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Non-QBs projected to go high in the draft that you are not sold on


VanS

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I've seen the following players projected to go high in the 1st round in almost every mock draft.  I'm personally not as sold on them as most.

  • LB Roquan Smith (Georgia) - I know everyone loves him but I just don't see top of the first round talent with him.  IMO the top inside linebacker in this year's draft is Leighton Vander Esch.  Roquan Smith reminds me a lot of Keith Rivers.  Very highly touted prospect from USC that was drafted 9th overall in 2008.  Similar size.  Similar athleticism.  And on tape they move the same.  It wouldn't surprise me if Roquan Smith ended up being a similar player.
  • CB Denzel Ward (Ohio State) - Another guy everyone else loves that I'm not quite sold on.  I know he's flying up the draft boards but I just don't see lock down corner.  I know he's a great athlete, but he was very grabby on his tape.  This could lead to lots of penalties.  Also not sold on his size even with the positive measurement at the combine.  Big receivers will be able to make plays on him.
  • LB Tremaine Edmunds (Virginia Tech) - Incredible size and athleticism.  I question the instincts.  He's not as consistent on tape as his physical traits say he should be.  As I said earlier, my top inside linebacker in this draft is Leighton Vander Esch and its not even close.
  • RB Derruis Guice (LSU) - I know he's not projected to go high in the 1st round but he's the #2 RB behind Saquon Barkley on most people's lists and I just don't see it.  I have him rated closer to #10 in this class than #2.  He has a weird top heavy built to his body.  He's not very elusive.  I don't see him creating much in the way of yardage.  Most of his big runs come from perfect blocking.  He's not the type of guy who you can put behind a mediocre offensive line and get major production from.  I'm not saying he won't be effective in the NFL.  He's just not anywhere close to being the #2 RB in what is an absolutely LOADED RB class.
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6 hours ago, VanS said:

know he's a great athlete, but he was very grabby on his tape

Regarding Ward, that's something that will be coached out of him. I said the same thing about Xavier Rhodes when he came out. While Rhodes still has that tendency (8 DPI / holding calls last year is a tad much), he's still a very good corner. Granted, Ward doesn't have his size, but the grabbiness thing doesn't bother me so much. 

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1 hour ago, Teen Girl Squad said:

Calvin Ridley. Yeah, I'm not a big believer in drafting unathletic WRs in the first round.

Good one.  I forgot to include him in my initial list.  He's another guy I'm also not impressed by.  He isn't even one of my top 5 rated WRs in this class.  I have Antonio Callaway (Florida), Equanimeous St. Brown (Notre Dame), DJ Moore (Maryland), Michael Gallup (Colorado St.), and Anthony Miller (Memphis) rated higher than him.

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55 minutes ago, VanS said:

Good one.  I forgot to include him in my initial list.  He's another guy I'm also not impressed by.  He isn't even one of my top 5 rated WRs in this class.  I have Antonio Callaway (Florida), Equanimeous St. Brown (Notre Dame), DJ Moore (Maryland), Michael Gallup (Colorado St.), and Anthony Miller (Memphis) rated higher than him.

Ridley is an interesting case. He's not a superb athlete but is regarded as an "elite separation talent," in the words of NFL.com. Both are very important for a WR, so it'll be interesting to see how he plays out.

I'd say I'm not sold on Marcus Davenport, DE, Texas-San Antonio. He's a good prospect but I have Landry above him and I don't have an elite grade on the guy or anything.

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9 hours ago, VanS said:

 

  • RB Derruis Guice (LSU) - I know he's not projected to go high in the 1st round but he's the #2 RB behind Saquon Barkley on most people's lists and I just don't see it.  I have him rated closer to #10 in this class than #2.  He has a weird top heavy built to his body.  He's not very elusive.  I don't see him creating much in the way of yardage.  Most of his big runs come from perfect blocking.  He's not the type of guy who you can put behind a mediocre offensive line and get major production from.  I'm not saying he won't be effective in the NFL.  He's just not anywhere close to being the #2 RB in what is an absolutely LOADED RB class.

I agree on Guice. He's a good short-yardage runner but this class is loaded with explosive runners and he isn't really one of them. Guice is my sixth-ranked RB (7.05) behind Barkley (8.05), Walton (7.83), Jones II (7.45), Michel (7.43), and Chubb (7.18), and just above Kerryon Johnson (6.95).

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10 hours ago, VanS said:

I've seen the following players projected to go high in the 1st round in almost every mock draft.  I'm personally not as sold on them as most.

