Three really good mid-rounders, and three I hate. - Page 6

Direckshun · 01-30-2014, 01:15 PM

Just because. Midrounders are anything from low-3rds to 5th round.

I LIKE:

OT/G Joel Bitonio, Nevada -- At this point, he's looking more like a guard, since he played there all of the Senior Bowl. However, Bitonio played extremely well at the Senior Bowl, ending up one of my Top 10 players from that week. Bitonio (6'4", 307 lbs) is a very, very athletic tackle who could crawl into the 2nd round if that athleticism translates to a sub-5.0 40 time, which I honestly think it will. He looks like a great zone blocker at guard, but I honestly think he can play tackle -- he played Anthony Barr to a standstill. Blocked for the NCAA's 2nd most rush yards, and held excellent protection at left tackle for the Wolf Pack.

DE/DT Dominique Easley, Florida -- I absolutely adore Easley. Extremely high effort, high-athleticism guy who absolutely never quits. He can push back against bigger OLs, and penetrate, penetrate, penetrate. The big question is -- where do you put him. He played everywhere in Florida's 4-3, but 280 lbs is pretty light for defensive tackle in the NFL, even at undertackle. He's a little on the short side (6'2") but powerful enough for DE in the 4-3, but he played primarily at DT for the Gators, so he's a project there. As for the 3-4... I hate him on the edge in a two-point stance. His first step is far too valuable to take him out of the three-point. So he'd have to play DE in our system, making him purely a passrush specialist. I don't know if that'd be worth the 3rd we'd have to spend to get him, but I really want him on our roster. He's 1st round talent, coming off a terrible ACL tear.

TE Xavier Grimble, USC -- I think Grimble is going to pleasantly surprise everybody. His numbers in college were hampered by the great talent he played with and the injuries he suffered, but here's what we do know: Grimble is a fast, athletic, big (6'5", 255) tight end with good hands. His performance at the Combine could endear him to a lot of people, if he holds his own in blocking drills and looks sharp getting in and out of the cuts in his routes.

I DON'T LIKE:

S Ahmad Dixon, Baylor -- Bernard Pollard 2.0. If you want big hits, he's an option. But even with those big hits, Dixon (6'0", 205) isn't that great in the run game, and he's disasterous in the passing game. He doesn't break down for tackles at all, and will throw his shoulder instead of wrapping up. His coverage will be passable on backs out of the flat, but he will struggle keeping up with NFL caliber TEs and god help him against WRs. More of a strong safety. No discipline. Had an assault charge on him over the offseason.

ILB/OLB Lamin Borrow, LSU -- Can somebody tell me why anybody thinks anything of this guy? He's consistently rated as a mid-rounder but aside from his rangey speed, I don't see why. He's not good in coverage. He can't shed blocks. He doesn't make plays behind the line of scrimmage. He's fast but not especially so. He's not especially big (6'2", 232). He's just a guy. He's not a difference maker, wasn't in college, and won't be in the NFL. Blah.

OLB Demarcus Lawrence, Boise State -- A great athlete with a good motor, but undersized. He has some experience standing up, but he really struggled against the scant NFL talent he went up against. The best player he played all year was Bitonio, and he avoided him most of the game. The few meetings these players had was soundly won by Bitonio. He's just too undersized to play in a three-point stance in a 4-3, so he'd have to occupy some Von Miller role as an OLB in that setup, but he has almost no experience in coverage. I think Lawrence will be a valuable special teamer, nothing more.

Direckshun · 02-10-2014, 05:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gino-Bartali

I really do not want to disagree with you because you do a heck of a job but Prince is a liability in space, he is stiff and is more a north-south type of player. He played in space a lot when he was a soph and he was a mess. He is an undersized tweener, third day selection at best.

Disagree with me all you want. That's not a problem.

I'll admit it was more of a projection based on his senior tape. Shembo was asked to rush the edge in the four games I watched, and just wasn't that great beating tackles or shedding blocks in the run game. The one thing I liked about him was when the Irish line him up way outside standing up, anticipating a route.

