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gpngc's 2018 Draft Review: Analysis and career predictions for each team's first round pick

Every year I write a long draft review after spending hundreds of hours studying film of prospects. Instead of draft grades, I use my evaluations to make predictions about the careers of the draftees. Of course, this is next to impossible, but I think it’s more fun than draft grades and I love to differentiate from the majority opinion and give fresh insights. Two major changes to my review this year to make it hopefully better received:
I’m only doing the first round, so now it’s way shorter. I’m scratching the corny headlines.
So that’s what this is. A coach/amateur scout who’s been a draftnik since 2004 predicting the careers of 21 year-old prospects. It’s a ridiculous exercise, but I enjoy it, and hopefully you do too.
Each draftee will receive a career projection grade from a 1-5 scale: 5 – All-Pro: Starter who has performed at an elite level at his position. 4 – Above Average: Starter who has been among the best at his position. 3 – Solid: Starter or valuable back-up with significant positive production. 2 – Replacement Level: Below average starter or back-up who made minor contributions. 1 – Bust: Player who didn’t amount to anything positive.
In my draft reviews the past two years I’ve started to predict this exact grade for drafted players, and as these grades become clear in reality, I’ll begin to evaluate my predictions. I only go back to 2016 with this scale though, so we can’t laugh at the results just yet (although you can go back and read my thoughts from drafts dating back to 2013 at Draft32.com, just without the number scale). I absolutely believe this is a more interesting way to discuss post-draft and hopefully you agree.
My studies have also shown how the grades have broken down in each section of the draft. For example, from 2005-2012 the top 5 broke down like this: Picks 1-5 All-Pro: 25% Above Average: 17.5% Solid: 17.5% Replacement level: 22.5% Bust: 17.5%
I have these numbers all the way throughout the draft and you can read about it here: https://www.draft32.com/true-pick-values
I’ve also started to grade the early returns of 2013-2016 just to get more data. It’s stupid I know, but here’s the conclusion I drew: it would be extremely silly for me to hand out a bunch of 5s and 4s. Just going over the top ten of those four years, there were 3 busts in 2013, 2 busts in 2014, 3 busts in 2015, and 1 (early returns) in 2016 (shaping up to be one of the best top tens of all time). Basically, it would be unwise for me to NOT pick at least one bust in the top ten of this class. So just understand that I’m not randomly tossing numbers around. I’m projecting careers rooted in film study, fit, AND past history of how picks in those ranges have turned out. I’m way more negative (read: realistic) than other post-draft articles.
Rnd. Pick # NFL team Player Pos. College Proj. Grade 1 1 Cleveland Browns: Baker Mayfield QB Oklahoma 1 Mayfield’s positives are obvious and legitimate. Analytics and PFF love him because of his numbers and he really does have all the tools. He threw the best at the combine of all the QBs. There are real flashes of brilliance on tape. But there are reasons he wasn’t thought of as the number one QB by a ton of draft media types, including well-researched Mike Mayock (who will probably get a GM job one day). His tape simply doesn’t show a top QB prospect. His struggles versus Texas have been well documented but I won’t even go there. His tape against tOSU (and his signature advantage over Darnold) did not show a top QB prospect. From my notes: “two missed throws, skittish, threw a slant behind someone, an absolutely atrocious deep ball, everything is RAC.” To his credit, he is really good at getting the ball out quickly and accurately on perimeter screens. That will translate. However, I can’t ignore the rest. From my notes from other games “I do not see his improv translating, not very accurate.” Then of course the obvious negative notes from the Texas game. One interesting thing about both Mayfield and Allen is that they seemed to get “hot” more than past QBs I’ve evaluated. For both of them, when things were working well (and against TCU’s defense he was great), the accuracy and decision-making snowballed in a positive way. So it comes down to getting this flawed player comfortable, which is why fit is so important. The Browns have a future star at TE, a talented duo at WR, and a deep backfield. They’ll definitely be better on offense. However, Mayfield will likely have a second offensive coordinator at this time next year starting over from scratch. I also do not trust Josh Gordon. Njouku is only 21 and Landry might just be a stat-stuffer. I can’t pick a Hue Jackson QB to become a star right now, especially one with Mayfield’s game. For all the talk about temperament and leadership I think the improvisational skills are way overrated and won’t play in the league, and those were really the things that made him a Heisman winner. He’s not a Russell Wilson or even Johnny Manziel-level athlete. Beneath the hype you have a short, spread-system, decent QB prospect going into a lameduck coaching situation. I’ll say he busts. 1 2 New York Giants: Saquon Barkley RB Penn State 5 Barkley’s 2017 film was not always pretty. He dances too much, tries to bounce everything outside, and projects to take a lot of TFLs in the pros. He’s not a grinder or someone you want to give 25 touches to a la Elliot or Fournette. He’s simply not that great between the tackles. I could give you a scorching hot take and say that he’ll fail to live up to his hype and settle in as a 1B speed back and kick returner. I’m not that dumb. I really did have some doubts about his can’t-miss status but those were washed away each time I watched a defensive prospect versus Penn State. I saw more power runs, went back to watch more Barkley and just conceded to the fact that he simply has too many incredible traits to NOT be a special back. Maybe he doesn’t pound between the tackles 20 times a game, and maybe he does need a complement (J-Stew seems kinda perfect), but if he’s not scoring 12+ TDs a year, you aren’t coaching him right. It’s important to understand the difference between evaluating a college player’s performance versus evaluating a college prospects traits. I would bet that the Penn State RBs coach didn’t grade out Barkley amazingly every single week based on the tape. But for the purpose of the draft, that doesn’t really matter. Anyway, he’s a star and learning from great pro’s like J-Stew and Eli put him in a wonderful situation. Somewhat surprisingly, I expect him to return kicks early in his career as well.
OK. I must address the sentiment that the Giants should have taken a QB instead of the best RB. I am not an Eli apologist, and I think Eli is closer to done right now than having two full good years left. I’d be happy for him to prove me wrong. I also didn’t like Davis Webb coming out.
I feel very strongly about this issue and at times it’s hard to articulate it.
First, football is unlike any other sport in that it takes more to win a game. And by that I don’t mean it’s more difficult. It’s just different. It just takes MORE. When you are involved with a team you spend an entire week or longer preparing for one opponent, and all of your preparation, not to mention all the work you put in during the offseason, is put to the test in 60 minutes. It is a BIG freaking accomplishment to win a single football game. What fans often get caught up in, partially due to the NBA situation, is that winning a Super Bowl is the ONLY goal. It is assuredly not. NFL teams have 16 goals throughout the season and each win does have meaning. Winning a title is the ULTIMATE goal but it is not the ONLY goal. That’s why tanking will never work - the team-wide investment it takes to win. Coaches and players cannot afford to put out poor film - their livelihood depends on performance in games, practices, and meetings. Because of this, BPA also means the objective is to make your team better right now. Coaches and players will be very excited to get to work with Barkley. It’s good for the culture, and increases their chances of winning right away.
“That’s so short-sighted.”
It is, but this league promises nothing. I laugh when people throw around the “starting X for the next 10 years” stuff, usually talking about an OL or QB. You don’t even know who’s going to be starting in Week 2 of THIS SEASON let alone 10 years down the line. You don’t know who’s going to suffer a catastrophic injury, what late-rounder blooms into a star, or what UDFAs might give your team. You might find a third-round HOF QB or an all-time great might choose to extend his career for you. Then there’s free agency that changes everything each year. You just don’t know. So while it’s important to have an overarching plan - you must understand that plans change quickly in the NFL and that everything is fluid. Which is why adding the BPA when you can is more important than trying to fit something into a plan that may be ripped up and re-done in a year or less.
One line of thinking is that Barkley makes the Giants just good enough to be in that 7-9/8-8 range for the next handful of years, which doesn’t allow them to draft a top QB. The idea being that it’s worse to be mediocre than it is to be flat-out bad and get a top pick. This line of thinking is supremely flawed. First, it is much better for your young players to experience winning. It builds culture and expectation, which is what you want your young QB to walk into. Second, just because you’re picking 16th-ish overall doesn’t mean you can’t land a top QB (see Rams and Eagles).
This leads me to my next point. The most aggravating part of this whole discussion is that the “MUST TAKE A QB” crowd didn’t pinpoint a QB they want. They’ll be able to cherry-pick whichever of the three works out as the reason the Giants shouldn’t have gone RB. That’s not fair. You can’t have that opinion and not say which one you wanted. So the issue is much less GENERAL position than it is SPECIFIC player. Deep-diving into this class shows four highly flawed but talented QB prospects with a ton of question marks. It also reveals an absolute diamond at the top in Barkley. The Giants clearly didn’t believe any of these QBs projected to be franchise guys for them - I agree with that opinion as I will not pick any of these three to reach All-Pro status. So they pick a no-brainer who makes their team better RIGHT NOW.
Others argue against drafting any RB high. I could point to how Zeke and Fournette were huge parts of putting their teams in the playoffs, but how about Todd Gurley? The Rams took the RB before the franchise QB and that has worked out well so far. There’s no reason the Giants can’t do the same, which leads me to my next point.
“They are never going to be picking high enough to take a franchise QB - they have to do it now.” So, how do you get a franchise QB? The easiest way is to get a top pick and draft one. I’ve already covered the Rams and Eagles who simply traded up, something the Giants can definitely do. It will be costly, but if you believe in the guy (and they clearly didn’t truly believe in any of the QBs this year), it is worth it. But is using a high draft pick the only way?
Here’s how the (subjective) top 12 QBs in the NFL were acquired and how many SB appearances they’ve had (remember many of who I’m speaking to are in the SBs MATTER MOST AND QBS MATTER FOR SBs MOST crowd):
1- Tom Brady, 6th Round, 6 SBs 2 - Aaron Rodgers, 24th overall, 1 SB 3 - Drew Brees, 2nd Round, 1 SB 4 - Ben Roethlisberger, 11th overall, 3 SBs 5 - Carson Wentz, 2nd Overall, 1 SB* 6 - Russell Wilson, 3rd Round, 2 SBs 7 - Matt Ryan, 3rd Overall, 1 SB 8 - Cam Newton, 1st Overall, 1 SB 9 - Philip Rivers, 4th Overall, 0 SB 10 - Matt Stafford, 1st Overall, 0 SB 11 - Kirk Cousins, 4th Round, 0 SB 12 - Jared Goff, 1st Overall, 0 SB
Two other ways to win it all:
Joe Flacco, 16th overall, 1 SB Peyton Manning, Free Agent signing to Broncos, 2 SBs
Set up for the future: Derek Carr, 2nd Round DeShaun Watson, 12th overall Jimmy Garropolo, Trade (and was drafted in the 2nd)
Finally, a few top draft picks:
Eli Manning, 1st overall, 2 SBs - WORTH IT Andrew Luck, 1st overall, 0 SBs - WORTH IT (injured) Jameis Winston, 1st overall - jury still out Marcus Mariota, 2nd overall - jury still out Blake Bortles, 3rd overall - jury still out
And this list doesn’t include all of the busts taken over the years at the top of the draft. Or the curious case of Alex Smith, someone who has been acquired twice via trade.
The point of laying out this landscape is simple: there’s more than one way to find a franchise QB. And an even more important point: there’s more than one way to build a Championship team. I think Saquon Barkley is an important piece of that foundation for the Giants. It’s up to them to figure out the QB position, but this wasn’t the year to do it.
