I like a CB/S named Mustapha in the later rounds…Just like the name, Mustapha being called out by the Announcer. " Tackled in the backfield by Mustapha"…“Broken up by Mustapha”…“Mustapha made mincemeat of that guy!!”…Ok, that one sounds a little sinister !!..Actually, I was thinking of something even worse…lol
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He’s a very good option and I almost put him in this list (has the football character we’ll love as well, and checks the captain box). But he’s been talked about quite a bit since Nate Tice named him his #1 safety.
Linderbaum struggles to anchor. He’s got Lamar of course.
Like I said I think Tanor can easily hold 310 plus. He’s good a broad frame. He did struggle with some snap miscues this year and he’s new-ish to Center. Given all that I imagine he had a lot of things going through his mind during Sr. Bowl. Not going to crush him for it.
And again, we’re talking round 6/7 here.
And I was just proud of myself for not putting down Steven Jones 
Ha! I looked up Jones on the Beast. He’s basically in the “others receiving votes” category, 41st overall. Checked in at 6’5, 342 with 34 5/8 inch arms, which is great. Went downhill from there though. 5.43 40 with a 1.89 ten yard. 21 inch jump, 5.15 shuttle.
Came out like this on RAS:
Yep. He moves much, much better than that on the field. Consistency has always been the concern within the program but they gush about the high water marks
One other thing about Tanor is that his one year of Center play was in the air raid so I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect his anchor to improve with more reps in an NFL offense.
More than anything I’m just a whore for athletes I guess.
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I actually posted a thread about him a year or two ago as a potential late round guy, but then he obviously went back to college.
I really was confused why he decided to come back for a 6th year last year, but it ended up being by far his best year as a Buckeye. Up until last year, he was what I’d call “mediocre” as a coverage player. He’s always been really good in run support and he has a highlight reel full of big hits, but he never was really that good in coverage.
For whatever reason, Proctor (and all of the other safeties…cough cough Lathan Ransom) got better in coverage last year. We seemed to run a lot more two high than we did previously, and I felt like I saw less of Proctor in run support in 2023.
However, that’s just one year out of a six year career for Proctor. That’s why I’d stay away from him. As a late round guy? Sure, what the heck, but I wouldn’t count on him to be any different than Tracy Walker was (aside from a big hit every now and then).
Pre Achilles Tracey or post?
Jim Knowles effect
I am too, it’s literally the first thing I look at about an iOL. Then the second thing I look at is whether they meet the minimum threshold for strength/anchor, and of course that’s where a lot of them get in trouble.
Jason Sundell (who Dane has listed at C) has those same issues. He might be the best guy in the class at the second-level, just has a natural feel for angles and has the juice to get there, and while holding those blocks can be an issue, he’s so good at positioning himself that even if the defender eventually sheds him, he’s in the way enough for the play to work. Really fun to watch.
But his hands have almost no pop and there’s very little anchor to speak of.
I really liked Pratt a lot before all the post season workout stuff. Just watching him play football I thought he would be a certain day 2 pick. He reminded me of Goff with legs. I thought he would be a perfect backup to run our offense. In the testing I saw he really lacks the arm strength on the deep throws and like Goff he has to have his feet set and kind of take a crow hop to get it down there. The thing that makes him playable is he can always tuck it and run.
I think the arm is fine depending on the system.
I do think Goff has a stronger arm but I don’t think Pratt’s is weaker than someone like Brock Purdy. And I tend to think that Pratt has the anticipatory abilities to make up for it.
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Yeah I never saw the arm as an issue while watching him play football. I only became aware of the lack of arm strength during the underwear olympics. He just couldn’t get it out there on the real deep throws like the others. i still think he could function great in our offense.If he had the elite arm he would be looking at the top of the first round because I think he has everything else in spades.
Can you see if Dane says anything about BC CB Elijah Jones? He started 9 games and then missed the rest of the year for undisclosed personal reasons. I like the way he plays in coverage. He isn’t great in run support but he does make an effort. I just wonder if he is a character concern?
Has him as his 23rd ranked corner (I have him 16th personally), I’ll paraphrase what he says:
Strengths:
- Terrific height and length
- high school track speed shows on tape
- good at watching the QB and reacting
- “my ball” mentality
- tough for WRs to escape press when he trusts his length
- crowds receivers to the boundary
- more drag-down tackler than form finisher, but fundamentals improved in 2023 and missed tackles went down
- plays special teams, including gunner
- tied BC record for games played
Weaknesses:
- slender with low functional strength
- inconsistent hips and transitions
- handsy, and panics when he loses phase (6 PIs in his last 16 games)
- struggles to recover after missteps
- battled nagging injuries in 2022
- durability concerns
- old (turns 25 toward end of season)
- missed last 4 games for non-injury reasons (but doesn’t say what it is)
Summary: Overall, Jones’ undisciplined tendencies and lack of play strength are concerns, but he has the man-to-man athletic tools that will interest press-heavy teams.
It’s still a big mystery as to why he missed the end of the year, which only leaves us to speculate. I’m sure Dane knows, but the fact that he felt he shouldn’t say points certain directions. Legal issue? Mental health? Suspension that wasn’t called a suspension? Death/sickness in the family? All we know is it wasn’t an injury.
Still a mystery? thanks for the info. I didn’t realize he was that old. I guess he will still be on my list of possible 5th round CBs until I hear otherwise. Something tells me it was bad enough that he would not be on our board at all.
Yeah for sure. We’re very stingy graders when it comes to football character and non-turdity. Any whiff of it and I think they won’t be Lions.
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I’ll take someone that sees it early with passable arm strength over the guy that throws laser beams but sees it rather than anticipates it. That’s my issue with Penix.