Jake Rigdon

Articles

Mock Draft Tips: Is a blue-chipper like Isaiah Simmons slipping? Here’s what it’ll take to move up

As part of an occasional series, Fanspeak will offer tips and best practices for its wildly popular and first-of-its-kind On The Clock draft simulator. Today’s topic: If you're hoping to move up in the draft to land one of the blue-chip prospects, it's going to cost your team at least a first- and second-round pick…

Fanspeak’s NFL mock draft simulator: Your ONLY site for trades, customized big boards

Want to make trades or create and draft with your own big board? You'll only get that with Fanspeak's On The Clock draft simulator! Going with style over substance is rarely a good choice. For example, say a team drafts a quarterback with a high first-round pick to be its new face of the franchise.…

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Will the DTs in the 2020 NFL Draft get more playing time than the 2019 class?

McTelvin Agim may have an uphill climb if last year’s defensive tackle rookie class is any indication. The 6-foot-3, 309-pound Arkansas senior recently made Pro Football Focus’ list of the 10 biggest sleepers in the 2020 NFL draft, checking in at No. 7. From PFF: “Productive and athletic, Agim has flown surprisingly under the radar…

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Up, Down or Stay: Baylor WR Denzel Mims a ‘potential superstar’

If you’re customizing your own On The Clock big board and Denzel Mims is not among your top 50- players, you may want to rethink your rankings. That’s because the Baylor receiver followed up a stellar career with an eye-opening Combine. The 6-foot-3, 207-pound Mims tested at the 80th percentile in six out of the…

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Safe Pick: From Cushenberry to Ruiz, your team is likely getting a starter if it drafts a center

Centers Lamont Gaillard and Javon Patterson didn’t start any games last year as late-round draft picks. If recent history is any indication, their time is coming. Out of the 32 centers who were drafted between 2015 to 2019, a whopping 27 have started at least two games. That’s an incredible hit-rate of 84 percent. And…

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Mock Draft Tips: Should your team ‘double-dip’ at a position of need?

As part of an occasional series, Fanspeak will offer tips and best practices for its wildly popular and first-of-its-kind On The Clock draft simulator. Today’s topic: Thinking about drafting multiple players at the same position? Be careful what you wish for. Baltimore may still look for a true No. 1 wide receiver, but the other…

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Up, Down or Stay: Should Boise State OT Ezra Cleveland be ranked as a first-rounder?

At 6-foot-6, 311 pounds, Boise State offensive tackle Ezra Cleveland has the size teams are looking for in an offensive tackle. And, as he showed during the Combine, he’s one of the most athletic offensive linemen in the upcoming draft. But if you might want to reconsider if you have Cleveland ranked as a first-round…

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Safe pick: Analyst says OSU’s Chase Young would be top 3 pick in any of last 5 drafts

Since 1999, 51 pass rushers (3-4 OLBs or 4-3 DEs) have been drafted. Of that total, 25 have gone to at least one Pro Bowl. In other words, if you draft a pass rusher in the top half of the first round, you have a 50-50 chance of landing a future Pro Bowl player. Not…

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Mock Draft Tips: Best strategy? Stick to your big board (It’s harder than you think!)

As part of an occasional series, Fanspeak will offer tips and best practices for its wildly popular and first-of-its-kind On The Clock draft simulator. Today’s topic: When in doubt, draft the player at the premium position. If you’re looking for a draft strategy that’s painful but surprisingly effective, then look no further than the good…

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Up, Down or Stay: Where should you rank Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy and OU’s CeeDee Lamb?

Want to know a good way to upset an NFL draft analyst? Tell him or her you think the best wide receiver in the 2020 NFL draft is someone other than Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy or Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb. Then strap in for a good 30-minute lecture on why you’re wrong. While it’s possible someone else…

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