Curious & Interesting Cases In The 2014 NFL Draft

[butta54 371]

Because I just can't get enough draft talk I wanted to talk about some of the more interesting prospects in this year's draft. I'll start it off, but feel free to list some players who have interesting cases and why.

 

-Daniel McCullers: If you haven't heard about the new moutain that has been residing in Knoxville, let me introduce you to a player who stands a legit 6'7 and weighs about 350lbs on a good day. This massive man in the middle of Tennesse's defense is very interesting because grading him he comes in with very little skills or technique to speak of and almost no floor. HOWEVER, I still see him as a plug & play prospect. I don't think I've ever had that evaluation of a player, but the fact is you can't teach this size and despite his lack of skills he has two years starting experience with one real known talent....not getting blown off the line! He won't move an inch unless he wants to and in a odd-front on the next level you need space eaters like this that will literally need two people just to make sure he doesn't accidently mess their play up. If he ever develops hand technique all icing on the cake, but day one he frees up your linebackers to run around.

 

-Will Sutton: You may not have heard much from him this year, but I promise you that a year ago there was a huge buzz and huge grade on Sutton from Arizona State. He was explosive, quick, great hands, very strong, and smart as a junior. So what happened? Well he put on about 20-30lbs of honestly pure fat. Claiming he wanted to bulk up and show off more of a power game he sacrificed alot more athleticism than I'm sure he intended to. We aren't talking got lazy and just let himself go. We are talking a player who made a decision to display another side of his game, but went about it the wrong way. So the interesting part is what do you do with a player that has first round talent, but his play dropped off from a 100% fixable problem?

 

-Logan Thomas: Cam Newton size, Cam Newton speed, and Cam Newton arm. A very interesting case with Logan Thomas who has all the measurables for a big-time QB. Usually when we see this type of player coming out off college who isn't highly ranked we know they are raw in their QB skills. Well Thomas is a little different....the thing with him is that his mechanics are very much solid and his footwork is even better. From under center, play-action, boot-legs and climbing the pocket. He ran a offense where he read route progressions and deciphered coverage. Watch the Miami tape and you will see a very patient and disciplined QB stay in the pocket to deliver the pass when needed, and scramble for good yards when appropriate. The problem with him is a an amazingly inconsistent accurate ball. Now Newton wasn't a laser passer coming out but was believed to have the potential to correct that with time. Thomas has another level of inaccurate that has scared teams away, but from the NFL sources will probably still be a 3rd round pick. You have a guy who was a top ranked tight end in high school, has all the starting QB upside, runs fast and jumps high, has probably the strongest and most inaccurate arm at the same time, pro-style background, and is maybe one dumb coach from being converted to a tight end.

 

-Lamarcus Joyner: Undersized for the safety position. Slow for the corner position. And really didn't play either this past year. Joyner who was a natural two-deep safety in the past was switched to a "Dog Safety" position this year in which he was down on the slot constantly or blitizing like a rush linebacker. It was pretty amazing how little action he saw in the back half this season essentially being a hybrid linebacker up in the box or on the line exclusively. Because of his size he is being projected to play corner...interesting part is I'm not sure he ever really played that position besides rare situations. "Dog" safeties and cover 3 flat defending safeties aren't uncommong. First round pick Kenny Vaccaro played a similar role for Texas and the Saints this past year in which he almost always was playing the flat in cover three like an extra linebacker and became a nickel corner on passing downs. The difference is Joyner's size and strength aren't close to Vaccaro's. Not to mention that position is only used by a few teams such as the Saints & Seahawks. The other problem with him playing corner is the long speed....Joyner was never known as a blazer and his 40 time backed that up. I believe in a strictly cover 2 scheme (tampa) he may be useful because he has sooo much experience pressing receivers off the line and playing with safety physicality. Interesting where he goes.

 

 

[seanbrock 1,684]

I'm not a fan of McCullers at all. I think his career in the NFL is going to be a massive failure, no pun intended lol. Guards in this league are going to get up under him and take him out of the play 9 times out of 10.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

Seantrel Henderson I guess. Guys with his kind of issues almost never pan out though, so, meh.

[seanbrock 1,684]

Seantrel Henderson I guess. Guys with his kind of issues almost never pan out though, so, meh.

I'd be shocked if Henderson is even in the league 3 years from now tbh. I'd never draft him. Might give him a shot as an undrafted FA.

[Turry 755]

Yep, McCullers is more of a fat ass playing football than an actual football player.

[CampinWithaMissingPerson 2,025]

Yep, McCullers is more of a fat ass playing football than an actual football player.

