Scouting Report On Anthony Hitchens: Lots of GIF's

[NeonDeion21]

When the Dallas Cowboys selected Anthony Hitchens in the fourth round of the NFL Draft, I know many of you were flipping through your draft magazines vigorously to find a scouting report or you scoured the web for anything on the Iowa linebacker. Most websites and draft publications had Hitchens as a late round pick and this infuriated fans, especially with more well known players such as Telvin Smith from Florida State still available. And when Jerry Jones said that Anthony Hitchens will start his career out on special teams, Dallas Cowboys fans couldn’t have been more upset. They wanted a starter in the fourth round. Let’s talk about that.

In 2013, there were 35 fourth round draft picks. nine of them never played a snap in their rookie year (25.7%). 14 of them played less than four games. And out of 35 players, only two of them started for most of the season. One was a fullback and another was an offensive tackle who was forced into the lineup due to injuries. And even a few of these players were cut by their own teams before the season started.

I’m not sure where the idea came from that a fourth round pick should be a starter. If a fourth round pick can make the 53 man roster and contribute in some capacity in year one, that’s a win for your team. I’m not sure where this preconceived notion came from that fourth round picks should be immediate starters, but it’s not realistic.

To me, there’s no doubt that Anthony Hitchens will help the Dallas Cowboys in 2014. For one thing, Hitchens will contribute right away on special teams as he did at Iowa. And for many fourth round picks, that’s where they will have to start. But taking a big picture look at the selection of Anthony Hitchens, the pick makes a lot of sense. The Cowboys starting linebackers in 2013 weren’t bad. When Sean Lee, Justin Durant, and Bruce Carter played together, the defense played fairly well.

Read the rest at: http://all22breakdown.com/?p=1576

 

[NeonDeion21]

This is one of the many GIFs included inside the article:

http://all22breakdown.com/?p=1576

 

[DCBoysfan]

Wow very nice write up.

 

[Moderately_Askew]

Nice article. Too bad it has those pesky facts that some people disdain.

 

[InDakWeTrust]

But but but my draft guide says he is ranked as a 7th rounder.

He makes plays, and played defense for a Big 10 school that has put several dependable defensive players into the NFL.

 

[Fletch]

Nice article. Too bad it has those pesky facts that some people disdain.

Facts that have nothing to do with his play in the NFL. Let's wait and see what the kid can do before casting him aside as a misfit.

 

[Moderately_Askew]

Facts that have nothing to do with his play in the NFL. Let's wait and see what the kid can do before casting him aside as a misfit.

I was referring to the 4th round statistics. Who knows how he will play, I like the kid and am rooting for him.

 

[JD_KaPow]

I’m not sure where the idea came from that a fourth round pick should be a starter. If a fourth round pick can make the 53 man roster and contribute in some capacity in year one, that’s a win for your team. I’m not sure where this preconceived notion came from that fourth round picks should be immediate starters, but it’s not realistic.

Has anybody claimed that fourth rounders should be immediate starters? I've seen that claim about 3rd rounders (and it's a ridiculous claim), but never about fourth-rounders.

The criticism I've seen of the Hitchens pick wasn't that he wouldn't be an immediate starter, or that it kept them from picking someone who would be a starter. It was that (1) he wasn't the best player available at that draft spot according to any draft assessment, (2) he would likely have been available much later in the draft, and (3) his ceiling is as a backup. (These are the criticisms I've seen; I tend to agree with the first two and have no opinion on the third). I guess criticism (3) is closest to what you're talking about here, but I don't see it as the same thing.

 

[speedkilz88]

Has anybody claimed that fourth rounders should be immediate starters? I've seen that claim about 3rd rounders (and it's a ridiculous claim), but never about fourth-rounders.

The criticism I've seen of the Hitchens pick wasn't that he wouldn't be an immediate starter, or that it kept them from picking someone who would be a starter. It was that (1) he wasn't the best player available at that draft spot according to any draft assessment, (2) he would likely have been available much later in the draft, and (3) his ceiling is as a backup. (These are the criticisms I've seen; I tend to agree with the first two and have no opinion on the third). I guess criticism (3) is closest to what you're talking about here, but I don't see it as the same thing.

Have you been reading the Hitchens comments? Maybe they are on ignore?

 

[Fletch]

I was referring to the 4th round statistics. Who knows how he will play, I like the kid and am rooting for him.

