We are all happy that Dave has decided to regale us with his extensive draft reviews and analysis, and in order to make his life a little easier, please ask all of your draft questions for him on this thread.
Sorry if
XBRONX : 2:59 pm : link : reply
this was asked. What position have you ended up with the best judgments on over the years?
ANSWER
I'm pretty up to snuff on all positions, been doing this since 1968, so, if I wasn't good enough, I guess I've been a 50-year charity case for teams.
My preferred expertise is in the offensive line analysis, as Sid Gillman, Jim Finks, Al Davis & I devised the statistical breakdown charts/analysis that is currently used. The problem there is that college teams barely follow with a consensus OL grading system. That leads to countless hours in the film room breaking down the performance. Somewhere on the BBI forum, I posted the grading & type of blocks that I work with when writing up OL reports.
My fave is the CBs though, as I love the one-on-one element. My least favorite to analyze are the QBs. Too much spread, not enough dropback and despite quickness, some college QBs are just too lacking with their footwork when operating under center.
Most reports are at least 100 pages on a player and coincide with giving a coach ease of movement with details on a Notable Play Chart, thus reducing his hours of film view.
Every team likes different types of "apples & oranges" so when I write up reports, Joe Blow might get a better grade for New England than he might do for the Giants report, as I also use the "glass slipper" effect in my evaluations - where does that guy really fit in that particular team's scheme
He looked amazing coming around the edge while at Georgia.. I think the Giants can use a playmaker and athlete at LB that has great ability to come around the edge and make plays on the QB. I think they can use a bonafide playmaker at the LB position period.
My question is what LB's do you think the Giants are targeting in this years draft? Do you think they want and/or need a guy that can rush the passer from that spot? And in your opinion is there any one particulary LB in this draft that can do it all at high level, stop the run, cover and rush the passer?
Opinions tend to be very split on him. He put up Vic Beasley like numbers at the combine, but you didn't see his athleticism or bend consistently on tape. He flashed and showed you that burst upfield and the ability to bend, but it just wasn't done often enough.
I saw an article on the Steelers SBNation page where they compared Willis' problems rushing the passer to Joey Bosa from last year. They showed in clips how both of them when trying to turn the corner and bend would not have their plant foot pointed towards their target which would make it harder to turn and therefore allow them to get pushed up field.
I don't pretend to be an expert, but when I went back and looked over his tape I saw many instances of this. It seems like something that can definitely be fixed with coaching.
To me Jordan Willis has better burst better bend than Derek Barnett who I think is overrated by the vast majority of people due to his production. Barnett isn't explosive off the ball and wins by having great snap anticipation. It's easier for a guy to jump the snap in college than the NFL, because of not having difficult snap counts, simple snap signals (clap or stepping), and the crowd noise at Neyland Stadium. Barnett has just okay bend to me. He often makes himself a smaller target by dipping his shoulder around the corner. Some people see that and think he's bending when he's not. I just don't see the great functional bend to get around the corner through contact that others do. He's too often washed out when OL are able to reach him. I feel like he's the type of guy you want on your team and he can be a solid pro as a teams' #2 DE that averages around 6-9 sacks eventually. However, I think if you take him in the top 15, then you will be kicking yourself down the road for passing on superior talents.
Anyways, I'm getting off track here.
What type of ceiling do you see for Willis having? I saw Syd used DeMarcus Ware as an upside comparison, but I'm not sure if that was just based on measurables or what?
I'd also love to hear if you agree with my assessment of Barnett as he seems to be a guy people are split on.
Big guy, I'm not a mock or draft dude. Don't care where they go, just where they fit & how they produce. I will tell you about their talent, if they can operate in the system of that particular team, but if I learned one thing since 1968, expect the unexpected.
I do feel there will be a run of trades upfront that will do 2 things-
1-put a team needing a QB that did not get one to trade the ranch next year for a late #1 this year
2-set up the last third of round 1 & the first part of round 2 for a big run on DBs
Thank you! Why oh why nobody is looking at this guy!? Maybe it is the luvfest for fellow DII TE stud Shaheen, but this kid could be another Delanie Walker. He's a brute when it comes to dragging opponents, but the level of play have most teams giving him an afterthought.
Check this out;
Release 7.4 Brown may lack the suddenness to leave defenders at the line of scrimmage getting into his route, and he still needs to refine his hand technique trying to escape the jam (will sometimes get too caught up in the battle rather than play off the defender). But, once he keeps his hands inside his frame, he is too physical for most cornerbacks to contain. He moves athletically through under coverage and has a smooth, fluid release, steadily building to top speed. He relies mostly on his size, bulk and strength to beat the jam, as he knows he can use his body assets to steer defenders and create lanes with his ability to stem and angle. He also shows quick feet when changing direction. It is very rare to ever see him get rerouted.
Acceleration 6.8 Brown is more quick than fast, but with those long limbs, he easily gets down field in a hurry. He runs with long, powerful strides, which makes it look like he is going through the motions sometimes, but one look at film and you can see he is eating up a lot of real estate. His only problem occurs in the short area, when he has to shorten his stride (most big receivers struggle in this area). He does a nice job of fading into the open area on long routes and does an excellent job of tracking the ball in flight. Along with his rare size, he has above average leaping ability and good eyes to look the ball in over his outside shoulder. He presents a big, sure-handed target down field, even if he lacks a second gear, but he compensates with double moves to sell and con in his route’s progression.
