[Dynasty] 2014 Draft Prospects (1 Viewer)

[EBF]

I haven't you guys that are "plugged in" to dynasty and prospect evaluation talk much at all about the LSU pair, Landry and Beckham. Where do they fit in with the rest of the WRs this year?

That's going to be a tough one. My 5 second take is that Landry has tremendous innate WR skills and mediocre physical skills. Beckham is more athletic and explosive, but also a little more inconsistent catching the ball (though he can make circus catches). Unless Landry surprises me at the combine, I favor Beckham. I think he's going to be a solid contributor in the NFL. The main question is upside. He's a smaller guy and might not have the right type of game to be a featured target. So while I think he's nearly a can't-miss proposition to become a decent pro, I think it's tempting to take more flawed prospects like Moncrief and Adams higher because they have a higher ceiling if they hit.

 

[Faust]

I haven't you guys that are "plugged in" to dynasty and prospect evaluation talk much at all about the LSU pair, Landry and Beckham. Where do they fit in with the rest of the WRs this year?

jesus, there are so damn many above average WRs in this draft, dynasty is going to be really interesting this year. Some will be weeded out when they get picked by teams like ATL who already has their top 2 set in stone (White being 33 or so). Others get crossed off when they go to a place like the NYJ.

Looks like a plethora of quality WRs for sure. To the opposite of what you said, there are some WRs that will receive a huge boost when they get taken by teams with legitimate NFL QB play but a need for another playmaker: Detroit, New England, Seattle, Indy, Carolina, KC and San Diego. At least a couple of those teams are likely to grab a WR in the first 2 rounds.

The WR class is very deep this year. I clipped this from the article that I linked earlier on Odell & Beckham:

By Derek Harper | The Sports Xchange/CBSSports.com

January 5, 2014 6:18 pm ET
LSU wide receivers Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry will forego their senior seasons and enter the 2014 NFL Draft, according to a Yahoo! Sports report.

Beckham is currently the No. 5 wide receiver and No. 35 overall prospect eligible for the 2014 draft, according to NFLDraftScout.com ratings. He is projected as a late-first or early-second round prospect, while Landy (No. 9 WR/No. 48 overall) is viewed as a strong second round prospect. Neither made NFLDraftScout.com Senior Analyst Rob Rang's current Big Board, but their decisions to enter the draft this year were likely aided by the fact LSU will also lose senior quarterback Zach Mettenberger to the NFL.

Beckham caught 59 passes for 1,152 yards and eight touchdowns this season, while Landry finished with 77 receptions for 1,193 yards and 10 touchdowns for the 11-2 Tigers. Beckham has begun interviewing agents, according to the report, while Yahoo reported in December that Landry had already begun devising a plan to prepare for the Scouting Combine next month.

Beckham was a first-team All-SEC pick by the coaches and named the 2013 Paul Hornung Award winner as the FBS' most versatile player after shattering the Tigers' single-season record for all-purpose yardage. Beckham, Jr. racked up 2,222 all-purpose yards, breaking Domanick Davis' previous mark of 2,120 set in 2002, and his abilities as a return man will certainly help his draft stock. He displays "remarkable vision, agility and acceleration, according to Rang.

Rang views Landry as a smooth athlete capable of making dazzling catches, but inconsistently has prevented Landry from warranting first-round consideration. Landry was particularly adept at getting open on underneath routes for LSU, quickly uncovering at the line of scrimmage while attacking soft zones in coverage before showing his numbers to the quarterback. He was voted second-team All-SEC by the coaches.

NFLDraftScout.com analyst Dane Brugler views Landry as the better pro prospect as a receiver, writing, "Landry has big, soft hands and with fluid body control and coordination to make it look easy plucking the ball out the air."

"He is tough and brave in tight coverage and routinely shows the ability to win in contested situations. While Beckham is probably more of a home-run threat, Landry is the better pro prospect because of his large, reliable hands and natural build and athleticism to do something with the catch."

With Clemson's Sammy Watkins, the top-rated receiver prospect in the country, reportedly set to enter this year's draft as well, Beckham and Landry join an increasingly deep position group. Watkins is followed by Texas A&M redshirt sophomore Mike Evans (No. 10 overall), Southern Cal junior Marqise Lee (No. 17) and Penn State junior Allen Robinson (No. 33), who have all decided to throw their hats into this year's draft pool.

Yet to announce a decision is Florida State redshirt sophomore Kelvin Benjamin, the No. 36 overall prospect who will play in the BCS title game Monday night.

 

[EBF]

Pre-combine top-12 (alpha by position):

Bortles

Manziel

----------

Hill

Hyde

Seastrunk

-------------

Adams

Benjamin

Cooks

Lee

Moncrief

Watkins

----------

Ebron

Assuming at least as many guys who are not currently listed emerge as there are guys who fall off this list it's a fantastic year to own late firsts and early seconds. That's my favorite part of the draft anyway, but this year you could have your choice among several really strong prospects in that range.

Our methods are very different, but I like a lot of this list.

