Bob's big board and draft grades 2019

[WaterfallJumper]

Taylor Rapp – SS Washington.

Rapp did everything at the combine but his 40 yard time. His broad jump was the one bad event at only 115 inches. Everything else was good. His quickness tested very well with a 3.99 20YS (the best) and a 6.82 3CT. While I would like to wait on his 40 yard dash, at this point I don't think it would be accurate to his play speed as he probably focused on nothing but that for the past month, and I don't feel like waiting till April.

The tape was interesting to watch. Truly a jack of all trades. He played single high, zone, man, in the box and even rushed the QB a few times. He didn't look out of place doing any of it, but his best trait is his ability to play man. That is his big selling point as a safety at the next level and why he should go higher than a mid round selection. He can cover his man both vertically and in the slot and looks good doing both. You don't see many safeties who can do it at this level. Add that into his ability to do everything else and now you're talking.

I want to be clear. This safety class and these players do not make me as excited as last year. But this class has a lot going for it. I think Rapp fits better as a strong safety than a FS. I don't think he has the pure speed needed to play deep at the NFL level effectively. It would be a waste of his main area of strength. A smart versatile player who looks ready to contribute and do whatever you want him to do. His draw back is much of his game is (I think) only serviceable at the next level, which makes me less excited about his versatility. If you want to get value out of him he should be in coverage about half the time while mixing and matching the other half to try to confuse the defense. If he does that I think he'll have a good but not great career. Grade 5.9

That's probably accurate. Rapp is a good watch. He's not as fun as some others (Savage and Abram are the big hitters, for example, and that's not really Rapp's game), but he's a heady, clean player who can do a little bit of everything at a high enough level to not be a liability. I think could do really well in our multiple defense. I think I'm a little bit more excited about his potential than you are, but not by a lot. I'd probably give him a 6 on your grading scale. I could see him taking over for Chung in the future.

 

[BobDigital]

Daniel Jones – QB Duke

A threat to run the ball but he likes to do most of his damage from inside the pocket. I'm going to skip the combine info cause for a QB I don't really find it that important. He is the prototype you want in size. 6'5 and abour 225lbs. Talk of a strong NFL caliber arm has been said and I agree. He has a pretty good cannon and has the tools to make all the throws yada yada yada...

Daniel Jones is a perfect example of everything wrong with QB evaluation. Too often you see people look at the physical tools a player has and then talk about coaching them up or putting certain talent around them. Yes he had a bad OL. Yes his skill position players weren't the best and he would have done better with better players. Let's talk about important things.

He doesn't have a feel for the position. I can't remember the last time I saw such an immobile QB. For an athletic guy he almost never moves in the pocket. He just stands there like a freaking statue unless he decides to run. He also has no feel for pressure in the pocket. The clock that should be there isn't. When he sees pressure coming he usually reacts at the last second or tosses it up to a 1 on 1 down field; but he doesn't seem to feel it from the sides or understand when he has time or doesn't.

The play calls for a quick out? He throws a quick out. Doesn't matter if it is covered or if it will be for little or no gain. He simply does what the play call is. It doesn't matter if he has time or doesn't. I honestly think he often has no clue how much time he has. He can't read the field much, if at all. Maybe a bit of presnap, but once he makes up his mind he rarely comes off that read or throws it up to a 1 on 1 deep with a guy is in his face. He can't seem to anticipate what will happen and his post snap read is somewhere between poor and nonexistent. He reminds me a lot of Josh Allen and that isn't a good thing. One of these guys who was told from a young age how to play QB but never truly understood the 'fell of the game' for lack of a better term. Maybe he can figure it out but at this point I call him a long shot. Grade 4.1

 

[BobDigital]

Caleb Wilson – TE UCLA

This was an incredibly hard write up to do. Not so much because of the player but because I couldn't find much to review. However I plan to do every TE generally ranked in the top hundred prospects. So take this one with a tiny grain of salt. Wilson had an interesting combine. He posted the 2nd fastest 40 time, A bad VJ, BJ, 20YS and an okay 3CT. So he has his ups and down.

First we need to get one thing straight. Caleb Wilson is not a TE. Ain't no way, ain't no how! Clearly he's a TE in name only. He couldn't block a beach ball with a tennis racket. Does that mean he can't be a good player? No. But it means we need to talk about him within those terms. As far as being a pass catcher I think he's pretty good. He is fast and quick with good hands as far as I can tell (though I didn't get to watch enough tape to know).

He's okay after the catch but he goes down easily to contact like a WR would and lacks some of the shake and bake a WR would have. If I was a DC and I see him on the field I would put a CB on him and if it is a run play all you have is a bigger not particularly physical WR blocking your CB. Then again most DCs in the NFL can be stupid about these things as we know.