Quickness 6.9 Because of his long legs, Brown does not look like he has blazing speed, but if you ask any MEC cornerback, he has the ability to instantly get to the top of the route and eat up any cushion. He might not be sudden, but he is an athletic mover off the line and even with just two years of college experience, it is rare to see him take false steps in his route or ease off when blocking in the second level. He builds his acceleration nicely heading up the field and is very crisp coming out of his breaks.
Separation Ability 6.3 Brown might be tall, but it is rare to see him struggle when trying to sink his pads to separate underneath. Still, there are times when he will soft-angle cut when he needs to be precise working in the short area. He is more effective heading down the sidelines or angling up the seam, where he has the quickness to separate after the catch. He has a decent burst in the open field, but does rely more on his strength than anything to escape the tackler. Once he learns how to drop his weight, his change of direction will improve and aid him in selling the route.
Ball Adjustment 7.2 What separates Brown from most big receivers is his ability to adjust and run under the ball in flight. He is too tall to make the shoestring grabs, though, making him not ideal for the underneath game. He loves when allowed to simply run down field, have the quarter-back unleash the ball and time his leaps to get to it at its highest point. He is a natural athlete with the range, jumping ability and body control to contort and adjust to the off-target passes, something he had to do often with mediocre Tech passers. He just needs to work on his knee bend to be more successful attacking the low balls.
Leaping Ability 7.8 Brown has the size, timing and body control to win most jump ball battles. He has the hip snap and strength to power through a defender and reach outside his frame to pluck the ball. His timing is important to his success and it is rare to see him leave his feet too early.
Hands 7.9 Brown is a natural hands catcher and those hands are some of the strongest in the industry, at any level. He never uses his body to absorb the ball and shows an outstanding catching radius, along with above average hand/eye coordination.
Run After the Catch 7.8 Brown is like a locomotive once he gets the ball in his hands. On more than one occasion, you can see on game films that it takes more than one defender to bring him down. He might not be sudden in his moves, but is too hard to tackle in one-on-one situations due to his great leg power. He simply has that incredible ability to break tackles and run through arms on nearly every play. He has enough playing speed to finish when out in front and can make things happen once he gets into the open field.
Blocking Ability 8.2 Brown can obliterate smaller defensive backs that get in his way when blocking in the second level. He shows good knee bends and hand usage blocking in the backfield, doing a nice job of mirroring the edge rushers and sustaining. Once he gains position, he will generally win the battle. He has good hand placement to generate a strong punch to shock and jolt and has no problem taking angles to stalk and cut block linebackers.
Believe it or not I saw him play a playoff game live at cw post on Long Island in November. He had 11 catches for over 189 yards and 3 tds. I love the guy as a late round pick. Special gifts as you said especially his hands. I wrote the Giants scouting department a letter to check him out(doubt they ever received it). Really happy that we saw the same things when watching this guy play. Again, thanks for doing this just amazing insight and for a novice self proclaimed scout like myself your information is invaluable.
I think they are going to start him out at right tackle, but he is better served competing for the right guard spot. I am still puzzled by the signing, as he does not fit their blocking scheme, but if you look around at the bucks thrown at mediocre talent (Kalil to Carolina), I guess Big Blue thought it was a minimal gamble. Maybe they luck out in round seven (Knappe from UConn) and get a blue collar guy.
From all indications, they were pretty high on Lamp, but the last two weeks, I've seen more concentration on rush end/linebackers & tight ends. My old scout vibes are saying Watt & Engram are in play during the first two rounds from Rutherford.
As for Brieda, he's one of those guys I liked, more a Patriot blue collar type, but I did not scout the South this year, so I'm basing my report from film watch in April and my scout who was in attendance at his 3/30 workout. I would love to see the kid get drafted, but as effective as he can be for a bunch of backfield touches, I also think he can be a nice figure to stash on the practice squad & convert to corner while also having him return kicks - in 'nuther woyds - a perfect NE Patriot!
He checked in at 5:09.2-195, running 1.53 (10)/2.50 (20)/4.39 (40) with a 42-vertical/11-2 broad, putting up 225 23 times, running a 4.34 short shuttle & 6.85 3-cone
Excerpts from my scouting report;
Body Structure Breida has impressive power and lean muscles, but for a 195-pound back, he has unusually slim hips and shoulders, looking more like a receiver than a running back. Even with his narrow upper body, he has adequate sized calves and thighs and a frame that can carry at least another ten pounds with no loss in quickness. Still, that burst of speed might make him a nice practice squad project to see if he can make a conversion to cornerback, as he is blessed with well above average hip swivel.
