn’t TJ Clemmings levels of bad.  He started 33 games, and like I said, played at an acceptable level in the NFL, which is plenty good enough to play on my team in the XFL.

Orlando Franklin is a seven year NFL vet who can also play tackle, so more versatility on the offensive line.  He was a second round pick and has started 89 games.  He’s a wily veteran, but he’s only 30 and not completely beat up so he can pave the way for the rest of my team

Joe: Orlando Franklin seems like a solid pick. I have not heard of anyone else, and since even you said they were boring, I don’t plan on looking them up, but I can safely assume that they don’t know what it’s like to drag an airplane or launch kegs in the air.

Jonah: Offensive lineman are supposed to be boring, you don’t want to notice them, that means they’re doing their job.  Your guards are solid as well.  Being standouts in college with NFL experience means they should be able to play at a pretty high level in the XFL.  I’m sure Eddie Hall is insanely strong, but I’m sure he’ll get blown up after two or three plays which isn’t ideal in a football situation.  Remember when Mariusz Pudzianowski tried MMA and was bright purple after taking a step?  That’s what I’m picturing.

Joe: Oh, are you referring to the same Pudzianowski that headlines every KSW show in Poland and has amassed a 12-5 record as the greatest fighter to ever compete in World’s Strongest Man? Do not blaspheme the name of Mariusz. And football is way easier than MMA. Pudzianowski got stuck attempting a takedown for a minute straight. In football, you only have to try for four seconds, which is perfect for my 400 pound strongman, Eddie Hall.

I’m still upset about your comments about Pudzianowski. Let’s use a video to cleanse our pallet.

Next time, we finish up the offensive line with the center position.

In case you missed it:

Quarterbacks
Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

Offensive Tackles

2016 NFL Draft: Most Underrated Prospects

I've been busy with a variety of things lately, so I haven't produced any NFL draft related content, but I figured I should get something out before the first round happens tonight. I have some hot takes, as there are a lot of guys that I feel are greatly underrated in this draft. I will go position-by-position to show who are the most underrated prospects in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Quarterback: Cardale Jones

Had Cardale Jones come out last year after three games as a starting quarterback (and a National Title), he would have likely been a first round pick. He then proceeded to go undefeated as a starter this past season as well. Yes, he got benched because J.T. Barrett fits the scheme better, but it's not like he was having any monumental struggles, and he was never really given the opportunity to make adjustments. It seems like most people see three quarterbacks in the first round. Is there any reason Cardale Jones shouldn't be the fourth QB off the board? I mean, couldn't Cardale done at least as well as Paxton Lynch in Memphis? And, come to think of it, would North Dakota State lost anything by having Jones instead of Carson Wentz? I sure don't think so. All quarterbacks are risks, but Jones has the type of talent that makes that risk worth it.

Honorable mention to his total opposite, Vernon Adams Jr. who is small, quick, and super accurate on his throws. The guy just makes plays, and after a slow start at Oregon, he really put it together and was one of the best quarterbacks in college football by the end of the season. I know he's small, but he's worth taking a flyer on in the seventh round.

Running Back: Keith Marshall

Let's remember something about Keith Marshall. During his freshman year, there was no real difference seen between him and Todd Gurley. Now he has struggled with injuries since then and never really got things going, but his athleticism is still there, and I think he just needed an extra year to fully recover from his injuries. Although he's a different style back, he reminds me of Frank Gore as a guy who couldn't stay healthy in college, but if he does stay healthy in the pros, he's going to be one hell of a late round pick for somebody.

Honorable mention to Jordan Howard who runs through contact better than just about any back in this class. He absolutely crushed Iowa, which was sad for me but also super impressive to watch. He's big, fast, and strong. Indiana played to those strengths, so I'm not sure about the vision, but he has all of the physical tools to be successful.

Extra honorable mention to Daniel Lasco who was the best running back at the Shrine Game. I honestly didn't see much from him outside of that exhibition, but that has to count for something.

Wide Receiver: Tyler Boyd

Tyler Boyd just makes plays. He finds ways to get open, and he knows how to catch the football. Let's not make this any more complicated than it has to be. Boyd will be a good pro.

