Grading the Draft: All 32 Teams | Page 7 | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Grading the Draft: All 32 Teams

New York Jets



#16 Overall -- Quinton Coples / DE / North Carolina

#3 defensive end on my board and had a top 20 grade on him. Jets get good value here for versatile defensive lineman. Motor issues concern me less than the fact I question his ability to be a truly dominant pass rusher on the edge. Could be Greg Ellis, or could be Ebenezer Ekuban. Probably falls somewhere in between. If Rex can't get it out of him then I just don't think it's there. Grade: B



#43 Overall -- Stephen Hill / WR / Georgia Tech

I had a late 1st/early 2nd round grade on Hill and was rated the #4 wide receiver on my board. Explodes off the line of scrimmage and incredible workout numbers are visible on tape... although the production isn't quite there due to style of offense. Drops some easy passes and will learn how to run routes. Will go up and get the ball in 50/50 situations. Required to go into the middle of the field and root out linebackers in Paul Johnson's double-wing attack. Sky is the limit for this kid. Nice pick here. Grade: B+



#77 Overall -- Demario Davis / OLB / Arkansas St.

The #1 4-3 outside linebacker on my board and had an early 2nd round grade on him. The leader and tone setter for one of the better defenses in college football that nobody knows about. Tested off the charts athletically in most every event at the combine for this class of linebackers. Should become an NFL starter at some point. Grade: A-



#187 Overall -- Josh Bush / S / Wake Forest

Bush didn't make it on my draft board. Grade: D-



#202 Overall -- Terrance Ganaway / RB / Baylor

#2 short yardage back on my board and had a 6th round grade. Productive on the IZ running against soft defenses and 5-6 men in the box. Tested and ran pretty good for back his size. Will find the going gets much tougher where he's headed. Grade: C-



#203 Overall -- Robert T. Griffin / OG / Baylor

Wasn't on my draft board. Grade: D-



#242 Overall -- Antonio Allen / S / South Carolina

#17 safety on my board and had a late round grade. More of an in-the-box safety/linebacker who played the 'spur' position in Ellis Johnson's defense, which is a base 4-2-5 package. Suspect in coverage but a strong tackling safety who's best close to the LOS. Grade: C+



#244 Overall -- Jordan White / WR / Western Michigan

I had a 4th round grade on White and rated him my #7 slot receiver. Fantastic hands and one of the better route runners in this class. More of a #3 or #4 receiver in the NFL. Slow and a little on the old side for a rookie. Suffered 2 ACL injuries in college. I admire the kid's guile to come back from both. Production is eye-popping. Grade: B-


Agree on the Demario Davis pick, did the Jets trade up in front of Miami at 77? I was really hoping for Davis at pick 78.
 
nice work here slimm...as for miami only pick i really disagree on is egnew..i just don't think the kid will defeat man coverage or separate...if you let him slip down the seam unaccounted for then yeah i'm sure he can do damage but he looks like a rocked up wr playing te to me who will be primarily a threat in the red zone and a scheme driven production player...i don't see a guy on tape who plays anywhere near the combine explosion numbers he put up...no burst one speed guy who imo will get locked down aganst man coverage...lets hope he continues to catch the contested balls as a pro cause i think there's gonna be a lot of them
 
Awesome work. Incredibly informative read. Loved the initial Dolphins draft grades and the eventual analysis afterwards lol
 
Well deserved props to Slimm for this thread as I am in position to know how much of what he's written in this thread is the culmination of countless hours of hard work and film study. Can't understate that. What you see in terms of grades, description, rankings, etc...may not look much at times and people may nitpick it, yet I know how much time goes into it.

A little surprised that despite Slimm's cynical/sarcastic original assessment with all A+ grades and his assertion that we really do not want to read his grades on the players...when it came time to actually assign grades, there wasn't even a single C or C- in there. On a numeric scale he gave a 99 of 135, or about a B average. I'm not about to accuse Slimm of having gone soft on Miami (I'm not even sure he's truly a Miami fan to be honest), because I can relate...as someone that has not liked a lot of what Jeff Ireland has done, and was surprised that as he rattled off pick after pick, these were for the most part players I approved of. Not necessarily favorites, but players I liked.

