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All encompassing 2022 draft thoughts thread

Number19 said:
Thornton has straight line speed, but is thin, has abnormally small hands and has weaknesses in his game. Zierlein writes his size profile has struggled.. Could last into the 3rd round. Would be a good fit in an Air Coryell offense as a vertical threat.
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closet Charger fan?
 
TexansFan15 said:
I think Zion is going to be drafted in the 20-25 range. He’s continually impressed, and there’s a lot of OL needy teams.
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I'm thinking Green has dropped into the same range. May be a toss up who goes first, but maybe Johnson now has the edge.
 
I remember when it was way to early to know who you would take with the first rd pick. I think it was @steelbtexan asked who I would take. Off the cuff I said Jordan Davis NT GA. Well the 341 lb NT just ran a 4.82 40 at the Combine. May be time to consider Jordan again. Jordan's 40 yd and 10 yd split were faster than JJ Watt.

Edit: Davis OFFICIAL time: 4.78
 
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Texian said:
I remember when it was way to early to know who you would take with the first rd pick. I think it was @steelbtexan asked who I would take. Off the cuff I said Jordan Davis NT GA. Well the 330 lb NT just ran a 4.82 40 at the Combine. May be time to consider Jordan again. Jordan's 40 yd and 10 yd split were faster than JJ Watt.
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Big man getting into the backfield!
 
TexansFan15 said:
Big man getting into the backfield!
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Folks are quick to point out that Jordan is only a 2 down DL. That's true, however, Georgia DL is so deep they had some young 5 star players (Jalen Carter in the mold of Travon Walker) on the bench who are more adept at the pass rush. I have no doubt that Jordan Davis could be a 3 down DT.
 
Texian said:
I remember when it was way to early to know who you would take with the first rd pick. I think it was @steelbtexan asked who I would take. Off the cuff I said Jordan Davis NT GA. Well the 330 lb NT just ran a 4.82 40 at the Combine. May be time to consider Jordan again. Jordan's 40 yd and 10 yd split were faster than JJ Watt.
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Just reported the official time was in the four sevens.
 
Texian said:
I remember when it was way to early to know who you would take with the first rd pick. I think it was @steelbtexan asked who I would take. Off the cuff I said Jordan Davis NT GA. Well the 330 lb NT just ran a 4.82 40 at the Combine. May be time to consider Jordan again. Jordan's 40 yd and 10 yd split were faster than JJ Watt.
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That's amazing.
 
Among the defensive linemen some other notable times included Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson (4.75), Georgia's Travon Walker (4.51), Michigan's David Ojabo (4.55) and Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux (4.58).
***
Ah yea no surprise here with Hutch bringing up the rear among the edge rushers.
 
steelbtexan said:
We disagree on Neal then.

Neal is much bigger and more athletic than the guys you listed. Go checkout some of the athletice things like the box jump Neal does. It's pretty incredible that a man that size can do that. Although I'm sure Neal could play OG (He's played it in the past in college) and probably be an all pro there.
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I only used those 2 because they both were 6'7/6'8 and played guard. Boone was 6'8 330 and Gogan was 6'7 310. In terms of being an athlete, it's more about your feet,balance,and leverage in that box. I'm not against Neal, I'm just saying alot of evaluators see him as a guard and there isn't anything wrong with that. As long as he's a all pro/pro bowl quality player, that's all that matter
 
IDEXAN said:
Among the defensive linemen some other notable times included Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson (4.75), Georgia's Travon Walker (4.51), Michigan's David Ojabo (4.55) and Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux (4.58).
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Ah yea no surprise here with Hutch bringing up the rear among the edge rushers.
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Hutch led the edge rushers in the 3 cone drill (6.73) Travon Walker 2nd place (6.89)

And Hutch led in 20 yard shuttle (4.15) Nik Bonitto 2nd place (4.23).

Hutch is putting on a good performance as well and i’d argue where he is leading translates better to edge rusher success than 40 time.
 
