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WR Andy Isabella, BAL (1 Viewer)

Guy has all the ability, (speed, elusiveness, route running) but it's the awareness which makes him close to a sure thing. He uses his speed wisely to set up defenders, diagnoses coverages, finds the hole in the zone, ect.

 
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Draft Analyst's Tony Pauline reports that the New England Patriots are interested in UMass WR Andy Isabella.

The Patriots are interested in an undersized receiver coming from a small school? What a surprise! Isabella (5'9/188), who played football 90 miles east of Gillette Stadium at UMass, would offer a ton of speed (4.31 forty) and an ability to take the top off defenses for the Pats, but there are going to be a lot of teams with interest during Day 2. Pauline also notes that Isabella has met with the Dolphins, Cardinals, Bucs, and Packers, who have specifically noted that he's an option for them in the slot and as a returner.

SOURCE: Tony Pauline on Twitter

Mar 28, 2019, 3:56 PM
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UMass WR Andy Isabella's 2018 season was the fifth-best season in yards per route run among FBS receivers since 2014.

Isabella (5'9/188) averaged 4.15 yards per route run (YPRR), narrowly beating out Missouri's Emanuel Hall (4.14) for tops in the 2019 draft class. The predictiveness of the stat is still up in the air due to its small sample, but Amari Cooper, Tyler Boyd, Sterling Shepard, and Corey Davis all have a top-18 YPRR season. An analytics sweetheart, Isabella is currently viewed as a late Day 2 prospect, but one who has 4.31 speed.

SOURCE: Pro Football Focus

Apr 1, 2019, 6:29 PM
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Dr. Dan said:
hmmm and suddenly its not so ridiculous for me to suggest Isabella could/should be considered a 1st round rookie pick
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I don't get why anyone would think he shouldn't be. Maybe he doesn't have ideal size (but that's a sort of antiquated notion) but what else does he lack? He shows elite quickness, elite speed, sure hands, nice routes and toughness. I see him being a star.

 
Dr. Octopus said:
I don't get why anyone would think he shouldn't be. Maybe he doesn't have ideal size (but that's a sort of antiquated notion) but what else does he lack? He shows elite quickness, elite speed, sure hands, nice routes and toughness. I see him being a star.
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Rumors that the Pack could take him near the end of the 1st. 

 
Dr. Octopus said:
I don't get why anyone would think he shouldn't be. Maybe he doesn't have ideal size (but that's a sort of antiquated notion) but what else does he lack? He shows elite quickness, elite speed, sure hands, nice routes and toughness. I see him being a star.
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Not too sure. when I suggested it in a couple of other threads I was told I say too much about things I know nothing about, and that I am putting too many people into the 1st round (personally I see a lot of this wr talent pushing either te or rb out of round 1 rookie drafts. Round 1 may end up being 7 or 8 wrs. I can name 7 easy)

Isabella had quietly put in an amazing college season and then an impressive combine, yet hardly anyone is talking about him until these mocks show there are really good teams interested in him late round 1. 

If this guy was 6'2 or more there would be "generational" hype behind him. Those are the wrs I am paying more attention to... those who might lack the height but check every single box otherwise.

I've tried to stay out of this thread and be quiet about him, as I want him to fall a little in my draft, but the cats out of the bag. IMO he is perfect for a good team looking for that last piece, and should be considered a 1st round pick in rookie drafts (top 5 if he lands in a good spot). He is almost landing spot proof... almost

 
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Ilov80s said:
If Green Bay drafted a cardboard cutout of Kelvin Benjamin in the 1st, he would go in the first round of rookie drafts. 
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But he probably should. Their rookies last year cant be guaranteed to take a step forward, and Allison is about as athletic as a cardboard cutout. 

In all seriousness, if GB got an electric player like Isabella... theres your next "cheetah"

 
Dr. Dan said:
But he probably should. Their rookies last year cant be guaranteed to take a step forward, and Allison is about as athletic as a cardboard cutout. 

In all seriousness, if GB got an electric player like Isabella... theres your next "cheetah"
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Oh yeah, I love Isabella. Him, Nkeal and AJ Brown are the 3 WRs I am by far most interested in for fantasy. 

 
Dr. Dan said:
Not too sure. when I suggested it in a couple of other threads I was told I say too much about things I know nothing about, and that I am putting too many people into the 1st round (personally I see a lot of this wr talent pushing either te or rb out of round 1 rookie drafts. Round 1 may end up being 7 or 8 wrs. I can name 7 easy)

Isabella had quietly put in an amazing college season and then an impressive combine, yet hardly anyone is talking about him until these mocks show there are really good teams interested in him late round 1. 