Not so sure about Benjamin/Cooks/Adams yet though. You have a pretty strong preference for thick WRs with tangible explosiveness and good efficiency metrics, but I think your approach is always going to miss out on guys whose workout numbers don't reflect their actual explosiveness (i.e. Chad Johnson and Antonio Brown) and thin WRs who thrive on fluidity, hands, and initial quickness (i.e. AJ Green, Keenan Allen, Rueben Randle).

Based on what I've seen of these guys, I think Allen Robinson is pretty likely to look like the latter type of player. I don't know if I'm going to put him in the first tier with Watkins and Lee when my list is finalized, but he's going to be right up there with the next cluster.

 

[Faust]

Jameis Winston, Tre Mason among top talents in BCS finale

 

[EBF]

I don't expect ASJ to run a low 4.6. I'm hoping for something in the 4.68-.4.72 range - anything faster is gravy, and anything slower than 4.80 and I'll be concerned.
The guy is 6'6" 270ish. He's huge. He's long. The fact that he moves the way he does, in my opinion, makes him a physical freak. Guys that size shouldn't be able to do what he's shown capable of doing.

I don't understand why the buzz is dying off, assuming those cooling off are familiar with his situation.

I think this stuff has been pretty well covered by now, but there are a few reasons for me:

- He's not explosive to the eyes or on the stat sheet. Modest 12.5 YPC. No 100+ yard games this year. No big plays (longest gain was 34 yards).

- He did not have a great final season. The DUI in the offseason and mediocre production. Solid TD numbers, but only 37.5 yards per game.

- Not that it matters much, but he was not even named first team All Pac-12 by the coaches, so the guys in the know did not love his results this year.

Slight bump down seems appropriate. IIRC he was mocked as a top 10 overall pick in the offseason and he just isn't that caliber of prospect. The only TEs to go that high in the past decade are Kellen Winslow and Vernon Davis. Both much more explosive and athletic.

 

[Black]

Not a good year for RBs, where was Benard, Ball and Bell thought of this time last year?

Bernard and Lacy were battling for #1 rb position. The other 2 had holes

I just found out when our dynasty league ended and all the dust cleared, I have the #1 pick next year via a trade I made last year.

I will obviously wait and see who goes where, but I dont like the RB prospects. I doubt there is a Lacy or Bell to be found, I just hope there is one guy that stands out, otherwise I will trade down.

I ended up at 1.02 via trade, but noone in my PPR league was jumping at Lacy and Le'Veon even in the top 4 last year. Lacy fell to me at 1.04.

Is there a concensus #1 yet? Seemed like before the injuries that M.Lee was the hot guy, maybe now Sammy Watkins?

 

[lod01]

Jameis Winston, Tre Mason among top talents in BCS finale

I expect Mason to declare after the game.

 

[Time Kibitzer]

Rotoworld:

Former director of college scouting Greg Gabriel believes it would be a major mistake for a team to select UCF redshirt junior QB Blake Bortles in the first-round.

"I'll predict right now if Bortles comes out and goes in (the first-round) the HC and GM will be fired within three years," Gabriel tweeted. "People are falling in love with Bortles arm and athleticism. When you just look at that you will screwed. Think Boller, Gabbert." The major difference we see with Bortles and the two listed quarterbacks is strong pocket movement. Bortles does fall away from some passes and his footwork needs improvement, but we don't think he is a "manufactured" talent like the other two.


Source: Greg Gabriel on Twitter

The difference between Bortles and guys like Boller and Gabbert is Bortles has actually been a very productive college QB, whereas Boller and Gabbert's statistics sucked even in college. I don't know enough about Bortles to be convinced he definitely won't be a bust, but I'm convinced he's not obviously going to bust like I was about Boller/Gabbert/Tannehill.

It is amazing how many turds you can avoid just by passing on "project" QBs with shoddy college stats. The NFL still has a huge blind spot for unproductive QBs with "all the tools" and just about none of those guys have worked out in recent years. Gabbert, Boller, and Locker are shining examples.

I have not seen enough of Bortles to have a concrete opinion yet, but I've read up on him a little bit and I did catch some of his bowl game this year. He seems like a guy with the right mental makeup to be successful. Poised and confident. Like Johnny Manziel, he might be OVER-confident, but I'd rather take that than someone who's going to wilt under pressure. Give him some time to iron out the kinks and my hunch is that he'll at least be a decent player ala Cutler and Flacco.

Yup. Having great college production definitely doesn't guarantee a QB is going to be a stud in the NFL, but I'd say it's definitely a minimum requirement. As a QB, if you can't put up great numbers in college, you aren't going to be able to put up great numbers in the NFL.

 

[lod01]

Not a good year for RBs, where was Benard, Ball and Bell thought of this time last year?

Bernard and Lacy were battling for #1 rb position. The other 2 had holes

I just found out when our dynasty league ended and all the dust cleared, I have the #1 pick next year via a trade I made last year.

I will obviously wait and see who goes where, but I dont like the RB prospects. I doubt there is a Lacy or Bell to be found, I just hope there is one guy that stands out, otherwise I will trade down.

