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2014 NFL Draft

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Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,710 ✭✭✭✭Paully D


    Just put together a (completely random and very short) compilation of our posts from the start of the draft to close to draft day. Some make interesting reading, fair to say some predictions are better than others :pac:
    D3PO wrote: »
    don't get all the love for Clowney at all. Hes been below average this season but has had excuse after excuse. His play doesn't warrant a top 5 nor does his attitude.

    I wouldn't be surprised to see him slide hes living on his reputation from last season tbh.
    D3PO wrote: »
    sweet mother of god. Manziel will never go in the first round at all. Forget the fact hes not a prototypical pocket passer but his size alone will prevent him going in the first.

    Bridgewater however isn't the only first round QB IMO. Boyd is also worthy of a first round pick.

    Back to the Clowney discussion Ive seen a lot of tape of him this year sorry lads but I wouldn't be dropping a top 5 pick on him as id have too many concerns over his attitude, his injury and how easily hes been neutralized this season.

    Im not as convinced that he will be this dominant NFL player that you all seem to be. Time will tell but for me he will be a good (starter for many seasons) but not great NFL player (Regular Pro Bowl type player)

    Clowney #1 overall, Manziel went in the first and Boyd in the 6th. One to come back to in the future to see how your predictions pan out.
    Paully D wrote: »
    It will be Bridgewater, without a shadow of doubt. The only teams that have a chance of picking first that won't take Bridgewater are the Falcons and Rams (via Redskins).
    Paully D wrote: »
    Bridgewater's off to Texas then. Houston get the #1 pick.

    Good man Paully :rolleyes: This Bridgewater love better not come back to haunt me.
    Barney92 wrote: »
    Any chance Clinton-Dix drops to the Packers? I do like what I've seen of him. They might have a shot now that they have the best pick of the playoff teams (I think).

    Yep, a very good chance.
    HigginsJ wrote: »
    Don't forget Colt Lyerla. He was a potential early round pick before leaving Oregon. I'd imagine he won't be drafted but could make a 53 man roster if he gets a chance

    Good call on Lyerla, a player I thought would possibly go in the second :pac:
    Paully D wrote: »
    Jesus, Colt Lyerla just ran a 4.47, hell of a time at his size. If he gets focused someone might get a steal with him. He should go early second round, but will most likely slip into the third or fourth.

    Never envisaged Garappolo going to the Patriots that early:
    Paully D wrote: »
    Jimmy Garappolo (QB) one to keep an eye on as analysts are saying a strong showing could send his stock right up. Cassius Marsh also intriguing as he's a DE who has played some snaps at TE and there's a possibility he will make the switch permanent. Pierre Desir (CB) also getting lots of attention.
    _Tyrrell_ wrote: »
    Garoppolo got MVP of the East-West Shrine game.

    That combined with picking up the last QB spot for the Senior Bowl will send his draft stock right up there. Definitely within the top 10 QBs at this stage before the combine and individual workouts.
    HigginsJ wrote: »
    2 guys i am looking forward to monitoring for the rest of the draft process are corners Keith McGill from Utah & Stanley Jean-Baptise from Nebraska.

    Both had a good week at the senior bowl by all accounts. They are listed @ 6'3 & 6'3 respectively so fit the mold of long corners ala Sherman/Browner.

    They both look to have adequate speed (4.5 40) & have seem to possess the movement skills coming out of breaks to remain at corner (McGill looked slightly better)

    As of right now they are both low 2nd/high 3rd rounders

    Baptiste went in the 2nd, nice.
    Raf32 wrote: »
    Stanley Jean Baptise could be the closest thing we get to Sherman in this years draft, could be a steal at the top of the third round.

    See above.
    HigginsJ wrote: »
    Calvin Pryor from Louisville could be the pick of the bunch. He is 6ft2, 210lbs. He likes to hit & has the speed to cover TE's. He could be a low 1st round pick at this point.

    First safety off the board, nice.

