I'm trying to think about the kind of receiver the Dolphins will want. They might not place the kind of premium on guys like Sammie Coates or Davante Parker who make big plays down the field by winning physically at the catch point. They need speed and agility, and reliable hands. That kind of seems like a Rashad Greene, Nelson Agholor, Justin Hardy or Stefon Diggs, to me.
I think this is the kind of player Miami might want at receiver. [video=youtube;JhVOPeWdesI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JhVOPeWdesI[/video]
Good ole http://fanspeak.com/ontheclock/ R1: WR Kevin White, West Virginia R2: OL Ty Sambrailo, Colorado State R3: WR Sammie Coates, Auburn R4: DT Luther Maddy, Virginia Tech R5: RB Todd Gurley, Georgia R6: CB Byron Jones, Connecticut R7: S Clayton Geathers, UCF Could you imagine? LOL. Having Mike Wallace, Kevin White, Jarvis Landry and Sammie Coates in the receivers unit...how the hell do you cover that? Todd Gurley and Lamar Miller running the football. Ty Sambrailo sliding in at left guard.
Please, not another slot receiver...We really need big, fast, strong #1 and #2 in being extremely honest and move Wallace into the slot as from watching him this year it seems that basically is how they are using him. Just think with great #1 and #2 like I mentioned with Landry and Wallace in the slot would be next to impossible for defenses to cover and with Miller and I WISH Gordon in the backfield plus if Devon Johnson decides to declare picking him up later and get the guard position ironed out....WOW is all I can say...lol
Oh what an Perfect draft this is!! Also while we are at it we pick up Rakeem Cato and Devon Johnson as UDFA'S ....lol
I don't really follow O-Line prospects. Are there any guys at the guard position who are flat out locks to be great? I mean noone is a lock but I think you get what I mean.
It's kind of rare for guard prospects to be locks. Well I guess there aren't many prospects period at any position that are locks to be great. But the guard position presents its own issues. The best athletes in college along the OL are generally playing tackle. Having guys that look good at tackle move inside to guard has never been any kind of guarantee. Sometimes it's brilliant. Sometimes it's not. If you're valuing a guy high then your standard has to be high for how he plays. If he's just mediocre (and it's pretty easy to be mediocre, especially at an unfamiliar position) then the value of the player dips so low relative to the investment that even a mediocre player has to be deemed a bust. Anyway point being not a lot of guys come out of college having been a guard and looking like a sure thing as a pro guard. There aren't a ton of Dave DeCastros. And then even those Dave DeCastros can end up looking like...Dave DeCastro (i.e. mediocre pro). Best pure guard prospect is probably A.J. Cann of South Carolina. Even though Arie Kouandjio and Josue Matias have had tough years I'm still interested in them. Their stars have fallen though. Jamil Douglas, Quinton Spain, John Miller, Mark Glowinski, Junior Salt and Adam Shead come recommended (haven't done work on them myself). I personally look at Ty Sambrailo similar to how I looked at Greg Robinson in terms of left guard being his ultimate position. I see an Evan Mathis. Someone I respect sees Logan Mankins. A lot of people look at Brandon Scherff as the top tackle prospect in the draft. I don't suppose they're that wrong. But there have been times I've looked at him and wanted to move him inside. As I recently heard an NFL insider put it, the state of interior line play in the NFL is terrible at the moment. So it does beg for some higher profile tackle prospects to be slid inside.
I'd hold up with the surefire 1st rounder designations until we see some of them run. Amari Cooper is a sure 1st rounder. Kevin White, probably. DeVante Parker...maybe more of a 50/50. Sammie Coates is the other one you're looking for. He's too physically gifted and made too much of a name for himself abusing SEC defenses with a QB that few teams are going to evaluate as a QB...for him to end up slipping through the cracks. Fans should love him probably a little more than they do but they hate seeing a guy who drops the football and he does drop the football some (as does Duke Williams). But the teams will have accounted for Sammie having been injured and having his practice time limited severely during the first part of the season. They'll see how he exploded once he was practicing regularly and got into football shape. Jaelen Strong had not impressed me that much heading into the year but from everything I've heard, I guess he's been absolutely murdering defenses. I will have to look at him a little more and determine whether he's worth putting in category with the above four receivers. He probably is.
