The Long, Slow, Arduous Bataan Death March To Drafting OL On May 8th - Page 2

Direckshun · 01:07 PM

I keep looking at the talent right now, have been for about three months.

And I honestly think the talent is at its best at OL towards the end of the 1st round.

Andy Reid needs to replace Albert, and there's no guarantee he has faith in Fisher. And Asamoah has almost certainly left, so we'll be in the hunt for a guard as well.

This is a team looking to get away from Pioli's smaller, nimble OL, and towards Reid's larger, more powerful OL.

Maybe we bring back Schwartz at guard. Maybe not.

God. This franchise has conditioned me to prepare for the worst.

***UPDATE***

OL the Chiefs could potentially, inevitably draft at 23, depending on where things are in 5 months:

OT Greg Robinson, Auburn
OT Taylor Lewan, Michigan
OT Cameron Erving, Florida State
OT Antonio Richardson, Tennessee
OT/G La'el Collins, LSU [not coming out this year]
OT/G Zack Martin, Notre Dame
OT Cyrus Kouandjio, Alabama
OG Gabe Jackson, Mississippi State
OG Cyril Richardson, Baylor
OG David Yankey, Stanford
OG Xavier Su'a-Filo, UCLA

I will run mini-scouting reports on these guys over the next five months in this sad, miserable thread, plus any guys who also drift onto the radar.

If there are any others you'd add, feel free to.

**The Franchise** · 01-06-2014, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

I liked Geno Smith and Mark Sanchez.

I am basically Rex Ryan.

I liked Smith, Sanchez and Clausen. I'm not talking about QBs ever again.

Direckshun · 01-06-2014, 08:36 PM

OL the Chiefs could potentially, inevitably draft at 23, depending on where things are in 5 months:

OT Greg Robinson, Auburn
OT Taylor Lewan, Michigan
OT Cameron Erving, Florida State
OT Antonio Richardson, Tennessee
OT/G La'el Collins, LSU
OT/G Zack Martin, Notre Dame
OT Cyrus Kouandjio, Alabama
OG Gabe Jackson, Mississippi State
OG Cyril Richardson, Baylor
OT David Yankey, Stanford
OT Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M
OG Xavier Su'a-Filo, UCLA

I will run mini-scouting reports on these guys over the next five months in this sad, miserable thread, plus any guys who also drift onto the radar.

If there are any others you'd add, feel free to.

Saccopoo · 01-06-2014, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

OL the Chiefs could potentially, inevitably draft at 23, depending on where things are in 5 months:

OT Greg Robinson, Auburn
OT Taylor Lewan, Michigan
OT Cameron Erving, Florida State
OT Antonio Richardson, Tennessee
OT/G La'el Collins, LSU
OT/G Zack Martin, Notre Dame
OT Cyrus Kouandjio, Alabama
OG Gabe Jackson, Mississippi State
OG Cyril Richardson, Baylor
OT David Yankey, Stanford
OT Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M
OG Xavier Su'a-Filo, UCLA

I will run mini-scouting reports on these guys over the next five months in this sad, miserable thread, plus any guys who also drift onto the radar.

If there are any others you'd add, feel free to.

I'll give you a scouting report...

Gabe Jackson. Destroyer of Worlds. Three time SEC lineman of the week in 2013. He was ****ing dudes up all season long. The guy is as nasty and powerful as you'll see in an offensive guard.

I watched Yankey several times and he's nowhere close to Jackson. I don't think Baylor's Richardson is either.

McBeard · 01-06-2014, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

If there are any others you'd add, feel free to.

Travis Swanson, C, Arkansas would be worth adding. He's a mauler at 6'5" and 315 lbs. He is Andy Reid's kind of center and if Dorsey stays true to BPA he could be the guy.

Saccopoo · 01-06-2014, 08:52 PM

Say it with me...GABE JACKSON!

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos...s-Gabe-Jackson

Direckshun · 01-06-2014, 08:56 PM

OT Greg Robinson, Auburn

I really don't want the Chiefs to draft OL in the first round, but I sure do love Greg Robinson.