1 3 New York Jets: Sam Darnold QB USC 3 Sam Darnold is 20 years old right now and will be 21 when the season starts. He’s played QB for four seasons of his life (two in HS, two at USC). I say we don’t judge a single second of his career until the start of the 2020 season. While that won’t happen, it probably should. His tape simply wasn’t great, but knowing his history, it’s not that surprising. There is just so much projection with a prospect like this that it’s almost foolish to even evaluate the results and decision-making that much. But that’s all I have. The bottom line with all of these QBs is that they are going to have to do something unlike anything they have ever done. Despite the similarities to the untrained eye, playing QB at the college level is so far and beyond different than being an NFL QB. I actually didn’t know Darnold was so young while scouting him so I went back for a second look from a different perspective and liked him more. Like Mayfield, he wasn’t good against Texas or tOSU. He also struggled against Cal, especially down the field. I don’t like his circular release but it’s not a game-changer. LIke another recent highly touted QB, Jameis Winston, I expect his turnover issues to continue, at least through the early part of his career. However, I don’t think it’s in his mentality and DNA like it is with Winston as much as due to inexperience. Becoming more careful with the football without losing his playmaking ability will define his career. Darnold’s creativity is his best attribute right now, which is a good sign. Those instincts can absolutely translate. He’s a sneaky mover and the Stanford tape shows some anticipation. He’s also adept at working the middle of the field. He’ll have to get better throwing outside the numbers. Overall, there’s a ton to work with but legitimate concerns as well. He has super bust risk and doesn’t go to a great situation but all outcomes are on the table for his talent and quick-study demeanor. His situation isn’t great as far as weapons go, but Josh McCown will be a terrific mentor. Macagnan made one of the worst second-round picks in the history of the NFL Draft with Hackenburg (only 2nd-rounder to not appear in a game through three seasons), and has lucked into some no-brainers at the top of each draft, but give him credit for those picks. I see it like this: they got the QB of their defense last year, the QB of their offense this year, retain Leonard Williams to be their best DL and will suck for one more year to add that game-changing weapon at WR or RB. I’m big on BPA because the draft is about finding young, cheap building blocks to set the foundation of your franchise. Especially at the top. Then you fill out your roster with steals and free agents. My Darnold pick is that he’s a good starter in the Stafford mold and develops a nice rapport with a WR they take at 7 overall next year.
1 4 Cleveland Browns: Denzel Ward CB Ohio State 4
Ward at four was a surprise to many, but it was clear what the Browns were thinking. They saw what Lattimore did last year and filled their biggest need. My philosophy, especially at the top of the draft, is to go BPA. I understand the Browns thought process in regards to passing on Chubb. They have their two edge rushers and needed a CB badly. The problem with this line of thinking is that you can never have too many defensive linemen, and having three terrorizing pass rushers, Chubb on the inside, makes your third-down front very scary. There is a very good chance Ward and Chubb become stars and no one really remembers this as the wrong pick, but if Chubb becomes a star and Ward is average, this will not age well for the Browns. From my evaluations, Ward is not far behind Chubb, so I’m not even going to get caught up in it. Yes, I would stay true to my board and draft Chubb, but Ward has HOF potential, as evidenced by his draft spot. I was a bit surprised when I heard how many top-five picks were spent on corners in the past. It rarely happens. On the field, his game projects as some sort of Asante Samuel/Darrelle Revis/Darrell Green hybrid. Anyone who has coached DBs knows the most difficult thing to do is get your head around to find the ball when playing man. He does it as well as anyone I’ve ever seen. He’s feisty, he’s quick, and he will hit you, like he showed versus Maryland. His size might be an issue at times but he can tackle and jump so I don’t view it as that much of a liability. A few years ago I banged the table for Jason Verrett and he’s been stellar when on the field (unfortunately he hasn’t been able to stay healthy). Ward is better. Great pick, outstanding career, with Darrell Green upside.
1 5 Denver Broncos: Bradley Chubb DE NC State 4
The Broncos went BPA and there’s really not much insight can offer. I like the Bosa comparison and he’s kind of a smaller Mario Williams as well. The one thing that pops out at you is the power in his hands. Handwork is crucial for a DL and he has extremely strong hands. BC and Marshall simply couldn’t block him. His tape wasn’t always pretty and he did get shut out by some tackles, including at South Carolina. He doesn’t have the bend or quickness of an elite pass-rusher so I’d be surprised to see him lead the league in sacks. His poor 3cone kinda shows up but so does his ridiculous speed - as it often leads to power. My final thought on Chubb is this: in today’s college game teams often choose to read (RPO or option) the best player on the defense so you don’t have to block him. When teams did that he was excellent, confusing QBs and making plays that were designed to read him. It shows he’s coachable and one of those “just a football player” types. Solid Mario Williams-ish career. 1 6 Indianapolis Colts: Quenton Nelson G Notre Dame 5
I’m just gonna go ahead and echo what everyone else is saying about Nelson. Also, he injured a tough Stanford kid, made one of the most WTF plays I’ve ever seen coming from his LG spot to the opposite edge and crushing a blitzer. He’s stout and doesn’t get moved. And he delivers contact, doesn’t take it. He’s going to be good for a long time. How insane would I have to be to claim that Nelson would go to the Hall of Fame and yet they didn’t make the right pick? WHAT?!? I think Roquan Smith would have changed the entire culture of their defense. While I seriously do prefer Smith, I have no major issues with Nelson obviously. 1 7 Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen QB Wyoming 2 I didn’t hate Josh Allen’s tape. I think he has a ton of upside. He made some extraordinary plays outside the structure of the offense, breaking tackles, and making crazy throws down the field. The most incredible play was actually a sack he somehow avoided to throw the ball away against Boise. He absolutely has some Big Ben in him. He got hot early in the Bowl game and those are the same highlights shown on the networks. In the Iowa game, his WRs did him no favors dropping three passes including a TD against a decent defense. He’s really tough to bring down and we all know the arm. It really comes down to the intangibles for me. I don’t think he’ll ever be very accurate but I don’t think he’s as inaccurate as his 56% suggests. There really is a ton of great stuff on tape. He was pretty good against New Mexico. I just can’t get over his inconsistent footwork, the fact that he’s late a ton (although that was my critique of Wentz too…), and that he doesn’t even throw that nice of a ball. He’s going to a place without much talent around him. I can’t predict great things for him but I think he can be Bortles-y.
1 8 Chicago Bears: Roquan Smith LB Georgia 5 Roquan Smith can be Derrick Brooks. He was the No. 1 player on my board easily. As an offensive coach one of my core philosophies is to NOT allow defensive gamebreakers to break games. There’s a pass concept that Bama and Oklahoma both tried where you run the boundary receiver on a snag route to pick the boundary LB, freeing up the RB on a swing or wheel. I have no idea why these offensive coordinators tried to do that to Roquan Smith and it ended poorly for both teams. He doesn’t miss tackles, he makes plays in coverage, he’s an adept blitzer, and he’s damn explosive. He dominates games. His presence is infectious. The Bears just added the DROY to a team that has some talent. Their OL should be a bit better and with a healthy Allen Robinson, they have a legit No. 1 WR. I was higher on Trubisky (didn’t love his rookie year but that’s OK) than most last year and I’m going to stick to it - the Bears will be my sleeper team to win 10 games (will be tough in that division). It comes down to the QB of course.
1 9 San Francisco 49ers: Mike McGlinchey OT Notre Dame 1
There were some glaring lowlights in Mike McGlinchey’s tape. He was absolutely torched by Bradley Chubb and really struggled with speed. He was more of angle-blocker in the run-game and didn’t flash much power. Patriots fans lowkey hated Nate Solder for years and I think that’s McGlinchey’s upside. I think he has potential to be solid, but I definitely don’t think he was worthy of the ninth overall pick in a good draft. My final guess is that he underwhelms and settles in a RT.
1 10 Arizona Cardinals: Josh Rosen QB UCLA 2
There seems to be a lot of romanticizing about Josh Rosen among the internet draft community. People seem to think he “fell” due to personality question marks and whatnot. If you really study the tape, he simply isn’t that great of a prospect. And for a guy that was supposed to be the best pure passer, he was outshined by Baker Mayfield at the combine in throwing drills. The built-in excuse Rosen has is his coaching situation, where he played for a new OC every season. That can’t be easy and he deserves credit for producing as he did. But there are a lot of issues on tape. He was straight-up bad versus Colorado, at one point missing four throws in a row and throwing a terrible INT. He’s a rhythm passer with some flashes but I swear threw some of the luckiest TDs I’ve ever seen, including two in the classic comeback versus TAMU. He throws high sometimes but he’s generally accurate, moreso than the other QBs on tape. And he’s a crafty tennis player moving around, a strength he shares with all the QBs. Like all these QBs, there’s definitely a lot to like, but the tape has glaring flaws. So while he does have the best footwork and accuracy of all the QBs, he’s also thin with injury concerns. To have two documented (key word) concussions and shoulder surgery on your resume is beyond alarming, and if he “fell” at all those were the reasons. It’s ironic he’s now on a roster with Palmer and Bradford. Unfortunately, I see his career going down a similar path. I just don’t trust him to stay healthy and I don’t think he’s really THAT good.
1 11 Miami Dolphins: Minkah Fitzpatrick S Alabama 3 This is an interesting fit. Minkah Fitzpatrick is without a doubt a special football player but I do wonder where he’ll play in the NFL. The Dolphins have two safeties already so the only question mark I have about the pick is exactly where he’ll line up. You need to be put somewhere on the depth chart even if you can line up in various alignments. My guess is that he can play anywhere, but him finding a home that suits him is key. Is he an outside corner at all? That’s an interesting debate. We know from the film that he can play nickel and LB, so using him outside would be a transition. It’s up to the coaching staff. While his tape was excellent I struggle finding a place where he can be as ball-hawky as he was at Bama. From my notes: communicates, plasters, blitzes, closing burst, lots of pick sixes, breaks on an angled post vs Watson NCG WOW. High football character. Don’t see a bust but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him as a solid rather than spectacular pro. Blocked punts and numerous pick sixes happen to very few guys at the pro level. He’ll be good, but not Ed Reed or anything.
1 12 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Vita Vea DT Washington 4
This is where most thought Derwin James would go but the Bucs went DL with probably their BPA in Vita Vea. Vea didn’t make a play against Penn State but his highlight plays in other games were WOW. He’s not really twitchy but he’s more just fast which obviously plays in the NFL. One of his underrated traits is his knack for getting his hands up and deflecting passes. He can anchor against the run and push the pocket. Is he a true impact pro? Depends on your definition. I think he ends up being a dominant interior player. It will translate to sacks and splash plays but also stretches of games where he’s invisible. He’ll be an inconsistently impactful pro bowler.
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gpngc's 2018 Draft Review: Analysis and career predictions for each team's first round pick

Every year I write a long draft review after spending hundreds of hours studying film of prospects. Instead of draft grades, I use my evaluations to make predictions about the careers of the draftees. Of course, this is next to impossible, but I think it’s more fun than draft grades and I love to differentiate from the majority opinion and give fresh insights. Two major changes to my review this year to make it hopefully better received:
I’m only doing the first round, so now it’s way shorter. I’m scratching the corny headlines.
So that’s what this is. A coach/amateur scout who’s been a draftnik since 2004 predicting the careers of 21 year-old prospects. It’s a ridiculous exercise, but I enjoy it, and hopefully you do too.
