Talking Draft Prospects - Page 7

Direckshun · 08:24 PM

We've got perhaps the biggest, most consequential draft coming up for this franchise since 2008. The Chiefs have all seven of their picks, and will certainly be picking up an additional four in compensatory picks, one of which is assuredly a 3rd rounder.

As a result, it's important to familiarize ourselves with as much of this draft class as possible. I started a thread last offseason that discussed late rounders that was generally well liked and spurred tons of great conversation on all sorts of draft picks we normally wouldn't talk about, so I'm going to duplicate that idea this year, only discussing all talents, rather than just the mid- and lower-round ones.

The OP will be continually updated to show the talent I'm reviewing by position. Keep in mind as I list these players that I am generally listing their round projections, but it is not a strict big board, as I likely won't have a big board put together until May.

Spoiler!

Direckshun · 10-10-2014, 02:12 AM

CB Marcus Peters, Washington -- Peters is like the Tale of Two Cornerbacks. There's the Peters in coverage, and there's the Peters against the run, and they both seemingly exhibit completely different players. The Peters in coverage is the guy everybody's paying attention to, let's start there. Peters is a decently-sized, hardplaying CB who played primarily off-man for the Huskies. He shows really good timing, trying to beat WR's to the point of attack before they get there themselves. He plays a little zone too, and is ultimately capable of locking down a WR, other than a few mental lapses every game where he is capable of giving up a big play. He has great ballskills, and isn't afraid to give up a short pass if that's what it takes to neutralize a WR. Against the run, however, this savvy, intense player becomes very passive. He's aggressive when he gets to be the aggressor, and run up on a RB reeling in a pass in the flat, but when the run is directed towards him, he is easily blocked, and his tackling leaves some large room for improvement. I think Peters' size and abilities in coverage could be a really good fit in the right scheme (not the Chiefs' scheme), and he could go in the low 1st, high 2nd round.

Direckshun · 10-10-2014, 03:13 AM

DE Shawn Oakman, Baylor -- Few things grab your attention more aggressively than a 6'9" passrusher who moves fluidly and with great speed. Oakman is undoubtedly going to be drafted in the Top Ten on measurable alone. Not only, at 6'9", 275 lbs, is he physically perfect for a 4-3 DE, but he seems to be athletic enough to play the 3-4 OLB position if a team actually gambled on him -- which they won't. Oakman's enough of a huge project to just get him to live up to his crazy potential, much less asking him to do something he never did at Baylor and stand up at the snap. The jolly green giant has extremely good explosiveness off the snap, and oftentimes is able to leverage his great size into the chest of the opposing tackle, who doesn't ever seem to be able to get their hands on him first. Oakman needs work on his tackling, and his run defense is suspect. But his get-off is fantastic by itself, and he's sure to blow up the Combine in 2015. Oakman is also a very hard worker on the field, pursuing a play even if it's run to the far end of the field. That said, he has only put up outstanding statistics this year against really bad offenses. The second he plays real NFL-caliber tackles, how will he adjust? He's going to be a massive project at the next level, and he can either use his amazing frame to take off immediately like Jason Pierre-Paul, or post middle stats while the franchise who drafted him waits on his potential like Ezekiel Ansah. I personally would take a hard look at him in the middle of the 1st at the soonest.