Greg Robinson, on paper, is a Brandon Albert clone. He's 6'4", 320 lbs. Strong as a goddamn bull. Physically perfect for Reid's preference of bigger, more powerful OL.

He's said to be incredibly athletic, but I watch him on tape and I see "great athleticism" for a RT, maybe. Don't get me wrong, he can get downfield and move if he has to, but he's not the perfectly fluid athlete that Eric Fisher is. He's about on par with Donald Stephenson there.

What sets him apart, and will probably attract the attention of Dorsey, is his fantastic run blocking. He is a pure road grader, and looks like an All Pro RT in the above game against Missouri (Auburn rushed for ~450 yards on Mizzou). He has an unreal first punch that knocks defenders off their feet, and he can get push against defensive tackles like they're nothing. Due to this fact alone, he has better versatility to play guard than either Fisher and Stephenson.

What's really going to determine if he slides down towards the bottom of the 1st or if he goes in the Top 10 is going to be his passblocking. To me, he looks like he'll become above average at passblocking in the NFL. The skillset is there: he can mirror decently, drive a passrusher way outside of the QB, but he does look like that will be a work in progress in order to get him there, much like Albert.

Projection for Robinson: I think Robinson will go Top 15. Teams in the Top 10 need QBs more than they need LTs, but by the time the teams in 11-20 roll around, the need for LTs skyrockets. You're basically drafting Brandon Albert.

Projected Chiefs interest @ 23: Through the roof. This is the physical beast that Andy Reid wants to beat up DLs with. He'd be a high trade-up suspect in my eyes for the Chiefs, if it weren't for the Chiefs simply not having much ammunition to do so, and drafting a tackle last year #1 overall. But if he fell to 23, he's a Chief. No doubt in my mind. And while that would depress the hell out of me, it'd be intriguing to see how Robinson fares against Stephenson and Fisher to compete for a starting spot in 2014.

Direckshun · 01-06-2014, 09:23 PM

OT Taylor Lewan, Michigan

Taylor Lewan has a ton of potential. To drop in the Draft, that is.

I just never got the hype with this guy. This is somebody everybody had flagged a potential Top 10 guy, but all I see is a dirty, unathletic, and sure-to-be physically overmatched tackle in the NFL. He isn't even a technician. What do people see in the guy?

Well, he's 6'8", but he lumbers like a brontosaurus. He's not going to be the guy you send to the next level to take out Vontaze Burfict or Derrick Johnson. He's just the guy you can sort of trust at right tackle with minimal double team help.

He's also a three-year starter at LT in the Big 10, and that is legitimately saying something. I'd probably take him in the 2nd round if I was hurting for tackle help, maybe. He did turn in nice performances against the Irish and Gamecocks, this year, going up against some of the most lethal passrushers college football has to offer. But the Irish royally kicked his ass last year, and Lewan didn't seem to have a prayer when Clowney kicked it into gear for the passrush.

He's just one of those guys with good size, but unless he's just super athletic in shorts at the Combine, he's going to drop as more athletic guys attract more attention. He's also a bit dirty, which I don't mind too much in my OL; I like a nasty attitude. But with all these knocks on him, he's still going to require work on his technique, even after three years at LT.

Projection for Lewan: I go against the popular opinion here, because I just can't get excited about Lewan. I think he's put up really good "sacks allowed" stats because he's gone up largely against soft competition. I think he's a prime candidate to fall to the 2nd round.

Projected Chiefs interest @ 23: Pretty close to zero, even if they do likely disagree with me and think of Lewan as prime NFL talent. Dorsey's lone draft in KC has shown an affinity primarily for pure athletic ability that can be coached up, and Lewan hasn't shown, to me, a ton of either. And I think the Chiefs are preferring bigger OL, but even at 6'8", Lewan just doesn't look the part to me.

