Physicality

[Ochmed Jones]

Like most of you I have been over this draft a thousand times but I keep coming back to the one essential thing I want out of this draft.

I want the Patriots to be MUCH more pysical and especially MUCH more nasty in the O Line and D Lines.

And to that end I can not see us accomplishing that on the D Line by drafting undersized guys like Hewyward, Jordan or Watt; none of whom can command a double team from the Jets or even the Dolphins O line. I see Ferguson and Long destroying any of these three and still have time to go after Mayo or the Slow moving Spikes.

And on the O line I see guys like Costanza, Solder and Wisneiski as finesse technicians none of which can drop their hips and explode an opposing D Lineman off the LOS.

Meanwhile the two best nose tackles in this draft, Ellis and Taylor each have character issues and are woefully inconsistent on technique. (Inconsistent technique usually means a long time on the bench while the coaches re-teach fundamentals) The Illinios RB in this draft ate Taylor and Baylor up to the tune of almost 200 yards because Taylor didn;t use his hands on the Illinios O Line guys.

To top all that off the guys I see as most violent yet capable to varying degrees of excelling in our system Dareus, Quinn, Miller and Kerrigan, are all probably off the board when we pick.

It may be time to re-examine BB rolling the dice and moving up for one of these players, otherwise I think BB needs to trade down and get second tier guys like Wilkerson, Watkins and Sheard.

 

[reflexblue]

Yeah it would be exciting to move up once in a while instead of always moving down. Dareus would take a real lot but Quinn and certainly Kerrigen would be much more reasonable. I can see Quinn going at 10-13 and Kerrigan 13-16

 

[SamBamsFan]

I want this guy:

"Positives … Has a wide frame with a barrel chest, good bubble, wide hips, thick thighs and calves. … His frame is built more like an offensive guard's and has more room for further development. … Known for his toughness and aggression, Mankins will play though pain. … Has an athletic, wide frame, with excellent feet, good balance, and ankle/knee bend. … Shows good functional speed on pulls and traps. … Plays at a high intensity level and shows tremendous toughness on the field. … Has good playing strength and flexibility for left tackle, but his size dictates a possible move to guard in the pros. … Has enough short area quickness to get off the snap on running plays to hook the defensive ends. … Shows a quick first step vs. the pass rush and good agility moving to his size. … Has the natural footwork and short area quickness to slide and sink. … Quick to redirect and uses his leg drive effectively to hold ground vs. stunts and blitzes. … His natural knee bend allows him to keep in a good football position most the time. … Finds a way to stay on his feet, shows very good balance and you rarely ever see him on the ground. … Not only can he generate good pop and explosion, but he also demonstrates great hand placement and balance. … Flashes ability to kick and slide with decent quickness and can mirror (seems better on the left than right side). … Displays the ability to anchor, slide and adjust to the speed rush. … Has very good balance, even when he occasionally bends at the waist. … His base and foot movement allow him to seal off the edge rush. … Along with his balance and feet, his hand placement and punch are very good for the guard position. … Has good functional strength coming off the ball, getting his hands into the defender's chest on the rise, to lock on and steer. … His quick first step off the ball allows him to gain advantage. … Has the size and strength to move the larger defenders off the ball and plays with an almost perfect base and pad level. … His active hands prove very beneficial when he works them to switch on stunts.

Negatives … When working upfield, he looks a little heavy-footed, but manages to get to his target. … He looks intense and very athletic when pulling, but he tends to throw his hands at a defender a little early, at times. … Lacks the sustained speed to consistently get out in front on pulls and needs to do a better job of taking proper blocking angles when working up field. … Struggles when getting into the second level, as he does not have the speed to get in front of the linebacker. … Plays with good aggression, but it will get the best of him at times, resulting in a high amount of personal foul penalties. … Might scare off a team or two due to his 2003 injury. … Gets his base too narrow when on the move, losing balance and failing to sustain vs. counter moves."

