Hi all,
so over here in england we get next to no college football coverage, so I have never really been able to know what our draft picks are like until i read up reviews and opinions on here and nfl.com
I am just curious as to why people are seeming to think Shepard is going to be so good, I feel like i read similar hype and expectations on here about Sinorice Moss, Reuben Randle, Jerrel Jernigan and Ramses Barden, and people appear to be more excited about this kid thatn they were the OBJ selection (that is probably because it didnt feel like the right position of need)
Just wondering what you all think will make Shepard better than the past early round draft failure (wouldnt call Randle a failure, but never became the player we hoped for)
Based on footage and reports from OTA's it sounds like he is a kid worth getting excited about!
What I like best, he does not drop passes.
No coronation yet.....some answers still need to be answered:
Is he exclusively a slot receiver or can he handle the outside?
Can he break press coverage?
I loved Toomer etc, but the Giants have never had a receiver of that stature before -- which changes everything.
As for why we should be more confident in Shepard than we were with Moss, Randle, Barden, and Jernigan, I can't speak for others, but for me it's his maturity, intelligence, and college productivity that sets him apart from the others. He doesn't have the size of Randle or Barden and probably isn't as quick as Jernigan or Moss, but he is less of a projection from college to the NFL (in other words, we don't have to rely on him being "coached up"--we already know he is coachable).
What Ira said about the work ethic and character which frankly I can't recall having heard about any draft prospect for the Giants since Eli Manning!
Re your comment
...I feel like i read similar hype and expectations on here about Sinorice Moss, Reuben Randle, Jerrel Jernigan and Ramses Barden, and people appear to be more excited about this kid thatn they were the OBJ selection (that is probably because it didnt feel like the right position of need)...
It's a different level of excitement from the chatter about any of the above, and more importantly the chatter is from different sources. In the past when camps were held in Albany we were inundated with a lot of fans' observations together with those from the press, and I think it was easy to stir them together to get an unduly optimistic opinion on prospects while practicing.
But this time, the silly level praise is coming from OBJ who we believe must have a great eye for WRs' skills, and what really floors me is what Steve Spagnuolo has said about mistaking Shepard for OBJ in the film room. Not to mention the numerous comparisons to Victor Cruz... We really haven't read or heard praise like that before. Not at that level of optimism and not coming from those people.
Lastly, OBJ has prolly very unrealistically raised our expectations for what a rookie WR can accomplish...
Not trying to overemphasize it, but you can see a little bit of "OBJ" in this kid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BhatqDTiTI
His 40 is right there with Odell. He did 13 more reps of 225. Better broad & vertical jump then Odell.
If Cruz can stay healthy we have 3 WRs who can score from any route anywhere on the field.
He is a huge piece in this Giant puzzle......
We all know how Randle hampered this offense.....but we are expecting a rookie to come right in and replace him?.....and as has been mentioned, is he more a slot receiver or a WR?
If the Cruz experiment fails, and he becomes the slot receiver, who replaces Randle?
Harris has his limitations.....and he was dinged a few times as a receiver, affecting his special teams play....it's almost essential that another WR is found......
It will be a miracle if Davis, White, or one of the UDFA's fills that spot....
However, if Cruz, is able to return to form, this takes some of the pressure off of Shepard, but it also puts him on the outside, where he may or not be manhandled by corners.........
On paper, it's plug and play....in the real world, we just don't know how he will react to the pressure he will be under, and if he can handle being an outside receiver.....
I hope he can......he has to for this team to succeed....preseason games can't come fast enough to find these answers....OBj, a healthy Cruz, a quick learning Shepard, and Harris as a fourth, will create nightmares for opposing DC's....let's hope it happens....
These articles create a "buzz" among the fans, but it's usually a fake buzz, because there really isn't any evidence that the buzz about the new player is coming from the team or from his teammates.
But every once in a while the buzz about a new player DOES come from the team and his teammates.
A number of writers have written that the Giants are really excited about Shepard after seeing him perform in camp.
