2018 NFL Draft

white lightning

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Ryan Nall declares for the draft!

I think this is a great move. Oregon State just doesn't have much talent. They are probably the worst
team in the Pac 12. He is getting beat up back there. Take the money while your healthy. I would love
to see him go some where like the Colts, Packers, Vikings, etc. I know he is gonna be a long shot as most
teams will just want him to block but this guy could be another, J.Bettis, Mike Alstott, Peyton Hillis type.
 
Last edited:

Shadowlight

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Nall is difficult to get a handle on for several reasons but WL is right it was time for him to declare. The Hillis, Alstott, Bettis comparisons are a start. If he runs a high 4.4 or low 4.5 at the Combine ( he better be invited) we might even consider throwing out the name of the one and only John Riggins but that might be a stretch but you never know.
 

Leonardfan

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Nall would of done himself no favors sticking around at Oregon St. My guess is that his role would of been reduced even more. Considering what a mess they were this season as a team I think he had a pretty successful campaign. Nall's career YPC is 5.75 which is very good and at his size with his speed he should be viewed as a running back. As Shadowlight mentioned he will need to run sub 4.6 (probably sub 4.55) to even be considered a candidate to run the ball. If he somehow gets the Cooper Kupp or Christian McCaffery treatment during the draft process that could also help (Kupp and McCaffery are probably the two most positively covered white skill position players I ever recall in the draft).

So far he has been referred to as a "battering ram" on two different sites - Weenieworld (of course) and GBNDraft Report. Obviously they have not watched Oregon St. play and they just see a huge white dude who somehow got some carries as an RB and decide to go with the racially appropriate terminology to describe him - pure caste system 101. Neither of the below analysis mentions anything of his running ability only his out of the backfield receiving ability.

Weenieworld:
Oregon State junior RB Ryan Nall will forego his final season of eligibility to enter the 2018 NFL Draft.

Nall (6'2/255) posted 810 yards and eight touchdowns rushing this season, adding 27 catches for 240 yards and two additional scores. He's the first OSU player to jump for the draft with eligibility remaining since OL Isaac Seumalo did so back in 2015. As a prospect, Nall is a battering ram of a back -- the Wrecking Nall -- who has quietly turned himself into a plus-receiver out of the backfield. He's logged 49 catches over the past two seasons. The Oregon State standout profiles as a potential selection for the back half of Day 3 (Rds. 4-7).

gbnreport.com:

A&M WR Kirk one of five to enter draft; Badger LB stays put … Texas A&M junior WR/KR Christina Kirk heads a list of three underclassmen who announced their intention to enter the 2018 draft. The 5-11, 200-pound Kirk is currently the 5th rated receiver on the GBN positional board and the 34th rated overall prospect. At the same time, Southern Miss junior WR Korey Robertson will also be entering the draft after a breakout year in which the 6-1, 210-pounder had 76 receptions for over 1,100 yards and 12 scores, although he is still considered to be more of a free agent type candidate. Nebraska junior G/T Nick Gates has also entered the 2018; he’s a three-year starter at OT who figures to be a late round pick as an OG. Same for both Stanford junior TE Darren Schultz and Oregon State RB Ryan Nall who also indicated today that they will be turning pro this winter. Schultz is a 6-5, 265-pounder, while Nall is a 255-poind battering ram who could find a niche as a FB as he’s also a pretty good receiver. On the other hand, Wisconsin junior LB T.J. Edwards has reported that he intends to return to school for his senior campaign next fall.



On a side note both Nebraska O-Lineman Nick Gates and Stanford TE Dalton Schultz are both early entry white athletes. I know they are both caste allowable positions but OL and TE have some serious depth for our guys this season.
 

Rocky B

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Nall actually looks quite lanky, no way he's 255. He's very fast and shifty for his size (which is listed as 237). Reminds me of Brian Leonard back in his Rutgers days, although he was what, 225 or so.