Direckshun · 10-11-2014, 12:50 AM

QB Connor Cook, Michigan State -- I think Connor Cook's going to bust pretty hard in the NFL, despite the fact that he has a lot of tools I really like. He just has the entire makeup of all the QBs who "had potential" but floundered as soon as they faced an NFL defense. Cook is the "smart" QB who can manage his team's offense, "sometimes" making great throws with "pretty good" athleticism and "good size" at 6'4", 220 lbs. And it's all true -- I'd add that Cook is a savvy QB who knows how to read defenses, is playing under center in a pro-style offense and can make multiple reads on any given play. The problems with Cook are essentially two-fold, however: (a.) he wilts in the face of pressure, and (b.) he has only started in this offense for two years and his completion percentage against actual defenses is under 60%. In the NFL, if he has to face any extended time under center, he is going to see every blitz package created by man. And in the NFL, he's not going to suddenly figure out how to make better decisions and be more accurate with his passes -- there are times when Cook just flat-out misses people. For every touch-pass he lands, he sails two more. I like how tough he is, and how he can figure out how to try to use his athleticism and peek routes to escape pressure, but he's ultimately a guy who will get taken in the 2nd day of the draft by some team thinking he's got game manager potential. Maybe he does, but it's of the Matt Cassel variety at best.

Direckshun · 10-11-2014, 01:36 AM

TE Devin Funchess, Michigan -- Funchess is on the cutting edge of the new wave of WR-like TEs in the mold of Jimmy Graham. Funchess arguably takes it farther than even Graham himself, by virtually dropping the pretense that he's a TE in any practical way; he rarely blocks, only runs routes, and is split out wide 100% of the time. The only reason Funchess isn't listed as a WR is because of his 6'5", 240 lbs frame. His athleticism compared to other TEs is off the charts -- he has good hands (though he could be more aggressive against tight coverage) and his YAC ability is outstanding. He honestly looks like a smaller Travis Kelce with the ball in his hands, and if the Chiefs are seriously considering making the multiple-TE set a reality, they should seriously consider investing here. Dorsey is likely to adore Funchess' measurables, and Funchess is only scraping his potential as his QB at Michigan is downright pathetic. Funchess is weak in the blocking game, struggling to maintain much enthusiasm for it despite his superior size to the DBs he's blocking. That will have to change in the NFL, as will his aforementioned aggressiveness against press man coverage. Funchess showcases soft hands with some inconsistent route-running (though they may be partially a product of Michigan's lousy playcalling and QBing) and one DB is almost never enough to bring him down. He is a size mismatch against most everybody he goes up against, as most linebackers will royally struggle to keep up with him. He's built slender and athletically, rather than the powerful, compact frame of Vernon Davis or even Travis Kelce, and runs with what I'd say is 4.5 speed. Definitely a 1st round talent for a team looking for a reliable weapon with big upside.

OldSchool · 10-11-2014, 02:28 AM

I really don't like Funchess' game at all. I've never seen a more soft 6'5" and 240 pound receiver/TE.

Direckshun · 10-11-2014, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldSchool

I really don't like Funchess' game at all. I've never seen a more soft 6'5" and 240 pound receiver/TE.

We don't need him to be a big tough dude. We need him to reel in catches and rack up YAC.

He can get tough in the run game. We coached Demetrius Harris from nothing, and Funchess has received terrible coaching.

We can rebuild him. We have the technology.

Exoter175 · 10-11-2014, 05:28 AM

Some serious lolworthy responses in this thread, god bless you CP.

Now, what I'm truly interested in, isn't the 1st or 2nd round guys, but the 3rd-5th round guys, as we should have 5-6 picks in that area in 2015, should we not get shafted on our "off season" dud pickups.

OldSchool · 10-11-2014, 02:29 PM

What I mainly meant by him being soft was that there were way too many times where he tried to catch a ball with a little bit of contact and just flat out dropped it even though the DB was significantly smaller. I hate seeing that from big receivers because they'll almost always have to make contested catches in the NFL.

OldSchool · 10-11-2014, 02:36 PM

Oh yeah, Direck, if you have access to tapes on Jaquiski Tartt, Safety out of Samford, would you mind reviewing him? Only video I've found of him was a youtube highlight reel with horrible music. Probably want to check out his games vs Arkansas last year and then TCU this year. The guy looked like a heatseeking missile in his highlights, way faster than anyone else around him. Crazy thing is, the guy has only been playing football for a few years and initially wanted to play basketball in college.