He isn't an every down player in the NFL even though he is okay as a pass catcher. He lines up outside more than inline and his route tree from the little I saw isn't bad, though he favors vertical routes. I think he's nice as a change of pace player but if he turns into an every down guy the defense will figure out how to play him I think as he lacks too many tools a TE would need to have to make himself a match up problem. Maybe a good role player? I wouldn't take him in the first 4 rounds. Grade 4.2

 

[BTTA]

@BobDigital - in case you aren't feeling the love - these are great, keep 'em coming if you can.

 

[Bourne Again Christian]

Daniel Jones – QB Duke

A threat to run the ball but he likes to do most of his damage from inside the pocket. I'm going to skip the combine info cause for a QB I don't really find it that important. He is the prototype you want in size. 6'5 and abour 225lbs. Talk of a strong NFL caliber arm has been said and I agree. He has a pretty good cannon and has the tools to make all the throws yada yada yada...

Daniel Jones is a perfect example of everything wrong with QB evaluation. Too often you see people look at the physical tools a player has and then talk about coaching them up or putting certain talent around them. Yes he had a bad OL. Yes his skill position players weren't the best and he would have done better with better players. Let's talk about important things.

He doesn't have a feel for the position. I can't remember the last time I saw such an immobile QB. For an athletic guy he almost never moves in the pocket. He just stands there like a freaking statue unless he decides to run. He also has no feel for pressure in the pocket. The clock that should be there isn't. When he sees pressure coming he usually reacts at the last second or tosses it up to a 1 on 1 down field but he doesn't seem to feel it from the sides or understand when he has time or doesn't.

The play calls for a quick out? He throws a quick out. Doesn't matter if it is covered or if it will be for little or no gain. He simply does what the play call is. It doesn't matter if he has time or doesn't. I honestly think he often has no clue how much time he has. He can't read the field much, if at all. Maybe a bit of presnap, but once he makes up his mind he rarely comes off that read or throws it up to a 1 on 1 deep with a guy is in his face. He can't seem to anticipate what will happen and his post snap read is somewhere between poor and nonexistent. He reminds me a lot of Josh Allen and that isn't a good thing. Maybe he can figure it out but at this point I call him a long shot. Grade 4.1

Which QBs do you like as top talents and which do you think fit the Patriots the best.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Kyler Murray a 4th round pick grade?? Err, wow you really don't like him do you? Most people have him going at #1 overall in the draft! LOL

 

[BTTA]

Kyler Murray a 4th round pick grade?? Err, wow you really don't like him do you? Most people have him going at #1 overall in the draft! LOL

My read is that "most people" don't grade him as the #1 pick, but "have him going #1 in the draft" because of what's being said about one or two teams that grade him out that highly. There's a lot of doubt about him out there.

 

[BobDigital]

Kyler Murray a 4th round pick grade?? Err, wow you really don't like him do you? Most people have him going at #1 overall in the draft! LOL

Actually in a vacuum I'm pretty high on him. I think he will do well in the NFL if he can stay healthy. That's my issue. He's just about the smallest running QB I've ever seen and ones with 20 or 30lbs more had issues staying healthy. Maybe he can be like Wilson and cut it down to about 500 yards or so a year and be really smart and careful about it.

But Wilson is an absolute aberration. He's always been careful about his ability to run even in college. He never got more than 500 rushing yards in college when he easily could have gotten more. The signs were there that he understood what his body could and couldn't take and was able to play on that line and rarely take a big hit.

You don't see that in Murray. The fact he ran for 1,000 yards last year considering his size shows to me a massive lack of judgement. It's something he'll need to learn at the NFL level. Too many times I saw him stay in bounds to gain extra yards and narrowly avoid hits. At the NFL level when he tries that it will go badly. While the coaches may tell him to play more conservatively if it is ingrained in his DNA to run for those extra yards already it will be a hard habit to break.

That is the main thing that concerns me, not his play on the field. If I believed he could play for 10-15 healthy years I'd give him a first round grade.

 

[BobDigital]

Which QBs do you like as top talents and which do you think fit the Patriots the best.

IDK yet. I think Will Grier may end up being my top guy but we'll see. I'll examine the QBs a bit more as time goes on. As I said, I literally started this process late and I'm doing these prospect breakdowns all for the first time as I post them. Anyone I haven't done a prospect breakdown on I don't feel in position to talk about with any authority as I would be going by 95% hearsay.

 

[BobDigital]

Devin Bush – LB Michigan

First off let's talk combine. Devin Bush was a total stud. He finished in the top five or first in just about every event. Everything you can say about Devin White as an athlete can also go for Devin Bush pretty much at least on the testable level.

