mackenzie45220
Practice Squad
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- Jul 25, 2013
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I wrote the article
First, I'll admit, I googled myself in discussion results. Want to defend myself a bit. First of all, I get a lot of grief for being 16 at the time (turned 17 last month). I've been scouting the NFL draft since I was 13 and I read tons and tons of coaching books every offseason. And I feel like I have the right to have a bit of an ego toward my opinions because I watch film to back it up. Below are my scouting notes for next year's draft (so far). They should provide pretty good evidence that I watch film: (I'm not allowed to post links, so add http, eliminate spaces)
: // docs. google. com / document /edit ? id= 1ix0pJ90knOI161HyYxt959QWfHFs0PaqUT8RjP6v-zc
Secondly, regarding Jordan, I'll acknowledge I may not have given him enough credit for his physical gifts. I should have been more clear when I said he wasn't particularly explosive. It's not about athleticism, but the guy takes an awful long time to react to the snap of the football, and offensive linemen tend to have a pretty big head start before he starts rushing.
Thirdly, my biggest problem with Jordan is that he's been playing football for 8 years and still has the fundamentals of a high schooler. At least Ezekiel Ansah has an excuse for his lack of knowledge of the game. He's barely played football. I've never seen anything resembling good hand usage from Jordan, and he seems to lack feel in all aspects of the game. There's no reason for him to be this raw at this point in his career. Margus Hunt has all of the physical tools and then some that Jordan possesses. Sadly, for Jordan, he has as much of a track record of success at the collegiate level as Jordan, even though Hunt has known about the existence of the sport for about 4 years. I need to see something other than speed rush after speed rush from Jordan before I'm impressed.
Fourthly, and I didn't mention this in the article because his arm length hadn't been measured yet, but Jordan has a particularly awful combination for him: lots of height but short arms, at least for his size. They say the low man wins in football. Jordan is 6'6. He's going to have to find another way. For most players (Aldon Smith), it's good hand usage. Swim moves, rip moves, etc. Lots of height typically means long arms, and the advantage of long arms is that you should be able to hit the opposing offensive lineman before he hits you. I think Jordan's arms are 33 7/8 inches long. That's not terrible, but, from a guy who's 6'6, I'd say 34 5/8 is average. Ansah is 6'5 and his arms are 35 1/8 inches long. That's something you like to see. But Jordan is an awkward combination of too tall for great leverage, arms are too short to be incredible with hand usage (of course, hand usage is at least 75% fundamentals, so it's not a death sentence). His only option as a pass rusher is speed, which makes him one dimensional.
Fifthly, I'm a Packers fan, for my mom was born and raised in Green Bay, so no Jets bias here. Besides, I wrote this article in January, so even if I was a Jets fan, I wouldn't have known at the time Jordan would be a Dolphin.
Lastly, my main point is this: even Jordan's biggest supporters, such as Mike Mayock, compare him to a "raw Aldon Smith." I don't disagree with the comparison. My problem is this: why is he raw? It's not like he's from another country and has virtually no experience as a player. It's not like he's a JUCO transfer who hasn't had access to great coaching (JPP). There's no reason for him to be this raw at this point in his career. A raw Aldon Smith is a nice way of saying "Jarvis Moss." And, other than a .1 second difference in 40 yard dash times (Jordan has the edge), what is the difference between Jordan and Moss?
First, I'll admit, I googled myself in discussion results. Want to defend myself a bit. First of all, I get a lot of grief for being 16 at the time (turned 17 last month). I've been scouting the NFL draft since I was 13 and I read tons and tons of coaching books every offseason. And I feel like I have the right to have a bit of an ego toward my opinions because I watch film to back it up. Below are my scouting notes for next year's draft (so far). They should provide pretty good evidence that I watch film: (I'm not allowed to post links, so add http, eliminate spaces)
: // docs. google. com / document /edit ? id= 1ix0pJ90knOI161HyYxt959QWfHFs0PaqUT8RjP6v-zc
Secondly, regarding Jordan, I'll acknowledge I may not have given him enough credit for his physical gifts. I should have been more clear when I said he wasn't particularly explosive. It's not about athleticism, but the guy takes an awful long time to react to the snap of the football, and offensive linemen tend to have a pretty big head start before he starts rushing.
Thirdly, my biggest problem with Jordan is that he's been playing football for 8 years and still has the fundamentals of a high schooler. At least Ezekiel Ansah has an excuse for his lack of knowledge of the game. He's barely played football. I've never seen anything resembling good hand usage from Jordan, and he seems to lack feel in all aspects of the game. There's no reason for him to be this raw at this point in his career. Margus Hunt has all of the physical tools and then some that Jordan possesses. Sadly, for Jordan, he has as much of a track record of success at the collegiate level as Jordan, even though Hunt has known about the existence of the sport for about 4 years. I need to see something other than speed rush after speed rush from Jordan before I'm impressed.
Fourthly, and I didn't mention this in the article because his arm length hadn't been measured yet, but Jordan has a particularly awful combination for him: lots of height but short arms, at least for his size. They say the low man wins in football. Jordan is 6'6. He's going to have to find another way. For most players (Aldon Smith), it's good hand usage. Swim moves, rip moves, etc. Lots of height typically means long arms, and the advantage of long arms is that you should be able to hit the opposing offensive lineman before he hits you. I think Jordan's arms are 33 7/8 inches long. That's not terrible, but, from a guy who's 6'6, I'd say 34 5/8 is average. Ansah is 6'5 and his arms are 35 1/8 inches long. That's something you like to see. But Jordan is an awkward combination of too tall for great leverage, arms are too short to be incredible with hand usage (of course, hand usage is at least 75% fundamentals, so it's not a death sentence). His only option as a pass rusher is speed, which makes him one dimensional.
Fifthly, I'm a Packers fan, for my mom was born and raised in Green Bay, so no Jets bias here. Besides, I wrote this article in January, so even if I was a Jets fan, I wouldn't have known at the time Jordan would be a Dolphin.
Lastly, my main point is this: even Jordan's biggest supporters, such as Mike Mayock, compare him to a "raw Aldon Smith." I don't disagree with the comparison. My problem is this: why is he raw? It's not like he's from another country and has virtually no experience as a player. It's not like he's a JUCO transfer who hasn't had access to great coaching (JPP). There's no reason for him to be this raw at this point in his career. A raw Aldon Smith is a nice way of saying "Jarvis Moss." And, other than a .1 second difference in 40 yard dash times (Jordan has the edge), what is the difference between Jordan and Moss?
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