Mike Reiss picks Aqib Talib on ESPN's mock draft

[BradyToMoss]

I think it just happens that way with the small school kids sometimes. I doubt Roethlisberger was considered a near top 10 pick before the combine or closer to the draft. Same with DeMarcus Ware. Cromartie just played in 'Nowheresville' America. He didnt get seen. Probably didnt get pushed by the level of competition he needed to see. Im sure he got a bit lazy from time to time thinking he was just head and shoulders above his competition. But the kid either has the skills or he doesnt. And if we were to actually make a CB pick that high, Id either want it to be Cromartie or Mike Jenkins. Talib just looked clumsy at the combine to me with some of his footwork, and watching the replay of the kid from Missouri, who btw ran a 4.5 at the combine, just run away from him on a TD catch, no way Im even considering Talib that high. You take elite skill that high when you get a chance. Seymour was elite skill - size and power. Cromartie absolutely has elite speed. He'd be the fastest guy on this team wearing flip flops.

Spot on, spot on.

The only corner worthy of being taken #7 overall all is a guy like DRC, he has all the physical tools (elite speed, elite leaping ability, tremendous ball skills/instincts) to justify the selection and his upside is completely off the charts, it's this upside that justifies the #7 value. Your small school assessment is correct, DRC was so far ahead of the competition at TSU that he literally got bored. What should be noted is that the few a times a team decided to throw to his side of the field, he didn't just pick the pass off, he took it home both times for long pick-6's. Only a fool would penalize this kid for not seeing footballs thrown to his side of the field, when they did come to his side, he made them pay.

I think the Pats will rue the day if they let this kid slide past them. He not only fills our most glaring need, he's a future star in the making. I'm begging BB to take this incredible athlete.

 

[Rob0729]

Spot on, spot on.

The only corner worthy of being taken #7 overall all is a guy like DRC, he has all the physical tools (elite speed, elite leaping ability, tremendous ball skills/instincts) to justify the selection and his upside is completely off the charts, it's this upside that justifies the #7 value. Your small school assessment is correct, DRC was so far ahead of the competition at TSU that he literally got bored. What should be noted is that the few a times a team decided to throw to his side of the field, he didn't just pick the pass off, he took it home both times for long pick-6's. Only a fool would penalize this kid for not seeing footballs thrown to his side of the field, when they did come to his side, he made them pay.

I think the Pats will rue the day if they let this kid slide past them. He not only fills our most glaring need, he's a future star in the making. I'm begging BB to take this incredible athlete.

I think you are getting a little ahead of yourself. He is still a big risk at #7. There have been a lot of amazing small school guys who just couldn't make it at the Pro Level eventhough they appeared to have the skills, God given talent, and instincts. Rogers-Cromartie could be a small school stud who makes it to the next level, but may be another one of those small school guys who looked elite because of the competition they faced.

Let's face it. None of us know for sure. Really, how many Tennessee State games have anyone on this board actually watched last year? One or two? If that? My guess is no one of this board has seen much of this guy beyond the highlight reels and maybe a game or two. How can anyone judge this guy's ability to go to the next level based on that.

 

[mojocaster.com]

isn't Talib something like 170 pounds soaking wet???

 

[PatsFanJess]

IMHO, there is no way the Pats take a corner at 7....esp. Talib. It's a deep draft in the corner position and not one is worth that pick. I love Reiss, but I don't understand this pick at all. I think Cason is the corner that the Pats are most likely to try and get.

 

[PatsFanJess]

isn't Talib something like 170 pounds soaking wet???

I think that's DRC. He's skin and bones

 

[sebman2112]

isn't Talib something like 170 pounds soaking wet???

Talib is 202lbs. DRC is the CB who people talk about as having to gain weight, but he's 184lbs, not 170lbs. I don't think you'll have to worry about NE selecting either of them at 7th overall though...

 

[RussFrancis]

He wasn't a top ten pick during or after the draft, either. What's your point?

Roeth was chosen 11th overall. Is that not NEAR the top 10? You do understand the meaning of the word near, dont you?

 

[patsox23]

In Reiss's position, I would've taken Keith Rivers.

 

[ayjackson]

It is interesting that both Reiss (the best connected NE writer) and PatsandTrojans55 (who claims to have seen NE's draft board), both seem to think quite highly of Aqib Talib.

