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[Dynasty] 2014 Draft Prospects (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Xue
- Start date
Drezden
Footballguy
Here is my top 7 WRs, interesting what do you think about my list , am I missing someone completly ?
1. Marqise Lee USC Jr
2. Sammy Watkins Clemson Jr
3. Mike Evans Texas A&M RS Soph.
4. Jordan Matthews Vanderbilt Sr.
5. Brandon Coleman Rutgers RS Jr.
6. Cody Hoffman BYU Sr.
7. Donte Moncrief Ole Miss Jr.
1. Marqise Lee USC Jr
2. Sammy Watkins Clemson Jr
3. Mike Evans Texas A&M RS Soph.
4. Jordan Matthews Vanderbilt Sr.
5. Brandon Coleman Rutgers RS Jr.
6. Cody Hoffman BYU Sr.
7. Donte Moncrief Ole Miss Jr.
EBF
Footballguy
I think Odell Beckham will be a reasonably high pick. 2nd-4th round. Is there a huge FF upside there? No, probably not. He's not a big target or a great possession/red zone guy. More of a smurfish Antonio Brown/Andre Roberts/TY Hilton type. He's a good athlete though and should test well in the sprints and jumps. DraftScout had him at #46 on their overall board recently.
I also want to see what Allen Robinson from Penn State can do this year. Not sure he's got the speed/explosion to dominate at the next level, but he certainly looks like a guy who has a chance to be decent. I read some reports that he bulked up a lot this spring. A late bloomer trajectory makes sense for him because he's very young for his class standing. Third year collegiate player, but still hasn't even turned 20 years old.
I also want to see what Allen Robinson from Penn State can do this year. Not sure he's got the speed/explosion to dominate at the next level, but he certainly looks like a guy who has a chance to be decent. I read some reports that he bulked up a lot this spring. A late bloomer trajectory makes sense for him because he's very young for his class standing. Third year collegiate player, but still hasn't even turned 20 years old.
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Kasen Williams Washington should be on this list. His athletic ability could place him as high as 2nd in next years draft.
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
Given that Tavon Austin was an early 1st rounder, I think it's interesting the De"Anthony Thomas isn't getting more attention. They're very similar on paper -- and I suspect Thomas may actually have the better combine next February. But I've seen him fall outside the top 10 in several devy drafts. Any theories on why he's sliding under the radar a bit? Anything other than size?
I'm also guessing that teams may be put off by the character questions on Colt Lyerla. Assuming he's a decent part of the offense this year and his measurables are anywhere near what's being reported he should be a first rounder next year. But he was recently downgraded from 1/2 to 2/3 at NFLDS.
ETA: anyone know the story on Eric Ebron? He looks good by the numbers at first glance, but I honestly don't know anything about him. He came out of nowhere to be listed as the #1 TE prospect for 2015.
I'm also guessing that teams may be put off by the character questions on Colt Lyerla. Assuming he's a decent part of the offense this year and his measurables are anywhere near what's being reported he should be a first rounder next year. But he was recently downgraded from 1/2 to 2/3 at NFLDS.
ETA: anyone know the story on Eric Ebron? He looks good by the numbers at first glance, but I honestly don't know anything about him. He came out of nowhere to be listed as the #1 TE prospect for 2015.
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He has more athletic upside than 3-7 IMO, which means he should be on the list. Which number is to be determined
De'Anthony Thomas- he doesn't have the lateral agility of Tavon Austin or the experience at WR. Yet again, Percy Harvin didn't either.
Eric Ebron- very athletic, but he does drop some easy passes. Used as a 3rd down pass rusher as well
MAC_32
Footballguy
reads like you're ignoring his floor.Eta, this is why I don't like rankings now. Leads to confirmation bias issues later.
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WRs are the hardest to evaluate in college IMO. Kasen went 77 for 878 6 last year, which is pretty good. He reminds me of TO/Dwayne Bowe. Very physical and athletic, but will drop some easy passes.
EBF
Footballguy
DAT is a tweener. Not big enough to play RB and not a polished route runner. It's tough to pin down his NFL usage. Austin was a 1000+ yard receiver each of the past two seasons. DAT really hasn't done enough at RB or WR to make you think he could be a successful full-time player at either position. He's been more of a gadget player.
I've heard that Lyerla might have been on juice since high school. He's a player that I'll be watching closely, but I think it's fair to say that his hype up to this point is based more on workout numbers than football achievements. You hear a lot about what an amazing athlete he is, but so far it hasn't translated to dominance on gameday.
