My pre-draft suspicion was that both Seattle and Detroit were all-in on Gonzo and that Witherspoon was getting a little too much hype. Oh well.
Sounds like Witherspoon was alone in their top tier? Is that possible? They feared Spoon would be gone at 3 and was considering trades. When Anderson went #3, and knowing QB was going 4, they held tight.
This really isnât that surprising to me. I know there was a lot of debate here (and elsewhere) about Spoon vs. Gonzo, but when I watched tape of them back-to-back, it wasnât really a contest. Witherspoonâs tape was far and away the best of any CB this year. With the lack of âcleanâ prospects this year, not surprised to hear he was in the conversation for #3.
That being said, Gonzo has a ton of upside because of his age, the jump he made from Colorado to Oregon, and his physical traits - but his game needs some refinement. Heâs definitely the guy you take when youâre swinging for the fences and hope you can coach him up a bit, but thereâs some risk. Itâs similar to the conversation that was had around Will Anderson vs. Tyree Wilson at points during the lead up to the draft.
Not to say there isnât with Spoon, but his risk is more of âhow long before he hurts himself because of how physical he plays,â in my opinion.
It appears both the Lions and Seahawks front offices recognized this as well.
Witherspoon is like Jaire Alexander IMO. They NEED to play in a place where they can get away with a ton of holding. Otherwise they are doomed.
The confidence and swag out of Spoon at the draft was on its own level. The kid moved different than everyone else. I can see why teams would fall in love with a corner like that. I just feel like heâs physically limited and canât match up toe to toe with the best receivers in the game without help from the refs. Heâs not strong enough to square up on prime DeAndre Hopkins. Heâs not quick and fluid enough to mirror prime Devante Adams. Heâs not fast enough to make up for a false step against Stefan Diggs. I just have a hard time wrapping my brain around taking a corner in the top 5 that I donât feel can matchup with the games best receivers.
I will say another comp for Spoon. Justin Coleman. If anyone remembers when Coleman first got on the field for us and he was playing at a really high level. That to me is the ceiling for Spoon.
Agree. For me, if youâre going top 5 (maybe 3), you need be on the level of Sauce. And Spoon just isnât that guy.
Iâm sure heâll do just fine in Seattle and lock down the corner position for them, but he was my âI mean, I guess?â pick if thatâs the direction Brad went at 6.
Jayden Reed making him his bitch was enough for me.
A smaller Sauce Gardner is presumably the evaluation.
Gonzo really seemed to rise after the combine and that always worries me. Spoon had much better film imo. The thing that will help both of these guys is going to good football teams. Iâm still a little bummed over Okudah so I wasnât really wanting a CB that highâŚâŚunless itâs a Ramsey type that you know is the real deal.
I donât see the Spoon to Sauce comparisons at all. Play style wise completely different styles
Sauce is just so smooth, long, & plays the position like an artist
Spoon much more lightening in a bottle & twitched up physical play style
So true. Folks have put a lot more effort into scouting these dudes, so Iâm not going to talk like I know something⌠but, yeah, totally different. Sauce is ridiculous. Comparing him to Okudah last year (when I had a couple weeks of free NFL+) was enlightening and sad at the same time.
Nothing Iâve seen of Spoon compares with Sauce.
Very possible, but he didnât mention Anderson. They might have had a top bucket identical to ours: which was Spoon and Anderson.
Agree, but I could never see Gonzo in Detroit, even though he was productive and had all the physical traits. Weâre looking for passionate players, dogs, grit, etc. Gonzo seems the opposite. He reminds me of Prince Amukamara in that regard. I think heâs going to be high maintenance in a way.
Gonzo was mocked in the top 10 prior to the combine. His athleticism was already baked in. He is not a product of the combine. His film at Oregon is legit and alot of draft sources didnât take the time to update his draft profile until later in the process. Thatâs why it might have seemed like something changed with him. It didnât.
Fair enough but sure felt like the media was all over him after the combine. And for his tape I just felt like he fit the Lions better. Just seemed to want to tackle more than Gonzo.
One more piece of evidence to add to the pile about the giant plate of week-old leftovers that was this yearâs draft class. If you were looking to add elite talent defensive talent, and you had your pick of the entire friggin draft, your choices were Anderson, Spoon, and⌠that was it. And even among that rarefied group of two guys, neither wouldâve been at the top of the list in most recent draft classes.
I meant in terms of confidence, attitude, and swagger.
