Grading Clifton Geathers?

[patchick]

Physically, Clifton Geathers is a man in a million:

6'7.4" 299 4.98/2.87/1.72 26 36"(!) 09'04" 7.69 with 37 3/4" arms (!!! and makes the 26 bench reps very impressive)

Suffice it to say, Geathers looks like a fantasy Pats DE...physically.

Mentally is another matter. He's never been a real impact player on the field, and he comes across as having an "entitled" attitude. His father and brother both played in the NFL, he won the football genetics lottery, and he knows it. The NFL draft advisory board urged him to stay in school and improve his technique, but he said fuhgeddaboudit.

I'm sure none of us would consider drafting Geathers at #22 overall, but I suspect all of us would be glad for the chance to bring him into camp as a UDFA. So where do you draw the line in-between?

 

[dryheat44]

Physically, Clifton Geathers is a man in a million:

6'7.4" 299 4.98/2.87/1.72 26 36"(!) 09'04" 7.69 with 37 3/4" arms (!!! and makes the 26 bench reps very impressive)

Suffice it to say, Geathers looks like a fantasy Pats DE...physically.

Mentally is another matter. He's never been a real impact player on the field, and he comes across as having an "entitled" attitude. His father and brother both played in the NFL, he won the football genetics lottery, and he knows it. The NFL draft advisory board urged him to stay in school and improve his technique, but he said fuhgeddaboudit.

I'm sure none of us would consider drafting Geathers at #22 overall, but I suspect all of us would be glad for the chance to bring him into camp as a UDFA. So where do you draw the line in-between?

I would gladly take him any time after the 2nd round. If we can finagle a 3rd rounder, he's the guy I'd target. He seems to have improved every year, which is certainly what you want (You hear that, Selvie?), and he seemed to acquit himself very well in the all-star game season, IIRC.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I would gladly take him any time after the 2nd round. If we can finagle a 3rd rounder, he's the guy I'd target. He seems to have improved every year, which is certainly what you want (You hear that, Selvie?), and he seemed to acquit himself very well in the all-star game season, IIRC.

A bit hard for a junior to acquit himself in the all-star season, and his game****s were run over by a team of huskies in their bowl game...himself did nothing to stand out to me in the game. I may have been focusing on Norwood and Dixon in that game, but Easley made himself known so Geathers had the opportunity to make a play or two I'd notice.

I won't kick if he's taken in the third, but I'd wait and see if he's still there in the late fourth.

 

[patchick]

My thinking of the moment is that I'd love to have Geathers as the 2nd DE I draft, behind a high-effort leader type. Let a Corey Wooton establish the pace and make Geathers keep up.

 

[SeauOUCH]

I'd use our comp 6th round pick on him, anything before the 5th is a HUGE reach. This guy is a physical freak yet he may as well of been the invisible man in college. This guy literally did nothing on game days, very good college athletes can usually dominate with just their god given talent & bust at the next level if they lack the work ethic to improve on that talent. That this guy couldn't even do jack in college with those measurables is a huge red flag.

 

[dryheat44]

A bit hard for a junior to acquit himself in the all-star season, and his game****s were run over by a team of huskies in their bowl game...himself did nothing to stand out to me in the game. I may have been focusing on Norwood and Dixon in that game, but Easley made himself known so Geathers had the opportunity to make a play or two I'd notice.

I won't kick if he's taken in the third, but I'd wait and see if he's still there in the late fourth.

You would think I'd learn not to type when I have one foot out the door. Dumb mistake.

I should have prefaced my original post to say I'd take him in the third if we didn't get a defensive end earlier in the draft.

To my eyes, Wootten won't cut it at DE for us. He's a relatively light, high-cut guy who doesn't seem physically able to anchor at 3-4 end. I'm higher on Jones and Oghobaase than most, and cooler on Alualu than most. But if Odrick isn't a Patriot by the time the 3rd round rolls around, and other needs have been addressed (OLB, TE, WR) I think guys like Geathers and Deaderick are in the conversation.

I tend not to worry about "reaching" for 3-4 two-gappers.

 

[Marqui]

My thinking of the moment is that I'd love to have Geathers as the 2nd DE I draft, behind a high-effort leader type. Let a Corey Wooton establish the pace and make Geathers keep up.

I could see BB liking those taller 6'7 DEs too.

 

[WhiZa]

I'd use our comp 6th round pick on him, anything before the 5th is a HUGE reach. This guy is a physical freak yet he may as well of been the invisible man in college. This guy literally did nothing on game days, very good college athletes can usually dominate with just their god given talent & bust at the next level if they lack the work ethic to improve on that talent. That this guy couldn't even do jack in college with those measurables is a huge red flag.

