Okay, I'll be adding commentary throughout the day, so don't get too worked up one way or the other just yet! The bulk of what I have to say probably won't be done until tonight, but I'm going to edit this and update it when I get a few minutes here and there.
One of my favorite comments I read about Conley: some draft site called him a "boring technician" as though that's a mark against him. On the contrary, I love seeing that, and it reinforces how I feel about his play. Patient, calm, always keeping the play manageable. He just does what he should do, and nothing else. More on that later.
I'll be up front and say he's got some bad tape. Wisconsin definitely shows some deficiencies in the run game. I think he gives effort, though. I don't think he's soft. He will sometimes give up underneath stuff (see Michigan for example). I also don't rate him as a high 1st rounder or anything. I think his value is somewhere in the mid-2nd onward. I wouldn't hate the pick at 32, but I think there's better value. If we went with him, however, I feel very comfortable projecting him as a McCourty / Ryan type of player.
I'll get into more details later on today. Sorry this is kind of piecemeal .
I'm probably going to break this up into a second post for when I finish tonight. I can only do 5 embedded gifs per post, so I'm up against my cap. I'll do more specific trait analysis in the second post. This one is more for play breakdowns. He's really good at understanding the angles of how the offense will attack the defense, and then putting himself in a position to make a play. He's not the fastest or the quickest, but he's almost always composed and in a good spot.
Oops. Started a second post but didn't finish it. I will probably need several more hours to get back to this.
Traits:
I'm going to get into less concrete stuff and more overall impressions. This is the touchy-feely part of the assessment.
Often I'll see Conley direct his teammates into better position. I see him as an on-field know it all, but not in a bad way. He has a very solid grasp on what the defense is doing, what they're trying to take away, and what his role is in the game. He almost never over pursues or runs around aimlessly. Every move is calculated and controlled. He looks like he's completely confident in the scheme, and comfortable with his role on the defense. Most of the time I see college guys who are trying so hard to play fast and aggressive that they they just look like they're pressing too much. They get out of control and make mistakes. Conley doesn't go for the big play (although he has plenty of interceptions and pass breakups), but instead seems to concern himself with being in the right place at the right time.
When I watch him move, I see someone who has a good sense of proprioception. He doesn't flail or overcommit. He's rarely caught off guard by a double move or a fake. That doesn't mean he can't be beaten. I don't think he's necessarily a sticky guy like Revis. I do think he's good at mirroring movements, however, without losing momentum, balance, or body control through transition. To me, that's worth far more than a 4.4 or a 40 inch vert.
Positives and negatives:
+ Route recognition
+ Understands when to stay with his man, and when to peel off to defend other plays
+ Almost never gets beaten badly; even when receiver has a step on him, he's in the area to make the play
+ Great ball skills
+ Very quick to come up on screens, even if he doesn't make the play
- So often concerned about runners juking him that he waits for action to come to himself
- Drag down tackler more than big hitter; sometimes fails the tackle
- Can be blocked out of action too easily; needs to add strength
Love this play. Although he usually plays man, Conley dropped into a zone, like a safety, and perfectly anticipated the throw. His ability to close on the pass, and then actually make the catch, is excellent.
Don't try to beat him deep down the sidelines. Exceptional disruption radius:
