Mariota and Winston are projected to be top 5 picks. Don't think we'll be that bad again to have a shot at them. Hundley and Petty may be in reach depending where we draft.
From the looks of O'Brien's draft this year (and his pick of Savage over the other QB's available there), Hundley may end up being the #1 QB on our board.
The Jags didn't have a bad draft. They arguably got two 1st round calibre receivers in the 2nd round. Picked up a good guard prospect and a couple of good defensive prospects. Luke Joeckel only played the 1st 5 games last year so he's like a new addition as well. And they had a good draft last year and had a good free agent off-season. I don't think the Jags are going to be a push over team for much longer.
If they're quick to go nickel (not crazy in the current NFL), there won't be a big difference: Mercilus - (Nix/Pagan/Powe/Crick) - Watt - Clowney in front of Reed - Cushing with 5 DBs
Look, the only reason the kid got drafted in the first place was because he announced that he was gay. His measurements were awful and he looked terrible in drills without the gimmick of being the first openly gay player there is no way he'd be drafted. IMO it wasn't a "courageous" act, it was a calculated move to get him drafted. Jason Collins pulled the same thing in order to extend his career and make him a few more checks and it worked.
I disagree. Being all-American is a big accolade. I'f I'm a general manager I don't want the first "openly" gay player on my squad. It doesn't change the way he plays football, but the media circus is a big turn off/distraction.
I heard he was gonna be outed one way or another and decided that he would report it himself so he at least had some control over the story. Either way I don't think it affected his eventual draft status by more than a round or two. Dude was never going to be a 3rd rounder but he WAS going to be drafted either way.
Jason Collins is a totally different situation. A guy at the end of his career on his way out the door. And I believe the Nets actually needed a big man. I'm one who believes Sam should have kept his personal business to himself and the team but at the same time he took advantage of a situation like a good capitalist would. But we don't know why Fisher drafted him. Maybe he ignored the combine and watched the tape. And Sam had a much better pro day. Faster 40 time and better vertical. Just the same with the players St Louis added _ Sam is in a good situation... If he can get on the field.
Sam was ranked 90 (i.e. third round) on one of the major hot boards imminently prior to his announcement. The idea that he wouldn't have been drafted if not for coming out is ****ing r****ded. I don't care what his measurements/combine numbers were -- actual on-field performance counts for something, and the idea that the Defensive POY in the SEC isn't even a legitimate 7th rounder in the NFL is beyond insane. Sorry. https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/shut...m-70-spots-draft-rankings-173605773--nfl.html He didn't come out for the publicity. He came out because NFL scouts were already hearing rumors and he wanted to control the situation on his own terms. As for Collins, veteran big men get contracts all the time (see Camby, Marcus) as insurance options, and he went 9 months after coming out without getting a whiff. Hard to see the correlation between his coming out and getting more checks. If anything, it seemed to have delayed his getting a check.
I don't know, he's not the first gay NFL player, if he didn't want to be "outed" he wouldn't have been. The Oilers had a situation with 2 gay players like 20 years ago and I'd bet most of the population still doesn't know anything about it. My point was that Collins used the "first gay....." line to his advantage, as you said "like a good capitalist would". I don't hold it against them, in fact, I think it was really smart on their part. Do you think that pre-combine rankings mean anything? One of the major knocks on him all along was that he "Lacks burst and acceleration off the edge to get a step on blockers and finish." he then looked awful in drills and ran a 4.91 40 time and only did 17 reps on the bench press and only had a 25 inch vert....I could go on, but he was terrible across the board so we should just move on. He was a hustle guy who didn't seem to have the physical attributes of an NFL player.....he was NEVER going to go in the 3rd round after those awful performances. He did marginally better at his pro day, but he confirmed that he was a tweener that lacked the athleticism to make it in the NFL. There are always guys like him that end up going undrafted due to terrible measurables and workouts. The incentive of getting to draft "The first openly gay NFL player" is pretty much the only thing he had going for him that sat him apart from the pack. As to Collins, he was terrible at 30 and his career was almost certainly over until he came out, then all of a sudden, he got one more year. Comparing him to Marcus Camby is foolish at best. Collins does nothing well.
was listening to some talk radio today...and they stated that since DeMeco Ryans(2.1 in 2006), every other DPOY from the SEC have been a 1st round pick. And only one other player in the awards history(13 years or so) has ever been drafted below the 1st two rounds... No question that coming out hurt his stock, but he just may not be a good player. People believe that he was a bit overrated in a very talent Mizzou defense. I believe that he was someone that mightve gone in the 5th round but tumbled to the 7th....I wish him the best in STL, and hope he can prove doubters wrong(me included).
There are always "guys like him" that end up going undrafted? Actually, look up the history of SEC Defensive Player of the Year winners and let me know where they've been picked. Hint: in recent memory, all have been in the first 2 rounds. Most in Round 1. Sorry, his on-field performance, by itself, was strong enough to warrant being drafted. Even if he didn't do anything at the Combine (and by the way, his 40 time was improved at his pro day). And yes, pre-combine rankings do mean something. You see, there's a part of the equation for NFL teams that isn't based on what guys do in gym shorts. It's called film, or what they did on the football field. Some would say it's kind of a big deal. As for Collins, you don't like the Camby comparison? OK, remember Charles Jones? Zan Tabak? Do we really need to run down the list of NBA centers with no skills than being "tall" and having a "veteran presence"? This has gone on for decades. Take a step back -- your agenda is coloring your thinking here.
As someone that watched Sam every game in college, I agree with you. I'd put him as a Round 4 or Round 5 guy. He's not nearly as talented as your usual SEC DPOY, and that counts for something in terms of his projectability. On the other hand, production counts, too. He needed a better Combine to shoot up the boards, but his level of production against a stiff SEC schedule is hands down enough to be drafted. It's silly to even argue otherwise. I don't think he'll be good enough to be a starter -- Ealy and Golden were actually better DEs by the end of the year. But his motor, work ethic and burst will make him a solid situational pass-rusher in the right scheme. From what I've seen, I think STL is good for him. My guess is he makes the roster and is a decent role player; nothing more.