Each draftee will receive a career projection grade from a 1-5 scale: 5 – All-Pro: Starter who has performed at an elite level at his position. 4 – Above Average: Starter who has been among the best at his position. 3 – Solid: Starter or valuable back-up with significant positive production. 2 – Replacement Level: Below average starter or back-up who made minor contributions. 1 – Bust: Player who didn’t amount to anything positive.
In my draft reviews the past two years I’ve started to predict this exact grade for drafted players, and as these grades become clear in reality, I’ll begin to evaluate my predictions. I only go back to 2016 with this scale though, so we can’t laugh at the results just yet (although you can go back and read my thoughts from drafts dating back to 2013 at Draft32.com, just without the number scale). I absolutely believe this is a more interesting way to discuss post-draft and hopefully you agree.
My studies have also shown how the grades have broken down in each section of the draft. For example, from 2005-2012 the top 5 broke down like this: Picks 1-5 All-Pro: 25% Above Average: 17.5% Solid: 17.5% Replacement level: 22.5% Bust: 17.5%
I have these numbers all the way throughout the draft and you can read about it here: https://www.draft32.com/true-pick-values
I’ve also started to grade the early returns of 2013-2016 just to get more data. It’s stupid I know, but here’s the conclusion I drew: it would be extremely silly for me to hand out a bunch of 5s and 4s. Just going over the top ten of those four years, there were 3 busts in 2013, 2 busts in 2014, 3 busts in 2015, and 1 (early returns) in 2016 (shaping up to be one of the best top tens of all time). Basically, it would be unwise for me to NOT pick at least one bust in the top ten of this class. So just understand that I’m not randomly tossing numbers around. I’m projecting careers rooted in film study, fit, AND past history of how picks in those ranges have turned out. I’m way more negative (read: realistic) than other post-draft articles.
Rnd. Pick # NFL team Player Pos. College Proj. Grade 1 1 Cleveland Browns: Baker Mayfield QB Oklahoma 1 Mayfield’s positives are obvious and legitimate. Analytics and PFF love him because of his numbers and he really does have all the tools. He threw the best at the combine of all the QBs. There are real flashes of brilliance on tape. But there are reasons he wasn’t thought of as the number one QB by a ton of draft media types, including well-researched Mike Mayock (who will probably get a GM job one day). His tape simply doesn’t show a top QB prospect. His struggles versus Texas have been well documented but I won’t even go there. His tape against tOSU (and his signature advantage over Darnold) did not show a top QB prospect. From my notes: “two missed throws, skittish, threw a slant behind someone, an absolutely atrocious deep ball, everything is RAC.” To his credit, he is really good at getting the ball out quickly and accurately on perimeter screens. That will translate. However, I can’t ignore the rest. From my notes from other games “I do not see his improv translating, not very accurate.” Then of course the obvious negative notes from the Texas game. One interesting thing about both Mayfield and Allen is that they seemed to get “hot” more than past QBs I’ve evaluated. For both of them, when things were working well (and against TCU’s defense he was great), the accuracy and decision-making snowballed in a positive way. So it comes down to getting this flawed player comfortable, which is why fit is so important. The Browns have a future star at TE, a talented duo at WR, and a deep backfield. They’ll definitely be better on offense. However, Mayfield will likely have a second offensive coordinator at this time next year starting over from scratch. I also do not trust Josh Gordon. Njouku is only 21 and Landry might just be a stat-stuffer. I can’t pick a Hue Jackson QB to become a star right now, especially one with Mayfield’s game. For all the talk about temperament and leadership I think the improvisational skills are way overrated and won’t play in the league, and those were really the things that made him a Heisman winner. He’s not a Russell Wilson or even Johnny Manziel-level athlete. Beneath the hype you have a short, spread-system, decent QB prospect going into a lameduck coaching situation. I’ll say he busts. 1 2 New York Giants: Saquon Barkley RB Penn State 5 Barkley’s 2017 film was not always pretty. He dances too much, tries to bounce everything outside, and projects to take a lot of TFLs in the pros. He’s not a grinder or someone you want to give 25 touches to a la Elliot or Fournette. He’s simply not that great between the tackles. I could give you a scorching hot take and say that he’ll fail to live up to his hype and settle in as a 1B speed back and kick returner. I’m not that dumb. I really did have some doubts about his can’t-miss status but those were washed away each time I watched a defensive prospect versus Penn State. I saw more power runs, went back to watch more Barkley and just conceded to the fact that he simply has too many incredible traits to NOT be a special back. Maybe he doesn’t pound between the tackles 20 times a game, and maybe he does need a complement (J-Stew seems kinda perfect), but if he’s not scoring 12+ TDs a year, you aren’t coaching him right. It’s important to understand the difference between evaluating a college player’s performance versus evaluating a college prospects traits. I would bet that the Penn State RBs coach didn’t grade out Barkley amazingly every single week based on the tape. But for the purpose of the draft, that doesn’t really matter. Anyway, he’s a star and learning from great pro’s like J-Stew and Eli put him in a wonderful situation. Somewhat surprisingly, I expect him to return kicks early in his career as well.
OK. I must address the sentiment that the Giants should have taken a QB instead of the best RB. I am not an Eli apologist, and I think Eli is closer to done right now than having two full good years left. I’d be happy for him to prove me wrong. I also didn’t like Davis Webb coming out.
I feel very strongly about this issue and at times it’s hard to articulate it.
First, football is unlike any other sport in that it takes more to win a game. And by that I don’t mean it’s more difficult. It’s just different. It just takes MORE. When you are involved with a team you spend an entire week or longer preparing for one opponent, and all of your preparation, not to mention all the work you put in during the offseason, is put to the test in 60 minutes. It is a BIG freaking accomplishment to win a single football game. What fans often get caught up in, partially due to the NBA situation, is that winning a Super Bowl is the ONLY goal. It is assuredly not. NFL teams have 16 goals throughout the season and each win does have meaning. Winning a title is the ULTIMATE goal but it is not the ONLY goal. That’s why tanking will never work - the team-wide investment it takes to win. Coaches and players cannot afford to put out poor film - their livelihood depends on performance in games, practices, and meetings. Because of this, BPA also means the objective is to make your team better right now. Coaches and players will be very excited to get to work with Barkley. It’s good for the culture, and increases their chances of winning right away.
“That’s so short-sighted.”
It is, but this league promises nothing. I laugh when people throw around the “starting X for the next 10 years” stuff, usually talking about an OL or QB. You don’t even know who’s going to be starting in Week 2 of THIS SEASON let alone 10 years down the line. You don’t know who’s going to suffer a catastrophic injury, what late-rounder blooms into a star, or what UDFAs might give your team. You might find a third-round HOF QB or an all-time great might choose to extend his career for you. Then there’s free agency that changes everything each year. You just don’t know. So while it’s important to have an overarching plan - you must understand that plans change quickly in the NFL and that everything is fluid. Which is why adding the BPA when you can is more important than trying to fit something into a plan that may be ripped up and re-done in a year or less.
One line of thinking is that Barkley makes the Giants just good enough to be in that 7-9/8-8 range for the next handful of years, which doesn’t allow them to draft a top QB. The idea being that it’s worse to be mediocre than it is to be flat-out bad and get a top pick. This line of thinking is supremely flawed. First, it is much better for your young players to experience winning. It builds culture and expectation, which is what you want your young QB to walk into. Second, just because you’re picking 16th-ish overall doesn’t mean you can’t land a top QB (see Rams and Eagles).
This leads me to my next point. The most aggravating part of this whole discussion is that the “MUST TAKE A QB” crowd didn’t pinpoint a QB they want. They’ll be able to cherry-pick whichever of the three works out as the reason the Giants shouldn’t have gone RB. That’s not fair. You can’t have that opinion and not say which one you wanted. So the issue is much less GENERAL position than it is SPECIFIC player. Deep-diving into this class shows four highly flawed but talented QB prospects with a ton of question marks. It also reveals an absolute diamond at the top in Barkley. The Giants clearly didn’t believe any of these QBs projected to be franchise guys for them - I agree with that opinion as I will not pick any of these three to reach All-Pro status. So they pick a no-brainer who makes their team better RIGHT NOW.
Others argue against drafting any RB high. I could point to how Zeke and Fournette were huge parts of putting their teams in the playoffs, but how about Todd Gurley? The Rams took the RB before the franchise QB and that has worked out well so far. There’s no reason the Giants can’t do the same, which leads me to my next point.
“They are never going to be picking high enough to take a franchise QB - they have to do it now.” So, how do you get a franchise QB? The easiest way is to get a top pick and draft one. I’ve already covered the Rams and Eagles who simply traded up, something the Giants can definitely do. It will be costly, but if you believe in the guy (and they clearly didn’t truly believe in any of the QBs this year), it is worth it. But is using a high draft pick the only way?
Here’s how the (subjective) top 12 QBs in the NFL were acquired and how many SB appearances they’ve had (remember many of who I’m speaking to are in the SBs MATTER MOST AND QBS MATTER FOR SBs MOST crowd):
1- Tom Brady, 6th Round, 6 SBs 2 - Aaron Rodgers, 24th overall, 1 SB 3 - Drew Brees, 2nd Round, 1 SB 4 - Ben Roethlisberger, 11th overall, 3 SBs 5 - Carson Wentz, 2nd Overall, 1 SB* 6 - Russell Wilson, 3rd Round, 2 SBs 7 - Matt Ryan, 3rd Overall, 1 SB 8 - Cam Newton, 1st Overall, 1 SB 9 - Philip Rivers, 4th Overall, 0 SB 10 - Matt Stafford, 1st Overall, 0 SB 11 - Kirk Cousins, 4th Round, 0 SB 12 - Jared Goff, 1st Overall, 0 SB
Two other ways to win it all:
Joe Flacco, 16th overall, 1 SB Peyton Manning, Free Agent signing to Broncos, 2 SBs
Set up for the future: Derek Carr, 2nd Round DeShaun Watson, 12th overall Jimmy Garropolo, Trade (and was drafted in the 2nd)
Finally, a few top draft picks:
Eli Manning, 1st overall, 2 SBs - WORTH IT Andrew Luck, 1st overall, 0 SBs - WORTH IT (injured) Jameis Winston, 1st overall - jury still out Marcus Mariota, 2nd overall - jury still out Blake Bortles, 3rd overall - jury still out
And this list doesn’t include all of the busts taken over the years at the top of the draft. Or the curious case of Alex Smith, someone who has been acquired twice via trade.
The point of laying out this landscape is simple: there’s more than one way to find a franchise QB. And an even more important point: there’s more than one way to build a Championship team. I think Saquon Barkley is an important piece of that foundation for the Giants. It’s up to them to figure out the QB position, but this wasn’t the year to do it.
