I don't even wonder anymore, and it's precisely for the same reason you said below. White offers the big boy size & ability to continue winning matchups at the next level that Cooper might no longer be capable of. There are some situations where I'd prefer Cooper however, but for our needs, on a team that lacks a physical presence and redzone threat, I don't see why White wouldn't make more sense. Agree on Coates. I'd like to find out about his work ethic and so forth.
Impressive kid. Nice find. I wanna say he reminds me of JPP's old days at USF.... or maybe a mix of JPP and Ansah depending on what weight he checks in at. He was a highly regarded 4-star recruit [#8 WDE and #156 overall in 247's Composite ranking], so obviously you're not viewing a mirage. Apparently he was one of the 11 disgruntled UF players who have chosen to go elsewhere recently. Trying to add the pieces together, it seems like he may have made an emotional decision to choose UF but shortly after regretted it.
I know that people at UF regarded him as having Jevon Kearse type physical ability. And the tape shows it, regardless of the level of competition.
That's quite a nod, and they should know eh. BTW, I'd love to see some normal film on the kid. I hate that damn coach's tape for players inside the box. It's hard to get a good feel for what he's doing and to gauge just how quick/fast/explosive he really is.
Not much to go on for Devon Johnson. His 2013 highlights made me think he was a man without a position in the NFL, like a less athletic James Casey. The best I could find for 2014 was to peruse his ESPN game logs and look for ones with video clips. Seems like he shed some extra weight and that it did him much good. Looks quicker, more agile, and more athletic.... although I wouldn't necessarily describe him as quick, agile, and athletic.... but he does seem to move well for a bigger guy, and he doesn't appear to have a speed deficiency getting to and through the 2nd level. I like his active hands. He certainly doesn't run like a torso with a football taped to it. I hate that s***. Nice little decisive, instinctual, bounce cut to his right a few yards in the backfield to avoid Miami's LDE for a 27 yard TD. It seems like his feet do a good job of going where his eyes tell them. Not sure how he runs when there's not a hole or during "terminal contact" however. Does he have the awareness to shift his focus to picking up positive yardage when there's nowhere to really go? He's an interesting player, and I don't mean that in the placating way. Wish he were a senior so I could watch him in the Senior Bowl or East-West..... but with Marshall 8-0 perhaps there's a decent bowl game ahead.
RB Devon Johnson, Marshall (Class: 2016) I love that Devon Johnson's nickname even before this move to tailback was "Rock Head" If you really want to get an idea where a guy comes from so that you can plot it compared to where he is now, you can look at his high school tape. I often find that instructive. [video=youtube;WtlefqnjksA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtlefqnjksA[/video] I mean, very first play from that video it's hard to stop giggling. I'm working backwards through his season starting with the FAU game. versus Florida Atlantic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...YSwy3_IzmEE&list=UUqtg0FdNZ5cTGELBGyCBgsw#t=6 (TD) http://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...wy3_IzmEE&list=UUqtg0FdNZ5cTGELBGyCBgsw#t=122 http://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...wy3_IzmEE&list=UUqtg0FdNZ5cTGELBGyCBgsw#t=286 http://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...wy3_IzmEE&list=UUqtg0FdNZ5cTGELBGyCBgsw#t=315 (TD) http://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...wy3_IzmEE&list=UUqtg0FdNZ5cTGELBGyCBgsw#t=381 http://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...wy3_IzmEE&list=UUqtg0FdNZ5cTGELBGyCBgsw#t=835 http://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...wy3_IzmEE&list=UUqtg0FdNZ5cTGELBGyCBgsw#t=910 http://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...wy3_IzmEE&list=UUqtg0FdNZ5cTGELBGyCBgsw#t=924 http://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...y3_IzmEE&list=UUqtg0FdNZ5cTGELBGyCBgsw#t=1146 (TD) http://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...y3_IzmEE&list=UUqtg0FdNZ5cTGELBGyCBgsw#t=1233 http://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...y3_IzmEE&list=UUqtg0FdNZ5cTGELBGyCBgsw#t=1250 http://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...y3_IzmEE&list=UUqtg0FdNZ5cTGELBGyCBgsw#t=1452 (Route) http://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...y3_IzmEE&list=UUqtg0FdNZ5cTGELBGyCBgsw#t=1464 (Montage) http://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...y3_IzmEE&list=UUqtg0FdNZ5cTGELBGyCBgsw#t=1567 (TD) You may note that on the first TD run, CB D'Joun Smith of FAU (#21) is the closest to being able to keep up with Rock Head's speed. Both players get up to top speed and Smith is the fastest of the FAU players. That's not a coincidence as D'Joun Smith is genuinely considered one of the top senior corner prospects in the country. But Smith doesn't really close any distance. Rock Head maintains the same separation from Smith throughout the run. Smith has tested at 4.51 in campus testings. On the other hand later in the game on Rock Head's third touchdown, it's clear that D'Joun Smith is catching up with Johnson and even takes a shot at him as he's heading into the end zone. There's a reason. You can't see it on the video but I watched the game and Devon Johnson took a hamstring injury midway through the 2nd quarter. He went to the locker room for halftime with about 5 minutes left in the 2nd quarter. He came back out in the 3rd quarter but was clearly a lot more sluggish due to the injury, and you could see it even on that long touchdown run as guys that couldn't make up any ground on him on the 1st and 2nd touchdowns suddenly were catching up to him on the 3rd touchdown. Versus Florida International: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGQo...5cTGELBGyCBgsw&feature=player_detailpage#t=56 (Pass Block) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGQo...5cTGELBGyCBgsw&feature=player_detailpage#t=68 (Pass Block) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGQo...5cTGELBGyCBgsw&feature=player_detailpage#t=92 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGQo...cTGELBGyCBgsw&feature=player_detailpage#t=234 (Big Run) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGQo...cTGELBGyCBgsw&feature=player_detailpage#t=492 (Pass Block) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGQo...cTGELBGyCBgsw&feature=player_detailpage#t=956 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGQo...cTGELBGyCBgsw&feature=player_detailpage#t=987 (Catch) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGQo...TGELBGyCBgsw&feature=player_detailpage#t=1095 (Block) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGQo...TGELBGyCBgsw&feature=player_detailpage#t=1152 (TD Catch) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGQo...TGELBGyCBgsw&feature=player_detailpage#t=1212 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGQo...TGELBGyCBgsw&feature=player_detailpage#t=1321 (TD Catch) On the big run toward the beginning it's clear that CB Jeremiah McKinnon of FIU was able to run down Rock Head and prevent the score. Unfortunately there isn't any campus speed testing data for McKinnon. He looks fast and he's known as a pretty fast guy. Wouldn't surprise me if McKinnon is a 4.4 guy. You can tell that Devon Johnson is a very well-liked player in that locker room too. Between the warm hugs and little private celebrations shared with his position coach on the sidelines the night he broke the school record for rushing in a game, or seeing his OLs all hoof it to the end zone to celebrate with him on a long touchdown CATCH that the OLs really had nothing to do with as far as how Rock Head made the play, or seeing Rock Head seek out his OLs to thank them on the sideline, and seeing how coaches and other players talk about him in interviews, this is a good kid that everyone seems to love and be happy for. That's actually important because with his size at the next level, teams are going to ask him to wear a couple of different hats much as they did Mike Alstott. If he's this well liked it's hard to imagine him being a whiner because he's being asked to block or play H-Back on some snaps. Continuing the Devon Johnson highlights for Todd. Versus Middle Tennessee State: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfA7RwRVMBg&feature=player_detailpage#t=149 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfA7RwRVMBg&feature=player_detailpage#t=165 (TD) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfA7RwRVMBg&feature=player_detailpage#t=185 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfA7RwRVMBg&feature=player_detailpage#t=294 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfA7RwRVMBg&feature=player_detailpage#t=309 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfA7RwRVMBg&feature=player_detailpage#t=369 (TD) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfA7RwRVMBg&feature=player_detailpage#t=387 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfA7RwRVMBg&feature=player_detailpage#t=585 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfA7RwRVMBg&feature=player_detailpage#t=1004 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfA7RwRVMBg&feature=player_detailpage#t=1030 (sweet jesus...poor #42) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfA7RwRVMBg&feature=player_detailpage#t=1265 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfA7RwRVMBg&feature=player_detailpage#t=1282 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfA7RwRVMBg&feature=player_detailpage#t=1329 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfA7RwRVMBg&feature=player_detailpage#t=1366 (TD) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfA7RwRVMBg&feature=player_detailpage#t=1391 Some nice Mike Alstott moments in that game. Versus Old Dominion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_R2VyHEJrvU#t=66 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_R2VyHEJrvU#t=86 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_R2VyHEJrvU#t=103 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_R2VyHEJrvU#t=113 (TD...truncated) http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_R2VyHEJrvU#t=317 (TD) http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_R2VyHEJrvU#t=622 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_R2VyHEJrvU#t=633 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_R2VyHEJrvU#t=642 (...wow...) http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_R2VyHEJrvU#t=664 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_R2VyHEJrvU#t=672 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_R2VyHEJrvU#t=922 (LOL) http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_R2VyHEJrvU#t=942 (oh god, poor #24...) http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_R2VyHEJrvU#t=952 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_R2VyHEJrvU#t=966 (Pass Block) http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_R2VyHEJrvU#t=1108 (Montage) http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_R2VyHEJrvU#t=1175 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_R2VyHEJrvU#t=1185 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_R2VyHEJrvU#t=1212 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_R2VyHEJrvU#t=1226 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_R2VyHEJrvU#t=1246 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_R2VyHEJrvU#t=1257 (TD) What I love about the guy is, he is exactly who he is. He's an oversized back, big and strong, and he runs like that every single snap. It's not every now and then, or every other game, or a few carries every game. It's pretty much every carry. I'm a big strong dude and I'm gonna run over you. Your nick name is Rock Head, and you run like a Rock Head. Your stiff-arm has its own Twitter account (@47sStiffArm)...and you play like your stiff-arm has its own Twitter account. There's something to be said for that.
