Talking Draft Prospects - Page 9

Direckshun · 08:24 PM

We've got perhaps the biggest, most consequential draft coming up for this franchise since 2008. The Chiefs have all seven of their picks, and will certainly be picking up an additional four in compensatory picks, one of which is assuredly a 3rd rounder.

As a result, it's important to familiarize ourselves with as much of this draft class as possible. I started a thread last offseason that discussed late rounders that was generally well liked and spurred tons of great conversation on all sorts of draft picks we normally wouldn't talk about, so I'm going to duplicate that idea this year, only discussing all talents, rather than just the mid- and lower-round ones.

The OP will be continually updated to show the talent I'm reviewing by position. Keep in mind as I list these players that I am generally listing their round projections, but it is not a strict big board, as I likely won't have a big board put together until May.

Spoiler!

Direckshun · 10-14-2014, 05:45 AM

Say what you will, but if I can call Phillip Gaines two months in advance of Dorsey drafting him, then he's got a type.

OldSchool · 10-14-2014, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

WR Ty Montgomery, Stanford -- It's obviously extremely early in the process, but it would really surprise me if Ty Montgomery is not in the conversation for Chiefs fans as the next draft approaches. For my money, it'd be hard for Dorsey to pass on him: he runs incredibly fast for a 6'2", 215 lbs receiver, with every ounce of big play ability that you need. The Trees use him in bubble screens, in reverses, running deep routes, and so on. There's very little Montgomery can't do. And he's been productive with poor QB play, already having 350+ yards and three TDs in six games. Montgomery also plays with an intense passion, occasionally bordering on hostility, which should help in all the work he'll have to do in learning how to block better and to better refine his routes. He plays in Stanford's pro-style system, which is notorious for churning out reliable NFL talent. I'm just a huge fan, especially considering this is EXACTLY the kind of receiver the Chiefs need to be finding and investing in. I think he could go as high as the teens, and the Chiefs should absolutely bend over backward to bring him on board with their 1st.

Montgomery has really inconsistent hands. Multiple huge drops in Stanford's loss to Notre Dame.

Quote:

Stanford junior WR Ty Montgomery "dropped at least three passes while playing wide receiver and wasn't able to beat the Irish to the perimeter when running out of the backfield" on Saturday against Notre Dame, wrote CBS Sports' Rob Rang.
Montgomery had four catches for 12 yards and 14 yards on five rushing attempts. "Footballs landing on the grass after bouncing off his chest plate were the most obvious mistakes for Montgomery," Rang wrote. "Scouts will notice other errors, however, including shoddy route-running that contributed to an interception on the first snap of the fourth quarter." Stanford QB Kevin Hogan seemed to lose faith in Montgomery as the game went on. Former NFL GM Phil Savage believes Montgomery will be selected in the first round, but we'll need to see a lot of improvement before we buy that. Oct 6 - 1:31 AM

I really don't like him and especially not in the 1st. He's a straight line guy, very much like Ted Ginn Jr. or DHB, with bricks for hands.

Direckshun · 10-15-2014, 01:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldSchool

Montgomery has really inconsistent hands. Multiple huge drops in Stanford's loss to Notre Dame.

Not a problem with Dorsey.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldSchool

I really don't like him and especially not in the 1st. He's a straight line guy, very much like Ted Ginn Jr. or DHB, with bricks for hands.

I don't think he's a straight line guy at all -- what does that even mean? He runs every route on the route tree in Stanford's pro style offense.

Direckshun · 10-15-2014, 01:40 AM

ILB Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State -- A high tide raises all boats, as they say, and it's natural to assume that the recent groundswell of love for Benardrick McKinney is due to the Bulldogs' ascent to the #1 spot. The problem is, however, I can't remember being less enthused about a player supposedly projected to go somewhere in the top three rounds of the Draft. There's no question he's a very large LB even by NFL standards: 6'5" (!!!), 250 lbs, a truly imposing presence on the field. But I can't pinpoint anything he does that screams "draft me." As you'd probably expect for a guy this size, he's horrid in coverage. The Bulldogs play primarily zone coverage with their 'backers, and McKinney is utterly lost in it, either out of position or (far more frequently) in no man's land. He doesn't eat up space well at all -- he looks like he runs a 4.8 at best -- and he's not remotely a sideline-to-sideline player. Truth be told, he's built to ransack the line of scrimmage, but he's not particularly great there, either. He has good gap integrity, but he frequently gets washed out and struggles to shed blocks. His passrushing is nonexistent, as can be expected for a guy who drops into coverage close to 100% of passing downs, and his tackling is woeful as well. There might be a team somewhere that loves his measurables and think they can turn him into a quality thumper. (It is curious to me that Mississippi State puts a guy his size constantly deep into coverage.) As of now, I'd consider passing on him until deep into the draft.