TheRealJoker said:
Hutch led the edge rushers in the 3 cone drill (6.73) Travon Walker 2nd place (6.89)

And Hutch led in 20 yard shuttle (4.15) Nik Bonitto 2nd place (4.23).

Hutch is putting on a good performance as well and i’d argue where he is leading translates better to edge rusher success than 40 time.
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And then there are the intangibles. While Hutch continues to work and ball, that Clowney prototype made his excuses and took his toys and went home….sounds like a quitter mentality to me.
 
It's time we had a chat about Derek Stingley.
He had a stellar freshman season - so much so that there were rumblings that he could be a generational type CB and those rumblings persist to now.
So what has happened in the ensuing seasons? I have not fully researched this, but I do know he has suffered injuries and that he should be good to go come the pre season preps.
We need to consider this kid as CBs of his caliber are just not affordable in FA so to snag one in the draft is golden.
He would lock down one side of the field and having one guy like that is huge for any defense.
I imagine Lovie Smith will be licking his lips for a guy like this.
Tell us what you think.
 
Texansphan said:
It's time we had a chat about Derek Stingley.
He had a stellar freshman season - so much so that there were rumblings that he could be a generational type CB and those rumblings persist to now.
So what has happened in the ensuing seasons? I have not fully researched this, but I do know he has suffered injuries and that he should be good to go come the pre season preps.
We need to consider this kid as CBs of his caliber are just not affordable in FA so to snag one in the draft is golden.
He would lock down one side of the field and having one guy like that is huge for any defense.
I imagine Lovie Smith will be licking his lips for a guy like this.
Tell us what you think.
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Noooooooooooo
 
Dejaview said:
Because you seem to indicate injuries limited him after his freshman year. Too many images of Clowney for me.
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The injury cloud is what is stopping him from being the #1 pick in this draft.
Stingley says he will be 100% by his pro day in April.
That, will be interesting - and could turn this draft on it's ear.
 
Texansphan said:
The injury cloud is what is stopping him from being the #1 pick in this draft.
Stingley says he will be 100% by his pro day in April.
That, will be interesting - and could turn this draft on it's ear.
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You said he had a great freshman season.

How was he as a sophomore? A junior?
 
Travon Walker is a 1st round pick but I don’t know what his best position will end up being. I think if Flores or Gannon were hired and he would be moved around based on matchup he would be more valuable in Houston. But Lovie’s defense I think he’d be asked to stay at one position. And i’m not so sure that would be his “best” position.
 
Baylor cornerback Kalon Barnes is lightning fast. Officially, with a 4.23 time, he is the second-fastest guy of all time to run the 40 at a Scouting Combine.

Here is a very thorough review of this speedster:

*************************************************************************

NFL Draft
Kalon Barnes, Baylor CB | NFL Draft Scouting Report
Written By Ian Cummings
March 5, 2022

If you need speed, this guy's got it. Baylor CB Kalon Barnes is an absolute speed demon, and his NFL Draft scouting report is rising fast.

What's in this article?

It never hurts to have speed at the cornerback position. Speed helps players recover, and when they’re in phase, it allows them to stick to receivers and negate potential options downfield. Baylor CB Kalon Barnes has this ability, and that’s why his NFL Draft scouting report demands attention. Just how exciting is his profile, and where does he project at the next level?


Kalon Barnes NFL Draft Profile
  • Position: Cornerback
  • School: Baylor
  • Current Year: Senior
  • Height: 5’11 1/4″
  • Weight: 183 pounds
  • Wingspan: 76 3/8″
  • Length: 31 3/4″
  • Hand: 9 5/8″

Kalon Barnes Scouting Report

“Speed. I am speed.” You think this is a quote from Disney Pixar’s film “Cars,” featuring anthropomorphic vehicles, Owen Wilson, and Larry the Cable Guy. But actually, it’s just Barnes talking to himself in the mirror each morning. When it’s all said and done, Barnes could be one of the fastest players in the entire 2022 NFL Draft. And that speed shows up early and often on tape.

