Video: Phil Mafah vs Notre Dame

[CATCH17]

I think it’s an oversell to think he even makes this team. It he does great I hope he does but they need to improve this running back room.

His competition is old Miles Sanders & maybe Luepke.

He’s obviously going to be better than Sanders on special teams.

I see Sanders as a guy who we can cut and will be available in FA all year if needed.

I could also see Mafah going to the practice squad and not having much interest from around the league.

Should be interesting either way.

He’s massive, has fresh legs, and is healthy.

 

[CATCH17]

But nobody drafts someone and says we want them to be a backup though do they?

All the time.

 

[Sydla]

His competition is old Miles Sanders & maybe Luepke.

He’s obviously going to be better than Sanders on special teams.

I see Sanders as a guy who we can cut and will be available in FA all year if needed.

I could also see Mafah going to the practice squad and not having much interest from around the league.

Should be interesting either way.

He’s massive, has fresh legs, and is healthy.

I think Mafah ends up on the PS.

They seem to really like Williams for some reason. Blue is likely a lock. There was chatter that the front office thinks Sanders' issues last year was due to the Carolina issues so who knows. Like you I could see a cut but something tells me they will give him every chance to make the roster as they may want some real vet depth opposite Blue.

 

[McKDaddy]

But the key with this player is getting him to build momentum. If he builds momentum he’s dangerous.

If our OL does their job, I think a lot of linebackers are gonna get all the Mafah they want.

 

[McKDaddy]

get beat on for 3 quarters by this guy in the 4th your going to break some runs on tired DL/LBs.

Exactly. Blue comes in & is nothing but a blur going by them.

 

[McKDaddy]

I think it’s an oversell to think he even makes this team. It he does great I hope he does but they need to improve this running back room.

The other way of looking at it is he doesn't have a lot of competition.

 

[CATCH17]

I think Mafah ends up on the PS.

They seem to really like Williams for some reason. Blue is likely a lock. There was chatter that the front office thinks Sanders' issues last year was due to the Carolina issues so who knows. Like you I could see a cut but something tells me they will give him every chance to make the roster as they may want some real vet depth opposite Blue.

I wish they’d give Deuce a fair shot.

He could help in so many ways minus the blocking.

I’m ok with Javonte. Hes fully healthy now and he’s pretty solid when healthy.

Blue has star potential.

Luepke needs to be used more. Especially in the pass game.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

The problem I have with videos like this one is that they don't tell us much. You don't get too many opportunities in the NFL to run untouched for 10 yards before first contact. I know these are called highlight videos for a reason, but I prefer to see what a back does when he has to avoid contact or run through contact immediately.

"College Football cutups" has every carry, even the losses and fumbles, from full games. Just like in the OP.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

The other way of looking at it is he doesn't have a lot of competition.

I mean that’s a way to look at it but I count 4 guys better than him.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

I wish they’d give Deuce a fair shot.

He could help in so many ways minus the blocking.

I’m ok with Javonte. Hes fully healthy now and he’s pretty solid when healthy.

Blue has star potential.

Luepke needs to be used more. Especially in the pass game.

Vaughn will get. Fair shot..his size might not though.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

His competition is old Miles Sanders & maybe Luepke.

He’s obviously going to be better than Sanders on special teams.

I see Sanders as a guy who we can cut and will be available in FA all year if needed.

I could also see Mafah going to the practice squad and not having much interest from around the league.

Should be interesting either way.

He’s massive, has fresh legs, and is healthy.

I don’t know what to expect from Sanders. Certainly if he was cut it wouldn’t shock me.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

All the time.

That’s a terrible way to draft. Last time I heard that from the Cowboys we got 2009. You have to see some sort of upside.

 

[Carson]

He's giving me Brandon Jacobs vibes. I used to hate it when we player against him.

He is the only guy I have ever watched and literally said dang I feel bad for our guys having to tackle this behemoth

But mafah is about 2 inches and 40 pounds lighter than Jacobs

 

[Carson]

I don’t know what to expect from Sanders. Certainly if he was cut it wouldn’t shock me.

I agree.