Ebron is a relatively new name to me too. From the clips I've seen he's got a WR-like frame with decent speed/quickness/fluidity for a TE. Spent a lot of time in the slot and put up some decent receiving stats. He reminds me a little bit of Eifert. Maybe lacks a little bit of the hands and suddenness. I don't think I like him enough to use a dev pick on him yet, but he's in my second tier of NCAA players right now as a likely round 2-4 NFL pick.
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EBF
Footballguy
Not a huge Kasen Williams fan. As far as under-the-radar Pac-12 WRs go, I want to see how Ty Montgomery responds after a disappointing sophomore season. There's no doubt in my mind that he has the physical tools to play on Sundays. Good height/weight/speed. Very solid build and was a 10.X 100m sprinter in high school. He's capable of running crisp, sudden routes. The big issues are mental. I felt he lacked confidence last season. Dropped some passes and seemed timid and indecisive. Doug Baldwin had some of the same problems early in his career, but was able to turn it around. If Montgomery can do the same then he has a chance to be a top 100 draft pick. Having said that, I think he's likely to play out his four years of eligibility, so he's really more of a name to remember for 2015.
Xue
Footballguy
Montgomery ran 10.8's, which isn't that fast. Probably a 4.5-4.55 in the forty.
Kasen is a very good "jumper" in track, but not very fast. http://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/Athlete.aspx?AID=350111
His marks in HS were better than Marqise Lee: http://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/Athlete.aspx?AID=978357
I think he can be a very good #2, but I don't see a #1.
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EBF
Footballguy
I think 10.8 in the 100m equates to faster than 4.55. Especially with specific training for the 40m distance.
Here are some 100m times from the California State Meet over the years, along with corresponding combine 40 times from Draft Scout:
Jahvid Best - 10.36 - 4.34
Reggie Bush - 10.42 (junior) - 4.37 (pro day)
Taiwan Jones - 10.53 - 4.33 (pro day)
Justin Fargas - 10.58 - 4.35
Matt Slater - 10.67 - 4.44 (pro day)
Shane Vereen - 10.76 (junior) - 4.49
Maurice Drew - 10.80 (junior) - 4.39
Chris Owusu had a 10.65 PR in high school and clocked a 4.31 at the combine. DeAnthony Thomas had a wind-aided 10.57 in 2010 and most people consider him a burner.
I ran track in high school and I always thought of 11 flat as the cutoff for a "fast" 100m sprinter. If you can run below 11 flat automatic then I think you probably have the capacity to run sub 4.50 in the 40m unless you're just an awful starter who builds speed. I'd guess that Montgomery can run anywhere between 4.38 and 4.48. He's not a jaw-dropping burner, but certainly a fast player. I don't think there will be any questions about his height/weight/speed tools when he's a draft prospect. It's the receiving skills/mental components that are suspect.
Here are some 100m times from the California State Meet over the years, along with corresponding combine 40 times from Draft Scout:
Jahvid Best - 10.36 - 4.34
Reggie Bush - 10.42 (junior) - 4.37 (pro day)
Taiwan Jones - 10.53 - 4.33 (pro day)
Justin Fargas - 10.58 - 4.35
Matt Slater - 10.67 - 4.44 (pro day)
Shane Vereen - 10.76 (junior) - 4.49
Maurice Drew - 10.80 (junior) - 4.39
Chris Owusu had a 10.65 PR in high school and clocked a 4.31 at the combine. DeAnthony Thomas had a wind-aided 10.57 in 2010 and most people consider him a burner.
I ran track in high school and I always thought of 11 flat as the cutoff for a "fast" 100m sprinter. If you can run below 11 flat automatic then I think you probably have the capacity to run sub 4.50 in the 40m unless you're just an awful starter who builds speed. I'd guess that Montgomery can run anywhere between 4.38 and 4.48. He's not a jaw-dropping burner, but certainly a fast player. I don't think there will be any questions about his height/weight/speed tools when he's a draft prospect. It's the receiving skills/mental components that are suspect.
