Predict the bust

[Ochmed Jones]

I think Vereen and Ridley will be solid additions for this team and will fill their roles well. I think Vereen may exceed a lot of fans' expectations of him being only a Kevin-Faulk-type of back.

I think Dowling will outplay his draft status of a 2nd rounder. I think he's got the skill set to become a pretty elite press corner in the NFL who can also come up and fill vs the run. He's going to struggle when playing off or when asked to cover elite route runners who can sink their hips and cut better than him, just like other "big" corners often do, but I think he could be an excellent physical press corner vs big WR's like V-Jax, Plax, Marshall, etc., while also having the versatility to cover "move" TE's like Dallas Clark or Antonio Gates.

The one that I actually think could be the "bust" of the group is Solder. I only saw him play 3-4 times, so I don't have a great feel for him, but I felt like he was always overrated due to his freakish size. I know he's a converted TE and still needs some work because he's considered raw at this point, but I just wasn't blown away when I watched him play.

He got beat badly to the outside by speed rushers a few times and to the inside by stunting defensive lineman too much for my liking. He seemed like he let a lot of guys get under him and into his pads because he's so tall, and he wasn't that impressive as a run blocker because he didn't seem to be able to blow people off the ball despite his size. I know he's always been considered a great athlete, but I don't know, he looked less athletic than I'd hope for a LT to be.

I think with some work he could turn into a pretty solid tackle, but I don't know if he'll ever live up to his draft status of #17 overall. I think he could be a good player, but I don't see him becoming a top flight tackle. So I guess while that's not a true bust because I think he will be a solid player, it's a bust in terms of not living up to his draft position.

Hopefully, I'm wrong. I'll be glad to admit it.

I think you have a point. Solder needs to put in a lot of work on his fundamentals and put in a ton of time in the weight room. I know Dante is going to work with this kid a tremendous amount, and this kid is the best athlete among the OL guys in his draft, but it seems like he has a much longer road to travel in order to get on the field than most any other first rounder of the BB era.

Also consider how much Solder loses in terns of reps if he does not get on the field this year, especailly if Light and Vollmer stay healthy.

 

[BillBelichickFan79]

I think you have a point. Solder needs to put in a lot of work on his fundamentals and put in a ton of time in the weight room. I know Dante is going to work with this kid a tremendous amount, and this kid is the best athlete among the OL guys in his draft, but it seems like he has a much longer road to travel in order to get on the field than most any other first rounder of the BB era.

Also consider how much Solder loses in terns of reps if he does not get on the field this year, especailly if Light and Vollmer stay healthy.

Agreed. To me, Solder is the biggest "project" BB has ever taken in the 1st round. I still think he could develop into a solid player, but he needs some work on technique and needs to get stronger.

I thought Vollmer could easily become a great LT for this team, so I didn't really understand the Solder pick at #17, considering he was more of a project than a lot of other guys on the board. But hopefully he turns into a great player for us. I just have some doubts.