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4th Round pick, Tyler Ervin RB San Jose St.

GRADE
5.38
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Tyler Ervin (RB)
HT: 5'10" WT: 192LBS.

POSITION: RB

SCHOOL: San Jose St.

ARM LENGTH: 29 3/4"

HANDS: 9 1/8"


Overview
At his size, Ervin looks more like a slot receiver than a running back. Spartans coaches got him the ball in the backfield regularly the past two years, however, and it paid dividends as he led the team in rushing in 2014 (888 yards, four scores) and 2015 (1,469 yards, 13 touchdowns). Ervin's likely to play a rusher/receiver/returner role in the Dexter McCluster mold on Sundays, as he caught 73 passes for 642 yards the past two seasons in addition to his rushing work. His ability as a kick returner (2,374 career yardage, three scores) should also earn him credit among scouts.


Pro Day Results

Short shuttle: 4.34 seconds
3-cone: 7.03 seconds


COMBINE STATS
  • 40 YARD DASH: 4.41 SEC
  • BENCH PRESS: 17 REPS
  • VERTICAL JUMP: 39.0 INCH
  • BROAD JUMP: 130.0 INCH

ANALYSIS
Strengths
Short-strider in tight confines with ability to make sudden directional change. Despite lanky frame, doesn’t run with any fear between the tackles and doesn't look to bounce runs unnecessarily. Combines smoothness with quick reaction time to avoid traffic in the backfield and slalom his way through shifting, fluid creases along the line of scrimmage. Plus lateral escapability. Quality hands and can function as pass catcher with some matchup potential. Very good play speed and can punch the gas to top speed quickly. High-knee runner who can gain yardage in chunks if run fits break down. Scored three touchdowns on kickoffs over freshman and sophomore year and has returned kicks all four seasons.

Weaknesses
Thin, angular frame that isn't built for sustaining contact. Runs come to a screeching halt against quality, bodied-up tackle attempts. Balance through contact is poor and has trouble grinding legs through arm tackles. Hits from the side cause him to go flying. Not a one-cut runner. Will take an extra step or two to gear down and cut. Size and strength limitations hinder chances of being a true, third down option at running back. Limited in his routes and times looked like he was going through the motions if he didn’t expect to get ball. On gap plays, needs to be a little less patient and a little more urgent in approach to the line of scrimmage.

Draft Projection
Round 4

NFL Comparison
Akeem Hunt

Bottom Line
Ervin is a long-legged, linear runner with the vision and demeanor to be a first down runner, but the thin- frame and poor play strength that will force him into becoming a change of pace running back who will need to make his mark in open spaces when given his opportunities. With Ervin's lack of size in blitz protection, his best chance to make a team, initially, will be as a kick returner.
 
Unexpected (as far as I saw it) but not a bad pick. I'm starting to feel nervous about no linemen being picked so far. Those last two in the 5th had better be linemen.
 
MistaRed said:
Speed, speed, and more speed.
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Yep, There seems to be a theme to this Texans draft.

Ervin is a great gunner on ST's immediate upgrade.

3rd down RB, a threat to score every time he touches the ball. Canplay slot WR, great hands.
 
This one kinda puzzles me. We have Miller, Blue And Hunt at HB... I would say we are good at that Position. And als a returner I thought Brax would be our guy... Must have been a best player available Thing, because this was far from a Need pick, especially with the way our DE situation looks And with uns needing to groom someone behind Wilfork And D. Brown... And probably behind Cushing aus well... Plus Safety is also still a Need... Kind of a Head scratcher...
 
Love the player. Would have preferred to trade back before taking him. He wouldn't have made it to our 5th round pick but we had some room to maneuver there.
 
This kid had 5 return tds in college.

He caught 73 passes last 2 years.

Espn when the pick was announced compared him to Darren Sproles.

We got another homerun hitter. We WILL solve the issue of lack of playmakers this season.
 
A speed back and KR. They are making real efforts to address the KR/PR position that's for damn sure.

But isn't Akeem Hunt still on the roster? Looks like a clone of Hunt to me although this guy appears to be a PR candidate where Hunt isn't.

I would have taken Billings even though he's only a 2 down player.

Still...if he works out at PR then it was a good pick. B-
 
As someone who's followed every offseason/draft we've ever been a part of, I've never seen one like this. Other team needs are being ignored, but as someone who's been craving more explosion on offense since our inception, I'm willing to sacrifice some of the usual, more holistic replenishing of talent on the team for a year. It's both refreshing and scary at the same time.
 
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I was hoping for a TE, but I can't complain... looks like a solid pick. With us not taking DL I'm starting to think Clowney might be going back to DE and I would welcome that change
 
There WERE better players to take with that spot, so they must be filling some kind of need we're (fans) not agreed on.
 
It's pretty apparent that our front office feels like speed on offense has been an issue. They're really giving it the college try to fix that, aren't they?
 
