Talking Draft Prospects - Page 32

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 · 02-25-2015, 01:02 PM

DE Arik Armstead, Oregon -- It's not the best time to be a defensive lineman from Oregon entering the draft, after getting snow-plowed against the run in the National Championship (against an admittedly powerful OSU offensive line). Watching Armstead's tape beyond that game exposes the same: even at 6'7", just shy of 300 lbs, and great 33" arms, Armstead is a liability against the run. Downhill running games are particularly difficult for him to manage, as he frequently ends up on rollerskates. His problems are several-fold, and it's not clear how well coaching will repair it: he needs to get a lot stronger; his "explosion" off the snap, such as it is, is virtually nonexistent; he's not a great athlete; and Oregon runs a extremely aggressive 3-4 that shoots him into the backfield, frequently putting him out of position against the run game. It's possible that with a year of strength & conditioning and some technique work, you'll get the player you were hoping for. But Armstead's work in the one-gap isn't even all that stellar. He can reliably get push using his great size, but he's not beating linemen like drums and he's not racking up a ton of sacks and tackles. He's a reliable presence in generating a handful of pressures of game and getting the pocket somewhat collapsed, but to me he looks like a dramatically less athletic Allen Bailey. I think I'd probably avoid altogether, but he'll go on the 2nd day of the Draft and the Chiefs won't be looking for a DE until much later, if at all.

Direckshun · 02-25-2015, 01:54 PM

WR Breshad Perriman, Central Florida -- This guy surprised me, recently shooting up big boards in the past three weeks even though the season's long been over and nothing of significance has really happened (he didn't participate at the Combine). He caught my eye throughout the 2014 campaign in a minor way when he hauled in 9 TDs in 10 weeks, and then capped it off with a great bowl game. He hauled in 50 passes for 1000+ yards this year, but don't let the 20 YPC stat fool you: Perriman is a pure possession receiver. A decent (not great) athlete at a thickly-built 6'2", 212, he doesn't possess the deep speed to separate from NFL CBs, and I truly question whether he has that in the short passing game, too. He is a clean route-running in the intermediate, and possesses good hands, but the more I watch, the more Junior Hemingway I see. I think he's a capable 3rd or 4th receiver in the NFL, but he's not dynamite with the ball in his hands, he's not a jumpball winner, he's not a go route runner. And with "only" 9" hands, he isn't some physical freak that demands a second look, either. Hard to get excited about him as anything other than a late round pick, and if he doesn't run well at his Pro Day, I wonder what the appeal of drafting him at all would be.

Direckshun · 03-04-2015, 01:31 PM

CB Kevin Johnson, Wake Forest -- In the right scheme, Kevin Johnson will end up being a Pro Bowl talent. He's got everything you look for in an NFL corner with one major exception. But you've got a granite-tough CB here who will aggressively get into receivers, jam them at the line of scrimmage, and hit them as hard as he possibly can. As of the Combine, he's bulked up to be a fantastic 6'1", 190 lbs with good 31" arms. He's best in off man, but he looks like a future All Pro at zone CB and can play extremely well at press man against all but the fastest CBs you'll face all year. An example of how really, really good Johnson can be: playing Florida State's offense this past year, which is basically an NFL caliber offense that abused teams with bad passrushing, Johnson was in his man's hip pocket all game with the exception of a couple shorter routes Johnson was protecting the long ball from. Most of the time that was Rashad Greene he was shutting down, and honestly he's just impossible to go over the top. Johnson's one weakness, and why he will definitely not be a Chief, is that despite his great work in the drills, he only ran a 4.5 40, and that will scare roughly a third to a half of the teams away. But a team that wants a solid corner who can do just about everything against everyone would do well with KJ, and I think he is a slam dunk first round pick.

Direckshun · 03-04-2015, 01:59 PM

DE/OLB Danielle Hunter, LSU -- I'm a huge fan of Danielle Hunter if you've got the coaching staff you believe can bring him along. He seems to be one of those guys the Giants bring in every few years or so in the first round and turn into an All Pro passrusher. He's not quite the freak that JPP is, but a lot of his measurements are comparable. He's got elite NFL length at 6'5"+ with 34"+ arms, at 257 lbs that could easily bulk up to as much as 285 it seems. He's got phenomenal speed at that size, easily beating a 4.6 time -- although it'd be great to see what he does in the 3 cone to test his bend, which he did not run at the Combine. He needs to get stronger, but shows pretty decent contain technique, and shows excellent ability to uncoil at the LOS and launch into tackles. He has excellent quickness. His big problem: 1.5 sacks all year in 2014. While that's problematic, it's really because he completely lacks much passrushing technique. A team willing to put in the time on this boom/bust guy could put in the time coaching some into him, and there's no reason why he couldn't excel with his excellent size/athleticism. I'd like to see his 3-cone, but any 4-3 or 3-4 team needing a future starter (not an immediate starter) should look hard at him on day 2.