Athletic Ability Breida might not impress you upon eye contact, as he has a narrow frame, but packs good strength and above average timed speed, making him sudden and explosive coming out of the blocks. He is a short strider with highly effective playing speed in the open and gets most of his yardage from his balance and footwork. He flashes good agility and balance on the move and does a nice job of keeping his feet on contact. He is more of a north-south runner than you think, displaying hidden power in those legs, but he’s a nice shake-&-bake type that has good enough agility numbers to indicate he has the balance and leg drive needed when attacking the holes
Initial Quickness Blessed with impressive timed speed, Breida generates fantastic explosion out of his stance. He can accelerate nicely in the open field, displaying nice hip snap and good burst going through tight quarters. He has make-you-miss initial movement on the ball, hitting up the hole with a good pad level, demonstrating the foot speed to challenge the second level once he gets past the line of scrimmage
Acceleration/Burst Breida has a sudden short area burst, and once he gets into the open, you just see the second gear that should be associated with his timed speed. He is a very slippery runner with loose hips and good wiggle. In the open field, he has breakaway speed and can elude a defender, as his quickness and balance lets him get nice yardage in the open
Instincts/Balance Breida is the type of back that is very creative on the move. He has good lateral agility and can cut on a dime. He can quickly gobble up the cushion when running routes and shows good leg drive and a low pad level to run through defenders in one-on-one confrontations. He shows good vision in the hole with the ability to slide or move to daylight and rarely does he hesitate or get caught in the backfield. There are times where he needs to generate better knee lift to avoid the low tackles, but he is consistent utilizing his second gear when he gets into space
Elusiveness Breida has those natural “make you miss” type of moves, as he is very effective when trying to slide and step away from a tackle when giving space to run. He does a nice job of adjusting, thanks to his vision and awareness, but must watch out for low blocks, as he is easily taken down when a defender attacks his feet
Receiving Skills Until 2014, Breida was not used much in the passing game, but his hands seem to be good. He has the touch and reach to pluck the ball away from his body and has the vision awareness to find the soft areas on the field to settle under
Route Running It is hard to evaluate, as Breida is used mostly on swings or flares. He does show good balance into his routes, though. He makes good adjustments getting to the off-target throws and shows good flexibility and foot quickness. He shows good field awareness and the ability to read and get in and out of his break point in attempts to get open
You see, I'm a big fan of the try-hard guys, especially from the small colleges. Brown has always been one of my faves. Some teams say he will grow into a TE & I labeled him a Delanie Walker clone for good reason - both on & off the field, he's simply the ideal try-hard type. Wanna laugh, I see a little K Boss in his approach in practices & the weight room - always with his eyes & ears open.
I'm signing off for the evening. Any questions after this sign off, please check back tomorrow. I will be shutting the Q&A down at noon on Monday, as I have to fly back East to prep for the draft. Back after the draft, but will post insights on Giants draft day proceedings from where I'm at, just no Q&A until I return April 30, thanks
Dave, how would you classify the Giants blocking style Â
and can you elaborate why you don't think Fluker fits it?
When I watch the Giants play I don't see much zone blocking. I thought when McAdoo took over as the HC we would see more of that because when you look at our top linemen (Flowers, Pugh, and Richburg) they all move really well. One thing Flowers did well in college was get to the second level. Pugh moves very well. Richburg reminded me of Mawae when I saw him in college. You don't see many centers pull at all. Now, pulling is not a zone type of block but it shows his athleticism that not many centers can do. But it seems we are primarily a man blocking team. Do you think it is the right scheme for the talent? A great coach is able to adjust to his personnel. McAdoo seemed pretty rigid with his scheme last year but his personnel could havd hampered him from doing a lot of things although I disagree with being in one personnel grouping 90% of the time.
Also, last year almost all of the Giants runs were between the tackles. We know this was a combination of poor tackle play, horrible TE blockers, and no FB. Do you think that changes with the current group of linemen and TEs (particularly Ellison)?
Here’s where the Giants lack identity, and frankly, it is McAdoo’s own fault. Are they going to be a West Coast offense, or are they going to utilize Beckham and Shepherd more to join Marshall in establishing their vertical game.
If the go more West Coast, their linemen need to be quick and mobile, something Fluker and Jerry are not. Despite his bulk, I didn’t see Fluker blow up too many defenders coming off the snap on running plays. He also seemed a few steps behind in getting into his assignments on traps, pulls and screens.
Manning is never going to be known as a scrambler and at this age, the pocket passer is better served with mobile tackles. That is why Flowers might be a better fit on the right side, where he can get covered up by the guard and tight end and where his athleticism on the traps and pulls come into better play. Flowers blocking down on the left side does not seem to fit into his better ability that he showed earlier in his career at Miami (right tackle first two years) with his ability to block out there.
They need to have confidence that their tackles can first open the hole, and then seal off the defense on either side, as that gives the blockers the ability to swing outward and push aside anything in their way. If the defense moves to close in on the runner, they have to have their edge blockers capable of meeting and walling off the defenders. Then, by pulling the guard, the offense suddenly has extra blockers.
I think it’s more helpful to define football schemes by what they’re trying to achieve – are you better off using the talent you have available for zone-scheme plays or gap-scheme plays? From what I’ve seen of Fluker and Flowers, I don’t think either have the ability to weaken a wide area of a defense on zone plays and Fluker is more comfortable just using his brute force, but that makes him poorly suited for gap plays that are designed to open up a single gap for a back to run through, as he always seems to be late to get into position.
Neither of those two can execute the slide-&-peel motion that you look for in the backside tackle, and you saw the last two years how Flowers fails to prevent the defensive tackle from blowing up the play from behind. Neither can screen the defensive end so that he can’t make a play if the hole gets plugged. They also seem to be a split second behind when they need to instant in their decision making, especially when having to make the choice to leave a backside end unblocked in order to reach the nearest linebacker, or to engage the defensive end straight up if he’s a playmaker.
In other words, going into the decision with a tackle tandem of Fluker (right tackle) and Flowers (left tackle) could be more of the same running failures that they had last year. Me? If I was the position coach, at least in mini camp, I’d line up Flowers at right tackle and Fluker at right guard. If all else fails, it will be back to the drawing board after 2017. Yes, they added a beefier lineman in Fluker, but not with the athleticism needed to pull and trap.
I still think the tight end position needs to be blown up. That's a lot of ducats going Ellison's way and I would prefer that they go back to using a classic fullback. They can probably find a nice one late in Day Three (Florida State's Freddie Stevenson)
In my opinion, I feel it is easier to transition from LT to LG than LT to RT. This doesn't apply to all players but I equate it to batting lefty and righty. You can do it but it isn't always natural. I feel if Flowers moves to the right side that will further impede his technique whichh he struggles with.
If it was up to me I would have Pugh give him competition for that LT spot because he needs competition. And, I feel, a lot of his technique flaws will not shine as bright at LG. I know that is totally against the grain but i think it would lead to better overall success of the OL.
Do you think Pugh SHOULD get a chance at LT this year?
Any THOUGHTS on Apple and Sheppard's rookie year's?
What do you EXPECT out of Darian Thompson in year 2?
Where do you THINK Zeke would rank among Fournette, Mccaffrey and Cook?
What can a Jabril Peppers do on this Giants roster?
Any prospects you feel the Giants MIGHT WANT to move up to take?
Lastly, any one guy you WANT to see drafted by Giants & why?
Sorry if i'm going back to last year too much, all your insight is HIGHLY appreciated.
Speaking of Fullbacks...
Klaatu : 11:22 am : link : reply
What's your assessment of Michigan State's Prescott Line?
ANSWER
Line is a nice blocker, but the problem last year was that he was late getting into the holes. He can certainly widen the rush lanes, but if you are late picking up that first guy, it leads to tight areas to run through. He then pulled a 4.96 in the 40 on pro day, thus displaying his glaring deficiency. He offers little to nothing as a ball carrier, reminding me of something former Cardinals fullback Ron Wolfley once told coach Jim Hanifan during a game. “Coach, if you need me to get you a yard, I’ll get you a yard. If you need me to get you four yards, I’ll get you a yard.” Welcome Prescott Line.
Dave Te
est1986 : 11:46 am : link : reply
Do you think Pugh SHOULD get a chance at LT this year?
Any THOUGHTS on Apple and Sheppard's rookie year's?
What do you EXPECT out of Darian Thompson in year 2?
Where do you THINK Zeke would rank among Fournette, Mccaffrey and Cook?
What can a Jabril Peppers do on this Giants roster?
Any prospects you feel the Giants MIGHT WANT to move up to take?
Lastly, any one guy you WANT to see drafted by Giants & why?
Sorry if i'm going back to last year too much, all your insight is HIGHLY appreciated.
ANSWER
Big guy, follow my guidelines up top – this year’s draft only & too many parts to your question. Choose one or two, but brutha, I don’t want to be writing a War & Peace novel here, cool?
ANSWER
Big guy, follow my guidelines up top – this year’s draft only & too many parts to your question. Choose one or two, but brutha, I don’t want to be writing a War & Peace novel here, cool?
Interested in hearing your thoughts about Montravious Adams for Giants 3rd rd, if not him what other DT prospects you would see as a good fit for Giants in 3rd/4th rounds. Thanks for your time. Great job in handling the myriad of questions.
A name I never hear mentioned to the Giants is Zay Jones. I loved him in the Senior Bowl week, and more so in the game. I know they want to label him a possession receiver, but with Marshall getting old, can you see the Giants adding him in round 2 despite needs elsewhere?
Thanks again for all your posts! Shout out from Ave Z and Nostrand!!
Thanks Dave for all the time you've put in here. Like you I love Hunter's game but am at a loss for how he'd fit in an NFL scheme with his fire hydrant body and stubby t-rex arms. Could he kick inside as a 3-tech penetrator on passing downs, is he a 3-4 lber or do most teams see him as a fullback conversion like Whitlock? Would love to see the Giants take a shot with him but not sure they'd use his talent properly.
