With the preseason just around the corner, teams are looking to new names attempting to carve out roster space for themselves -- and the chance to push their franchises forward in terms of talent.
What better way to learn about some of these new faces than by judging them before they ever play a professional snap? Well? Lets look at some of these draft classes for starters.
Minnesota
Minny's first round pick may be in the hands of division rival Detroit but that wasn't going to stop them from moving back into the first to get their hands on an absolute monster with the 13th overall pick. Its hard to imagine a freak athlete like Gary Johnson falling out of the top 10 any other year but the stars aligned for the safety position and produced a triple headed monster in Johnson, Newman, and Owen. Johnson may not have the speed and range of Owen or the heart stopping hit power that Newman has but Johnson is no slouch. His range is still elite, his pop is carbonated and fresh, but where Johnson excels is getting the ball into his teams hands. He is an absolute MAGNET to the ball and you can expect some big plays to come.
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The middle rounds saw Minny select back to back Inside Linebackers in Richard Nice and Jorge Shinn. Both have very good upside but im sure eyes will be on Shinn as the more complete package. He wont wow you with his physical athleticism but his first step is explosive enough. what he lacks in speed or power he makes up for in technique and this guy can do it all as a true three down linebacker.
1-13 Gary Johnson FS +large range nose for ball play recognition elite hybrid safety
3-28 Lee Branch FB +utility passcatcher out of backfield -avg lead blocking ball security
4-28 Richard Nice MLB +good coverage decent speed -awareness liability in run low pop
5-15 Jorge Shinn MLB +three down linebacker good first step -hard sells in play action low recovery speed
5-28 Michael Woods WR +decent speed and hands hustles to the ball -struggles with press struggles in and out of cuts
Newman has already been mentioned and we havent even gotten to the team that drafted him yet. Green Bay is getting a full ready made package with Newman at 7th overall -- an amazing athlete, an incredible cover man, and a defensive mind that could easily be the mastermind of defensive playcalling back in Southern Illinois. Newman is so great at reading defenses that showing up at the right spot before the ball is even thrown does not surprise me any more, its just a given that he will be there to make the play.
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William Clyde at WR may be the flashy pick aside from Newman at 7 but Anthony Sepe in the 4th is an absolute steal, even among this solid GB class. Sepe is a shifty 321 lb behemoth with the strength to match. So a road grader right? Wrong. the run game is probably where he needs the most work. Getting out into space and imposing his will are just not part of his game. What is very impressive however is his ability to lock up in pass protection. That paired with his quickness off the snap could potentially make him an even better outside tackle than an interior lineman.
1-7 Adam Newman FS +elite coverage big hitter defensive leader
2-6 William Clyde WR +sure hands plays through contact good technique -decent speed
3-10 Charles Aviso C +good verticality off snap effective dropstep accel -average blocking ability
4-9 Anthony Sepe RG +raw strength good footwork -trouble sealing edge hand placement
5-8 Michel Cardin TE +sneaky slip routes huge redzone threat decent blocker -misses assignments doesnt stretch field
6-7 Joe Arvin RT -versatile positions holds run blocks well -can be overpowered looks lost blocking on passing downs
7-6 Frank Lopez Edge +gets hands in passing lanes good strength -nonfactor in pass/run defense
With the preseason just around the corner, teams are looking to new names attempting to carve out roster space for themselves -- and the chance to push their franchises forward in terms of talent.
What better way to learn about some of these new faces than by judging them before they ever play a professional snap? Well? Lets look at some of these draft classes for starters.
Minnesota
Minny's first round pick may be in the hands of division rival Detroit but that wasn't going to stop them from moving back into the first to get their hands on an absolute monster with the 13th overall pick. Its hard to imagine a freak athlete like Gary Johnson falling out of the top 10 any other year but the stars aligned for the safety position and produced a triple headed monster in Johnson, Newman, and Owen. Johnson may not have the speed and range of Owen or the heart stopping hit power that Newman has but Johnson is no slouch. His range is still elite, his pop is carbonated and fresh, but where Johnson excels is getting the ball into his teams hands. He is an absolute MAGNET to the ball and you can expect some big plays to come.
---
The middle rounds saw Minny select back to back Inside Linebackers in Richard Nice and Jorge Shinn. Both have very good upside but im sure eyes will be on Shinn as the more complete package. He wont wow you with his physical athleticism but his first step is explosive enough. what he lacks in speed or power he makes up for in technique and this guy can do it all as a true three down linebacker.
1-13 Gary Johnson FS +large range nose for ball play recognition elite hybrid safety
3-28 Lee Branch FB +utility passcatcher out of backfield -avg lead blocking ball security
4-28 Richard Nice MLB +good coverage decent speed -awareness liability in run low pop
5-15 Jorge Shinn MLB +three down linebacker good first step -hard sells in play action low recovery speed
5-28 Michael Woods WR +decent speed and hands hustles to the ball -struggles with press struggles in and out of cuts