If this guy was 6'2 or more there would be "generational" hype behind him. Those are the wrs I am paying more attention to... those who might lack the height but check every single box otherwise.

I've tried to stay out of this thread and be quiet about him, as I want him to fall a little in my draft, but the cats out of the bag. IMO he is perfect for a good team looking for that last piece, and should be considered a 1st round pick in rookie drafts (top 5 if he lands in a good spot). He is almost landing spot proof... almost
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What do you guys know that these don't?  IMO he will not play outside and his dynasty ceiling is limited to the slot due to being 5'9" 188.  I know, I know Tyreek Hill.  Also, I believe his numbers are somewhat inflated due to level of competition in college, but he did have a great game against Georgia.   Obviously his speed will play well in the NFL from the slot position, so there is value there, but no way on God's green earth do I spend a 1st rd rookie pick on him.

Here are just a few of the sites WR ranking of Isabella:

CBS - 12th

WalterFootball - 16th

DraftTek - Not ranked

DraftWire - 12th

NFL Countdown - 10th

247Sports - 14th

DraftGeek - 11th

So, what makes you guys so sure on Isabella and these guys aren't?

 
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JohnnyU said:
What do you guys know that these don't?  IMO he will not play outside and his dynasty ceiling is limited to the slot due to being 5'9" 188.  I know, I know Tyreek Hill.  Also, I believe his numbers are somewhat inflated due to level of competition in college, but he did have a great game against Georgia.   Obviously his speed will play well in the NFL from the slot position, so there is value there, but no way on God's green earth do I spend a 1st rd rookie pick on him.

Here are just a few of the sites WR ranking of Isabella:

CBS - 12th

WalterFootball - 16th

DraftTek - Not ranked

DraftWire - 12th

NFL Countdown - 10th

247Sports - 14th

DraftGeek - 11th

So, what makes you guys so sure on Isabella and these guys aren't?
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My question is how big of a difference does an inch make? Lockett, John Brown  and DJax are 5’10”. Isabella has similar athletic skills but is an inch shorter. I see Isabella more in line with that group than a slot guy.

 
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Steve Smith was also the same size. I just don’t think his height prevents him playing anywhere. Also the slot role might be as valuable as an outside WR role anyway the way the nfl looks like it’s going.

 
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Ilov80s said:
Steve Smith was also the same size. I just don’t think his height prevents him playing anywhere. Also the slot role might be as valuable as an outside WR role anyway the way the nfl looks like it’s going.
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Seems like a WR where everything has to fall into place.  While I think he will be a good WR, I'm just not that high on his ceiling. 

 
JohnnyU said:
Seems like a WR where everything has to fall into place.  While I think he will be a good WR, I'm just not that high on his ceiling. 
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Every WR depends on landing spot, but Isabella is talented and can run out of the slot or the outside. I wouldn't have him top 5, but if he has a good landing spot I could see moving him up. That said, it's the same with guys I have above him. If Harry, AJ Brown, or DK goes to the Ravens, they fall drastically. In this class, I think Isabella's ceiling is probably #5, for me, even if he goes to Green Bay or the Pats. 

 
JohnnyU said:
 IMO he will not play outside and his dynasty ceiling is limited to the slot due to being 5'9" 188. 
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Well that is just your opinion to which I'd answer you're thinking too "old school" as their are plenty of outside WRs of similar height and build currently in the NFL including two of the best WRs in the league (Antonio Brown and Tyreek Hill) and others, but even if we assume that he could only play the slot there are guys like Julian Edelman, Larry Fitzgerald and Jarvis Landry that are upper tier fantasy producers from the slot.

As far as those expert rankings - there's a chance I could be wrong about him but I also think there's some bias against him because of his size and race. 

 
JohnnyU said:
Seems like a WR where everything has to fall into place.  While I think he will be a good WR, I'm just not that high on his ceiling. 
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I do agree that he probably has a more limited ceiling than Butler or DK. I also think he’s a much safer player. 

Level of competition certainly is a small concern but he wasn’t just good, he absolutely dominated. He accounted for 52% of the passing offense which is unheard of outside Georgia Tech. He wasn’t a 1 year wonder either. At age 19 he posted 900/7. At age 20 1100/12 and then 21 1700/14. This wasn’t on some Oklahoma style spread attack. He was more than half their passing offense. 

