Tennessee Online Casinos - 2021 Online Gambling Updates

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So I did one of these about a month ago and found some really great conversation. I didn't get to do another before the regular season ended, but my predictions should actually get a bit better due to knowing the full draft order and how some FOs are changing around. Let's go team by team
AFCW
KC - We start with the defending champion, who seek to replace their offensive and special teams coaches with internal hires: QB coach Mike Kafka and Asst ST Coordinator Andy Hill. Nothing surprising here. They enter the offseason just a bit over the cap, but restructures to Eric Fisher and Tyrann Mathieu should help fix that. They also bring in veteran AJ Green to start across from Tyreek Hill on a cheap one year deal. The draft helps the team maintain their strong offense. Two of their first three picks are on the OL, one on Irish tackle Liam Eichenberg and the other on Crimson pivot Landon Dickerson. Marshall adds depth to a depleted WR room. Spagnuolo has run a great unit despite a lack of high capital talent. He'll continue to do so with depth pieces in LB Browning, CB Griffin, and DE Sanders.
LAC - The Chargers should hire the man that can turn around an undisciplined team. That man is Chiefs ST coordinator Dave Toub, who brings in Chad O'Shea to run his offense and Lovie Smith to run his defense. The rest of the transactions are centered around building a team to help Herbert suceed. Hunter Henry is retained and David Andrews is brought in to shore up the OL. VT rookie Christian Darrisaw and BC guard Alex Lindstrom add to this quickly improving unit. I don't think I need to justify most of the other picks. Florida kicker Evan McPherson is brought in to replace a kicking unit that was only 53% from 40+.
LV - The Raiders' first act is to bring in Packers DB coach Jerry Gray, who has overseen the elite seasons of Jaire Alexander (20), Xavier Rhodes (17), and Alterraun Verner (13). Gruden and Mayock have been vocal about wanting to improve the secondary play, and Gray should be able to do just that. The Raiders are also able to free up space by cutting Tyrell Williams and Jeff Heath, as well as by restructuring Trent Brown. They add Sammy Watkins and Tevin Coleman to their depth chart. In the draft, they add my favorite safety in Oregon's Jevon Holland, who is a nickel/S hybrid with great physicality. They also add DT Jay Tufele, DE Carlos Basham, and DE Xavier Thomas to an underwhelming front 4.
DEN - Elway's decision to step back as the GM is complimented by the hiring of former Falcons' GM Thomas Dimitroff, who has shown the ability to build a SB caliber roster and isn't afraid to be aggressive to get the right pieces for his team. Dimitroff starts his tenure by signing S Justin Simmons to a multi-year deal, as well as adding veterans Richard Sherman and Gus Edwards in free agency. He sits still with his first draft pick, adding the draft's top CB in Patrick Surtain before bringing the guns out and trading up to 30 to draft Florida QB and Heisman candidate Kyle Trask. While Trask doesn't bring the elite upside of someone like Fields or Lawrence, he proved he was more than capable of reading defenses and winning games. Dimitroff also drafts OT Brady Christensen, LB Dimitri Moore, and DE Tyreke Smith before the draft is over.
AFCN
PIT - Despite a stellar season, the Steelers are able to enter free agency with their full coaching staff in tact. They start by extending DPOY TJ Watt through 2025, as well as re-signing Al V to a cheap deal and cutting Steven Nelson and Eric Ebron. The Steelers are quietly full of holes, but their draft helps them fill them. Star RB Najee Harris falls to them at 28, and mammoth OT Daniel Faalele and CB TJ Carter are right behind him. QB Desmond Ridder gets picked up in the 4th. Ridder is a high upside athlete with a very inconsistent arm. He's a cheap gamble at a QB of the future. They also add punter Max Duffy from Kentucky.
CLE - With plenty of cap and all of their picks, Berry and Stefanski are able to spend their first full offseason building off their 2020 success. They re-sign DE Vernon and LB Butler while extending QB Mayfield and RB Chubb. They also trade away David Njoku to the Jets for a 4th, and they add S Keanu Neal and DT Suh in free agency. The draft falls their way. They grab the uber physical slot corner Shaun Wade in the 1st before coming around for Pitt DT Jaylen Twynam. I know this FO doesn't care about LB, but McGrone at 87 is too good a value to pass up.
BAL - EDC is busy this offseason. With plenty of cap space to play with, he is able to start off by re-signing Ngakoue and extending Lamar Jackson. He then adds two key offensive pieces in WR Allen Robinson and C Ted Karras. The Ravens have a solid draft. They pick up Texas LB Joseph Ossai, who is a mean power rusher to replace Judon. They also add OG Vera-Tucker and S Bubba Bolden. Justyn Ross in the 5th is a risk, but his red zone ability means a lot to this team.
CIN - As much as I would've liked to replace DC Lou Anarumo, the Bengals have stated that he is staying on the team. No matter. The Bengals spend money on their key players, franchise tagging CB Williams Jackson and extending S Jessie Bates. Bobby Hart is cut and replaced with former JAX LT Cam Robinson, giving this team flexibility in the draft. They start the draft by trading down with CAR, picking up an extra 1st and 2nd along the way. With Sewell off the board, the Bengals draft star TE Kyle Pitts, giving Burrow a huge target in the middle of the field. They then add back to back linemen with Myers and Randunz in the 2nd before adding Aidan Hutchinson and Pete Werner on defense.
AFCE
BUF - Brandon Beane's first task of the offseason is replacing OC Brian Daboll, who has left to coach the Jaguars. He does so by hiring Panthers OL Coach Pat Meyer, who has over 20 years of coaching experience. Beane retains LB Matt Milano on the franchise tag before signing QB Josh Allen to a huge extension. The Bills trade out of the first round, picking up the 41st and 72nd picks to do so. They use those picks on Bulldog CB Eric Stokes and Miami TE Brevin Jordan, with Kentucky EDGE Jamar Watson stuck in between them. They also add two OL in the draft, as well as two DTs, a LB, and another CB. This defense is replenished with youth while Allen gets the middle of his offense strengthened.
MIA - The Phins start by using their huge cap space to add key playmakers. They sign two former Packers in Corey Linsley and Aaron Jones, as well as a big time pass rusher in Matt Judon. The draft goes really well for Miami. With 5 picks in the top 100, the Phins are in a great spot. They add generational OT Penei Sewell with the Texans' pick before letting WR Jaylen Waddle and LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah fall into their laps.
NE - The Pats are a tough offseason to predict. A lot of their action hinges on QB. Well I thought I'd be a bit poetic and have Billy B trade for his former signal-caller, giving a pair of 4ths to SF for QB Jimmy Garoppolo. Jimmy G fits the traditional QB mold much better than Cam, and they're going to give him some tools to work with. The Pats add WR Curtis Samuel and TE Gerald Everett in free agency. They also retain JC Jackson, James White, and Jason McCourty while bringing in KJ Wright and Jadevon Clowney on cheap deals. In the draft, the Pats are patient. They let WR Devonta Smith fall to them at 14 and LB Zaven Collins get to them at 45. They spend their draft filling out the holes in the roster, adding a TE, two DTs, and another WR. They also take a shot on Miami QB D'Eriq King, who is an inconsistent passer with a nice upside.
NYJ - I had a bit of fun with the Jets. I had JD bringing in Titans OC Arthur Smith to coach the team. Joining him are PIT secondary coach Teryl Austin, who has experience as a DC, and BAL assistant TJ Weist. With one of the highest cap spaces, the Jets are active this offseason. They re-sign S Marcus Maye and CB Brian Poole. They add some key playmakers in WR Will Fuller, LB Bud Dupree, and RB Kenyan Drake. They also add OG Joe Thuney and trade for TE David Njoku. The Jets are done with Darnold, shipping him off to Tampa for a 3rd round pick. In the draft, the Jets are smart. They don't overthink it. They draft Ohio St QB Justin Fields, who has shown time and time again that he has the tools to be a franchise QB. They also add Sooner center Creed Humphrey and Miami DE Quincy Roche. Javonte Williams comes at 66 to compliment Drake, and Surratt comes at 91 to be a red zone target. Perhaps my one regret with this class is failing to address CB sooner, but Deommodore Lenoir at 90 is a pick I'm a real fan of.
AFCS
TEN - The Titans unfortunately lose OC Arthur Smith to the Jets, prompting Vrabel to promote QB coach Pat O'Hara to the position. The Titans aren't flush with cash, but they are able to retain TE Jonnu Smith while adding WR Marvin Jones and DE Melvin Ingram on cheap win now deals. In the draft, the Titans address their weakest position early, grabbing Georgia's Azeez Ojulari at 25. They then add CB Asante Samuel in the 2nd before grabbing a potential Isaiah Wilson replacement in Teven Jenkins in the 3rd. Elijah Moore at 128 is interesting. He's a poor man's Rondale Moore in this class. Tennessee also adds a K in Miss St's Brandon Ruiz, who has only ever missed one PAT and was 10/12 in 2020.
IND - Colts fans are going to hate me for this, but Carson Wentz is going to be the starter in 2021. Let's come back to that. First, we have to hire a DC. They promote DB coach Alan Williams. They also re-sign CB Xavier Rhodes, who had a surprising resurgence under Williams, as well as Justin Houston. Darius Leonard gets a big extension and is now the league's highest paid LB ever (well starting in 2022). Agholor adds WR depth and Dalton gives some insurance at QB. Ok so Wentz. Just hear me out. The Colts have plenty of cap space, and the Eagles are paying them to take on the deal. Wentz thrived under Reich in the past, and a lot of his issues seem fixable with a proper offseason. Now in the draft, the Colts try to give Wentz the tools to succeed. They add Texas OT Sam Cosmi in the 1st, giving a long term answer should AC call it quits. They also add Florida WR Toney in the 2nd, a man who has taken huge strides in 2020.
HOU - We need to start by saying that JJ Watt is gone. I have the Texans trading him and a 5th to SF for Dee Ford and a 2nd. While this is a sad move, it's a necessary one. Watt frees over $17M in cap space for a team with no cap space. That, combined with the firing of both Johnson RBs, allows the team to add CB K'Waun Williams and RB James Conner for relatively cheap deals. Other than the Watt deal, Houston's big move this offseason is bringing in Seahawks executive Scott Fitterer to run the front office while former Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy runs the team. Bieniemy adds Raheem Morris as his DC and Phil Galiano as his ST coach. The Watt trade proves hugely critical. Houston now has a pick inside the top 60, which they use on Oklahoma St WR Tylan Wallace. They also add CB Paulson Adebo, who is a raw but super physical player from Stanford. Joe Tryon and Trey Sermon add depth to the DL and RB rooms respectively. This team is still working its way back to the top, but this draft is a good start.
JAX - The Jaguars have a great offseason. They hire Vikings executive George Paton, who has turned down previous jobs for the right opportunity, to be their GM. He hires BUF OC Brian Daboll to run the offense. Daboll brings his former assistant Ken Dorsey to help him on offense while Dan Quinn calls the defense. Paton adds several key free agents capable of starting immediately. Rashard Higgins becomes the WR3 on this team while Julie'n Davenport replaces Cam Robinson. Mack Alexander and Troy Hill complete the CB room, and Anthony Harris gets some big money to start in the secondary. While Paton isn't afraid to spend his money, the real crux of the offseason occurs in the draft. They take Trevor Lawrence, obviously. But they also add DT Marvin Wilson to replace Taven Bryan, as well as Alex Leatherwood, who can challenge Davenport for the LT spot and kick into LG if he fails. Pat F becomes to long term answer at TE and Andre Cisco is that big hitting playmaker to fill in the gap next to Harris.
NFCW
SEA - With a good amount of money to spend, the Seahawks prioritize their in house men. Shaquill Griffin and Chris Carson are retained, and Carlos Dunlap and Tyler Lockett are restructured. Jamal Adams gets an enormous deal, surpassing Budda Baker's from just a few months ago. TY Hilton is also brought in. The draft goes well for Seattle. They are able to add a productive pass rusher in Victor Dimukeje without trading up. They also nab Florida CB Marco Wilson and add to their trenches with Josh Ball and Mustafa Johnson. The Hawks are keeping things more or less the same and trying to build on a successful 2020.
LAR - Despite all the buzz, I have a hard time seeing DC Brandon Staley getting a HC job after one year at the helm. Instead, the Rams FO remains in tact. They lose Andrew Whitworth to retirement, but they are able to retain breakout CB Darious Williams. With such little cap, it's crucial that the Rams are able to fill out the starting lineup with rookies. That happens with DE Hamilcar Rashed, LT Jalen Mayfield, and LB Monty Rice filling up their cards.
ARI - Despite a promising start to the year, the Cards have fallen flat. They'll need to look at their 2nd half collapse to assess where this roster stands. With a decent amount of money, they prioritize some in house players, re-signing Patrick Peterson, Zane Gonzalez, and Andy Lee. They also bring in DE Trey Hendrickson, who has been on fire for New Orleans, as well as former UDFA RB Phillip Lindsay. The Cards take Gamecock CB Jaycee Horn with their first pick before adding to their OL with Trey Smith in the 2nd. Kenny Gainwell (yes, he can gain well) looks like a potential star in the 3rd.
SF - This is the fun one. So out the gate, Shanahan has to replace Robert Saleh at DC. We're sticking to LB coach DeMeco Ryans, who has earned high praise from Shanny. Now the fun stuff. The 49ers aren't flush with cash, but they are comfortable. That gives them some room to play around. SF re-signs Trent Williams and Jason Verrett before extending LB Fred Warner. They also add C Austin Blythe, who has been solid for the division rival Rams. Jimmy G can't seem to stay healthy, so he gets shipped off back to the Pats for a pair of 4ths. To replace him, the 9ers make a big move and give up their 1st and 5th round picks for QB Matthew Stafford. But wait, they aren't done. They also package DE Dee Ford and their 2nd round pick for veteran DE JJ Watt and a Day 3 pick. Shanahan believes that his roster is ready to win. Without a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd round pick, the 49ers have to be wise with their draft picks. They add Michigan's Ambry Thomas, as well as guard Zion Johnson, two guys that can push to start as rookies. Sterns, Smith-Marsette, Castro-Fields, and Herbert should all rotate into the lineup as well.
NFCN
GB - There isn't too much action in the offseason for the Packers. They cut Preston Smith to free up some money, and they extend Davante Adams to a backloaded deal. They also retain Allen Lazard and Robert Tonyan. It's a quietly solid draft. They are able to add a dynamic playmaker in Rondale Moore before addressing their defense with DT Jordan Davis and LB Chazz Surratt. Chuba Hubbard in the 5th gives some depth to a depleted RB room.
CHI - So Bears fans aren't going to like this, but I gave Trubisky a franchise tag. Trubisky went 4-1 to close the season and got them into the playoffs. To make room for this deal, the Bears restructure Akiem Hicks and cut both Bobbie Massie and Jimmy Graham. They also bring Corey Davis in to be the ARob replacement. They add local OT Rashawn Slater in the draft, a Daniel Jeremiah favorite who has some positional versatility. Chris Olave in the 2nd helps make up for the ARob departure, and Nasirildeen in the 3rd provides a hard hitting safety to play alongside Eddie Jackson.
DET - For the Lions, I decided to hire Saints exec Jeff Ireland, who has had a long history with successful teams. He hires SF DC Robert Saleh, who brings with him SF's passing game coordinator Mike LaFleur to run the offense. While there have been reports that Stafford isn't going anywhere, I have them dealing him to SF for the 15th overall pick. They do tag Kenny Golladay to a one year deal to prove his worth to a new regime. They also sign Kwon Alexander to start at LB and Jacoby Brissett to be their new bridge QB. Frank Ragnow gets a huge extension too. In the draft, the Lions start off aggressive. They ship off two 1sts, a 2nd, and a 3rd to get Zach Wilson. With the SF pick, they add Miami's Greg Rousseau, a versatile linemen with plenty of upside. They then add Nico Collins and Tre Walker to the WR room.
MIN - After losing OC Gary Kubiak to re-retirement, the Vikes promote QB coach Klint Kubiak to the position. They also hire former HOU ST man Tracy Smith to replace Marwan Maalouf. The team moves some money around, restructuring Riley Reiff and extending Harrison Smith. In the draft, they are unable to trade back but do grab the best guard in the class with Ohio State's Wyatt Davis. They also add S Paris Ford and DT Alim McNeil in the 3rd to potentially start as rookies. Brock Purdy in the 4th comes in to be the backup and possible heir to the QB room.
NFCE
WAS - I feel like I'm going to dissapoint WAS fans a bit. I had them signing Cam Newton to compete with Alex Smith. The good news is that the rest of their offseason is productive. They hire KC exec Brandt Tills to be their new GM, and they are able to retain Scherff, Darby, and Dustin Hopkins. Jared Cook and Emmanuel Sanders come in to start for them as well. Rashod Bateman falls into their lap at 19, and Jackson Carman tumbles to 51. Jamie Newman in the 3rd is a bit of a risky pick, but I really like his upside. He can develop on the bench for a year.
NYG - The Giants are quiet in free agency. They do retain Leonard Williams and Logan Ryan. Restructuring Zeitler's deal allows them to bring in Ryan Kerrigan. Their draft goes fairly well though. Micah Parsons falls to them at 8, and they grab Amon-Ra St. Brown (a potential top 30 pick) in the 2nd. Joe Judge will count on a year of improvement from his young OL and QB to compliment a strong and disciplined defense.
DAL - The one coaching change I have for Dallas is the replacement of Mike Nolan with Gus Bradley. Other than that their offseason is relatively quiet. They sign Dak to a long term deal (as they should have done last year). And Dalvin Tomlinson comes in to start at DT. They use the draft to fix their defense, adding Farley, LeCounte, and Rumph as potential starters. Walker Little in the 3rd gives them some much needed OL depth.
PHI - The Eagles are active this offseason, with a massive debt in cap space and no DC. They hire PIT DL coach Karl Dunbar to coach the defense, and they cut Goodwin, Jeffery, DJax, and Malik Jackson. The big news is that they are sending Wentz to Indy in a Osweiler-CLE esque deal, pairing a 3rd with him. They spend the draft retooling, adding Ja'Marr Chase in the 1st before going to the defense with Tyson Campbell and Dylan Moses on Day 2. Cade Mays and Cordell Volson add depth to a depleted line, and Divine Deablo will push for serious playing time.
NFCS
NO - Similar to the Eagles, the Saints are going to have to blow it up after this season. Brees retires, and they cut: Kwon Alexander, Emmanuel Sanders, Nick Easton, Malcolm Brown, Janoris Jenkins, Josh Hill. They also extend Lattimore and Ramczyk to backloaded deals before restructuring Cam Jordan. In the draft, they take Mac Jones in the 1st and hope to surround him with the same level of talent he had at Bama. They add Derion Kendrick in the 2nd and Dazz Newsome in the 4th.
TB - The Bucs are in a great spot to push for a 2021 Championship while maintaining a bright future. They have a good amount of cap and are able to retain David, Godwin, Barrett, and Gronk. They also trade a 3rd for Sam Darnold. In the draft, they work on maintaining a suffocating defense with DT Daviyon Nixon, DE Jayson Oweh, and DE Shaka Toney. Kylin Hill, Damon Hazelton, and Tre' McKitty add some potential dynamicism to this offense.
CAR - The Panthers start by bringing SF VP Adam Peters to run the show. He signs Okung and Moton to big money deals before turning his attention to the draft. Peters sees that Bridgewater limits this team's ceiling, so he trades up for Trey Lance, giving up a pair of 1sts and a 2nd to grab his QB of the future. Lance is raw, no doubt, but he'll be in a great spot learning behind Teddy. The Panthers then add Bolton in the 3rd to replace Whitehead. Amari Rodgers in the 5th is a fun pick. He plays exactly like Curtis Samuel.
ATL - The Falcons overhaul their entire front office, bringing in Indy's Ed Dodds to run the show with Matt Eberflus next to him. Mike McDaniel gets promoted to OC from his run game coordinator position in SF, and Franky Ross follows Eberflus to coach the special teams. Without any money to spend, the Falcons are relatively quiet. They cut Fowler, Ricardo Allen, and Allen Bailey to free up space. They add Charvarius Ward and Jamaal Williams in free agency. The focus primarily on defense in the draft, adding Kwity Paye in the 1st after trading back with Detroit. They also draft S Trevon Moehrig, DT Christian Barmore, and DE Daelin Hayes. Travis Etienne comes in to play next to Jamaal Williams, fulfilling all fantasy players' dreams.
Overall I felt like there are definitely some moves in here that are going to cause tension. But I think that's also realistic. This was a lot of fun, but I don't expect to be doing another one of these for a while. I need to turn my head back to scouting (I've only truly watched about a third of the players in this draft). Let me know what your thoughts are. What did I do well? What do you hate?

