***The 2012 NFL Draft - Round 1*** (1 Viewer)

[DesmondBishop]

Love the Nick Perry pick, love high motor guys and that the Pack addressed the biggest need first.

 

[scrumptrulescent]

Love the Nick Perry pick, love high motor guys and that the Pack addressed the biggest need first.

Ted Thompson

 

[EBF]

I disagree. Martin is more instinctive with better vision, elusiveness, and size. "Upside" is not just about speed or combine numbers. Donald Brown was a workout warrior and I never thought he had great upside. Joseph Addai too. And then you have guys like Tatum Bell and Trung Canidate, who had "elite traits" but still sucked big time. Playing RB is a lot more complicated than just running in a straight line.

Wilson to me is a bit of a workout wonder. I know the stats are there as well, but every Hokie RB puts up stats. When I watch Wilson he looks undersized and seems bad at avoiding contact. He is definitely a better athlete than Martin in shorts and a t-shirt, but I don't believe he's a better football player. I even had Lamar Miller rated above Wilson on my two most recent sets of rankings.

I will still put him pretty high in my rankings because of his production/workout numbers/draft pedigree/short-term opportunity, but I will not be getting him in many leagues because I'd rather have a guy like Floyd, Luck, Griffin, or maybe even Wright.

 

[Premier]

Martin sticks his nose in there and kills linebackers. Wilson isn't doing that.

 

[BassNBrew]

Martin sticks his nose in there and kills linebackers. Wilson isn't doing that.

Kinda of hard to do when you're nose is in the secondary heading towards the endzone.

 

[EBF]

Martin sticks his nose in there and kills linebackers. Wilson isn't doing that.

Actually, what really stood out to me about these two is that the opposite is true.Martin doesn't take a lot of huge shots because he's excellent at making subtle movements to avoid contact.Wilson is involved in a lot of big collisions because he's not as quick to react and evade.I think Martin is a true natural RB whereas Wilson is an athlete who happens to play RB, if that makes sense.

 

[Premier]

Martin sticks his nose in there and kills linebackers. Wilson isn't doing that.

Kinda of hard to do when you're nose is in the secondary heading towards the endzone.

Oh ok

 

[Time Kibitzer]

I disagree. Martin is more instinctive with better vision, elusiveness, and size. "Upside" is not just about speed or combine numbers. Donald Brown was a workout warrior and I never thought he had great upside. Joseph Addai too. And then you have guys like Tatum Bell and Trung Canidate, who had "elite traits" but still sucked big time. Playing RB is a lot more complicated than just running in a straight line. Wilson to me is a bit of a workout wonder. I know the stats are there as well, but every Hokie RB puts up stats. When I watch Wilson he looks undersized and seems bad at avoiding contact. He is definitely a better athlete than Martin in shorts and a t-shirt, but I don't believe he's a better football player. I even had Lamar Miller rated above Wilson on my two most recent sets of rankings. I will still put him pretty high in my rankings because of his production/workout numbers/draft pedigree/short-term opportunity, but I will not be getting him in many leagues because I'd rather have a guy like Floyd, Luck, Griffin, or maybe even Wright.

The combine essentially has no affect on my prospect rankings at all, I had Wilson ranked as the 2nd best RB in this draft before the combine, and him tearing up the combine had no impact on my opinion of him at all. I also don't get the "workout warrior" label considering how much Wilson tore it up this past season. You're probably right in that Wilson was too often happy enough to just plough through defenders in college and he won't be able to do that in the NFL so often, but I think he's shown that he's capable of juking defenders when he wants to, and it's nice to know he's got a lot of power in his back pocket when he needs it. What worries me about Doug Martin is that although he's built like a battering ram, he rarely uses his body to break tackles or punish defenders, instead relying on evading defenders, and I'm not sure he has the speed to do that and gain yards on a consistent basis. His production this past year also worries me some, a 4.9 YPC is OK, but considering Boise State has pretty far superior talent to anyone in the MWC (except maybe TCU and Martin didn't play in that game due to injury) I expect better from a 1st round pick, and Martin was quite unimpressive in Boise's one tough OOC game against Georgia.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

Both backs will do well. I trust Wilson more than Martin at this point, mostly due to early opportunity. I think both backs will do well some games and struggle in others. For example, Wilson will eat Philly alive, but he'll have more issues vs. DAL and WASH. Martin will do well vs. NO and ATL but not so much against CAR.

