Devin Funchess #26 overall on Kiper Mock Draft 1.0
"It's not really fair to call Funchess a tight end based on where he typically lines up, but at more than 6-foot-4 and at about 235 pounds with the ability to simply overpower most cornerbacks, he's not exactly a flanker, either. What I'd call him is a perpetual matchup problem, a guy you can move around, with the quickness to run crisp routes and easily create space if linebackers try to cover him and enough size to make cornerbacks have to go through him for the ball. Joe Flacco can use a weapon like Funchess, as could Gary Kubiak, assuming he passes on any other overtures."
Other noteworthy things:
1 - Jameis Winston
2 - Marcus Mariotta
4 - Amari Cooper
16 - Trae Waynes
24 - Melvin Gordon
32 - Devin Smith
January 15th, 2015 at 9:42 AM ^
January 15th, 2015 at 9:47 AM ^
January 15th, 2015 at 10:04 AM ^
The fact that Kiper makes about 20 of these mock drafts indicates that he doesn't put a ton of stock in them, either. All Kiper - or anyone - can do right is project based on what they've seen and heard so far.
You might think that you want to buy a Ford F-150 when you have the money to purchase a new vehicle in two months. But if there's suddenly a bunch of recalls, a bunch of Ford F-150's start blowing up on the highway, etc., then you might change your mind and buy a Dodge or a Toyota.
Right now these mock drafts are conversation pieces. Really, that's all they ever are. They're created so fans have something to talk about, and Kiper/McShay/whoever are considered the "experts." Kiper's job is to get viewers, get people talking, get internet clicks, etc. Whether he's right or not isn't really the main goal.
January 15th, 2015 at 10:21 AM ^
ESPN echo chamber in full effect.
Kiper puts out a mock and Sportscenter discusses it like it's breaking news
This is why I don't watch ESPN outside of live events and 30 for 30. Self-serving content makes it ubearable to watch otherwise
January 15th, 2015 at 10:49 AM ^
That's a perfect summary of my feelings towards ESPN and exactly why I don't watch Sportscenter either.
January 15th, 2015 at 10:32 AM ^
January 15th, 2015 at 11:36 AM ^
nighttime TV "news magazine" programs rig trucks to spontaneously combust. Yes, I'm looking at you Dateline NBC.
January 15th, 2015 at 12:44 PM ^
Props for remembering that
January 15th, 2015 at 2:25 PM ^
That was the same thing I was going to say. You'd think when the goal of the reporting is "is car X dangerous?" and you can't create said danger without rigging it, that's a story in and of itself.
January 15th, 2015 at 9:49 AM ^
You are spot on, and what this does not take into account are the combine results where players can really move up based on their STATISTICS!
January 15th, 2015 at 12:04 PM ^
They get the majority of guys in the first round within a few spots.
January 15th, 2015 at 9:44 AM ^
Mariotta is a system quaterback. I just don't see him succeeding in the pros. He doesn't take snaps from under center, no 3 step drop, etc. Of course he can learn it (or if the Eagles can grab him) but I think Winston (putting aside character issues) is the more sure fire prospect.
Going in the late first round would be great for Funchess. Let him fit into a team/system where he can ease in. Let's hope he steps it up.
January 15th, 2015 at 9:48 AM ^
I don't know... I see a lot of similarities between him and R. Wilson.. Obviously Wison ran a pro style in college but Mariotta is 6'3, runs a 4.4, and rarely throws interceptions.
January 15th, 2015 at 9:55 AM ^
But that is the point that the other poster is trying to make. Mariotta is a system QB. His numbers are enhanced by a system that provides easy decision and large throwing windows. While a guy like WIlson was groomed in a pro style offense and is an anticipatory passer. Wilson also has a stronger arm and I feel like more lateral quickness.
January 15th, 2015 at 10:10 AM ^
I'm starting to get the impression these NFL head coaches and GM's are getting tired of these read-option spread QB's they have to choose from.
They all seem like head coach killers and franchise killers at the next level.
I see far more differences than similarities between Wilson and Mariotta.
Probably why Indy was ready to get rid of Peyton even though Peyton still had 3-4 years left in him at a pro-bowl level. They had a chance to grab a QB who could function in a pocket, which in the NFL, will ALWAYS be the safest place for a QB.
You can't only out athlete the defense at the next level.
January 15th, 2015 at 10:38 AM ^
January 15th, 2015 at 10:39 AM ^
January 15th, 2015 at 11:37 AM ^
January 15th, 2015 at 11:48 AM ^
I don't know about QBs, but when you've got 8-10 300 pound guys converging to a single spot, the chances of an injury have to increase. I'm thinking of all those linemen who get rolled up from behind and suffer knee and ankle injuries.
January 15th, 2015 at 11:46 AM ^
I'd be more inclined to look at the effects of "tempo" on the injury rate. For example, Oregon runs tempo so they probably average 80 plays a game on offense. Michigan was around 60 plays this year. So just on a per play basis, if injuries are random, you'd think that Oregon would have 33% more injuries on offense than Michigan since they have 33% more opportunities to get injured. (The argument being that you don't get injured in the huddle while the play clock is moving.) However, it could be that practicing at pace makes your body more flexible/resilient/less-injury-prone than POWER MANBALL teams that stress strength over flexibility. I don't have the answer, I'm just curious to know if anyone has looked at that.