I agree he's a third day selection (possible UDFA, really), but I just don't know what his job's going to be in the NFL.

Gino-Bartali · 02-10-2014, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

The Combine will prove one of us correct.

He's projected at a 4.5, I think, but I do love how fast he looks in his routes.

I'm a big fan. I think he'll be a really good slot receiver if he receives good coaching.

- Really, really great hands. Knows how to adjust his body to make the catch, has some underrated leaping ability and can win jump balls against bigger DBs winning the battle at the catch point.

- If not the best, one of the better route runners in the country. He dominates the entire route tree, but he was mainly used in the short and intermediate areas of the field. Against off-coverage is a sure first down for him. Does a nice job with head fakes and i really love the way he works his way into space and back towards his quarterback when the pocket is collapsing.

- Meh size, yep, but he is really tough, he fights to move the chains and he can stay his feet after the contact so he is a good WR to produce YAC.

He is natural, polished at the position from a technical standpoint and has a high football IQ. Concerns to me are his frame, straight-line/breakaway speed and his ability to beat jams or press coverage at the next level.

Direckshun · 02-10-2014, 08:35 AM

Agreed.

Considering he's dominating in the short and intermediate routes, that's like 90% of the routes he'll run as a slot guy.

I just like him a whole lot as a midrounds guy.

Direckshun · 02-10-2014, 08:51 AM

OT Billy Turner, North Dakota State -- I can't recall ever watching tape on NDSU ever before, but Turner is almost too outstanding an athlete to play ****ing Fargo. You're talking about a 6'5", 315 lber who can run. Turner may come close to breaking 5.0 at the Combine, but that doesn't matter -- this guy runs very well on the field. He's as effortless an athlete as there is in this draft at the tackle position. He's a punishing run-blocker, especially when he has his sights locked in -- playing all the way to the whistle. Really impressive. Really good mirroring in pass blocking, but his feet are too narrow in his kickslide -- correctable. I think he's got some left tackle potential, but teams will be drooling thinking about him on the right side. 2nd day pick. I like him more than some of the projected 1st rounders.

Direckshun · 02-10-2014, 10:14 AM

RB Jeremy Hill, LSU -- So many gifts, but it's almost a waste of resources to drop a roster spot on Jeremy Hill. A problem child since high school, trouble just seems to keep finding him. Anger management issues and substance abuse off the field are not problems that are easily solved, and the only thing that could save Hill's chances of getting drafted is a team (a.) in dire need of RB depth and (b.) willing to spend the resources providing Hill constant support for the entirety of his rookie contract. It's a shame from a football perspective because he's a very strong runner, nimble for a guy who's 6'2", 232 lbs, with good top-end speed. He has good vision, and plays with a tremendous nose for the end zone. Teams will need to determine if he's a trouble-maker, or if he's a good kid who just has demons to deal with. I'm betting somebody gives him a chance on a practice squad.

Direckshun · 02-11-2014, 12:47 AM

DE/DT George Uko, USC -- Few defensive lineman have the gigantic gap between abilities than Uko does. If you isolated all of the pass plays that Uko plays on, you'd swear you were looking at a 2nd or even 1st day talent with a rare ability to shoot gaps and pressure the passer. If you isolated all of his run plays, you'd be shocked if anybody would dare draft him. Uko's passion is playing the pass. He doesn't get push however, so much as he does shoot gaps and race to the QB, which he is strong enough and fast enough to do. Against the run, he really struggles -- he gets driven back more than anything, and he ability to shed blockers magically disappears. Uko is a mystery wrapped in a riddle -- can a team expecting a more rounded DL (6'3", 280 lbs) believe they can coach up Uko's gaping deficiency against the run? Or will a team simply bring him on as a passrushing specialist? Either way, he's a midrounder in my eyes, because no matter how bad you are against the run, getting to the QB is getting to the QB in the NFL.