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Xue
Footballguy
The best prospect on the team is WR Kenneth Scott. Another mass-media guy out of the loop.
jeter23
Footballguy
Just wrapping up a devy auction. All college players are eligible. League is a superflex w/ TE premium
Here's the results so far:
Teddy Bridgewater $250
Marqise Lee $246
Todd Gurley $234
Keith Marshall $233
Sammy Watkins $155
Amari Cooper $145
Lache Seastrunk $132
TJ Yeldon $126
Austin Seferian-Jenkins $109
Stefon Diggs $102
Tahj Boyd $76
Duke Johnson $76
Donte Moncrief $11
Jay Ajayi $8
Brett Hundley $6
Johnny Manziel $4
Bishop Sankey $2
Sean Price $2
Michael Dyer $1
Cody Hoffman $1
Colt Lyerla $1
James Wilder Jr $1
Here's the results so far:
Teddy Bridgewater $250
Marqise Lee $246
Todd Gurley $234
Keith Marshall $233
Sammy Watkins $155
Amari Cooper $145
Lache Seastrunk $132
TJ Yeldon $126
Austin Seferian-Jenkins $109
Stefon Diggs $102
Tahj Boyd $76
Duke Johnson $76
Donte Moncrief $11
Jay Ajayi $8
Brett Hundley $6
Johnny Manziel $4
Bishop Sankey $2
Sean Price $2
Michael Dyer $1
Cody Hoffman $1
Colt Lyerla $1
James Wilder Jr $1
jurb26
Footballguy
The price on Yeldon seems out of place.
These three look like clear steals.
Would have easily thrown out Davante Adams at the end of that list at those bargain bin prices, as well. He's still not getting enough attention in my eyes. Feeling a Hakeem Nicks-esqe jump.
cstu
Footballguy
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
My four devy drafts are over now so just wanted to chime in about my man crush on Donte Moncrief. The on-field production and size are there for sure. If his measurables are anywhere near what's rumored he's should be a monster. Feed him.
Moncrief at #11 (draft eligible only)
K Marshall at #9 and Moncrief at #11 (any college player -- traded up from 2014 for Moncrief)
De' Thomas #12 (draft eligible only -- Moncrief went #5)
Moncrief at #7 (draft eligible only -- traded up from #12 for Moncrief)
Moncrief at #11 (draft eligible only)
K Marshall at #9 and Moncrief at #11 (any college player -- traded up from 2014 for Moncrief)
De' Thomas #12 (draft eligible only -- Moncrief went #5)
Moncrief at #7 (draft eligible only -- traded up from #12 for Moncrief)
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I got him in my draft-eligible league only as well. Pick no.11 I think. Love him as well. Reminds me of Dwayne Bowe.
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
I can't really take a stab at best comps until I see how big he really is and what he does this season, but a thicker version of Roddy White is my first guess.
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Xue
Footballguy
Bowe was much stronger/physical and nastier. Moncrief reminds me of Juron Criner and Rishard Matthews.
EBF
Footballguy
I've got Moncrief rated as the #3 WR in the 2014 draft at the moment. He's listed by Ole Miss at 6'3" 226. It can be hard to gauge height/weight based on game clips, but I don't think he's that big. That's Demaryius Thomas size and Moncrief doesn't look that imposing. However, he's still above average in this department. I would say he's between 6'1.5" and 6'2" tall. I'd guess his weight at 212-218. His strength coach claims he can run 4.44 and jump 39" in the vert and 11'1" in the broad jump. That would be good speed and elite leaping ability if true. He was a 25'+ long jumper in high school, so I don't doubt that those figures are in the ballpark.
I've watched all of his YouTube highlights and game clips a few times. What stands out to me is his vertical ability. Very dangerous on streaks, stop-and-go routes, comebacks, and posts. He doesn't have incredible top speed, but he has great acceleration. Explodes off the line and has the defenders playing on their heels. He will be a great fit for an NFL team that wants to deploy him as a pure vertical threat. His value in this department should keep his NFL draft stock pretty high. He is not the perfect player though. He will make great catches over defenders in traffic, but he will also leave some catchable passes on the field. He has good first step quickness in his routes and out of his plants, but he is not an agile player. Marqise Lee and Stefon Diggs are great in space. Moncrief is a straight line player. Very little sideways quickness.That's why they don't use him on punt returns and why they never throw him screen passes.
In terms of comparisons, aspects of his game remind me of Chris Givens, Markus Wheaton, Mike Wallace, and...don't laugh...Jerry Rice. I look for him to have a big year and solidify his status as a top 50 overall draft pick, with some chance of breaking into the 1st round.
I've watched all of his YouTube highlights and game clips a few times. What stands out to me is his vertical ability. Very dangerous on streaks, stop-and-go routes, comebacks, and posts. He doesn't have incredible top speed, but he has great acceleration. Explodes off the line and has the defenders playing on their heels. He will be a great fit for an NFL team that wants to deploy him as a pure vertical threat. His value in this department should keep his NFL draft stock pretty high. He is not the perfect player though. He will make great catches over defenders in traffic, but he will also leave some catchable passes on the field. He has good first step quickness in his routes and out of his plants, but he is not an agile player. Marqise Lee and Stefon Diggs are great in space. Moncrief is a straight line player. Very little sideways quickness.That's why they don't use him on punt returns and why they never throw him screen passes.