You mentioned he was great against Georgia (15/219/2). The year prior he had 7/158/1 against Miss State and 5 touches for 88 yards in a close loss to Tennessee. At age 19 he had 3/95 against Florida. He has a good track record of performance against tough SEC teams. 

 
Who am I?

5'10, 189

4.33 40

6.76 cone drill

3.81 shuttle

NFL 1st round draft pick

rookie pick 1.4 in my dynasty league (not sure where he went in yours)

Isabella:

5'9 188

4.31 40

6.95 cone

4.15 shuttle

🤔

 
cloppbeast said:
Brandin Cooks?
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🥇🥇🍗🍽️

He plays outside plenty 

eta: IMO very similar players and very similar upsides, but Isabella seems as more talented in the route tree than Cooks

To get a talent with cooks like potential late round 1... why wouldnt you? Your going to draft a TE instead? that seems crazy to me. Give me the potential homerun.

Just like last year, a lot of really really good talent will be available at the later part and end of the 1st this year

 
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Dr. Dan said:
🥇🥇🍗🍽️

He plays outside plenty 

eta: IMO very similar players and very similar upsides, but Isabella seems as more talented in the route tree than Cooks

To get a talent with cooks like potential late round 1... why wouldnt you? Your going to draft a TE instead? that seems crazy to me. Give me the potential homerun.

Just like last year, a lot of really really good talent will be available at the later part and end of the 1st this year
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TY Hilton another 5’9” WR with WR1 upside.

 
NFL draft: Yahoo Sports' top 2019 prospects, Nos. 61-70

Excerpt:







61. Massachusetts WR Andy Isabella





5-foot-9, 188 pounds





The lowdown: The transformation of Isabella from high school track standout to NFL prospect is one of the 2019 NFL draft class’ best stories. He has always been fast – see the “Fun fact” section for proof of that. But he was a completely unrefined route runner, coming from a high school where he was a 5-7, 170-pound running back. UMass was the only FBS school to offer him, and it took a bit for Isabella to get acclimated.

But after a season in which he was mostly used as a special-teamer, Isabella emerged as the Minutemen’s deep threat the past three seasons. Over his final 36 college games, he totaled 229 receptions for 3,519 yards (15.4-yard average) with 30 TDs, also rushing 40 times for 342 yards and two scores as a gadget weapon. Incredibly, in 2018, Isabella accounted for 47.4 percent of UMass' receiving yards, and he did so with the team cycling through three different quarterbacks (one a lefty).

The highlight of his season was a 15-catch, 219-yard, two-TD showcase game at Georgia in which the Bulldogs used three different cornerbacks to cover him, including possible first-rounder DeAndre Baker. After Isabella’s final college game, Georgia players shook his hand.

Isabella comes prepared after working in a pro-style offense in college, and he was said to have absorbed Jon Gruden’s playbook quickly at the Senior Bowl, where his blazing speed was obvious from the first day of practice. Getting off press coverage will always be a concern. He’s a bit of a body catcher and he could find himself mostly in the slot in the NFL, but his excellent toughness and burst could serve him well there. Isabella has been preparing with Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss to help train for the draft.

He has been lazily compared to Wes Welker and Julian Edelman, but those comps ignore Isabella’s blurring speed and vertical ability. Style-wise, he’s more like the Buffalo Bills’ John Brown or the Indianapolis Colts’ T.Y. Hilton, both whom had to overcome size and small-school stigmas coming out of college. But as NFL scouts will tell you, speed always translates.

Fun fact: Isabella, who ran a 4.31 40 at the combine, once beat Cleveland Browns first-round pick (fourth overall) Denzel Ward in 100- and 200-meter races in high school back in Ohio, winning the state championship in those events.

“Thank you, Denzel Ward, for setting the bar high,” Isabella said at the combine. “I loved competing against Denzel in high school. We would go back and forth, and would say we’re coming for each other after races. … Denzel’s a great player and a better person.”

Draft range: Timed speed such as Isabella’s typically doesn’t get out of Round 2, but we could see him slipping to Round 3 because of his lower level of competition. 
Click to expand...
 
Dr. Dan said:
Who am I?

5'10, 189

4.33 40

6.76 cone drill

3.81 shuttle

NFL 1st round draft pick

rookie pick 1.4 in my dynasty league (not sure where he went in yours)

Isabella:

5'9 188

4.31 40

6.95 cone

4.15 shuttle

🤔
Click to expand...
4.15 vs 3.81 shuttle seems like a big difference

As does 6.95 vs 6.76 cone

Still a fan.  Just my two cents.