Kalon Barnes’ athletic profile

Measuring in around 5’11”, 183 pounds at the East-West Shrine Game, Barnes is a twitchy mover who has great explosiveness out of his direction changes. He accelerates quickly with brisk, energetic strides. His high-end acceleration lends him plenty of appeal, but he also maxes out as one of the fastest players on the field.

Barnes has high-level closing speed when breaking back toward the ball. With his elite speed, he erases gaps in zone and takes receivers by surprise. The Baylor CB can blanket receivers and keep the lid closed in press bail coverage, and with his pure speed, can recover lost ground incredibly quickly when trailing receivers. Heading downfield, he easily sticks to receivers with his speed.

Beyond his speed and explosiveness, Barnes is fairly fluid turning his hips and accelerating upfield. He has the capacity to lower in his stance and sink his hips. Moreover, the Baylor CB has shown to stack quick direction changes and use his twitch to keep leverage.

Execution beyond the physical traits

The prime selling point with Barnes is his abnormal speed. There’s still some room for refinement, but his experience in Dave Aranda’s defense helped to strengthen his execution in some areas.

While Barnes’ press technique can be sloppy at times, he has shown to match receivers off the line with his base and actively adjusts his hip leverage. Barnes flashes patience at the line and can change his tempo based on receiver movements. He’s not over-zealous but remains reactive and disciplined more often than not. And if he makes mistakes, his sheer speed allows him insane recovery capacity.


In zone coverage, Barnes’ skill set has some appeal as well. The Baylor CB flashes the awareness to identify routes and manage space in zone. With his explosiveness, he can launch toward the ball and attack it in the air. Covering downfield, he’s fairly solid at getting his head back around and identifying the ball. Furthermore, Barnes — a former wide receiver — has displayed the ability to track the ball and coordinate his hands. He also has above-average length, which he uses to disrupt.

Among other things, Barnes’ speed gives him utility in run defense as well. He can force running backs out of bounds by sealing off the boundary.

Areas for improvement

THE REST OF THE STORY
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
My post from this past January 1 should answer your question:

https://www.texanstalk.com/threads/week-17-texans-49ers.116317/#post-3224155
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I had read your post and linked article prior, but it didn't mention any players specifically. We all remember what happened to Matt Schaub after his Lisfranc, but Julio Jones had a Lisfranc and came back with some tremendous seasons. Are there any other Lisfranc surgery success stories? Are there any new surgical procedures or rehabilitation techniques that have increased post injury performance? Do younger players (Stingley is 20) have a better or worse chance at successfully returning from Lisfranc?
 
Lucky said:
I had read your post and linked article prior, but it didn't mention any players specifically. We all remember what happened to Matt Schaub after his Lisfranc, but Julio Jones had a Lisfranc and came back with some tremendous seasons. Are there any other Lisfranc surgery success stories? Are there any new surgical procedures or rehabilitation techniques that have increased post injury performance? Do younger players (Stingley is 20) have a better or worse chance at successfully returning from Lisfranc?
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Lucky,

Julio Jones "came back with some tremendous seasons" because he has been incorrectly reported as a Lisfranc fracture, where in fact he suffered a Jones fracture x 2.

Lisfranc Surgery

Cedric Benson - Never played again

Ameer Abdullah - At age 22, career backup

Santonio Holmes - Sharp decline year after out of league within 2 years

Ronnie Brown - Sharp decline and career backup

Darren McFadden - Sharp decline, brief rebound in Dallas

Maurice Jones Drew - played one more season with sharp decline

Marquise Brown - Hasn't lived up to expectations

Cam Newton - Sharp decline in 2020, do I need to say more going forward?

Jake Locker - played one more season at declining rate and retired at 26

Matt Schaub - one more good season the year after then the wheels fell off

Alshon Jeffrey - surgery Dec 2019, tried to come back and couldn't

Lev Bell, Joe Mixon, Brian Westbrook had Lisfranc sprains, not fractures, did not require surgery.

