And no Cougs selected. Speaks volumes as to our talent level. Fingers still crossed for Anthony and Desmond.
Deep into round 6
- Thread starter cougarmike
- Start date
There are several much smaller schools with greater nfl talent. None may be taken.
NFL definitely opts for projection, especially in these later rounds, than actual college production. That rarely bodes well for Cougars. Luton drafted ahead of Gordon is a classic example. He's bigger, throws the deep ball farther, but not nearly as accurate or as successful in college. KC drafted two guys among their 5 picks who didn't even start for their college team....but they both have impressive athleticism (speed, quickness). I guess it's no different for MLB & NBA. Really good & successful college players who aren't necessarily athletically gifted more often than not take a back seat to those who haven't necessarily flashed success in college but possess the raw physical tools.
Glad Cougar
Glad Cougar
OK, two Wyoming linebackers off the board. Speaks well for an incoming DC and staff member he brought in.
This is already obvious to most, I'd hope, but the NFL Draft is almost completely about measurables and elite talent, not production, development, or anything else.
I used to get furious at, and now merely am annoyed by, the characterization of schools as "NFL factories," implying that they do a great job of developing players for the NFL. It's almost entirely about the talent walking in the door. Then those guys getting drafted lets the school tout that it gets players to the NFL, and it just builds on itself. That sucks, as does the flip side, where people talk about how WSU "doesn't get players to the NFL." Well, yeah ... it's a function of not getting those elite talents. WSU has done a great job of developing players and giving them a shot to maximize their abilities.
The only real variable is opportunity. If I was an elite talent but realistic about the competition I'd be facing, I'd rather go to a school like WSU than a place like USC. I'd have a much better shot at getting on the field and getting tape. Of course, you're probably slightly better off if you're a starter either way at a place like USC--better supporting cast, more hype, etc.--but that's slight compared to the need for opportunity. Of course, all of these elite talents think they're going to be able to beat out the competition and stand out.
I used to get furious at, and now merely am annoyed by, the characterization of schools as "NFL factories," implying that they do a great job of developing players for the NFL. It's almost entirely about the talent walking in the door. Then those guys getting drafted lets the school tout that it gets players to the NFL, and it just builds on itself. That sucks, as does the flip side, where people talk about how WSU "doesn't get players to the NFL." Well, yeah ... it's a function of not getting those elite talents. WSU has done a great job of developing players and giving them a shot to maximize their abilities.
The only real variable is opportunity. If I was an elite talent but realistic about the competition I'd be facing, I'd rather go to a school like WSU than a place like USC. I'd have a much better shot at getting on the field and getting tape. Of course, you're probably slightly better off if you're a starter either way at a place like USC--better supporting cast, more hype, etc.--but that's slight compared to the need for opportunity. Of course, all of these elite talents think they're going to be able to beat out the competition and stand out.
Evan Weaver just got drafted in the 6th. It blows my mind how much these NFL teams overthink things. Weaver will be a starter for several years, and is easily worthy of a round 2 or 3 pick.
A lot of these teams have numbskulls evaluating talent.
A lot of these teams have numbskulls evaluating talent.
I don't know, man. He was a tenth of a second slower in a shuttle cone drill than some guy from Eastern Tennessee Academy, meaning his leading the nation in tackles by a large margin is meaningless.
What was his 40 time? I have no clue what it was. If there is a reason a guy that makes a ton of tackles in college gets drafted this late... a slow 40 could be why.
The NFL is a track meet.
Concerns about Weaver's speed may be valid but I can't help but wonder what the NFL equivalent of Moneyball is.
They overlook players who consistently performed at a high level because they don't like their "measurables."
Is being a sure tackler the NFL equivalent of getting on base in baseball?
They overlook players who consistently performed at a high level because they don't like their "measurables."
Is being a sure tackler the NFL equivalent of getting on base in baseball?
Not meaningless. Played at an insane level in the PAC-12. Maybe the conference is devalued that much but too much stock gets put into dudes running around in their underwear. Weaver is a poor mans Urlacher and is gonna be a good player.
Could be. Moneyball is all about finding inefficiencies in talent acquisition. In baseball, that for a long time was finding players who didn't look the part, but who still got the job (or, at least, a particular job) done. E.g., fat, slow guys who got on base, or pitchers who throw 82mph but can still get guys out due to deception or release point. Then it shifted to defense. It's always moving.
Baseball is different from the NFL, though, because as other guys are saying, it's just a flat-out track meet with elite athletes in which a bad but highly skilled athlete simply may not be able to keep up with, catch, or get separation from the other guys. Just watching him, though, I think Weaver can be productive. The guy had a motor that went all game and his game speed didn't seem too bad, at least against very good but perhaps non-elite athletes in the Pac-12.
Yeah, that was sarcasm. I agree. The guy had over 180 tackles last year, and every time I watched him play, he was all over the field, making things happen. The next-closest player to him in tackles in the entire country had something like 150. Unlike someone like Jahad Woods -- who was #4 in the nation in tackles, but who didn't pass the eye test in the same way, and often was making the tackle just because he was the only one on our defense who could tackle anyone -- Weaver did what he did for a pretty good defense.
It actually works in the NFL. The Seahawks were examples of this when John Schneider and Pete Carroll took over. They drafted a shorter mobile QB instead of the tall Luton type QB. The NFL thought it was a wasted pick because he was too short and you needed a QB to stay in the pocket. Now, it is commonplace with Mayfield, Murray, etc.
CB's needed to be smaller quicker players to cover players. Then, the Seahawks started 6'3" Sherman and 6'4" Browner. Now, you see a lot of taller CB's.
The Seahawks found inefficiencies to obtain players that other teams were passing on just like what was occurring in baseball.
Yeah, I can't claim expertise on this, but it seems like the Seahawks' approach under Schneider/Carroll is the best example of a Moneyball-style philosophy working in the NFL for all the reasons you mention and, I believe, some others. Some of the stuff they tried didn't work, like the patchwork OL and attempted DL-OL conversions. But overall, it's the best example I can think of.
A lot of that had to do with the salary cap. It was the OL that was the one position that they tried to go inexpensive to pay the defense. The first conversion from DL to OL worked, so I think Cable thought he had the magic touch and could continue to do it. He was wrong.
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Urlacher ran well enough to show blitz over the center and then drop into coverage over the middle and deeper. I believe he was also a safety in college.
Poor man’s Urlacher is a stretch.
I love measurables. I watch the combine and get geeked out when guys run crazy 40s. But sometimes there’s guys that are just football players. As long as you don’t have a situation where he has to go out and cover tyreek hill one on one or something he’s going to be fine. I think MLB is one of the positions where awareness and play recognition can make up for a lack of speed. And he’s got that in spades. Plus being 6 6 he can cover the middle zones well in pass coverage with his length.
The height will help. It wont be a cure all. I dont disagree that some guys are just football players. Or that guys run slower as they get older but can still play. At the NFL level, I think those guys can still run well tho.
If Im a NFL OC, I am finding ways to get him 1 on 1 with someone in the passing game. Pick the scab until it bleeds.
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