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.

[Chiefshrink]

Originally Posted by bricks

If he is going to want to have a good center of gravity then he needs to play low. That was the knock on him at Memphis. He played high at times. If he is going to anchor his weight, then he needs to keep his body low, keep those knees bent and play lower than your actual height. If he can do that, he'll be tough to move.

I do not like the fact that he is 6'4....Id rather prefer that my DTs are 6' to 6'2"...His height will give him a disadvantage because he will have a higher center of gravity which means he will be easier to throw off balance.

Like Ngata at 6'4"

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Coogs

They just said DT's. I assumed that meant NT's as well.

The good news is, I think that really only applies to DTs. They have to stunt and quickly hit their gaps, so it helps to have fast feet. A Nose Tackle isn't going to be moving all that much. It's more about knowing which guys to occupy space with and then getting the leverage to move those blockers. I wouldn't worry too much about his 3-cone.

By the way, that should make people feel better about Stephenson. Stephenson had a terrific 3-cone. Placed in the top 5 and not terribly far behind Kalil.

[BossChief]

The 3cone is useful in gauging the ability to change direction and is used more for 3technique defensive tackles that are paid to move and disrupt.

A nose is paid to not be moved and isn't required to change direction very often.

[Coogs]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

The good news is, I think that really only applies to DTs. They have to stunt and quickly hit their gaps, so it helps to have fast feet. A Nose Tackle isn't going to be moving all that much. It's more about knowing which guys to occupy space with and then getting the leverage to move those blockers. I wouldn't worry too much about his 3-cone.

By the way, that should make people feel better about Stephenson. Stephenson had a terrific 3-cone. Placed in the top 5 and not terribly far behind Kalil.

Thanks. Learn something everyday on the Planet!

[Coogs]

Originally Posted by BossChief

The 3cone is useful in gauging the ability to change direction and is used more for 3technique defensive tackles that are paid to move and disrupt.

A nose is paid to not be moved and isn't required to change direction very often.

Ditto!

[bricks]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

Absolutely. The position is all about leverage. And this is, by the way, unbelievably easy to coach. That fix alone has potential to really change his game.

Absolutely.

[beach tribe]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

The good news is, I think that really only applies to DTs. They have to stunt and quickly hit their gaps, so it helps to have fast feet. A Nose Tackle isn't going to be moving all that much. It's more about knowing which guys to occupy space with and then getting the leverage to move those blockers. I wouldn't worry too much about his 3-cone.

By the way, that should make people feel better about Stephenson. Stephenson had a terrific 3-cone. Placed in the top 5 and not terribly far behind Kalil.

But, those things do matter in Poe's case, because he's going to be playing in Sub-packages. He'll play some 3-tech.

[beach tribe]

Originally Posted by sportsshrink

. Let's just hope he doesn't eat himself out of the league.

The crazy thing is, he's not even that fat. That's why he runs, and lifts like that. He truly is freakish.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by sportsshrink

And if Crennel thought at any point this kid took plays off and didn't have a motor on all 3 downs Poe is not taken and Crennel did not see this in his tape. Let's just hope he doesn't eat himself out of the league as well and he has a contract that holds him to that weight.

He isn't Mush Cody at all

[Blick]

I don't know how you can't like what Romeo and Pioli had to say about him in their media sessions.

He has the physical traits to play the spot. It sounds like he has the mental toughness as well, and that's very important.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Blick

I don't know how you can't like what Romeo and Pioli had to say about him in their media sessions.

Call me when a GM or HC say negative things about a draft pick in the first media session about that draft pick.

[Ming the Merciless]

Originally Posted by Satanic Goat

Call me when a GM or HC say negative things about a draft pick in the first media session about that draft pick.

[Blick]

Originally Posted by Satanic Goat

Call me when a GM or HC say negative things about a draft pick in the first media session about that draft pick.

That's not what I'm talking about.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by beach tribe

But, those things do matter in Poe's case, because he's going to be playing in Sub-packages. He'll play some 3-tech.

That's a good point, but it is a very small part of his game. I don't think anyone would care if he's not great in the 3-tech as long as he's very good in 0-tech.

[Nightfyre]

After hearing Pioli talk about him, I feel a lot better about the pick than I did. When he talks about the intangibles Poe possesses that we don't know about as prognosticators, that is important. The questions around Poe aren't about his ceiling, its about whether or not he will reach it. Crennel and Pioli are absolutely sold on his work ethic and physical ability.