DantheMan 2016 Draft Thread

[dantheman41]

Cody Whitehair G/T- 6'4 301 lbs (Kansas State)

Positives: A technician, plays the position so smart and well. Understands angles, technique and just how to play the position. So aware, always knows where the extra blitzer is coming from, knows how to pass guys and when to do it. Rarely makes a mistake. Knows how to use his hands and arms to control stronger/faster guys.

Negatives: Doesn't have the size or length to probably play tackle in the league, more of a guard. Isn't going to WOW you in any particular area. Can sometimes become overpowered with guys who attack his chest when he allows them to.

Where He Fits and My Opinion: A guy you want on your team. This kid can become a pro bowl quality guard at the next level. Love so many things about him, he will make an offensive line considerably better. Reminds me of a young, stronger, and bigger Mark Stepnoski the way he plays. He can move anywhere on the line. I wouldn't think twice about moving him to center or tackle.

 

[dantheman41]

Jason Spriggs T- 6'6 301 lbs (Indiana)

Positives: Shows good feet and athletic ability to handle even the more explosive rushers. Outstanding and the ideal size you want from a tackle. Good in both pass and run plays. Shows really nice balance, rarely on the ground.

Negatives: Worry about his upper body strength, saw him get abused by stronger DE's at times. Can allow the rushers to occasionally beat him to the inside. Doesn't sustain blocks the way you like to see, allows defenders to get off him after the initial block.

Where He Fits and My Opinion: My least favorite tackle I've seen by a fairly wide margin. Not saying he isn't a good player, but not on the same level. T's in spread college offense's often have times translating to the physical NFL. When going up against physical DE's like Bosa at Ohio State, he struggled. Has some nice traits and wouldn't be a bad pickup for a team, but not a 1st or even early 2nd round pick IMO.

 

[dantheman41]

Vadal Alexander G- 6'5 326 lbs (LSU)

Positives: Big powerful man who would play guard in the nfl. Will generate serious movement and push in the run game. Does a nice job of getting to the 2nd level and eliminating linebackers. Really good sustain on his blocks, once he gets his hands on you, very little chance your getting off him.

Negatives: Played right tackle mostly at LSU but some LG as well. Doesn't have the footwork or the athletic ability to do so at NFL level. Looks like a slug playing, sometimes I think he is in slow motion. On the ground way too much. Whiffs way too much for my liking. Worry about his pass protection especially with an athletic 3 tech playing over his outside shoulder in NFL.

Where He Fits and My Opinion: Not a fan. Don't see how this guy is a 2nd round player. If he is this unathletic and moves this slow as rookie, just imagine how he will be in 5 years or later down the road. I think he is absolutely going to be exposed at the next level especially in pass protection.

 

[dantheman41]

Nick Martin C/G- 6'4 300 lbs (Notre Dame)

Positives: Great sustain on his blocks, plays until the whistle. Versatile guy who has shown he can play both guard and center. You can tell he understands football, plays with high intelligence. Very rarely will you ever see a free blitzer coming up the middle. Has a really solid anchor, very powerful, gives very little ground even against strong DT or when full speed blitzer coming at him. Moves really well, gets to second level very fast. Plays the way your supposed to, very reliable and excellent technique. Absolutely gets movement in the run game.

Negatives: Doesn't have ideal length, arms are little short. Could stand to put on a few more pounds to play interior in NFL, even though his strength is plenty.

Where He Fits and My Opinion: I recommend you guys watch the Ohio State game against that D line, wow he was impressive. Multiple times on run plays he cleared huge lanes throwing guys to the ground. This kid is a beast, maybe he isn't his brother but I think the gap is a lot closer then others are saying. Really good football player. Some team is going to get a day 1 starter possibly in the third round.

 

[dantheman41]

Ryan Kelly C- 6'4 311 lbs (Alabama)

Positives: Plays violently, relentless. Has no allowed 1 sack in the last 2 years, outstanding pass protector. More athletic then Martin, snaps the ball so quick allowing himself to absorb contact faster. Alabama had a huge drop off in offensive line when Kelly was hurt for couple games, shows how valuable he was to the line. Day 1 starter. Good communicator, constantly talking to teammates, preparing them.

