2021 NFL Prospect Talk...Because It's Never Too Early

johnnywayback

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Aug 8, 2004
1,421
There are 3 guys I’ve been pounding the table for: (in this order): Demetric Felton, Kenneth Gainwell, Michael Carter. Michael Carter is the best runner of those guys but hasn’t had as many chances to take WR routes. Gainwell is the 2nd best runner of this group and 2nd best receiver and he has ran slot routes. Felton is the worst runner but he’s a good zone runner (outside zone speed guy)but his routes are the best and he’s run a lot of them. All 3 need work in pass pro and probably need to add 5-10 pounds. Carter imo could be a starter or lead committee back if he puts on 5-10 pounds. No one else really moves the needle for me RB wise as White/Vereen/Faulk/Woodhead types minus those guys. Maybe Max Borghi as a distant 4th. He’d fit in too.

Edit: Felton and Carter were just joys to watch.
Thoughts on Chuba Hubbard? I am no scout, but on paper he seems to fit the mold if he can learn to block a bit.
 

SMU_Sox

queer eye for the next pats guy
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2009
8,878
Dallas
Thoughts on Chuba Hubbard? I am no scout, but on paper he seems to fit the mold if he can learn to block a bit.
End of the day his 2019 was so much better than his 2020 but he has a fatal flaw. You hit him below the knee and he’s going down. He’s never shown much in the passing game and his pass pro is wretched. He’s a fit for a change of pace back in gap/power but unless you’re getting him late day 3 not sure he’s worth anything earlier.
 

leftfieldlegacy

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Jul 31, 2005
1,005
North Jersey
Boogie Basham interviewed after his work out at Wake Pro Day said his 40 times were a "high 4.5 and a low 4.6". He did not report a shuttle drill time but he looked very fast with excellent flexibility and change of direction. Came in light at 274#. Usually played about 10# heavier. He said several teams are looking at him as a DL and several others as an OLB. He did drills for both positions.
 

MuppetAsteriskTalk

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Feb 19, 2015
5,399
Anyone know what the deal is with Jamar Johnson (S)? PFF has him ranked at 41, yet he consistently falls back to 100 or further in almost every mock draft I run.
 

Over Guapo Grande

panty merchant
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Nov 29, 2005
4,459
Worcester
Has there been any indication lately whether the Practice Squad rules from last season will still be in effect? The best I could find was that they would be for 2021 if "COVID restrictions were still in place". I'd imagine knowing that would have an impact on the number of selections made.

Combination of new CBA rules and COVID-19 rules:
The new CBA expanded the size of practice squads from 10 players per team to 12 for the 2020 and 2021 seasons, and to 14 players per team beginning in 2022. However, for 2020 -- and for 2021 if any COVID-19 protocols remain in place for that season) -- practice squads can include up to 16 players per team. Of those 16, as many as six can be players with more than two accrued seasons in the NFL. The new CBA allowed for two practice-squad players per team with an unlimited number of accrued seasons, but the COVID-19 amendments expanded that number to six.
LINK
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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Oct 1, 2015
24,375
So to you draft gurus, I have this question. Take Mac Jones vs. Trey Lance. We can look at Jones and say he's on a team flush with NFL talent all over the place, so it's hard to know how good HE really is. But on the flip side, he's also going up against teams loaded with NFL talent every week in the SEC.

Trey Lance is just the opposite. He plays against nobody - no NFL talent on the defenses he's going up against. But then again, he's playing WITH no NFL talent too.

So which is preferable when scouting a player for the NFL? Or do you ignore all that and just look at the player's skill set?
 

nighthob

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Jul 15, 2005
12,678
I come at this from a hoops perspective, obviously, as I watch basketball tape as obsessively as SuperNomario or SMU watch football tape (my brother will tell you I've been known to watch the same jumpshot 20 times to analyze every bit of the shooting motion), but level of competition matters. The technicals/skills are important, as is the useful athleticism (you're in the Port Cellar enough to have read me lecture on that before).

But being able to perform against the best competition is also important. I will say it's a bigger red flag if a player can't excel against better competition than a green flag if he does. This goes to something I observed about Cam Reddish, in high school he just destroyed the competition in a way that he couldn't at Duke, which turned me skeptical about him. Jalen Johnson would be the 2021 version.

With Jones I look mostly at the lack of tight window throws and his averagish performance on such throws and get worried. When you look at how few of those throws he had to make you start to wonder what happens at the next level when his receivers won't be that open. But then, as I said, I'm an amateur at football scouting whereas I'm more of a semipro in terms of hoops scouting.
 

Phil Plantier

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Mar 7, 2002
3,419
Are 3-cone times slower this year across the board? We were talking in another thread about Christian Barmore's sub-par time, and, looking through the scouting reports for mid-round WRs, their 3-cones are pedestrian (the top WRs aren't running them), even receivers who have good route-running skills.

Has anyone remarked on this, or is this just my selection bias?