MrThortan":24mu7p5j said:
Much like the running back situation, there was a run on punters after the Seahawks picked Dickson in the 5th. Vikings picked a kicker at 30, then Green Bay and the Raiders picked punters at 35, 36. Pretty unanimous we got the best one. JS working that crystal ball.
Not to mention Steelers taking an FB also in that 5th.
That’s 4 other low-snap specialists. Steelers’ and Packers’ FOs are pretty established and generally great at drafting. Vikings’ and Raiders’ FOs have seem to have been rising the last 2-3 years getting quality prospects that helped fuel play-off runs.
Those teams don’t seem like franchises that don’t know what they’re doing and wasting draft ammo ( I mean, other than the Raiders giving Gruden that contract).
It’s not like the rest of the draft was all that great, there were some pretty lauded prospects still on the board and many of them didn’t end up getting picked. That’s the draft. Teams are competing for football players, teams have to react to what they are feeling, to what they’re hearing, and to what they’re seeing down to the ticking seconds or they might miss out.
It’s also not that uncommon for the best punters, kickers, or even FBs to generally get picked in R5, sometimes R4 (I don’t think the Patriots regret drafting Gostkowski with a 4th Round pick like a decade ago, IIRC).
Using 1 of 4 5th Round picks on a possibly great Punter is not as asinine as trading up in the 2nd Round for a possibly great K like the bucs did a couple years ago.
I don’t think it’s a wasted pick, not if the guy can be great because he might be a staple for 10-12 years when it’s all said and done.
This is the NFL... there’s a very slim chance that a rare 2nd or 3rd Rounder might not make a roster but typically a lot of those 4th and 5th round picks won’t ever see the field.
So yeah again getting a possibly great P for a 5th Round pick isn’t horrible value especially if he sticks around for 8+ years.
I will say the temperament here is a little more understanding of the pick than some of the reactions I’ve seen elsewhere.