Harry
ASFN Consultant and Senior Writer
Looking at how various individual picks were graded it’s clear many of the high grades were predicated on next years pick, which are great. Looking at this year only I give it a C. As a former college instructor I know that means average.
It seems clear to me as they focused on developable players, not immediate impact guys. Johnson should start at left guard. He’s played there before. There is no substitute for game action. Only QBs learn by watching. He should only play LT if Humphries is injured or late in a decided game. Johnson is a solid choice. He’s not a flashy pick, but he’s foundational.
Oujari is a polarizing choice. Many of my colleagues think he has a great future. Some place him ahead of his brother. He can likely pressure the QB. I’m not certain he can close the deal. I’m also thinking he will be weak against the run. If Oujari can build power, he may prove a good choice.
Williams is yet another polarizing player. He was more highly rated prior to his recent injury. The good points are he has a fluid backpedal though he does high step a little. He has decent burst to close on the receiver. He is usually positioned well to compete for the ball. He has decent hands also tackles effectively. He has a solid punch when playing press coverage, though NFL WRs are tougher. Williams’ game estimated speed is 4.50, so covering explosive receivers will be challenging. His high stepping causes transition smoothness coming out of the break, thus opening the receiver. This is compounded by giving too much cushion to start with. He can be intimidated when covering an aggressive receiver who fights hard for the ball. Williams’ career QB rating was 100.6, though it did come down to 84 in 2022. He reminds me of Wilson in that he just usually gives the receiver enough room to catch the ball, then settles for a tackle. He’s not a long term solution, though he’s a good athlete.
By now everyone knows Wilson’s injury history. He just seems to have fragile bones, which is not a good trait for the hard-hitting NFL. This also has limited his development as a route runner. This causes interceptions and other incompletions in the NFL. He doesn’t have great hands, often body catching. He is is slow getting ready to grab the ball immediately after his break. Wilson’s struggled against press coverage. He is not fast, so he isn’t a deep threat. He gets decent YAC. He always gives everything he’s got when trying to make a catch or a block. He’s not afraid to go over the middle. He has an excellent motor. I don’t understand most of the positive reaction to this selection. Wilson did well in the Senior Bowl, but coverage there is always spotty. He simply looks much better than he plays. He made do deceptively well in preseason.
Jon Gaines is not a Center. He may end up playing there, but he’d be a huge project. He’s smart and fairly strong. He’s not agile and has a poor understanding of leverage. His footwork is mediocre. Gaines never mastered a good stance, getting moved aside too often. He struggles to understand stunts, which would be a huge liability at center. I have no idea how he helps the team move forward.
Clayton Tune is a technically proficient gambler. His arm is strong enough on medium and short tosses. He may be better on deep throws with improved followthrough. He can run with some tenacity. He’ll take a hit to make a completion. Tune might develop into an ideal backup. A good line would make him fairly effective, but he’ll break your heart taking chances. I’m
Owen Pappoe is yet another LB. I think the Cards have enough LBs to populate an entire defense. Pappoe is reasonably good at everything but not special at anything. For you old-timers think Raynoch Thompson, but not quite as much of an impact player. He has a good motor. He can cover a little. Auburn had a bad year, so motivated players were hard to find. Pappoe should have posted much better numbers. He’s just to passive to impress me.
Kei’Trel Clark’s lack of height (5’10”) hurt him in the draft. He’s a bit of a ballhawk and will be more effective in zone more than man. His excellent burst and decent hands help him steal throws. Big WRs & TEs intimidate him when playing man. He’s a willing tackler, but not strong. He’s can’t sustain coverage on deep throw. I’ll add others liked him better than me, especially this late in the draft. If they can use Clark on passing downs, when playing zone, he could be a good role player. Of course, when the other team sees him it will indicate zone.
Dante Stills is a nice get. He’s on of those horse for the route. If your going to run stunts with your D-line, he’s your man. His quickness and agility will allow him to penetrate small openings. Stills is also fairly strong. He’s a good tackler who often made tackles fir a loss. He’s a legacy player and you know I like that. This guy figures to be a rotational player, but he could shake up the line on passing plays. He couldbe fun to watch develop.
