Matt Miller’s top 50 draft prospects

[ncfan]

3 minutes ago, Woodie said:

I don't think Thompson has very good instincts.  He's got the size and athleticism, but I just don't think he has the eyes and instincts to be anything special.  To me, it just seems like he's reacting, and not anticipating, so he always appears to be a half step off.  His recognition can be slow, and he sometimes takes false steps. 

I see him as a 2nd or 3rd round prospect.  I wouldn't touch him in the 1st.

He's flashed the instincts

Flip on the Louisville tape.  He was reading the QB like a book and was all over. 

His stock really didnt take a hit until the SEC championship game.  

[Woodie]

The Safety I do like is Adderley.  He seems to have some Earl Thomas in him.  Has great range and recognition.  He also has good ball and coverage skills. Could probably be drafted as a corner, but that would be limiting what he could do.  He can also lay the wood.  Just fits the mold of what you want in a FS. 

I just see him as the type of impact Safety that could have a significant influence on our defense.

[Woodie]

3 minutes ago, ncfan said:

He's flashed the instincts

Flip on the Louisville tape.  He was reading the QB like a book and was all over. 

His stock really didnt take a hit until the SEC championship game.  

I think his stock started to take a hit in mid-season.  Most reports on him include a point about how he looked great early on, but midway through the year dropped off.

Don't get me wrong, I think he could be a solid safety, I just don't think he has the instincts and recognition to be elite.  And if I'm taking a safety in the 1st, I want elite.

[ncfan]

16 minutes ago, Woodie said:

I think his stock started to take a hit in mid-season.  Most reports on him include a point about how he looked great early on, but midway through the year dropped off.

Don't get me wrong, I think he could be a solid safety, I just don't think he has the instincts and recognition to be elite.  And if I'm taking a safety in the 1st, I want elite.

Maybe

Everything ive seen and heard.  His stock didn't take a hit until the SEC championship game.  He was having a solid season even up to that point and was a unanimous top 15 pick guy even following the Auburn game. He has all the tools to be elite just still learning and a bit raw.

 

https://247sports.com/LongFormArticle/Alabama-NFL-Draft-Quinnen-Williams-Mack-Wilson-Nick-Saban-127806416/

 

"Thompson's stock was extremely high heading into the SEC Championship, but has dropped in his appearances since (according to some scouts and those within the industry). Thompson's play trailed late in the year thanks to bad tackling, poor angles and often being caught out of position in coverage. It was an uncharacteristic stretch of games not indicative of the feared safety he had become in his third season. Still, expect Thompson to be the first player off the board at his position later this year."

 

 

 

 

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/alabama-nfl-draft-prospects-49ers-081852221.html

"Deionte Thompson, Safety

Thompson is considered the top safety in the country. His patience has paid off into a huge season for the Crimson Tide. According to Charlie Campbell, NFL teams have recently cooled off on Thompson. The Raiders should hope that's true. If they can snatch the safety who has 75 tackles, two interceptions and six passes defensed this season at No. 24 overall, that could be a steal of a pick."

 

I still wouldn't take him at 16.

 

But he will still be a 1st round and top 25 guy

[Woodie]

19 minutes ago, stbugs said:

Because we shop at the nickel store or draft unathletic guys? For what we paid Poe, Smith and Searcy we could have had Norwell and Mathieu. We could have or should have drafted Harrison over Gaulden. Lots of examples of stupid. 

I think it's too soon to give up on Gaulden.  He was drafted as a conversion project (whether or not you like those projects is worthy of it's own thread).  The coaches and scouts felt he has the basic skillset to be a good safety, and to me, he seemed to be thinking out there instead of just playing.  So, I really don't believe we got a good sense of what he will be.  Hopefully, we'll se a jump in play from him with an entire offseason to prepare.

As for Harrison, I was never really a fan.  I don't think he has particularly good coverage skills.  I see him more as a thumping box defender than the type of safety that gives us flexibility.  Heck, that's one of the issues I have with the idea of re-signing Reid.  I just believe those types of safeties limit what we can do because they are limited in coverage.  That's why if Gaulden is able to adapt to safety, it will be big for our defense. 

My ideal safety tandem is Gaulden panning out as a SS, and pairing him with a rangy FS like Adderley.  But of course, that hinges on Gaulden making the transition, which is still uncertain. 

[LinvilleGorge]

33 minutes ago, ncfan said:

He's flashed the instincts

Flip on the Louisville tape.  He was reading the QB like a book and was all over. 

His stock really didnt take a hit until the SEC championship game.  

So basically when he went up against future elite NFL QB prospects he looked like trash. That's a bit concerning.

[Woodie]

10 minutes ago, ncfan said:

Maybe

Everything ive seen and heard.  His stock didn't take a hit until the SEC championship game.  He was having a solid season even up to that point and was a unanimous top 15 pick guy even following the Auburn game. He has all the tools to be elite just still learning and a bit raw.