Direckshun · 02-11-2014, 10:56 AM

DE/OLB/ILB? Adrian Hubbard, Alabama -- If you're drafting Hubbard, it's for his physical promise more than it is for his on field production. Hubbard is a very long linebacker (6'5") with fascinating measurables. Alabama asked him to put his hand in the ground, asked him to stand up and rush, asked him to drop -- he is a prime candidate for the 3-4 OLB. However, he could also work in as a DE in the 4-3, though a bit undersized. He needs work on all faucets of his game, really, particularly his coverage, but his great athleticism assures me that he could not only be a really interesting late rounder for a 3-4 team looking for OLB depth, he could serve as an ILB as well.

Direckshun · 02-11-2014, 11:52 AM

WR Mike Davis, Texas -- Davis is one of the reasons people in this draft could beg the Chiefs to go with DE or OLB in the first round. In any normal draft year, he'd be a second-day lock. But this year, he's going on the third day, and you're not going to find much better value than Davis. A record-setting WR at Texas, Davis boasts reportedly great speed (he runs a high 4.4, though he looks more 4.5 on tape), really sharp route-running, and fantastic hands. He looks excellent at wideout, where his straight-line speed is given room to breathe. He's listed at 6'0" but he looks taller than that with long arms and big hands. Davis has put up historic numbers amongst Texas WRs for a reason, and if the Chiefs pass on a WR in the first, he needs to be one of the WRs they look at early on the 3rd day.

Direckshun · 02-11-2014, 12:57 PM

DT Ryan Carrethers, Arkansas State -- Carrethers boasts a big body that looks a lot like a lane-clogging 330 lbs. Yet the one thing that really jumps out about Carrethers is his stat sheet: how in the blue blazes does a 330 lbs guy record over 90 tackles in one season!? The answer can be found by looking at his tape against Louisiana-Lafayette, where he recorded 16 tackles in one game alone: Carrethers is a two-gapping machine. He is a brilliant read-react defender, holding up the OL and flowing to the ball (between the tackles). He isn't quite the pocket-collapser you'd want on the 1st or 2nd day from a guy his size, but Carrethers game reminds me so much of Glenn Dorsey's once Dorsey started flourishing in the 3-4. Carrethers would be great as a nose tackle in any two-gapping system. He's perfect for a bend-don't-break system.

OldSchool · 02-11-2014, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

WR Mike Davis, Texas -- Davis is one of the reasons people in this draft could beg the Chiefs to go with DE or OLB in the first round. In any normal draft year, he'd be a second-day lock. But this year, he's going on the third day, and you're not going to find much better value than Davis. A record-setting WR at Texas, Davis boasts reportedly great speed (he runs a high 4.4, though he looks more 4.5 on tape), really sharp route-running, and fantastic hands. He looks excellent at wideout, where his straight-line speed is given room to breathe. He's listed at 6'0" but he looks taller than that with long arms and big hands. Davis has put up historic numbers amongst Texas WRs for a reason, and if the Chiefs pass on a WR in the first, he needs to be one of the WRs they look at early on the 3rd day.

If Davis had consistent hands he would be going higher. I don't really like him because of that, we already have enough WRs who drop passes as it is.

Direckshun · 02-11-2014, 01:19 PM

I think the biggest knock on Davis is that he's a really good prospect, when there are like 8-10 great prospects in front of him.

Direckshun · 02-11-2014, 02:16 PM

ILB Yawin Smallwood, Connecticut -- In a pass happy league, the league is demanding more and more of the MLB position in the 4-3 defense. Few linebackers have what it takes to provide the versatile skillset and great athleticism that the position demands, especially in defenses like the Cover 2. Smallwood has the technique down, he has the size (6'4", 244) for it, and he has the skillset: he is a near-elite block-shedder in the run game (beautiful to watch), fantastic closing speed, great tackling, and has spent time in 2013 actually out in coverage on WRs. What Smallwood lacks will be sadly familiar to fans of teams that run the 4-3 -- speed. Smallwood is projected to run a 4.7, but his in-game speed looks more like a 4.8 or 4.9, and that really is a killer. He can't run sideline-to-sideline and just gets beat out to the edge by speedier RBs. Blockers can't seem to contain him, RBs rarely wiggle free from him when he gets there, but at this point, he sure looks limited to ILB in 3-4 defenses, which just kills his stock, unless he surprises everyone at the Combine. Don't hold your breath on that.

