2016-17 CFB SEASON / '17 NFL DRAFT

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

I like the Brian Westbrook comparisons much better:

Christian McCaffrey - RB - Cardinal

An AFC senior personnel executive described Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey as a bigger, faster version of Los Angeles Chargers RB Danny Woodhead.

"He has some tools (catching and return skills) that I like, so that will help his value," he said. "He is more of a balance, body-control type of runner. He's not really a dynamic slasher. He has some shake and wiggle, but I don't know if he has that special pitter pat." NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks gives New England Patriots RB Dion Lewis as his comparison for McCaffrey, while an NFC senior personnel executive warned Brooks not to comp C-Mac to Reggie Bush. "I don't think he is nearly as explosive or as dynamic as Bush was when he came out of USC," the exec said. "With that being said, I think we saw how NFL teams used Bush as a pro. I think you do the same thing with McCaffrey. ... I don't see him carrying the load. I see him catching the ball out of the backfield or getting the ball on some gadgets. I might be wrong, but I just don't see him as a full-time guy."
Source: NFL.com

Feb 14 - 1:58 PM

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

Tre'Davious White - DB - Tigers

Draft Analyst's Tony Pauline believes LSU CB Tre'Davious White is "woefully underrated."

"Had White entered last April’s draft he would’ve been a first-round pick, but his game leveled off and even regressed at some points last season," Pauline wrote. "Regardless, he still shows the ability to shut down receivers when opponents throw his way and plays tough, aggressive football." The analyst says White would be a "steal outside of the top-45 selections."
Source: Draft Analyst

Feb 14 - 2:58 PM

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

Joe Mixon - RB - Sooners

NFL Media draft analyst Mike Mayock ranked Oklahoma RB Joe Mixon as the No. 5 running back in the 2017 draft pool.

Mixon has been walking a very rocky path to the draft, having reportedly been barred from the NFL Scouting Combine due to his punching a woman in the summer of 2014. Due to this assault, the 6-foot-1, 226-pounder's draft grades have ranged across the map. There are teams which are going to scrub Mixon off their boards altogether. However, the former Sooner is also a true athletic talent, as evidenced by Mayock's high slot for the back (the four ahead of him in Mayock's estimation are Dalvin Cook, Leonard Fournette, Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara). We don't expect him to be drafted on Day 1, but it isn't out of the realm of possibility that he could see love late on Day 2 or early on Day 3. Again, his draft stock is made of Jello at this point, so it is very difficult to pin down how far he might or might not slide.
Source: NFL.com

Feb 14 - 6:59 PM

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

Deshaun Watson - QB - Tigers

The full list of 330 NFL Combine participants has been released.

All of the big names will be there, and a few, like Deshaun Watson, have already announced they will throw and participate. As Rich Hribar notes, the wide receivers not invited to the NFL Combine is important to pay attention to, as the success rate of those pass catchers is very very low. We will have more on the "snubs" left off the list in the near future.
Source: NFL Combine

Feb 15 - 11:16 AM

OFFICIAL LIST
http://www.nfl.com/combine/participants

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

Chad Kelly - QB - Rebels

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller reports that Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly (ACL) was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine due to off-field concerns.

Kelly's NFL Draft process has gotten off to a shaky start. First, Jim Kelly's nephew tore his ACL in his final season of eligibility. That injury kept him off the field during the Senior Bowl. Kelly met with teams in Mobile, and indicated down there that he'd do more of that at the NFL Combine. He had also hoped to throw in Indy. Now, neither will happen. Kelly was involved in a benches-clearing brawl at his younger brother's high school football game in October. Prior to that, Kelly was dismissed from Clemson for "conduct detrimental to the team" in April 2014. Eight months later, he was arrested after being accused of punching a bouncer, threatening to open gun fire in the bar and getting into an altercation with police. Kelly pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. Teams will be forced to conduct the brunt of his evaluation at the Rebels' Pro Day this spring.
Source: Matt Miller on Twitter

Feb 15 - 12:51 PM

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

Khalfani Muhammad - RB - Golden Bears

Fran Duffy called Cal RB Khalfani Muhammad the biggest NFL Scouting Combine snub among RBs in the non-Joe Mixon division.