Direckshun · 03-04-2015, 02:18 PM

OT Jake Fisher, Oregon -- Holy hell, is this guy fun to watch. How on earth is he not in the slam dunk first round conversation? The Combine landed him there, thanks to his superior workout (that nonetheless would have put him in the 2nd tier of last year's tackles...), but his tape, especially down the stretch against Florida State and Ohio State, should have had him there from the get-go. This is going to seem like a lazy comparison to make, but Jake Fisher is the closest we've got to 2015's Eric Fisher. He's got Fisher's outstanding athleticism, explosion out of his stance, an underrated power-athleticism combination, and excellent recovery ability. Oregon didn't pull him as much as the Chiefs would, but he's perfectly designed for it. The one problem for Dorsey is Fisher's less-than-great arm length, at just under 34" inches. Fisher's got really good form, but like most of this year's tackles, could use to get stronger to better protect himself from power rushers in the NFL, but there's no reason he couldn't perfectly handle them as well as speed rushers. I think he has Pro Bowl potential, and should Dorsey look past Fisher's less-than-great arm length, you're probably looking at him being in the conversation with T.J. Clemmings and Cedric Ogbuehi as the Chiefs' 1st round pick, should they elect to go tackle (which I suspect they will). Ogbuehi and Clemmings have considerably longer arms, so I'm thinking Fisher is an option for KC if they trade down towards the bottom of the 1st.

Direckshun · 03-04-2015, 02:51 PM

WR Devin Smith, Ohio State -- Devin Smith's ceiling in the NFL is as a very good #2. I think in most offenses he can capitalize off coverages concentrating on his team's #1 stud by running great routes and utilizing his great speed. Smith is a tough receiver for a guy his size (6'0", 196, with 9" hands); he'll fight for balls and is very aggressive (though unsurprisingly average) at blocking DBs. His main feature, of course, is his excellent speed (4.42 40), but to call him a pure burner is unfair to his skillset. Smith runs routes very, very well, smooth in and out of his breaks, and is especially proficient at finding weak spots in coverage. He's not great with the ball in his hands, but like Donnie Avery, he can break a crease in coverage for 6 on any given snap. However, much of what he does can seemingly be negated at the snap; aggressive CBs will give him fits in the NFL, and despite his great speed and route-running, he doesn't seem to get a ton of separation against man coverage. When defenses don't focus on him, he could be able to pull off an 800 yard season here or there. But he is definitely not a "focal point" guy, and I wouldn't look at him any sooner than the low 2nd or even the third round. But with how teams value pure speed in the NFL, he could likely go as high as the 1st -- I'd rather just take Tyler Lockette a couple rounds later.

Nightfyre · 03-04-2015, 03:31 PM

Jake Fisher plays nasty. I love watching him. Plus he has all the measurables. I actually think he drops simply because the o-line class is so deep this year. He is projected by pretty much every mock I have seen (granted I haven't looked a lot recently) to go in the 3rd. I would be happy if we wound up spending a pick on him in the second because I think he is a first round talent who would wade out into the second round simply because the class is deep.

OldSchool · 03-04-2015, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

Jake Fisher plays nasty. I love watching him. Plus he has all the measurables. I actually think he drops simply because the o-line class is so deep this year. He is projected by pretty much every mock I have seen (granted I haven't looked a lot recently) to go in the 3rd. I would be happy if we wound up spending a pick on him in the second because I think he is a first round talent who would wade out into the second round simply because the class is deep.

No way Fisher lasts into the 3rd. If the Seahawks took Justin Britt in the 2nd last year, there is no way that Fisher falls into the 3rd.

O.city · 03-04-2015, 04:21 PM

Take fisher in the first if he's the rt they want, then agholor

Direckshun · 03-04-2015, 07:08 PM

DE/DT Carl Davis, Iowa -- It can be hard being a bad team in the NFL trying to get really good through the draft. The draft is sprinkled throughout with players like Carl Davis -- players who bring a great deal of talent but a much lesser degree of consistency and motivation. Bad teams can't afford to really invest in these players, because they require either a savvy coaching staff or a tough locker room to get their ass in gear and consistently play up to their potential -- something bad teams rarely have. Players like Davis have a high bust rate for them, but frequently work out for teams with great locker room leadership and/or coaching staffs. It's hard to say if the Chiefs have that -- Dontari Poe sure seems to have emerged as the defense's engine as Hali declines/moves on. Davis could benefit as a massive (6'5", 320 lbs, 35" arms) DE next to Poe, to fill the role that DeVito will soon be vacating: two-down plugger with little or no passrush. Davis actually got a great deal of push in college against lesser teams who had no idea how to handle his size/power. That advantage will evaporate in the NFL, but if a fire can be lit under Davis, he could be a really good two-gapping run clogger at the DE position in our 3-4. Davis sports lesser athleticism for that position, however, but good athleticism as a successful 2-tech in a 4-3. But again, that's if you think you've got the team that can handle him. I'd take a late 3rd round flyer on him for KC.

Direckshun · 03-04-2015, 07:09 PM

I think Fisher is a low-first rounder. Too athletic with a rounded game.

The Chiefs will almost certainly take Ogbuehi or Clemmings over him, however, as committed to arm length as they are. Both players have Fisher by nearly two inches there.

Direckshun · 03-04-2015, 07:43 PM

OG Laken Tomlinson, Duke -- It's still hard to say what John Dorsey is looking for in guards. He's taken an athletic guard with tackle flexibility (LDT) and a plodding fatass with no tackle flexibility (Fulton). The Chiefs will likely be in a market for a guard in the 2015 NFL Draft, but what prototype they're even looking for is anybody's guess. Andy Reid has a history of loving power blockers, but the Chiefs play a ton of zone blocking as well. Who the hell knows what's going on. Tomlinson, however, is a complete known quantity; he can stand to get stronger, but he is now who he'll be in the NFL. At 6'3", 323, with almost 34" arms, he's a great power blocker with surprising quickness. Tomlinson's bread and butter is runblocking -- he is an epic runblocker with the ability to neutralize nose tackles and erase undertackles, and can get to the 2nd level and destroy linebackers into oblivion. His form is perfect, as he sports a heavy base with thick arms that finish a defender any time they latch on. Tomlinson doesn't have tackle flexibility, and he's not particularly athletic (though, again, he is very quick), the latter of which makes him a tough fit for a Chiefs team that runs a lot of screens. But for a power-run team, I'd consider him early and often in the 2nd round, as he has the capability to be a great tone-setter in the NFL. I do worry a bit about how he'd fare against quick 3-techs, but if you're in a wide-open offense that asks its guards to block passrushing tackles in space, you're probably not looking at Tomlinson to begin with.

Nightfyre · 03-04-2015, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

I think Fisher is a low-first rounder. Too athletic with a rounded game.

The Chiefs will almost certainly take Ogbuehi or Clemmings over him, however, as committed to arm length as they are. Both players have Fisher by nearly two inches there.

Why do we think the Chiefs are obsessed with arm lengthin o-linemen? Eric Fisher only has 34.5 inch arms. Its not like he's got ape arms or anything. Jake Fisher comes in at 33.75.

Nightfyre · 03-04-2015, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

OG Laken Tomlinson, Duke -- It's still hard to say what John Dorsey is looking for in guards. He's taken an athletic guard with tackle flexibility (LDT) and a plodding fatass with no tackle flexibility (Fulton). The Chiefs will likely be in a market for a guard in the 2015 NFL Draft, but what prototype they're even looking for is anybody's guess. Andy Reid has a history of loving power blockers, but the Chiefs play a ton of zone blocking as well. Who the hell knows what's going on. Tomlinson, however, is a complete known quantity; he can stand to get stronger, but he is now who he'll be in the NFL. At 6'3", 323, with almost 34" arms, he's a great power blocker with surprising quickness. Tomlinson's bread and butter is runblocking -- he is an epic runblocker with the ability to neutralize nose tackles and erase undertackles, and can get to the 2nd level and destroy linebackers into oblivion. His form is perfect, as he sports a heavy base with thick arms that finish a defender any time they latch on. Tomlinson doesn't have tackle flexibility, and he's not particularly athletic (though, again, he is very quick), the latter of which makes him a tough fit for a Chiefs team that runs a lot of screens. But for a power-run team, I'd consider him early and often in the 2nd round, as he has the capability to be a great tone-setter in the NFL. I do worry a bit about how he'd fare against quick 3-techs, but if you're in a wide-open offense that asks its guards to block passrushing tackles in space, you're probably not looking at Tomlinson to begin with.

I don't see Tomlinson fitting what we are doing.

Direckshun · 03-04-2015, 08:08 PM

Well we know two things:

(a.) The Chiefs, like most teams, but especially under John Dorsey, are measureables-whores.
(b.) There was a big piece last year on the Chiefs bringing in nothing but OL with long arms to help control the line of scrimmage.

34" is bare minimum for John Dorsey tackles, it would seem, and probably for guards, too.

Anything under 33" is out of consideration for everything, including center. (Kush is over 33".)

09-24-2014, 02:22 AM
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4173447	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: 59,314

02-25-2015, 01:02 PM	#466
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4173447	DE Arik Armstead, Oregon -- It's not the best time to be a defensive lineman from Oregon entering the draft, after getting snow-plowed against the run in the National Championship (against an admittedly powerful OSU offensive line). Watching Armstead's tape beyond that game exposes the same: even at 6'7", just shy of 300 lbs, and great 33" arms, Armstead is a liability against the run. Downhill running games are particularly difficult for him to manage, as he frequently ends up on rollerskates. His problems are several-fold, and it's not clear how well coaching will repair it: he needs to get a lot stronger; his "explosion" off the snap, such as it is, is virtually nonexistent; he's not a great athlete; and Oregon runs a extremely aggressive 3-4 that shoots him into the backfield, frequently putting him out of position against the run game. It's possible that with a year of strength & conditioning and some technique work, you'll get the player you were hoping for. But Armstead's work in the one-gap isn't even all that stellar. He can reliably get push using his great size, but he's not beating linemen like drums and he's not racking up a ton of sacks and tackles. He's a reliable presence in generating a handful of pressures of game and getting the pocket somewhat collapsed, but to me he looks like a dramatically less athletic Allen Bailey. I think I'd probably avoid altogether, but he'll go on the 2nd day of the Draft and the Chiefs won't be looking for a DE until much later, if at all.
Posts: 59,314

02-25-2015, 01:54 PM	#467
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4173447	WR Breshad Perriman, Central Florida -- This guy surprised me, recently shooting up big boards in the past three weeks even though the season's long been over and nothing of significance has really happened (he didn't participate at the Combine). He caught my eye throughout the 2014 campaign in a minor way when he hauled in 9 TDs in 10 weeks, and then capped it off with a great bowl game. He hauled in 50 passes for 1000+ yards this year, but don't let the 20 YPC stat fool you: Perriman is a pure possession receiver. A decent (not great) athlete at a thickly-built 6'2", 212, he doesn't possess the deep speed to separate from NFL CBs, and I truly question whether he has that in the short passing game, too. He is a clean route-running in the intermediate, and possesses good hands, but the more I watch, the more Junior Hemingway I see. I think he's a capable 3rd or 4th receiver in the NFL, but he's not dynamite with the ball in his hands, he's not a jumpball winner, he's not a go route runner. And with "only" 9" hands, he isn't some physical freak that demands a second look, either. Hard to get excited about him as anything other than a late round pick, and if he doesn't run well at his Pro Day, I wonder what the appeal of drafting him at all would be.
Posts: 59,314

03-04-2015, 01:31 PM	#468
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4173447	CB Kevin Johnson, Wake Forest -- In the right scheme, Kevin Johnson will end up being a Pro Bowl talent. He's got everything you look for in an NFL corner with one major exception. But you've got a granite-tough CB here who will aggressively get into receivers, jam them at the line of scrimmage, and hit them as hard as he possibly can. As of the Combine, he's bulked up to be a fantastic 6'1", 190 lbs with good 31" arms. He's best in off man, but he looks like a future All Pro at zone CB and can play extremely well at press man against all but the fastest CBs you'll face all year. An example of how really, really good Johnson can be: playing Florida State's offense this past year, which is basically an NFL caliber offense that abused teams with bad passrushing, Johnson was in his man's hip pocket all game with the exception of a couple shorter routes Johnson was protecting the long ball from. Most of the time that was Rashad Greene he was shutting down, and honestly he's just impossible to go over the top. Johnson's one weakness, and why he will definitely not be a Chief, is that despite his great work in the drills, he only ran a 4.5 40, and that will scare roughly a third to a half of the teams away. But a team that wants a solid corner who can do just about everything against everyone would do well with KJ, and I think he is a slam dunk first round pick.
Posts: 59,314

03-04-2015, 01:59 PM	#469
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4173447	DE/OLB Danielle Hunter, LSU -- I'm a huge fan of Danielle Hunter if you've got the coaching staff you believe can bring him along. He seems to be one of those guys the Giants bring in every few years or so in the first round and turn into an All Pro passrusher. He's not quite the freak that JPP is, but a lot of his measurements are comparable. He's got elite NFL length at 6'5"+ with 34"+ arms, at 257 lbs that could easily bulk up to as much as 285 it seems. He's got phenomenal speed at that size, easily beating a 4.6 time -- although it'd be great to see what he does in the 3 cone to test his bend, which he did not run at the Combine. He needs to get stronger, but shows pretty decent contain technique, and shows excellent ability to uncoil at the LOS and launch into tackles. He has excellent quickness. His big problem: 1.5 sacks all year in 2014. While that's problematic, it's really because he completely lacks much passrushing technique. A team willing to put in the time on this boom/bust guy could put in the time coaching some into him, and there's no reason why he couldn't excel with his excellent size/athleticism. I'd like to see his 3-cone, but any 4-3 or 3-4 team needing a future starter (not an immediate starter) should look hard at him on day 2.
Posts: 59,314

03-04-2015, 02:18 PM	#470
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4173447	OT Jake Fisher, Oregon -- Holy hell, is this guy fun to watch. How on earth is he not in the slam dunk first round conversation? The Combine landed him there, thanks to his superior workout (that nonetheless would have put him in the 2nd tier of last year's tackles...), but his tape, especially down the stretch against Florida State and Ohio State, should have had him there from the get-go. This is going to seem like a lazy comparison to make, but Jake Fisher is the closest we've got to 2015's Eric Fisher. He's got Fisher's outstanding athleticism, explosion out of his stance, an underrated power-athleticism combination, and excellent recovery ability. Oregon didn't pull him as much as the Chiefs would, but he's perfectly designed for it. The one problem for Dorsey is Fisher's less-than-great arm length, at just under 34" inches. Fisher's got really good form, but like most of this year's tackles, could use to get stronger to better protect himself from power rushers in the NFL, but there's no reason he couldn't perfectly handle them as well as speed rushers. I think he has Pro Bowl potential, and should Dorsey look past Fisher's less-than-great arm length, you're probably looking at him being in the conversation with T.J. Clemmings and Cedric Ogbuehi as the Chiefs' 1st round pick, should they elect to go tackle (which I suspect they will). Ogbuehi and Clemmings have considerably longer arms, so I'm thinking Fisher is an option for KC if they trade down towards the bottom of the 1st.
Posts: 59,314

03-04-2015, 02:51 PM	#471
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4173447	WR Devin Smith, Ohio State -- Devin Smith's ceiling in the NFL is as a very good #2. I think in most offenses he can capitalize off coverages concentrating on his team's #1 stud by running great routes and utilizing his great speed. Smith is a tough receiver for a guy his size (6'0", 196, with 9" hands); he'll fight for balls and is very aggressive (though unsurprisingly average) at blocking DBs. His main feature, of course, is his excellent speed (4.42 40), but to call him a pure burner is unfair to his skillset. Smith runs routes very, very well, smooth in and out of his breaks, and is especially proficient at finding weak spots in coverage. He's not great with the ball in his hands, but like Donnie Avery, he can break a crease in coverage for 6 on any given snap. However, much of what he does can seemingly be negated at the snap; aggressive CBs will give him fits in the NFL, and despite his great speed and route-running, he doesn't seem to get a ton of separation against man coverage. When defenses don't focus on him, he could be able to pull off an 800 yard season here or there. But he is definitely not a "focal point" guy, and I wouldn't look at him any sooner than the low 2nd or even the third round. But with how teams value pure speed in the NFL, he could likely go as high as the 1st -- I'd rather just take Tyler Lockette a couple rounds later.
Posts: 59,314