 
Alex P Keaton said:
4.15 vs 3.81 shuttle seems like a big difference

As does 6.95 vs 6.76 cone

Still a fan.  Just my two cents.
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Cooks was a better prospect for sure. Isabella has average agility and Cooks had elite agility. Cooks also played at a power 5 conference. After that. they are pretty damn close. 

 
Ilov80s said:
Cooks was a better prospect for sure. Isabella has average agility and Cooks had elite agility. Cooks also played at a power 5 conference. After that. they are pretty damn close. 
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IMO Cooks has a more limited route tree than Isabella, who has a complete tree from what I've seen and read.

The guys who can run great routes and have good footwork are the ones I'm more interested in. If a WR can run a great route and create themselves open, that's the player that I want. If he has above average speed and ability, that's a bonus. 

 
He just strikes me as a smart football player.  Sidestepping his way out of bounds, going down when he should rather than fight off 3 defenders, that sort of thing.  Those guys tend to last because of their IQ and less about their ability, although Isabella’s ability is pretty high to begin with.  

 
Dr. Dan said:
IMO Cooks has a more limited route tree than Isabella, who has a complete tree from what I've seen and read.

The guys who can run great routes and have good footwork are the ones I'm more interested in. If a WR can run a great route and create themselves open, that's the player that I want. If he has above average speed and ability, that's a bonus. 
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Would you draft him over Harry and Brown ;)

 
Ilov80s said:
I think you have it backwards. I’m not saying Isabella will be good because he’s short. I’m saying being short does not prevent him from being a good outside WR.
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I agree with you.  Of course you aren't saying he's good because he's short.  I thought you were maybe saying that he's short, but super amazing athletecism can overcome that and allow a short player to play on the outside. 

To clarify, my comment was really getting more to that it's not just the athletecism, but that plus really good WR skills that allow them to succeed on the outside. 

Even then, the survivorship bias applies if we only compare to successful prospects. 

 
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kittenmittens said:
I agree with you.  Of course you aren't saying he's good because he's short.  I thought you were maybe saying that he's short, but super amazing athletecism can overcome that and allow a short player to play on the outside. 

To clarify, my comment was really getting more to that it's not just the athletecism, but that plus really good WR skills that allow them to succeed on the outside. 

Even then, the survivorship bias applies if we only compare to successful prospects. 
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I can't define exactly how athleticism vs "WR skills" interplay to make a WR a good prospect or a bad prospect but I like the combo here. I think super amazing athleticism can overcome size to make a great outside WR. I know super elite athleticism guarantees nothing but it's an attribute that a short WR needs. If Isaballa had the same workout numbers as Kelvin Harmon, I wouldn't be interested. 

 
Meh if he doesn't go to NE I'm not interested. They are the only team that's proven they know how to use WR like Isabella. 

 
Ilov80s said:
I can't define exactly how athleticism vs "WR skills" interplay to make a WR a good prospect or a bad prospect but I like the combo here. I think super amazing athleticism can overcome size to make a great outside WR. I know super elite athleticism guarantees nothing but it's an attribute that a short WR needs. If Isaballa had the same workout numbers as Kelvin Harmon, I wouldn't be interested. 
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I certainly can't pinpoint that either.  

I'd take it as far as saying I'd rather have an Isabella sized player with great athletecism, hands, route running, getoff, zone awareness and ball tracking than a Hakeem Butler sized player with great athletecism but unproven WR skills. 

 
I would draft the following WRs over Izzy

N’Keal Harry

AJ Brown

Deebo Samuel

Marquise Brown

Hakeem Butler

DK Metcalf

Kelvin Harmon

Emanuel Hall

JJ Arcega-Whiteside

 
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JohnnyU said:
I would draft the following WRs over Izzy

N’Keal Harry

AJ Brown

Deebo Samuel

Marquise Brown

Hakeem Butler

DK Metcalf

Kelvin Harmon

Emanuel Hall

JJ Arcega-Whiteside
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I get that. He has 2 big flaws with his size and lower level of competition. I admit I am the outlier in how high I am here.

Milkman said:
Meh if he doesn't go to NE I'm not interested. They are the only team that's proven they know how to use WR like Isabella. 
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Because he is white?

 
Love the back and forth in this thread ... and don’t get me wrong - love the tape. 

But this kid’s dynasty draft future is really tied to his draft location, meaning which team/scheme 

 
Ilov80s said:
I get that. He has 2 big flaws with his size and lower level of competition. I admit I am the outlier in how high I am here.

Because he is white?
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My comment had nothing to do with his color. Just his game. Thielen was arguably the best WR in the league last year. 

 
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