MadDog49er Notes Tuesday March 10

MadDog49er · 2015-03-10T03:05:06-07:00

Greetings, all! Had the chance to watch a ton of games this week, and a number of things jump out at me while Pro-Days are blowing up across the US. For those looking for a quick bite, this thread is NOT for you. Edge Rushers: I am starting to shift some of the edge rushers to the very top of my best board. Here is why: I saw eight Shane Ray games this week, and he is simply an impact player in each game. Sacks, pressures, attention, and the ability to drop into coverage. I like that he lines up against the LT in most games, as does Beasley. Fowler is all over the place, but plays a lot over the right tackle, as does Gregory. In nearly every game I saw, Ray causes a fumble, forces an interception, and more. Beasley is similar in this way. So fast and disruptive. Both Ray and Beasley have deadly first steps, and burn the edge. I believe Ray is going to post a sub 4.5 at his Pro Day. Pure based on productivity, these guys are stronger than Fowler and Gregory. Fowler holds one edge as being larger than the pack, at about 15 pounds. All can drop into coverage. And, to me, all three (Ray, Beasley, Fowler) are top five graded players.The big challenge is ranking Gregory and Eli Harold of Virginia, who is a really good player as well. Overlooked to this point, but a guy super young (20) and moving up for sure. His ten yard split of 1.56 is elite. Probably an early-mid second rounder. Since all these guys will be gone before the Niners pick, a value player the team might want to examine is Trey Flowers of Arkansas. Not nearly as nimble as the big three, and has question marks dropping into coverage, this dude is a football player. On a stud Arkansas defense (those of you who love defenses need to watch some of their games), he was the best of the group. At 6'2", 266, with 34" arms, he fits the mold for long edge rushers in Baalke's system. Another note: I think the Niners take a long look at Preston Smith of Mississippi State in the second round, but to me, he is a better fit as a bulked up 34 DE than 34 OLB. Doesn't have the initial burst to play off the edge, even though his combine numbers were better than expected. Studying offensive tackles, it is obvious to me that Brandon Scherff has to move inside or to RT at the next level. Simply not nimble enough on the outside to hold up. I think his punch is remarkable, and I do see comparisons to Zach Martin, who I graded as a top 8 player last year on his way to the Pro Bowl. DJ Humphries is my number one graded OT because he is ready to play LT in the NFL. Struggled against Ray, but other than that, clean sheet. Really smooth. I think he ends up the first tackle taken in the draft. TJ Clemmings may be the best blocker at RT in the draft. Just mauls people. His pass protection at the Senior Bowl was scary to me, though. I think Collins can play the tackle and play it well. He is my number two OT in this draft, and someone to watch if he is on the board at 15, because he can kick inside and play at a high level. Interior backers: I was freaked out by how poorly Paul Dawson performed at the combine, but then went back to watch his games. Concerns alleviated. He, along with Ray, were the two best defensive players in college football last year. Best instincts of any defensive player. Uncanny he is involved in nearly every play. I think he will perform much better at his Pro Day, but it doesn't matter to me. This guy is a beast on the field. A lot of hype for Stephone Anthony this season, and for good reason. He is a three down backer, has good instincts, can attack the QB, and performed well at the Senior Bowl and Combine. Below Dawson, but solid player. Not nearly as high on Benardrick McKinney of Mississippi State. Long and lean and upright, I think some team is going to move him to DE or Sam at the next level. Strong, but does not have the instincts to be a stud ILB. As for possible draftees at ILB with Willis' upcoming retirement, the pickins are slim after the top four or five are gone. I have my best five as Dawson, Anthony, Kendricks, Perryman, and McKinney (who I think is shifting to OLB or DE in the NFL). The most mentioned guys after this group are Hayes Pullard of USC, Bryce Hager of Baylor, and Ben Heeney of Kansas. Not super high on any of these guys, to be honest. One off the chart guy to think about: Martrell Spaight of Arkansas. He played OLB in their 43 scheme, but was a tackling machine. Super active, productive, with excellent instincts. Probably a fourth or fifth round prospect, but a guy who is going to play in the NFL. On the defensive line, I continue to be impressed with Carl Davis. He has a solid combine, a fantastic Senior Bowl week and game, and his game play down the stretch of the year was outstanding. Bowl game, check mark, Senior Bowl Check mark, Combine check mark. Solid prospect. Someone the team will need to consider in the mid-second round is Marcus Hardison of Arizona St. Really a remarkable athlete for a projected DT. At 6'3", 307, with long arms, he played the 43DE role in college, which is almost unheard of. Super fast feet for a 300+ pound guy. Active, productive. Limited major college football experience, but this kid is going to surprise a lot of people in the NFL. I think he is perfect as a 34 DE.Watched about a half dozen Oklahoma games this past week, and Jordan Phillips is an enigma to me. About half the games, he plays at a high level, fighting through blockers, disrupting the backfield. And then, there is TCU and Kansas State, where is largely invisible throughout the whole game. Kansas State has a good center prospect in BJ Finney, and he controlled him throughout. However, the TCU center is not a pro prospect, was tiny compared to him, and dominated. Frustrating player to analyze. On the flip side, Malcom Brown of Texas is a consistent performer, a disruptive mess for an offense to game plan, and a guy who plays hard on every snap. My stacked DT top rankings are: Williams, Shelton, Davis, Brown, Goldman, Hardison, Armstead. Bennett, Jarrett, Phillips, Cooper, Anderson. This is a deep, deep group, just like the WR group last year. Going to be a lot of productive starters from this core. One value space eating 34 NT: Joey Mbu of Houston. Watched a number of games this year, and Mbu plays at a consistently high level. Pretty much your two-down toilet clogger in the middle of the line, but does have some good movement skills from sideline to sideline for a 6'3", 313 NT, and 35" arms that he uses really well. Probably a fourth rounder, and probable starter as a 34NT or 43 nose guard. I like him a lot. At corner, feeling good about some of the young pups in this draft. To me, it is a horse race between three first round CB's: Waynes, Kevin Johnson (not the mayor of Sacramento), and Jalen Collins. All have excellent pro potential, and are tighter on my best board than many have them. I really like Johnson's all-around game, and Collins runs like his hair is on fire. Fun trio. PJ Williams number four on my list, followed by Peters and Jones (the combine hero) of UConn. As for the QB class, couple notes. Higher on Mariota over Winston. He's very smart, so I believe he will learn how to do a 3,5,7 step drop, good leader like Winston, and hard worker. Two differences between the two QBs. One- off the field. Huge plus for Mariota. Model citizen. I don't trust Winston. Statistically, he probably raped that girl- most rape claims end up being true. Second, Mariota makes better on the field decisions. Winston turns over the ball far too often. In his last seven games, he only had one game with more TDs than INTs. Scary, because NFL defenses will be so much more complicated and fast. Having fun watching games this offseason. Tomorrow is probably the busiest Pro-Day day on the schedule. News should be fast and furious after a slow Monday. If there is a player you would like me to watch, please let me know.