1 3 New York Jets: Sam Darnold QB USC 3 Sam Darnold is 20 years old right now and will be 21 when the season starts. He’s played QB for four seasons of his life (two in HS, two at USC). I say we don’t judge a single second of his career until the start of the 2020 season. While that won’t happen, it probably should. His tape simply wasn’t great, but knowing his history, it’s not that surprising. There is just so much projection with a prospect like this that it’s almost foolish to even evaluate the results and decision-making that much. But that’s all I have. The bottom line with all of these QBs is that they are going to have to do something unlike anything they have ever done. Despite the similarities to the untrained eye, playing QB at the college level is so far and beyond different than being an NFL QB. I actually didn’t know Darnold was so young while scouting him so I went back for a second look from a different perspective and liked him more. Like Mayfield, he wasn’t good against Texas or tOSU. He also struggled against Cal, especially down the field. I don’t like his circular release but it’s not a game-changer. LIke another recent highly touted QB, Jameis Winston, I expect his turnover issues to continue, at least through the early part of his career. However, I don’t think it’s in his mentality and DNA like it is with Winston as much as due to inexperience. Becoming more careful with the football without losing his playmaking ability will define his career. Darnold’s creativity is his best attribute right now, which is a good sign. Those instincts can absolutely translate. He’s a sneaky mover and the Stanford tape shows some anticipation. He’s also adept at working the middle of the field. He’ll have to get better throwing outside the numbers. Overall, there’s a ton to work with but legitimate concerns as well. He has super bust risk and doesn’t go to a great situation but all outcomes are on the table for his talent and quick-study demeanor. His situation isn’t great as far as weapons go, but Josh McCown will be a terrific mentor. Macagnan made one of the worst second-round picks in the history of the NFL Draft with Hackenburg (only 2nd-rounder to not appear in a game through three seasons), and has lucked into some no-brainers at the top of each draft, but give him credit for those picks. I see it like this: they got the QB of their defense last year, the QB of their offense this year, retain Leonard Williams to be their best DL and will suck for one more year to add that game-changing weapon at WR or RB. I’m big on BPA because the draft is about finding young, cheap building blocks to set the foundation of your franchise. Especially at the top. Then you fill out your roster with steals and free agents. My Darnold pick is that he’s a good starter in the Stafford mold and develops a nice rapport with a WR they take at 7 overall next year.
1 4 Cleveland Browns: Denzel Ward CB Ohio State 4
Ward at four was a surprise to many, but it was clear what the Browns were thinking. They saw what Lattimore did last year and filled their biggest need. My philosophy, especially at the top of the draft, is to go BPA. I understand the Browns thought process in regards to passing on Chubb. They have their two edge rushers and needed a CB badly. The problem with this line of thinking is that you can never have too many defensive linemen, and having three terrorizing pass rushers, Chubb on the inside, makes your third-down front very scary. There is a very good chance Ward and Chubb become stars and no one really remembers this as the wrong pick, but if Chubb becomes a star and Ward is average, this will not age well for the Browns. From my evaluations, Ward is not far behind Chubb, so I’m not even going to get caught up in it. Yes, I would stay true to my board and draft Chubb, but Ward has HOF potential, as evidenced by his draft spot. I was a bit surprised when I heard how many top-five picks were spent on corners in the past. It rarely happens. On the field, his game projects as some sort of Asante Samuel/Darrelle Revis/Darrell Green hybrid. Anyone who has coached DBs knows the most difficult thing to do is get your head around to find the ball when playing man. He does it as well as anyone I’ve ever seen. He’s feisty, he’s quick, and he will hit you, like he showed versus Maryland. His size might be an issue at times but he can tackle and jump so I don’t view it as that much of a liability. A few years ago I banged the table for Jason Verrett and he’s been stellar when on the field (unfortunately he hasn’t been able to stay healthy). Ward is better. Great pick, outstanding career, with Darrell Green upside.
1 5 Denver Broncos: Bradley Chubb DE NC State 4
The Broncos went BPA and there’s really not much insight can offer. I like the Bosa comparison and he’s kind of a smaller Mario Williams as well. The one thing that pops out at you is the power in his hands. Handwork is crucial for a DL and he has extremely strong hands. BC and Marshall simply couldn’t block him. His tape wasn’t always pretty and he did get shut out by some tackles, including at South Carolina. He doesn’t have the bend or quickness of an elite pass-rusher so I’d be surprised to see him lead the league in sacks. His poor 3cone kinda shows up but so does his ridiculous speed - as it often leads to power. My final thought on Chubb is this: in today’s college game teams often choose to read (RPO or option) the best player on the defense so you don’t have to block him. When teams did that he was excellent, confusing QBs and making plays that were designed to read him. It shows he’s coachable and one of those “just a football player” types. Solid Mario Williams-ish career. 1 6 Indianapolis Colts: Quenton Nelson G Notre Dame 5
I’m just gonna go ahead and echo what everyone else is saying about Nelson. Also, he injured a tough Stanford kid, made one of the most WTF plays I’ve ever seen coming from his LG spot to the opposite edge and crushing a blitzer. He’s stout and doesn’t get moved. And he delivers contact, doesn’t take it. He’s going to be good for a long time. How insane would I have to be to claim that Nelson would go to the Hall of Fame and yet they didn’t make the right pick? WHAT?!? I think Roquan Smith would have changed the entire culture of their defense. While I seriously do prefer Smith, I have no major issues with Nelson obviously. 1 7 Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen QB Wyoming 2 I didn’t hate Josh Allen’s tape. I think he has a ton of upside. He made some extraordinary plays outside the structure of the offense, breaking tackles, and making crazy throws down the field. The most incredible play was actually a sack he somehow avoided to throw the ball away against Boise. He absolutely has some Big Ben in him. He got hot early in the Bowl game and those are the same highlights shown on the networks. In the Iowa game, his WRs did him no favors dropping three passes including a TD against a decent defense. He’s really tough to bring down and we all know the arm. It really comes down to the intangibles for me. I don’t think he’ll ever be very accurate but I don’t think he’s as inaccurate as his 56% suggests. There really is a ton of great stuff on tape. He was pretty good against New Mexico. I just can’t get over his inconsistent footwork, the fact that he’s late a ton (although that was my critique of Wentz too…), and that he doesn’t even throw that nice of a ball. He’s going to a place without much talent around him. I can’t predict great things for him but I think he can be Bortles-y.
1 8 Chicago Bears: Roquan Smith LB Georgia 5 Roquan Smith can be Derrick Brooks. He was the No. 1 player on my board easily. As an offensive coach one of my core philosophies is to NOT allow defensive gamebreakers to break games. There’s a pass concept that Bama and Oklahoma both tried where you run the boundary receiver on a snag route to pick the boundary LB, freeing up the RB on a swing or wheel. I have no idea why these offensive coordinators tried to do that to Roquan Smith and it ended poorly for both teams. He doesn’t miss tackles, he makes plays in coverage, he’s an adept blitzer, and he’s damn explosive. He dominates games. His presence is infectious. The Bears just added the DROY to a team that has some talent. Their OL should be a bit better and with a healthy Allen Robinson, they have a legit No. 1 WR. I was higher on Trubisky (didn’t love his rookie year but that’s OK) than most last year and I’m going to stick to it - the Bears will be my sleeper team to win 10 games (will be tough in that division). It comes down to the QB of course.
1 9 San Francisco 49ers: Mike McGlinchey OT Notre Dame 1
There were some glaring lowlights in Mike McGlinchey’s tape. He was absolutely torched by Bradley Chubb and really struggled with speed. He was more of angle-blocker in the run-game and didn’t flash much power. Patriots fans lowkey hated Nate Solder for years and I think that’s McGlinchey’s upside. I think he has potential to be solid, but I definitely don’t think he was worthy of the ninth overall pick in a good draft. My final guess is that he underwhelms and settles in a RT.
1 10 Arizona Cardinals: Josh Rosen QB UCLA 2
There seems to be a lot of romanticizing about Josh Rosen among the internet draft community. People seem to think he “fell” due to personality question marks and whatnot. If you really study the tape, he simply isn’t that great of a prospect. And for a guy that was supposed to be the best pure passer, he was outshined by Baker Mayfield at the combine in throwing drills. The built-in excuse Rosen has is his coaching situation, where he played for a new OC every season. That can’t be easy and he deserves credit for producing as he did. But there are a lot of issues on tape. He was straight-up bad versus Colorado, at one point missing four throws in a row and throwing a terrible INT. He’s a rhythm passer with some flashes but I swear threw some of the luckiest TDs I’ve ever seen, including two in the classic comeback versus TAMU. He throws high sometimes but he’s generally accurate, moreso than the other QBs on tape. And he’s a crafty tennis player moving around, a strength he shares with all the QBs. Like all these QBs, there’s definitely a lot to like, but the tape has glaring flaws. So while he does have the best footwork and accuracy of all the QBs, he’s also thin with injury concerns. To have two documented (key word) concussions and shoulder surgery on your resume is beyond alarming, and if he “fell” at all those were the reasons. It’s ironic he’s now on a roster with Palmer and Bradford. Unfortunately, I see his career going down a similar path. I just don’t trust him to stay healthy and I don’t think he’s really THAT good.
1 11 Miami Dolphins: Minkah Fitzpatrick S Alabama 3 This is an interesting fit. Minkah Fitzpatrick is without a doubt a special football player but I do wonder where he’ll play in the NFL. The Dolphins have two safeties already so the only question mark I have about the pick is exactly where he’ll line up. You need to be put somewhere on the depth chart even if you can line up in various alignments. My guess is that he can play anywhere, but him finding a home that suits him is key. Is he an outside corner at all? That’s an interesting debate. We know from the film that he can play nickel and LB, so using him outside would be a transition. It’s up to the coaching staff. While his tape was excellent I struggle finding a place where he can be as ball-hawky as he was at Bama. From my notes: communicates, plasters, blitzes, closing burst, lots of pick sixes, breaks on an angled post vs Watson NCG WOW. High football character. Don’t see a bust but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him as a solid rather than spectacular pro. Blocked punts and numerous pick sixes happen to very few guys at the pro level. He’ll be good, but not Ed Reed or anything.
1 12 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Vita Vea DT Washington 4
This is where most thought Derwin James would go but the Bucs went DL with probably their BPA in Vita Vea. Vea didn’t make a play against Penn State but his highlight plays in other games were WOW. He’s not really twitchy but he’s more just fast which obviously plays in the NFL. One of his underrated traits is his knack for getting his hands up and deflecting passes. He can anchor against the run and push the pocket. Is he a true impact pro? Depends on your definition. I think he ends up being a dominant interior player. It will translate to sacks and splash plays but also stretches of games where he’s invisible. He’ll be an inconsistently impactful pro bowler.
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gpngc test

Every year I write a long draft review after spending hundreds of hours studying film of prospects. Instead of draft grades, I use my evaluations to make predictions about the careers of the draftees. Of course, this is next to impossible, but I think it’s more fun than draft grades and I love to differentiate from the majority opinion and give fresh insights. Two major changes to my review this year to make it hopefully better received:
I’m only doing the first round, so now it’s way shorter. I’m scratching the corny headlines.
So that’s what this is. A coach/amateur scout who’s been a draftnik since 2004 predicting the careers of 21 year-old prospects. It’s a ridiculous exercise, but I enjoy it, and hopefully you do too.
Each draftee will receive a career projection grade from a 1-5 scale: 5 – All-Pro: Starter who has performed at an elite level at his position. 4 – Above Average: Starter who has been among the best at his position. 3 – Solid: Starter or valuable back-up with significant positive production. 2 – Replacement Level: Below average starter or back-up who made minor contributions. 1 – Bust: Player who didn’t amount to anything positive.
In my draft reviews the past two years I’ve started to predict this exact grade for drafted players, and as these grades become clear in reality, I’ll begin to evaluate my predictions. I only go back to 2016 with this scale though, so we can’t laugh at the results just yet (although you can go back and read my thoughts from drafts dating back to 2013 at Draft32.com, just without the number scale). I absolutely believe this is a more interesting way to discuss post-draft and hopefully you agree.
