2017 Draft Prospects

If there's one thing I noticed about JR's draft it's that he's drafting more for scheme fit than our previous GMs. He's also placed a higher emphasis on character. I think it's important to keep that in mind when we look at potential CB. DL's zone blitz defense relies on press CB that can hold man to man while dropping into zone ("fire zone").

Desmond King: Great eyes but slow. I don't think he can run with CB down the field. Better fit for Tampa 2 scheme (similar to Alterraun Verner).

Marlon Humpherey: Alabama can afford to be aggressive with their CB. These guys have the easiest job in the world because passes are forced out quick and they're rarely perfect. That being said, Humpherey is great in run support. He's long, strong, and fast. I have questions about his hips and his quickness. He reminds me of Richard Sherman, and I think he could he have trouble with players like TY Hilton.

Jalen Tabor: Has some documented character issues. Quick feet (not as good as VHIII). Has the physical skills but he takes too many chances. I think it's a lack of discipline, not sure if JR will like that. When I go back to look at college film of players like Revis, they rarely take risk because they're so in control of their game. I'm also not sure if he can play press against bigger WR.

Quincy Wilson: Bigger and longer than Tabor. These guys will naturally be compared, but you have to question why he wasn't starting over Tabor last year if he's supposedly better? Probably better scheme fit than Tabor, but he needs to show up at the combine. Remember, this is a secondary with 3 potential top 64 picks (Tabor, Wilson, and Maye).

Jackson: I love Jackson. I have his jersey. I think he can play on 3 sides of the ball, but he needs work as a CB. I watched all his games, and he gets burned for every amazing pick he makes. He's got all the skills, speed, and fluidity. It's obvious when you watch, but his film isn't great. This is the first year he has devoted himself to defense only in the offseason, so he has the chance to be great with a few years in an NFL program. I don't mind taking him in the first, but only if they acknowledge that he still needs to be polished.

Still need to look at Lattimore, Sidney Jones, and Lewis (although I think he's too small).

 

I think Williams might be the most complete WR in the class, I hope he is the guy we snag with out first 1st.

After Butt tore his ACL, hope we can pick him up in the later rounds, would be a good place for him as well considering he wouldn't have any pressure to come in next year.

 

For those thinking FOSTER or Cunningham would be an ILB selection for us.,.. Realistically, MCMILLAN is a more likely selection... And that's not a bad thing.... He played very well vs Clemson.

I think if by some nature we win tomorrow, he's almost the guaranteed prospect we'd take at ILB since we'd be picking 17-20

 

Humphrey was a track star in high school.

I thought the same thing as you when I watched some game clips. But from everything I've read he's plenty fast enough.

 

I think he has enough straight line speed but not elite quickness. It's why Sherman fits in so well with Pete Carroll's cover 3 defense, he doesn't need to play true man to man.

 

Unless we take Foster with our earlier pick...?

I like McMillan. I think he's a little better than Foster at diagnosing in the run game but not as good in pass coverage (as Foster who's probably best in this class in that area for an ILB). McMillan is also a better blitzer going thru people.

 

I think Tabor right now - for me - is the best cover corner in the class. I think he's plenty fluid and quick and reads plays and patterns really well. Go back and watch the FSU game when he broke on a slant pattern in the endzone and should have picked it (only broke it up). Then they tried to fool him with an inside break pivoting to an outside break (we called it a swirl route) designed to beat man cb's who play inside or bite hard inside (which Tabor did the play before). Tabor read it and had it blanketed the whole time. His problem is in run support. Which is the same problem Wilson has too despite being even bigger!

One thing I noticed when evaluating Lattimore and Conley is that they play a significant amount of bail coverage.

But what I really wanted to add to your comment regarding JRob in drafting is size/speed players. He wants guys who are big and fast and live/breathe football.

King has the heart and ball skills, but not the size/speed. Humphrey has the size/speed, but how good is he with that pass rush and S help all day? Tabor and Wilson are bad in run support. Lewis is smallish and also has a great pass rush. Jackson is smallish and raw but looks like he has elite athleticism and speed and fluidity. Tankersley is pretty good but Clemson also has a great pass rush! Sidney Jones is pretty good.....but how good? Washington also had an elite D!

I'll be very interested to see who and how hard we go after cb's in FA! Should give us a clue to how desperate we are at the position. And as some have mentioned, we may not only go after a CB in free agency to sure up the position, but because we want some veteran leadership at the position because I expect McCourty has played his last game here.

 

He's had a hamstring injury since like early November IIRC. He didn't even play against Florida. Eager to see him go against Mike Williams.

 

I don't dispute a possibility on Foster, I'm just saying if we go the route of Wilson, Lattimore, Tabor, or Jackson with 5 (or further pending a trade) then we realistically can't reach Foster or Cunningham.. unless something happens to resemble Myles Jack.... Raekwon has been projected back teens to mid twenties, so that's in the strike zone.

but I would take Foster, as long as we can set up our second pick nicely

 

There's a big difference between Humphrey and Sherman. You are saying Humphrey isn't quick but he's fast and then compare him to Sherman? I'm just not following you there. Sherman ran a 4.56 at the combine. Humphrey is much much much faster than that.

I thiught Humphrey was quicker than he was fast when watching him play. But he's obviously much faster than I thought he was. So I think he possesses both and he would probably be "above average" in both categories. Guess we will find out at the combine.

"Elite quickness"? I would argue that you would have to be quicker when playing zone defense than man to man defense. In zone you have to break on the ball more. Sometimes you are sitting down in your zone coverage and then you must go make a play on the ball or receiver. That involves much more acceleration than If you are stride for stride with a guy or a step behind him.