My Guys

[Roy P]

I have to say that I am very intrigued by Vontae Davis. The only reason I have Clay Matthews slotted ahead of him is because I am of the belief that I can find another player to put at FS later in the draft. The Texans appear to like both the SS and the FS to be very similar in their ability to stop the run to disguise who may be in the box. However, the thought of Vaughn and Davis makes me a happy guy.

The history of Vernon Davis and Jason Allen also gives me pause. Vernon, like his brother, put on a hellacious showing at the Combine. However, he has not put up the production that I would have expected. That may have something to do with the team and coaches he's been playing with, but I must put some of the responsibility on him. Jason Allen was another CB who was selected highly (16th) and expected to play FS without much results.

For those who do not remember Allen's numbers:

4.39 - 40, 1.5 - 10, 17 - Reps, 39.5" - Vert, 10'11" - Jump, 3.83 - Shuttle, 6.77 - Cone

Davis put up:
4.40 - 40, 1.47 - 10, 25 - Reps, 36" - Vert, 10' 5" - Jump, 4.07 - Shuttle, 6.75 - Cone

Now, it's not really fair to compare Vontae to his brother or even another athletic DB. However, it's in the back of my mind and pulling me towards Matthews.

Clay is not a bad athlete, to say the least;

4.62 - 40, 35.5" - Vert, 10'1" - Jump, 6.9 - Cone

But last year, Cliff Avril was the 3rd round pick (92) after his Combine:

4.59 - 40, 32.5" - Vert, 9'9" - Jump, 6.9 - Cone

So, I'm not quite sure if Clay is 77 picks better. However, this is a different draft. Clay is probably better in space and may be able to play the WILL, where Avril was simply a SAM/DE hybrid. Also, there aren't many LBs in THIS draft who come close to offering what Mathews does in terms of size, speed, and pass-rushing ability. Conversely, I can get a player like David Bruton or Chris Clemons on the 2nd day of the draft who may be able to match Vontae Davis's athleticism. Obviously, they aren't considered to be in the same level by the "experts" because of what they did and didn't do on the field in college. Nor are they possible lockdown CBs, which is considered the more valuable position by many.

As many of you know, I'm aware that football is more than just numbers at the Combine. However, I think that they must be considered in order to keep evaluators objective.