Both are RBBC candidates Year 1. I'd be happy with either RB with a pick in the back half of a rookie draft.

 

[EBF]

What worries me about Doug Martin is that although he's built like a battering ram, he rarely uses his body to break tackles or punish defenders, instead relying on evading defenders

I think that's a strength and not a weakness. Every back has his own style, but in general I think the ability to make subtle movements to avoid big hits and gain extra yardage is one of the hallmark traits of an elite back. Martin's speed is fine for a RB. You don't need to run a 4.3 to play this position. Quickness is more important than raw speed, which is why a guy like LeSean McCoy or Ray Rice can be a great pro back even though they have only average long speed. I have said the same when defending Trent Richardson, who has been criticized by some for similar reasons.

His production this past year also worries me some, a 4.9 YPC is OK, but considering Boise State has pretty far superior talent to anyone in the MWC (except maybe TCU for which Martin didn't play due to injury) I expect better from a 1st round pick, and Martin was quite unimpressive in Boise's one tough OOC game against Georgia.

I watched that game. He played fine, but had no room to run. He's a good back, but he's not Superman.Anyways, I'm not going to debate the point any more. I think it's pretty clear that a lot of people rated Martin highly and I'm excited about what he can do for Tampa. I think he becomes a really good option in both redraft and dynasty formats.

 

[Time Kibitzer]

What worries me about Doug Martin is that although he's built like a battering ram, he rarely uses his body to break tackles or punish defenders, instead relying on evading defenders

I think that's a strength and not a weakness. Every back has his own style, but in general I think the ability to make subtle movements to avoid big hits and gain extra yardage is one of the hallmark traits of an elite back. Martin's speed is fine for a RB. You don't need to run a 4.3 to play this position. Quickness is more important than raw speed, which is why a guy like LeSean McCoy or Ray Rice can be a great pro back even though they have only average long speed. I have said the same when defending Trent Richardson, who has been criticized by some for similar reasons.

His production this past year also worries me some, a 4.9 YPC is OK, but considering Boise State has pretty far superior talent to anyone in the MWC (except maybe TCU for which Martin didn't play due to injury) I expect better from a 1st round pick, and Martin was quite unimpressive in Boise's one tough OOC game against Georgia.

I watched that game. He played fine, but had no room to run. He's a good back, but he's not Superman.Anyways, I'm not going to debate the point any more. I think it's pretty clear that a lot of people rated Martin highly and I'm excited about what he can do for Tampa. I think he becomes a really good option in both redraft and dynasty formats.

What good is fantastic size if you don't use it to your advantage? If subtle movements to avoid big hits and gain extra yardage was enough to be an elite NFL RB, than I'd argue Lamichael James should be a 1st round pick. Martin's speed may generally be fine for a RB, but my worry comes from the thought that I'm not so sure it's fine for a RB who relies on evading defenders to get his yardage. I completely agree that quickness is more important than speed, but I think Richardson and Wilson's quickness is superior to Martins. I realize I'm in the small minority in thinking that Wilson is a superior runningback to Martin, we'll see who was right in the not so distant future.

 

[Mjolnirs]

Does anyone know what the idiots in the balcony were yelling at the same point each time Goodell announced a pick?

