Completely agree. That’s who I would’ve taken if I wasn’t purposely taking Dobbins just to see how it played out.
Also found it interesting I think if I heard correctly when O’Brien was referring to our safeties he left out Gipson.
McGinn’s NFL Draft Series: Scouts on top quarterbacks On a scale of 1 to 10, what would be your level of concern regarding Tua Tagovailoa’s injury history? A total of 18 executives in personnel were asked that question over the last three weeks, and their responses indicated deep-seated worry about the short- and long-term future for the left-handed quarterback from Alabama. With 10 as the high end of the scale, the average for the panel was 7.6. There were three 10’s, seven 8’s, four 7’s, three 6’s and one 4. “There is concern, serious concern, about the durability,” said a high-placed personnel man for an NFC team. “The ankle, the hip, the size, you name it. It’s hard because you can’t get your hands on him.” Tagovailoa’s representatives recently released video of the quarterback stepping through movement drills. They say he has been cleared to compete. “That’s all agent stuff,” an AFC personnel man said. “I’m playing the odds. I don’t want to put my whole franchise on a left-handed, beat-up, 6-foot quarterback. No thank you.” It’s known that three teams have Tagovailoa off their draft boards entirely. “It all depends on your doctors,” said one executive. How far Tagovailoa slips, if, in fact, he slips at all, will be one of the central storylines during Thursday’s draft. “He’s a great college player but, wow, he is fragile,” another AFC personnel man said. “He’s a super kid and I don’t wish ill will, but there’s three, four or five red flags staring us all in the face saying, ‘You know what? This guy’s not going to be all that he’s cracked up to be.’” Certainly the worst of Tagovailoa’s many injuries was the traumatic hip injury that he suffered Nov. 16 at Mississippi State. His right hip was dislocated and the posterior wall was fractured. He was taken by helicopter to a hospital in Birmingham, Ala., and surgery was performed in Houston two days later. “Our doctors said he’ll probably be with fine with what he’s got now,” one club executive said. “It’s what’s going to happen in Year 5, or whatever. It’s the second contract type stuff. If you’re drafting a guy that high, you’re thinking he’s going to be a dude. Of particular concern is AVN, short for avascular necrosis, the death of bone tissue due to lost blood supply. It can take years for AVN to develop. “They said if he can get through the first year then the percentage that it will really hurt him is less than 1 percent. The big thing now is the one-year mark. The risk of AVN is roughly 15 percent his first year, then it goes down. It’s more or less arthritis. If you get that early in the hip you’re done.” Tagovailoa’s medical chart also includes surgery for a left high-ankle sprain, surgery for a right high-ankle sprain, a sprained knee and at least one hand injury requiring surgery. “When you watch the tape there’s certain guys that get hit and bounce right back up,” said one personnel man. “When Tua gets hit, it looks like a train wreck.” “The thing is, he exposes himself,” another scout said. “It’s really sad. Kyler Murray is the best. He knows when to go down, when to go out of bounds. Patrick Mahomes is not as good an athlete as Murray but he knows when to go down. This guy tries to get that additional yard. His toughness is a negative factor the way he opens himself up to injuries. “Tua’s game is a game of movement. I would be scared. I don’t know how the guy’s going to bounce back.” “When you watch the tape there’s certain guys that get hit and bounce right back up,” said one personnel man. “When Tua gets hit, it looks like a train wreck.” “The thing is, he exposes himself,” another scout said. “It’s really sad. Kyler Murray is the best. He knows when to go down, when to go out of bounds. Patrick Mahomes is not as good an athlete as Murray but he knows when to go down. This guy tries to get that additional yard. His toughness is a negative factor the way he opens himself up to injuries. “I don’t have a magical answer whether he’s going to stay healthy or not,” said an AFC decision-maker. “It is a concern. He’s had medical issues for much of his career.” “He’s got a natural feel for the game,” one AFC personnel man said. “He throws the deep ball exceptionally well. He’s got good anticipation and very good accuracy. There’s a lot to like about him.” My poll of 17 executives asked each to rank his five best quarterbacks. A first-place vote was worth 5 points, a second-place vote was worth 4 and so forth. Joe Burrow, with 15 firsts and 83 points, was the runaway winner. Tagovailoa, who had the other two firsts, was second with 60 points. Following, in order, were Justin Herbert (55 points), Jordan Love (36), Jacob Eason (13), Jake Fromm (three), Anthony Gordon (two), Jalen Hurts (two) and Steven Montez (one). “This is a flawed group,” said