Unverified Voracity Is Headed For The Green Room
[Bryan Fuller]
Lot of talent, lot of talent. CBS draft analyst Dane Brugler:
I've been watching #Michigan tape all morning and I'm not even halfway through the roster. Should have double-digit draft picks next spring.
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) August 22, 2016
Per NFL scouts, Butt and Charlton(!) could be high first round picks:
I asked 6 NFL scouts for their top senior NFL prospect:
DL Jonathan Allen (2 votes), TE Jake Butt (2), DL Taco Charlton, CB Desmond King.— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) August 23, 2016
Juniors will pile in, of course, but if that holds to draft day both those guys would go in the top 15. I can't imagine it would—QBs and various other players at positions the NFL drafts higher than TE will emerge—but I be like dang anyway.
Todd McShay has Michigan third on his list of teams with the most NFL talent, and while having no idea what happened in the draft last year…
Last year, QB Jake Rudock (sixth round) was the lone Wolverine selected
…is not a great look for a draft analyst, ESPN currently projects seven players to be off the board by the end of the third round:
- #31 Jake Butt: "Has very good natural combination of size and speed to create mismatches. Adept at playing in-line (Y), flexed out (F) and split out wide. Very fluid for his size. … Gets overmatched physically at the point of attack by bigger defensive linemen."
- #33 Jabrill Peppers: "Good cover skills for a safety. Has lots of experience playing man-coverage both in the slot and on perimeter. At his best in man-coverage. Lacks elite fluidity in hips, but has quick feet and good burst. … Willing but could also be more aggressive at times. [ed: ?!?!?]"
- #39 Jourdan Lewis: "was in the hip pocket of Michigan State WR Aaron Burbridge (6th round pick, 49ers) hip pocket the entire 2015 game (stats are deceiving). Displays excellent body control and balance. Shows good deep speed on tape."
- #46 Jehu Chesson: "Very good speed for size and can threaten vertically. Gets from 0-to-60 miles per hour in a hurry. Has length and tracking ability to create matchup problems for average-to-smaller cornerbacks on 50-50 balls…. Excellent effort as a blocker. … Love watching this guy play the game."
- #56 Chris Wormley: "Excellent size and good overall strength. Shows snap in his hands and flashes ability to press offensive linemen into their backfield. … Tied for team-lead with 6.5 sacks in 2015 but 4.5 of those sacks came versus marginal offensive lines (Oregon State, Penn State and Rutgers) and his sack versus Michigan State was a protection breakdown."
- #69 Taco Charlton: "Power-based bass rusher that does a good job of using his long arms and explosive power to get into offensive linemen's pads, and then grinds through contact. … Good but not elite first-step quickness. Solid lateral agility and redirect skills for size."
- #77 Mason Cole: "Better suited for pass pro inside. … Takes good angles and has very good range. At his best as a run blocker when on the move. Has the feet to consistently win battle for initial positioning. Lacks heavy hands and is erratic with hand placement."
In addition, De'Veon Smith and Kyle Kalis(!) are ranked as fifth-rounders. Smith has no scouting and Kalis's ("Good angles. Knows assignments. Solid job locating assignments in space.") appears to be about a different person.
You'll note the omission of Amara Darboh and Maurice Hurst from these rankings. Both those guys will be draftable by the end of the year. I'd be another member or two of the secondary get there as well.
Drake Johnson is the guy you should hit with a forklift. I mean, if it's absolutely necessary. Please don't run Drake Johnson over. Or anyone, really. Do not run people over with forklifts. Yes, fine, Hitler. In that unusual case where a zombie nazi is threatening children or whatever, go ahead. Even in that situation, are we really calling a reanimated corpse "people"? I think that's not people.
Sorry, no politics.
"The world could be falling apart, and doomsday could be happening, and I'd be like, oh, look, there's a nice flower on the ground," he says.
