Draft Sleepers

[AZ54]

Getting ready for the Senior Bowl and other scouting bonanzas. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller posted an early sleeper list. Some of these players should be on our watch list.

 

Marcus Davenport OLB... I've already written about him. The Senior Bowl will be big for him because on paper he has 1st Rd talent, maybe even top 15 talent. I'm very curious to see how he does.

 

Desmond Harrison OT... In the highlights you can see the raw athleticism that will get him drafted. What round is hard to determine right now and he has character concerns. For now in this short highlight clip we can see he doesn't treat the competition he faced very well. Most of these players look like out of shape former high school stars. He's another one to keep an eye on at the Senior Bowl.

 

 

There are a couple other names on his list that might be worthwhile mid to late rd picks for us.

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2753645...-draft-sleepers

 

[ChileBear]

Getting ready for the Senior Bowl and other scouting bonanzas. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller posted an early sleeper list. Some of these players should be on our watch list.

 

Marcus Davenport OLB... I've already written about him. The Senior Bowl will be big for him because on paper he has 1st Rd talent, maybe even top 15 talent. I'm very curious to see how he does.

 

Desmond Harrison OT... In the highlights you can see the raw athleticism that will get him drafted. What round is hard to determine right now and he has character concerns. For now in this short highlight clip we can see he doesn't treat the competition he faced very well. Most of these players look like out of shape former high school stars. He's another one to keep an eye on at the Senior Bowl.

 

 

There are a couple other names on his list that might be worthwhile mid to late rd picks for us.

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2753645...-draft-sleepers

Thanks for the post, info is great. As for the OT, I think Pace goes a different direction as we already have a project on the OL from last year's draft. But, I won't be surprised as Pace appears to follow his own direction and small school players can pan out. Tarik?!!

[jason]

Brandon Parker, OT, NC A&T - Tarik Cohen's running mate. Good hands, pretty fast feet.Jaleel Scott, WR, NMSt. - Crazy size and ups. Has flashes of Randy Moss.

 

[AZ54]

Brandon Parker, OT, NC A&T - Tarik Cohen's running mate. Good hands, pretty fast feet.

Jaleel Scott, WR, NMSt. - Crazy size and ups. Has flashes of Randy Moss.

 

 

 

 

 

After watching a few minutes of film I'm all in on Brandon Parker. He's the type of athlete who could develop into a starter with a couple years of work but should at least be a solid backup swing tackle.

 

Jaleel Scott can catch but I'd like to see him run away from someone especially given the level of competition he played. I'd compare him more to Alshon Jeffrey or maybe Muhammed Sanu and that's not a bad thing. In the game against ASU the DBs look like they are casually jogging next to him. He knows how to win when the ball arrives and still made some good catches.

[jason]

Getting ready for the Senior Bowl and other scouting bonanzas. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller posted an early sleeper list. Some of these players should be on our watch list.

 

Marcus Davenport OLB... I've already written about him. The Senior Bowl will be big for him because on paper he has 1st Rd talent, maybe even top 15 talent. I'm very curious to see how he does.

 

Desmond Harrison OT... In the highlights you can see the raw athleticism that will get him drafted. What round is hard to determine right now and he has character concerns. For now in this short highlight clip we can see he doesn't treat the competition he faced very well. Most of these players look like out of shape former high school stars. He's another one to keep an eye on at the Senior Bowl.

 

 

 

 

There are a couple other names on his list that might be worthwhile mid to late rd picks for us.

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2753645...-draft-sleepers

 

Damn, that Desmond Harrison dude holds a lot. He’s got bad technique and is real handsy. He grabs outside and rotates defenders, which is a sure sign of a hold. He should be dominating - like he does at the end of most plays - by driving with his legs.

 

[AZ54]

Joel Lanning...

 

I don't know if he's a sleeper but since he's not invited to the Scouting Combine he might as well be. I need to see how he runs but when we get to 3rd day of the draft he should be on our board. He plays a lot like Kwiatkoski, stout around LOS, but I think he might run a bit better than him based on what I saw when he played QB. Having played LB just one year he's going to need some time to learn the role but he wasn't lost on the field as much as you might think.

 

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/college/Iow...-Game_164537028

 

There is no question about his leadership ability...

 

 

 

[AZ54]

Add Brett Toth OT Army to the list. After reading up on him it seems he's pretty talented but there is the Army commitment to deal with.

 

http://www.walterfootball.com/eastwest2018interviews4.php

 

http://www.recordonline.com/collegevarsity...ns-best-tackles

[lemonej]

Joel Lanning...

 

I don't know if he's a sleeper but since he's not invited to the Scouting Combine he might as well be. I need to see how he runs but when we get to 3rd day of the draft he should be on our board. He plays a lot like Kwiatkoski, stout around LOS, but I think he might run a bit better than him based on what I saw when he played QB. Having played LB just one year he's going to need some time to learn the role but he wasn't lost on the field as much as you might think.

 

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/college/Iow...-Game_164537028

 

There is no question about his leadership ability...

 

 

Lanning is A UDFA or late round prospect with special teams demon written all over him and what he did on the goaline this year as the Cyclones Wildcat QB was outstanding!

[AZ54]

Looking at a WR on day 3 I'm keeping this guy on my list. Daurice Fountain.

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2755116...ggest-takeaways

 

I watched some highlights and I'm not so sure he has the speed to run away from NFL DBs, as Matt Miller says, but he appears to have good quickness in his cuts, can track the deep ball well, and catches with his hands. He was a team captain so it appears he has good character and leadership. His coach puts him on par with players like David Johnson in terms of his work ethic. We'll see how well he times in the 40.

 

 

"Northern Iowa wide receiver Darius Fountain was the star of the East practice on Tuesday, and on Wednesday, Fountain added another impressive session. He has scouts buzzing across the league. His name is being passed along to scouts, directors, and general managers who aren't in St. Petersburg to check out his tape. Teams split their college scouting staffs between the East-West Shrine and the NFLPA all-star game. Fountain was very good in one-on-ones, showing the quickness, body control, and route-running to get separation from the cornerbacks. He had one drop in the team scrimmage, but sources were also raving about a few catches he made, including a leaping touchdown on a fade route on which he high-pointed the ball perfectly before getting both feet down near the sideline. He made a beautiful over-the-shoulder catch streaking down the sideline to tracking down a deep ball for a score. Fountain has had an excellent week and has definitely push his draft stock up. "

 

Read more: http://www.walterfootball.com/eastwest2018...p#ixzz54subtsbz

[AZ54]

Adding Kemoko Turay to my little watch list. He fits OLB mold for us and is likely a late Rd draft pick but right now his draft stock is so low he could end up UDFA. He has a lot of athleticism but is stout enough to set the edge. He battled some injuries (torn labrum) in college and for those who want lots of sacks he was used a lot in coverage so the numbers weren't there, and he's still raw as a pass rusher. He's headed to the Senior Bowl and Combine so we'll know more soon.

 

http://draftbreakdown.com/2017/12/10/kemok...gan-state-2017/

[lemonej]

Adding Kemoko Turay to my little watch list. He fits OLB mold for us and is likely a late Rd draft pick but right now his draft stock is so low he could end up UDFA. He has a lot of athleticism but is stout enough to set the edge. He battled some injuries (torn labrum) in college and for those who want lots of sacks he was used a lot in coverage so the numbers weren't there, and he's still raw as a pass rusher. He's headed to the Senior Bowl and Combine so we'll know more soon.

 

http://draftbreakdown.com/2017/12/10/kemok...gan-state-2017/

I hope this is in your wheel house! I thought you have mentioned being an Iowa State fan(alum?) I am enamored with Lazaar{sp?} Yes the Bears need an over the top guy but a reliable chain mover is Lazaar!

[AZ54]

I hope this is in your wheel house! I thought you have mentioned being an Iowa State fan(alum?) I am enamored with Lazaar{sp?} Yes the Bears need an over the top guy but a reliable chain mover is Lazaar!

 

An alumnus from way back in the last century. Lazard is intriguing as a prospect. I'm not sure how fast he'll run and IMO that will largely determine what day he is drafted. He's definitely not a burner but if he can run close to 4.6 he might end up as high as Rd 3. If he runs a 4.7 he's probably a UDFA. I figure he'll be around on Day 3 if we want him. He can go up and win the ball in traffic, very good hands and makes tough catches all the time. Don't let the drops in the first Senior Bowl practice fool you, he'll get used to the QBs. He definitely has the size and strength to get off the line against press coverage just need to see what he can do afterward against the best CBs. I'm curious to hear how he does throughout the week.

