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Combine Results/Observations

Steeltime said:
Van Ness measured better than I expected. 6'5", 272 lbs., longest arms and biggest hands of any edge player, ran a 4.58 official, 1.65 10 yard split. I suspect he is going before pick 17 now.
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Or at 17

,😁
 
SteelBuckeye said:
Nolan Smith (DL) ran a 4.39 40. Now, he's a smaller DL, but for any DL to run faster than most WRs? Whooeee!!! That guy can move!!
Let us know what else you see during the combine.
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Looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane.

There’s potential there. He’ll creep up my draft board perhaps. Daniele Hunter was very similar coming out of college but Hunter had just turned 20 when he was drafted. Smith is 22. I know he’s young but there’s less likely he’ll turn that corner. I think I have him as an early 5th round pick. I’d probably move that up to early 4th Or perhaps late 3rd.
 
Steeltime said:
Van Ness measured better than I expected. 6'5", 272 lbs., longest arms and biggest hands of any edge player, ran a 4.58 official, 1.65 10 yard split. I suspect he is going before pick 17 now.
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Really like Van Ness. I’ve been saying for 3 months he’s a first round pick. I think he has the frame to pack on 20lbs and play on the line. Reminds me of Keisel.
 
Let's add another Heyward as a UDFA. Cam and Connor's cousin, Shaka Heyward, ran a 4.53 40, had a 9'8" broad jump and a 31" vertical. The broad and vertical aren't "outstanding", but they are comparable numbers to Alabama's To'oto'o. To'oto'o ran a 4.62 40, had a 9'8" broad jump and 32" vertical.
Heyward, who also tied with two others for second the fastest 10 yard split by a LB (1.54), is projected by a few of the draft sites to go undrafted out of Duke. I've also seen him rated as a 6th and 7th round prospect.
 
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FordFairLane said:
Really like Van Ness.
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Watching him just shove Skoronski to the ground and bulldoze Paris Johnson was eye-opening. He does not have much beyond the bull rush right now but a guy can learn the speed rush or swim move - he really can't "learn" to overpower elite LT's.

FordFairLane said:
I’ve been saying for 3 months he’s a first round pick. I think he has the frame to pack on 20lbs and play on the line. Reminds me of Keisel.
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Yeah, he would be a solid 5-tech but really think he is better as a 7-technique (maybe 6), don't you? Put him outside the tackle's shoulder and allow him to use speed rush, then convert to power. He will force OT to slide outside, making him vulnerable to Van Ness darting inside and overpowering the tackle.

And heaven help the TE who tries to block him ...
 
Steeltime said:
Watching him just shove Skoronski to the ground and bulldoze Paris Johnson was eye-opening. He does not have much beyond the bull rush right now but a guy can learn the speed rush or swim move - he really can't "learn" to overpower elite LT's.



Yeah, he would be a solid 5-tech but really think he is better as a 7-technique (maybe 6), don't you? Put him outside the tackle's shoulder and allow him to use speed rush, then convert to power. He will force OT to slide outside, making him vulnerable to Van Ness darting inside and overpowering the tackle.

And heaven help the TE who tries to block him ...
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I just look if we kick him to the 5+ technique then he is fighting with Watt and Highsmith for time. Unless we think Watt is done or Highsmith won't resign. I look at Van Ness and he is very much like Aaron Smith or Brett Keisel. Both came in to the NFL in the 270's and ended being in the 290's pound range. Van Ness has that body type. I am not saying he couldn't develop some counter moves but he is primarily a bull rusher. Right now Lukas is actually a better run defender than pass rusher. He uses his long arms to stack and shed. He already takes on OT's 50lbs bigger than him. I think if you have him start blowing up 300lb guards instead of 325lb tackles he improves his pass rush win rate. Shorter distance to the QB and he gets to use his natural strength and arm length to blow things up in the inside.
 
ianv2012 said:
Yikes, Emmanuel Forbes came in at 6'0, 166lbs.....166.......I hope that wasn't playing weight and he super slimmed up for the combine, because man that's slim
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Why would he want to slim for the combine when that was already a red flag
 
ianv2012 said:
Yikes, Emmanuel Forbes came in at 6'0, 166lbs.....166.......I hope that wasn't playing weight and he super slimmed up for the combine, because man that's slim
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Yeah, that is a bit light. I was thinking in that 175lb range. That is pretty light to take down an NFL receiver. I wonder if he benched. Fred Smoot was 172lbs and only threw up 225 1 time which I believe is a combine record for least reps. Smoot did have a decent NFL career. And ironically played college football at Mississippi State.
 
Forbes just ran 4.35. Probably didn't want to bulk up and lose speed. Better to show your weakness and your strength rather than make your strength a weakness and still not ad much weight. I mean what could he have bulked up to 170lbs if he really tried.
 
DJ Turner the Burner ran a 4.27. I have him as a 2nd/3rd round range.
 
Joey Porter Jr ran a 4.47. Not a great vert at 35. He looks a little stiff. I have him as a fringe first round player but I might have to drop him to round two.
 
Riley Ross is testing well. He had a prolific career at Iowa but he's white so he gets the Jason Seahorn treatment. 4.48 with 39" vert.
 
FordFairLane said:
Riley Ross is testing well. He had a prolific career at Iowa but he's white so he gets the Jason Seahorn treatment. 4.48 with 39" vert.
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Comments like this get you the cooch treatment. I am sure he would save you a few windows if you asked politely. Get to licking they won't clean themselves.
 
Corey Trice Jr CB from Purdue, 6'3 206 lbs, ran a 4.47 unofficial, looks smooth in drills so far for his size. I need to look more into him
 
Byron Young is going to make me watch some more tape. I thought he was a solid athlete but like 4.6 forty fast. Not 4.43.
 
Didn't like CP3 numbers, 4.51 Official 40, 33 Vertical Jump, the kid is 5090 tall and not fast. He probably fell one round, I had him at mid/late 2nd previously
 
Litos said:
Didn't like CP3 numbers, 4.51 Official 40, 33 Vertical Jump, the kid is 5090 tall and not fast. He probably fell one round, I had him at mid/late 2nd previously
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I was never much of a fan of his. Did OK against mainly mediocre competition, very small, is not going to be an edge corner. If he tried covering Chase, it would be like a little kid playing basketball with his dad.
 
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