Logan Mankins, Fresno State, NFL Draft - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com

 

[SamBamsFan]

... and this is as close as can come on the OLine"
Pass blocking: Flashes the initial quickness and depth in his kick-slide to consider remaining outside at tackle if he plays on the right side in the NFL. Was late off the snap early in his career at Miami, one of several reasons why the coaching staff kept him inside at left guard. Possesses the physical traits to develop into a top pass blocker. Long arms, strong hands and surprisingly good balance and overall agility. Slides laterally and is able to control opponents when he locks on.

Run blocking: Only marginal initial quickness off the snap, but comes off surprisingly low and hard. Can knock defenders off the ball. Shows good leg drive to gain ground and doesn't back down from a fight. Flashes some nastiness finishing plays and will work to knock his opponent to the ground. Has to do a better job keeping his hands inside the numbers of defenders. Has a tendency to let his hands get too high and wide, which will result in holding penalties against NFL athletes.

Pulling/trapping: An effective trap blocker, his slow first step off the snap can actually work in his favor as opponents rush past him. Is strong enough to latch on and large enough to seal a lane for the ballcarrier. Isn't often asked to pull in this offense and doesn't appear to have the straight-line speed or flexibility to acclimate smoothly into this type of blocking scheme.

Initial Quickness: Too often is a beat slow off the snap. Has the bulk and power to maintain his position squarely in front of the defender while protected inside at guard, but doesn't consistently show the initial quickness to handle blocking on the outside against NFL athletes.

Downfield: Only average straight-line speed to get to the second level. Shows the flexibility to "get skinny" to avoid the trash and complete his assignment. Moderate balance to re-direct his charge at the second level. A bit of a bull in a china shop despite his experience. Too often is content with getting a shove on the defender and allowing his hands to get outside of the shoulder pads.

Intangibles: Signed with Miami (Fla.) as a highly touted prospect, but despite starting 35 games over the past four years, is still learning the technical nuances of the position. Has had his football IQ and toughness questioned in the past. Has shown an exciting ability to step up his level of play when physically challenged by talented opposition, but remains a work in progress."

Orlando Franklin, Miami (Fla.), NFL Draft - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com

 

[VJCPatriot]

Sam, that's nice and all but these scouting reports only tell half the story. Gotta look at the film too and see if they pass the eye test. That's what BB and Caserio are doing. And they add to the evaluation process with workouts and interviews that we aren't privy to.

Vernon Gholston had glowing scouting reports AND college production in the form of 14 sacks his senior year and he is one of the biggest top 5 busts of all time.

"Strengths: Terrific natural athlete who is very strong for his size…he should continue to add to his frame and has the ability to be an every down player…14 sacks as a senior against top notch competition, including 3 against Jake Long…explosive off the line of scrimmage…already has a variety of pass rush moves…a “natural” pass rusher…he is willing to support against the run…hard working player who keeps himself in top notch shape…"

So you gotta take ever scouting report with a grain of salt. This is why the Pats strategy of trading down has worked out more often than not even when they passed on pretty good players. The more draft choices you make, the more chances you have of getting some good players out of the draft instead of busts. And there will always be some busts. Roughly 50% or more of the players taken in each years draft will bust out of the league.

 

[SamBamsFan]

VJC-

Yeah, I understand very well the write-ups to not always translate to the field. For your example of Goulston, I always thought he had the suddenness on the college, but not (to use Ochmed's term) the physicality. You can look it up. I was on the board then.

Anyway, we are sidetracking Ochmed's point (mea culpa). I think it was a very valid one. It seems that over the past few years we have lost that smash mouth ability- the ability to back other teams down, and wear them out. Granted this past year we had many injuries to the DLine, but it seemed like our two toughest players were Meriweather, and Chung. That is great, and all, but they weigh maybe a combined 410 pounds between them... I want to get back the toughness that we had w/ Vrabel/ Bruschi/Harrison, and I feel this draft, with the amount of picks we have would be a great starting place.