You know, from time to time I actually do that too. Probably not as often as I should though. Kid runs like he's got a wasp in his pants, the insect kind. That block against WCU was pretty beastly. Wonder if that's where Rock Head originated.
I thought taking 59 for a drag was the highlight of those runs. Looks like he has NFL caliber power. Okay, so you've got a choice between Devon Johnson and Jeremy Hill. Who ya takin?
Oh gosh. I kind of liked Jeremy Hill, too. I guess it depends on what skeletons were in Hill's closet character-wise as I know there was stuff there that I wasn't privy to. I also really would like to see how Devon tests out because I want to make sure some of the stuff I've isolated isn't fluke-ish. I'm going to go with Devon Johnson but note that I probably won't have to take Johnson at the same spot in the draft as Jeremy Hill. The guy with the better character seems like the more attractive investment because whereas Jeremy Hill was versatile for a tailback, I doubt you'd ever really be able to use him in truly versatile ways (messing around with his position). Devon Johnson is versatile period, you can actually put him at tight end, upback or h-back...and he's going to have a great attitude about all of it.
TE Devin Funchess, Michigan (Class: 2016) I'm not quite sure I understand some of the dislike I see out there for Devin Funchess. He's a play-maker, a gifted athlete, has a huge frame, catches the ball well, has great short-area quickness, has some long speed as well. Is this about blocking concerns? I'm not sure how concerning that really ought to be. For two reasons, really. First off, players can learn to block. It happens all the time, if they have the physical ability. Even Michael Egnew was a decent blocker by the end, and his exit from the league had nothing to do with his blocking ability and everything to do with him being too dumb to execute a playbook and be a functional part of a sophisticated passing game. Secondly, I don't think guys like Jimmy Graham and Jordan Cameron are great tight ends in this league because they block, nor were teams especially concerned with their blocking weaknesses as glorified wide receivers when they came out of school. So just keep in mind, the most important thing to evaluate are his matchup skills in the passing game. I mean, get an NFL caliber safety like Kurtis Drummond matched on him and he kind of makes this look easy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgXj2-aEKhE&feature=player_detailpage#t=70 Putting corners like V'Angelo Bentley, Doran Grant, Trae Waynes, Bradley Roby, Cody Riggs or Jordan Ford on him might fit the legal definition of abuse: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-HZEjSf6LQ&feature=player_detailpage#t=42 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgXj2-aEKhE&feature=player_detailpage#t=147 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-HZEjSf6LQ&feature=player_detailpage#t=0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryBOWI0eNbk&feature=player_detailpage#t=208 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryBOWI0eNbk&feature=player_detailpage#t=225 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-HZEjSf6LQ&feature=player_detailpage#t=128 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Wrgrfewgcys#t=165 Not gonna be easy for linebackers like Glenn Carson, Kolin Hill or John Law to keep up with the guy, man or zone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-HZEjSf6LQ&feature=player_detailpage#t=117 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryBOWI0eNbk&feature=player_detailpage#t=193 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Wrgrfewgcys#t=127 And best of luck to you if you try and get cute and have a smallish end like Romeo Okwara pull out to try and deal with Funchess: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryBOWI0eNbk&feature=player_detailpage#t=35 This is what it's all about. It's where the rubber meets the road. You have a tight end on the field because he's a matchup nightmare. You get a safety on him and he's too big. You get a corner on him and he's way too big. You get a linebacker on him and he's too fast. You get a defensive lineman pulling out in zone and he's way too fast. Matchup problem. I'm not saying he's perfect or anything but he's a pretty good prospect for the position.
Something I recently fired off to a friend who is a new agent and is looking to attend USF's agent day this Friday:
I believe I talked about CB Bernard Blake of Colorado State a little last year as a guy that intrigued me. He's looking good again this year. The NFLDS people now have him as a 4th rounder.
QB Cody Fajardo, Nevada (Class: 2015) Here are two videos of Cody Fajardo, a guy that's been intriguing me more the last month. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlqxzYSWTpU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUS55FdCtBA The first one of those he threw a bunch of INTs but also a lot of TDs and kept his team in a 51-46 barn burner. The second one he played against a pretty good D in BYU and I thought he played well. 01. Quick over-top release. Hurts the defenses with quick delivery. 02. Kind of questionable pocket use, but he's not got a history of taking sacks (1 every 21 attempts) 03. Plenty of arm strength. Really good ball spin, as well. 04. Surprising good consistency of ball placement on throws with high difficulty ratings. 05. Also occasional stinker throws, like maybe 1 out of 10 accuracy is just off. 06. He's fast. Like, in the 4.5's. Not necessarily elusive though. But dangerous. 07. No problems throwing while rolling left or right. Seems quite good at it. 08. Doesn't have great body control, ability to reduce impacts or functional awareness on the scramble. 09. Really tries to throw his receivers open a lot but they don't cooperate. They also drop passes. 10. Good downfield mentality, certainly willing to throw the football anywhere. 11. Seems like he uses the middle of the field pretty well. 12. He drives the football even if he doesn't have to. Kaepernick used to do that. Nevada thing? Good prep for NFL. 13. There's a little bit of processing speed/awareness that is missing compared to elites. 14. Boy is he tough. Gotta have a lively arm to throw accurate fastballs while the pocket is compressed/being hit. 15. Not a guy that will hold onto the football long. This is a player that actually profiles very similarly to Ryan Tannehill. He's got REALLY good throwing ability and accuracy at all levels, and is able to get heat and accuracy on a bunch of difficult throws. But there's a mistake factor, every now and then the accuracy is way off or the decision was off. His ability to stand in and deliver a strike with a collapsing pocket and/or imminent hit on the quarterback is really good. Yet his feel for the rush and instincts for using the pocket aren't great. He's fast and therefore dangerous on the move, but he's not elusive. He's got good size, good thickness, but he doesn't protect himself that well. All of the above, I could be describing Cody Fajardo circa 2014 or Ryan Tannehill circa 2012. It's kind of creepy.
