Yes, Memphis really had no idea how to use Poe.

[Direckshun]

Fascinating...

http://blogs.wsj.com/dailyfix/2012/0...ogle_news_blog

A Guide to NFL Draft Sleepers
April 27, 2012, 2:18 PM

Any seasoned NFL fan knows the deal with the draft by now: Your team makes a selection and management calls the fact that he was available a miracle. “We never thought he’d drop so far,” team executives say.

It’s become such a cliché that it’s a surprise Colts G.M. Ryan Grigson didn’t say it last night when selecting Andrew Luck with perhaps the most telegraphed first overall pick in draft history. But sometimes a player does fall for reasons other teams may come to regret. For those liable to think every player their team drafted was an absolute steal, we put together a handy guide to let you know if you have a sleeper on your hands:

THE OUT-OF-POSITION SLEEPER

If you look at steals in the draft over the past decade, you’ll find a handful of players who simply moved around too much to show NFL talent. Pro Bowl DT Jay Ratliff dabbled at tight end at Auburn, while star receiver Anquan Boldin had a rocky stint as Florida State’s quarterback. Aaron Kampman, a fifth-rounder out of Iowa who has made two Pro Bowls, switched between linebacker and defensive end – and not in the way teams do that regularly in the NFL. Heck, even Pro Bowl selection Cortland Finnegan was overlooked until the seventh round at cornerback at Samford because he was playing free safety the whole time.

So when examining your steal, see if he can play anywhere else on the field. Or just assume he can and you’ll be much happier. Take Michael Robinson, the former Penn State quarterback who didn’t entertain the idea of playing anywhere but running back in the pros. Still, most switcheroo candidates will take people by surprise. Perhaps a player like LSU’s average quarterback, Jordan Jefferson, who at 6 feet 3 ran a decent 4.6-second 40-yard dash and could be a receiving threat with the right development. Or maybe just a bad quarterback.

THE BAD-SCHEME SLEEPER

There are all sorts of stories about run-first high school offenses keeping future star QBs a secret – Brett Favre and Ben Roethlisberger are the most notable. But it’s rarer in college, where players often go to fit a specific scheme. Still, sometimes a player gets the wrong coach and looks undervalued. One example this year is Dontari Poe, the hulking defensive lineman who raced up draft boards after being ignored during a career at the college-football backwater of Memphis. He had just eight tackles-for-loss last season. On Thursday night, after the Kansas City Chiefs took him 11th overall, Chiefs G.M. Scott Pioli noted that in 49% of his plays, the design of the defensive scheme made it literally impossible for him to record any sort of statistic.

But as we go on in the draft, these players will pop up more and more. In a stunning first-round coincidence, Ryan Tannehill could be considered one of these sleepers, since he was burdened with Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman’s molasses poorly-designed offense. Of course, Tannehill was drafted by the Dolphins last night, where he’ll get a new start with a new … whoops, nevermind, Sherman is the offensive coordinator there after getting fired from his Aggies job.

THE WRONG-SPORT SLEEPER

From Bo Jackson to Brian Jordan, it’s hard to know where to draft a multi-sport athlete, but one thing is clear: They are normally drafted lower than they should be. Last year, the league saw former Miami hoops player Jimmy Graham destroy secondaries. This after another former basketball-star-turned-tight-end, Antonio Gates, has haunted defensive backs for years. The Cowboys used to have a suite at the Final Four for assistants to interview basketball coaches to see which of their players might make the leap. It’s hard to get a read on a player who doesn’t devote himself full time to one sport. (And it doesn’t always work out. For more information, please read up on Drew Henson.)

Whatever the case, this year brings Russell Wilson, the Wisconsin quarterback who was second in the country with 10.3 yards per attempts on his passes. That’s not the only thing to recommend him. He also has a minor-league baseball career that’s taken up most of his summers, so much so that it got him run out of N.C. State’s program. Maybe a team can take a flier on him and he’ll produce if he focuses on football. At the very least, you’re looking at an upgrade on the company softball team.

THE NOT-HIS-FAULT SLEEPER

I’m telling anyone who will listen that Tommy Streeter, Miami’s 6-foot-5 wide receiver, is my big sleeper this year. Streeter is fast, can catch and played for some awful quarterbacks. LSU’s Rueben Randle, who had to deal with his own QB nightmare in Baton Rogue, is another one.

