2017-18 CFB SEASON / '18 NFL DRAFT

[Ray_Dogg]

There’s something about him I don’t trust yet. He’s not even on my top 5.

D.J. Moore - WR - Terrapins

Walter Football reports that Maryland WR D.J. Moore met with the Cowboys, Eagles, Colts and Washington at the NFL Scouting Combine.

All four of these teams have needs at wide receiver, and all four would be great fits for one of the true stars of the combine. The Colts would likely need to trade up from their second-round selection in order to draft the 6-foot, 210-pound wideout. There's a real chance that he ends up being the first receiver to come off the board at this point.
Source: Walter Football

Mar 5 - 10:07 PM

Speaking of Moore...He flashed some legit T.O. YAC in the little that I saw of him.

[ChrisPozz]

There’s something about him I don’t trust yet. He’s not even on my top 5.

D.J. Moore - WR - Terrapins

Walter Football reports that Maryland WR D.J. Moore met with the Cowboys, Eagles, Colts and Washington at the NFL Scouting Combine.

All four of these teams have needs at wide receiver, and all four would be great fits for one of the true stars of the combine. The Colts would likely need to trade up from their second-round selection in order to draft the 6-foot, 210-pound wideout. There's a real chance that he ends up being the first receiver to come off the board at this point.
Source: Walter Football

Mar 5 - 10:07 PM

Speaking of Moore...He flashed some legit T.O. YAC in the little that I saw of him.

On the T.O. front. His strength coach has said he has one of the best work ethics he's ever seen in all his years of coaching. Called it "incredible and contagious." Had one of the best seasons in Maryland history (80 for 1,033) with FOUR different quarterbacks. First FBS player since Hakeem Nicks with 1,000+ receiving yards that didn't have a 1,500 yard passer throwing to him (because of injuries).

.........plus the kid returns kicks and punts. I wouldn't be completely upset if the 49ers had a Moore and Moore WR duo next year (DJ and J'Mon).

[ChrisPozz]

Daniel Jeremiah's biggest movers up since the combine in his top 50 rankings

Roquan Smith - 11th ranked - up 8 spots
Da'Ron Payne - 15th ranked - up 9 spots (What the bleep took so long?)
Jaire Alexander - 16th ranked - up 7 spots
Rashaan Evans - 19th ranked - up 8 spots
Nick Chubb - 44th ranked - up 5 spots

Daniel Jeremiah's bigger movers down since the combine in his top 50 rankings

Ronald Jones - 20th ranked - down 8 spots
Josh Jackson - 27th ranked - down 9 spots
Donte Jackson - 28th ranked - down 8 spots (Given DJ's history, this surprises me HE ever had him that high)
Billy Price - 49th ranked - down 19 spots

[ChrisPozz]

Read on Twitter

[ChrisPozz]

Alabama hosts 80 NFL scouts from all 32 teams at 2018 Pro Day

https://247sports.com/college/alabama/Bolt/Alabama-Crimson-Tide-Football-hosts-80-NFL-scouts-from-all-32-teams-at-2018-Pro-Day-115945784

[ChrisPozz]

Quarterback Ball Velocity at 2018 NFL Combine

http://www.ourlads.com/story/default/Quarterback-Ball-Velocity-at-2018-NFL-Combine/10241/dh/

I'm on record as saying I hate this test because when I've seen guys do it in the past they get away from their regular mechanics because they know they're being evaluated for RPMs/speed. There's a better way to do it than they currently do it. I don't know why it hasn't been tweaked if they're going to continue to have QBs take part in it.

Also, since record-keeping began in 2008, the record had been 60 MPH (Bryan Bennett, Logan Thomas, Patrick Mahomes). Allen hit 62 both ways. Some predicted he'd be in the high 60s (I don't know if we'll ever see that).

[I_am_1z]

.

Everyone please ignore Bingo for anything he says about SQBK. He didn't think Barkley was the best back in the nation coming into any of the past three seasons. He also insinuated there were multiple backs as good or better than Barkley. I'm not allowing him to get away with jumping on the bandwagon now. Again, please disregard anything Bingo says about SQBK

The pure talent was evident for me (how could it not be?) But I was in incomplete territory with Barkley as well. He wasn't one of the backs that I wanted to finalize too much of what I thought about him for quite a while. There was no a-ha moment where he became a dude for me, and I still probably put his FLOOR lower than most other people, but I waited longer than most to get to the big words with him - all-time RB prospect, generational, freak, etc..

If someone thought they could use those words for him before this year, well ok. That's fine. I'm not going to hold that against them. I kind of see why the general public would. I can also see why someone else would want to wait longer before deciding some of these with a guy like Barkley either.

I don't feel like getting into anything too personal or addressing too many specific words that might have been said by any one person but if we are talking about not wanting to use those big words about Barkley until later in the year this year, I would be ok defending that take because it's kind of one that I had. Part of that probably ties into what I said about his floor as a prospect, too. I'd put him on my all-time RB prospect list (as I said yesterday) but I also probably have his floor set lower than most, if not all of those other guys as well. For the good and the bad I honestly don't know if I could bring up another name on that list to compare him to. Which again is a credit to him and maybe a little bit of a downer as well.