Jimmy Smith - Lisfranc Surgery in 2014 still playing and did well. First real success story as he is only now considering retirement.

Kyle Rudolph - had surgery 2021 off-season, returned with marked decreased performance

Evan Engram - had surgery in 2019, volume stats looked fine, efficiency went markedly down

Taysom Hill - injury at age 23, career backup who played sparingly since and maxed out at 40% snap share for the first time at age 30. Pretty immobile. Not sure that's a win.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Age does not seem to make any real difference...........just a terrible injury.

There are no significant new repair or rehab techniques..............nor do I really expect any to be developed...........it is the nature of the injury, not the treatment/rehab that is responsible for the poor prognosis.

I hope this answers your questions. :tiphat:
 
TheRealJoker said:
Travon Walker is a 1st round pick but I don’t know what his best position will end up being. I think if Flores or Gannon were hired and he would be moved around based on matchup he would be more valuable in Houston. But Lovie’s defense I think he’d be asked to stay at one position. And i’m not so sure that would be his “best” position.
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Guys that talented his best position would be wherever they decide to play him. Guys that good.
 
Lucky said:
At Georgia, Walker mainly played 5 tech and moved inside on passing downs. Probably will do the same in the pros. He's never just sat out on the edge and rushed the passer. Not saying Walker can't do that. He just hasn't shown that.
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I think with proper development Walker could be like Donald. They both are playmakers who have great speed. Walker was just playing with so many great players he still shined brightly but not like some. The fact that he didn't come off of the field with the Georgia defense speaks volumes.
 
steelbtexan said:
I think with proper development Walker could be like Donald. They both are playmakers who have great speed. Walker was just playing with so many great players he still shined brightly but not like some. The fact that he didn't come off of the field with the Georgia defense speaks volumes.
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Yeah, you know what? The 2022 Texans draft ain’t about quiche, tofu and Sparkling. It should be about ground buffalo chuck, mashed potatoes and JTS Brown. Get the big guys in the trenches.
 
Dejaview said:
Yeah, you know what? The 2022 Texans draft ain’t about quiche, tofu and Sparkling. It should be about ground buffalo chuck, mashed potatoes and JTS Brown. Get the big guys in the trenches.
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I hope this happens,

Be it Davis/Hutch/Walker/Neal Ekwonu or Cross.

Would you rather have at 1-3, 2-37 Davis/Sam Williams

Or Walker/Travis Jones
 
steelbtexan said:
I hope this happens,

Be it Davis/Hutch/Walker/Neal Ekwonu or Cross.

Would you rather have at 1-3, 2-37 Davis/Sam Williams

Or Walker/Travis Jones
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Wow you are asking sophisticated questions to someone who never watches college football except for this years combine for some reason. Davis was just a freak to me but I really liked Devonte Wyatt’s more seemingly smooth and fluid moves for a 315 #der. But I’d go with (Edit Davis)train wreck… 2-37 hmmm something about that OL guy Zion something. Dude just looked mature and focused. So in other words, man I’m just not that good with all the players as you are.
 
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Dejaview said:
Wow you are asking sophisticated questions to someone who never watches college football except for this years combine for some reason. Davis was just a freak to me but I really liked Devonte Wyatt’s more seemingly smooth and fluid moves for a 315 #der. But I’d go with (Edit Davis)train wreck… 2-37 hmmm something about that OL guy Zion something. Dude just looked mature and focused. So in other words, man I’m just not that good with all the players as you are.
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I would be very happy with Walker at 1-3 and Wyatt at 2-37. Both would add real talent to the DL.

I'm looking at CB's in rds 3-4 and speed. My guy Woolen tore it up today and probably moved into the 2nd rd.

So I'm looking at 2 of the fastest guys that ran today. Barnes and McCollum their best football is ahead of them. IMHO

I liked Zion too, another Mature looking OL I hope falls is Cole Strange. I've got a feeling he's going to be a long time starter in the NFL.
 
steelbtexan said:
I would be very happy with Walker at 1-3 and Wyatt at 2-37. Both would add real talent to the DL.

I'm looking at CB's in rds 3-4 and speed. My guy Woolen tore it up today and probably moved into the 2nd rd.

So I'm looking at 2 of the fastest guys that ran today. Barnes and McCollum their best football is ahead of them. IMHO

I liked Zion too, another Mature looking OL I hope falls is Cole Strange. I've got a feeling he's going to be a long time starter in the NFL.
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Strange has not done anything to lower his stock. But could be a case of these other prospects putting up historic offseason performances and him being a small school guy with limited opportunities.

Would sure be nice to see him waiting to be called when Texans pick 80.
 
steelbtexan said:
I would be very happy with Walker at 1-3 and Wyatt at 2-37. Both would add real talent to the DL.

I'm looking at CB's in rds 3-4 and speed. My guy Woolen tore it up today and probably moved into the 2nd rd.

So I'm looking at 2 of the fastest guys that ran today. Barnes and McCollum their best football is ahead of them. IMHO

I liked Zion too, another Mature looking OL I hope falls is Cole Strange. I've got a feeling he's going to be a long time starter in the NFL.
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CB is a difficult position for me to get a handle on. Pure speed doesn’t tell me much. I liked the drill where they back pedal, twist left or right then turnaround and sprint upfield. Can’t remember the names but several looked tight to me But a couple flowed like water. I think one may have been from Cincinnati? To me there are two positions whereby if you have one really good player there you really need two. That is at CB and WR. One good player at those positions can be isolated somewhat Exposing the weakness of the other. This is a big guy draft, probably the best class in years. We gotta take advantage of that IMO. And yeah, if we can get Walker and Wyatt, whew.
 
Dejaview said:
CB is a difficult position for me to get a handle on. Pure speed doesn’t tell me much. I liked the drill where they back pedal, twist left or right then turnaround and sprint upfield. Can’t remember the names but several looked tight to me But a couple flowed like water. I think one may have been from Cincinnati? To me there are two positions whereby if you have one really good player there you really need two. That is at CB and WR. One good player at those positions can be isolated somewhat Exposing the weakness of the other. This is a big guy draft, probably the best class in years. We gotta take advantage of that IMO. And yeah, if we can get Walker and Wyatt, whew.
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For he record I'm terrible at evaluating CB's.
 
Lucky said:
That, and he's a better player than the other guys right now.
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Yea afterall I think you are right in that Hutch is the best & safest among the edge guys, but that's a moot topic because he's likely gonna be picked off by the Jags or his hometown Lions before he gets to #3..
Thib may be a marginally better athlete but he kinda reeks of the hubris based on the interview I saw and that makes me nervous.
Travon Walker was an incredibly freak running an almost 4.5 @ 275 ibs, but the production was so thin:
"As a true freshman at Georgia in 2019, Walker played in 12 games and had 15 tackles 2.5 sacks.[5] As a sophomore in 2020, he played in nine games with 13 tackles, one sack and one interception.[6][7] Walker became a starter at defensive tackle his junior year in 2021."
 
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IDEXAN said:
Yea afterall I think you are right in that Hutch is the best & safest among the edge guys, but that's a moot topic because he's likely gonna be picked off by the Jags or his hometown Lions before he gets topicks this high #3..
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I totally agree with that. The Texans are in a tough spot at #3 if Neal and Hutchinson are off the board. It's been 10 years since a position other than QB, DL, or CB has been taken at #3. Include OT to that list, and it's 20 of the past 21 drafts.

QB - No player worthy in this draft
DL - All prospects have either production or personality questions
CB - Top prospect has injury concern
OT - Questions regarding pro readiness and position fit

The options at #3 would be go outside of the box at the position drafted, take a chance on a player with question marks, trade out of the pick, or trade into the top 2.

The smart move is to trade out of the pick, and get extra bites at the apple. Take advantage of the depth of this draft. The question would be, who wants to move up and have the same dilemma?
 
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