He is in the veteran leadership spot per the locker arraignments. But to expect anything more than Zeke or Cooks at this point is crazy

 

[Pass2Run]

He is the only guy I have ever watched and literally said dang I feel bad for our guys having to tackle this behemoth

But mafah is about 2 inches and 40 pounds lighter than Jacobs

So Jacobs was like 275?

 

[gimmesix]

20 percent is actually higher then I thought. What’s the success rate for rounds 2-4?

Well, some have it around 14 percent on the third day, but I rounded it up to 20. I think our percentage has fallen somewhere in that range based on past research I've done. The first round is generally around 60-50 percent depending on the year and it falls from there.

Again, every year is its own animal, so it's hard to say how one year will compare with the next, but past studies I've ready covering multiple years usually wield those percentages.

And of course, it depends on how you define success. Some define it as receiving a second contract and some as producing starters. Those expecting a lot of third-day starters are doomed to be disappointed. We've gotten two starters out of our past 15 third-day picks (Ferguson and Bland from the same year) ... not counting this year. I don't know if the other 13 qualify as even contributors (Matt Waletzko, Damon Clark, John Ridgeway, Devin Harper, Viliami Fehoko, Asim Richards, Eric Scott, Deuce Vaughn, Jalen Brooks, Caelon Carson, Ryan Flournoy, Nathan Thomas and Justin Rogers), but the jury is still out on some of them.

If we take out the fourth-rounders from that group, we'd be 1 of 13 right now as far as finding starters go over those three drafts.

We've done better in the third (Cooper Beebe, Marist Liufau, DeMarvion Overshown, Jalen Tolbert, Osa Odighizuwa, Chauncey Golston, Nahshon Wright). Maybe no real stars, with Overshown and Odig being the closest so far and Beebe looking like he'll join them, but several contributors. Wright is the only complete flameout from those four drafts.

The fourth has been a little more hit and miss (for every Tony Pollard, we get a Reggie Robinson or Tyler Biadasz we get a Josh Ball, Ferguson after Jabril Cox or before Fehoko). It's almost like we either find a starter or a complete waste of a roster space. I mean, even going back to 2016 when we drafted Dak in the fourth, we also drafted Charles Tapper. The next year, it was Ryan Switzer (fail) followed by Dorance Armstrong and Dalton Schultz (both successes). Just looking at those years, we had a 50 percent success rate, which is good for that round despite the spectacular failures.

 

[gimmesix]

So Jacobs was like 275?

267

 

[McKDaddy]

I mean that’s a way to look at it but I count 4 guys better than him.

I don't see how you could. Even if you give the vets (Sanders & Williams) a big benefit of the doubt & Blue his credit for talent, who's the fourth that is better than him? I personally think Sanders is more likely the odd man out than part of the solution going forward.

We'll find out but I expect Blue & Mafah to be the core of your running back room. If the vets round back into form and are serviceable, that's awesome but I doubt both of them produce to that level.

If they had kept Rico, you'd be looking at a pretty good group actually. IMO

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

I agree.

He is in the veteran leadership spot per the locker arraignments. But to expect anything more than Zeke or Cooks at this point is crazy

Yep I agree. He’s been relatively healthy hasn’t he though?

That’s the thing about him and Javonte,…both looked like the worst backs on their teams roster so it’s tough to blame their teams for their production.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

I don't see how you could. Even if you give the vets (Sanders & Williams) a big benefit of the doubt & Blue his credit for talent, who's the fourth that is better than him? I personally think Sanders is more likely the odd man out than part of the solution going forward.

We'll find out but I expect Blue & Mafah to be the core of your running back room. If the vets round back into form and are serviceable, that's awesome but I doubt both of them produce to that level.

If they had kept Rico, you'd be looking at a pretty good group actually. IMO

I think Luepke and Vaughn are better as well. Vaughn I get it….but his college production was solid.

I’m more frustrated that a 7th rounder is even in this discussion. Has to be better out there..guys like Mafah represent the Lance Dunbar, Rod Smith’s…there’s a place for them but behind a Demarco or Zeke.