He'll continue to be a fun name to talk about after the draft depending on where he lands.

I understand the fear that SQBK may not be as effective of an in between the tackle runner as he should be. There's a lot of skipping around in the backfield and he's not known for hitting a small crease and exploding like he ought to be doing. The fact is Saquon Barkley has put up such amazing production without an offensive line. Unlike backs from other teams, Barkley is almost never confident there will be a hole unless there's a misdirection of some sort. Because Trace McSorely is incapable of being under center, ALL of his goaline/short yardage snaps are out of shotgun. Also the sharps in the sports world know there was a three game span last year (OSU, MSU, RUT) where the defenses picked up on how one of PSU's offensive tackles lined up on run plays vs. on pass plays. Now, I can't speak for the opposing coordinators, if they picked up on this, but it sure did get resolved quickly when the word finally out in the public.

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

Calvin Ridley - WR - Crimson Tide

Alabama WR Calvin Ridley said of his poor vertical and broad jumps from the NFL Scouting Combine, "I don't get into a receiver stance and broad jump before I run a route."

Ridley (6'0/189) did admit that he feels it was a mistake to take part in jumps at the combine -- both his 31-inch vertical and 110-inch broad were subpar, particularly the latter one -- but said that whichever team drafts him is "getting a great player." He did not re-jump during Bama's pro day on Wednesday. We'd just point out that Ridley's criticism of the combine tests (that they aren't related to football) overlooks completely the actual point of combine testing, which is more about gauging a player's athletic ability in trying to help determine their future projection. Just because Ridley does not jump out of his routes does not mean the broad jump is therefore completely meaningless in trying to determine how Ridley fits athletically in the NFL.
Source: NFL.com

Mar 7 - 7:59 PM

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

Rashaan Evans - LB - Crimson Tide

Alabama LB Rashaan Evans did not run the 40-yard dash at the school pro day on Wednesday.

Evans (6'2/232) will likely hear his name called on Day 1 of the draft next month, but for whatever it's worth, his has been a little bit of a quiet evaluating season. He did not participate in the Senior Bowl and opted out of both the NFL Scouting Combine 40-yard dash and now his pro day sprint. He plans on running the dash later this spring. Of course, the 40-yard dash holds limited informational value and the linebacker has given us plenty to chew on without the straight-line run. To wit, he excelled in on-field drills in Indianapolis, with ESPN's Todd McShay going so far as to call his work on that front "impeccable."
Source: Gil Brandt on Twitter

Mar 7 - 7:18 PM

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

Sam Darnold - QB - Trojans

On the Rotoworld Football Podcast, Josh Norris believes it is a "ludicrous" idea for the Browns to wait until pick No. 4 to select a QB.

This possible outcome is being suggested more often with Saquon Barkley as the presumed No. 1 pick. In this instance, the Browns would select from whatever "two, three or four" quarterbacks remain on the board. Norris absolutely disagrees for a variety of reasons. Teams who plan on picking a quarterback at the top of the draft do not go into the event loving two, three or four passers. They identify one, visualize the offense built around him, and attempt to acquire that passer. Look at Jared Goff and the Rams, Carson Wentz and the Eagles, Deshaun Watson and the Texans and Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. We will believe the Browns will wait until No. 4 for a quarterback when we see it.
Source: Josh Norris on Twitter

Mar 7 - 11:38 AM

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

Quenton Nelson - G - Fighting Irish

NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reports "a few teams" have Notre Dame G Quinton Nelson as the No. 1 prospect in the 2018 class.

"Countless scouts cracked up discussing his film and how he just buried guys over and over," Rapoport added. Other teams, as we blurbed, handed Saquon Barkley a perfect grade, making him the top prospect. The quarterbacks and Bradley Chubb also have a possibility of earning top prospect grades from teams. Nelson certainly will be a top 10 pick.
Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter

Mar 7 - 10:37 AM

[NinerSickness]

Quenton Nelson - G - Fighting Irish

NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reports "a few teams" have Notre Dame G Quinton Nelson as the No. 1 prospect in the 2018 class.

"Countless scouts cracked up discussing his film and how he just buried guys over and over," Rapoport added. Other teams, as we blurbed, handed Saquon Barkley a perfect grade, making him the top prospect. The quarterbacks and Bradley Chubb also have a possibility of earning top prospect grades from teams. Nelson certainly will be a top 10 pick.
Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter

Mar 7 - 10:37 AM

He's the top non-QB at the very least.

[NinerSickness]

Matt Barrows has the Niners taking Marcus Davenport at 9.

Meh.

Although I'm all for going ape s**t on the DL, I'd much rather trade down.

This would be a pretty nasty DL, though:

1st down: Thomas, Dontari Poe, Buck, Davenport

3rd down: Tank, Thomas, Buck, Davenport

...With Armstead & Tank sub'ing from time to time (and Day & Blair every once in a while).

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

Matt Barrows has the Niners taking Marcus Davenport at 9.

Meh.

Although I'm all for going ape s**t on the DL, I'd much rather trade down.