The 2021 NBA Draft is considered to be a very deep draft with
-Elite talent at the top
-Potential all-star talent that goes deep into the lottery
-Versatile athletes that fit into how the league wants to play today, and going forward.
Many analysts & gamblers predicted that either the Pistons, Knicks, Cavs or Thunder are expected to finish with the one of the worst records in the league & could potentially win the #1 Pick in the Draft Lottery.

 Cade Cunningham, 6'8, 220 lb PG from Oklahoma State University 

Strengths - Has excellent size for a point guard. Listed at 6-foot-8, 220 pounds with a wingspan that exceeds 7 feet. Fluid athlete who plays at different speeds, passes and handles with both hands and plays a selfless style. Can bully smaller guards in the post. Difficult for bigger defenders to handle due to his shot-creation skill. - Outstanding physical tools defensively that allow him to cover guards, wings and bigs. Has excellent timing, feel and intensity. Likes to crash the glass aggressively and ignite the break on his own. Competitive and attentive off the ball. - Much improved shooter who confidently knocks down pull-up jumpers from midrange and 3. Excellent free throw shooter. Shows soft touch around the basket.
Improvement areas - Lacks a degree of explosiveness beating defenders from a standstill. Relies more on size and strength to get by opponents in the half court. - Struggles to score over length in traffic at times. Can he be efficient creating offense as a No. 1 option? - Plays for an Oklahoma State team that lacks much perimeter shooting and creation. Opponents are aggressive with double-teams intended to get the ball out of his hands. May not be able to show the full extent of his arsenal operating out of pick-and-roll.
Projected role: Big playmaker

 Evan Mobley: 7 foot, 215 lb Center from USC 

Strengths - Ideal physical profile for a modern big man. Outstanding coordination for his size. Quick off his feet. Explosive leaper in space. Finishes above the rim with ease. Lob threat. Tools make him a factor on the offensive glass. - Elite rim protector with great timing and a 7-4 wingspan. Rotates well from the weak side. Can step out and switch onto guards. Sound pick-and-roll defender who should be a major asset on the defensive end of the floor. - Modern skill set. Great hands. Has the touch and mechanics to knock down NBA 3s with regularity in time. Comfortable in midrange spots. Smooth handle and excellent passer with either hand. Should be able to play next to another center in certain lineups.
Improvement areas - Not a physical defensive rebounder. High center of gravity. Gets wedged out of position by stronger bigs. - Looks as if he's coasting at times. Incredible talent who leaves you wanting more for stretches. - Can he ever be a No. 1 or No. 2 scoring option on a great team? Doesn't have many ways to go get himself a bucket in the half court at this stage.
Projected role: Franchise center

 Jalen Green: 6'5, 172 lb Combo Guard from NBA G-League Ignite Select Team 

Strengths - Shifty, explosive guard. Has a rare extra gear changing speeds in the open court. Doesn't have glaring holes in his game that can't be fixed with added experience and polish. - Strong finisher with long strides, tremendous body control and nice creativity finishing around the rim with touch. Excellent scoring instincts. Has shown toughness and control in several high-profile settings. - Much improved perimeter shooter who shows glimpses of impressive shot-making prowess pulling up off the dribble with deep range.
Improvement areas - Isn't the biggest shooting guard around at 6-5 with a lean frame. Doesn't possess great length to compensate. - Plays an iso-heavy style that isn't always efficient. Relies heavily on his pull-up game, which can be streaky at times. Shows flashes as a creator but will need to prove he also makes others better, particularly operating with his left hand. - Defensive intensity fluctuated at the high school level. Gambles for steals. Doesn't always get over screens.
Projected role: Creating combo guard

 Jalen Suggs: 6'4, 205 lb PG from Gonzaga 

Strengths - Nice size for a lead guard at 6-4. Strong, compact frame. Powerful athlete. Finishes above the rim in space, especially off of two feet. Great body control. Embraces contact. Downhill driver who can change speeds. Great in transition. Active cutter who can play on or off the ball. - Mature decision-maker on the court with a great feel for the game. Unselfish hit-aheads in transition. Poised pick-and-roll passer who uses both sides of the floor. Rewards cutters and makes the extra pass to shooters. Takes care of the ball at a high level. - Tough defender who wants to defend the other team's best player. Great feet on the ball, dialed in off the ball. Excellent anticipation in the passing lanes. Will mix it up for rebounds.
Improvement areas - Streaky shooter. Sound mechanics and good balance but a career 27% from 3 on 190 attempts, according to our database. Nothing to suggest he won't become a reliable shooter, but the results just aren't there yet. - Not the most nuanced finisher. Relies more on power and two-foot explosiveness than finesse. Would benefit from adding a more reliable floater and additional deception around the rim. - Average wingspan relative to his height.
Projected role: Franchise point guard

 Jonathan Kuminga: 6'8, 220 lb Congolese Forward from NBA G-League Ignite Select Team 

Strengths - Has an ideal physical profile for a combo forward at 6-8, 225 pounds with a 7-foot wingspan. Possesses an outstanding frame and is explosive in the open court with an impressive combination of strength, quickness and fluidity. - Shows intriguing shot-making prowess, making 42 3-pointers in 19 Nike EYBL games. Has smooth mechanics and looks capable of making jumpers in a variety of ways, including off the dribble and even running off screens at times. - Has excellent defensive potential when engaged. Strong enough to defend big men but has quick-enough feet to stay in front of guards.
Improvement areas - Feel, decision-making and overall polish are works in progress. Not an efficient offensive player. Settles for the first shot he can find. Drives with his head down. Not the easiest teammate to play with. Needs to show he can impact winning when his pull-up jumper isn't falling. - Has tools and versatility but is a below-average defender at this stage. Competitiveness and intensity fluctuate. Relies too heavily on his length and athleticism. Technique off the ball leaves a lot to be desired. Has a tendency to stand around and gamble in passing lanes or bite wildly on fakes. - Has some questions to answer about his approach to the game. Body language leaves something to be desired, and he hasn't gotten much high-level coaching. Didn't show a great deal of progress with his feel for the game in his final year of high school.
Projected role: Two-way forward

 Jalen Johnson: 6'9, 220 lb Forward from Duke 

Strengths - Impressive combination of strength and explosiveness at 6-9, 220 pounds. Strong lower body. Plays with physicality. - Extremely versatile defender. Can shift anywhere from 1 to 5 in a pinch. Good instincts off the ball. Rotates for blocks and charges. Aggressive rebounder on both ends. - At his best pushing in the open court. Fluid ball handler for his size and crafty passer. Excellent straight-line driver who can change speeds.
Improvement areas - Rigid shooting stroke. Long release with mixed results. Doesn't have many ways to score in the half court outside of energy plays. - A bit predictable as a shot creator. Likes to catch, jab right, drive left. A little too turnover prone for a playmaker. - Not overly long relative to his height. Does he have enough offensive game to ever be more than a third or fourth option on a playoff team?
Projected role: Two-way combo forward

 Brandon Boston Jr.: 6'7, 185 lb G/F from Kentucky 

Strengths - Good dimensions for the wing at 6-7 with a near 7-foot wingspan. Fluid athlete who is at a very early stage of development physically. - Creative scorer who plays at different speeds smoothly. Has excellent body control, polished footwork, long strides and a natural pace operating out of pick-and-roll. Shows flashes of shot-making potential pulling up off step-backs and passing off a live dribble. - Physically weak but shows some toughness crashing the glass and getting in passing lanes.
Improvement areas - Weighs only 185 pounds. Has been slow to add bulk to his frame. - Has struggled to adapt to the physicality of the college game early, especially finishing in traffic and defending. Gambles excessively. Intensity comes and goes. - Still working on fine-tuning his ball-handling to create high-percentage looks around the rim. Lives off tough shots in the midrange. Deep ball hasn't fallen early in his college career. Has a tendency to hunt difficult attempts off isolation moves. Can be a reluctant passer at times.
Projected role: Shot-maker and secondary creator

 Ziaire Williams: 6'8, 185 G/F from Stanford 

Strengths - Tall, fluid wing at 6-8 with a 6-10.5 wingspan. Big reach. Light on his feet. Can finish above the rim in space. Changes speeds and directions comfortably. - Shows major shotmaking potential both off the catch and the bounce. Has the footwork to rise into pull-ups smoothly and can create space with step backs. Comfortable ball handler with great balance who can play pick-and-roll. Handle and shotmaking potential give him quite a bit of upside as a creator. Willing passer with strong court vision. - Strong off-ball defender who has good instincts in the passing lanes. Will rotate for blocks or charges.
Improvement areas - Rail thin at 185 pounds with narrow shoulders. How much will he fill out long term? Lack of strength limits him defensively and as a finisher. Toughness comes and goes in part because of his lack of physicality. Gets pushed around at times and caught on screens defensively. - Still finding the right balance between when to be aggressive and when to facilitate. Settles for contested jump shots far too often. Doesn't get to the free throw line. Needs to do a better job getting downhill. Will go long stretches without having much of an offensive impact and then take an out-of-rhythm jumper. - Relatively streaky shooter given his reliance on shotmaking. Confidence in his shooting comes and goes.
Projected role: Wing shot creator

 Keon Johnson: 6'5, 186 lb Guard out of Tennessee 

Strengths - One of the best athletes in college basketball. Powerful first step in the open court. Explosive accelerating from a standstill and getting off his feet for dunks and blocks. Frame is at an early stage of development but should fill out in time. - Aggressive, competitive prospect who maximizes his tools on both ends of the floor. Versatile defender who can stay in front of guards and wings. At his best sliding his feet and containing the point of attack. Generates plenty of turnovers with his instincts, quickness and activity level. - Shows flashes of playmaking, shot-making and feel for the game that indicate he has significant room for growth.
Improvement areas - At an early stage of development offensively. Lacks experience and polish in the half court. Ball-Handling, decision-making are a work in progress. - Frame is on the leaner side; he weighs 186 pounds. Will need to add bulk to be able to play through contact on both ends of the floor. - Pull-up jumper is slow and lacks accuracy under duress. Struggled from the free throw line earlier in his career.
Projected role: Two-way wing

 Scottie Barnes: 6'9, 227 lb Point Forward from Florida State 

Strengths - Excellent size and length for a modern forward at 6-8 with a 7-2 wingspan and a strong frame. Has the tools to slide up and play some small-ball center in a pinch. - High motor defender who can defend 1 through 5 at the collegiate level. Regularly picks up point guards in the back court. Good technique on the ball. Crowds opposing guards and takes them out of their offense. Can switch every screen onto bigs. Active off-ball defender. - Mismatch facilitator with a great feel for the game. Plays point guard for FSU. Unselfish moving the ball ahead in transition. Comfortable ball handler. Fills in the gaps on offense. Keeps plays alive on the offensive glass.
Improvement areas - Unnatural shooting stroke with unproven results. Lack of floor spacing makes him a tough fit on the offensive end of the floor. Needs shooters around him at all times to make him most effective. - Limited all-around scorer in the half court. Doesn't have great touch or much to go to in his scoring arsenal. - Mobile for his size but lacking a degree of quickness and burst off the dribble. Plays below the rim in the half court. Not much of a leaper. Elite collegiate defender, but will he have the foot speed to lock up elite NBA wings?
Projected role: Two-way point forward