 

The Cyclone receiver I really like is his understudy who is not in the draft this year but probably will be next year: Hakeem Butler. He's made some excellent catches in traffic (ala the highlight below) and has the speed to go the distance on any play. He's quicker in/out of his cuts than Lazard.

 

 

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=21460496

[bowlingtwig]

An alumnus from way back in the last century. Lazard is intriguing as a prospect. I'm not sure how fast he'll run and IMO that will largely determine what day he is drafted. He's definitely not a burner but if he can run close to 4.6 he might end up as high as Rd 3. If he runs a 4.7 he's probably a UDFA. I figure he'll be around on Day 3 if we want him. He can go up and win the ball in traffic, very good hands and makes tough catches all the time. Don't let the drops in the first Senior Bowl practice fool you, he'll get used to the QBs. He definitely has the size and strength to get off the line against press coverage just need to see what he can do afterward against the best CBs. I'm curious to hear how he does throughout the week.

 

The Cyclone receiver I really like is his understudy who is not in the draft this year but probably will be next year: Hakeem Butler. He's made some excellent catches in traffic (ala the highlight below) and has the speed to go the distance on any play. He's quicker in/out of his cuts than Lazard.

 

 

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=21460496

So his entire draft stock is going to be based on how he runs in his underwear? If that's true I want no part of him. Those guys typically don't last in the NFL long. I don't pay much attention to the combine because it's basically the underwear Olympics. Id much rather look at the senior bowl and the 1 on 1's. Although it's only the seniors. So other than that I'd rather look at there tape. I'm in the camp that the tape don't lie

[Stinger226]

So his entire draft stock is going to be based on how he runs in his underwear? If that's true I want no part of him. Those guys typically don't last in the NFL long. I don't pay much attention to the combine because it's basically the underwear Olympics. Id much rather look at the senior bowl and the 1 on 1's. Although it's only the seniors. So other than that I'd rather look at there tape. I'm in the camp that the tape don't lie

All the combine does is bring attention to being athletic. I think tape is the best way to determine value. Also their attitude and do they love football, work hard. Combine is the last of the analysis.

[Stinger226]

All the combine does is bring attention to being athletic. I think tape is the best way to determine value. Also their attitude and do they love football, work hard. Combine is the last of the analysis.

A name to throw in the ring that doesn't get much press but lead the big 10 in tackles is Tegrey Scales. 6' 230. He would have put on 15 lbs to play in the middle but the dude can run.

[bowlingtwig]

How about Tyrell Crosby. OT from Oregon so helfrich knows him. Ideal size at 6'5 with over 34" arms. I've seen some of his tape from Senior bowl week. Seems to really get after it

[AZ54]

So his entire draft stock is going to be based on how he runs in his underwear? If that's true I want no part of him. Those guys typically don't last in the NFL long. I don't pay much attention to the combine because it's basically the underwear Olympics. Id much rather look at the senior bowl and the 1 on 1's. Although it's only the seniors. So other than that I'd rather look at there tape. I'm in the camp that the tape don't lie

 

Read the entire post before you comment. Plus your statement is non-sensical. How many WR who run 4.8 forty have a career in the NFL even if they have great hands and run good routes? Surely you noticed that several teams have already asked Lazard if he'd be interested in playing TE. Why do you suppose that is?

 

The combine, or any athletic performance testing, is relevant when it is matched with the game tape. I've watched plenty of Iowa State games to know Lazard has all the tools to be an NFL WR except one I'm not sure of: I've never seen him run away from anyone. IMO its reasonable to wait to see how fast he is before I say he's a prospect we should consider, much less what round he'd be worth investing a pick in him.

[bowlingtwig]

Read the entire post before you comment. Plus your statement is non-sensical. How many WR who run 4.8 forty have a career in the NFL even if they have great hands and run good routes? Surely you noticed that several teams have already asked Lazard if he'd be interested in playing TE. Why do you suppose that is?

 

The combine, or any athletic performance testing, is relevant when it is matched with the game tape. I've watched plenty of Iowa State games to know Lazard has all the tools to be an NFL WR except one I'm not sure of: I've never seen him run away from anyone. IMO its reasonable to wait to see how fast he is before I say he's a prospect we should consider, much less what round he'd be worth investing a pick in him.