My studies have also shown how the grades have broken down in each section of the draft. For example, from 2005-2012 the top 5 broke down like this: Picks 1-5 All-Pro: 25% Above Average: 17.5% Solid: 17.5% Replacement level: 22.5% Bust: 17.5%
I have these numbers all the way throughout the draft and you can read about it here: https://www.draft32.com/true-pick-values
I’ve also started to grade the early returns of 2013-2016 just to get more data. It’s stupid I know, but here’s the conclusion I drew: it would be extremely silly for me to hand out a bunch of 5s and 4s. Just going over the top ten of those four years, there were 3 busts in 2013, 2 busts in 2014, 3 busts in 2015, and 1 (early returns) in 2016 (shaping up to be one of the best top tens of all time). Basically, it would be unwise for me to NOT pick at least one bust in the top ten of this class. So just understand that I’m not randomly tossing numbers around. I’m projecting careers rooted in film study, fit, AND past history of how picks in those ranges have turned out. I’m way more negative (read: realistic) than other post-draft articles.
Rnd. Pick # NFL team Player Pos. College Proj. Grade 1 1 Cleveland Browns: Baker Mayfield QB Oklahoma 1 Mayfield’s positives are obvious and legitimate. Analytics and PFF love him because of his numbers and he really does have all the tools. He threw the best at the combine of all the QBs. There are real flashes of brilliance on tape. But there are reasons he wasn’t thought of as the number one QB by a ton of draft media types, including well-researched Mike Mayock (who will probably get a GM job one day). His tape simply doesn’t show a top QB prospect. His struggles versus Texas have been well documented but I won’t even go there. His tape against tOSU (and his signature advantage over Darnold) did not show a top QB prospect. From my notes: “two missed throws, skittish, threw a slant behind someone, an absolutely atrocious deep ball, everything is RAC.” To his credit, he is really good at getting the ball out quickly and accurately on perimeter screens. That will translate. However, I can’t ignore the rest. From my notes from other games “I do not see his improv translating, not very accurate.” Then of course the obvious negative notes from the Texas game. One interesting thing about both Mayfield and Allen is that they seemed to get “hot” more than past QBs I’ve evaluated. For both of them, when things were working well (and against TCU’s defense he was great), the accuracy and decision-making snowballed in a positive way. So it comes down to getting this flawed player comfortable, which is why fit is so important. The Browns have a future star at TE, a talented duo at WR, and a deep backfield. They’ll definitely be better on offense. However, Mayfield will likely have a second offensive coordinator at this time next year starting over from scratch. I also do not trust Josh Gordon. Njouku is only 21 and Landry might just be a stat-stuffer. I can’t pick a Hue Jackson QB to become a star right now, especially one with Mayfield’s game. For all the talk about temperament and leadership I think the improvisational skills are way overrated and won’t play in the league, and those were really the things that made him a Heisman winner. He’s not a Russell Wilson or even Johnny Manziel-level athlete. Beneath the hype you have a short, spread-system, decent QB prospect going into a lameduck coaching situation. I’ll say he busts. 1 2 New York Giants: Saquon Barkley RB Penn State 5 Barkley’s 2017 film was not always pretty. He dances too much, tries to bounce everything outside, and projects to take a lot of TFLs in the pros. He’s not a grinder or someone you want to give 25 touches to a la Elliot or Fournette. He’s simply not that great between the tackles. I could give you a scorching hot take and say that he’ll fail to live up to his hype and settle in as a 1B speed back and kick returner. I’m not that dumb. I really did have some doubts about his can’t-miss status but those were washed away each time I watched a defensive prospect versus Penn State. I saw more power runs, went back to watch more Barkley and just conceded to the fact that he simply has too many incredible traits to NOT be a special back. Maybe he doesn’t pound between the tackles 20 times a game, and maybe he does need a complement (J-Stew seems kinda perfect), but if he’s not scoring 12+ TDs a year, you aren’t coaching him right. It’s important to understand the difference between evaluating a college player’s performance versus evaluating a college prospects traits. I would bet that the Penn State RBs coach didn’t grade out Barkley amazingly every single week based on the tape. But for the purpose of the draft, that doesn’t really matter. Anyway, he’s a star and learning from great pro’s like J-Stew and Eli put him in a wonderful situation. Somewhat surprisingly, I expect him to return kicks early in his career as well.
OK. I must address the sentiment that the Giants should have taken a QB instead of the best RB. I am not an Eli apologist, and I think Eli is closer to done right now than having two full good years left. I’d be happy for him to prove me wrong. I also didn’t like Davis Webb coming out.
I feel very strongly about this issue and at times it’s hard to articulate it.
First, football is unlike any other sport in that it takes more to win a game. And by that I don’t mean it’s more difficult. It’s just different. It just takes MORE. When you are involved with a team you spend an entire week or longer preparing for one opponent, and all of your preparation, not to mention all the work you put in during the offseason, is put to the test in 60 minutes. It is a BIG freaking accomplishment to win a single football game. What fans often get caught up in, partially due to the NBA situation, is that winning a Super Bowl is the ONLY goal. It is assuredly not. NFL teams have 16 goals throughout the season and each win does have meaning. Winning a title is the ULTIMATE goal but it is not the ONLY goal. That’s why tanking will never work - the team-wide investment it takes to win. Coaches and players cannot afford to put out poor film - their livelihood depends on performance in games, practices, and meetings. Because of this, BPA also means the objective is to make your team better right now. Coaches and players will be very excited to get to work with Barkley. It’s good for the culture, and increases their chances of winning right away.
“That’s so short-sighted.”
It is, but this league promises nothing. I laugh when people throw around the “starting X for the next 10 years” stuff, usually talking about an OL or QB. You don’t even know who’s going to be starting in Week 2 of THIS SEASON let alone 10 years down the line. You don’t know who’s going to suffer a catastrophic injury, what late-rounder blooms into a star, or what UDFAs might give your team. You might find a third-round HOF QB or an all-time great might choose to extend his career for you. Then there’s free agency that changes everything each year. You just don’t know. So while it’s important to have an overarching plan - you must understand that plans change quickly in the NFL and that everything is fluid. Which is why adding the BPA when you can is more important than trying to fit something into a plan that may be ripped up and re-done in a year or less.
One line of thinking is that Barkley makes the Giants just good enough to be in that 7-9/8-8 range for the next handful of years, which doesn’t allow them to draft a top QB. The idea being that it’s worse to be mediocre than it is to be flat-out bad and get a top pick. This line of thinking is supremely flawed. First, it is much better for your young players to experience winning. It builds culture and expectation, which is what you want your young QB to walk into. Second, just because you’re picking 16th-ish overall doesn’t mean you can’t land a top QB (see Rams and Eagles).
This leads me to my next point. The most aggravating part of this whole discussion is that the “MUST TAKE A QB” crowd didn’t pinpoint a QB they want. They’ll be able to cherry-pick whichever of the three works out as the reason the Giants shouldn’t have gone RB. That’s not fair. You can’t have that opinion and not say which one you wanted. So the issue is much less GENERAL position than it is SPECIFIC player. Deep-diving into this class shows four highly flawed but talented QB prospects with a ton of question marks. It also reveals an absolute diamond at the top in Barkley. The Giants clearly didn’t believe any of these QBs projected to be franchise guys for them - I agree with that opinion as I will not pick any of these three to reach All-Pro status. So they pick a no-brainer who makes their team better RIGHT NOW.
Others argue against drafting any RB high. I could point to how Zeke and Fournette were huge parts of putting their teams in the playoffs, but how about Todd Gurley? The Rams took the RB before the franchise QB and that has worked out well so far. There’s no reason the Giants can’t do the same, which leads me to my next point.
“They are never going to be picking high enough to take a franchise QB - they have to do it now.” So, how do you get a franchise QB? The easiest way is to get a top pick and draft one. I’ve already covered the Rams and Eagles who simply traded up, something the Giants can definitely do. It will be costly, but if you believe in the guy (and they clearly didn’t truly believe in any of the QBs this year), it is worth it. But is using a high draft pick the only way?
Here’s how the (subjective) top 12 QBs in the NFL were acquired and how many SB appearances they’ve had (remember many of who I’m speaking to are in the SBs MATTER MOST AND QBS MATTER FOR SBs MOST crowd):
1- Tom Brady, 6th Round, 6 SBs 2 - Aaron Rodgers, 24th overall, 1 SB 3 - Drew Brees, 2nd Round, 1 SB 4 - Ben Roethlisberger, 11th overall, 3 SBs 5 - Carson Wentz, 2nd Overall, 1 SB* 6 - Russell Wilson, 3rd Round, 2 SBs 7 - Matt Ryan, 3rd Overall, 1 SB 8 - Cam Newton, 1st Overall, 1 SB 9 - Philip Rivers, 4th Overall, 0 SB 10 - Matt Stafford, 1st Overall, 0 SB 11 - Kirk Cousins, 4th Round, 0 SB 12 - Jared Goff, 1st Overall, 0 SB
Two other ways to win it all:
Joe Flacco, 16th overall, 1 SB Peyton Manning, Free Agent signing to Broncos, 2 SBs
Set up for the future: Derek Carr, 2nd Round DeShaun Watson, 12th overall Jimmy Garropolo, Trade (and was drafted in the 2nd)
Finally, a few top draft picks:
Eli Manning, 1st overall, 2 SBs - WORTH IT Andrew Luck, 1st overall, 0 SBs - WORTH IT (injured) Jameis Winston, 1st overall - jury still out Marcus Mariota, 2nd overall - jury still out Blake Bortles, 3rd overall - jury still out
And this list doesn’t include all of the busts taken over the years at the top of the draft. Or the curious case of Alex Smith, someone who has been acquired twice via trade.
The point of laying out this landscape is simple: there’s more than one way to find a franchise QB. And an even more important point: there’s more than one way to build a Championship team. I think Saquon Barkley is an important piece of that foundation for the Giants. It’s up to them to figure out the QB position, but this wasn’t the year to do it.
1 3 New York Jets: Sam Darnold QB USC 3 Sam Darnold is 20 years old right now and will be 21 when the season starts. He’s played QB for four seasons of his life (two in HS, two at USC). I say we don’t judge a single second of his career until the start of the 2020 season. While that won’t happen, it probably should. His tape simply wasn’t great, but knowing his history, it’s not that surprising. There is just so much projection with a prospect like this that it’s almost foolish to even evaluate the results and decision-making that much. But that’s all I have. The bottom line with all of these QBs is that they are going to have to do something unlike anything they have ever done. Despite the similarities to the untrained eye, playing QB at the college level is so far and beyond different than being an NFL QB. I actually didn’t know Darnold was so young while scouting him so I went back for a second look from a different perspective and liked him more. Like Mayfield, he wasn’t good against Texas or tOSU. He also struggled against Cal, especially down the field. I don’t like his circular release but it’s not a game-changer. LIke another recent highly touted QB, Jameis Winston, I expect his turnover issues to continue, at least through the early part of his career. However, I don’t think it’s in his mentality and DNA like it is with Winston as much as due to inexperience. Becoming more careful with the football without losing his playmaking ability will define his career. Darnold’s creativity is his best attribute right now, which is a good sign. Those instincts can absolutely translate. He’s a sneaky mover and the Stanford tape shows some anticipation. He’s also adept at working the middle of the field. He’ll have to get better throwing outside the numbers. Overall, there’s a ton to work with but legitimate concerns as well. He has super bust risk and doesn’t go to a great situation but all outcomes are on the table for his talent and quick-study demeanor. His situation isn’t great as far as weapons go, but Josh McCown will be a terrific mentor. Macagnan made one of the worst second-round picks in the history of the NFL Draft with Hackenburg (only 2nd-rounder to not appear in a game through three seasons), and has lucked into some no-brainers at the top of each draft, but give him credit for those picks. I see it like this: they got the QB of their defense last year, the QB of their offense this year, retain Leonard Williams to be their best DL and will suck for one more year to add that game-changing weapon at WR or RB. I’m big on BPA because the draft is about finding young, cheap building blocks to set the foundation of your franchise. Especially at the top. Then you fill out your roster with steals and free agents. My Darnold pick is that he’s a good starter in the Stafford mold and develops a nice rapport with a WR they take at 7 overall next year.