You mean Dimick, correct? If so, with 4.75 speed & his low pad level, he could be a FB conversion, but I honestly think if a 3-4 defense pops on him, I'd try him as a SILB first. He's actually been evaluated by me as a potential flip to that position on a request from a certain team. He blew past at 4.13 in the shuttle, 7.15 on the three-cone, certainly good LB numbers & that bench performance (38 times) makes him a try-hard type. If he's a Giant, he's the fans' best underdog since Jim Burt, but I think he's a 3-4 conversion guy. I call him my "Lou Costello" guy. Everyone laughs him off, but in the end, you get a kick out of watching him perform
I will be off line until much later, as I have to travel East for the draft. Any questions after this post will be answered as soon as I can, but I will be off-line from Wednesday noon until after the draft. I am trying to arrange another podcast with Sy included for Wednesday & then provide draft recaps. During draft proceedings, I will be unavailable, as it is time to pay the bills & somebody actually gives me bucks for my insanity, thanks
I know you're traveling, and I asked this in another thread, but thought I'd just ask it here since it is the "official Q&A thread". Here's the question:
What is it about Amara Darboh? Everything I read is that he's a possession receiver. But he ran a 4.45 40-yard with a 36" vert and a 10'4" broad jump... and that is coming in a 6'2" package. He's a guy I would like the Giants to come in and potentially be the future starter across from Odell once Marshall retires. Is it just me? Even if he has stiff hips, won't the size with the long speed translate?
Dude! Ah, J Pinstripes, I missed you. Said you & Martin Cybul were my fave guys on here. Glad to see you are back. If I don't pull Webb's stuff & post tomorrow, remind me. I'm en route to Foxboro & hate to have a flight attendant beat me up or hit me with a stroller if I get out of my seat! I'll post-it to my chest & try to put it on before breakfast. You have any other requests?
Dude! Ah, J Pinstripes, I missed you. Said you & Martin Cybul were my fave guys on here. Glad to see you are back. If I don't pull Webb's stuff & post tomorrow, remind me. I'm en route to Foxboro & hate to have a flight attendant beat me up or hit me with a stroller if I get out of my seat! I'll post-it to my chest & try to put it on before breakfast. You have any other requests?
Thanks for that Dave and safe travels to you my friend. Kind regards
Big Guy, don't get fooled by Darboh's 40 time. There's an old adage in scouting - we judge kids in pads/coaches like them in their undies.
Here's the thing. 4.45 40, puts the equipment on & you see absolutely no explosion out of the guy. You hear the term for RBs at times-one cut runner. Well, Darboh is a one-speed guy. If he gets a clean release out of the blocks, he gets into the route's progression. When he gets a jam, his feet die & he struggles to recover. Give him a undetected shove in his pattern & he takes extra steps to get back in his route. He has nice hands and impressive leaping ability, but I feel like Homer Simpson (DUH) when he fails to time those leaps or leaves his feet too early. Get this - he had 27 jump ball situations last year, caught 11. To him, I give him the Peggy Lee hit song - is that all there is, is that all there is. He's gotta show me more before I get excited about the kid
XBRONX : 2:59 pm : link : reply
this was asked. What position have you ended up with the best judgments on over the years?
ANSWER
I'm pretty up to snuff on all positions, been doing this since 1968, so, if I wasn't good enough, I guess I've been a 50-year charity case for teams.
My preferred expertise is in the offensive line analysis, as Sid Gillman, Jim Finks, Al Davis & I devised the statistical breakdown charts/analysis that is currently used. The problem there is that college teams barely follow with a consensus OL grading system. That leads to countless hours in the film room breaking down the performance. Somewhere on the BBI forum, I posted the grading & type of blocks that I work with when writing up OL reports.
My fave is the CBs though, as I love the one-on-one element. My least favorite to analyze are the QBs. Too much spread, not enough dropback and despite quickness, some college QBs are just too lacking with their footwork when operating under center.
Most reports are at least 100 pages on a player and coincide with giving a coach ease of movement with details on a Notable Play Chart, thus reducing his hours of film view.
Every team likes different types of "apples & oranges" so when I write up reports, Joe Blow might get a better grade for New England than he might do for the Giants report, as I also use the "glass slipper" effect in my evaluations - where does that guy really fit in that particular team's scheme
My question is what LB's do you think the Giants are targeting in this years draft? Do you think they want and/or need a guy that can rush the passer from that spot? And in your opinion is there any one particulary LB in this draft that can do it all at high level, stop the run, cover and rush the passer?
Giants still have issues at S after Collins. With these guys able to play multiple roles, could they be in play for Giants in round 1?
I saw an article on the Steelers SBNation page where they compared Willis' problems rushing the passer to Joey Bosa from last year. They showed in clips how both of them when trying to turn the corner and bend would not have their plant foot pointed towards their target which would make it harder to turn and therefore allow them to get pushed up field.
I don't pretend to be an expert, but when I went back and looked over his tape I saw many instances of this. It seems like something that can definitely be fixed with coaching.
To me Jordan Willis has better burst better bend than Derek Barnett who I think is overrated by the vast majority of people due to his production. Barnett isn't explosive off the ball and wins by having great snap anticipation. It's easier for a guy to jump the snap in college than the NFL, because of not having difficult snap counts, simple snap signals (clap or stepping), and the crowd noise at Neyland Stadium. Barnett has just okay bend to me. He often makes himself a smaller target by dipping his shoulder around the corner. Some people see that and think he's bending when he's not. I just don't see the great functional bend to get around the corner through contact that others do. He's too often washed out when OL are able to reach him. I feel like he's the type of guy you want on your team and he can be a solid pro as a teams' #2 DE that averages around 6-9 sacks eventually. However, I think if you take him in the top 15, then you will be kicking yourself down the road for passing on superior talents.