one personnel man. “You have to decide which flaws you’re going to live with.” RANKING THE QUARTERBACKS 1. JOE BURROW, LSU (6-3 ½, 229, no 40, 1) 2. TUA TAGOVAILOA, Alabama (6-0, 217, no 40, 1) 3. JUSTIN HERBERT, Oregon (6-6, 235, 4.72, 1) 4. JORDAN LOVE, Utah State (6-3 ½, 224, 4.71, 1-2) 5. JACOB EASON, Washington (6-6, 231, 4.87, 1-2) 6. JALEN HURTS, Oklahoma (6-1, 221, 4.62, 2-3) Hurts won 38 of 42 starts in a three-year career at Alabama and a final season for the Sooners. “The thing he did in that SEC Championship Game, when he got benched and came in off the bench and won the game, might be one of the greatest moments in sports,” one scout said. “He can run, he’s a great kid and he’s tough. He’s a winner. I just think he’s a packaged quarterback. You’ve got to put certain plays in for him. He’s a third-teamer for me.” NFL passer ratings were 95.0 in 2016, 107.0 in ’17, 134.5 in ’18 and 128.9 in ’19 for a composite of 111.6. “You love the makeup and the intelligence,” said another scout. “On tape, he’s just not a natural quarterback. He’s mechanical, one read. Can make plays with his legs. Accuracy was the question mark. At the combine he was amazing with his accuracy, especially on those post-corners and deep routes. But I just don’t see a starting talent as far as the quick process and making plays with your arm in the pocket or on the move that you need to be a consistent, winning starter. But you want him on your team.” Hurts is from Houston and posted a Wonderlic of 18. 7. JAKE FROMM, Georgia (6-2, 219, 4.94, 3) 8. ANTHONY GORDON, Washington State (6-2 ½, 205, no 40, 4-5) 9. JAMES MORGAN, Florida International (6-4, 229, 4.90, 4-5) Morgan made 13 starts at Bowling Green in 2016-’17 before seeing the job handed to the brother of one of the Falcons’ assistant coaches. He transferred, but was eligible immediately because he had his degree in pre-law. Morgan started two seasons at FIU. “I got him in the fifth (round),” said one scout. “Like the way he plays. He can throw a deep ball. He has a better arm than Nate Stanley. Quick release. Not a real runner. Has issues under pressure. He’s got the physical skills. He’s smart. Take a shot.” His NFL passer ratings were 69.6 at BGSU and 97.9 at FIU for a composite of 85.5. “He was really bad in their opener against Tulane,” said a second scout. “I had a hard time shaking that. He’s got a chance because down there (FIU) they absolutely love the kid. Old-school gym rat. Great leader. The arm’s good enough. Accuracy was the one thing holding me back.” He’s attempting to become the first quarterback drafted from Green Bay since Wisconsin’s Bud Keyes (Green Bay West) went to the Packers in the 10th round in 1988. “The Packers should be able to get him easy after the draft as a free agent,” a third scout said. “I didn’t like him. Just a big, strong guy.” H posted a Wonderlic score of 23. 10. JAKE LUTON, Oregon State (6-6, 222, 5.07, 4-5) 11. BRIAN LEWERKE, Michigan State (6-2 ½, 213, 4.96, 6-7) 12. NATE STANLEY, Iowa (6-3 ½, 235, 4.80, 6-7) OTHERS, in order: Steven Montez, Colorado; Case Cookus, Northern Arizona; Cole McDonald, Hawaii; Reid Sinnett, San Diego; Shea Patterson, Michigan; Kevin Davidson, Princeton; Nick Tiano, Chattanooga; Kelly Bryant, Missouri. THE SKINNY UNSUNG HERO Case Cookus, Northern Arizona: Teams looking for a sleeper at quarterback have been paying considerable attention to this snakebit gunslinger from the FCS ranks. Both his 2016 and ’18 seasons were ended before mid-season by a broken right collarbone. Cookus (6-3, 208) has good size, a functional arm and smarts. He threw for 12,082 yards and 105 touchdowns in his career for an NFL passer rating of 107.6. Described by one scout as a “no-nonsense leader” who loves the game. SCOUTS’ NIGHTMARE Shea Patterson, Michigan: If he’s drafted, it would be on the basis of athleticism and escape ability. As a passer, his mechanics and accuracy were off. Several scouts also expressed reservations about his makeup and leadership. He had chances at the Senior Bowl and combine to impress but came up well short. “It’s 50-50 whether he gets drafted,” one scout said. SCOUT TO REMEMBER Jake Hallum: This sweet-spoken Southern gentleman couldn’t get enough football. After a playing career at Newberry College in his native South Carolina, he won two state titles as a high-school coach in Kentucky before embarking on a long career as a collegiate head coach (Morehead State) and offensive-line coach under Jerry Claiborne at Maryland and Kentucky. Residing in Lexington, Ky., he finished his career as a senior area scout for the Eagles, Patriots and Browns. “To know Jake was to love him,” longtime scout Greg Gabriel wrote shortly after his death. “I don’t think there was a man with more passion and love for the game of football than Jake.” He died in 2015 at age 76. QUOTE TO NOTE NFL personnel executive: “I was taught when I first came into the business to believe your eyes, not your ears. It turned out to be very good advice.”