1 4 Cleveland Browns: Denzel Ward CB Ohio State 4
Ward at four was a surprise to many, but it was clear what the Browns were thinking. They saw what Lattimore did last year and filled their biggest need. My philosophy, especially at the top of the draft, is to go BPA. I understand the Browns thought process in regards to passing on Chubb. They have their two edge rushers and needed a CB badly. The problem with this line of thinking is that you can never have too many defensive linemen, and having three terrorizing pass rushers, Chubb on the inside, makes your third-down front very scary. There is a very good chance Ward and Chubb become stars and no one really remembers this as the wrong pick, but if Chubb becomes a star and Ward is average, this will not age well for the Browns. From my evaluations, Ward is not far behind Chubb, so I’m not even going to get caught up in it. Yes, I would stay true to my board and draft Chubb, but Ward has HOF potential, as evidenced by his draft spot. I was a bit surprised when I heard how many top-five picks were spent on corners in the past. It rarely happens. On the field, his game projects as some sort of Asante Samuel/Darrelle Revis/Darrell Green hybrid. Anyone who has coached DBs knows the most difficult thing to do is get your head around to find the ball when playing man. He does it as well as anyone I’ve ever seen. He’s feisty, he’s quick, and he will hit you, like he showed versus Maryland. His size might be an issue at times but he can tackle and jump so I don’t view it as that much of a liability. A few years ago I banged the table for Jason Verrett and he’s been stellar when on the field (unfortunately he hasn’t been able to stay healthy). Ward is better. Great pick, outstanding career, with Darrell Green upside.
1 5 Denver Broncos: Bradley Chubb DE NC State 4
The Broncos went BPA and there’s really not much insight can offer. I like the Bosa comparison and he’s kind of a smaller Mario Williams as well. The one thing that pops out at you is the power in his hands. Handwork is crucial for a DL and he has extremely strong hands. BC and Marshall simply couldn’t block him. His tape wasn’t always pretty and he did get shut out by some tackles, including at South Carolina. He doesn’t have the bend or quickness of an elite pass-rusher so I’d be surprised to see him lead the league in sacks. His poor 3cone kinda shows up but so does his ridiculous speed - as it often leads to power. My final thought on Chubb is this: in today’s college game teams often choose to read (RPO or option) the best player on the defense so you don’t have to block him. When teams did that he was excellent, confusing QBs and making plays that were designed to read him. It shows he’s coachable and one of those “just a football player” types. Solid Mario Williams-ish career. 1 6 Indianapolis Colts: Quenton Nelson G Notre Dame 5
I’m just gonna go ahead and echo what everyone else is saying about Nelson. Also, he injured a tough Stanford kid, made one of the most WTF plays I’ve ever seen coming from his LG spot to the opposite edge and crushing a blitzer. He’s stout and doesn’t get moved. And he delivers contact, doesn’t take it. He’s going to be good for a long time. How insane would I have to be to claim that Nelson would go to the Hall of Fame and yet they didn’t make the right pick? WHAT?!? I think Roquan Smith would have changed the entire culture of their defense. While I seriously do prefer Smith, I have no major issues with Nelson obviously. 1 7 Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen QB Wyoming 2 I didn’t hate Josh Allen’s tape. I think he has a ton of upside. He made some extraordinary plays outside the structure of the offense, breaking tackles, and making crazy throws down the field. The most incredible play was actually a sack he somehow avoided to throw the ball away against Boise. He absolutely has some Big Ben in him. He got hot early in the Bowl game and those are the same highlights shown on the networks. In the Iowa game, his WRs did him no favors dropping three passes including a TD against a decent defense. He’s really tough to bring down and we all know the arm. It really comes down to the intangibles for me. I don’t think he’ll ever be very accurate but I don’t think he’s as inaccurate as his 56% suggests. There really is a ton of great stuff on tape. He was pretty good against New Mexico. I just can’t get over his inconsistent footwork, the fact that he’s late a ton (although that was my critique of Wentz too…), and that he doesn’t even throw that nice of a ball. He’s going to a place without much talent around him. I can’t predict great things for him but I think he can be Bortles-y.
1 8 Chicago Bears: Roquan Smith LB Georgia 5 Roquan Smith can be Derrick Brooks. He was the No. 1 player on my board easily. As an offensive coach one of my core philosophies is to NOT allow defensive gamebreakers to break games. There’s a pass concept that Bama and Oklahoma both tried where you run the boundary receiver on a snag route to pick the boundary LB, freeing up the RB on a swing or wheel. I have no idea why these offensive coordinators tried to do that to Roquan Smith and it ended poorly for both teams. He doesn’t miss tackles, he makes plays in coverage, he’s an adept blitzer, and he’s damn explosive. He dominates games. His presence is infectious. The Bears just added the DROY to a team that has some talent. Their OL should be a bit better and with a healthy Allen Robinson, they have a legit No. 1 WR. I was higher on Trubisky (didn’t love his rookie year but that’s OK) than most last year and I’m going to stick to it - the Bears will be my sleeper team to win 10 games (will be tough in that division). It comes down to the QB of course.
1 9 San Francisco 49ers: Mike McGlinchey OT Notre Dame 1
There were some glaring lowlights in Mike McGlinchey’s tape. He was absolutely torched by Bradley Chubb and really struggled with speed. He was more of angle-blocker in the run-game and didn’t flash much power. Patriots fans lowkey hated Nate Solder for years and I think that’s McGlinchey’s upside. I think he has potential to be solid, but I definitely don’t think he was worthy of the ninth overall pick in a good draft. My final guess is that he underwhelms and settles in a RT.
1 10 Arizona Cardinals: Josh Rosen QB UCLA 2
There seems to be a lot of romanticizing about Josh Rosen among the internet draft community. People seem to think he “fell” due to personality question marks and whatnot. If you really study the tape, he simply isn’t that great of a prospect. And for a guy that was supposed to be the best pure passer, he was outshined by Baker Mayfield at the combine in throwing drills. The built-in excuse Rosen has is his coaching situation, where he played for a new OC every season. That can’t be easy and he deserves credit for producing as he did. But there are a lot of issues on tape. He was straight-up bad versus Colorado, at one point missing four throws in a row and throwing a terrible INT. He’s a rhythm passer with some flashes but I swear threw some of the luckiest TDs I’ve ever seen, including two in the classic comeback versus TAMU. He throws high sometimes but he’s generally accurate, moreso than the other QBs on tape. And he’s a crafty tennis player moving around, a strength he shares with all the QBs. Like all these QBs, there’s definitely a lot to like, but the tape has glaring flaws. So while he does have the best footwork and accuracy of all the QBs, he’s also thin with injury concerns. To have two documented (key word) concussions and shoulder surgery on your resume is beyond alarming, and if he “fell” at all those were the reasons. It’s ironic he’s now on a roster with Palmer and Bradford. Unfortunately, I see his career going down a similar path. I just don’t trust him to stay healthy and I don’t think he’s really THAT good.
1 11 Miami Dolphins: Minkah Fitzpatrick S Alabama 3 This is an interesting fit. Minkah Fitzpatrick is without a doubt a special football player but I do wonder where he’ll play in the NFL. The Dolphins have two safeties already so the only question mark I have about the pick is exactly where he’ll line up. You need to be put somewhere on the depth chart even if you can line up in various alignments. My guess is that he can play anywhere, but him finding a home that suits him is key. Is he an outside corner at all? That’s an interesting debate. We know from the film that he can play nickel and LB, so using him outside would be a transition. It’s up to the coaching staff. While his tape was excellent I struggle finding a place where he can be as ball-hawky as he was at Bama. From my notes: communicates, plasters, blitzes, closing burst, lots of pick sixes, breaks on an angled post vs Watson NCG WOW. High football character. Don’t see a bust but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him as a solid rather than spectacular pro. Blocked punts and numerous pick sixes happen to very few guys at the pro level. He’ll be good, but not Ed Reed or anything.
1 12 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Vita Vea DT Washington 4
This is where most thought Derwin James would go but the Bucs went DL with probably their BPA in Vita Vea. Vea didn’t make a play against Penn State but his highlight plays in other games were WOW. He’s not really twitchy but he’s more just fast which obviously plays in the NFL. One of his underrated traits is his knack for getting his hands up and deflecting passes. He can anchor against the run and push the pocket. Is he a true impact pro? Depends on your definition. I think he ends up being a dominant interior player. It will translate to sacks and splash plays but also stretches of games where he’s invisible. He’ll be an inconsistently impactful pro bowler.
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A Short Argument For The UCLA vs. USC Rivalry

There have been many discussions on this sub about the greatest rivalry in college football. I was reminded yet again today about the uniqueness and greatness of what is the UCLA vs USC Rivalry. But first, here is why this rivalry is different than all the others.
Often, rivals span state lines. While Michigan and Ohio State fans may loathe each other from deep within the bowels of their hearts, at least they have a state line to physically divide them. With UCLA and USC, the schools are a mere 13 miles away (or an hour in traffic).
Now there may be rivalries closer than that, such as Duke/UNC but in terms of football, UCLA and USC have always been traditionally competitive.
Even CLSmith15 attempted to quantify the severity of the college football rivalries in this thread from 2012. Based on his weighting of the parameters, note the large increase in Rivalry Factor between UCLA/USC and the next highest rated rivalry.
While the UCLA/USC rivalry has long been around, it certainly has been amplified since the Rams left in 1994 and the Raiders as well. Los Angeles was without a pro football team. What happened was an influx of fans needing a hometown team to root for. And College Football filled that void.
Due to the proximity of these two school, fans of both school can't help but pass each other at work, on the road, or even at family gatherings. I can definitely say that my family too is divided, but not to the degree that I witnessed today. I cannot imagine the dissonance that that poor mother must go through. We do not know the loyalties of the mother, but I can bet that this has certainly added a new dimension to the question of "which kid she loves more."
I hope that this has been a relatively insightful and impartial look at what I would submit to be the most unique and intense rivalry in College Football.
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[Table] IAmA former Stanford football player who played under Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw AMA

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Date: 2012-12-21
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Questions Answers
How was Andrew Luck like? Personality? Andrew Luck is exactly the same person he presents himself to be to the media. Genuine, intelligent, and goofy. He's going to do amazing things for a lot of years to come!
How did you end up choosing Stanford? Were you being recruited by other schools? I went to a very academic high school and wanted to continue on that path. I had offers from half of the pac 12, northwestern, duke... and some other smaller schools.
In my opinion Stanford is a hard place to beat. World class athletic and academic institution.
lets be honest...our women are the best. :) I found a pretty amazing one
What was Jordan Williamson like after the Fiesta Bowl? How did the team respond? This made me super proud to be at Stanford and on our team. It was obviously hard on him but we stood behind him. Win or lose, it's a team game. No one individual can be held responsible.