What is The Weekly Mock Draft?
Every Wednesday/Thursday of the season (starting today and ending after Week 17), I will post a mock draft. The order is determined by Tankathon (record and SOS) and will be updated weekly as well. This will be used as a tool to determine how the stocks of the top prospects changed throughout the year and for the fans to have something to look forward to once football games are over for the week. The teams will pick players as if they are drafting today. Enjoy!
1. NY Giants: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
After passing on Clemson standout Isaiah Simmons for OT Andrew Thomas this past April, the Giants need to address the LB position. There is a split opinion on whether the team will part ways with the turnover-prone Daniel Jones but truth be told, he has no receiving weapons other than Darius Slayton. The most likely scenario in this case would involve the Giants trading picks with a team in dire need of a QB but since there are no trades in this mock draft, the Giants opt to add a lightning quick off-ball LB to their lackluster defense.
2. Atlanta: Gregory Rousseau., EDGE, Miami
Although viewers of the Monday night matchup between Atlanta and Green Bay watched Matt Ryan throw 0 touchdowns and rely on Todd Gurley for scores, QB is not the problem for the Falcons. Defense should be Atlanta's top priority going into the 2021 offseason and if Parsons is not available, Rousseau is the next best choice. Takkarist McKinley and Dante Fowler Jr. have not lived up to their Round 1 selections and while Rousseau is still developing as a player, his physical traits and athleticism raise his value to the point where a team in the top 5 would be willing to make the gamble.
3. NY Jets: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
Sam Darnold has not been provided with the supporting cast necessary to thrive as a franchise QB but with Adam Gase almost certainly out of town after this season, a new QB could be coming to the Jets. New coaches tend to come as a package deal with a top QB prospect in the draft and Trevor Lawrence is the obvious choice. The Clemson junior has a perfect blend of size, athleticism, and arm talent and has shown the ability to play well under pressure. His game is devoid of any glaring weaknesses and with a brand new coach and QB on the team, the Jets will be one step closer to becoming a playoff team.
4. Houston → MIA: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
Miami spent the 18th pick this year on OT Austin Jackson and he has lots of time to grow. They also selected Louisiana's Robert Hunt Round 2 and although he is the current backup at RT, he is capable of moving to the interior to make room for Sewell. Jesse Davis is under contract until 2023 but he is nowhere near a franchise OT and a strong blocker like Sewell would be an instant upgrade. Tua Tagovailoa is a lock to be Miami’s QB starting next season and the Dolphins must do everything in their power to keep him healthy.
5. Dallas: Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
Chidobe Awuzie is a solid corner but his injury has exposed the depth Dallas has at CB in a negative fashion. Jourdan Lewis has allowed 6 receptions out of 9 targets and Trevon DIggs has underperformed. Diggs has time to grow as a player and is expected to make improvements but Lewis will be a free agent next year and the Cowboys should address their secondary. Farley may be new to the position, but he plays like a polished corner and has tremendous awareness.
6. Washington: Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU
Terry McLaurin may have been a pleasant surprise, earning PFWA All-Rookie honors last year, but fellow receivers Steven Sims Jr. and Dontrelle Inman are not expected to be core parts of the offense. With a top 5 prospect in Ja'Marr Chase still on the board, Washington needs to provide Dwayne Haskins Jr. with weapons if they want a productive passing game.Chase is a natural pass catcher with terrific vision and could certainly give the offense a significant boost.
7. LA Chargers: Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama
With Chris Harris Jr. on the IR, Desmond King II, who was unhappy with his playing time weeks ago, is now starting at CB alongside former Pro Bowler Casey Hayward Jr. and although they are both generally solid, King II will be a free agent after this season and so will Hayward Jr. the year after. Harris Jr. will also be on the market with the latter, but both players are catching up in age and may not be back with the Chargers once their contracts expire. With Caleb Farley off the board, the next logical choice is Alabama defender Patrick Surtain II. The 6'1" junior provides an ideal combination of height and length, and displays a high competitive drive and aggressiveness. The Chargers need an injection of youth on the defensive side of the ball and this selection gives them that.
8. Miami: Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama
Although Miami could decide to find Tua Tagovailoa a WR after providing him with protection, they also need to address their defense, specifically EDGE and LB. Miami's starting ILBs, Elandon Roberts and Jerome Baker, have been the terrible and Dylan Moses would be an instant upgrade. Moses is a unique athlete with great instincts and range, making him an attractive LB prospect for the Dolphins to pursue.
9. Detroit: Marvin Wilson, IDL, Florida State
Nick Williams and Danny Shelton stand at the helm of Detroit's defensive line and although Shelton is a solid player, Williams can be replaced if the Lions can find an IDL worth taking. Florida State star Marvin Wilson is currently a top 15 prospect but has the potential to sneak into the top 10 with a quality senior year. After the emergence of Aaron Donald and other mobile DTs, players like Wilson became more valued and Detroit should definitely look into drafting another defensive player after spending the 3rd pick on a CB last year.
10. Denver: Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia
Despite several rumors, the Broncos are not likely to move on from Drew Lock for an enticing QB like Justin Fields. Lock has showed enough promise to clarify that if he had never been injured, the Broncos would not be 1-3. However, Denver does need to focus on the secondary and to be more specific, the CB position. A.J. Bouye is regressing, rookie Michael Ojemudia has not shown enough to be considered a proper replacement. Besides, Bouye and Bryce Callahan will both be free agents in 2022 and neither of them are locks to return, especially the former, leaving Denver with little depth at CB. Tyson Campbell has not been on scouts' radars as much as top CBs such as Farley and Surtain II, but the outside corner from Georgia is much better than advertised and also provides the team with special teams ability.
11. Jacksonville: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
After a great season opener against the Colts at home, Gardner Minshew II has not replicated his heroics since then. In the last three games, Minshew II has been thrown 5 TD, 4 INT, and suffered a loss at the hands of a Dolphins defense missing their star CB. This could very well just be a short slump and the former Washington St QB might make a case to stay as the starter in Jacksonville, but with a top 3 QB in Justin Fields still on the board at 11, the value is just too good to pass up. An effortless thrower, Fields has a natural arm and excellent delivery, along with the ability to survive under pressure and beating defenders outside of the pocket. A new head coach is likely to be in Jacksonville next year and if a player like Fields is available, the new regime should move on from Minshew II.
12. Minnesota: Creed Humphrey, IOL, Oklahoma
Since Pat Elflein's injury, rumors have emerged that he may not be a Viking after this season and it is clear that Minnesota needs to fix their IOL. Although C Garrett Bradbury has been great, LG Dakota Dozier is not a long-term option and RG Dru Samia has been a liability, allowing 3 sacks so far. Rookie Ezra Cleveland is the obvious choice to become a starter sooner rather than later and adding Creed Humphrey to the offensive line would pay off tremendously. The Oklahoma blocker has been praised for his leadership, responsibility, and strength, and the Vikings need to keep Kirk Cousins healthy if they want to go back to the playoffs next year.
13. Cincinnati: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
Cincinnati's most glaring need so far this season has been OT and they will not hesitate to pick Sewell if he is available. However, the next best OT, Alex Leatherwood, would be a reach at 13 and since there are no trades in this scenario, the Bengals provide their QB of the future, Joe Burrow, with a reliable WR to throw to in DeVonta Smith. A.J. Green is seemingly not the star WR he used to be and Cincinnati needs to find a replacement for him. Smith may not be explosive, but he displays quickness and fearlessness, perfect for a Bengals team hoping to contend in the near future.
14. Carolina: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
Teddy Bridgewater has been good enough to potentially stay as Carolina's starting QB throughout his entire contract but that should not deter the Panthers from searching for their true franchise QB. It was clear when Bridgewater was signed that he would serve as a bridge QB for the team's next passer and if Trey Lance falls outside of the top 10, Carolina has to choose him. A player like Pat Freiermuth or Wyatt Davis might be on their board but since QB is the biggest need in Carolina, Lance is the pick.
15. Arizona: Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue
The acquisition of DeAndre Hopkins gave Arizona's offense an astronomical boost but with Larry Fitzgerald headed for retirement soon and Christian Kirk not living up to his expectations as the WR2, the Cardinals could be looking for a receiver to pair with Hopkins. Although Arizona does need help on the offensive and defensive lines, Humphrey and Wilson are off the board, and Rondale Moore beats out Wyatt Davis as the best player available. Moore has been compared to a human joystick and showcases amazing RAC skills.
16. Las Vegas: Wyatt Davis, IOL, Ohio State
Rodney Hudson can hold his own as the leader of Las Vegas's offensive line but OGs John Simpson and Gabe Jackson have not impressed so far. A new IOL is not a top priority for the Raiders but Davis does fit the size profile of an OT, providing versatility, and the team could shift certain players around to fit Davis in and help protect Derek Carr and Josh Jacobs. The aggressive Ohio State blocker offers power and fluidity, and would upgrade an offensive line that needs help.
17. New England: Christian Barmore, IDL, Alabama
DTs Lawrence Guy and Byron Cowart form a middling defensive duo and although Guy is the better of the two, he will be a free agent in 2021 and there is no clear answer to whether he will return to the Patriots. However, Cowart is mediocre and can be replaced if a tempting prospect like Barmore is available. Barmore is not fully developed and has room to grow as an interior defender, but he possesses immense power and an array of moves that make him a great defensive player with star potential.
18. San Francisco: Shaun Wade, CB, Ohio State
Richard Sherman, Ahkello Witherspoon, and Emmanuel Moseley will all be free agents next year and the 49ers need to prepare for the future at the CB position. Sherman is likely to only sign one more contract with the team before retiring, Witherspoon has not looked great but the sample size is too small, and Moseley should return if all goes as planned. This leaves the 49ers with only one CB they can depend on for years to come, proving CB is a priority for San Francisco. Shaun Wade is the perfect pick here and his stock can only soar from here on out with the spotlight on him.
19. Philadelphia: Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford
Darius Slay is undoubtedly a core member of Philadelphia's defense and could be labeled as a cornerstone if he stays in town for the entirety of his contract. Avonte Maddox, on the other hand, is replaceable and not worth re-signing in 2022 if the Eagles can find better options in the draft. Stanford corner Paulson Adebo would be a welcome addition to Philadelphia's secondary with his dynamic skills and instincts, and would be an upgrade over Maddox.
20. New Orleans: Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State
Jared Cook might retire next offseason or leave for a new team and although the Saints traded up to select him, Adam Trautman has not been a focal point of the offense, only amassing 3 receptions for 34 receiving yards. New Orleans could either be in the mix for another TE or they could be completely fine with their current players at the position, but there is no denying that Freiermuth would drastically improve the offense. The Penn State TE is a borderline top 15 prospect and has garnered comparisons to Rob Gronkowski. He can function as a blocker or a pass catcher and would be a dependable target for whoever the Saints play at QB in the future.
21. Tampa Bay: Quincy Roche, EDGE, Miami
Ndamukong Suh is nearing retirement and will be a free agent next year, and Jason Pierre-Paul and William Gholston will both be on the market in 2022, with the former also close to the end of his career. Shaquil Barrett is expected to return to the Buccaneers on a new contract next year but the team still needs to improve their defense. Quincy Roche is quite underrated due to Gregory Rousseau receiving most of the attention for Miami's defensive efforts, but he still brings explosiveness and fluidity to the table. The 235 lb defender has excellent vision, strength, and length, and functions as a great run defender, which will be useful in a division housing many great rushing attacks.
22. Cleveland: Josh Myers, IOL, Ohio State
All three of Cleveland's starters on the IOL are incredible, but their contracts also expire within the next three years. The team's cap space will be spent on securing Nick Chubb, Denzel Ward, and potentially even Baker Mayfield to long-term contracts and there may not be enough money to keep all three interior linemen on the roster. In that case, the Browns will have to think long-term and find a player to fill in a future need at IOL, and Josh Myers is capable of doing so. Although he would be a reach at 22, the Browns have zero need for players like Alex Leatherwood and Kyle Pitts, making Myers a possible choice.
23. Indianapolis: Hamsah Nasirildeen, S, Florida State
With Malik Hooker on the IR, the Colts have turned to rookie Julian Blackmon to replace him and he has been solid. Khari Willis has also played at an average level, but overall, the team needs more explosiveness in the secondary and Nasirildeen would add much needed depth.
24. Baltimore: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota
Besides Marquise Brown, who is somewhat inconsistent, the Ravens have no reliable WRs in the passing game and with Willie Snead IV headed for free agency next year, Baltimore could be in search of the yang to Brown’s yin. Bateman has an exciting set of receiving skills and can deliver on big plays, which should make Baltimore’s offense even more dangerous than it already is.
25. Chicago: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
Allen Robinson II should be Chicago’s priority in free agency and although the emergence of Darnell Mooney has been nice, the sample size is too small and he needs to prove that he can be the long-term WR2. As of now, QB and WR are two of Chicago’s biggest needs and with the top 3 passers off the board, Jaylen Waddle is the pick. Whether Chicago sticks with Foles/Trubisky or moves on to a new QB, the team’s passer will have a legitimate receiving duo in Robinson and Waddle.
26. LA Rams → JAX: Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama
After drafting their new franchise QB in Justin Fields, the Jaguars decide to protect him with 310 lb Alabama OT Alex Leatherwood. Cam Robinson is not Jacksonville’s LT of the future and the smart move would be to let him go in free agency and find a promising prospect like Leatherwood through the draft. Florida TE Kyle Pitts is also a possible choice but protecting Justin Fields should be the first priority.
27. Pittsburgh: Jay Tufele, IDL, USC
According to PFF, NT Tyson Alualu has been phenomenal for the Steelers and DT Cameron Heyward has been also amazing. Heyward is under contract until 2025 and Alualu will be a free agent next year, and if all goes as planned, both players will be on the roster for next season. However, Alualu is 33 years old and nearing the end of his career, which means the Steelers should not hesitate to draft a replacement if the value is there. Tufele is a quick and balanced athlete that can sufficiently generate pressure in the passing game and use his power to get past interior linemen and rush the passer.
28. Tennessee: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
Jonnu Smith has been the starting TE in Tennessee since 2017 and in that timeframe, he has gathered 1035 yds. In 2019 alone, rising star Darren Waller of the Oakland Raiders had 1145 yds. Waller is also a perfect comparison for Florida’s Kyle Pitts. It is clear that Smith is not as important to Tennessee’s offense as Waller is for the Raiders, but an outstanding player like Pitts would be crucial in helping a team win. The 6’5” junior is a TE on paper but acts as an extra WR, which is a need considering the fact that Corey Davis and Kalif Raymond will be free agents after this season.
29. Kansas City: Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State
The Chiefs selected TCU’s Lucas Niang in Round 3 of the 2020 draft to succeed current RT Mitchell Schwartz once he starts declining. However, the plan at LT is unfinished. Eric Fisher will be a free agent in 2021 and backup Mike Remmers is not starting material. This could be seen as a luxury pick but drafting an agile 301 lb OT in Dillon Radunz should pay off in the long run.
30. Seattle → NYJ: Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan
After securing Trevor Lawrence with the 3rd pick, the Jets need to choose between addressing EDGE or WR. The best WR available would be Chris Olave from Ohio State but he would be a reach at 30 and the real decision will be between EDGEs Aidan Hutchinson and Hamilcar Rashed Jr. While the latter is a good athlete and effective block shedder, he is still raw as a pass rusher. On the other hand, Hutchinson seems to be more ready to thrive as a power rusher and would be the smarter pick.
31. Green Bay: Cameron McGrone, LB, Michigan
Christian Kirksey, Green Bay’s often injured ILB, is once again on the IR and his replacement is Ty Summers, a Round 7 pick who has not proved that he can be a long-term starter for the Packers. Cameron McGrone is certainly a reach and the Packers could draft an interior lineman such as Trey Smith to bolster the offensive line, but the team has to draft for need at this stage and McGrone makes sense for the future.
32. Buffalo: Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota
Starting OTs Dion Dawkins and Daryl Williams have played an important part in Josh Allen’s success, keeping him safe and allowing the franchise QB to lead the team to victory. Williams will be a free agent next year and it would be wise for the team to re-sign him, but the logical move would be to also move him to RG and draft Faalele to play RT. RG Cody Ford is a pedestrian player and the offensive line would be much more successful with a starting lineup featuring Dion Dawkins, Quinton Spain, Mitch Morse, Daryl Williams and Daniel Faalele. Keeping Josh Allen healthy is a priority for Buffalo and this pick would make the future brighter for the Bills.