Hope it was just a slip. Hip was our best safety with handling right end. For the life of me I still don't understand why he played in the meaningless last game of the season only to be ir-ed two days later. I imagine that kc game goes differently if Gip was holding Kelce, but water under the bridge. Hope he's back even if this Eric Murray fella is Harrison Smith in disguise or something lol
Would love for the draft to shake out this way with with Davidson and Baun available at 40. If I’m cherry picking off this mock: 2nd: Zach Baun (OLB) 3rd: Devin Duvernay (WR) 4th: James Lynch (DL) 5th: AJ Dillon (RB) 7th: Whoever...
Finish my endless search for a short white slot receiver in the 7th and this would be the perfect draft. But who the hell knows what b.o.b is going to do or who will piss him off in the next 6 days.
BoB taking a LT at 40 thinking it gains him leverage over Tunsil is the wildcard. I can hear it now: “Evaluated him in the Senior Bowl, good athlete, think he can play multiple positions for us.”
Hell no. He MAY go in the fourth round. I like him for sure, but worst case, you trade way back in the second and pick up an extra third and draft him there. Honestly, you could probably trade back in the third, pick up an extra mid round pick and still draft him. I like the idea of this team trading back from 40 and getting a late third or so to draft that WR.
McGinn’s NFL Draft Series: Scouts on top running backs Everybody in the scouting world seems smitten with Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the little big man who played a major role in LSU’s undefeated national championship season. Georgia’s D’Andre Swift, Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor and Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins join CEH in a formidable foursome atop most draft boards. Stealthily creeping beneath the hype meter are another dozen or so backs who have the chops to do some damage as well. Everyone knows the position has been devalued in the last decade, but the fact that backs aren’t being selected as high anymore clearly hasn’t diminished their ability to play if not excel. “There’s no Zekes, but does that even matter anymore?” said an executive in personnel. “You just want a good back, really. The (Todd) Gurleys, the Zeke’s (Elliott), does that even matter?” “It’s been proven that you don’t necessarily have to take a running back super high,” an AFC personnel man said. “There are some good ones, and they’re coming in all shapes and sizes. The NFL has become a different game that way in terms of what’s acceptable for a running back. Four different guys could be classified as the top guy this year.” Edwards-Helaire is short, but he’s not small. Swift is the best receiver of the upper crust whereas Taylor is the fastest and Dobbins could be the most complete. “Unless you’re Saquon Barkley or Ezekiel Elliott, you ain’t going in the first round,” said another executive in personnel. “That’s because you can get somebody late second or third round, sometimes in the fourth round, that is a good running back. It’s the new NFL.” The height of backs also has changed over time. Ten years ago, seven of my top 10 backs stood at least 5-11. This year, Boston College’s A.J. Dillon is the only one that does. “They’re all 5-8, 5-9,” said another scout. “The game has changed.” The shortest of the top 25 backs is LSU’s Edwards-Helaire. He’s a shade over 5-7, a 1,448-yard rusher who also found time to catch 55 passes for the prolific Bayou Bengals. “Love him,” an AFC personnel man said. “If Joe Burrow was the star, (Edwards-Helaire) won the Academy Award for best supporting actor. He’s a little engine that could. He is a terrific football player.” In chronological order, here are the names and height-weight-speed entering their drafts of seven players that have been compared in some form or fashion to Edwards-Helaire by at least one personnel man: Kevin Faulk (5-7 ½, 205, 4.48), Darren Sproles (5-6, 187, 4.48), Maurice Jones-Drew (5-7, 207, 4.39), Danny Woodhead (5-7 ½, 197, 4.41), Cohen (5-6 ½, 177, 4.41), Austin Ekeler (5-8 ½, 198, 4.48) and Devin Singletary (5-7 ½, 201, 4.65). One significant difference is Edwards-Helaire ran just 4.59 at the combine, a least one-tenth of a second slower than six of those seven success stories. “But he has maybe the best play speed I’ve seen in like five years among running backs,” said