2018 NFL Draft

[Don Wassall]

I watched a little bit of Penn State early this past season when Barkley was hot and the media were all but anointing him the Heisman winner. But he had an up and down 2017 to be sure. In the middle of year he had a six game stretch against Big 12 competition where his average yards per rush was 2.8, 4.7, 7.2, 2.1, 4.5, and 2.5. Overall he averaged 5.9 ypc, 5.5 and 5.9 in his three years as a starter. Good but hardly the stuff of legends. And there have been several heralded Penn State running backs who turned out to be Trent Richardson type mega-busts in the NFL. So, he'll probably be good considering how weak the top tier talent is at the position, but likely not an all-time great. His measurables are supposedly eye-popping (we'll see at the Combine) and that's all it takes for the media to go into "mouth watering" mode when it comes to black football players.

 

[Leonardfan]

Barkley was the anointed media pick as the Heisman candidate from the beginning of the season through most of October. He was a very good player but at the same time their is no mention of the offense PSU played in or the Nittany Lions stellar QB Trace McSorely. The offense started out the season running through Barkley but then McSorely took over and became the real offensive catalyst. I think Barkley will be a good player in the NFL, he blocks, catches and runs well but remember every year the "experts" typically anoint someone new as the best draft eligible talent in the past X number of years.

Lamar Jackson is being hyped up - I have yet to hear any comparisons to the Gremlin who fizzled out of the league after being one of the most hyped up draft prospects I can ever recall just 6 years ago.

 

[Leonardfan]

Mayock throwing out lots of the cliches today - McGlinchey is not a "twitchy athlete", Will Clapp has tackle height but center arm length, Quenton Nelson is a Guard or potential Right tackle".

 

[celticdb15]

Barkley is a solid back. Not buying that he's the best RB prospect since AP though. He put up an impressive 29 reps on bench the other day. He'll likely be top 10 pick. Do agree the media hype early in the season was ridiculous. Only knock I have on him is that he faded second half of season, NFL season is a gauntlet.

 

[celticdb15]

Lol at the Sumo from Oklahoma. 14 reps at 225 is atrocious when you weight 350lbs

 

[Leonardfan]

Lol at the Sumo from Oklahoma. 14 reps at 225 is atrocious when you weight 350lbs

But he have dat arm length

 

[Leonardfan]

Remember this name during the draft. See what team drafts him and the excuses that will follow.

Oklahoma OT Orlando Brown measured 6-foot-7 7/8 and 345 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine.

It's been a Combine to forget for Brown, the son of the late Orlando Brown Sr., who played in the NFL for the Browns and Ravens. Brown came to Indy as a potential first- or second-round pick next month, but he's done nothing but hurt his stock. He ran a molasses-slow 5.85 forty, bench-pressed 225 pounds just 14 times, and posted a dreadful 19.5-inch vertical. His 2.00-second 10-yard split was the worst in Combine history. Coaches also got after him for loafing during on-field drills. Brown's stock is in an absolute free-fall.

 

[FootballDad]

But he have dat arm length

I've never understood this fascination with "arm length" for offensive linemen. It's just a made-up quality that will usually favor blacks as they on average have a greater "wingspan" than a white player. I coached offensive line in youth football and having longer arms is helpful if you are a DEFENSIVE lineman. For an O-lineman I found it a hindrance. First, you can't reach out with your "wingspan" and grab a defensive player unless you want a penalty. Offensive linemen are taught to get their body on the defender, not their arms. By doing this you can "clinch" the opposing player and prevent them from doing 90% of the things they would like to do.

For a defender it's a good quality as you can keep said offensive lineman from doing what I just described. Strength, mobility and awareness (smarts) are the most important O-lineman qualities, but this using this metric would make for FAR too many snowplows in the league.

 

[Don Wassall]

Remember this name during the draft. See what team drafts him and the excuses that will follow.

Oklahoma OT Orlando Brown measured 6-foot-7 7/8 and 345 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine.

It's been a Combine to forget for Brown, the son of the late Orlando Brown Sr., who played in the NFL for the Browns and Ravens. Brown came to Indy as a potential first- or second-round pick next month, but he's done nothing but hurt his stock. He ran a molasses-slow 5.85 forty, bench-pressed 225 pounds just 14 times, and posted a dreadful 19.5-inch vertical. His 2.00-second 10-yard split was the worst in Combine history. Coaches also got after him for loafing during on-field drills. Brown's stock is in an absolute free-fall.

Hilarious! They should line him up next to 50 year old Rich Eisen for a head to head 40 race. A quick search finds Eisen's best time at 5.94.

 

[Leonardfan]

4.53 is very good for Nick Chubb according to Mayock. The next two RBs both in mid 4.6s.