San Francisco 49ers
NFC Champions
13-3 (First in NFC West)
SB runner up
Intro
Hello, this is my first time writing one of these. I wasn't raised as a 49ers fan but my late grandfather was a diehard fan. I still follow the team pretty closely and I felt like I could contribute to the series. I tried to cover everything in a concise manner since I know you guys have shit to do today. I wanted to include a video companion but didn't have enough time to edit it the way I wanted to. So with all that said, on to the review. The 49ers are coming off of an amazing Super Bowl run that saw them fall short against a loaded Chiefs team. I still hurt watching that lead shrink away into nothing. Can't win them all but damn were we close. The 49ers made a few key roster moves to solidify their depth through free agency and the draft which positions them nicely to make another deep postseason run. Shanahan and Lynch look to be on the same page about the roster and scheme they hope to execute, drafting and signing players that fit the mold. Credit to u/Handsack135 for assisting me on this project. Sorry if my formatting is poor, had to do this all on mobile.
Coaching Changes
departing
Joe Woods, former defensive Backs coach for San Francisco, accepts the defensive coordinator role within the Cleveland Browns organization. He will replace Steve Wilks in that role. Woods arrives in Cleveland with roughly 15 years of experience coaching at the NFL level.
Chris Kiffin is a defensive line coach that operated as the pass rush specialist for San Francisco last season. He will be assuming the same role within the Cleveland Browns organization. Kiffin arrives in Cleveland with 2 years of experience coaching at the NFL level.
arriving
Aaron Whitecotton arrives from the Bills where he served as assistant defensive line coach, more specifically a pass rush specialist. He will assume the same role within the San Francisco organization, replacing Chris Kiffin in the process. The Buffalo Bills lead the league in TFL during the 2019-20 season and were 9th in sack percentage. Whitecotton arrives with 6 years of experience coaching at the professional level, including a stint with the Jaguars that saw him work alongside current 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
Tony Oden takes over the defensive backs coach role after serving the same role within the Miami Dolphins organization in 2019. The Dolphins’ secondary was a garbage fire last season (7th most passing touchdowns allowed and 6th most passing yards allowed) in the wake of Minkah Fitzpatrick’s departure so it will be interesting to see what Oden does with the defensive backs in San Francisco. Oden also has previous experience working with Robert Saleh from his stint with the Houston Texans.
Free Agency/Trades
players lost/cut
Emmanuel Sanders WR Saints
Matt Breida RB Dolphins
DeForest Buckner DL Colts
Sheldon Day DL Colts
Elijah Lee LB Lions
Levine Toilolo TE Giants
Anthony Zettel DL Vikings
Joe Staley LT Retired
Joe Staley would be a huge loss but he's been replaced with perennial pro bowler Trent Williams fresh off a stint with The Washington Football Team (what a shit name, lul). Hopefully he's just a plug and play personnel upgrade that requires little time to settle into his new role.
Emmanuel Sanders turned out to be an important receiver for the Super Bowl run, complementing Deebo and Kittle nicely as a reliable third option for Garoppolo. It's a tough business, but sometimes the risk of a midseason free agent acquisition is worth it. San Francisco hopes to replace his production with the newly drafted Brandon Aiyuk out of Arizona State University.
Matt Breida, the former undrafted running back out of Georgia Southern was acquired on draft day by the Miami Dolphins for a 5th round pick. Quite a steal in my opinion for a starting running back of his caliber. His departure leaves a hole in the 49ers backfield that must be filled by some combination of Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman, and Jerrick Mckinnon. The Shanahan running back by committee plan resumes.
DeForest Buckner was traded to the Colts for a first round pick. This pick was used to select DT Javon Kinlaw as Buckner's hopeful replacement. With a decision to be made between extending him or DE Arik Armistead, the 49ers chose to extend the player whose position would be harder to replace. Seeing Kinlaw available at 14, the 49ers decided to take a chance on him and gamble that Armstead should get an extension since there was no high caliber player available to replace him.
Re-signed/Incoming
Salary courtesy of Spotrac.com
Arik Armstead DL 49ers 5yrs $85,000,000
George Kittle TE 49ers 5yrs $75,000,000
Trent Williams LT Football Team 1yr $12,500,000
Raheem Mostert RB 49ers 2yrs $6,250,000
Jimmie Ward DB 49ers 3yrs $28,500,000
Kendrick Bourne WR 49ers 1 yr $3,259,000
Tom Compton OL Jets 1 yr $2,750,000
Ronald Blair III DL 49ers 1 yr $2,297,500
Kerry Hyder DL Cowboys 1yr $1,500,000
Travis Benjamin WR Chargers 1yr $1,050,000
Jason Verrett DB 49ers 1 yr $1,047,500
Shon Coleman T 49ers 1yr $962,500
Dontae Johnson CB 49ers 1 yr $910,000 Joe Walker LB Cardinals 1yr $900,000
Ben Garland OL/C 49ers 1yr $805,000
Ross Dwelley TE 49ers 1yr $750,000
Nick Mullens QB 49ers 1yr $750,000
Jeff Wilson Jr. RB 49ers 1yr $750,000
Daniel Brunskill OL 49ers 1 yr $675,000
Dion Jordan DE Raiders (salary unavailable)
Jordan Reed TE Football Team (salary unavailable)
Arik Armstead was granted a huge contract extension at the expense of losing fellow stud defensive lineman DeForest Buckner. Their numbers last season were very similar and I see no real reason to choose one over the other since their ages are only separated by one year at 26 and 25 respectively. The decision was a tough one but the 49ers were probably high on Kinlaw and felt since he and Buckner were the same position it was smarter to pay Armstead and let Buckner go.
George Kittle is the best TE in the NFC and I believe we have yet to see the best of him. He is a monster blocker and runs through the open field like a gazelle. Defensive coordinators struggle to contain him on a weekly basis and he has proven he is worth every cent of his contract extension.
Trent Williams was acquired from the Washington Football Team in exchange for a 2020 5th round pick and a 2021 third round selection. He will be filling in for the retired Joe Staley during the 2020 season. A daunting task but one for which he is well suited being a perennial Pro-Bowler himself.
Jimmie Ward produced a solid season at free safety combining open field coverage skills with masterful tackling ability to place fourth on the team in passes deflected (8) and third in total tackles (65) on the number one passing defense in the NFL
Kendrick Bourne showed promise as a possible WR3 behind Aiyuk and Samuel with his consistent contributions to the passing game last season. This earned him a new contract to prove that he can be a reliable threat to the secondary and draw some pressure off of Samuel and Kittle.
Draft Grades
Round 1, Pick No. 14: Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina. Fletcher Cox similarities, bigger and stronger. Will make a splash as a true DT option on an already loaded DL. Picked up to fill in for DeForest Buckner at a lower price in the wake of Armstead's huge contract.
Round 1, Pick No. 25: Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State. Picked by Shanahan specifically to fit into the scheme. Good speed and run after catch ability. Limited catch radius, excellent route running. Should see playing time early into his career with the loss of Marquise Goodwin and Emmanuel Sanders.
Round 6, Pick No. 190: Charlie Woerner, TE, Georgia. Pure blocking tight end out of UGA, most likely brought in to replace Levine toilolo. Won't see much playing time over Dwelley and Kittle but adds depth at the position.
Round 7, Pick No. 217: Jauan Jennings, WR, Tennessee. Big body receiver out of Tennessee that can catch contested passes consistently. Knocked for his forty yard dash speed at the combine (4.72) and route running sloppiness on tape.
Off-season Storylines
Players opting out due to Covid-19
Travis Benjamin
Projected Starting Lineup
QB: Jimmy Garoppolo
RB: Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman, and Jerrick McKinnon
FB: Kyle Juszczyk
TE:George Kittle
WRs: Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Kendrick Bourne and Dante Pettis/Jalen Hurd
LT: Trent Williams
LG: Laken Tomlinson
C: Weston Richburg
RG: Daniel Brunskill
RT: Mike Mcglinchey
DL: Dee Ford, Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, Solomon Thomas, Javon Kinlaw
LB: Kwon Alexander, Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw
CB: Richard Sherman, Ahkello Witherspoon, Emmanuel Moseley
S: Jaquiski Tartt, Jimmie Ward
K: Robbie Gould
P: Mitch Wishnowsky
KPR: Brandon Aiyuk
Position Group Strengths and Weaknesses
Position groups:
QB: Jimmy Garoppolo is a solid starting option for the 49ers that led them to a super bowl appearance by knowing his role within the Shanahan offense and never doing too much. Heroic when he needed to be and reserved when he didn’t, I see continued success for Garoppolo if he can continue to play smart and take what defenses give him. Grade: B
Backfield: Kyle shanahan uses a running back by committee approach that works masterfully when combined with the blocking talent of Kittle and Juszcyk. McKinnon, Mostert and Coleman are going to be tasked with shouldering the bulk of the carries this season with the majority going to Mostert if I had to guess. Grade: A+ OL: With the addition of Trent Williams and a solid core of starter level blockers, I see this offensive line as middle of the pack at worst and possibly top ten if they can improve from last year. They were excellent in run blocking last season which allowed them to rise to 2nd place in the NFL in rushing yards per game. They were more wishy washy when it came to pass protection, falling into the bottom half of the league (18th) in sack percentage allowed. Grade B-
Pass catchers: With Kittle serving as a legitimate threat to any NFL secondary the pass catching capability possessed by the 49ers is immense. Couple that with the emergence of Deebo Samuel and the potential of the remaining 49ers receivers that will get significant snaps (Aiyuk, Hurd, Bourne, Pettis) and you’d begin to consider this receiving core as a solid complement to their dominant rushing attack. My only concern is the health of their young receivers and their ability to recognize their untapped potential. I would like to see at least one receiver (Kittle doesn’t count) reach the 1000 yard threshold before I would grade this receiving core as above average. Grade: C+
DL: With the departure of Deforest Buckner the 49ers defensive line will have their work cut out for them in the 2019-20 season. He was a great player but this unit is so stacked I believe their statistical production will remain largely unchanged this season. They were 5th in the league in total sacks last year and 2nd in pressure percentage which shows just how dominant they were both individually and as a unit. Grade: A+
LB: Last season showed us that the next generation of linebackers has arrived for the 49ers and they are solid. Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner have proven that they are a strong second line of defense behind the elite defensive line in front of them placing first and second on the team in tackles. This was combined with 11 pass deflections and 2 interceptions (one for a TD) between them which demonstrates their willingness and ability to defend not only the run but the pass as well. If they can continue this high level of play in 2020 I see no reason they won’t continue to do damage to offenses both in the tackle box and the secondary. Grade: A Secondary: The secondary may seem like world beaters based only on their gaudy stats that found them allowing the least amount of passing yards per game last season. This was due in part to solid play from the secondary, but the driving force behind this was the defensive line’s ability to produce so much pressure on the opposing quarterbacks they faced. This is no knock on the 49ers defensive backs either, they were just another cog in a very strong defense but they did their job well and the entire team was in sync which led to continued success throughout the regular season and playoffs.
Schedule Predictions
The 49ers have a relatively weak schedule to begin the season and should expect to achieve a 4-1 or even a 5-0 record out of the gate. This would be a repeat of the hot start they came in with last season that saw them begin the year 8-0 before falling to the Seahawks in OT.
Week 1 vs Arizona W
Kyler Murray is a certified stud and coupled with Hopkins and Fitz I see this game giving the secondary an early test. Generating pressure on the young quarterback will be key to getting a victory in this game, but more importantly we must keep him in the pocket and make him beat us with his arm not his legs.
Week 2 @Jets W
Sam Darnold has one of the poorest offensive lines in the league and Gase has done little to improve it while also stripping his receiving core of weapons. This one might get ugly.
Week 3 @Giants W
The 49ers will get to face the NFC East this season which was the worst division in football last season. The Giants are coming off of a disappointing season last year and hoping to rebound. With a young group of talented skill players, that includes a top 5 running back in Saquon Barkley, it will definitely be our first potential trap game of the season.
Week 4 vs Philadelphia L
Philadelphia is coming off of a rollercoaster season that saw them sneak into the wild card against the buzz saw that is the Seattle Seahawks and still manage to come within one score of OT. Wentz has something to prove this season after seeing his front office pick up a QB in the draft. Beating the reigning NFC champions would go a long way in proving that he’s not to be replaced anytime soon.
Week 5 vs Miami W
I certainly hope Tua isn’t in by this point in the season, I’d hate to see our defensive line ruin him that early on in his career. Miami had the worst secondary in the league last season and I haven’t seen much to signal any improvements in that department. They also gave up the 6th most rushing yards of any team in the NFL which doesn’t bode well for their chances against Shanahan’s patented outside zone running scheme.
Week 6 vs Rams W
After missing the playoffs only one year removed from a Super Bowl berth the Rams are looking to bounce back in 2020 under the tutelage of coaching mastermind Sean Mcvay. Our last meeting with this team saw us narrowly avoid defeat by pulling out a 34-31 victory over our fellow division rival. I predict two closely contested chess matches this season between two of the best play callers in the league.
Week 7 at New England W
When you have to enter Foxborough it’s gonna be one hell of a game no matter how good you are. No Tom Brady, no problem it seems with the addition of former MVP Cam Newton. Couple this addition with the mind of Bill Bellichick and the number one defense in the league and you can see that the 49ers clearly have their work cut out for them in this one. I predict this going one of two ways which are as follows, either Jimmy G has a revenge game or BB sees straight through him and he lays an egg. The run game will never be more important than in this game.
Week 8 at Seattle L
Going into CenturyLink Field is gonna be tough and coming off what should be a dogfight against the Patriots I just don’t see us pulling off two big road wins in a row.
Week 9 at Green Bay W
I believe Shanahan has his brother’s ,and by extension Lafleur’s, number in this one. We saw this game play out twice last season and both had a similar theme. Dominance by San Francisco that i predict will continue into the 2020 season.
Week 10 at New Orleans L
Last season’s matchup saw the 49ers narrowly escape a shootout in the dome and I find it hard to believe we can return there and pull it off again. I see this game as another shootout and honestly believe it can go either way
Week 11 Bye
Week 12 @ Rams L
I predict the 49ers come out of the bye week sluggish and still reeling from what should be a captivating game vs the saints. Not how you want to show up against a divisional opponent with a chip on their shoulder.
Week 13 vs Buffalo W
Buffalo has a strong defense and picked up an elite receiver in Stefon Diggs this offseason. I believe our key to victory in this game is getting Josh Allen out of rhythm early and establishing the run in order to give him limited time of possession. This will hopefully lead to him forcing passes and making mistakes in what I predict will be a low scoring affair.
Week 14 vs Washington W
We shut the Football Teamout last season in what can only be described as a deluge of rain that didn’t let up all game. Poor conditions led to what can only be described as a war of attrition between two teams that couldn’t find their rhythm all day. I predict a close game in this one due to the addition of Ron Rivera and his newly instilled team culture. This will be a late season contest so I would think the Football Team will have worked out their kinks by then.
Week 15 @ Dallas W
Cowboys suck, Jerry World is lame (try not to catch Covid-19 in there) . Okay seriously though this will be a tough game versus a strong opponent that has the potential to defeat us if we don’t come correct. Limiting Cooper’s production is essential in this one as well as trying to find a way to keep zeke from a monster game.
Week 16 @ Arizona W
I can see this one going to the Cardinals depending on our record and how hungry the Cardinals are late in the season. Road games are tougher no matter what and I don’t see us locking down Hopkins twice in one season. Kyler will need to have a big game for them to upset us but I don’t put it out of the realm of possibility
Week 17 vs Seattle W
After a tough loss earlier in the year to Seattle I see the 49ers coming out very motivated to avenge the loss and more importantly they will be looking to solidify a second straight NFC West Divisional title. This one will be a key game if both teams play up to their expectations. I see implications for not only the NFC West champion outcome but also the NFC home field advantage outcome as well.
Training Camp Battles
WR4: I don’t know who will step up to be the final complementary receiver for Deebo, Aiyuk, and Bourne but it could be Pettis or Hurd depending on their health and how training camp goes. If I had to wager I’d put my money on Pettis since he is the most proven of the remaining receivers.
Schemes
Shanahan runs a zone run oriented offense that predicates itself on domination in the run which is used to set up an elaborate variety of play action passes. Shanahan utilizes many motions in his scheme in order to identify the coverage and weaknesses within the defensive formation that he then attacks with unparalleled precision. By constantly forcing the defense to adapt to his offense’s pre-snap movement he is able to diagnose what sort of defense will be used against him and check the team into favorable formations that allow them to exploit the defense.
Saleh runs a Wide 9 scheme that is a combination of base 4-3 and nickel coverage which utilizes both safeties interchangeably depending on the strength of the offensive formation and which allows for more flexibility in coverage. This was an adaptation necessary in today’s NFL that is seeing fewer teams use two running back sets and instead often opting to run 3 receiver sets with the tight end possibly flexed out into an upright position. The 49ers had the best passing defense in the league last season so it’s safe to say this system is effective at limiting the other team from spreading the defense out and abusing linebackers in the secondary with slot receivers and tight ends.

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I started this exercise of choosing second- and third-year players in the NFL I expect to take the next step in their development, based on being in a better situation due schematic changes, the respective team not re-signing certain veterans and allowing their young guys to play a bigger role or just my evaluation of them coming out of college.
Once again, my criteria was – they were not allowed to have a Pro Bowl so far, reached a major statistical milestone (1000 yard season, double-digit sacks, etc.) or are just looked at generally as one of the better players at their position already. I didn’t include guys that made my list already last year (Kemoko Turay, Justin Reid, etc.) or haven’t seen the field at all yet (Jonah Williams, Hakeem Butler, etc.). Across my two articles on these breakout players, you will only find one top ten pick, since I believe those are obvious choices anyway, if those guys just haven’t been healthy or whatever it may be.
In this version, we are looking at eight more defensive players ready to break out in 2020 after talking about offense last week already:
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Ifeadi Odenigbo

When I did these write-ups, I actually realized later on that Odenigbo was originally drafted in 2017 in the seventh round by the Vikings, but he only made the practice squad that year and was later claimed and waived by the Cardinals and Browns respectively. So since he finally made an active roster in 2018 and that’s when he finally saw the field, I thought he still qualifies. With all those guys Minnesota has had on the D-line in recent years, it was a challenge for Odenigbo to get their coaches to believe in him, having only played in one game for Arizona before last season. However, he was on the field more and more towards the end of this past year and with little investment in the draft into the front, the Vikings are betting on him to continue to develop, similar to what happened with Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter. Odenigbo recorded seven sacks and tackles for loss respectively, while adding another 18 pressures to the mix. He also forced a fumble and returned another one for a long touchdown against the Chargers, while he was actually called down on another scoop-and-score, where he originally got the trifecta (strip sack, fumble recovery and return TD). That is much more impressive putting it into context, as he played just a third of the defensive snaps. Now with Everson Griffen off the roster (unless he somehow decides to re-sign with the Vikes, Odenigbo is almost a shoe-in for that second defensive end spot in the starting lineup.
Number 95 was mostly used in passing situations, especially early on, as three quarters of the snaps he played came on pass-rushing downs, and Mike Zimmer used his inside-out flexibility on different sub-packages. Odenigbo was asked to line up anywhere from pretty much 2i in sort of a track stance pointed inside to a wide nine alignment. His favorite (and best) move at this point is the dip and rip, but he also flashes a nice up-and-under combined with a high swim move. However, he also has a lot of power behind those pads, as he set up one of his teammates as the initial slanter versus Detroit and just flattened a guy I talked about in my offensive edition of this breakdown last week already in Frank Ragnow. In addition to that, I think the Vikings DE already shows good timing and execution on twists, freeing himself up by using teammates appropriately. As he seems to be transitioning to a starting role, the biggest question now is – How much improvement can he show as a run-defender? He displays very good pursuit coming unblocked from the backside, but at the point of attack he has some issues holding his ground at times, due to not always playing half the man and getting drawn in and allowing cutback lanes. In the pass game, Odenigbo needs to work on being more successful on secondary maneuvers and not give away opportunities if that initial rush stalls.
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Marcus Davenport

Leading up to the 2018 NFL draft, Bradley Chubb was considered the clear-cut number one edge rusher coming out of N.C. State and after him most people said there was a huge drop-off. The Saints however shocked everybody by trading up to the 14th overall pick – not for a quarterback, but rather an outside linebacker from UTSA. While there isn’t a lot of buzz around Davenport entering year three of his pro career, I can promise that New Orleans did not spend their 2018 and ’19 first-round picks on a player they didn’t believe in. I was very surprised at the time of selection, because I thought they were looking for a more immediate-impact type of player with Drew Brees arriving in his 40s and the team coming off a 13-3 record, but there was never any question about the talent this kid presented. Davenport has missed three games in each of his first two years in the league and “only” put up 10.5 sacks, but he went from 28 QB pressures as a rookie to 50 last season. He might have been even better against the run, helping the Saints finish as the fourth-best rush defense at 91.3 yards allowed per game. So this is kind of a case for the improvement he has already made and I think the coaches in New Orleans already looked at 2019 as his breakout season, but among more casual fans, I believe Davenport will move his name into more of the conversation as one of the better young edge rushers this year.
I personally had the young phenom as my 13th overall prospect coming out of San Antonio. When you put on his tape in college, that combination of explosiveness, power and closing burst really stood out. He already flashed the ability to string his hand together to dominate as a pass-rusher, but he needed to do it more consistently, and he showed the shock in his hands to own the point of attack, if he played with better extension. Those to me were certainly coachable areas and with the situation he was in, I thought he could produce in year two or three. Well, we have arrived at his third season and I believe he is ready to roll. I don’t think there’s much to critique as a run-defender about Davenport. He may still be a tick late recognizing some schemes, but when he extends those arms and drops the anchor, you won’t see much movement and he just owns tight-ends. In the pass game, I do believe he needs to broaden his repertoire a little and rush under a little more control, but he has clearly shown signs of becoming a difference-maker in that area as well. He has burst to win around the edge if he times his swipes up correctly, but also the immense power to bull-rush big offensive tackles back right into the quarterback’s lap. If he just learns to convert speed to power a little better and works on finishing that under-and-under he flashes with a follow-through chop, he could be scary. With third-round pick Zack Baun probably rushing outside on sub-packages, it will enable the Saints to move this guy and Cam Jordan more inside and create mismatches that way.
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Jeffery Simmons

Simmons was the 19th overall pick for Tennessee last year. In his debut game he had three pressures on eleven pass-rushing snaps. The rest of the season wasn’t as promising, but considering I didn’t expect him to suit up at all in 2019 after tearing his ACL in pre-draft workouts, the fact he did collect valuable on-field experience, playing less than 40 percent of the defensive snaps just once from that point on, only helps him more. Purely based off his tape, I had Simmons as my IDL3, behind only Quinnen Williams and Ed Oliver (both top five prospects for me) and ahead of the two Clemson standouts (Christian Wilkins and Dexter Williams). I even said without the injury he would have been at least around the top ten when I put out my big board a few days ahead of last year’s draft. In limited playing time as a rookie, he recorded 32 tackles, four of them for loss and two sacks. Simmons was an immovable object at Mississippi State and looked to be the same among grown men. I went back and watched the Raiders game in week 14, who have some maulers in the run game and you saw guys almost bounce off the rookie as if he was a brick wall. More importantly, they doubled him on pretty much every single snap he was on the field, probably because of what they had already seen on tape.
This guy has some shock in his hands, the ability to look through the blocker on zone-runs and then get back to the gap behind him as the running back decides to cut up into it. He didn’t look as mobile working his way down the line laterally as I thought he did in college and he will have to do a better job working across the face of some blockers, rather than allowing them to wall him off at times. You see him just be a split-second late of actually stopping the ball-carrier rather than allowing him to stumble forward or barely miss altogether. If he gets back to his collegiate form, he can be an elite run-stopper. Having him out there will allow the Titans to run primarily sub-packages with Harold Landry and now Vic Beasley on the edges. The area he still needs to prove himself at is getting after the quarterback. Simmons is very straight-forward as a pass-rusher and didn’t show a lot of finesse to win in that area, getting stuck with stalemates for the most part if he couldn’t drive his guy backwards initially. He flashed a few quick wins on reps with the arm-over, but he has to get off the ball with more of a plan. I believe his ability to shoot upfield, the unbelievable power and just that disruptive style of play will show up big time in his first year at full strength.
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Ed Oliver