I ended up at 1.02 via trade, but noone in my PPR league was jumping at Lacy and Le'Veon even in the top 4 last year. Lacy fell to me at 1.04.

Is there a concensus #1 yet? Seemed like before the injuries that M.Lee was the hot guy, maybe now Sammy Watkins?

The NFL draft will in all likely hood create the #1 pick in Dynasty.

 

[Slapdash]

Rotoworld:

Former director of college scouting Greg Gabriel believes it would be a major mistake for a team to select UCF redshirt junior QB Blake Bortles in the first-round.

"I'll predict right now if Bortles comes out and goes in (the first-round) the HC and GM will be fired within three years," Gabriel tweeted. "People are falling in love with Bortles arm and athleticism. When you just look at that you will screwed. Think Boller, Gabbert." The major difference we see with Bortles and the two listed quarterbacks is strong pocket movement. Bortles does fall away from some passes and his footwork needs improvement, but we don't think he is a "manufactured" talent like the other two.


Source: Greg Gabriel on Twitter

The difference between Bortles and guys like Boller and Gabbert is Bortles has actually been a very productive college QB, whereas Boller and Gabbert's statistics sucked even in college. I don't know enough about Bortles to be convinced he definitely won't be a bust, but I'm convinced he's not obviously going to bust like I was about Boller/Gabbert/Tannehill.

It is amazing how many turds you can avoid just by passing on "project" QBs with shoddy college stats. The NFL still has a huge blind spot for unproductive QBs with "all the tools" and just about none of those guys have worked out in recent years. Gabbert, Boller, and Locker are shining examples.

I have not seen enough of Bortles to have a concrete opinion yet, but I've read up on him a little bit and I did catch some of his bowl game this year. He seems like a guy with the right mental makeup to be successful. Poised and confident. Like Johnny Manziel, he might be OVER-confident, but I'd rather take that than someone who's going to wilt under pressure. Give him some time to iron out the kinks and my hunch is that he'll at least be a decent player ala Cutler and Flacco.

I've actually watched a lot of Bortles this year (see thoughts below)

The problem with a lot of these guys including Ponder and Tannehill is that they can't be thrown into the fire. They need to sit behind an established starter and learn the game. Get [SIZE=10.5pt]accustomed to the speed of the NFL, otherwise they end up shell-shocked (Gabbert). [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]For a QB like Bortles who has all the tools but questionable accuracy and decision making, I don't think he will develop if he is the week one starter. He will evade pressure and make plays, but he won't mature into a top QB. [/SIZE]

Spoiler

I like Bortles as a prospect and have actually watched a lot of UCF games this year. He is very good at delivering the ball under pressure and moving the pocket. He is also helped by a relatively strong supporting cast. Big Ben is a popular comparison, he also reminds me a lot of fellow UCF player Dante Culpepper.

From a dynasty perspective, he is a top guy.

I do question his accuracy and decision making. In games against top competition (USC, Baylor, and Louisville) he has looked inconsistent.

My comment had more to do with how rare it is for a QB to come out of nowhere to be a top pick like he has. Johnny Football and Bridgewater seem ready to step in and be starters, if a team is picking for a new starter it should be those guys. Bortles? I'd like to see him sit and learn the game a year.

 

[Concept Coop]

I think this stuff has been pretty well covered by now, but there are a few reasons for me:

- He's not explosive to the eyes or on the stat sheet. Modest 12.5 YPC. No 100+ yard games this year. No big plays (longest gain was 34 yards).

- He did not have a great final season. The DUI in the offseason and mediocre production. Solid TD numbers, but only 37.5 yards per game.

- Not that it matters much, but he was not even named first team All Pac-12 by the coaches, so the guys in the know did not love his results this year.

Slight bump down seems appropriate. IIRC he was mocked as a top 10 overall pick in the offseason and he just isn't that caliber of prospect. The only TEs to go that high in the past decade are Kellen Winslow and Vernon Davis. Both much more explosive and athletic.

I don't put much stock in All Conference selections and raw college stats. And I don't remember you being bothered by Eifert's "modest" YPC totals.

I'm not arguing that ASJ is worthy of a top 10 NFL pick, as very few TEs are. Simply that he's my top option in this class.

Nobody is going to stack up to Vernon Davis' combine numbers, but he's an overrated athlete if he's being held up as the gold standard. Plenty about an athlete can't be measured using combine drills. VD falls into the Julio catagory, while ASJ is more like AJ Green. I think both are elite athletes, but in very different ways. Give me the Gronk model over the VD model, when looking at TE prospects, assuming all else is equal. I want the big, long, powerful guy who moves like a Power Foward.

 

[EBF]

I think this stuff has been pretty well covered by now, but there are a few reasons for me:

- He's not explosive to the eyes or on the stat sheet. Modest 12.5 YPC. No 100+ yard games this year. No big plays (longest gain was 34 yards).

- He did not have a great final season. The DUI in the offseason and mediocre production. Solid TD numbers, but only 37.5 yards per game.

- Not that it matters much, but he was not even named first team All Pac-12 by the coaches, so the guys in the know did not love his results this year.

