Picking at 1.03: Need Advice

[ThatGuyBrian]

I am picking at pick three in a rookie draft and even though I have a good idea who I am picking, just wanted to get some advice.

At this point I am leaning Sony Michel. Yeah, yeah I know he was drafted by the Patriots, who have about 20 running backs on their roster, but he is clearly the best of the bunch. Plus he does everything the other backs do. Sure I could go with Rashaad Penny but he didn't face the types of defenses that Michel did and Michel still put up numbers, see the 2018 title game.

So in your opinion is drafting Michel at 1.03 to early?

[FantasyFreak]

I think Penny is a better player. Just my opinion, but the dude balled at the Senior Bowl, shredded 19th ranked Stanford, and just looks like the better player to me. Go with who you like though, ultimately it's your team, I don't think taking a 1st round RB at 1.03 is too early.

[Goddard]

Barkley, Guice, and then Michel. That's the order of my top 3.

[WhatWouldDitkaDo]

I see it as Barkley, Penny, Guice, then Michel. But if you really like him, I don't think taking Michel at 1.03 would be a huge reach.

[FantasyFreak]

I see it as Barkley, Penny, Guice, then Michel. But if you really like him, I don't think taking Michel at 1.03 would be a huge reach.

Pretty much agree, except I like Chubb over Guice and Michel, but out of those 4, I agree.

[Dirty Mike&the Boys]

I liked Sony Michel in college a lot, but he is now on the PATS and Bill is known for benching his RB's when they cough up the ball. I've never been impressed w/ NE RB's as I've been burned by them before.

On the flip side, NE wouldn't use a first rd pick on an RB unless they planned to use him extensively. Sony has a good chance of being the focal point of that offense, given Brady's age and Sony's draft pedigree.

Go with your gut. For me, I took Penny at 1.2 as I think he is going to prove a lot of people wrong and ball out. Guice will most likely not be available for you at 3, so it's between Penny & Michel and both are plausible options.

[Bot101]

Barkley

Guice/Penny

Michel

[Baller83]

I see it as Barkley,guice,penny,Michel

[ThatGuyBrian]

I think Penny is a better player. Just my opinion, but the dude balled at the Senior Bowl, shredded 19th ranked Stanford, and just looks like the better player to me. Go with who you like though, ultimately it's your team, I don't think taking a 1st round RB at 1.03 is too early.

I guess there is going to be a difference of opinion. Sure Penny shredded Stanford's defense but so did pretty much everyone else and it reflected with their 68th ranked rushing defense. I just feel like Penny playing in the MWC didn't face defenses that were as good as what Michel ran against in the SEC.

[FantasyFreak]

I think Penny is a better player. Just my opinion, but the dude balled at the Senior Bowl, shredded 19th ranked Stanford, and just looks like the better player to me. Go with who you like though, ultimately it's your team, I don't think taking a 1st round RB at 1.03 is too early.

I guess there is going to be a difference of opinion. Sure Penny shredded Stanford's defense but so did pretty much everyone else and it reflected with their 68th ranked rushing defense. I just feel like Penny playing in the MWC didn't face defenses that were as good as what Michel ran against in the SEC.

No, I agree with you there, but I think he would have still done very well if he had been on a team like Georgia. I agree with CBS analyst Aaron Taylor about it, so i will reference it:

"He is NFL-ready right now as a Day 1 starter because of his elite size and speed combination and his ability to make people miss in the open field," Taylor said. "He wasn't used heavily in the wide open field as a receiver. ... but he's got the skill set where he can find the hidden yards and run around you, through you or make you miss.

"And you just don't see that blend of skills in running backs very often. His performance at the Senior Bowl I think supported that where he was taken in the first round of the draft was well worth it."

The perception persisted that Penny still was a second-round talent. At least it did with most mocks, which rated Barkley, LSU's Derrius Guice, Georgia's Nick Chubb and Sony Michel and USC's Ronald Jones II ahead of him.

"That's the nature of this beast," Taylor said. " ... everybody's got a megaphone now. ...

"For the naysayers, if you wanted to drop him into the Southeastern Conference, let's say, would he rush for 2,200-plus yards. Probably not. But would he rush for 1,600? Sure."

Added Taylor: "The reality is that scouting is about projecting. It's about identifying what a guy can do and what he can't do and how well those things will translate to the next level within the respective system and culture that he's going to be a part of."

[ThatGuyBrian]

We can play the "what if game" all day, in fact what if there was no Nick Chubb and Michel was the clear cut feature back how many yards would he have? I just don't think Penny has the explosiveness that Michel has. Now I am not trying to say Penny is a bad back but he reminds me a lot of Sankey. How many scouts thought Sankey had the potential to be the best back in the draft? In the end I think its safe to say Freeman turned out to be the best. So projections are great and all but they can be wrong.

[Titans95]

I honestly have it as Barkley, Penny,Michel,Guice so no its not a reach. I had Michel as my 1.02 predraft. Taking one one of those 3 guys with the 1.03 is not a reach at all and I say go get your guy.

[ThatGuyBrian]

I honestly have it as Barkley, Penny,Michel,Guice so no its not a reach. I had Michel as my 1.02 predraft. Taking one one of those 3 guys with the 1.03 is not a reach at all and I say go get your guy.

I do what o be greedy and trade up to pick five so I can get Ronald Jones. Putting Michel and Jones with Gurley and Ingram would be awesome in my mind.

[ThatGuyBrian]

Barkley, Guice, and then Michel. That's the order of my top 3.

Pretty much my thought. Maybe if I am lucky the guy picking at 2 will fall for the Penny hype and I can nab Guice then trade up for Michel at five.

[Titans95]

I honestly have it as Barkley, Penny,Michel,Guice so no its not a reach. I had Michel as my 1.02 predraft. Taking one one of those 3 guys with the 1.03 is not a reach at all and I say go get your guy.

I do what o be greedy and trade up to pick five so I can get Ronald Jones. Putting Michel and Jones with Gurley and Ingram would be awesome in my mind.

Get your guy, in one of my drafts Jones fell to the 1.09 but Ridley and Moore and Sutton were picked over him. Still not sure how I feel about Rojo myself. Not sure if he can add in the passing game or can handle 260+ carries a year. Definitely an explosive player though.