Risers & Fallers
 

Okay, the Football games are over and now players are rising and falling from previous "rankings" - so, I thought I'd start a thread to keep track. I am sure that there will be plenty of movement at the Combine and Pro-Days. However, these are the players that have jumped out at me.

Risers
OT Bryan Bulaga - Underclassmen often are lowballed early and then rise.
FS Earl Thomas
OG Mike Iupati - I have actually gone the other way on this guy.
NT Dan Williams - The Vince Wilfork comparisons are coming as Mt. Cody starts losing fans.
CB Devin McCourty - This guy could be the Texans' pick and I'm really surprised. I think he's a late 2nd maybe 3rd round CB, but he's getting momentum.
LB Sean Weatherspoon - He started off as a 2nd round pick, but I think after he runs a 4.56 at 245lbs, he'll continue to climb up the 1st round.
CB Kyle Williams - This year's "Antonio Cromatrie" enjoying the Sr. Bowl bounce.
RB/WR Dexter McCluster - Mike Mayock could be his agent. He may be another Devin Hester, not Darren Sproles. Possibly Garrett Wolfe instead of Chris Johnson.
LB Darryl Washington - Good production in college.
DL Tyson Alualu - I'm jumping on his bandwagon too.
LB Koa Misi - Another All-Star game star.
QB Jarret Brown - Remember Tavaris Jackson getting drafted very high?
NT Cam Thomas - I love this guy and he came out of NOWHERE!
SS Larry Asante - Reminds me of Pollard.
FS/CB Chris Cook - I liked the idea of stealing him late, now everyone else is bidding him up.

Fallers
CB Patrick Robinson - As McCourty has gone up, this guy has gone the other way.
CB Syd'Quan Thompson - His 40-time is going to be VERY important for him.
CB Donovan Warren - He may regret coming out early and has done the opposite of Earl Thomas. Started high and free-falling.
OT Kyle Calloway - I like this trend, possible bargain on day 3 :)
CB Trevard Lindley - Anybody else noticing that many CB's are dropping?
LB Roddrick Muckleroy - This is an interesting development.

Tyson Alualu is one of my favorite prospects. I would love for the Texans to grab him in the 3rd round or so. He could also light a fire under Amobi hopefully and provide much needed depth.

I have to say that the Senior Bowl pushed me off the Mike Iupati train. He held like crazy, and definitely looked slow footed. While he wouldn't get steam rolled like Chris Myers, the quick NFL DLmen would go right around him, or get him flagged for 10 yards. He might fit in a power scheme like Pitts or Dallas, but I didn't see anything that matches a zone blocking scheme.

I could be convinced that the coaching he received at Idaho hurt him, but I'm not looking for a project OLmen in the 1st round of the draft, where most say he's expected to be taken.

Now I didn't focus on him quite as much, and I read some bad press, but I thought Mike Johnson looked a lot more like the type of athlete we need. He needs to beef up, but he could be a nice 3rd round pick.

Has anyone watched Maurkice Pouncey or JD Walton playing center? I really think a more physical center is a big team need.

Iupati is off my board.

What "bad press" did you read about Mike Johnson? I'm wanting to see what his Combine looks like, but his on the field blocking looks pretty good.

I am no fan of Pouncey. Walton is just another name that I need to take a closer look at. He is on the radar, just I haven't zeroed in on him, yet. Maybe Caldwell is the more physical center you are thinking about.

Risers
TE Jimmy Graham
WR Taylor Price -
OT Jared Veldheer - Athletic like Joe Staley
OT Rodger Saffold - Decent feet
DT Torrell Troupe - Big NT
DE Alex Carrington - Think Chris Canty
FS/CB Chris Cook - Are you kidding me? He's now a 2nd round pick ahead of DB Perrish Cox and Morgan Burnett!

Fallers
CB Brandon Ghee - I will take this guy over Cook to play FS and feel like I stole something.
DE Greg Hardy - I just assume he has a criminal record or something.

Risers
RB Pat Paschal
OG Marshall Newhouse
LB Donald Butler
S Myron Rolle - I wouldn't be too upset about drafting a Rhode's scholar.
LB Pat Angerer - Could we draft 3 hawkeyes and make me happy?

Well, in a few more days the NFL's version of a beauty pageant will begin at this years Combine. :p

I will not go so far as he is off my board, but i do not touch him in the 1st after his senior bowl play. In the 2nd round.....now I have to start thinking. He has raw raw raw skills, and coaching should help him. But he is going to need some hand to hand combat training and fast to get into the pit of the NFL.

I'm pretty sure Iupati is drafted before our 2nd round draft pick comes up, so that's why he's off my board. I'd draft him AFTER Asamoah and Mike Johnson, not before.