Then you read OBJ's comments about Shepard and you have to be thinking that there's no way he would be THAT complementary if he wasn't seeing something special too.
I don't recall hearing that the Giants were really excited about Randle, Moss, Jernigan and Barden AFTER they got them in camp, nor do I remember an established Giants' receiver speaking in such glowing terms about their potential.
We'll all know soon enough, but in Shepard's case it looks like the "buzz" is real.
Hey great way to sneak a cheap shot at Spags onto a Sterling Shepard thread. I won't pretend to know if the football conference Shepard played in plays a "basketball" style of game or not, but I guess you never saw the linked play vs Baylor? The targeting call was valid,IMO, and that sure doesn't look like round ball to me...
Shepard played out by Baylor DB in 2013. - ( New Window )
Against Tennessee in 2014 & 2015 he had 12 catches, 173 yards & 2 TDs.
Against Clemson he had 7 catches for 87 yards where his QB was getting absolutely mauled & left the game injured as did OU's top two RBs.
IMO, he reminds me of a poor man's OBJ rather than Cruz. I see SS playing on the outside with no worries. A comparison to Steve Smith Sr. seems accurate.
He seems like a clear talent upgrade to Randle.
What I like best, he does not drop passes.
No coronation yet.....some answers still need to be answered:
Is he exclusively a slot receiver or can he handle the outside?
Can he break press coverage?
The guy played in (13) games last year at Oklahoma, caught 86 balls for 1288 yds with an awsome YAC. Don't forget that they ran the ball down opponents throats with Derrick Henry.
He seems like a clear talent upgrade to Randle.
And arms of 6'3" WR.
Also Shepard had a below average QB for Shepard's first 3 years.
I think he can absolutely go outside, but I do believe Giants are best served having him in the slot because his #1 attribute to me is his quick cuts & ability to bounce all over the place with run after the catch.
always considered you to be very astute Rick...
:-)
In the slot he has the smaller shiftier guys covering him. On the outside he has the bigger guys covering him & he should be able to create a lot of space. Plus he can go over guys & get the ball. Which is something we've never really seen with Cruz.
I think you keep Shep on the outside & let Cruz go back to the slot position. He was much more productive from the slot then he was on the outside. Although I'm sure they will have these guys playing all over the place. Which is the best thing for the Giants IMO. Our top 4 WRs can play all 3 WR positions. That should be a pain for the defense.
Randle - questionable intelligence and work ethic. True.
Moss - small production at big school, played scared. True.
Barden - no burst off the line, played against low level competition in college, raw. True.
Jernigan - low level competition, played scared. True.
We only hit a strike on OBJ and Nicks (for a limited time).
Shepard pros are everything we can ask for: intelligence, work ethic, fearless, heart, route-running, hands, catches balls at the high point, etc.
Caught 11 of 17 deep passes with 4 TDs & 0 drops last year. Which was the highest percent of deep passes caught in college football last year.
40: 4.47 vs 4.48
Bench press: 16 vs 20
3 cone: 6.96 vs 7.00
Vert jump: 41.5 vs 41.0
Broad jump: 125" vs 123"
Short shuttle: 4.17 vs 4.35
The short shuttle is so out of line with the rest of the data it's probably an anomaly...
And Shepard has better hands than Cruz who sometimes gets dropped when he starts to run before he looks the ball into his hands...
Comparing him to OBJ is silly because Beckham might well be truly one of a kind... but vintage prime Cruz is prolly just about right. With better blocking and fewer drops.
Keep in mind we are on the same side on this topic Ric... but what makes you say that?
Just watch him. The way he moves, catches the ball, creates separation, goes up over defenders. It reminds me of Odell.
We haven't seen that yet from SS IMO.
Looking forward to seeing all rookies in giants colours properly!
This coming from the same poster that started a thread a few weeks back on Zeke Elliot projecting 2,500 yards and 20 TDs his rookie season. I guess you can take a lot more from how RBs perform in spring camp then WRs.... Especially players on a division rival. Yep - okay.
My prediction for him this year is 72 rec 900 plus yards and 8 TDs.