Negatives: On the ground a little too much for me, gets very aggressive. When he gets in space, he whiffs more then he connects at 2nd and 3rd levels. Doesn't play with as much pop at Martin, needs to actually learn to use his power better.

Where He Fits and My Opinion: Great center. Him and Martin are much closer then I expected. Both 2nd rounders in my opinion. I'll take Martin over him. Both really good players.

 

[dantheman41]

Joey Bosa DE - 6'5 269 lbs (Ohio State)

Positives: A force in the run game, makes a lot of stops. Shows really nice ability to use his hands and arms to control blockers. Relentless player who gives it his all and chases a lot of plays down. Mostly plays as a LDE, but sometimes goes inside and goes to the right side. Wins mostly with his great power. Knows how to use leverage and getting under offensive lineman's pads and pushing them back. Plays very disciplined knowing his assignments.

Negatives: Jumps the snap way too much getting offsides. Don't see quick twitch guy, almost looks like he is playing in slow motion at times, I don't care what his 40 times are. Don't see a 10+ sack type of player in NFL.

Where He Fits and My Opinion: Didn't WOW me like I was expecting, a little disappointing. I watched a LOT of tape on him too. I think he is a really good player, and generally makes a few nice plays every game but I don't see an elite defensive lineman. Most of his nice plays are against the run. Never see him capture the edge on a tackle, always generally gets to the inside shoulder or pushes the lineman back. I'm hoping we don't draft him.

 

[visionary]

What a great thread
Thank you for all this work

 

[dantheman41]

DeForest Buckner DE/DT- 6'7 291 lbs (Oregon)

Positives: Huge, long athlete. Ideal size and length for any defense. Disruptive to QB's getting in the lanes and blocking passes. Had 10.5 sacks his senior year mostly played as a 3-4 end which is impressive. Looks good when he goes inside in nickel. Has versatility.

Negatives: Best position is probably at 3-4 DE. Plays too upright allowing lineman to get under his pads. Plays without a purpose at times, looks like he is just running as hard as he can at lineman. Doesn't shed blocks, gets caught and stuck. Engages in too many personal battles. Doesn't make enough plays, gets washed on so many plays. Doesn't fully know how to utilize his size.

Where He Fits and My Opinion: I can see him being a great 3-4 DE, but to me I don't see him being a top 5 or even top 10 player in any other scheme. Not WOWed. This pick wouldn't get me excited either. A 3-4 team will get a solid player for their scheme.

 

[DuDa]

Joey Bosa DE - 6'5 269 lbs (Ohio State)

Positives: A force in the run game, makes a lot of stops. Shows really nice ability to use his hands and arms to control blockers. Relentless player who gives it his all and chases a lot of plays down. Mostly plays as a LDE, but sometimes goes inside and goes to the right side. Wins mostly with his great power. Knows how to use leverage and getting under offensive lineman's pads and pushing them back. Plays very disciplined knowing his assignments.

Negatives: Jumps the snap way too much getting offsides. Don't see quick twitch guy, almost looks like he is playing in slow motion at times, I don't care what his 40 times are. Don't see a 10+ sack type of player in NFL.

Where He Fits and My Opinion: Didn't WOW me like I was expecting, a little disappointing. I watched a LOT of tape on him too. I think he is a really good player, and generally makes a few nice plays every game but I don't see an elite defensive lineman. Most of his nice plays are against the run. Never see him capture the edge on a tackle, always generally gets to the inside shoulder or pushes the lineman back. I'm hoping we don't draft him.

You nailed once again with your assessment of Bosa. I never see him turn that sharp corner and get the QB. I would love to have him playing LDE for us, however, I am not willing to spend the 4th pick on him to do that.

 

[dantheman41]

Noah Spence DE- 6'2 251 lbs (Ohio State/Eastern Kentucky)

Positives: Plays both on the right and left sides, and I believe he can do both in the NFL. At times he puts hand on ground, sometimes he stands up. Shows nice ability to dip his shoulder and capture the edge. Uses his hands really well in disengaging and getting inside on tackles. Has a nice little stutter step that he uses on occasion. A quick twitch guy that can be a solid pass rusher in the NFL. Plays the run really well for an end. Physical player that has an endless pursuit, never gives up. Plays with really nice balance, stays on his feet.

Negatives: Obviously has had some off the field drug issues. Not ideal height or size for a 4-3 rusher. Don't see 'ELITE' athleticism or quickness to blow by defenders. Needs to increase his pass rush moves, he tries the speed rush almost every play.

Where He Fits and My Opinion: Really good football player that does everything really good. I don't see a top flight pass rusher in the NFL, but a very solid all around DE. Little disappointed because I was expecting more in the pass rush department from what I've heard from others. As far as overall prospects him and Bosa are very close for me. Spence little more athletic and quick twitch, Bosa more dominant against the run, has little more versatility and is more powerful.

 

[dantheman41]

Shaq Lawson - 6'3 269 lbs (Clemson)

Positives: Extremely powerful, stout player with very muscular and big legs. Has an outstanding nice spin move, but can win with power too. Outstanding against the run getting a ton of stops in the backfield. Knows how to use his lower powerful arms to get off blocks and disengage especially in run game. Has experience playing in coverage. Shows a lot of discipline playing against running QB's, knows how to set and hold the edge.

Negatives: For being such a powerful guy, he's on the ground way too much. Not an athletic guy, very very average at that. Not a guy who can turner and grab that edge. Gets stuck on block, can't get off.

Where He Fits and My Opinion: Might be better to play as a left OLB in a 3-4. I was very unimpressed with him until I saw the Notre Dame game, and that showed how good he was against Ronnie Stanley. Made a ton of plays that game and was a handful. As a whole, I think he's a 3-4 linebacker who can be very good. Not a great pass rusher, don't think he has the potential to ever be either. Don't like as a fit for our team.

 

[dantheman41]

Kevin Dodd - 6'5 277 lbs (Clemson)

Positives: Has really quick hands, was amazed on how quick he can get off a defender. Much more of a bend athlete then Lawson, can capture the edge. Outstanding size and length. Had his best game in the biggest game of year in championship game. Can shoot the gap so fast and make stop in backfield. Does a nice job in run game as well. Can win going inside or outside.

Negatives: One year wonder, didn't have production before this year. Doesn't have a great first step. Doesn't have a ton of experience playing.

Where He Fits and My Opinion: Probably the 2nd best pass rusher behind Spence I've watched. Really good player, like him a lot. If he is around with our 2nd pick I wouldn't hate it. He can play either RE or LE. He doesn't need to do much work to his body or strength, he is NFL ready.

 

[Hardline]

You should be selling subscriptions to this thread. Very good information.

 

[hendog]

Question Dan...so as of right now who are your top 5 players?

 

[dantheman41]

You should be selling subscriptions to this thread. Very good information.

Hmm... I am considering writing an ebook or something with all the info. Maybe offer it for like a $1 or something. Would that be something the thread would like? Or someone have a better idea how I can monetize or at least get a few bucks for doing all this work?

 

[dantheman41]

Jonathan Bullard - 6'3 285 lbs (Florida)

Positives: Guy lives in the backfield, constantly making stops behind the line. So powerful, especially in his lower body. Guy has scheme versatility, can play as a 5 tech in 3-4 or a 1 or 3 tech in a 4-3. He plays inside at Florida. He is constantly around the ball, always either making a play or affecting the play in some capacity. Has a good reputation as being a tough guy who plays through injuries and pain. Never gives up on the play, excellent pursuit. Does a really nice job of timing the snap count and getting the jump. Constantly fights through double teams and makes plays.