McBeard · 01-07-2014, 07:19 AM

I was impressed with Lewan against Ohio State. He really seems to have a knack for getting out in front of the running back on running plays. He reminded me of when Albert played guard at Virginia. He definitely gets way down field and bulldozes people but I really haven't seen a lot of him. I like the nasty attitude for sure.

OldSchool · 01-07-2014, 12:13 PM

Robinson looks like a monster on the field.

Sorter · 01-07-2014, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

Say it with me...GABE JACKSON!

I turned off the LSU vid halfway through.

That's fantasy. No way Gabe Jackson, the year after 2 guards were selected in the top 10 falls to KC.

McBeard · 01-07-2014, 03:16 PM

I really like Gabe Jackson but most have him projected as a 2-3 rounder right now. The Senior Bowl will be very telling for him.

Direckshun · 01-07-2014, 06:01 PM

OT Cameron Erving, Florida State

I think Cameron Erving has all the potential in the world, and if you've got absolute faith in your coaching staff, you take a shot on this guy.

He's just a really special awesome athlete for a guy his size (6'6", 310). He doesn't quite have Eric Fisher's fluid movement but I'd put him on par with Brandon Albert. It really wouldn't surprise me if Erving blew up into a Top 10 pick after the Combine. He looks like a perfect zone-blocking tackle.

That's his greatest strength and perhaps his greatest weakness? I don't know, he doesn't seem to explode in the blocking game like some of the other dudes do on this list. He blocks effectively against inferior competition, but it'll be interesting to see how he handles the bigger, stronger DL in the NFL, primarily when he's playing 3-4 defenses.

He's fast enough to handle the edge, but he'll give it up from time to time for a pretty simple reason: his kickslide. I think Erving has a pathetic kickslide, but I can't imagine that could be that hard to coach up, is it? His kickslide looks like he has two thick rubber bands holding his feet together, and it's a really odd contrast to compare that to how well he moves all over the field.

It's reported that Erving has great strength, but I don't see it anything above average there. He can hang with smaller defenders, and block them effectively, but he doesn't get a lot of push in the run game like you'd expect from somebody with his skillset...

My primary fear would be that Erving is a finesse player, and not a grind-it-out player. Which is great in some schemes that require more athleticism than Reid's, but as I've said (and will say) ad nauseum, Reid's scheme prefers bigger and badder. But then again, he's got all the tools. The question is: how much do you trust your coaches. My guess is somebody in the Top 20 picks will trust them enough.

Projection for Erving: As for all of these players, it's too early to project much seeing how the draft is almost half a year away, but whatever. Erving has Top 10 potential if he tests well, and 1st round potential even if he doesn't. He's just too good of an athlete, and too many teams prefer great athletes who need work on technique over technicians who aren't great athletes.

Projected Chiefs interest @ 23: Decently high. Dorsey has shown an affinity for drafting great athletic projects and trusts the Chiefs' coaches, as most teams do. He drafted Fisher, Kelce, Davis, and Commings in the earlier rounds, all players who need significant work from coaches. The problem, however, is that the Chiefs just drafted a super athletic finesse tackle in Fisher, and it's doubtful they want to go that exact route again -- no doubt they'd love a tougher, more powerful guy. But it's possible that with good coaching, Erving could be that guy.

Direckshun · 01-07-2014, 08:47 PM

OT Antonio Richardson, Tennessee

Antonio Richardson is nicknamed "tiny" sarcastically for his mammoth size (6'6", 330 lbs), though I'd compare his game to a slightly more refined version of the even-larger tackle Phil Loadholt.

I'd say his game is comparable, his technique is superior, and his athleticism is about the same. Richardson is a massive load with a surprisingly good kick step and when he locks on, your player is usually out on his passrush. Try bullrushing this dude -- ****ing try it.

Not to argue that Richardson is nimble in any way, however. Noooo, no no no. Not at all. Matter of fact, he makes Taylor Lewan look like Usain Bolt. I have no idea what Richardson's 40 time will be but if it's under 5.5, I will be dead shocked. Richardson lumbers around and is mostly unreliable for any screens or blocking downfield, which the Chiefs obviously run.