Slight bump down seems appropriate. IIRC he was mocked as a top 10 overall pick in the offseason and he just isn't that caliber of prospect. The only TEs to go that high in the past decade are Kellen Winslow and Vernon Davis. Both much more explosive and athletic.

I don't put much stock in All Conference selections and raw college stats. And I don't remember you being bothered by Eifert's "modest" YPC totals.

I'm not arguing that ASJ is worthy of a top 10 NFL pick, as very few TEs are. Simply that he's my top option in this class.

Nobody is going to stack up to Vernon Davis' combine numbers, but he's an overrated athlete if he's being held up as the gold standard. Plenty about an athlete can't be measured using combine drills. VD falls into the Julio catagory, while ASJ is more like AJ Green. I think both are elite athletes, but in very different ways. Give me the Gronk model over the VD model, when looking at TE prospects, assuming all else is equal. I want the big, long, powerful guy who moves like a Power Foward.

You said you don't understand why the buzz is cooling off. I pointed out some reasons (off-field issues, declining production). Obviously you can still rank him as your top guy. That's your opinion. But if you want to know why other people might not be on board, there are your reasons.

 

[jurb26]

Wow, 2 pages of bickering over the 3rd best TE in this class.

 

[Concept Coop]

You said you don't understand why the buzz is cooling off. I pointed out some reasons (off-field issues, declining production). Obviously you can still rank him as your top guy. That's your opinion. But if you want to know why other people might not be on board, there are your reasons.

I suppose my statement was rhetorical--I know why people are cooling on him, but I don't agree with it. He's the same guy he was last year.

The off-field issues are another story. As Jeter said above, and I agree with: if all 3 guys are equal, I'd ding ASJ. But the DUI is likely lower on my list of pros and cons than NFL teams investing real assets.

 

[Ilov80s]

Wow, 2 pages of bickering over the 3rd best TE in this class.

No need to bicker, it is a pretty nice trio of TEs. Each have their own unique advantages and disadvantages, but the fact remains all 3 could end up being difference makers in the NFL.

 

[Concept Coop]

Wow, 2 pages of a handful of posts bickering over the 3rd best TE in this class.

 

[Faust]

Scouting the National Championship: Florida St vs. Auburn

Excerpts:

Tre Mason/RB/Auburn: Tre Mason is a solidly built running back who also features excellent quickness. He’s a well-rounded runner who can attack the edges and pick up yards between the tackles. Mason runs with a lot of toughness and will finish with power despite is smaller stature. The big question I have surrounding Mason is how his game will translate to an NFL offense. Auburn runs a wide-open attack which creates a lot of space for the running game. However, I have every belief that Mason will develop into a very effective NFL running back. 2nd Round

Kelvin Benjamin/WR/Florida State: Kelvin Benjamin is a tremendously talented athlete who has a ton of upside. He features elite size and length with the speed needed to attack deep down the field. Benjamin knows how to use his size to his advantage and box out the defender. His speed is really deceptive as he can quickly outpace the defensive back. However, I have a lot of concerns about his overall game. It starts with what I perceive as a lack of maturity. Benjamin doesn’t always appear to be going 100% which shows up in the way he runs his routes, catches the football and blocks. He really has a tough time creating separation and lacks the route deception that helps in that area. His ability to locate openings in the zone is also an issue. Benjamin needs to improve his overall catching ability as he has a tendency to let the ball into his frame and doesn’t always attack at the highest point. He also will lose focus which leads to drops. Benjamin needs to be careful with how physical he plays on the outside. There were a few occasions where he grabbed and pulled the defender which will absolutely lead to pass interference penalties at the next level. Again, this is a player with unlimited upside but he needs to show that he’s willing to work for it. 3rd Round

 

[Concept Coop]

Scouting the National Championship: Florida St vs. Auburn

Excerpts:

Kelvin Benjamin/WR/Florida State: 3rd Round

I'd be surprised if he falls to the 3rd round. I think the physical upside is appealing and someone will take a chance in the first 45 picks.

 

[Faust]

Scouting the National Championship: Florida St vs. Auburn

Excerpts:

Kelvin Benjamin/WR/Florida State: 3rd Round

I'd be surprised if he falls to the 3rd round. I think the physical upside is appealing and someone will take a chance in the first 45 picks.

I would tend to agree that if he declares, it is unlikely that he will slip past the second round.

NFL Draft 2014 preview: Jameis Winston, and other prospects to watch in BCS title game

Excerpt:

Kelvin Benjamin, WR: There is what feels like an infinite list of receivers headed for the 2014 draft — a number growing by the day as underclassmen continue to declare. Benjamin, a redshirt sophomore, could be next.

He caught 50 passes for 957 yards and 14 touchdowns this season, while developing into Winston’s favorite target in the passing game. He stands 6-5 and 234 pounds, almost identical measurements to Calvin Johnson (6-5, 236). That comparison ought to give you some idea why NFL teams are anxiously awaiting Benjamin’s upcoming draft decision.

Improving his consistency will be a focus for Benjamin moving forward. Assuming there are no unforeseen slips, however, the future is extremely bright for Benjamin as a physical receiver.