OldSchool · 10-11-2014, 02:41 PM

Jaquiski Tartt will be playing against Auburn in November, another game you'll want to keep your eyes on if you want to check him out.

Direckshun · 10-11-2014, 09:54 PM

I'll do that. I haven't seen any film on him, either, but I added him in my last mock because I liked some of the rumblings on him.

You turned me on to Zach Kerr last year, so I'll definitely look into it.

I really wonder why Kerr wasn't drafted.

OldSchool · 10-11-2014, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

I'll do that. I haven't seen any film on him, either, but I added him in my last mock because I liked some of the rumblings on him.

You turned me on to Zach Kerr last year, so I'll definitely look into it.

I really wonder why Kerr wasn't drafted.

No clue why either, but he's been pretty good for a UDFA for the Colts. He has 7 tackles and a sack through 6 games for them. Pretty good for any rookie DT.

kccrow · 10-11-2014, 10:40 PM

Here's a name for you to watch Direckshun... Adrian Amos - FS/CB - Penn State... Ballhawk that can hit like a truck in the open field.

Direckshun · 10-11-2014, 11:23 PM

Awesome recommendation. Thanks.

Direckshun · 10-12-2014, 05:48 AM

WR Dorial Green-Beckham, Oklahoma -- If there's a reason DGB shouldn't come out this year, I don't know it. He's not going to get much more refined by a year playing for the Sooners, even though he could put up astronomical numbers with Trevor Knight throwing to him. The only reason I can think of is the "show teams he can behave" myth. DGB behaving for a year when he knows the universe is watching him won't change anything. DGB will go in the Top 10 no matter what, much like Robert Quinn did a few years ago despite missing a year. DGB is bigger than every receiver entering this draft, and faster than nearly all of them. He doesn't quite possess Calvin Johnson's measurables or his hands, but he's still elite on both counts. His route-running will need some work, as he beat many DBs by just being bigger and faster than them. After the success Dallas has had containing Dez Bryant's insanity, teams will be more comfortable gambling on a guy who's just as talented. DGB is just huge, capable of overpowering defenders in the redzone and burning them deep on go routes. He's also difficult to bring down; I have visions of Dwayne Bowe, watching DGB break tackles. He's made a lot of poor decisions this far in his nascent career, but perhaps the worst would be staying in college another year instead of just cashing out now while the getting's good. DGB would trot into Draft season as everybody's #1 receiving talent, and a surefire Top 10 pick. I would compare him to Cordarrelle Patterson.

