DRAFT Welcome to New England - Texas A&M OT Dametrious Crownover (6th round, #196)

Uptown said:

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I find it encouraging that folks who know Crownover are suggesting that as a rookie he can be playing the same important role that last year was played by Munford in his fourth season.

Crownover was a fantastic pick in the 6th round. A lot of prognosticators had him going in round 3 or 4. He could some day become a starter, but for the immediate future he’s someone who should make a good backup.

scott99 said:

Crownover was a fantastic pick in the 6th round. A lot of prognosticators had him going in round 3 or 4. He could some day become a starter, but for the immediate future he’s someone who should make a good backup.

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The more I learn about him the more I like him. Did not realize he was a standout basketball player in high school. He started for the varsity his freshman year, and had Division 1 schools recruiting him, with a scholarship offer from Baylor.

He says basketball was his “first love”. He really didn’t commit to football until college. Then he made the position change from TE and DE in high school to OT in college. He’s still learning the position but seems to have progressed pretty quickly. He certainly has the athleticism needed to be a stellar performer. I’m hoping he can be ready to start by the time we need to replace Moses, whenever that might be.

Basketball player and converted TE means he can actually catch a ball. Jumbo package with an added twist.

SlowGettingUp said:

Basketball player and converted TE means he can actually catch a ball. Jumbo package with an added twist.

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Belichick would have drafted him in the 1st round because all the sports and football positions he played.

To me Crownover is a mystery. His hand placement on film can frequently be best described as "bear-hugging." Yet, he so frequently got the job done with his combination of size and length that it didn't seem like his college coaches really tried to mess with him much.

I don't think he'll be able to get away with such poor technique in the NFL but he did practice against some of the best pass-rushers in the country on a daily basis at A&M and played against the best edge rushers in the SEC for his entire college career so he's kind of already proven he can keep up with the Joneses.

PatMan said:

To me Crownover is a mystery. His hand placement on film can frequently be best described as "bear-hugging." Yet, he so frequently got the job done with his combination of size and length that it didn't seem like his college coaches really tried to mess with him much.

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That’s really interesting and useful, thanks. I’m not a film junkie, and don’t really study rookie draft candidates, so all I have to go on is what’s reported about other analyst’s evaluations. What you say makes me wonder if the reason he went so late in the draft was that teams saw that and didn’t look beyond it to see his athleticism.

PatMan said:

I don't think he'll be able to get away with such poor technique in the NFL but he did practice against some of the best pass-rushers in the country on a daily basis at A&M and played against the best edge rushers in the SEC for his entire college career so he's kind of already proven he can keep up with the Joneses.

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I really liked his rookie intro press conference. He was asked about both Vrabel and Marrone and his answers were enthusiastic about them and expressed eagerness to be coached and learn to be better. He also showed good insight into the overall game of football when he was asked about how changing position from TE to OT affected how he sees the game.

I am beginning to think he might turn out to be competing with Gabe Jacas as our best draft pick this year. I hope I’m right, because I’m expecting Jacas to be an impact player from day 1. Crownover may take longer to develop, but I think his ceiling is just as high.

SlowGettingUp said:

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Lol. Crownover is 6'7". Campbell is 6'6".
They are in reality very close to being the same size.
Photo is either doctored or just a weird camera angle

jimnance said:

Lol. Crownover is 6'7". Campbell is 6'6".
They are in reality very close to being the same size.
Photo is either doctored or just a weird camera angle

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Ah yes - a joke:

SlowGettingUp said:

Ah yes - a joke:

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That's more like it