2021 'Who are you watching?' NFL prospect thread.

[Unsympathetic]

I'd like to see tape on Zaven from Tulsa.. Tulsa plays a lot of tight front with LB's nesting from A to C gap; coverage-wise it's 100% spot drop zone.. Super athletic, sure, but some NFL DC's have said they couldn't teach him over/under/etc concepts in an entire offseason.  He's never played a down of man pass defense.. I have concerns..

[calfoxwc]

@unsympathetic said:

I'd like to see tape on Zaven from Tulsa.. Tulsa plays a lot of tight front with LB's nesting from A to C gap; coverage-wise it's 100% spot drop zone.. Super athletic, sure, but some NFL DC's have said they couldn't teach him over/under/etc concepts in an entire offseason.  He's never played a down of man pass defense.. I have concerns..

   As a huge Zaven Collins fan - it is a concern - does he have NFL coverage man to man speed? don't know. he does have outstanding instincts, but at the pro level....

[calfoxwc]

  Regardless, I'm still also a big fan of Jabril Cox. He might break a 4.6 forty. I've compared Cox to Ray Lewis, and

have compared Collins to Clay Mathews of the Browns. I don't know his eval at man to man, you betcha - but he's still my

first round draft pick - I think Zaven Collins goes well before the Browns' pick at 26. And Jabril is gone by the Browns next pick.

We'll see ...

[gumby73]

@gumby73 said:

I've kept my eyes on a few days of these.. The debate is "official* 40 times clocking".. Regardless... This is still fast for a Browns scouted twice WR last season... https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/02/27/rashod-bateman-runs-a-sub-4-4-40-yard-dash-at-exos-combine/?partner=Yahoo

Former WR Brandon Marshall's, 'House of Athletes' combine runs from 3-5-21 thru 3-7-21.. It can be streamed at FoxSports.com .. Glenn Cook is the Browns VP of player personal.      https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2021/03/03/nfl-combine-2021-scratched-how-evaluate-draft-prospects/6891217002/

Here's a few results from EXOS & B.Marshall's fitness center tune-up combines...  https://www.rotoviz.com/2021/03/2021-nfl-pro-day-season-schedule-results/

This just in.. DB's Eric Stokes & Kary Vincent Jr. are fast ?... Denzel Ward ran a 4.32

Pro days continue Tuesday..Northwestern=== Browns scouts will attend

[tiamat63]

When I finish up with Jones I'll get Basham per @dutch-oven then move to Collins.

Edit: kind of lonely in the film room, by the way.  Figured we would have more interested eyes while creeping up on Draft day.

[SdBacker80]

@calfoxwc said:

  Regardless, I'm still also a big fan of Jabril Cox. He might break a 4.6 forty. I've compared Cox to Ray Lewis, and

have compared Collins to Clay Mathews of the Browns. I don't know his eval at man to man, you betcha - but he's still my

first round draft pick - I think Zaven Collins goes well before the Browns' pick at 26. And Jabril is gone by the Browns next pick.

We'll see ...

I don’t see Ray Lewis.

Im Seeing Lavonte David. 
 

Cox would instantly become the best coverage backer we have and he looks like he wraps up better than most of our guys.  He plays like a safety.  

[tiamat63]

@unsympathetic said:

I'd like to see tape on Zaven from Tulsa.. Tulsa plays a lot of tight front with LB's nesting from A to C gap; coverage-wise it's 100% spot drop zone.. Super athletic, sure, but some NFL DC's have said they couldn't teach him over/under/etc concepts in an entire offseason.  He's never played a down of man pass defense.. I have concerns..

Tulsa plays a good deal of 3-3. So those "tight" fronts are interior occupying concepts. Bear, eagle, okie.  All have blended gap calls. Some one player, some two players.   Have your bigger bodies eat space between inside shade on the OT's all the way to the center.  Different fronts will have a different LB in the nest, that's standard for every defense. 

Who are these NFL DC's who made the assessment they couldn't teach Collins their calls in an off-season?  And if they exist on record, then a rookie LB not being up to speed in the course of one off-season is....pretty common.

[Unsympathetic]

That was Kollmann's direct quote near the end of his long video of OSU vs Indiana when he did some impromptu Q&A.  Guessing the DC's are his sources at different teams.. he worked at NFL network for 5 years.

Interesting to find out things that are actually an issue with a prospect vs items that just takes reps/time to become muscle memory.

[tiamat63]

@tour2ma

For giggles I had Kellen Mond v UNC on my recommended list and figured I'd give him 30 minutes of my time.

I know he's your dark-horse, but I'm not quite seeing that "Dak-ness" with this one.     So far in this early game he's had some happy feet and some spotty late throws.