    Michael Sam stuff:
    Paully D wrote: »
    Firstly I'll say fair play to Sam on such a brave thing to do. It's sad in this day and age that it is even news but anyway.

    On to the football:

    I'd personally peg him in as around a 4th rounder, but wouldn't be surprised if he fell a bit further. As Higgins has said, he's undersized and in a bit of a "no mans land" between positions. Personally I'd see him having the most success as a situational pass rusher.
    HigginsJ wrote: »
    I see Michael Sam had a pretty poor day. Slow 40 time 4.91 & near the bottom of the DL groups in bench press & vertical leap. A lot of doubt about his ability to move to LB.

    An undersized 4-3 end with poor measurables & lacking movement skills to move to OLB. He def will be going in the 4th round at best at this point.
    Paully D wrote: »
    I agree. I had him down as a 4th rounder at best a while ago, but I reckon there's more chance he's looking at 5th round at the earliest now.

    I think it's obvious what he brings to the table and teams will know exactly what they're going to get and how they can use him. He's a sub-package/situational pass rusher who will either get a sack coming off the edge or be a waste of a spot on any given play. He doesn't seem to generate a lot of pressure outside of his sacks from what I've seen (although I'll admit not as much as I would like). He tends to use the same move over and over again too so he's going to have to learn some new moves or NFL players will eat him up.

    5th-7th rounder and I wouldn't be at all surprised if he didn't make a roster. If that happens, it will get blown up into the "he didn't make a roster because he's gay" argument, but in reality he's not all that good IMO.

    Your suggestion of getting him on a practice squad for a year makes a lot of sense to me.

    There or thereabouts.
    Syferus wrote: »
    There's about a zero chance of Sam going undrafted. He's one of the best defensive players in the only college conference that plays defense.

    It was close, but ultimately you were correct.
    I think they're first aim will be to trade down. After that it's obviously depended on who is there. Watkins has certainly been mentioned a lot by fans. I definitely think it's possible. Mack and Barr could both be possibilities to but don't really fit a 4-3 unless we try them in a Von Miller type role. Personally I'm not really sure who I want at 5, trade down would be ideal or Teddy. I''ll cry if we draft any QB at 5 though.

    Nice call on Mack.
    Paully D wrote: »
    Not going to happen, in my opinion. Evans will be the second WR off the board but Watkins is the best receiver in this class.

    Evans has destroyed the combine no doubt but I wouldn't put too much weight on that. It's not what teams will solely be making the evaluations from and Watkins tape is better while still posting very, very good numbers at the combine.

    Watkins, Evans, Odell Beckham Jr. That's the top three WR's IMO, in that order. Lee and Cooks right up there too. It's such a deep WR class.

    Top three went in that order.
    DDC1990 wrote: »
    http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/Jeff-Janis?id=2543750

    I'm keeping my eye on this guy.

    A guy who played DII football, who appears to have all the measurables to be a really good receiver.

    6'3 219 and runs a 4.42.

    Fastest White Guy in the Combine :P

    Went to the Packers.
    Lionbacker wrote: »
    Lions won't be drafting a CB at #10.
    They have already drafted 4 in the last 2 years, including a high second rounder on Darius Slay last year. I highly doubt they would add a fifth young CB to the group. They could however go pick up a veteran in free agency.
    The Lions will almost certainly be looking at WR at 10. There is absolutely no-one to go alongside Calvin, seeing that Burleson was cut 2 weeks ago.

    Good call. I was fully convinced they'd draft a CB but I remember you said a few times they would go receiver. Going for Ebron is virtually the same thing.
    I'm starting to think Bortles might be the 1st QB of the board.