This would be a pretty nasty DL, though:

1st down: Thomas, Dontari Poe, Buck, Davenport

3rd down: Tank, Thomas, Buck, Davenport

...With Armstead & Tank sub'ing from time to time (and Day & Blair every once in a while).

Davenport is no joke. At the end of the college season I knew very little about him. Since then I’ve developed a little obsession in trying to find out who he is. A weeek or two before the Senior Bowl I went on YouTube and was able to watch a full game of his. He’s very talented. They say that he’s raw but I saw him used all sorts of pass rushing move and I even saw him take on double teams too - did a nice job at it (albeit not better than DeBuck and Amrstead when they were prospects)? Anyway, since then I’ve been very receptive in selecting him if we decided to go that route. Having said that, I still want Denzel Ward ahead of him. Dream scenario though for me would be to trade back as you mentioned above—I think we all (Ray, Crims, you, me, Calim, and Clyde) have been saying that for quite some time now. This year however if we’re unable to find a trade partner to swindle, I’m okay at staying put and take our guy. Especially if we’re able to sign Allen Robinson within the next couple of days/weeks.

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

A player that’s going to end up having a better pro career than he had in college. He’s a great open field tackler, but my biggest concern about him is that I question his overall instincts at corner. He lacks that 6th sense (not enough PBUs and creating turnovers)

Tony Brown - DB - Crimson Tide

Draft Analyst's Tony Pauline notes that Tony Brown met with 10 teams over the past 24 hours.

Brown was one of the stars of the combine; running the 40 yard dash in 4.35 seconds. Pauline also notes that he reportedly looked sensational in drills at Alabama's Pro Day on Wednesday. "Brown met with almost 10 teams one-on-one over the past 24 hours," Pauline writes, "including the Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks, Miami Dolphins, Washington Redskins and San Francisco 49ers." He currently projects as an early Day 3 selection.
Source: Draft Analyst

Mar 8 - 12:09 PM

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

Hercules Mata’afa - DL - Cougars

NFLDraftScout's Dane Brugler listed Washington State DL Hercules Mata'afa as one of the players who raised questions after his performance at the combine.

Mata'afa put up excellent numbers while at Washington State, and was consistently rated one of the best pass-rushers by analytical sites like Pro Football Focus. Unfortunately, he didn't answer concerns about whether or not he'll be able to translate that at the next level. "On film, it is tough to find a defensive lineman with a better get-off burst than Mata’afa, who posted 47 tackles for loss the last three seasons," Brugler writes. "However, NFL teams are concerned about his "fit" at the next level and his athletic testing numbers won’t help ease concerns." It seems likely that Mata'afa will go somewhere on Day 3, but he may be closer to the sixth-round than the third at this point.
Source: NFL Draft Scout

Mar 8 - 12:16 PM

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

Derrius Guice - RB - Tigers

The NFL is investigating questions asked to LSU RB Derrius Guice during NFL Combine interviews.

On Sirius XM, Guice states he was asked about his sexual orientation and "Hey, I heard your mom sells herself. How do you feel about that?" This is an ongoing issue in the NFL and has been reported in previous years, like with Dez Bryant, Eli Apple, Nick Kasa and others. If the goal is to get a prospect off balance in an interview, you would think the highest level of a profession would be able to figure out a different method.
Source: NFL.com

Mar 8 - 11:13 AM

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

Oh damn there goes my hope

Denzel Ward - DB - Buckeyes

Ohio State CB Denzel Ward produced a composite score in the 98th percentile at the NFL Scouting Combine.

It was a sensational combine for Ward, who easily posted the top SPARQ score of any defensive back participating in Indianapolis. The speed came as no surprise, but his quickness and burst were also on display in his leaps and shuttle times. NFLDraftScout's Dane Brugler calls Ward a top ten lock for mock drafts, and there's a real chance he could end up being the first defensive player taken in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Source: 3 Sigma Athlete

Mar 8 - 12:04 PM

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

Baker Mayfield - QB - Sooners

Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield already has visits with the Jets, Browns and Giants scheduled following the school's pro day on March 14, according to Robert Klemko of the MMQB.

Mayfield also has private workouts on tap with the Browns, Jets, Dolphins and Saints. The link below does a great job outlining Mayfield's interview process with teams at the Combine, including the Browns immediately asking him about his arrest before even sitting down from shaking hands. More visits and private workouts will be added to his schedule, but it is important to note the Browns and Jets already appear on the visit and workout list. And once again, this places the Saints in the quarterback conversation.
Source: SI.com

Mar 8 - 11:04 AM

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

Sam Darnold - QB - Trojans

Following the NFL Combine, The MMQB's Albert Breer believes USC QB Sam Darnold has "work to do now to hold the top spot."

Breer lists a few reasons why. One, Darnold elected to not throw at the combine, while others did. Second, reviews of Darnold's "board work in Indy have come back mixed." Fourth, Breer states Josh Allen and Baker Mayfield "shone" last week in Indianapolis. This could also set up Darnold to cement his evaluation with a very strong pro day workout, since it is the only exposure teams will have to Darnold's on-field work.
Source: The MMQB

Mar 8 - 10:31 AM