2017 Draft Thread

[natagu23]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfJDXra4L14

Gareon Conley breakdown.

I wouldn't mind him in the 1st at all.

[sherck]

Originally Posted by natagu23

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfJDXra4L14

Gareon Conley breakdown.

I wouldn't mind him in the 1st at all.

I like that he played as a press CB for 2 years as a starter at a top school.

I like his size and arm length. I like his combine speed.

I don't like that his NFL.com draft bio indicates that he is a bit slow to recognize and match patterns in man coverage.

I think that except for Lattimore, the Colts will pretty much have their pick of CBs now that Sidney Jones will tumble down (how far? Who knows?).

NFL.com has the following grades on the top CBs:

6.5 Marshon Lattimore, Ohio State
6.5 Sidney Jones, Washington (torn ACL; out for 2017)
6.1 Marlon Humphrey, Alabama
6.0 Tre'Davious White, LSU
5.9 Gareon Conley, Ohio State
5.9 Teez Tabor, Florida
5.8 Adoree' Jackson, USC
5.8 Rasul Douglas, West Virginia
5.8 Cordrea Tankersley, Clemson

Any of those guys could be 1st or top half of 2nd round picks.

Humphrey looks more like a zone guy to me.
I like White as a man corner but his run support skills are lacking.
Tabor has too much inconsistence for me.

If we pick a CB in the first round (assuming Lattimore is off the board), then I think Conley is probably the best fit for us.

Cheers,

[Coltsalr]

Raekwon McMillian gets talked about a lot in here for our 2nd round pick as an ILB, but does any/everyone like him better than Jarrad Davis?

I like what I see more from Davis, here's the scouting reports:

Jarrad Davis:

OVERVIEW
The Gators collectively held their breath in October 2016, as Davis was taken off the field with a left leg injury. He attempted to play through that injury, but suffered another a couple of weeks later and had to sit out three games and most of a fourth. League coaches appreciated his leadership and production (60 tackles, six for loss, four pass breakups) enough to vote him second-team All-SEC, however. Davis built a reputation in his first three years, stepping in right away as a true freshman to play in every game (one start, 24 tackles, two for loss) and earn the team's Most Valuable Player on special teams. He was a key reserve in 2014, as well, before missing the last three games with an injury (23 tackles, one for loss.) Finally getting a chance to start as a junior, Davis didn't disappoint with 98 tackles, 11 for loss, 3.5 sacks and four pass breakups.
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS Angular build with long limbs and a shredded physique. Excellent flexibility throughout his trunk. Can twist and turn to slither into gaps. Plus acceleration to chase all over the field. Scouts say coaches are effusive in their praise of his leadership, work ethic and character. Can be rude to company. Erupts from coiled hips with a jarring pop under the pads of oncoming blockers. Runs downhill with choppy steps in balanced, tackle-ready position. Effective in spy role with athleticism to mirror mobile quarterbacks. Has closing burst that could become a weapon as a blitzer. Wrap-up tackler with strong finishing rate. Improved his discipline pursuing to the sideline. Did a better job of leveraging running backs against the boundary. Forceful redirect of tight ends out of their routes. Good peripheral helps him spot crossing routes without having to drop eyes from the quarterback. Has athletic tools to become better in coverage.
WEAKNESSES Downhill routes to the ball can be problematic. Will step too far downhill and get trapped in traffic on counters or bounces to the perimeter. Needs to play with more consistent technique and positioning to properly leverage his gaps against gap plays. Lateral scrapes sometimes lack patience forcing him to overrun run fits and open cutback lanes. Sometimes prioritizes attacking blockers too high. Has to get better at seeing and working past the blocker and toward the runner rather than issuing so many physical challenges that get him behind in pursuit. Could improve with greater stick-and-move hand work to keep himself clean. Struggles to free himself when snatched by blocker. Average instincts create inefficiency with early, post-snap movement.
SOURCES TELL US "He's good. I don't care about some of those holes you are talking about. Kill him so maybe somebody will listen to you and he can fall to us. We'll take him." -- AFC executive
NFL COMPARISON Shaq Thompson
BOTTOM LINE Praised for both his football and personal character, Davis has athletic gifts to go along with the character traits teams are looking for. His ability to cover ground, operate with loose hips in space, and finish his tackles make him a draft favorite for some teams. While it is easy to fall in love with the traits and potential, Will have to take better routes to the ball and learn to keep himself clean against blocks. Should be able to compete for an early starting job as a 4-3 outside backer.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profil...vis?id=2557855