QB Garrett Grayson, Colorado State (Class: 2015) You obviously need more than one game film to do this but here are some things I see from this film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4MWelB0Wrsk 01. Not the quickest of deliveries, big wind-up. 02. Good size, thickness, big hands. 03. Feel for rushers coming free not necessarily ideal. 04. Tendency to stare down receivers? 05. Not really a good athlete. If you get him running around you generally win. 06. Throws the ball into danger a little often. 07. Trouble when he gets off his first read? 08. Kind of a slow backfield pace. 09. Does he see the corner's leverage? 10. Takes a lot off his velocity when he throws with touch...ball hangs forever. 11. Likes to wait for underneath crossing routes to develop, holding onto the ball. 12. He's got really good pass protection. 13. There's something I don't like about when he has to throw at distances. My gut feeling tells me this is a quarterback that is coached well in a good system with good surrounding players, but that his talent isn't good enough for the big leagues.
I asked this in another thread, but haven't gotten an answer. What do you guys think about Clive Walford, Duke Johnson, and Denzel Perryman? I wouldn't mind seeing any of those three on the Dolphins next year.
I have not been a big fan of Clive Walford to be honest. But a lot of that was based on pre-2014 tape. I haven't really made my decisions on Duke Johnson or Denzel Perryman yet. My gut tells me Perryman is being overrated a little bit. I see him in 1st round mocks and whatnot and I think that pretty soon we'll begin the slow process of fantasy meeting reality, when people realize that 5'11" middle linebackers with 4.7 speed don't go 1st round...even if they're from The U.
I had a different opinion on Walford before this season. I saw him as just a guy, but this year I see a player who could be pretty good. He's Miami's go-to guy in the passing game, and he can hold his own when he has to block someone. He's not the freak athlete TE you are seeing become popular in the NFL, but I think he's someone who you can keep on the field in any situation and will move the chains for you. As for Perryman, I bet he drops because of measurables (I know people have him in the 1st right now, but I bet he falls after the combine), but I think whoever gets him is going to get a steal. Even though players continue to get bigger and faster, there are those guys who are just good football players regardless of their measurables, and I think Perryman fits that category. He's always around the ball, and when you see a defensive player make a good play for Miami and you're not sure who it is, chances are it's 52. With Duke I see a guy who plays a lot like Gio Bernard, but from a mental and character standpoint is as good as it gets. He will be a leader on any team that drafts him pretty quickly IMO. I know I asked for the experts opinions, and I still would like to hear as many as possible because I am far from an expert, but those are my thoughts on those guys.
LT Ty Sambrailo, Colorado State (Class: 2015) This is a left tackle prospect that presents a very unique on-field profile when you watch him on tape. I'm finding it difficult to get the right comparison. He's a very square-framed guy that is only 6'5" but probably makes up for it with extremely broad chest and probably decent-sized arms, overall a nice wingspan because of that big broad chest. The guy moves really well. Just very easy and lively across his joints. He could be very good in a system like Miami's which looks to leverage the overall ease of movement and quickness of the left tackle into added benefits to the ground game. Great on-field character, snap-to-whistle mentality. Always delivering blows, punch after punch, keeping his feet moving. He keeps his hands locked to steer when he can but if not he's punching and delivering blows. Really frustrates the hell out of guys with his hands. Kick step is lively. Redirects and recovers really well, like I said he's got an ease of movement to him that I like. Always has his knees bent. Wonder about his pure power level. He's like a Zach Martin that I think may actually play at left tackle. He's got all the punchiness, hand quickness/coordination and arm strength of a shorter-armed guy, but the wingspan of a longer-armed guy, all because of that movie theater screen-sized chest of his. That makes him really intriguing. But it could also leave him open to the bull rush as guys convert speed to power by getting right into that wide open breatplate of his. Could ultimately see him moving inside to guard. But he could also be the next Evan Mathis at left guard. [video=youtube;C9ttbtJm1ME]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=C9ttbtJm1ME[/video]
Perryman will go in the mid-late second due to his measurables but he has crazy football intelligence to make up for it. Its like he knows the play before it happens. I see him get caught up a lot though when he is engaged by good linemen. My question will be if he can shed blocks at the next level. Walford has really taken the next step as a receiving threat. Hes running better routes, had better body control and made tough catches. If you haven't seen the 4th and 19 TD connection between he and Kaaya in the pouring rain its a great example of what I'm talking about. I can't remember which game it was for some reason.
