NFL Combine

[painekiller]

The kid from Fordham, Skelton impressed today. He has a rocket arm, he needs work but would be worth a project pick. If the Texans take a project type QB, then I hope they take a guy with a true NFL arm, not some weak arm hack like Alex Brink.

Toby Gerhart showed he has the speed to be a tailback in the NFL. Blount ran slower then I had expected.

The forty times this year appear to all be better than last years group.

Ryan Mathews is looking more and more like the guy we target. Montario Hardesty also had a huge day, and Tate is still a solid fall back.

The Texans are going to have to go RB before the 2nd pick if they want one of the top 5 guys.

[NBT]

Toby Gerhart is still my man.

[nunusguy]

Ryan Matthews was impressive in Indy, but is he really that much different than what we already have in Arian Foster ?
If we go with one of the name backs Gerhardt would also be my choice. He's big and runs heavy so he's the inside guy we don't have but his 40 time today
wasn't bad at all - he's not a tortoise. The 4.5s aren't bad at all.

[Roy P]

Originally Posted by painekiller

The forty times this year appear to all be better than last years group.

Ryan Mathews is looking more and more like the guy we target. Montario Hardesty also had a huge day, and Tate is still a solid fall back.

The Texans are going to have to go RB before the 2nd pick if they want one of the top 5 guys.

Who are the top 5 guys?

Spiller, Dwyer, Best, Matthews, and Gerhart?

That leaves, Dixon, Hardesty, and Tate (all 3 from the SEC).

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by Roy P

Who are the top 5 guys?

Spiller, Dwyer, Best, Matthews, and Gerhart?

That leaves, Dixon, Hardesty, and Tate (all 3 from the SEC).

Spiller, Matthews, Best, Gerhart, Tate/ Hardesty would be my top 5.

Not a Dwyer fan.

I have an incomplete on Dixon.

After today Gerhart, Tate and Hardesty have made a case for being 2nd rounders, they all have solid tape and today they showed better speed than expected.

Not sure Best is not to much a dancer for Kubiak.

Matthews seems to be the most likely to be a Texan. CJ Spiller would make the offense super scary, he can be a factor in the pass game and not many safeties could cover him one on one.

[Roy P]

I thought I'd make a list of guys that the Texans will probably draft who aren't on my board....

FS Taylor Mays - USC
RB Jonathan Dwyer - Ga Tech
OL Bruce Campbell - Maryland
CB Dominique Franks - Oklahoma
CB Kareem Jackson - Alabama
FS Nate Allen - USF
CB Perrish Cox - Ok State
OL Jared Veldheer - Hillside
RB Joe McKnight - USC
CB Jerome Murphy - USF
OG Mitch Petrus - Arkansas
FS Kam Chancellor - Va Tech
OL Shelley Smith - Colorado State
OL Selvish Capers - WVa
SS T.J. Ward - Oregon
OL Zane Beadles - Utah
OL Shaun Lauvao - Az State
RB Andre Anderson - Tulane

Since they generally don't draft off of my board, I thought this might be a useful exercise.

[nunusguy]

Mayoc says he thinks this is the strongest Draft he's seen in 8 to 10 years with talent across the Board with the exception of QB, happily not an area of need for us.

[Roy P]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

Mayoc says he thinks this is the strongest Draft he's seen in 8 to 10 years with talent across the Board with the exception of QB, happily not an area of need for us.

I wonder about this assessment every year. If we can't grade a draft until 3 or 4 years down the road, then how can we say that a draft class is the "strongest" we've seen in 8 years? Just sayin' that every year, we look at these kids and think we are looking at the next class of Pro Bowlers.

[Blitzwood]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

Mayoc says he thinks this is the strongest Draft he's seen in 8 to 10 years with talent across the Board with the exception of QB, happily not an area of need for us.

Hate to say it, but I think he's right. It's pretty deep in all but a few positions.

[Roy P]

Originally Posted by painekiller

Spiller, Matthews, Best, Gerhart, Tate/ Hardesty would be my top 5.

After today Gerhart, Tate and Hardesty have made a case for being 2nd rounders, they all have solid tape and today they showed better speed than expected.

Matthews seems to be the most likely to be a Texan. CJ Spiller would make the offense super scary, he can be a factor in the pass game and not many safeties could cover him one on one.

Ok, Spiller just may be the "next Chris Johnson" and everyone is looking for that guy. I'm not completely certain that Ryan Matthews is the next Thomas Jones or Steven Jackson, which is what I'm looking for.

I'm a big fan of Ben Tate and Montario Hardesty, and now I am thinking that the 'fantasy land' that we've been living in that these guys are 4th round picks has been brought to reality. So, I'll be interested in seeing if the 'consensus' boards change drastically after the Combine. Will Tate and Hardesty be 2nd round picks now? The Bench, vertical, jump, and shuttle times should exhibit that they have explosion and agility.

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by Roy P

I'm a big fan of Ben Tate and Montario Hardesty, and now I am thinking that the 'fantasy land' that we've been living in that these guys are 4th round picks has been brought to reality.

That 4.3 that Tate nailed while packing 220 lbs definitely takes him off the Board in the third round at the latest.
And somebody maybe you RP said wait 'till the midrounds to grab a NT in the person of Cam Thomas - well that's another fantasy we can forget about.
Mayoc said this guy had not so good tape during the regular season but he went lights out at Senior Bowl week which puts him in the second round,
especially with so many 3-4 teams looking for nose-guys.

[Roy P]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

That Cam Thomas - well that's another fantasy we can forget about.
Mayoc said this guy had not so good tape during the regular season but he went lights out at Senior Bowl week which puts him in the second round,
especially with so many 3-4 teams looking for nose-guys.

I'm going to put my hopes in East Carolina. Joseph Linval, Jay Ross, or Wilson could get drafted late and help our DL. Linval had an impressive showing on the Bench with very long arms. I'm going to come up with a Formula that ranks Benching.....

[nunusguy]

Top rated corner in this Draft and a consensus top 10 guy just ran a clunker - 4.57 ! That's unofficial and ususally the official time is slower. Ouch !
He'll get another 40 to improve on that very disappointing time, but if this holds we will see if he remains the top CB ? Might be a real barometer about
how important 40 times are ?