 

[EBF]

What good is fantastic size if you don't use it to your advantage? If subtle movements to avoid big hits and gain extra yardage was enough to be an elite NFL RB, than I'd argue Lamichael James should be a 1st round pick. Martin's speed may generally be fine for a RB, but my worry comes from the thought that I'm not so sure it's fine for a RB who relies on evading defenders to get his yardage. I completely agree that quickness is more important than speed, but I think Richardson and Wilson's quickness is superior to Martins.

I think you're missing the point a bit. Martin's running style works on a few different levels. First, he tries to evade. When that doesn't work, he uses his power. There are numerous clips of him bouncing off hits and keeping his balance to gain extra yards. I'm not sure what more you're looking for. Lowering your shoulder and ramming into anyone and everyone who gets in your path is a recipe for a 2 year career. That's not how any of the elite guys play the position.

 

[BigSteelThrill]

Does anyone know what the idiots in the balcony were yelling at the same point each time Goodell announced a pick?

"WHAT!!??"The Stone Cold Steve Austin crowd chant from WWE.

 

[QuizGuy66]

Did they get a shot of Jets fans chanting for Ingram when right before they drafted Coples?

-QG

 

[Time Kibitzer]

What good is fantastic size if you don't use it to your advantage? If subtle movements to avoid big hits and gain extra yardage was enough to be an elite NFL RB, than I'd argue Lamichael James should be a 1st round pick. Martin's speed may generally be fine for a RB, but my worry comes from the thought that I'm not so sure it's fine for a RB who relies on evading defenders to get his yardage. I completely agree that quickness is more important than speed, but I think Richardson and Wilson's quickness is superior to Martins.

I think you're missing the point a bit. Martin's running style works on a few different levels. First, he tries to evade. When that doesn't work, he uses his power.

There are numerous clips of him bouncing off hits and keeping his balance to gain extra yards.

I'm not sure what more you're looking for. Lowering your shoulder and ramming into anyone and everyone who gets in your path is a recipe for a 2 year career. That's not how any of the elite guys play the position.

Of course, I just don't see the yards after contact in Doug Martin's play that is so vital to be a great RB in the NFL. Perhaps I should check youtube again to see if there's any Doug Martin clips that I have missed, but I don't recall seeing him bounce off many tackles.

 

[Abrantes]

Day 1 losers: Titans, Niners, Browns. imho.

RAMSBut I'm sure many won't see it that way.

Not sure how you can possibly see the Rams as day 1 losers, unless you figure that their pick should have been 'WR or bust', and that the only good ones are gone. They turned their second overall pick into Michael Brockers, the 2.07 and 2.13 picks this year and first-round picks in 2013 and 2014. They're in position to address other major needs in round two, and could potentially come out with 4 starters in the first 45 picks.

 

[GroveDiesel]

Day 1 losers: Titans, Niners, Browns. imho.

RAMSBut I'm sure many won't see it that way.

Not sure how you can possibly see the Rams as day 1 losers, unless you figure that their pick should have been 'WR or bust', and that the only good ones are gone. They turned their second overall pick into Michael Brockers, the 2.07 and 2.13 picks this year and first-round picks in 2013 and 2014. They're in position to address other major needs in round two, and could potentially come out with 4 starters in the first 45 picks.

Yup, and with as much talent still available, they can still get some pretty darn good players with all those picks.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

bengals take Zeitler

Fixed.Didn't know Chris Berman was in the thread.They got the guy they clearly preferred (or at least liked enough to risk losing DeCastro), address a crying need and get an extra pick. I'm good with it -QG

Me too. DeCastro is WAY better than Zeitler. Thanks Bengals !

WAY better? Nope. He is really good. Zeitler is not far behind.

Keep telling yourself that. Most scouting services had DeCastro in their top 10 in the entire draft, Zeitler ranked anywhere from the 30s to the 50s. Bengals really blew that one.

 

[jsharlan]

Both backs will do well. I trust Wilson more than Martin at this point, mostly due to early opportunity. I think both backs will do well some games and struggle in others. For example, Wilson will eat Philly alive, but he'll have more issues vs. DAL and WASH. Martin will do well vs. NO and ATL but not so much against CAR.Both are RBBC candidates Year 1. I'd be happy with either RB with a pick in the back half of a rookie draft.