[calfoxwc]

Florida Gators kicker Evan McPherson has declared for the NFL Draft, he announced on Twitter. The third-year kicker from Fort Payne, Ala., is regarded as one of the most accurate in program history.

Question is, how high a late round would I pick him? I'm betting he won't be a UDFA....

[The Gipper]

@calfoxwc said:

Florida Gators kicker Evan McPherson has declared for the NFL Draft, he announced on Twitter. The third-year kicker from Fort Payne, Ala., is regarded as one of the most accurate in program history.

Question is, how high a late round would I pick him? I'm betting he won't be a UDFA....

[Tour2ma]

@tiamat63 said:

@tour2ma For giggles I had Kellen Mond v UNC on my recommended list and figured I'd give him 30 minutes of my time

I know he's your dark-horse, but I'm not quite seeing that "Dak-ness" with this one.     So far in this early game he's had some happy feet and some spotty late throws. 

He's not Dak in his Senior year, but I see the same trajectory Dak was on as a Junior.

Focus on Mond's delivery mechanics... throws from his earhole, so release is very quick. I'm hard pressed to recall a quicker one. Plus he has plenty of arm... good size and speed with fair agility.

As season goes on I think you will see a better pocket presence.

[The Gipper]

@tour2ma said:

He's not Dak in his Senior year, but I see the same trajectory Dak was on as a Junior.

Focus on Mond's delivery mechanics... throws from his earhole, so release is very quick. I'm hard pressed to recall a quicker one. Plus he has plenty of arm... good size and speed with fair agility.

As season goes on I think you will see a better pocket presence.

Dan Marino?

[LondonBrown]

So the Johnson signing probably means a safety is out in the first round?

Any corners going to be around that late, linebacker maybe? 

[calfoxwc]

https://www.si.com/college/florida/football/florida-gators-evan-mcpherson-nfl-draft-team-meetings

Former Gators Kicker Evan McPherson Drawing Plenty of NFL Interest

"McPherson has reportedly drawn plenty of interest from teams across the NFL as he prepares for the upcoming draft. According to Justin Melo of The Draft Network, McPherson has been in contact with the Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, and San Francisco 49ers. "

[Tour2ma]

@londonbrown said:

So the Johnson signing probably means a safety is out in the first round?

Any corners going to be around that late, linebacker maybe? 

LBs definitely... latest stuff I've been reading has as many as 6 going in round one. There's going to be one there come pick 26.

CBs? Only two or three are getting first round buzz. Two are top 20 with the third not a consensus round one guy.

[LondonBrown]

@tour2ma said:

LBs definitely... latest stuff I've been reading has as many as 6 going in round one. There's going to be one there come pick 26.

CBs? Only two or three are getting first round buzz. Two are top 20 with the third not a consensus round one guy.

Cool, I have seen claims that this FO and coaching staff aren't too fussed about LB's and will get them later

[tiamat63]

@tour2ma said:

He's not Dak in his Senior year, but I see the same trajectory Dak was on as a Junior.

Focus on Mond's delivery mechanics... throws from his earhole, so release is very quick. I'm hard pressed to recall a quicker one. Plus he has plenty of arm... good size and speed with fair agility.

As season goes on I think you will see a better pocket presence.

So go back and youtube to refresh your memory if need be, but my comparison both mechanics and arm strength wise for Mond is Sam Bradford.    Both have that from the ear release and decent arm strength.     My issue with Mond so far in my limited viewing has been his timing and ball placement.  There was one in particular in this cutup that was kind of the synopsis of his short coming.

@ 2:52    2 man scissor vs man coverage. Or at least a bad pass off in cover 3.   But if this ball were delivered on time and ahead of the receiver, it's a touchdown.  Instead the late throw and behind placement gave the DB time to recover.  

[tiamat63]

@ 3:52 

JJ is man on the #2 in the empty set.  Peaks the downblock, turns his eyes immediately back into the interior,  says "fuck it" and attacks the clear crease over the RG. 

And you can hear that 'POP' too.              Another reason why I call JJ a younger version of Malcolm Jenkins.  He's a DB who isn't afraid to go get contact.     

[tiamat63]

@londonbrown

JC Jackson.  Here is what I can tell you.

He ain't 6'1 like he's listed.  And he is for damn certain not 200lbs.  He's 5'10ish 190lbs. 

- Decent arm length

- good patience in his mirror

- good pad level and eye discipline 

- lacks elite twitch, hip fluidity and recovery speed.

He is the typical late round DB that NE has done a great job coaching up over the years.  Especially in man coverage outside and to the boundary.  He uses his patience and contact away from the line to squeeze and trail defenders in man.    He sort of has qualities of Kary Vincent (you've probably seen me gush over) minus the elite foot speed.  Though KV is probably a half inch shorter and a few pounds lighter.