DolphinVJ
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I have seen some of our picks deemed a reach by some fans and so-called Media experts. I think what we forget is that different teams stack a draft board differently depending on their scheme and what they look for in a player so the grading is different especially for teams like New England and Miami. For example, Flores looks for guys who are self-motivated, smart, tough and compete. In the New England way, his preference for the type of defensive players is unlike other team in that he looks for scheme versatility. So he would take a "lesser" player if the player fits his scheme and mental make-up better than a player almost everyone else thinks is superior. Raekwon Davis is a good example as there are a couple other DTs in the Draft that are better pass rushers than him but they don't come close to doing the things that Davis does. I have quoted the following from articles by Travis Wingfield - miamidolphins.com - on three of our defensive players drafted and they all seem to do multiple things to fit Flore's vision. When you do one thing well, you become predictable. May be that is why New England usually does not have a double digit sack guy other than Chandler Jones a few years ago. They like to attack with variety with multiple players averaging around 5-7 sacks a season. Their DTs are not asked to get high number of sacks either although last year, Adam Butler, who was signed as an undrafted FA had 6 sacks.
Brandon Jones DB –
With blocked punts and return touchdowns on his resume, Jones played all over Texas' special teams units, but he also played everywhere on the defense. Per Pro Football Focus, Jones played 285 snaps last year at free safety and 154 in the box. His most frequent position was in the slot with 371 snaps. In total, over a three-year career, Jones played 2,333 snaps for the Longhorns with 1,285 of those plays coming in pass coverage.
Raekwon Davis DL –
Davis is 6-foot-7 and weighs 310 pounds. He arrived in Alabama as a versatile shop-wrecker that can play any position across the defensive line, from the nose tackle all the way to end.
It's not just the position versatility that Davis brings, it's his scheme flexibility that makes him incredibly attractive to a defense that prides itself on multiplicity. He lined up all over the formation for the Crimson Tide defense. According to Pro Football Focus, Davis played 391 snaps as a B gap defender, 122 over the nose, 63 outside the tackle and 59 in the A gap.
Sacks don't tell the whole story for a pass rusher, and Davis was perpetually in the backfield and in the face of the quarterback. He registered 66 hurries over three years and made 75 run stops (tackles within two yards of the line of scrimmage). He's a pocket collapser and run-game penetrator, using his length and power to reset the point of attack. His PFF run grade was 87.9 last year after an elite mark of 90.4 in the 2018 season.
Noah Igbinoghene CB –
The fluidity of Igbinoghene's game is apparent on the tape. He's a smooth operator whether working out of a back pedal, playing in zone turns or matching up man-on-man. He's thickly built to properly play his physical brand of football and shows patience with his technique. Per Pro Football Focus, Igbinoghene played the second-most press coverage reps in 2019 of any cornerback in college football. Also, good in run support.
So the player rankings/evaluations in mainstream Media does not really apply to every team especially teams like New England and Miami because of the uniqueness of their systems/schemes and the player make-up they look for.
Brandon Jones DB –
With blocked punts and return touchdowns on his resume, Jones played all over Texas' special teams units, but he also played everywhere on the defense. Per Pro Football Focus, Jones played 285 snaps last year at free safety and 154 in the box. His most frequent position was in the slot with 371 snaps. In total, over a three-year career, Jones played 2,333 snaps for the Longhorns with 1,285 of those plays coming in pass coverage.
Raekwon Davis DL –
Davis is 6-foot-7 and weighs 310 pounds. He arrived in Alabama as a versatile shop-wrecker that can play any position across the defensive line, from the nose tackle all the way to end.
It's not just the position versatility that Davis brings, it's his scheme flexibility that makes him incredibly attractive to a defense that prides itself on multiplicity. He lined up all over the formation for the Crimson Tide defense. According to Pro Football Focus, Davis played 391 snaps as a B gap defender, 122 over the nose, 63 outside the tackle and 59 in the A gap.
Sacks don't tell the whole story for a pass rusher, and Davis was perpetually in the backfield and in the face of the quarterback. He registered 66 hurries over three years and made 75 run stops (tackles within two yards of the line of scrimmage). He's a pocket collapser and run-game penetrator, using his length and power to reset the point of attack. His PFF run grade was 87.9 last year after an elite mark of 90.4 in the 2018 season.
Noah Igbinoghene CB –
The fluidity of Igbinoghene's game is apparent on the tape. He's a smooth operator whether working out of a back pedal, playing in zone turns or matching up man-on-man. He's thickly built to properly play his physical brand of football and shows patience with his technique. Per Pro Football Focus, Igbinoghene played the second-most press coverage reps in 2019 of any cornerback in college football. Also, good in run support.
So the player rankings/evaluations in mainstream Media does not really apply to every team especially teams like New England and Miami because of the uniqueness of their systems/schemes and the player make-up they look for.