 

[Leonardfan]

White RB Ernsberger runs a 4.84, black RB Flowers runs a 4.83. Ernsberger is considered an HBACK/TE, Flowers is a power back according to the commentary. Caste System at work.

 

[Leonardfan]

Of course they cut to a commercial when Nall is about to run. Mayock chimed right in with damage control with Jones ran a 4.66 saying that he pulled up twice during the run. These guys really are caste stooges.

 

[Leonardfan]

Nall ran a 4.67 - solid time. Plays much faster than that. Two black RBs after him ran 4.75 and 4.71.

 

[Leonardfan]

Eisen and Mayock crying over the fact teams want Jackson to do WR drills. Eisen sounds very upset about it. Sorry for the play by play - just think its good to track some of this stuff they are saying, it is a miserable day here.

 

[Leonardfan]

Mayock on Nall - He does everything well, no dominant trait, H-back, Special Teams guy. Mayock obviously did not watch tape on him. All race based cliches. Nall ran a 4.59 on his second run - according to Mayock "its a good time for him".

Pettway just ran a 4.85 and Mayock goes into damage control mode.

 

[Shadowlight]

Leo and gang the NFL Combine site has Nall running a 4.51 unofficial with a 33 inch vertical. I figured if he ran under 4.55 he could vault up the draft board. They will be looking at his pass catching skills etc. but it looks like he solidified his status if that 40 yard dash number is correct.

 

[Leonardfan]

Leo and gang the NFL Combine site has Nall running a 4.51 unofficial with a 33 inch vertical. I figured if he ran under 4.55 he could vault up the draft board. They will be looking at his pass catching skills etc. but it looks like he solidified his status if that 40 yard dash number is correct.

4.51 - that is great news. I was watching the broadcast and they had him at 4.67 and 4.59 so the discrepancy is interesting. I feel Nall has the ability to be a very good running back in the league. The way Mayock has discounted him during these drills is absurd and just goes to show what a sell out Mayock is.

 

[white is right]

Hilarious! They should line him up next to 50 year old Rich Eisen for a head to head 40 race. A quick search finds Eisen's best time at 5.94.

Eisen did this in dress pants and jacket and tie. In gym shorts with a tank top he probably is a few tenths faster. I don't know if he was any type of athlete in college or high school but if he was he would have easily smoked the Jabba the Hut.

 

[Shadowlight]

After all that jumble they have Nall at 4.58 as his official time. Hoping for a bit better but still a pretty solid number. I think he will get drafted for sure now. I am guessing but I think he screwed up his first run and ran a much faster second attempt, perhaps a 4.51. If you fuse his two times you get a 4.58.

 

[Don Wassall]

Anything under 4.60 for a back Nall's size is terrific, though the media will never acknowledge it.

From Leonardfan's posts, Mayock continues to be more of a Caste clown every year. It's quite a change from the days when he defended Brian Leonard as being a tailback in the NFL.

 

[Extra Point]

After all that jumble they have Nall at 4.58 as his official time. Hoping for a bit better but still a pretty solid number. I think he will get drafted for sure now. I am guessing but I think he screwed up his first run and ran a much faster second attempt, perhaps a 4.51. If you fuse his two times you get a 4.58.

Don't they make the fastest time the official time? I'm not sure what the policy is or if it's equally applied to whites and blacks.

 

[celticdb15]

Solid time for Nall! What did he weigh in at?

 

[Shadowlight]

EP I have been watching the combine for a while now and I am still somewhat clueless on how they arrive at an official time. It would make sense if they did take the fastest time and they do that with certain athletes which seem to me to be always black. I suspect Nall ran a 4.51 but it would not be the first time they fused together times. I remember Jeff Janis ran a 4.29 on his first run but on his second run he ran I think was a high 4.4 time and ended up with an "official" time of 4.42 or something. Luke Kuechly had a similarly wide variation and they DID NOT take his fastest time either.

Keep in mind one truly critical point. These are not iron clad times. They do not test in the official track and field custom where the times are electronic and accurate. So there is some subjectivity here and that opens the door for some funny business. I have always thought that the white skilled athletes do NOT get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the difference between say a 4.51 and a 4.54. Either way the way they time is truly SUSPECT since hand times are involved.

 

[white is right]

Eisen did this in dress pants and jacket and tie. In gym shorts with a tank top he probably is a few tenths faster. I don't know if he was any type of athlete in college or high school but if he was he would have easily smoked the Jabba the Hut.

Guys have fun with this, Mayock already stated to Eisen that he would be historically compared to Brown. In Eisen's defense he doesn't sway left and right when he runs.......

 

[Leonardfan]

Solid time for Nall! What did he weigh in at?

6'2" 234lbs