OL And Other Prospects Watch

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"Tyr" said:

@"Jor-El" said:

@"BarrNone55" said: I'm going to start this thread with the intent of documenting all the OL prospects between now and the draft. Feel free to contribute or mock the gesture...

Cody Ford - T - Sooners

The Draft Network's Kyle Crabbs lists Oklahoma T Cody Ford as a player who earns a first-round evaluation. Ford (6'4/338) is a player that not only gets varying grades from different analysts, but also varying opinions on where he's going to play at the next level. Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN believes Ford ends up at guard, but Crabbs calls him a starting right tackle. If teams do believe Ford won't "have" to play guard, it's not hard to see him going in the first 32 picks. If teams are a little unsure, it could see the Sooner fall into Day 2.

Source: The Draft Network

I think the "If OG then Day 2" logic is outdated and incorrect. 3 G/C picked in round 1 last year, 4 if you count Isaiah Winn who was similar to Ford in having his position debated.

I agree with that. It's harder to find NFL ready OL right now, so if there's someone available that you feel can be a good starter and contribute right away, then you are better off picking them early. That's part of why there was such a big run on OL last season. Teams did not want to wait around and hope that their guy would be there later. I would expect that things will be similar this year.

You can still develop later round guys, but I think that the mistake that the Vikings made was thinking because you can develop some late round guys that you could build an entire OL that way. OL needs to be an early round priority and I wish they'd give it half the attention they give cornerback.

Even the best offensive lines in the NFL are a mix of one or two highly drafted players, one or two low rounders and one or two free agents. I would say their problem is less neglect than a mix of bad college and pro scouting (Kalil, Remmers, Compton, Clemmings, Beavers, Yankey), and bad luck (Loadholt, Harris, Easton). I just hope we don't have to worry about Elflein now. 

Keep going back to the 2015 draft when all we had to do was take a 7th round flyer on La'el Collins instead of Tyrus Thompson and Austin Shepherd. 

@"BarrNone55" said:

Kaden Smith - TE - Cardinal

The Draft Network's Trevor Sikkema believes the "sweet spot" for the 2019 NFL Draft TE class is the second round. As Sikkema notes, this is a really good tight end class; and there are three players -- Iowa's Noah Fant and T.J. Hockenson long with Alabama's Irv Smith Jr. -- who have a chance to be first-round picks. It certainly doesn't end there. Players like Stanford's Kaden Smith, Jace Sternberger, Dawson Knox and several others all have a chance to be impact players, and all could/should go before the third round starts. Teams that aren't fortunate enough to get Fant, Hockenson or Smith Jr. are still going to have a chance to get a starting tight end on Day 2 -- and possibly Day 3.

@"Tyr" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"Tyr" said:

@"Jor-El" said:

@"BarrNone55" said: I'm going to start this thread with the intent of documenting all the OL prospects between now and the draft. Feel free to contribute or mock the gesture...

Cody Ford - T - Sooners

The Draft Network's Kyle Crabbs lists Oklahoma T Cody Ford as a player who earns a first-round evaluation. Ford (6'4/338) is a player that not only gets varying grades from different analysts, but also varying opinions on where he's going to play at the next level. Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN believes Ford ends up at guard, but Crabbs calls him a starting right tackle. If teams do believe Ford won't "have" to play guard, it's not hard to see him going in the first 32 picks. If teams are a little unsure, it could see the Sooner fall into Day 2.

Source: The Draft Network

I think the "If OG then Day 2" logic is outdated and incorrect. 3 G/C picked in round 1 last year, 4 if you count Isaiah Winn who was similar to Ford in having his position debated.

I agree with that. It's harder to find NFL ready OL right now, so if there's someone available that you feel can be a good starter and contribute right away, then you are better off picking them early. That's part of why there was such a big run on OL last season. Teams did not want to wait around and hope that their guy would be there later. I would expect that things will be similar this year.

You can still develop later round guys, but I think that the mistake that the Vikings made was thinking because you can develop some late round guys that you could build an entire OL that way. OL needs to be an early round priority and I wish they'd give it half the attention they give cornerback.

Even the best offensive lines in the NFL are a mix of one or two highly drafted players, one or two low rounders and one or two free agents. I would say their problem is less neglect than a mix of bad college and pro scouting (Kalil, Remmers, Compton, Clemmings, Beavers, Yankey), and bad luck (Loadholt, Harris, Easton). I just hope we don't have to worry about Elflein now. 

Keep going back to the 2015 draft when all we had to do was take a 7th round flyer on La'el Collins instead of Tyrus Thompson and Austin Shepherd. 

