Last year it was Ivan Pace for me. This year I am stunned LB Curtis Jacobs from Penn St didn’t get drafted.
Also, I had a few lineman pegged for late in the draft Keegan went 5, Lee DT went 6…
Frank Crum didn’t get drafted. He ended up in Denver and Jacobs ended up in KC.
Who else suprirsed you guys going undrafted?
Garrett Greenfield, Isaiah Williams, Chigozie Anusiem, Beau Brade, Jalen Coker, Willie Drew, Javion Cohen, Blake Watson, Omar Brown, Ethan Driskell, Fabian Lovett, Miles Battle, Ryan Rehkow, Andrew Coker, Mark Perry, Jeremy Flax, Dallin Holker, Eric Watts, Braiden McGregor, Leonard Taylor, Anim Dankwah, Gabe Hall, Marcus Rosemary-Jacksaint, Tyler Owens.
A lot of those guys went to the Senior and Shrine Bowls.
Leonard Taylor
I’m not surprised he fell after all the knocks against his character, but all the way out of the draft? Didn’t see that one coming.
Jacobs I read was the #3 LB recruit and #3 recruit in all of Maryland behind Bresee & Braswell.
He is super athletic.
Not a phyiscal thumper like Ivan Pace was a true Linebacker.
But still, I thought he would be a round 5/6 guy for sure
Do you have that many names of guys you are surprised got drafted ?
Manu?
I don’t really know that much on prospects / scouting
Half of the NFL teams sent people to British Columbia to watch Manu’s pro day.
It wasn’t a surprise that he was drafted.
Travis Clayton was drafted in the 7th round by Bills…
he has NEVER played a snap of american football.
Turned down 600k of NIL to stay at Miami supposedly.
Probably about as long, but the facts are even for as much as I study them, some are impossible to know. Like I knew about Manu beforehand (posted about him in the 2024 draft thread after his pro day), but figuring out where he’s gonna go without any real tape to evaluate? Almost impossible. He was always likely to go given the interest, but we’re talking anywhere from 3rd - 7th. Anim Dankwah, another giant freak at OT, didn’t get drafted at all.
The Bills drafted a rugby player from the International Program with the 1st pick of the 7th round, Clayton I think his name was. The guy’s never played football and definitely didn’t have any tape. But he tested like a super athlete (something like 4.8 at 6’7 305 pounds) and he’s long, so they took a punt. Impossible to predict. (Oh, as @Phunnypharm said, missed that.)
Dankwah didn’t run though. There was a fake 5.11 guy going around. Pretty sure he’s a 5.4ish 40 type. The norm at that size.
Right, he’s not as athletic as a tester, but praised by pretty much everyone for having feet light enough to mirror. (I thought so as well, but I won’t act like the footage I saw was all that great). And for as big of a size freak Manu is, Dankwah actually weighed the same, but was a shade taller with longer arms.
I think Manu’s athleticism is more functional, but I’m still pretty surprised someone didn’t take a chance on the Dankwah ball of clay, honestly.
I was just throwing out a name folks said was a reach.
@Thats2 I was finally reading on Stiggers from CFL. Quite the story but I like ones who get to nfl through unconventional route.
Because NCAA isn’t a pro farm system to nfl teams , I don’t think they should continue to be gate keepers as to who makes it.
While one can’t replicate game experience , it also seems like some of these schools cost 5 star athletes by not training them for the NFL game.
I was baffled by the narrative that Stiggers’ competition level was too low. In fact I’m not sure you can have a better one. You’re going up against pros - guys who are still chasing their dreams to put food on the table - most of whom were stars at their former schools.
Now I understand that the CFL’s rules are a little wonky - especially with the running start - and thus the only time we got to see him play press-man was at the Shrine Bowl, but I still think it makes for a top notch proving ground. I suppose we’ll see.
Stiggers or Vaki…
Glad we got 1
I knew the Stiggers dream was dead after we took Rakestraw, he doesn’t have nearly Vaki’s versatility. It’ll be interesting to watch how his NFL career plays out.
I mean at this point, someone should just draft the guy:
Braiden mcgregor stood out to me…i guess i believed the hype that he is gonna be a better pro.then college player and teams wanted him.
I honestly think it’s really tough to grade Michigan players around here.
I tend to go the oppsoite…like it took me the entire year to realize the defense was legit. Lmao.