I don't think Tyler Lockette is a lock for the 2nd round. I've been following him for a number of years and I love the kid. But he's a body catcher and he ends up dropping/otherwise not catching footballs because of that tendency. I'd compare him to Golden Tate that way but Golden Tate used to catch the football anyway, very, very reliably. Lockette is also really small. If he's going to make it to the high portions of the draft like DeSean Jackson he's got to run like DeSean Jackson. Which, to be fair, he may do. The guy is fast. Legit fast.
If Parker is available, which i believe he will be in the first, id have to match him up with the best tight end that is on the board.
I'll tell you this. There isn't really a Mike Evans in this draft. I don't see a Sammy Watkins, either. There's quality depth but not necessarily super quality at the head. And yes I'm accounting for Amari Cooper in that. The best physical specimen is without a doubt Sammie Coates, and he's kind of a fvck-up at times with his dropsies. Whether it's excusable or not, it is what it is. Well, Dorial Green-Beckham is potentially in category with Mike Evans or Sammy Watkins. I should make note of that. But the incident that got him kicked out of school is BAD. No sugar coating it. It's Lawrence Phillips bad.
I would have to see what players at other positions are available but there's a strong possibility that this manner of pegging the position (WR or TE) would be doing a disservice to players at other positions that are purely better. This isn't the TE draft where you want to be looking in the 1st round. Devin Funchess MAYBE. But you could argue it's not the wisest use of capital.
One thing about Jaelen Strong. I can't help it on tape he doesn't necessarily look OUTSTANDING to me. But something that does look pretty outstanding are his physical dimensions. He's over 6'3" and 215 lbs and looks thick, solid on tape. He moves well. And when push comes to shove I saw him outrun John Plattenburg Jr. the freshman safety at USC, whose recruiting profiles say he ran a 4.41 in the 40 yard dash. Is that accurate? Perhaps not. But Strong's NFLDS profile estimates him at 4.55 and that's such a disparity (4.55 to 4.41) that it suggests Strong is faster than people think...at that size. Sometimes a guy doesn't necessarily look that fast. There were times I didn't think Mike Evans was going to run in the 4.4's. But that's the way of it with bigger guys that have longer strides. If he's truly 6'3" and 215 lbs with those big physical and high-point catches and 4.4 speed...well, let's not overthink this.
And here's the thing about DeVante Parker. Let's just look at the very first catch of his game against Florida State. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQdeARMvt5E&feature=player_detailpage#t=8 Look what happens after the catch. Tyler Hunter of Florida State has a good head of steam going in pursuit, whereas Parker's slowed down a bit for the ball and has to accelerate. Thing is, Parker also had a big lead on Hunter. And to my eyes, it looks like Parker had enough of a lead that he could accelerate up to speed and outrun Hunter IF he's truly faster than Hunter. Tyler Hunter has 4.67 speed according to campus testings reported by NFLDS. DeVante Parker is supposed to have 4.48 speed according to those same sources. That's a huge disparity and Parker essentially gets caught from behind on the play by a guy that on paper he should never get caught from behind by. So when we get to Indy, and it comes time to run a fast forty...will Parker actually do that? Some will say that doesn't matter. It absolutely does. This is where the rubber meets the road of being a compelling football player at the next level. People think there are two kinds of speed (football speed and track speed) but in actuality there are three kinds of speed: perception speed, tape-measured speed, and track-measured speed. The latter two will, believe it or not, often match up very well. The first of the of the three measures is the LEAST reliable when it comes to translating to the next level. People try and act haughty like they know who is fast and who isn't, without having to do any special tricks. Oh yeah? Then let's test that. Watch a guy run the 40 and tell me how fast he ran it without the NFL Network revealing his stopwatch time. See how often you're right, how often you're WAY off, and what your average variance from the actual stopwatch speed is. Just do it. Test yourself. That's the faultiness of perception. I'm not out here showing conclusive proof of this or that. I'm raising red flags and identifying opportunities, as I've been doing for years in this manner. DeVante Parker's speed is one of those things where, once you see it (or really the lack of it), you can't unsee it. Suddenly it's registering all those times corners easily maintain they're over-top leverage on him and how much of what he does is really just catching the football underneath their over-top leverage. All that said, it could just be that for some reason DeVante Parker's speed is not consistent on tape. Demaryius Thomas had that issue. He ended up fine. I was a believer in him anyway. And there's no doubt DeVante Parker will vertical leap through the top of the dome.
