Published Apr 29, 2020
A Cal Rivals Excellent Podcast Experience Crossover: Drafting the 2010s
Nam Le and Trace Travers
GoldenBearReport.com

In the throes of boredom, we decided that collaboration was necessary. So we at Cal Rivals decided to team up with our friends at Write for California to answer a fun hypothetical, who could draft a better team with players from the 2010 decade? This happened with the teams meant to be a put into one of the NCAA video games for a simulation.

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A couple notes before I turn it to Nam:

- This was a snake style draft, meaning one side got the first pick, the other got the next two, and then each side getting two in a row from there on out. We had the second pick.

- This was a fun exercise and is in no way a definitive nor representative ranking of who was the best at each position throughout the last decade.

Nam

A couple of pre-draft composition notes from our side:

· We understood that safety was the weakest position this decade, and had basically only 3-4 really draftable players, and a clear preference gap between everyone after Hawkins and Davis.

· Besides safety, tackle and truly impactful defensive linemen had been in short supply as well, which led us to look for BRETT JOHNSON and Cameron Jordan early. By getting Deandre Coleman, who we rated as the top nose this decade, we were able to slide JOHNSON to the 3-4 end position, where we feel he’d be more effective.

· Trace had Chad Hansen as a must target. (Editor's Note: He had a year with the 3rd most receiving yards in a season, in Cal history while playing in only ten games)

· The flex position that went to Bigelow was mostly because we wanted a speed/special packages player to compliment Laird, who would play 3 downs most of the time. (Even the most reasonable take toward Bigelow has to acknowledge he probably is out of place here otherwise. If we were picking more seriously, this position probably goes to Bryce Treggs to give a true slot guy look.)

Offense:

· We were willing to wait on quarterback because we were a) expecting Jared to go early, and b) that the other team would settle for either one of Chase Garbers or Davis Webb. When Goff slipped, we jumped on it. (Imagine our surprise when W4C went for Riley)

· We also decided that we would be playing 3 or 4 wide most of the time as our base offensive look, due to the talent pool and the general lack of impact tight ends this decade. In a pinch, being able to add Stephen Anderson late was to give us a makeshift “11” look if necessary, while still functioning as a pass catching threat – just like how Sonny Dykes used him.

· Since we never planned on playing two running backs at the same time, it was important to us that we snagged either Laird, Vereen, or Lasco in a pinch, but none of them were necessarily a priority because Team Rivals doesn’t overemphasize the RB position, nor spend the first overall pick on it.

· The running game on this side is anchored by the two biggest, nastiest guards, and three technicians to hold down the other positions. We like the potential synergy here, although the edge is probably heading to W4C at the position.

· Pass catchers: a lot of size, and enough speed to threaten against a safety playing out of position (5’9 Jackson) and another corner that’s not particularly tall (5’10 Williams). In the red zone, we will hold Lawler on one side and Hansen on the other. Jump!

· Have I mentioned we have Jared Goff yet?

Defense:

· Kunaszyk wasn’t originally in the plans, but with the run heavy option W4C was trending for, we felt that he would shore up that area of the defense.

· There are three “OLB” types at our 4 LB positions, which was meant to maximize speed across the field. The decision to play Downs and the newly 240 pound Deng on the outside (his natural position!) also gives us bigger OLBs than normal, while showcasing 2 of the 3 most athletic guys at that position since 2010. I am devastated that I was not able to select Cameron Goode, but alas.

· In the back end we have an equally adept group of guys to hold the edges in Marc Anthony and Elijah Hicks, as well as the rangiest free safety in Davis. No one is probably going to clear cover Keenan and D Rob one on one, but we like the general speed of the group to keep up.

· We will run a 3-4 base, especially knowing the W4C strategy of building around Vereen; we’ll take the matchups versus Allen and D-Rob in the best secondary of the decade to start, switching to Beck and a 5 DB look as necessary.

Special Teams:

· Two pros at the specialist spots. Enough said.

· Davis versus Davis at returner, haha.

Well, that's our reasoning. Who do you think wins? Why?

The podcast of our actual draft is below, on Apple Podcasts, or on Spotify.

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