Me too. I didn't think you were damning him or anything. It's just me sticking up for OUR guys until proven wrong in a year or three. We'll see.

 

[JD_KaPow]

Have you been reading the Hitchens comments? Maybe they are on ignore?

I just went through the big Hitchens threads on the draft zone again. No mention of 4th-rounders as "iimmediate starters". One guy said that Reid would get "significant minutes or even start", but one comment about one specific player does not a meme make.

 

[speedkilz88]

I just went through the big Hitchens threads on the draft zone again. No mention of 4th-rounders as "iimmediate starters". One guy said that Reid would get "significant minutes or even start", but one comment about one specific player does not a meme make.

You are being intellectually dishonest.
There are plenty of complaints about drafting a guy to be a backup and STs player.

 

[Oh_Canada]

I still would have rather they picked Telvin Smith, but I'll admit the pick has grown on me. At least the guy competes which is more than I can say for another Cowboy linebacker on the current roster....

 

[Aliencowboy]

The philosophy of conceding a pick in the 4th to 'need' for backup depth and ST is what myself and others have a problem with. There were plenty of players that have more potential as a starter. Devin Street is one. They ranked him a 3 rounder yet passed for Hitchens? Luckily, they still picked up Street but clearly they are not going BPA in these rounds. They reached for need (need for a backup) instead of the many players with a higher ceiling.
Their approach in rounds 3-7 is why they seem so unsuccessful there in the past.

For some reason, they do amazing in UDFA.

 

[casmith07]

Has anybody claimed that fourth rounders should be immediate starters? I've seen that claim about 3rd rounders (and it's a ridiculous claim), but never about fourth-rounders.

The criticism I've seen of the Hitchens pick wasn't that he wouldn't be an immediate starter, or that it kept them from picking someone who would be a starter. It was that (1) he wasn't the best player available at that draft spot according to any draft assessment, (2) he would likely have been available much later in the draft, and (3) his ceiling is as a backup. (These are the criticisms I've seen; I tend to agree with the first two and have no opinion on the third). I guess criticism (3) is closest to what you're talking about here, but I don't see it as the same thing.

You should have been in the chat during the draft. Pandemonium. Wailing and gnashing of teeth. Hand-wringing. The whole kit and kaboodle.

 

[Idgit]

...For some reason, they do amazing in UDFA.

It's because they have a lot more options in UDFA, can target specific positions of weakness without worrying too much about relative value, and because they have a lot of cache as a destination. The odds of a 4th rounder making it on an NFL team aren't that great to begin with, and there's only one of them in a typical Dallas draft. The odds alone suggest UDFAs are going to have more luck.

 

[visionary]

Has anybody claimed that fourth rounders should be immediate starters? I've seen that claim about 3rd rounders (and it's a ridiculous claim), but never about fourth-rounders.

The criticism I've seen of the Hitchens pick wasn't that he wouldn't be an immediate starter, or that it kept them from picking someone who would be a starter. It was that (1) he wasn't the best player available at that draft spot according to any draft assessment, (2) he would likely have been available much later in the draft, and (3) his ceiling is as a backup. (These are the criticisms I've seen; I tend to agree with the first two and have no opinion on the third). I guess criticism (3) is closest to what you're talking about here, but I don't see it as the same thing.

Thank you for bringing common sense to this thread

 

[speedkilz88]

You should have been in the chat during the draft. Pandemonium. Wailing and gnashing of teeth. Hand-wringing. The whole kit and kaboodle.

Lay down with dogs...get up with fleas.

 

[speedkilz88]

The philosophy of conceding a pick in the 4th to 'need' for backup depth and ST is what myself and others have a problem with. There were plenty of players that have more potential as a starter. Devin Street is one. They ranked him a 3 rounder yet passed for Hitchens? Luckily, they still picked up Street but clearly they are not going BPA in these rounds. They reached for need (need for a backup) instead of the many players with a higher ceiling.
Their approach in rounds 3-7 is why they seem so unsuccessful there in the past.

For some reason, they do amazing in UDFA.

They do scout what other teams like the same guys you know. They obviously felt that Street could slide a little more and they could get back up to get him.

 

[Idgit]

They do scout what other teams like the same guys you know. They obviously felt that Street could slide a little more and they could get back up to get him.

Yep. And the converse is true about Hitch, obviously.