Specifically, I'll never forget DeCastro standing up for him when the media was badgering in the locker room after the game.
How well do you know my cousin and all-american tight end Zach Ertz? and do you think it will be possible for me to live off his success for the rest of my life? I know him pretty well. Absolutely... he's going to make a lot of money for a long time. The guy is a special football player and a great student too.
What was your schedule like? I can't even imagine being a football player and having to take academics so seriously at a top institution like Stanford. Did you have any free time at all? Schedule was jammed pack... 7 am workouts, mandatory breakfasts, classes all day, football approx. 2-7, dinner, study study study...
Free time was a luxury we were not often afforded
What are you doing now? I'm working as a recruiting consultant for @WalmartLabs. I was a Public Policy major at Stanford (heavy on the econ side) and they DO NOT cut you any slack.
Do they really cut you slack on the academics because you are playing football? If anything, there is more pressure put on athletes by the University and student body. Everyone wants to prove they belong.
Awesome man. I honestly have the utmost respect for people who work really hard and apply themselves. Do you still play any sports? Nothing more than recreational... I do miss it though.
I would probably miss it too. I went to Santa Cruz and was always sad we didn't have a football team. It seems to bring out a lot of school pride and that's something I regret not experiencing. We welcome all of Santa Cruz... come support!
What (national) players do fans not know a lot about (but should)? National: I went against a freshmen from oregon st. last year named Scott Chrichton. He was amazing for a true freshmen. I told him after the game if he wasn't in the league in 4 years he messed up pretty badly. Guy has all the talent in the world.
What (Stanford) players do fans not know a lot about (but should)? Stanford:David Yankey is a special player. He played all over the line this year and was voted the leagues best player. I also think the local boy, Kevin Anderson will have a great career.
Pac-12 fans know all about Crichton. They do now that's for sure... he had a great year.
As a Stanford season ticket holder, I've always wondered whether the players are frustrated by the relatively small attendance. Is that something you think affects the team negatively at all? We try to understand. There's a lot going on in the bay. But when were putting a quality product on the field, you want as much support as possible. The student body has been great.
What's Shaw like as a head coach? Shaw is as cool as a cucumber. Polished, calm, introspective. He's cerebral and I think we all appreciate that.
Mess up under Harbaugh... you'll get screamed at on the spot and move on. Mess up under Shaw... he'll look at you, dismiss you, and come up with the punishment that will hurt you deep down inside.
Wisconsin student and Badger fan here. I'm curious as to your opinions on the Rose Bowl. Do you think its a good match up? Any predictions on the score? I wish it was last years Wisconsin team. We have more talent but it should be an ok game. 24-10.
Did you choose Stanford for the football or the education? I mean that is an amazing school. When I committed we were 1-11. It was a leap of faith football wise but a slam dunk academically. How could anyone say no today?
Ever been slipped the Harbaugh Handshake?? Love the Harbaugh handshake... too much enthusiasm
Did people notice you around campus as a football player or were you just another student? Being 6'7 300 lbs draws some interest. I don't think it it's anything like what it would be at most schools though. The student body is too busy founding the next Facebook and curing cancer to pay attention to football players
How would do you think the student body should treat football players? Often times students love football and the football team but they don't want to talk to the players because they think it'll make them uncomfortable but they still want to show their support. I think they should treat them like normal students. I suggest approaching football players with non football related conversation, we all have lives outside of the team as well.
3 part question...What was the dirtiest team you ever played against? And what is the dirtiest team you've heard players from other teams talk about? I ask because I've heard some pretty crazy stuff about BYU players. 1 & 2) ND... last year one of their linebackers gouged my eye and scratched my cornea. Haven't heard much talk on the subject.
How do all the football players end up in Mirrielees? HA... honest answer...
When you're on scholarship, you're provided room and board. Since Mirrielees doesn't have a dining hall, you get a stipend for food. I think most guys enjoy the extra kick to the bank account. Not to mention the individual rooms. Sometimes a locked door after practice is all you need.
I live with a couple guys in my fraternity, so my question is, is there a disconnect between the guys that get a lot of playing time and the ones who get very little? When your team is 105 people, it's hard for everyone to be best friends. I think people often hang out with people in their class and position groups. I don't think playing time has much to do with friendships or relationships on the team.
You going to the Rose Bowl? Absolutely... wouldn't miss it! gonna miss being on the field though.
What is the one play you will never forget/always tell as a story? There was a pass in the playbook for me for the fiesta bowl and notre dame games last year. It would of only been called in a specific situation. (1st or 2nd down from the 5 in) and it was going to be a sure td. I'll always remember never scoring a td haha! :)
The biggest highlight though... triple overtime against SC last year. Amazing game... amazing memories. 3-3 in the coliseum... never lost.
And my personal foul in the orange bowl.
As a USC student...That was the best game I had ever seen in person. Kudos for the record at the Coli, I'm just hoping we get you guys back next year! Haha... I hope not.. i really enjoy having your number.
You came into Stanford just as I was graduating. How did the program change? Gerhart, Harbaugh, Fangio, Luck, Shaw...plus everyone else (Hewitt, Taylor, Fleener, Skov...and a dozen more). How did those pieces all fit together? Well far and away, Harbaugh brought a brand new culture to the institution with laser-like focus. It was difficult at first and we were put through a lot, but we came out smelling roses. This is a somewhat tricky question to answer... the pieces fit well. It wasn't only the stars, but all of the role players accepting their challenges and contributing.
Also, the administration seems to support the program in a way I never could have imagined when I was a undergrad. And Condi Rice is involved somehow as well... It does feel nice to have the support of the school... Condi is a big supporter and a great name to have on our side.
Could you just spend a little time describing some of the big cultural or institutional changes that help bring up the program to it's current level? I also want to give Shannon Turley the credit he deserves. Football players spend a lot of time with the strength and conditioning staff. His style is a little different but has been proven with incredible results... he really emphasizes the mental aspect of football and the toughness it requires to succeed. Watch this video if you havent:Link to www.youtube.com
It's always awesome to see more of the behind-the-scenes stuff. How much do you keep in touch with the athletics staff? They seem like a great group of stand-up people. I like to keep in touch with the staff, especially my position coaches. They are great people and are going to continue to sustain success for a long time on the farm.
Do you have any insight on Coach Harbaugh's decision to go with Colin Kaepernick? What you think he saw and what he is looking for? IMO Harbaugh fell in love with the athleticism kap brings. Big play threat every down. It stinks for Alex, he's done everything Harbaugh asked
How did you feel about Harbaugh leaving? Did you think you had a chance to play after college? It was interesting. He made the right decision for him We've been left in great shape. The fast rise of roman is more interesting.
I could of had a shot at a practice squad. I wasn't mentally in a spot to train and prepare ... Ready to heal and use that degree
What's your take on Roman? Heard a lot about him -- you know, "mad genius"-type stuff -- and wondering what your perspective is. So Roman came to Stanford as the Offensive Tackles and Tight Ends coach and within a year, was essentially our offensive coordinator. He was responsible for implementing a lot of the power run game we still run today. He demands perfection. (for an offensive lineman we're literally talking about inches with our foot work) If he didn't do it at Stanford, he has definitely made a name for himself with the 49ers.
How do you feel about David shaw's comments after the ND game/ the final call? Also, do you think Stanford's recent success has come at the expense of academic standards? I'm not sure what Coach Shaw said after Notre Dame, however that outcome was embarrassing for college football. Notre Dame gets away with murder because of their glory of yore. I'm still waiting for the second overtime to start... turning on NBC in anticipation.
I don't think we've sacrificed academics. Our staff does an incredible job scouring the country finding the guys that fit the program not only academically, but athletically.
Three Questions: Dollies or Stanford Cheerleaders? Best Stanford moment? If you could pick a mascot for the team what would it be? 1.) dollies 2.) winning the orange bowl 3.) robber barons
Nice! We should start an alumni petition to be come the Cardinal Robber Barons damn it. I'll sign... or bring back the Indians... that's all good too.
After this year's game vs. Oregon, Coach Shaw said "Williamson needed this." It's obvious that he has a huge amount of faith in Williamson's abilities as a kicker, even if it doesn't always translate on the field. How good is Williamson in practice? And how realistic are those FG practice drills? With Jordan it's obviously all mental. The guy has every physical tool you could want in a kicker. In practice, it's nearly impossible to recreate game-like kicking situations. You don't want to do more than 1 or 2 live reps to keep your lineman from taking unnecessary punishment.
Could you walk me through what a typical day is like for a college ball player? I have always wanted to know. Why not... what day?? in season, out of season, etc.
During season please :). I always see players at my school walking around and in class and always wonder to myself what their typical day is like. For us... depending on the day, we could have a morning lift at 7 that takes about an hour. During the season it's usually a full body lift that helps you recover as well as maintain. Not many people are gaining strength during the season. We have team breakfast in the morning from 8 - 9:30 and are required to attend. After, you have your classes throughout the day. During the season, you're encouraged to have no classes end after 2. Show up at the locker room, get your ankles taped, put on your pants. Watch film of your upcoming opponent, and install the game plan. On the field between 4 or 5. Practice length determined by the day and the time in the season. Hit the cold tub after practice, eat dinner, and hit the books until you pass out... REPEAT.
There was a crazy play in the Orange Bowl against VTech, late in the game, where there were three or four shifts before the snap on a running play. The play got stuffed, but it was cool to watch. Do you remember that play? Were you part of that play? What the hell was that play? 1.) absolutely... we practiced it way too much 2.) yes 3.) the play was called 'montage' ... it was a tribute to all of our motions and shifts we ran throughout the year. Bud Foster did not look very pleased.
Lol...I remember the commentators saying "Now they're just showing off." They had spent most of the game talking about how smart you guys were, football IQ and such. That play was a definite head-scratcher for me. Thanks for explaining. Definitely an interesting play... too bad it only went for like 2 yards
If someone wanted to meet some of the players... say at a party. How would one go about doing it? Just say hey and talk to them about something that's not football related.
Chargers? 49ers? Which NFL team do you root for? Chargers... far and away... it's been a rough year.
But you always celebrate the other man's success!
Who's the nerdiest guy on the team? That's a tough question... we all pride our selves on being a little bit nerdy.
I might have to go with Kulabafi... leader of the nerds.
Did Jim really attack the endeavor with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind? There is no question... look at the results. He might be the most enthusiastic man on this planet.
Are you anxiously waiting for the shit sandwich Notre Dame is going to have to eat in the NC? Let's just say I wouldn't be upset if it looked like they didn't belong.
Thanks for doing this! First question: whose coaching style did you prefer more: Harbaugh's or Shaw's? Second: You said that Roman largely took over the offensive coordinator responsibilities. Did Shaw's role diminish or change in some sense as this transpired? Third: which team, if any, did your stanford team really despise- which team did you guys always want to beat above all others? I bet its not Cal... 1.) can't pick... I think they both were extraordinarily successful in dealing with the teams they were given. 2.) a lot of coaches had important say in the play calling. Roman with the Runs, Drevno short yardage goal line, shaw and pep dealt with the passes and third down play calling... all feeding to the head guy who had the final say... similar structure now. 3.) you always want to beat your rival, cal... and the best teams in the league... usc, oregon. nd is pretty fun to beat as well.