Loadholt was, coming out of OU, a superior run blocker than Richardson is right now. Richardson can negate his guy, but he doesn't blow him off the blocks like you'd expect a guy his size to. Considering the only offense that Richardson could really fit into is a bruising, downhill rushing offense, that is something he is going to have to work on.

His technique in pass protection is pretty good. He's faced a very, very tough slate of passrushers and handled all of them very well. I think, in the right offense, with the right coaching, he's a potential 10-year guy at RT.

The hole in Richardson's game is his less-than-awesome athleticism. Watching him run is almost painful, compared to somebody as effortless in his motions as Eric Fisher, who, admittedly, is about as athletic a tackle as you're going to see in the NFL. As a result, that means Richardson's recovery speed is butt-****ing terrible. If he doesn't get out of his stance fast enough, you can say goodbye to protecting the edge on that snap. I only saw one passrusher go really low on Richardson, like Dwight Freeney, and he blew right by him. Richardson will struggle against athletic 3-4 OLBs, but most tackles his size do.

However, there is no disputing a successful track record of mostly perfect pocket protection for a whole season against a slate of SEC passrushers. For that, he definitely deserves a look as soon as the 2nd round from some offense that fits his style. Since he is not a very versatile guy, and he's probably only a RT at the next level, he may fall a round or two farther.

Projection for Richardson: I'd grade his talent out at about a 2nd rounder, but his lack of versatility means you can probably get him in the 3rd. Apparently he's projected in some scouting circles as going in the 1st, but I have no idea how a GM could justify drafting somebody with the minimal athleticism of an Ent that soon in the draft.

Projected Chiefs interest @ 23: Zip. I wouldn't think the Chiefs have any interest in this guy, period, especially in the 1st. Again, Dorsey really likes athletes. And while Richardson is a lot of things, he's nobody's idea of an athlete. Although, I suppose some Draft season slimming-down could change people's minds. The Chiefs very well may want a battle-tested tackle like Richardson as a swing tackle if they think they can get his run game on track, but it absolutely will not be in the 1st.

Direckshun · 01-08-2014, 06:38 PM

OT/G La'el Collins, LSU

Now we've got a player, folks. When Collins is on, he is an outstanding lineman in size, athleticism, toughness, technique, and versatility. When he's off, which does happen, he can lapse and give up some plays. With solid coaching, however, you can probably eliminate his negative tendencies and end up with a Pro Bowl caliber talent a few years down the road at either guard or right tackle. Right now, teams are potentially scouting him for left tackle, considering that was his position at LSU, and I have a really hard time believing he wouldn't be really good there, either.

His athleticism doesn't jump out at you, but he can get where he needs to get, and does plenty fine at the second level. He's somebody you can send out on screens without having much issue at all. Moreover, if Collins performs well at the Combine, these fears will be allayed almost entirely.

What really jumps out at you is Collins' runblocking. He's an extremely powerful runblocker who gets low and bulldozes through lineman of all shapes and sizes. Collins has the potential to play guard for 10 years at a very high level given his size (6'5", 321), his quickness off the ball, his technique in getting leverage, and his seemingly impressive strength.

But he's quick enough to handle the edge, as well. His kickslide is pretty decent, and he's very much one of those guys that finishes you when he gets his hands on you. He's just so strong, and does a great job of keeping his butt low to retain position.

If I was desperately hurting for a guard or a right tackle at #23, and had future aspirations to improve my LT position, Collins would be an outstanding candidate to move there. Strong, heady, pretty athletic, and just a great combination of technique in the passing game and brute strength in the run game.

From his time on LSU, you can pretty much plug him in right away and play. Collins has a really high floor -- but he's already pretty much where his ceiling is going to be. He's never going to become much better than he is now, and teams love upside prospects in the 1st round.

Projection for Collins: I'm higher on Collins than most, and I'd say he's definitely first round talent. He's everything NFL teams love in first-round tackles: he's really good in pass defense, has good technique, terrific push in the run game, can play multiple positions. The thing he's lacking is upside. There's some technique you could do with Collins, but the guy you get on Day One is the guy you got.