Exoter175 · 10-15-2014, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Say what you will, but if I can call Phillip Gaines two months in advance of Dorsey drafting him, then he's got a type.

Considering Gaines had the perfect combination of Size, length, speed, and coaching to FIT in Sutton's defense, it wasn't a far off pick at all. In fact, I had him ranked #3 on my list of "guys" for this system in terms of measurables and talent, and drafting positional value. You're not alone, nor are you some magical fortune teller that called it without anyone else saying a thing lol. Interestingly enough, Gaines is playing better on special teams in the NFL than ANY talking head ever gave him credit for, assuming he'd be a "nickel" corner type who saw a limited role on ST. Fastforward to now and he's a ST stud who's about to see some serious time going forward in this defense with Owens and Berry both out. I could totally see him on the outside in a few of these packages.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

ILB Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State -- A high tide raises all boats, as they say, and it's natural to assume that the recent groundswell of love for Benardrick McKinney is due to the Bulldogs' ascent to the #1 spot. The problem is, however, I can't remember being less enthused about a player supposedly projected to go somewhere in the top three rounds of the Draft. There's no question he's a very large LB even by NFL standards: 6'5" (!!!), 250 lbs, a truly imposing presence on the field. But I can't pinpoint anything he does that screams "draft me." As you'd probably expect for a guy this size, he's horrid in coverage. The Bulldogs play primarily zone coverage with their 'backers, and McKinney is utterly lost in it, either out of position or (far more frequently) in no man's land. He doesn't eat up space well at all -- he looks like he runs a 4.8 at best -- and he's not remotely a sideline-to-sideline player. Truth be told, he's built to ransack the line of scrimmage, but he's not particularly great there, either. He has good gap integrity, but he frequently gets washed out and struggles to shed blocks. His passrushing is nonexistent, as can be expected for a guy who drops into coverage close to 100% of passing downs, and his tackling is woeful as well. There might be a team somewhere that loves his measurables and think they can turn him into a quality thumper. (It is curious to me that Mississippi State puts a guy his size constantly deep into coverage.) As of now, I'd consider passing on him until deep into the draft.

Uhhh, I think you're off a little on this one, especially in regards to his pass rush and him being a sideline to sideline player.

That being said, like I said in the other thread, he's a thumper with a pass rush who I don't see being the prototypical "signal caller" type that we're going to need to replace DJ with. He's more of a Jovan Belcher type, and I"m okay with that.

OldSchool · 10-15-2014, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

ILB Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State -- A high tide raises all boats, as they say, and it's natural to assume that the recent groundswell of love for Benardrick McKinney is due to the Bulldogs' ascent to the #1 spot. The problem is, however, I can't remember being less enthused about a player supposedly projected to go somewhere in the top three rounds of the Draft. There's no question he's a very large LB even by NFL standards: 6'5" (!!!), 250 lbs, a truly imposing presence on the field. But I can't pinpoint anything he does that screams "draft me." As you'd probably expect for a guy this size, he's horrid in coverage. The Bulldogs play primarily zone coverage with their 'backers, and McKinney is utterly lost in it, either out of position or (far more frequently) in no man's land. He doesn't eat up space well at all -- he looks like he runs a 4.8 at best -- and he's not remotely a sideline-to-sideline player. Truth be told, he's built to ransack the line of scrimmage, but he's not particularly great there, either. He has good gap integrity, but he frequently gets washed out and struggles to shed blocks. His passrushing is nonexistent, as can be expected for a guy who drops into coverage close to 100% of passing downs, and his tackling is woeful as well. There might be a team somewhere that loves his measurables and think they can turn him into a quality thumper. (It is curious to me that Mississippi State puts a guy his size constantly deep into coverage.) As of now, I'd consider passing on him until deep into the draft.

Not a big fan of his. He got exposed in space pretty badly in a couple of games that I saw. IMO, he is at his best when he is allowed to run downhill and attack the LOS. Might be a Hightower clone. He beat Ogbuehi for a sack against Texas A&M.

