DoleINGout Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 (edited) 15 hours ago, Tugboat said: Yeah. It definitely feels like some revisionist history going on, to suggest Evans was a real polished receiver coming out. He was super raw and one-note as a prospect. How quickly and how well he took to all sorts of other things at the NFL level was huge, but not necessarily a slam dunk projection. Being NFL-ready and polished are two different descriptions to me. I always saw Mike Evans as the guy who translates to the NFL and a huge reason for Johnny Manziel’s success at Texas A&M. Compared to Brian Thomas Jr. I think Mike Evans was more polished in key areas coming out of college and transitioning to the NFL. Today it may not matter as much how polished a guy is if they’re going to a place that emphasizes motion and puts their main receiver off the LOS, but when Evans started that scheming was less prevalent. Edited February 23 by DoleINGout Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeT14 Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 Doing some looky-loos at WRs. The later Day 2 to middle round "YMMV" decisions for some of these guys is going to be very interesting. Like where do you all have these two ranked round wise and overall? JERMAINE BURTON, ALABAMA BRENDEN RICE, USC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldfishwars Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 27 minutes ago, MikeT14 said: Doing some looky-loos at WRs. The later Day 2 to middle round "YMMV" decisions for some of these guys is going to be very interesting. Like where do you all have these two ranked round wise and overall? JERMAINE BURTON, ALABAMA BRENDEN RICE, USC Burton can absolutely fly, a real vertical weapon. I think he could go round 2, would be a steal in the 3rd. A few troublesome character concerns to work with, though. Don’t know what to do with Rice, because every time he’s pressed he can’t make a play. He’s a bit of a lumberer/contested catch merchant. Wouldn’t touch him until day three - but he’s a good blocker, if you like that sort of thing. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldfishwars Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tugboat Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 14 hours ago, DoleINGout said: Being NFL-ready and polished are two different descriptions to me. I always saw Mike Evans as the guy who translates to the NFL and a huge reason for Johnny Manziel’s success at Texas A&M. Compared to Brian Thomas Jr. I think Mike Evans was more polished in key areas coming out of college and transitioning to the NFL. Today it may not matter as much how polished a guy is if they’re going to a place that emphasizes motion and puts their main receiver off the LOS, but when Evans started that scheming was less prevalent. That's fair, and i do agree that there's a bit of a difference between "polished" and "NFL ready". Especially these days. I don't think Brian Thomas Jr is particularly polished at all, but neither was Evans coming out. In large part, due to how goofy that Manziel "backyard football" nonsense offense was in the first place. I liked Evans a lot and he had obviously projectable skills that showed through even when the offense was basically half made up 90% of the time. But that also meant that he wasn't at all polished as a prospect coming out, and for me, that inherently carries a lot of questions about how "NFL ready" a prospect is. When the scheme is wonky and the polish isn't there, it's a lot of squinting and trying to project how things are going to translate in terms of "NFL Ready". It's hard to solidly project something that you're not really shown on tape. It's guessing and projecting. Brian Thomas Jr. definitely has a lot of that involved too. Where it's a real mystery, what he'll be like if you ask him to be a more well-rounded, versatile WR running a more extensive and diversified tree. 10 hours ago, MikeT14 said: Doing some looky-loos at WRs. The later Day 2 to middle round "YMMV" decisions for some of these guys is going to be very interesting. Like where do you all have these two ranked round wise and overall? JERMAINE BURTON, ALABAMA BRENDEN RICE, USC I actually like Burton a fair bit. I have some reservations with him, about why he's not more of a factor more consistently. You see the flashes and think, "this is a 1st round caliber receiver". But then there's also so much just...absolute nothing. Where he's not just invisible, he's completely blanked and a total non-factor. But there's a lot to like there as a Day2 flyer. Brenden Rice, i just don't really care for at all. He's just so ponderous and robotic to me. Just doesn't feel like a ~natural~ receiver. It's strange considering the bloodlines/pedigree there, but he comes across as a guy who is just sort of focused on doing "technically" the right things. But in a way that is extremely telegraphed and stiff. He's a Day 3 flyer for me. Where you go, "well...he's got some decent tools and HoF heritage...it's Day 3, why not i guess?" Just doesn't really create the sort of separation with any consistency, that i think would translate to the Pros. And doesn't really have that fight in him to win that way either, against better DBs at the next level. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TVScout Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 23 hours ago, MikeT14 said: BRENDEN RICE, USC Under rated. Better prospect than Keon. Rice cam plant that foot and make the sharp cut. Runs the route tree, Catches everything. After the catch he turns on the jets and leaves the DBs in the dust. Coleman catches everything too but doesn't accelerate after the catch. Elusive more than fast. Struggles to run crisp routes. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicfre2011 Posted February 24 Author Share Posted February 24 (edited) I want to circle back to Xavier Worthy. Years ago Desean Jackson seemed like an outlier as far as slender build WRs being able to make an impact in the NFL, but I am wondering if more recent players like (just off the top of my head and not all inclusive) Marquise Brown, DeVonte Smith and especially after last years draft with Jordan Addison, Zay Flowers, Josh Downs, Tank Dell, Marvin Mims, and Tyler Scott - is Worthy's slight build less of a concern than it may have been in the past? Edited February 24 by nicfre2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoleINGout Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 16 hours ago, Tugboat said: That's fair, and i do agree that there's a bit of a difference between "polished" and "NFL ready". Especially these days. I don't think Brian Thomas Jr is particularly polished at all, but neither was Evans coming out. In large part, due to how goofy that Manziel "backyard football" nonsense offense was in the first place. I liked Evans a lot and he had obviously projectable skills that showed through even when the offense was basically half made up 90% of the time. But that also meant that he wasn't at all polished as a prospect coming out, and for me, that inherently carries a lot of questions about how "NFL ready" a prospect is. When the scheme is wonky and the polish isn't there, it's a lot of squinting and trying to project how things are going to translate in terms of "NFL Ready". It's hard to solidly project something that you're not really shown on tape. It's guessing and projecting. Brian Thomas Jr. definitely has a lot of that involved too. Where it's a real mystery, what he'll be like if you ask him to be a more well-rounded, versatile WR running a more extensive and diversified tree. Thanks, completely agree. And the bolded part is absolutely true. It takes a particular understanding and eye for someone in a situation like Evans but it’s true in general as well although to varying degrees. With BTJ, I’d expect the team that drafts Jayden Daniels to seek out BTJ to pair with him. Maybe the Bears. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetterCallSaul Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 1 hour ago, nicfre2011 said: I want to circle back to Xavier Worthy. Years ago Desean Jackson seemed like an outlier as far as slender build WRs being able to make an impact in the NFL, but I am wondering if more recent players like (just off the top of my head and not all inclusive) Marquise Brown, DeVonte Smith and especially after last years draft with Jordan Addison, Zay Flowers, Josh Downs, Tank Dell, Marvin Mims, and Tyler Scott - is Worthy's slight build less of a concern than it may have been in the past? Not worried about it at all. I think Worthy is gonna be excellent. This isn’t Anthony Schwartz we’re talking about. The dude can play the position. He’s quick and fast. He high points. He blocks, believe it or not. Not a natural hands catcher, but not terrible with drops. I struggle to see a scenario in which he sucks. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoundrel Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 On 2/23/2024 at 7:40 AM, MikeT14 said: Doing some looky-loos at WRs. The later Day 2 to middle round "YMMV" decisions for some of these guys is going to be very interesting. Like where do you all have these two ranked round wise and overall? JERMAINE BURTON, ALABAMA BRENDEN RICE, USC Why are you yelling their names and schools at us! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tugboat Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 1 hour ago, BetterCallSaul said: Not worried about it at all. I think Worthy is gonna be excellent. This isn’t Anthony Schwartz we’re talking about. The dude can play the position. He’s quick and fast. He high points. He blocks, believe it or not. Not a natural hands catcher, but not terrible with drops. I struggle to see a scenario in which he sucks. I'm not super worried about his smaller frame. As mentioned above, we've seen a decent number of these guys find plenty of success in today's game. The bolded is the thing that i think could make him an extremely frustrating player for someone though. It's where i'm a lot lower on him, despite the dynamic speed/quickness. I just think that unreliable hands are going to be a problem that gets brought out more at the next level, not less. Where, the type of receiver he is...you're going to have a lot of plays that are going to be designed to go to him. A lot of crosses and other schemed up releases that will compensate for his lack of real size/strength, but also put a lot of responsibility on his shoulders to execute. It's an absolute killer when the guy drops those sort of gimmes, and i can see that being something that potentially plagues him at the next level a little bit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeT14 Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 1 hour ago, Scoundrel said: Why are you yelling their names and schools at us! Because you can’t hear at your age! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWood21 Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 22 hours ago, nicfre2011 said: I want to circle back to Xavier Worthy. Years ago Desean Jackson seemed like an outlier as far as slender build WRs being able to make an impact in the NFL, but I am wondering if more recent players like (just off the top of my head and not all inclusive) Marquise Brown, DeVonte Smith and especially after last years draft with Jordan Addison, Zay Flowers, Josh Downs, Tank Dell, Marvin Mims, and Tyler Scott - is Worthy's slight build less of a concern than it may have been in the past? The slight frame isn't the only issue I have with him. It's the hands. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forge Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 On 2/24/2024 at 7:14 AM, TVScout said: Under rated. Better prospect than Keon. Rice cam plant that foot and make the sharp cut. Runs the route tree, Catches everything. After the catch he turns on the jets and leaves the DBs in the dust. Coleman catches everything too but doesn't accelerate after the catch. Elusive more than fast. Struggles to run crisp routes. Rice hasn't showed much of anything after the catch in college imo. He may be able to do it at the next level, but I don't think he has shown it in college. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forge Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 I am increasingly interested in Javon Baker 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.