RS12
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 32,529
- Reaction score
- 29,874
Utah's Garett Bolles. The 24-year-old left tackle is mean and athletic and became a starter at Utah after arriving on campus in early August. NFL scouts would love him to be 21 instead of 24—he served an LDS mission and played at Snow College before enrolling at Utah—but the tools Bolles brings to the table have everyone in the league talking. Like one scout told me last week, Bolles is the tackle in this class—the rest of the draft industry just has to catch up to that.
Does that put Bolles in the top 10 or top 15 picks? It absolutely could. That makes him this week's biggest riser.
—"He's a top-five lock." That's what one general manager told me this week about North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky. In the media there is a strong debate about who the top quarterback is this year, but the feeling I get from teams is that Trubisky is QB1.
—Speaking of quarterbacks, one scout told me this week his grade on Brad Kaaya was "Day 3." That could mean Round 4 or Round 7, but it's not what the former Miami quarterback wants to hear. Kaaya needs to improve his footwork and some mechanical issues that come with it, but the three-year starter has better tools than a Day 3 grade in my book.
—Two surprise players not invited to the combine: Kansas State junior linebacker Elijah Lee and Arizona linebacker Paul Magloire. Lee, as an underclassman, is a big surprise. Magloire had a great East-West Shrine Game week, and my assumption was that propelled him up boards enough to secure an invite.
—NFL Network's Ian Rapoport tweeted this week that Florida linebacker and potential first-rounder Jarrad Davis won't perform drills at the combine because of the ankle injury he suffered this season. Rapoport added, per a source, that Davis expects to be 100 percent by his pro day.
—Appearing as a guest on the Setting the Edge podcast this week, Rapoport stated that Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes might not make it to Round 2. He added that some NFL scouts see Mahomes as the top quarterback in this class. Mahomes has tremendous arm strength and athleticism, but he has to win in interviews and whiteboard sessions. That said, there is nothing keeping him from being the belle of the ball for a team in Round 1.
—As most NFL teams meet this week to begin the process of discussing the draft as an entire scouting staff, more finalized grades will become known. One player I'm hearing NFL teams are higher on than I've been is Colorado cornerback Chidobe Awuzie. Said one scout, "[You] can play him anywhere—safety, nickel, corner—and he's athletic enough to make plays." Don't be surprised if Awuzie gets into Round 2.
—The Buffalo Bills have to add a quarterback early in this draft, and speaking to a rival GM about that opening, he said, "They'll draft one in the first two rounds, and if I had to pick it'd be [Deshaun] Watson based on what [Doug Whaley] likes and how he thinks."
—In talking to a scout this week about the EDGE class, he told me, "You're way too high on Ryan Anderson. Think he has a Round 3 grade from us." I see Alabama's Anderson as a low-risk, high-reward power rusher in a 3-4 defense. For a 4-3 team, it's understandable his 6'2" frame might not be appealing, though.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ok-shake-up-coming-at-top-of-the-tackle-class
Does that put Bolles in the top 10 or top 15 picks? It absolutely could. That makes him this week's biggest riser.
—"He's a top-five lock." That's what one general manager told me this week about North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky. In the media there is a strong debate about who the top quarterback is this year, but the feeling I get from teams is that Trubisky is QB1.
—Speaking of quarterbacks, one scout told me this week his grade on Brad Kaaya was "Day 3." That could mean Round 4 or Round 7, but it's not what the former Miami quarterback wants to hear. Kaaya needs to improve his footwork and some mechanical issues that come with it, but the three-year starter has better tools than a Day 3 grade in my book.
—Two surprise players not invited to the combine: Kansas State junior linebacker Elijah Lee and Arizona linebacker Paul Magloire. Lee, as an underclassman, is a big surprise. Magloire had a great East-West Shrine Game week, and my assumption was that propelled him up boards enough to secure an invite.
—NFL Network's Ian Rapoport tweeted this week that Florida linebacker and potential first-rounder Jarrad Davis won't perform drills at the combine because of the ankle injury he suffered this season. Rapoport added, per a source, that Davis expects to be 100 percent by his pro day.
—Appearing as a guest on the Setting the Edge podcast this week, Rapoport stated that Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes might not make it to Round 2. He added that some NFL scouts see Mahomes as the top quarterback in this class. Mahomes has tremendous arm strength and athleticism, but he has to win in interviews and whiteboard sessions. That said, there is nothing keeping him from being the belle of the ball for a team in Round 1.
—As most NFL teams meet this week to begin the process of discussing the draft as an entire scouting staff, more finalized grades will become known. One player I'm hearing NFL teams are higher on than I've been is Colorado cornerback Chidobe Awuzie. Said one scout, "[You] can play him anywhere—safety, nickel, corner—and he's athletic enough to make plays." Don't be surprised if Awuzie gets into Round 2.
—The Buffalo Bills have to add a quarterback early in this draft, and speaking to a rival GM about that opening, he said, "They'll draft one in the first two rounds, and if I had to pick it'd be [Deshaun] Watson based on what [Doug Whaley] likes and how he thinks."
—In talking to a scout this week about the EDGE class, he told me, "You're way too high on Ryan Anderson. Think he has a Round 3 grade from us." I see Alabama's Anderson as a low-risk, high-reward power rusher in a 3-4 defense. For a 4-3 team, it's understandable his 6'2" frame might not be appealing, though.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ok-shake-up-coming-at-top-of-the-tackle-class
