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Idioteque
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Kyle Fuller, Virginia Tech - Sumbitch. This is a near-blue-chip CB prospect. Just about the entire package is here. He's long and a great leaper, extends his whole body and stretches his arms effortlessly. His vision and awareness of the route and the ball are fantastic. His physicality cannot be overstated - he is simply a violent player who seeks out contact. Knows when to strike. Fills in against the run in downhill fashion and seems to love shattering the ballcarrier. He's experienced inside and out. He's played CB and safety (and linebacker). Aside from blazing speed, it's all there.
The downside to me is that ultra-physical style. For one, he's been nicked throughout his college career. For another, this is Roger's New NFL. As Dave put it, "It's the pink team vs. the other pink team." Those devastating hits will turn into penalties and fines on the next level, and the injuries certainly aren't going to decrease in the NFL.
Still, I think he's the class of this year's crop. A potential franchise CB. He may not be the athletic marvel that Peterson is, but he'll be a good team's best CB for awhile. Looks to me like a rich man's Sheldon Brown, and Sheldon Brown was a damn good CB himself.
Darqueze Dennard, Michigan State - M'eh. Looks pretty good, I guess. Good backpedal, tough, good awareness of the ball, quick hands. Unlike most CBs, he's a legit first-round guy. I'd happily take him in the 20s. But like a good-not-great painting that looks awesome from across the room, the closer you inch toward Dennard, the more you see, and the more you notice all of the imperfections. Did he shut down receivers on a great statistical level? Yes, but who were they? How many will be big-time NFL prospects? I know he played vs. Cody Latimer for part of their matchup, and Latimer beat him for a red zone TD. Anyone else? Did he take on any dazzling passing offenses that required great CB play? Maybe a Big Ten guy can fill me in on this. All I know is that when I start looking through available film for a player, I look for quality opponents, and with Dennard, I had to settle for crap like Nebraska and Michigan, with run-first-and-run-second QBs throwing to practice squad WRs.
Also, it must be noted that Dennard played almost exclusively on the short side of the field, getting help from the sideline. Of all the snaps I watched, he played on the wide side exactly FOUR TIMES. Once he was in the slot. On two of the other three, he did not have a receiver to cover at all. I wonder big-time about why he was schemed onto the short side for probably 95% of their snaps. Did he NEED the sideline's help that much? I mean, this is a guy who put up amazing coverage metrics this year; why the hell wouldn't his coaches just stick him on the best receiver? Why would they pull him off of Latimer for huge chunks of the game unless they felt they needed to keep him on the short side?
And, yes, he is extremely grabby. It saves him from being beaten downfield, and it will be noticed and called more and more as his NFL career goes on.
I like Dennard as a short-to-intermediate man corner. I think he'll do a nice job on quick slants and short outside throws - on the short side of the field, of course. But no, I don't forsee him shutting down NFL WRs down the field nearly as often as he did in the Big Ten.
Justin Gilbert, Oklahoma State - Someone's gonna have to sit me down and explain the top-15 hype here. Yes, he ran a fast 40, but he plays nowhere near that time. He's a long-strider who never knows which direction he should be going and takes a ton of false steps. If a guy flashes this, it can be coached away. If he looks like this on most of his snaps, I'm very concerned. He's played the position for awhile and played against high-powered offenses. Why is he still so hesitant and prone to mistakes?
I do like his turnover potential, though. He flashes that quick-break-and-snatch-it ability that we haven't had since, oh, Rod effing Woodson. And he did show fairly well vs. Green-Beckham last year, who would be a top-5 pick if not for his dismissal. Still, I think he's a late-first prospect. He just looks too soft (at times) and too far behind the learning curve for me to invest heavily in.
The downside to me is that ultra-physical style. For one, he's been nicked throughout his college career. For another, this is Roger's New NFL. As Dave put it, "It's the pink team vs. the other pink team." Those devastating hits will turn into penalties and fines on the next level, and the injuries certainly aren't going to decrease in the NFL.
Still, I think he's the class of this year's crop. A potential franchise CB. He may not be the athletic marvel that Peterson is, but he'll be a good team's best CB for awhile. Looks to me like a rich man's Sheldon Brown, and Sheldon Brown was a damn good CB himself.
Darqueze Dennard, Michigan State - M'eh. Looks pretty good, I guess. Good backpedal, tough, good awareness of the ball, quick hands. Unlike most CBs, he's a legit first-round guy. I'd happily take him in the 20s. But like a good-not-great painting that looks awesome from across the room, the closer you inch toward Dennard, the more you see, and the more you notice all of the imperfections. Did he shut down receivers on a great statistical level? Yes, but who were they? How many will be big-time NFL prospects? I know he played vs. Cody Latimer for part of their matchup, and Latimer beat him for a red zone TD. Anyone else? Did he take on any dazzling passing offenses that required great CB play? Maybe a Big Ten guy can fill me in on this. All I know is that when I start looking through available film for a player, I look for quality opponents, and with Dennard, I had to settle for crap like Nebraska and Michigan, with run-first-and-run-second QBs throwing to practice squad WRs.
Also, it must be noted that Dennard played almost exclusively on the short side of the field, getting help from the sideline. Of all the snaps I watched, he played on the wide side exactly FOUR TIMES. Once he was in the slot. On two of the other three, he did not have a receiver to cover at all. I wonder big-time about why he was schemed onto the short side for probably 95% of their snaps. Did he NEED the sideline's help that much? I mean, this is a guy who put up amazing coverage metrics this year; why the hell wouldn't his coaches just stick him on the best receiver? Why would they pull him off of Latimer for huge chunks of the game unless they felt they needed to keep him on the short side?
And, yes, he is extremely grabby. It saves him from being beaten downfield, and it will be noticed and called more and more as his NFL career goes on.
I like Dennard as a short-to-intermediate man corner. I think he'll do a nice job on quick slants and short outside throws - on the short side of the field, of course. But no, I don't forsee him shutting down NFL WRs down the field nearly as often as he did in the Big Ten.
Justin Gilbert, Oklahoma State - Someone's gonna have to sit me down and explain the top-15 hype here. Yes, he ran a fast 40, but he plays nowhere near that time. He's a long-strider who never knows which direction he should be going and takes a ton of false steps. If a guy flashes this, it can be coached away. If he looks like this on most of his snaps, I'm very concerned. He's played the position for awhile and played against high-powered offenses. Why is he still so hesitant and prone to mistakes?
I do like his turnover potential, though. He flashes that quick-break-and-snatch-it ability that we haven't had since, oh, Rod effing Woodson. And he did show fairly well vs. Green-Beckham last year, who would be a top-5 pick if not for his dismissal. Still, I think he's a late-first prospect. He just looks too soft (at times) and too far behind the learning curve for me to invest heavily in.
