manxman2601
PatsFans.com Retired Jersey Club
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2011
- Messages
- 30,077
- Reaction score
- 25,532
Registered Members experience this forum ad and noise-free.
CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.Just want to declare off the bat that my very early favourite prospects for next year are Brandon Scherff and Stefon Diggs but I've hardly looked at anyone yet.
At this time of year all I personally try and do is identify guys of interest to follow during the next 6 months. But Brandon Scherff just seems like a perfect Pats' OL prospect - another Logan Mankins in terms of toughness, durability and physicality. Although he's being touted as a potential top 15 pick, I think he could fall over the next 10 months the way Bryan Bulaga and Riley Reiff did in 2010 and 2012 (both were touted as potential top 10 picks at one point). Rob Rang has already criticized Scherff for not being a "natural bender", and he isn't an athletic freak, so it wouldn't shock me to see him get over-analyzed during the pre-draft process. I think his best fit could easily be at LG like Mankins, with the versatility to play either tackle position decently. He's probably my favorite prospect right now too, with Shaq Thompson, Cody Prewitt and Dante Fowler not too far behind, and Shawn Oakman my wild card.
I never thought that Scherff was an NFL LT, always pegged him as a RT/LG. After my disastrous last draft, I'm out of the 'perfect fit' game, but he really is as you say.
Take a look at Alvin 'Bud' Dupree of Kentucky. He's a 6'4", 259 DE that, according to NFL.com jumped a 40" vert and 10'7" vert which isn't that far behind the 240lb Shazier. Was also clocked at 20.5 miles per hour in a game last season" but I have no idea how that translates into a 40 time (looks quick for his size on the field though). He's no slouch either. 2nd Team SEC last year and has had 13.5 sacks the past two years. A Jamie Collins, Marcus smith type perhaps?
http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap2...e-football?campaign=Facebook_writers_huguenin
I hear you. At one point I thought that Barrett Jones and ASJ were both "perfect fits". By draft time I had soured on both. I try not to get over-fixated on guys at this point. But Scherff seems awfully darn good right now. I agree, he's not a pure LT. I think his best fit will be RG like Mankins, but I think he can play both LT and RT adequately, which gives him great versatility. I see a long-term Mankins successor as one of the key targets for 2015. A potential long term OL of Solder - Scherff- Stork - Halapio - Vollmer with Cannon and Fleming as top reserves seems awfully attractive.
I hadn't heard those numbers for Dupree. Interesting. Kyler Fackrell is my current favorite for a Collins-type, but I'll take another look at Dupree.
...A potential long term OL of Solder - Scherff- Stork - Halapio - Vollmer with Cannon and Fleming as top reserves seems awfully attractive…
Do you really feel that Halapio has starter potential? He looks soooooo slow, out of shape & uncoordinated, and that's all before mentioning his lengthy injury history. I would much rather have seen Bill pick Laurent Duvernay Tardif or Zach Fulton if he wanted another OLman (though I really wanted Antone Exum).
Take a look at Alvin 'Bud' Dupree of Kentucky. He's a 6'4", 259 DE that, according to NFL.com jumped a 40" vert and 10'7" vert which isn't that far behind the 240lb Shazier. Was also clocked at 20.5 miles per hour in a game last season" but I have no idea how that translates into a 40 time (looks quick for his size on the field though). He's no slouch either. 2nd Team SEC last year and has had 13.5 sacks the past two years. A Jamie Collins, Marcus smith type perhaps?
Take a look at Alvin 'Bud' Dupree of Kentucky. He's a 6'4", 259 DE that, according to NFL.com jumped a 40" vert and 10'7" vert which isn't that far behind the 240lb Shazier. Was also clocked at 20.5 miles per hour in a game last season" but I have no idea how that translates into a 40 time (looks quick for his size on the field though). He's no slouch either. 2nd Team SEC last year and has had 13.5 sacks the past two years. A Jamie Collins, Marcus smith type perhaps?
Looking at some film of Dupree, what I see is outstanding speed and the ability to run down plays from the backside, the ability to drop into coverage and play in space, and a nice motor. What is clearly lacking as of last year are combat tactics, hand usage, pass rush repertoire, and the physicality to play on the line full time. Dupree has bulked up, and appears to have the drive to succeed. Mel Kiper thinks he can be a full time line player. His floor right now appears to be Cornelius Washington (a similarly sized athletic freak who hasn't done much on the football field so far). His ceiling is very, very high. Along with Dante Fowler and Shilique Calhoun, that makes 3 guys for 2015 who are very intriguing in terms of their athleticism and versatility.