If it were anyone other than Johnson, such positivity would feel contrived and feigned. But then Johnson waves his arms, talking with his hands like a grand raconteur, and says something like, "There's always something good in every situation," and, dammit, you've got to believe him.
If I was Drake Johnson I would get business cards with "Grand Raconteur" on them posthaste, while looking very carefully for lurking forklifts.
Around the league. Things happening in opponent camps:
- Penn State seems set to replace Carl Nassib with a couple of older guys who had 1.5 sacks between them a year ago. You'd think that would be a dropoff, but Nassib came out of nowhere a year ago.
- PSU is considering starting true freshman Michael Menet, a five star guard type.
- Rutgers QB Chris Laviano "edged" a grad transfer brought in to compete with him. I mostly mention this because I had no idea this went down last year: "Laviano will have a chance to win over Rutgers fans who had no love for him last season when he went five straight games without a touchdown pass and lost his cool by blasting them on social media after interpreting boos meant for then-coach Kyle Flood at his own show of toughness in the middle of a career-best game."
- MSU has five "co-starters" on the DL. One of them is a 275-pound DT who grad-transferred from Nebraska, a second is a redshirt freshman, and a third is a senior DE with eight career tackles. If that doesn't presage a major dropoff despite the presence of Malik McDowell I'm going to throw a shoe.
- Per Urban Meyer, H-back Curtis Samuel is OSU's "number one playmaker on offense." Mike Weber is "close" to being named the starting RB; after Brionte Dunn was booted his competition is "nah" and "???." Malik Hooker and Damon Webb are leading to start at safety; sounds like Webb is still a little combustible.
- OSU may start true freshman Michael Jordan at guard. Jordan was a well regarded recruit but not so well regarded that you shouldn't expect Michigan to wreck that dude.
Etc.: What to expect from Ibi Watson. More Jabrill Peppers three-way-spreading-across-college-football stuff. Jarrod Bunch has a podcast. Brady Hoke in Oregon is going to be fascinating.
August 23rd, 2016 at 12:48 PM ^
Never apologize for saying that Hitler should have been hit with a forklift. Politics or not, that dude was a jackass.
August 23rd, 2016 at 1:03 PM ^
not enough people will admit this
August 23rd, 2016 at 1:08 PM ^
For some reason this made me giggle. "Jackass" is not the term that comes to mind when I think of Hitler.
August 23rd, 2016 at 1:53 PM ^
Controversial position you've staked out there.
August 23rd, 2016 at 2:04 PM ^
Though he did kill Hitler. So, he has that going for him.
Then again, he also killed the guy that killed Hitler.
August 23rd, 2016 at 12:54 PM ^
Hoke article:
You look at this building," Hoke said, gesturing around Oregon's impressive $138 million football operations center," and it's like Back to the Future!"
Like its the 1950s? It's one thing to not get clock management, but classic movies...plz.
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August 23rd, 2016 at 1:47 PM ^
think it is pretty clear he meant Back to the Future 2. Certainly could not have been 3 or I don't know what he is referring to.
August 23rd, 2016 at 2:26 PM ^
I can picture Hoke's head exploding from the tempo of Oregon's offense on the first day of practice as he desperately tries to call a TO like the UTL game.
August 23rd, 2016 at 12:54 PM ^
Man, this is the year for UM. They may equal the talent on this team in the future once the Harbaugh machine is rolling, but I doubt we'll see the combination of talent and experience we'll see this year. Looking at next year, as well as the gaping holes at DT and safety that may dog the program for a year or two after, this is the year. Make some noise gentleman.
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August 23rd, 2016 at 12:55 PM ^
Any reason Glasgow shouldn't be on that list for NFL draft picks? I feel like I must be missing something because there is no way Brian could forget to mention Ryan Glasgow when talking about stars on Michigan's defense.