 

[tuckeverlasting]

if reiss has any idea of who the pats are looking at , i doubt he would give it away on an espn mock. i think he likes his inside position too much and thinks like we do, f espn !

 

[Handel]

I still prefer Mckelvin at #7 if we select a CB.

 

[RussFrancis]

It is interesting that both Reiss (the best connected NE writer) and PatsandTrojans55 (who claims to have seen NE's draft board), both seem to think quite highly of Aqib Talib.

Reiss as a media member is trusted to some degree by Bill Belichick himself. That said, Im sure BB still wouldnt share anything with him intimately about any which way they'd be leaning. But if he did, the last thing Reiss would do is drop that player's name as a potential mock draft pick. The same will always ring true with this FO. Whoever any of us think theyre going to pick, think exactly the opposite.

 

[flasox27]

I really believe they are going to give their pals at ESPN the real story.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

I like Talib, but I would be furious if the Pats reached at #7 for him. To the people on this board that want a CB taken at #7, your just asking for dissapointment. The CB's aren't that good in this draft. There are no Champ Bailey's. If you draft based on need, your team is asking for it. See '05 49ers when they drafted Alex Smith. The niners needed a QB but was he the best available? Hell no! If he were to enter the 2006 draft, scouts rated him as the 4th best. Also, following the drafting of Daunte Culpepper in '99, many people questioned why Dennis Green went that route when Randall Cunningham was coming off of a career year. Green replied, "you should never draft based on need in the first round. Instead, draft the best available". When I first heard that, I thought Green was crazy. But now I know why. Successful teams draft the best available, no matter what. I know some people don't agree with me on this assesment but just take a look at teams that draft based on need and tell me how those picks turned out? You will see that the more talented players drop because of the stupidity used by teams that have to take a player at a certain spot based on need.

 

[PatsandTrojans55]

It is interesting that both Reiss (the best connected NE writer) and PatsandTrojans55 (who claims to have seen NE's draft board), both seem to think quite highly of Aqib Talib.

Ayjackson,

I've never made that claim. In fact I couldn't because they haven't completed their draft board yet and wont until about 10 days before the draft or when they've completed all the recon work. I do know as of now who they like at this position but it's still early.
By the way being in Calgary are you a Flames fan? I love the Flames and can't wait until the playoffs start to go to the Dome and hang out on the Red Mile. Definitly will be a part of the "Sea of Red". I usually fly up there a few times a year to visit friends and I always get to go to a couple playoff games with my buddy being a season ticket holder. It's a great hockey town.

 

[PatsandTrojans55]

Reiss as a media member is trusted to some degree by Bill Belichick himself. That said, Im sure BB still wouldnt share anything with him intimately about any which way they'd be leaning. But if he did, the last thing Reiss would do is drop that player's name as a potential mock draft pick. The same will always ring true with this FO. Whoever any of us think theyre going to pick, think exactly the opposite.

Mike is a great guy and takes his job seriously. So he's not going to B.S and just throw smokescreens. He knows who they really like at the moment and people just assume BB is this "Great Dictator" who lets nothing or no one speak but he's not that bad at all. Also, just so people understand BB and Pioli aren't the only 2 who make player personel decisions for this team and they really trust their scouting department and they should because it's the best in the business IMHO. For example, Go look at Gil Brandt's College Pro Day workouts blog at nfl.com and ask yourself this if he saw BB or Pioli at these workouts don't you think he would mention their names like he does Marvin Lewis and other high profile coaches? They do most of their work at the stadium and in the film room. So Mike isn't getting his sources directly from BB per se but BB is not the only way either. Just ask Adam Schefter.

 

[ayjackson]

Ayjackson,

I've never made that claim. In fact I couldn't because they haven't completed their draft board yet and wont until about 10 days before the draft or when they've completed all the recon work. I do know as of now who they like at this position but it's still early.
By the way being in Calgary are you a Flames fan? I love the Flames and can't wait until the playoffs start to go to the Dome and hang out on the Red Mile. Definitly will be a part of the "Sea of Red". I usually fly up there a few times a year to visit friends and I always get to go to a couple playoff games with my buddy being a season ticket holder. It's a great hockey town.

Sorry for jumping to conclusions - mistinterpreted a prior comment in that regard.

As for the Flames, I am a fan and follow them quite closely. I no longer have the same passion for hockey, though, that I have for NFL and MLB. If you're around for the playoffs and staying downtown, maybe we could have a coffee/beer one afternoon and talk Pats.