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld:

Baylor junior RB Lache Seastrunk will enter the NFL draft, according to Yahoo! Sports' Rand Getlin.

"Playing in the NFL has been a lifelong dream of mine, and I'm fully prepared to take the next step toward realizing that goal," Seastrunk said in a prepared statement. The running back accounted for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. He has great long speed when getting to the edge, but Seastrunk has improved his vision in trash.


Source: Yahoo! Sports

 

[Slapdash]

Scouting the National Championship: Florida St vs. Auburn

Excerpts:

Kelvin Benjamin/WR/Florida State: 3rd Round

I'd be surprised if he falls to the 3rd round. I think the physical upside is appealing and someone will take a chance in the first 45 picks.

I would tend to agree that if he declares, it is unlikely that he will slip past the second round.

NFL Draft 2014 preview: Jameis Winston, and other prospects to watch in BCS title game

Excerpt:

Kelvin Benjamin, WR: There is what feels like an infinite list of receivers headed for the 2014 draft — a number growing by the day as underclassmen continue to declare. Benjamin, a redshirt sophomore, could be next.

He caught 50 passes for 957 yards and 14 touchdowns this season, while developing into Winston’s favorite target in the passing game. He stands 6-5 and 234 pounds, almost identical measurements to Calvin Johnson (6-5, 236). That comparison ought to give you some idea why NFL teams are anxiously awaiting Benjamin’s upcoming draft decision.

Improving his consistency will be a focus for Benjamin moving forward. Assuming there are no unforeseen slips, however, the future is extremely bright for Benjamin as a physical receiver.

I'm really high on Benjamin, he is one of my top prospects at WR. Someone is going to take him earlier than the 3rd.

 

[Concept Coop]

Rotoworld:

Baylor junior RB Lache Seastrunk will enter the NFL draft, according to Yahoo! Sports' Rand Getlin.

"Playing in the NFL has been a lifelong dream of mine, and I'm fully prepared to take the next step toward realizing that goal," Seastrunk said in a prepared statement. The running back accounted for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. He has great long speed when getting to the edge, but Seastrunk has improved his vision in trash.


Source: Yahoo! Sports

Even though it was assumed, it's nice to get confirmation. Him going back to school would have been a major hit to an already shallow RB class.

 

[Time Kibitzer]

Scouting the National Championship: Florida St vs. Auburn

Excerpts:

Kelvin Benjamin/WR/Florida State: 3rd Round

I'd be surprised if he falls to the 3rd round. I think the physical upside is appealing and someone will take a chance in the first 45 picks.

In today's game a WR like Benjamin can turn a mediocre QB into a good QB all by himself, as whenever they're in trouble or need a play they can just toss it up and Benjamin will come down with it more often than not. If he doesn't end up being a 1st round pick, there's no way he falls out of the first half of the 2nd round.

 

[JFS171]

A little factoid from the twitter...

Matthew Mochal ‏@aSabotageItIs 1h

#OSU RB Carlos Hyde was stopped behind the LoS on 1.9% of total runs [4 in 208 rushes]

Retweeted by Draft Breakdown

Also, Storm Johnson declared today as well -- any thoughts on him?

 

[Soulfly3]

A little factoid from the twitter...

Matthew Mochal ‏@aSabotageItIs 1h

#OSU RB Carlos Hyde was stopped behind the LoS on 1.9% of total runs [4 in 208 rushes]

Retweeted by Draft Breakdown

That's beastly

 

[Slapdash]

Also, Storm Johnson declared today as well -- any thoughts on him?

Looked like a bigger engine of the UCF offense than Bortles at times. Has ball security issues.

 

[ConnSKINS26]

A little factoid from the twitter...

Matthew Mochal ‏@aSabotageItIs 1h

#OSU RB Carlos Hyde was stopped behind the LoS on 1.9% of total runs [4 in 208 rushes]

Retweeted by Draft Breakdown

That's beastly

But would be more informative in context. Still might be more of an indicator of OL talent, but as a Redskins fan I've watched Alfred Morris turn what look to be sure negative runs into small positive gains for two years now...so it's definitely a skill.

 

[JFS171]

A little factoid from the twitter...

Matthew Mochal ‏@aSabotageItIs 1h

#OSU RB Carlos Hyde was stopped behind the LoS on 1.9% of total runs [4 in 208 rushes]

Retweeted by Draft Breakdown

That's beastly

But would be more informative in context. Still might be more of an indicator of OL talent, but as a Redskins fan I've watched Alfred Morris turn what look to be sure negative runs into small positive gains for two years now...so it's definitely a skill.

Fair point, and the OL was supposedly quite good this year (I didn't see a lot of OSU play, personally) with 4 seniors and a sophomore. Still, shouldn't take all the credit away from Hyde, who I am starting to get on board with as a pretty strong RB prospect in this draft. Interested to see his combine numbers for sure.