 

So frustrating. All that size and he's a little bitch inside. I agree with butta on the rest of those guys though fully, only disagree on McCullers but who knows, maybe reality slaps him upside the head and he switches gears.

[butta54 371]

Well let me clear it up that I'm not calling McCullers a beast, monster, or even a top 200 prospect. As I said he has no skill. But the fact of the matter is you will have to block him because he will destroy a play if you let him loose or try to single block him. There are some strong lineman in the league and they will get under his pads, but it is hard for me seeing any guard who will drive block him anywhere off the line of scrimmage. You can turn him away from the play probably pretty easily, so basically he has one thing to learn in his first year as a nose tackle....hold your ground and hold your gap. What more do you need him to do?

[seanbrock 1,684]

Well let me clear it up that I'm not calling McCullers a beast, monster, or even a top 200 prospect. As I said he has no skill. But the fact of the matter is you will have to block him because he will destroy a play if you let him loose or try to single block him. There are some strong lineman in the league and they will get under his pads, but it is hard for me seeing any guard who will drive block him anywhere off the line of scrimmage. You can turn him away from the play probably pretty easily, so basically he has one thing to learn in his first year as a nose tackle....hold your ground and hold your gap. What more do you need him to do?

False.There some small centers that might have issues blocking him, but in the NFL he will spend a lot of time on the ground.

[Bangy 19]

Righ McCullers imo will actually make it alright imo. The reasons in the op are why I drafted him in the mock. He's a fucking rock and if he puts in work both technic and in the weight room he will be immovable. He to me is one of the ones to watch this draft for better or worse.

[butta54 371]

-Trever Reilly: Because of Khalil Mack's elite athleticism he is projected to fit at any LB positoin in any defense. The only other prospect I feel that way about is Reilly out of Utah and it's not because he is a freaky athlete. Reilly moved all over the defense during his long college career, playing mostly outside in a 3-4 this past year, but spent time manning the middle and had his hand on the ground in a true DE look. The interesting part about him is he excelled at each position to the point it is hard to project where he will play in the NFL. A very strong 6-5ft 245lb frame suggest that he could play defensive end in a 4-3 defense if need be and his explosion with his hand in the ground is noticably higher than coming off the edge standing up. Unlike most 3-4 OLB he has experience and skill reading guards and diagnosing plays from the middle. And while he doesn't pass rush with the best of them he really knows how to set a hard edge, come down the line from the backside, and blow up pullers and kick out blocks to make the play bounce outside. He comes in as a 26 year old rookie, but that shows in his extremely high football IQ. The guy knows the game and the team that takes him should have a baller.

 

-DeAnthony Thomas/Dri Archer: The running back/slot receiver hybrids are on the rise. For awhile now the one person I put in this category was Dexter McCluster who was a true running back in college and spent time catching passes when need be. Problem with McCluster is....I never really knew what his position was with the Chiefs, and now as we have two of the more highly talked about hybrids coming in I'm wondering what role they will play for a NFL team. For me McCluster simply didn't get enough touches out of the backfield to make him a dual threat. The jet sweeps, end-arounds, and wildcat fantasies just don't cut it in the NFL on a regular bases and I fear the teams forcing guys like this into a strict slot receiver role, and for these natural runners I'm not sure it is always best. Look at Denard "Shoelace" Robinson from last year to see a similar example of a team not sure what to do with a smaller athlete, add in the fact that he could throw made things even more complicated. Now the idea that comes to most people's mind is Darren Sproles and the role he played for the Chargers and Saints and will play for the Eagles (great pick-up). The ONE problem I have with that is look at Sproles build and look at guys like Thomas, Archer, and Robinson.....they don't measure up and that one factor allows Sproles to take the rigors of running the ball or taking screens and pounding with NFL defenders. One shimmer of hope was one of the most exciting things I saw last year that many people didn't talk about...and that's Chip Kelly's use of Desean Jackson out of the backfield last year. The plays were ridiculously simple and monstrously effective. Some quick misdirection play-action leads to a small dump off the other way and all of a sudden you have one of the most dangerous athletes out in space on a linebacker. You can't take your top corner off of coverage to go watch these guys in the backfield, but someone has to cover them and 9/10 it's going to be a much lesser athlete. I have hope for these hybrids.

Edited May 5, 2014 by butta55

[butta54 371]

http://youtu.be/3gbZ9nlJS4g

 

@0:58 (The potential I see in him when playing low and learning the position)

Edited May 5, 2014 by butta55