Two names to remember

[VoR]

Chris Canty and Brandon Jacobs.

If they don't fill the DE position in FA or the first round, I think Canty has a great chance to be their second round pick.This is the prototype Parcells DE. He can play the 4-3 and the 3-4 if Parcells decides to go that way. His pass rush skills were improving before his injury although the scheme he played in wasn't using him in that role.
http://virginiasports.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/canty_chris00.html

I could see Dallas drafting Clarett as the power back Parcells wants to compliment Julius with. I wouldn't rule out Jacobs with the 4th rounder though. He's bigger,faster and more powerful than Clarett. Transfered from Auburn who already had 2 first round running backs at that program. I watched tape of this guy and he was impressive. A Bettis type when Jerome was younger.
http://siusalukis.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/jacobs_brandon00.html

 

[Bizwah]

Chris Canty and Brandon Jacobs.

If they don't fill the DE position in FA or the first round, I think Canty has a great chance to be their second round pick.This is the prototype Parcells DE. He can play the 4-3 and the 3-4 if Parcells decides to go that way. His pass rush skills were improving before his injury although the scheme he played in wasn't using him in that role.
http://virginiasports.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/canty_chris00.html

I could see Dallas drafting Clarett as the power back Parcells wants to compliment Julius with. I wouldn't rule out Jacobs with the 4th rounder though. He's bigger,faster and more powerful than Clarett. Transfered from Auburn who already had 2 first round running backs at that program. I watched tape of this guy and he was impressive. A Bettis type when Jerome was younger.
http://siusalukis.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/jacobs_brandon00.html

I like both players.

In all the mocks I've done so far, I have us taking Jacobs in the second day. I think we can use him in a variety of ways. I envision him as an Anderson/Alstott-type FB. He won't be a devestating lead-blocker, but I think he can be a nice running FB. I'm not sure how he is as a receiver, but he can be developed. He has good running skills.

Can you imagine a 6-4 257 pound RB? First and goal from the six......We line up with Witten, Julius Jones, and Brandon Jacobs in the backfield. Do you play the run with JJ? the run with Jones? the run with Jacobs? You still have to account for Key too.

 

[Nors]

Well coached in Groh's program. Will slide due to injuries. He'd be a nice add - We need DT/DE tweeners as well as DE/LB tweeners. Next Seymour, another Lett type. Big and fast.

Guy on the rise - Baas, Guard Michigan. Goo Wallace 6-4, 245 Pound LB just declared.

 

[Rack]

Jacobs has a lot more speed then Bettis ever had.

Personally, I think Jacobs would be a solid RB, but has the potential to be a probowl TE. He's got the size and speed. If he can run routes and catch the ball he'd be an impact player. If he could block, even better.

 

[zagnut]

Chris Canty and Brandon Jacobs.

If they don't fill the DE position in FA or the first round, I think Canty has a great chance to be their second round pick.This is the prototype Parcells DE. He can play the 4-3 and the 3-4 if Parcells decides to go that way. His pass rush skills were improving before his injury although the scheme he played in wasn't using him in that role.
http://virginiasports.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/canty_chris00.html

I could see Dallas drafting Clarett as the power back Parcells wants to compliment Julius with. I wouldn't rule out Jacobs with the 4th rounder though. He's bigger,faster and more powerful than Clarett. Transfered from Auburn who already had 2 first round running backs at that program. I watched tape of this guy and he was impressive. A Bettis type when Jerome was younger.
http://siusalukis.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/jacobs_brandon00.html

I like Canty too. Unless his knee injury uncovered a genetic flaw or degenerative problem, he may not last to the second round. He was a top 10 pick with rare size at a premium position. The injury happened early in the season and there's still a few months to go til draft day. If McGahee can blow out a knee in a bowl game and still go in the first round, Canty may be in okay shape.

Like nearly everyone, I never saw Jacobs play. I guess there are worse players to draft on the second day than a genetic freak. I just wonder why he's never been dominant. Even a Southern Illinois, he had a nice season but not even 1,000 yards. It seems like he doesn't have much in the way of instincts for the RB position. He's just a lot bigger, faster, stronger than everyone he faces. That won't be the case in the NFL.

The intriguing part is the Auburn coaches wanted to move him to DE/LB. Maybe that's where he could ultimately make the real impact?

 

[VoR]

Like nearly everyone, I never saw Jacobs play. I guess there are worse players to draft on the second day than a genetic freak. I just wonder why he's never been dominant. Even a Southern Illinois, he had a nice season but not even 1,000 yards. It seems like he doesn't have much in the way of instincts for the RB position. He's just a lot bigger, faster, stronger than everyone he faces. That won't be the case in the NFL.

The intriguing part is the Auburn coaches wanted to move him to DE/LB. Maybe that's where he could ultimately make the real impact?

At Southern Ill. Jacobs was the feature back - but they split his carries with Terry Jackson,who was a good back at Minnesota and had a 1,000 yard season but left Minn. because they had 3 good backs just like Auburn in Jacobs case and Arkee Whitlock,a sophomore who was going to get alot of carries because both the other backs were graduating after only one year as seniors and he was going to be there a few more.