 

[lod01]

If Hyde can catch the ball out of the backfield and pick up blitz, he's a top 5 dynasty pick conservatively. Too bad there is not a lot of data on that. When you have a turd like their QB was, dump offs to the RB are replaced with 'let me run the ball myself'

 

[Faust]

Kelvin Benjamin embraces comparisons to Calvin Johnson

By Dan Greenspan

College Football 24/7 writer

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- When you are 6-foot-5 and 234 pounds like Florida State wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, comparisons to Calvin Johnson are unavoidable.

"When I first came out of high school, they were like you could be a baby MegaTron," Benjamin said. "I always looked up to him."

Like Johnson, Benjamin is a captivating physical presence. As Seminoles players filed in for media day ahead of Monday's BCS championship game against Auburn, all eyes were inevitably drawn to him.

Benjamin's hands are enormous, making it easy to see how he swallowed up a team-leading 14 touchdown receptions this season. As fellow wide receiver Rashad Greene said, "I told him, 'Man, your hands are like bigger than my whole head.'"

Add in his "sneaky speed," as Benjamin describes it, it is easy to see why the redshirt sophomore could be the next underclassman wide receiver to join what is quickly becoming one of the deepest positions in the 2014 NFL Draft.

But that opportunity came only after Benjamin started putting together the consistency to match his abilities. Benjamin closed the season with 14 receptions for 341 yards and five touchdowns against rival Florida and in the ACC championship game.

"That's something I had to grow up out of," Benjamin said. "On every play I just go hard because that post route might open up a route for Kenny or Rashad. It's just going out there and not playing selfish basically."

Benjamin said he, like every other Florida State player College Football 24/7 has spoken with this week, has yet to receive his grade from the draft evaluation board. Once he does, Benjamin will "talk it over as a family." Head coach Jimbo Fisher, whom Benjamin describes as a "father figure," will be included in the discussions.

With that skill set and plenty more links to Johnson sure to come, Benjamin could continue his dramatic rise.

Said Florida State linebacker Telvin Smith: "And he's just now starting, so if he keep going, there's no telling where he could up end at."

That sentiment is exactly why Benjamin will be so intriguing to scouts.

Follow Dan Greenspan on Twitter @DanGreenspan.

 

[aggs]

Any news on Jay Ajayi? Would love another capable RB in this rookie class.

 

[Black]

Ended up with 2,3,4,12 in the first round. And 15 overall as well. Don't really need WRs or QBs

Not sure where I'm thinking yet.

draft bpa then trade from strength if you end up with too many.

Not sure that's always the correct strategy. Some leagues have very few trades because all the other owners just want to rape trades. So you can lose value in the draft, you can lose value in a trade, or you can lose value having 2 WR1's on your bench.

not going bpa and drafting need is how you end up with Beanie Wells instead of Dez Bryant.

Agree...forget about position and if you have another player from same team...things change quickly.

The only reason I might diverge from that is in smaller leagues (10 team) that start only one QB and one TE. I would value WR/RB more in that scenario.

 

[Faust]

2014 NFL Draft: Baylor RB Lache Seastrunk joining NFL party

By Derek Harper | The Sports Xchange/CBSSports.com

January 6, 2014 5:09 pm ET

Baylor's undersized but explosive mighty-might junior Lache Seastrunk is the latest running back to announce he will enter the 2014 NFL Draft.

Seastrunk, 5-feet-9 and 210 pounds, is the No. 4-rated running back and No. 62 prospect overall for this year's draft, according to NFLDraftScout.com ratings. He rushed for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Bears this season.

NFLDraftScout.com Analyst Dane Brugler sees Seastrunk as a low-to-the-ground runner with "terrific balance and sharp start/stop action." While his athleticism is obvious, so, too, are Seastrunk's limitations due to his size. He also lacks ideal vision and often struggled against Baylor's top competition.

"Playing in the NFL has been a lifelong dream of mine, and I'm fully prepared to the next step toward realizing that goal, Seastrunk said in a statement to Yahoo! Sports. "I'm excited for the opportunity to compete in the NFL draft process. I look forward to giving teams every ounce of energy I've got and proving to them that I'm a good person, a relentless competitor, and a great player too."

This year's running back class doesn't include any slam dunk first-round prospects, with Arizona junior Ka'Deem Carey (No. 42 overall) currently the top-rated prospect at the position, followed by juniors Tre Mason of Auburn (No. 48), Washington's Bishop Sankey (No. 53) and Seastrunk. Mason has yet to announce his decision.

However, three prospects with late-round grades have thrown their hats into the ring. UCF's Storm Johnson announced on Monday he will skip his senior season, a day after Oregon's undersized but explosive De'Anthony Thomas said he will also enter the 2014 draft.

UAB's Darrin Reaves also will forego his senior season despite being the No. 47-rated running back for 2015 and a fringe draft prospect this year. He leaves third in school history with 2,337 career rushing yards and 30 touchdowns.

"I feel like I am ready to take the next step in my life," Reaves said. "This is something I've been thinking about for a long time. I went to church and the pastor said, ‘to start new adventures and be strong and courageous and to follow God's plan.'

"I feel like playing in the NFL is part of God's plan. I talked to my family a lot about this and came to my decision to put my name in for the draft.

