Draftageddon: What The Hell, Peppers Time

THE GOAL OF DRAFTAGEDDON

The goal of Draftageddon is YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT DRAFTAGEDDON.

I'm hearing this is incorrect. I see. The goal of Draftageddon is to draft a team of Big Ten players that seems generally more impressive than that of your competitors. Along the way, we'll learn a lot of alarming things, like maybe Maryland is good? Full details are in the first post.

PREVIOUSLY ON DRAFTAGEDDON

1. Everyone not grabbing dual-threat senior QBs grabs defensive linemen
2. Seth takes Venric Mark in front of just about everyone
3. Nothing terribly remarkable happens
4. BISB takes all the guys I want
5. A ridiculous amount of time is spent discussing the merits of one particular interior lineman from Rutgers
6. WILDCARD TIME as Brian takes a quarterback despite already having a quarterback.

THE CURRENT SITUATION

ROUND 13 - PICK 2: Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State

O: QB Connor Cook (MSU), RB Ameer Abdullah (NE), WR Devin Funchess (U-M), TE Maxx Williams (MN), LT Brandon Scherff (IA), LG Kaleb Johnson (RU)

D: DE Shilique Calhoun (MSU), DE/DT Andre Monroe (MD), NT Darius Kilgo (MD), OLB Chi Chi Ariguzo (NW), OLB Matt Robinson (MD), CB Desmond King (IA), S John Lowdermilk (IA)

ST: KR/PR Ameer Adbullah (NE)

ACE: Heiko lives!

Brian's decision to draft a, uh, third-and-long quarterback put an end to the staring contest between me and Seth. I'd like a full-time starter, thanks, and not of the Rudock/Stave/Siemain caliber.

Oh, look, it's the Rose Bowl MVP.

Connor Cook took the reins of an offense so laughable it was being outscored by its own defense, took a couple games to settle in, and proceeded to make the Spartan O downright respectable. He put up excellent numbers for a redshirt sophomore, averaging 7.3 YPA with a 22:6 TD-to-INT ratio. Those numbers were in spite of a receiving corps that didn't feature anything resembling a true #1 receiver, and didn't have much quality from there, either. Using Seth's pet stat, RYPR, here's what Cook was working with in 2013:

​His #1 receiver performed like an average #2. His #4 receiver averaged 3.8 yards per target. The rest of it isn't so great, either. Click over to Seth's post and look at Michigan's 2013 receiving corps. Even with their lack of production from the #3 spot, the Wolverines were far superior.

BISB: /Microphone... getting so hot... must... let... go...

ROUND 13 - PICK 3: Jabrill Peppers, CB (and S/RB/WR/Nickel/WILL/KR/PR/BMOC/GGTK), Michigan

he will fix everything

O: QB Devin Gardner (UM), RB Jeremy Langford (MSU) WR Kenny Bell (Neb), WR Shane Wynn (IU), OT Donovan Smith (PSU), C Austin Blythe (Iowa)
D: DE Joey Bosa (OSU), DE Noah Spence (OSU), LB Jake Ryan (UM), LB Mike Hull (PSU) CB Sojourn Shelton (Wisky), CB Jabrill Peppers (UM), S Kurtis Drummond (MSU)

BISB: I still needed a corner, a safety, a nickelback, a running back, and a wide receiver. So I took one.

Everyone is aware of the story of Jabrill Peppers. He is the highest ranked (and possibly the most highly-touted) recruit to hit a Big Ten campus in the last decade. If Sojourn Shelton is the prototypical field corner, Peppers is the archetypal boundary corner. Big for a corner at 6'1", 210 lbs, he hits like a linebacker but nevertheless shows sprinter speed and acceleration that translatesto the football field. He's as quick-twitch of a human being as you'll ever find; he's basically Venric Mark. But after an 80's-style Rocky training montage. And five inches taller.

I know, I know. Recruiting hype stars don't matter never played a snap in college blah blah. Screw that. What are the usual concerns about freshmen? Physical preparedness, mental preparedness, and how the game translates to the next level. Physically, I'll defer to the unnamed assistant coach from USC:

"I've only seen two players in high school with a body like that," the USC coach says, "and both of them are named Peterson [Adrian and Patrick]."