I just used the example of Franklin (I could have used Boling), but it might come to pass that we lose Mankins. If we lose Mankins, we lose a lot of the Physicality that we had on offense. Sorry I did not make my point through the attachments.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Physicality shows up first in run blocking and attitude, I thought I'd see which top OL candidates seem to have some strength at the point of attack and Scarnecchia "attitude" in their draft profiles. To help people focus, I've redacted personal information and mixed the Guards, Tackles, and Centers up a bit for you. So, ranked 1 - 7 (one recent column claims a poll of NFL front office types indicated 8 OL destined for round one), which of these top kids might blossom into the kind of physical player Ochmed is looking for?

Player A:
Run blocking: Quick off the snap. Latches on, shows very good upper-body strength and lateral agility and can turn the defender away from the ballcarrier. Plays with good pad level and shows some nastiness in his game. Looks to drive his assignment downfield or into the turf.

Intangibles: [redacted]

Player B:
Run blocking: Adept positional blocker, has good strength and attitude to seal his man inside or outside. Plays with a wide base, uses his strong legs to get forward movement. Aggressive and sticks to defenders once latched on; extends arms to push defender back or even put him on the ground. Gets under his man's pads when drive-blocking, keeps his hips low and feet moving. Still learning how to explode from three-point stance. Occasionally lunges to reach his man or is shed by violent hand play.

Intangibles: [redacted] Full of personality, referred to as "gregarious" in the team's media guide. [redacted] Very raw, [redacted]

Player C:
Run blocking: Good positional blocker. Quick off the snap and can catch and turn his opponent away from the play. Does a nice job of walling off his target, but needs to get stronger and keep his feet churning to drive his opponent out. Too often gets stood up by defenders, creating a pile that the ballcarrier must run around, rather than clearing a hole for the play to run through. Isn't afraid of contact and can drive the defender off the ball in short-yardage situations with his initial push, but isn't yet strong enough to finish blocks consistently.

Intangibles: [redacted] Not yet a finished product.

Player D:
Run blocking: Gets a good initial push, but loses the leverage battle quickly and struggles to sustain. Gives good effort and has made significant improvement in this area over the past three seasons. Has a tendency to get his hands too far outside the numbers, but with greater strength would have more control. Relies on positioning and technique and lacks the power to drive defenders off the ball, despite improvement in this area. Flashes some leg drive when he gets under the pads of an opponent.

Intangibles: [redacted] Won the [redacted] Award, [redacted] highest honor, after his senior season.

Player E:
Run blocking: Very willing and able run blocker [redacted] with exceptional mobility for his size. Good get-off and upper-body strength allows him to latch onto [defenders] and stand-up defenders and take them out of the play. Despite his height, he plays with leverage at the point of attack and can widen his base to anchor. Nimble and quick, he seals his edge easily, gets out in front of screens well, and can block multiple defenders to wall off the back side. Quicker defenders can get under his pads, however, and disengage to move down the line and stop inside runs.

Intangibles: Owns the work ethic to become a Pro Bowl offensive [redacted]. In the spring of 2009, he was awarded the [redacted] Award for outstanding work ethic and the offensive line's [redacted] Award for hard work, dedication, toughness and total poundage lifted in the weight room. Needs to become more of a vocal leader on the field, though he does play with attitude and competitiveness and is not afraid to go through the whistle and talk to defenders on the field.

Player F:
Run blocking: Provides an initial pop at the line of scrimmage, but doesn't have the mass or power to knock NFL defenders off the ball. Relies on his quickness and technique to turn and seal off defenders from the hole. Works hard to sustain. Isn't incredibly fluid getting to and blocking at the second level.

Intangibles: Highly respected by coaches, teammates and fans. [redacted]

Player G:
Run blocking: Positional blocker with better technique than brute strength; does whatever is necessary to get the job done. Does not turn defenders to create holes, but latches on with strong hands and uses momentum to take players out of the gap. Moves feet to get to either shoulder of his assignment to shield defenders from the running lane. Fair anchor at the point of attack. He's not bowled over easily. Can put his man on the ground and keep him there, as he does not quit on blocks or plays until the whistle blows. Good leg drive and gets low quickly in short-yardage situations, though he won't always hit a defender before landing on the ground. Takes defenders out of the play and puts them to the ground when they try to go low near the goal line.