In terms of comparisons, aspects of his game remind me of Chris Givens, Markus Wheaton, Mike Wallace, and...don't laugh...Jerry Rice. I look for him to have a big year and solidify his status as a top 50 overall draft pick, with some chance of breaking into the 1st round.
Xue
Footballguy
You know who's also 6'3", 225-ish but doesn't look like it? Juron Criner. Which is why I compare Moncrief to him.
I think the reason people don't think Moncrief is truly his listed size is because he doesn't have great ball skills. He's one of those guys who like to jump and body catch.
I don't see the Givens, Wheaton, and Wallace comps. Those guys are speed demons who can run past DBs. Moncrief usually uses a double move.
The one thing stands out about Moncrief is that he's probably one of the best route runners.
I think the reason people don't think Moncrief is truly his listed size is because he doesn't have great ball skills. He's one of those guys who like to jump and body catch.
I don't see the Givens, Wheaton, and Wallace comps. Those guys are speed demons who can run past DBs. Moncrief usually uses a double move.
The one thing stands out about Moncrief is that he's probably one of the best route runners.
Dawg Pound 69
Footballguy
Even more surprised that Dorial Green-Beckham wasn't picked.cstu said:
EBF
Footballguy
I'm also done with my devy drafts for the year. I built a pretty deep list of players and spent a lot of time looking for hidden gems with elite talent. I didn't ultimately come away with much besides the obvious names. I guess that shouldn't be a big surprise. First round talents are rare and most of them are known quantities like Lee, Bridgewater, and Watkins.
Leaving QBs out of the equation because I spent no time evaluating them besides Bridgewater, these are the guys that I think have first round talent:
RB Michael Dyer, Louisville
RB Todd Gurley, Georgia
RB Lache Seastrunk, Baylor
RB Thomas Tyner, Oregon
RB TJ Yeldon, Alabama
WR Amari Cooper, Alabama
WR Stefon Diggs, Maryland
WR Marqise Lee, USC
WR Sammy Watkins, Clemson
TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Washington
I didn't dedicate a huge amount of time to Lee, Watkins, Gurley, and Yeldon because I wasn't in position to draft any of them and I knew that I wasn't going to trade up for them.
I did spend a lot of time looking at ASJ, Tyner, and Diggs. Diggs reminds me of a pocket Dez Bryant. He's not as big, but has a similar style and may actually be faster and more fluid. He doesn't have the prototypical VJax/Fitz/Demaryius type of frame, but he's just one of those guys who screams "first round talent" from the first time you see him. He's elusive and he can make spectacular catches. I think he has a chance to be viewed in 12 months like Lee is today. Another comp would be Maclin, except Diggs is more agile and far better at catching the ball.
I took a cursory look at most of the 5 star high school RB/WR just in case anyone popped out. Tyner is the guy who really caught my eye. One of the fun things in scouting prospects is when you stumble upon a player who makes you sit up and say wow. Diggs was one of those guys and Tyner is another. I don't advocate taking high school kids in dev drafts if you can avoid it because so many of the mega hyped guys never pan out. Terrelle Pryor, Darrel Scott, and Andre Debose were supposed to be the next huge thing and all of them flopped. Last year's superstar Dorial Green-Beckham looks like he could potentially be headed for the same fate. With that in mind, I think the player really has to be a freak to justify the investment in a typical one round dev setup. Tyner qualifies for me. A true height/weight/speed outlier. He'll probably weigh about 215-225 at the combine in a few years and he's been clocked as low as 10.38 in the 100m (as a sophomore). That likely equates to a 4.3 speed. Has a bit of an upright style and isn't the most elusive in tight spaces, but other than that he's pretty much a dream RB prospect. Could end up being on a level with Richardson and Peterson when it's all said and done. I got him in the only two leagues where I had the chance and I'm excited to see what he can do at Oregon.