Direckshun · 02-11-2014, 04:36 PM

OG Dakota Dozier, Furman -- I'm not sure what I have to go on here, but I honestly feel like recommending Dakota Dozier, a 6'4", 315 lbs left tackle blowing people up out of hardly-known Furman University, as a 2nd day pick. I don't see any holes in the awesomely-named Dozier's game. I only have one game of actual tape that I know exists (his 2012 game against Clemson) and the Shrine Game, and he dominated in both, at left tackle and left guard, respectively. None of his opponents in either game had any answers for getting through or around him. Dozier plays strong as a bull with incredibly nimble feet. His kickslide looks pretty solid and his run-blocking is superb (they don't call him bull-Dozier for nothing). As if that weren't enough, he can get to the 2nd level in a hurry and move well in space. I have absolutely no idea what to think of this guy, but he may just be the third or fourth best guard in the entire draft class. Who the hell is Dakota Dozier?

Direckshun · 02-11-2014, 06:30 PM

DE/DT Brent Urban, Virginia -- Yet another one of those midrounder DEs that would fit extremely well in at 3-4 DE. Urban, however, may have the best size/athleticism combo out of all of them. At 6'6", 296 lbs, he is an imposing powerful presence that looks a lot like JJ Watt. When he's on, he drives OL back into the backfield with his ridiculous wingspan and swallows up runners. Urban missed 4 games this year, but still swatted down 9 passes (first in his league), and blew up 12.5 TFL. That's a very JJ Watt like output. Two problems, both of them serious, but potentially correctable: (1.) Urban can get push in the pocket, but he's not racking up a ton of sacks himself (only had 1 this year), and (2.) his technique does need some work, as he ends up on the ground a few times against superior linemen. Nonetheless, he's got some really interesting measurables, and could serve as a potential starter in both 1- and 2-gap systems if he responds well to coaching. He seems like a third day pick to me, but the more coaching you think he'll require, the lower the round you'll obviously be willing to spend.

Direckshun · 02-12-2014, 11:50 AM

WR Brandon Coleman, Rutgers -- Coleman is a candidate to be drafted, and there are hundreds of people breaking down his skillsets, and here I am talking about him, all for basically one reason: he's really, really big. At 6'6", 220 lbs, he's right up there with Kelvin Benjamin as the most crazyhuge receive this draft offers. And that alone is makes him draft worthy -- because he is athletically limited, with iffy hands, and will need a ton of coaching on his technique. He's got a fantastic, long frame with ridiculous arms, but the Combine will have to show me his vertical and his speed, because his tape does little to reveal either. His routes are very weak, and he almost never shakes a DB. As a result, he frequently has to make receptions in traffic, resulting in iffy hands -- he might have amazing hands, but it'll take a year or two of work on his technique. At this point, his tape is severely unflattering, but there are worse things to spend a late rounder on, I guess, than a gigantic receiver you feel you can groom. His Combine performance will be super interesting, to say the least.