Intangibles: Is the type of intelligent, high-character, durable, hard-working, strong lineman all NFL offensive line coaches want leading their groups. Exceptional student-athlete [redacted]

 

[Dufflebagz]

drafting undersized guys like Hewyward, Jordan or Watt

Wait.....what?

Watt is the perfect height and weight for a 3-4 DE.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Wait.....what?

Watt is the perfect height and weight for a 3-4 DE.

Well, ten lbs off, so I agree.

 

[MaineMan]

Physicality shows up first in run blocking and attitude, I thought I'd see which top OL candidates seem to have some strength at the point of attack and Scarnecchia "attitude" in their draft profiles. To help people focus, I've redacted personal information and mixed the Guards, Tackles, and Centers up a bit for you. So, ranked 1 - 7 (one recent column claims a poll of NFL front office types indicated 8 OL destined for round one), which of these top kids might blossom into the kind of physical player Ochmed is looking for?

Player A:
Run blocking: Quick off the snap. Latches on, shows very good upper-body strength and lateral agility and can turn the defender away from the ballcarrier. Plays with good pad level and shows some nastiness in his game. Looks to drive his assignment downfield or into the turf.

Intangibles: [redacted]

Player B:
Run blocking: Adept positional blocker, has good strength and attitude to seal his man inside or outside. Plays with a wide base, uses his strong legs to get forward movement. Aggressive and sticks to defenders once latched on; extends arms to push defender back or even put him on the ground. Gets under his man's pads when drive-blocking, keeps his hips low and feet moving. Still learning how to explode from three-point stance. Occasionally lunges to reach his man or is shed by violent hand play.

Intangibles: [redacted] Full of personality, referred to as "gregarious" in the team's media guide. [redacted] Very raw, [redacted]

Player C:
Run blocking: Good positional blocker. Quick off the snap and can catch and turn his opponent away from the play. Does a nice job of walling off his target, but needs to get stronger and keep his feet churning to drive his opponent out. Too often gets stood up by defenders, creating a pile that the ballcarrier must run around, rather than clearing a hole for the play to run through. Isn't afraid of contact and can drive the defender off the ball in short-yardage situations with his initial push, but isn't yet strong enough to finish blocks consistently.

Intangibles: [redacted] Not yet a finished product.

Player D:
Run blocking: Gets a good initial push, but loses the leverage battle quickly and struggles to sustain. Gives good effort and has made significant improvement in this area over the past three seasons. Has a tendency to get his hands too far outside the numbers, but with greater strength would have more control. Relies on positioning and technique and lacks the power to drive defenders off the ball, despite improvement in this area. Flashes some leg drive when he gets under the pads of an opponent.

Intangibles: [redacted] Won the [redacted] Award, [redacted] highest honor, after his senior season.

Player E:
Run blocking: Very willing and able run blocker [redacted] with exceptional mobility for his size. Good get-off and upper-body strength allows him to latch onto [defenders] and stand-up defenders and take them out of the play. Despite his height, he plays with leverage at the point of attack and can widen his base to anchor. Nimble and quick, he seals his edge easily, gets out in front of screens well, and can block multiple defenders to wall off the back side. Quicker defenders can get under his pads, however, and disengage to move down the line and stop inside runs.

Intangibles: Owns the work ethic to become a Pro Bowl offensive [redacted]. In the spring of 2009, he was awarded the [redacted] Award for outstanding work ethic and the offensive line's [redacted] Award for hard work, dedication, toughness and total poundage lifted in the weight room. Needs to become more of a vocal leader on the field, though he does play with attitude and competitiveness and is not afraid to go through the whistle and talk to defenders on the field.

