2018 Draft Chatter

[Risen Star]

 

[Risen Star]

There is a stocked CB class every. single. year. They are a dime a dozen.

 

[Plankton]

I wonder if those short arms and wingspan on Hernandez will cool off his hype.

I never get the whole wingspan thing for offensive linemen. Unless they begin blocking like Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man, it's really irrelevant.

 

[Risen Star]

They probably want to take a look at Shaquem Griffin at defensive back because he doesn't have the hands to be a receiver.

I'm here all week.

 

[Plankton]

Are we sure Nelson cant play tackle?

He hasn't since high school, but he's definitely capable of it. Especially on the right side.

 

[Plankton]

They probably want to take a look at Shaquem Griffin at defensive back because he doesn't have the hands to be a receiver.

I'm here all week.

The vertical leap for him would have the potential to be very interesting if he used his left arm.

 

[Risen Star]

 

[Risen Star]

 

[Risen Star]

The scoop: "Mark this down. Nobody will be talking about him until he gets to the Combine, where he will lift well, run well and jump out of the stadium. Then, he'll be the hot name." -- NFC team director of college scouting on Arizona State RB Kalen Ballage

The skinny: Ballage isn't necessarily a "hot name" right now, but teams are already starting to talk about him after some of the reps he put on tape last month at the Reese's Senior Bowl. At 6-foot-2 and 222 pounds, Ballage is built like a Greek God. He's an extremely talented receiver. He will be a workout warrior at the Combine, and when he puts on a show at the event, I expect comparisons to David Johnson will start to surface. However, while Ballage has pass-catching talent, his lack of vision and consistency as a running back preclude me from making that comparison.

* * *

The scoop: "The Iowa guys are always going to be quick and proficient, but you have to see them tested against power because they are usually going to be a little smaller, too. This guy has decent size and I think he's got pretty good functional power. He would come in and challenge for best center in our division right away." -- NFC exec on Iowa C James Daniels

The skinny: It's become a given that Kirk Ferentz's Iowa program will crank out well-schooled, zone-heavy blockers with good hand placement and footwork. However, Daniels is not just a "system" lineman. His initial quickness is outstanding, allowing him to win the race for top position as a run blocker. While he loses to power on occasion, Daniels appears to have room for more mass on his frame. He'll appeal to teams with move-oriented running games, like the Giants, Commanders and 49ers. Daniels should be one of the top two centers off the board, along with Ohio State's Billy Price.

Follow Lance Zierlein on Twitter @LanceZierlein.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

There is a stocked CB class every. single. year. They are a dime a dozen.

Did not seem to be the case in our Three Gloves drafts some years ago. That was a major screw up by the FO.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Getting the warm and fuzzies now that the combine is starting to go with the stats now and the position drills starting Monday.
Soon we will have the FA period where we see cowboys fans go on suicide watch while others are spending.

But it won't be long until the most wonderful time of the year gets closer and the rumor mill starts getting hot with draft picks and the lies and then boom the draft.

 

[KingintheNorth]

The scoop: "Mark this down. Nobody will be talking about him until he gets to the Combine, where he will lift well, run well and jump out of the stadium. Then, he'll be the hot name." -- NFC team director of college scouting on Arizona State RB Kalen Ballage

The skinny: Ballage isn't necessarily a "hot name" right now, but teams are already starting to talk about him after some of the reps he put on tape last month at the Reese's Senior Bowl. At 6-foot-2 and 222 pounds, Ballage is built like a Greek God. He's an extremely talented receiver. He will be a workout warrior at the Combine, and when he puts on a show at the event, I expect comparisons to David Johnson will start to surface. However, while Ballage has pass-catching talent, his lack of vision and consistency as a running back preclude me from making that comparison.

A few years back, ASU got three highly recruited RB's.. Ballage, Demario Richard, and Jason Lewis. I know Richard's high school coach so I paid close attention to Richard. Whenever I went to practices, Ballage would stand out. He had great burst for a kid his size. I'd watch him run through LBs, run away from DBs, make amazing catches, etc. Then come game time, it seemed like ASU would forget about him. I agree with Zierlein's assessment that he runs to darkness way too much.

 

[Alexander]

 

[Alexander]

A few years back, ASU got three highly recruited RB's.. Ballage, Demario Richard, and Jason Lewis. I know Richard's high school coach so I paid close attention to Richard. Whenever I went to practices, Ballage would stand out. He had great burst for a kid his size. I'd watch him run through LBs, run away from DBs, make amazing catches, etc. Then come game time, it seemed like ASU would forget about him. I agree with Zierlein's assessment that he runs to darkness way too much.

Funny you say that.

Quote from the PFW draft guide: "Everyone talks about Ballage, but I am not sure the other guy isn't as good. They misused him a little, and he still was the guy who got the ball more than Ballage. He is a Stevan Ridley type. He'll be underdrafted."

 

[Risen Star]

I reached out to five NFL personnel execs and asked them who'll be the biggest surprise of this year's group at the Combine. Here are their responses.

Executive 1: UCLA OT Kolton Miller
"He's going to run fast and test very well. He's going to springboard his combine into being the hot, rising tackle."

Executive 2: Iowa C James Daniels
"James Daniels is going to blow up the testing. He's going to run really fast."

Executive 3: UTSA DE Marcus Davenport
"Rooms are split on Davenport, but I think he'll put up outrageous numbers and that will convince the doubters."

Executive 4: Fort Hays State DT Nathan Shepherd
"He's going to test really well. He'll generate some buzz."

Executive 5: Georgia State CB Chandon Sullivan
"My dark horse is Chandon Sullivan. He's going to open some eyes after he tests here in Indy."

Summary: That's one vote apiece for Kolton Miller, Nathan Shepherd, James Daniels, Marcus Davenport and Chandon Sullivan.

Conclusion: As for my take on the prospects mentioned, I'm already sold on Davenport as one of the top edge rushers in the draft, and I don't expect his workout to change my evaluation. I think Daniels is one of the better center prospects we've seen in last five years. Miller is a polarizing player around the league. The grades for him are all over the map, but strong workout would definitely help his cause. Shepherd was on his way to having a huge Senior Bowl week before he suffered a hand injury. He can recapture that momentum with a good workout here. Sullivan is very raw, but teams are always looking to invest in players like him in the middle-to-late rounds of the draft.

Two players I'm excited to see that weren't mentioned are running backs -- Jacksonville State's Roc Thomas and Miami's Mark Walton. They could surprise people during the testing at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Follow Daniel Jeremiah on Twitter @MoveTheSticks.

 

[Sydla]

I've said that I would not take an OG at 19.

But I wouldn't be upset if a video of Q. Nelson showed up the night before the draft of him passed out in a room full of bongs.

 

[Sydla]

Getting the warm and fuzzies now that the combine is starting to go with the stats now and the position drills starting Monday.
Soon we will have the FA period where we see cowboys fans go on suicide watch while others are spending.

But it won't be long until the most wonderful time of the year gets closer and the rumor mill starts getting hot with draft picks and the lies and then boom the draft.

The high of the combine. The low of the bargain bin shopping that results in Nolan Carroll being resigned. The high of the draft. The low of Prescott, Elliott, Smith, Frederick and Martin getting suspended for not wearing the proper socks at training camp.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

I've said that I would not take an OG at 19.

But I wouldn't be upset if a video of Q. Nelson showed up the night before the draft of him passed out in a room full of bongs.

LOL and he still probably would not fall to us.

 

[Risen Star]

Rough day for Connor Williams....

-

Perhaps the most impactful news — as reported by Yahoo’s Charles Robinson — involved Williams, who measured in lighter and with shorter arms than scouts hoped. While measuring in at a solid 6-foot-5 1/8 inches, Williams was among the few offensive linemen to weigh less than 300 pounds. He was at 296, with just 33-inch arms, stretching the physical threshold most clubs have for offensive tackles.

Further, Williams’ wingspan (77 7/8 inches) was the shortest of any of the tackles measured Wednesday.

Some have suggested that Williams’ average arm length could be mitigated by simply sliding him inside to guard, but this is complicated by the fact he never played this position at Texas and is lighter than teams want inside. - Rob Rang

 

[Risen Star]

Price, a two-time All-American, also came up a bit short in the measurements with just 32-inch arms and a 75 1/4-inch wingspan, the smallest of any offensive linemen measured Wednesday — a notable difference with Iowa’s James Daniels, a junior currently second on NFLDraftScout.com’s center rankings.

Daniels came through with a more prototypical 6-foot-3 3/8 inches, 306 pounds, along with 9 1/2-inch hands, 33 3/4-inch arms and an 80 1/4-inch wingspan. - Rob Rang