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Cherry

Cherry Looks Back at 2016 (Analysis of the 2016 board)

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Obviously, you have hits and misses when you grade out prospects. I had a slightly different board, and a vastly different grading approach. So, I'll entertain all the hate (and love?) that I should for my grading of last year's class. Note: These are entirely different from projections, so just because I have Zeke as a low grade doesn't mean I thought he'd suck in Dallas.

 

To see the projections just visit the below link (lol Paxton Lynch)

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1T_6FxQDpRJxnFYSoFug-iP523d92vC4UIoMloL3xdlQ/edit?usp=sharing

 

Without further adieu, here is a look back at my big board, and the glaring points within it.

 

 

------------------------------------------------

Grading Scale:

I’m using a system of 1-10 with up to one numeral after the decimal point.

 

10 - 9: Hall of Fame caliber player

8.99 - 8: Perennial All-Pro

7.99 - 7: Potential All-Pro, Perennial Pro Bowler

6.99 - 6: Potential Pro Bowler

5.99 - 5: Consistent NFL starter

4.99 - 4: Potential NFL starter

3.99 - 3: Consistent Backup

2.99 - 2: Depth Player

1.99 - 1: Practice Squad at most

1 - 0: Shouldn’t make a roster

 

1st round

Myles Jack LB UCLA Done 9.2

Jalen Ramsey DB Florida State Done 8.6

Ronnie Stanley OT Notre Dame Done 8.3

Robert Nkemdiche DT/DE Ole Miss Done 7.6

Jaylon Smith LB Notre Dame Done 7.5

Noah Spence DE Eastern Kentucky Done 7.3

Taylor Decker OT Ohio State Done 6.9

Devontae Booker RB Utah Done 6.9

William Jackson III CB Houston Done 6.8

Darron Lee LB Ohio State Done 6.7

Michael Thomas WR Ohio State Done 6.6

Shaq Lawson EDGE Clemson Done 6.5

Karl Joseph S West Virginia Done 6.4

Vernon Hargreaves III CB Florida Done 6.4

Paxton Lynch QB Memphis Done 6.4

Reggie Ragland LB Alabama Done 6.4

DeForest Buckner DE Oregon Done 6.3

Jared Goff QB California Done 6.3

Will Fuller WR Notre Dame Done 6.3

Kenneth Dixon RB Louisiana Tech Done 6.2

A’Shawn Robinson DT Alabama Done 6.2

Laquon Treadwell WR Ole Miss Done 6.1

Cody Kessler QB USC Done 5.9

Darian Thompson S Boise State Done 5.8

Kevin Dodd DE/OLB Clemson Done 5.7

Carl Nassib DE Penn State Done 5.7

Charles Tapper DE Oklahoma Done 5.7

Jonathan Bullard DT/DE Florida Done 5.7

Ryan Kelly C Alabama Done 5.6

 

2nd round

Josh Doctson WR TCU Done 5.6

Vonn Bell S Ohio State Done 5.6

Christian Westerman OG Arizona State Done 5.6

Cody Whitehair OG Kansas State Done 5.5

Kenny Clark DT UCLA Done 5.5

Joshua Perry LB Ohio State Done 5.5

Jarran Reed DT Alabama Done 5.5

Laremy Tunsil OT Ole Miss Done 5.4

Carson Wentz QB North Dakota State Done 5.4

Eli Apple CB Ohio State Done 5.4

Nick Vannett TE Ohio State Done 5.4

Hunter Henry TE Arkansas Done 5.3

Shilique Calhoun DE Michigan State Done 5.3

Jeremy Cash S Duke Done 5.3

Jack Conklin OT Michigan State Done 5.2

Corey Coleman WR Baylor Done 5.2

Joey Bosa DE Ohio State Done 5.1

Kentrell Brothers LB Missouri Done 5.1

Sheldon Day DT Notre Dame Done 5.1

Austin Johnson DT Penn State Done 5.0

Keanu Neal S Florida Done 5.0

Paul Perkins RB UCLA Done 5.0

Braxton Miller RB/WR Ohio State Done 5.0

Artie Burns CB Miami Done 5.0

Chris Jones DT Mississippi State Done 5.0

Nick Martin C Notre Dame Done 5.0

TJ Green CB Clemson Done 4.9

Shon Coleman OG Auburn Done 4.9

DeAndre Houston-Carson S William & Mary Done 4.9

Bronson Kaufusi DE BYU Done 4.8

Sheldon Rankins DT Louisville Done 4.8

Vernon Butler DT Louisiana Tech Done 4.8

 