On the field they are surprisingly different in a lot of ways considering their vast similarities. Those extra few pounds really shouldn't make a huge different but they do. When you see Bush on the field he feels and plays small. More often than I like for a top prospect I see him pushed around. Whenever he is on the line he opts to go backward to break away and pursue the play instead of breaking the contact with force. This fraction of a second makes him a good deal slower than White going sideline to sideline. That being said he can hold the point of attack okay but I wonder how that translates at the next level I could see him being a big time liability if things don't change and he wasn't always an asset in the run game even in college.

All that being true when you see him on tape you have to like what you see. Unlike White, he plays within himself and the system. He's almost always where he's suppose to be and plays in a very sound and controlled manor. He shown time and again his ability to blitz the QB like a bolt of lightning, recognize and easily stay with his coverage assignments while not be fooled by misdirection. He also understands passing lanes and where he should be within a zone defense.

While when on a block he seems to slow down when he is left with open space you see an amazing and rangy athlete. Whose quick to diagnose and react to the play. It is all about him getting there that can sometimes be a problem if there's a big body in his way. He needs to go around and that sometimes takes him out of the play the same away a block would and what would've been a no gain or loss turns into 5 yards.

I think Bush is going to have a tough first year that will run hot and cold. He will make eye popping plays but then look like a boy among men at other moments. However the key thing to me is the body is a lot easier to fix than the head. While White still needs to get a grasp of the position Bush already clearly has one. I see him being a guy who is primed to make a big year 2 jump after a so-so year one. He really needs to add nearly 10 more lbs of muscle but considering his age I think such a thing is very possible. What he will look like after that is anyone's guess, but I think when all is said and done he has the makings of a very good player on the borderline of elite. Grade 6.9

 

[BobDigital]

@ChrisR2223 You wanted me to do the QBs So I'll put a bit more focus on getting them out for you. I'll plan to do Grier, Haskins and Lock this week Basically they're the 7 QBs I routinely hear about in the first 3 rounds. If there is anyone else people want I'll do them as well.

Ryan Finley – QB NC State

This is the kind of player review I really don't like to make. When I see a QB who looks to have a lot of the intangibles which often go under appreciated that make a good NFL QB I cheer for them to succeed. Finley is a good leader. He's a bit older (will be 25 in Dec) so he has the air of an adult around him that you want in a QB unlike some of these younger kids you can be less sure about at times. He does a lot of little things right. He goes through progressions, scans the field, even slides a bit in the pocket. His mechanics could use some work but are pretty decent. He knows where to go with the football and makes the right choice more than not.

So what's the issue? He's slow. Not with his feet which don't really matter much. He's slow with the game. His arm isn't strong and that causes the ball to get there a little late. That would be okay if he had absolutely great timing, but his timing is also late. He always seems to be behind the play a little. This was most notable in his Clemson and Texas A&M games. Time after time he tried to fit passes into tight windows 15-20 yards down field. They were on target, he made the right choice, but he made it late and it got there even later due to his arm being below average.

Some people see him as a possible system QB. I just don't see it. If his anticipation was better maybe. But he just takes a little bit too long to make the read. It's a pity cause it is usually the right read and an accurate ball. He's already a bit on the older side and the top college game is still way too fast for him. Put him in the NFL and he will never catch up. Sad to say but this very smart QB looks like a bust. Maybe he should try his hand at coaching? Grade: 3.0

 

[BobDigital]

Kyler Murray a 4th round pick grade?? Err, wow you really don't like him do you? Most people have him going at #1 overall in the draft! LOL

I do ask you keep in mind the grade is not automatically reflective of where I would draft a guy. I may skip over a superior prospect for an inferior one depending on the position played.

While I give Murray a 4th round grade I would probably take him in the 3rd due to the 'QB bump', The same way I would let a really high rated guard fall. Position matters too.

 

[patchick]

Taylor Rapp – SS Washington.

OT, but the first sentence of Rapp's NFL.com profile is mighty weird:

"Rapp's family has Chinese ancestry, but he is a dual citizen between the United States and Canada."

That's their lead on the #1 safety prospect in the draft? And what does that "but" mean? It's like they're tying themselves in knots for an excuse to point out "OMG look this guy's Asian!!!"

Anyway...any thoughts on Will Harris of Boston College as a later round big safety prospect?

 

[JerseyShore99]

OT, but the first sentence of Rapp's NFL.com profile is mighty weird:

"Rapp's family has Chinese ancestry, but he is a dual citizen between the United States and Canada."

That's their lead on the #1 safety prospect in the draft? And what does that "but" mean? It's like they're tying themselves in knots for an excuse to point out "OMG look this guy's Asian!!!"

Anyway...any thoughts on Will Harris of Boston College as a later round big safety prospect?

Big fan

 

[JerseyShore99]

Kyler Murray a 4th round pick grade?? Err, wow you really don't like him do you? Most people have him going at #1 overall in the draft! LOL

His perceived upside is what has him high...more like a Round 3 prospect (Like Tebow should have been)...Bust

 

[WaterfallJumper]

OT, but the first sentence of Rapp's NFL.com profile is mighty weird:

"Rapp's family has Chinese ancestry, but he is a dual citizen between the United States and Canada."