I'm sure if Jacobs would have had well over 1,000 yards if they hadn't split the carries 3 ways. Instincts are a little overrated for a 260 pound back. I'm not sure Bettis, Natrone Means, Earl Campbell, etc ever were quoted as having instincts because they basically only run one way - north to south and basically just run over people. Instincts are for the smaller backs like Emmitt,Julius,Curtis Martin...and so on for getting through holes and cutting,juking,using moves etc.When you're 260 you run straight up and blow through the hole.

 

[chicago JK]

Canty and Jacobs are very intriguing. If Canty's knee checks out fine then he is probably a second round pick...maybe late first. I wouldn't take him in the second unless we traded down with the Bills pick in a similar deal as we had last year (second and fifth in '05 and a first in '06). This will allow us to take the best player available with our first and then get two solid players in the second with one being Canty who we don't need to rush back.

I first read about Jacobs two years ago when ESPN the Magazine featured him in their magazine titled Next....fyi Antonio Bryant going into his second year was also featured. They pick players from each sport who are about to explode onto the scene. I believe Jacobs was a legend in high school and I believe he accepted a scholorship with LSU although he didn't make the grades. What attracted me to him was his size and speed ratio. He made a bad decision by committing to Auburn who was already deep with young running backs. There were reports Tuberville wanted him to switch positions and didn't think he could be a running back in the SEC. He could be a similar player as Najeh Davenport who didn't get any pub at Miami and never looked like a ball carrying back for the NFL. Although at the combines Davenport was big and was really fast to get drafted in the 4th round. A few years later there are some rumblings that Davenport could be a 1500 yard back if he got a chance and may be GB feature back in the next couple of years.

 

[zagnut]

At Southern Ill. Jacobs was the feature back - but they split his carries with Terry Jackson,who was a good back at Minnesota and had a 1,000 yard season but left Minn. because they had 3 good backs just like Auburn in Jacobs case and Arkee Whitlock,a sophomore who was going to get alot of carries because both the other backs were graduating after only one year as seniors and he was going to be there a few more.

I'm sure if Jacobs would have had well over 1,000 yards if they hadn't split the carries 3 ways. Instincts are a little overrated for a 260 pound back. I'm not sure Bettis, Natrone Means, Earl Campbell, etc ever were quoted as having instincts because they basically only run one way - north to south and basically just run over people. Instincts are for the smaller backs like Emmitt,Julius,Curtis Martin...and so on for getting through holes and cutting,juking,using moves etc.When you're 260 you run straight up and blow through the hole.

I hear what you're saying. Maybe instincts was the wrong word or certainly there are different degrees of instinctiveness. It's like the difference between someone who is raised speaking, reading, and writing a particular language vs someone who learns the language as an adult.

Jacobs reads/sounds like a Bo Jackson, Hershel Walker level athlete, yet barely registered a blip in his college football career. Unless Arkee Whitlock is the next Walter Payton, I'm missing something.

The only back I remember that I would compare--and overcame it somewhat--was Christain Okoye, but this was in an NFL when the DL were much smaller than they are today. Okoye just ran where he was told to go and no single tackler could bring him down. He had no concept of blocking angles or pass routes or cut-back lanes or waiting for his blockers or varying his stride. Every play, just ran straight as fast as he could.

250lb RBs running into a wall of 275lb DTs and 225LBs was a pretty even match in the late 80s. 260lb RBs running into a wall of 325lb DTs and 245lb LBs (Dallas aside) doesn't seem to offer the same opportunities.

Again, never seen Jacobs play. Don't know if the above describes him. What I do know is he has an uncanny ability to pick schools with stacked backfields. Psst, Brandon...Sporting News College Football Annual. Hellooooo.

He could have come to Maryland and been run to an ACC title by Coach Fridge. We had nothing to keep Jacobs from the ball.

 

[Nors]

At Southern Ill. Jacobs was the feature back - but they split his carries with Terry Jackson,who was a good back at Minnesota and had a 1,000 yard season but left Minn. because they had 3 good backs just like Auburn in Jacobs case and Arkee Whitlock,a sophomore who was going to get alot of carries because both the other backs were graduating after only one year as seniors and he was going to be there a few more.

I'm sure if Jacobs would have had well over 1,000 yards if they hadn't split the carries 3 ways. Instincts are a little overrated for a 260 pound back. I'm not sure Bettis, Natrone Means, Earl Campbell, etc ever were quoted as having instincts because they basically only run one way - north to south and basically just run over people. Instincts are for the smaller backs like Emmitt,Julius,Curtis Martin...and so on for getting through holes and cutting,juking,using moves etc.When you're 260 you run straight up and blow through the hole.

I get nervous about guys who are 4th on the depth chart in College. He'll be a late draft pick or could go undrafted.

 

[Nors]

Verron Hayes, Pitt

Fullback in college, has speed and has played tailback.

Richie Anderson?