Exoter175 · 10-15-2014, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldSchool

Not a big fan of his. He got exposed in space pretty badly in a couple of games that I saw. IMO, he is at his best when he is allowed to run downhill and attack the LOS. Might be a Hightower clone. He beat Ogbuehi for a sack against Texas A&M.

Exactly, and we've been missing that type of linebacker since Jovan IMO. He wasn't the greatest at his position, god rest his soul, but he was very solid at attacking the LoS and was a very solid counterpart to DJ. I was hoping Nico or JMJ would fill that role, alas, didn't happen and now DJ's career looks questionable. We need a CJ Mosley in this draft and I fear there just isn't one available except for maybe that Linebacker from UCLA, Eric Kendricks.

OldSchool · 10-15-2014, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Exoter175

Exactly, and we've been missing that type of linebacker since Jovan IMO. He wasn't the greatest at his position, god rest his soul, but he was very solid at attacking the LoS and was a very solid counterpart to DJ. I was hoping Nico or JMJ would fill that role, alas, didn't happen and now DJ's career looks questionable. We need a CJ Mosley in this draft and I fear there just isn't one available except for maybe that Linebacker from UCLA, Eric Kendricks.

Kendricks looks great at times and terrible at others because of the angles that he takes. His arms are also too short for him to effectively shed blockers. I'd wait a year to draft his teammate, Myles Jack or someone else. The ILB talent just isn't anything to get excited over in the 2015 draft. It'll be better to spend the draft picks elsewhere at positions that are stronger in the draft instead of reaching for a weak position.

If you want a thumper who can stop the run, Foster and Spikes will be available in 2015 in FA. Want a coverage LB who is a bit below average in run support but great in coverage? KJ Wright will be available out of Seattle. There are pieces to be had in FA that should help hold us over until a stronger ILB class is available in 2016.

Exoter175 · 10-15-2014, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldSchool

Kendricks looks great at times and terrible at others because of the angles that he takes. His arms are also too short for him to effectively shed blockers. I'd wait a year to draft his teammate, Myles Jack or someone else. The ILB talent just isn't anything to get excited over in the 2015 draft. It'll be better to spend the draft picks elsewhere at positions that are stronger in the draft instead of reaching for a weak position.

If you want a thumper who can stop the run, Foster and Spikes will be available in 2015 in FA. Want a coverage LB who is a bit below average in run support but great in coverage? KJ Wright will be available out of Seattle. There are pieces to be had in FA that should help hold us over until a stronger ILB class is available in 2016.

Dorsey's going to build the corps through the draft. You know it, I know it, we just aren't going to drop big money on free agency, which means not landing legitimate starter level talent at areas of intense need, like ILB/MLB right now.

Now, if I'm not mistaken, Jack is not a signal caller type. While he's pretty solid all over the field, he's not your Ray Lewis, Urlacher, DJ type to really harness the defensive adjustments, and I believe Kendricks might actually be the ONLY guy from this class that can do that. Sometimes you have to forego a little talent to build the "right" personnel, and simply having one solid pass coverage ILB and one thumper isn't the "right" way to do things if that pass coverage guy can't command the defensive unit, that's kind of the "biggest" deal for an ILB/MLB at the NFL level.

Furthermore, if Dorsey's even REMOTELY planning a mass exodus of long time starters with age/questionable health on this team, you know damned well he's not going to overload Free Agency pickups that could potentially offset the compensatory selection process.

I'd bet dollars against pennies right now that we're going to see a big time defensive+Oline draft in 2015, and it's going to bore the shit out of people, and people will cry about not drafting Jameis Winston, or X, Y, or Z receiver, but it'll be a smart move on Dorsey's part. Draft your depth/immediate starter needs, use the extra cap space to land a WR in Free Agency, and continue to rebuild from there. There's going to be a number of solid #2's and even a couple aging #1's available in 2015, so I'm banking on our first three rounds being some combination of Oline, DB, LB.

Direckshun · 10-15-2014, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Exoter175

Considering Gaines had the perfect combination of Size, length, speed, and coaching to FIT in Sutton's defense, it wasn't a far off pick at all. In fact, I had him ranked #3 on my list of "guys" for this system in terms of measurables and talent, and drafting positional value. You're not alone, nor are you some magical fortune teller that called it without anyone else saying a thing lol.

That's exactly what I'm saying! If you and I are both targeting players as players the Chiefs are likely to select far in advance of the Chiefs actually selecting them... Then that's very much a clue that we know what Dorsey wants.