As for ASJ, I don't quite know what to make of him. Great production and pedigree. Huge frame. Catches everything in traffic and can simply outmuscle linebackers when the ball is in the air. On the other hand, he's not an athlete in the same sense as guys like Graham and Eifert. He's nimble and fluid, but not particularly explosive. More of a soft body like Gates. I don't expect crazy workout numbers for him. He might be a 4.7-4.8 guy. I could see his NFL output being more along the lines of someone like Kyle Rudolph or Marcedes Lewis for this reason. I still would've taken him with a top 5-6 pick in 1.5 PPR for TE leagues, but I wasn't totally bullish on the prospect of getting him. He is very good, but people compare him to Gronk and Graham. I'm not sure he's quite THAT good.
These are some other players who caught my eye in one way or another, but who don't quite seem like first tier talents to me at the moment.
RB Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska - Loved the burst, quickness, and balance. Production checks out. Small frame is the main sticking point.
RB Tim Flanders, Sam Houston State - Great feet and production. Not sure about the burst/explosiveness.
RB Devonta Freeman, Florida State - North-south runner who impressed me a lot more than teammate Wilder, who I don't like. Sturdy frame and good acceleration. Didn't see a lot of cutting ability in his highlights though. Bounces everything to the outside and struggles to change directions at full speed in the secondary. Still warrants a long look.
RB Jeremy Hill, LSU - Promising. Some questions about his lateral ability and combine athleticism. Biggest issue is the character stuff.
RB Bishop Sankey, Washington - Good player. Instinctive and has good change of direction skills. A guy who plays better than the sum of his parts. I'm not sure he's really a first round kind of athlete from a combine numbers standpoint and that was the major sticking point for me.
WR Odell Beckham, LSU - Dynamite athlete with exceptional burst and quickness. I really like him from an NFL standpoint as a complementary target and return man. From a FF standpoint, I don't know if the upside is there. He's not a huge guy and he hasn't been a dominant statistical force up to this point.
WR Brandon Coleman, Rutgers - Tall, stringy receiver. More agile than you'd expect for his height and can actually make moves and run decent routes. Long strides are problematic for defensive backs on deep routes, as he chews up ground in a hurry. Is he a Stephen Hill or a Plaxico though? Tall guys often struggle with precise route running and separation at the pro level. Production has been less than amazing through two years. There's upside, but I didn't like him enough to use a top 12 dev pick on him.
WR Cody Hoffman, BYU - No major flaws. He's tall, nimble, pretty strong, and he catches the ball well. Is he exceptional though? Not super fast from what I can tell. Not really an explosive player. He may be a a Kevin Walter type at the next level. Nice complementary player, but perhaps not a #1.
WR Donte Moncrief, Ole Miss - Said a lot about him above. He's close to being a first tier guy and I'm optimistic about his chances.
WR Sean Price, Appalachian State - Tall, but also nimble and fluid. Could be a better version of Hoffman.
WR Allen Robinson, Penn State - Has what you want in terms of height, hands, and body control. Speed, burst, and body mass are suspect. Low YPC receiver who may not have the juice to be a #1 in the NFL. Nice player though and I'll be watching his progress closely this season.
TE Eric Ebron, North Carolina - Fluid athlete who runs routes like a big WR, almost like Eifert in that regard. Actually a decent blocker considering that he looks a little thin for a TE. The biggest negative I saw in the games I was able to find was his hands. He dropped way too many easy balls. Other than that, he's certainly an NFL caliber athlete and looks like he could go anywhere from the 1st-4th round in the draft.
TE Colt Lyerla, Oregon - Modest production. Purely a workout warrior up to this point. I'm not sure he can actually play the game. Maybe, but hard to tell from limited usage. More hype than results as of right now.
There are lot more names, but these were the main guys I focused on as I tried to plan my drafts. I won't dedicate a lot of energy to ripping players that I didn't like, but I definitely had an adverse reaction to James Wilder and had a tough time buying the hype on Ka'Deem Carey and Mike Evans.
Leaving QBs out of the equation because I spent no time evaluating them besides Bridgewater, these are the guys that I think have first round talent:
RB Michael Dyer, Louisville
RB Todd Gurley, Georgia
RB Lache Seastrunk, Baylor
RB Thomas Tyner, Oregon
RB TJ Yeldon, Alabama
WR Amari Cooper, Alabama
WR Stefon Diggs, Maryland
WR Marqise Lee, USC
WR Sammy Watkins, Clemson
TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Washington
I didn't dedicate a huge amount of time to Lee, Watkins, Gurley, and Yeldon because I wasn't in position to draft any of them and I knew that I wasn't going to trade up for them.