Back half of a rookie round? I can't fathom how Martin will make it past 1.04 at the latest. Does Blount realistically steal much when he can't block and isn't a good receiver? I think Martin has more opportunity than Wilson does in NY short of Bradshaw getting hurt.

 

[Mjolnirs]

Does anyone know what the idiots in the balcony were yelling at the same point each time Goodell announced a pick?

"WHAT!!??"The Stone Cold Steve Austin crowd chant from WWE.

Thanks.

 

[smackdaddies]

bungals take Zeitler

Fixed.Didn't know Chris Berman was in the thread.

They got the guy they clearly preferred (or at least liked enough to risk losing DeCastro), address a crying need and get an extra pick. I'm good with it

-QG

Me too. DeCastro is WAY better than Zeitler. Thanks Bengals !

WAY better? Nope. He is really good. Zeitler is not far behind.

Zeitler is a great pick for the bungles. And it is the bungles. Dre Kirkpatrick? Really? Because the Bungels don't have enough stoners on the roster? Lets face it, the Bungels are the Bungels.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

bungals take Zeitler

Fixed.Didn't know Chris Berman was in the thread.

They got the guy they clearly preferred (or at least liked enough to risk losing DeCastro), address a crying need and get an extra pick. I'm good with it

-QG

Me too. DeCastro is WAY better than Zeitler. Thanks Bengals !

WAY better? Nope. He is really good. Zeitler is not far behind.

Zeitler is a great pick for the bungles. And it is the bungles. Dre Kirkpatrick? Really? Because the Bungels don't have enough stoners on the roster? Lets face it, the Bungels are the Bungels.

Zeitler was a fair pick. He should be able to start quickly, and will likely be an average to slightly above average starting G for the next 5-10 years. Exactly what I said about him when the Steelers were projected to take him, so this isn't revisionist history.DeCastro is a potential HOFer in the Faneca/Hutchinson mold. Day 1 starter, possible 5-10 time Pro Bowler. HE would have been a great pick, and I would have been insanely jealous. I literally cannot believe he fell to #24.

 

[The_Man]

Day 1 losers: Titans, Niners, Browns. imho.

RAMSBut I'm sure many won't see it that way.

Not sure how you can possibly see the Rams as day 1 losers, unless you figure that their pick should have been 'WR or bust', and that the only good ones are gone. They turned their second overall pick into Michael Brockers, the 2.07 and 2.13 picks this year and first-round picks in 2013 and 2014. They're in position to address other major needs in round two, and could potentially come out with 4 starters in the first 45 picks.

Yup, and with as much talent still available, they can still get some pretty darn good players with all those picks.

With 3 of the next 13 picks, Rams could still be a winner. I loved what they were doing until they - IMO - reached for Brockers. They can still have a very good draft though.Word is that Baltimore might trade back again if the market for WR Hill and CB Jenkins really heats up.

Interesting that in a draft considered to be better for depth, rather than for a lot of elite talent at the top, a lot of the teams with 2 second-round picks today are among those considered to be the best-run: Patriots, Eagles, Ravens, plus Rams and Broncos.

Conversely, teams with no second-rounders, well.... : Redskins, Raiders, Cowboys (though I love their move to get the #6), Cardinals, Saints, and then Bucs and Vikings who moved up to the very end of Round 1 yesterday to use what were essentially today's second-round picks.

 

[SeniorVBDStudent]

Hey, Ive got a great idea. Let's let DeCastro fall to the Steelers. Idiots. Better prospect than Alan Faneca at this point in his career per nflnetwork pundits.

Ditto Reiff to the Lions.

Of course I'd like to thank the collective schmucks for letting Jones and Hightower slip into the Dark Lord's hands.