03-04-2015, 03:31 PM	#472
Nightfyre MVP Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Helena, MT Casino cash: $3358849	Jake Fisher plays nasty. I love watching him. Plus he has all the measurables. I actually think he drops simply because the o-line class is so deep this year. He is projected by pretty much every mock I have seen (granted I haven't looked a lot recently) to go in the 3rd. I would be happy if we wound up spending a pick on him in the second because I think he is a first round talent who would wade out into the second round simply because the class is deep.
Posts: 18,569

03-04-2015, 04:21 PM	#474
O.city In Search of a Life Join Date: Jul 2009 Casino cash: $2434064	Take fisher in the first if he's the rt they want, then agholor
Posts: 81,504

03-04-2015, 07:08 PM	#475
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4173447	DE/DT Carl Davis, Iowa -- It can be hard being a bad team in the NFL trying to get really good through the draft. The draft is sprinkled throughout with players like Carl Davis -- players who bring a great deal of talent but a much lesser degree of consistency and motivation. Bad teams can't afford to really invest in these players, because they require either a savvy coaching staff or a tough locker room to get their ass in gear and consistently play up to their potential -- something bad teams rarely have. Players like Davis have a high bust rate for them, but frequently work out for teams with great locker room leadership and/or coaching staffs. It's hard to say if the Chiefs have that -- Dontari Poe sure seems to have emerged as the defense's engine as Hali declines/moves on. Davis could benefit as a massive (6'5", 320 lbs, 35" arms) DE next to Poe, to fill the role that DeVito will soon be vacating: two-down plugger with little or no passrush. Davis actually got a great deal of push in college against lesser teams who had no idea how to handle his size/power. That advantage will evaporate in the NFL, but if a fire can be lit under Davis, he could be a really good two-gapping run clogger at the DE position in our 3-4. Davis sports lesser athleticism for that position, however, but good athleticism as a successful 2-tech in a 4-3. But again, that's if you think you've got the team that can handle him. I'd take a late 3rd round flyer on him for KC.
Posts: 59,314

03-04-2015, 07:09 PM	#476
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4173447	I think Fisher is a low-first rounder. Too athletic with a rounded game. The Chiefs will almost certainly take Ogbuehi or Clemmings over him, however, as committed to arm length as they are. Both players have Fisher by nearly two inches there.
Posts: 59,314

03-04-2015, 07:43 PM	#477
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4173447	OG Laken Tomlinson, Duke -- It's still hard to say what John Dorsey is looking for in guards. He's taken an athletic guard with tackle flexibility (LDT) and a plodding fatass with no tackle flexibility (Fulton). The Chiefs will likely be in a market for a guard in the 2015 NFL Draft, but what prototype they're even looking for is anybody's guess. Andy Reid has a history of loving power blockers, but the Chiefs play a ton of zone blocking as well. Who the hell knows what's going on. Tomlinson, however, is a complete known quantity; he can stand to get stronger, but he is now who he'll be in the NFL. At 6'3", 323, with almost 34" arms, he's a great power blocker with surprising quickness. Tomlinson's bread and butter is runblocking -- he is an epic runblocker with the ability to neutralize nose tackles and erase undertackles, and can get to the 2nd level and destroy linebackers into oblivion. His form is perfect, as he sports a heavy base with thick arms that finish a defender any time they latch on. Tomlinson doesn't have tackle flexibility, and he's not particularly athletic (though, again, he is very quick), the latter of which makes him a tough fit for a Chiefs team that runs a lot of screens. But for a power-run team, I'd consider him early and often in the 2nd round, as he has the capability to be a great tone-setter in the NFL. I do worry a bit about how he'd fare against quick 3-techs, but if you're in a wide-open offense that asks its guards to block passrushing tackles in space, you're probably not looking at Tomlinson to begin with.
Posts: 59,314

03-04-2015, 08:08 PM	#480
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4173447	Well we know two things: (a.) The Chiefs, like most teams, but especially under John Dorsey, are measureables-whores. (b.) There was a big piece last year on the Chiefs bringing in nothing but OL with long arms to help control the line of scrimmage. 34" is bare minimum for John Dorsey tackles, it would seem, and probably for guards, too. Anything under 33" is out of consideration for everything, including center. (Kush is over 33".)
Posts: 59,314