Not necessarily sure I saw things the same way on Jon Martin. I don't have a problem with the position in the 2nd round, but I also don't know that I agree that Martin was a future top 10 pick in 2013. I also watched closely that matchup with Nick Perry and had a different read on it. I don't know that I would characterize what Martin did to Perry as having dominated him. I thought it was closer to the other way around. I guess part of this is how you regard Perry himself. Given Slimm liked Perry as the best DE in the Draft, his perspective on that battle makes sense. But regardless I had Perry beating Martin cleanly in pass rush at least 7 times (6 outside, 1 counter), including 4 pressures flushing Luck out of the pocket and 2 hits on Andrew as he threw. I don't know what the stat services say but that's what my eyes told me. There were two plays some might have even tossed a half-sack at Perry for, but one you couldn't fault Jon Martin for in any way. The other I scored as a QB hit because if the pressure hadn't come from the other side, that's probably all Perry would've gotten out of it was a hit on Luck as he threw. This to me was a game that helped show that Martin needs a lot more upper body strength, something he showed again at his pro day on the bench. What he did well in the game was perform in the clutch late in the 4th quarter and in overtime. Or perhaps it was Perry that slowed down in the clutch. Either way, Martin blocked Perry well in crunch time.

Another one I differ a little is Lamar Miller. I hear Slimm on never having thought of Miller as a 1st rounder or the 2nd best runner in this Draft. I'm the same way. I never looked at Miller and thought this guy needs to go in the 1st round. Doug Martin, the more I got round to him, the more I saw that. David Wilson I did not, because of fumbling issues, also not a big guy that gets any significant yards after contact. What I appreciate about Miller's game more than I think maybe Slimm does is the vision and ball security. My personal opinion is that he does not have just average vision. I like his patience and I like the way he sets up blocks. He has this god-given burst and speed, and he knows it. It's like a quarterback that has god-given arm talent, and plays accordingly. Quarterbacks with great arms 'borrow' off that arm strength so to speak in order to gain advantage in other aspects, because they know their arm is good for it. They can back away from pressure creating extra distance and/or worse angles, throw off leverage, etc. Lamar Miller to me embodies the phrase "speed through the hole, not to the hole". He knows he can hit the speed button like a video game, so he's patient to the hole and lets his blocks develop. The other area I disagree is ball security. He has good instincts for protecting the ball in a crowd, whether it's switching hands or coming down on the football with both hands, he does these things fluidly and quickly, with good coordination and instincts. He has shown this by only fumbling 3 times in his career (2 happening in one game, sometimes you just have a weird day) and only having lost 2 of them (1 in 2010, 1 in 2011). I agree with Slimm he's not phyiscal enough and if he doesn't develop his body and get better, then at the lower end he may just be another Brandon Jackson. That's his floor, to me. However, he could be a lot better than that.

I'm not sure we disagree overall on Josh Kaddu, because the bottom line is a C+ is exactly what I'm inclined toward for him. I've brought him up in the past as a guy that wouldn't be a bad draft pick. It would be hypocritical of me to sit here now and say suddenly it's a bad draft pick. However, there were some things that confused me on the pick. I'm one of the people Slimm mentioned that didn't like passing on Tank Carder to end up with Josh Kaddu. I just have a clearer vision for how Tank Carder is going to fit in the NFL, as a coverage guy on passing downs (initially). I have a tougher time figuring how Kaddu fits, other than special teams. He reminds me a little of Kevin Burnett, and like Burnett it could take five years before Kaddu has honed his instincts against the run to where he's valuable on 1st/2nd down. Unlike Burnett, he's not a strong cover linebacker yet. He's athletic, he's sudden, he has some explosiveness to him, he hits like a truck at times, but he mostly made his name as a blitzer rushing the quarterback, which won't avail him at the next level. He's sort of a poor man's Ronnell Lewis, and Lewis himself may have issues trying to make it as a pro (hence dropping to the 4th round).

