2024 Combine Talk

[Daniel]

Guyton and Suimataia were supposed to blow up the measurables.  Not impressive imo.

Brandon Coleman is testing terrifically.  I thought he was great in 2022, but the tape I saw this year had him playing like garbage.  Any TCU guys know what his deal is?  Is he good, or just athletic?

[MaddHatter]

12 minutes ago, Daniel said:

Guyton and Suimataia were supposed to blow up the measurables.  Not impressive imo.

Brandon Coleman is testing terrifically.  I thought he was great in 2022, but the tape I saw this year had him playing like garbage.  Any TCU guys know what his deal is?  Is he good, or just athletic?

Agreed on Sui

[Tugboat]

8 hours ago, LinderFournette said:

@Tugboati feel like Jaylen wright is firmly entrenched as a highly probable pick for the jags.  Between needing a rb2 and his college RB coach as our new RB coach.

Wouldn't be surprised.  Wouldn't even hate it, so long it's an appropriate Day 3 sort of pick.  If some of his combine stuff doesn't overinflate his stock.

I could see him being a reasonable RB2 fit, who can do some of the same sort of things as ETN a little bit more interchangeably.  And they sure as heck need some more talent in the backfield.  Weak OLine, but what they got out of everyone other than ETN was just absolutely pathetic.

 

Whether it's Wright or not, it does feel like a decent draft to find some decent help there on Day3.  No real standout stars to me, but don't really need to invest in that.

[Ozzy]

1 minute ago, Tugboat said:

Wouldn't be surprised.  Wouldn't even hate it, so long it's an appropriate Day 3 sort of pick.  If some of his combine stuff doesn't overinflate his stock.

I could see him being a reasonable RB2 fit, who can do some of the same sort of things as ETN a little bit more interchangeably.  And they sure as heck need some more talent in the backfield.  Weak OLine, but what they got out of everyone other than ETN was just absolutely pathetic.

 

Whether it's Wright or not, it does feel like a decent draft to find some decent help there on Day3.  No real standout stars to me, but don't really need to invest in that.

Honestly one could get quality and value at the RB spot up until round 7 and probably into the UDFA market.  Not all of these backs will be drafted and there is no true #1 but there is crazy value and a ton of guys who could be very good pros.  They are part of the reason RBs do not get paid as much as other positions, because filling that RB need is so easy and can be done in a variety of ways and rounds.

[Sugashane]

1 hour ago, LinderFournette said:

I kinda want the jags to take Bowers if he somehow falls that far.   Idc about fits.  Him and engram with Kirk and Zay/Ridley/draft pick sounds fun.

Same for Chicago at 9. If the top WRs are gone I'd be damn happy to take Bowers. Kmet can stay the in-line TE and Bowers gets to be the big slot who can bump inside too.

[Daniel]

I will say, Fautanu looks way better in these drills than I thought he did on tape.  I might be wrong to be so low on him.

[Mr.UFO]

17 hours ago, Tugboat said:

Yeah.  It was noted when the schedule came out that they moved it to the "end" of each day.

I thought the entire bench press events were moved to the last day of the Combine. Thank for the correction.

[DirtyDez]

49 minutes ago, Daniel said:

Guyton and Suimataia were supposed to blow up the measurables.  Not impressive imo.

Brandon Coleman is testing terrifically.  I thought he was great in 2022, but the tape I saw this year had him playing like garbage.  Any TCU guys know what his deal is?  Is he good, or just athletic?

What am I missing:

 

[Daniel]

9 minutes ago, DirtyDez said:

What am I missing:

 

I can see that what I said was not clear. I was talking about testing. 40 time, jumps, etc.

Fautanu looks stellar in these drills. Gonna return to the tape on him. He looks elite in that mirror drill.

And the mirror drill knows all.

[TitanSlim]

Ain’t no way….🤯

[Tugboat]

55 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

Honestly one could get quality and value at the RB spot up until round 7 and probably into the UDFA market.  Not all of these backs will be drafted and there is no true #1 but there is crazy value and a ton of guys who could be very good pros.  They are part of the reason RBs do not get paid as much as other positions, because filling that RB need is so easy and can be done in a variety of ways and rounds.

Yeah.  And it makes for cheap FA filler at RB too.  The relative plug 'n play nature of the position tends to put Draftees and Veteran FAs in much more direct competition than pretty much any other position.  Where the edge actually tends to go to the similar player with fresher legs.