Honorable mention to Corey Coleman who is a damn freak. 

Yeah, I want that guy.

Tight End: Henry Krieger-Coble

Is this a homer pick? Hell yeah. Will it be my last? Hell no. Also, HKC had a nice ability to get open and he has good hands. He's not the most athletic guy, but I think he offers enough to be a solid #2 tight end.

Offensive Tackle: Joe Haeg

He played with Carson Wentz. I figure he must have done a good job of protecting him.

Offensive Guard: Jordan Walsh

He was really good for Iowa last year. This isn't just a homer pick. He could be a quality starter.

Center: Austin Blythe

Yes, just about everything that could go right did for Iowa so I have a soft spot for, like, everyone. Still, this is the type of guy that I like. He's undersized, which is worrisome with the rise of nose tackles, but he consistently played well against everybody that stepped in front of him, and although size may be a concern, he's worth taking a chance on.

Defensive End: Drew Ott

Okay, so not everything went well for Iowa, but let's not forget how great Drew Ott was before he got injured. This dude massacred Iowa's offensive line to the point where I thought Iowa would be garbage this year, and Kirk Ferentz could no longer turn under-recruited players into absolute studs. He's the best player Iowa has in this draft class, and he's going to make a team very happy. The dude eats raw eggs and offensive linemen for fun. He gonna get after it.

Defensive Tackle: Javon Hargrave

Hargrave was another guy who impressed at the Shrine Game, and I think he's going to be one of the standouts from a small school that surprises people.

Linebacker: Joe Schobert

Joe Schobert is one of those guys that just makes plays. He's not the most athletically gifted, but he makes up for it with his instincts. It's probably going to be stupid how far he falls, and he's going to make teams feel stupid when he has a 10-year career as a starting linebacker.

Honorable mention to Scooby Wright III who basically does the same stuff as Schobert. Like he had Heisman hype coming into this past season. People forget that. I didn't. Scooby has the skills to solve any offensive mystery.

And another honorable mention to Jaylon Smith. I'm not sure how toast that knee is, although some have compared his injuries to Marcus Lattimore which is...not ideal. Still, how far can you let a talent like this drop? I mean, he was seen at worst as a top-10 pick and maybe worthy of being in the top-5. If he's there in the third round, I'd have a really hard time passing on him when the guy has that much upside.

Final honorable mention to Eric Striker, because Oklahoma linebackers try to play the game like The Ultimate Warrior, so I ain't messing with that.

Cornerback: Kendall Fuller

An injury is the only reason he really fell. He was seen as the best cornerback in his family, and his brother was drafted in the middle of the first round. I mean, yeah, as a Bears fan, I am aware that the pick hasn't quite turned out all that well, but corners mature later than most other positions, so it's certainly not hopeless. Had he not gotten hurt, he would have easily been a first round pick, yet I haven't seen anybody with him higher than mid-second. Hell, if Kyle had only been a second round pick, Bears fans probably wouldn't be nearly as worried about him, so getting the more talented Fuller at that point should be a steal.

Honorable mention to Zack Sanchez who made a bunch of plays early on in 2014 and got on everyone's radar, and then fell off that radar. I mean, he was never as great as the hype, but he's also not not talented.

Safety: Karl Joseph

Karl Joseph gets interceptions and hits people hard enough for their grandma to be in pain. Karl Joseph is awesome, and I am super bummed that he is getting a lot of late hype and won't be there for the Bears in the second round. Love Karl Joseph, but more importantly, fear Karl Joseph.

Honorable mention to Jordan Lomax, because he's a Hawkeye, and I gots to represent. I mean, he could be a special teams player, maybe, possibly...sort of?

Kicker: Marshall Koehn

Koehn is able. I mean, even if he isn't a great kicker, that sort of marketing slogan is enough to justify using a pick on him. If teams could expand rosters to like 75 and have a kicker who specialized in 50+ yard field goals, he would have a great future in the NFL. Anything inside of that, and uh, it goes down quickly, although he may fare better with the longer distance extra points than he did with the super close college ones. Still, Koehn is able.

And that wraps things up. The draft starts tonight. I can't wait to see how the Bears screw it up.