    Good call.
    Paully D wrote: »
    Daniel Jeremiah ‏@MoveTheSticks
    Talking with personnel guys, they all have the same names in their top 5: Clowney, Mack, Watkins, Robinson & Matthews. Order 1-5 varies

    The personnel guys were almost fully correct, Bortles slipped in there like an eel!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,825 ✭✭✭Mikeyt086


    Heads up guys, an incredible poster on r/NFL has privately uploaded all the Gruden QB Camp specials for the QB's in this years' draft. I just watched the Bortles one and loved it.

    http://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/25fwwq/quarterback_camp_2014/


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,640 ✭✭✭kev_s88


    There is so much going on around Bortles since the draft. The more I see, the happier I am that we took him


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,710 ✭✭✭✭Paully D


    The Rams haul from the RGIII trade. Image from @ESPNNFL:

    Bnn7mwcIUAIaANf.jpg


  • Posts: 0 ✭✭✭✭ Rebekah Powerful Strap


    Paully D wrote: »
    The Rams haul from the RGIII trade. Image from @ESPNNFL:

    Bnn7mwcIUAIaANf.jpg

    I said it day one it was a crazy trade for the skins hershel walkeresc


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,510 ✭✭✭Hazys


    Still nobdy has picked Colt Lyerla up as a UDFA.

    He has undeniable talent but his psych evaluations must have come back "absolute head case" that not even one team of 32 will take a chance on him as an UDFA where there is 0 risk.



  • Posts: 0 ✭✭✭✭ Rebekah Powerful Strap


    not draft news we where talking about the browns they just released greg little thank god there so set at receiver or that would be a worrying move for browns fans :rolleyes:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,395 ✭✭✭✭mikemac1


    I can't knock the Browns for that

    Greg Little is a horrible football player with hands of stone. Better off bringing some undrafted rookies and waiver wire pickups into camp and see can they find someone then persisting with Little


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,094 ✭✭✭TO.


    Hazys wrote: »
    Still nobdy has picked Colt Lyerla up as a UDFA.

    He has undeniable talent but his psych evaluations must have come back "absolute head case" that not even one team of 32 will take a chance on him as an UDFA where there is 0 risk.

    Packers picked him up apparently.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,364 ✭✭✭✭Kylo Ren


    Mikeyt086 wrote: »
    Heads up guys, an incredible poster on r/NFL has privately uploaded all the Gruden QB Camp specials for the QB's in this years' draft. I just watched the Bortles one and loved it.

    http://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/25fwwq/quarterback_camp_2014/

    Just came in to post this. Bortles and Garoppolo really impressed me (as much as possible in a 30 minute tv show).


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,395 ✭✭✭✭mikemac1


    Paully D wrote: »
    The Rams haul from the RGIII trade. Image from @ESPNNFL:

    Bnn7mwcIUAIaANf.jpg

    A quick compare and contrast for the stack of picks that Atlanta sent to Cleveland when they traded up for Julio Jones. Saw it on another message board

    2011 - 27th pick traded back up (using the 70th pick) to 21st to select Phil Taylor (KC selected Justin Houston at #70)
    2011 - 59th pick for Greg Little
    2011 - 124th pick for Owen Marecic
    2012 - 22nd pick for Brandon Weeden
    2012 - 118th pick used to move up one spot from #4 to #3 to select Trent Richardson (Vikings selected Jarius Wright at #118)

    The only player left in Cleveland is Phil Taylor. Such a waste of picks


  • Posts: 3,518 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    If the Texans are picking then don't expect Clowney to be picked 1st.

    Well I was dead wrong :P
    Still think they should've picked a QB other than Savage anywhere in the draft.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭Morrison J


    Paully D wrote: »
    The Rams haul from the RGIII trade. Image from @ESPNNFL:

    Bnn7mwcIUAIaANf.jpg

    It looks ugly when lined out like that since the Rams traded down and ended up with so many players but if I'm the Redskins I would still do it all over again. You need a QB in today's NFL and the Rams are still without one which can win them games on his own back. When healthy, RG3 can do that.

    I think a lot of people have forgotten that if he didn't go down injured, RG3 was leading the Skins to a win against the Seahawks in the wild-card game in his first year. They would have been a win against the Atlanta Falcons away from being in the Conference Championship game. That is territory that Washington hasn't seen for a long time.

    People calling him a bust after one underwhelming season where he wasn't 100% healthy are getting carried away with themselves.

    Got to be favourite to win Comeback Player of the Year this year.

    Far too early to be making a verdict over a trade where players are a max of 2 years into their playing careers.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 19,341 ✭✭✭✭Chucky the tree


    Morrison J wrote: »
    It looks ugly when lined out like that since the Rams traded down and ended up with so many players but if I'm the Redskins I would still do it all over again. You need a QB in today's NFL and the Rams are still without one which can win them games on his own back. When healthy, RG3 can do that.

    I think a lot of people have forgotten that if he didn't go down injured, RG3 was leading the Skins to a win against the Seahawks in the wild-card game in his first year. They would have been a win against the Atlanta Falcons away from being in the Conference Championship game. That is territory that Washington hasn't seen for a long time.

    People calling him a bust after one underwhelming season where he wasn't 100% healthy are getting carried away with themselves.

    Got to be favourite to win Comeback Player of the Year this year.

    Far too early to be making a verdict over a trade where players are a max of 2 years into their playing careers.


    It's also far to early to claim RGIII is a franchise QB.


  • Posts: 0 ✭✭✭✭ Rebekah Powerful Strap


    Morrison J wrote: »
    It looks ugly when lined out like that since the Rams traded down and ended up with so many players but if I'm the Redskins I would still do it all over again. You need a QB in today's NFL and the Rams are still without one which can win them games on his own back. When healthy, RG3 can do that.

    I think a lot of people have forgotten that if he didn't go down injured, RG3 was leading the Skins to a win against the Seahawks in the wild-card game in his first year. They would have been a win against the Atlanta Falcons away from being in the Conference Championship game. That is territory that Washington hasn't seen for a long time.

    People calling him a bust after one underwhelming season where he wasn't 100% healthy are getting carried away with themselves.

    Got to be favourite to win Comeback Player of the Year this year.

    Far too early to be making a verdict over a trade where players are a max of 2 years into their playing careers.

    No1s calling him a bust per say he was worth the number 2 pick but I don't think he's worth the haul they gave for him. There have been good qbs available in the 2nd and indeed later rounds. He'll they grabbed kirk cousins later in that draft. Look at the power in the nfl at the moment the hawks and 9ers built there teams and ten drafted qbs later with a good team already around them.

    Also my biggest issue with rg3 is that I think he needs to be allowed to run to be affective although a great pocket passer I don't know if he will pan out if he is just that and not an occasional scrambler the issue with that however is that I don't think he will stand up to a season worth of hits. So he's going to be a very very good qb but if I'm giving up that much I need a qb that can drag my team to the Super Bowl I don't think he can


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,710 ✭✭✭✭Paully D


    Morrison J wrote: »
    It looks ugly when lined out like that since the Rams traded down and ended up with so many players but if I'm the Redskins I would still do it all over again. You need a QB in today's NFL and the Rams are still without one which can win them games on his own back. When healthy, RG3 can do that.

    I think a lot of people have forgotten that if he didn't go down injured, RG3 was leading the Skins to a win against the Seahawks in the wild-card game in his first year. They would have been a win against the Atlanta Falcons away from being in the Conference Championship game. That is territory that Washington hasn't seen for a long time.

    People calling him a bust after one underwhelming season where he wasn't 100% healthy are getting carried away with themselves.

    Got to be favourite to win Comeback Player of the Year this year.

    Far too early to be making a verdict over a trade where players are a max of 2 years into their playing careers.

    I don't think it's fair to say that Bradford can't do it but RGIII can.

