NFL Draft Covitz: This could be year a guard goes No. 1 in NFL Draft - Page 2

**Tribal Warfare** · 04-09-2013, 09:38 PM

This could be year a guard goes No. 1 in NFL Draft
By RANDY COVITZ
The Kansas City Star
A guard has never been selected with the first pick of the NFL Draft. And no guard has even cracked the top 10 since the New Orleans Saints took Chris Naeole of Colorado 10th overall in 1997.

If ever there were a year for a guard to go first overall, this could be it.

The Chiefs’ previous administration selected Jon Asamoah in the third round in 2010 and Jeff Allen in the second round in 2012, but if new general manager John Dorsey and coach Andy Reid stick to their dictum of taking the “best player available,” some believe that guy is Alabama guard Chance Warmack.

Even ahead of the two highly rated offensive tackles, Luke Joeckel of Texas A&M and Eric Fisher of Central Michigan.

“I don’t care whether it's Warmack or Joeckel,” said NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock. “People will tell me I'm crazy, that a guard can't go No. 1. I think he's the best player in the draft …

“Chance Warmack is the best football player I saw on tape this year. And Jonathan Cooper from North Carolina is just a tiny notch behind him. As a matter of fact, Cooper's probably a better athlete.”

Because tackles, especially on the left, or blind side of right-handed quarterbacks, take on opponents’ elite pass rushers, they have gone first overall in the draft twice the past 16 years — Jake Long to Miami in 2008 and Orlando Pace to St. Louis in 1997. And six offensive tackles went in the first round in 2011.

But this is an unusual draft, without a consensus No. 1 player, especially at the glamour positions of quarterback, running back or outside linebacker. So anything goes.

“If I had to list a top eight or 10 players,” said Mayock, “they'd probably be offensive linemen or defensive linemen. I'm not seeing some of those impact guys in some of the skill positions. … If I was (picking) one through nine, I wouldn't have any hesitation of taking (Warmack).”

Warmack, a 6-2, 317-pounder, is considered one of the best guards to enter the NFL since Hall of Famer John Hannah — also of Alabama — was the fourth overall pick in 1973.

“It’s widely known that guards aren’t drafted that high,” Warmack said at the NFL scouting combine. “If that did happen, that would be an honor as a player that plays guard. I’m not thinking about that right now.”

Warmack started all 40 games at Alabama in 2010-2012 and helped the Crimson Tide win the last two national championships. During the 2012 regular season, Warmack allowed 3.5 sacks in 287 pass attempts, led the team with 37 pancake blocks and was a unanimous first-team all-American.

“What makes him special?” Alabama offensive tackle D.J. Fluker said of Warmack. “The nastiness that he’s got — that’s the main thing. He’s aggressive. He lets you know that he dominated you when he walks back and looks at you in the face.”

Warmack, who earned his degree in December, said his mean streak evolved over time.

“As I got to college, I kind of understood it better in terms of no mercy,” he said. “You just get into that zone, and you just block everything out. Whoever’s playing against you is the enemy. I don’t know them. They don’t know me. So it’s fair game.”

Cooper, 6-2, 311 pounds, was the other first-team all-America guard and was the receipient of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the ACC’s top offensive lineman, an award Chiefs center Rodney Hudson won as a guard in 2010. He played at 290 pounds as a senior but has bulked up to 311 pounds for the NFL.

He played in a pro-style offense under former coach Butch Davis and adapted to an up-tempo, spread offense installed by Larry Fedora.

“I’d say I’m a combination of power and athleticism,” Cooper said. “You can look at it from my first three years of film where we’re a pro-style offense where power was our staple play.

“And then (last) year it really showed my athletic ability, getting out in space. We ran a bunch of screens and a lot of things where I was on the second and third level getting on linebackers and defensive backs.”

Will it be enough to vault him to the top 10 picks in the draft?

“It’s not a glamour position,” Cooper said. “But even as a guard, people are like, ‘Well, there’s no way he’ll go early. Maybe he’ll go third or fourth.’

“Being taken in the top 10, I would be ecstatic, and that would be the icing on top to be the first guard taken since ‘97 in the top 10.”

Sweet Daddy Hate · 04-09-2013, 10:17 PM

You'll notice the tards have now quickly shifted away from Joke and Fish. I'm loving this draft. Anything to send the Chiefs a lineman. Anything to be right if only somewhat. Get ready to choke Choco-Cock, you stupid, blind ****s.
Posted via Mobile Device

Chiefs=Champions · 04-09-2013, 10:17 PM

Worst. Article. Ever.

DJ's left nut · 04-09-2013, 10:19 PM

Warmack won't go in the top 10.

Obvious troll article.

Pitt Gorilla · 04-09-2013, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dallas Chief

Could it be any worse? Seriously I have been in a perpetual cringe thinking what the Chiefs might do with this pick.

I think it will be Fisher, if we don't trade down. Even that thought makes me ill. Anyway...