I see what you're talking about and some improvements have definitely been made. You can't ignore plays like that. But at the same time you also can't ignore plays like this where his overall lack of physicality and ball tracking present a problem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=bpJzOaratDA#t=44
Yeah that play was ugly. It was actually a hell of an interception but Walford seemed like he never saw the ball. In my eyes he's a late round prospect you try and develop because he's definitely not ready to start in the NFL or see significant snaps right away.
I think overall Clive Walford is going to rate well. There's enough there in terms of size, blocking prowess, agility, body control and catching ability to rate him. But he's not going to be a standout because he doesn't really have any speed.
TE Mike McFarland, South Florida (Class: 2015) A guy that isn't getting enough love is USF tight end Mike McFarland. He's another guy that doesn't have the speed. But he's got a lot else, including ups. He's blocked like 5 kicks the last two seasons. That's always the mark of a guy who is a much better athlete than you'd think. [video=youtube;f7FM6Nu6uUY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7FM6Nu6uUY[/video] Recently wrote to an agent friend: UPDATE: Agent friend met with him and met with some people at South Florida. Player comes off with a bad attitude.
I wouldn't even think about Denzel Perryman or most of the other linebackers out there with Stephone Anthony available. The guys at NFLDraftscout are idiots for having him ranked 10th and as a 6th/7th rounder. He's a priority 2nd rounder, if not higher. Kid is a future Pro Bowler. Stephone is physical, strong, athletic, sound, instinctive, plays fast, and doesn't miss tackles. When he hits you, you stay hit. It's rare to see him miss an assignment or compromise gap integrity. Just a consistent overall player. He's sideline to sideline, plays with attitude and confidence, gets after the QB, is an asset in coverage [albeit not elite in coverage], makes plays when they need to be made, and aggressively snuffs out runs and screens early before blockers have a chance to get on him. He's what people wanted Manti Teo to be. Stephone is a big reason why Clemson ranks #1 in Total D, #1 in 3rd Down D, #5 in rushing D, and #1 in Tackles for Loss. For his career as an ILB he's got 33 TFL [at an average 4.4 yard loss], 10 sacks, 8 PBU, 3 INT, and 7 Forced Fumbles in 32 starts. By comparison, in Teo's 47 starts [most of which was in a 3-4 D that allowed its ILBs to make more plays than Clemson's 1-gap 4-3], he had just 2 Forced Fumbles, 8.5 sacks, and 33 TFLs [at an avg 3.4 yard loss]. I know Te'o did more damage by way of INTs and PBUs, but Stephone has been solid in coverage against TEs & RBs. Tight Ends have caught 26 passes for 192 yard and 2 TD against Clemson this year. I know that 6 of those catches, 133 yards, and 1 TD were not on Stephone, and 1 catch for 13 yards was against SC St with Clemson up 34-0. So that leaves 19 catches for 46 yards and 1 TD on the season, of which I know the TD and at least 30 yards were on Anthony. Running Backs have caught 21 passes for 109 yards and 0 TD. 2 of those catches for 66 yards were not on Stephone, and 1 catch for 18 yards came with Clemson up 31-0 against NC St. So that leaves 18 catches for 25 yards. lol. Eliminating the stuff I know Stephone wasn't responsible for, as well as the 2 garbage time plays, RBs and TEs have caught no more than 35 passes for 71 yards and 1 TD all year against him.
Think you're referring to Kevin Lockette's son, Tyler Lockette. I've been onto him for a while as he reminds me of DeSean Jackson. But if there's one big issue with him it's his hands. He's a body catcher, plain and true, and whereas some body catchers don't have trouble catching the football despite their tendency that way, Lockette actually does. He drops passes, gets them broken up, and even pops them up for interceptions...all because of his body catching. It's not the end of the world for him. Golden Tate was the same. He's awesome now, I wish we'd signed him when we had the chance.
I never saw Chambers as undersized. He was only about 6'0" or maybe even slightly under that but he had the arms and frame of a guy that was 6'2" easily. He was thick, strong, big frame, could jump small buildings. Never profiled like a small guy. Tyler Lockette is small like DeSean Jackson. That's how he plays.