If you want to see what it looks like when a receiver slows down for the ball, and is able to re-accelerate and stay ahead of a guy because he's just plain faster... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLYc7p-uX2k&feature=player_detailpage#t=44 Eddie Jackson has 4.53 speed as per campus testings according to NFL Draft Scout. Infamously, Coates ran a 4.37 during a campus testing. When you look up for the ball like Coates did, you slow down. It's natural. It gives Jackson a chance to try and cover ground. But the disparity is just too much. That's what it SHOULD look like with DeVante Parker and Tyler Hunter. But it didn't. I can't tell you if Sammie Coates really is a 4.37 guy when he goes to Indy. I'm guessing not. But he's legit faster than the 4.5 guy Eddie Jackson, and his being legit faster than Jackson resulted in a long touchdown (rubber ===> road).
Dude, no, I totally agree. It's weird because you look at his stature and he's built like a gazelle but he often looks like a deer in the headlights with the ball in his hands. Indecisive. If you can convince him to just get up the field he may break more tackles than he is actually trying to break when he consciously thinks about it. It also applies to when he doesn't have the ball in his hands, but he gets open, and when he's not, that ability to go up and get the ball shines through. Will it be that easy against NFL corners though? I'd like to think he's so skilled at it that the applicability would be undeniable but you never know until he does it consistently at that level. I haven't followed Arie Kouandijo very closely but I watched his 2013 tape vs. A&M and damn did he look great. Really big boy but his pulls were springy, fluid, and he finished from what I saw. I watched La'el Collins tape vs. Wisconsin the other day too and was not too thoroughly impressed. Didn't move his man during the whole game and there were some blatant and ugly whiffs in there as well. When LSU was whittling the time away towards the end of the 4th he looked like a totally different player, and I don't know what clicked exactly. Sorry about the wall of text but posting on your phone results in it not keeping any of your formatting anyways.
I was watching the UCF ECU game, and the guy that jumps out is the ECU OLB Maurice Falls. Great prospect.
Anyone watch Quinten Rollins the corner for Miami Of Ohio? I think this was his first year playing corner after playing Point Guard for their basketball team. I won't lie in that I've only seen him once, but man did he look good for such an unpolished player. No idea what he runs forty wise, but he looked like Brent Grimes in the way he turns, runs, breaks, so on. Could be worth a flier in the later rounds depending on his combine/pro day.
Is Amari Cooper Julio Jones? I haven't watched anything Alabama based yet. I'll probably do the bulk of my watching during the combine season or so since you get some physical context to the things you're seeing on tape. Is he as good as advertised? He could be a Dolphin. He's not huge but he'd be the biggest body we have. Some scouts have compared him to Roddy White which is not bad. He's about an inch taller and might be taller or shorter depending on who you ask (thanks Combine). There's also a Jordy Nelson comparison which would also be great if he turned into.
No. Amari Cooper is more Antonio Brown than Julio Jones. Amari's strength is route running, quickness, and speed to an extent.
The more I think about it, the more I think the Dolphins really need a big, playmaking WR that is going to go up and get the football over people. They could also use a guy that can make plays with the ball in his hands. In my brief time looking at the WR prospects in this class, the one guy that seems to fit that mold more than anyone else is DeVante Parker. If he is available in the 1st round, he is a guy I would take a long look at drafting. I think he is the type of player who could really take this offense to the next level and make a difference in the red zone.
