Small school defensive backs

[DFWJC]

It's a fair question, GB.
I just don't think you should omit players based on school size....especially in the later rounds when it's safer to take some risk.

The Pro Bowl has a bunch of Non BCS school players every single year...and almost always some downright tiny schoolers. Not just contributors or just starters, but Pro Bowlers.
DBs like Charles Tillman, Asante Samuel, Nick Collins, Eric Weddle, Rogers-Cromarte, Darren Sharper....plus many, many Hall of Fame DBs.

 

[gimmesix]

Again, where did I say take the ones who struggled...

My god...

OK, then, show me ones who didn't struggle that you can get from the fourth round on, or sometimes even the third round.

The reason you take developmental DBs at that point is they have a higher upside than the big-school guys left.

The reason Dallas took Mickens and others at the point they did is because they showed an ability to compete against their level of competition. The reason they didn't take players who competed against a higher level at that point is because those players already had shown they couldn't compete well on the SEC, Big 12, whatever level. Some might still have some upside, but most of them are what you already know they are.

 

[gimmesix]

People slip for all kinds of reasons. Came out too early, came out too late. Maybe they're a bit undersized. Maybe there was an injury. Maybe they got suspended and there are some character concerns.

It's not just about struggling against the competition.

My point is, I'd rather go with these types of issues, than a smaller school kid who might have had good years against other smaller kid schools. Who when they get to the NFL are either really behind on their coaching or aren't talented enough to compete.

If there is a comparative of NFL success between big-school DBs who slipped and DBs from schools that don't compete at the highest level, I'd love to see it.

I bet there are more smaller-school successes at that point.

The big-school guys get picked over, and usually what remains isn't pretty. Yes, an occasional one slips through the cracks, but I'm certain you have a better success rate at that point with the smaller-school guys.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

Josh Thomas, Buffalo
AOA, Indiana (Pa)
DeAngelo Smith, Cincinnati
Stephen Hodge, TCU
Mike Mickens, Cincinnati
Justin Beriault, Ball State
Nate Jones, Rutgers

Cincinnati is also not a small school. Out of your list only AoA and Beriault would qualify

 

[speedkilz88]

Wasn't Hodge a LB?

 

[visionary]

You sound like there have been at least a dozen (maybe more) of these so called small school DB failures.
I recall AOA, but off the top of my head cant think of a ton of others.
Maybe you can show us a list?

You have a point but so does the OP

this attitude of the team has 2 negative outcomes

1) the kids you take dont end up developing
2) you are waiting "for those kids to develop" so you dont draft legitimate players at that position to let the young kids develop

both end up hurting the team by wasting time

now, it sounds like wilcox and hamilton have a real chance to be very good and if it happens, great

but this team has made this mistake before

 

[ThreeandOut]

Cincinnati is also not a small school. Out of your list only AoA and Beriault would qualify

I wouldn't consider Cincinnati, Rutgers or TCU to be small schools either. But if you do, then you need to count Scandrick as a successful DB taken from a small school (Boise State).

 

[The Natural]

I think you also have to consider the school pedigree for turning pros. for what its worth jacksonville drafted Derek Cox a few years ago from the same school as Webb. He had a very very solid rookie campaign before getting somewhat derailed by injuries the last few years. William & Mary could be a school that develops good defensive backs but I guess time will tell.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

Josh Thomas, Buffalo
AOA, Indiana (Pa)
DeAngelo Smith, Cincinnati
Stephen Hodge, TCU
Mike Mickens, Cincinnati
Justin Beriault, Ball State
Nate Jones, Rutgers

Some others have mentioned it, but if you are truly wanting to be unbiased you would have to do the following:
- throw out the BCS league programs (Rutgers and Cincy).
- TCU has been playing against the big boys for years, but if you are going to include them then you have to include Scandrick.
- Stephen Hodge was actually a linebacker at TCU and was not drafted to play DB in Dallas.


Making things equal for the true "small schools", that leaves:

Ability to make it in the NFL:
Courtney Brown - Didn't make it
AOA - Didn't make it
Josh Thomas - Didn't make it
Orlando Scandrick - Successful pick

Injuries forced out of league:
Justin Beriault - The team was actually high on him

That leaves them with a 25% success rate for players that they developed, or 20% if you include Beriault who has to quit football due to his injuries. I am not drawing conclusions, just stating that this would be a fair analysis of the situation as it pertains to small schools.

 

[SMCowboy]

Josh Thomas, Buffalo
AOA, Indiana (Pa)
DeAngelo Smith, Cincinnati
Stephen Hodge, TCU
Mike Mickens, Cincinnati
Justin Beriault, Ball State
Nate Jones, Rutgers

Sorry, I am going to call you out right now. First off when did schools from the Big East (which until the last est of realignment) was always considered a BCS conference, become small schools.

Number two, Stephen Hodge was drafted as a LB, not a DB. And we never had a chance to see what he could become because of injuries.

If you want to be honest, and look at the DB's that come from non BCS schools (what most people consider small schools), lets look at them, list them and see what is actually going on with them.
Matt Johnson - Eastern Washington (The jury is still very much out on, but the coaching staff certainly is very high on him)
Josh Thomas - Buffalo (Still in the league and started 4 games for the Panthers last year.) I would argue he was a good pick, assuming he was drafted as a value pick in the 5th round. But he was simply caught up in a numbers game.
Akwasi Owusu-Ansah - Indiana (PA) - He is actually still in the league believe it or not, now with the Raiders but is playing WR now.
Orlando Scandrick - Boise State - Our top Nickle CB.
Courtney Brown - Cal Poly - Out of the league in 2 years
Justin Beriault - Ball State - Injuries forced him out of the league, but coaches loved him.

Worst case way of looking at it, is 1 in 5 guys drafted in the late rounds have panned out. While not a great ratio, not horrible, IMHO given that most where 5th or 7th round DP's. Where most players from those rounds don't pan out anyways.

If you don't count Beriault because of injuries, and Consider Josh Thomas a victim of a numbers game (which happens alot of times as well with late round DP's). Then we have hit on 1 out of 3 players. Which is pretty darn good numbers in my book, considering that most of the guys where 5th or 7th round DP's.