The Long, Slow, Arduous Bataan Death March To Drafting OL On May 8th - Page 7

OldSchool · 03-02-2014, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

I think Tuitt sneaks into the 1st.

Possibly the Broncos or Pats but they'll have to be really banking on him returning to his 2012 form when he was being compared to Seymour by some scouts.

Direckshun · 03-02-2014, 02:43 PM

Even if he did suck.

Teams don't pass on that size/speed ratio.

OldSchool · 03-02-2014, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Even if he did suck.

Teams don't pass on that size/speed ratio.

I think that in this draft they would, particularly in the 1st. Plus he looked slow as hell in 2013 and he didn't get a chance to show teams that he can still move like he did in 2012. He won't get a chance either with his surgery coming up. Very few teams will be willing to take that chance in the 1st in a draft that's this loaded with talent.

kccrow · 03-02-2014, 05:42 PM

Direckshun, I agree about OL in this draft. I have a feeling that Yankey is the pick if he's there at 23. Yankey reminds me an awful lot of Evan Mathis too. Best guard I've seen in a while.

Direckshun · 03-03-2014, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kccrow

Direckshun, I agree about OL in this draft. I have a feeling that Yankey is the pick if he's there at 23. Yankey reminds me an awful lot of Evan Mathis too. Best guard I've seen in a while.

See, I liked him a whole lot too, but he's not proving to be terribly athletic.

He seems to me, now, to be one of those 2nd/3rd round picks who's got everything you need except the exceptional athleticism. We'll see. I think Yankey will be a Pro Bowl talent, however.

Zack Martin, however, I believe is probably on this team's radar as our 1st round pick.

Hoping against hope, however.

Direckshun · 03-24-2014, 11:59 AM

It's happening, people:

Quote:

23. Kansas City Chiefs: Xavier Su'a-Filo, G, UCLA
It sounds like the Chiefs want to take a guard with their first pick after trading down. Xavier Su'a-Filo or David Yankey would make sense for Kansas City.

Su'a-Filo picked up in 2013 where he left off the previous year. The 6-foot-4, 307-pounder was rock solid for the UCLA in the run game and in pass protection. While the rest of the Bruins' offensive line had some struggles in 2013, Su'a-Filo's blocking in the pass game was steady for Brett Hundley. Because of injuries, Su'a-Filo had to play some left tackle. He did a decent job there, but his NFL future is at guard.

Su'a-Filo was a force for UCLA in 2012. He had an excellent season as a run-blocker for Johnathan Franklin. Su'a-Filo also was good at providing Brett Hundley with a clean pocket. Su'a-Filo started at left guard and chipped in some time at left tackle because of injuries. He was named a First-Team All-Pac-12 pick by the coaches and media publications.

Su'a-Filo was out of football in 2010 and 2011 while serving on a Mormon mission. Bruins head coach Jim Mora, Jr. made it an immediate priority to recruit Su'a-Filo back to UCLA. He set a Bruins record in 2009 with 13 starts at left tackle. The true freshman was an honorable mention All-Pac-10 selection and was on numerous All-Freshman teams.

Direckshun · 03-24-2014, 11:59 AM

I haven't really done a breakdown of Su'a-Filo. Maybe I should.

O.city · 03-24-2014, 12:01 PM

Ew.

****ing shoot me

O.city · 03-24-2014, 12:03 PM

Great rope end draft, and we are taking a guard. Of course we would.

Direckshun · 03-24-2014, 01:02 PM

OT/G Xavier Su'a-Filo, UCLA

If you were asked to build a guard, the end product would look a ton like Xavier Su'a-Filo (pronounced "zoo-ah feelo"). You'd probably give him a large frame (6'4", 307 lbs) with room to grow, long legs with a thick trunk of a lower half, quick feet and powerful hands. That's what Su'a-Filo has, and it's the kind of tools that make you think "wow, this guy could really be an All Pro." Yet I was surprised that with all those gifts, I merely saw a steadily above average player in the guy, which suggests that he has yet to reach his maximum potential. That said, he has a lot of impressive tape. Filling in at LT this year because of injuries, you'll see in the above clip that he has a pretty good game against VT, one of the most ferocious front sevens there was in 2013.

Su'a-Filo is described this year as a guard, and for good reason. Putting on his UCLA tape suggests that he's extremely good at guard, and merely really solid at tackle (he played left tackle for about a year and a half for the Bruins). I don't think he's a "OT/G" like Zack Martin, who's more of a tackle who can convert to guard; Su'a-Filo will play guard and can fill-in at tackle when needed. Like the other 1st-round-caliber guard in this year's class (Yankey), Su'a-Filo is comfortable with both power and athletic schemes. That flexibility will put him higher on draft boards than the power-only, guard-only talents of Gabe Jackson. And while Yankey may be more polished, Su'a-Filo dominated him at the Combine.