Is Harbs as nutty as he seems while talking to the media? Also, what grade would you give his performance on Saved by the Bell? Harbaugh is not from this planet. The nuttiness is definitely working for him though so cheers.
Give the performance and A+ he definitely carried that episode.
How difficult is it to maintain your academics during football season? Do professors cut you some slack? It's difficult, there's no question about it. It's important to know your time commitments and schedule classes accordingly. Fall quarter should be somewhat lighter in comparison to winter and spring.
You alluded to this earlier, but why didn't you go into the NFL? Do think you'll ever go for it, or are you content to use your degree in something less physically demanding? Nothing in the NFL is guaranteed. It would of been a long road for me to try and make a team. I was content with my football career and have amazing memories I wouldn't trade.
It was time for me to use that degree, my Stanford network, and the brain God blessed me with to make a mark in this world.
How intense is Jim Harbaugh? Did you ever meet John? If so how did their personalities differ? Jim is extremely intense and focused... definitely a key factor in the success he's had at Stanford and with SF.
I've never met John but heard them compared like so: you put a wall in front of john, he'll find 3 ways to get around it you put a wall in front of jim, he'll run right through it
Thanks for doing this AMA man. I'm a Georgia fan/alum. If you had the opportunity to face off against any SEC team, who would you pick and why? And no, you can't pick Kentucky. No problem... someone in my office thought it would be fun. I'd pick Alabama because they're thought to be the best. The only way you can find out how good you really are is by going up against the best.
What's your opinion on conference expansion? Do you think Colorado and Utah are good fits for the Pac12? What other universities would fit in a bigger Pac12? I feel like it's the wave of the future so you better jump on or be left behind. Colorado and Utah are great. I was pretty intrigued at the possibility of adding texas, a&m, Oklahoma, and St.
Tavita Pritchard - I know he has some kind of position within the organization now. Do you know him, and how is he doing? Yeah, Tavita was the QB my freshmen year. The first game I travelled to was the "greatest upset of all time" @ USC. He's on staff right now working as a defensive assistant learning the other side of the ball. He's going to be a great coach for a long time.
As a UCLA alum, that upset was one of my favorite college football games of all-time. It was a great night for all of us.
Any fun specific memories from the greatest upset ever? Being a lost 18 year old looking around at 90 thousand people dead quiet... Harbaugh hugging everyone saying he loved them. Magical moment.
I never want to see Stanford play dirty,but next year vs ND do they have your permission? They have mine. This years game sucked! We totally outplayed them! No, no, no... we don't want to be that team. The best thing to do is physically dominate them the whole game. nothing feels worse for an opponent
What part of San Diego? What high school did you go to? I grew up in La Mesa and went to Francis Parker School... it's a nondenominational college prep school with an enrollment right around 400.
SKOL! I've always wanted to ask toby... what does skol mean???
Awesome. I went to Hoover and we played them our Junior year. It's nice to see San Diego athletes move up. By any chance were you one of the Shack's Pigskin guys? Hah... I was the student-athlete of the week one of the first weeks. Since one of those honors gets you an invitation to the pigskin gala, they tried to award as many different kids as possible. So sadly, i wasn't in shack's pigpen
Ok, that might've been you then. I remember seeing a Francis Parker player on it a few years after I graduated. That's why I asked. Lol, I got to be the Pigskin Idol of the week once. I was the second player to play the game then comment on it that day. It's a great show... I love what Rudy does for all the SD high school football players, no matter the size of your school
Two questions If you could have 2 players come back and play for Stanford would it be? They can be any 2 players from the teams you were on. Toby and Andrew... two of the most dominant players in college football history at two of the most important positions.
If you could have a rematch vs ANY team you lost to, who would the team be? I wish we could have those games against Oregon back...we win one of those the last two years, we're playing for a natty.
How much Andrew do you see in Kevin? What differences and similarities are there in the two? I think they're completely different players. Andrew's more of a pocket passer whereas Kevin's fit's the 'athlete' mold. What they do have in common are the intangibles... you can't teach leadership or composure under pressure.
Favorite and least stadium to play at? Is there one place that you didn't play in that you would like to? Favorite, besides Stanford stadium, would be the Coliseum. I have great memories from my time in LA.
I would of loved to play at an SEC school... it would of been great to show all those southerners how nerds play football
What's your opinion on the new uniform every week thing in college football? Any uniforms you'd like to see Stanford wear? I think the uniform thing can be fun. Stanford's done a great job of maintaining the tradition and mixing in a new uniform once or twice a year.
Do you still keep in touch with mike brewer? Not really... I think he's in the navy happily married as a nuclear engineer.
Is there a academic requirement to be recruited at Stanford? If so, what is it? Is it much higher than other schools? There are academic requirements to be recruited. I'm not exactly sure of the standards they adhere to, but I know for a fact they're a lot more stringent than the large majority of D1 football schools
How many years off of your life would you estimate the tight Stanford games took off? Any way you can persuade the team to maybe put the game a little more out of reach the next time around? 5-10 but who's counting?? we wouldn't be the most exciting team to watch if the games were blow outs.
I am a student at the University of South Florida. Willie Taggart just joined our school as the new head football coach. What are his strengths as a coach, and do you think he will succeed at USF? Coach T has really adopted the Harbaugh style... he'll bring a tough nosed approach and want to run the ball and play great defense. He's a great guy too so I think it's a great hire!
That's great to hear! He was my top choice when discussions started about a new ball coach. Being that he is a local guy and Supposedly a great recruiter. He came to a bball game the other night and got the crowd really hyped up, he just has a great energy about him. Absolutely... great energy, great family, and an amazing recruiter.
You're the man, thanks for the encouraging words about coach T! I needed it, it has been a tough year for a football fan in Tampa. All the teams there seem to have solid leadership now... should be seeing many wins in the future.
What do you major in, and how important are academics to you? I majored in Public Policy... I describe it as economics with a focus on policy... academics are extremely important to me as well as everyone else on the team. You can't go to Stanford and play football if you're not willing to take the school part seriously.
That's cool. I can't imagine going to such a high stress university and having to concentrate on athletics as well. Hats off to you sir. Hats off to all the guys doing it right now when no one thought they would!
Prediction for the Rose Bowl? Stanford 24-10.
What did you think of the Oklahoma State team? Well coached, well disciplined. Blackmon was a beast. they played hard and clean... it was a great game... just think it should of turned out a little differently
What's it like on the sideline and in the locker room when your defense made it hard for you to stay in the game (Oregon)? You don't ever look at it like that. In those games you're focusing on the mistakes you made as an offense and the plays that were left on the field.
Who are your favorite players to watch on Stanford's defense? Another question, who was the best player you have ever went up against? They're all studs. The things Chase Thomas can do with his hands are incredible... Guys aren't supposed to move like that at 250 lbs. Skov is getting stronger and stronger every week. Reynolds was huge in the secondary. Ben Gardner has an incredible motor and gets after it every play.
Nick Perry and Aaron Lynch were two of the best.
I keep hearing stories about Skov being a beast, and kind of crazy (in a good way) too... Skov is a beast... probably the most instinctual linebacker i've ever seen. The craziest things i've seen him do are on the field... notre dame two years ago causing havoc in the backfield. I also think that eyeblack is pretty crazy.
What did you do after stanford? Right now i'm living in san francisco with a buddy working for @walmartlabs.
Doing what? How much do you make? What is walmart labs? I'm a recruiting consultant there... helping them grow as an organization. labs is the innovation hub of walmart global ecommerce... check it out Link to www.walmartlabs.com
Do you go to all the home games? I made it to all the home games this year... i'm so close there's no excuse not to.
Interesting. Do you think they have a chance online against amazon? So basicall your a recruiter? Can you pm me what they pay you? The goal is to eventually get people to think of walmart as more than a brick and mortar store.
Yeah, I'm Oakland, same rationale. Do you get great seats because you're a former player, or are you slumming it in the young alum section with the rest of us? Somewhere in the middle haha...
Bruin here, Good game I was really hoping we would bat yall, but no match but theres always next year! Always!... I'm impressed with what mora has done already... bright future for the boys in blue.
I have a feeling this would've gotten a lot more attention in CFB. That's where Matt Barkley, Mike Leach and a couple of other players did their AMA's. Should I repost there? What do you think?
Because I like to ask all former PAC 10/12 players. Oregon cheerleaders or USC song girls. Well I went to high school with a song girl... Classy v Sassy I don't think you can go wrong. Shout out to TCU. That's an underrated squad
Shout out to TCU. That's an underrated squad. Thanks! We like them a lot! (TCU student here) Thanks for doing the AMA! Really enjoyed reading all of it (but decided to just comment here because go frogs). No problem... i'm glad you enjoyed.
Last updated: 2012-12-25 19:14 UTC
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UCLA Bruins at USC Trojans  College Football Picks  With Joe Gavazzi USC Trojan Marching Band - USC vs. UCLA Pep Rally, 11/16/2012 UCLA @ Rice Highlights 2012 College Football: UCLA Bruins at USC Trojans Betting Preview and Pick NCAAB Picks (1-10-20)  College Basketball Predictions  NCAA Men’s Daily Schedule  Vegas Lines

UCLA has won its last five home openers – 2011 vs. San Jose State, 2012 vs. Nebraska, 2013 vs. Nevada, 2014 vs. Memphis and 2015 vs. Virginia. My Expert Pick Rebels are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games overall. Rebels are 5-16 ATS in their last 21 road games vs. a team with a losing home record. Rebels are 1-4 ATS vs. a team with a losing record. UCLA opened as a 13-point favorite at the market-setting CRIS sportsbook and, according to Sports Insights’ College Basketball Betting Trends, is currently receiving 81% of spread wagers and 69% of moneyline bets. Although the public is pounding the Bruins, the line has actually dropped half of a point to -12.5. THE ULTIMATE SPORTS BETTING TOOL - 4 DAY TRIAL. Contact Us; Advertise; Login / Register; TheSpread.com With the Pac-12 South Division – and an accompanying berth in the conference title NCAAF betting game on the line, the USC Trojans will host the UCLA Bruins in a huge Week 13 affair that will likely define both teams’ 2015 campaigns.Surprisingly, the Trojans have yet to beat the Bruins since Jim Mora took over in 2012.Now, let’s find out who’s going to bring home the bacon. 2012 College Football Picks: USC @ UCLA Vegas Odds and Predictions – Free College Football Picks 11/17/2012: The Pac-12 South Division title is up for grabs this Saturday when the 18th-ranked USC Trojans (7-3, 5-3 Pac-12) taken on the 17th-ranked UCLA Bruins (8-2, 5-2 Pac-12). Despite having a shot at the division crown, the season has been a colossal disappointment for a USC bunch that ...

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UCLA Bruins at USC Trojans College Football Picks With Joe Gavazzi

Maybe the most impressive though is USC's winning streak in the hallowed grounds, as the Trojans have won their last 15 games (9-6 ATS) on their home field. They put that streak on the line ... The UCLA Bruins are big underdogs in their rivalry game against the No. 11 USC Trojans in college football Week 12, and both teams have been bad bets ATS overall on the season to date. Highlights of UCLA's season opener at Rice. August 30, 2012. USC Trojan Marching Band - USC vs. UCLA Pep Rally, 11/16/2012 at The Americana at Brand, Glendale, CA Beat The bRuins!!! UCLA vs Washington State 2/13/20 Free College Basketball Pick and Prediction CBB Betting Tips The Washington State Cougars visit the UCLA Bruins in Thursday college basketball action.

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