one scout. “His game against Alabama and even his combine workout … his first step is full speed. It’s absolutely crazy how fast he plays.” My poll of 18 evaluators asked them to rank their top five backs. As always, a first-place vote was worth five points, a second-place was worth four and so on. Swift led with 77 points and 10 firsts, followed closely by Taylor (63, five), Edwards-Helaire (51, one) and Dobbins (50, two). The other vote-getters were Cam Akers (11), Zack Moss (seven), Dillon (five), Ke’Shawn Vaughn (five) and Darrynton Evans (one). Even beyond the leading dozen, there are down-the-liners such as Miami’s DeeJay Dallas, Florida’s Lamical Perine, Cincinnati’s Mike Warren and Illinois State’s James Robinson that scouts have studied more than just casually. It’s a good bet that the next Aaron Jones or Phillip Lindsay is sitting deep on draft boards just waiting to explode in the NFL. Running backs are very, very much alive and well. “It’s a good class,” an NFC decision-maker said. “There are interesting backs all the way through.”
RANKING THE RUNNING BACKS RUNNING BACKS 1. D’ANDRE SWIFT, Georgia (5-8, 212, 4.48, 1-2) 2. JONATHAN TAYLOR, Wisconsin (5-10 ½, 221, 4.38, 1-2) 3. CLYDE EDWARDS-HELAIRE, LSU (5-7, 207, 4.59, 1-2) 4. J.K. DOBBINS, Ohio State (5-9 ½, 209, no 40, 1-2) Dobbins is a third-year junior and a three-year starter. “Like him,” said one scout. “He runs hard. Just a natural runner. He’s good on first contact. He runs with an edge. He’s going to be a really good back.” Dobbins played his best in big games and finished with 724 carries for 4,459 (6.2) and 38 TDs to go with 71 receptions. “We had an awesome interview with him,” said another scout. “He’s really smart, really upbeat. He loves football. The whole thing is important to him. He knows what he’s doing. He wants to be coached.” His deficiencies in pass protection became pronounced as the season went along. “He’s OK but he’s not special,” said a third scout. “He’s a good backup back. I don’t see him breaking tackles. He’s got to have room. He’s quick. He’s not a power back. He’s kind of a change-of-pace guy.” Dobbins is from LaGrange, Texas. “I’ve got him as the best back because I think he has more three-down ability,” said a fourth scout. “You can actually move him out of the backfield and do things. He can become a really good player in this league.” Dobbins posted a Wonderlic of 16. 5. CAM AKERS, Florida State (5-10 ½, 217, 4.46, 2-3) 6. ZACK MOSS, Utah (5-9 ½, 223, 4.62, 3) 7. KE’SHAWN VAUGHN, Vanderbilt (5-9 ½, 214, 4.50, 3-4) 8. A.J. DILLON, Boston College (6-0 ½, 247, 4.50, 3-4) Dillon played just three seasons, but he holds the school record for yards (4,382) and TDs (38). “He and Derrick Henry are similar in the sense they’re better in carry 30 than carry five,” said one scout. “They lull you to sleep. They’re taller, not physical guys. But when you get to the third or fourth quarter, they’re just so heavy that people just get tired of hitting them. Derrick Henry was a much more natural runner coming out.” He stunned some NFL personnel by running a fast 40. Also led the backs in the Wonderlic (30), vertical jump (41 inches) and broad jump (10-11). “I didn’t think he had any speed,” said another scout. “His toughness wasn’t that good. He didn’t run like a power back. He wasn’t a tackle breaker. Very limited (as a receiver) but he can catch. He’s big and he’s hard to bring down. He should be knocking people down. He should be like a bowling ball with the pins but he’s not.” He finished with 845 carries, a 5.2 average and 21 receptions. “In the old days this guy would be a fullback,” a third scout said. “In goal-line and short-yardage the guy would be excellent. He gets 3 yards each time. He takes people with him.” Dillon is from New London, Conn. 9. DARRYNTON EVANS, Appalachian State (5-10, 203, 4.47, 3-4) 10. ANTHONY McFARLAND, Maryland (5-8, 208, 4.44, 4) 11. ANTONIO GIBSON, Memphis (6-0 ½, 228, 4.41, 4) 12. JOSHUA KELLEY, UCLA (5-10 ½, 212, 4.53, 4-5) OTHERS, in order: DeeJay Dallas, Miami; Lamical Perine, Florida; Eno Benjamin, Arizona State; Mike Warren, Cincinnati; Patrick Taylor, Memphis; James Robinson, Illinois State; LeVante Bellamy, Western Michigan; Rico Dowdle, South Carolina; Darius Anderson, TCU; Raymond Calais, Louisiana; Javon Leake, Maryland; J.J. Taylor, Arizona; Xavier Jones, SMU; JaMycal Hasty, Baylor; Toren Young, Iowa.