That's all I'm saying, really.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Exoter175

Interestingly enough, Gaines is playing better on special teams in the NFL than ANY talking head ever gave him credit for, assuming he'd be a "nickel" corner type who saw a limited role on ST. Fastforward to now and he's a ST stud who's about to see some serious time going forward in this defense with Owens and Berry both out. I could totally see him on the outside in a few of these packages.

I've been incredibly encouraged by Gaines' special teams play. And he didn't look bad in the spotwork he did against New England.

His preseason was so horrendous, I have soured my hopes of him becoming an eventual starter -- which is what you want in a 3rd round corner who's 6'1" with 4.3 speed.

But here's hoping.

Direckshun · 10-15-2014, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Exoter175

Uhhh, I think you're off a little on this one, especially in regards to his pass rush and him being a sideline to sideline player.

That being said, like I said in the other thread, he's a thumper with a pass rush who I don't see being the prototypical "signal caller" type that we're going to need to replace DJ with. He's more of a Jovan Belcher type, and I"m okay with that.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm often wrong on a lot of players.

I'll say this much: I'm not crazy about how the Bulldogs use him. It's not quite as bad as how Memphis used Dontari Poe, but you're talking about a gargantuan linebacker with below average athleticism, and MSU drop him into coverage constantly.

Makes no sense. This is a guy who is built for slamming into the line of scrimmage.

I think he has a future as a two-down thumper, but I just don't like his lack of athleticism enough. With his size, he should have been coached up years ago as a DE.

Direckshun · 10-15-2014, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldSchool

Not a big fan of his. He got exposed in space pretty badly in a couple of games that I saw. IMO, he is at his best when he is allowed to run downhill and attack the LOS. Might be a Hightower clone. He beat Ogbuehi for a sack against Texas A&M.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Exoter175

Exactly, and we've been missing that type of linebacker since Jovan IMO. He wasn't the greatest at his position, god rest his soul, but he was very solid at attacking the LoS and was a very solid counterpart to DJ. I was hoping Nico or JMJ would fill that role, alas, didn't happen and now DJ's career looks questionable. We need a CJ Mosley in this draft and I fear there just isn't one available except for maybe that Linebacker from UCLA, Eric Kendricks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldSchool

Kendricks looks great at times and terrible at others because of the angles that he takes. His arms are also too short for him to effectively shed blockers. I'd wait a year to draft his teammate, Myles Jack or someone else. The ILB talent just isn't anything to get excited over in the 2015 draft. It'll be better to spend the draft picks elsewhere at positions that are stronger in the draft instead of reaching for a weak position.

If you want a thumper who can stop the run, Foster and Spikes will be available in 2015 in FA. Want a coverage LB who is a bit below average in run support but great in coverage? KJ Wright will be available out of Seattle. There are pieces to be had in FA that should help hold us over until a stronger ILB class is available in 2016.

Two things to add to this:

1. Dorsey has effectively replaced Belcher with Akeem Jordan who was very solid last year, and now Joe Mays, who looked great when he was healthy. We'll see how he plays when he returns. Even Mauga looks alright -- it's honestly the least important position on the defense, since the Chiefs player nickel and dime so much.

2. As a result, the Chiefs need to worry about replacing DJ more than they do Belcher/Jordan/Mays at the SILB position (Mays is under contract for next year anyway). The WILB is very important, and we had one of the game's best manning it for the past five years. And there's some pretty good talent to be had on the 2nd day of the draft.

Direckshun · 10-16-2014, 01:57 AM

ILB Denzel Perryman, Miami -- The Draft actually has a handful of really interesting Day 2 talents that could ostensibly be plugged in as a solid Day One starter at ILB, and Perryman's at the fore of this group. Perryman's tape is very fun to watch -- he is an exciting combination of instincts, athleticism, and crazy raw power. The thing that immediately jumps out is how violent he is at the line of scimmage -- at 6'3", 240 lbs, he hits the trenches like a missile, and seems to attack the OL like a defensive lineman. It's very fun to watch. He is an enthusiastic defender against the run, and even though he struggles when teams run downhill right at him, he is elite chasing down a run play to the sidelines where he can be the aggressor. He does have glaring weaknesses there, however: (a.) he poorly disguises what he's going to do pre-snap, (b.) his tackling is lacking, and (c.) again he struggles to shed blocks when the offense runs downhill. But his athleticism, while not elite, is still well above average, which he applies to his coverage abilities, which are strong. I can't help but think this guy is an above-average starter at linebacker in three years' time, and a quality starter right away if coaches can fine-tune his ability to tackle and shed blocks. I think he is worth an investment on the second day of the draft.

