Reads Listens Views-NFL Draft Day 1 Edition 4/27/2012

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If you can look at Irvin’s game through the lens that he can learn better technique to stay low, learn a change-up move, and learn to diagnose run plays with extra work, the physical talent is evident. Read more below.

Views

That was quick. And as someone who loves evaluating players and has less patience for waiting on picks, I loved how fast the first round flew by. I’m going to share some takes, but in case you’re new to this blog, here’s a list that includes seven first-round picks that I’ve analyzed in detail in recent months so I don’t have to rehash anything.

While I’m not a huge fan of Brandon Weeden, I see the logic Continue reading

With the draft almost here, I thought I place this at the top of my blog again for easy access. I added my No-Huddle Series links as well.

NY Times Fifth Down Series: Luck and Griffin

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Can a team really go wrong with Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin? Of course they can, history shows that top quarterback prospects bomb year after year. Do I think they can go wrong with either one? Not unless something horrific happens.

Trent Richardson, Luck and Griffin are a great trio at the top of this draft class and arguably its three best players. While hard to predict whether Richardson will burst onto the scene like Adrian Peterson or Luck or Griffin will match Cam Newton’s first season, all three are within the same hemisphere of talent and potential. Here’s hoping they fulfill that promise.

Here’s the link to my thoughts on Griffin as published by the New York Times Fifth Down blog. Here’s some of my thoughts on luck with a link to the rest of the piece at the bottom.

1.    Andrew Luck, Stanford (6-3, 234)

I have no problem with anyone ranking Robert Griffin III of Baylor as the top prospect in this quarterback class. (See my scouting report here.) Griffin has great athleticism, intelligence and charisma to pair with good technique at the position. I wouldn’t be surprised, for example, if he has a better fantasy season as a rookie than Andrew Luck. But for the long haul, I still give the edge to Luck.

Luck has one of the most refined, polished games I have seen from a college quarterback entering the N.F.L.

It begins with his strong internal clock for pressure. He consistently does a good job of adjusting his location in the pocket at the right time so he can avoid the rush, keep his eyes down the field and get rid of the ball. Because he’s adept at using his eyes to manipulate coverage and displays an understanding of how to adjust his formations to get a mismatch before the snap, he’s well ahead of the game as an  N.F.L.  prospect. The fact that he does this in a pro-style offense is a bonus.

The ability to manipulate a defense extends to his play fakes, ball fakes and bootlegs to create open windows, and he does all of it with fantastic rhythm and timing for a young player. He’s smooth and controlled, and he throws off a defense before delivering the football on time and with great location to his receivers. He has a highly nuanced underneath game, and when defenses try to stop it, he can throw the deep ball as the counterpunch. [Read the rest here]

While listening to talking heads tell you about the draft is sometimes enjoyable, own the document that gives you the literal book on the skill positions that matter to your fantasy league. Get the 2012 Rookie Scouting Portfolio today and then get the May 6 update at no extra charge. If you listen to my readers it’s money well-spent.

Get Acquainted With These Future Prospects

I’ll be doing much more on these prospects in the coming years, but while I’m getting ready for the 2012 NFL Draft, here’s a peek to the future – 2013 and beyond. Some of these guys are future stars, others I’m just intrigued with their potential.

Enjoy tonight. I’ll be on with Jene Bramel at 8pm on the Audible sponsored by Footballguys.com and then later in the evening with Bill Smith at Frying Pan Sports.

Clemson WR Sammy Watkins

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Boston College RB Montell Harris Continue reading

Walk on the Wildside: My Draft to Mock-Part II

I guess tattoos are okay for the field hands, but not for the workers in the big house. Find out who passes Jerry Richardson’s eye-ball test in My Draft to Mock – Part II. Photo by PDA.Photo

After the response I got from last night’s Draft to Mock, apparently there’s a side to many of you that have also grown a little bored of mock drafts. So here’s Part II of My Draft to Mock. For those of you with the scanning virus, this is not a real mock.

Carolina Panthers select DT Fletcher Cox, Ole Mississippi: “Fletcher” is just a good, old-fashioned name. Continue reading

No-Huddle Series: New Mexico State RB Kenny Turner

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I came home from work today and watched an E:60 segment about Titans running back Chris Johnson and his best friend Kenny Turner. If you haven’t seen the segment, you can read the full story about their friendship and the events that transpired that led to a felony conviction and five years in jail. If you ask Johnson or neighborhood friend Mike-Sims Walker, Turner was the best football player in the neighborhood.

Turner played for the New Mexico State Aggies and, like his best friend, was switched from running back to receiver, back to running back. I only had a chance to watch a half of a game tonight against Georgia, but here are three notable plays the reveal some good things about his game. All of them Continue reading

Walk on the Wildside: My Draft to Mock – Part I

The official moving company of the Colts heading for Texas, but which quarterback’s furniture are they grabbing? Find out in My Draft to Mock, Part I. Photo by cogdogblog.

Everyone is doing mock drafts. I’m waiting for President Obama to do one on ESPN any minute now – especially with the ladies of The View likely scheduled to do one on Wednesday. For fear that my football card might be taken away, I thought it was time I do one.

Like Greg Cosell, I plead ignorance on the machinations of teams’ draft boards. In fact, I’ll go a step further and plead insanity. Continue reading

Monday Reading

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Charlier Garner was a fun runner to watch. Despite his array of moves, he had a knack for getting down hill. A tough, undersized runner that I believe Reggie Bush probably should have studied earlier in his career.

I had something written for this morning but wisdom prevailed and I decided not to post it. So here’s some good football reading to check out if you haven’t already.

Chris Brown’s Griffin III and Luck piece on play-action at Smart Football

Cripes! Get back to fundamentals

Word of Muth (Dive into the details of offensive line play with a former all-PAC-10 left tackle): Scouting the Lions

My Future’s column – A Peyton Manning Transcription – should also be up sometime this afternoon


No-Huddle Series: Iowa State WR Darius Reynolds

Learn why Darius Reynolds has a chance to develop into a quietly formidable player in the NFL.

As Jon Gruden said during his QB Camp episode with Brandon Weeden, Iowa State is “a pretty good football team. Quietly, they’ve become formidable.” You don’t become that quietly formidable without some quietly formidable players. I think that pair of words fits wide receiver Darius Reynolds.

The Cyclones receiver ran a 4.54-40, bench pressed 225 lbs. 23 times, delivered a 6.77 three-cone drill, and posted a 35-inch vertical leap at nearly 6’2″ and 206 pounds. His three-cone time would have been third-best at the NFL Combine and his bench press reps would have topped Marvin Jones’ 22 reps as the best overall. To give you a little more perspective, all of those numbers beat Justin Blackmon’s workouts. Continue reading

Reads Listens Views 4/20/2012

12th Rounder…

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Appreciation

I’m incredibly thankful to have the readers I do. I have thoroughly enjoyed the feedback I’ve received this month from those of you downloading the 2012 Rookie Scouting Portfolio. And by popular demand, I am finally writing a post-draft add-on to the 2012 RSP, which will be available with the publication beginning May 6.

If you purchase the 2012 RSP before the draft, keep your login and password and it will allow you to download the add-on at no extra charge (Note: I am not selling the add-on separately, because the information is based on the research and analysis presented in the book.). So far the response to the add-on has been spectacular. Continue reading