Overdrafted/Underdrafted

[O.city]

Had an idea about a thread today at lunch. Was having a turkey sandwich, with Swiss cheese and spicy mustard. Started thinking "Spicy mustard is underrated, gets passed over alot".

So here we go.

What prospect do you think will get passed over due to some condition (small frame, short, slow footed etc) and end up being the best player? What player are teams going to look back on 5 years from now and think "damn, we whiffed on that one"?

Conversely, what player will be the opposite?

My pick for the overdrafted will be Dee Ford. I think he's being highly overrated. (Jake Matthews too)

For the looked over, I'm gonna go with Dom Easley. If he's healthy, I think he's potentially the best DT not named Aaron Donald in this or the past few drafts.

[OldSchool]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

Blown knee.

I understand that everyone thinks that Donald will be Atkins, and he was even more productive at the college level. And there was a reason why Atkins was picked in the fourth round. Why John Randle was an UDFA. However, because of guys like that, Donald's remarkable 2013 season and his freak level combine, somebody is going to spend a first rounder on him.

The thing is, just like under 6' QB's, in this day and age, 6'1", 285 lbs. defensive tackles have the odds stacked against them no matter how good they've been at the collegiate level.

And it won't be one on one senior bowl practices. He'll be getting doubled by centers and guards who outweigh him by fifty pounds a piece.

He's obviously talented and productive and athletic. He's got a chance, but it's not a given.

It's not just Senior Bowl practices that made Donald stand out.

For his entire career at Pitt, Donald was the only guy that opposing teams had to game plan for on that defense. Yet he still had production that was beyond the scope of anyone else in college football. 28.5 tackles for losses in a season is just ridiculous. He's one of the most productive, if not the most, DTs at the college level in recent history and ran a 4.6 at the combine at 285 pounds. His arms are longer than Timmy Jernigan's and Will Sutton's arms and they're also longer than Geno Atkins' arms.

Dominique Easley, the guy in this draft that is often compared to Donald, isn't even close to Donald in terms of production and he played on defenses where he had plenty of help around him.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

What's he going to wreck?

He's short with a maxed out frame at 285 lbs. Unless he's the second coming of John Randall, he's going to get destroyed by NFL level linemen.

In all honesty, I was considering him as my "overdrafted" dude.

This is why he's going to be under drafted.

The NFL isn't stacked with great offensive line play. Plus, the guy is so athletic and strong, that it won't matter if he's outweighed.

Destroyed by NFL lineman? Nah. Teams are in the nickel more now than they are in the base set anyway.

[kccrow]

We shall see about Aaron Donald. The strength of NFL guards is certainly cause for alarm. We're talking about guys that can pick Donald up and toss him aside like a rag doll, something he sure as **** didn't see in college very often. Donald will have to play a flawless brand of football in terms of keeping a very low base. He'll have to be in a gap shooting scheme made to maximize his quick first step and help offset his severe lack of weight. He could see solid production in a 4-3 as an UT. He certainly is a good football player, but that doesn't always transfer to the pros.

[O.city]

You guys act as if NFL guards are the boogey man compared to NCAA level guards.

[kccrow]

Originally Posted by O.city

You guys act as if NFL guards are the boogey man compared to NCAA level guards.

Come on man. There is a night and day difference. This is the type of comment that I expect from someone silly enough to say that a college team can compete against the Jaguars or something. NFL guards are far better than collegiate guards and you know it. Functional playing strength of a veteran guard is far greater than that of a college guard, and there is no question about it.

Is there a better than average chance Donald will become a good NFL player? I think so, I think his physical abilities are difficult to block in my experience. As a bigger player, it is difficult to move as fast as Donald at the snap which makes it more difficult to gain the leverage necessary to move him. However, NFL guards will get leverage and the results will not be good when they do.

Like I said, Donald will have to be put in the right scheme where he can use his athleticism to win the point of attack and disrupt the backfield. He's going to be able to do that as an under tackle in a 4-3 where he's playing the 3-technique primarily against slower players. That is the whole key because he will not be able to overcome the strength of NFL guards, it just is not going to happen. He has to beat them athletically, and that he is more than capable of.

He isn't going to line up on tackles and beat them in a 3-4 in my opinion. They are too in tune with smaller, faster, lineman and more ideally equipped to shut them down, so this dream some are having of him lining up as a defensive end in an odd front is laughable to me. Put him where he belongs, and there is a solid chance he's successful.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by kccrow

Come on man. There is a night and day difference. This is the type of comment that I expect from someone silly enough to say that a college team can compete against the Jaguars or something. NFL guards are far better than collegiate guards and you know it. Functional playing strength of a veteran guard is far greater than that of a college guard, and there is no question about it.

Is there a better than average chance Donald will become a good NFL player? I think so, I think his physical abilities are difficult to block in my experience. As a bigger player, it is difficult to move as fast as Donald at the snap which makes it more difficult to gain the leverage necessary to move him. However, NFL guards will get leverage and the results will not be good when they do.

Like I said, Donald will have to be put in the right scheme where he can use his athleticism to win the point of attack and disrupt the backfield. He's going to be able to do that as an under tackle in a 4-3 where he's playing the 3-technique primarily against slower players. That is the whole key because he will not be able to overcome the strength of NFL guards, it just is not going to happen. He has to beat them athletically, and that he is more than capable of.

He isn't going to line up on tackles and beat them in a 3-4 in my opinion. They are too in tune with smaller, faster, lineman and more ideally equipped to shut them down, so this dream some are having of him lining up as a defensive end in an odd front is laughable to me. Put him where he belongs, and there is a solid chance he's successful.

Are they better? Sure.

Is there this great canyon of ability between the two? No. The NFL is all about leverage, which is something that Donald absolutely excels at. He's stronger and faster, more athletic than 90% of NFL guards.

They'll have pounds on him sure, but that doesn't really translate to anything.

I think hes talented enough to play the 34 end, but it would be a waste because he'd be dominant playing inside. It's also why id take him here in KC as we aren't sitting our DE's outside consistently.