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+---- Thread: Baltimore Hawks Draft Review (/showthread.php?tid=2476)
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Baltimore Hawks Draft Review - manicmav36 - 07-21-2017
For this article, I wanted to take a look at the Baltimore Hawks draft.
After a disappointing inaugural season, the Hawks finished the season at 4-10, last place in the NSFC. While their offense showed some promise, and finished in the top half of the league in points scored, the defense was another story. The defense finished last in most statistical categories and was in dire need of some fresh blood. To make matters worse, the off-season leading up to the draft was not kind to the Hawks. They lost three defense starters (both defensive ends and a safety) and a starting offensive tackle to the expansion draft, as well as two players to retirement, and a multitude of others to free agency and trades. Help was needed… and it came in the draft.
After some creative wheeling and dealing by the front office, the Hawks were able to stockpile an impressive number of picks. Although the average number of picks per team was just 13, the Hawks were able to accrue a remarkable 17 picks, 2nd to only the expansion team, the Philadelphia Liberty. Not only that, but the Hawks actually used nearly all of these picks as well, drafting 16 players. This tied them with the Liberty for most players drafted. Even more impressive was the quality of these picks. The Hawks tied the Liberty with most pick in the top 20 with four picks and had the most picks in the top 28 of any team, with seven. The Hawks needed both quality and quantity, and they were going to get it.
(For the sake of added insight, I have included quotes from the GM @HENDRIX in blue. A special thanks to him for the interview.)
“Going into this draft two things were evident to me, the class was very deep and the Hawks had a lot of needs. I tried to capitalize on that depth via a couple trade downs and player for picks trades. Throughout the pre draft process I met with a lot of impressive prospects. This made my job of compiling a draft board difficult and easy at the same time. Difficult in the sense it was hard to figure out how to rank all these impressive prospects amongst each other, easy in the sense that there were a lot of them.”
After trading down from 4th to 8th, and then again to 9th, the Hawks were finally ready to make their first pick.
Pick #1 (9th overall): Darnell Turner – CB (@Darnellthebeast)
- Considered by many to be the 2nd best DB in the draft (behind only consensus #1 pick, Dermot Lavelle), a man to man coverage specialist in the vein of Patrick Peterson, Turner will have an immediate impact on the Hawks. The Hawks allowed the most passing yards in the league last year, and with Turner lining up opposite of first year stand-out Antoine Delacour, that will definitely change.
Pick #2 (10th overall): Brokk Lee – OL (@BrokkLee)
- Lee comes in as a highly rated prospect and posted the highest number of reps on the bench with 26 (as did two others) at the combine. He uses his immense strength to his advantage and is a real mauler in the run game. This was an important pick for the Hawks as the majority of the OL drafted by them later on are pass protection specialists. Lee will help to balance out the line and is an obvious day one starter.
Pick #3 (18th overall): Owen Taylor – DE (@manicmav36)
- Taylor was the 3rd DE taken in the draft in what was a relatively shallow DE class. While he doesn’t have the natural ability coming out of the draft as someone like Blaster Blade, he is well known for his hard work and tied for the 2nd fastest 40 time amongst the DEs. This filled an immediate need as, at the time of this pick, the Hawks had no DEs on their roster. Kurt Hendrix has since moved from LB to DE and will be lined up at the other end.
Pick #4 (20th overall): Jorge Masdival – S (@GSD)
- Masdival was another need pick that fills a huge hole, but that’s not to say it wasn’t a smart pick. He is blazing quick and tied for the fastest time at the combine with a shocking 40 time of 3.95 and an outrageous 4.17 in the shuttle. While he doesn’t have the best on-field awareness, he is usually able to use his speed to compensate for any mistakes.
“Our first four picks here plug major needs on our football team. Other than our star corner Delacour, we had nothing else in the secondary. Turner and Masvidal give us two very fast, high upside prospects to add to that position group. Lee and Taylor are two players that have the chance to anchor their respective lines. One protects the QB, the other gets after the QB. I'm a big believer in building up the trenches.”
Pick #5 (26th overall): Alonzo Charles – OL (@Big Baller Brand)
Pick #6 (27th overall): Dieter Koch – OL (@Sleepy)
Pick #7 (28th overall): Avon Blocksdale – OL (@iamslm22)
All three OL are solid picks with similar skill sets that look to start right away. If these three develop nicely, along with Lee, the Hawks will have a very solid line for years to come. Charles, Koch, and Blocksade all look to be pass protection specialists out of the gate. This is important as QB Scrub Kyubee and WR Christmas Cooper are the two highest rated players on the Hawks roster. Their run blocking skills will need to be addressed eventually, however.
“Going with a trio of offensive line three picks in a row wasn't the plan going into the draft. The plan was to trust my big board and take the players I had rated highest who were available. It just so happens this is how it worked out. My hope for these three players is to fortify our offensive line. OL isn't the most glamorous position, but in my opinion it is the most important area of a football team. You're not going to win many games if you can't move the ball.”
Pick #8 (36th overall): Darlane Farlane – RB (@Gwdaja)
- The fastest running back and 3rd fastest of all athletes at the combine this year, Farlane ran a superhuman 3.86 second 40. Although he joins a somewhat crowded back field, it will be tough to keep his speed off the field for long. Many had Farlane rated as high as the #2 RB in the draft. It’s hard to pass up value like that in the 5th round.
Pick #9 (45th overall): James Wright – LB (@PlotzkeA)
- James Wright is an intelligent player, and very sure tackler. With Hendrix’s move to DE, he will have to opportunity to start right away next to veterans Harrison and Broadway and develop under the guidance of two very good line backers.
