NFL Combine

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by Roy P

Who are the top 5 guys?

Spiller, Dwyer, Best, Matthews, and Gerhart?

That leaves, Dixon, Hardesty, and Tate (all 3 from the SEC).

Spiller, Matthews, Best, Gerhart, Tate/ Hardesty would be my top 5.

Not a Dwyer fan.

I have an incomplete on Dixon.

After today Gerhart, Tate and Hardesty have made a case for being 2nd rounders, they all have solid tape and today they showed better speed than expected.

Not sure Best is not to much a dancer for Kubiak.

Matthews seems to be the most likely to be a Texan. CJ Spiller would make the offense super scary, he can be a factor in the pass game and not many safeties could cover him one on one.

[Roy P]

I thought I'd make a list of guys that the Texans will probably draft who aren't on my board....

FS Taylor Mays - USC
RB Jonathan Dwyer - Ga Tech
OL Bruce Campbell - Maryland
CB Dominique Franks - Oklahoma
CB Kareem Jackson - Alabama
FS Nate Allen - USF
CB Perrish Cox - Ok State
OL Jared Veldheer - Hillside
RB Joe McKnight - USC
CB Jerome Murphy - USF
OG Mitch Petrus - Arkansas
FS Kam Chancellor - Va Tech
OL Shelley Smith - Colorado State
OL Selvish Capers - WVa
SS T.J. Ward - Oregon
OL Zane Beadles - Utah
OL Shaun Lauvao - Az State
RB Andre Anderson - Tulane

Since they generally don't draft off of my board, I thought this might be a useful exercise.

[nunusguy]

Mayoc says he thinks this is the strongest Draft he's seen in 8 to 10 years with talent across the Board with the exception of QB, happily not an area of need for us.

[Roy P]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

Mayoc says he thinks this is the strongest Draft he's seen in 8 to 10 years with talent across the Board with the exception of QB, happily not an area of need for us.

I wonder about this assessment every year. If we can't grade a draft until 3 or 4 years down the road, then how can we say that a draft class is the "strongest" we've seen in 8 years? Just sayin' that every year, we look at these kids and think we are looking at the next class of Pro Bowlers.

[Blitzwood]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

Mayoc says he thinks this is the strongest Draft he's seen in 8 to 10 years with talent across the Board with the exception of QB, happily not an area of need for us.

Hate to say it, but I think he's right. It's pretty deep in all but a few positions.

[Roy P]

Originally Posted by painekiller

Spiller, Matthews, Best, Gerhart, Tate/ Hardesty would be my top 5.

After today Gerhart, Tate and Hardesty have made a case for being 2nd rounders, they all have solid tape and today they showed better speed than expected.

Matthews seems to be the most likely to be a Texan. CJ Spiller would make the offense super scary, he can be a factor in the pass game and not many safeties could cover him one on one.

Ok, Spiller just may be the "next Chris Johnson" and everyone is looking for that guy. I'm not completely certain that Ryan Matthews is the next Thomas Jones or Steven Jackson, which is what I'm looking for.

I'm a big fan of Ben Tate and Montario Hardesty, and now I am thinking that the 'fantasy land' that we've been living in that these guys are 4th round picks has been brought to reality. So, I'll be interested in seeing if the 'consensus' boards change drastically after the Combine. Will Tate and Hardesty be 2nd round picks now? The Bench, vertical, jump, and shuttle times should exhibit that they have explosion and agility.

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by Roy P

I'm a big fan of Ben Tate and Montario Hardesty, and now I am thinking that the 'fantasy land' that we've been living in that these guys are 4th round picks has been brought to reality.

That 4.3 that Tate nailed while packing 220 lbs definitely takes him off the Board in the third round at the latest.
And somebody maybe you RP said wait 'till the midrounds to grab a NT in the person of Cam Thomas - well that's another fantasy we can forget about.
Mayoc said this guy had not so good tape during the regular season but he went lights out at Senior Bowl week which puts him in the second round,
especially with so many 3-4 teams looking for nose-guys.

[Roy P]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

That Cam Thomas - well that's another fantasy we can forget about.
Mayoc said this guy had not so good tape during the regular season but he went lights out at Senior Bowl week which puts him in the second round,
especially with so many 3-4 teams looking for nose-guys.

I'm going to put my hopes in East Carolina. Joseph Linval, Jay Ross, or Wilson could get drafted late and help our DL. Linval had an impressive showing on the Bench with very long arms. I'm going to come up with a Formula that ranks Benching.....

[nunusguy]

Top rated corner in this Draft and a consensus top 10 guy just ran a clunker - 4.57 ! That's unofficial and ususally the official time is slower. Ouch !
He'll get another 40 to improve on that very disappointing time, but if this holds we will see if he remains the top CB ? Might be a real barometer about
how important 40 times are ?

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

Top rated corner in this Draft and a consensus top 10 guy just ran a clunker - 4.57 ! That's unofficial and usually the official time is slower. Ouch !
He'll get another 40 to improve on that very disappointing time, but if this holds we will see if he remains the top CB ? Might be a real barometer about
how important 40 times are ?

Hadden then went to the hip flip drill and flopped. He was all over the place on his flip. He just cost himself a lot of money, IMO.

As for all the guys now getting 2nd round grades, if you do the math there is more than 32 guys with 2nd round grades, guys will be available in the the 3rd that are rated by Mayock as 2nd rounders.

As for sleepers, guys like Cam Thomas, Rodger Saffold are known by scouts and graded much better than can do.

BTW Thomas is a huge question mark is what Mayock said due to not being there on tape, then exploding at the Senior Bowl, he looks like a guy who turns it on when the money is on the line only.

A guy who raised his standing is Brandon Ghee. Another guy I liked here is Larry Asante, and I saw somewhere the Texans where interested in him.

A guy I have dropped due to an interview I heard from him is Perrish Cox, he had to much attitude about his suspensions. He said he was hanging with his boys one time and the other time he was partying with a girl, you should understand that? Yep I understand you are being taken off my list.

[painekiller]

Taylor Mays has put himself back on my list at 20. I am going with his interview in Mobile where he said he was not coached to go for the ball they wanted him laying the big hit. 232 running 4.4. I think we can use that to our advantage. Put him back with Cushing his old roommate. Heck IMO he would make one hell of a WILL.

[Roy P]

Originally Posted by painekiller

Hadden then went to the hip flip drill and flopped. He was all over the place on his flip. He just cost himself a lot of money, IMO.

A guy who raised his standing is Brandon Ghee. Another guy I liked here is Larry Asante, and I saw somewhere the Texans where interested in him.

Yeah, after seeing Haden run a 4.6, I'm wondering if he's available at #20. Then I wonder if we should take him if he's available.

Taylor Mays should be off the board when we pick, but Earl Thomas may slide as the 3rd best FS. Is a CB more important than FS?

Devin McCourty looked like a legit 1st round pick and a great bargain in the 2nd round. Brandon Ghee is a 2nd round pick after today. Taylor Mays shouldn't be available when we draft. Myron Lewis may still be a bargain on day 3.

Did anybody see A.J. Jefferson from Fresno State? Mayock should get some kickback from his agent.