I don't know that necessarily getting a real "impact RB" is quite that easy...but you can often get more or less the same result or better from just finding some "solid" guys and investing all those Premium Picks and FA Cap in a dominating OLine that is easy to run behind.

[Ozzy]

Just now, Tugboat said:

Yeah.  And it makes for cheap FA filler at RB too.  The relative plug 'n play nature of the position tends to put Draftees and Veteran FAs in much more direct competition than pretty much any other position.  Where the edge actually tends to go to the similar player with fresher legs.

I don't know that necessarily getting a real "impact RB" is quite that easy...but you can often get more or less the same result or better from just finding some "solid" guys and investing all those Premium Picks and FA Cap in a dominating OLine that is easy to run behind.

 

Keaton Mitchell was a UDFA last year for the Ravens and was very good and if he did not get hurt before the playoffs the Ravens could have possibly made it and or won the Super Bowl.  

 

Obviously Pacheco on the Chiefs killing in this past year and the year previous in the playoffs as a 7th rounder.

 

Jaleel McLaughlin was a UDFA this past year for Denver and ran for over 400 yards.

 

Emanuel Wilson was a UDFA and the Packers got him after Broncos let him go, and he will probably be the reason they do no resign AJ Dillon.

 

Ty Chandler was a 5th round pick for the Vikings two years ago, had 400 yards and a decent season this past year and they just cut Alexander Mattison partly because of it.  

 

And last year DeVon Achane was only a 3rd rounder and killed it, would have been even better if he did not get hurt.  

 

Roschon Johnson was very good last year on the Bears as a 4th rounder as well.

 

Then there is Kyren Williams with well over 1000 yards last year for the Rams in his 2nd year as a 5th rounder.

 

And Tyler Allgeier as a 5th rounder that same year has had two very solid season back to back for Atlanta.  

 

 

And that is only the last two seasons, sure every guy does not hit but you can get great value and variety.  But yes situation does matter and of course the OL matters, hard to be a good back behind a crap OL or in a bad offense system for sure.   Outside of the top three guys, you just know more than one of the guys below will hit and be a solid pro for at minimum their first contract.  And a good amount of them could be UDFA guys because only so many can actually be picked.  

 

Ray Davis Kentucky RS
Audric Estime Notre Dame JR
MarShawn Lloyd USC RS JR
Dillon Johnson Washington
Mar'Keise Irving Oregon JR
Cody Schrader Missouri
Will Shipley Clemson
Isaiah Davis South Dakota State RS
Jaylen Wright Tennessee JR
Isaac Guerendo Louisiville RS
Jonathon Brooks Texas JR
Emani Bailey TCU RS JR
Tyrone Tracy Jr Purdue RS
Rasheen Ali Marshall RS JR
Jawhar Jordan Louisville RS
Jase McClellan Alabama
Kendall Milton Georgia
Carson Steele UCLA JR
Frank Gore Jr Southern Miss RS JR
Michael Wiley Arizona

 

 

Crazy good depth, could argue in terms of straight numbers it is as deep as any position in the draft and arguably no other position will have that type of late round quality.  And that is a group where in a typical draft, before NIL all of these backs would have probably declared as well.

 

TreVeyon Henderson 
Raheim Sanders
Tahj Brooks 
Chip Trayanum 
Roydell Williams
Logan Diggs 
Jalen Berger 
Josh Williams 

[LinderFournette]

1 hour ago, Tugboat said:

Yeah.  And it makes for cheap FA filler at RB too.  The relative plug 'n play nature of the position tends to put Draftees and Veteran FAs in much more direct competition than pretty much any other position.  Where the edge actually tends to go to the similar player with fresher legs.

I don't know that necessarily getting a real "impact RB" is quite that easy...but you can often get more or less the same result or better from just finding some "solid" guys and investing all those Premium Picks and FA Cap in a dominating OLine that is easy to run behind.

Based on athleticism Guerredo, wright and Tracy would excellent.   Jags need more speed on offense.

[Tugboat]

54 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

 

Keaton Mitchell was a UDFA last year for the Ravens and was very good and if he did not get hurt before the playoffs the Ravens could have possibly made it and or won the Super Bowl.  

 

Obviously Pacheco on the Chiefs killing in this past year and the year previous in the playoffs as a 7th rounder.

 

Jaleel McLaughlin was a UDFA this past year for Denver and ran for over 400 yards.

 

Emanuel Wilson was a UDFA and the Packers got him after Broncos let him go, and he will probably be the reason they do no resign AJ Dillon.

