What a Hard Draft to Evaluate

Harry

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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.
 

gmabel830

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My biggest concern is there seemed to be more impactful, potential starting players available when most of these guys were selected.
This is what it all boils down to for me as well. That's not to say that the guys we took will bust and the other guys will be stars, but I didn't think we maximized the value in the picks we made anywhere as good as we did in our trades.
 

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How is Jon Gaines not agile?

He had elite short shuttle and 3 cone. The 8th best athletic testing for IOL in the past 30 years.
Unfortunately, the short shuttle and 3 cone does not win games. Many players test great but play poorly. In today's world the NFL combine testing is less important than in the past.
 

Krangodnzr

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How is Jon Gaines not agile?

He had elite short shuttle and 3 cone. The 8th best athletic testing for IOL in the past 30 years.
Was thinking the same thing.

I watched two games against good PAC12 teams, and one of his strengths is IDing stunts and quickly picking them up. He moves awkwardly because he is a big guy, but he moves very quickly in a short area. Very smart player too.
 

Krangodnzr

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Unfortunately, the short shuttle and 3 cone does not win games. Many players test great but play poorly. In today's world the NFL combine testing is less important than in the past.
Not many lineman who test well at short shuttle and 3 cone bust. There is a long record of that drill predicting NFL success.
 
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Harry

Harry

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Not many lineman who test well at short shuttle and 3 cone bust. There is a long record of that drill predicting NFL succes
How is Jon Gaines not agile?

He had elite short shuttle and 3 cone. The 8th best athletic testing for IOL in the past 30 years.
Gil Brandt (Hall of Fame Scout)
“However, people who evaluate offensive linemen fall into the trap of looking at the combine and putting too much stock into the results. It happens most often when evaluators look at excellent combine numbers and project the player’s NFL potential on these numbers while ignoring all the signs of possible failure from the film.“

https://eb2.3lift.com/pass?tl_click...1808197&ts=1682983203&bcud=730&ss=12&cb=10178
 

MadCardDisease

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It means some horses are better at specific distances or specific tracks. The latter is because there are several different track surfaces plus different tracks have distractions on the sides.
Ah Thanks! I know nothing about horse racing!
 

BurqueCardFan

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This draft reminds me of the 2019 draft. Lots of people on here were clamoring to draft DK Metcalf at the back end of round 2 but instead we get cute and take a guy named Andy Isabella. Everyone said let’s give him the benefit of the doubt but we all knew the outcome. Lots of wishful thinking with guys like Williams and Wilson. Both with injury questions and lots of better proven options available. Let’s hope history isn’t repeating itself.
 

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Unfortunately, the short shuttle and 3 cone does not win games. Many players test great but play poorly. In today's world the NFL combine testing is less important than in the past.

That's a whole different point to "not agile" though.
 

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Was thinking the same thing.

I watched two games against good PAC12 teams, and one of his strengths is IDing stunts and quickly picking them up. He moves awkwardly because he is a big guy, but he moves very quickly in a short area. Very smart player too.

Yup. Agility and athleticism are not his problem. His issue is all in technique. No doubt he's sloppy in that aspect but it's obviously coachable.
 

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This draft reminds me of the 2019 draft. Lots of people on here were clamoring to draft DK Metcalf at the back end of round 2 but instead we get cute and take a guy named Andy Isabella. Everyone said let’s give him the benefit of the doubt but we all knew the outcome. Lots of wishful thinking with guys like Williams and Wilson. Both with injury questions and lots of better proven options available. Let’s hope history isn’t repeating itself.

Lots!

Name a few.
 

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Gil Brandt (Hall of Fame Scout)
“However, people who evaluate offensive linemen fall into the trap of looking at the combine and putting too much stock into the results. It happens most often when evaluators look at excellent combine numbers and project the player’s NFL potential on these numbers while ignoring all the signs of possible failure from the film.“

Sure. But "athletic testing does not make a good player" is a completely different argument to "he's not agile". Which he clearly is, as proven by athletic testing.
 

Stout

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How is Jon Gaines not agile?

He had elite short shuttle and 3 cone. The 8th best athletic testing for IOL in the past 30 years.
I don't know one way or another about the player's in-game agility, but the short shuttle and 3 cone have nothing to do with actually playing football.
 

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