This young man was my fourth overall prospect in last year’s draft behind only Quinnen Williams, Nick Bosa and Josh Allen (the edge rusher). Oliver was an uber-talented, explosive athlete coming out Houston, who I think is still learning the game to some degree. He came in as a freshman with the Cougars and immediately dominated, recording 22 tackles for loss and being named First Team All-American – an honor he would repeat his two other years there as well. While it was obviously a transition from the AAC, where he was just so superior to everybody else physically, compared to lining up against professionals every single week, I thought he started flashing more and more as his rookie season progressed. And while Jordan Phillips just put up double-digit sacks for Buffalo and got a big deal from the Cardinals in the process, I thought Oliver was already the Bills’ best interior pass rusher in December. Overall he recorded five sacks and TFLs each to go with 31 pressures on 374 pass-rushing snaps. That ratio may not be up there with some of the league’s best, but he definitely showed sparks on winning in that area and he finished up playing 53.7 percent of the snaps on defense overall, as part of a deep rotation.
Coming out of Houston a year ago, it was clear Oliver needed some time to adjust to the NFL, after he was playing at the nose mostly in college and not having to stay true to his run fits all the time. While there are still moments where his pad-level gets too high and I feel like he is a tick late recognizing the run scheme, at 287 pounds his anchor is excellent and he has the ability to chase down plays laterally. In the pass game his natural power and quickness present problems for the opposition. What really stands out as well is he flexibility he possesses, as can be knocked from the side and somehow regain his balance to keep going and even if he ends up outside his pass-rush lane, he just continues to work. Something Oliver does really well already, which will give him a couple of “easy” sacks in 2020 is set up his loops to the outside on a twist, staying tight and aiming at the outside shoulder of the guard before pivoting outside suddenly. As a rookie, he had his issues going up against the better-schooled guards in the league, especially trying to beat the Steelers’ Ramon Foster and David DeCastro, who landed their hands inside his chest early and Oliver couldn’t gain an advantage. If he can work on being a little more pro-active and rushes the passer with more of a plan overall, I think he could be a Pro Bowler in year two.
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T.J. Edwards

A four-year starter at Wisconsin, Edwards recorded 366 tackles over the course of his career and made several impact plays for the Badgers. Unfortunately he could not participate in any on-field drills at the 2019 NFL combine due to a banged up ankle and if you can trust his pro day results, his athleticism is still below-average. Labelled as a classic college linebacker with limitations to translate his game to the next level, Edwards ultimately went undrafted and signed with the Eagles. As a rookie, he mostly made an impact on special teams, with nine combined tackles on punt and kickoff coverage. He only played 11 percent of the defensive snaps, but when he was on the field, he earned close to an elite grade by Pro Football Focus and got involved on another 21 tackles. When you divide those 122 snaps by the amount of tackles he recorded, that actually gives him the highest tackle rate of any player at the position with at least 100 snaps played. In his first year under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, he was mainly utilized on early downs to stop the run, as he was on the field for 89 run downs compared to only 33 pass plays.
That is somewhat understandable, since you just have to love his oldschool mind-set in the frame of a well-built, strong guy. Edwards aggressively shoots downhill on inside runs and drops the shoulder on lead-blockers trying to move him out of there, actually stonewalling some of those guys and creating traffic jams that way. At the same time, he shows enough patience with combo-blocks in front of him to not just give away free cutback lanes by overrunning plays, keeping bouncy feet as he deciphers what he sees in the backfield. He offers a sturdy base to absorb the contact by offensive linemen climbing up to him and keeps them at extension, while also showing the mobility to mirror pullers and beat them to the spot. Then he really brings some thump at initial contact on tackles to stop the forward momentum and missed only one attempt on the year (on special teams). It is kind of funny how Edwards was labelled a pure run-stopper because of some athletic limitations, when he actually intercepted ten passes and broke up another 15, while adding eight sacks throughout his career at Wisconsin. He may never be a candidate to shadow more dynamic backs or tight-ends one-on-one, but his feel in zone and ability to get involved as a blitzer should keep him on the field for third downs more. Edwards is also quick to recognize play-action and turn his head for potential crossers behind him before swiveling back towards the quarterback. I believe Edwards will be an excellent replacement for Zach Brown at MIKE, who left in free agency. There are some questions about linebacker trio with Duke Riley and Nathan Gerry, Jatavis Brown or Davion Taylor, but Edwards should be a fixture in the middle on first and second down at least.
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Byron Murphy

Murphy was my number one corner heading into the 2019 draft ahead of guys like Greedy Williams and DeAndre Baker and he was the first pick in round two. While he started all 16 games for Arizona and missed less than 30 snaps the entire season, I think barely anybody really knows about or watched this guy play for the Cardinals as rookie. There were definitely some learning experiences early on and if you look at the total yards and touchdowns allowed, it’s not a beautiful sight and 78 total tackles for any corner aren’t a great sign either. However, a lot of that had to do with the 105 targets coming his way (fourth-most by any player in the league) due to lining up on the opposite side of Patrick Peterson and the fact he was part of the 31st-ranked pass defense. I thought he improved every single week and he actually put up better marks in coverage than his running mate Peterson, despite being targeted at a much higher rate – 7.7 compared to 9.3 yards allowed per target. Murphy also intercepted one pass and broke up another ten.
What I loved about Murphy coming out of Washington last year was his innate feel in zone coverage with an outstanding ability to click-and-close and be a play-maker. He can flip his hips with ease and has that gliding speed to stay on top of routes, rarely allowing opponents to detach from him late. In the run game, Murphy does not shy away from getting involved as a tackler, arriving low and up-ending bigger ball-carriers routinely. You see him fill the D-gap or squeeze plays from the outside on several occasions. He also won’t allow bigger receivers to bully him as blockers, keeping them away from his frame and leveraging the ball accordingly. The rookie mostly played in the slot versus 11 personnel once Patrick Peterson returned in week seven last season and he was utilized as a blitzer off the edge a few times, where he chased running backs down from behind or got into the face of the opposing quarterback. He was heavily exhausted when he was moved in the slot and had to follow receivers back-and-forth across the formation on motions at times. The one thing Murphy really struggled with as a rookie was playing with his back towards the quarterback on slot fades and such as, where receivers could use subtle push-offs and win with their frame, as he almost purely face-guarded them and didn’t even try to snap his head around. The Cardinals have added a super-rangy player is Isaiah Simmons and beef up front to stop the run on early downs, in order to set up third-and-long situations. Allowing the now second-year player to focus more on his coverage and now with veteran Robert Alford being brought in as another outside corner, I see Murphy taking the next step in his developing. By the way, re-watching those Cardinals tapes – Budda Baker is just a freaking baller.
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Rock Ya-Sin

At the start of last year’s draft process, Ya-Sin wasn’t a huge name since he had only played one year at the FBS level for Temple. However, after he and now-49ers receiver Deebo Samuel went back and forth at the Senior Bowl, I started falling love with this guy and so did the scouting community. As a rookie with the Colts, wearing number 34 as the spot he was selected at, he started 13 of 15 games and played at least 93 percent of the snaps in ten of them. Ya-Sin was targeted on 15.2 percent of pass plays and he had some struggles, but he also improved a lot from the first to the second half of his debut campaign. There was one really rough showing versus one of the NFL’s young star receivers in Courtland Sutton, when he was penalized five times and was responsible for 75 receiving yards. However, the rest of the season he was called for defensive holding three times and for pass interference just once (40 total yards). That’s not too bad for a rookie who likes to get into the face of receivers and whose play-style out of college could be described as “grabby”. Over the final eight weeks, Ya-Sin held opposing QBs to a passer rating of just 75.8 and didn’t allow any touchdowns (after being responsible for two up to that point), while coming up with his first career pick.
Ya-Sin can be described is a very sticky, quick-footed corner. As a rookie, he primarily played outside and faced some tough matchups, while even being asked to travel with some of the game’s elite, such as Michael Thomas. While I’m not saying that always went great, his competitiveness is off the charts and I think he has all the tools to develop into an excellent cover-corner. Ya-Sin was rarely just caught out of position. It was more about struggling to find the ball down the field and panicking a little when he did overcommit initially. The more experience he had, the more comfortable he felt turning his head and making a play on the ball. I still love his competitiveness, rapid feet at the line, ability to read the hips of the receiver and use his length to get his hands on the ball. He had a few textbook reps, staying in phase with the receiver from press alignmenz on hitch or curl routes and knocking the pass down coming out of the break. I thought playing in year one, he was also a pretty good edge-setter in the run game and he didn’t just wait for the ball-carrier to cut back inside to stay clean. You saw him fight off blocks and try to cut down the guy with the ball. Now with Pierre Desir gone in free agency, I expect Ya-Sin to step into the spotlight as Indy’s true CB1. The Colts also brought in veteran Xavier Rhoades, who I thought looked broken down last season, but will help this kid grow mentally as well.
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Nasir Adderley

My top-rated safety from a year ago, I thought Adderley was a perfect match with Derwin James on the Chargers, because he has that range for a true deep middle safety to allow Derwin to roam and play more around the line of scrimmage. Unfortunately he had hamstring issues before even being drafted, which forced him to miss mandatory minicamp and most of training camp. He only appeared in one preseason game and then played 10 defensive snaps across four regular season games, making two pretty meaningless tackles, before the Chargers placed him on injured reserve. So with that little experience, Adderley barely meets my criteria, but he was active for four games and I want to grab the opportunity to talk about one of my favorites in last year’s draft. Coming out of Delaware, he filled the alley in the run game with the mind-set of a linebacker, while also showing the ability to cover ground to bail out his team-mates on the back-end. When the ball is completed in front of him, he punishes receivers and when it gets into his hand, he shows off his background as a kick returner, where we had one of the sickest plays I have ever seen, running an opponent over, staring him down and proceeding to go the end-zone.
Outside of some questions about the level of competition in the FCS and how much different he moved different than anybody else, I loved everything about his game. The one time we did actually see him play with pros – week four of the preseason – Adderley made one interception and deflected another three passes, while one of them should have been another pick, with a receiver knocking the ball out of his hands late, and he got both hands on another ball down the seams to deny a touchdown. You could see him show up outside the numbers against go-routes and cut in front of deep in-breaking routes, which led to the one INT he actually made. In addition to that, you saw him try to go underneath offensive linemen and be willing to take on some contact on screen plays, instead of staying back and avoiding collisions, getting involved late on scrums or jumping on the back of a receiver trying to catch the ball at the sideline. Now with Chris Harris added to the mix, Casey Hayward on the opposite side and Desmond King in the slot, with the guys they have up front to get after the passer, plus Derwin possibly being sent as a blitzer with his stupid closing burst, Adderley has the ability to gamble and make plays. Plus he gives them somebody who plays with an attitude, which I really appreciated going back to my evaluations coming out of college. Before he can become an impact player, he first needs to beat out Rayshawn Jenkins, but I’d be shocked if he wasn’t on the field for the majority of snaps.
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Notable other names:

Oshane Ximines
Rashan Gary
Jerry Tillery
Mack Wilson & Sione Takitaki
Rashad Fenton
Mike Hughes
Darnell Savage
Tracy Walker
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If you enjoyed this content, I would really appreciate if you could visit the original piece (with video clips) - https://halilsrealfootballtalk.com/2020/06/03/breakout-candidates-for-2020-offense-edition/
You can also listen to my breakdown on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KPNzxK-V_c

