2017 NFL Draft Thread (April 27-29)

[Intl.Aperture]

on the best defense in college football, Anderson led the team in TFLs and forced fumbles and was second in sacks.

He never should have been able to do that since he can't run circles around those little cones! it's impossible!!!

I'm with you! Lol.

Obviously there is value in obtaining these metrics but sometimes the obvious answer is staring you straight in the face. Watch the kid play football and then decide if he can play football.

Aside question. Do any of the players where the catapult gps systems during the games? The metrics from those would be more interesting to me than drills.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gtgilbert]

The cone drills are more telling than the sprints as far as the combine goes. Still, as has been pointed out, running around in shorts ain't football.

In theory, yes, but so many guys practice the EXACT steps on a three cone drill to increase their times in ways they'd never move on the field that IMO, it's not nearly as relevant as it used to be as a measure of quickness and burst. I'd rather see how fast a edge rusher can explode upfield for 5 yards then turn the corner to a target 5 yards inside where he started.

 

[RollTide_HTTR]

So, I understand that these measurements and testing aren't the end all and be all for if a football player will work out in the NFL. However, there are reasons for them. There is a ton of data about the athletic profiles of players that are successful in the NFL at each position. Obviously, these are averages for the position so +/- a few milliseconds and inches here or there aren't all that meaningful. Also, just like players can get by in college with just being great athletes there are players that get by in college with intelligence and effort. Anderson wasn't even close to the testing averages for an OLB/Edge in the NFL. It's not just his 3 cone either. It's also his vertical and his arm length.(before anyone complains, both of these matter. Vert isn't about jumping high its about explosion and arm length gives obvious advantages) Now, none of this means he isn't going to make it in the NFL. There are exceptions to these rules at various positions. (Drew Brees and Russell Wilson at QB are good examples.) But what it does mean is that if Anderson succeeds in the NFL it will be an exception to the rule.

There tend to be 2 reasons a player breaks the mold at their given position. The first is when a player simply works harder, has a high football IQ, and great technique. Defensive players in this category have lower ceilings because they less of an ability to recover from a step in the wrong direction or being a little slower to diagnose a play. The second type of player is one who simply plays differently. Rarely does this kind of player come along but it does happen. Dalvin Cook might very well be an example of this. He has horrible change of direction in testing but when watching him on tape it looks like that might be because he doesn't make cuts the same way most RBs do.

It is completely possible Anderson will fall under one of these two categories but from a team building standpoint you are taking on greater risk with this kind of pick.

 

[cuda.1973]

Nick Saban lends new insight into Reuben Foster shoulder injury that hurt NFL draft stock

Looks like he could possibly miss his rookie season:

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/...anahan-worst-case-scenario-rookie-year-050417

“The worst-case scenario is that the shoulder doesn’t heal correctly and you’ve got to do it again,” Shanahan said Thursday on KNBR radio. “And then you have to do it again, you have to get another surgery. It would be tough to play this year, and you end up having him the next year.

“But it’s not something that would hurt him long-term,” he added. “So the worst-case scenario, he wouldn’t end up being able to play for us right away. But I still don’t think that would have changed how I personally felt about taking a guy with the 31st pick with the caliber of player that we took.”

 

[RTR91]

A new report about Reuben today. This NFL writer has been told Reuben suffered concussions while at Alabama. Glad these guys have such knowledgeable sources to bring us this unknown news.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

A new report about Reuben today. This NFL writer has been told Reuben suffered concussions while at Alabama. Glad these guys have such knowledgeable sources to bring us this unknown news.

Looks like ESPN is trying a little too hard...

 

[RTR91]

Looks like ESPN is trying a little too hard...

This guy was from Miami. Don't think he works for ESPN.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk