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A look at the top prospects available at each position in the upcoming NFL
A look at the top prospects available at each position in the upcoming NFL
in General Suggestions Fri Jan 04, 2019 3:20 amby liny195 • Farseer | 261 Posts | 2610 Points
draft (x-denotes early entrant):OFFENSEQUARTERBACKSPosition outlook: This is a quarterback draft. There could be as many as six taken in the first round and five in the first 15 picks. It's not crazy to come up with a scenario where four quarterbacks are taken in the first five picks.x-Sam Darnold Tampa Bay Buccaneers T-Shirt , 6-3, 220, USCStrengths: Excellent arm, good size and can make accurate throws — or the occasional positive run — when the pocket breaks down. Works his progressions.Weaknesses: Ball security. Ball security. Ball security.Fact: His grandfather, Dick Hammer, was an Olympic volleyball player and an actor who played the Marlboro Man.Gone by: Pick No. 3.x-Josh Rosen, 6-4, 226, UCLAStrengths: Polished passer with excellent mechanics and nice touch.Weaknesses: Durability issues in college. Will force plays unnecessarily.Fact: Was an elite youth tennis player.Gone by: Top five or so.Baker Mayfield, 6-1, 215, OklahomaStrengths: Accuracy, competiveness, and command of the offense. Gets the ball out quickly and decisively.Weaknesses: Undersized. Elusiveness and mobility that was a plus in college might not translate to the NFL.Fact: Went from walk-on to 2017 Heisman Trophy winner. Plus, had two other top-five Heisman finishes.Gone by: Pick 15.Josh Allen, 6-5, 233, WyomingStrengths: Arm strength, athleticism, size. It's all ideal.Weaknesses: Accuracy and ability to change speed on his throws while still being on target.Fact: Had no major college scholarship offers coming out of high school.Gone by: Top 10.x-Lamar Jackson, 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, LouisvilleStrengths: All the arm a team would need, plus speed and elusiveness unlike anything the NFL has seen from a top quarterback prospect since Mike Vick.Weaknesses: Repeatable and consistent throwing mechanics for reliable accuracy.Fact: Won the Heisman Trophy in 2016 and finished third in 2017 voting.Gone by: First 20 picks.Mason Rudolph, 6-5, 235, Oklahoma StateStrengths: Size, strength, and ability — and willingness — to throw deep.Weaknesses: Limited mobility. Was asked to make limited reads in the offense.Fact: Completion percentage and yards per pass increased each of last three seasons.Gone by: Early second round, but could be sixth first-round QB.Others to watch: Luke Falk, Washington State; Kyle Lauletta, Richmond; Mike White, Western Kentucky.RUNNING BACKSPosition outlook: Saquon Barkley is the No. 1 player on a lot of experts' boards, but there are several backs that could provide great value outside the first 20 picks.x-Saquon Barkley, 6-0, 233, Penn StateStrengths: Quick feet, sharp cuts, top-end speed, powerful lower body, solid pass catcher, willing blocker and Tampa Bay Buccaneers Hats , by all accounts, excellent work ethic.Weaknesses: The one knock: He needs to use that power to run through more tacklers and push piles forward.Fact: The first Penn State player to reach 3,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving.Gone by: Browns at No. 4.Sony Michel, 5-11, 220, GeorgiaStrengths: Three-down back with good speed, decent receiving skills and ability to pass protect.Weaknesses: Limited shiftiness.Fact: Ran for 3,638 yards in four seasons at Georgia while mostly sharing carries with Nick Chubb.Gone by: Middle of second round.x-Derrius Guice, 5-10, 212, LSUStrengths: Runs violently once he breaks the line of scrimmage and has breakaway speed.Weaknesses: Some durability concerns. Might not be a three-down back.Fact: Set an SEC record with three career 250-yard games.Gone by: Middle of second