August 23rd, 2016 at 1:01 PM ^
Easy. That is not Brian's list, it is ESPN's (or McShay's) list. Obviously a walk-on is not a legitimate draft prospect. /s
August 23rd, 2016 at 1:21 PM ^
I meant in Brian's comments on the McShay article. Should have included Glasgow as a likely draft pick.
August 23rd, 2016 at 1:03 PM ^
Pure nose tackles aren't valued highly by the NFL, so I think it's a case of him lacking some hype. After another season I'm sure he'll get some recognition.
August 23rd, 2016 at 1:27 PM ^
Aren't highly valued? What about Wilfork, Ngata, Peko, Dareus, Poe, and Brockers?
August 23rd, 2016 at 1:35 PM ^
I think NTs can be valued (though don't confuse DTs with pure NT), but Glasgow has some adjustments he needs to make to be a higher sought after draft pick. I love Glasgow's game at the college level, but it needs to translate.
August 23rd, 2016 at 2:00 PM ^
Since you always have such thoughtful analysis, could you further explain what things Glasgow should look to fix (or where he is athletically deficient) if he wants to be more valuable as an NFL player?
August 23rd, 2016 at 2:19 PM ^
Glasgow plays like a NT but he isn't sized like a NT. Pretty good length, but not great. 295 isn't really where you want an NFL NT to be (probably closer to 310-320, depending on system), so that hurts him right away.
In a 4-3 front, he isn't really athletic enough to be a 3-tech. He's a solid athlete for the college game, but he wouldn't standout in the NFL and would be a below average DL athlete for a 3-tech, a position that is expected to generate more interior pressure. Here's what NFL teams look for in a 4-3 3-tech
Dominique Easley on the #Rams is unfair pic.twitter.com/9UWl355nZI
— Brandon Thorn (@VeteranScout) August 23, 2016
I think Glasgow did well to improve as a pass rusher last year and be more disruptive, but I think ultimately either he has to get bigger (with the concern that it starts hurting already somewhat limited athleticism by NFL standards) or he needs to continue to improve as a pass rusher and look to be a 3-4 3-tech or something along those lines. His upside will likely still be limited and teams will likely still view him as a role player, but if he can get a bit bigger and continue to improve as a pass rusher, he has the technique to be solid against the run in a 3-4 type scheme. The issue there is that he still isn't very scheme flexible, which limits the tickets so to say.
To reiterate, this isn't much to do with him as a college football player, where he is at least an average athlete for the position, if not a slight plus at the NT spot, isn't undersized by college standards going up against college centers, has very good technique for the level of play, etc. It's about transitioning to the next step, which only includes the best of the best at this level. He's good but not really great in any area in college, which makes him a very good NT at the college level, but makes it a bit difficult for him to translate to the NFL as he'll be average to below average in a lot of areas at that level of play. I still think he can get drafted though.
August 23rd, 2016 at 2:35 PM ^
Thanks for the quick response and description. So he is more like Kovacs and Grant Perry in that his technique is polished enough to cover up some lack of elite size/athleticism? By extension, does that put him much closer to his ceiling than some other draft prospects?
August 23rd, 2016 at 3:53 PM ^
I think he's a better NFL prospect than Kovacs was (will hold off judgement on Perry) but it's a similar mold. The athletic/size requirements to be a highly valued draft pick are pretty much just insane these days, and it makes it very difficult for even guys that are very good overall college players but just don't live up to those lofty standards difficult to go early in the draft.
August 23rd, 2016 at 4:21 PM ^
NT who can move. Glasgow is an average athlete at best. Poe is a freak athlete at over 330 lbs who moves better than Glasgow. Same with Wilfork at a similar size.
August 23rd, 2016 at 10:51 PM ^
aren't valued highly by the NFL. Those who have the size/strength/athleticism to do it, tends to get drafted high
August 23rd, 2016 at 12:55 PM ^
a real football post!
August 23rd, 2016 at 12:57 PM ^
Crossing my fingers that we'll get another legit content post up before something else bad happens so I can check in without seeing death and destruction. It's just crootin, but a four-player flip on the scale with OSU is a bad, bad 24 hours.