09-24-2014, 02:22 AM
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4413447	Talking Draft Prospects We've got perhaps the biggest, most consequential draft coming up for this franchise since 2008. The Chiefs have all seven of their picks, and will certainly be picking up an additional four in compensatory picks, one of which is assuredly a 3rd rounder. As a result, it's important to familiarize ourselves with as much of this draft class as possible. I started a thread last offseason that discussed late rounders that was generally well liked and spurred tons of great conversation on all sorts of draft picks we normally wouldn't talk about, so I'm going to duplicate that idea this year, only discussing all talents, rather than just the mid- and lower-round ones. The OP will be continually updated to show the talent I'm reviewing by position. Keep in mind as I list these players that I am generally listing their round projections, but it is not a strict big board, as I likely won't have a big board put together until May. Spoiler! QB Marcus Mariota, Oregon Jameis Winston, Florida State Brett Hundley, UCLA Connor Cook, Michigan State RB Todd Gurley, Georgia Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska Mike Davis, South Carolina T.J. Yeldon, Alabama Tevin Coleman, Indiana Duke Johnson, Miami Jay Ajayi, Boise State FB WR Sammie Coates, Auburn Amari Cooper, Alabama Dorial Green-Beckham, Oklahoma Ty Montgomery, Stanford Kevin White, West Virginia DeVante Parker, Louisville Jaelen Strong, Arizona State Josh Harper, Fresno State Breshad Perriman, Central Florida Devin Smith, Ohio State Rashad Greene, Florida State TE Devin Funchess, Michigan Maxx Williams, Minnesota OT Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M Brandon Schwerff, Iowa Andrus Peat, Stanford La'el Collins, LSU Spencer Drango, Baylor Ereck Flowers, Miami Cameron Erving, Florida State T.J. Clemmings, Pittsburgh Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame Ty Sambrailo, Colorado State Jake Fisher, Oregon OG La'el Collins, LSU A.J. McCann, South Carolina Cameron Erving, Florida State Ty Sambrailo, Colorado State Josue Matias, Florida State Laken Tomlinson, Duke C Cameron Erving, Florida State Reese Dismukes, Auburn NT Danny Shelton, Washington Eddie Goldman, Florida State Malcom Brown, Texas Jordan Phillips, Oklahoma 4-3 DT and/or 3-4 DE Leonard Williams, USC Michael Bennett, Ohio State Mario Edwards, Jr., Florida State Malcom Brown, Texas Arik Armstead, Oregon Carl Davis, Iowa 4-3 DE Randy Gregory, Nebraska Shilique Calhoun, Michigan State Dante Fowler, Jr., Florida Shawn Oakman, Baylor Bronson Kaufusi, BYU Alvin Dupree, Kentucky Nate Orchard, Utah Owamagbe Odighizuwa, UCLA Danielle Hunter, LSU 3-4 OLB Randy Gregory, Nebraska Vic Beasley, Clemson Dante Fowler, Jr., Florida Shayne Ray, Missouri Bronson Kaufusi, BYU Lorenzo Maudlin, Louisville Alvin Dupree, Kentucky Nate Orchard, Utah Hau'oli Kikaha, Washington Eli Harold, Virginia Danielle Hunter, LSU 4-3 OLB/WILB Vic Beasley, Clemson Shaq Thompson, Washington Paul Dawson, TCU MLB/SILB Bernardrick McKinney, Mississippi State Denzel Perryman, Miami Eric Kendricks, UCLA CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomo, Oregon P.J. Williams, Florida State Marcus Peters, Washington Trae Waynes, Michigan State Jalen Collins, LSU Alex Carter, Stanford Quentin Rollins, Miami (OH) Kevin Johnson, Wake Forest SS Landon Collins, Alabama Anthony Harris, Virginia FS Gerod Holliman, Louisville K P Last edited by Direckshun; 03-04-2015 at 08:24 PM..
Posts: 59,258

10-10-2014, 02:12 AM	#91
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4413447	CB Marcus Peters, Washington -- Peters is like the Tale of Two Cornerbacks. There's the Peters in coverage, and there's the Peters against the run, and they both seemingly exhibit completely different players. The Peters in coverage is the guy everybody's paying attention to, let's start there. Peters is a decently-sized, hardplaying CB who played primarily off-man for the Huskies. He shows really good timing, trying to beat WR's to the point of attack before they get there themselves. He plays a little zone too, and is ultimately capable of locking down a WR, other than a few mental lapses every game where he is capable of giving up a big play. He has great ballskills, and isn't afraid to give up a short pass if that's what it takes to neutralize a WR. Against the run, however, this savvy, intense player becomes very passive. He's aggressive when he gets to be the aggressor, and run up on a RB reeling in a pass in the flat, but when the run is directed towards him, he is easily blocked, and his tackling leaves some large room for improvement. I think Peters' size and abilities in coverage could be a really good fit in the right scheme (not the Chiefs' scheme), and he could go in the low 1st, high 2nd round.
Posts: 59,258