"I want to thank all the coaches I have had over my three years at UAB, and also want to thank (Athletic Director) Brian Mackin, for allowing me the chance to play at a great university. It has been a blessing and a great experience to play for my hometown team in Birmingham, but now I feel like it's time to take another step in my career."

 

[lod01]

5'-9" is not undersized. it is perfect sized. It's Emmitt Smith size.

 

[Milkman]

Man these vision questions about Seastrunk have me worried. I mean if Seastrunk struggles finding the holes to run through it won't matter how fast he is. I'm not sure coaching can fix bad vision either. I would like somebody that questions his vision to show on tape where he's leaving yards on the field.

 

[ratbast]

The RBs seem to be catching the pre-draft downplay similar to last year. Opportunity can go a long way.

 

[Faust]

NFL Prospect Focus: Davante Adams and Paul Richardson

 

[Andrew74]

5'9", 210 doesn't seem small to me.

 

[Vincesanity]

Well Tre Mason caught a squirrel with his bare hands, someone needs to equate that.

 

[coolnerd]

The RBs seem to be catching the pre-draft downplay similar to last year. Opportunity can go a long way.

it not as bad a class as this board thinks, it just harder to evaluate than we want it to be.

1) the guys with seemingly everything Hyde and Hill are knuckleheads

2) there are at least 5 and maybe up to 7-8 5'9-5'10 200-210 RBs who all have been productive, but have issue in either pure measurable talent or football skill.

3) other dudes West, Storm, sims, who have have NFl talents, but have questions about levels of competition, etc

 

[Brewtown]

The RBs seem to be catching the pre-draft downplay similar to last year. Opportunity can go a long way.

it not as bad a class as this board thinks, it just harder to evaluate than we want it to be.1) the guys with seemingly everything Hyde and Hill are knuckleheads

2) there are at least 5 and maybe up to 7-8 5'9-5'10 200-210 RBs who all have been productive, but have issue in either pure measurable talent or football skill.

3) other dudes West, Storm, sims, who have have NFl talents, but have questions about levels of competition, etc

I agree with you coolnerd. I like this class better than last years by a long shot....

Now would I trade Eddie Lacy for the #1 pick in this years rookie draft?? NO.

Would I trade Bernard for the same?? Probably not?? Maybe..

LeVeon Bell?? Probably not?? Maybe...

Monte Ball- yes I would trade him for this years #1

I was not high on any of these guys last year.... I would have taken Bernard with the #1 pick last year. I think last years class pleasantly surprised people. I think many of this years class will do the same. This years class is more talented, and much deeper too.

 

[Slapdash]

The RBs seem to be catching the pre-draft downplay similar to last year. Opportunity can go a long way.

Opportunity is what beat down a lot of the class last year.

 

[32 Counter Pass]

Rotoworld:

Former director of college scouting Greg Gabriel believes it would be a major mistake for a team to select UCF redshirt junior QB Blake Bortles in the first-round.

"I'll predict right now if Bortles comes out and goes in (the first-round) the HC and GM will be fired within three years," Gabriel tweeted. "People are falling in love with Bortles arm and athleticism. When you just look at that you will screwed. Think Boller, Gabbert." The major difference we see with Bortles and the two listed quarterbacks is strong pocket movement. Bortles does fall away from some passes and his footwork needs improvement, but we don't think he is a "manufactured" talent like the other two.

Source: Greg Gabriel on Twitter

The difference between Bortles and guys like Boller and Gabbert is Bortles has actually been a very productive college QB, whereas Boller and Gabbert's statistics sucked even in college. I don't know enough about Bortles to be convinced he definitely won't be a bust, but I'm convinced he's not obviously going to bust like I was about Boller/Gabbert/Tannehill.

It is amazing how many turds you can avoid just by passing on "project" QBs with shoddy college stats. The NFL still has a huge blind spot for unproductive QBs with "all the tools" and just about none of those guys have worked out in recent years. Gabbert, Boller, and Locker are shining examples.

I have not seen enough of Bortles to have a concrete opinion yet, but I've read up on him a little bit and I did catch some of his bowl game this year. He seems like a guy with the right mental makeup to be successful. Poised and confident. Like Johnny Manziel, he might be OVER-confident, but I'd rather take that than someone who's going to wilt under pressure. Give him some time to iron out the kinks and my hunch is that he'll at least be a decent player ala Cutler and Flacco.

Yup. Having great college production definitely doesn't guarantee a QB is going to be a stud in the NFL, but I'd say it's definitely a minimum requirement. As a QB, if you can't put up great numbers in college, you aren't going to be able to put up great numbers in the NFL.

Two words: Tom Brady

 

[Time Kibitzer]

Rotoworld:

Former director of college scouting Greg Gabriel believes it would be a major mistake for a team to select UCF redshirt junior QB Blake Bortles in the first-round.

"I'll predict right now if Bortles comes out and goes in (the first-round) the HC and GM will be fired within three years," Gabriel tweeted. "People are falling in love with Bortles arm and athleticism. When you just look at that you will screwed. Think Boller, Gabbert." The major difference we see with Bortles and the two listed quarterbacks is strong pocket movement. Bortles does fall away from some passes and his footwork needs improvement, but we don't think he is a "manufactured" talent like the other two.