I did spend a lot of time looking at ASJ, Tyner, and Diggs. Diggs reminds me of a pocket Dez Bryant. He's not as big, but has a similar style and may actually be faster and more fluid. He doesn't have the prototypical VJax/Fitz/Demaryius type of frame, but he's just one of those guys who screams "first round talent" from the first time you see him. He's elusive and he can make spectacular catches. I think he has a chance to be viewed in 12 months like Lee is today. Another comp would be Maclin, except Diggs is more agile and far better at catching the ball.
I took a cursory look at most of the 5 star high school RB/WR just in case anyone popped out. Tyner is the guy who really caught my eye. One of the fun things in scouting prospects is when you stumble upon a player who makes you sit up and say wow. Diggs was one of those guys and Tyner is another. I don't advocate taking high school kids in dev drafts if you can avoid it because so many of the mega hyped guys never pan out. Terrelle Pryor, Darrel Scott, and Andre Debose were supposed to be the next huge thing and all of them flopped. Last year's superstar Dorial Green-Beckham looks like he could potentially be headed for the same fate. With that in mind, I think the player really has to be a freak to justify the investment in a typical one round dev setup. Tyner qualifies for me. A true height/weight/speed outlier. He'll probably weigh about 215-225 at the combine in a few years and he's been clocked as low as 10.38 in the 100m (as a sophomore). That likely equates to a 4.3 speed. Has a bit of an upright style and isn't the most elusive in tight spaces, but other than that he's pretty much a dream RB prospect. Could end up being on a level with Richardson and Peterson when it's all said and done. I got him in the only two leagues where I had the chance and I'm excited to see what he can do at Oregon.
As for ASJ, I don't quite know what to make of him. Great production and pedigree. Huge frame. Catches everything in traffic and can simply outmuscle linebackers when the ball is in the air. On the other hand, he's not an athlete in the same sense as guys like Graham and Eifert. He's nimble and fluid, but not particularly explosive. More of a soft body like Gates. I don't expect crazy workout numbers for him. He might be a 4.7-4.8 guy. I could see his NFL output being more along the lines of someone like Kyle Rudolph or Marcedes Lewis for this reason. I still would've taken him with a top 5-6 pick in 1.5 PPR for TE leagues, but I wasn't totally bullish on the prospect of getting him. He is very good, but people compare him to Gronk and Graham. I'm not sure he's quite THAT good.
These are some other players who caught my eye in one way or another, but who don't quite seem like first tier talents to me at the moment.
RB Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska - Loved the burst, quickness, and balance. Production checks out. Small frame is the main sticking point.
RB Tim Flanders, Sam Houston State - Great feet and production. Not sure about the burst/explosiveness.
RB Devonta Freeman, Florida State - North-south runner who impressed me a lot more than teammate Wilder, who I don't like. Sturdy frame and good acceleration. Didn't see a lot of cutting ability in his highlights though. Bounces everything to the outside and struggles to change directions at full speed in the secondary. Still warrants a long look.
RB Jeremy Hill, LSU - Promising. Some questions about his lateral ability and combine athleticism. Biggest issue is the character stuff.
RB Bishop Sankey, Washington - Good player. Instinctive and has good change of direction skills. A guy who plays better than the sum of his parts. I'm not sure he's really a first round kind of athlete from a combine numbers standpoint and that was the major sticking point for me.
WR Odell Beckham, LSU - Dynamite athlete with exceptional burst and quickness. I really like him from an NFL standpoint as a complementary target and return man. From a FF standpoint, I don't know if the upside is there. He's not a huge guy and he hasn't been a dominant statistical force up to this point.
WR Brandon Coleman, Rutgers - Tall, stringy receiver. More agile than you'd expect for his height and can actually make moves and run decent routes. Long strides are problematic for defensive backs on deep routes, as he chews up ground in a hurry. Is he a Stephen Hill or a Plaxico though? Tall guys often struggle with precise route running and separation at the pro level. Production has been less than amazing through two years. There's upside, but I didn't like him enough to use a top 12 dev pick on him.
WR Cody Hoffman, BYU - No major flaws. He's tall, nimble, pretty strong, and he catches the ball well. Is he exceptional though? Not super fast from what I can tell. Not really an explosive player. He may be a a Kevin Walter type at the next level. Nice complementary player, but perhaps not a #1.
WR Donte Moncrief, Ole Miss - Said a lot about him above. He's close to being a first tier guy and I'm optimistic about his chances.
WR Sean Price, Appalachian State - Tall, but also nimble and fluid. Could be a better version of Hoffman.