Some team will think they can teach him up (oakland?) and he'll probably get drafted in the 3-4th.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

You would think I'd learn not to type when I have one foot out the door. Dumb mistake.

I should have prefaced my original post to say I'd take him in the third if we didn't get a defensive end earlier in the draft.

To my eyes, Wootten won't cut it at DE for us. He's a relatively light, high-cut guy who doesn't seem physically able to anchor at 3-4 end. I'm higher on Jones and Oghobaase than most, and cooler on Alualu than most. But if Odrick isn't a Patriot by the time the 3rd round rolls around, and other needs have been addressed (OLB, TE, WR) I think guys like Geathers and Deaderick are in the conversation.

I tend not to worry about "reaching" for 3-4 two-gappers.

Wootton looked more 3-4ish capable in their bowl game with Auburn as opposed to how he looked against Missouri the year before. He had more of a bubble and his legs had some meat on them. As I noted in the DL ranking thread, I'm not in love with any DL in this draft and if Odrick slips by there's plenty where he came from this year.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Physically, Clifton Geathers is a man in a million:

6'7.4" 299 4.98/2.87/1.72 26 36"(!) 09'04" 7.69 with 37 3/4" arms (!!! and makes the 26 bench reps very impressive)

Suffice it to say, Geathers looks like a fantasy Pats DE...physically.

Mentally is another matter. He's never been a real impact player on the field, and he comes across as having an "entitled" attitude. His father and brother both played in the NFL, he won the football genetics lottery, and he knows it. The NFL draft advisory board urged him to stay in school and improve his technique, but he said fuhgeddaboudit.

I'm sure none of us would consider drafting Geathers at #22 overall, but I suspect all of us would be glad for the chance to bring him into camp as a UDFA. So where do you draw the line in-between?

Great physical measurements, but does he look like Tarzan and play like Jane? Remember all the hype on Jarron Gilbert because he... jumped out of a swimming pool? Let's see the tape on this kid. If he shows potential, we could take him with one of our comp 7ths.

 

[DW Toys]

Wootton looked more 3-4ish capable in their bowl game with Auburn as opposed to how he looked against Missouri the year before. He had more of a bubble and his legs had some meat on them. As I noted in the DL ranking thread, I'm not in love with any DL in this draft and if Odrick slips by there's plenty where he came from this year.

Good post. I would say I agree. Can't see Ordick at #22. If you need to fill a hole Wooten can be had mid round two.

Box would you trade for Adam Carriker? Only 25, misused as a 4-3 DT and is more suited to taking off the 20lbs the Rams made him gain, to go to a Tech 5 DE? My theory is he has NFL experience , his intangibles were off the board in the NCAA and he was nicked up playing DT. He was decent his rookie year, he has been hurt since and now seems healthy. Two other Teams have made overtures to the Rams on him.
How much worse can he be than Ordick and you are not spending a first pick on him? You would probably have to spend a pick too high on Geathers anyway.
DW Toys

 

[patchick]

Great physical measurements, but does he look like Tarzan and play like Jane? Remember all the hype on Jarron Gilbert because he... jumped out of a swimming pool?

Nope, I don't remember getting excited about any swimming pool. I do remember being very high on a Jarron Gilbert who logged 9.5 sacks and led the entire NCAA with 22 tackles-for-loss on his way to being named his conference's defensive player of year. Is that the "plays like Jane" guy you're talking about?

This kind of reminds me of the comparisons between Connor Barwin and Jameson Konz in another thread. It seems like when a guy creates buzz with awesome workout numbers, people start dismissing him as a "workout wonder" who "looks good in shorts" -- regardless of what he actually accomplished on the field. It's as if the positive measurables become a negative. Strange, that.

But back to Geathers...the whole point of this thread is that the production just isn't there. (If Geathers had played up to his physical potential he'd be in the discussion for #1 overall, not "is he worth a 4th?"!) Like Box, I'm generally underwhelmed by this DE class. More and more, I'm looking for multiple day-3 picks at the position, and that's where he fits in, IMO.

 

[DocE]

I posted about Geathers before and took him in my last attempt at a mock draft. The guy has the ideal frame for a 3-4 DE with (I believe) the longest arms of anyone at the combine and the biggest hands. He's got the strength, he's got the size, can he play? He's a no brainer pick for me in the 4th round and close to a no brainer in the late 3rd (if the Patriots had a pick there). I think you gamble on potentially elite players at that point in the draft if they are still available.

I feel like it wouldn't be a shock if the guy ends up going in the 2nd round, and at that point he seems like too big of risk given the talent that will be availabe in that round. I'd hate to pass up a guy with good measurables and good production for a guy with off the charts measurable and average at best stats. One somewhat interesting not on Geathers: he had 3 sacks, but produced a sack against both Florida and Alabama this year.