"I think Muhammad would’ve been one of the standouts at his position from an athletic testing standpoint," he wrote. "There have been reports that Muhammad, who is the top sprinter for Cal’s track team, would’ve clocked a sub-4.40 time in the 40-yard dash. That speed translates to the field where Muhammad was a big-play threat as a runner, a receiver, and a kick returner." The 5-foot-7, 170-pound Muhammad will have to wait until Cal's Pro Day to show off his wheels. He played in an Air Raid offense in college.
Source: philadelphiaeagles.com

Feb 15 - 3:31 PM

[Dodub]

Chad Kelly - QB - Rebels

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller reports that Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly (ACL) was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine due to off-field concerns.

Kelly's NFL Draft process has gotten off to a shaky start. First, Jim Kelly's nephew tore his ACL in his final season of eligibility. That injury kept him off the field during the Senior Bowl. Kelly met with teams in Mobile, and indicated down there that he'd do more of that at the NFL Combine. He had also hoped to throw in Indy. Now, neither will happen. Kelly was involved in a benches-clearing brawl at his younger brother's high school football game in October. Prior to that, Kelly was dismissed from Clemson for "conduct detrimental to the team" in April 2014. Eight months later, he was arrested after being accused of punching a bouncer, threatening to open gun fire in the bar and getting into an altercation with police. Kelly pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. Teams will be forced to conduct the brunt of his evaluation at the Rebels' Pro Day this spring.
Source: Matt Miller on Twitter

Feb 15 - 12:51 PM

That sucks, I was hoping that we'd get a real good look at him at the combine

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

Mitch Trubisky - QB - Tar Heels

An AFC senior personnel executive compares North Carolina QB Mitch Trubisky to Derek Carr.

"Call me crazy but I see a little Derek Carr in his game," he said. "From the poise, decisiveness and quick delivery to the precision passing and athleticism, he looks like the real deal. ... The inexperience bothers me and I can't stop wondering why he couldn't beat out Marquise Williams (for the starting job in 2014-15)." An AFC scout quoted in the same piece also brought up Trubisky's inability to beat out Williams: "He has all of the tools. I like his arm talent, arm strength, and athleticism. He is the prototypical quarterback that you draw up. ... I just worry about the one-year wonder deal and the fact that he couldn't beat out Marquise Williams for two years. I don't care what anyone says. If he was (that good), he should've been able to win the starting job. There's something wrong with that!"
Source: NFL.com

Feb 15 - 5:02 PM

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

Jabrill Peppers - DB - Wolverines

Michigan led the NCAA with 14 players invited to the NFL Combine.

That's four more than Alabama and LSU -- the next two-highest finishers -- got. The following is a list of Wolverines headed to Indianapolis: OL Ben Braden, TE Jake Butt, DL Taco Charlton, WR Jehu Chesson, CB Jeremy Clark, WR Amara Darboh, LB Ben Gedeon, DL Ryan Glasgow, S Delano Hill, CB Jourdan Lewis, S Jabrill Peppers, RB De'Veon Smith, CB Channing Stribling and DL Chris Wormley.
Source: NFL.com

Feb 15 - 5:45 PM

[I_am_1z]

I like the Brian Westbrook comparisons much better:

Christian McCaffrey - RB - Cardinal

An AFC senior personnel executive described Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey as a bigger, faster version of Los Angeles Chargers RB Danny Woodhead.

"He has some tools (catching and return skills) that I like, so that will help his value," he said. "He is more of a balance, body-control type of runner. He's not really a dynamic slasher. He has some shake and wiggle, but I don't know if he has that special pitter pat." NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks gives New England Patriots RB Dion Lewis as his comparison for McCaffrey, while an NFC senior personnel executive warned Brooks not to comp C-Mac to Reggie Bush. "I don't think he is nearly as explosive or as dynamic as Bush was when he came out of USC," the exec said. "With that being said, I think we saw how NFL teams used Bush as a pro. I think you do the same thing with McCaffrey. ... I don't see him carrying the load. I see him catching the ball out of the backfield or getting the ball on some gadgets. I might be wrong, but I just don't see him as a full-time guy."
Source: NFL.com

Feb 14 - 1:58 PM

That's a disrespect to Brian Westbrook. Saying McCaffrey is a bigger Danny Whitehead is just a skin deep comparison and frankly I don't know how that scout is employed.

