Prospect Profile: Donte Nicholson

[Sandman]

And in the 4th round, the safty we need to get!

Prospect Profile: Donte Nicholson
By TFY Draft Preview
Date: Mar 27, 2005



Donte Nicholson School: Oklahoma
Ht: 6-1.5 Wt: 212 40: 4.55 Year: 4Sr

Bio: Junior college transfer who made an immediate impact upon arriving in 2003 posting 90/10/6. Totals included 72/3/2 last season as a senior.

Positives: Stout, run defending safety that can be an intimidating presence. Forceful up the field, takes good angles to the action and displays a closing burst of speed. Holds his ground against blocks, redirects to ball carriers and wraps up tackling. Explosive hitter who packs a wallop at the point of attack. Adequately reads the quarterback or anticipates the play.

Negatives: Late reactor in pass coverage and does not display top ball skills. Missed a lot of tackles as a senior and seemingly played back on his heels.

Analysis: After a terrific junior campaign in which many predicted he was a top safety prospect, Nicholson took a major step back last season. Indecision and poor technique plagued him, and as a result, he will slide out of the draft’s first day. Best as a conventional strong safety or in a two-deep zone.

 

[LaTunaNostra]

Do we need a "conventional strong saftey"? Tho Tuna and Zim are always going to be looking at run D first, and will probably continue to say the two safties should be "interchangable", it would be nice to have someone back there who can half way fathom what a QB is about to do. Free saftey instincts. Where have they gone in today's NFL?

This guy's coverage skills sounds like one guy (or two) already on the roster (and I don't mean just Roy). Still after Dixon, "taking good angles" and "wrapping up" sound like heaven.

Your draft picks are interesting, to say the least.

 

[jterrell]

Do we need a "conventional strong saftey"? Tho Tuna and Zim are always going to be looking at run D first, and will probably continue to say the two safties should be "interchangable", it would be nice to have someone back there who can half way fathom what a QB is about to do. Free saftey instincts. Where have they gone in today's NFL?

This guy's coverage skills sounds like one guy (or two) already on the roster (and I don't mean just Roy). Still after Dixon, "taking good angles" and "wrapping up" sound like heaven.

Your draft picks are interesting, to say the least.

I'd take Nicholson in round 4 just for value but yea you have a point about the duplication. Donte' is a little too similar to RW.

We have axed Dixon finally and Lynn is on borrowed time IMHO so a SS and a FS would be ok by me.

I do wonder just how good Hunter can be as a pure coverage FS.

 

[Danny White]

And in the 4th round, the safty we need to get!

Prospect Profile: Donte Nicholson
By TFY Draft Preview
Date: Mar 27, 2005



Donte Nicholson School: Oklahoma
Ht: 6-1.5 Wt: 212 40: 4.55 Year: 4Sr

Bio: Junior college transfer who made an immediate impact upon arriving in 2003 posting 90/10/6. Totals included 72/3/2 last season as a senior.

Positives: Stout, run defending safety that can be an intimidating presence. Forceful up the field, takes good angles to the action and displays a closing burst of speed. Holds his ground against blocks, redirects to ball carriers and wraps up tackling. Explosive hitter who packs a wallop at the point of attack. Adequately reads the quarterback or anticipates the play.

Negatives: Late reactor in pass coverage and does not display top ball skills. Missed a lot of tackles as a senior and seemingly played back on his heels.

Analysis: After a terrific junior campaign in which many predicted he was a top safety prospect, Nicholson took a major step back last season. Indecision and poor technique plagued him, and as a result, he will slide out of the draft’s first day. Best as a conventional strong safety or in a two-deep zone.

Brodney Pool's the better prospect IMO. I just watched the 2004 OU/TX game again yesterday, and Pool was a hard-hitting, playmaking monster in that game.

 

[ghst187]

but think of how crappy TX's passing game is. Young can't throw the ball accurately to save his life. In fact, who in the Big 12 last year could throw the ball besides OU? Tx Tech maybe?
Then consider how Poole did against a pro-style offense in USC.....hmm. I like Poole and wouldn't be upset with him in the second but that thought does concern me.
I'd love to see Perkins return punts and move to FS, he has the size, athleticism, speed, and instincts for both. Plus, I'm not sure he'll make a very good CB in the pros.

 

[Danny White]

but think of how crappy TX's passing game is. Young can't throw the ball accurately to save his life. In fact, who in the Big 12 last year could throw the ball besides OU? Tx Tech maybe?
Then consider how Poole did against a pro-style offense in USC.....hmm. I like Poole and wouldn't be upset with him in the second but that thought does concern me.
I'd love to see Perkins return punts and move to FS, he has the size, athleticism, speed, and instincts for both. Plus, I'm not sure he'll make a very good CB in the pros.

Hey, I just said I like him better than Donte.

The USC game was a disaster... the entire secondary got pretty roughed up and the USC receivers made some terrific catches.

I think with some more coaching, Pool could improve his coverage skills, and he's already a good hitter and a playmaker. I'd take him happily in the second, but not in the first.