    Bradford has had, up until last year, very little help on either side of the ball. The numbers are very similar to what David Carr faced in Houston in terms of sacks and pressures, and he's been throwing the ball to, for the most part, horrible receivers. He's had absolutely no protection, he's been sacked 120 times since he came into the league in 2010 and not enough is made of that IMO. Yet when he went down injured last year (not even halfway through the season) he had 1,687 yards for 14 TD's and just 4 INT's and was on for a career year. That suggests to me that when he has some help, he's certainly a capable QB. I like him.

    Lets not forget that Bradford also had a very good first season in the league too, winning the OROTY award as RGIII did, leading his team from 1-15 to 7-9. RGIII landed on a better team and had better help on both sides of the ball.

    Like you say, this one is too early to judge (I didn't put the picture up to conclude on whether it was a successful trade or not) but that goes for RGIII too.


  • Registered Users Posts: 805 ✭✭✭SameOleJay


    There's only one winner of that trade. RGIII was excellent in the first year but so much of that was down to the read option. With defenses now far more adept there I have my doubts he has the finesse in the pocket to step up. He was so indisciplined last year, some of the hits he was taking were just lunacy.

    The Rams have drafted very well but I'm disappointed they've neglected the receiving game again. With a number one receiver they could take the next step, I don't see the skill players to make it in that division yet.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,710 ✭✭✭✭Paully D


    Good read from Will Brinson on whether trading away future 1st round picks is a good or bad thing. Unsurprisingly, it's There's far too many pictures and graphs to make copying and pasting the whole article feasible given how lazy I am feeling today, but it's well worth a read (preview below):

    http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/24567887/trading-future-first-round-picks-good-to-win-now-bad-to-win-later
    Trading away future first-round picks is an NFL April May tradition like no other. Almost every year some team coughs up a first-round pick in the following year's draft in order to acquire an immediate player.

    Maybe it's desperation born out of job security. Maybe it's our want-it-need-it-now society. Maybe it's part of the NFL roster culture that urges people to push things down the road. Maybe it's an unstoppable infatuation with a particular player. Whatever it is, it's odd, primarily because the investment flies in the face of the conservative nature of most NFL front offices.

    After all, there is a direct value tied to a particular pick in this year's draft. You know who's available and, most importantly, you know when the pick will occur. Next year? You never know what will happen, regardless of what you think might happen. NFL parity is fickle. Just ask the 2013 Texans and Falcons.

    The Bills were the latest team to pull off such a move, trading away a 2015 first-round pick in exchange for moving up five spots and grabbing Sammy Watkins. Say what you want about Watkins -- I had him rated No. 2 overall in this draft -- but there's a ton of risk there, should the Bills finish with a bad record in 2014.

    But how do things typically work out for a team that trades away a first-round pick?

    I went back through the last decade and picked out all the teams that traded away a first-round pick for a player and mapped out its win-loss percentage over the next five years.

    Quick example: the Bills (how convenient!) traded away a 2005 first-round pick to draft J.P. Losman in the 2004 NFL Draft. I wanted to see how they performed the year before (2003), if there was a spike in their immediate success (2004) and how they fared moving forward over the long haul.

    Full disclosure: I think dealing a future first-round pick is dumb. It's far too risky for my liking and I believe it hurts your long-term depth. (This is exacerbated further if you're packaging additional picks with your one.) But I'm willing to be convinced otherwise.

    ***

    Our journey begins in the long, long ago known as 2005, when the Giants and Chargers pulled off an epic swap. San Diego took Eli Manning No. 1 overall and New York took Philip Rivers No. 4 overall. They engineered a trade, flipping the two quarterbacks. The Giants also sent a package of picks including their 2005 No. 1 pick to get the younger Manning.

    The Bills pulled off an even worse deal in the 2004 NFL Draft. They gave up a No. 1 in 2005 so they could grab J.P. Losman. They chose ... poorly. The Cowboys would draft Marcus Spears the following year with the 20th overall pick. That was the last time Buffalo finished over .500 since, well, ever.

    Oakland gave up a future No. 1 pick to acquire veteran star Randy Moss from the Vikings. Worth noting: the Raiders knew they were giving up the 7th overall pick when they dealt for Moss prior to the 2005 NFL Draft. Still, this will become a theme.