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The Final Battlefield, June 5th 06:15 Hours, Thorson’s Fleet
Andrew Thorson stood ready on the bridge of the Fusou at first light. Across the ocean to the north lay empty water, but the sky was dotted with the silhouettes of fighters and bombers. “Well this is it then. If they don’t dislodge us from this position they’ll never be able to invade the atoll,” he murmured. Thorson took Fusou’s hand briefly before ordering his fleet to battlestations, the two surviving forces of the battle of Midway clashing at long last. “All ships, full steam ahead. All power to anti-aircraft defense and shields. Protect each other and keep Ark Royal operational!”
Just behind the Fusou, dead center in the fleet and surrounded by escorts, Ark Royal prepared her P-40 Warhawk fighters. After many weeks of practice she sent them skyward with a wave of her hand, foregoing bombs in favor of maneuverability and speed. She rested her rifle on her shoulder, her captain’s uniform billowing in the winds of early morning as the sun began to warm the waves and air around them. “All wings are airborne, Knight Commander. Ascending to altitude now.”
“Dakota, get behind me, now,” Colorado ordered, shifting her throttle to full. The three Colorado class sisters and South Dakota made up a diamond shaped tip of the spear, the front of Thorson’s formation.
“I am the shield of this fleet, Colorado,” South Dakota replied quietly. Thorson and Fusou looked at one another, listening silently as the enemy aircraft, numbering at least two hundred, drew closer.
“And when we come under shell fire I will be happy to let you sacrifice yourself for the greater good. But for now get the hell out of my way. We have better AA armaments and you know it,” Colorado brokered no argument. “Little one, escort her to my stern. There will still be plenty to do.”
“That sounds alright. Come with me please, Dakota-san?” Kasumi requested, the two vessels giving way as Colorado took point. To Thorson’s surprise, the silver haired battleship wasn’t done. He allowed her the floor.
“Maryland, how many planes do you think Enterprise and her sisters carried?” Colorado asked calmly. As with Tennessee, she preferred the deck of her ship for confrontations, standing atop one of her main forward batteries.
“Call it ninety aircraft a ship,” Maryland replied seriously. “Zed, are you ready?”
“Ja, Maryland!”
“Good, stay to my inside stern and keep yourself alive for now. We’ll get you somewhere you can use those guns eventually.”
“West Virginia,” Colorado continued. “How many aircraft do you believe were stationed at Midway?”
“At least a hundred, sister. Javelin?”
“Ready to roll! I’ll do what I can, West Virginia,” the Royal destroyer assured her.
“Some four hundred aircraft destroyed and yet they only send two hundred or so to face us?” the lead Colorado class scoffed, her brow knitted in anger.
“Oooh, Laffey’s partner is angry. She can feel it, yes yes. Laffey will stay behind her guns for now.”
“Commander Thorson!” Colorado called him directly.
“Go ahead, Colorado,” he replied sternly.
“Requesting permission to demonstrate to the enemy the power of the Big Seven.”
Tennessee scoffed, adjusting her gloves as she prepared to use what little AA was available to her in the fight. On the flanks, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Yamashiro, and California drew close to their escorts and the Union cruisers. Cleveland, on the other hand, was more than happy to play along. “Ready and able to support, Colorado! I don’t think there’s ever been this grand of a test for the Union’s anti-aircraft abilities!”
“Good. Focus on your friends and the carrier. Those that slip through are yours… we’ll try to let you have a bit of fun,” the battleship promised confidently. “Sisters?”
“All systems green, ready to fire!” Maryland reported, adjusting her heading so that the envelope of her short range AA guns would overlap suitably with Colorado’s. West Virginia did the same.
“I’m ready. Mmm, it is a beautiful morning, isn’t it?” the dark haired sister remarked as she left the safety of her bridge and proceeded onto deck. “At your command, Colorado.”
“Commander?”
“Fire when ready, Colorado. All ships, follow Colorado and Cleveland’s lead.”
“Oooh, those foxes and rabbits are in for a world of hurt,” Shigure remarked with some anticipation, having become familiar with the potential of the Union’s AA weaponry over the last several weeks.
“The enemy has rabbits? Laffey will sink them, yes yes. There will only be one rabbit for the Commander.”
From atop her guns, Colorado stretched her arm out towards the northern horizon. She could make out the red rising sun on the wings of the Sakura aircraft. Her Bofors and Oerlikons moved seamlessly at her command, adjusting their trajectory to account for the attacking aircrafts’ flight path.
“The era of the dreadnought is not over. Big Seven, fire!”
-----
Aboard the Kaga, the snowy-haired leader of the Sakura was coming to understand just how great of a coup Pearl Harbor had been. The devastation she and her sisters had wrought during that sneak attack had been immense, with the Union ships clustered tightly, thinly manned and helpless. Her body and mind screamed with pains both dull and sharp as her air wings were assaulted by impeccably placed AA fire. It had begun with a sound like drums in the distance as the highest caliber guns of the Union’s newest battleships fired at her aircraft. Losses had been acceptable, only a handful, until she and her sister realized that it had only been one ship firing at them. When the other Colorado-class ships joined the barrage, assisted by another, different class behind them, the hits felt like a wall of bullets and flak. They scattered, aiming to move around the frontal obstruction but coming into contact instead with groups of P-40s, the typically land-based aircraft armed to the teeth with more machine guns than their Zeros could ever hope to mount. She and Akagi maneuvered around them skillfully and brought down many in intense dogfighting, but the wall of steel and guns did not stop moving north beneath them.
Hiryuu and Soryuu tried an attack run on the lead ship and suffered immense losses in the chaos, their planes riddled with fire from the enemy cruisers and battleships as the shipgirls piloting them simply projected shields forward and shrugged off the occasional direct hit. Beneath the action, a single wing of swordfish biplanes, assisted by floatplanes from Yamashiro and Fusou, made short work of the torpedoes released by the rabbits’ Nakajima torpedo bombers. The planes were flying so low and slowly that no one was able to pay them any heed. Colorado sailed straight through towering columns of water from the detonations, utterly fearless and brimming with cold fury, a yin to Tennessee’s chaotic yang. West Virginia and Maryland held position on her rear flanks, ensuring that any Sakura attack against weaker points of the formation’s AA defense would have to come from the rear or sides, making the approach more time consuming and opening up bombers to strafing runs from Ark Royal’s remaining fighters which remained at altitude, away from the enemy Zeros. Commander Thorson and Fusou stood strong amidst the chaos, the human doing his best to keep tabs on the overall flow of battle while Fusou piloted her aircraft and sent the occasional volley of AA fire skyward. Like most of the Sakura she was woefully under-equipped compared to the ships of the Union, but that was the benefit of a mixed formation so far as he was concerned. The radio was eerily silent, his fleet operating like a well-oiled machine with a singular purpose orchestrated by Cleveland, Colorado, and Ark Royal, vengeance for the deaths of Oklahoma, Nevada, Prince of Wales, Exeter, and thousands of other lives both human and shipgirl.
After approximately forty minutes of fierce combat the action suddenly halted, the few enemy aircraft left suddenly plummeting into the waves below. “Damage reports!” Thorson demanded immediately. West Virginia’s voice, breathing heavily, crackled in reply.
“Those bombs pack a punch, sir. A few secondaries may not be operational when we get there, but I’m still down for a scrap. No major structural damage.”
“Damn right,” Maryland added, resting against one of her turrets as a manjuu hopped up to join her. “Huh? Where’d you come from, little guy? For me? Hey, thanks a bunch. Oh by the way, Zed, I saw that kill of yours. Nice one.”
“D-Danke, Maryland!” the Ironblood destroyer stuttered in reply. She had only managed the one aircraft kill, an Aichi headed straight for Maryland’s main batteries, and blushed crimson at recognition for such a small thing in the midst of a battle so grand. As with Maryland, she soon noticed a couple of puffy, yellow manjuu hopping about outside her bridge windows. Opening the door and allowing them in, Zed received a delivery of secret coolant, the drink soothing her overheated blood as her cube calmed itself after drawing blood in battle again after so long. The manjuus hung around for a moment, inspecting her and poking at her shoulder to get her attention. “Oh, you need something else?” she wondered, sitting on the floor to be closer to them. After a few moments of chirping and looking about her, Zed realized that they were trying to ascertain the status of her injuries. “I’m just fine with this drink, thank you!”
Thorson couldn’t help but chuckle at the evolution of his fleet’s damage control systems as Akashi revealed yet another secret weapon, the fact that as with the Langley, manjuus seemed to prefer support ships to combat vessels. As a result, a flood of the curiously competent creatures was at the minty kitty’s disposal, and she sent them to supply the ships of the fleet with coolant and to get an idea of the necessary damage control needed from her and the bulins, who numbered far fewer. Colorado and her sisters had suffered some superficial damage, with bruises and tattered capes to prove it; but beyond the dented metal and scorch marks the worst damage done had been to Yamashiro, who had allowed a bomb to slip through her shields as she defended the lead ships from torpedoes.
“Tono-sama,” Fusou began, her concern for her sister more than apparent in her tone and the way her eyes shifted constantly. The explosion on the battleship’s stern had been impossible to miss.
“Go to her. I’ll hold things down here,” Thorson assured Fusou. The younger sister had barely made a sound when the hit had come, remaining focused on her task as her stern smoldered following the impact. Several bulins were helping her with fire control.
“Thank you, tono-sama,” the elder neko battleship said with relief, leaving the lightest of kisses on his cheek before exiting the bridge at all possible speed. He radioed Colorado.
“Colorado, I want you and your sisters to change formation,” he commanded.
“Requesting an explanation, sir. I think we performed splendidly,” Colorado replied, fingering the singed hem of her cape. “We remain fully operational as well.”
“Miss Colorado should not be questioning the Commander so much, no no. Laffey has been with him from his very first day, yes she has. He has yet to do something stupid in battle even though he is a lecherous man,” the lapine destroyer insisted sleepily.
“Well I’m happy to have your conditional approval, Laffey,” Thorson groaned as multiple shipgirls took the offered occasion to have a laugh and breathe deeply after the stress of fighting off a competent air raid. He was just thankful it hadn’t involved siren aircraft attacking a fixed target this time around.
“Laffey loves her commander, yes she does.”
“Commander?” Colorado attempted to bring them back to the topic at hand as they continued north.
“I agree with you, Colorado. That was a demonstration worthy of Independence Day. However, tell me you believe the enemy will attack us with their aircraft head on again.”
“It’s a good point, sis,” Maryland insisted.
The silver haired battleship sighed in acceptance. “Very well. Your orders, Commander?”
“They would be fools to attack us with their airpower alone after what just happened,” Thorson declared. “They might, but if they do we’ll simply beat them back again. I think the next battle will be fleet versus fleet, and they’ll attempt to use their torpedo advantage to sink us. South Dakota, I want you to take point, with Maryland and West Virginia swapping with Pennsylvania and California. Arizona, I want you to stay in the middle or rear of the formation so long as you’re confident you can use those healing rounds again.”
“I will do whatever is necessary, Commander,” she promised.
“Good. Tennessee, you’re taking the position right behind South Dakota. Colorado, you and Laffey will take the rear now.”
If Colorado had any protests as Thorson finished assigning new orders, she kept them to herself. Slowly the fleet spread out, allowing the hulking Union dreadnoughts to move and shuffle their locations. He called the Yamashiro next. “Fusou, Yamashiro, are you there?”
“She will be alright, tono-sama,” Fusou explained in relief. “Akashi is assessing the damage now, but it appears that at worst she will be without a handful of secondary batteries and her floatplane catapult.
“Nee-san, they hurt my butt!” Yamashiro complained, bringing a smile to Thorson’s face in spite of himself.
“Don’t worry, Yamashiro. I think we hurt them a lot worse.”
-----
“We cannot underestimate him again, sister,” Kaga stated quietly, standing proudly just opposite Akagi on her deck. Her body throbbed with pain, but she kept it concealed behind a mask of indifference. Akagi’s face, by contrast, was contorted in rage.
“To think those lumbering, obsolete steel tubs could be capable of that kind of firepower,” the Sakura commander groused. Kaga did not have the strength to scold her.
“It must be that commander of theirs, their Knight. He’s allowed them to fight as we do. If anything we’re fortunate our advantage lasted even this long. What are your orders, Akagi?”
The brown haired kitsune stared at her sister. “What? No snide comments? No passive aggressive insinuations that had you been in command we would have prevailed?”
“No, dear sister. They shot down my planes too. When we return to eviscerating the rest of the impotent Union navy I will have my fun with them and with you, but for now we decide whether we retreat or stand and fight as one.”
“Sometimes, Kaga, your lips move and it’s your voice I hear but her words reach my ears,” Akagi said quietly, their face to face discussion allowing for privacy as their fleet continued south and east towards confrontation now that their enemy had shown his hand. “We cannot afford to simply leave now. We will meet him in battle and cut the head off of this snake before it kills us all.”
“I am in agreement, sister. Then it is time?” Kaga inquired eerily, her voice like a wraith.
“My powers will be yours, dear sister,” Akagi assured her.
“And mine will be yours.”
-----
June 5th 9:34 Hours, Thorson’s Fleet, Bridge of the Fusou
“May the gods protect us,” Fusou whispered as her fleet finally obtained a visual on the enemy after more than a day at sea. Broken aircraft littered the seas between them and the Union fleets, their fate rendered almost irrelevant by what they were witnessing. “Tono-sama?”
“Are you scared?” he asked quietly, looking through his binoculars at the small Sakura ship silhouettes on the horizon. The scene was dominated by the Akagi and Kaga, which seemed to have burst into colored flames that towered several hundred feet into the skies like funeral pyres. Blue and red swirled and shifted, acting as if one mind and one force, but the colors never bled or mixed.
“I am,” the shrine maiden admitted freely. “I have never witnessed such a thing.”
“You think we’re going to die, short stuff?” Tennessee asked Downes. She shook her head fiercely.
“Can’t. I’ve got someone waiting,” the ‘tiger of the Union’ insisted tensely.
“What should we do, Commander?” Cleveland asked, a hint of worry in her usually confident and animated voice. “You know we’re with you, and I wouldn’t back down from a fight even with the sirens… but I’m not sure my guns will work against that.”
“All ships, continue full steam ahead,” Thorson ordered, gripping the radio transmitter with a shaking hand as his fleet all listened silently, hoping for something more than onward into death. “I’m sure you all know the stakes here. The Sakura fleet is right there, more powerful than it’s ever been. Enterprise and her sisters have obviously failed.”
“Yukikaze the Great is feeling not so great at this particular moment,” the little destroyer admitted.
“I guess they didn’t feel it nearly as bad as I thought,” Shigure admitted.
“I know,” Thorson assured them. “Quite the vulgar display of power, isn’t it? But I didn’t see any other allied fleets on the way up here, did any of you?” Their silence was his answer. He closed his eyes and tried to remember the specifics of one of the Great War legends. “I want to tell you girls a story. Ark, you might actually know this one.”
“If you call me old again, Knight Commander, I’ll be quite cross with you when this is all over. But if these are to be my final moments, the sound of your voice isn’t the worst thing to listen to,” the veteran carrier admitted.
“Akashi cannot stop blushing and hiding under the steering column in fear, nyaa!” the minty kitty cried as aircraft began launching from the Hiryuu and Soryuu.
“I want to tell you all a story about the difference a single, competent soldier can make, a story about a man… from Tennessee.” At Thorson’s words, his wildest battleship tilted her head curiously. She’d been ready to dismiss his story out of hand entirely and prepare herself to kill as many Sakura as possible before they came for her, but she’d not missed his tone when he mentioned her namesake state. “This is the story of Sergeant Alvin York.”
Thorson’s ships sailed north in silence as he set the scene for them, a scene they could only identify with as their own Hill 233 loomed before them. Machine gun fire from concealed locations within the enemy lines, the Argonne forest, comrades dead and dying all around. “And so there he was, exchanging rifle fire with machine guns, alone, one against thirty at least. But he shot, killed, and kept shooting. During the battle six soldiers charged him with bayonets. He drew his sidearm and gunned them all down before they could reach him. The enemy commander emptied his pistol in an attempt to kill York, and failed. He then surrendered. In the end, the actions of one man led to the capture of the Ironblood position and 132 soldiers. And no, Sergeant York did not have any wisdom cubes at his disposal, just a 1917 Lee Enfield and a Colt 1911.”
“Damn, that’s quite the tale, eh Belle?” Downes declared as Thorson finished. Colorado and her sisters had their forward batteries trained on the enemy formation. They would be in range in moments. Tennessee said nothing in reply, however, and Downes couldn’t see the blonde battleship girl from her own position. Instead she radioed back to Thorson. “I think you’re in luck, Commander.”
“Why is that, Downes?”
“I don’t know if that York fellow was skilled, crazy, or both, but I don’t see anyone turning around. Let’s go take this hill.”
“Well said, Fire-eye!” Maryland cheered. “Girls, you ready?”
“Yes. Your target, Commander Thorson?” Colorado demanded.
“Target the carriers and battleships until you’re close enough to destroy the escorts confidently,” he replied. “All battleships fire at will upon reaching engagement range. Escorts, move outside the battleship wall and prepare to screen the capital ships and counter enemy attacks. Retreat to the safety of the AA envelope as needed. Cleveland, remain at the center with Ark. Colorado, I think it would be fitting for you to begin.”
“It would be our pleasure, Commander. Those enemy foxes aren’t the only ones capable of a lightshow. Maryland, West Virginia, prepare to fire!”
“406mm showoffs,” Pennsylvania whispered, but Yuudachi was ready with upbeat words.
“Don’t worry about it, Pennsylvania-san. If the battle doesn’t last long enough for you to get in range then it won’t matter, wan~!”
“Aren’t you just a ray of sunshine, puppy girl?”
“Not when we’re in a battle Penny-san!” Yuudachi ‘complained’ as the Colorado class ships picked their target. Anyone else engaged in last minute conversations, in attempts to bolster morale or maintain sanity in the face of the raw power of the first carrier division, was silenced as twelve shells rocketed into the sky, leaving red, white, and blue wakes behind them. Even at that extreme distance, one of the massive shells managed to reach its target many seconds later, exploding against Kaga’s forcefields with a terrible sound and fury. The kitsune bore the attack and remained standing, conjuring in return a swarm of flaming spirits shaped like Sakura aircraft from the towering column of flame above them.
“So we shall cross swords at last,” she murmured appreciatively. “Come!”
-----
“Indy, more planes at three o’clock!”
“I see them, sister. California?”
“You’re too cute to deny but you know my AA isn’t great! Oh, thanks for the assist, Maryland.”
“Don’t mention it, but stay alert. We’re close to torpedo range.” The words were not even out of the battleship’s mouth when a bright blue forcefield enveloped South Dakota, the dark-skinned woman forced to her knee as a torpedo detonated beneath her hull. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself back to her feet with the help of her shield and carried on. The enemy formation was spreading out before them, increasing the angles at which torpedoes could be launched towards Thorson’s ships. Not even he had anticipated such a long range strike, courtesy of Maya.
“Spread out!” he ordered in reply, ‘showing’ Fusou what he intended thanks to the link between them. She then conveyed it via radio to the rest of the fleet, their pattern shifting in an orderly fashion from a circular formation to a broad crescent meant to shield Ark Royal, Akashi, and specific escorts like Cleveland from the brunt of the enemy attacks. Chaos reigned around them as aircraft dove and swarmed them, held in check by the fleet’s AA guns and the prodigious firepower of Ark Royal’s fighters. All the while Thorson’s battleships launched shells at the enemy, scoring occasional hits against the enemy cruisers and battleships whereas the carriers proved an impenetrable bastion. Akagi and Kaga, their abilities at fully synchronization, simply vaporized any shells or aircraft that got too close. While the detonations above made for an epic display and deafened many of the Sakura shipgirls, they didn’t score the kills Thorson desperately needed. Instead he ordered a shifting of fire to the escorts as the range closed. So long as the Sakura drew closer, he felt he had the advantage.
It was clear, however, that Akagi and Kaga felt the same, and the damage reports from Thorson’s fleet lent credence to that opinion. For every hit against Haruna, Kongou, Kirishima, or the other smaller ships outside of the protective range of the first carrier division, he suffered damage in return. Cassin took an incredibly unlucky HE shell to her superstructure, knocking the girl unconscious and taking her out of the battle completely. Downes had been distraught, but Tennessee kept her in formation as Akashi dispatched two bulins to aid the stricken ship as it fell behind the advancing formation. South Dakota was taking a beating as well, even with the help of Indianapolis’ pandora reactor and shields. She only fired a handful of volleys from her main guns before the role of defender consumed all of her strength and energy, beset upon by torpedoes. With Kasumi’s assistance and encouragement, she was able to avoid most of the further incoming ‘fishes’, but Hiryuu and Soryuu refused to be denied either. The added focus on torpedo defense had necessitated a shifting of resources away from air defense, and the lapine carriers kept launching bombers and fighters with all their remaining strength. Maryland was suffering from fires on deck, while Pennsylvania lost a main battery, the shipgirl grunting in pain as her shoulder felt ready to pop out of its socket.