There’s Mohamed Sanu from Rutgers, who didn’t exactly get Johnny Unitas’s passes coming his way. In contrast there are players like Kendall Wright, the Baylor wide receiver who went in the first round to Tennessee and got the benefit of Robert Griffin III throwing to him. There’s always a blurry line there. After all, some great wide receivers, like Michael Irvin, had elite quarterbacks in college. But many (Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens, Isaac Bruce, Calvin Johnson) did not. So please disregard the “lack of production” disclaimer on the draft broadcast in these situations.

[Direckshun]

We need to get some positive mojo going for Poe around here.

We're not smarter than everybody else. We're just not idiots, like the Memphis program is.

[Rasputin]

I'm not excited about his play this year. However if he sticks with it and makes strides to what Crennel wants him to do I think after a few seasons under his belt and some fortitude with attitude he can turn into a hulk of a DT. That's my hope for him, we just got to be patient for him in the long run of it.

[Fairplay]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Kansas City Chiefs took him 11th overall, Chiefs G.M. Scott Pioli noted that in 49% of his plays, the design of the defensive scheme made it literally impossible for him to record any sort of statistic.

That still leaves 51% of his plays he could have done something.

Don't get me wrong i like the pick. The production numbers still look sad no matter how you twist it. And keep in mind he was playing against lower college level teams primarily.

[Chiefshrink]

Here you go !! Poe with his 4.98 350lbs will be our own "Fridge" when we need to punch it in at the goal line. But we need to come up with our own "Chiefs nickname" for him if he gets the ball.

[the Talking Can]

Ryan Tannehill could be considered one of these sleepers, since he was burdened with Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman’s molasses poorly-designed offense.

no no no...tannehill is risky

[BossChief]

The hypocrisy around the negative sentiment concerning Poe is silly.

I bet the only guy on this whole board that watched even one Memphis game was UP and yet a lot of guys already have him as the next Ryan Simms.

Romeo Crennel told him (during the phone call telling Poe he was the pick) he expects him to play "all three downs"

The more I think about it, the more I love the combo of elite ceiling and elite position/scheme coaching and become less and less worried about the players "floor"

[Fairplay]

Originally Posted by sportsshrink

Here you go !! Poe with his 4.98 350lbs will be our own "Fridge" when we need to punch it in at the goal line. But we need to come up with our own "Chiefs nickname" for him if he gets the ball.

Lumpy?

[The Dawg]

Poelingball.

[the Talking Can]

Originally Posted by BossChief

The hypocrisy around the negative sentiment concerning Poe is silly.

I bet the only guy on this whole board that watched even one Memphis game was UP and yet a lot of guys already have him as the next Ryan Simms.

Romeo Crennel told him (during the phone call telling Poe he was the pick) he expects him to play "all three downs"

The more I rationalize it, the more I love the combo of elite ceiling and elite position/scheme coaching and become less and less worried about the players "floor"

jc pearson broadcast 3 of his games and destroyed him in an interview on 610....said they never had a reason - over 3 games - to discuss him on tv even though they wanted to...

you can rationalize anything you want...you can't create something that isn't there

[Chiefshrink]

Originally Posted by the Talking Can

jc pearson broadcast 3 of his games and destroyed him in an interview on 610....said they never had a reason - over 3 games - to discuss him on tv even though they wanted to...

you can rationalize anything you want...you can't create something that isn't there

and JC pearson played the 2ndary and knows a lot about NT play and didn't take into account 3 d coord in 4yrs who didn't know how to coach him up?

[WildTurkey]

Originally Posted by the Talking Can

jc pearson broadcast 3 of his games and destroyed him in an interview on 610....said they never had a reason - over 3 games - to discuss him on tv even though they wanted to...

you can rationalize anything you want...you can't create something that isn't there

So Scott Pioli and Romeo Crennel are terrible at player evaluation, but JC Pearson is some expert .......... Riiiiiight

[Chiefshrink]

Originally Posted by Fairplay

Lumpy?

slow sounding.

[Chiefshrink]

Originally Posted by JD369

Poelingball.

getting close

[Chiefshrink]

Originally Posted by JD369

Poelingball.

You have to think about how Chris Berman would call a Poe highlight of him scoring from the goal line as a FB.