WR Allen Robinson, Penn State - Has what you want in terms of height, hands, and body control. Speed, burst, and body mass are suspect. Low YPC receiver who may not have the juice to be a #1 in the NFL. Nice player though and I'll be watching his progress closely this season.
TE Eric Ebron, North Carolina - Fluid athlete who runs routes like a big WR, almost like Eifert in that regard. Actually a decent blocker considering that he looks a little thin for a TE. The biggest negative I saw in the games I was able to find was his hands. He dropped way too many easy balls. Other than that, he's certainly an NFL caliber athlete and looks like he could go anywhere from the 1st-4th round in the draft.
TE Colt Lyerla, Oregon - Modest production. Purely a workout warrior up to this point. I'm not sure he can actually play the game. Maybe, but hard to tell from limited usage. More hype than results as of right now.
There are lot more names, but these were the main guys I focused on as I tried to plan my drafts. I won't dedicate a lot of energy to ripping players that I didn't like, but I definitely had an adverse reaction to James Wilder and had a tough time buying the hype on Ka'Deem Carey and Mike Evans.
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jeter23
Footballguy
I mentioned there were a few players still being auctioned. DGB ended up going for a $1, then I traded Denarius Moore for him and a future 3rd.
Xue
Footballguy
I still have a 16-round Devy draft, then I will post my somewhat ranked list of prospects you should get to know.
I will say this, there are 4-5 other TEs than I'd rather take in the later rounds than go after Seferian-Jenkins and Lyerla that their "ADP". And only 1 of them is not eligible for the 2014 draft.
I will say this, there are 4-5 other TEs than I'd rather take in the later rounds than go after Seferian-Jenkins and Lyerla that their "ADP". And only 1 of them is not eligible for the 2014 draft.
Ron_Mexico
I Love Doggies
DAT put up 7.6 yards per carry and over 1100 total yards in a part time role last year.
He is a bit of a tweener, but his raw skillset should be met with a high level of success in the NF, if used correctly.
He's is a screaming buy low in devy leagues. I would like to see him put on 10-15 lbs before hitting the combine.
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
Wrote up some thoughts for a discussion in one of my leagues and figured I'd post them here...
--If Seastrunk's speed and explosion are what the strength coach at Baylor insists they are (with electronic timing -- "hand timing is for your mama") he looks like a great prospect. Insane quickness, speed and explosion are a nice combination to go with great on-field production.
--ASF looks slow to me and is estimated in the 4.7s. I think he'll have a nice pro career, but I don't think he has Gronk, Graham, Witten, etc upside.
--Moncrief is the guy I was after and was surprised to see him go so early in one of these. If he tests as well as Ole Miss claims he will I think he'll be the first WR taken. EBF has doubts about his ability to be a complete WR, but I don't share them. If you're that big and that explosive you don't need to run lateral routes like Marvin Harrison. You can use your body to get open. Great pick IMO.
--Brandon Coleman looks more like Ramses Barden to me than anyone else. At 220 I don't think he has the thickness to take full advantage of his height and receiving ability once he gets to the NFL. And he doesn't appear to be especially fast either.
--Bishop Sankey looks like a guy to me. Not that big or that fast and though he's caught 40+ balls in college he's done absolutely nothing with the receptions. IMO it's generally a poor indicator for non-elite guys.
--I know this one will be unpopular since he's the flavor of the month, but IMO Bridgewater is undersized at his current listing (which will probably prove to be wrong) and both throws too many INTs and takes too many sacks. Sometimes guys can get away with one or the other, but pairing those flaws is pretty much a kiss of death for an NFL prospect.
--If Colt Lyerla becomes a central part of Oregon's offense this year and racks up 40-50+ catches I'd absolutely love him on paper. But there's a fair bit of bad character smoke around the guy and he definitely comes across like a loose cannon. I'd normally overlook that since there's no fire yet, but he was also just downgraded from a 1st/2nd round prospect to a 2nd/3rd round prospect for no apparent reason. My speculation is that teams are more risk averse than ever and don't like what they're hearing about Lyerla. Still, that's just speculation and you could do worse with a late devy IMO.
--I probably wouldn't have taken De'Anthony Thomas based on his obvious size issues, except that the NFL just made Tavon Austin the #8 pick in the draft and I think there's a chance Thomas is Austin's clone. Thomas doesn't see the ball as much as Austin did, but he sees it enough and does more per touch both rushing and receiving. Will it be enough? Maybe not -- only time will tell -- but I didn't mind taking him at #12.
--I think James Wilder, Jr. is slipping a bit too far under the radar. Looks like an NFL back to me so far. Only Qs are the (big) character concerns.