Player F:
Run blocking: Provides an initial pop at the line of scrimmage, but doesn't have the mass or power to knock NFL defenders off the ball. Relies on his quickness and technique to turn and seal off defenders from the hole. Works hard to sustain. Isn't incredibly fluid getting to and blocking at the second level.

Intangibles: Highly respected by coaches, teammates and fans. [redacted]

Player G:
Run blocking: Positional blocker with better technique than brute strength; does whatever is necessary to get the job done. Does not turn defenders to create holes, but latches on with strong hands and uses momentum to take players out of the gap. Moves feet to get to either shoulder of his assignment to shield defenders from the running lane. Fair anchor at the point of attack. He's not bowled over easily. Can put his man on the ground and keep him there, as he does not quit on blocks or plays until the whistle blows. Good leg drive and gets low quickly in short-yardage situations, though he won't always hit a defender before landing on the ground. Takes defenders out of the play and puts them to the ground when they try to go low near the goal line.

Intangibles: Is the type of intelligent, high-character, durable, hard-working, strong lineman all NFL offensive line coaches want leading their groups. Exceptional student-athlete [redacted]

I won't try to guess at all of them, but "Player B" sounds like Carimi to me.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I won't try to guess at all of them, but "Player B" sounds like Carimi to me.

That's nice, but I'm not trying to get you to name names, I'm looking for your interpretation of the "scouting" report compiled by a reliable draft site - from a Patriots perspective (BB, Scar, and Ivan), which of these OL reads like you'd imagine recent NE starters read in their day? If you guess at names, you subject prior bias into your reading, try to read while not playing twenty questions is a challenge - it's why we come here - but it's a useful analytical trick to screen out your preconceived thinking ... it just isn't as much fun when you compile the list yourself.

 

[MaineMan]

That's nice, but I'm not trying to get you to name names, I'm looking for your interpretation of the "scouting" report compiled by a reliable draft site - from a Patriots perspective (BB, Scar, and Ivan), which of these OL reads like you'd imagine recent NE starters read in their day? If you guess at names, you subject prior bias into your reading, try to read while not playing twenty questions is a challenge - it's why we come here - but it's a useful analytical trick to screen out your preconceived thinking ... it just isn't as much fun when you compile the list yourself.

If that's the case, I'd think that Players A, B, E and G would be more attractive to the Pats than the others.

 

[IllegalContact]

I'd like to see the OLB's be more athletic........it's one thing to have not-as-athletic guys like vrabel and mcginest in terms of speed and agility, but they both had great size/strength and were cerebral players whith great instincts that led to great individual plays

now, we pretty much have no decent speed or size or instincts that lead to great indivdual plays......they simply don't happen at OLB

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

If that's the case, I'd think that Players A, B, E and G would be more attractive to the Pats than the others.

Good, now rank them just on your impression from those reports ... and bearing in mind the Belichick scouting adage, 'what does he do well, what can he for me?'

 

[Julius]

Well, ten lbs off, so I agree.

This is my fear about Watt. He has maxed out his weight and isn't stout enough to survive as a 3/4 DE in the Pats system. Wilkerson on the other hand looks like a legit 300 pounder with room to add more.

 

[Off The Grid]

Physicality shows up first in run blocking and attitude, I thought I'd see which top OL candidates seem to have some strength at the point of attack and Scarnecchia "attitude" in their draft profiles. To help people focus, I've redacted personal information and mixed the Guards, Tackles, and Centers up a bit for you. So, ranked 1 - 7 (one recent column claims a poll of NFL front office types indicated 8 OL destined for round one), which of these top kids might blossom into the kind of physical player Ochmed is looking for?

Player A:
Run blocking: Quick off the snap. Latches on, shows very good upper-body strength and lateral agility and can turn the defender away from the ballcarrier. Plays with good pad level and shows some nastiness in his game. Looks to drive his assignment downfield or into the turf.