I think that's mostly fair. There has been poor scouting and/or player development. They have had some bad breaks with injuries, but worryingly that has been a consistent problem. Maybe bad luck or indications of a deeper issues with the line. That being said, their unwillingness to spend at least some high picks on the line is concerning. They finally spent a 2nd rounder on O'Neill last year. He was a reach (picked late in a run on OL), but he at least performed better than expected. It's not even about 1st rounders, but they weren't even spending 2nd or 3rd rounders. Then they'd hoard a bunch of late round picks and rookie free agents who take several years to develop and it felt like they were trying to take a long term approach to an immediate problem, but things never panned out.

Hopefully, Elflein bounces back. He looked really good first year, but was never right this past season. He's at least someone who was a good pick even if injuries may alter his trajectory. Plugging in Collins at RT or RG would have definitely helped things, but there's part of me that feels the OL being bad for so long is a systemic issue. It's not just some bad picks or bad breaks, but there process of identifying and developing OL talent into a cohesive line has not been working for years. They've also done the weird thing of bouncing between man and zone blocking and never fully committing to a direction. Hopefully, bringing in Kubiak helps with that and would indicate that they will be committed to building a zone blocking line for the foreseeable future. They just need to pick a direction and stick with it.

@"Jor-El" said:

This is a great point. I've banged the drum for Vikings management to use more and earlier draft picks for offensive linemen, but truth is, Vikings have been terrible at drafting OL. It's easy to say Baca, Yankey, Beavers, Clemmings, Thompson, Shepherd were bad because they were day 3 picks, but other teams have found competent (or better) OL after the early rounds, some in the same drafts. Maybe Elflein and O'Neill are a sign the Vikings have improved - or actually do better with earlier picks. But if not, more and higher picks might just result in an OL version of Treadwell.

http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/cfb/85851/453/2019-nfl-draft-rb-stats-report

@"BarrNone55" said: http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/cfb/85851/453/2019-nfl-draft-rb-stats-report

https://thedraftnetwork.com/2019/02/07/6-pack-thursday-lets-talk-nfl-draft-prospects-6-0/

@"BarrNone55" said: https://thedraftnetwork.com/2019/02/07/6-pack-thursday-lets-talk-nfl-draft-prospects-6-0/

Need a sub to The Athletic to read the whole thing....Couple things that are interesting to me:

* Andre Dillard is indeed being talked about as a very high pick. Some (particularly the Draft Network) still have him outside the 1st round
* No Greg Little, which confirms that a lot of the early rankings probably had him a little too high

https://theathletic.com/807691/2019/02/08/pre-combine-nfl-draft-rankings-offensive-tackle-quietly-one-of-the-drafts-stronger-positions/?redirected=1

Offensive tackle quietly one of the draft’s stronger positions

Devin Singletary - RB - OwlsIn his latest scouting notebook, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller writes that FAU RB Devin Singletary "could be the belle of the ball in Round 2" if Alabama RB Joshua Jacobs slides off the board early on Day 1.
"He's quick—very quick—and has the hips and feet to beat defenders with excellent ability to cut and shake in the open field," Miller writes, adding that the 5-foot-9, 201-pounder would be a "dream fit" with the Eagles or Chiefs should they opt to target a running back relatively early come April. The Athletic's Dane Brugler believes that Singletary has a "LeSean McCoy upside."Source: Bleacher Reportage

Love these cut ups of Cody Ford. In the first, watch the edge rusher get thrown like a sack of potatoes as the camera cuts away...