Source: Greg Gabriel on Twitter

The difference between Bortles and guys like Boller and Gabbert is Bortles has actually been a very productive college QB, whereas Boller and Gabbert's statistics sucked even in college. I don't know enough about Bortles to be convinced he definitely won't be a bust, but I'm convinced he's not obviously going to bust like I was about Boller/Gabbert/Tannehill.

It is amazing how many turds you can avoid just by passing on "project" QBs with shoddy college stats. The NFL still has a huge blind spot for unproductive QBs with "all the tools" and just about none of those guys have worked out in recent years. Gabbert, Boller, and Locker are shining examples.

I have not seen enough of Bortles to have a concrete opinion yet, but I've read up on him a little bit and I did catch some of his bowl game this year. He seems like a guy with the right mental makeup to be successful. Poised and confident. Like Johnny Manziel, he might be OVER-confident, but I'd rather take that than someone who's going to wilt under pressure. Give him some time to iron out the kinks and my hunch is that he'll at least be a decent player ala Cutler and Flacco.

Yup. Having great college production definitely doesn't guarantee a QB is going to be a stud in the NFL, but I'd say it's definitely a minimum requirement. As a QB, if you can't put up great numbers in college, you aren't going to be able to put up great numbers in the NFL.

Two words: Tom Brady

Eh, I'm pretty sure every single fantasy player on earth didn't think Tom Brady of 2000 would become the Tom Brady of 2013. I only missed out on the same thing every single other fantasy player missed out on.

 

[coolnerd]

Tom Brady is so far of an outlier to everything about how to find an NFL QB that he is not worth bringing up. . If you look at the last 15 years of drafting most 6th round QBs are not even 3rd QBs for more than a year or two. if you go to the richest part of wherever you live, and find a dude who won the lottery and has the finest wife in the community, that essentially is what Brady is in NFL terms.

 

[BigTex]

Man these vision questions about Seastrunk have me worried. I mean if Seastrunk struggles finding the holes to run through it won't matter how fast he is. I'm not sure coaching can fix bad vision either. I would like somebody that questions his vision to show on tape where he's leaving yards on the field.

I'm not worried what so ever. I've seen enough games to perfectly happy with him.

 

[EBF]

Tom Brady is so far of an outlier to everything about how to find an NFL QB that he is not worth bringing up. . If you look at the last 15 years of drafting most 6th round QBs are not even 3rd QBs for more than a year or two. if you go to the richest part of wherever you live, and find a dude who won the lottery and has the finest wife in the community, that essentially is what Brady is in NFL terms.

He also wasn't that bad of a college QB. His stats aren't great, but two consecutive seasons of 60%+ completions, 7.5 YPA, and a pretty decent TD:INT ratio.

Nothing about his college career screamed NFL stardom, but it's not like he was Charie Whitehurst (6.3 career YPA and 49 TDs::46 INTs).

 

[Alex P Keaton]

The RBs seem to be catching the pre-draft downplay similar to last year. Opportunity can go a long way.

it not as bad a class as this board thinks, it just harder to evaluate than we want it to be.1) the guys with seemingly everything Hyde and Hill are knuckleheads

2) there are at least 5 and maybe up to 7-8 5'9-5'10 200-210 RBs who all have been productive, but have issue in either pure measurable talent or football skill.

3) other dudes West, Storm, sims, who have have NFl talents, but have questions about levels of competition, etc

I agree with you coolnerd. I like this class better than last years by a long shot....

Now would I trade Eddie Lacy for the #1 pick in this years rookie draft?? NO.

Would I trade Bernard for the same?? Probably not?? Maybe..

LeVeon Bell?? Probably not?? Maybe...

Monte Ball- yes I would trade him for this years #1

I was not high on any of these guys last year.... I would have taken Bernard with the #1 pick last year. I think last years class pleasantly surprised people. I think many of this years class will do the same. This years class is more talented, and much deeper too.

So wait, just to be clear: you like this class better than last year by a long shot.....but there are anywhere from 1-3 guys last year who you think are worth more than the #1 pick this year. Am assuming you see lots more quality 1st and 2nd rd rookie picks this year then? If not, care to clarify?

 

[Concept Coop]

So wait, just to be clear: you like this class better than last year by a long shot.....but there are anywhere from 1-3 guys last year who you think are worth more than the #1 pick this year. Am assuming you see lots more quality 1st and 2nd rd rookie picks this year then?If not, care to clarify?

He's comparing the classes at this point in the process, without using hindsight.

 

[Brewtown]

So wait, just to be clear: you like this class better than last year by a long shot.....but there are anywhere from 1-3 guys last year who you think are worth more than the #1 pick this year. Am assuming you see lots more quality 1st and 2nd rd rookie picks this year then?

If not, care to clarify?

He's comparing the classes at this point in the process, without using hindsight.

Yes, that was what I was doing. Concept Coop has it right.

Tre Mason and Freeman are both looking great in a big game vs top competition. So many quality options....