01-30-2014, 01:15 PM
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4353447	Three really good mid-rounders, and three I hate. Just because. Midrounders are anything from low-3rds to 5th round. I LIKE: OT/G Joel Bitonio, Nevada -- At this point, he's looking more like a guard, since he played there all of the Senior Bowl. However, Bitonio played extremely well at the Senior Bowl, ending up one of my Top 10 players from that week. Bitonio (6'4", 307 lbs) is a very, very athletic tackle who could crawl into the 2nd round if that athleticism translates to a sub-5.0 40 time, which I honestly think it will. He looks like a great zone blocker at guard, but I honestly think he can play tackle -- he played Anthony Barr to a standstill. Blocked for the NCAA's 2nd most rush yards, and held excellent protection at left tackle for the Wolf Pack. DE/DT Dominique Easley, Florida -- I absolutely adore Easley. Extremely high effort, high-athleticism guy who absolutely never quits. He can push back against bigger OLs, and penetrate, penetrate, penetrate. The big question is -- where do you put him. He played everywhere in Florida's 4-3, but 280 lbs is pretty light for defensive tackle in the NFL, even at undertackle. He's a little on the short side (6'2") but powerful enough for DE in the 4-3, but he played primarily at DT for the Gators, so he's a project there. As for the 3-4... I hate him on the edge in a two-point stance. His first step is far too valuable to take him out of the three-point. So he'd have to play DE in our system, making him purely a passrush specialist. I don't know if that'd be worth the 3rd we'd have to spend to get him, but I really want him on our roster. He's 1st round talent, coming off a terrible ACL tear. TE Xavier Grimble, USC -- I think Grimble is going to pleasantly surprise everybody. His numbers in college were hampered by the great talent he played with and the injuries he suffered, but here's what we do know: Grimble is a fast, athletic, big (6'5", 255) tight end with good hands. His performance at the Combine could endear him to a lot of people, if he holds his own in blocking drills and looks sharp getting in and out of the cuts in his routes. I DON'T LIKE: S Ahmad Dixon, Baylor -- Bernard Pollard 2.0. If you want big hits, he's an option. But even with those big hits, Dixon (6'0", 205) isn't that great in the run game, and he's disasterous in the passing game. He doesn't break down for tackles at all, and will throw his shoulder instead of wrapping up. His coverage will be passable on backs out of the flat, but he will struggle keeping up with NFL caliber TEs and god help him against WRs. More of a strong safety. No discipline. Had an assault charge on him over the offseason. ILB/OLB Lamin Borrow, LSU -- Can somebody tell me why anybody thinks anything of this guy? He's consistently rated as a mid-rounder but aside from his rangey speed, I don't see why. He's not good in coverage. He can't shed blocks. He doesn't make plays behind the line of scrimmage. He's fast but not especially so. He's not especially big (6'2", 232). He's just a guy. He's not a difference maker, wasn't in college, and won't be in the NFL. Blah. OLB Demarcus Lawrence, Boise State -- A great athlete with a good motor, but undersized. He has some experience standing up, but he really struggled against the scant NFL talent he went up against. The best player he played all year was Bitonio, and he avoided him most of the game. The few meetings these players had was soundly won by Bitonio. He's just too undersized to play in a three-point stance in a 4-3, so he'd have to occupy some Von Miller role as an OLB in that setup, but he has almost no experience in coverage. I think Lawrence will be a valuable special teamer, nothing more.
Posts: 59,277

02-10-2014, 08:35 AM	#78
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4353447	Agreed. Considering he's dominating in the short and intermediate routes, that's like 90% of the routes he'll run as a slot guy. I just like him a whole lot as a midrounds guy.
Posts: 59,277

02-10-2014, 08:51 AM	#79
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4353447	OT Billy Turner, North Dakota State -- I can't recall ever watching tape on NDSU ever before, but Turner is almost too outstanding an athlete to play ***ing Fargo. You're talking about a 6'5", 315 lber who can run. Turner may come close to breaking 5.0 at the Combine, but that doesn't matter -- this guy runs very* well on the field. He's as effortless an athlete as there is in this draft at the tackle position. He's a punishing run-blocker, especially when he has his sights locked in -- playing all the way to the whistle. Really impressive. Really good mirroring in pass blocking, but his feet are too narrow in his kickslide -- correctable. I think he's got some left tackle potential, but teams will be drooling thinking about him on the right side. 2nd day pick. I like him more than some of the projected 1st rounders.
Posts: 59,277

02-10-2014, 10:14 AM	#80
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4353447	RB Jeremy Hill, LSU -- So many gifts, but it's almost a waste of resources to drop a roster spot on Jeremy Hill. A problem child since high school, trouble just seems to keep finding him. Anger management issues and substance abuse off the field are not problems that are easily solved, and the only thing that could save Hill's chances of getting drafted is a team (a.) in dire need of RB depth and (b.) willing to spend the resources providing Hill constant support for the entirety of his rookie contract. It's a shame from a football perspective because he's a very strong runner, nimble for a guy who's 6'2", 232 lbs, with good top-end speed. He has good vision, and plays with a tremendous nose for the end zone. Teams will need to determine if he's a trouble-maker, or if he's a good kid who just has demons to deal with. I'm betting somebody gives him a chance on a practice squad.
Posts: 59,277