 

Ty Chandler was a 5th round pick for the Vikings two years ago, had 400 yards and a decent season this past year and they just cut Alexander Mattison partly because of it.  

 

And last year DeVon Achane was only a 3rd rounder and killed it, would have been even better if he did not get hurt.  

 

Roschon Johnson was very good last year on the Bears as a 4th rounder as well.

 

Then there is Kyren Williams with well over 1000 yards last year for the Rams in his 2nd year as a 5th rounder.

 

And Tyler Allgeier as a 5th rounder that same year has had two very solid season back to back for Atlanta.  

 

 

And that is only the last two seasons, sure every guy does not hit but you can get great value and variety.  But yes situation does matter and of course the OL matters, hard to be a good back behind a crap OL or in a bad offense system for sure.   Outside of the top three guys, you just know more than one of the guys below will hit and be a solid pro for at minimum their first contract.  And a good amount of them could be UDFA guys because only so many can actually be picked.  

 

Ray Davis Kentucky RS
Audric Estime Notre Dame JR
MarShawn Lloyd USC RS JR
Dillon Johnson Washington
Mar'Keise Irving Oregon JR
Cody Schrader Missouri
Will Shipley Clemson
Isaiah Davis South Dakota State RS
Jaylen Wright Tennessee JR
Isaac Guerendo Louisiville RS
Jonathon Brooks Texas JR
Emani Bailey TCU RS JR
Tyrone Tracy Jr Purdue RS
Rasheen Ali Marshall RS JR
Jawhar Jordan Louisville RS
Jase McClellan Alabama
Kendall Milton Georgia
Carson Steele UCLA JR
Frank Gore Jr Southern Miss RS JR
Michael Wiley Arizona

 

 

Crazy good depth, could argue in terms of straight numbers it is as deep as any position in the draft and arguably no other position will have that type of late round quality.  And that is a group where in a typical draft, before NIL all of these backs would have probably declared as well.

 

TreVeyon Henderson 
Raheim Sanders
Tahj Brooks 
Chip Trayanum 
Roydell Williams
Logan Diggs 
Jalen Berger 
Josh Williams 

 

Oh, for sure.  There will be solid starters out of this group.  There will also be a ton of "filler" that just isn't good enough as well though.  If you're just looking for solid guys to add to your depth or rotation, this draft looks great.  If you're looking for a true "feature back" though, i think it's a lot more iffy.  You're really just throwing darts around Day3 and UDFA.

My point is more just that...if you just glance through say, the Top-32 Rushers even in just bulk yardage last year...I count 23 who were picked either 1st Round or 2nd/3rd Round on Day2.  That's ~72%.  Pushing toward 3 in 4 of those top rushers came from the more "premium" picks of the first three rounds of the draft.  That's still pretty substantial, and a strong indicator that you're ultimately still a lot more likely to "hit" on a real starter with an earlier pick (if the guy worthy of that pick is there).  Especially skewed earlier toward 1st/2nd with the very top of the charts that i'd call true "impact RBs".  The "special" ones.

 

Doesn't mean you can't find or won't find guys later and even in UDFA.  Especially in a draft like this one that looks really "bottom heavy" in later Day2/Day3/UDFA guys who simply won't be drafted like you said, due to the abundance of supply.  It's still just like saying, "Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, Nick Foles, Drew Brees won Super Bowls so you don't need to spend a 1st Round Pick on a QB".  Where it's true...but you've still got much better odds of landing a Super Bowl caliber QB in the 1st round.  Same still goes for RBs...just with the brackets widened to basically 3 Rounds, and a completely different paradigm when it comes to what happens if you land a "just good enough" RB.

 

 

But it's all kind of moot point, because i'm not sure there are more than a very small few RBs in this draft who are actually worth one of those "Day2 Picks" anyway.  So you're really just sifting through the rest on Day3 and scrambling to scoop some more up immediately after the draft.

Edited March 4 by Tugboat

[Tugboat]

3 minutes ago, LinderFournette said:

Based on athleticism Guerredo, wright and Tracy would excellent.   Jags need more speed on offense.

I'm kind of torn on exactly what the Jaguars need at RB.  At WR, they need more size and i don't think it's even close to a question - though they need decent speed to go with that.  At RB...they need more speed and dynamic ability from the non-ETN roster spots.  But they could also use a real physical "wear 'em out" bruiser as a counterpunch to ETN as well.  Frankly, between the draft, UDFA and veteran FA...i'd hope they bring in at least one of each.