August 23rd, 2016 at 1:13 PM ^
We've lived through Hoke's recruitpalooza weekend in February, seen Harbaugh's recruit show last year "Woooooooooo!", seen quality young men get "processed" and now some decommits in a random bunch. While unfortunate to lose recruits: "crootin".
You'll get yours...
August 23rd, 2016 at 2:21 PM ^
Yay for content that is less bad.
August 23rd, 2016 at 12:57 PM ^
Also McShay needs to sit in time out.
August 23rd, 2016 at 1:05 PM ^
Music. Glasgow on guitar, Wormley on the drums, and Gary's that smooth voice that has the ladies falling like dominoes.
/ needs more cowbell
August 23rd, 2016 at 1:00 PM ^
I think Chesson is poised to have a great season with his size and speed, there are very few corners if any that can man up against him on our schedule and win. Just seeing what he did against Hargraves in the Bowl game, no one could have predicted that finish to a season from him when the season began. He seemed to gain more any more confidence as a pass catcher as the season went on.
BTW I think Desmond Kings skill set is more suited for safety at the next level rather than corner! He reminds me of Malcom Jenkins from OSU who was moved to Free safety when he got to the NFL
August 23rd, 2016 at 1:20 PM ^
Agree but the break out season will depend on how well the QB plays. As Rudock got better as the season went along Chesson started to emerge more and more.
August 23rd, 2016 at 1:07 PM ^
That mlive article on MSU says:
"Ed Davis update: Michigan State is now waiting to hear back from the NCAA about a potential sixth year for linebacker Ed Davis. Davis' final grade posted on Monday morning, Dantonio said, meaning he has now officially finished his undergraduate degree and can practice with the team. He still needs to have his waiver approved by the NCAA, however, before he can play in a game."
That's not how I read the rule IIRC. I need to look it up again but pretty sure he can't even practice once his 5th year is up until they give the go-ahead. I can't tell if the MLive writer was making that claim or if he means Dantonio said Davis can now practice.
Edit: my mistake, just looked at the rule again and I was thinking of something else. He can practice "for a maximum of 30 consecutive calendar days, provided the student-athlete’s institution has submitted a waiver request" after his 5 years are up. So it depends on when he actually started classes at MSU (as that starts the 5-year clock)---he can practice for 30 days after that point. My bad. Just wanted another reason to be butthurt about this situation.
August 23rd, 2016 at 1:05 PM ^
HARBAUGH: You see a well groomed garden. In the middle, on a small hill, you see a forklift.
DRAKE: A forklift? What color is it?
HARBAUGH: (Pause) It's yellow, Drake.
DRAKE: How far away is it?
HARBAUGH: About 50 yards.
DRAKE: How big is it?
HARBAUGH: (Pause) It's about 8 ft wide, 30 ft long.
DRAKE: I use my sword to detect good on it.
HARBAUGH: It's not good, Drake. It's a forklift.
DRAKE: (Pause) I call out to it.
HARBAUGH: It won't answer. It's a forklift.
DRAKE: (Pause) I sheathe my sword and draw my bow and arrows. Does it respond in any way?
HARBAUGH: No, Drake, it's a forklift!
DRAKE: I shoot it with my bow (roll to hit). What happened?
HARBAUGH: There is now a forklift with an arrow sticking out of it.
DRAKE: (Pause) Wasn't it wounded?
HARBAUGH: OF COURSE NOT, DRAKE! IT'S A FORKLIFT!
DRAKE: (Whimper) But that was a +3 arrow!
HARBAUGH: It's a forklift, Drake, a FORKLIFT! If you really want to try to destroy it, you could try to hit it with a sledgehammer, I suppose, or you could try to burn it, but I don't know why anybody would even try. It's a @#$%!! forklift!