As I alluded to earlier, there are areas where Su'a-Filo will need to step up his game, suggesting that he hasn't reached his full potential yet. He legitimately struggles keeping his head on a swivel and making the right blocking decision; stunts, blitz-pickups, and delayed-rushes can confuse him, which honestly may be the only way to beat him. If he gets a DL sized up and squared, he is capable of dominating, though he's surprisingly not a pancake artist like Gabe Jackson. He does get beat with tricks, however, but possesses really good recovery moves/speed.

His upside is probably Alan Faneca, if you remember the All Pro Steeler guard, because Faneca also had thick trunks, could sink his hips, and drop anchor. Su'a-Filo isn't as consistent in that regard (very few are and will be), but he has the build and skillset to develop in that arena.

It's important to remember that Su'a-Filo does possess some bust-ability. He possesses a fantastic punch, and he plays strong, but he doesn't play with that nastiness that can erode DLs over the course of a game. He played like a steady, dependable presence against college defenses, so he's definitely not going to be an elite road-grader against NFL defenses.

Projection for Su'a-Filo: At this point, Su'a-Filo is just outside the top 32 prospects in this draft class, in my opinion. But his elite versatility and huge upside give him better-than-50% odds that a team in the back end of the 1st goes for him. Again, he does have All Pro upside.

Projected Chiefs interest @ 23: Orgasmic levels of interest. The Chiefs altered last year between a power-run scheme (that the coaches preferred) and a zone-blocking scheme (that they best performed under). Su'a-Filo should be able to play both schemes very well, and most importantly, he can also play tackle when you need him to, which is something neither Yankey nor Jackson can say with confidence. If the Chiefs have to decide between Yankey and Su'a-Filo, it'll just be like their choice in 2013 between the known quantity in Luke Joeckel (Yankey) vs. the elite upside of Eric Fisher (Su'a-Filo). And we all know how that decision went down.

**RealSNR** · 03-24-2014, 01:07 PM

It's well-known that Walter hates the Chiefs. He loves mocking offensive line guys to them because SOMEBODY has to draft them. So it may as well be the miserable puke teams.

He does it all the time to the Chiefs, Browns, Bengals, Vikings, Titans, Rams, etc. A lot of those teams rarely need the offensive line in the first round. Maybe they could improve at one of the tackles or have a hole at guard, but that's no reason why the first round is needed to take care of that gap.

**The Franchise** · 03-24-2014, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SNR

It's well-known that Walter hates the Chiefs. He loves mocking offensive line guys to them because SOMEBODY has to draft them. So it may as well be the miserable puke teams.

He does it all the time to the Chiefs, Browns, Bengals, Vikings, Titans, Rams, etc. A lot of those teams rarely need the offensive line in the first round. Maybe they could improve at one of the tackles or have a hole at guard, but that's no reason why the first round is needed to take care of that gap.

This.

Dude HATES the Chiefs.

Direckshun · 03-24-2014, 02:33 PM

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-mock-dra...dy-bridgewater

Mocking The Draft, a highly respected draft site, just had the Chiefs trade up to #17 to land Su'a-Filo.

Denver stays put and drafts Cooks.

OldSchool · 03-24-2014, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-mock-dra...dy-bridgewater

Mocking The Draft, a highly respected draft site, just had the Chiefs trade up to #17 to land Su'a-Filo.

Denver stays put and drafts Cooks.

If we trade up, it better be for either one of the top defensive prospects or one of the top 4 WR prospects. Not Su'a-Filo.

Frosty · 03-24-2014, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direckshun

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-mock-dra...dy-bridgewater

Mocking The Draft, a highly respected draft site, just had the Chiefs trade up to #17 to land Su'a-Filo.

Denver stays put and drafts Cooks.

