Building your draft board position by position - week 8: Safety/Special Teams

[Box_O_Rocks]

Mike Reiss has started playing as he plans to list possible Kickers this week in his blog, starting with Josh Huston.

Week 8 is not only for traditional Safeties, but also small LBs who may be good in coverage for SS conversion or players to be Special Teams specialists like Izzo and Davis. This is also the place for Long Snappers, Punters, and Kickers.

One more week of board building, then two weeks to discuss our final boards before we find out how wrong we are!

Kickers

Jeff Glas (North Dakota) Senior year - 83.3% on 30/36 FG, 48/49 PAT. Career: 67.2% on 82/122 FG, 174/179 PAT - FG by year: Fr - 63.6%, So - 56.7%, Jr - 61.8%, Sr - 83.3%. KO data: Jr - avg 58.9 yds, 30 touchbacks, 11 out of bounds; Sr - avg 61.5 yds, 36 touchbacks, 1 out of bounds. There is reason to suspect he has cold weather experience.

Stephen Gostkowski (Memphis) Senior year - 88% on 22/25 FG, 35/35 PAT. Career: 76.1% on 70/92 FG, 159/165 PAT. No break down on yearly percentage. KO data: Sr only, avg 63.2 yds, 39 touchbacks, 4 out of bounds.

Connor Hughes (Virginia) Senior year - 87.5% on 21/24 FG, 36/36 PAT. Career: 83.5% on 66/79 FG, 134/138 PAT. No break down on yearly percentage. No KO data - a recent post hinted at a weakness in his kickoffs, I haven’t gotten a reply on my request for clarification.

Chris McMurtray (Southern Methodist) Senior year - 81.8% on 18/22 FG, 21/22 PAT. Career: 75% on 36/48 FG, 62/67 PAT. No break down on yearly percentage. KO data: Sr only, avg 60.3 yds, 21 touchbacks, 2 out of bounds.

Taylor Begley (Kentucky) Senior year - 80% on 12/15 FG, 27/28 PAT. Career: 67.9% on 36/53 FG, 118/125 PAT. No break down on yearly percentage. KO data: Sr only, avg 62.3 yds, 19 touchbacks, 1 out of bounds.

Adam Moss (Florida International) Senior year - 78.6% on 11/14 FG, 32/32 PAT. Career: 64.1% on 41/64 FG, 110/120 PAT - FG by year: Fr - 33.3%, So - 63.6%, Jr - 68.4%, Sr - 78.6%. KO data: So - avg 59.8 yds, 12 touchbacks, 0 out of bounds; Sr - avg 60.3 yds, 22 touchbacks, 0 out of bounds.

Josh Huston (Ohio State) Senior year - 78.6% on 22/28 FG, 44/45 PAT. Career: 1 year of kicking data. KO data: Jr - avg 63.0 yds, 1 touchbacks, 0 out of bounds (skewed by limited KOs); Sr - avg 63.1 yds, 54 touchbacks, 0 out of bounds.

Jaret Johnson (Idaho State) Senior year - 89.5% on 17/19 FG, 29/31 PAT. Career: 2 years of kicking data: 74.2% on 23/31 FG, 44/49 PAT - FG by year: Jr - 50%, Sr - 89.5%. KO data: Sr - avg 64.0 yds, 0 touchbacks, 0 out of bounds.

The first two seem the most interesting in terms of kicking a lot and improving or maintaining their performance. The last two leave me with the most questions after limited campaigns, though you have to like their senior years.

[cubedoggy]

Originally Posted by Box_O_Rocks

Jeff Glas (North Dakota) Senior year - 83.3% on 30/36 FG, 48/49 PAT. Career: 67.2% on 82/122 FG, 174/179 PAT - FG by year: Fr - 63.6%, So - 56.7%, Jr - 61.8%, Sr - 83.3%. KO data: Jr - avg 58.9 yds, 30 touchbacks, 11 out of bounds; Sr - avg 61.5 yds, 36 touchbacks, 1 out of bounds. There is reason to suspect he has cold weather experience.

I'd use one of those 6s we can't trade on him.

[DaBruinz]

Originally Posted by cubedoggy

I'd use one of those 6s we can't trade on him.

Cube -
Glas is definitely a conundrum. How is it that the guy can kick 36 TBs but only avg 61.5 YPK? Also, was his senior year, FG wise? an aberation?