As far as translating to the next level, watch the burst and acceleration in these two clips. Translation, my ass. I don't care what level of competition he's playing (though his competition is pretty good) or what kind of stuff doesn't show up on the highlight reels (though his full game cut-ups are equally impressive). This kid is basically a glitch in the physics engine. And sure, there's gonna be a mental transition, and sure both of my corners are young. Fortunately I have the best free safety in the Big Ten over the top to erase any youthful mistakes.

[AFTER THE JUMP: Seth drafts Troy Woolfolk, Ace with the Big Red Block.]

INTERLUDE

ACE: Hackenberg had to deal with an enormous dropoff after Allen Robinson, but at least he had Allen Robinson. Fowler's RYPR mark ranked 96th among #1 targets nationally; Eastern Michigan's top guy put up a better number. Cook made that receiving corps function decently enough to crack 300 passing yards in both the Big Ten title game and the Rose Bowl. While he's by no means a true dual-threat, he has the mobility to break the pocket for the first down and, just as importantly, avoid sacks—despite dealing with injuries at both tackle spots, MSU finished 16th in adjusted sack rate, and part of that credit must go to Cook's quick decision-making and ability to avoid the first rusher.

Now Cook is attracting the attention of NFL scouts, something nobody saw coming last season. Sure, I guess I'll settle for him.

Seth, good luck convincing everyone your part-time starter is as good as everyone else's full-time starters.

SETH: Way to Heiko up the 13th round guys. Brian grabbed a sophomore he doesn't mean to play who would have to chuck 37% of his passes to Jacksonville to repeat his true freshman season. This scared Ace into selecting a guy who's not allowed to throw it more than five yards. Clearly petrified of such aerial assaults, BiSB got a dude who's currently behind Jourdan Lewis.

I think I'll just add some starters.

ROUND 13 - PICK 4: Adrian Amos, S/CB, Penn State
ROUND 14 - PICK 1: Steve Longa, WLB, Rutgers

O: RB Venric Mark (NW), WR Devin Smith (OSU), WR Christian Jones (NW), T Jason Spriggs (Ind), T Taylor Decker (OSU), C Brandon Vitable (NW), G Jack Allen (MSU).
D: DT Michael Bennett (OSU), DE Randy Gregory (Neb), LB Taiwan Jones (MSU), LB Steve Longa, S Corey Cooper (Neb), S Adrian Amos (PSU), CB Blake Countess (Mich)
ST: Mark

SETH: In honor of the SATs that BiSB's cornerback probably just took, an analogy:
Adrian Amos:Penn State in recent years::_____:Michigan during Never Forget.
The answer is Troy Woolfolk (judges will accept Tloy Wolfolk), except not injured. PSU's secondary bounced back in the latter half of 2013, but for awhile there they were facing a full-blown Rodriguezian secondary situation. Throughout that, Amos was the one functional piece at both corner and safety who unfortunately could only play one at time. Like Woolfolk, he's is the fastest player on his team. Unlike Woolfolk, Amos has the size and "physicality" (his coaches' word) to play safety in the NFL, and is projected to go there.

The PSU folk think he's their best since Scirrotto and a lock for all-conference, and he was second (behind Hull, not Hack) in their running for cover athlete. They also thought he was a better cornerback last year than Lucas.

Also he's a senior at a position where experience matters, and completes my safety tandem a great, big, confident first step ahead of Jarrod Wilson/Michael Caputo. And in a pinch I have a cornerback who, you know, has actually played two years of cornerback on a Big Ten team.

Also good value: when people speak of useful bits on Rutgers, it's Hamilton and Longa. Leading a bad team in tackles is a dubious accomplishment, but Longa's lead was almost 30, and that as a redshirt freshman. What's more impressive is Longa never played football until high school (he's from Cameroon), and, recruited as a safety, never linebacker until 2013. Dude was a first-team freshman All-American last year and the upside is enormous.

This year he'll move to a better fit at WLB. If you remember Lavonte David at Nebraska, similar type of player in a similar role. If you don't, just think about what we said James Ross would be last year before he wasn't quite that. Longa will be about the same 6'1"/225 as Ross/David this season, so moving him away from lead blockers and into a safetyish LB role can only improve his production, which is, oh, only 118 tackles (most of returning players in the B1G), 7.5 TFLs and 3 sacks.