    The article and stats produced in it suggest there's a trend of improving directly the year after making such a trade (by 1.6 wins) but regressing substantially in subsequent years.

    It's obviously not good for the future as is evident from the above article, but I'd agree with the author when he suggests the "win now" nature of the NFL means that these trades happen.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭Morrison J


    Mostly fair comments on the RG3 trade guys but I just think a lot of people will be altering their opinions once again come the end of the season. Bottom line for me is that the Skins hadn't won the NFC East for 13 years until RG3 was drafted. Without him that streak would still be ongoing.

    It probably came across as if I was aiming the comment at posters on here but I meant in general that RG3 is already being touted as a bust by many. Far too early for that.

    Just something I would note: RG3's upside is not even comparable to Sam Bradford and its not like RG3 had a tonne of help in his rookie year either. No legit no.1 WR with Garcon injured for most of the year. Making do with a past it Santana Moss, Josh Morgan and Leonard Hankerson for large parts. He put the team on his back and won, simple as.

    I will happily have this comment bumped at the end of the season but I've supreme confidence he'll be proving many a doubter wrong this year.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,444 ✭✭✭Dohnny Jepp


    Dual threat qbs often do well in their first season and then get figured out and their production drops significantly.


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  • Posts: 0 ✭✭✭✭ Rebekah Powerful Strap


    Dual threat qbs often do well in their first season and then get figured out and their production drops significantly.

    i think its less an issue with dual threat to be honest as his size if he had a cam newton frame id have a completely different mentality but i don't think he can be effective without the threat to run and if he runs he will get hit and if he gets hit at his size he will get injured

    its mike vick syndrome (although he's a better pocket passer and not as good a scrambler than vick was)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,710 ✭✭✭✭Paully D


    Morrison J wrote: »
    Mostly fair comments on the RG3 trade guys but I just think a lot of people will be altering their opinions once again come the end of the season. Bottom line for me is that the Skins hadn't won the NFC East for 13 years until RG3 was drafted. Without him that streak would still be ongoing.

    It probably came across as if I was aiming the comment at posters on here but I meant in general that RG3 is already being touted as a bust by many. Far too early for that.

    Just something I would note: RG3's upside is not even comparable to Sam Bradford and its not like RG3 had a tonne of help in his rookie year either. No legit no.1 WR with Garcon injured for most of the year. Making do with a past it Santana Moss, Josh Morgan and Leonard Hankerson for large parts. He put the team on his back and won, simple as.

    I will happily have this comment bumped at the end of the season but I've supreme confidence he'll be proving many a doubter wrong this year.

    For what it's worth, I lean towards your side of the argument on RGIII. I too think he will prove to be a franchise QB. I just also really like Sam Bradford and feel that if he can stay healthy, with the help the Rams are finally giving him, he'll prove to be a good NFL QB :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,369 ✭✭✭UnitedIrishman


    Morrison J wrote: »

    Just something I would note: RG3's upside is not even comparable to Sam Bradford and its not like RG3 had a tonne of help in his rookie year either. No legit no.1 WR with Garcon injured for most of the year. Making do with a past it Santana Moss, Josh Morgan and Leonard Hankerson for large parts. He put the team on his back and won, simple as.

    That's an issue for me too though - why spend so much to get RGIII when you haven't even the rest of the parts there to help him. He made a phenomenal difference alright in his rookie season but if you're going to give away so much you better be sure the rest of the plan is in place because you've no room to maneuver afterwards.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭Morrison J


    That's an issue for me too though - why spend so much to get RGIII when you haven't even the rest of the parts there to help him. He made a phenomenal difference alright in his rookie season but if you're going to give away so much you better be sure the rest of the plan is in place because you've no room to maneuver afterwards.