  • LB Roquan Smith (Georgia) - I know everyone loves him but I just don't see top of the first round talent with him.  IMO the top inside linebacker in this year's draft is Leighton Vander Esch.  Roquan Smith reminds me a lot of Keith Rivers.  Very highly touted prospect from USC that was drafted 9th overall in 2008.  Similar size.  Similar athleticism.  And on tape they move the same.  It wouldn't surprise me if Roquan Smith ended up being a similar player.
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You are going to have to learn that comparing just physical traits and abilities does not count for a whole lot in determining whether a player succeeds at the next level or not. Smith may be everything you say compared to Rivers, but you cannot measure his heart, determination and character in this comparison. I would rate Smith miles ahead of Rivers in these qualities!!!

  • CB Denzel Ward (Ohio State) - Another guy everyone else loves that I'm not quite sold on.  I know he's flying up the draft boards but I just don't see lock down corner.  I know he's a great athlete, but he was very grabby on his tape.  This could lead to lots of penalties.  Also not sold on his size even with the positive measurement at the combine.  Big receivers will be able to make plays on him.
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Ward is actually quite physical for a small CB and with his speed, he can blanket a WR in coverage and deny him a pass. He may grab too much, but that is correctable as players learn what they can and cannot get away with at the level they are playing. The thing about Ward that eliminates bigger WR's is that he is always in position to set himself to cover a bigger WR, as he allows little separation. It makes a huge difference when your speed allows you time to defend a bigger guy!!

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  • LB Tremaine Edmunds (Virginia Tech) - Incredible size and athleticism.  I question the instincts.  He's not as consistent on tape as his physical traits say he should be.  As I said earlier, my top inside linebacker in this draft is Leighton Vander Esch and its not even close.
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That seems strange to me as his father played in the NFL and I think Edmunds instincts are solid. Juniors always enter the NFL as a bit raw, but their upside is immense and Edmunds has that type of upside, while what you see with Esch is exactly what you will get as he is already close to his upside. Edmunds is just as physical as Esch, who I really like as well, but he is way more athletic and covers a lot more ground and isn't a bad pass rusher either. This are the reason Edmunds is getting top 10 consideration and Esch is getting late round 1 talk!

  • RB Derruis Guice (LSU) - I know he's not projected to go high in the 1st round but he's the #2 RB behind Saquon Barkley on most people's lists and I just don't see it.  I have him rated closer to #10 in this class than #2.  He has a weird top heavy built to his body.  He's not very elusive.  I don't see him creating much in the way of yardage.  Most of his big runs come from perfect blocking.  He's not the type of guy who you can put behind a mediocre offensive line and get major production from.  I'm not saying he won't be effective in the NFL.  He's just not anywhere close to being the #2 RB in what is an absolutely LOADED RB class.
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Again, I have to disagree, Guice for me, has a solid shot to be a force at the next level, he breaks tackles quite easily and has the speed to round the corner and is a very physical runner.He is not Kamara or Hunt, but I think he can be a 1,000 yard guy fairly consistently. That being said, there are at least 6 RB's with 1st round grades in this draft and some no doubt may pass him at the next level as the competition is quite fierce!!

I love you VanS, you always give me pause for thought!!!

 

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3 hours ago, Teen Girl Squad said:

Calvin Ridley. Yeah, I'm not a big believer in drafting unathletic WRs in the first round.

Ridley may not be an elite athletic WR, but he knows how to run routes and set up CB and Safeties to make the catch. He is a very intelligent WR like an Edelman of NE and should have a similar career!

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8 minutes ago, Iamcanadian said:

Ridley may not be an elite athletic WR, but he knows how to run routes and set up CB and Safeties to make the catch. He is a very intelligent WR like an Edelman of NE and should have a similar career!

ITs fair to say but my opinion on WRs is similar to RBs, unless its 'generational' talent (an overused phrase), I generally don't want to draft WR in round1. Complete pacakage guys like CJ, Julio, AJ Green, Fitzgerald (tall, fast, good route runners etc...) are the only guys I'd draft high, usually. Like most players, he certainly can be good despite that but I'm not gambling on it on day 1 except maybe at the tail end if I were a team just a WR short (which I don't see this year).

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3 hours ago, Iamcanadian said:

Ridley may not be an elite athletic WR, but he knows how to run routes and set up CB and Safeties to make the catch. He is a very intelligent WR like an Edelman of NE and should have a similar career!

Yeah, I could see him having a fine career along those lines. But I sure wouldn't take him in the first.

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