Video: Youtube Scouting: Anthony Hitchens

[Alexander]

this pick is my litmus test for McClay and his drafting ability. He was heralded before the draft for being new sheriff in town. The X factor for Dallas in closing the talent gap. The special teams coach played probably too important of a role in this selection also but the middle rounds (specifically for defense) is where McClay would have a leading opinion. I will hold judgement until training camp.

How is it a reflection on McClay? Sounds like it was a coach driven pick and not a choice based on a lot of scouting analysis.

 

[Wood]

How is it a reflection on McClay? Sounds like it was a coach driven pick and not a choice based on a lot of scouting analysis.

There is no wiggle room on this issue. McClay was running the middle rounds for defensive selections. I suspect McClay had him rated as a 4th round talent (maybe higher going by the high-fives thrown around the war room after selection). The special teams coach probably looks at McClay board and jumps in on a player he feels strongly about and starts to pitch strongly to Jerry. I am not saying this is a good or bad pick. For all I know McClay is crazy like a fox and spotted a talent before everyone else saw it. The flip-side is that McClay is no better at this (drafting) than his peers.

 

[visionary]

Hard to get angry at this point at Jerry for doing what his scouts/coaches want and ask.

Who is angry at Jerry?

I am just amazed at the idea that a franchise sorely needing defensive starters , having just traded away their rd 3 pick, would draft a STs player in rd 4 with much much better talent on the board on the say so of the STs coach after having all night to evaluate options in rd 4.

This speaks to the inability to evaluate talent and inability to prioritize

If that is not a broken draft process I don't know what is

And to top it all, CZ homers are out in full force defending the pick, posting YouTube videos and belaboring the fact that they posted a bad game

Some people just have no capacity to be objective

 

[Zordon]

this pick is my litmus test for McClay and his drafting ability. He was heralded before the draft for being new sheriff in town. The X factor for Dallas in closing the talent gap. The special teams coach played probably too important of a role in this selection also but the middle rounds (specifically for defense) is where McClay would have a leading opinion. I will hold judgement until training camp.

27:40 he discusses the pick. I really hope this kid succeeds b/c I'm sure he's hearing a lot of the criticism.

http://www.dallascowboys.com/multim...he_Draft/a3eb8261-270b-4b4b-a001-4cca40dc9553

 

[Gaede]

This pick is exactly like our other 4th round picks dating back to McGee and Stanback. I look at it more like a Ciskowksi pick than anything.

The scouts become enamored with particular players and seem to always take them in the 4th round.

 

[Zimmy Lives]

this pick is my litmus test for McClay and his drafting ability. He was heralded before the draft for being new sheriff in town. The X factor for Dallas in closing the talent gap. The special teams coach played probably too important of a role in this selection also but the middle rounds (specifically for defense) is where McClay would have a leading opinion. I will hold judgement until training camp.

I agree with everything you say. Though some of the picks seem questionable, I will withhold judgement on McClay's role/ability until the season begins.

The big head-scratcher for me is: Why is the STs Coach in the war room to begin with? He should be happy to get what he gets and turn it into a solid unit. If I was Jerry I would have told him to shut up or get out of the room.

Hitchens may turn out to be a solid player so I am not going to call his pick a waste (though it appears that way on the surface given the Cowboys' history with 4th-rounders) until he has had the opportunity to prove himself on the field.

 

[Zordon]

i watched two videos so far, highly disappointed in this pick. he might be a perfect scheme fit but right now all i see is a borderline jag. wilber and matt johnson's tape looked a lot better than this.

@FuzzyLumpkins I don't think you linked the nebraska tape correctly....do you have that?

 

[jobberone]

The LSU blockers imposed their will on him. If not being able to disengage from blockers wasn't bad enough, he also looked really slow. Definitely doesn't seem like a sideline to sideline player.

LSU looked good particularly their line. Love that RB. He was.....unimpressive in that game to be kind.

 

[jobberone]

He's got potential. He's got size and speed with burst. He's so inconsistent. I wouldn't have taken him in the fourth but I can see enough potential to stretch it. He looks like a late round pick to me. Like all players drafted he has to show up on the field.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

i watched two videos so far, highly disappointed in this pick. he might be a perfect scheme fit but right now all i see is a borderline jag. wilber and matt johnson's tape looked a lot better than this.