Horrible: Niners, Seahags, Giants

Props: Bucs, Panthers, Vikings, Rams (minority opinion, but this was a relatively weak first round class imo).

Honorable Mention: Cowgirls, Jaguars

The Jaguars pick somewhat deflates a lot of the relocation conspiracy theories here in Jacksonville. For now. Lol.

 

[scrumptrulescent]

DeCastro is a potential HOFer in the Faneca/Hutchinson mold. Day 1 starter, possible 5-10 time Pro Bowler. HE would have been a great pick, and I would have been insanely jealous. I literally cannot believe he fell to #24.

Get carried away much?

 

[BigSteelThrill]

DeCastro is a potential HOFer in the Faneca/Hutchinson mold. Day 1 starter, possible 5-10 time Pro Bowler. HE would have been a great pick, and I would have been insanely jealous. I literally cannot believe he fell to #24.

Get carried away much?

He is just repeating what most every pre-draft insider was stating.

 

[sho nuff]

DeCastro is a potential HOFer in the Faneca/Hutchinson mold. Day 1 starter, possible 5-10 time Pro Bowler. HE would have been a great pick, and I would have been insanely jealous. I literally cannot believe he fell to #24.

Get carried away much?

He is just repeating what most every pre-draft insider was stating.

Really...most everyone of them were calling him a potential HOFer?WWhat were actual scouts and NFL personnel guys saying?

Because if they were all saying potential HOFer too...and let him slide that far...they would get fired.

I like the pick and he is a great prospect...but yes, calling him a potential HOFer is getting a bit carried away.

 

[BigSteelThrill]

DeCastro is a potential HOFer in the Faneca/Hutchinson mold. Day 1 starter, possible 5-10 time Pro Bowler. HE would have been a great pick, and I would have been insanely jealous. I literally cannot believe he fell to #24.

Get carried away much?

He is just repeating what most every pre-draft insider was stating.

Really...most everyone of them were calling him a potential HOFer?WWhat were actual scouts and NFL personnel guys saying?

Because if they were all saying potential HOFer too...and let him slide that far...they would get fired.

I like the pick and he is a great prospect...but yes, calling him a potential HOFer is getting a bit carried away.

Yes, go ahead and do a Decastro search right here at FBG, put in a date that is from Jan2011 to March2012.Enjoy the read.

*Im not saying the insiders were not wrong, they may have been wrong. But they were also saying it all over the place.

 

[shader]

DeCastro is a potential HOFer in the Faneca/Hutchinson mold. Day 1 starter, possible 5-10 time Pro Bowler. HE would have been a great pick, and I would have been insanely jealous. I literally cannot believe he fell to #24.

Get carried away much?

He is just repeating what most every pre-draft insider was stating.

Really...most everyone of them were calling him a potential HOFer?WWhat were actual scouts and NFL personnel guys saying?

Because if they were all saying potential HOFer too...and let him slide that far...they would get fired.

I like the pick and he is a great prospect...but yes, calling him a potential HOFer is getting a bit carried away.

He's a guard

 

[sho nuff]

DeCastro is a potential HOFer in the Faneca/Hutchinson mold. Day 1 starter, possible 5-10 time Pro Bowler. HE would have been a great pick, and I would have been insanely jealous. I literally cannot believe he fell to #24.

Get carried away much?

He is just repeating what most every pre-draft insider was stating.

Really...most everyone of them were calling him a potential HOFer?WWhat were actual scouts and NFL personnel guys saying?

Because if they were all saying potential HOFer too...and let him slide that far...they would get fired.

I like the pick and he is a great prospect...but yes, calling him a potential HOFer is getting a bit carried away.

He's a guard

But come on...potential HOFer....guard or not.As I said...great prospect...great pick...but it was a bit over the top.

 

[encaitar]

DeCastro is a potential HOFer in the Faneca/Hutchinson mold. Day 1 starter, possible 5-10 time Pro Bowler. HE would have been a great pick, and I would have been insanely jealous. I literally cannot believe he fell to #24.