That’s it; a few wins and several question marks. At best there’s a bunch of role players. My biggest concern is there seemed to be more impactful, potential starting players available when most of these guys were selected.
It seems clear to me as they focused on developable players, not immediate impact guys. Johnson should start at left guard. He’s played there before. There is no substitute for game action. Only QBs learn by watching. He should only play LT if Humphries is injured or late in a decided game. Johnson is a solid choice. He’s not a flashy pick, but he’s foundational.
Oujari is a polarizing choice. Many of my colleagues think he has a great future. Some place him ahead of his brother. He can likely pressure the QB. I’m not certain he can close the deal. I’m also thinking he will be weak against the run. If Oujari can build power, he may prove a good choice.
Williams is yet another polarizing player. He was more highly rated prior to his recent injury. The good points are he has a fluid backpedal though he does high step a little. He has decent burst to close on the receiver. He is usually positioned well to compete for the ball. He has decent hands also tackles effectively. He has a solid punch when playing press coverage, though NFL WRs are tougher. Williams’ game estimated speed is 4.50, so covering explosive receivers will be challenging. His high stepping causes transition smoothness coming out of the break, thus opening the receiver. This is compounded by giving too much cushion to start with. He can be intimidated when covering an aggressive receiver who fights hard for the ball. Williams’ career QB rating was 100.6, though it did come down to 84 in 2022. He reminds me of Wilson in that he just usually gives the receiver enough room to catch the ball, then settles for a tackle. He’s not a long term solution, though he’s a good athlete.
By now everyone knows Wilson’s injury history. He just seems to have fragile bones, which is not a good trait for the hard-hitting NFL. This also has limited his development as a route runner. This causes interceptions and other incompletions in the NFL. He doesn’t have great hands, often body catching. He is is slow getting ready to grab the ball immediately after his break. Wilson’s struggled against press coverage. He is not fast, so he isn’t a deep threat. He gets decent YAC. He always gives everything he’s got when trying to make a catch or a block. He’s not afraid to go over the middle. He has an excellent motor. I don’t understand most of the positive reaction to this selection. Wilson did well in the Senior Bowl, but coverage there is always spotty. He simply looks much better than he plays. He made do deceptively well in preseason.
Jon Gaines is not a Center. He may end up playing there, but he’d be a huge project. He’s smart and fairly strong. He’s not agile and has a poor understanding of leverage. His footwork is mediocre. Gaines never mastered a good stance, getting moved aside too often. He struggles to understand stunts, which would be a huge liability at center. I have no idea how he helps the team move forward.
Clayton Tune is a technically proficient gambler. His arm is strong enough on medium and short tosses. He may be better on deep throws with improved followthrough. He can run with some tenacity. He’ll take a hit to make a completion. Tune might develop into an ideal backup. A good line would make him fairly effective, but he’ll break your heart taking chances. I’m
Owen Pappoe is yet another LB. I think the Cards have enough LBs to populate an entire defense. Pappoe is reasonably good at everything but not special at anything. For you old-timers think Raynoch Thompson, but not quite as much of an impact player. He has a good motor. He can cover a little. Auburn had a bad year, so motivated players were hard to find. Pappoe should have posted much better numbers. He’s just to passive to impress me.
Kei’Trel Clark’s lack of height (5’10”) hurt him in the draft. He’s a bit of a ballhawk and will be more effective in zone more than man. His excellent burst and decent hands help him steal throws. Big WRs & TEs intimidate him when playing man. He’s a willing tackler, but not strong. He’s can’t sustain coverage on deep throw. I’ll add others liked him better than me, especially this late in the draft. If they can use Clark on passing downs, when playing zone, he could be a good role player. Of course, when the other team sees him it will indicate zone.
Dante Stills is a nice get. He’s on of those horse for the route. If your going to run stunts with your D-line, he’s your man. His quickness and agility will allow him to penetrate small openings. Stills is also fairly strong. He’s a good tackler who often made tackles fir a loss. He’s a legacy player and you know I like that. This guy figures to be a rotational player, but he could shake up the line on passing plays. He couldbe fun to watch develop.
That’s it; a few wins and several question marks. At best there’s a bunch of role players. My biggest concern is there seemed to be more impactful, potential starting players available when most of these guys were selected.