WR Jordan Taylor, Rice (Class: 2015) People are absolutely falling asleep on Jordan Taylor of Rice. The guy is 6'5" & 210 lbs, has legit 4.5 speed and moves like a real wide receiver. Has balance, body control, can catch any ball regardless of ball placement. He's only played in 6 games this year for Rice and they have some issues with accuracy at the quarterback position with Driphus Jackson, but he's got 520 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns. And one of those games he didn't really play much, only had 1 catch for 1 yard. So really he's got 519 yards and 4 TDs in 5 games. The bad news for him is that the games he missed include the Notre Dame and Texas A&M games. So his production is not going to be taken seriously. But the dude caught 12 balls for 140 yards and a TD in 2013 against Texas A&M and Kansas. People gonna continue to sleep on him but he's going to play in the NFL. And this is what he did to UCLA way back in 2012...clearly showing the potential very early in his career: [video=youtube;fkeJT4GFtiY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkeJT4GFtiY[/video] Tough to calibrate Jordan Taylor's speed against opponents but he had an 88 yard reception against North Texas where he clearly outpaced LB Jamal Marshal, CB Kishawn McClain and S Lairamie Lee. NFL Draft Scout has no info on the players' 40 times but Kishawn McClain is a freshman and as a recruit he ran a 4.60 in the 40. I find that believable and I also find that Jordan Taylor straight up outran the guy...so I think his estimate in the mid-4.5's is very believable. And he's 6'5" & 210 lbs, good balance and capable of great catches. The NFL will take this guy up. I'm certain of that.
Just think, Gus & Jameis....would be great I think and Jameis can also run, he just does'nt have too. CK, do you think Jimbo Fisher would make a good NFL Coach?
CB Doran Grant, Ohio State (Class: 2015) Doran Grant was a 4-star recruit out of Akron, Ohio playing for St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. You may recognize the name of the school as it was the school from which LeBron James went directly to the NBA. Doran has football bloodlines as his father Ted Jones holds the Michigan State record for career receptions per game. His interest in athletics is extensive and broad, as he played rugby growing up, became interested in and played hockey for three years around high school, and also balanced basketball and wrestling with his football schedule. He claims that despite his father's former career, it was also Doran who pressured his dad to find him somewhere to play sports rather than the other way around. Grant's high school career was very successful as he was a two-way standout at wide receiver and corner, and he also did well as a return man. He was two-time All State, finished his career with 203 tackles and 6 interceptions to go with 88 catches for 1,115 yards and 25 touchdowns. He was named to the Under Armour All American Game. He was a 4-star recruit with interest from a number of bigger programs. Due to his sizable recruiting profile, it is very possible that Doran and his family have already vetted agents. He may be a difficult get, even though his Draft profile is not quite as big as his recruiting profile was four years ago. Physically, though small at 5'11" and 193 lbs, his build speaks to his work ethic. He is extremely well developed and carries himself easily. His body fat percentage during offseason training has gotten as low as 4.2 percent. Grant is a former winner of strength coach Mickey Marotti's Iron Buckeye Award, given to the athlete that best shows unquestionable physical training dedication, determination, discipline, toughness and leadership. His interviews show him to be intelligent, good-natured and thoughtful. He cares about how he presents himself and how he speaks to the media. He cares about his teammates. He shows significant respect for his coaches. He notices things that other people do not. He has a sense for what is important. He mentors children aged 6 to 12 years old at the Columbus Boys & Girls Club, a job which he appears to take very seriously. He is a leader, and has been elected a Captain on the team. His speed profile checks out. He was the Ohio state champion in the 110 meter hurdles (outdoor), as well as the 60 meters (indoor). He had been tested with 4.56 speed as a recruit, as per ESPN's profile which tends to be conservative on their 40 estimates. NFL Draft Scout has him estimated at a 4.49 as per campus tests. Grant's playing career with Ohio State has been extensive. He has played in every single game since being recruited. Though he initially had trouble cracking the starting lineup with players such as Bradley Robey and Travis Howard standing in his way, he found his way there opposite Robey in 2013 and returned as the starter in 2014. He averages about 4 tackles per game and has 5 interceptions in his last 23 games as a starter (2013 & 2014). He blocked a kick in 2013. He has 16 pass breakups in the last 23 games. His profile reminds me of a former South Florida player, Kayvon Webster. Though Kayvon entered the Draft process relatively under-the-radar with respect to traditional Draft services (with myself as the lone voice singing his praises), Webster ended up drafted in the 3rd round by the Denver Broncos. The reason he was drafted so high, aside from his athletic prowess and easy hips, was because everything you could imagine off the field checked out for Kayvon very well. With players like Doran Grant and Kayvon Webster, scouts and coaches want to love him as a prospect, and they will always have the wind at their back that way. On the field I checked out two games: Clemson (2013) and Michigan State (2014). The first was the Orange Bowl against Clemson as he would have had the opportunity of facing NFL players such as Sammy Watkins, Martavis Bryant and Mike Williams. Unfortunately through a combination of the defensive style under Luke Fickell and some simple luck, this game did not tell me much. He rarely found himself matched up with any of the three players in a high pressure situation. For most of the game he did his job, but his job was relatively easy. He played 8 to 10 yards off the ball the entire game with deep coverage responsibility. He made a mistake early in the Clemson game by hesitating before attacking the H-Back, causing him to lose outside containment on a