 

https://247sports.com/LongFormArticle/Alabama-NFL-Draft-Quinnen-Williams-Mack-Wilson-Nick-Saban-127806416/

 

"Thompson's stock was extremely high heading into the SEC Championship, but has dropped in his appearances since (according to some scouts and those within the industry). Thompson's play trailed late in the year thanks to bad tackling, poor angles and often being caught out of position in coverage. It was an uncharacteristic stretch of games not indicative of the feared safety he had become in his third season. Still, expect Thompson to be the first player off the board at his position later this year."

 

 

 

 

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/alabama-nfl-draft-prospects-49ers-081852221.html

"Deionte Thompson, Safety

Thompson is considered the top safety in the country. His patience has paid off into a huge season for the Crimson Tide. According to Charlie Campbell, NFL teams have recently cooled off on Thompson. The Raiders should hope that's true. If they can snatch the safety who has 75 tackles, two interceptions and six passes defensed this season at No. 24 overall, that could be a steal of a pick."

 

I still wouldn't take him at 16.

 

But he will still be a 1st round and top 25 guy

Most still say that his play dropped off midway through the year.  A lot of the projections were based on how good he looked early.  Heck, it was even mentioned in the NC game.  To be clear, Nobody said he was bad, just that his play dropped off...or moreso his production.  I think the playoff just highlighted what people had noticed.

Regardless, I don't see him as a 1st round safety.  Second round or beyond, sure.  I just don't see enough of those special qualities or consistency you want in a first round safety.

[Woodie]

1 minute ago, stbugs said:

He’s looked so bad in preseason and the few times he got into games. He was the least athletic DB in the entire combine. I don’t think he’ll pan out at all.

I don't see it that way at all.  He definitely has the athleticism, but like I said, I believe he's thinking too much, which is slowing him down in everything he does...including recognition and reaction.  He's also seeing the field differently than he did in college, so I don't believe he trusts his eyes yet.

Now, this isn't me saying I believe he will definitely transition into an all-pro safety, or even transition successfully at all.  I just believe that he wasn't ready to see the field last year because he's still figuring out what he's doing.  This year he'll have had a full offseason to prepare, study film, and get coached up on the nuances of playing safety, so hopefully, he'll be ready to take that step beginning in training camp.

[AU-panther]

28 minutes ago, stbugs said:

He’s looked so bad in preseason and the few times he got into games. He was the least athletic DB in the entire combine. I don’t think he’ll pan out at all.

I'm not saying measurables are the only thing to look at but I hate trying to beat the odds.  I think it can be another example of GMs trying to prove how smart they are.

If I discount every safety that runs 4.6 or slower will I miss out on some good players? of course I will, but I will miss out on a lot of bad players also.

50 safeties that run faster than 4.6 vs 50 safeties that run slower than 4.6, which group has the better chance of turning out quality NFL players.  If I remove ego from the equation I'm going to play the odds.

I don't remember who said it, some older team exec or scout, but it was something to the effect of "we aren't in the business of finding the exceptions"

 

[Woodie]

4 minutes ago, stbugs said:

Read this. He’s not where you want to be. He was a big reach that early. Athletically, he’s in the 3.5% of the NFL.

https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2018/4/15/17228060/finding-the-superior-athlete-sparq-safeties-in-the-2018-nfl-draft

Watching him play at Tennessee, he showed enough movement skills that he should be able to translate to safety.  Now, I don't think he's that rangy type we need to play FS, but I think he's athletic enough for SS.  

Not for nothing, but even this source had him rated as a 2nd or 3rd round pick, so taking him when we did wasn't necessarily a bad choice. (I know, it's as much about who we didn't take as who we did, but just saying).

[ncfan]

1 hour ago, Woodie said:

I don't see it that way at all.  He definitely has the athleticism, but like I said, I believe he's thinking too much, which is slowing him down in everything he does...including recognition and reaction.  He's also seeing the field differently than he did in college, so I don't believe he trusts his eyes yet.

Now, this isn't me saying I believe he will definitely transition into an all-pro safety, or even transition successfully at all.  I just believe that he wasn't ready to see the field last year because he's still figuring out what he's doing.  This year he'll have had a full offseason to prepare, study film, and get coached up on the nuances of playing safety, so hopefully, he'll be ready to take that step beginning in training camp.

Mustve been watching completely different games

Because he was bad in preseason

He Did show good instincts but showed what every scout outside Hurney said going into the draft.  His athletic ability sucked, Terrible

And it showed with him grading out worst in combine history.  In preseason he was always in the area just a few steps behind 

In college he had success by instincts.  You cant do that in the pro because all the elite athletes have good instincts as well.  You can just ask that LB Boulware the other year who felt that

Collin jones on the other hand had the athletic ability but was always just away from the play unlike Gaulden.