On the other side of the battlefield, the attrition took its toll as well. Nagara had gone silent following a bruising volley from California and Arizona, and Nowaki was occupied with multiple fires on deck courtesy of Portland and Zed’s exceptional gunnery. They hadn’t suffered torpedo attacks, but Akagi and Kaga had not given a retreat order. The enemy fleet, situated between them and Midway, was getting closer. With grace and calm, Hiei took aim at the flagship, the Fusou, and fired a volley.
“Tono-sama!” Fusou placed her body in front of him, arms wide, and threw up her shields as the incoming shells detonated around her. One made it through and exploded on her forward decks, throwing her back into Thorson as they crashed violently to the ground. Several hails came in at once, trying to ascertain the condition of their commander, but Laffey was focused on the ship that had fired the shot.
“You… Laffey knows you from her dreams, the bad ones when she is forced to sleep somewhere other than the Commander’s chest or lap. You will not take him from Laffey today!” From her position in the center left of the formation, Laffey’s bow transformed and began charging her Annihilation Mode cannon. Crackling electricity and plasma sparked in the air and off the sea as Colorado radioed her.
“Listen up, Laffey. The commander may take it easy on you, but I won’t. If you fire that weapon and go to sleep on me, surrounded by the enemy, I’ll take you out myself,” the battleship warned. “I can’t afford to lose my escort.”
“Miss Colorado should trust Laffey,” the destroyer insisted as the volume of shells in the air decreased significantly as the enemy took notice of the impending attack. “Laffey will never rest, never so long as the Commander needs her. She will continue to escort once the enemy battleship is no more. Condition green, firing.”
Even Akagi and Kaga’s battle trance was broken as the beam of energy tore across the open ocean directly at the Hiei. Kongou and Haruna shrieked and called out to their sister in fear as Kirishima pulled down her mask to stare openly. The proud Sakura battleship’s shields slowly faltered and then broke. Hiei’s cry of anguish sent shivers through the entire fleet as her ship was left barely afloat, a charred remnant of its former glory. Aboard the bridge, the shipgirl slumped unconscious and dying to the floor, her last mote of energy dedicated to the barrier that had saved her body from instant immolation. Her cubes had simply been pushed past their limits.
“That was a damn fine shot, Laffey,” Thorson radioed, his survival sending his fleet’s morale through the roof. “Fusou’s injured but seaworthy. Press the attack! Arizona, now’s the time!”
“I understand, Andrew!” she replied, hurrying out onto her deck as she killed her engines and shifted her rudders, turning her side to the enemy as her sister and friends charged forward, the enemy ships only then restarting their attack. The resurrected battleship knelt upon her forward deck as all of her main batteries turned to face her allies and the enemies beyond. The words came easier the second time, as though her cubes compelled her to remember. “I call upon the angels again, as one who has walked the ether and returned. In service to the one named for the first-called of the apostles, I beseech you to heal our wounds. Eagle’s Tears!”
“Oh my, that is utterly delightful!” Brooklyn remarked, firing off a well placed strike against a conventionally manned destroyer as she experienced the radiating energy of Arizona’s healing ability for the first time. Even the bruised and battered South Dakota found herself standing proudly with newfound energy, the fires aboard the Maryland extinguished. Behind her, Tennessee was chomping at the bit, her secondary batteries almost in range as Akagi and Kaga began lashing out directly with bolts of spirit fire.
“Torpedoes, now!” Thorson commanded, watching as his destroyer escorts swept out of their battleship cover, Laffey included, and unloaded an aquatic salvo. “Guns silent, shields and engines to full! Break them open!”
“This is it, Belle,” Downes whispered, keeping her defenses up as best she could as a blue bolt of fire struck her rear left torpedo mount. “Oh you are so dead, goddamn carriers! I liked that hardpoint!”
With South Dakota leading the charge, Thorson’s formation tightened behind the wall of torpedoes at his command, arranging themselves in an arrowhead as Arizona was left alone with Yukikaze, Cleveland, Brooklyn, Ark Royal, and Akashi. Unbelievably, the enemy had not turned from battle, continuing to maneuver evasively but not increasing the engagement distance. Without Arizona’s assistance Thorson knew that would have been an appropriate decision, his fleet peppered with shells and the occasional torpedo as shields flared and flickered. By her grace, however, his doomed cavalry charge, a tactic as old as warfare itself, was seen to fruition. Through his binoculars, looking at the bridge of an enemy heavy cruiser, the Commander picked out a pretty, black-haired girl with yellow eyes and red, demonic horns jutting from her forehead. Her eyes were wide and white with fear. It was time. “Open fire!”
At his command South Dakota finally allowed herself to fall back as Tennessee put on a burst of speed, fueled by bloodlust and the promise of vengeance. She could see the secondary guns on the carriers that had attacked her at Pearl Harbor, she was so close. None would deny her. “Get out of my way!” she roared, turning her main batteries and secondaries on the closest ships and lashing out indiscriminately. Command towers and main batteries burned or were blown to pieces, with Downes maneuvering expertly in her wake and firing an unnaturally high number of shells into the confused and routing masses before dodging back to Tennessee’s other side. Maryland and Zed were employing a similar strategy, while Javelin led West Virginia’s way, dodging incoming fire with surprising grace and speed while the lumbering Union colossus simply eviscerated any enemies left at what was, for naval combat, point blank distance. The attack was not without its downsides, however, as Akagi and Kaga lashed out directly with their flames, inflicting terrible pain and damage on ships that found themselves unable to properly block their attacks. Despite the kitsune’s heroics, the fact of the matter remained that they were at a disadvantage, and the towering columns of fire suddenly broke as Pennsylvania, California, Colorado, Minneapolis, Portland, and Indiannapolis all trained their guns on them and fired in unison.
“Why won’t they sink?!” Akagi shrieked, biting her lip until blood spilled down to her chin. It was a fitting pain to go with the bruising her ribs had just endured. “Just die already!” While Akagi’s towering rage alone was enough to roast the superstructure of the Yamashiro from a distance, the fact remained that Thorson’s fleet had survived both torpedo and aircraft, and was now wreaking havoc, killing and maiming indiscriminately as a battleship that should have burned in the docks at Pearl Harbor bore down on a now crippled Hiryuu, her engines and rudder long disabled by armor piercing shells.
“My lords… Akagi-sama, Kaga-sama,” the rabbit coughed as Soryuu tried to launch more planes only to have them immediately gunned down. “You can still… get out.”
Kaga watched with horror as battleships that looked like a force sent from hell, charred and missing turrets, AA mounts, and secondary batteries, nevertheless carried on, alive, capable, and fueled by a rage that not even she and Akagi could understand. The Union’s remaining guns tore into her troops and decimated her ships. Hiryuu was correct, the hundreds of meters between the first and second carrier divisions would seal both of their fates. “Akagi, we need to leave, now. Any longer and we will be unable to outrun him.”
“Damnit. Damnit! DAMNIT!” Akagi screeched, conjuring another fireball and launching it directly at the Fusou. The shrine maiden yelled in pain as many of her smaller guns were melted and her forward decks set ablaze, forcing Thorson to take her up in his arms and move as quickly as he could to the stern of the ship, ready to leap overboard minutes later as the fires slowly spread. Though the attack was impressive and terrifying, it encompassed the extent of Akagi’s ability to influence a battle now firmly out of her control, a gamble that had shattered the Union and, were it not for the divine grace of a ship that should have been dead, would have ended the war entirely. “All ships, full retreat! Hold formation and return to the Sanctuary!”
With Thorson unable to command the situation, Pennsylvania took up the mantle of commanding officer as the first carrier division, their escorts, and any other ship that could break engagement with Thorson’s forces broke and fled. “They’re retreating! Stay alert, disable any enemy ships you can and try not to kill them. You know how Thorson does business. End any who fight back. Go!”
Tennessee needed no encouragement, barrelling forward over the waves at the stricken Hiryuu, continuing to pound the carrier with shell fire. No longer was she at point blank in a naval sense. She was at point blank range, period. “This is for Nevada, you bastard!” she roared as Downes was forced to back off her stern, gazing on with wonder and dreaded excitement as Tennessee shielded her bow and rammed into the Hiryuu amidships, splitting the carrier in half in a display every bit as vulgar as the first carrier division’s area denial capabilities. “Holy shit that was awesome,” the athletic destroyer murmured.
“Hiryuu-chan!” Soryuu screamed, limping along her flight deck, arm outstretched as the sounds of shearing metal carried over the battlefield. Exhausted, drained of her ability to fight, and riddled with holes, all she could do was drop to her knees and watch as her sister’s ship suffered Tennessee’s wrath. If Laffey’s attack against Hiei had turned the tide, Tennessee’s had ended the battle completely. Every gun on both sides fell silent as Akagi, Kaga, and the rest of the Sakura were forced to abandon the wounded, retreating to the north and west. Aboard the Hiryuu, the white-furred rabbit found herself contemplating how she wished to die. A proud, tanned, Union woman was advancing on her, rigging drawn as she casually leapt from her own boat and ‘boarded’ the carrier.
“Well, that explains a few things,” she agreed with herself, coughing into her hand only to come away looking at blood. “Here to finish what we started… then I will too.” Using that same blood, Hiryuu imbued her remaining talismans with her very will and threw them as far as she could off her deck. Tennessee, in no mood to play games, fired a full salvo from her rigging and knocked Hiryuu to the ground. The rabbit did not find her feet again.
“Shit, cunning little snake,” Tennessee swore as the talismans, borne by the wind, materialized into a wing of dive bombers so low to the ocean that they couldn’t be targeted, heading at full speed to the east. Behind her, Thorson and Fusou had been evacuated to the Akashi, with the majority of the bulins engaged in fire damage control aboard the flagship. Thorson could only assume the target of the aircraft.
“Javelin, Yukikaze, Yuudachi, Downes, follow those aircraft and make contact with the Union task forces! Render assistance if necessary. All ships engaged in pursuit, break off and search the area for survivors and cubes. We need those more than anything else. We will regroup at Midway itself,” he commanded, holding a hand to his head as the pains of the battle slowly left him. Being connected to Fusou when she’d sustained damage had not been the most pleasant experience, but the shrine maiden was alive, and that was all that mattered. Aboard the slowly sinking rear half of the Hiryuu, Tennessee finally loomed over the woman who had bloodied her and her friends half a year prior. She watched silently, a scowl on her face, as the bruised and beaten carrier tried to stand, another wracking cough spilling her blood on Tennessee’s boots.
“Surrender,” she ordered coldly. “Or don’t. I’d prefer that.”
“I… won’t…” Hiryuu declared, barely able to keep her eyes open. Tennessee’s once blinding anger, now a more manageable inferno, did not completely overpower her appreciation for the Sakura carrier’s sheer guts. As she slumped over on her deck, Hiryuu could only grunt as Tennessee took her by her collar and held her aloft.
“If you survive this, know that you owe your life to Commander Thorson. It’s more than you deserve,” the Union battleship insisted fiercely before throwing her to the deck and ripping her shard from her neck.
Far in the distance, Akagi gave her final murderous orders as the Sakura fleet escaped to fight another day. “Iroha, take your sisters and finish what we started here. This war no longer concerns the Union. Ensure they understand that.”
“With pleasure, Lady Akagi. We were growing bored playing at recon.”
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Ever since i started playing regularly, i've researched anonymity in places. Here is what i have for each state plus a bunch of other countries. If anything is outdated or incorrect, please comment.
United States
Alabama: No current lottery. Source: https://www.wtvy.com/content/news/Lottery-bill-other-legislation-is-likely-dead-in-Alabama-legislature-569059451.html
Alaska: No current lottery/Not Anonymous. "Unlike most other states, Alaska doesn’t have a state-sponsored lottery." Source: https://www.lotterycritic.com/lottery-results/alaska/ Alaska does permit charities to run lotteries, the largest one is Not Anonymous. Source: http://www.lottoalaska.com/
Alaska's governor has proposed a bill to create an official Alaska State Lottery. Source: https://apnews.com/78cacca5137f6b47e41be2de37600044
American Samoa: No current lottery. Source: https://simonsblogpark.com/onlinegambling/simons-guide-to-gambling-in-american-samoa/amp/
Arizona: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner for all wins of $100,000 and over. Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/arizona-becomes-latest-state-shield-lottery-winners-names-n995696
Arkansas: Not Anonymous/Other entities unclear. "Winner information is subject to disclosure under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). A winner who receives a prize or prize payment from the ASL grants the ASL, its agents, officers, employees, and representatives the right to use, publish (in print or by means of the Internet) and reproduce the winner’s name, physical likeness, photograph, portraits, and statements made by the winner, and use audio sound clips and video or film footage of the winner for the purpose of press releases, advertising, and promoting the ASL". Source: https://www.myarkansaslottery.com/claim-your-prize
California: Not Anonymous/Only individuals can claim. “ The name and location of the retailer who sold you the winning ticket, the date you won and the amount of your winnings are also matters of public record and are subject to disclosure. You can form a trust prior to claiming your prize, but our regulations do not allow a trust to claim a prize. Understand that your name is still public and reportable”. Source: https://static.www.calottery.com/~/media/Publications/Popular_Downloads/winners-handbook-October%202018-%20English.pdf
Colorado: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust. “As part of the Open Records Act, we are required to release to the public your name, hometown, amount you won and the game you played. This information will be posted on coloradolottery.com and will be furnished to media upon request.” Source: https://www.coloradolottery.com/en/games/lotto/claim-winnings/ Source: https://denver.cbslocal.com/2016/01/15/in-colorado-and-other-states-lottery-winners-can-keep-names-secret/
Connecticut: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via a trust or LLC, "Certain information about our winners is public information: Winner's name and place of residence, date of claim, game played, prize amount won, and the selling retailer's name and location. While most winners claim prizes using their individual names, some winners come forward using other legal entities (i.e., trusts, business partnership) to claim their prizes. In those instances, the Lottery will promote the win using that legal entity's name. For more information about such instances, please consult your personal accountant or legal advisor.” Source: https://www.ctlottery.org/Content/winner_publicity.aspx
Delaware: 100% Anonymous if requested by winner. "Many winners have chosen to remain anonymous, as allowed by state law, but their excitement is yours to share!" Source: https://www.delottery.com/Winners and https://www.delottery.com/FAQs
DC: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via a trust or LLC. Anonymous question is not directly answered on lottery website. "In the District of Columbia, specific lottery winner information is public record." However, a Powerball Jackpot win was claimed via a LLC in 2009. Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/04/AR2009050402008.html
Florida: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via LLC. "Florida Lottery winners cannot remain anonymous. Florida law mandates that the Florida Lottery provide the winner's name, city of residence, game won, date won and amount won to any third party who requests the information; however Florida Lottery winners' home addresses and telephone numbers are confidential." Source: http://www.flalottery.com/faq
The Florida Lottery allows trusts to claim it, however winner information is still released in compliance with the law. A $15 Million jackpot was claimed by an LLC. Source: https://www.fox13news.com/amp/consumehit-the-lottery-remain-anonymous-not-in-florida Source: http://flalottery.com/pressRelease?searchID=199128
Georgia: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner for all prizes over $250,000. Source: https://www.stl.news/georgia-governor-signs-bill-allowing-lottery-winners-remain-anonymous/121962/
Guam: Anonymity appears to be an option. Source: https://www.kuam.com/story/11218413/guamanian-wins-big-in-sportsbingo-but-has-yet-to-claim-2m-prize
Hawaii: No current lottery. Source: https://www.kitv.com/story/40182224/powerball-or-mega-millions-lottery-in-hawaii
Idaho: Not Anonymous."By claiming a winning lottery ticket over $600, winners become subject to Idaho’s Public Records Law. This means your “win” becomes an offcial Idaho public record. Your full name, the town where you live, the game you won, the amount you won (before and after taxes), the name of the retailer where you bought the ticket, and the amount the retailer receives for selling the ticket are all a matter of public record." Can seek anonymity if you have specific security concerns (rarely granted). Source: https://www.idaholottery.com/images/uploads/general/winnersguideweb.pdf
Illinois: Not Anonymous/Anonymous if requested by winner for all wins over $250,000 however info will be released to a FOIA request. "However, Murphy also cooperated with the Illinois Press Association in adding an amendment that ensures that Freedom of Information Act, an act designed to keep government agencies transparent by allowing the public to access any public record by request, supersedes the privacy law, according to attorney Don Craven, the press association’s legal counsel." Source: https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Hidden-riches-Big-lottery-winner-in-Beardstown-13626173.php
Indiana: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via LLC or trust. "Indiana law allows lottery jackpot winners to remain anonymous, with the money being claimed by a limited liability company or legal trust." Source: https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/ct-indiana-mega-millions-winners-20160729-story.html
Iowa: Not Anonymous/Can use a trust to claim but information will be released. "When you win an Iowa Lottery prize of $600 or more, you have to fill out a winner claim form that includes your name, address and Social Security number before you can claim your winnings. Iowa law makes the information on that claim form public, meaning that anyone can request a copy of the form to see who has won the prize. We redact sensitive information, such as your Social Security number, from the form before we release it, but all other details are considered public information under Iowa law (Iowa Code Section 99G.34(5)." Source: https://www.ialotteryblog.com/2008/11/can-prize-winne.html.
For group play, "Prizes can be paid to players who play as a group. A check can be written to an entity such as a trust or to a single individual." Source: https://ialottery.com/pages/Games/ClaimingPrizes.aspx
Kansas: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. "Kansas is one of a handful of states that does not have this requirement. If you win a prize in Kansas, you may request that your identity not be released publicly." Source: https://www.kslottery.com/faqs#faq-8
Kentucky: Anonymity appears to be an option. Anonymity or who can claim is not addressed on lottery website. But multiple instances of winners claiming anonymously have been reported in the news. "Kentucky Lottery spokesman Chip Polson said the $1 million Powerball winner claimed the prize on May 15 and the Mega Million winner claimed the prize on May 12. He confirmed that both players wanted their identity to remain a secret." Source: https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2017/05/19/two-1-million-lottery-winners-who-bought-tickets-louisville-want-privacy/101870414/
Louisiana: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust. "Under the Lottery's statute, all prize payment records are open records, meaning that the public has a right to request the information. Depending upon the amount won and public or media interest in the win, winners may NOT be able to remain anonymous. The statute also allows the Lottery to use winners' names and city of residence for publicity purposes such as news releases. The Lottery's regular practice is not to use winner information in paid advertising or product promotion without the winner's willingness to participate. Source: https://louisianalottery.com/faq/easy-5#35 Source: https://louisianalottery.com/article/1050/the-williams-trust-claims-share-of-50-million-powerball-jackpot
Maine: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust. "In the event that Maine does have a Mega Millions winner, he or she can opt to remain anonymous — but Boardman says that’s never happened. “What a winner could do in Maine is they could file their claim in the name of a trust, and the trust becomes the winner. So that’s how a winner could claim their ticket anonymously,” he says." Source: https://www.mainepublic.org/post/lottery-official-reminds-mainers-they-re-exceedingly-unlikely-win-16-billion-jackpot
Maryland*: Not Anonymous by Law, Anonymous in Practice. "However, the legal basis for this anonymity in Maryland is thin. The Maryland Lottery does not advertise that lottery winners may remain anonymous, but it posts articles on its website about winners and notes those winners who have “chosen to remain anonymous:” Source: https://www.gw-law.com/blog/anonymity-maryland-lottery-winners