I must chime in on the Nall thing......I hated that McCaffrey came out early....He would have had 2000+ yards with the maturing Stanford line......Instead we got to see him get 3.7 yards per carry with a team we all wish would not have drafted him.....All bad ass white backs need to stay all 4 years, except Nall.......You guys are right about Oregon St, they are horrible.....His status probably would drop....they’d move him to fullback like Leonard for Rice.....I hated when Luke Staley bypassed what would have been a kick ass senior season for nothing......I’ve watched a dozen or so games with Nall playing and this is a good decision, I think.....But let’s not get our hopes up, we know the game.....5th round, at best?
To me, some coaching staff has to be in any player’s ear that comes out early, saying that they will draft him by a certain round....Lots of guys have left early and didn’t get an NFL job or their diploma........Go Nall, I’m a big fan........
 

celticdb15

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I must chime in on the Nall thing......I hated that McCaffrey came out early....He would have had 2000+ yards with the maturing Stanford line......Instead we got to see him get 3.7 yards per carry with a team we all wish would not have drafted him.....All bad ass white backs need to stay all 4 years, except Nall.......You guys are right about Oregon St, they are horrible.....His status probably would drop....they’d move him to fullback like Leonard for Rice.....I hated when Luke Staley bypassed what would have been a kick ass senior season for nothing......I’ve watched a dozen or so games with Nall playing and this is a good decision, I think.....But let’s not get our hopes up, we know the game.....5th round, at best?
To me, some coaching staff has to be in any player’s ear that comes out early, saying that they will draft him by a certain round....Lots of guys have left early and didn’t get an NFL job or their diploma........Go Nall, I’m a big fan........

Just hoping he gets an All Star Game invite to along with one from The Combine! As other have mentioned If he's in 235-240lb range he should run really well. Mid to low 4.5s. But ya 5th rd is probably where he'll go if he's lucky enough to be drafted as a RB. Seems like he's already being unfairly slotted to HBack or even worse. A "Battering Ram Fullback."
 

FootballDad

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This is by far the best QB class I can recall during my time following the draft - only the 2004 draft compares to this in terms of the number of quality QB prospects.
Pundits disagree! With Lamar Jackson being the only QB with upside potential in the top ten, this QB class is positively RAYCISS!! :afro:
 

Don Wassall

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I think this is a great move. Oregon State just doesn't have much talent. They are probably the worst
team in the Pac 12. He is getting beat up back there. Take the money while your healthy. I would love
to see him go some where like the Colts, Packers, Vikings, etc. I know he is gonna be a long shot as most
teams will just want him to block but this guy could be another, J.Bettis, Mike Alstott, Peyton Hillis type.

We always hope against hope that breakthrough White players will change the way the NFL does business at the positions where Whites are forbidden or kept to a very small quota (RB, WR, DL, LB, DB). Ryan Nall is a huge "test case" to see if we're going to continue to see at least a few more White running backs in the wake of Christian McCaffrey and Rex Burkhead. I'm not a scout, but I do look at a fair amount of highlight film of players around the time of the Combine and the NFL Draft, and Nall is very impressive -- very big for a running back but also smooth and fast. He has the talent to be a big-time star as a pro. If the NFL doesn't allow him to be a featured back, or at the very least part of a now commonplace RBBC, then we'll know that Christian McCaffrey was a one and done, nothing to see here move along. And of course many here aren't happy with the way McCaffrey has been used this season, but at least he was drafted in the first round and put up a thousand yards from scrimmage as a rookie.

BTW, I can't find any 2017 highlights for Nall yet on YouTube. Maybe Dwid can come out of retirement and put something together, he did a great job for several years.
 

Leonardfan

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Phil Savage has invited 6 Alabama players to the senior bowl. This year's Senior Bowl looks to be a true coal fest. I believe with 10 spots remaining their are only 3 white defensive players. They do their best to overlook and ignore white players at every chance. It has become notorious for favoring athletes from the Alabama schools and scouring smaller schools (FCS/Div II/Div III) for black players while ignoring white division one players.
 