FULLBACKS 1. JOSIAH DEGUARA, Cincinnati (6-2 ½, 242, 4.72, 5-6) 2. JAKE BARGAS, North Carolina (6-1 1/2, 254, no 40, 7-FA) 3. SEWO OLONILUA, TCU (6-2 ½, 232, 4.64, 7-FA) He played behind Darius Anderson, starting just nine of 52 games. “He leaves you scratching your head because he’s big and pretty and talented,” said one scout. “He’s got talent. They couldn’t get it out of him, and TCU’s a tough-minded program. If they couldn’t for four years, now we’re going to get it out of him?” He played fullback at the NFLPA all-star game, and because there are no fullbacks some teams have him on their boards at that position. “He is a strong short-yardage runner,” said a second scout. “I’ve never seen him block. He can catch. He runs hard.” Olonilua finished with 348 carries for 1,624 (4.7) and 18 TDs to go with 60 receptions and is from Kingwood, Texas. OTHERS, in order: Reggie Gilliam, Toledo; James Lockhart, Baylor; Dominick Wood-Anderson, Tennessee. THE SKINNY UNSUNG HERO Eno Benjamin, RB, Arizona State: Benjamin is one of the toughest, most reckless players in the draft. “Breaks a ton of tackles,” said one scout. “The offensive line there was horrible so a lot of times he had to create stuff on his own.” Rushed for 1,642 yards as a sophomore and 1,083 as a junior before declaring. At 5-9 and 207, his 4.56 clocking in the 40 hurt him more than it helped. SCOUTS’ NIGHTMARE Lamical Perine, RB, Florida: He led the Gators in rushing from 2017-’19 but never gained more than 826 yards. Possesses excellent hands but ran just 4.59 at 5-10 ½, 216. Wonderlic of 8. “Thinks he has all the answers,” one scout said. “Not sure I trust him.” His cousin, Samaje, was the Redskins’ fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma in 2017 and led them in rushing (603) as a rookie. SCOUT TO REMEMBER Dick Mansperger: A meticulous Californian, Mansperger was described by one of his peers as “professional” and “focused.” In 1965, Mansperger left collegiate coaching to join the Cowboys as a scout. He spent a decade there, then departed for Seattle in 1976 to become director of player personnel for the expansion Seahawks. During his highly successful tenure he “stole” quarterback Jim Zorn from the Cowboys’ clutches and then uncovered free agent Dave Krieg to succeed him. Mansperger returned to Dallas in 1984 and, as director of college scouting, played a vital role in building three Super Bowl-winning teams. He quit the Cowboys in 1992 after a salary dispute with owner Jerry Jones. Mansperger died in 2013 at age 80. QUOTE TO NOTE NFL personnel man: “I try not to overscout pass pro. At that (collegiate) level, they don’t spend a ton of time on it. They don’t get coached on a lot of the mechanics of it. If a back’s willing to put his face in there and has enough strike to stop the charge, I keep him alive.”
It would be ideal to get him in the 3rd or the 4th. I just dont think he makes it out of the 2nd round.
How would y’all grade taking Taylor at 40? Wasn’t that high on him early on but warming up to the idea. Obviously we have way bigger needs but don’t see either DJ has feature backs at this point. For fun, assume a guy like Dillon won’t make it until the 4th.
