Zoomanji said:
Warhogs said:
Thanks for the info. on Connor. I have been under the impression that the general feeling is that Connor is a safe bet to be a solid LBer but I have not been given the impression that he can or will be a special player at the NFL level. Maybe a guy that can be a solid LB2 or LB3 on a team but not that LB1 type material. Am I missing something?
All the Conner news is getting confusing and contradictory IMO.Plus last year he was the better prospect over Posluzny, now Conner is less athletic.
Having watched a lot of PSU, I think Conner will be a great fit as a MLB in a 4-3.
Right. I haven't put much effort into IDP rookies, but Connor seems to be getting disrespected
oddly in some ways. Imo, this is your stud rook LB this year. Jene mentions the great talent that's come along recently and how we cannot expect such a positive trend to continue, but I think Connor should be in the conversation. I thought Ryans was being disrespected a couple years ago. I never graded him anywhere near the way he has performed, nor did I see him as an MLB, but still there was this general yawn regarding him, and I thought he was better than that. His measureables were supposed to be bad but turned out pretty stout. I get a similar feel for Connor in this class. He is my #1 LB for fantasy rooks, and if he lands in the middle then I think the rookie greatness trend continues (in another big way). Here's what I got from an unplanned posting on the fly kind of thing:
LB1 Dan Connor -- Potential elite stat producer at MLB, versatile 3 down backer, could play on the weakside and in a caveat, could play on the strong side too. You get the picture. The only area he doesn't excel in is rushing the passer, but he gets their quick with an open blitz lane. He's strong against the run, holds his own with OLs, has weakside speed, and all the tools are there for a productive longterm anchor in the middle. Bloom has a slightly less enthusiastic take. I like him slightly better than Puz, because of injury history, otherwise they're tied. Construx prefers Puz, I believe.
LB2 Jerod Mayo -- Stud athlete some see as a little raw. He reminds me of Ian Gold, but as a legit ILB with run stuffing instincts. He could project to the outside with his speed and he's done great work in coverage during his career. So here is another 3 down backer once he wins a job. The almost freakish athleticism puts him this high, but his and the following names could just be alphabetized and called a tier until training camp stories start telling us more about how they translate.
LB3 Tavares Gooden -- Lewis Williams Vilma McIntosh Beason and Gooden. The hits just keep on coming from the U. A true freak athlete who is somewhat under the radar right now. A taller Ernie Sims with better coverage skills. He struggled through a hip injury last year. He's struggled through a variety of injuries that have kept his stats low (100 tackles, 60 solos while constantly dinged) but the 40 assists tell you something about him. He absolutely gets to the football. Plays an aggressive game and is a safety quality cover guy. At full strength he may be the most impressive LB in this draft. Has played at a very high level in the middle and on the weakside.
LB4 Curtis Lofton -- This is Bloom's #1 IDP, so this class has nice potential. There's no Willis but the depth is worth a draft pick or two. Lofton is a high motor tackle machine with nice size, strength, instincts, and production against the run from the middle. That's a recipe for a bunch of tackles, but my concern here is that despite being the best overall LB rookie against the run, he has a reasonable risk of being a long-term 2 down LB. I would monitor that carefully in training camp, and if he shines in coverage, Bloom may be right on the money. I could easily move him to the top of this tier after the draft, but if he ends up ILB 3-4... well, David Harris comes to mind a little too. I'm torn here. Originally had him at 5 and now I feel like this is low, but just like the other's prospects a little more.
LB5 Keith Rivers -- I see blurbs here and there about Rivers moving to the middle in a 4-3 or 3-4, and I rebuke that idea. He is a pure 4-3 WLB, which is comforting to know sometimes (I felt the same way about Demeco so). Rivers reminds me of a peaceful version of Wilbur Marshall or Carl Banks. Banks was a dominant IDP, so the upside here, if he becomes more aggressive against the run, is elite. The problem is obvious. I want more big plays and more tackles. He needs to win more races to the ball. His physical ability is very high, higher than Ryans. He'll be the first LB drafted, and I have no issue with that, but it doesn't necessarily make him the best IDP prospect.
As I'm sure Jene remembers I hated last years class after very few names, and I think that was mostly validated by the draft and season. I don't feel that way about the rest of this list. I kind of like it.
LB6 Ben Moffitt -- Big fan of another sleeper LB, ILB in this case, from the South FLorida program (bringing us a great DE next year too).
LB7 Phillip Wheeler -- Terrific tfl playmaker at 248 pounds in the middle. Run stuffing is his bread and butter and he has excellent range and closes fast with a thump. Runs risk of the dreaded 2 down backer role as he may not be much in coverage. A very aggressive and fun MLB though.
LB8 Wesley Woodyard -- I saw a serious talent and cross checked his number at least five times last year before committing him to memory. Speedy and aggressive WLB.
LB9 Xavier Adibi -- Cool name, great pursuit, great coverage, excellent pass rusher, just a little soft against the run. Nice potential producer though.
LB10 Jonathan Goff -- Very strong with solid measureables but not a fluid athlete. Good instincts and tons of experience and production. Would rank higher if better in coverage.
Erin Henderson, Gary Guyton, Beau Bell, J Leman, Geno Hayes, Shawn Crable, Marcus Howard, Cliff Avril
There's something to like about everyone of them, but too much optimism is unrealistic. Bloom has a very positive report on Bell. I love Guyton. Most have EJ's brother in the top 10. This is a very foggy draft. I loved the 06 draft for all the freak talent, but this army in the fog may be more fun to scout about.
Having watched a lot of PSU, I think Conner will be a great fit as a MLB in a 4-3.
Posted a link to an older thread below, so people can see I ain't blowin' smoke 