02-11-2014, 12:47 AM	#81
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4353447	DE/DT George Uko, USC -- Few defensive lineman have the gigantic gap between abilities than Uko does. If you isolated all of the pass plays that Uko plays on, you'd swear you were looking at a 2nd or even 1st day talent with a rare ability to shoot gaps and pressure the passer. If you isolated all of his run plays, you'd be shocked if anybody would dare draft him. Uko's passion is playing the pass. He doesn't get push however, so much as he does shoot gaps and race to the QB, which he is strong enough and fast enough to do. Against the run, he really struggles -- he gets driven back more than anything, and he ability to shed blockers magically disappears. Uko is a mystery wrapped in a riddle -- can a team expecting a more rounded DL (6'3", 280 lbs) believe they can coach up Uko's gaping deficiency against the run? Or will a team simply bring him on as a passrushing specialist? Either way, he's a midrounder in my eyes, because no matter how bad you are against the run, getting to the QB is getting to the QB in the NFL.
Posts: 59,277

02-11-2014, 10:56 AM	#82
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4353447	DE/OLB/ILB? Adrian Hubbard, Alabama -- If you're drafting Hubbard, it's for his physical promise more than it is for his on field production. Hubbard is a very long linebacker (6'5") with fascinating measurables. Alabama asked him to put his hand in the ground, asked him to stand up and rush, asked him to drop -- he is a prime candidate for the 3-4 OLB. However, he could also work in as a DE in the 4-3, though a bit undersized. He needs work on all faucets of his game, really, particularly his coverage, but his great athleticism assures me that he could not only be a really interesting late rounder for a 3-4 team looking for OLB depth, he could serve as an ILB as well.
Posts: 59,277

02-11-2014, 11:52 AM	#83
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4353447	WR Mike Davis, Texas -- Davis is one of the reasons people in this draft could beg the Chiefs to go with DE or OLB in the first round. In any normal draft year, he'd be a second-day lock. But this year, he's going on the third day, and you're not going to find much better value than Davis. A record-setting WR at Texas, Davis boasts reportedly great speed (he runs a high 4.4, though he looks more 4.5 on tape), really sharp route-running, and fantastic hands. He looks excellent at wideout, where his straight-line speed is given room to breathe. He's listed at 6'0" but he looks taller than that with long arms and big hands. Davis has put up historic numbers amongst Texas WRs for a reason, and if the Chiefs pass on a WR in the first, he needs to be one of the WRs they look at early on the 3rd day.
Posts: 59,277

02-11-2014, 12:57 PM	#84
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4353447	DT Ryan Carrethers, Arkansas State -- Carrethers boasts a big body that looks a lot like a lane-clogging 330 lbs. Yet the one thing that really jumps out about Carrethers is his stat sheet: how in the blue blazes does a 330 lbs guy record over 90 tackles in one season!? The answer can be found by looking at his tape against Louisiana-Lafayette, where he recorded 16 tackles in one game alone: Carrethers is a two-gapping machine. He is a brilliant read-react defender, holding up the OL and flowing to the ball (between the tackles). He isn't quite the pocket-collapser you'd want on the 1st or 2nd day from a guy his size, but Carrethers game reminds me so much of Glenn Dorsey's once Dorsey started flourishing in the 3-4. Carrethers would be great as a nose tackle in any two-gapping system. He's perfect for a bend-don't-break system.
Posts: 59,277

02-11-2014, 01:19 PM	#86
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4353447	I think the biggest knock on Davis is that he's a really good prospect, when there are like 8-10 great prospects in front of him.
Posts: 59,277