 

His 40 time at the combine isn't his true speed as I'm sure you know this. I'd rather look at his game tape to determine can he create separation with his route running and how his footwork is in and out of his cuts. That tells you a lot more than a 40 time where he runs it straight line speed no defenders and in his underwear. All of which never happens in game. We've seen many through the years who aren't fast in the 40 but come game day he's faster than you expect and also vice versa how many super fast guys in the 40s don't make it in the NFL for one reason or another. That there tape doesn't match up

 

[Mongo3451]

His 40 time at the combine isn't his true speed as I'm sure you know this. I'd rather look at his game tape to determine can he create separation with his route running and how his footwork is in and out of his cuts. That tells you a lot more than a 40 time where he runs it straight line speed no defenders and in his underwear. All of which never happens in game. We've seen many through the years who aren't fast in the 40 but come game day he's faster than you expect and also vice versa how many super fast guys in the 40s don't make it in the NFL for one reason or another. That there tape doesn't match up

Jerry Rice ran a 4.71. Bill Walsh drafted him on game film.

[bowlingtwig]

Jerry Rice ran a 4.71. Bill Walsh drafted him on game film.

Exactly

[AZ54]

Jerry Rice ran a 4.71. Bill Walsh drafted him on game film.

 

This must be the Mike Hass fan club. Let's review what you just implied: On game film Jerry Rice ran away from people. That's not really hard to see that when you watch a game or even highlights if they show a wide enough angle.

 

If y'all were reading what I wrote, as in the entire post before you latched onto part of a single sentence, then you clearly remember the part where I said: I don't remember seeing him run away from people...ever. I watched him for whatever few games I could find on TV over the years but I've seen him play every season at least once or twice, and several times this year. This year I especially focused on him because I knew he was headed to the draft and guess what: We need WRs. I never saw him pull away from DBs.

 

I don't think it's crazy to look for some evidence elsewhere regarding his speed. He has a week at the Senior Bowl to do just that. Afterwards he'll have a chance at the Combine or wherever to show it on a track. You can hang your hat on the Jerry Rice's 4.71 from 1985 all you want but the list of successful 4.71 WRs in the NFL is a short one, especially in this modern era. Besides that, for a WR quickness is a far better indication of ability to separate than speed.

 

In the meantime Lazard already has several NFL teams asking him if he'd convert to TE. That must be because he's really fast.

 

Why do they run a scouting combine or measure anyone's athletic abilities? Because teams want to know if what they saw on film matches the measured data. Tarik Cohen running all over the place for NC A&T against FCS competition doesn't exactly give you a warm fuzzy feeling that he can do the same in the NFL. Be honest: Were you really willing to draft a 5'6" 180lb RB based solely on his game film from that school? Did you like him better after he ran a 4.42 forty? Would you have still drafted him if he ran a 4.6 forty? Or would you have waited until he was UDFA to try to bring him in? Would have even given him a UDFA contract if he ran a 4.71 forty?

 

Every year you will hear pundits say they weren't expecting some players to excel or perform poorly at the combine and they were going back to watch the film to see how it matches up. For the record I loved Mike Hass in college and fully supported the Bears giving him a shot. Devin Hester only ran a 4.46 but on film he pulled away from a lot of players.

[Mongo3451]

This must be the Mike Hass fan club. Let's review what you just implied: On game film Jerry Rice ran away from people. That's not really hard to see that when you watch a game or even highlights if they show a wide enough angle.

 

If y'all were reading what I wrote, as in the entire post before you latched onto part of a single sentence, then you clearly remember the part where I said: I don't remember seeing him run away from people...ever. I watched him for whatever few games I could find on TV over the years but I've seen him play every season at least once or twice, and several times this year. This year I especially focused on him because I knew he was headed to the draft and guess what: We need WRs. I never saw him pull away from DBs.

 

I don't think it's crazy to look for some evidence elsewhere regarding his speed. He has a week at the Senior Bowl to do just that. Afterwards he'll have a chance at the Combine or wherever to show it on a track. You can hang your hat on the Jerry Rice's 4.71 from 1985 all you want but the list of successful 4.71 WRs in the NFL is a short one, especially in this modern era. Besides that, for a WR quickness is a far better indication of ability to separate than speed.

 

In the meantime Lazard already has several NFL teams asking him if he'd convert to TE. That must be because he's really fast.