I am really interested in this guy. As you said a Rhodes Scholar probably has an edge over most folks in the smarts department. He kept himself in pretty good shape during his year off. He was able to step right into the Senior Bowl. I will be very interested to see him perform at the combine.

CB Amari Spievey is moving up my list of CBs

Warren and Wilson are my top guys, for were we pick.
Spievey is moving up.

Defensive tackle Terrence Cody weighed 349 pounds, ran 5.64 and 5.62 in the 40, 22-inch vertical leap, 7-9 broad jump, kept short shuttle and three-cone drill times from the combine and had 22 bench press reps.

http://blogs.nfl.com/category/pro-days/
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Big Terrence is gonna be skinny as a rail if he dosen't keep shedding the lbs.
But he's down from his combine weight, which was down from his SB weight.
Can't hurt his case.

Rob Rang, in his latest mock, has us taking Joe Haden, CB, Florida with the 20th pick saying his combine dropped his stock a bit.

Haden was picked just ahead of:
Taylor Mays
Sergio Kindle
Mike Iupati
Carlos Dunlap
Jared Odrick

Chad Reuter has us taking Earl Thomas, S-CB, Texas with the 20th pick ahead of the following:
Golden Tate
Sergio Kindle
Mike Iupati
Carlos Dunlap
Kyle Wilson
Sean Witherspoon

Other than Tate, I find any of the other six acceptable and would be entertaining trade down offers.

Rising
1st Rounders
DE Everson Griffen
RB Ryan Mathews
LB Sean Weatherspoon
CB Kyle Wilson
DE Jerry Hughes
CB Devin McCourty
CB Kareem Jackson
LB Darryl Washington

2nd Rounders
OL Rodger Saffold
DT Tyson Alualu
RB Toby Gerhart
RB Montario Hardesty
DT Lamar Houston
FS Chris Cook
OT Jared Veldheer
TE Dennis Pitta
OG John Jerry

3rd Rounders
FS Major Wright
DT Mike Neal
SS Darrel Stuckey
CB Kevin Thomas
TE Dorin Dickerson
LB Dekoda Watson
RB Ben Tate

4th Rounders
CB A.J. Jefferson
DE Lindsey Witten
LB Jamar Chaney
DT Linval Joseph

My observation is that many of my sleeper bargains are not being undervalued much anymore. :(

Three Texas A&M players who did not participate in the NFL Scouting Combine produced outstanding workouts at the school’s pro day, which was held Wednesday, indoors on FieldTurf.
Center Kevin Matthews, who is the son of Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews and cousin of current Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews, took advantage of his opportunity to impress the representatives from nine NFL teams in attendance.
Matthews (6-foot-3, 298 pounds) ran the 40-yard dash — which was run on a rubber matting placed over the FieldTurf — in 5.32 and 5.27 seconds, had a 29-inch vertical leap, an 8-foot, 3-inch broad jump and posted times of 4.83 seconds in the short shuttle and 7.69 seconds in the three-cone drill. He also did 32 repetitions of 225 pounds in the bench press. Those 32 bench press reps would have placed Matthews tied for ninth among offensive linemen at the combine. Where Matthews really made his mark was with an exceptional performance in the position drills.
http://blogs.nfl.com/category/pro-days/
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I dunno are those shuttle & 3-cone times any good ?
But look for Kubiak to sign this guy as an undrafted FA.

LeGarrette Blount, a controversial running back who has been trying to restore his image, was a no-show at Oregon’s pro day Thursday.
http://blogs.nfl.com/category/pro-days/
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Uh-oh. Not a good move there LeGarrette.

I also have my "prototypes" for the OL just for comparisons.....

OG
6’4”
310lbs
5.10 – 40 yd
1.77 – 10 yd
2.90 - 20 yd
4.65 – Shuttle
7.55 – Cone Drill
27” – Vertical
9’0” – Long Jump
25 – Bench Press

That's the final flag waving for me. He's off my list.

Plus I am starting to believe that Kubiak's version of RB is a smaller guy then Blount. And the kid keeps acting like a me first punk.

Matthews long jump shows a lack of explosion, UDFA type who might be camp fodder and maybe a practice squad guy.

I see a coaching career in his future. At best.

Supposedly he is going to be at his second Pro Day. This is one of the few times where I actually WOULD consider drafting a low character guy. Assuming he falls far enough down in the draft, that is. If we could get him for a fifth, and we only we got one year of production out of him before we had to let him go because of issues, it seems to me it would be worth it if we got him cheap.

Anyone care to predict how high he will be drafted?