02-11-2014, 02:16 PM	#87
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4353447	ILB Yawin Smallwood, Connecticut -- In a pass happy league, the league is demanding more and more of the MLB position in the 4-3 defense. Few linebackers have what it takes to provide the versatile skillset and great athleticism that the position demands, especially in defenses like the Cover 2. Smallwood has the technique down, he has the size (6'4", 244) for it, and he has the skillset: he is a near-elite block-shedder in the run game (beautiful to watch), fantastic closing speed, great tackling, and has spent time in 2013 actually out in coverage on WRs. What Smallwood lacks will be sadly familiar to fans of teams that run the 4-3 -- speed. Smallwood is projected to run a 4.7, but his in-game speed looks more like a 4.8 or 4.9, and that really is a killer. He can't run sideline-to-sideline and just gets beat out to the edge by speedier RBs. Blockers can't seem to contain him, RBs rarely wiggle free from him when he gets there, but at this point, he sure looks limited to ILB in 3-4 defenses, which just kills his stock, unless he surprises everyone at the Combine. Don't hold your breath on that.
Posts: 59,277

02-11-2014, 04:36 PM	#88
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4353447	OG Dakota Dozier, Furman -- I'm not sure what I have to go on here, but I honestly feel like recommending Dakota Dozier, a 6'4", 315 lbs left tackle blowing people up out of hardly-known Furman University, as a 2nd day pick. I don't see any holes in the awesomely-named Dozier's game. I only have one game of actual tape that I know exists (his 2012 game against Clemson) and the Shrine Game, and he dominated in both, at left tackle and left guard, respectively. None of his opponents in either game had any answers for getting through or around him. Dozier plays strong as a bull with incredibly nimble feet. His kickslide looks pretty solid and his run-blocking is superb (they don't call him bull-Dozier for nothing). As if that weren't enough, he can get to the 2nd level in a hurry and move well in space. I have absolutely no idea what to think of this guy, but he may just be the third or fourth best guard in the entire draft class. Who the hell is Dakota Dozier?
Posts: 59,277

02-11-2014, 06:30 PM	#89
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4353447	DE/DT Brent Urban, Virginia -- Yet another one of those midrounder DEs that would fit extremely well in at 3-4 DE. Urban, however, may have the best size/athleticism combo out of all of them. At 6'6", 296 lbs, he is an imposing powerful presence that looks a lot like JJ Watt. When he's on, he drives OL back into the backfield with his ridiculous wingspan and swallows up runners. Urban missed 4 games this year, but still swatted down 9 passes (first in his league), and blew up 12.5 TFL. That's a very JJ Watt like output. Two problems, both of them serious, but potentially correctable: (1.) Urban can get push in the pocket, but he's not racking up a ton of sacks himself (only had 1 this year), and (2.) his technique does need some work, as he ends up on the ground a few times against superior linemen. Nonetheless, he's got some really interesting measurables, and could serve as a potential starter in both 1- and 2-gap systems if he responds well to coaching. He seems like a third day pick to me, but the more coaching you think he'll require, the lower the round you'll obviously be willing to spend.
Posts: 59,277

02-12-2014, 11:50 AM	#90
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4353447	WR Brandon Coleman, Rutgers -- Coleman is a candidate to be drafted, and there are hundreds of people breaking down his skillsets, and here I am talking about him, all for basically one reason: he's really, really big. At 6'6", 220 lbs, he's right up there with Kelvin Benjamin as the most crazyhuge receive this draft offers. And that alone is makes him draft worthy -- because he is athletically limited, with iffy hands, and will need a ton of coaching on his technique. He's got a fantastic, long frame with ridiculous arms, but the Combine will have to show me his vertical and his speed, because his tape does little to reveal either. His routes are very weak, and he almost never shakes a DB. As a result, he frequently has to make receptions in traffic, resulting in iffy hands -- he might have amazing hands, but it'll take a year or two of work on his technique. At this point, his tape is severely unflattering, but there are worse things to spend a late rounder on, I guess, than a gigantic receiver you feel you can groom. His Combine performance will be super interesting, to say the least.
Posts: 59,277