3rd round

Pharoh Cooper WR South Carolina Done 4.7

Spencer Drango OT Baylor Done 4.7

Germain Ifedi OT Texas A&M Done 4.7

Mackenzie Alexander CB Clemson Done 4.7

Sterling Shepard WR Oklahoma Done 4.7

Aaron Burbridge WR Michigan State Done 4.6

Adolphus Washington DT Ohio State Done 4.6

Deion Jones LB LSU Done 4.6

Beniquez Brown LB Mississippi State Done 4.5

Geronimo Allison WR Illinois Done 4.5

Shawn Oakman DE/OLB Baylor Done 4.5

Le’Raven Clark OT Texas Tech Done 4.5

Josh Forrest LB Kentucky Done 4.4

Tyler Boyd WR Pittsburgh Done 4.3

Joshua Garnett OG Stanford Done 4.2

Jack Allen C Michigan State Done 4.1

Emmanuel Ogbah EDGE Oklahoma State Done 4.0

Hassan Ridgeway DT Texas Done 4.0

Scooby Wright III LB Arizona Done 3.9

 

4th round

Leonte Carroo WR Rutgers Done 3.9

Jason Spriggs OT Indiana Done 3.9

Connor McGovern OG Missouri Done 3.9

Alex Collins RB Arkansas Done 3.9

Derrick Henry RB Alabama Done 3.8

Ezekiel Elliot RB Ohio State Done 3.8

Kyler Fackrell OLB Utah State Done 3.8

Christian Hackenberg QB Penn State Done 3.7

Connor Cook QB Michigan State Done 3.6

Denver Kirkland OG Arkansas Done 3.6

Vadal Alexander OG LSU Done 3.6

Landon Turner OG North Carolina Done 3.5

Sua Cravens S USC Done 3.5

Andrew Billings DT Baylor Done 3.4

Blake Frohnapfel QB UMass Done 3.4

 

5th round

Tyler Matakevich LB Temple Done 3.2

Xavien Howard CB Baylor Done 3.2

Jalen Mills S LSU Done 3.1

 

6th round

Maliek Collins DT Nebraska Done 2.8

Trae Elston S Ole Miss Done 2.7

Kevin Byard S Middle Tennessee State Done 2.7

Caleb Benenoch OT UCLA Done 2.5

Kendall Fuller CB Virginia Tech Done 2.4

Leonard Floyd OLB Georgia Done 2.3

Joel Stave QB Wisconsin Done 2.1

 

7th round

Jake Rudock QB Michigan Done 2.1

Miles Killebrew S Southern Utah Done 2.0

 

PUDFA

Vad Lee QB James Madison (convert to RB) Done 1.8

Nate Sudfeld QB Indiana Done 1.8

Tre Roberson QB Illinois St (convert to RB) Done 1.8

 