    Well he now has a healthy Pierre Garcon paired with DeSean Jackson. One of the best WR duo's in the NFL. Andre Roberts is another good addition and Jordan Reed looked great last year at TE so he definitely has the parts to play with going into this year on the face of it.

    Santana Moss and Hankerson will be doing well not to be cut so theres a pretty strong improvement there!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,710 ✭✭✭✭Paully D


    Rivals.com documented how their rankings of players fared during the draft a few weeks ago:

    https://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1645320
    Earlier this month, the life goals of 256 men were realized when they were selected in the NFL Draft. For some, such as Jadeveon Clowney, getting drafted had always been a forgone conclusion, simply the next step in their illustrious careers. But many, such as Khalil Mack, rose from humble beginnings to earn their selection.

    Given the choice, almost every player would choose Clowney's path -- the defensive end was the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2011 class, a rock star from the first day he set foot on South Carolina's campus. Mack, meanwhile, was a two-star in the 2009 class whose only offers were from Buffalo and Liberty.

    Yet on May 8, they were selected within half an hour of one another -- Clowney went No. 1 overall to the Texans while the Raiders scooped up Mack with the No. 5 pick. Despite their vastly different Rivals rankings, the two start their NFL careers in similar situations.

    Needless to say, each year there are talented high school prospects who slip through the cracks, just as there are big-name players who never quite put it all together. But for the most part, getting a higher ranking from Rivals gives a player a stronger shot at an NFL career. Here's the breakdown from the 2014 draft:

    Of the 64 players selected in the first two rounds, a whopping 35 (56.4 percent) were ranked as either four or five-star prospects coming out of high school. Just 10 two-star or unranked players (15.6 percent) were picked in those rounds. Of the top 15 picks, 60 percent were four- or five-stars.

    Over the past 10 seasons, Rivals has given a five-star ranking to an average of 29.8 players per year. With 14 such players being selected in 2014, earning five-star status gave those players nearly a 50 percent chance of eventually getting drafted.

    This isn't to say that a low ranking coming out of high school means the end of a player's NFL dreams. A total of 73 players who ranked as two-stars or lower were picked in the 2014 draft. But they made up just 28.5 percent of the draft class, as opposed to 92 (35.9 percent) former four and five-star players, and there are far, far more lower ranked players in each years' recruiting class.

    e37cdec8135188250ece2a9b83c4e2de.png

    There are several factors that can cause a lower-ranked player's profile to rise dramatically between high school and the draft.

    Players simply get better in college

    This seems like a no-brainer, but it's the simple truth. Take Mack. He was more interested in basketball in high school until suffering a torn patella his sophomore year. He didn't break out on the football field until he was a senior. Mack had 140 tackles as a senior, but few teams saw his game film and only two offers materialized.

    Players' bodies are drastically reshaped in college

    Mack weighed 220 pounds during his senior season at Westwood HS in Fort Pierce, Fla. He's now 251 pounds, and most of the new weight is muscle. While weight gain in college isn't exactly unexpected, that dramatic of a change altered Mack's professional career.

    Here are a few other players who saw their NFL futures affected by great college weight gains:

    Ra'Shede Hageman, Minnesota (2nd round): gained 60 pounds
    Spencer Long, Nebraska (3rd round): gained 60 pounds
    Jimmy Staten, Middle Tennessee State (5th round): gained 86 pounds

    This list could go on and on. Maybe the best example is Eric Fisher, the offensive tackle taken No. 1 overall by the Chiefs in the 2013 draft. A two-star prospect, Fisher weighed 240 pounds in high school before beefing up to 305 while at Central Michigan. That gain, much of which was muscle, changed Fisher's career in a way no one predicted while he was in high school.

    Injuries



    Aaron Murray tore his ACL in the final game of his college career.
    Georgia's Aaron Murray and LSU's Zach Mettenberger were both four-star prospects who fell in the draft because of ACL injuries sustained during their senior seasons. Both likely would have been selected higher had they managed to stay healthy. Injuries are nearly impossible to predict, but they can drastically alter a player's fate on draft day.

