Calvin Johnson...You have any concerns that he won't be a stud (1 Viewer)

[lod2005]

keyshawn johnson part 2any wr will look fast against acc dbacks.let me edit here. i think cj is a hell of a wr, one of the best wr prospects i've seen in years. i just can't follow the hype quite yet. i need to see some real speed and quickness before i'm willing to see cj as the next coming. until then, a slightly better kj2. which insn't a bad thing, but just not uber wr level.

CJ is infinately better than Keyshawn Johnson.

 

[Bevo]

all the highlights I've seen of Ginn have him behind DBs by 5-6 yards...even on crossing routes out of a quick break. C.J has that type of seperation skills? Does anyone worry that he will be a 250 lb wr \ ala Mike Williams and mainly be effective around the goalline on jump balls. Do you guys see him having a good shuttle time?

I'm not worried about that. Mike Williams is a flake that probably could be a good WR if he would get his head and his body in shape. I am seriously beginning to think he is incapable of getting his head out of his ###.OTOH, everything I have heard about Calvin is that he is a very hard worker and that he has his head on straight.

And I would take him way before Ginn even though Ginn is faster.

 

[Hairy Snowman]

He's 6'5" 235 and runs a 4.45/40...you just can't coach those things. I considered him the best wr in the nation after I saw him his FRESHMAN year and I hate GA Tech! The biggest knock on him was that he had a few games where he had only 1 or 2 catches but I'd blame his so called qb for not throwing him the ball. That said I can't imagine drafting him before AD under any circumstances and I'd have to be really loaded at rb to take him before lynch.

CJ will be a stud. I am far from a Tech fan, but the few games I saw CJ play he dominated. And he did this with Reggie Ball at QB -- who rarely could throw the ball in the proper place. If he was in a passing offense or had a better QB you would see numbers. He was the only thing Defenses gameplanned to stop. I still remember him dominating Auburn a couple of years ago -- and that was a very good Auburn Defense.I am assuming he will perform well at the Combine or his pro day. He has had the coaching of Chan Gailey on offense. I think he is the real deal. He is the best player coming out - and the surest thing. Of course, I still don't see a WR going #1 overall. He should, but he won't.

:( Maybe not #1 (this is a strong draft at the top), but definetely the best WR I've seen come out of the draft IMO since Randy Moss. This guy is just a freak.Wonder who he's going to...........

 

[FTRWRTR]

Don't forget Boldin only ran a 4.6. He seems to have no problem gaining separation and taking it to the house. .

I agree 100%..

I feel like Woody Paige because I have to straighten you guys out. When boldin posted that time it was about a month after having knee surgery. When healthy he ran a 4.4 and the sporting news' nfl draft preview for that year mentions his 4.4/40speed several times. In fact of that year's rookie wr class they considered him "the best after the catch"

 

[chris1969]

Upside = Moss

The closest player I can think of for his downside = Joe Jurevicious

He's got even better hands and is faster though. I'm thinking he'll run just under 4.4

He's the best prospect I've seen at WR in a long time, looks better than fitz did when he came out.

 

[Nugget]

They interviewed Calvin before the ACC championship game, and a stat I remember them stating was his sophmore season he had three drops, and one was questionable. Led Tech with 54 catches for 888 yards and six touchdowns that season. Three drops with Reggie Ball at QB is amazing. He will be my favorite NFL player. I see him as a TO with more speed, better hands, and no headcase issues. I see him as a dominant top 10 WR for the next 10 years. 1.01 for him in rookie drafts is not a reach.

 

[Rev]

I don't think he's all that fast...

He is expected to post a blazing 40. He has been reported in the mid 4.3s with a 40+ inch verticle. That is an extraordinarily explosive athlete. He's 230+, a true freak. Moreso than any of the WRs he's being compared too. We'll see if these numbers hold up at the Combine, and I have my doubts too, but those who follow him closely have been reporting these numbers for a couple years now. He may lack some quicks, gathers at his breaks. He may be too dependent on jump ball skills. I thought Eric Weddle got in his head, had Calvin looking for him, and Calvin dropped a few with alligator arms as a sophomore in that bowl game. Extremely quick small DBs like Tye Hill have done well against him, but you have to think Calvin will win those battles in the redzone. He may not be as physical as he should be. He's like a 2 year old Great Dane. He doesn't know what he is yet, but watch out when he figures it all out.

Keyshawn as his downside is really setting the bar low, and Keyshawn hasn't been that bad. I don't have an early dynasty rookie pick, and though I would love any of the top three, I'm kind of happy I don't have to trouble my head figuring out who is the best pick.

ETA pt 2. If all that sounds a little too negative, I would compare Calvin more to Randy Moss than Larry Fitzgerald. A bigger Randy Moss with very high character. Thus, I agree with Who Dat's "as close to a can't miss" as possible.

Meh - 40 times are the least interesting thing to me about a WR. There have been lots of great ones who have been relatively slow in the 40, and more busts than you can shake stopwatch at who ran ridiculous 40 times. Fact is that WRs are a big crap shoot. About 1/2 of the "can't miss" prospects have missed, whether due to injury, attitude, or some other unknown reason. What I've seen with my eyes is that Calvin Johnson was a giant among boys in college, and relied on those skills. He will have to learn how to get separation, run crisp routes, and take big hits in the middle of the field. I'm not saying he can't do it, I'm just saying that his adjustment should not be taken for granted.

Finally, I'm wary of the 'freaks'. Who was the last physical freak to really dominate in the NFL? Vick as a QB? David Boston for two years? It just seems like their is a reason why certain body types are common in certain positions.