--Kadeem Carey is an enigma to me. I'm guessing that he'll have a monster year and test really strongly on the cones in Indy, but there will be worries about his size and lack of straight line speed. Could see him going in the 2nd with pre-injury Steve Slaton upside. I could also see him busting.
ETA: these are all as of today. We're a long long way from next year's rookie drafts and plenty will change after the 2013 season and the combine.
--If Seastrunk's speed and explosion are what the strength coach at Baylor insists they are (with electronic timing -- "hand timing is for your mama") he looks like a great prospect. Insane quickness, speed and explosion are a nice combination to go with great on-field production.
--ASF looks slow to me and is estimated in the 4.7s. I think he'll have a nice pro career, but I don't think he has Gronk, Graham, Witten, etc upside.
--Moncrief is the guy I was after and was surprised to see him go so early in one of these. If he tests as well as Ole Miss claims he will I think he'll be the first WR taken. EBF has doubts about his ability to be a complete WR, but I don't share them. If you're that big and that explosive you don't need to run lateral routes like Marvin Harrison. You can use your body to get open. Great pick IMO.
--Brandon Coleman looks more like Ramses Barden to me than anyone else. At 220 I don't think he has the thickness to take full advantage of his height and receiving ability once he gets to the NFL. And he doesn't appear to be especially fast either.
--Bishop Sankey looks like a guy to me. Not that big or that fast and though he's caught 40+ balls in college he's done absolutely nothing with the receptions. IMO it's generally a poor indicator for non-elite guys.
--I know this one will be unpopular since he's the flavor of the month, but IMO Bridgewater is undersized at his current listing (which will probably prove to be wrong) and both throws too many INTs and takes too many sacks. Sometimes guys can get away with one or the other, but pairing those flaws is pretty much a kiss of death for an NFL prospect.
--If Colt Lyerla becomes a central part of Oregon's offense this year and racks up 40-50+ catches I'd absolutely love him on paper. But there's a fair bit of bad character smoke around the guy and he definitely comes across like a loose cannon. I'd normally overlook that since there's no fire yet, but he was also just downgraded from a 1st/2nd round prospect to a 2nd/3rd round prospect for no apparent reason. My speculation is that teams are more risk averse than ever and don't like what they're hearing about Lyerla. Still, that's just speculation and you could do worse with a late devy IMO.
--I probably wouldn't have taken De'Anthony Thomas based on his obvious size issues, except that the NFL just made Tavon Austin the #8 pick in the draft and I think there's a chance Thomas is Austin's clone. Thomas doesn't see the ball as much as Austin did, but he sees it enough and does more per touch both rushing and receiving. Will it be enough? Maybe not -- only time will tell -- but I didn't mind taking him at #12.
--I think James Wilder, Jr. is slipping a bit too far under the radar. Looks like an NFL back to me so far. Only Qs are the (big) character concerns.
--Kadeem Carey is an enigma to me. I'm guessing that he'll have a monster year and test really strongly on the cones in Indy, but there will be worries about his size and lack of straight line speed. Could see him going in the 2nd with pre-injury Steve Slaton upside. I could also see him busting.
ETA: these are all as of today. We're a long long way from next year's rookie drafts and plenty will change after the 2013 season and the combine.
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EBF
Footballguy
Even a lot of the best big receivers in the NFL have return man skills. Vincent Jackson holds school records in kick returns and punt returns. Dez Bryant had three punt return TDs in college. Demaryius Thomas didn't return kicks in college, but filled that role as a rookie and did well.
Return skills are not a requirement for greatness at WR. Fitzgerald, Calvin, and Green are not accomplished return men and probably wouldn't be great in that role. However, if I'm drawing up the perfect WR prospect, I want someone who can make people miss in tight quarters and create long runs out of nothing. I think this is a weakness for Moncrief. His YPC will always be high because he can get open downfield and make big catches over defenders, but he's not a Crabtree or Lee kind of guy who's going to take a two yard pass and make three people miss on his way to a big gain. He's more of a pure vertical threat, which is fine. There are plenty of teams who will covet him for that role.
I think Dri Archer is another candidate for the "next Tavon" label. He doesn't wow me in his highlights and I don't know if he has Tavon's sheer speed, but he's about the same size and his stats in the running game are excellent. He also shows the versatility as a pass catcher and return man. Tavon wasn't hyped much after his junior year and neither is Archer. I could see him being the guy that scouts latch onto as the next big thing if Tavon has a strong rookie year though.