Either Texans have guys in fifth they know they can get or they expect OLine and DLine to be more solid than many of us do. I am hoping for Kyle Murphy and DJ Reader in 5th
 
Ben Frank said:
I was hoping for a TE, but I can't complain... looks like a solid pick. With us not taking DL I'm starting to think Clowney might be going back to DE and I would welcome that change
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Are you expecting them to switch to a 4-3 base?
 
Speed had already been addressed with Lamar Miller,1st and 3rd pick. Why add a redundant player here? You already had Hunt don't need another one. Only 1 ball to go around
 
I don't consider DE as huge of a need as others. Crick was JAG. I think Pagen and Covington can do that and more.

This pick and the previous were our shot to fix the return game. I'm good with that. Still hoping for OT depth and secondary with the last 2 picks.
 
Thorn said:
Unexpected (as far as I saw it) but not a bad pick. I'm starting to feel nervous about no linemen being picked so far. Those last two in the 5th had better be linemen.
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Tell me about it. Obviously Billy wants no lineman, on either side of the los in his Draft.
Personally I would have started the Draft by taking Vern Butler or D'Shawn Robinson with the 1st round pick.
I like everybody they drafted, and the speed is great we needed it.
 
IDEXAN said:
Tell me about it. Obviously Billy wants no lineman, on either side of the los in his Draft.
Personally I would have started the Draft by taking Vern Butler or D'Shawn Robinson with the 1st round pick.
I like everybody they drafted, and the speed is great we needed it.
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I got no problems at all with the first three picks. All I can say about the 4th one is I would have most certainly done something different. The guy sounds like he's a good player and all, I just don't think that should have been the pick. As far as what we could have done in the 4th, I couldn't give this pick anything greater than a C+
 
bah007 said:
They may have the same strengths but Ervin is more talented and more versatile than Hunt.
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Also, the Pats have made use of gadget-type players to great effect over the years. I think we have use for a couple of these, allows OB to get creative with his scheme and keep the opposition guessing as to what's coming.

I think OBs O is about to start moving towards his strengths rather than the make-do and mend of the last 2 years. I'm looking forward to that.
 
WolverineFan said:
Yep he's more comparable to a guy like Dexter McCluster than Hunt.
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How does he compare to that Braxton guy we drafted 3d? I know one is more of a WR that can Play HB, And the other one is more of a HB that can Play WR - but to me it sounds like they both fill pretty much the Same needs (returner, ST ace, depth at HB and at WR3). That's what makes this pick so weird for me. Add to that the fact, that I actually liked our depth at HB...
 
LikeMike said:
How does he compare to that Braxton guy we drafted 3d? I know one is more of a WR that can Play HB, And the other one is more of a HB that can Play WR - but to me it sounds like they both fill pretty much the Same needs (returner, ST ace, depth at HB and at WR3). That's what makes this pick so weird for me. Add to that the fact, that I actually liked our depth at HB...
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They actually are pretty similar. Both are tough, versatile, and very explosive in space. Both are dynamite with the ball in their hands and Ervin was a heck of a return guy while most think Miller can be. The real difference is that Miller is very raw as a skill player because he played QB for 3 years. He has great size but his skill set needs to be molded. Ervin is undersized but very refined. He's a very good pass protector and catches the ball well out of the backfield while Miller has virtually no experience blocking.

I think Ervin steps in immediately as the passing down back but he's also tough enough to spell Miller on base downs and get some run between the tackles. Miller is going to be cross trained as a slot WR where his size will be of greater benefit.
 
Thorn said:
I know. I'm just one of those guys that really like drafting a lot of linemen.
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And I am one of those guys that thinks, that that'S the way to Build a winning Football Team. It's all about giving your QB Time And your HB room. Even subpar WRs can get Open with Time And Even subpar QBs can find him, when he has time. And on Defense it is all about getting After the QB and closing Running lanes.

That being Said, when healthy I think our O-Line has the Potential to be pretty good this year. But some Talent at OT would be very welcome. DE And NT are probably Even Bigger priorities now (I guess we go OT with our First pick next Season...).
 
A speed back and KR. They are making real efforts to address the KR/PR position that's for damn sure.

But isn't Akeem Hunt still on the roster? Looks like a clone of Hunt to me although this guy appears to be a PR candidate where Hunt isn't.

I would have taken Billings even though he's only a 2 down player.

Still...if he works out at PR then it was a good pick. B-
 
Porky said:
A speed back and KR. They are making real efforts to address the KR/PR position that's for damn sure.

But isn't Akeem Hunt still on the roster? Looks like a clone of Hunt to me although this guy appears to be a PR candidate where Hunt isn't.
Click to expand...

The difference between Sproles and a "speed guy" is that Sproles is an all around football player. If that's the difference between Ervin and Hunt, then upgrading to Ervin is a no brainer.
 
Had a few screens in the highlights... maybe we finally have a year with a handful of successful screens.
 
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