Keep Texans Talk Google Ad Free!
Venmo Tip Jar | Paypal Tip Jar
Thanks for your support! 🍺😎👍

Chris Kuper? (Guard, North Dakota)

T

TheRealJoker

Hall of Fame
Seems like he could be a steal on day 2. Here is what I read about him in my Sporting News Pro Football Draft Magazine:

13. Chris Kuper, North Dakota
6-4 3/8 310 5.15 7th round

Strengths: Shows leverage and power when run blocking. Consistently gets to the linebacker level and hits moving targets. Works well when pulling and trapping. Can knock back defenders. Gets set quickly in pass protection. Mirrors and slides well.

Weaknesses: Hasn't faced elite competition. Must strengthen lower body; could struggle against NFL bull rushers. Isn't overwhelming at the point of attack. Shows inconsistent technique and must improve footwork.

Bottom line: Kuper needs a year or two to develop but could turn out to be a day 2 steal. Final grade: 4.2 (that's quality backup on the sporting news grading scale)

Also, he was selected as the most athletic guard in this year's draft class.

Most Athletic:
Chris Kuper, North Dakota

Has not seen big-time competition and his skills need polishing, but is an outstanding natural athlete.


Call me crazy but I think he would turn out to be a pretty good guard in our zone blocking scheme.
 
The Patriots had I believe 2 undrafted offensive linemen when the won one of their superbowls. Kuper is an intruiging prospect but I would look for him as our 6th rounder (hopefully our 7th will be gone with the signing of the WR from the Bengals)

from scouts.com on Kuper:

Strengths: Shows a lot of upside because of his size-potential/athleticism combination. He is tall, has adequate bulk and continues to get bigger. He shows good quickness and athleticism. Seems to be at his best on pulls and traps. He does a good job of reaching the second level and hitting the moving target as a run blocker. He has absolutely dominated his small-school level of competition. He shows the ability to knock defenders back off their feet when he connects on the move in space. He has the feet, balance and body control to develop into a very good zone blocker in the running game. He shows a quick set in pass pro. A natural knee bender with the lateral movement skills to mirror and slide at the NFL level. His long arms and wide frame make him difficult to get around as an interior pass rusher.

Weaknesses: Must develop better muscle tone and explosive power. He runs over small-school defenders when he has a running start, but he does not show the initial pop or hand punch to knock NFL defenders back. He is more of a position and wall-off type of blocker than anything. He lacks ideal lower body strength and will struggle to anchor versus the bull rush in the NFL. His footwork and hand-placement are just decent. He gets away with a lot at the DI-AA level that he won't get away with in the NFL.

Overall: Kuper grew up in Alaska and played football (as a quarterback) sparingly in high school. He redshirted in 2001 and saw limited action as a reserve guard in 2002. He took over as a fulltime starter at right guard in 2003 and he started 41 consecutive games (right and left guard) during his final three seasons at North Dakota. Kuper, a former high school quarterback, is a fine athlete for his size and position. He has a great frame and size potential. He also possesses the athletic ability to potentially compete for a backup job at OG and/or OG in the NFL. However, Kuper is a small-school prospect whose learning curve in the NFL will be steep. He needs to get bigger and stronger. He must also improve his overall technique and become a more explosive blocker. In our opinion, Kuper has enough upside to warrant sixth or seventh round consideration in 2006, but he's not worth wasting a pick on any earlier.
 
He is from a small school and should fall a decent way in the draft. From what little I saw of him, he looked ok and I wouldn't mind drafting him late, but I'd rather get Chris Chester from Oklahoma as our interior OL pick.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top