03-02-2014, 02:43 PM	#2
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4173447	Even if he did suck. Teams don't pass on that size/speed ratio.
Posts: 59,314

03-02-2014, 05:42 PM	#4
kccrow MVP Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Michigan Casino cash: $2957078	Direckshun, I agree about OL in this draft. I have a feeling that Yankey is the pick if he's there at 23. Yankey reminds me an awful lot of Evan Mathis too. Best guard I've seen in a while.
Posts: 12,682

03-24-2014, 11:59 AM	#7
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4173447	I haven't really done a breakdown of Su'a-Filo. Maybe I should.
Posts: 59,314

03-24-2014, 12:01 PM	#8
O.city In Search of a Life Join Date: Jul 2009 Casino cash: $2434064	Ew. ****ing shoot me
Posts: 81,474

03-24-2014, 12:03 PM	#9
O.city In Search of a Life Join Date: Jul 2009 Casino cash: $2434064	Great rope end draft, and we are taking a guard. Of course we would.
Posts: 81,474

03-24-2014, 01:02 PM	#10
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4173447	OT/G Xavier Su'a-Filo, UCLA If you were asked to build a guard, the end product would look a ton like Xavier Su'a-Filo (pronounced "zoo-ah feelo"). You'd probably give him a large frame (6'4", 307 lbs) with room to grow, long legs with a thick trunk of a lower half, quick feet and powerful hands. That's what Su'a-Filo has, and it's the kind of tools that make you think "wow, this guy could really be an All Pro." Yet I was surprised that with all those gifts, I merely saw a steadily above average player in the guy, which suggests that he has yet to reach his maximum potential. That said, he has a lot of impressive tape. Filling in at LT this year because of injuries, you'll see in the above clip that he has a pretty good game against VT, one of the most ferocious front sevens there was in 2013. Su'a-Filo is described this year as a guard, and for good reason. Putting on his UCLA tape suggests that he's extremely good at guard, and merely really solid at tackle (he played left tackle for about a year and a half for the Bruins). I don't think he's a "OT/G" like Zack Martin, who's more of a tackle who can convert to guard; Su'a-Filo will play guard and can fill-in at tackle when needed. Like the other 1st-round-caliber guard in this year's class (Yankey), Su'a-Filo is comfortable with both power and athletic schemes. That flexibility will put him higher on draft boards than the power-only, guard-only talents of Gabe Jackson. And while Yankey may be more polished, Su'a-Filo dominated him at the Combine. As I alluded to earlier, there are areas where Su'a-Filo will need to step up his game, suggesting that he hasn't reached his full potential yet. He legitimately struggles keeping his head on a swivel and making the right blocking decision; stunts, blitz-pickups, and delayed-rushes can confuse him, which honestly may be the only way to beat him. If he gets a DL sized up and squared, he is capable of dominating, though he's surprisingly not a pancake artist like Gabe Jackson. He does get beat with tricks, however, but possesses really good recovery moves/speed. His upside is probably Alan Faneca, if you remember the All Pro Steeler guard, because Faneca also had thick trunks, could sink his hips, and drop anchor. Su'a-Filo isn't as consistent in that regard (very few are and will be), but he has the build and skillset to develop in that arena. It's important to remember that Su'a-Filo does possess some bust-ability. He possesses a fantastic punch, and he plays strong, but he doesn't play with that nastiness that can erode DLs over the course of a game. He played like a steady, dependable presence against college defenses, so he's definitely not going to be an elite road-grader against NFL defenses. Projection for Su'a-Filo: At this point, Su'a-Filo is just outside the top 32 prospects in this draft class, in my opinion. But his elite versatility and huge upside give him better-than-50% odds that a team in the back end of the 1st goes for him. Again, he does have All Pro upside. Projected Chiefs interest @ 23: Orgasmic levels of interest. The Chiefs altered last year between a power-run scheme (that the coaches preferred) and a zone-blocking scheme (that they best performed under). Su'a-Filo should be able to play both schemes very well, and most importantly, he can also play tackle when you need him to, which is something neither Yankey nor Jackson can say with confidence. If the Chiefs have to decide between Yankey and Su'a-Filo, it'll just be like their choice in 2013 between the known quantity in Luke Joeckel (Yankey) vs. the elite upside of Eric Fisher (Su'a-Filo). And we all know how that decision went down. Last edited by Direckshun; 03-24-2014 at 01:12 PM..
Posts: 59,314

03-24-2014, 01:07 PM	#11
RealSNR Special Teams ACE!!! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Where the hell is SNR Casino cash: $1990208	It's well-known that Walter hates the Chiefs. He loves mocking offensive line guys to them because SOMEBODY has to draft them. So it may as well be the miserable puke teams. He does it all the time to the Chiefs, Browns, Bengals, Vikings, Titans, Rams, etc. A lot of those teams rarely need the offensive line in the first round. Maybe they could improve at one of the tackles or have a hole at guard, but that's no reason why the first round is needed to take care of that gap.
Posts: 90,718

03-24-2014, 02:33 PM	#13
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $4173447	http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-mock-dra...dy-bridgewater Mocking The Draft, a highly respected draft site, just had the Chiefs trade up to #17 to land Su'a-Filo. Denver stays put and drafts Cooks.
Posts: 59,314