Get carried away much?

He is just repeating what most every pre-draft insider was stating.

Really...most everyone of them were calling him a potential HOFer?WWhat were actual scouts and NFL personnel guys saying?

Because if they were all saying potential HOFer too...and let him slide that far...they would get fired.

I like the pick and he is a great prospect...but yes, calling him a potential HOFer is getting a bit carried away.

He's a guard

But come on...potential HOFer....guard or not.As I said...great prospect...great pick...but it was a bit over the top.

???? Apparently you don't get how little value teams place on guards. Steve Hutchinson was considered possibly the best guard prospect in 20 years, yet he fell until 17th in 2001. And the scouts were pretty accurate in their assessment of him. People who were calling DeCastro a top 10 talent weren't being facetious. It's just that interior O-line never gets drafted high. Zeitler is good, but isn't even on the same wavelength as DeCastro with regards to talent.

 

[The_Man]

DeCastro is a potential HOFer in the Faneca/Hutchinson mold. Day 1 starter, possible 5-10 time Pro Bowler. HE would have been a great pick, and I would have been insanely jealous. I literally cannot believe he fell to #24.

Get carried away much?

He is just repeating what most every pre-draft insider was stating.

Really...most everyone of them were calling him a potential HOFer?WWhat were actual scouts and NFL personnel guys saying?

Because if they were all saying potential HOFer too...and let him slide that far...they would get fired.

I like the pick and he is a great prospect...but yes, calling him a potential HOFer is getting a bit carried away.

He's a guard

But come on...potential HOFer....guard or not.As I said...great prospect...great pick...but it was a bit over the top.

Over the top? Not for Evil Grin.According to him, Ward, Roethlisberger, Polamalu, Harrison, and Hampton are all HOF-bound.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

DeCastro is a potential HOFer in the Faneca/Hutchinson mold. Day 1 starter, possible 5-10 time Pro Bowler. HE would have been a great pick, and I would have been insanely jealous. I literally cannot believe he fell to #24.

Get carried away much?

He is just repeating what most every pre-draft insider was stating.

Really...most everyone of them were calling him a potential HOFer?WWhat were actual scouts and NFL personnel guys saying?

Because if they were all saying potential HOFer too...and let him slide that far...they would get fired.

I like the pick and he is a great prospect...but yes, calling him a potential HOFer is getting a bit carried away.

He's a guard

But come on...potential HOFer....guard or not.As I said...great prospect...great pick...but it was a bit over the top.

Over the top? Not for Evil Grin.According to him, Ward, Roethlisberger, Polamalu, Harrison, and Hampton are all HOF-bound.

That was a joke (but I do think Ward, Polamalu, and Roethlisberger are good candidates.)

I have yet to see an assessment of DeCastro that doesn't include the projection of : "perennial Pro Bowler." He's been compared to Faneca, Wisniewski, and Hutchinson, all 3 of whom are likely to end up in the HOF.

You never know what injuries will befall someone, but this kid probably has the best chance of being an all-time great of any player in this draft except for Luck.

1) Highest effective blocking grade in Pac-12 history (since tracking began in 1985.)

2) Super-intelligent. DeCastro was very impressive at the Scouting Combine. Whenever he was interviewed, he was able to go up to the white board and draw up the Stanford offense like he was quarterback Andrew Luck. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” one head coach told me. “He drew up all of their favorite plays and explained what Luck was looking at on every play.”

3) Led all OL in the three-cone drill at the combine, and was top 3 in vertical leap, bench press, and shuttle. Tremendous athlete - strong AND fast.

4) Plays with a distinct mean streak.

He's literally got it all. He was one of two dream picks I had for the Steelers - Kuechly being the other. I like those two guys better than Kalil, RG3, Richardson, Claiborne - everyone but Luck.

