DRAFT Welcome to New England - Wake Forest CB Karon Prunty (5th round, #171)

[p8ryts]

Is Woods really so good he’s the presumptive top backup even before training camp? At a quick glance I’m not seeing anything distinguishing him from Vildor.

Never impressed with Woods.

 

[mgteich]

I dunno, Woodson and Byard seems pretty settled at safety to me.

I agree with you. Vrabel is fine with the starters and with Pettus as the backup safety.

However, we were looking for a future serious contributor at safety. Some here see the situation as similar to TE where we had a solid 2 with Henry being a free agent (same situation as Byard).

If Stukes (or similar) were there at 95, I think that Safety would have been the choice in a heartbeat.

 

[TommyD4207]

I agree with you. Vrabel is fine with the starters and with Pettus as the backup safety.

However, we were looking for a future serious contributor at safety. Some here see the situation as similar to TE where we had a solid 2 with Henry being a free agent (same situation as Byard).

If Stukes (or similar) were there at 95, I think that Safety would have been the choice in a heartbeat.

With the signing of Byard, this is a "next year" problem, to me.

 

[n1997y]

Never impressed with Woods.

He was here for a year, as @mgteich points out as reason to regard Woods as CB4.

Alex Austin was also here a year, and they let him go while keeping both Woods and Dial, signing FA Vildor, and drafting Prunty.

To me that just says Woods was enough better than Austin to be worth keeping. It says nothing about how Woods stacks up against Dial, who also played here for a year so has learned the system and was good enough to stick, or Vildor who has been in the league for 7 years and got playing time before becoming a free agent.

There will be quite a bit of competition for the end of the roster CBs. It wouldn’t surprise me if Dial ends up winning that competition. Depends on how his recovery and rehab turns out. We will have to wait and see.

 

[Wozzy]

For what it's worth, Kindle Vildor, Karon Prunty, Kenneth Harris and Channing Canada add a lot of speed and athleticsm to the CB room behind the big three. The group behind the big three in 2025 weren't good at all.

I recognize that only two of these guys might get rostered, but if some UDFA like Harris makes it and Prunty doesn't... will you really care as long as Harris becomes a good player?

As with LB, OL and other positions... they continue to add layers of athleticism to the room and improve. This is the way to build a team.

 

[mgteich]

He was here for a year, as @mgteich points out as reason to regard Woods as CB4.

Alex Austin was also here a year, and they let him go while keeping both Woods and Dial, signing FA Vildor, and drafting Prunty.

To me that just says Woods was enough better than Austin to be worth keeping. It says nothing about how Woods stacks up against Dial, who also played here for a year so has learned the system and was good enough to stick, or Vildor who has been in the league for 7 years and got playing time before becoming a free agent.

There will be quite a bit of competition for the end of the roster CBs. It wouldn’t surprise me if Dial ends up winning that competition. Depends on how his recovery and rehab turns out. We will have to wait and see.

 

[Joey007]

Never impressed with Woods.

That’s how I felt about Alex Austin.

 

[DaBruinz]

Which ****ing brain-dead, lemming PatsFag gave this post - and therefore the pick itself - a ****ing "Winner'?!?

Whoever did is a f-f-****ing m-m-moron, because this player is ****ing rancid, less-than-****ing-useless GARBAGE, who shouldn't have been drafted IN ANY ****ING ROUND. **** him AND **** the ****ing incompetent ****ing NepoTard who drafted him.

You're the "****ing brain dead, lemming PatsFag" on the board. Yes. You're a "f-f-****ing m-m-moron". We've all know that for 15 years and you're the epitome of "****ing-useless GARBAGE".

Prunty is actually a good prospect. But you wouldn't know that because you lack the ability to read a Scouting Book or evaluate a player withing anything remotely resembling an unbiased take. Your reactions are STRICTLY based on what you were told via audio plays of the "Consensus" draft-niks..

P.S.. Since you're too stupid to figure it out, it was @Ian who called the post a "Winner".

 

[DaBruinz]

We have Woods as our #4 CB.

Is Prunty as good as Dial and Vildor, those competing for CB5? I have Prunty making the team as #6 CB but only because he was drafted,

Woods is not guaranteed anything. Dial, Vildor, Prunty, Crossley, Harris and Canada are all going in play for the 4th and 5th CB spots and spots on the PS. The fact that the Pats signed 2 people and brought in 3 more should be a message to Woods that his job isn't safe.

 

[DaBruinz]

Don't feed the trolls.