Intangibles: [redacted]

Player B:
Run blocking: Adept positional blocker, has good strength and attitude to seal his man inside or outside. Plays with a wide base, uses his strong legs to get forward movement. Aggressive and sticks to defenders once latched on; extends arms to push defender back or even put him on the ground. Gets under his man's pads when drive-blocking, keeps his hips low and feet moving. Still learning how to explode from three-point stance. Occasionally lunges to reach his man or is shed by violent hand play.

Intangibles: [redacted] Full of personality, referred to as "gregarious" in the team's media guide. [redacted] Very raw, [redacted]

Player C:
Run blocking: Good positional blocker. Quick off the snap and can catch and turn his opponent away from the play. Does a nice job of walling off his target, but needs to get stronger and keep his feet churning to drive his opponent out. Too often gets stood up by defenders, creating a pile that the ballcarrier must run around, rather than clearing a hole for the play to run through. Isn't afraid of contact and can drive the defender off the ball in short-yardage situations with his initial push, but isn't yet strong enough to finish blocks consistently.

Intangibles: [redacted] Not yet a finished product.

Player D:
Run blocking: Gets a good initial push, but loses the leverage battle quickly and struggles to sustain. Gives good effort and has made significant improvement in this area over the past three seasons. Has a tendency to get his hands too far outside the numbers, but with greater strength would have more control. Relies on positioning and technique and lacks the power to drive defenders off the ball, despite improvement in this area. Flashes some leg drive when he gets under the pads of an opponent.

Intangibles: [redacted] Won the [redacted] Award, [redacted] highest honor, after his senior season.

Player E:
Run blocking: Very willing and able run blocker [redacted] with exceptional mobility for his size. Good get-off and upper-body strength allows him to latch onto [defenders] and stand-up defenders and take them out of the play. Despite his height, he plays with leverage at the point of attack and can widen his base to anchor. Nimble and quick, he seals his edge easily, gets out in front of screens well, and can block multiple defenders to wall off the back side. Quicker defenders can get under his pads, however, and disengage to move down the line and stop inside runs.

Intangibles: Owns the work ethic to become a Pro Bowl offensive [redacted]. In the spring of 2009, he was awarded the [redacted] Award for outstanding work ethic and the offensive line's [redacted] Award for hard work, dedication, toughness and total poundage lifted in the weight room. Needs to become more of a vocal leader on the field, though he does play with attitude and competitiveness and is not afraid to go through the whistle and talk to defenders on the field.

Player F:
Run blocking: Provides an initial pop at the line of scrimmage, but doesn't have the mass or power to knock NFL defenders off the ball. Relies on his quickness and technique to turn and seal off defenders from the hole. Works hard to sustain. Isn't incredibly fluid getting to and blocking at the second level.

Intangibles: Highly respected by coaches, teammates and fans. [redacted]

Player G:
Run blocking: Positional blocker with better technique than brute strength; does whatever is necessary to get the job done. Does not turn defenders to create holes, but latches on with strong hands and uses momentum to take players out of the gap. Moves feet to get to either shoulder of his assignment to shield defenders from the running lane. Fair anchor at the point of attack. He's not bowled over easily. Can put his man on the ground and keep him there, as he does not quit on blocks or plays until the whistle blows. Good leg drive and gets low quickly in short-yardage situations, though he won't always hit a defender before landing on the ground. Takes defenders out of the play and puts them to the ground when they try to go low near the goal line.

Intangibles: Is the type of intelligent, high-character, durable, hard-working, strong lineman all NFL offensive line coaches want leading their groups. Exceptional student-athlete [redacted]

I always sensed that you were a redactor.

My suspicions are now confirmed.

 

[jays52]

Physicality shows up first in run blocking and attitude, I thought I'd see which top OL candidates seem to have some strength at the point of attack and Scarnecchia "attitude" in their draft profiles. To help people focus, I've redacted personal information and mixed the Guards, Tackles, and Centers up a bit for you. So, ranked 1 - 7 (one recent column claims a poll of NFL front office types indicated 8 OL destined for round one), which of these top kids might blossom into the kind of physical player Ochmed is looking for?