Stats to know: Davis ranked 209th among all FBS inside linebackers with at least 400 snaps played in tackling efficiency in 2017

What he does best:

Elite speed and explosiveness. Changes directions in a flash.
Willing to take on and deliver a blow to bigger blockers.
Viable pass-rusher because of his agility, burst and ability to time blitzes inside effectively; ranked 15th among FBS ILBs with at least 30 rushes in 2016 in pass-rush productivity.
Can close in a hurry when going forward. Can be an asset to a defense in short zones and perhaps a “spy” role.
Uses his quickness and toughness at the point of attack to win leverage on his gap when moving laterally, allowing him to effectively defeat blocks.
Can run with tight ends and backs downfield, flip his hips without breaking stride and look back to find the ball.
A weapon in the blitz game.
Biggest concern:

Out of control far too often on tackles – does not break down, tends to leave his feet far too often and never seems to get squared up to the runner.
Has the physical traits to play in coverage but tends to misdiagnose targets or lose his man in space.
Will get caught playing too close to the line of scrimmage and can get cut off easily on off tackle runs.
His play tailed off at the end of the season when he tried to play against Arkansas in Week 10 and Alabama in the conference championship game with injuries; he was clearly tentative at the snap and too easily controlled by blockers.
Player comparison: Bobby Wagner, Seattle Seahawks

Like Wagner, Davis is an elite athlete but is undersized for an inside linebacker. While that can inhibit him in some ways, Davis has everything needed to be a pro bowl linebacker.

Bottom line: Davis is an excellent athlete who possesses the first-step explosiveness to beat blocks to the point of attack as well as threaten the QB on pass rushes. He also has the speed and agility to drop effectively in coverage, and can stay with tight ends and backs all over the field. If he can improve his tackling, as well as become more consistent with his run keys, he clearly has the athletic skill set to be an every-down player at the NFL level.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/dra...s-ilb-florida/


Raekwon McMillian-

OVERVIEW
McMillan couldn't pull off the double Butkus Award win as the best linebacker at both the high school (won in 2013) and collegiate levels (finalist in 2015), but his play during his three years in Columbus won over NFL scouts. He graduated from high school a semester early to join OSU football for spring practice, which paid off in the fall when he played in all 15 games, lining up for more snaps than the starter in nine of those contests. He won second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2015, leading the team with 119 tackles (four for loss, four pass breakups). McMillan didn't rack up quite as many tackles as a junior (102, seven for loss) but still gained recognition for his play as a second-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten selection.
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS Downhill movement after the snap is his norm. Understands angles. Can outpace pulling guards to the spot with his play quickness. Reads his keys and responds. Plays with good anticipation of lane choice by the runner. Attacks hands-first into blockers with good arm extension to keep his frame clean. Good zone-cover ability. Reads quarterback's eyes and slides into passing lanes. Has added additional thickness during his tenure.
WEAKNESSES Struggles to leverage his gap as a take-on linebacker. Gets widened out of his gap by size. Gets trapped on the wrong side of the block. Tends to play over the top of a block rather than under it. Slow to disengage and tackle. Tight in his lower half. Missing the quick, reactive change of direction to consistently secure shifty runners. Delayed in stop-start pursuit to the sideline. Has some limitations in man coverage.
SOURCES TELL US "I see him as a backup early on who will become a starter at SAM (strong-side) for a 4-3 team. He's been pretty productive but I don't see anything special." -- South area scout for NFC team
NFL COMPARISON Mason Foster
BOTTOM LINE McMillan has too many issues standing his ground and leveraging his gap as an interior run defender and could end up outside in the pros. He might have benefited from playing alongside a slew of NFL talent, but he's active and plays the game with good instincts. He has the potential to become an average starter in the league.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profil...lan?id=2558070

Stats to know: His 25 stops over his last four games was the second-most among Power-5 linebackers during that stretch.