 

[The_Man]

DeCastro is a potential HOFer in the Faneca/Hutchinson mold. Day 1 starter, possible 5-10 time Pro Bowler. HE would have been a great pick, and I would have been insanely jealous. I literally cannot believe he fell to #24.

Get carried away much?

He is just repeating what most every pre-draft insider was stating.

Really...most everyone of them were calling him a potential HOFer?WWhat were actual scouts and NFL personnel guys saying?

Because if they were all saying potential HOFer too...and let him slide that far...they would get fired.

I like the pick and he is a great prospect...but yes, calling him a potential HOFer is getting a bit carried away.

He's a guard

But come on...potential HOFer....guard or not.As I said...great prospect...great pick...but it was a bit over the top.

Over the top? Not for Evil Grin.According to him, Ward, Roethlisberger, Polamalu, Harrison, and Hampton are all HOF-bound.

That was a joke (but I do think Ward, Polamalu, and Roethlisberger are good candidates.)

I know I'm so bitter about how yesterday went for the Ravens - to have DeCastro get so close, only to go to PITT, followed by Hightower - going to NE - it stunk. I think DeCastro is a top 10 talent and the only reason he fell is that people undervalue Guards. It's so stupid to me - why not take a guy you know will be a perennial Pro Bowler, in favor of gambling on some guy who might very well end up being mediocre?

 

[Evilgrin 72]

DeCastro is a potential HOFer in the Faneca/Hutchinson mold. Day 1 starter, possible 5-10 time Pro Bowler. HE would have been a great pick, and I would have been insanely jealous. I literally cannot believe he fell to #24.

Get carried away much?

He is just repeating what most every pre-draft insider was stating.

Really...most everyone of them were calling him a potential HOFer?WWhat were actual scouts and NFL personnel guys saying?

Because if they were all saying potential HOFer too...and let him slide that far...they would get fired.

I like the pick and he is a great prospect...but yes, calling him a potential HOFer is getting a bit carried away.

He's a guard

But come on...potential HOFer....guard or not.As I said...great prospect...great pick...but it was a bit over the top.

Over the top? Not for Evil Grin.According to him, Ward, Roethlisberger, Polamalu, Harrison, and Hampton are all HOF-bound.

That was a joke (but I do think Ward, Polamalu, and Roethlisberger are good candidates.)

I know I'm so bitter about how yesterday went for the Ravens - to have DeCastro get so close, only to go to PITT, followed by Hightower - going to NE - it stunk. I think DeCastro is a top 10 talent and the only reason he fell is that people undervalue Guards. It's so stupid to me - why not take a guy you know will be a perennial Pro Bowler, in favor of gambling on some guy who might very well end up being mediocre?

Couldn't agree more. but that's why teams like Pittsburgh, New England, Baltimore, Green Bay - who seem to be the only teams that have figured this out - are good every frigging year. Let's keep it quiet.

 

[sho nuff]

Couldn't agree more. but that's why teams like Pittsburgh, New England, Baltimore, Green Bay - who seem to be the only teams that have figured this out - are good every frigging year. Let's keep it quiet.

GB did not value them that much though.Thompson's first moves were letting Rivera (overpaid by Dallas) and Mike Wahle go.Replaced them with crap for a while.Muddled along with Daryn Colledge for a bit til letting him walk last year.Hit big with Sitton and then Lang stepped in for Colledge last year and it worked out.

 

[The_Man]

DeCastro is a potential HOFer in the Faneca/Hutchinson mold. Day 1 starter, possible 5-10 time Pro Bowler. HE would have been a great pick, and I would have been insanely jealous. I literally cannot believe he fell to #24.

Get carried away much?

He is just repeating what most every pre-draft insider was stating.

Really...most everyone of them were calling him a potential HOFer?WWhat were actual scouts and NFL personnel guys saying?

Because if they were all saying potential HOFer too...and let him slide that far...they would get fired.

I like the pick and he is a great prospect...but yes, calling him a potential HOFer is getting a bit carried away.