Player A:
Run blocking: Quick off the snap. Latches on, shows very good upper-body strength and lateral agility and can turn the defender away from the ballcarrier. Plays with good pad level and shows some nastiness in his game. Looks to drive his assignment downfield or into the turf.

Intangibles: [redacted]

Player B:
Run blocking: Adept positional blocker, has good strength and attitude to seal his man inside or outside. Plays with a wide base, uses his strong legs to get forward movement. Aggressive and sticks to defenders once latched on; extends arms to push defender back or even put him on the ground. Gets under his man's pads when drive-blocking, keeps his hips low and feet moving. Still learning how to explode from three-point stance. Occasionally lunges to reach his man or is shed by violent hand play.

Intangibles: [redacted] Full of personality, referred to as "gregarious" in the team's media guide. [redacted] Very raw, [redacted]

Player C:
Run blocking: Good positional blocker. Quick off the snap and can catch and turn his opponent away from the play. Does a nice job of walling off his target, but needs to get stronger and keep his feet churning to drive his opponent out. Too often gets stood up by defenders, creating a pile that the ballcarrier must run around, rather than clearing a hole for the play to run through. Isn't afraid of contact and can drive the defender off the ball in short-yardage situations with his initial push, but isn't yet strong enough to finish blocks consistently.

Intangibles: [redacted] Not yet a finished product.

Player D:
Run blocking: Gets a good initial push, but loses the leverage battle quickly and struggles to sustain. Gives good effort and has made significant improvement in this area over the past three seasons. Has a tendency to get his hands too far outside the numbers, but with greater strength would have more control. Relies on positioning and technique and lacks the power to drive defenders off the ball, despite improvement in this area. Flashes some leg drive when he gets under the pads of an opponent.

Intangibles: [redacted] Won the [redacted] Award, [redacted] highest honor, after his senior season.

Player E:
Run blocking: Very willing and able run blocker [redacted] with exceptional mobility for his size. Good get-off and upper-body strength allows him to latch onto [defenders] and stand-up defenders and take them out of the play. Despite his height, he plays with leverage at the point of attack and can widen his base to anchor. Nimble and quick, he seals his edge easily, gets out in front of screens well, and can block multiple defenders to wall off the back side. Quicker defenders can get under his pads, however, and disengage to move down the line and stop inside runs.

Intangibles: Owns the work ethic to become a Pro Bowl offensive [redacted]. In the spring of 2009, he was awarded the [redacted] Award for outstanding work ethic and the offensive line's [redacted] Award for hard work, dedication, toughness and total poundage lifted in the weight room. Needs to become more of a vocal leader on the field, though he does play with attitude and competitiveness and is not afraid to go through the whistle and talk to defenders on the field.

Player F:
Run blocking: Provides an initial pop at the line of scrimmage, but doesn't have the mass or power to knock NFL defenders off the ball. Relies on his quickness and technique to turn and seal off defenders from the hole. Works hard to sustain. Isn't incredibly fluid getting to and blocking at the second level.

Intangibles: Highly respected by coaches, teammates and fans. [redacted]

Player G:
Run blocking: Positional blocker with better technique than brute strength; does whatever is necessary to get the job done. Does not turn defenders to create holes, but latches on with strong hands and uses momentum to take players out of the gap. Moves feet to get to either shoulder of his assignment to shield defenders from the running lane. Fair anchor at the point of attack. He's not bowled over easily. Can put his man on the ground and keep him there, as he does not quit on blocks or plays until the whistle blows. Good leg drive and gets low quickly in short-yardage situations, though he won't always hit a defender before landing on the ground. Takes defenders out of the play and puts them to the ground when they try to go low near the goal line.