Bryce Love - RB - CardinalBleacher Report's Matt Miller mocked Stanford RB Bryce Love to Round 7.
This is sad, as Love (5'10/202) potentially left millions on the table after deciding to return for his senior season where he wasn't the same due to a nagging ankle injury. Love then tore his ACL in Stanford's season finale to make matters much worse. The former Heisman candidate is unlikely to be fully recovered for his Pro Day, so NFL teams will be drafting him knowing there are major injury risks involved. When healthy, Love has top-end speed, but it's unclear if he'll ever be as fast as he once was.Source: Bleacher Report Feb 10 - 7:53 PMGreg Dortch - WR - Demon DeaconsBleacher Report's Matt Miller mocked Wake Forest WR Greg Dortch to Round 7.
Dortch (5'9/170) entered the draft early after posting an 89-1,078-8 receiving line in 2018, but it looks like he's going to need to take home impressive measurables at the NFL Combine for him to flirt with Day 2. Previously, Miller called Dortch a "potential Tyreek Hill piece" but it takes Olympic-level athleticism to be on Hill's playing field.Source: Bleacher Report Feb 10 - 7:46 PMQuinnen Williams - DL - Crimson TideAccording to the NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah, the top five overall prospects are all on the defensive line.
Those would be Nick Bosa, Quinnen Williams, Josh Allen, Rashan Gary, and Jeffery Simmons. While all five players are high-end prospects, this is also reflective of how bad the offensive class is in 2019. Early in the draft process, there was a report that NFL teams were "complaining" about the lack of offensive talent heading into the NFL this time around. As of now, it looks like the majority of the top-10 players will be looking to stop today's high-scoring NFL offenses.Source: NFL on Twitter Feb 10 - 7:06 PMD.K. Metcalf - WR - RebelsNFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah calls Ole Miss WR D.K. Metcalf an "athletic freak."
That he is. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, Metcalf is expected to have excellent measurables if he is healthy (neck) -- he has been cleared for football activities. Jeremiah compared Metcalf to Josh Gordon on the field, and Bleacher Report's Matt Miller said Metcalf is "looking like a first-round lock." As a junior, Metcalf only appeared in seven games, but he was very efficient and explosive on a per-target basis (13.9 YPT). Even with the low-end production and medical question marks, Metcalf is shaping up as a top-30 overall player with the upside of landing inside the top-10.Source: NFL on Twitter Feb 10 - 6:51 PMAndre Dillard - T - CougarsWashington State OT Andre Dillard was called the "best pass protector" in the 2019 NFL Draft by NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah.
At Washington State, Dillard (6'3/310) was tasked with pass blocking for the most pass-heavy team in the country, and he did very well. The Athletic's Dane Brugler said Dillard is "technically sound" and is worthy of first-round consideration. After being called one of the stars at the Senior Bowl, Dillard continues to climb up draft boards, even landing as Jeremiah's No. 12 overall prospect.Source: NFL on Twitter Feb 10 - 6:42 PMClelin Ferrell - DL - TigersNFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah says Clemson DE Clelin Ferrell has "excellent size, length, and power."
Ferrell (6'4/265) was named the best defensive end in the country when he was awarded the 2018 Ted Hendricks Award after totaling 11.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss. Jeremiah currently ranks Ferrell as his No. 22 overall prospect in the 2019 NFL Draft, but that's slightly below the range of where he has been going in recent mock drafts. In Thor Nystrom's Mock Draft 1.0, Ferrell landed with the Detroit Lions with the eighth overall pick.Source: NFL on Twitter Feb 10 - 6:20 PMDaniel Jones - QB - Blue DevilsNFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah says Duke QB Daniel Jones "offers an impressive combination of size, athleticism, and touch."
Outside of Kyler Murray, Jones (6'5/220) is the most debated quarterback in the 2019 NFL Draft. On tape, Jones shows occasional perfect touch and sneaky rushing ability, but some analysts are concerned with his arm strength and lack of on-field production. Against the Power 5 in his career, Jones only averaged 6.1 yards per pass attempt while completing 59% of his passes, despite playing under touted offensive mind David Cutcliffe. Two potential explanations for the lack of production are his teammates -- both the offensive line and receivers -- and his collarbone injury. Many scouts see through these concerns and label Jones as a first-rounder.Source: NFL on Twitter Feb 10 - 6:09 PMNoah Fant - TE - HawkeyesNFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah called Iowa TE Noah Fant the most explosive tight end in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Fant (6'4/232) is expected to test as the most explosive tight end at the NFL Combine too. Bruce Feldman put Fant on his annual "Freaks" list after he reportedly reached 42 inches on the vertical. On the football field, Fant operates as an oversized wide receiver-type tight end who is usually tasked with running routes, not blocking. As a receiver in 2018, Fant scored a touchdown on 5-of-9 red zone targets. Jeremiah ranked Fant as his No. 28 overall prospect, and he's expected to be a mid-to-late first-round pick.Source: NFL on Twitter Feb 10 - 5:48 PMRiley Ridley - WR - BulldogsNFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah calls Georgia WR Riley Ridley the best route runner in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Jeremiah sneaks Ridley into his top-32 in large part to his precise cuts and set-ups on his routes. This opinion has been held by other analysts in the community despite below-average production at Georgia. As a junior, Ridley only caught 43 passes across 14 games, which would make him a statistical outlier if he were to be a productive NFL player. However, Ridley did score nine touchdowns as he consistently broke down corners on double moves and won in the red zone on his limited targets. The debated prospect is a projected Day 2 selection.Source: NFL on Stutter

@"BarrNone55" said:

Andre Dillard - T - CougarsWashington State OT Andre Dillard was called the "best pass protector" in the 2019 NFL Draft by NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah. At Washington State, Dillard (6'3/310) was tasked with pass blocking for the most pass-heavy team in the country, and he did very well. The Athletic's Dane Brugler said Dillard is "technically sound" and is worthy of first-round consideration. After being called one of the stars at the Senior Bowl, Dillard continues to climb up draft boards, even landing as Jeremiah's No. 12 overall prospect.Source: NFL on Twitter Feb 10 - 6:42 PM

Samia is a badass. Every time I watch that OU line I see five really pissed off dudes. Samia looks like a 2nd or 3rd rounder right now. Here's some Lindstrom. I don't think too many will agree with me, but I think I like Samia better right now. Still so much to watch...

https://thedraftnetwork.com/2019/02/11/sikkemas-2019-nfl-mock-draft-6-0/2/