January 15th, 2015 at 11:21 AM ^
Fair enough, but I think Mariotta will be a successful pro QB. Much more so than Winston
January 15th, 2015 at 11:21 AM ^
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January 15th, 2015 at 9:52 AM ^
What if he were to fall all the way down to the Eagles pick (not sure which number that is) and Chip Kelly would probably love having him?
January 15th, 2015 at 9:58 AM ^
January 15th, 2015 at 10:20 AM ^
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January 15th, 2015 at 9:58 AM ^
Jamis may be a knucklehead but he's a cannon-armed knucklehead who can read defenses and play under center.
Marcus may be the nicest guy in the world, smart as hell and have Boy Scout's sense of right and wrong but he doesn't have arm strength and he can't read defenses.
I don't think he goes in the top 20 of the draft.
January 15th, 2015 at 10:13 AM ^
Dude was a turnover machine this year - constantly making bad choices. He's got career back-up written all over him. Mariotta has CFL in his future
January 15th, 2015 at 10:35 AM ^
I hope he does well in the nfl, I think he will. He made all the throws beautifully and played extremely well throughout the season displaying sound decision making, accuracy and a decent arm.
January 15th, 2015 at 11:10 AM ^
Fair enough, although he did just hire Jack Del Rio and - at least on paper - manage to one-up his rivals across the bay in the area of coaching hires. Then again, if we zoom out to the 10,000 foot view of things, this is the same man who - after the Del Rio interview, per Yahoo! - went to Hooters with Marcel Reese, so if nothing else, Davis is on a different wavelength than other owners.
January 15th, 2015 at 11:56 AM ^
I'd never seen a picture of him before. Wow, had to google to make sure that he actually had that haircut. Who looks in the mirror, after 1995, and thinks, "yeah, this bowl cut is pretty sweet." One of many mistakes..
January 15th, 2015 at 12:32 PM ^
You are right, he just might pick Devin "Just a statistic" Funchess.
January 15th, 2015 at 10:25 AM ^
Just my opinion, of course. I could be way off. But it seems to me the best QBs in the NFL possess a level of football smarts that I am very skeptical Jameis would be able to achieve, given his history at FSU.
January 15th, 2015 at 11:18 AM ^
Mariotta needs to learn to read defenses, but his arm is decent and he works hard. Someone in the top ten is going to take a chance on him unless he totally melts down in pre-draft work (see Teddy Bridgewater for an example of that).
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January 15th, 2015 at 10:19 AM ^
... at being a complete disaster in the NFL. You can't put aside character issues.
January 15th, 2015 at 11:06 AM ^
Both have bust written all over them.....Winston looks like a sure fire bust and I am not sure about Mariotta (He at least seems like he has the work ethic/personna to be a good NFL QB).
January 15th, 2015 at 9:47 AM ^
I will be curious to see how Funchess does on his pro day. I want to believe he is hungry enough and desires the ball enough to be a first round pick.
January 15th, 2015 at 9:48 AM ^
the Wonderlic test score for Jameis Winston?
January 15th, 2015 at 9:51 AM ^
He may be an idiot, and sound like an idiot, but from what I've read he's actually book smart... I think he had a 4.0 gpa in HS and 3.0 in college... not the end all, but he's not going to do poorly on the wonderlic.
January 15th, 2015 at 9:57 AM ^
January 15th, 2015 at 9:58 AM ^
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January 15th, 2015 at 9:56 AM ^
January 15th, 2015 at 11:13 AM ^
The issue is whether or not he raped someone. If he did, he ought to be in prison. If he did not, then a lot of this other stuff is low-grade college kid stupidity; I find it personally bothersome/offensive (what he said in the cafeteria, etc), but not a giant don't-draft-him red flag.
The problem is that people kind of factor in the rape allegation without actually factoring it. It's like the percentage possibility that he did it is priced into the stock--people are treating him like he gets 50% of the negative points for "maybe" raping someone.
But either he did and he has no place in the NFL, or he didn't and the rest of this is small potatoes.
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January 15th, 2015 at 9:49 AM ^
If he had stayed for another season and excelled under Harbaugh, he could have been top 10.
If only....
Regardless, best of luck to the kid. Forever Blue.
January 15th, 2015 at 11:04 AM ^
His early (pre-CC) decision suggests to me that he couldn't wait to get out anyway, but even if he was carefully evaluating his options a top-two round outlook is a good reason to go. Right now he still has "potential;" next year he will have "flaws."
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January 15th, 2015 at 9:51 AM ^
Really wish he would've stuck around for next year. I think Harbaugh could've worked wonders with him, but obviously, that's not our decision to make.
Hope he has a great career. I'll be rooting for him.
January 15th, 2015 at 9:54 AM ^
under performed at UM, with flashes of great talent, a career peppered with images of dropped passes, too many attempts to one-hand the ball, etc. Hope he blows up at the combine and has a great NFL career.
January 15th, 2015 at 10:38 AM ^
"Not real big, but awful slow"
Except for Devin it would be "doesn't block, but drops a lot of balls"
Of course Biletnikoff did wind up in the Hall...
January 15th, 2015 at 10:03 AM ^