I think I'll draft a quarterback next turn.

INTERLUDE

BRIAN: We are all aware that "freshman All-American" means "freshman who played," right?

ROUND 14 - PICK 2: Jack Conklin, OL, MSU

O: QB Devin Gardner (UM), RB Jeremy Langford (MSU) WR Kenny Bell (Neb), WR Shane Wynn (IU), OT Donovan Smith (PSU), OT Jack Conklin (MSU), C Austin Blythe (Iowa)

D: DE Joey Bosa (OSU), DE Noah Spence (OSU), LB Jake Ryan (UM), LB Mike Hull (PSU), CB Sojourn Shelton (Wisky), CB Jabrill Peppers (UM), S Kurtis Drummond (MSU)

BISB: Seth earlier pointed out that Michigan State's emergence from their early-season offensive terribleness coincided with Jack Allen's return, but sir, I posit that you don't know (how to give credit to the proper) Jack. The running game started to emerge when they stopped screwing around with the line and planted redshirt freshman Jack Conklin at left tackle. It worked, too, as Conklin was a first-team freshman All-American and Michigan State won a Rose Bowl.

The kid is massive at 6'7, 330 lbs, and might be better as a right tackle if the situation allowed, but he is plenty quick to protect a blind side. He's also powerful enough to be a dominant run blocker; check out this rep against (probably) the best defensive tackle in the conference, Michael Bennett. That's a tough, tough reach block by an OT on a DT, and Bennett ends up decidedly on his ass. I'd encourage you to watch the whole film; OSU's line is really, really good, and Conklin more than held his own (before missing much of the second half a boo-boo). Add a year in the weight room and few hours in film study, and he'll be even better.

Indeed, my starting boundary corner is currently behind Jourdan Lewis, as it is hard to pass people on the depth chart before physically arriving on campus. There's a pretty firm "must be present to win" rule in that regard. But what do you think the odds are of him staying out of the starting lineup beyond, say, the second week in September? And when Marlin Jackson says he's got "the athleticism and skill of Patrick Peterson with the overall football instincts of Charles Woodson," you grab him (in the 13th round, mind you) and figure out the depth chart later.

And I'm sure you'll draft a quarterback next round, though as Ace points out, you'll have to choose between which trait you find most appealing: (a) full-time starter status, or (b) the ability to be good at being a quarterback.

ROUND 14 - PICK 3: Tyler Marz, OT, Wisconsin

halp

O: QB Connor Cook (MSU), RB Ameer Abdullah (NE), WR Devin Funchess (U-M), TE Maxx Williams (MN), LT Brandon Scherff (IA), LG Kaleb Johnson (RU)

D: DE Shilique Calhoun (MSU), DE/DT Andre Monroe (MD), NT Darius Kilgo (MD), OLB Chi Chi Ariguzo (NW), OLB Matt Robinson (MD), CB Desmond King (IA), S John Lowdermilk (IA)

ST: KR/PR Ameer Adbullah (NE)

ACE: We all know about Wisconsin's ass-kicking run blocking; often overlooked is their ability to keep their quarterback upright—the Badgers finished 26th in adjusted sack rate last season (also T-15th in sacks allowed, but given their run-heavy proclivities I'd like to paint a fairer picture). Brian's already selected three of the four returning starters from last year's Wisconsin O-line; I'll go ahead and snag the left tackle before it's too late.

Marz had a solid redshirt sophomore season in 2013, starting all 13 games. At 6'5", 321 pounds—not to mention a member of the Wisconsin offensive line—there's little concern about his run blocking. His pass protection is solid enough that he, not behemoth redshirt senior Rob Havenstein, was entrusted with protecting Joel Stave's backside. He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten in his first season as a starter. Those NFL Draft rankings we keep using have him as the #8 tackle in 2016, just two spots behind Donovan Smith and comfortably ahead of Jason Spriggs (#15) and Taylor Decker (#16). That's pretty good for a pick here, as the pool of available tackles with proven talent is nearly dry.