10-10-2014, 03:13 AM	#92
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4413447	DE Shawn Oakman, Baylor -- Few things grab your attention more aggressively than a 6'9" passrusher who moves fluidly and with great speed. Oakman is undoubtedly going to be drafted in the Top Ten on measurable alone. Not only, at 6'9", 275 lbs, is he physically perfect for a 4-3 DE, but he seems to be athletic enough to play the 3-4 OLB position if a team actually gambled on him -- which they won't. Oakman's enough of a huge project to just get him to live up to his crazy potential, much less asking him to do something he never did at Baylor and stand up at the snap. The jolly green giant has extremely good explosiveness off the snap, and oftentimes is able to leverage his great size into the chest of the opposing tackle, who doesn't ever seem to be able to get their hands on him first. Oakman needs work on his tackling, and his run defense is suspect. But his get-off is fantastic by itself, and he's sure to blow up the Combine in 2015. Oakman is also a very hard worker on the field, pursuing a play even if it's run to the far end of the field. That said, he has only put up outstanding statistics this year against really bad offenses. The second he plays real NFL-caliber tackles, how will he adjust? He's going to be a massive project at the next level, and he can either use his amazing frame to take off immediately like Jason Pierre-Paul, or post middle stats while the franchise who drafted him waits on his potential like Ezekiel Ansah. I personally would take a hard look at him in the middle of the 1st at the soonest.
Posts: 59,258

10-11-2014, 12:50 AM	#93
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4413447	QB Connor Cook, Michigan State -- I think Connor Cook's going to bust pretty hard in the NFL, despite the fact that he has a lot of tools I really like. He just has the entire makeup of all the QBs who "had potential" but floundered as soon as they faced an NFL defense. Cook is the "smart" QB who can manage his team's offense, "sometimes" making great throws with "pretty good" athleticism and "good size" at 6'4", 220 lbs. And it's all true -- I'd add that Cook is a savvy QB who knows how to read defenses, is playing under center in a pro-style offense and can make multiple reads on any given play. The problems with Cook are essentially two-fold, however: (a.) he wilts in the face of pressure, and (b.) he has only started in this offense for two years and his completion percentage against actual defenses is under 60%. In the NFL, if he has to face any extended time under center, he is going to see every blitz package created by man. And in the NFL, he's not going to suddenly figure out how to make better decisions and be more accurate with his passes -- there are times when Cook just flat-out misses people. For every touch-pass he lands, he sails two more. I like how tough he is, and how he can figure out how to try to use his athleticism and peek routes to escape pressure, but he's ultimately a guy who will get taken in the 2nd day of the draft by some team thinking he's got game manager potential. Maybe he does, but it's of the Matt Cassel variety at best.
Posts: 59,258

10-11-2014, 01:36 AM	#94
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4413447	TE Devin Funchess, Michigan -- Funchess is on the cutting edge of the new wave of WR-like TEs in the mold of Jimmy Graham. Funchess arguably takes it farther than even Graham himself, by virtually dropping the pretense that he's a TE in any practical way; he rarely blocks, only runs routes, and is split out wide 100% of the time. The only reason Funchess isn't listed as a WR is because of his 6'5", 240 lbs frame. His athleticism compared to other TEs is off the charts -- he has good hands (though he could be more aggressive against tight coverage) and his YAC ability is outstanding. He honestly looks like a smaller Travis Kelce with the ball in his hands, and if the Chiefs are seriously considering making the multiple-TE set a reality, they should seriously consider investing here. Dorsey is likely to adore Funchess' measurables, and Funchess is only scraping his potential as his QB at Michigan is downright pathetic. Funchess is weak in the blocking game, struggling to maintain much enthusiasm for it despite his superior size to the DBs he's blocking. That will have to change in the NFL, as will his aforementioned aggressiveness against press man coverage. Funchess showcases soft hands with some inconsistent route-running (though they may be partially a product of Michigan's lousy playcalling and QBing) and one DB is almost never enough to bring him down. He is a size mismatch against most everybody he goes up against, as most linebackers will royally struggle to keep up with him. He's built slender and athletically, rather than the powerful, compact frame of Vernon Davis or even Travis Kelce, and runs with what I'd say is 4.5 speed. Definitely a 1st round talent for a team looking for a reliable weapon with big upside.
Posts: 59,258