Projected Chiefs interest @ 23: Moderate. I honestly think Dorsey would bring in another OL in the first round if the player warranted it, but I think he wants a guy with way more upside than Collins. Collins, again, is a really good player and will be one of the best OL in his draft class, but he's probably not going to give you that game-changing All Pro talent that you're probably hoping for when you draft an OL like this in the 1st.

Chief Roundup · 01-09-2014, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sorter

I turned off the LSU vid halfway through.

That's fantasy. No way Gabe Jackson, the year after 2 guards were selected in the top 10 falls to KC.

This^

Quote:

Originally Posted by McBeard

I really like Gabe Jackson but most have him projected as a 2-3 rounder right now. The Senior Bowl will be very telling for him.

Would like to see your links to Jackson being a projected that far down.

01-05-2014, 02:11 PM
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4453447	The Long, Slow, Arduous Bataan Death March To Drafting OL On May 8th I keep looking at the talent right now, have been for about three months. And I honestly think the talent is at its best at OL towards the end of the 1st round. Andy Reid needs to replace Albert, and there's no guarantee he has faith in Fisher. And Asamoah has almost certainly left, so we'll be in the hunt for a guard as well. This is a team looking to get away from Pioli's smaller, nimble OL, and towards Reid's larger, more powerful OL. Maybe we bring back Schwartz at guard. Maybe not. God. This franchise has conditioned me to prepare for the worst. *UPDATE* OL the Chiefs could potentially, inevitably draft at 23, depending on where things are in 5 months: OT Greg Robinson, Auburn OT Taylor Lewan, Michigan OT Cameron Erving, Florida State OT Antonio Richardson, Tennessee OT/G La'el Collins, LSU [not coming out this year] OT/G Zack Martin, Notre Dame OT Cyrus Kouandjio, Alabama OG Gabe Jackson, Mississippi State OG Cyril Richardson, Baylor OG David Yankey, Stanford OG Xavier Su'a-Filo, UCLA I will run mini-scouting reports on these guys over the next five months in this sad, miserable thread, plus any guys who also drift onto the radar. If there are any others you'd add, feel free to. Last edited by Direckshun; 03-24-2014 at 01:07 PM..
Posts: 59,244

01-06-2014, 08:36 PM	#17
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4453447	OL the Chiefs could potentially, inevitably draft at 23, depending on where things are in 5 months: OT Greg Robinson, Auburn OT Taylor Lewan, Michigan OT Cameron Erving, Florida State OT Antonio Richardson, Tennessee OT/G La'el Collins, LSU OT/G Zack Martin, Notre Dame OT Cyrus Kouandjio, Alabama OG Gabe Jackson, Mississippi State OG Cyril Richardson, Baylor OT David Yankey, Stanford OT Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M OG Xavier Su'a-Filo, UCLA I will run mini-scouting reports on these guys over the next five months in this sad, miserable thread, plus any guys who also drift onto the radar. If there are any others you'd add, feel free to.
Posts: 59,244

01-06-2014, 08:52 PM	#20
Saccopoo Kindness in words... Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Zion Casino cash: $10025483	Say it with me...GABE JACKSON! http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos...s-Gabe-Jackson
Posts: 15,450