*"Please note that this anonymity protection does not apply to second-chance and Points for Drawings contests run through the My Lottery Rewards program. Those contests are run as promotions for the Lottery. As such, they are operated under a different set of rules than our draw games and scratch-off games. The rules of participating in our second-chance and Points for Drawings contests state that winners' identities are published."" Source: https://www.mdlottery.com/about-us/faqs/
Massachusetts: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust "Lottery regulations state that a claimant's name, city or town, image, amount of prize, claim date and game are public record. Therefore, photographs may be taken and used to publicize winnings." Source: https://www.masslive.com/news/2018/05/lottery_sees_increase_in_winne.html
Michigan: Not Anonymous for Powerball and Mega Millions/100% Anonymous if requested by the winner for all other winners over $10,000. "Winner Anonymity. Michigan law requires written consent before disclosing the identity of the winner of $10,000 or more from the State lottery games Lotto47 and Fantasy 5. You further understand and agree that your identity may be disclosed, and that disclosure may be required, as the winner of any prize from the multi-state games Powerball and Mega Millions." Source: https://www.michiganlottery.com/games/mega-millions
Minnesota: Not Anonymous. Anonymity or who can claim is not addressed on lottery website but lottery blog states "In Minnesota, lottery winners cannot remain anonymous. A winner's name, city, prize amount won and the place that the winning ticket was sold is public data and will be released to media and posted on our website." Source: https://www.mnlottery.com/blog/you-won-now-what
Mississippi: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. "In accordance with the Alyce G. Clarke Mississippi Lottery Law, the Mississippi Lottery will not disclose the identity of the person holding a winning lottery ticket without that person's written permission." Source: https://www.mslotteryhome.com/players/faqs/
Missouri: Not Anonymous. "At the Lottery Headquarters, a member of the Lottery's communications staff will ask you questions about your win, such as how many tickets you bought, when you found out that you won and what you plan to do with your prize money. This information will be used for a news release. You will also be asked, but are not required, to participate in a news conference, most likely at the store where you purchased your winning ticket." Source: http://www.molottery.com/whenyouwin/jackpotwin.shtm
A Missouri State Legislator has submitted a bill to the State House to give lottery winners anonymity. Source: https://www.kfvs12.com/2020/02/25/mo-house-considers-legislation-protect-identity-lottery-winners/
Montana: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust. "In Montana, by law, certain information about lottery winners is considered public. That information includes: the winner's name, the amount won and the winner's community of residence. Winners may choose to claim as an individual or they may choose to form a trust and claim their prize as a trust. If a trust claims a lottery prize, the name of the trust is considered public information. A trust must have a federal tax identification number in order to claim a Montana Lottery prize." Source: https://www.montanalottery.com/en/view/about-faqs
Nebraska: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via LLC. Anonymity or who can claim is not addressed on lottery website but a winner created a legal entity to claim anonymously in 2014. "Nebraska Lottery spokesman Neil Watson said with the help of a Kearney lawyer, the winner or winners have created a legal entity called Carpe Diem LLC." Source: https://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/nebraska/m-nebraska-powerball-winner-to-remain-anonymous/article_a044d0f0-99a7-5302-bcb9-2ce799b3a798.html
A Nebraska State Legislator has now filed a bill to give 100% Anonymity to all winners over $300,000 who request it. Source: https://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/nebraska/anonymity-for-lottery-winners-bill-would-give-privacy-to-those/article_1cdba44d-c8bb-5971-b73f-2eecc8cd4625.html
Nevada: No current lottery. Source: https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/heres-why-you-cant-play-powerball-in-nevada/
New Hampshire: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via a trust. Anonymity or who can claim is not addressed on lottery website but a winner successfully sued the lottery and won the right to remain anonymous in 2018. Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2018/03/12/winner-of-a-560-million-powerball-jackpot-can-keep-the-money-and-her-secret-judge-rules/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.bec2db2f7d2c
New Jersey: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.nj.com/politics/2020/01/win-big-you-can-claim-those-nj-lottery-winnings-anonymously-under-new-law.html
New Mexico: Not Anonymous. “Winners of $10,000 or more will have name, city, game played, and prize amount and photo on website.” Can seek anonymity if you have specific security concerns (rarely granted). Source: https://www.nmlottery.com/uploads/FileLinks/82400d81a0ce468daab29ebe6db3ec27/Winner_Publicity_Policy_6_1_07.pdf
New York: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via a LLC. Anonymity or who can claim is not addressed on lottery website but per Gov. Cuomo: "For the past 40 years, individuals wishing to keep their name and information out of the public view have created LLCs to collect their winnings for them." Source: https://nypost.com/2018/12/09/cuomo-vetoes-bill-allowing-lotto-winners-to-remain-anonymous/
North Carolina: Not Anonymous. "North Carolina law allows lottery winners' identity to remain confidential only if they have an active protective order against someone or participate in the state's "Address Confidentiality Program" for victims of domestic violence, sexual offense, stalking or human trafficking." Source: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article54548645.html
North Dakota: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.kfyrtv.com/home/headlines/ND-Powerball-Winners-Have-Option-to-Remain-Anonymous-364918121.html
Northern Mariana Islands: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.nmsalottery.com/game-rules/
Ohio: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust. Anonymity or who can claim is not addressed on lottery website but appears to have an anonymous option. "The procedure from there was a little cumbersome. I needed to create two separate trusts. One trust was to appoint me, as the trustee on behalf of the winner, to contact the Lottery Commission and accept the Lottery winnings. The secondary trust was set up for me as trustee of the first trust, to transfer the proceeds to the second trust with the winner as the beneficiary. This enabled me to present the ticket, accept the proceeds, and transfer it to the winner with no public record or disclosure." Source: https://www.altickcorwin.com/Articles/How-To-Claim-Lottery-Winnings-Anonymously.shtml
Oklahoma: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust or LLC. In accordance with the Oklahoma Open Records Act and the Oklahoma Education Lottery Act, the name of any individual, corporation, partnership, unincorporated association, limited liability company, or other legal entity, and their city of residence will be made public. Source: https://www.lottery.ok.gov/playersclub/faq.asp Source: https://oklahoman.com/article/5596678/lottery-winners-deserve-some-anonymity
Oregon: Not Anonymous. "No. Certain information about Lottery prizes is public record, including the name of the winner, amount of the prize, date of the drawing, name of the game played and city in which the winning ticket was purchased. Oregon citizens have a right to know that Lottery prizes are indeed being awarded to real persons. " Source: https://oregonlottery.org/about/public-interaction/commission-directofrequently-asked-questions Can seek anonymity if you have specific security concerns (rarely granted). Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3353432/Man-living-Iraq-wins-6-4-million-Oregon-jackpot.html
Pennsylvania: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust. Source: https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/trust-that-won-powerball-no-relation-to-manheim-township-emerald/article_29834922-4ca2-11e8-baac-1b15a17f3e9c.html
Puerto Rico: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/puerto-rico-powerball-winner-claims-prize-chooses-stay-anonymous-n309121
Rhode Island: Not Anonymous/Anonymous if requested but all info is subject to FOIA. "While the Lottery will do everything possible to keep a winner's information private if requested by the winner, in Rhode Island and most other states, this information falls under the Freedom of Information Act, and a winner's name and city or town of residency must be released upon request." Source: https://www.rilot.com/en-us/player-zone/faqs.html
South Carolina: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Anonymity or who can claim is not addressed on lottery website but appears to have an anonymous option based on prior winners. Source: https://myfox8.com/2019/03/15/the-anonymous-south-carolina-winner-of-the-largest-lottery-jackpot-is-donating-part-of-it-to-alabama-tornado-victims/
South Dakota: Not Anonymous for draw games and online games/100% Anonymous for Scratchoffs if requested by the winner. "You can remain anonymous on any amount won from a scratch ticket game. Jackpots for online games are required to be public knowledge. Play It Again winners are also public knowledge." Source: https://lottery.sd.gov/FAQ2018/gamefaq.aspx.
Tennessee: Not Anonymous/Can use a trust but info subject to open records act. Anonymity is explicitly noted as not being allowed on the official lottery website. Source: https://www.tnlottery.com/faq/i-won
However if it is claimed via a trust then the lottery will not give out your information unless requested to do so. "The TN lottery says: "When claiming a Lottery prize through a Trust, the TN Lottery would need identity documentation for the grantor and all ultimate beneficiaries. Once we are in possession of these documents and information, records are generated. If a formal request is made by a citizen of Tennessee, the Trust beneficiary's name, city and state must be made available under the Tennessee Open Records Act." Source: https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/in-tennessee--can-a-lottery-jackpot-be-claimed-whi-2327592.html
Texas: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner for $1 million or more IF the winner claims it as an individual AND chooses the Cash option. Not Anonymous if claimed by a trust or LLC or if the winner chooses the Annuity option. Source: https://www.txlottery.org/export/sites/lottery/Documents/retailers/FAQ_Winner_Anonymity_12112017_final.pdf
Utah: No current lottery. Source: https://www.lotterycritic.com/lottery-results/utah/
Vermont: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust. “The name, town and prize amount on your Claim Form is public information. If you put your name on the Claim Form, your name becomes public information. If you claim your prize in a trust, the name of the trust is placed on the Claim Form, and the name of the trust is public information.” Source: https://vtlottery.com/about/faq
Virginia: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner for prizes over $10 million. "A new law passed by the Virginia General Assembly and signed by the Governor prohibits the Virginia Lottery from disclosing information about big jackpot winners." "When the bill goes into effect this summer, the Virginia Lottery will not be allowed to release certain information about winners whose prize exceeds $10 million, unless the winner wants to be known." Source: https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/virginia/new-virginia-law-allows-certain-lottery-winners-to-keep-identity-private/291-c33ea642-e8fa-45fd-b3a4-dc693cf5b372
US Virgin Islands: Anonymity appears to be an option. A $2 Million Powerball winner was allowed to remain anonymous. Source: https://viconsortium.com/virgin-islands-2/st-croix-resident-wins-2-million-in-latest-power-ball-drawing/
Washington: Not Anonymous/Can use a trust but info subject to open records act. "As a public agency, all documents held by Washington's Lottery are subject to the Public Records Act. Lottery prizes may be claimed in the name of a legally formed entity, such as a trust. However, in the event of a public records request, the documents forming the artificial entity may be released, thereby revealing the individual names of winners." https://www.walottery.com/ClaimYourPrize/
West Virginia: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner for prizes over $1 million and 5% of winnings remittance. "Effective January 1, 2019, House Bill 2982 allows winners of State Lottery draw games to remain anonymous in regards to his or her name, personal contact information, and likeness; providing that the prize exceeds one million dollars and the individual who elects to remain anonymous remits five percent of his or her winnings to the State Lottery Fund." Source: https://wvlottery.com/customer-service/customer-resources/
Wisconsin: Not Anonymous/Cannot be claimed by other entities. "Pursuant to Wisconsin’s Open Records law (Wis. Stats. Secs. 19.31–19.39), the Lottery is required to disclose a winner’s name, likeness and place of residence. If you win and claim a prize, the Lottery may use your name, likeness and place of residence for any purpose without compensation to you.
Upon claiming your prize, you waive any claims against the Lottery and its representatives for any and all liability which may result from the disclosure or use of such information." "The original winning ticket must be signed by a single human being. For-profit and non-profit entities, trusts, and other non-human beings are not eligible to play or claim a prize." Source: https://wilottery.com/claimprize.aspx
Wyoming: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. "We will honor requests for anonymity from winners. However, we certainly hope winners will allow us to share their names and good news with other players." Source: https://wyolotto.com/lottery/faq/
Other countries
Australia: 100% Anonymous if requested by winner. "The great thing about playing lotto in Australia is that winners can choose to remain anonymous and keep their privacy, unlike in the United States where winners don't have such a choice, and are often thrown into a media circus." Source: https://www.ozlotteries.com/blog/how-to-remain-anonymous-when-you-win-lotto/
Bahamas: No current lottery. Source: https://thenassauguardian.com/2013/01/29/strong-no-vote-trend-so-far-in-gaming-referendum/
Bahrain: Not Anonymous. Source: https://bdutyfree.com/terms-conditions1#.X8ru92lOmdM
Barbados: Not Anonymous. "No. Barbados Lottery winners cannot remain anonymous. The Barbados Lottery mandates the winner’s name, address, game won, date won and amount won be provided; however Barbados Lottery winners' home addresses and telephone numbers are confidential." Source: https://www.mybarbadoslottery.com/faqs
Brazil: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.lotterycritic.com/lottery-results/brazil-lottery/
Canada: Not Anonymous. Every provincial lottery corporation in Canada requires winners to participate in a publicity photo shoot showing their face, their name and their municipality. Can seek anonymity if you have specific security concerns (rarely granted). Source: https://consumers.findlaw.ca/article/can-lottery-winners-remain-anonymous/
Carribbean Lottery Countries (Antigua/Barbuda, Anguilla, St. Kitts/Nevis, St. Maarten/Saba/St. Eustatius, and Turks/Caicos): Not Anonymous. "No. Caribbean Lottery winners cannot remain anonymous. The Caribbean Lottery mandates the winner’s name, address, game won, date won and amount won be provided; however Caribbean Lottery winners' home addresses and telephone numbers are confidential." Source: https://www.thecaribbeanlottery.com/faqs
China: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Must appear in a press conference and photo but allowed to wear disguise. Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/01/22/china-lottery-winners-mask/22108515/
Cuba: No current lottery. Source: https://oncubanews.com/en/cuba/society-cuba/cuban-traditions/lottery-the-national-game-infographics/
EuroMillions Countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and UK*): 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.euro-millions.com/publicity
*United Kingdom: Excludes
*Caymen Islands, and Falkland Islands: No current lottery. Source: https://calvinayre.com/2018/11/02/business/cayman-islands-move-illegal-gambling-doesnt-address-real-issue/ Source: https://simonsblogpark.com/onlinegambling/simons-guide-gambling-falkland-islands/amp/#lottery-falkland-islands
*Anguilla, and Turks & Caicos: Not Anonymous. Source: https://www.thecaribbeanlottery.com/faqs
EuroJackpot Countries (Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands*, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden): 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.euro-jackpot.net/en/publicity
*Netherlands: Excludes
*St. Maarten, Saba, and St. Eustatius: Not Anonymous. Source: https://www.thecaribbeanlottery.com/faqs
Fiji: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://fijisun.com.fj/2012/11/08/3m-lotto-win-here/
Georgia (Kartvelia): Anonymity appears to be an option. "2.9.1. Prizes and Winners. Each Bidder shall provide details of:....how winners who waive their right to privacy will be treated;" Source: https://mof.ge/images/File/lottery/tender-documentation.pdf
Greece: Anonymity appears to be an option. "The bearer of the ticket shall keep the details of the ticket confidential and not reveal them to any third party." Source: https://www.opap.gen/identity-terms-of-use-lotto
Guyana: Not Anonymous. Source: https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2013/05/16/winner-says-he-was-too-busy-to-collect-78m-lotto-prize/
India*: Not Anonymous. Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35771298
*: Only available in the states of Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Sikkim, Nagaland and Mizoram. Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/lottery-mizoram-nagaland-sikkim-kerala-975188-2017-05-04
Indonesia: No current lottery. Source: https://apnews.com/45eb94ff1b1132470a7aa5902f0bc734
Israel: Not Anonymous by Law, Anonymous in Practice. “[A]lthough we have this right, we have never exercised it because we understood the difficulties the winners could encounter in the period after their win. We provide details about the winner, but in a manner that doesn’t disclose their identity,” Dolin Melnik, then-spokesperson for Israel’s Mifal Hapayis lottery told Haaretz in 2009." Source: https://www.timesofisrael.com/why-the-israeli-lottery-gives-winners-masks/
Jamaica: Not Anonymous. First initial and last name of winner was released but winner was allowed to wear a mask for photo. Source: https://news.e-servicis.com/news/trending/lottery-winner-takes-prize-in-scream-mask.1S/
Japan: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/09/08/business/japans-lottery-rakes-declining-revenues-younger-generation-gives-jackpot-chances-pass/#.XRYwVVMpCdM
Kenya: Not Anonymous. "9.1 When You claim or are paid a prize, You will automatically be deemed to grant to O8 LOTTO an irrevocable right to publish, through all types of media broadcasting, including the internet, for the purposes of promoting the win, Your full name (as well as Your nick name), hometown, photograph and video materials without any claim for broadcasting, printing or other rights" Source: https://mylottokenya.co.ke/terms-conditions
Malaysia: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://says.com/my/news/a-24-year-old-malaysian-woman-just-won-more-than-rm4-million-from-4d-lottery
Nagorno-Karabakh: Not Anonymous. Source: http://asbarez.com/120737/artsakh-lottery-winner-claims-car-prize/
New Zealand: 100% Anonymous if requested by winner. Source: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10383080
North Korea: Not Anonymous. Source: https://www.nknews.org/2018/11/north-korean-sports-ministry-launches-online-lottery/
Northern Cyprus: Anonymity appears to be an option. Source: https://www.pressreader.com/cyprus/cyprus-today/20181124/281590946615912
Oman: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: http://www.omanlottery.com/
Philippines: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.rappler.com/nation/214995-ultra-lotto-winners-claim-winnings-pcso-october-2018
Qatar: Not Anonymous. Source: https://www.qatarliving.com/forum/qatar-living-lounge/posts/qatar-duty-free-announces-latest-us1-million
Romania: Anonymity appears to be an option. Source: https://www.thelotter.com/win-lottery-anonymously/
Russia: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: http://siberiantimes.com/otheothers/news/siberian-scoops-a-record-184513512-roubles-on-russian-state-lottery/
Samoa: Not Anonymous. Source: https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/191796/samoa%27s-lotto-winner-still-a-mystery
Saudi Arabia: No current lottery. Source: https://www.arabnews.com/police-arrest-lottery-crooks-victimizing-expats
Singapore: Anonymity appears to be an option. Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/did-you-win-here-are-results-of-136m-toto-hongbao-draw
Solomon Islands: No current lottery. Source: http://www.paclii.org/sb/legis/consol_act/gala196/
South Africa: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.thesouthafrican.com/powerball-results/powerball-winner-r232-million-found-lottery-details/
South Korea: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://elaw.klri.re.keng_mobile/viewer.do?hseq=38378&type=sogan&key=5
Sri Lanka: Anonymity appears to be an option. Source: http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2010/01/31/where-do-all-the-lottery-winners-go/
Taiwan: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: http://m.focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201806250011.aspx
Trinidad and Tobago: Anonymity appears to be an option. Source: https://trinidadexpress.com/news/local/student-wins-the-million-lotto/article_3f3c8550-570d-11e9-9cc3-b7550f9b4ad4.html
Tuvalu: No current lottery. Source: http://tuvalu-legislation.tv/cms/images/LEGISLATION/PRINCIPAL/1964/1964-0004/GamingandLotteries_1.pdf
United Arab Emirates: Not Anonymous. Source: https://www.ndtv.com/indians-abroad/shojith-ks-in-sharjah-uae-wins-abu-dhabi-duty-free-big-ticket-4-million-jackpot-rejects-calls-2032942
Vatican City: Anonymity appears to be an option. Source: https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2018/12/04/popes-white-lamborghini-up-for-raffle-winner-gets-trip-to-rome/
Vietnam: Anonymity appears to be an option. Source: https://ampe.vnexpress.net/news/news/vietnamese-farmer-identified-as-winner-of-4-million-lottery-jackpot-3484751.html
Windward Lottery Countries (Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines): Not Anonymous. "Prize winners asked to do so by Winlot must give their name and address, and satisfactory establish their identity. All winners of the Jackpot (Match 6) prize will be photographed. Note that Winlot and CBN reserve the right to publish the names, addresses and photographs of all the winners." Source: http://www.stlucialotto.com/snl/super6_rules_regs.php