Posted by Rafael at Monday, April 16, 2012
http://www.cowboysnation.com/2012/04/building-short-short-cowboys-board.html
Some NFL teams build comprehensive draft boards, where they rank every eligible player. Many other teams, the Cowboys included, have short-boards, where they only have 120-150 players which fit their profiles. In this week's chat with the National Football Post's Wes Bunting, we're going to build a short-short board, with maybe 45-60 names or so to watch in the early rounds.
Cowboys Nation: A pre-draft dust storm blew through the Cowboys world last week. They brought in Boise State's Doug Martin for a visit. He's rated very highly. You have him 4th on your running back board. Others say he could be the first back taken after Trent Richardson.
The visit led to a lot of speculation about Felix Jones' status, since he's entering the last year of his deal. How does Martin stack up as a prospect?
Wes Bunting: He reminds me a lot of Mark Ingram from last year. He's not a dynamic athlete, but he's got good quick-twitch ability. He gets up to speed. Good feel between the tackles. He can run to the edge, catch the football.
Outside of Trent Richardson, I'd say he's as safe as any back and I expect him to be starting for someone in the NFL. I really like him. I think he's a really natural runner with a good feel. He's got some short-area quickness. He can make people miss. He can break tackles.
Again, there's not an elite aspect to his game in almost any area, but it's good in every area, and that intrigues teams.
CN: It sounds like he can pass block well.
WB: He can. He's a three-down back, and that makes him appealing to teams.
CN: I want to try building a mini-board. I'm tired of kicking around the same eight names or so in the 1st, so I'm going to run through several positions and have you give some names in each round, say 1st through the 3rd or 4th.
Let's start with nose tackles. I want to start with a specific player. I've seen some other draftniks grade Dontari Poe as a 3-technique, who fits best in a 4-3. One said this week he does not see Poe as a nose tackle. Do you see Dontari Poe as a nose tackle, who can play head-up over the center two-gapping, or on a shoulder, or is he a better 3 or 5-technique in your opinion?
WB: I think he can do whatever he wants. I think he can mature into a nose tackle without a doubt, because of his size. I think he can the 5-technique because of his athleticism. I think he can play the 3-technique in a 4-3. I think he can play a 1-technique in a 4-3.
You see the athleticism, but I don't think it's elite to just leave him as a 3-technique all the time. I think you move him all over. He's going to be high on a lot of teams' draft boards because of that.
CN: Let's talk about true nose tackles in the 2nd, then.
WB: I would say Brandon Thompson from Clemson and Alameda Ta'amu from Washington are the two. Ta'amu is a bigger guy. Thompson has more get-off speed, but he plays low and has some talent.
CN: 3rd round?
WB: None.
CN: later rounds?
WB: Later rounds, I'd say Damon Harrison from William Penn. Hebron Fangupo from BYU is another one to look at in the late rounds, as a true nose tackle. They have the size. Fangupo played the 5-technique at BYU. They had an even bigger guy playing the nose tackle, but he's 6'1'', 330. Damon Harrison has a pretty good get-off burst. He's 6'2'', 340.
CN: Where does Alabama's Josh Chapman fit into this? Is he projected as a 1-technique, or a zero?
WB: I think he could play either the one or the zero. He hasn't gotten any buzz because he's been hurt. I think he could go anywhere in that mid-round range. I thought he was a 2nd round pick when he was healthy. Because of the knee injury he could fall and I know some teams have red-flagged him from an injury standpoint.
http://www.cowboysnation.com/2012/04/building-short-short-cowboys-board.html
Some NFL teams build comprehensive draft boards, where they rank every eligible player. Many other teams, the Cowboys included, have short-boards, where they only have 120-150 players which fit their profiles. In this week's chat with the National Football Post's Wes Bunting, we're going to build a short-short board, with maybe 45-60 names or so to watch in the early rounds.
Cowboys Nation: A pre-draft dust storm blew through the Cowboys world last week. They brought in Boise State's Doug Martin for a visit. He's rated very highly. You have him 4th on your running back board. Others say he could be the first back taken after Trent Richardson.
The visit led to a lot of speculation about Felix Jones' status, since he's entering the last year of his deal. How does Martin stack up as a prospect?
Wes Bunting: He reminds me a lot of Mark Ingram from last year. He's not a dynamic athlete, but he's got good quick-twitch ability. He gets up to speed. Good feel between the tackles. He can run to the edge, catch the football.
Outside of Trent Richardson, I'd say he's as safe as any back and I expect him to be starting for someone in the NFL. I really like him. I think he's a really natural runner with a good feel. He's got some short-area quickness. He can make people miss. He can break tackles.
Again, there's not an elite aspect to his game in almost any area, but it's good in every area, and that intrigues teams.
CN: It sounds like he can pass block well.
WB: He can. He's a three-down back, and that makes him appealing to teams.
CN: I want to try building a mini-board. I'm tired of kicking around the same eight names or so in the 1st, so I'm going to run through several positions and have you give some names in each round, say 1st through the 3rd or 4th.
Let's start with nose tackles. I want to start with a specific player. I've seen some other draftniks grade Dontari Poe as a 3-technique, who fits best in a 4-3. One said this week he does not see Poe as a nose tackle. Do you see Dontari Poe as a nose tackle, who can play head-up over the center two-gapping, or on a shoulder, or is he a better 3 or 5-technique in your opinion?
WB: I think he can do whatever he wants. I think he can mature into a nose tackle without a doubt, because of his size. I think he can the 5-technique because of his athleticism. I think he can play the 3-technique in a 4-3. I think he can play a 1-technique in a 4-3.
You see the athleticism, but I don't think it's elite to just leave him as a 3-technique all the time. I think you move him all over. He's going to be high on a lot of teams' draft boards because of that.
CN: Let's talk about true nose tackles in the 2nd, then.
WB: I would say Brandon Thompson from Clemson and Alameda Ta'amu from Washington are the two. Ta'amu is a bigger guy. Thompson has more get-off speed, but he plays low and has some talent.
CN: 3rd round?
WB: None.
CN: later rounds?
WB: Later rounds, I'd say Damon Harrison from William Penn. Hebron Fangupo from BYU is another one to look at in the late rounds, as a true nose tackle. They have the size. Fangupo played the 5-technique at BYU. They had an even bigger guy playing the nose tackle, but he's 6'1'', 330. Damon Harrison has a pretty good get-off burst. He's 6'2'', 340.
CN: Where does Alabama's Josh Chapman fit into this? Is he projected as a 1-technique, or a zero?
WB: I think he could play either the one or the zero. He hasn't gotten any buzz because he's been hurt. I think he could go anywhere in that mid-round range. I thought he was a 2nd round pick when he was healthy. Because of the knee injury he could fall and I know some teams have red-flagged him from an injury standpoint.