He's a guard

But come on...potential HOFer....guard or not.As I said...great prospect...great pick...but it was a bit over the top.

Over the top? Not for Evil Grin.According to him, Ward, Roethlisberger, Polamalu, Harrison, and Hampton are all HOF-bound.

That was a joke (but I do think Ward, Polamalu, and Roethlisberger are good candidates.)

I know I'm so bitter about how yesterday went for the Ravens - to have DeCastro get so close, only to go to PITT, followed by Hightower - going to NE - it stunk. I think DeCastro is a top 10 talent and the only reason he fell is that people undervalue Guards. It's so stupid to me - why not take a guy you know will be a perennial Pro Bowler, in favor of gambling on some guy who might very well end up being mediocre?

Couldn't agree more. but that's why teams like Pittsburgh, New England, Baltimore, Green Bay - who seem to be the only teams that have figured this out - are good every frigging year. Let's keep it quiet.

When you look at the Ravens history of draft excellence, it's not like they've uncovered hidden gems. For the most part, they've just picked the very good players that have inexplicably fallen into their lap. A couple years ago, I heard the Ravens' #2 front office guy (Eric DeCosta) talking about the analysis Baltimore did on picks #24-32 in the draft, to see what positions selected in this range resulted in the highest, and lowest, success rate. He said that the position most prone to busting in this range -- by far -- is wide receiver. He went on to say that the positions with the highest success rate in this range are Center, Guard, Safety, Tight End, and Inside Linebacker. Not coincidentally, the Ravens have drafted Ben Grubbs, Ed Reed, Todd Heap, and Ray Lewis in this range, and that's why it was so painful to see two guards (DeCastro and Zeitler) and the ILB Hightower get picked right before them here.

DeCosta said these positions don't tend to go as high as some of the "skill" positions, and that you almost always end up with a good player if you draft the first guy taken at a particular position. For example, the Ravens have twice selected the first Fullback taken in the draft in recent years and they've both been very good players -- Ovie Mughelli and LeRon McClain. Grubbs, Reed, and Heap were all the first player at their position taken in the years the Ravens drafted them. His quote for the year I heard him interviewed was: when you can get the best Tight End in Brandon Pettigrew, or the fifth best tackle in Eben Britton, you take Pettigrew. That turned out to be a good call.

 

[bshipper]

You never know what injuries will befall someone, but this kid probably has the best chance of being an all-time great of any player in this draft except for Luck.

1) Highest effective blocking grade in Pac-12 history (since tracking began in 1985.)

2) Super-intelligent. DeCastro was very impressive at the Scouting Combine. Whenever he was interviewed, he was able to go up to the white board and draw up the Stanford offense like he was quarterback Andrew Luck. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” one head coach told me. “He drew up all of their favorite plays and explained what Luck was looking at on every play.”

3) Led all OL in the three-cone drill at the combine, and was top 3 in vertical leap, bench press, and shuttle. Tremendous athlete - strong AND fast.

4) Plays with a distinct mean streak.

He's literally got it all. He was one of two dream picks I had for the Steelers - Kuechly being the other. I like those two guys better than Kalil, RG3, Richardson, Claiborne - everyone but Luck.

Just to compare Zeitler to DeCastro. Lots of hype on DeCastro out of the Pac 12 for people who may not have seen much of Zeitler in the Big 10. Remember, there is a big reason why Ball scored so many TDs last year.- 97.23% blocking grade in 2011, never allowed a sack

- reportedly scored a 33 on the Wonderlic, above 3 GPA

- faster 40-yard dash, better broad jump, same vertical, 2 fewer reps (32 vs 34)

I was hoping the Bengals would get him with their 2nd round pick, so this was a little earlier than I had hoped. However, it looks like he was on the radar of teams like BAL, so I doubt he would have made it. Doesn't hurt to get an additional pick as well, assuming we don't waste it.