01-06-2014, 08:56 PM	#21
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4453447	OT Greg Robinson, Auburn I really don't want the Chiefs to draft OL in the first round, but I sure do love Greg Robinson. Greg Robinson, on paper, is a Brandon Albert clone. He's 6'4", 320 lbs. Strong as a goddamn bull. Physically perfect for Reid's preference of bigger, more powerful OL. He's said to be incredibly athletic, but I watch him on tape and I see "great athleticism" for a RT, maybe. Don't get me wrong, he can get downfield and move if he has to, but he's not the perfectly fluid athlete that Eric Fisher is. He's about on par with Donald Stephenson there. What sets him apart, and will probably attract the attention of Dorsey, is his fantastic run blocking. He is a pure road grader, and looks like an All Pro RT in the above game against Missouri (Auburn rushed for ~450 yards on Mizzou). He has an unreal first punch that knocks defenders off their feet, and he can get push against defensive tackles like they're nothing. Due to this fact alone, he has better versatility to play guard than either Fisher and Stephenson. What's really going to determine if he slides down towards the bottom of the 1st or if he goes in the Top 10 is going to be his passblocking. To me, he looks like he'll become above average at passblocking in the NFL. The skillset is there: he can mirror decently, drive a passrusher way outside of the QB, but he does look like that will be a work in progress in order to get him there, much like Albert. Projection for Robinson: I think Robinson will go Top 15. Teams in the Top 10 need QBs more than they need LTs, but by the time the teams in 11-20 roll around, the need for LTs skyrockets. You're basically drafting Brandon Albert. Projected Chiefs interest @ 23: Through the roof. This is the physical beast that Andy Reid wants to beat up DLs with. He'd be a high trade-up suspect in my eyes for the Chiefs, if it weren't for the Chiefs simply not having much ammunition to do so, and drafting a tackle last year #1 overall. But if he fell to 23, he's a Chief. No doubt in my mind. And while that would depress the hell out of me, it'd be intriguing to see how Robinson fares against Stephenson and Fisher to compete for a starting spot in 2014.
Posts: 59,244

01-06-2014, 09:23 PM	#22
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4453447	OT Taylor Lewan, Michigan Taylor Lewan has a ton of potential. To drop in the Draft, that is. I just never got the hype with this guy. This is somebody everybody had flagged a potential Top 10 guy, but all I see is a dirty, unathletic, and sure-to-be physically overmatched tackle in the NFL. He isn't even a technician. What do people see in the guy? Well, he's 6'8", but he lumbers like a brontosaurus. He's not going to be the guy you send to the next level to take out Vontaze Burfict or Derrick Johnson. He's just the guy you can sort of trust at right tackle with minimal double team help. He's also a three-year starter at LT in the Big 10, and that is legitimately saying something. I'd probably take him in the 2nd round if I was hurting for tackle help, maybe. He did turn in nice performances against the Irish and Gamecocks, this year, going up against some of the most lethal passrushers college football has to offer. But the Irish royally kicked his ass last year, and Lewan didn't seem to have a prayer when Clowney kicked it into gear for the passrush. He's just one of those guys with good size, but unless he's just super athletic in shorts at the Combine, he's going to drop as more athletic guys attract more attention. He's also a bit dirty, which I don't mind too much in my OL; I like a nasty attitude. But with all these knocks on him, he's still going to require work on his technique, even after three years at LT. Projection for Lewan: I go against the popular opinion here, because I just can't get excited about Lewan. I think he's put up really good "sacks allowed" stats because he's gone up largely against soft competition. I think he's a prime candidate to fall to the 2nd round. Projected Chiefs interest @ 23: Pretty close to zero, even if they do likely disagree with me and think of Lewan as prime NFL talent. Dorsey's lone draft in KC has shown an affinity primarily for pure athletic ability that can be coached up, and Lewan hasn't shown, to me, a ton of either. And I think the Chiefs are preferring bigger OL, but even at 6'8", Lewan just doesn't look the part to me.
Posts: 59,244

01-07-2014, 07:19 AM	#23
McBeard Banned Join Date: Dec 2013 Casino cash: $10004900	I was impressed with Lewan against Ohio State. He really seems to have a knack for getting out in front of the running back on running plays. He reminded me of when Albert played guard at Virginia. He definitely gets way down field and bulldozes people but I really haven't seen a lot of him. I like the nasty attitude for sure.
Posts: 164

01-07-2014, 12:13 PM	#24
OldSchool MVP Join Date: Sep 2013 Casino cash: $10035212	Robinson looks like a monster on the field.
Posts: 12,727