That's their lead on the #1 safety prospect in the draft? And what does that "but" mean? It's like they're tying themselves in knots for an excuse to point out "OMG look this guy's Asian!!!"

Anyway...any thoughts on Will Harris of Boston College as a later round big safety prospect?

And here I thought it was actually pretty interesting, since Chung is one of the only other players in the NFL with Chinese heritage.

Harris is big and fast. He's got decent coverage chops. I don't like him against the run, however. Maybe I'm biased, but I saw him get bowled over a few too many times for my liking. Late round developmental type, perhaps. He's better deep from what I've seen than in the box, but is sometimes late on his reads. Maybe @BaconGrundleCandy has watched more of his games and could advise, since I admittedly have only seen three (I've watched a lot more of BC but I usually focused on Zach Allen).

 

[patchick]

And here I thought it was actually pretty interesting, since Chung is one of the only other players in the NFL with Chinese heritage.

Harris is big and fast. He's got decent coverage chops. I don't like him against the run, however. Maybe I'm biased, but I saw him get bowled over a few too many times for my liking. Late round developmental type, perhaps. He's better deep from what I've seen than in the box, but is sometimes late on his reads. Maybe @BaconGrundleCandy has watched more of his games and could advise, since I admittedly have only seen three (I've watched a lot more of BC but I usually focused on Zach Allen).

Yeah, maybe I'm overreacting. But nobody ever feels the need to assure us that other players are U.S. citizens, you know?

Anyway, I'm amazed at how many BC players I keep circling around this year. You could almost put together an all-BC draft board. If you've been watching a lot of their games, do you have an interest in OT Aaron Monteiro as a 7th/UDFA?

 

[BobDigital]

Will Harris – FS Boston College

Harris had arguably the 2nd best combine of any safety in the draft. Only Juan Thornhill stood out more. Harris did everything well except for the broad jump but overall cemented himself as one of the better athletes in this draft by combine meassurables. At 6'1 and fluctuating between 205 and 210 lbs he has good size for the position. As a bonus he's known as a good ST player too.

When I get a request for a player I would ideally like to give back good or hopeful news. Sadly I just can't do that here. His Syracuse tape was maybe the worst I've watch for any player so far within a single game. I kept my hope it was an aberration. After watching him vs FSU and NCS a lot of the bad habits I noticed were confirmed to me.

The first thing I noticed is how often he gets pushed around in run D and bulled over when trying to tackle either giving up extra yards or bouncing off a player. This isn't a guy you want in the box at the next level. He simply can't do it and I don't see that changing any time soon. The next issue is he is reactive instead of proactive. Too often I saw him waiting around to see what would happen instead of going in and forcing the issue. This resulted in making his lack of strength an even bigger issue or caused him to simply not be there in time to make the play he could have.

When it comes to coverage it was a very mixed bag. He's okay when he sees the play in front of him but he bites hard on double moves. Even when he sees the play in front of him again he's late to react usually. When trailing going east to west or vice versa it was hit and miss. Sometimes he was there and other times you see big cushions. . This to me is totally a game speed and mental issue rather than physical.

This is all very unfortunate cause once in a while you see him get a jump on things and make an impressive play very few guys can make. That athleticism shows up on tape when he commits to the action and goes in. Those plays are few and far between, and I wouldn't bet on them becoming particularly common anytime soon. He lacks a good feel for the game and I saw him blow a number of assignments; as well as stick with assignment stubbornly when it became pointless. I don't see a lot of hope for him to be a quality starter. His game has a lot of issues and limitations based on his inability to play the box. If anything he needs to aim to be a rangy FS in the McCourty mold. For that he needs to have good instincts or fast reactions. I'm not seeing either. If he puts on weight and focuses on deep FS he may have potential at some point, but that is a big if and a long ways away. Clearly a project. Grade 4.0

PS: Sorry I couldn't give you a better write up for a Boston player @patchick

 

[BobDigital]

And here I thought it was actually pretty interesting, since Chung is one of the only other players in the NFL with Chinese heritage.

Harris is big and fast. He's got decent coverage chops. I don't like him against the run, however. Maybe I'm biased, but I saw him get bowled over a few too many times for my liking. Late round developmental type, perhaps. He's better deep from what I've seen than in the box, but is sometimes late on his reads. Maybe @BaconGrundleCandy has watched more of his games and could advise, since I admittedly have only seen three (I've watched a lot more of BC but I usually focused on Zach Allen).

I saw the exact same thing. Maybe I could have watched more tape but 3 games is a good sample when you see the same things over and over.

 

[Patspurs]

Just to say Bob, loving your work in this thread