Negatives: Plays a little too upright. Has had some medical issues, will be interesting to see how he checks out. Not an overly explosive athlete with a great 1st step.

Where He Fits and My Opinion: Disruptive football player that I absolutely love. If he is somehow there when we pick in 2nd round it is an absolute crime. This kid is a beast. I believe he has the strength to play the 1 or the 3. Makes so many plays and is only going to get better. Him, Corey Coleman and the RB Procise from Notre Dame are my pet cats so far.

 

[dantheman41]

Question Dan...so as of right now who are your top 5 players?

Really hard for me to say because I haven't done lot of positions yet... Really excited to study Jalen Ramsey and Myles Jack, but I haven't seen them yet... Based on the positions I've watched I would probably go:

1. Laremy Tunsil
2. Ezekiel Elliott
3. Carson Wentz
4. Laquon Treadwell
5. Jared Goff

But this certainly isn't how I would draft them nor should they go in the draft. I don't value RB's and WR's that highly. Feel they are both overvalued, and great teams don't need great players at those positions. I'll take QB, offensive and defensive line, secondary players and linebackers before either of those. So I hope we don't take Zeke or Treadwell at 4

 

[hendog]

Thanks for the response! I'm looking forward to the rest of your evaluations. You do a great job and I'm sure I speak for everyone on how much we appreciate it!

 

[dantheman41]

Emmanuel Ogbah - 6'4 273 lbs (Oklahoma State)

Positives: Very muscled up, chiseled physique. Plays with very violent physical hands. Has the size, power and length you want. Can play either right or left side, and did in college. Has an explosive first step, which I love to see in DE's. Plays the run and pass equally well. Disrupts so many plays. I think this kid has a really big ceiling, certainly has a lot of traits.

Negatives: Sometimes I question his motor and 'WANT', if play is not in his direction he just stops. Looks disinterested and disengaged at times. Looks great and explosive on some plays, average at others. Not sure if it's his anticipation or what... Whiffs on a lot tackles, which I don't like to see. Needs to continue to develop more pass rush moves, tries to win with speed the same way every time which doesn't translate well. Oklahoma State defensive lineman generally don't translate well to the NFL, they've struggled.

Where He Fits and My Opinion: Kids flashes all over the tape for me. Lot of things I absolutely love about him. But there are some red flags, reminds me a little of Marcus Smith when he was at Louisville which scares me. Excellent burst and dip around the corner but doesn't have a ton of pass rush moves. Doesn't work as well in the NFL. If he falls to us in the 2nd round I would have a really hard time with this, because I really think this kid has potential to develop to be really really good.

 

[tm1119]

Emmanuel Ogbah - 6'4 273 lbs (Oklahoma State)

Positives: Very muscled up, chiseled physique. Plays with very violent physical hands. Has the size, power and length you want. Can play either right or left side, and did in college. Has an explosive first step, which I love to see in DE's. Plays the run and pass equally well. Disrupts so many plays. I think this kid has a really big ceiling, certainly has a lot of traits.

Negatives: Sometimes I question his motor and 'WANT', if play is not in his direction he just stops. Looks disinterested and disengaged at times. Looks great and explosive on some plays, average at others. Not sure if it's his anticipation or what... Whiffs on a lot tackles, which I don't like to see. Needs to continue to develop more pass rush moves, tries to win with speed the same way every time which doesn't translate well. Oklahoma State defensive lineman generally don't translate well to the NFL, they've struggled.

Where He Fits and My Opinion: Kids flashes all over the tape for me. Lot of things I absolutely love about him. But there are some red flags, reminds me a little of Marcus Smith when he was at Louisville which scares me. Excellent burst and dip around the corner but doesn't have a ton of pass rush moves. Doesn't work as well in the NFL. If he falls to us in the 2nd round I would have a really hard time with this, because I really think this kid has potential to develop to be really really good.

He reminds me a lot of Scott Chrichton from Oregon State a couple years ago...well built with good size, athletic enough, but something is missing....not sure what it is.