Pass rush certainly appears to be the strength of this draft at this moment.
It's uncommon to evaluate a player who lives up to the substantial hype that surrounds his name, but Ekpre-Olomu is as good as advertised as a shutdown corner. He is one of the most polished cover corners that I've evaluated since I started evaluating prospects 14 years ago. Ekpre-Olomu is a better technician than Patrick Peterson and Joe Haden were as collegians; he displays a cerebral playing style that reminds me of Darrelle Revis on the perimeter. Now, I know that is certainly high praise based on how Revis dominated the league prior to his knee injury in 2012, but the combination of instincts, awareness and physicality exhibited by the Oregon star makes me believe he will be a dynamite player at the next level.
Alvin Dupree 2015 preview
Skill-Set Summary: There is a lot to like about Dupree's skills transitioning to the NFL. He has a fast first step and often is the first player off the ball. The senior has the closing speed to get to quarterbacks in an instant and also chases down ball-carriers from the backside. Dupree has good athleticism and agility to move around blockers in tight areas.
Dupree is listed at 267 pounds, but it wouldn't be surprising if that is an exaggeration - as is often the case. He can get in trouble when teams run downhill at him. Dupree could stand to improve his ability to hold his ground at the point of attack when runs come straight toward him. Offensive linemen can get some movement out of Dupree in power North-South runs.
As a pass-rusher, Dupree shows some strength in his hands to shed blocks and get offensive linemen's hands off of him. Dupree is a physical defender who plays with a chip on his shoulder. He hits quarterbacks and ball-carriers hard while never showing any fear to take on blocks.
Dupree should use 2014 to further the development of his pass-rushing moves. It would be good to see him display a repertoire of moves by adding in a better spin and rip move.
For the NFL, Dupree's best fit could come as a 3-4 outside linebacker. The senior is athletic and able to stand up over tackles. He can function in space and should be able to drop into pass coverage. If Dupree is selected for a 4-3 defense, he could use more strength in his base for run defense.
2015 NFL Draft Expectations: Entering the 2014 season, Dupree looks like a second-day pick. If the senior has a big season rushing the passer, he could move into first-round consideration.
4. Mike Orakpo, LB, Texas State Bobcats
Brian Orakpo was the No. 1 guy on the 2008 Freaks list for, among other things, benching 514 pounds and vertical jumping 42 inches. His kid brother Mike's athleticism -- in a slightly smaller frame -- is equally eye-popping. The younger Orakpo, at 6-2 and 233 pounds, benches just about 100 pounds more than twice his body weight (560) and incline benches 500 along with a 375-pound power clean, according to TSU coaches. He also has vertical jumped 41.5 inches and been timed at 4.53 in the 40.
8. Nate Terhune, NT, Kent State Golden Flashes
Every year we get a few very unique "metrics" making the case for a guy to merit a spot on the Freaks list. Terhune certainly fits in that category. Kent coaches say the biggest thing that makes them rave about the nose tackle is flexibility, which certainly didn't hurt his amazing recuperative ability. The 6-4, 265-pound Terhune shattered his fibula down by his ankle on Sept. 14. Exactly four weeks later, he was back in action at Ball State. The next month, he hurdled over a defender on a 61-yard fake punt touchdown that went viral.
"Nate Terhune ran a 4.33-second Pro Agility (20-yard shuttle test) and his flexibility numbers are off the charts -- we do a sit-and-reach and hip and groin measurements," said Kent strength and conditioning coach Antoine Sharp. To provide a little more context on the Pro Agility time: PatriotsLB Jamie Collins, one of the freakiest athletes we've seen in the past decade, clocked a 4.32 at the Combine two years ago and LSU's Keke Mingo timed a 4.39.
"We sum up all of the three numbers for a total score, and on average guys that play his position are normally in the low 20's (the lower the score the better), which is OK,” Sharp said. “But Terhune's flexibility score was a 6.5, which is off the charts and the only position group to be close to him are the kickers."