Draftees that start/play

[Jssanto]

Tonsil. Starting LG.
Howard. If he does not earn starting spot we did the wrong thing to trade up for him.
Drake. Many offense touches plus gunner on ST.
Caroo. Might be #3 WR. Parker has the foot issue and Stills may get outplayed.
Grant. PR and maybe KR also. Occasional on field offensive snaps that will be a function of Parker health and Stills level of play.
Lucas. Would love it if he played so well he gets meaningful minutes. However, best chance is how weak we are in the defensive backfield.
Duarte. PS with the possible exception that we could use upgrades at TE. Would like him to play so well he could be a real #3 TE.
Dougherty. PS at best.

Hoped for bonuses- Neville, Hewitt, Hull (at least one) becomes impact player. Lippett progresses well.

 

[fisi]

Don't sleep TD as PS. that guy is so versatile he could be in the line up even as a FB or goal line WR.

 

[gregorygrant83]

People keep putting Grant as the punt returner and discounting him as a receiver. Last season he had 90 receptions for 1268 yards and 10 td's. During four seasons at Texas Tech, where he's the school's all-time receptions leader, Grant returned a total of one punt for one yard. Grant was a good kickoff returner and might be able to handle both punt and kick return duties in the NFL, however his resume as receiver dwarfs his history as a punt returner. It's as if people stereotype him, "5'6 and 160 pounds - he could return punts but he can't be a receiver." Even though all evidence has shown he's a decent receiver and has no history at all as a punt returner.

To me those numbers don't say Grant can or can't be a returner or a receiver in the NFL, as much as it's evidence that after being around him for four years it's clear that the Texas Tech coaching staff thought of Grant as a great offensive weapon and didn't waste his talents on punt returns.

 

[Jssanto]

I thought he did return in college and I thought his projection (with Drake) was return so Landry did not.
Maybe Gase can get him the ball in space.

 

[gregorygrant83]

I thought he did return in college and I thought his projection (with Drake) was return so Landry did not.
Maybe Gase can get him the ball in space.

He did return kickoffs, but not punts. He very well could be a solid punt returner too, I was just saying his resume speaks more kindly of him as a receiver than punt returner and it seems his former coaches viewed him that way too.

 

[fastball83]

Doughty Will be our third QB and Will be our backup in 2017

 

[DKphin]

He did return kickoffs, but not punts. He very well could be a solid punt returner too, I was just saying his resume speaks more kindly of him as a receiver than punt returner and it seems his former coaches viewed him that way too.

Career Passing Stats
Year Team G Cmp Att Comp % Yds Yd/A TDs Int Sacked Yds
2015 TxTch 13 1 1 100.0 72 72.0 1 0 0 0
Career 50 1 1 100.0 72 72.0 1 0 0 0

Career Rushing/Receiving Stats
Year Team G Rush Yds Yd/Rush TDs Rec Yds Yd/Rec TDs
2012 TxTch 13 8 19 2.4 0 33 287 8.7 3
2013 TxTch 12 12 77 6.4 0 65 796 12.2 7
2014 TxTch 12 5 35 7.0 0 67 938 14.0 7
2015 TxTch 13 8 68 8.5 2 90 1268 14.1 10
Career 50 33 199 6.0 2 255 3289 12.9 27

Career Defensive Stats
Year Team G Int Yds TDs
2014 TxTch 12 0
Career 50 0

Career Returning Stats
Year Team G Punt Returns Yds Avg TDs Kick Returns Yds Avg TDs
2012 TxTch 13 0 0 - 0 6 237 39.5 2
2013 TxTch 12 0 0 - 0 19 400 21.1 0
2014 TxTch 12 0 0 - 0 23 515 22.4 0
2015 TxTch 13 0 0 - 0 39 1017 26.1 2
Career 50 0 0 - 0 87 2169 24.9 4

http://stats.washingtonpost.com/cfb/players.asp?id=205046

 