10-11-2014, 02:28 AM	#95
OldSchool MVP Join Date: Sep 2013 Casino cash: $10035212	I really don't like Funchess' game at all. I've never seen a more soft 6'5" and 240 pound receiver/TE.
Posts: 12,727

10-11-2014, 05:28 AM	#97
Exoter175 Banned Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Olathe Casino cash: $10003166	Some serious lolworthy responses in this thread, god bless you CP. Now, what I'm truly interested in, isn't the 1st or 2nd round guys, but the 3rd-5th round guys, as we should have 5-6 picks in that area in 2015, should we not get shafted on our "off season" dud pickups.
Posts: 2,327

10-11-2014, 02:29 PM	#98
OldSchool MVP Join Date: Sep 2013 Casino cash: $10035212	What I mainly meant by him being soft was that there were way too many times where he tried to catch a ball with a little bit of contact and just flat out dropped it even though the DB was significantly smaller. I hate seeing that from big receivers because they'll almost always have to make contested catches in the NFL.
Posts: 12,727

10-11-2014, 02:36 PM	#99
OldSchool MVP Join Date: Sep 2013 Casino cash: $10035212	Oh yeah, Direck, if you have access to tapes on Jaquiski Tartt, Safety out of Samford, would you mind reviewing him? Only video I've found of him was a youtube highlight reel with horrible music. Probably want to check out his games vs Arkansas last year and then TCU this year. The guy looked like a heatseeking missile in his highlights, way faster than anyone else around him. Crazy thing is, the guy has only been playing football for a few years and initially wanted to play basketball in college.
Posts: 12,727

10-11-2014, 02:41 PM	#100
OldSchool MVP Join Date: Sep 2013 Casino cash: $10035212	Jaquiski Tartt will be playing against Auburn in November, another game you'll want to keep your eyes on if you want to check him out.
Posts: 12,727

10-11-2014, 09:54 PM	#101
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4413447	I'll do that. I haven't seen any film on him, either, but I added him in my last mock because I liked some of the rumblings on him. You turned me on to Zach Kerr last year, so I'll definitely look into it. I really wonder why Kerr wasn't drafted.
Posts: 59,258

10-11-2014, 10:40 PM	#103
kccrow MVP Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Michigan Casino cash: $3277078	Here's a name for you to watch Direckshun... Adrian Amos - FS/CB - Penn State... Ballhawk that can hit like a truck in the open field.
Posts: 12,615

10-11-2014, 11:23 PM	#104
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4413447	Awesome recommendation. Thanks.
Posts: 59,258

10-12-2014, 05:48 AM	#105
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4413447	WR Dorial Green-Beckham, Oklahoma -- If there's a reason DGB shouldn't come out this year, I don't know it. He's not going to get much more refined by a year playing for the Sooners, even though he could put up astronomical numbers with Trevor Knight throwing to him. The only reason I can think of is the "show teams he can behave" myth. DGB behaving for a year when he knows the universe is watching him won't change anything. DGB will go in the Top 10 no matter what, much like Robert Quinn did a few years ago despite missing a year. DGB is bigger than every receiver entering this draft, and faster than nearly all of them. He doesn't quite possess Calvin Johnson's measurables or his hands, but he's still elite on both counts. His route-running will need some work, as he beat many DBs by just being bigger and faster than them. After the success Dallas has had containing Dez Bryant's insanity, teams will be more comfortable gambling on a guy who's just as talented. DGB is just huge, capable of overpowering defenders in the redzone and burning them deep on go routes. He's also difficult to bring down; I have visions of Dwayne Bowe, watching DGB break tackles. He's made a lot of poor decisions this far in his nascent career, but perhaps the worst would be staying in college another year instead of just cashing out now while the getting's good. DGB would trot into Draft season as everybody's #1 receiving talent, and a surefire Top 10 pick. I would compare him to Cordarrelle Patterson. Last edited by Direckshun; 10-12-2014 at 07:53 AM..
Posts: 59,258