I think we have to hope for a trade down.

Cephalic Trauma · 04-09-2013, 10:24 PM

Shit-->Wall

Chiefshrink · 04-09-2013, 10:33 PM

When there is no clear cut No.1 pick then everyone likes to throw their dart as to who it might be.

duncan_idaho · 04-09-2013, 10:37 PM

What an absurd, absurd idea.

So stupid, the Chiefs might do it.

duncan_idaho · 04-09-2013, 10:38 PM

Also... love that in a draft so fricking weak that a fricking GUARD is under consideration as a top 5 pick, let alone No. 1 overall, that the best QB in the draft is not good enough to take No. 1.

Logic.

KevB · 04-09-2013, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noa

Not only absurd, but stale and unoriginal.
Posted via Mobile Device

Exactly. "Experts" were trying to be provocative a month or two ago saying Warmack was the best player they saw all year. Given time, many are now saying he's the #2 guard. Not only is the story a joke, it's old news. They think this will sell papers?

Gravedigger · 04-09-2013, 10:40 PM

This sounds very similar to a year ago with DeCastro and the #11 pick, and everyone AT THAT TIME said it was too early to take a Guard. I agree with SNR on this one, these guys went to college, got four year journalism degrees, and this is the fruit of their labor?

Saccopoo · 04-09-2013, 10:42 PM

Did Covitz spend a night on the reservation eating peyote?

****ing Warmack wasn't even in the discussion as a first rounder until Barrett Jones slid over to center this past season.

When you are playing in-between two guyls like Jones and DJ Fluker, you better look like an All-American.

This is the worst pre-draft article of the year, bar none.

And add to that that he gave up as many sacks this past season as Rod Hudson gave up in four years as a starter at Florida State.

**** you Covitz you mother ****ing, goat raping, ass reaming troll.

Pasta Little Brioni · 04-10-2013, 07:17 AM

Not a chance

BlackHelicopters · 04-10-2013, 07:34 AM

7.8% unemployment, yet Covitz has a job.

Dayze · 04-10-2013, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

What an absurd, absurd idea.

So stupid, the Chiefs might do it.

exactly

Direckshun · 04-10-2013, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

**** you Covitz you mother ****ing, goat raping, ass reaming troll.

This pretty much summarizes my thoughts on the issue.

04-09-2013, 09:38 PM
Tribal Warfare The Boom Boom Room Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $942813	Covitz: This could be year a guard goes No. 1 in NFL Draft This could be year a guard goes No. 1 in NFL Draft By RANDY COVITZ The Kansas City Star A guard has never been selected with the first pick of the NFL Draft. And no guard has even cracked the top 10 since the New Orleans Saints took Chris Naeole of Colorado 10th overall in 1997. If ever there were a year for a guard to go first overall, this could be it. The Chiefs’ previous administration selected Jon Asamoah in the third round in 2010 and Jeff Allen in the second round in 2012, but if new general manager John Dorsey and coach Andy Reid stick to their dictum of taking the “best player available,” some believe that guy is Alabama guard Chance Warmack. Even ahead of the two highly rated offensive tackles, Luke Joeckel of Texas A&M and Eric Fisher of Central Michigan. “I don’t care whether it's Warmack or Joeckel,” said NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock. “People will tell me I'm crazy, that a guard can't go No. 1. I think he's the best player in the draft … “Chance Warmack is the best football player I saw on tape this year. And Jonathan Cooper from North Carolina is just a tiny notch behind him. As a matter of fact, Cooper's probably a better athlete.” Because tackles, especially on the left, or blind side of right-handed quarterbacks, take on opponents’ elite pass rushers, they have gone first overall in the draft twice the past 16 years — Jake Long to Miami in 2008 and Orlando Pace to St. Louis in 1997. And six offensive tackles went in the first round in 2011. But this is an unusual draft, without a consensus No. 1 player, especially at the glamour positions of quarterback, running back or outside linebacker. So anything goes. “If I had to list a top eight or 10 players,” said Mayock, “they'd probably be offensive linemen or defensive linemen. I'm not seeing some of those impact guys in some of the skill positions. … If I was (picking) one through nine, I wouldn't have any hesitation of taking (Warmack).” Warmack, a 6-2, 317-pounder, is considered one of the best guards to enter the NFL since Hall of Famer John Hannah — also of Alabama — was the fourth overall pick in 1973. “It’s widely known that guards aren’t drafted that high,” Warmack said at the NFL scouting combine. “If that did happen, that would be an honor as a player that plays guard. I’m not thinking about that right now.” Warmack started all 40 games at Alabama in 2010-2012 and helped the Crimson Tide win the last two national championships. During the 2012 regular season, Warmack allowed 3.5 sacks in 287 pass attempts, led the team with 37 pancake blocks and was a unanimous first-team all-American. “What makes him special?” Alabama offensive tackle D.J. Fluker said of Warmack. “The nastiness that he’s got — that’s the main thing. He’s aggressive. He lets you know that he dominated you when he walks back and looks at you in the face.” Warmack, who earned his degree in December, said his mean streak evolved over time. “As I got to college, I kind of understood it better in terms of no mercy,” he said. “You just get into that zone, and you just block everything out. Whoever’s playing against you is the enemy. I don’t know them. They don’t know me. So it’s fair game.” Cooper, 6-2, 311 pounds, was the other first-team all-America guard and was the receipient of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the ACC’s top offensive lineman, an award Chiefs center Rodney Hudson won as a guard in 2010. He played at 290 pounds as a senior but has bulked up to 311 pounds for the NFL. He played in a pro-style offense under former coach Butch Davis and adapted to an up-tempo, spread offense installed by Larry Fedora. “I’d say I’m a combination of power and athleticism,” Cooper said. “You can look at it from my first three years of film where we’re a pro-style offense where power was our staple play. “And then (last) year it really showed my athletic ability, getting out in space. We ran a bunch of screens and a lot of things where I was on the second and third level getting on linebackers and defensive backs.” Will it be enough to vault him to the top 10 picks in the draft? “It’s not a glamour position,” Cooper said. “But even as a guard, people are like, ‘Well, there’s no way he’ll go early. Maybe he’ll go third or fourth.’ “Being taken in the top 10, I would be ecstatic, and that would be the icing on top to be the first guard taken since ‘97 in the top 10.”
Posts: 42,036

