Welcome back Suit!
Question for TMC...way earlier in the thread, you had a nice write up on "which direction" the team might go with OLB (pure pass rusher vs athletic mobility). NOW, that the team has taken the latter in Watt, who I think as you could impact as a rookie with some of his flex appeal, (being able to come in in some 3-3-5 type flex sets), WHO, IYO fits the next step in that line of thinking?
Obviously, any DB who can play MAN, Press or OFF coverage in disguise who gives us even more "flex appeal" is my take BUT who might be available who fits? (unless you see it differently?)
Well, this really becomes a question of how do you want to skin this cat. So, we need an edge corner to upgrade Cockrell. We could use a slot corner to challenge Golson or Gay. We could use a 3rd safety that can cover TEs and potentially move to FS to replace Mitchell. But, that replace Mitchell is likely 2-years away, so it really becomes a back burner issue. So, I'm looking for guys that can play outside, inside, small WRs or bigger TEs, potential future FS. Guys that can do 2 or more of those things, they move up the list.
My #1 guy remains Chidobe Awuzie. At 6'-202, he runs well enough, plays the slot, has the length to handle TEs, hits like a safety, smart, physical. If you draft a guy like Awuzie, in the 3rd, if an edge corner is there, Awuzie can play inside. If an inside corner is there, Awuzie can play outside. He just makes your later picks more valuable. If I am stuck with a corner that only plays outside, I am pigeonholed later to an inside guy.
So, I like Awuzie. I like Budda Baker. He can cover the small slots like Edelman, played some edge corner, played as a deep FS (future Mitchell replacement), and played strong. Give me those chess pieces. Cam Sutton is in the conversation. Josh Jones is as well. John Johnson. Rayshawn Jenkins. All can either play as a safety or potentially cover a TE/slot. They get less polished as you move down the list though.
You can also look at edge CBs. Sidney Jones is a first round talent. Injured, but may be the top CB in this draft when healthy. It is a gamble. Kevin King is there. Quincy Wilson. Fabian Moreau (another chess piece). Rasul Douglas. Ahkello Witherspoon. Shaquill Griffin. Howard Wilson. All edge potential guys that could give valuable minutes as rookies and might develop enough to start.
Then you have underneath or potential slot guys like Teez Tabor, Jourdan Lewis, Damontae Kazee, Corn Elder, William Likely, etc.
You could also think about drafting a pure FS and walking Mitchell down. There is Marcus Williams, Tedric Thompson, or Delano Hill. Maybe you just want a big safety as a $backer, you can look at Obi Melinfonwu, Josh Harvey-Clemons, or Jerome Lorenzo.
They can go in a lot of ways, but my goal in the 2nd would be to nab a guy that can open up this defense, be moved around to cover warts and be good enough when they move that if they line up in the slot, teams think they have the slot. Then, after the snap, maybe they drop and have a deep half. For me, the top two are Awuzie and Baker. The big knock on Baker is size.