 

Why do they run a scouting combine or measure anyone's athletic abilities? Because teams want to know if what they saw on film matches the measured data. Tarik Cohen running all over the place for NC A&T against FCS competition doesn't exactly give you a warm fuzzy feeling that he can do the same in the NFL. Be honest: Were you really willing to draft a 5'6" 180lb RB based solely on his game film from that school? Did you like him better after he ran a 4.42 forty? Would you have still drafted him if he ran a 4.6 forty? Or would you have waited until he was UDFA to try to bring him in? Would have even given him a UDFA contract if he ran a 4.71 forty?

 

Every year you will hear pundits say they weren't expecting some players to excel or perform poorly at the combine and they were going back to watch the film to see how it matches up. For the record I loved Mike Hass in college and fully supported the Bears giving him a shot. Devin Hester only ran a 4.46 but on film he pulled away from a lot of players.

I read everything you wrote and completely comprehended before posting. The Rice analogy you used was precisely my point. My statement was meant to mean, film trumps running in shorts. If you have a disagreement with that, I'd love to debate it.

[lemonej]

I am not an Iowa State fan but was able to see this prospect win with the ball in the air make himself available for the QB when he had to extend the play. If he is expected to transition into a TE that would give the Bears two projects at the position and that would not bode well for blocking also. If he becomes a second or third day pick I see Alshon Jeffrey with a chip on his shoulder who the Eagles got this year.

I also like his teammate Lanning playing goal line QB and MLB on defense and think he is UDFA or late day 3 as a special teamer.

[AZ54]

I am not an Iowa State fan but was able to see this prospect win with the ball in the air make himself available for the QB when he had to extend the play. If he is expected to transition into a TE that would give the Bears two projects at the position and that would not bode well for blocking also. If he becomes a second or third day pick I see Alshon Jeffrey with a chip on his shoulder who the Eagles got this year.

I also like his teammate Lanning playing goal line QB and MLB on defense and think he is UDFA or late day 3 as a special teamer.

 

That's where I'm at with Lazard. He's got all the receiving skills (just talking ability to catch the ball) you want. I still think the round he gets drafted in depends greatly on how well he runs, not just the forty, but also other drills like the 3-cone and shuttle. If he runs well, I think he'll move up the boards quite a bit. Scouts have already seen what they need at the Senior Bowl practices in terms of his ability to get separation but I don't have that luxury. At a minimum I think he'll be a good red zone threat. I'd say his ceiling is probably as a #2 WR but he may just end up as 3 or 4 WR similar to how Inman is. I'd take Lazard over Inman because he can win the contested throws, jump balls, make the occasional one-handed catch, etc. Inman loses concentration when he's contacted. Aside from the red zone that's valuable on 3rd downs. There is nothing wrong with having a big reliable target who can help you move the chains.

 

100% agree on Lanning. At his worst I think he'll become a core special teams player/captain. He has the kind of character that teams would love to have leading their special teams. If you want to replace a guy like Timu with a player who has a bit more range but still has good instincts around the LOS then I think Lanning can do that. With just a year at the position he's still a work in progress but when he read it right he showed up to make big stops. With a couple years experience he might develop into a player like Kwiatkoski. I look forward to seeing where he ends up and how he does. He might be a practice squad player to start out.

[AZ54]

I read everything you wrote and completely comprehended before posting. The Rice analogy you used was precisely my point. My statement was meant to mean, film trumps running in shorts. If you have a disagreement with that, I'd love to debate it.

 

Yes we are much different in evaluation. For me character is a trump card and can easily remove a player from my board and I don't care how well he can play.

 

I don't have a disagreement about film being a better evaluation than running in shorts. I just disagree that Lazard looked fast on film. It's what you saw when you watched him play so that's ok. I won't change my opinion that how well he runs largely determines what round he gets drafted in because I think it's the only real question mark there is regarding his ability as a WR. I might never be able to prove that but for now he's more or less listed as the 25th best WR. We'll see how that goes. If he runs poorly and goes undrafted or late Day 3 then I think it's fair to say a 1000yd receiver from the Big 12 was affected by his poor forty/shuttle/3-cone times.

 

Scouts have already seen a lot of what they wanted to know at the Senior Bowl practices. Between now and the combine we'll see if he rises a bit on some of boards out there. I hope he does.