FanPost

Meandering draft prospect thoughts

Like Dante Scarnecchia I couldn’t stay away. I’m back, because this run that the Patriots are on now is just too good to miss out on… I don’t think they are finished yet. In fact, I think the efforts of BB, Kraft, McD, etc. etc. will produce as dangerous a Patriots team next season as they’ve ever assembled. The confidence the team has in itself now, and the cohesion of the staff, will go a long way to making 2017 a successful season.

I still have no love for Goodell, the NFL Office, or the way teams like the Colts and Jets collude to screw the Patriots over time and again. Stepping away from the NFL for most of last season had its benefits, and I know as soon as the NFL decides to get stupid again and make a federal court case out of a fabricated story, I can walk away and ignore the drama and idiocy that is to come.

With all that said, I would like to type about some prospects in this coming draft.

First on my list is Josh Reynolds, WR from Texas A&M, a 6’3 200 pound, long armed, lanky kid that had the best Senior Bowl (drills and game combined) of any WR, IMO. Reynolds had six catches for 96 yards, and a TD.

Read break down of Reynolds here

According to CBS Sports Rankings, which in the past have proven fairly accurate at gauging where players would go in the draft, they expect him to go in the 4th round, I find that rather surprising considering the performances he has had in big college games and the Senior Bowl. Heck I can remember years where player that had a lot less on their resume, and had worse measurable, went a lot higher than that.

Another player I really like, that I think will have serious value if he is taken anywhere outside of the first round is Tanoh Kpassagnon DE Villanova 6’7 282 pounds, yet another long armed, physical specimen with incredible athletic speed and skills.

You will hear, and see written, words like raw, untested against top talent, etc. And those words would have some validity. But when it comes to raw size and natural skills, there are none in this draft that are his equal. His arms (34 7/8 inches) and wingspan (84 1/2 inches) and speed, he has track star acceleration, make him worth serious consideration.

At the Senior Bowl he stood out amongst the top players in the nation, at one point tossing aside Western Kentucky’s Forrest Lamp, one of the top guard prospects, like a used Kleenex.

You can find a great break down of him here:

Click here for a review of Tanoh

Tanoh, like Josh (above), is expected to go in the 4th round by CBS Sports Rankings.

The next player of note that I like is Pitt RB James Conner 6’2 240, a good kid that fought back from a knee injury, and Hodgkin lymphoma… sometimes it’s not only about getting the best player, it’s about getting the right player, for the right reasons. A key thing about him is his development as a pass-catcher in his last season, he has 4 receiving touchdowns on 20 receptions, averaging 15 yards per catch.

Here is a good review on Connor

Aaaaand once again CBS Sports Rankings has him going in… can you guess it… the fourth round.

Lastly, someone who isn’t projected to go in the fourth round, but rather early in the second… Roderick Johnson OT Florida State 6’6 and 310 pounds. Athletic for an OT, better balance, control and hand skills than the top OTs ranked ahead of him, and probably has more upside with good coaching. Experienced at protecting the passer and sticking to the pass rusher.

Click here for more info on Johnson

The more I look over some of these players, the more I understand why BB likes to trade down. Hype and hoopla does not make for a better player, and often times that is what gets half of these kids vaulted into the top 50… coming from a big school, and plenty of pre-draft hype.




The views expressed in these FanPosts are not necessarily those of the writers or SB Nation.