Well said here. CJ, like Reggie Bush, will have many of his physical advantages taken away at the pro level and will need to develop as a pure player and not survive just a physical specimen. Also, let's not forget that Mike Williams would possibly have been the top pick had he been eligeable the first time he wanted to be drafted. BMW had every bit and more hype than Calvin did, and his stats were incredible. I have the 1.3 in this year's draft, and I'm haunted by the comparison between the two. Also, BMW isn't far off in speed. He runs a 4.5 or 4.6 last I checked.

 

[EBF]

Also, let's not forget that Mike Williams would possibly have been the top pick had he been eligeable the first time he wanted to be drafted. BMW had every bit and more hype than Calvin did, and his stats were incredible. I have the 1.3 in this year's draft, and I'm haunted by the comparison between the two. Also, BMW isn't far off in speed. He runs a 4.5 or 4.6 last I checked.

There's no comparison. Teams were talking about moving BMW to TE before the draft. You will never hear that kind of talk about CJ.

 

[cstu]

Also, let's not forget that Mike Williams would possibly have been the top pick had he been eligeable the first time he wanted to be drafted. BMW had every bit and more hype than Calvin did, and his stats were incredible. I have the 1.3 in this year's draft, and I'm haunted by the comparison between the two. Also, BMW isn't far off in speed. He runs a 4.5 or 4.6 last I checked.

There's no comparison. Teams were talking about moving BMW to TE before the draft. You will never hear that kind of talk about CJ.

True, but I believe the TE talk about BMW had a lot to do with concerns about his character/work ethic more than his physical ability. When workouts are done I think you'll see that there's not much difference in talent between BMW and CJ but that CJ has the heart that BMW lacks.

 

[-OZ-]

Also, let's not forget that Mike Williams would possibly have been the top pick had he been eligeable the first time he wanted to be drafted. BMW had every bit and more hype than Calvin did, and his stats were incredible. I have the 1.3 in this year's draft, and I'm haunted by the comparison between the two. Also, BMW isn't far off in speed. He runs a 4.5 or 4.6 last I checked.

There's no comparison. Teams were talking about moving BMW to TE before the draft. You will never hear that kind of talk about CJ.

True, but I believe the TE talk about BMW had a lot to do with concerns about his character/work ethic more than his physical ability. When workouts are done I think you'll see that there's not much difference in talent between BMW and CJ but that CJ has the heart that BMW lacks.

Perhaps BMW should have seen the Wizard?I agree 100% here, but remember, heart is what makes football players great.

 

[Rev]

Also, let's not forget that Mike Williams would possibly have been the top pick had he been eligeable the first time he wanted to be drafted. BMW had every bit and more hype than Calvin did, and his stats were incredible. I have the 1.3 in this year's draft, and I'm haunted by the comparison between the two. Also, BMW isn't far off in speed. He runs a 4.5 or 4.6 last I checked.

There's no comparison. Teams were talking about moving BMW to TE before the draft. You will never hear that kind of talk about CJ.

True, but I believe the TE talk about BMW had a lot to do with concerns about his character/work ethic more than his physical ability. When workouts are done I think you'll see that there's not much difference in talent between BMW and CJ but that CJ has the heart that BMW lacks.

Perhaps BMW should have seen the Wizard?I agree 100% here, but remember, heart is what makes football players great.

I would rather say that heart is what makes the movie "Rudi" such a feel-good flick. Before I take him high in my draft, I need to see more than good hands, athleticism, and drive. Route running and run after the catch ability are key concerns for me in regards to Calvin. I think the combine drills and mini camp will help alot in analyzing his ability to catch on and adapt to the NFL game.

 

[massraider]

Also, let's not forget that Mike Williams would possibly have been the top pick had he been eligeable the first time he wanted to be drafted. BMW had every bit and more hype than Calvin did, and his stats were incredible. I have the 1.3 in this year's draft, and I'm haunted by the comparison between the two. Also, BMW isn't far off in speed. He runs a 4.5 or 4.6 last I checked.

There's no comparison. Teams were talking about moving BMW to TE before the draft. You will never hear that kind of talk about CJ.

True, but I believe the TE talk about BMW had a lot to do with concerns about his character/work ethic more than his physical ability. When workouts are done I think you'll see that there's not much difference in talent between BMW and CJ but that CJ has the heart that BMW lacks.

While I agree that CJ is a better prospect than BMW, by far, if the NFL could measure heart, then there wouldn't be so many top 10 WR busts in the draft.

 

[-OZ-]

Also, let's not forget that Mike Williams would possibly have been the top pick had he been eligeable the first time he wanted to be drafted. BMW had every bit and more hype than Calvin did, and his stats were incredible. I have the 1.3 in this year's draft, and I'm haunted by the comparison between the two. Also, BMW isn't far off in speed. He runs a 4.5 or 4.6 last I checked.

There's no comparison. Teams were talking about moving BMW to TE before the draft. You will never hear that kind of talk about CJ.

True, but I believe the TE talk about BMW had a lot to do with concerns about his character/work ethic more than his physical ability. When workouts are done I think you'll see that there's not much difference in talent between BMW and CJ but that CJ has the heart that BMW lacks.

Perhaps BMW should have seen the Wizard?I agree 100% here, but remember, heart is what makes football players great.

I would rather say that heart is what makes the movie "Rudi" such a feel-good flick. Before I take him high in my draft, I need to see more than good hands, athleticism, and drive. Route running and run after the catch ability are key concerns for me in regards to Calvin. I think the combine drills and mini camp will help alot in analyzing his ability to catch on and adapt to the NFL game.

At the risk of sounding ignorant, how does the combine help with RAC and route running assessment? Beyound what we already know that is. Mini camp I can agree with, but when's your draft?