01-07-2014, 03:16 PM	#26
McBeard Banned Join Date: Dec 2013 Casino cash: $10004900	I really like Gabe Jackson but most have him projected as a 2-3 rounder right now. The Senior Bowl will be very telling for him.
Posts: 164

01-07-2014, 06:01 PM	#27
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4453447	OT Cameron Erving, Florida State I think Cameron Erving has all the potential in the world, and if you've got absolute faith in your coaching staff, you take a shot on this guy. He's just a really special awesome athlete for a guy his size (6'6", 310). He doesn't quite have Eric Fisher's fluid movement but I'd put him on par with Brandon Albert. It really wouldn't surprise me if Erving blew up into a Top 10 pick after the Combine. He looks like a perfect zone-blocking tackle. That's his greatest strength and perhaps his greatest weakness? I don't know, he doesn't seem to explode in the blocking game like some of the other dudes do on this list. He blocks effectively against inferior competition, but it'll be interesting to see how he handles the bigger, stronger DL in the NFL, primarily when he's playing 3-4 defenses. He's fast enough to handle the edge, but he'll give it up from time to time for a pretty simple reason: his kickslide. I think Erving has a pathetic kickslide, but I can't imagine that could be that hard to coach up, is it? His kickslide looks like he has two thick rubber bands holding his feet together, and it's a really odd contrast to compare that to how well he moves all over the field. It's reported that Erving has great strength, but I don't see it anything above average there. He can hang with smaller defenders, and block them effectively, but he doesn't get a lot of push in the run game like you'd expect from somebody with his skillset... My primary fear would be that Erving is a finesse player, and not a grind-it-out player. Which is great in some schemes that require more athleticism than Reid's, but as I've said (and will say) ad nauseum, Reid's scheme prefers bigger and badder. But then again, he's got all the tools. The question is: how much do you trust your coaches. My guess is somebody in the Top 20 picks will trust them enough. Projection for Erving: As for all of these players, it's too early to project much seeing how the draft is almost half a year away, but whatever. Erving has Top 10 potential if he tests well, and 1st round potential even if he doesn't. He's just too good of an athlete, and too many teams prefer great athletes who need work on technique over technicians who aren't great athletes. Projected Chiefs interest @ 23: Decently high. Dorsey has shown an affinity for drafting great athletic projects and trusts the Chiefs' coaches, as most teams do. He drafted Fisher, Kelce, Davis, and Commings in the earlier rounds, all players who need significant work from coaches. The problem, however, is that the Chiefs just drafted a super athletic finesse tackle in Fisher, and it's doubtful they want to go that exact route again -- no doubt they'd love a tougher, more powerful guy. But it's possible that with good coaching, Erving could be that guy.
Posts: 59,244