run. In the second half he found himself matched up with Sammy Watkins in man coverage from the slot on 3rd & 7 from his own 30 yard line. Watkins and Bryant ran a scissors concept, crossing up down the field to beat the man coverage. Grant lost too much ground and as he closed on Watkins in the end zone to try and defend the football, could not get his head around and was helpless as Watkins plucked the ball at its highest point. Later in the game he made an excellent play on a 2-point conversion attempt knocking down a ball targeted at quarterback Tajh Boyd on a trick play. Grant came off his man coverage of Martavis Bryant, closed on Boyd and chopped the ball out of the air. The Michigan State game was the total opposite of the Clemson game in terms of coverage. Ohio State changed its defensive style to allow their corners to be more aggressive and involved. Grant played a lot of press-man, press-bail and even some off-man coverage. He shadowed Tony Lippett the entire game and held him to 5 catches for 64 yards on 10 total targets. Lippett himself is an impressive receiver who will get a chance in the NFL. He has been Connor Cook's most trustworthy target and Cook himself is not shy about challenging the kind of tight man coverage Doran Grant kept throughout the game. Grant gave up a catch to Lippett for 10 yards which was called back on penalty, but it was 3rd & 20 and Grant was playing the sticks, allowing the underneath catch. He should have given up another catch on 2nd & 8, but the technique was press-bail and you could argue it's the flat defender's job to get in the passing lane to prevent the catch on that quick stop route. Then on 3rd & 8, Cook again went to Lippett on an out route underneath Grant's deep off coverage, but Lippett dropped the 1st down. He let up a 10 yard hitch in press-man coverage on 2nd & 8, was in perfect position and was physical enough on the play but the ball snuck by his outstretched arm as he tried to knock it down. But Grant made up for it a few plays later with fantastic physical man coverage on a dig route over the middle, knocking the ball away. Slipped to the ground as Lippett made his break on 2nd & 6, allowing a 15 yard catch. Lippett began to get a little more physical with Grant on the break and that helped Grant slip. But Grant increased his own physicality a few plays later on 3rd & 9, making sure Lippett couldn't box him out on a curl route at the sticks. Around the turn of the 3rd quarter, Michigan State began coming up with creative ways to free Tony Lippett from Doran Grant's stranglehold. They stacked Lippett on one play, to where Grant ended up defending a short hook by MacGarrett Kings on 3rd & 7. He closed on Kings, reached around him and knocked down the ball in textbook fashion. Later the Spartans used pre-snap movement to force Grant to cover RB Jeremy Langford on the perimeter in zone. That allowed them to feed Lippett a 17 yard reception. The Spartans also used tempo to take advantage of Ohio State's matchup coverage tendencies, and in this way they were able to free Lippett for another 6 yard catch with Doran Grant forced to cover another player on the play. Grant made only two real mistakes the entire game. He was late disengaging from Lippett's block and lost outside containment on a run play. Then when Michigan State began to use some hurry up he was too late getting out to the perimeter to cover RB Jeremy Langford which led to a quick hitch completion, and a missed tackle attempt by Grant. The communication needed to be faster on the play. It was an adjustment Michigan State made to take advantage of Ohio State's matchup coverage tendencies. But make no mistake. This was a win for Doran Grant over Tony Lippett. This was Ohio State putting its best corner on Michigan State's go-to receiver, an NFL prospect, and shutting that receiver down for much of the game with tight physical coverage. He followed him all over the field, let up two catches for 25 yards, and the rest of the time either batted away a ball intended for Lippett or forced Connor Cook to take his eyes off Lippett because he was too well covered. Lippett had caught 100+ yards in 6 of his previous 8 games, caught 9 touchdowns in those games with at least one touchdown in 7 of the 8 games, and Doran Grant made him look borderline undraftable. His strength and conditioning efforts show up on the field as he's surprisingly strong when matched up physically on much bigger blockers. Grant can stick his nose in with bigger bodies in order to keep containment, as he can be very decisive at times particularly when dealing with lead blockers. His back pedal is smooth and he doesn't pick his feet up too high. He swivels his hips easily in bail coverage. He really begins to flash in press-man coverage when he is allowed to play the receiver and be physical. He shows the ability to dominate that way. He trusts his coaches and trusts the position his coaches put him in, but he needs better awareness of what defenses might be trying to do to him. His speed control may leave something to be desired as he comes off a little one-paced. He may not really have that 3rd/4th/5th gear needed to be trusted in deep man coverage against big-bodied receivers. His lack of decisiveness sometimes sees him struggle with outside-in containment as he gets caught hesitating between whether to keep his outside containment or to attack the ball. His physical strength doesn't show up in getting off blocks unless he's being aggressive. Overall he is a player that needs to improve his playing speed. He flashes in tight man coverage because he's a gifted player with strength befitting a much bigger corner, and enough speed to do the job against most receivers. He also flashes that way because it allows him to think less and to be more aggressive with clear goals in front of him. When asked to bail, play off, play zone or support in the run game he can get caught being too hesitant which significantly reduces his speed and can result in blown plays. But he is an improving player. The aggressiveness he displayed in man coverage on Tony Lippett would have availed him much better on that scissors concept against Sammy Watkins in the Orange Bowl.
How much do you think the injury affect's Gurley's draft stock? I assume with the added insurance Georgia put on him recently, he's still going to declare for the draft. Does he fall out of the first round?
I don't know. What's it been two drafts since we saw any RB go in the 1st round? The NFL may not have needed much excuse to let him fall out of it.
I think he will still go in the 1st personally. With recovery and rehab in todays world…he will still be able to contribute next year, and he will be an elite talent. Shoot I HOPE he falls to the Dolphins and they are smart enough to scoop him up.
Love Duke Johnson! Elite Change of direction. Exciting to watch. [video=youtube_share;MCdcypkEOSU]http://youtu.be/MCdcypkEOSU[/video] (Not his best game, but the only 2014 YouTube vid I could find.)
TE E.J. Bibbs, Iowa State (Class: 2015) If you're in the market for a tight end and you aren't as much of a stickler for the prototype at the position (6'5" to 6'7") then you really ought to take a close look at E.J. Bibbs of Iowa State. He is not a tall guy at only about 6'3" but he is very, very thick and powerful at 260+ pounds. He leads all Power Five conference tight ends in receptions and touchdowns. The name of his game is HANDS. He flashes strong hands just about every single catch. This isn't a thing where he just has a highlight catch or two. He moves well too. I don't know that I've been tempted to make a Dwayne Allen comparison before but this guy fits. It's not just about being able to make one-handed catches or to be able to pull a ball from your shoe tops. It's about being able to maintain concentration on the ball and bring it in while a guy's hands are all over you. It's about being able to transition from using your hands to get open to using those hands to pull in the football. He might be the best I've seen this year for all of that. He tore his meniscus only a week before the start of the 2014 season. If you're wondering why he got off to a "slow" start with only 11 catches for 88 yards and 1 TD in his first four games, that's why. Since then he has 29 catches for 251 yards and 6 TDs in the last 5 games. That's the kind of injury that affects your whole year, but he's stepped up as the team's leading pass catcher and touchdown-scorer anyway. Think of him as like a 6'3" & 260 lbs version of Jarvis Landry. Here's his full work against Texas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udjJcq6cbaA&feature=player_detailpage#t=1808 (TD) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udjJcq6cbaA&feature=player_detailpage#t=2841 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udjJcq6cbaA&feature=player_detailpage#t=2857 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udjJcq6cbaA&feature=player_detailpage#t=2938 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udjJcq6cbaA&feature=player_detailpage#t=4056 (INT) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udjJcq6cbaA&feature=player_detailpage#t=4312 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udjJcq6cbaA&feature=player_detailpage#t=4494 (INC) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udjJcq6cbaA&feature=player_detailpage#t=4519 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udjJcq6cbaA&feature=player_detailpage#t=5140 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udjJcq6cbaA&feature=player_detailpage#t=5212 (Route) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udjJcq6cbaA&feature=player_detailpage#t=6695 (INC) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udjJcq6cbaA&feature=player_detailpage#t=7639 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udjJcq6cbaA&feature=player_detailpage#t=7665 (INC) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udjJcq6cbaA&feature=player_detailpage#t=7681 (Replay) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udjJcq6cbaA&feature=player_detailpage#t=7976 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udjJcq6cbaA&feature=player_detailpage#t=8076 (Route) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udjJcq6cbaA&feature=player_detailpage#t=8838 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udjJcq6cbaA&feature=player_detailpage#t=9005 (Game-Tying TD) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udjJcq6cbaA&feature=player_detailpage#t=9059 (Replay) Full work versus Oklahoma State: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFkRilSMxsA&feature=player_detailpage#t=1092 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFkRilSMxsA&feature=player_detailpage#t=1124 (INC) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFkRilSMxsA&feature=player_detailpage#t=1640 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFkRilSMxsA&feature=player_detailpage#t=1663 (Replay) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFkRilSMxsA&feature=player_detailpage#t=5317 (TD) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFkRilSMxsA&feature=player_detailpage#t=5381 (Replay) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFkRilSMxsA&feature=player_detailpage#t=7155 (PBU) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFkRilSMxsA&feature=player_detailpage#t=8009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFkRilSMxsA&feature=player_detailpage#t=8082 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFkRilSMxsA&feature=player_detailpage#t=8117 (INC) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFkRilSMxsA&feature=player_detailpage#t=8255 (TD) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFkRilSMxsA&feature=player_detailpage#t=8318 (Replay) Iowa Touchdown: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hn2N0ijBWl4
Duke Johnson is intriguing but the size will still scare some teams away. Melvin Gordon is the only back in the draft that tempts me in the 1st round. He could really impact an offense. Todd Gurley would but the ACL tear scares me a bit. It doesn't take much at that position to scare you off using a 1st round pick.
Duke is awesome, but not necessarily the perfect fit for us. I think between Miller and Williams, we have a similar skillset already on the roster. We need toughness and size, someone who can push through yards when the lanes are clogged by Marcel Dareus and the like. I don't see a first round back either, maybe it's become a once-in-five-years phenomenon nowadays. I am torn on the ACL issue (no pun intended); after six months into my own recovery, there is no way I am close to running around how I was. I trust my body will come back, but I'm not going back to playing the same style I did. I can already tell my biggest injury came to my psyche.