Someone is inevitably going to bring up that Marz occasionally struggled in pass protection last year, especially in the season finale against Penn State, when weakside DE C.J. Olaniyan gave him a lot of trouble. While Marz wouldn't make the excuse for himself, here's a pretty darn good excuse for those struggles:

Marz will use the extra time before the bowl game to get healthy and polish his technique. Although he makes no excuses, Marz has been dealing with a high ankle sprain for several weeks but hasn’t missed a start.

“A high ankle sprain in a left tackle, it’s going to impact you,” [Wisconsin coach Gary] Andersen said. “His toughness, his care factor and want-to, to be out there, especially the first two games back off that ankle — there was no way you were going to keep that kid off the field. He just battled through it. I think he’ll be better, because of that experience that he has gone through.

When Wisconsin faced South Carolina, a team I've heard had a pretty good defensive end, in the Capital One Bowl with a healthy Marz, they only gave up one sack on 26 dropbacks. Here's the video—Marz does a decent enough job pushing Clowney past the pocket, while Havenstein gets dispatched in embarrassing fashion by the other DE, Chaz Sutton, who sacks Stave while Havenstein recovers from the "flipped turtle" position.

With Scherff manning the left tackle spot on my team, I can mitigate any lingering issues Marz has in pass protection by putting him on the right side, where he's a more natural fit. The fact that he's proven capable of holding down the left tackle position on a very good line is just a bonus.

BiSB, I enjoy this particular brand of crazy drafting, and therefore will save my snark for Seth, who just compared a sophomore Rutgers linebacker to arguably the best weakside linebacker in the NFL. Ooooooookay.

INTERLUDE

BRIAN:

SETH: Well I compared Alex Malzone to high school Tom Brady last week, but nobody thought even 5th year senior Tom Brady would become NFL god Tom Brady. I just meant his game is, like David's, all about pure speed and lightning-quick reaction to the play that make him a good OLB and a spread killer, but that he's too small to be effective taking on lead blockers face on. But hey, if that's the ceiling on this guy I'll take it. I mean, at this point in his career Lavonte was just a pretty good JuCo player.

I'd snark back but I've been wondering when someone would take Wiscy's left tackle since the last Rutgers guy went off the board, plus the fact that it blocks Brian from his red monopoly. Speaking of, when's somebody gonna land on Illinois?

ROUND 14 - PICK 4: Desmond Morgan, LB, Michigan
ROUND 15 - PICK 1: James Ross, LB, Michigan

O: QB Braxton Miller (OSU), QB Christian Hackenberg (PSU), RB Melvin Gordon (WI), WR Stefon Diggs (MD), OT Rob Havenstein(WI), G Kyle Costigan(WI), G Dallas Lewallen(WI)

D: DE Frank Clark(M), DE Therien Cockran (MN), DT Darius Hamilton(RU), DT Carl Davis(IA), LB Desmond Morgan(M), LB James Ross(M), CB Trae Waynes (MSU), CB Jordan Lucas (PSU)

BRIAN: So Michigan was the #6 team in the Big Ten in YPC allowed last year, and there's a pretty big gap down from the OSU/Wisconsin second tier that gives up about 3.3 YPC and Michigan a half yard further back. But what happens when you remove sacks?

Michigan only moves up one spot but they make up almost all of the difference with OSU and Iowa. Now count the returning linebackers from the team above Michigan: 1 (Taiwan Jones, gone), 0, 0, 1 (Curtis Grant, who is not good). Michigan gets all three back. And consider the defensive lines of the teams above Michigan. OSU's is almost totally gone by this point in the draft. Wisconsin's Beau Allen got drafted. Iowa has a projected first-round DT. MSU has all kinds of guys and plays like nine in the box. After Ondre Pipkins tore his ACL and Quinton Washington got his wasting disease or whatever Michigan had... Jibreel Black, nose tackle.

What I'm saying is that by the end of the season Michigan's defensive line was in tatters and Michigan's linebackers were eating blockers on play after play. The strongside end was 250-pound Brennen Beyer. Black was a 285 pound nose tackle. Willie Henry was a powerful but random freshman; Michigan was reduced to throwing Richard Ash onto the field for his first real playing time ever against OSU, the best rushing attack in the country. Michigan's season YPC against teams not named Ohio State was 3.3, and this year they should be better as they return everyone who is not a 285 pound nose tackle or Cam Gordon. To have the numbers Michigan did is a goddamned tribute to linebacking.

