BAA may be a WR...Santonio Holmes discussion

[BigChiefFan]

Player Profile

Santonio Holmes


School: Ohio State
Position: Wide Receiver
Class: 2007
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 185lbs
Birthday:
40 Time: 4.42 (estimated)


Positives


- Feisty. A willing blocker who makes up for his lack of size with his effort and knowledge. Isn't big by any stretch but he uses his body well to shield defensive backs and create space to catch the ball. Shows good body control, picks up the ball early and adjusts to make the play. Extends fully to catch the ball and plucks it away from his body. Has improved his route running to the point where they're now very good. Coachable and willing to learn. Has elite speed and it really shows when he goes into a whole other gear in attempt to run under a deep ball. It's very tough to overthrow Holmes deep. Catches the ball in stride and picks up extra yards. Changes direction effortlessly and doesn't lose any speed. Finds the first down marker and sets up just beyond it. Exceptional agility.

Weaknesses


- Does a pretty good job of avoiding the jam with his speed but has problems when defenders get to him. Although he does a good job of hiding it, Holmes has a tendency to push off defenders with his right arm. Has trouble in the middle of the field because of his lack of size. Can be pushed around. Gets a little sloppy with his footwork on double moves and doesn't really sell then, instead relying to much on his speed. Much more comfortable running medium (outside) and deep routes, isn't much of a threat on shorter routes (other than screens) as it takes away from his strengths. Lets the ball come to him rather than going to the ball. Confident to the point of maybe being cocky.

Overall Analysis


- A fluid athlete, Holmes is the cousin of Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor. A player blessed with gamebreaking skills, Holmes has all the skills to become a good player at the professional level. His strong kick and punt return skills are an added bonus and should allow him to contribute right off the bat. Has the potential to become a good #2 receiver at the next level.

Reminds You Of:


- Steve Smith


Profile By: Chris Horwedel

[BigChiefFan]

Santonio Holmes*
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Position: WR
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College:

Ohio State

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Projected

Top32 MEASUREMENTS
HEIGHT
WEIGHT
40 TIME
5'11"
188
n/a

ATTRIBUTE SCORE
SIZE
SPEED
STRENGTH
ATHLETICISM
XFACTOR
7
9
6
9
8
out of 10
out of 10
out of 10
out of 10
out of 10

DRAFTX.com VALUE
80.5


Pros: Is one of the best route runners in the country. Is blazing fast and really strikes fear into opposing Ds. Good hands. Is also a big threat at punt and kick returns having returned some for TDs in his career, can make something happen after the catch.
Cons: Inconsistency at QB has made him have less than what was expected stats. Struggled against best competition this year (when covered by Alan Zemaitis against Penn St. only had 4 catches for 41 yards 0 TDs). Can be inconsistent.
Draft Exchange Analysis:
*HAS DECLARED FOR 06 DRAFT*

Career Notes:
Will be in his second year as a fulltime starter and is one of the most dangerous receivers in the Big Ten ... excels at separating from a defender and is difficult to cover because of his combination of speed, quickness and precise routes ... teams with Ted Ginn to give the Buckeyes one of the top receiving tandems in college football ... should be a leading candidate for postseason honors in 2005, including the Biletnikoff Award ... had a stellar year in 2004, leading the Buckeyes in receptions, receiving yardage and touchdown catches ... has caught passes in 18 consecutive games and has 87 career receptions for 1,318 yards and 14 touchdown ... had 10 receptions against both Marshall and Northwestern last year, joining David Boston as the only Ohio State receiver to reach double figures in catches twice in the same season (Boston did it three times in 1998) ... currently 15th in career receptions and 14th in career receiving yardage as he heads into 2005 ... also eighth in career touchdown catches ... became a starter midway through the 2003 season and has been a key element in the Ohio State passing attack from that point forward ... also returns punts and kickoffs ... has scored three touchdowns in his two games against Michigan.

2004 (Sophomore):
Won second-team All-Big Ten honors ... recorded personal highs in receptions (55) and receiving yardage (769), and had seven touchdown receptions to pace the team in all three categories ... his top game in terms of sheer numbers came against Marshall when he pulled down a career-best 10 receptions for 224 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown pass from Justin Zwick ... the 224 yards against the Thundering Herd ranks as the second highest total in Ohio State history and is the highest ever by a Buckeye in Ohio Stadium ... the 80-yard scoring strike ties as the third longest in Ohio State annals ... also had 10 receptions for 99 yards at Northwestern, including a 21-yard touchdown catch that sent the game into overtime ... had a 63-yard punt return for a touchdown at Northwestern to record the fifth multiple touchdown game of his career ... best grab of the year might have been a 30-yard layout at Purdue for a TD ... his 12-yard TD reception against Michigan put OSU on top 34-14 near the end of the third quarter ... averaged 23.2 yards per kick return and led the team in all-purpose yardage with an average of 99 yards per game.

2003 (Freshman):
Averaged a team-best 17.2 yards per catch ... stepped into the starting lineup following Drew Carter's season-ending injury at Indiana in week eight ... caught six passes for a then career-high 153 yards and two touchdowns against IU, including a 47-yard TD ... made his first start a week later at Penn State and caught five passes for a game-high 78 yards ... caught 23 passes for 344 yards and five touchdowns in the last five games ... had eight catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns at Michigan, including a sensational diving TD grab in the back of the end zone in the third quarter ... caught two more touchdown passes vs. Kansas State in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl ... finished the season with 32 receptions (third on team) for 549 yards (second on team) ... his seven touchdown receptions tied Michael Jenkins for the team lead and his 42 points scored ranked fourth on the squad ... returned seven punts for 30 yards with a long of 10 yards ... finished third on the team in all-purpose yardage with 578.