@FuzzyLumpkins I don't think you linked the nebraska tape correctly....do you have that?

 

[jobberone]

The more I watch the less impressed I am. I'll just have to trust the team they can coach him up and he'll get more consistent. He's got the tools to play in this league but he'll have to work on them.

BTW, I'll take two orders of #20 and one of #14.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

The more I watch the less impressed I am. I'll just have to trust the team they can coach him up and he'll get more consistent. He's got the tools to play in this league but he'll have to work on them.

BTW, I'll take two orders of #20 and one of #14.

The main issue I have with him is that he cannot deal with cut blocks at all.

 

[jobberone]

The main issue I have with him is that he cannot deal with cut blocks at all.

That appears to be so. I don't like his intensity, consistency, dropping into coverage quickly enough, or instincts. Granted I'm seeing limited action and I've only watched it one time and not all of what you posted just most of it. I like his size although he's a little on the short side. He's got decent burst, agility, speed, and will hit you.

In short he needs a lot of work which he's going to get.

 

[xwalker]

The main issue I have with him is that he cannot deal with cut blocks at all.

Yes, cut blocks are an problem for him. They should be able to coach him up on that issue.

He plays a disciplined style of football that most fans are not going to appreciate. If he is required to be on the inside shoulder of a block by an OL, then that's where he will be with the expectation that somebody else is maintaining their responsibility for outside contain. This will cause it to appear that he got boxed out on some plays but his technique appears to be very deliberate.

Fans like players that make splashy plays even if they play undisciplined football. It's like Farve vs Aikman. Many NFL fans loved the big plays that Farve made despite how many games he lost due to throwing INTs. Aikman didn't get the same accolades for playing disciplined, throw the ball away instead of throwing an INT type of football.

Guys like Ernie Sims have never been able to play disciplined football.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

This pick is exactly like our other 4th round picks dating back to McGee and Stanback. I look at it more like a Ciskowksi pick than anything.

The scouts become enamored with particular players and seem to always take them in the 4th round.

Don't forget AOA, Arkin, Matt Johnson, BW Webb, and others. The fourth round seems to be our "Find the hidden gem no one else sees so we can prove how smart we are" round. Which frankly sounds like old wildcatter thinking as much as anything else.

BTW, I laughed when I read someone saying that Hitchens looked bad against LSU because his D-line did a poor job. At least Hitchens won't have that problem here, right?

Also... No surprise his best games came against conference opponents. The Big Ten was awful last year.

 

[AmishCowboy]

Yes, cut blocks are an problem for him. They should be able to coach him up on that issue.

He plays a disciplined style of football that most fans are not going to appreciate. If he is required to be on the inside shoulder of a block by an OL, then that's where he will be with the expectation that somebody else is maintaining their responsibility for outside contain. This will cause it to appear that he got boxed out on some plays but his technique appears to be very deliberate.

Fans like players that make splashy plays even if they play undisciplined football. It's like Farve vs Aikman. Many NFL fans loved the big plays that Farve made despite how many games he lost due to throwing INTs. Aikman didn't get the same accolades for playing disciplined, throw the ball away instead of throwing an INT type of football.

Guys like Ernie Sims have never been able to play disciplined football.

Nice Post!

 

[Idgit]

See, again, if there weren't a box around him, I wouldn't even know what I'm supposed to be looking at. He's completely unremarkable.

 

[jobberone]

Who is angry at Jerry?

I am just amazed at the idea that a franchise sorely needing defensive starters , having just traded away their rd 3 pick, would draft a STs player in rd 4 with much much better talent on the board on the say so of the STs coach after having all night to evaluate options in rd 4.

This speaks to the inability to evaluate talent and inability to prioritize

If that is not a broken draft process I don't know what is

And to top it all, CZ homers are out in full force defending the pick, posting YouTube videos and belaboring the fact that they posted a bad game

Some people just have no capacity to be objective

Interesting take.

 

[texbumthelife]

He has a couple good moments but all in all, he doesn't stack or shed very well. When met at the second level he is erased from the play.

 

[Staubacher]

This is the one pick I am most puzzled about. Liked the draft overall in terms of at least seeing where the team was coming from. This one I'm hoping they saw something most people didn't.

One thing for sure is the Hitchens pick will be a good barometer of how much our draft process has really improved or not.