Morgan enters his third year as a starter (no, I don't believe Joe Bolden is playing over him), Ross his second. Ross has been shipped to SAM in the over, where he can cover and flit around tight ends and blitz, hopefully to add to his 5.5 TFLs from a year ago. Morgan saved Michigan's bacon with an INT against UConn and had 4.5 TFLs himself. Setting aside corner Raymon Taylor, Morgan and Ross were the leading tacklers on a decent run defense that gave them vanishingly little help. This year both will step up; both will find themselves in positions much more conducive to making plays, and Michigan's run defense is going to be real, real good.

INTERLUDE

BISB: Brian is really going all in on this theory that if a unit performs well as a whole, then the individual parts of that unit must all be really good.

"Wu Tang Clan is awesome." /Drafts U-God in 7th round.

APPARENTLY ONE OF THESE GUYS IS BAD I DON'T KNOW THEY ALL LOOK PRETTY GOOD AT RAPPISTING TO ME

BRIAN: Except in this case we're well aware that rappist U-God is in fact 285 pound nose tackle and rappist Other Bad Wu Tangist is the 250-pound SDE in an under front. CLANLIFE. Do they say that?

BISB: I defer to local rappism enthusiast Ace Anbender on that question.

SETH: I can't help with what they say on the WuTang blogs. I only read MGoBlogs. The MGoBlogs said Morgan last year was a guy who gradesoutatfivegoodthingsand4.5badthings per game, with one huge thing to the good or bad. It also says teams learned to use Ross's aggressiveness against him by making him choose unwisely against the option, or picked on him badly with various Penn State tight ends who will be littering our rosters anytime now.

(Anytime now...)

Year to year progression should help Ross more than Morgan. But how much are they progressing since they're all splitting time with dudes down the depth chart who are in no danger of being drafted in this experiment? The last thing we learned about Michigan's non-Ryan LB corps is that Greg Mattison, who recruited and coaches these guys and knows things about linebackers, made Joe Bolden and Royce Jenkins-Stone his spring starters over this pair for--to the best of our knowledge--reasons of a football nature. Also they moved Jake Ryan from his ideal spot to the position Morgan played last year, then listed Morgan as his backup. Did they change the defense then move Ryan to accommodate, or did they move Ryan then change the defense to compensate? Either way, it's not encouraging for Morgan.

ACE: Other Bad Wu Tangist is probably Masta Killa unless you want to separate RZA's rapping from his producing, in which case it's clearly him, because he's an incredible producer and a brutally awful lyricist.

Killa Bees on the swarm. Wu-Tang is for the children. CLANLIFE? Nope.

BRIAN: Jesus, Seth, spring football depth charts? I suppose you believe Devin Gardner was a bad pick because he's totally getting benched for Shane Morris. Also, linebacker is hard. Any positive thing is impressive in UFR. I know you know this and am offended at your weak attempts to talk smack. CLANLIFE.

BISB: Brian's just trying to convince himself that lemons are TOTALLY a part of a balanced breakfast.

SETH: We're talking All Stars here, specifically the 7th and 8th linebackers selected in the conference, i.e. honorable mention All Big Ten, and ahead of guys still on the board like Cole Farrand, David Santos, Collin Ellis, and Illinois's linebackers who may be good I wouldn't know I don't follow Illinois not a rival. I'd expect a better UFR than a day in the life with Mouton and Ezeh, or at least some resignation that this is what the three-deep comes to in this conference.

And you know as well as I do that this inexplicable Bolden thing goes way further back than this year's spring game.

BRIAN: Oh my God, I forgot about the immortal Cole Farrand! Did you know that Cole Farrand was honorable mention All-ACC last year? Did you know that he helped Maryland hold Boston College to 254 rushing yards? Or that he had almost as many tackles as Morgan? What have I done with my life?

/checks teams

Seth Dumars talks a lot of shit for a guy whose best player on offense appears to be Indiana's left tackle.

BISB: Linebacking situation: summarized:

ACE: FINALLY, Reilly O'Toole makes an appearance in this draft. I was waiting for Brian to select him as his designated second-and-medium quarterback.

BRIAN: CLANLIFEEEEEE

CURRENT SITUATION