Intangibles: Is the type of intelligent, high-character, durable, hard-working, strong lineman all NFL offensive line coaches want leading their groups. Exceptional student-athlete [redacted]

Nice post! I like this excersize. Looking at it I have E and A as the best tackle and guard, respectively. A seems like an excellent scheme fit with the quickness to zone block and pull in addition to nastiness and power. I like G as a guard as well, possibly center as it seems he may be better suited to playing in space. B interests me. Most likely a highly athletic tackle from a spread system that may have been kicked inside (implied 2-point stance experience) for height reasons. No problem late rounds, no want early. F is a too tall tackle. No, gracias. I like D. Sounds like a tackle with reference to footwork and losing leverage battles. Long-term starter with high character grades. I can work with that, and 99% of o-ine is work ethic and toughness anyways. C sounds like a strictly zone player and is ranked lowest here.

Now, how wrong was I?

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Nice post! I like this excersize. Looking at it I have E and A as the best tackle and guard, respectively. A seems like an excellent scheme fit with the quickness to zone block and pull in addition to nastiness and power. I like G as a guard as well, possibly center as it seems he may be better suited to playing in space. B interests me. Most likely a highly athletic tackle from a spread system that may have been kicked inside (implied 2-point stance experience) for height reasons. No problem late rounds, no want early. F is a too tall tackle. No, gracias. I like D. Sounds like a tackle with reference to footwork and losing leverage battles. Long-term starter with high character grades. I can work with that, and 99% of o-ine is work ethic and toughness anyways. C sounds like a strictly zone player and is ranked lowest here.

Now, how wrong was I?

It is an interesting exercise. All the more to see how each of you approach the data. I wrote analytical products for Uncle Sugar once upon a time and personal bias, often one you didn't even realize you had, is a huge obstacle to interpreting what's in front of you. The second greatest challenge was filtering out the opinions of others and interpreting the raw data on it's merits. To say I've been less than impartial on too many occasions is an understatement, live and learn - hopefully the operators sent out by decision makers reading your assessment live too.

Your order is: E, A, G, B, D, F, C? Interesting that you would try to place them by position based on the write-up, I'd suggest with current roster transitions underway that position isn't really relevant if they bring the physicality to the job. If you were looking strictly for physicality Coach Scar can build with, and filtered out the position distraction, would your ranking change at all?

 

[jays52]

It is an interesting exercise. All the more to see how each of you approach the data. I wrote analytical products for Uncle Sugar once upon a time and personal bias, often one you didn't even realize you had, is a huge obstacle to interpreting what's in front of you. The second greatest challenge was filtering out the opinions of others and interpreting the raw data on it's merits. To say I've been less than impartial on too many occasions is an understatement, live and learn - hopefully the operators sent out by decision makers reading your assessment live too.

Your order is: E, A, G, B, D, F, C? Interesting that you would try to place them by position based on the write-up, I'd suggest with current roster transitions underway that position isn't really relevant if they bring the physicality to the job. If you were looking strictly for physicality Coach Scar can build with, and filtered out the position distraction, would your ranking change at all?

I have it as A, E, G, D, B, F, C as overall run-blocking round grade respective to scheme. Let's say A is in the later middle of the first, E is late 1st/early 2nd, G is 2nd, D is late 2nd/3rd, B is 3rd/4th as a development project and F/C are late/UDFA. I think that the guards are always going to grade higher in the run game because they have a height (or lackthereof to be specific) advantage that lends itself to leverage and power on the inside. Further, they are also going to be engaging more linebackers which is a mismatch in favor of the guard.

I tried to group them by position because I think they have different skillsets and would struggle if playing outside their fit. I don't like overly tall guards because I think they are less agile and will lose leverage battles with shorter, more athletic d-linemen. Conversely, a shorter tackle won't have the wingspan to engage the longer peripheral defenders. The outside defenders will get their hands on the shorter lineman and be able to easily disengage or control the breastplate and steer them.

 

[Sciz]

This is my fear about Watt. He has maxed out his weight and isn't stout enough to survive as a 3/4 DE in the Pats system. Wilkerson on the other hand looks like a legit 300 pounder with room to add more.

I think Watt has plenty of room to add 20 pounds or so. I'm really worried about Jordan's ability to add weight.

Of course, all three need a year before starting. Watt and Jordan to add (or try to add) weight, Wilkerson to work on technique.