    Some players are better suited for the college game

    AJ McCarron was a four-star prospect in the 2009 class, and nothing about his Alabama career suggests that rating was inaccurate. He won two national titles and became the Crimson Tide's all-time leader in passing yards. But he wasn't picked until late in the fifth round by the Bengals because teams question whether his arm strength is NFL-caliber. Dozens of players each year submit tremendous college careers, but their skills don't translate well to the next level.

    The devaluing of running backs

    Of the combined 52 five-star players in the 2010 and 2011 recruiting classes, 10 were running backs. But the NFL simply doesn't value the position like it used to -- this was the second straight draft in which no backs were picked in the first round. Former five-stars such as Lache Seastrunk (No. 186 overall pick), De'Anthony Thomas (No. 124) and James Wilder Jr. (undrafted) all fell in the draft as more teams use multiple running backs or gamble that they can find productive ones late in the draft.

    Trouble in college

    Unfortunately, there are players every year that submarine their draft stock by making poor decisions in college. The two poster boys for this group in this year's draft are former five-stars Colt Lyerla and Isaiah Crowell, both of whom went undrafted. Lyerla was suspended and ended up quitting Oregon's team during the 2013 season, and Crowell was arrested and dismissed from Georgia before the 2012 season, when he transferred to Alabama State.

    Needless to say, there are a ton of factors that affect the status of a player between high school and the NFL draft. And while there are no guarantees, one thing is certain: the more stars a player has attached to his name coming out of high school, the better his chances are of hearing his name called on draft weekend.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,710 ✭✭✭✭Paully D


    Ian Rapoport ‏@RapSheet 2m
    The 2 blocks proposed for the 2015 NFL Draft are 4 nights, which the league is considering. April 22-25 & April 29-May 2 are Wed-Saturday

    April 22nd-25th please!

    The draft will be elsewhere too, Radio City Music Hall just happens to be "booked", what a coincidence. :pac:

    LA, New York (specifically Madison Square Garden) and Chicago the contenders for the 2015 Draft.


  • Posts: 0 ✭✭✭✭ Rebekah Powerful Strap


    Paully D wrote: »
    Ian Rapoport ‏@RapSheet 2m
    The 2 blocks proposed for the 2015 NFL Draft are 4 nights, which the league is considering. April 22-25 & April 29-May 2 are Wed-Saturday

    April 22nd-25th please!

    The draft will be elsewhere too, Radio City Music Hall just happens to be "booked", what a coincidence. :pac:

    LA, New York (specifically Madison Square Garden) and Chicago the contenders for the 2015 Draft.

    ahh **** that noise il only watch the first and many the second if thats the case


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25 fanatics2014


    i love Johnny Manziel.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,719 ✭✭✭JaMarcusHustle


    i love Johnny Manziel.

    Brick-tamland-39895.jpg


  • Posts: 0 ✭✭✭✭ Rebekah Powerful Strap


    i am a Jabari fan.
    i love Johnny Manziel.

    :confused:


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,710 ✭✭✭✭Paully D


    #2 overall pick in the 2014 draft, Greg Robinson, was a healthy scratch this evening and to say he has been awful for the Rams since being drafted is putting it mildly.

    A massive bust.

    I much preferred Jake Matthews as the top LT in this draft (but still thought Robinson would be a success) but I don't think anyone could have predicted just how bad a pick Robinson would end up being.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,638 ✭✭✭phatkev


    Paully D wrote: »
    #2 overall pick in the 2014 draft, Greg Robinson, was a healthy scratch this evening and to say he has been awful for the Rams since being drafted is putting it mildly.

    A massive bust.

    I much preferred Jake Matthews as the top LT in this draft (but still thought Robinson would be a success) but I don't think anyone could have predicted just how bad a pick Robinson would end up being.

    https://twitter.com/Alden_Gonzalez/status/803022744631640065

    :D:pac:


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