Leonardfan

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I went through the Defensive Backs thread in the College Football Stars section. A pretty deep group of Seniors who for the most part are being totally ignored:

Micah Hannemann S - BYU
Chase Dutra S - Indiana
Jake Schlager S - Colorado St
Drue Tranquill S/LB - Notre Dame
Cole Reyes S - North Dakota - Shrine Game
Dallin Leavitt S - Utah St
Carter Jacobs S - Cincinatti
Luke Rubenzer S - Cal
Bradd Ellis CB - Ohio
Jordan Brown S - JMU
Ryan Moeller S/LB - Colorado
Nick Gesualdi CB - Cornell
Troy Apke S - PSU - NFLPA Collegiate Bowl
Joe Ferguson S - Wisconsin
 

Leonardfan

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Let's see what team is going to draft this future bust:

LSU edge rusher Arden Key announced he will enter the 2018 NFL Draft.

It was an up and down 2017 for Key. He missed all of spring activities due to a shoulder operation, then spent more time away from the team. He returned in fall camp with head coach Ed Orgeron worried about his playing weight. At one point he reached 270 pounds after previously playing at 240 pounds. That weight evened out as the season went along, but the Key ran into knee and finger injuries, keeping him out of multiple games. His draft process will need to answer questions in order for him to land in the top 10 picks.
 

celticdb15

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I went through the Defensive Backs thread in the College Football Stars section. A pretty deep group of Seniors who for the most part are being totally ignored:

Micah Hannemann S - BYU
Chase Dutra S - Indiana
Jake Schlager S - Colorado St
Drue Tranquill S/LB - Notre Dame
Cole Reyes S - North Dakota - Shrine Game
Dallin Leavitt S - Utah St
Carter Jacobs S - Cincinatti
Luke Rubenzer S - Cal
Bradd Ellis CB - Ohio
Jordan Brown S - JMU
Ryan Moeller S/LB - Colorado
Nick Gesualdi CB - Cornell
Troy Apke S - PSU - NFLPA Collegiate Bowl
Joe Ferguson S - Wisconsin

Friggin stinks. DB has been bad several years now after initially showing some progress. Looking like another talented DB Class down the rabbit hole.
 

Extra Point

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Let's see what team is going to draft this future bust:

LSU edge rusher Arden Key announced he will enter the 2018 NFL Draft.

It was an up and down 2017 for Key. He missed all of spring activities due to a shoulder operation, then spent more time away from the team. He returned in fall camp with head coach Ed Orgeron worried about his playing weight. At one point he reached 270 pounds after previously playing at 240 pounds. That weight evened out as the season went along, but the Key ran into knee and finger injuries, keeping him out of multiple games. His draft process will need to answer questions in order for him to land in the top 10 picks.

With that history it's hard to believe that anyone could seriously consider him as a top ten pick. But apparently some do.
 

white lightning

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We always hope against hope that breakthrough White players will change the way the NFL does business at the positions where Whites are forbidden or kept to a very small quota (RB, WR, DL, LB, DB). Ryan Nall is a huge "test case" to see if we're going to continue to see at least a few more White running backs in the wake of Christian McCaffrey and Rex Burkhead. I'm not a scout, but I do look at a fair amount of highlight film of players around the time of the Combine and the NFL Draft, and Nall is very impressive -- very big for a running back but also smooth and fast. He has the talent to be a big-time star as a pro. If the NFL doesn't allow him to be a featured back, or at the very least part of a now commonplace RBBC, then we'll know that Christian McCaffrey was a one and done, nothing to see here move along. And of course many here aren't happy with the way McCaffrey has been used this season, but at least he was drafted in the first round and put up a thousand yards from scrimmage as a rookie.

BTW, I can't find any 2017 highlights for Nall yet on YouTube. Maybe Dwid can come out of retirement and put something together, he did a great job for several years.


Your wish is my command Don. Here you go. These highlites are just from his sophmore year but they are incredible.


 
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Your wish is my command Don. Here you go. These highlites are just from his sophmore year but they are incredible.


Unbelievable White Lightning.. Thanks. Just a "Battering Ram" .. I think not. Check out the footwork. I knew Nall had some serious speed as he has run away from defenders on many occasions but check out the elusiveness and footwork for such a big powerful guy. Really impressive!
 

Rocky B

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See above link.......Nall ripped a 75 yarder vs Colorado St first game of the year.......
At the time, he looked like a 1500 yard back.......
We got frustrated on how little he ended up being used most of the year......
Again, glad he declared......He needs a good 40 time, for sure......
 
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