round.x-Ronald Jones II, 5-11, 200, USCStrengths: Darting, tough runner who finishes runs by falling forward.Weaknesses: His style at that size could limit him in NFL.Fact: Broke Charles White's USC freshman rushing record in 2015.Gone by: Late second round.Others to watch: Nick Chubb, Georgia; Rashaad Penny, San Diego State; Kerryon Johnson, Auburn.WIDE RECEIVERSPosition outlook: No first-round locks, but expect at least one or two to go on Day 1.x-Calvin Ridley, 6-0, 189, AlabamaStrengths: Game-breaking speed and explosive out of his cuts.Weakness: Slender. Can he play through contact at the line?Fact: Surpassed 1,000 yards receiving as a freshman, but limited passing game by Alabama held his numbers down in 2016 and '17.Gone by: Top-25 pick, likely first receiver taken.Courtland Sutton, 6-3, 218, SMUStrengths: Big, physical red-zone target.Weaknesses: Possession receiver-type speed.Fact: Was recruited as a defensive back out of high school.Gone by: A need-and-fit pick who could slip to third round.x-D.J. Moore, 6-0, 210, MarylandStrengths: Elusive after the catch. Excelled with underwhelming quarterback play.Weaknesses: Needs to improve on catching contested passes.Fact: Big Ten receiver of the year in 2017 while catching passes from four quarterbacks.Gone by: Middle of second round.x-Christian Kirk, 5-10, 200, Texas A&MStrengths: Good hands and slippery runner. Could be a game-breaking return man.Weakness: Size could limit him to slot receiver.Fact: Returned six punts and one kickoff for touchdowns in three seasons at A&M.Gone by: End of second round.Others to watch: James Washington, Oklahoma State; D.J. Chark, LSU; Dante Pettis, Washington.TIGHT ENDSPosition outlook: Some intriguing athletes and potential receiving mismatches, but no early-off-the-board picks.Mike Gesicki, 6-5, 247 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Hoodie , Penn StateStrengths: Big-time athlete who can make plays downfield.Weaknesses: Blocking needs a lot of work.Fact: A highlight-reel dunker on the basketball court.Gone by: Maybe Day 1. Maybe Day 2.Dallas Goedert, 6-5, 255, South Dakota StateStrengths: Was used effectively all over the field.Weaknesses: Needs to refine route running and be a more physical blocker.Fact: Two-time AP FCS All-American.Gone by: Middle of second round.x-Hayden Hurst, 6-4, 250, South CarolinaStrengths: Good hands. Powerful runner.Weaknesses: At 24, concerns that he has limited ceiling.Fact: Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 17th round in 2012, played two seasons of minor league baseball before college football.Gone by: Late second round.Others to watch: x-Mark Andrews, Oklahoma; Ian Thomas, Indiana; Troy Fumagalli, Wisconsin.OFFENSIVE TACKLESPosition outlook: A lack of clear left tackle prospects and some tackles who might have to move to guard.Mike McGlinchey, 6-8, 312, Notre DameStrengths: Good athlete, solid technique and team leader.Weaknesses: Could use more bulk and might be better suited for right tackle.Fact: Four-year starter.Gone by: Top-20 pick.x-Kolton Miller, 6-9, 310, UCLAStrengths: Length, quickness and effort.Weaknesses: Pass protection technique needs work.Fact: Only played one season at left tackle in college.Gone by: Middle of second round.x-Connor Williams, 6-5, 320, TexasStrengths: Good footwork and strong technique with his hands.Weaknesses: Size and power issues have led to projections as a guard.Fact: Missed much of last season with a knee injury, but played like an elite prospect in 2016.Gone by: Late second round.x-Orlando Brown, OklahomaStrengths: Massive man who plays with a healthy mean streak.Weaknesses: Lacks athleticism across the board.Fact: Brown's late father, Orlando "Zeus" Brown, played 11 seasons in the NFL.Gone by: Bad combine. Better pro day. Difficult to predict when he goes. Late Round 1? Day 3?Tyrell Crosby, 6-5, 325, OregonStrengths: Gets good push off the line as a run blocker.Weaknesses: Pass protection technique could land him at guard.Fact: A foot injury cost him much of his junior season or he would likely already be in the NFL.Gone by: End of Day 2.Others to watch: Martinas Rankin, Mississippi State; x-Brian O'Neill; Pittsburgh; Chukwuma Okorafor, Western Michigan.GUARDSPosition outlook: Not a position that NFL teams see as great draft value, but the top players here are probably better prospects than the top tackles.Quenton Nelson, 6-5, 329, Notre DameStrengths: Maybe the most likely to succeed of any player in this draft class. Powerful, tenacious and sound.Weaknesses: Not much to complain about. Could do better at getting off the line and getting to second level.Fact: Watch Nelson block and expect to see plenty of defenders being pushed to the ground.Gone by: Pick 10. And that would probably be about five picks too low.Will Hernandez, 6-2, 345, UTEPStrengths: Quick feet for a massive and powerful player.Weaknesses: A little short in height and arm length.Fact: Four-year starter.Gone by: Top-40 pick.Isaiah Wynn, 6-3, 313 Customized Tampa Bay Buccaneers Jerseys , GeorgiaStrengths: Good athleticism and attitude.Weaknesses: Power to drive defenders off the line could use improvement.Fact: Played left tackle last season and did it well, but that height makes him an NFL guard.Gone by: Versatility gets him off the board in top 75 picks.Others to watch: Braden Smith, Auburn; Wyatt Teller, Virginia Tech; Austin Corbett, Nevada.CENTERSPosition outlook: A few low-risk prospects who could step into starting roles right away.Billy Price, 6-4, 312, Ohio StateStrengths: Very strong. Very aggressive. Played at lot of guard with the Buckeyes, too.Weaknesses: That aggressiveness can lead to sloppiness.Fact: Started a school-record 55 games at Ohio State.Gone by: End of second round.x-James Daniels, 6-3, 295, IowaStrengths: Quick off the line and into linebackers.Weaknesses: Straight-up, one-on-one power could be a problem.Fact: Played with brother, running back LeShun Daniels, during first two seasons at Iowa.Gone by: Early second round.Frank Ragnow, ArkansasStrengths: Big and powerful with good awareness.Weaknesses: Lacks great athleticism.Fact: Ragnow's father, Jon, died of a heart attack during the 2016 football season. Frank managed to play, and play well, through the season.Gone by: End of third round.Others to watch: Bradley Bozeman, Alabama; Mason Cole, Michigan; x-Will Clapp, LSU. Welcome to SB Nation FanPulse — a survey of fans across the NFL, powered by SurveyMonkey. Each week, we send 32 polls to 100+ plugged in fans from each team. Bucs fans, sign up HERE to join FanPulse.The Buccaneers fans are holding on to some kind of hope as we enter Week 6. Following the Buccaneers 48-10 loss to Chicago in Week 4, the Tampa Bay fanbase has gained a bit more confidence heading into this week’s matchup against the 1-4 Falcons.Below is the graphic for the confidence rating which shows the small jump.The confidence rating for Week 6 is up 7-percent. It’s not as close to where it was at the start of the season, but at least some are starting to hop back on the ship.Atlanta fans, however, are taking things a bit harder. They’ve dropped in confidence since Week 3 and currently sit at a 19-percent confidence rating heading into Week 6. Weekly FanPulse Confidence Ratings for the BucsWeek 1 - 86%Week 2 - 87%Week 3 - 95%Week 4 - 93%Week 5 - 21%Week 6 - 28%Week 4 Staff PicksLatest line: - Falcons by 3, over/under: 57.5Gil (2-2): Falcons 30, Bucs 27James (1-3): Falcons 41, Bucs 36Evan (1-3):Bucs 38, Falcons 31Alex (2-2): Bucs 38, Falcons 35Jon (2-2): Falcons 34, Bucs 27Kyle (3-1): Falcons 30, Bucs 24David (1-3): Bucs 42, Bucs 41Bailey (1-3): Bucs 35, Falcons 31Dustin (1-3): Bucs 38, Falcons 33
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