If I was evaluating Glas, I had him in on consecutive days making 25 kickoffs per day for 5 days. Then I would have to reveiw to see where those kick offs landed.

If Glas could get most of them between the endzone and the 5, I'd be a happy camper. If not, well, I would seriously have to consider not drafting him.

[Ochmed Jones]

The local papers mentioned an NFL Europe kicker Kimball of Penn State as a possibility.

[dryheat44]

Originally Posted by Ochmed Jones

The local papers mentioned an NFL Europe kicker Kimball of Penn State as a possibility.

There will be FA kickers out there. Doug Brien will be cut by Chicago. I think Tampa Bay is carrying two, and other teams have two on the roster as a result of one getting hurt last year.

That being said, I'm all for bringing in a couple rooks.

[Box_O_Rocks]

The following players are listed primarily because of their potential for Special Teams, though I like most of the linebackers for Strong Safety conversion. Players like Howard or McIntosh will be gone by the 6th round when I'm thinking Special Teams, but what the heh.

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Linebackers for Special Teams or SS conversion

Thomas Howard (UTEP) - possible SS conversion, borderline weight for ILB, but may work in as a coverage LB in Phifer's role. Good STs potential.

Roger McIntosh (Miami (FL)) - playmaker on defense, not heavy enough for a Pat's LB, but if he falls far enough would be a good ST candidate.

Keith Ellison (Oregon State) - possible SS conversion, used as a nickel LB in the Shrine Game to cover the RBs. His 4.7 at the Combine is slower then I like, but he is a former SS who looked great in coverage drills. Pats' scouts talked to him at the Shrine Game.

Travis Williams (Auburn) - possible SS conversion, did a decent job in coverage at the Senior Bowl and made some nice plays against the run and blowing up a screen. In the practices he was complemented twice by Mike Singletary for his change of direction skills in drills.

Freddie Keiaho (San Diego State) - productive on STs and in his only year at MLB, stock reported falling after the Combine, good STs candidate.

Kevin Schimmelmann (Stanford) - former SS, was used in the Shrine Game to cover the TEs. Looked good throughout the game.

Brian Iwuh (Colorado) - former SS, looked like Rodney a bit in the Senior Bowl blowing up running plays taking on blockers and channeling the RB into the MLB.

Derrick Ming (Missouri) - UDFA STs candidate.

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Safety

Dwayne Slay (Texas Tech) - heavy hitter in the Shrine Game, may not be the best in coverage, but an interesting option for SS/STs with the comp picks.

Jahmile Addae (West Virginia) - playmaker in the Senior Bowl, another small Safety, but you have to like a kid with a nickname like Hammer.

Dawan Landry (Georgia Tech) - saw him blanket David Anderson in the Shrine Game, since Anderson disappeared in that game I find him interesting if redundant with all the Safeties on the team.

Anthony Smith (Syracuse) - playmaker in the Senior Bowl, considered a sleeper pick at Safety by Mayock on NFL Network.

Omowale Dada (Washington State) - his stats caught my eye for interceptions.

Donte Whitner (Ohio State) - rookBoston loves him, how could I not put him on my S/STs board?

Antoine Bethea (Howard) - good stats and a good Combine.

[flutie2phelan]

Seems to me ... kicker is the 800-pound gorilla in the corner of the room at our party.

For sure, we'll have at least two in camp.
Question is ... do we spend 2 of those 11 picks on kickers ... or only 1?

[shirtsleeve]

[quote=Box_O_Rocks]The following players are listed primarily because of their potential for Special Teams, though I like most of the linebackers for Strong Safety conversion. Players like Howard or McIntosh will be gone by the 6th round when I'm thinking Special Teams, but what the heh.

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Linebackers for Special Teams or SS conversion

Box, you're just playing with me to draw me out again, aren't you?
http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/sco...jonalston.html

[Box_O_Rocks]

[quote=shirtsleeve]

Originally Posted by Box_O_Rocks

The following players are listed primarily because of their potential for Special Teams, though I like most of the linebackers for Strong Safety conversion. Players like Howard or McIntosh will be gone by the 6th round when I'm thinking Special Teams, but what the heh.

-----

Linebackers for Special Teams or SS conversion

Box, you're just playing with me to draw me out again, aren't you?
http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/sco...jonalston.html

Actually, no, I've been preoccupied and he slipped my mind. However, since it had the same result, I'll just pretend like my sadistic side was operating independently to set you up!

[nickw308810]

For K, what about Deric Yaussi and Jon Scifres?