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

Zay Jones was supposed to be my sleeper. I currently have him rated #5 in my receiver ranking. He's no longer considered an unknown gem:

Isaiah Jones - WR - Pirates

In his latest mock draft, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. lands East Carolina WR Isaiah Jones with the Chiefs at No. 27.

Mock drafts in mid-February only have so much predictive value, but Kiper's offers a few twists. For starters, he does not have Notre Dame QB DeShone Kizer being drafted in the first round. And then there's Zay, who he has as the third receiver taken in Round 1. Wrote the analyst, "He slipped a little under the radar at East Carolina but has the size, speed and hands needed, and he put on a show against good competition at the Senior Bowl." The 6-foot-1, 197-pound Hoover-of-a-wideout logged a masterful 158-1746-8 receiving line this past season.
Source: ESPN Insider

Feb 16 - 6:41 PM

[Dodub]

Still my guy in this draft, depending on how he measures. It's a pretty weak draft in terms of QB but he's always been my favorite.

Watch on YouTube

[NinerSickness]

Still my guy in this draft, depending on how he measures. It's a pretty weak draft in terms of QB but he's always been my favorite.

Watch on YouTube

@nfldraftscout
I'm told by NFL team sources that Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly was not invited to the NFL combine based on off-field issues.
8:31 AM - 15 Feb 2017

Read on Twitter

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

[Dodub]

Still my guy in this draft, depending on how he measures. It's a pretty weak draft in terms of QB but he's always been my favorite.

Watch on YouTube

@nfldraftscout
I'm told by NFL team sources that Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly was not invited to the NFL combine based on off-field issues.
8:31 AM - 15 Feb 2017

Read on Twitter

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

I know, I've read it. I'm well aware of his past troubles and it doesn't change my opinion of him on the field.

From what I've read, it isn't anything that he's done since then but things that he did before. He was a knucklehead.

[Dodub]

I'm posting this here too because it is relevant to the draft. Basically the team Isn't going to reach for a QB in the first nor will they trade away valuable high picks this year for a QB.

Read on Twitter

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

Music to my ears.

[NinerSickness]

Still my guy in this draft, depending on how he measures. It's a pretty weak draft in terms of QB but he's always been my favorite.

Watch on YouTube

@nfldraftscout
I'm told by NFL team sources that Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly was not invited to the NFL combine based on off-field issues.
8:31 AM - 15 Feb 2017

Read on Twitter

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

I know, I've read it. I'm well aware of his past troubles and it doesn't change my opinion of him on the field.

From what I've read, it isn't anything that he's done since then but things that he did before. He was a knucklehead.

I like him too, but from what I'm reading, he threatened a couple of bouncers by saying something like, "I'm gonna go get my AK47 and spray everyone." That took his judgment issue to another level IMO.

[-AC-]

Thoughts on Soloman Thomas? Can he play the LEO spot? The more I watch him, the more I come away impressed by his play...

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

Thoughts on Soloman Thomas? Can he play the LEO spot? The more I watch him, the more I come away impressed by his play...

Clyde put me on to him in the beginning of the season. Dude is a beast. The kid is special. He's a John Lynch type of guy (a player that loves the game and won't do anything crazy to sabotage his career; and yet a player that is still blessed with god given physical prowess to dominate opposing players).

I'm in the minority here in believing that even if we were still a predominantly a 3/4 base D, a player like Solomon T would have been able to play in our scheme. Treat him as a hybrid, end on obvious passing downs and OLB on running downs or short yardage situations. He's very athletic.

[-AC-]

Thoughts on Soloman Thomas? Can he play the LEO spot? The more I watch him, the more I come away impressed by his play...

Clyde put me on to him in the beginning of the season. Dude is a beast. The kid is special. He's a John Lynch type of guy (a player that loves the game and won't do anything crazy to sabotage his career; and yet a player that is still blessed with god given physical prowess to dominate opposing players).

I'm in the minority here in believing that even if we were still a predominantly a 3/4 base D, a player like Solomon T would have been able to play in our scheme. Treat him as a hybrid, end on obvious passing downs and OLB on running downs or short yardage situations. He's very athletic.

I'll admit I still need to watch more film on him... But from what I've seen, I dont think it would be that much of stretch for him to fill that Michael Bennet role with effectiveness... I actually think about his potential in the role and the havoc he could wreak in doing so...