OldSchool · 10-16-2014, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

ILB Denzel Perryman, Miami -- The Draft actually has a handful of really interesting Day 2 talents that could ostensibly be plugged in as a solid Day One starter at ILB, and Perryman's at the fore of this group. Perryman's tape is very fun to watch -- he is an exciting combination of instincts, athleticism, and crazy raw power. The thing that immediately jumps out is how violent he is at the line of scimmage -- at 6'3", 240 lbs, he hits the trenches like a missile, and seems to attack the OL like a defensive lineman. It's very fun to watch. He is an enthusiastic defender against the run, and even though he struggles when teams run downhill right at him, he is elite chasing down a run play to the sidelines where he can be the aggressor. He does have glaring weaknesses there, however: (a.) he poorly disguises what he's going to do pre-snap, (b.) his tackling is lacking, and (c.) again he struggles to shed blocks when the offense runs downhill. But his athleticism, while not elite, is still well above average, which he applies to his coverage abilities, which are strong. I can't help but think this guy is an above-average starter at linebacker in three years' time, and a quality starter right away if coaches can fine-tune his ability to tackle and shed blocks. I think he is worth an investment on the second day of the draft.

Huh? You seem to have a lot of things backwards on Perryman, lol. Everything that I've read and everything that I've seen on him are:

1. Great fundamental and explosive tackler.
2. Sound in his drops but lacks instincts in coverage.
3. He's only 6'0" tall at best and will likely measure closer to 5'11".

Perryman, to me, is basically Joe Mays with the potential of turning into Navorro Bowman if he develops well and can clean up some things.

smith11 · 10-16-2014, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldSchool

Montgomery has really inconsistent hands. Multiple huge drops in Stanford's loss to Notre Dame.

I really don't like him and especially not in the 1st. He's a straight line guy, very much like Ted Ginn Jr. or DHB, with bricks for hands.

he wont win the measurables contest but i think rashad greene from florida state may be the most productive receiver--dude gets open

09-24-2014, 02:22 AM
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $2033447	Talking Draft Prospects We've got perhaps the biggest, most consequential draft coming up for this franchise since 2008. The Chiefs have all seven of their picks, and will certainly be picking up an additional four in compensatory picks, one of which is assuredly a 3rd rounder. As a result, it's important to familiarize ourselves with as much of this draft class as possible. I started a thread last offseason that discussed late rounders that was generally well liked and spurred tons of great conversation on all sorts of draft picks we normally wouldn't talk about, so I'm going to duplicate that idea this year, only discussing all talents, rather than just the mid- and lower-round ones. The OP will be continually updated to show the talent I'm reviewing by position. Keep in mind as I list these players that I am generally listing their round projections, but it is not a strict big board, as I likely won't have a big board put together until May. Spoiler! QB Marcus Mariota, Oregon Jameis Winston, Florida State Brett Hundley, UCLA Connor Cook, Michigan State RB Todd Gurley, Georgia Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska Mike Davis, South Carolina T.J. Yeldon, Alabama Tevin Coleman, Indiana Duke Johnson, Miami Jay Ajayi, Boise State FB WR Sammie Coates, Auburn Amari Cooper, Alabama Dorial Green-Beckham, Oklahoma Ty Montgomery, Stanford Kevin White, West Virginia DeVante Parker, Louisville Jaelen Strong, Arizona State Josh Harper, Fresno State Breshad Perriman, Central Florida Devin Smith, Ohio State Rashad Greene, Florida State TE Devin Funchess, Michigan Maxx Williams, Minnesota OT Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M Brandon Schwerff, Iowa Andrus Peat, Stanford La'el Collins, LSU Spencer Drango, Baylor Ereck Flowers, Miami Cameron Erving, Florida State T.J. Clemmings, Pittsburgh Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame Ty Sambrailo, Colorado State Jake Fisher, Oregon OG La'el Collins, LSU A.J. McCann, South Carolina Cameron Erving, Florida State Ty Sambrailo, Colorado State Josue Matias, Florida State Laken Tomlinson, Duke C Cameron Erving, Florida State Reese Dismukes, Auburn NT Danny Shelton, Washington Eddie Goldman, Florida State Malcom Brown, Texas Jordan Phillips, Oklahoma 4-3 DT and/or 3-4 DE Leonard Williams, USC Michael Bennett, Ohio State Mario Edwards, Jr., Florida State Malcom Brown, Texas Arik Armstead, Oregon Carl Davis, Iowa 4-3 DE Randy Gregory, Nebraska Shilique Calhoun, Michigan State Dante Fowler, Jr., Florida Shawn Oakman, Baylor Bronson Kaufusi, BYU Alvin Dupree, Kentucky Nate Orchard, Utah Owamagbe Odighizuwa, UCLA Danielle Hunter, LSU 3-4 OLB Randy Gregory, Nebraska Vic Beasley, Clemson Dante Fowler, Jr., Florida Shayne Ray, Missouri Bronson Kaufusi, BYU Lorenzo Maudlin, Louisville Alvin Dupree, Kentucky Nate Orchard, Utah Hau'oli Kikaha, Washington Eli Harold, Virginia Danielle Hunter, LSU 4-3 OLB/WILB Vic Beasley, Clemson Shaq Thompson, Washington Paul Dawson, TCU MLB/SILB Bernardrick McKinney, Mississippi State Denzel Perryman, Miami Eric Kendricks, UCLA CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomo, Oregon P.J. Williams, Florida State Marcus Peters, Washington Trae Waynes, Michigan State Jalen Collins, LSU Alex Carter, Stanford Quentin Rollins, Miami (OH) Kevin Johnson, Wake Forest SS Landon Collins, Alabama Anthony Harris, Virginia FS Gerod Holliman, Louisville K P Last edited by Direckshun; 03-04-2015 at 08:24 PM..
Posts: 59,693

