Ravens fans not happy with Funchess pick in Kiper's mock draft

Submitted by Decatur Jack on

Via BaltimoreBeatdown.com:

Personally, I don't think Funchess is that good. Sure, he's got size and sometimes we can be enamored by measurables in a draftee. But he underperformed as a college receiver and seldom dominated games for the Wolverines. He finished his junior season with 733 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

also:

The Ravens will continue to go with the best player available approach this draft. Though they could use a big wide receiver that Kubiak — assuming he doesn't have a change of heart — prefers, Funchess as a first-round pick seems way too risky that early.

And here are some gems from the comments section:

Yuck. No thanks. If you’re gonna go TE in the first(which I doubt), at least get Maxx Williams. This guy is Ed Dickson 2.0… at best. And Dickson went in the 3rd round…
I don't even know how he's a projected 1st rounder...
Come on Kiper. You're from Baltimore; you should know better. No way Ozzie takes this guy.

So there you have it. Mel Kiper mocks Funchess to Baltimore and this is their reaction. You'd think with the Harbaugh factor they'd warm a little easier to Michigan prospects, but no. Any Ravens fans care to weigh in? All other opinions welcome as well.

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mgob-rad

January 15th, 2015 at 11:55 AM ^

Huh? There is no Harbaugh factor. Funchess was not a player for Jim and Funchess has no relationship with the Ravens head coach. I'd be pissed at this too the guy was terrible for us this year

Joined: 09/18/2014

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Moe

January 15th, 2015 at 11:56 AM ^

They haven't seen anything from him this year that warrants a first round selection.  I'm not saying they are right, but if it were the Lions drafting a kid from Texas Tech with similar size and stats from this year, most in Detroit would not be on board.  But again, just a mock...Funchess will surprise many at Pro Day and the combine.

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Mlaw2010

January 15th, 2015 at 11:58 AM ^

I wouldn't want him in the first round either.  Drops too many balls, was never as dominant as he should have been given his size/speed.  Maybe Gardner had something to do with it, but he definitely didn't look like a first round talent to me this year.

Joined: 11/10/2008

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unWavering

January 15th, 2015 at 11:58 AM ^

I don't blame them. Funchess would have benefitted from a year in Harbaugh's TE happy system in my opinion. But if he does go this high, congratulations to him.

Joined: 01/13/2011

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Tuebor

January 15th, 2015 at 12:00 PM ^

Funchess never played for Harbaugh.  Why would the Harbaugh connection cause them to warm up to Funchess.  Funchess will have to have a great combine to be worthy of a first round pick. Corners in the NFL are bigger and faster than they are in college and Funchess was never an elite pass catcher in college.

Joined: 03/14/2011

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EGD

January 15th, 2015 at 12:00 PM ^

What's interesting about this is that Funchess had his best season for Michigan when he was playing with Jeremy Gallon. Maybe he needs a hard-nosed veteran to keep him in line? If so, the Ravens have Steve Smith (among other ass-kickers). Still, I agree with the guy who said Funchess is way too risky for a first or second round pick.

Joined: 09/16/2009

MGoPoints: 35199

cmgoblue

January 15th, 2015 at 12:05 PM ^

These mock drafts are rarely accurate, and reasonably so. Mel and Todd are required to do these things but even they know that they don't have the requisite information to project the 26th pick in the draft. There are just far too many unknowns along the way.

Joined: 05/15/2012

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turtleboy

January 15th, 2015 at 12:04 PM ^

Wonder how they would've reacted if Kiper had mocked Tom Brady to them in the draft. About the same I'd expect. I doubt many of them even watched Michigan games the last 3 years, let alone are experts in seeing a college players NFL potential.

Joined: 04/22/2011

MGoPoints: 35130

MC5-95

January 15th, 2015 at 12:08 PM ^

The line that irritated me in the article was the OSU guy saying Michigan receivers don't have a track record in the NFL. Desmond Howard, Amani Toomer, Braylon Edwards, Jason Avant, Steve Breaston, and Mario Manningham would suggest otherwise. 

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HAIL-YEA

January 15th, 2015 at 12:09 PM ^

I can't blame them, Funchess has been an ok college receiver and nothing more. If the Lions were to draft him in any of the first 3 rounds I would be pissed.