 

[Ian]

Which ****ing brain-dead, lemming PatsFag gave this post - and therefore the pick itself - a ****ing "Winner'?!?

Whoever did is a f-f-****ing m-m-moron, because this player is ****ing rancid, less-than-****ing-useless GARBAGE, who shouldn't have been drafted IN ANY ****ING ROUND. **** him AND **** the ****ing incompetent ****ing NepoTard who drafted him.

 

[manxman2601]

Blimey.

 

[Ian]

Blimey.

I will say that one not-so-great sign was the fact that the only photos available in the photo archive were all plays of him either chasing someone down or being on someone who was catching a pass. Didn't see any individual shots of him available.

 

[manxman2601]

I will say that one not-so-great sign was the fact that the only photos available in the photo archive were all plays of him either chasing someone down or being on someone who was catching a pass. Didn't see any individual shots of him available.

 

[p8ryts]

Give him a chance. Maybe the next Woodson.

 

[imahobgoblin]

Give him a chance. Maybe the next Woodson.

We can't do that. We have to judge people based on what Mel Kiper says and all the experts in the draft forum. Its unreasonable to evaluate players on their play.

 

[n1997y]

Woods is not guaranteed anything. Dial, Vildor, Prunty, Crossley, Harris and Canada are all going in play for the 4th and 5th CB spots and spots on the PS. The fact that the Pats signed 2 people and brought in 3 more should be a message to Woods that his job isn't safe.

Amen! Any player in the NFL who thinks his job is safe is out of touch with reality, in some way or another.

Woods needs to feel like he has a pack of wolves nipping at his heels, or he’s really out of touch with the situation.

That competition in training camp will be intense. Depending on how good the youngsters are, and how they develop, I’d wonder if Davis might feel some heat. It will also push our young WRs. Steel sharpens steel and there’s a lot of knives out on both sides of the ball.

 

[mgteich]

Amen! Any player in the NFL who thinks his job is safe is out of touch with reality, in some way or another.

Woods needs to feel like he has a pack of wolves nipping at his heels, or he’s really out of touch with the situation.

That competition in training camp will be intense. Depending on how good the youngsters are, and how they develop, I’d wonder if Davis might feel some heat. It will also push our young WRs. Steel sharpens steel and there’s a lot of knives out on both sides of the ball.

I'm sure that Woods was shaking in his boots when we drafted Prunty, and brought in Crossley, Harris and Canada. That does indeed tell us about the need for competition.

Woods is the top backup DB incumbent. Obviously, no backup is safe. Some would say that 85 players aren't safe.

That being said, I expect that Woods is competing with Dial and Vildor for 2 roster spots. Prunty has his own spot, even if it is the #6 CB/STer.

 

[Crazy Patriot Guy]

We can't do that. We have to judge people based on what Mel Kiper says and all the experts in the draft forum. Its unreasonable to evaluate players on their play.

I could understand if this was the seemingly annual Belichick round 2 special from the end of his tenure here. But let's not pretend that we passed on 40 future hall of famers by taking Prunty at the end of the 5th round.

 

[n1997y]

I'm sure that Woods was shaking in his boots when we drafted Prunty, and brought in Crossley, Harris and Canada. That does indeed tell us about the need for competition.

Woods is the top backup DB incumbent. Obviously, no backup is safe. Some would say that 85 players aren't safe.

That being said, I expect that Woods is competing with Dial and Vildor for 2 roster spots. Prunty has his own spot, even if it is the #6 CB/STer.

One of the things I love about what Vrabes is doing is the way he is stacking young hungry and talented newcomers across the roster, more than going after established FAs. Give the kids a chance, and let them show how they respond to intense competition. Skills like hand placement, catch technique, etc can be taught. What can’t be taught is athleticism and attitude. That will be shown in competition, and how they respond to it.

@DaBruinz listed the competition at IOL in another thread, maybe the UDFA discussion, and I think that is another example of this same approach. Same thing may apply to OT, we have the starters TRex and Moses, drafted Luma and still have Bryant and Wallace plus a couple of IOL candidates that have positional versatility. So depth and development across the entire OL seems competitive enough to have a good roster emerge.

The only place I think it could be better might be ILB, but even there it seems there are more players than roster slots. I’d like to see it be more like CB with lots of young hungry talented guys competing, but I’ll give Vrabes credit for knowing a bit about playing linebacker so he may be able to see the potential better for that position.

Anyway, looking at this group of CB candidates my concern about depth behind the starters is much less than it was a couple of months ago.