DRAKE: (Long pause. He has no hammer or fire spells.) I run away.
HARBAUGH: (Thoroughly frustrated) It's too late. You've awakened the forklift. It catches you and runs over you.
DRAKE: (Reaching for his dice) Maybe I'll roll up a fire-using mage so I can avenge my paladin.
August 23rd, 2016 at 3:23 PM ^
checks out
August 23rd, 2016 at 1:18 PM ^
Let's just expect Ed Davis to get that 6th year.
August 23rd, 2016 at 3:26 PM ^
I swear MSU has got to know something we don't because as much as J hate that program, Dantonio knows what he's doing. I will be shocked if Ed Davis doesn't get his 6th. They can't honestly be pursuing it this late in the game and not be pretty certain that he'll get it right? I just don't believe Dantonio is that naive
August 23rd, 2016 at 5:10 PM ^
Not sure why would some downvote an observation.
August 23rd, 2016 at 5:46 PM ^
Dantonio knows the system and how to play it; I'm not remotely surprised Davis is going to get another year. At the same time, it's absolutely insane to me that a guy who won multiple scout team awards the year he was on a redshirt gets another redshirt. I know it must suck for Davis to lose a year to injury, but the point of a redshirt is that you are, in theory, unable to perform. I am fine if some Iowa RB who 6 torn ACLs gets another year, but when it's pretty clear a guy was healthy enough to play during a year but didn't because of depth/development reasons, you lose the right to claim a legitimate injury also should be treated the same.
August 23rd, 2016 at 1:25 PM ^
Cole being on the draft list that high has my emotions tugging in two directions. Happy in that we should hopefully have a stud anchoring the middle this year but worried in that I'd really like him to be that stud anchor for the line in 2017.
August 23rd, 2016 at 1:27 PM ^
He needs this season to learn the center position and then another season to prove that he wasn't a one year wonder at center.
Besides, with Khalis, Braden, and Magnuson all leaving, the OL will need a good foundation for 2017.
August 24th, 2016 at 12:12 AM ^
He's also got to prove he can take on the new wave of elite pass-rushing d-tackles, something he couldn't do against elite d-ends.
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August 23rd, 2016 at 1:32 PM ^
I highly doubt a guy that legit runs like a Cheetah is going that late in the draft.
August 23rd, 2016 at 1:33 PM ^
Peppers should be a top 15 pick based on his elite athleticism and football IQ alone. He'll be a pro bowler at some position in the NFL.
August 23rd, 2016 at 1:39 PM ^
McShay wrote the letter to Aubrey based on his complete lack of proofing. Bristol conspiracy!
August 23rd, 2016 at 1:43 PM ^
Is Hust a Senior or RS Junior? MGoBlue has him listed as a Senior but he did not play as a Freshman.
It would be pretty cool if he did/could return next season. A lot is depth on the D line is going bye-bye after this season.
August 23rd, 2016 at 1:46 PM ^
RS Junior. Harbaugh is listing most guys that way; I really lean on the MGoBlog depth chart by class for all my future think.
August 23rd, 2016 at 1:45 PM ^
Interesting to read what draft pundits have to say about Michigan players when clearly we as a group so much more than them. Makes me wonder how often they know what they are talking about when they get past the obvious first round talents.
August 24th, 2016 at 8:03 AM ^
Right? For instance, McShay said Peppers was at his best in man coverage. On what planet? That - man coverage - was the only thing he needed to improve on last year! He did improve, but jeez!!
August 23rd, 2016 at 1:47 PM ^
After Oregon's first fall camp practice last week, Hoke told reporters he had changed his tune about the speed. "I like the stress it puts on us as defensive players," he said. "I think it's important, that it builds mental and physical toughness."
Even an old dog can learn new tricks! Hoping the best for him.
August 23rd, 2016 at 2:04 PM ^
but I'm hoping less than the best for him. He ruined many things at UM, including many careers. And he walked away with millions.
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