Anyways, I'm getting off track here.
What type of ceiling do you see for Willis having? I saw Syd used DeMarcus Ware as an upside comparison, but I'm not sure if that was just based on measurables or what?
I'd also love to hear if you agree with my assessment of Barnett as he seems to be a guy people are split on.
Also, if you could answer the question about LBs I'd appreciate it. I know you like Evans, but that's it.
Thanks.
I do feel there will be a run of trades upfront that will do 2 things-
1-put a team needing a QB that did not get one to trade the ranch next year for a late #1 this year
2-set up the last third of round 1 & the first part of round 2 for a big run on DBs
Check this out;
Release 7.4 Brown may lack the suddenness to leave defenders at the line of scrimmage getting into his route, and he still needs to refine his hand technique trying to escape the jam (will sometimes get too caught up in the battle rather than play off the defender). But, once he keeps his hands inside his frame, he is too physical for most cornerbacks to contain. He moves athletically through under coverage and has a smooth, fluid release, steadily building to top speed. He relies mostly on his size, bulk and strength to beat the jam, as he knows he can use his body assets to steer defenders and create lanes with his ability to stem and angle. He also shows quick feet when changing direction. It is very rare to ever see him get rerouted.
Acceleration 6.8 Brown is more quick than fast, but with those long limbs, he easily gets down field in a hurry. He runs with long, powerful strides, which makes it look like he is going through the motions sometimes, but one look at film and you can see he is eating up a lot of real estate. His only problem occurs in the short area, when he has to shorten his stride (most big receivers struggle in this area). He does a nice job of fading into the open area on long routes and does an excellent job of tracking the ball in flight. Along with his rare size, he has above average leaping ability and good eyes to look the ball in over his outside shoulder. He presents a big, sure-handed target down field, even if he lacks a second gear, but he compensates with double moves to sell and con in his route’s progression.
Quickness 6.9 Because of his long legs, Brown does not look like he has blazing speed, but if you ask any MEC cornerback, he has the ability to instantly get to the top of the route and eat up any cushion. He might not be sudden, but he is an athletic mover off the line and even with just two years of college experience, it is rare to see him take false steps in his route or ease off when blocking in the second level. He builds his acceleration nicely heading up the field and is very crisp coming out of his breaks.
Separation Ability 6.3 Brown might be tall, but it is rare to see him struggle when trying to sink his pads to separate underneath. Still, there are times when he will soft-angle cut when he needs to be precise working in the short area. He is more effective heading down the sidelines or angling up the seam, where he has the quickness to separate after the catch. He has a decent burst in the open field, but does rely more on his strength than anything to escape the tackler. Once he learns how to drop his weight, his change of direction will improve and aid him in selling the route.
Ball Adjustment 7.2 What separates Brown from most big receivers is his ability to adjust and run under the ball in flight. He is too tall to make the shoestring grabs, though, making him not ideal for the underneath game. He loves when allowed to simply run down field, have the quarter-back unleash the ball and time his leaps to get to it at its highest point. He is a natural athlete with the range, jumping ability and body control to contort and adjust to the off-target passes, something he had to do often with mediocre Tech passers. He just needs to work on his knee bend to be more successful attacking the low balls.
Leaping Ability 7.8 Brown has the size, timing and body control to win most jump ball battles. He has the hip snap and strength to power through a defender and reach outside his frame to pluck the ball. His timing is important to his success and it is rare to see him leave his feet too early.
Hands 7.9 Brown is a natural hands catcher and those hands are some of the strongest in the industry, at any level. He never uses his body to absorb the ball and shows an outstanding catching radius, along with above average hand/eye coordination.
Run After the Catch 7.8 Brown is like a locomotive once he gets the ball in his hands. On more than one occasion, you can see on game films that it takes more than one defender to bring him down. He might not be sudden in his moves, but is too hard to tackle in one-on-one situations due to his great leg power. He simply has that incredible ability to break tackles and run through arms on nearly every play. He has enough playing speed to finish when out in front and can make things happen once he gets into the open field.
Blocking Ability 8.2 Brown can obliterate smaller defensive backs that get in his way when blocking in the second level. He shows good knee bends and hand usage blocking in the backfield, doing a nice job of mirroring the edge rushers and sustaining. Once he gains position, he will generally win the battle. He has good hand placement to generate a strong punch to shock and jolt and has no problem taking angles to stalk and cut block linebackers.
From all indications, they were pretty high on Lamp, but the last two weeks, I've seen more concentration on rush end/linebackers & tight ends. My old scout vibes are saying Watt & Engram are in play during the first two rounds from Rutherford.
As for Brieda, he's one of those guys I liked, more a Patriot blue collar type, but I did not scout the South this year, so I'm basing my report from film watch in April and my scout who was in attendance at his 3/30 workout. I would love to see the kid get drafted, but as effective as he can be for a bunch of backfield touches, I also think he can be a nice figure to stash on the practice squad & convert to corner while also having him return kicks - in 'nuther woyds - a perfect NE Patriot!