What he does best:

Has the power to take on fullbacks in the hole
Stays square to the line of scrimmage when pursuing to the boundary
Works well off leverage of DT, which allows him to attack holes at the line of scrimmage
Reads run keys well – doesn’t get fooled by misdirection, doesn’t lose gap integrity
Wraps up extremely well. Great understanding of the strike zone
Biggest concern:

Struggles to find targets, affect throwing lanes in zone coverage
Almost all of his plays versus the run come unblocked. Rarely plays through blocks to finish
Struggles to change directions against elusive ball carriers
Does not consistently get proper depth in zone coverage
Don’t see the speed required to consistently stay with NFL backs and TEs in coverage
Lacks explosiveness and agility to be an effective blitzer
Player comparison: C.J. Mosley, Baltimore Ravens

Like Mosley, McMillan is a solid run defender who can give up plays in coverage. This comparison does not apply to pass-rush ability, as Mosley has been productive in this capacity for the Ravens, while McMillan has not displayed the skill set in college needed to be effective at the next level.

Bottom line:

McMillan looks the part physically and at times flashes the ability to stand up fullbacks in the hole, but he doesn’t consistently attack (or protect his frame) with his hands, and blockers are thus able to swallow him up off the ball. He had a number of negatively graded plays in 2016 because he did not recognize assignments in zone coverage and failed to get proper depth, and his general play against the pass at Ohio State may have some teams worried that he is just a two-down player at the next level. Teams concerned about his viability against the pass (he also shows limited burst and agility when rushing the passer) may not view him as a full-time starter in today’s game.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/dra...lb-ohio-state/

And while it's possible that Jarrad Davis will just go significantly higher than Raekwon McMillian, I'm not sure that's a sure thing. Matt Miller's latest Mock has Jarrad Davis going one spot ahead of us in the 2nd round and then us coming away with McMillian. If we get to around 2.10 and Davis is still available (and assuming we went pass rush in the 1st round, and arguably even if we didn't), then I'll be screaming for Ballard to trade up:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...ock-draft-more

Again, we need to get FASTER as a defense. Having slower ILB's that can't cover is what we DO have.

I'll need to be sold on McMillian, I'm just not seeing it on what he does for us.

[YDFL Commish]

Originally Posted by Coltsalr

Raekwon McMillian gets talked about a lot in here for our 2nd round pick as an ILB, but does any/everyone like him better than Jarrad Davis?

I like what I see more from Davis, here's the scouting reports:

Jarrad Davis:



http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profil...vis?id=2557855



https://www.profootballfocus.com/dra...s-ilb-florida/


Raekwon McMillian-



http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profil...lan?id=2558070



https://www.profootballfocus.com/dra...lb-ohio-state/

And while it's possible that Jarrad Davis will just go significantly higher than Raekwon McMillian, I'm not sure that's a sure thing. Matt Miller's latest Mock has Jarrad Davis going one spot ahead of us in the 2nd round and then us coming away with McMillian. If we get to around 2.10 and Davis is still available (and assuming we went pass rush in the 1st round, and arguably even if we didn't), then I'll be screaming for Ballard to trade up:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...ock-draft-more

Again, we need to get FASTER as a defense. Having slower ILB's that can't cover is what we DO have.

I'll need to be sold on McMillian, I'm just not seeing it on what he does for us.

I'll watch some of Davis's tape this weekend. I will say that they did get one thing right about McMillan.

Once he's blocked by an O-Linemen, he usually stays blocked. It's mostly due to bad technique and leading with the wrong shoulder though.. That can be coached out of him.

[Coltsalr]

Originally Posted by YDFL Commish

I'll watch some of Davis's tape this weekend. I will say that they did get one thing right about McMillan.

Once he's blocked by an O-Linemen, he usually stays blocked. It's mostly due to bad technique and leading with the wrong shoulder though.. That can be coached out of him.

By OUR coaching staff? I'm a bit skeptical.

Do you disagree with their assessment that McMillian lacks some speed? I'm more of an SEC fan, so I'll confess to not having watched tons of McMillian. Do let me know what you think on Davis, I don't review tape or watch too closely/analytically, but like I said, I do watch SEC and I'd love to have some of that Florida speed on our defense. Grigson must've gotten the only slow guy from that D in Antonio Morrison last year.