Cunningham I think we'll just have to agree to disagree. I see what's special about him at athe college level. I don't see what's special about him at the NFL level. Of course now that I say that, he'll be an All Pro. The first thing that always jumps out at me about him is how smoothly he runs and catches the football with his hands on the run. It's a trait I saw in Blair White, also from Michigan State, whom I felt was better than his undrafted free agent status. But I knew Blair was a tireless worker and I don't know that about Cunningham, and the bottom line is no receiver makes a living running slants and drags at the NFL level. I hate to be harsh but there you have it. He specialized on slant and drag routes and even the slant routes were iffy if he had a corner with any amount of size or physicality pressing him at the line. He's not out running anyone. He's not out-bodying people. He doesn't have a "my ball" physical mentality when the ball is in the air. He tracks and adjusts on the ball in the air but if I wanted that I could have grabbed Jeremy Ebert and at least had some 4.40 speed to show for it. Cunningham's run after catch and tackle breaking ability was dependent on physically inferior, smaller corners trying to tackle his 6'1" and 211 lbs frame, and coming up short. Worse, he's not versatile. He presents no special teams value. He presents no value on reverses. As I said, he's not a strong RAC player. So you're trying to think of ways for him to be useful in the game and there's only one way...he has to go out there, run routes, create separation, and make plays. What if he's not as good at that as other guys on the roster? Suddenly you've got a player who can't be active on game day and is just clogging up a roster space. I think the bottom line is the Dolphins grabbed four receivers off this rookie class, two of them undrafted free agents, and though Cunningham was taken first he might be the least interesting to me of the four. Like I said, now that I say that, he'll be the best of the four. There are pluses to his game. He adjusts on the ball well, catches smoothly on the run without breaking stride at all (which is actually not as common a skill as you think), he's a smart player and plays like it, and he's got decent size. But I don't think it's enough.

The rest I pretty much agreed with almost point for point. I'm intrigued with Derek Moye and Jonas Gray, among the UDFAs, along with Josh Samuda.
 
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Slimm mentioned three UDFAs that I am also intrigued with a lot in Jonas Gray, Derek Moye and Jeff Fuller.

One he didn't mention is Josh Samuda of Umass.

This guy really does intrigue me a lot and I will admit that my only exposure to him as a football player are the following videos:

[video=youtube;2iBDjOJoJ6E]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iBDjOJoJ6E[/video]
[video=youtube;niLvSnFo6Mc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niLvSnFo6Mc[/video]

I don't want to make more of him than I should based on Combine drills and a highlights tape. I can't evaluate him as a starting guard at the NFL level based on that, for instance. But I can say he's definitely worth the UDFA contract gamble based on only those tapes. Aside from David DeCastro and Kevin Zeitler, I don't know that any other guard's drills at the real NFL Combine looked as intriguing to me as Samuda's at the Regional Combine. That includes Amini Silatolu. I'm just being honest, again I'm not saying Samuda is better than any of those guys. And his highlight tapes, well they're highlights...not like his people are going to show him looking bad...but they did look pretty good, as far as highlights go. I've seen plenty of highlights of guys that didn't look that great. You have to love Samuda's mentality on display in the highlights.

Then you look at his workout numbers and pure athleticism, again very intriguing. At his pro day the scouts had him at 5.08 seconds at 6031 and 312 lbs. He looked good running it, too. He ran the 40 on what looked like a bit of a chewed up UMass stadium football field, not a track surface. I always emphasize that because if you look at pictures of Greg Childs' miraculous 40 yard dash, he ran it on a track surface, not a real football field. Samuda had a 32 inch vertical, 32 bench reps, an 8'9" broad jump, 4.49 shuttle and 7.39 cone. Really about as good as you get at 6'3" and 312 lbs. On March 1, 2010 he maxed out a 600 lbs squat. By February 11, 2011 he did five repetitions of a 550 lbs squat. He did three reps at 405 lbs on the bench press and maxes out at 425 lbs. That bench prowess showed up at his pro day when he did 32 repetitions at 225 lbs.

Usually if you're going to get an offensive lineman with that kind of weight room prowess, size, speed and overall athletic ability as an undrafted free agent, he either:

A. Looks woefully awkward and unbalanced in his movements
B. Has the hand technique of Edward Scissorhands
C. Has virtually no experience
D. Some combination of the above

Yet, he:

A. Moved really well and showed good balance in Combine drills
B. Doesn't look awkward in highlights and was a 2011 All-CAA selection
C. Has started 43 games, switching between right and left guard

So hey, not proclaiming he's the next Pro Bowler to come out of Miami or anything....but I actually think he makes the roster.
 
Glad your onboard with Samuda. I actually found out about him two days before the draft and was very intrigued by him. Being from UMass I figured he may go undrafted, was glad to see we got him in as an UDFA. I think he's got a good shot a long with Dennis to make the roster at Guard...at worst I see him on the practice squad.
 