2002 (Redshirted):
Redshirted and did not see any game action, but was very impressive throughout the season with the scout team ... OSU coaches named him the scout team offensive player of the week following the Cincinnati game.

High School:
Was a three-year starter, helping Glades Central to state titles his sophomore and junior years and a 12-1 record his senior year ... had 33 receptions for 970 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior ... was the MVP of the Outback Steakhouse All-Star Game with five receptions for 121 yards and a TD ... also played in the California-Florida All-Star Game ... three-sport star, who also played basketball and ran track ... the track team won the state title his junior year and the basketball team was runner-up his senior season ... his 4x400 meter relay team won the state title his junior and senior years.

Personal:
Is the son of Santonio Holmes Sr. and Patricia Brown ... siblings are Kenneth (18), De'Vontae (13) and Ja'Ven (6) ... is a second cousin of Jacksonville running back Fred Taylor ... also enjoys basketball (the athlete he most admires is Michael Jordan) ... favorite pro sports team is the Pittsburgh Steelers ... favorite pro football player is Marvin Harrison of the Indianapolis Colts ... favorite sportscaster is ESPN's Stuart Scott ... favorite meal is pork chops with gravy ... favorite childhood memory is going fishing with his grandparents ... has two sons: Santonio III and Nicori ... underwent a difficult time in February when his grandfather passed away.

[jspchief]

I don't subscribe to the "BAA" theory, nor do I subscribe to the "position of need" theory. It has to be a combination of the two.

Of course, I may be in the minority on my opinion that WR is not a position of need.

[melbar]

Originally Posted by jspchief

I don't subscribe to the "BAA" theory, nor do I subscribe to the "position of need" theory. It has to be a combination of the two.

Of course, I may be in the minority on my opinion that WR is not a position of need.

With Kennison , Parker , and Hall as our top 3 you dont see it as a need?

[jspchief]

Originally Posted by melbar

With Kennison , Parker , and Hall as our top 3 you dont see it as a need?

We've been top 3 in passing offense for the last 4 years, with those receivers (and/or Morton).

No. I don't see it as a need.

[melbar]

Originally Posted by jspchief

We've been top 3 in passing offense for the last 4 years, with those receivers (and/or Morton).

No. I don't see it as a need.

Drops in important games Kennison another year older , no deep threat , Parker not developing , and the Offense declining every year. You better believe that the line will be stacked against Larry this year, then where do we throw?

[Skyy God]

Originally Posted by melbar

Drops in important games Kennison another year older , no deep threat , Parker not developing , and the Offense declining every year. You better believe that the line will be stacked against Larry this year, then where do we throw?

I'm not sure it's fair to say Parker isn't developing. He averaged 54 ypg and had 2 TDs in his last 7 games (coming off injury). Project that out over a full 16 game season - 864 yards. I'll take that in offense given that Parker is the 4th option.

[jspchief]

Originally Posted by melbar

Drops in important games Kennison another year older , no deep threat , Parker not developing , and the Offense declining every year. You better believe that the line will be stacked against Larry this year, then where do we throw?

We're a top 5 offense in the NFL, probably top 3. Meanwhile, we're a bottom 5 defense.

Is it possible that the O is on the decline? Sure it is. But even if a new WR guarantees us being #1 on offense in 2006, we already know that probably won't be enough to make this team a serious play-off contender.

I think it's a luxury to be building on our O, when our D has such glaring deficiencies.

We've been unstoppable with bad WRs and teams stacking against the run for 5 years now. I don't expect whatever decline we see on that side of the ball to outweigh the problems our lousy defense gives us.

[BigChiefFan]

Originally Posted by jspchief

I don't subscribe to the "BAA" theory, nor do I subscribe to the "position of need" theory. It has to be a combination of the two.

Of course, I may be in the minority on my opinion that WR is not a position of need.

I prescribe to BAA, as long as it IS a position of need. We definitely could still use a WR. Kennison has probably TWO YEARS maximum left. Parker looks like a possession receiver, and Hall is too small, IMO to be an everydown wide-out.

I definitely PREFER a defensive stud with our first rounder, but landing the consenus best WR in the draft would be a major coup, too.

[SBK]

Just move Scanlon to WR and we are set.

[htismaqe]

I hope we don't even have to think about it. We need to fix the defense, period.

[OnTheWarpath15]

While I agree that WR is a position of need, it sure as hell isn't a first round position of need.

Our R1 had better be a DE, DT or CB. Fix the D.

[HolmeZz]

Normally I wouldn't be against a first round WR, but I don't think whoever we draft will out produce Samie Parker this year to the point that it was worth the selection. Defense still needs a few more pieces.

[Halfcan]

I am still betting on Chad Jackson unless we go Corner.

[Tribal Warfare]

*BITCH SLAPS everyone*

Remember before the combine, and when their play counted on the field prior what was measured in their Pro Days.


The BAA is Tamba Hali