[VeveJones007]

Originally Posted by Coltsalr

Raekwon McMillian gets talked about a lot in here for our 2nd round pick as an ILB, but does any/everyone like him better than Jarrad Davis?

I like what I see more from Davis, here's the scouting reports:

Jarrad Davis:



http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profil...vis?id=2557855



https://www.profootballfocus.com/dra...s-ilb-florida/


Raekwon McMillian-



http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profil...lan?id=2558070



https://www.profootballfocus.com/dra...lb-ohio-state/

And while it's possible that Jarrad Davis will just go significantly higher than Raekwon McMillian, I'm not sure that's a sure thing. Matt Miller's latest Mock has Jarrad Davis going one spot ahead of us in the 2nd round and then us coming away with McMillian. If we get to around 2.10 and Davis is still available (and assuming we went pass rush in the 1st round, and arguably even if we didn't), then I'll be screaming for Ballard to trade up:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...ock-draft-more

Again, we need to get FASTER as a defense. Having slower ILB's that can't cover is what we DO have.

I'll need to be sold on McMillian, I'm just not seeing it on what he does for us.

Either would be excellent gets at 2.14. I still think EDGE at 1.15 and ILB at 2.14 has the most value.

Hopefully Ballard can identify good CBs later (or Jones falls to the 3rd).

[YDFL Commish]

Originally Posted by Coltsalr

By OUR coaching staff? I'm a bit skeptical.

Do you disagree with their assessment that McMillian lacks some speed? I'm more of an SEC fan, so I'll confess to not having watched tons of McMillian. Do let me know what you think on Davis, I don't review tape or watch too closely/analytically, but like I said, I do watch SEC and I'd love to have some of that Florida speed on our defense. Grigson must've gotten the only slow guy from that D in Antonio Morrison last year.

Sorry Dude, But I watched Davis's games against Bama and Vandy, and he looked flat out horrible to me.

He's excellent in coverage, looks like he has speed and is willing to take on blocks. But that's the end of the positives. He really knocked Cam Robinson back on his heels when taking him on, early in the Bama game.

His instincts and overall play making in the running game are almost non-existent though.

I wouldn't draft him earlier than the 4th round.

[Coltsalr]

Originally Posted by YDFL Commish

Sorry Dude, But I watched Davis's games against Bama and Vandy, and he looked flat out horrible to me.

He's excellent in coverage, looks like he has speed and is willing to take on blocks. But that's the end of the positives. He really knocked Cam Robinson back on his heels when taking him on, early in the Bama game.

His instincts and overall play making in the running game are almost non-existent though.

I wouldn't draft him earlier than the 4th round.

His scouting report says that his play tailed off down the stretch during the season, most notably against Bama when he was out of gas due to injuries wearing on him.

So if it was a nagging injury that's now healed, that is something to keep in mind. Then again, there's something to be said about being leery of guys hitting the rookie wall, and if it's a guy that ran out of gas in college, that might seem like a prime candidate.

The fact that he is so good in coverage and has speed kinda does it for me though. I'm really sick of our defense being too slow and our LB'a being unable to cover as a result. I feel like he'd be able to inject some of what we badly need the most.

[omahacolt]

Originally Posted by Coltsalr

His scouting report says that his play tailed off down the stretch during the season, most notably against Bama when he was out of gas due to injuries wearing on him.

So if it was a nagging injury that's now healed, that is something to keep in mind. Then again, there's something to be said about being leery of guys hitting the rookie wall, and if it's a guy that ran out of gas in college, that might seem like a prime candidate.

The fact that he is so good in coverage and has speed kinda does it for me though. I'm really sick of our defense being too slow and our LB'a being unable to cover as a result. I feel like he'd be able to inject some of what we badly need the most.

do you have any idea how many scouting reports are wrong every year?

[VeveJones007]

Originally Posted by omahacolt

Then why do people constantly bitch about his missed tackles

Originally Posted by omahacolt

do you have any idea how many scouting reports are wrong every year?

Which is it?