Mar 10, 2015 at 3:35 AM

tatdwolf49
Veteran
Posts: 3,206

What are ur thoughts about Lynden Trail from Norfolk State as a 3-4 DE ??? Also with Willis leaving us I was wondering if Jake Ryan OLB from Michigan could make a better ILB in our 3-4 then a OLB ????

Mar 10, 2015 at 4:53 AM

MadDog49er
Hall of Fame
Posts: 19,400

Originally posted by tatdwolf49:
What are ur thoughts about Lynden Trail from Norfolk State as a 3-4 DE ??? Also with Willis leaving us I was wondering if Jake Ryan OLB from Michigan could make a better ILB in our 3-4 then a OLB ????

Trail is an intriguing prospect, but in the limited time I have seen him, he appears to be a better fit as a 43 DE. Really raw, long, lanky player. Just didn't see enough movement skills to drop into coverage. A guy who I think is a fourth rounder but needs some time to develop his game.

As for Ryan, he would be another outside the box guy. Not sure he has the instincts to be best suited as an ILB, but has the athleticism and heart to pull it off. This kid loves football, and is a guy who would immediately be a special teams stud. Starter quality? Doubtful to me. Good player to examine in-depth for sure. Shorter than normal arm length will turn off some teams. Some guys like Borland can overcome this, due to great instincts, but most can't.

[ Edited by MadDog49er on Mar 10, 2015 at 4:56 AM ]

Mar 10, 2015 at 6:49 AM

Mr.Mcgibblets
Veteran
Posts: 15,079

Really good stuff, MD, and there's very little I would challenge as different from what I observed. Love Trey Flowers, and have refused to take him out of my 2nd rd considerations. I have Hardison as an early 3rd, but still, pretty close to where you seem to value him.

- Would like to know if you had an opportunity to watch LSU's Danielle Hunter.. I am on the fence on his exact value.. though believe he won't make it out of day 2.
- Jordan Hicks from Texas... any thoughts?
- Had a chance to watch much of either Alex Carter or Jacoby Glenn?
- Adrian Amos has impressed me... you?
- Any thoughts on Laurence Gibson from VT? I think he may be a surprise pick to go much earlier than people think. Same for Glowinski of WVU.

thanks..

Mar 10, 2015 at 7:37 AM

ESWYoung08
Veteran
Posts: 613

This confirms my hopes for the 1st Round of getting either Scherff or Carl Davis.