 

Im not holding my breath, because I was like 99% of the other scouts had him around a 5th round guy for a reason.  And when we drafted him, it felt like the Worley picking leaving us scratching our heads

 

Now he Could become something.

One of my favorites the other year was this kid Desmond King.  Kid was a similar to Gaulden jist better athlete and more productive im college (among league leader in ints at Iowa)

But he fell to the 5th round because athletic ability, and he was a better athlete than Gaulden with similar if not better imo instincts.  Now King is a probowl FS

[Woodie]

13 minutes ago, stbugs said:

They used NFL Draft Scout rankings which I have 0 clue about. I can’t imagine the site I linked grading him that high based on him being in the worst quadrant. NFL.com had Gaulden as a 4-5th round prospect.

Quin Blanding was way better in college but dropped way down due to athleticism (still better than Gaulden) and we just signed him to a futures contract for nothing.

I’m very pessimistic about Gaulden from what I’ve seen. If he was a 5th rounder like Elder, wouldn’t bother me, but middle of the 3rd, ugh. 

I think you're being a bit harsh on Gaulden, but I get why you think what you do.  I'll just say that I think he has the potential to develop into a decent SS, but by no means take it as a given.  And since he's already on the roster, I'll hope for the best.  Only time will tell.

[Woodie]

19 minutes ago, ncfan said:

Mustve been watching completely different games

Because he was bad in preseason

He Did show good instincts but showed what every scout outside Hurney said going into the draft.  His athletic ability sucked, Terrible

And it showed with him grading out worst in combine history.  In preseason he was always in the area just a few steps behind 

In college he had success by instincts.  You cant do that in the pro because all the elite athletes have good instincts as well.  You can just ask that LB Boulware the other year who felt that

Collin jones on the other hand had the athletic ability but was always just away from the play unlike Gaulden.

 

Im not holding my breath, because I was like 99% of the other scouts had him around a 5th round guy for a reason.  And when we drafted him, it felt like the Worley picking leaving us scratching our heads

 

Now he Could become something.

One of my favorites the other year was this kid Desmond King.  Kid was a similar to Gaulden jist better athlete and more productive im college (among league leader in ints at Iowa)

But he fell to the 5th round because athletic ability, and he was a better athlete than Gaulden with similar if not better imo instincts.  Now King is a probowl FS

This evaluation by Draft Analyst pretty much sums up what I saw and liked about Gaulden.  They also had him as a 3rd round projection.  For certain he is flawed and not a perfect player, and I have no doubt there are negative evaluations out there to indicate reason for concern.  However, I'm not expecting greatness from him, but I do think he has the potential to be solid.  

Pos: 

Aggressive corner with next-level size. Physical in all aspects of the game, plays with suddenness and has an explosive burst to the action. Shows quickness, easily changes direction and stays on the receiver’s hip out of breaks. Fast both laterally and in a straight line, effectively tracks the pass in the air and works to defend the throw. Mixes it up with opponents throughout the action, fires up the field and gives effort against the run.

[ncfan]

7 minutes ago, Woodie said:

This evaluation by Draft Analyst pretty much sums up what I saw and liked about Gaulden.  They also had him as a 3rd round projection.  For certain he is flawed and not a perfect player, and I have no doubt there are negative evaluations out there to indicate reason for concern.  However, I'm not expecting greatness from him, but I do think he has the potential to be solid.  

Pos: 

Aggressive corner with next-level size. Physical in all aspects of the game, plays with suddenness and has an explosive burst to the action. Shows quickness, easily changes direction and stays on the receiver’s hip out of breaks. Fast both laterally and in a straight line, effectively tracks the pass in the air and works to defend the throw. Mixes it up with opponents throughout the action, fires up the field and gives effort against the run.

https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/2769528-rashaan-gaulden-nfl-draft-2018-scouting-report-for-carolina-panthers-pick.amp.html

 

NEGATIVES

—Speed looked average on tape and only ran a 4.61-second 40-yard dash at the combine; might move to safety.

—Lacks explosive qualities. No twitch. No burst. Long speed only.

 

—Doesn't have short, choppy strides to get through breaks and route changes.

—Play strength was poor for his size. Doesn't jam with impact.

—Already 23 years old.

               

OVERALL

Poor testing at the combine may affect Rashaan Gaulden's draft stock, but he's solid if you view him through the lens of a slot cornerback who can also play safety. He has versatility and would make an immediate impact on special teams.

 

 

They did have him as a 3rd but the dude is a TERRIBLE  athlete and the dude putting uo the worst numbers in combine position for his position for a reason

 

Kid is a project at best. With good special team upside