[xXwarXx]

People keep putting Grant as the punt returner and discounting him as a receiver. Last season he had 90 receptions for 1268 yards and 10 td's. During four seasons at Texas Tech, where he's the school's all-time receptions leader, Grant returned a total of one punt for one yard. Grant was a good kickoff returner and might be able to handle both punt and kick return duties in the NFL, however his resume as receiver dwarfs his history as a punt returner. It's as if people stereotype him, "5'6 and 160 pounds - he could return punts but he can't be a receiver." Even though all evidence has shown he's a decent receiver and has no history at all as a punt returner.

To me those numbers don't say Grant can or can't be a returner or a receiver in the NFL, as much as it's evidence that after being around him for four years it's clear that the Texas Tech coaching staff thought of Grant as a great offensive weapon and didn't waste his talents on punt returns.

Good points, but I think hes being brought here to focus on returning kicks and punts. There's really isn't a ton of space for him at WR. For him to make the roster he needs to be really good at returning kicks and punts.

As for him at WR, I think we will have some sub packages for him. And we will use him when the right match ups present themselves. But I doubt were going to see him line up at WR very often.

I think he can succeed at WR in the NFL, but I don't think he can do it on a consistent basis. It's hard to imagine a guy his size consistently being able to be where he needs to be and when he needs to be there.

 

[gregorygrant83]

So DK's stats show he had no punt returns. I thought he had one. He did average 26 yards per kickoff return last year.

I could see him as the fifth receiver teamed with Carroo, Landry, Stills and Parker. If Drake and Duarte make the final 53 I don't see the need for a sixth. Maybe stash one or two on the practice squad.

If nothing else I might put him on the field to tie up a corner. I can't see a team putting a safety or a linebacker on Grant one on one.

Parker, Landry and Stills lined up trips right, with Drake in the backfield and Grant wide left. Tough to defend.

 

[DKphin]

Doughty Will be our third QB and Will be our backup in 2017

I don't know if he will have success in the league. He played in the spread in college and that benefited him greatly. He has trouble with pressure. His arm is average and floats the ball on long throws(reminds me of Fiedler and that is not a good thing).

I wish we would have drafted his teammate TE Tyler Higbee.

Here is a pretty good scouting report on him:

[video=youtube;igikx0Md_mc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igikx0Md_mc[/video]

 

[gregorygrant83]

I don't know if he will have success in the league. He played in the spread in college and that benefited him greatly. He has trouble with pressure. His arm is average and floats the ball on long throws(reminds me of Fiedler and that is not a good thing).

I wish we would have drafted his teammate TE Tyler Higbee.

I agree with you on Higbee. I think Doughty will have has hands full trying to beat out Logan Thomas and Zack Dysert.

 

[MDFINFAN]

The biggest thing I heard in VJ's press conference the other day is there's no guarantee that our 2nd round pick starts. And when he named corner back completing with him, he named two others, Maxwell and Lipett. Which intrigued me by putting Lipett and no one else in that mix. That indicated to me that Lipett has made some strides from last season to now. That playing time last year was valuable for him and he must have shown that improvement in the recent mini camps for VJ to specifically mention him. I'm getting a little excited that we may have cb's on this team after all. VJ says we have 4. I don't know who's the fourth.

 

[gregorygrant83]

With Taylor traded and Ifo still recovering, is there another corner on the roster that could even be considered?

 

[Digital]

Tunsil and Howard will start.

Drake will play at RB spelling Ajayi and on both kick off and kick return teams. *IF* Grant can show sure hands he may make the team as a punt returner and possibly last WR. Caroo will be the 4th/3rd WR and will see some duty, but injuries will determine how much.

IMHO, everyone else is practice-squad bound.

 

[WaxOn WaxOff]

Duarte is probably and H-Back and not a TE. Not the size or the blocker you want in an NFL TE. He will be more fluid version of Charles Clay, though. I think he contributes.