Junior Hemingway: 3rd-round prospect

Submitted by blueheron on

In SI's preview of today's game, Junior Hemingway is Michigan's featured pro prospect:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/andy_staples/12/31/gator-…

Notably, none of the graduating seniors were chosen for that spot.

I'm a big fan of Hemingway and I think he's done a great job this year, but I see him as more Avant than Edwards, if that makes sense.  I haven't seen the "speed to stretch the field" part and it's hard to imagine him being a #1 receiver.  I won't be surprised if he has a pro career, though.

Jensencoach

January 1st, 2011 at 7:59 AM ^

The lack of NFl talent in the last four senior classes(obviously BG is an exception) really shows the handicap the RR era has started with.  The NFl scouts have no bias, there livelihood depends on being accurate.  Argue all you want that the cupboard was bare or not, but the proof is in the draft.

Space Coyote

January 1st, 2011 at 11:40 AM ^

You can also take the other side by looking at the draft.  If you look at the draft and the number of picks and early round picks, both have continued to decrease  as the RR era has continued.  You could say RR hasn't developed them to become early round picks or draft picks at all if you think the cupboard wasn't bare.  People like Greg Mathews are very debatable how they would have fared if Lloyd would have stayed.

SalvatoreQuattro

January 1st, 2011 at 11:47 AM ^

You would be wrong. UM's rankings in Lloyd's final year were equal or better than what RR has delivered thus far. In other words, RR is not increasing the talent level
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<br>The lack highly drafted players could be the result of players not properly being developed.

MichFan1997

January 1st, 2011 at 12:23 PM ^

keeping in mind, this is supposed to be your upperclassmen right now.

2006: Marques Slocum, Adam Patterson, Greg Banks, Jason Kates, John Ferrara, Quintin Woods, Brandon Graham, Cobrini Mixon, Quintin Patilla, Jonas Mouton, Stevie Brown. Also, Obi Ezeh if you want to count him, though he was rated as a RB.

2007: Ryan Van Bergen, Renaldo Sagesse, Austin Panter (though he was a JUCO and obviously has graduated), Brandon Herron, Marell Evans, Mike Williams, James Rogers, Artis Chambers, Donovan Warren, and Troy Woolfolk.

Look, I agree RichRod is part of the problem on defense. There's no debate from me there. However, you need a stable group of upperclassmen (which would be the guys Lloyd left for him), to field a good defense. It's pretty obvious that didn't happen. Out of all those guys, how many are contributing to the team as upperclassmen right now? Patterson, Banks, and Ezeh from 2006 play somewhat, but are marginal players. Mouton is pretty good. And from 2007 you have Van Bergen with occasional appearences from Herron and Sagesse. I'd say that's not a good recipe to set up a good defense, no matter who the coach was going to be.

James Burrill Angell

January 1st, 2011 at 8:30 AM ^

Regardless of talent level, why on earth would anyone leave early unless they were failing out or facing some kind of major suspension (a la our tattoo'ed-for-less friends in Columbus). The likelihood that the NFL will have a lockout starting March 1st is EXTREMELY high which means you could be drafted, not get signed, not get paid for half to all of a year, and then, if the whole season goes by, the following year you have two years worth of drafted players competing for the same set of spots while the guys who get drafted this year get a year's worth of rust on them. I have a couple of friends who are agents who tell me they're not really signing guys who areprojecting to 4th to 7th round picks because they generally have to invest  a significant amount into their training between the end of school and the combine and they are so sure of a lockout that they're not risking on the later round guys this year.

 

P.S. someone posted something last week about replacement players. In a lockout (owners force it) versus a strike (players force the stoppage) I don't think there can be games.

UMaD

January 1st, 2011 at 5:58 PM ^

not get signed, not get paid for half to all of a year, and then, if the whole season goes by, the following year you have two years worth of drafted players competing for the same set of spots while the guys who get drafted this year get a year's worth of rust on them.

...unless you go to ohio state in which case you get paid with free tats

learmanj

January 1st, 2011 at 9:34 AM ^

I think the third round prediction is based on his ball skills.  Junior has superior talent at going up and coming down with the ball.  He is great at adjusting to the ball while it is in the air.  All teams like players that can make a play on the deep ball.

aiglick

January 1st, 2011 at 10:23 AM ^

On College Gameday they projected Mike Martin as going fourth or fifth round. That is just one man's opinion though so take it with a grain of salt. 

Space Coyote

January 1st, 2011 at 12:19 PM ^

I don't believe any of these "scouts", and I don't say that just because I disagree with them in this case.  They don't watch nearly the film or invest nearly the time to come to good conclusions, particularly beyond the first round or two.  My guess is that this "scout" looked at the Indiana, Iowa, or Illinois game, games where Junior had really good games (all above 100 yards receiving and at least a TD, though the scout probably watched the Iowa game).  

But a WR that has 544 yards and 4 touchdowns on the year, has many injury concerns, and doesn't really play in a system that develops great route runners (or doesn't really run many complex routes for that matter) isn't going to go in the 3rd round (that's not a RR blast, by the way).  There are too many WRs with better production and measurables alone (Hemingway is only 6'1") that would move ahead of him.

But then again, looking at the teams that Hemingway went off against, if I played Indianapolis twice a year, I'd think about picking him up as a FA for those games after his senior year. He seems to do well against teams that start with I.

bacon

January 1st, 2011 at 11:48 AM ^

Which seniors are there that could have been mentioned? IIRC there are only 2 senior starters and neither is a better prospect than Junior.