01-07-2014, 08:47 PM	#28
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4453447	OT Antonio Richardson, Tennessee Antonio Richardson is nicknamed "tiny" sarcastically for his mammoth size (6'6", 330 lbs), though I'd compare his game to a slightly more refined version of the even-larger tackle Phil Loadholt. I'd say his game is comparable, his technique is superior, and his athleticism is about the same. Richardson is a massive load with a surprisingly good kick step and when he locks on, your player is usually out on his passrush. Try bullrushing this dude -- **ing try it. Not to argue that Richardson is nimble in any way, however. Noooo, no no no. Not at all. Matter of fact, he makes Taylor Lewan look like Usain Bolt. I have no idea what Richardson's 40 time will be but if it's under 5.5, I will be dead shocked. Richardson lumbers around and is mostly unreliable for any screens or blocking downfield, which the Chiefs obviously run. Loadholt was, coming out of OU, a superior run blocker than Richardson is right now. Richardson can negate his guy, but he doesn't blow him off the blocks like you'd expect a guy his size to. Considering the only offense that Richardson could really fit into is a bruising, downhill rushing offense, that is something he is going to have to work on. His technique in pass protection is pretty good. He's faced a very, very tough slate of passrushers and handled all of them very well. I think, in the right offense, with the right coaching, he's a potential 10-year guy at RT. The hole in Richardson's game is his less-than-awesome athleticism. Watching him run is almost painful, compared to somebody as effortless in his motions as Eric Fisher, who, admittedly, is about as athletic a tackle as you're going to see in the NFL. As a result, that means Richardson's recovery speed is butt-*ing terrible. If he doesn't get out of his stance fast enough, you can say goodbye to protecting the edge on that snap. I only saw one passrusher go really low on Richardson, like Dwight Freeney, and he blew right by him. Richardson will struggle against athletic 3-4 OLBs, but most tackles his size do. However, there is no disputing a successful track record of mostly perfect pocket protection for a whole season against a slate of SEC passrushers. For that, he definitely deserves a look as soon as the 2nd round from some offense that fits his style. Since he is not a very versatile guy, and he's probably only a RT at the next level, he may fall a round or two farther. Projection for Richardson: I'd grade his talent out at about a 2nd rounder, but his lack of versatility means you can probably get him in the 3rd. Apparently he's projected in some scouting circles as going in the 1st, but I have no idea how a GM could justify drafting somebody with the minimal athleticism of an Ent that soon in the draft. Projected Chiefs interest @ 23: Zip. I wouldn't think the Chiefs have any interest in this guy, period, especially* in the 1st. Again, Dorsey really likes athletes. And while Richardson is a lot of things, he's nobody's idea of an athlete. Although, I suppose some Draft season slimming-down could change people's minds. The Chiefs very well may want a battle-tested tackle like Richardson as a swing tackle if they think they can get his run game on track, but it absolutely will not be in the 1st.
Posts: 59,244

01-08-2014, 06:38 PM	#29
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4453447	OT/G La'el Collins, LSU Now we've got a player, folks. When Collins is on, he is an outstanding lineman in size, athleticism, toughness, technique, and versatility. When he's off, which does happen, he can lapse and give up some plays. With solid coaching, however, you can probably eliminate his negative tendencies and end up with a Pro Bowl caliber talent a few years down the road at either guard or right tackle. Right now, teams are potentially scouting him for left tackle, considering that was his position at LSU, and I have a really hard time believing he wouldn't be really good there, either. His athleticism doesn't jump out at you, but he can get where he needs to get, and does plenty fine at the second level. He's somebody you can send out on screens without having much issue at all. Moreover, if Collins performs well at the Combine, these fears will be allayed almost entirely. What really jumps out at you is Collins' runblocking. He's an extremely powerful runblocker who gets low and bulldozes through lineman of all shapes and sizes. Collins has the potential to play guard for 10 years at a very high level given his size (6'5", 321), his quickness off the ball, his technique in getting leverage, and his seemingly impressive strength. But he's quick enough to handle the edge, as well. His kickslide is pretty decent, and he's very much one of those guys that finishes you when he gets his hands on you. He's just so strong, and does a great job of keeping his butt low to retain position. If I was desperately hurting for a guard or a right tackle at #23, and had future aspirations to improve my LT position, Collins would be an outstanding candidate to move there. Strong, heady, pretty athletic, and just a great combination of technique in the passing game and brute strength in the run game. From his time on LSU, you can pretty much plug him in right away and play. Collins has a really high floor -- but he's already pretty much where his ceiling is going to be. He's never going to become much better than he is now, and teams love upside prospects in the 1st round. Projection for Collins: I'm higher on Collins than most, and I'd say he's definitely first round talent. He's everything NFL teams love in first-round tackles: he's really good in pass defense, has good technique, terrific push in the run game, can play multiple positions. The thing he's lacking is upside. There's some technique you could do with Collins, but the guy you get on Day One is the guy you got. Projected Chiefs interest @ 23: Moderate. I honestly think Dorsey would bring in another OL in the first round if the player warranted it, but I think he wants a guy with way more upside than Collins. Collins, again, is a really good player and will be one of the best OL in his draft class, but he's probably not going to give you that game-changing All Pro talent that you're probably hoping for when you draft an OL like this in the 1st.
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