Pick #10 (52nd overall): Matthew Vincent – WR (@sapp2013)
- Clearly, a dedicated player, Vincent has been training hard and has already shown great improvement in both his hands and agility. After posting the 2nd fastest shuttle run at the combine, expect Vincent to make an immediate contribution. His great speed and agility can make him a real threat on the outside. At this spot, he could end up being an absolute steal for the Hawks.
Pick #11 (58th overall): Carmel Gibson – TE (@SexualEarwax)
- Gibson blew away the scouts at the combine this year by posting the top scores for the 40 yard dash, bench press, 3 cone drill, and Wonderlic test. Coaches hope that with a little training and his high natural ability, Gibson could be the answer to replacing departed TE Gabriel Tenzini.
Pick #12 (60th overall): John Baker – WR (@Bakepiece)
- Scoring the 2nd highest of all rookie WRs on the Wonderlic, Baker looks to bring his cerebral style of play to the Hawks and add some much needed depth. His great awareness makes him a valuable receiver in the slot and a solid #3 receiver.
“This next grouping is where it proves it pays off to do your homework. The positions of RB, LB, WR, and TE were very likely to be undervalued in this draft due to the current depth at those positions already in the league. All five of these young guys are going to play a major amount of snaps for us. On the defensive side we had a LB position open up due to Hendrix moving to the DL. Wright is a balanced LB that will slide right into a starting spot. With the picks of Farlane/Vincent/Gibson/Baker I know our QB is going to be as happy to have these guys as I am. These four give the team much needed weapons. Farlane is one of the fastest players in the draft and is a threat to break off a big one every time he touches the ball. Vincent and Baker are two sure handed WRs that will form a great trio with our veteran WR Christmas. Gibson is a balanced TE that is equally a solid receiver and blocker.”
Pick #13 (68th overall): Pat Pancake – OL (@`Pat17`)
- Although Pancake may be seen as an after-thought, being the 5th OL drafted by the Hawks, the expectations for him to live up to his namesake are high. While not a premier prospect right out of the gate, the Hawks hope he delivers some quality depth to a very young line. He was recently seen at rookie training camp staying late to focus on his footwork.
Pick #14 (76th overall): James Lillico – S (@Lillico24)
- Lillico is a quiet prospect that would much rather let his play do the talking. While some may question his drive, the coaching staff hopes he become a real diamond in the rough. He has an opportunity to contribute right away in a very shallow depth chart.
Pick #15 (84th overall): Jesse Sanderson – TE (@Jharter94)
- Sanderson is a sure handed TE that has the opportunity to contribute during passing downs. He will need to continue to develop his speed and agility to become a true receiving threat, but at another shallow position on the roster, he has a real opportunity to prove himself.
Pick #16 (92nd overall): Frederick Smith – DT (@The Wall)
- Smith hasn’t been seen on the Hawks campus much, but coaches hope to at least use him to provide some depth for an occasional spell. He’s another low risk pick with a high reward possible.
“At this point of the draft it was going to be difficult to find starters. This group of players will provide us with depth and compete for more snaps.”
After sitting through 92 picks, the front office staff could finally take a break. It was a long and mentally draining evening, but it was worth it. There were a lot of concerns about the roster heading into the draft, but they did their best to address each one, fill every gap. Every flaw now has a potential solution. Will it work out that way? Probably not, but who really knows? That’s why the games are played.
With the massive influx of draft picks, the Hawks are now one of the youngest, if not the youngest team in the NSFL. Unfortunately, with a young team, growing pains are to be expected. While the Hawks most likely won’t be challenging for the Ultimus Trophy this year, if even half of these picks hit, and continue to develop, the Hawks will be very good, very soon.
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1918 words, ready to be gradedBaltimore Hawks Draft Review - Sleepy - 07-21-2017
:cheers:
Baltimore Hawks Draft Review - HENDRIX - 07-21-2017
That's my defensive end. Nice work Taylor.
![[Image: Ja1zl_s-200x150.gif?c=popkey-web&p=mikes...rch&f=.gif]](https://m.popkey.co/0679e0/Ja1zl_s-200x150.gif?c=popkey-web&p=mikeshardlemonade&i=mikeshardlemonade&l=search&f=.gif)
Baltimore Hawks Draft Review - GSD - 07-21-2017
:towel:
Baltimore Hawks Draft Review - ADwyer87 - 07-21-2017
Hawks singlehandedly driving the run on OL haha
Baltimore Hawks Draft Review - iamslm22 - 07-21-2017
I feel like me, Charles, and Koch will always be grouped together. We are always gonna be the three OL drafted in a row by the same team.
Baltimore Hawks Draft Review - kckolbe - 07-21-2017
Darlane may be listed as an RB, but I bet he sees more snaps at WR in S2. @Gwdaja
Baltimore Hawks Draft Review - Jbearly - 07-21-2017
I was really surprised by the Hawks draft tbh in a good way
Baltimore Hawks Draft Review - Gwdaja - 07-21-2017
(07-21-2017, 05:51 PM)kckolbe Wrote:Darlane may be listed as an RB, but I bet he sees more snaps at WR in S2. @Gwdaja
I'm actually starting at RB this year
Baltimore Hawks Draft Review - kckolbe - 07-21-2017
(07-21-2017, 06:42 PM)Gwdaja Wrote:I'm actually starting at RB this year
Fucking grats man. With your speed, you can do either well, so I thought you made more sense splitting time between positions. Own that RB job, though.