Joined: 07/15/2009

MGoPoints: 10810

DCGrad

January 15th, 2015 at 12:09 PM ^

minimal effort but it's hard to tell whether the passing stats were just a result of poor QB play, receivers not getting open and dropping the bal, or both.  I expect Funchess to have a good combine though.

Joined: 09/20/2014

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Braylon Edwards

January 15th, 2015 at 12:11 PM ^

I wouldn't want him in the first round, we have too many holes in the secondary. Only reason we would draft him IMO is because Torrey Smith is in his walk year next season and Steve Smith is old. But even then that's a reach with young Wrs like Kamar Aiken, Mike Campanaro, and Marlon Brown; whose skill set is very similar to Funchess

Joined: 02/11/2009

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blueblueblue

January 15th, 2015 at 12:12 PM ^

I cannot fathom how someone goes from reading fan comments on an article about how an NFL team might, big might, draft a Michigan player and think, "Hmm, I should start the 3rd Funchess draft thread of the day over at Mgoblog." These redundant, useless, dumb threads are all swirming, festering, growing, and mating somewhere in the black hole of the internet and will one day come back as a big evil mega-beast with an outsized penis and with that penis destroy the earth and all of us normal people on it. Please stop contributing to that. 

Joined: 12/28/2008

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jg2112

January 15th, 2015 at 12:14 PM ^

It's not a gem, it's the truth. Maxx Williams is a far better football player than Devin Funchess. He frankly was more, eh, impactful, at the Big House this year than Funchess.

Joined: 11/24/2008

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WolverineinSB

January 15th, 2015 at 12:15 PM ^

That may all change after the combine. If he runs the 40 time that Michigan said he did before the season that somehow he was the fastest player on the team he will be drafted higher



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Blue Carcajou

January 15th, 2015 at 12:22 PM ^

What has Funchess shown the NFL? Next to nothing. Heck, what had he shown collegiate competition besides dropping balls and blocks... I know he's one of ours but the kid clearly needs to stay another year and hone his skills under Harbaugh. Neg me all you want but Funchess doesn't care about the Team, the Team, the Team; otherwise he would have repped that #1 jersey he asked for.

Joined: 08/10/2013

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xtramelanin

January 15th, 2015 at 12:17 PM ^

he's got ability, has done some great stuff, but i think there are work ethic issues at a minimum.  i wish him well, but i just don't see that high of a rating for him.

Joined: 12/09/2014

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ak47

January 15th, 2015 at 12:25 PM ^

As a ravens fan I would be pretty unhappy and I'm also very confident it won't happen.  Ozzie almost always goes best player available, especially in the first round and if he doesn't think anyone is worth the pick he trades down. The ravens have traded down or out of the first round in like 3 of the last 5 drafts.  Funchess would be a raiders pick, nice measurable but no production and he would be a bad first round pick because he is very unlikely to contribute immediatley.  He should be a third round project pick.  The comp to ed dickson is perfect, reallly athletic guy with great measurable but suspect hands and he has been nothing but a dissapointment in baltimore.

 

I think Gardner winds up having the better career at wr and would rather take him in the 5th than funchess in the 1st.

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mgowill

January 15th, 2015 at 12:27 PM ^

Getting mad at a mock draft?  Kiper has eight listed WR's in the first round and Funchess is fifth out of those eight.  25% of all NFL teams will take a WR in the first round this year - LOL Mel...LOL

The last three drafts had the following number of WR's taken in the first round -

2014 - 4

2013 - 3

2012 - 4

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cbs650

January 15th, 2015 at 1:02 PM ^

When Michigan has their pro day, who will be the QB throwing to him? I doubt Gardner since he'd be working at WR. Would it be Morris? Speight? As non draft eligible players allowed to participate in pro-days?

Joined: 02/07/2011

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gobluesince1992

January 15th, 2015 at 1:44 PM ^

No chance i'd take Funchess in first round. He's obviously very talented but he did not live up to the hype this year. Lots of drops, especially in big situations. And seemed to take many plays off.

Joined: 01/07/2011

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