Scouting Report On Anthony Hitchens: Lots of GIF's

[coult44]

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

This defense didn't play fairly well ever!!! Hitchens is going to be a player. I think he'll be starting within two years...

 

[Proximo]

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

Ha I can only imagine. In fact, now that I think about it, it's probably a good thing that they spread the draft out over several days. I'm not sure some of the posters on here could've handled watching us pass on Manziel, give up our 3rd to trade up, and then draft Hitchens in the 4th all in quick succession. It would've been insanity.

 

[Bluestang]

This pick seems to be another "Matt Johnson", "Kyle Wilber", "David Arkin", "AOA", "Stephen McGee", "Victor Butler", "Brandon Williams", "Tashard Choice" selection.

There is nothing wrong with cheering for a guy, but there is something to be said about defending the decision to draft him at that particular spot especially when there are higher ranked players on the board at that time.

No one other than the staff will know why Hitchens' name was turned in but what is seemingly clear is that the later rounds are not given the same thought process as the premium ones. The list above should be enough evidence of what the Cowboys' process is after the 3rd round is over.

For Hitchen's sake, history in this organization doesn't bode well but he also can prove that wrong this summer.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

This pick seems to be another "Matt Johnson", "Kyle Wilber", "David Arkin", "AOA", "Stephen McGee", "Victor Butler", "Brandon Williams", "Tashard Choice" selection.

There is nothing wrong with cheering for a guy, but there is something to be said about defending the decision to draft him at that particular spot especially when there are higher ranked players on the board at that time.

No one other than the staff will know why Hitchens' name was turned in but what is seemingly clear is that the later rounds are not given the same thought process as the premium ones. The list above should be enough evidence of what the Cowboys' process is after the 3rd round is over.

For Hitchen's sake, history in this organization doesn't bode well but he also can prove that wrong this summer.

Most of the fourth round failures have been small school projects that fail to develop. Between 20+ games of Iowa football and the relationship between Eberflus and the Iowa coaches, I think that they know exactly what they are getting. AOA, Arkin, Williams, and Johnson all went to tiny schools and were projections.

Wilcox, Harris, and Josh Thomas are recent mid rounders that seem to be players and if a few of Hanna, Crawford, Johnson, Wilber, Holloman, Randle and Webb can step up then we are looking well. I would just as soon forget the Wade Phillips drafting era.

 

[NJ22]

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

No one said a 4th round pick should be an immediate starter. But when you pick at 119 the guy who is the 250th rated player and then state he will be a backup it is a bad pick. Telvin Smith was sitting there and I would be happy to wager he will be a starter if not this season by next season. You must have loved the 09 backup draft.

 

[speedkilz88]

No one said a 4th round pick should be an immediate starter. But when you pick at 119 the guy who is the 250th rated player and then state he will be a backup it is a bad pick.

Oxymoron

 

[Alexander]

Telvin Smith was sitting there and I would be happy to wager he will be a starter if not this season by next season.

Or Kevin Pierre-Lewis who the Seahawks believe will be a starter next season after they allow K.J. Wright to leave in free agency.

 

[NJ22]

Oxymoron

Maybe you should look that word up before trying to use it.

 

[NeonDeion21]

Just for argument sake, here are his measurables and a few players who are comparable:

Or Kevin Pierre-Lewis who the Seahawks believe will be a starter next season after they allow K.J. Wright to leave in free agency.

And there's a chance Hitchens becomes the starter when Bruce Carter leaves in 2015.

 

[speedkilz88]

Maybe you should look that word up before trying to use it.

You should you obviously do not know.

 

[NeonDeion21]

Just for argument sake, here are his measurables and a few players who are comparable:

Let's finish this post:

 

[Kevinicus]

This defense didn't play fairly well ever!!! Hitchens is going to be a player. I think he'll be starting within two years...

Why do you choose to ignore the games the defense played well? There weren't a lot, but they are there.

 

[JD_KaPow]

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

Wow, that's quite the accusation, and I resent it.

There were certainly complaints along the lines you describe, but there's a huge difference between that and some expectation that a 4th-rounder will be an immediate starter. The complaints were, by my read, that he doesn't have starter upside, which is a very different thing.

 

[CyberB0b]

Thanks for the GIFs, but this isn't a scouting report. It's a blog post justifying the pick, followed by a hand full of plays from one game of his career.

Play 1: A tackle after a 7 yard gain.
Play 2: Unblocked open field tackle.
Play 3: Nice INT
Play 4: Completely untouched sack fumble on the QB
Play 5: Good recovery

This seems to confirm everything I have seen. He seems to have decent instincts. What these GIFs don't show is that he can't shed a block to save his life.

 

[NJ22]

You should you obviously do not know.

Whatever you say Jimmy...whatever you say.

 

[iceberg]

No one said a 4th round pick should be an immediate starter. But when you pick at 119 the guy who is the 250th rated player and then state he will be a backup it is a bad pick. Telvin Smith was sitting there and I would be happy to wager he will be a starter if not this season by next season. You must have loved the 09 backup draft.

when you say "they drafted a backup????" and get panties in a wad about that, what is the implication?

that they should have drafted a starter. if you're not a backup, you're a starter, right?

unless i missed something in between.

 

[NJ22]

when you say "they drafted a backup????" and get panties in a wad about that, what is the implication?

that he would be a starter. if you're not a backup, you're a starter, right?

unless i missed something in between.

Yes you are absolutely missing something. Labeling a guy as a backup that is picked at 119 instead of bringing in a guy that you can actually envision as a potential starter at some point or at least someone that will provide competition for your starter is a joke. Bottom line is there were many better players available and they passed on them. I am not sure what is so hard for you to understand. 6-7th round and post draft free agency is where you say this guy is a backup or a special teams guy. That is where this guy should have went.

 

[iceberg]

Yes you are absolutely missing something. Labeling a guy as a backup that is picked at 119 instead of bringing in a guy that you can actually envision as a potential starter at some point or at least someone that will provide competition for your starter is a joke. Bottom line is there were many better players available and they passed on them. I am not sure what is so hard for you to understand. 6-7th round and post draft free agency is where you say this guy is a backup or a special teams guy. That is where this guy should have went.

so you're looking for a potential starter in the 4th round. even watering it down to "potential" you're still looking for a starter in the 4th round.

which is what he said.

which is what you disagreed with.

but you said you wanted just the same.

guys go where they go. unless you do full talent eval for a living, you're no better than the rest of us who rely on draft guides, of which the teams do not. they go by what they need in their system and "better" guys (ie, rated higher by nfldraftguide) may not fit what we needed at the time or the best player we wanted for our scheme.

so you disagree and agree all in the same sentence.

quite a talent you got there.

 

[NJ22]

so you're looking for a potential starter in the 4th round. even watering it down to "potential" you're still looking for a starter in the 4th round.

which is what he said.

which is what you disagreed with.

but you said you wanted just the same.

guys go where they go. unless you do full talent eval for a living, you're no better than the rest of us who rely on draft guides, of which the teams do not. they go by what they need in their system and "better" guys (ie, rated higher by nfldraftguide) may not fit what we needed at the time or the best player we wanted for our scheme.

so you disagree and agree all in the same sentence.

quite a talent you got there.

Wow you are some mofos!lol. Potential starter and IMMEDIATE starter which is what I replied too are not quite the same. Either read the whole thing or go chase yourself.

 

[NJ22]

You guys are right. We should always take the lesser players so we have a lot of backups! Brilliant!!