10-14-2014, 05:45 AM	#121
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $2033447	Say what you will, but if I can call Phillip Gaines two months in advance of Dorsey drafting him, then he's got a type.
Posts: 59,693

10-15-2014, 01:40 AM	#124
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $2033447	ILB Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State -- A high tide raises all boats, as they say, and it's natural to assume that the recent groundswell of love for Benardrick McKinney is due to the Bulldogs' ascent to the #1 spot. The problem is, however, I can't remember being less enthused about a player supposedly projected to go somewhere in the top three rounds of the Draft. There's no question he's a very large LB even by NFL standards: 6'5" (!!!), 250 lbs, a truly imposing presence on the field. But I can't pinpoint anything he does that screams "draft me." As you'd probably expect for a guy this size, he's horrid in coverage. The Bulldogs play primarily zone coverage with their 'backers, and McKinney is utterly lost in it, either out of position or (far more frequently) in no man's land. He doesn't eat up space well at all -- he looks like he runs a 4.8 at best -- and he's not remotely a sideline-to-sideline player. Truth be told, he's built to ransack the line of scrimmage, but he's not particularly great there, either. He has good gap integrity, but he frequently gets washed out and struggles to shed blocks. His passrushing is nonexistent, as can be expected for a guy who drops into coverage close to 100% of passing downs, and his tackling is woeful as well. There might be a team somewhere that loves his measurables and think they can turn him into a quality thumper. (It is curious to me that Mississippi State puts a guy his size constantly deep into coverage.) As of now, I'd consider passing on him until deep into the draft.
Posts: 59,693

10-16-2014, 01:57 AM	#133
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $2033447	ILB Denzel Perryman, Miami -- The Draft actually has a handful of really interesting Day 2 talents that could ostensibly be plugged in as a solid Day One starter at ILB, and Perryman's at the fore of this group. Perryman's tape is very fun to watch -- he is an exciting combination of instincts, athleticism, and crazy raw power. The thing that immediately jumps out is how violent he is at the line of scimmage -- at 6'3", 240 lbs, he hits the trenches like a missile, and seems to attack the OL like a defensive lineman. It's very fun to watch. He is an enthusiastic defender against the run, and even though he struggles when teams run downhill right at him, he is elite chasing down a run play to the sidelines where he can be the aggressor. He does have glaring weaknesses there, however: (a.) he poorly disguises what he's going to do pre-snap, (b.) his tackling is lacking, and (c.) again he struggles to shed blocks when the offense runs downhill. But his athleticism, while not elite, is still well above average, which he applies to his coverage abilities, which are strong. I can't help but think this guy is an above-average starter at linebacker in three years' time, and a quality starter right away if coaches can fine-tune his ability to tackle and shed blocks. I think he is worth an investment on the second day of the draft.
Posts: 59,693