Mar 10, 2015 at 7:43 AM

pd24
Veteran
Posts: 9,407

It wasn't a slow monday for the 49ers. lol

Mar 10, 2015 at 8:01 AM

MadDog49er
Hall of Fame
Posts: 19,400

Originally posted by pd24:
It wasn't a slow monday for the 49ers. lol

True, it was a train wreck

Mar 10, 2015 at 8:01 AM

MadDog49er
Hall of Fame
Posts: 19,400

Originally posted by ESWYoung08:
This confirms my hopes for the 1st Round of getting either Scherff or Carl Davis.

Davis will be on the board. Scherff might. I don't think he will drop that far, but if teams don't view him as a tackle, his value will drop.

Mar 10, 2015 at 9:07 AM

communist
Veteran
Posts: 12,475

would you mind to share your thoughts about:
-DE Danielle Hunter, LSU (ability to be a 34-OLB, in particular if it comes down to drop back in coverage or play against the run?
-DE Mario Edwards Jr., FSU (good pass-rushing and/or run-stuffing 5-tech on the next level?)
-DE Frank Clark, Michigan (any info is nice)
-DT Bobby Richardson, Indiana (anything???)
would appreciate to see a response

[ Edited by communist on Mar 10, 2015 at 10:37 AM ]

Mar 10, 2015 at 9:40 AM

znk916
Veteran
Posts: 4,285

MD any reason you don't just do this full time for a team (niners obviously)

Mar 10, 2015 at 12:37 PM

#10

MadDog49er
Hall of Fame
Posts: 19,400

Originally posted by Mr.Mcgibblets:
Really good stuff, MD, and there's very little I would challenge as different from what I observed. Love Trey Flowers, and have refused to take him out of my 2nd rd considerations. I have Hardison as an early 3rd, but still, pretty close to where you seem to value him.

- Would like to know if you had an opportunity to watch LSU's Danielle Hunter.. I am on the fence on his exact value.. though believe he won't make it out of day 2.
- Jordan Hicks from Texas... any thoughts?
- Had a chance to watch much of either Alex Carter or Jacoby Glenn?
- Adrian Amos has impressed me... you?
- Any thoughts on Laurence Gibson from VT? I think he may be a surprise pick to go much earlier than people think. Same for Glowinski of WVU.

thanks..

Hunter will probably be a mid-late second, or early third. Too much upside. Little tape and productivity. Super long and great straightline speed. Limited ability to bend. Saw improvement through the year for sure. Hicks is underrated. Think he plays really well as an outside backer for a 43 defense. Did really well during Senior Bowl week. Probably a third rounder or early fourth rounder.

I like Carter over Glenn. Bigger for sure, by about 20 pounds, and has upside. Glenn, to me, is simply a dime corner in the NFL. Saw three UCF games this week, and really wasn't impressed with him in any of the games.

Amos had a good Senior Bowl week in my eyes, and then a solid combine. In a week safety class, he grades out pretty well. Probably a late fifth rounder

Mar 10, 2015 at 1:50 PM

#11

Tslope90
Veteran
Posts: 101

The best defensive player in CFB last year was Shaq Thompson so ur wrong there

Mar 10, 2015 at 2:09 PM

#12

Mr.Mcgibblets
Veteran
Posts: 15,079

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
Hunter will probably be a mid-late second, or early third. Too much upside. Little tape and productivity. Super long and great straightline speed. Limited ability to bend. Saw improvement through the year for sure. Hicks is underrated. Think he plays really well as an outside backer for a 43 defense. Did really well during Senior Bowl week. Probably a third rounder or early fourth rounder.

I like Carter over Glenn. Bigger for sure, by about 20 pounds, and has upside. Glenn, to me, is simply a dime corner in the NFL. Saw three UCF games this week, and really wasn't impressed with him in any of the games.

Amos had a good Senior Bowl week in my eyes, and then a solid combine. In a week safety class, he grades out pretty well. Probably a late fifth rounder

Okay interesting. I was looking at Glenn as a better prospect, but really, had not seen as much as I'd have liked of him. Thanks for the thoughts.

Mar 10, 2015 at 2:32 PM

#13

zonkers
Veteran
Posts: 4,395

Thanks for sharing. Lots of good stuff here.

I'm curious as to your thoughts on:

Do you see Owamagbe Odighizuwa as a 34LB or a 43DE? I always thought he bulked up and played the line out of necessity. But I've always been intrigued by his athleticism and size at 34LB.

Also, what are your thoughts on Ellis McCarthy? I think he's got some potential, but it may take some time.

Mar 10, 2015 at 3:12 PM

#14

OnTheClock
Hall of Fame
Posts: 38,626

Quick comments: Niners have scouted several players I'm interested in at the DL and LB positions (will be posting a mock in 1-2 weeks featuring those players).

I'm agreement on Ray. He was immediately the #1 pass rusher on my personal board when I watched his games. My feeling is that if he's on the board near the 49ers pick, they need to take him. Lots of options and possibilties. I'm far from worried about this coming season. Losing Willis hurts a little, but not if Borland can build on a ROY-caliber season.