I think he's got a better shot than Dennis to be honest. Whenever I watched Dennis at Temple my eyes always went to his teammate Wayne Tribue. I just don't see Derrick Dennis as all that interesting a player.
 
I think he's got a better shot than Dennis to be honest. Whenever I watched Dennis at Temple my eyes always went to his teammate Wayne Tribue. I just don't see Derrick Dennis as all that interesting a player.
You don't think Dennis and Samuda would be upgrades over what we have on the roster currently? I think they probably are and the fact that they wouldn't have to start (not both) initially should help the coaches work on their development...just sprinkle them in a few plays here and there.
 
Samuda seems to be repaying CK's faith in him by moving up to 2nd team and thanks to Slimm for fascinating evaluations !!
 
Sorry to bump a really old thread but I was really impressed with what TedSlimmJr had to say about the draft picks for the dolphins, if you see this Ted I was wondering about your current thoughts regarding these two picks:

#78 Overall -- Michael Egnew / TE / Missouri


why I like this pick: He was the #3 tight end in the draft on my board and I figured the 3rd round was where he'd come off. Egnew is precisely the type of flex TE that I've talked about Miami was always missing and typically avoided in the draft. He plays essentially like a WR split out operating in space. He creates a matchup problem with cornerbacks and linebackers in man coverage. Coaches can split him out in the "X" receiver position and run some X-iso where he's isolated on a smaller cornerback along the sidelines, or motion him there and have a linebacker follow him. A player like this makes your personnel packages capable of dictating to the defense. Egnew's height and linear speed is what you must have in a seam threat that forces safeties to play you honest. Athletically he tested at or near the top in virtually every event at the combine for TE's. Production is top notch.

why I don't like this pick: Only plays at one speed and isn't explosive changing directions. A stalk blocker who needs refinement in the aspect of blocking.

Overall: Nice pick and solid value here. Coaches will coach him up in the blocking department. You can't coach a kid to be 6'5", 250 pounds with 4.6 speed and soft hands. Grade: B+



#183 Overall -- B.J. Cunningham / WR / Michigan St.


why I like this pick: I had a 5th round grade on him for one. Several times mentioned him as one of the more underrated receivers in the Senior class since last summer. Michigan St.'s all time leader in career receptions and receiving yardage despite not always having the most consistent quarterback play. A program that's had Plaxico Burress, Mark Ingram, Derrick Mason, Charles Rogers, Muhsin Muhammad, and Andre Rison all come through there. He has a great work ethic and takes pride in it. Showed he belonged down at the East-West Shrine Game.

why I don't like this pick: Not much. Miami didn't reach for him and got a receiver capable of contributing in this offense.

Overall: Miami's already lackluster receivers better not sleep on this kid. He's capable of snatching their job away from them. I think he probably makes the final 53. Grade: B-

Considering the "strength" of the WR group do you think it was a mistake not to give Cunningham a place on the Roster? Also are you surprised that Egnew seems to have had a (to be kind) "slow start" and do you still think he could be a good player for us this season?
 

Considering the "strength" of the WR group do you think it was a mistake not to give Cunningham a place on the Roster? Also are you surprised that Egnew seems to have had a (to be kind) "slow start" and do you still think he could be a good player for us this season?[/B][/B]


No I'm not surprised that Egnew seems to have had a slow start. I think he should be fine if soaks up his coaching and works his tail off. There is nothing athletically that's going to prevent him from fulfilling his potential.

I don't know that I'd go so far as to say not 'giving' Cunningham a spot on the roster was a mistake, but if it were me I would probably have made an attempt to keep him over the status quo. He had the opportunity in front of him to earn his spot on the roster competing with the least talented group in the league and didn't do it. He couldn't catch the ball consistently in practice....which is at the top of his job description.

I knew Rishard Matthews had a better shot at sticking because he was a better player, better prospect, and I had a higher grade on him.


While we're on the subject, it's also interesting to note that while everyone was raising hell about the Kaddu pick and passing up on Tank Carder, although I agreed with them. Tank Carder couldn't make the roster in Buffalo either and met the same fate as Kaddu. Cut...

The bottom line is, you have to take advantage of your opportunity when it's given to you. That's not to say that any rookie who's cut in their first training camp won't have an opportunity elsewhere and make the most of it. The league is full of outstanding players who were cut in training camps early in their careers, pro bowl players. Guys like James Harrison, Wes Welker, etc. and many more. You're not guaranteed another opportunity.
 
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