04-09-2013, 10:17 PM	#16
Sweet Daddy Hate Unsparing Join Date: Aug 2008 Casino cash: $10004900	You'll notice the tards have now quickly shifted away from Joke and Fish. I'm loving this draft. Anything to send the Chiefs a lineman. Anything to be right if only somewhat. Get ready to choke Choco-Cock, you stupid, blind ***s. Posted via Mobile Device*
Posts: 77,135

04-09-2013, 10:17 PM	#17
Chiefs=Champions Training Camp Hero Join Date: Oct 2006 Casino cash: $8504801	Worst. Article. Ever.
Posts: 5,996

04-09-2013, 10:19 PM	#18
DJ's left nut Sauntering Vaguely Downwards Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Columbia, Mo Casino cash: $3029099	Warmack won't go in the top 10. Obvious troll article. __________________ "If there's a god, he's laughing at us.....and our football team..." "When you look at something through rose colored glasses, all the red flags just look like flags."
Posts: 60,235

04-09-2013, 10:24 PM	#20
Cephalic Trauma Permitted Join Date: Jul 2011 Casino cash: $10004900	Shit-->Wall
Posts: 4,095

04-09-2013, 10:37 PM	#22
duncan_idaho M-I-Z-Z-O-U Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Kansas City Casino cash: $1780308	What an absurd, absurd idea. So stupid, the Chiefs might do it. __________________ "You gotta love livin', cause dying is a pain in the ass." ---- Sinatra
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04-09-2013, 10:38 PM	#23
duncan_idaho M-I-Z-Z-O-U Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Kansas City Casino cash: $1780308	Also... love that in a draft so fricking weak that a fricking GUARD is under consideration as a top 5 pick, let alone No. 1 overall, that the best QB in the draft is not good enough to take No. 1. Logic. __________________ "You gotta love livin', cause dying is a pain in the ass." ---- Sinatra
Posts: 21,077

04-09-2013, 10:40 PM	#25
Gravedigger Plays to win the game! Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Lees Summit Casino cash: $7323101	This sounds very similar to a year ago with DeCastro and the #11 pick, and everyone AT THAT TIME said it was too early to take a Guard. I agree with SNR on this one, these guys went to college, got four year journalism degrees, and this is the fruit of their labor?
Posts: 7,498

04-09-2013, 10:42 PM	#26
Saccopoo Kindness in words... Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Zion Casino cash: $10025483	Did Covitz spend a night on the reservation eating peyote? **ing Warmack wasn't even in the discussion as a first rounder until Barrett Jones slid over to center this past season. When you are playing in-between two guyls like Jones and DJ Fluker, you better look like an All-American. This is the worst pre-draft article of the year, bar none. And add to that that he gave up as many sacks this past season as Rod Hudson gave up in four years as a starter at Florida State. you Covitz you mother **ing, goat raping, ass reaming troll.
Posts: 15,450

04-10-2013, 07:17 AM	#27
Pasta Little Brioni Consuming CP souls Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: U.S.A. Casino cash: $4008880	Not a chance __________________ **Official TFWdemB Trivia Commisioner**
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04-10-2013, 07:34 AM	#28
BlackHelicopters Spiraling down the Drain Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Dante's Ninth Circle Casino cash: $2740588	7.8% unemployment, yet Covitz has a job. __________________ "We're both part of the same hypocrisy, Senator, but never think it applies to my family." "Fredo. You are my brother, and I love you. But never take sides against the Family again. Ever." 2019 Adopt a Chief - Travis Kelce #87
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