He'll most likely be a bottom of the first round type of guy, because of tape speed issues, but the combine can change that. We could move back and get a mid-rounder and still nab him if there is a potential partner, or we could make back into the first and get him too if that's the route we're taking. Can't afford to get cute if you are a GM and have conviction about a player. [video=youtube;JsVKdTmWLuw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsVKdTmWLuw[/video]
Forget everything I said, I guess. CBS has him going in the 10-15 range, WalterFootball has him in the same range. Universal has him as the 5th rated (overall) senior. So I dunno.
Things generally change a LOT between now and the draft. There are tons of guys that those publications have had mid-1st round grades on toward the beginning of December that have 3rd round grades by May. And vice versa.
I'd be looking hard at La'el Collins from LSU to play RT if Albert is still hurt and a guy who could come right in and play OG very well. It might be a little redundant as to the Billy Turner pick, but personally I'd rather have Turner groomed at LT where I think he belongs with that elite athletic ability.
Like CK said, it's very early in the process. Not only could he move up or down quite a bit between now and the draft, but I'm sure I'll watch a lot more tape on him and the other WRs in this class. As it stands right now, he's probably my favorite for the Dolphins pick because from the little I've seen, I think he is exactly what they need on offense, and if they feel the same way, they should take him where they stand. Like you said, no reason to get cute if he's your guy.
Here is a short highlight video of Rollins I found. Remember that this is his first year playing college football. Love that he isn't afraid to stick his nose in and make hits. His head is always on a swivel and uses his quickness to react to the throw. Also keep in mind this is a highlight video and Im sure you could find many negative plays as well. It's just to give some of you guys who haven't seen him play a good look at the things he does well. [video=youtube;eCHLLwLY7fs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCHLLwLY7fs[/video]
I think a solid comparison is Jeremy Maclin. Maybe a smidge bigger and maybe a larger catch radius? I do think someone mentioned this comparison if I am not mistaken. If not, this is kind of who I would compare him to.
I truly thought '13 was going to be Fitz's last year in AZ given his salary and a sort of 'changing of the guard' sitch with Floyd, and thought Miami might be the place for him. After seeing him this year, I am just not too sold on him anymore. Also, Floyd seems to be just a flyer, and not really too polished. Thought he would have tightened a few things up after Fitz lit into him, but he may not pan out. Of course, losing QBs like I lose pens doesn't help.
While I am bias, I do think a solid safety option could be Cody Prewitt. He is a two-time All-American. He can lay the pipe (see his hit against Jordan Matthews that literally made Matthews puke). While I think he is built more like a SS (6'2"/220), he can roam. Built like a box safety, but mentally a centerfielder. I think his understanding of offenses really makes him a good prospect. I have not really seen him "make a bad play". Sometimes it looks like a player misses an assignment or makes a bad read, but if dissected, it was in fact the responsibility of another player. Not necessarily the fastest guy, but his angles and timing are tops. Good ball skills. Had six INTs his Jr year. Sometimes seems to lay back and let others make plays/tackles. Smart kid who understands his role on defense. Doesn't seem to "get lost" on the field. Has "leader" written all over him. I think his biggest question mark will be his speed. I would be very surprised (but pleasantly) if he ran a sub-4.5. But I do think he makes up for it on the field by his pre-snap reads, instincts, and real time adjustments. I think he could become a solid contributor to a defense. He won't put you in bad situations because of an on-field decision. I think he could go late-2nd to mid-3rd, but would be a steal if he goes later. If anyone is going to Mobile or watching the upcoming Senior Bowl, keep an eye out for him. I think he's gonna be a pretty good one.
7. Maurice Falls, OLB, East Carolina Particulars: 6-3, 247, senior Buzz: He runs the 40 in 4.47 seconds and has a vertical jump of 36 inches. In addition, he is strong, with a back squat of 645 pounds and a bench press of 425 pounds. He is expected to be a full-time starter for the first time this fall. http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap2000000354297