He checked in at 5:09.2-195, running 1.53 (10)/2.50 (20)/4.39 (40) with a 42-vertical/11-2 broad, putting up 225 23 times, running a 4.34 short shuttle & 6.85 3-cone
Excerpts from my scouting report;
Body Structure Breida has impressive power and lean muscles, but for a 195-pound back, he has unusually slim hips and shoulders, looking more like a receiver than a running back. Even with his narrow upper body, he has adequate sized calves and thighs and a frame that can carry at least another ten pounds with no loss in quickness. Still, that burst of speed might make him a nice practice squad project to see if he can make a conversion to cornerback, as he is blessed with well above average hip swivel.
Athletic Ability Breida might not impress you upon eye contact, as he has a narrow frame, but packs good strength and above average timed speed, making him sudden and explosive coming out of the blocks. He is a short strider with highly effective playing speed in the open and gets most of his yardage from his balance and footwork. He flashes good agility and balance on the move and does a nice job of keeping his feet on contact. He is more of a north-south runner than you think, displaying hidden power in those legs, but he’s a nice shake-&-bake type that has good enough agility numbers to indicate he has the balance and leg drive needed when attacking the holes
Initial Quickness Blessed with impressive timed speed, Breida generates fantastic explosion out of his stance. He can accelerate nicely in the open field, displaying nice hip snap and good burst going through tight quarters. He has make-you-miss initial movement on the ball, hitting up the hole with a good pad level, demonstrating the foot speed to challenge the second level once he gets past the line of scrimmage
Acceleration/Burst Breida has a sudden short area burst, and once he gets into the open, you just see the second gear that should be associated with his timed speed. He is a very slippery runner with loose hips and good wiggle. In the open field, he has breakaway speed and can elude a defender, as his quickness and balance lets him get nice yardage in the open
Instincts/Balance Breida is the type of back that is very creative on the move. He has good lateral agility and can cut on a dime. He can quickly gobble up the cushion when running routes and shows good leg drive and a low pad level to run through defenders in one-on-one confrontations. He shows good vision in the hole with the ability to slide or move to daylight and rarely does he hesitate or get caught in the backfield. There are times where he needs to generate better knee lift to avoid the low tackles, but he is consistent utilizing his second gear when he gets into space
Elusiveness Breida has those natural “make you miss” type of moves, as he is very effective when trying to slide and step away from a tackle when giving space to run. He does a nice job of adjusting, thanks to his vision and awareness, but must watch out for low blocks, as he is easily taken down when a defender attacks his feet
Receiving Skills Until 2014, Breida was not used much in the passing game, but his hands seem to be good. He has the touch and reach to pluck the ball away from his body and has the vision awareness to find the soft areas on the field to settle under
Route Running It is hard to evaluate, as Breida is used mostly on swings or flares. He does show good balance into his routes, though. He makes good adjustments getting to the off-target throws and shows good flexibility and foot quickness. He shows good field awareness and the ability to read and get in and out of his break point in attempts to get open
When I watch the Giants play I don't see much zone blocking. I thought when McAdoo took over as the HC we would see more of that because when you look at our top linemen (Flowers, Pugh, and Richburg) they all move really well. One thing Flowers did well in college was get to the second level. Pugh moves very well. Richburg reminded me of Mawae when I saw him in college. You don't see many centers pull at all. Now, pulling is not a zone type of block but it shows his athleticism that not many centers can do. But it seems we are primarily a man blocking team. Do you think it is the right scheme for the talent? A great coach is able to adjust to his personnel. McAdoo seemed pretty rigid with his scheme last year but his personnel could havd hampered him from doing a lot of things although I disagree with being in one personnel grouping 90% of the time.
Also, last year almost all of the Giants runs were between the tackles. We know this was a combination of poor tackle play, horrible TE blockers, and no FB. Do you think that changes with the current group of linemen and TEs (particularly Ellison)?
If the go more West Coast, their linemen need to be quick and mobile, something Fluker and Jerry are not. Despite his bulk, I didn’t see Fluker blow up too many defenders coming off the snap on running plays. He also seemed a few steps behind in getting into his assignments on traps, pulls and screens.
Manning is never going to be known as a scrambler and at this age, the pocket passer is better served with mobile tackles. That is why Flowers might be a better fit on the right side, where he can get covered up by the guard and tight end and where his athleticism on the traps and pulls come into better play. Flowers blocking down on the left side does not seem to fit into his better ability that he showed earlier in his career at Miami (right tackle first two years) with his ability to block out there.
They need to have confidence that their tackles can first open the hole, and then seal off the defense on either side, as that gives the blockers the ability to swing outward and push aside anything in their way. If the defense moves to close in on the runner, they have to have their edge blockers capable of meeting and walling off the defenders. Then, by pulling the guard, the offense suddenly has extra blockers.
