My 2018 individual draft grades

Bearly

Dissed membered
Donator
Joined:
Aug 17, 2011
Posts:
41,086
Liked Posts:
23,414
Location:
Palatine, IL
My favorite teams
  1. Chicago Cubs
  1. Chicago Bulls
  1. Chicago Bears
  1. Chicago Blackhawks
7th Round: Javon Wims

oE-OHm.gif


Javon Wims is a very hard player to evaluate. He has no shortage of incredible catches. Turn on one of his highlight videos and you’d think Wims is one of the best players in all of college football. He compares favorably to Allen Robinson both physically and athletically.

So why did he drop down all the way to the 7th round? Well, it’s because he can’t create separation. He can’t get open on his own. But it actually goes much deeper than that. You see, almost all the great jump ball receivers in the NFL were knocked with the same exact flaw, creating separation. Here is the scouting report on perhaps the best jump ball receiver in the game, Mike Evans.



I believe there is a razor thin line between a great jump ball wr and one that will be out of the league in a hurry. There are plenty of tall athletes who can jump really high and catch footballs. What separates the two is a minute time frame while the ball is in the air. In this fraction of a second, the greats are able to create this little bit of extra separation that cannot be quantified, but makes all the difference.

Wims has all the tools necessary to become a legit jump ball WR in the league. Time will tell whether he has that something extra to stick.

Overall draft grade: B

Very hit or miss type of player, but upside could be huge.
Needs to learn to push with his forearm instead of his hands. I suspect it will come. Could have more jump for a jump ball guy but he seems to win which is what matters. Nice get for this late. Like I said. Pace must have been rubbing Nagy's dome for luck this draft.

I obviously like this draft more than you do. Fitts is a roll of the dice but I suspect he can be made into an End if he lost that step. He has the frame to support it. He's a 6th round pick. You aren't getting healthy starters there. Iggy was a BPA pick and while not needed this year, may be very valuable to have next.
 

ruprecht

Bills Board Hall of Famer
Donator
Joined:
Aug 21, 2012
Posts:
10,133
Liked Posts:
9,277
Location:
Portland, Oregon
Downgraded to a B- thread
 

Adipost

CCS Donator
Donator
Joined:
Sep 28, 2014
Posts:
8,616
Liked Posts:
10,212
Location:
Chicago, IL
I recently heard a very interesting bit of info from PFF. As the PFF analytics people keep diving into the numbers, they are discovering that targeting the slot position actually has a higher expected points added than targeting the outside WR’s. This makes it maybe the most undervalued position and area of the field on both sides of the ball (slot receiver and defending the slot). The Bears just drafted a WR made for the slot and an ILB that is the absolute prototype for defending the slot. :thinking:
 

sphinxnole

Active member
Joined:
Aug 20, 2012
Posts:
474
Liked Posts:
301
Looks like 2 prototype ILB’s learning from Trevathan.
Also apparently Fitts’ Pass Rush/ First Step is Back...
 

rawdawg

Well-known member
Joined:
Apr 28, 2013
Posts:
8,013
Liked Posts:
6,542
https://gfycat.com/MintyGreatAmericanwirehair

It looks like the Georgia D was playing for the zone read. Roquan was spying and had the QB in a potential zone read play (you can see the end, Carter? take the RB out of the backfield). When the QB didn't look to run, he immediately took off toward him. Shows me a sound player who knows his assignments and he made a very quick read that as soon as the QB takes a step back after the play fake, Smith is headed toward him. Smith didn't even react to the play fake, because he knows that's not his key on the play. I don't think it was a delayed blitz per se, just that Roquan's assignment was the QB. And if the QB is going to pass, no sense of him waiting in the middle of the field for him, so he attacked.

I'm on record of having slightly preferred Edmunds, but that's a huge difference between the 2 right now. Smith has off the chart instincts, and I think this play sums it up better than any highlighted in the OP.
 

Adipost

CCS Donator
Donator
Joined:
Sep 28, 2014
Posts:
8,616
Liked Posts:
10,212
Location:
Chicago, IL
https://gfycat.com/MintyGreatAmericanwirehair

It looks like the Georgia D was playing for the zone read. Roquan was spying and had the QB in a potential zone read play (you can see the end, Carter? take the RB out of the backfield). When the QB didn't look to run, he immediately took off toward him. Shows me a sound player who knows his assignments and he made a very quick read that as soon as the QB takes a step back after the play fake, Smith is headed toward him. Smith didn't even react to the play fake, because he knows that's not his key on the play. I don't think it was a delayed blitz per se, just that Roquan's assignment was the QB. And if the QB is going to pass, no sense of him waiting in the middle of the field for him, so he attacked.

I'm on record of having slightly preferred Edmunds, but that's a huge difference between the 2 right now. Smith has off the chart instincts, and I think this play sums it up better than any highlighted in the OP.

Edmunds got really burned on a lot of play fakes where he just attacked on first movement. And then he seemed to overcompensate for that by taking too long to react on other plays. It’s gonna take him a bit to fix that.
 

Wild_x_Card

Well-known member
Joined:
Aug 21, 2012
Posts:
13,745
Liked Posts:
13,726
One of the greatest displays of play recognition I've ever seen from a linebacker is within this video.

On top of his otherworldly ability to change direction on a dime without losing a step.

The breakdown of the play starts at 2:12.

This is next level on top of next level stuff from Smith.

[video=youtube_share;4k_eYIGXEuc]https://youtu.be/4k_eYIGXEuc[/video]
 

bearmick

Captain Objectivity
Donator
CCS Hall of Fame '19
Joined:
Aug 20, 2012
Posts:
37,895
Liked Posts:
43,086
That is next level stuff. Instincts off the charts. He's like the Deshaun Watson of defense.
 

house23

Member
Joined:
Mar 23, 2017
Posts:
85
Liked Posts:
45
One of the greatest displays of play recognition I've ever seen from a linebacker is within this video.

On top of his otherworldly ability to change direction on a dime without losing a step.

The breakdown of the play starts at 2:12.

This is next level on top of next level stuff from Smith.

[video=youtube_share;4k_eYIGXEuc]https://youtu.be/4k_eYIGXEuc[/video]
Did we just draft the next Ray Lewis?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 

Bearly

Dissed membered
Donator
Joined:
Aug 17, 2011
Posts:
41,086
Liked Posts:
23,414
Location:
Palatine, IL
My favorite teams
  1. Chicago Cubs
  1. Chicago Bulls
  1. Chicago Bears
  1. Chicago Blackhawks
The recovery thing always sounded like bullshit.
 

Bearly

Dissed membered
Donator
Joined:
Aug 17, 2011
Posts:
41,086
Liked Posts:
23,414
Location:
Palatine, IL
My favorite teams
  1. Chicago Cubs
  1. Chicago Bulls
  1. Chicago Bears
  1. Chicago Blackhawks

Top