UDFA

CJ Prosise RB Notre Dame Done 1.6

Daxx Garman QB Maryland Done 1.1

Yannick Ngakoue EDGE Maryland Done 0.8

Marquise Williams QB North Carolina Done 0.6

Hits
Jalen Ramsey 8.6 - I nailed this one, from the looks of it. Ramsey was a damn good starter for the Jags, and looks like he is going to be one of the best DBs in the league as he heads towards his prime.
Ronnie Stanley 8.3 - I feel pretty good about this one. Stanley showcased good skills despite having some injury problems. He protected Flacco pretty well, and immediately got the LT spot from Eugene Monroe. Good start here.
Taylor Decker 6.9 - While Decker had some ups and downs, he had a pretty solid season for the Lions. He's never going to be the force that people want him to in the passing game, but he is pretty well-rounded, and deserved the potential pro bowler grade.
Michael Thomas 6.6 - Welp this one was knocked out the ballpark. Even with Breesus commanding that Saints offense, Thomas proved to be the most effective receiver in the class out of the gate. He's every bit the explosive playmaker I anticipated, and his jump ball skills are remarkable.
DeForest Buckner 6.3 - While I know some people definitely had Buckner higher, I feel pretty good about this one. He was incredibly successful, and well-deserving of his potential pro bowler grade. He dominated on a garbage 49ers team.
Cody Kessler 5.9 - Love him or hate him, Cody Kessler had a great start to his NFL career. He was behind arguably the worst line in the NFL, with some of the worst weapons in the NFL, and held his ground. He doesn't have a big arm, but he's every bit worthy of the love I showed him before the draft. This is the hit I'm most proud of.
Carson Wentz 5.4 - I feel like I hit Carson pretty well. He had a solid rookie season, but I think it showcased the serious flaws in his game. He is getting quite a bit of love, but the actual results of his play do not match it. Anyone who watches Carson would probably agree that this is where he should be. Consistent NFL starter.
Paul Perkins 5.0 - Perkins wasn't phenomenal, but he did good in limited action. He has the skills to become a solid starter, and could be a key piece in the Giants running attack for the next few years.
Sheldon Rankins 4.8 - I think I got this one pretty good. Rankins was getting top 5 hype at one point, but I wasn't buying it. While his season was wrecked with injuries, he played underwhelming in the Saints system. Maybe it's just the system, but I wasn't impressed by Rankins.
Christian Hackenberg 3.7 - I feel like this one was on the money, although it's only been a year. Hackenberg was a second rounder that the Jets didn't even feel comfortable putting out on the field in one of the worst QB groups in the league. The buzz is not good.
Misses
Robert Nkemdiche 7.6 - His absence, unlike Jack or Smith, was more due to poor effort and inability to do damage than injury. Nkemdiche did absolutely nothing, and while part of it is the scheme he was put in, he just blatantly sucked.
Devontae Booker 6.9 - While Booker didn't have a terrible rookie season, he certainly underwhelmed. He lacked versatility, and had serious fumbling issues. He didn't live up to the grade I gave him.
Paxton Lynch 6.4 - Oh boy here we go. Yeah, Paxton Lynch had a rough start. I severely misjudged how pro-ready he was, and while I blame part of it on the rise of Siemien and the poor offensive line Denver has, this one was relying way too much on the arm and not the head. He has potential through the roof still, but he needs some time starting to prove it.
Jared Goof 6.3 - Hurr hurr Jared Goof. I was actually impressed from what I saw from Goff considering the weapons he was working with, but the production does speak to where his game needs help. With the addition of Whitworth, I have hope he can develop. But not a good start to his career.
Laquon Treadwell 6.1 - I think everyone missed this one. Did he even catch a single pass this year? Inability to separate and all just killed him. Looks like a surefire bust at this point.
Jack Conklin 5.2 - I liked how nasty he played, but just didn't think he was well-rounded enough to be a really good starter. Obviously, I was proven wrong. He played a pro bowler level, and deserved every bit of the love he got.
Joey Bosa 5.1 - I wasn't a fan of what Bosa brought to the table because I didn't think he could succeed as an interior lineman, and I didn't think he had the bend to play outside. He was a tweener that I thought wouldn't find a place to land, but he did end up finding a spot. He proved himself, but now it's going to be fun where he plays in the new Chargers system.
Derrick Henry 3.8 - I thought Henry would have troubles because he was slow to convert speed to power, and would go down way too easily early on in runs at Alabama. I was wrong. He played well, and showcased great power as a pro. Blatant miss here.
Ezekiel Elliott 3.8 - I got this right in terms of projection, and I would argue that without the Dallas OL opening gaping holes for him he would be a lot less productive. In terms of actual production, the case is settled, I missed. In terms of how he looks on the field, I think the jury could still be out. I want to see what he does behind a weaker line. That Cowboys OL is a cheat code.
Leonard Floyd 2.4 - I thought he got pushed around too much, and while I did underestimate the value of bend of edge-rushers, I think I just missed in general. He's a great athlete, and has the upside to dominate. This was a huge part of why I re-evaluated my grading process coming into this season.
Yannick Ngakoue 0.8 - I straight whiffed. I thought Ngakoue was too easy to toss around, and would have no chance going up against NFL caliber offensive tackles. He played uninspired in college, and looked incredibly raw. This was an example of a guy growing tremendously in his leap.
Dak Prescott NR - I didn't give Prescott a grade last year, because I mostly focused on guys who were supposed to go in the first three rounds. LolCherry. I went back and re-evaluated tape, and still did not come away that impressed. I think it's partly the Dallas cheat code OL, but also a huge leap in growth from college to the pro game.

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