I think it’s more helpful to define football schemes by what they’re trying to achieve – are you better off using the talent you have available for zone-scheme plays or gap-scheme plays? From what I’ve seen of Fluker and Flowers, I don’t think either have the ability to weaken a wide area of a defense on zone plays and Fluker is more comfortable just using his brute force, but that makes him poorly suited for gap plays that are designed to open up a single gap for a back to run through, as he always seems to be late to get into position.
Neither of those two can execute the slide-&-peel motion that you look for in the backside tackle, and you saw the last two years how Flowers fails to prevent the defensive tackle from blowing up the play from behind. Neither can screen the defensive end so that he can’t make a play if the hole gets plugged. They also seem to be a split second behind when they need to instant in their decision making, especially when having to make the choice to leave a backside end unblocked in order to reach the nearest linebacker, or to engage the defensive end straight up if he’s a playmaker.
In other words, going into the decision with a tackle tandem of Fluker (right tackle) and Flowers (left tackle) could be more of the same running failures that they had last year. Me? If I was the position coach, at least in mini camp, I’d line up Flowers at right tackle and Fluker at right guard. If all else fails, it will be back to the drawing board after 2017. Yes, they added a beefier lineman in Fluker, but not with the athleticism needed to pull and trap.
I still think the tight end position needs to be blown up. That's a lot of ducats going Ellison's way and I would prefer that they go back to using a classic fullback. They can probably find a nice one late in Day Three (Florida State's Freddie Stevenson)
If it was up to me I would have Pugh give him competition for that LT spot because he needs competition. And, I feel, a lot of his technique flaws will not shine as bright at LG. I know that is totally against the grain but i think it would lead to better overall success of the OL.
Any THOUGHTS on Apple and Sheppard's rookie year's?
What do you EXPECT out of Darian Thompson in year 2?
Where do you THINK Zeke would rank among Fournette, Mccaffrey and Cook?
What can a Jabril Peppers do on this Giants roster?
Any prospects you feel the Giants MIGHT WANT to move up to take?
Lastly, any one guy you WANT to see drafted by Giants & why?
Sorry if i'm going back to last year too much, all your insight is HIGHLY appreciated.
Klaatu : 11:22 am : link : reply
What's your assessment of Michigan State's Prescott Line?
ANSWER
Line is a nice blocker, but the problem last year was that he was late getting into the holes. He can certainly widen the rush lanes, but if you are late picking up that first guy, it leads to tight areas to run through. He then pulled a 4.96 in the 40 on pro day, thus displaying his glaring deficiency. He offers little to nothing as a ball carrier, reminding me of something former Cardinals fullback Ron Wolfley once told coach Jim Hanifan during a game. “Coach, if you need me to get you a yard, I’ll get you a yard. If you need me to get you four yards, I’ll get you a yard.” Welcome Prescott Line.
est1986 : 11:46 am : link : reply
Do you think Pugh SHOULD get a chance at LT this year?
Any THOUGHTS on Apple and Sheppard's rookie year's?
What do you EXPECT out of Darian Thompson in year 2?
Where do you THINK Zeke would rank among Fournette, Mccaffrey and Cook?
What can a Jabril Peppers do on this Giants roster?
Any prospects you feel the Giants MIGHT WANT to move up to take?
Lastly, any one guy you WANT to see drafted by Giants & why?
Sorry if i'm going back to last year too much, all your insight is HIGHLY appreciated.
ANSWER
Big guy, follow my guidelines up top – this year’s draft only & too many parts to your question. Choose one or two, but brutha, I don’t want to be writing a War & Peace novel here, cool?
Big guy, follow my guidelines up top – this year’s draft only & too many parts to your question. Choose one or two, but brutha, I don’t want to be writing a War & Peace novel here, cool?
Lol, cool.
It's probably too much trouble and time-consuming but I would love to hear what you're hearing on every single pick in the first round.
Thanks again for all your posts! Shout out from Ave Z and Nostrand!!
Thoughts on Amba Etta-Tawo as WR prospect? Did he suffer from terrible QB play at UMD or was the Syracuse offensive system that much better?
Sy i see some LBell in him, but what do i know.
What is it about Amara Darboh? Everything I read is that he's a possession receiver. But he ran a 4.45 40-yard with a 36" vert and a 10'4" broad jump... and that is coming in a 6'2" package. He's a guy I would like the Giants to come in and potentially be the future starter across from Odell once Marshall retires. Is it just me? Even if he has stiff hips, won't the size with the long speed translate?
Thanks!
Thanks for that Dave and safe travels to you my friend. Kind regards
Here's the thing. 4.45 40, puts the equipment on & you see absolutely no explosion out of the guy. You hear the term for RBs at times-one cut runner. Well, Darboh is a one-speed guy. If he gets a clean release out of the blocks, he gets into the route's progression. When he gets a jam, his feet die & he struggles to recover. Give him a undetected shove in his pattern & he takes extra steps to get back in his route. He has nice hands and impressive leaping ability, but I feel like Homer Simpson (DUH) when he fails to time those leaps or leaves his feet too early. Get this - he had 27 jump ball situations last year, caught 11. To him, I give him the Peggy Lee hit song - is that all there is, is that all there is. He's gotta show me more before I get excited about the kid