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General Draft Thoughts
- Thread starter rossihunter2
- Start date
JoeyFlex5
Hall of Famer
I think willekes ends up a raven, he really strikes me as our type and a guy we’d value somewhere around round 4.
but I also wouldn’t be surprised to see him go much earlier
This is the 2nd part of Bob McGinn's article ranking the top TEs. Please refer to the WR thread to read the intro on this series that McGinn has been doing for 36 years.
1. COLE KMET, Notre Dame (6-5 ½, 262, 4.68, 1-2): Kmet reminded one scout of ex-Cowboy Jason Witten (6-5 ½, 260, 4.67). “If you want an all-around guy, kind of a Kyle Rudolph-type guy, he’s it,” said another scout. “He’s faster than Kyle, but he doesn’t have the ball skills. He’s had some durability issues. He’s got great intangibles. He can run. He can catch. He doesn’t have an elite trait but you really love the body type and everything about him.” Third-year junior with 60 catches (43 in 2019) for 691 (11.5) and six TDs. “He’s not a talent like Vernon Davis or Evan Engram,” a third scout said. “He’s more of a throwback, classic Y tight end. He’s solid. He won’t fail.” From Lake Barrington, Ill. “I don’t see a great blocker and I don’t see a great receiver,” said a fourth scout. “I see a guy that’s more of a U. I don’t see a great Y. He reminds me a lot of the (Drew) Sample guy that came out last year out of Washington and plays with the Bengals. Some of the workout (numbers) were better than the player he is. I don’t see first round. I think he’s always going to be a solid No. 2 (tight end), maybe a good No. 3.” Wonderlic of 28.
2. CHASE CLAYPOOL, Notre Dame (6-4, 238, 4.44, 1-2): Made 33 starts at WR over four seasons. Some teams are vociferous about him playing outside in the NFL. Others see him as a TE. “I think he’s big enough to be a tight end,” said one scout. “He’s every bit as big as Travis Kelce. He’s faster than Kelce. That’s who I saw.” His combine numbers were the best by a tight end. “I just don’t see the blocker at tight end,” a second scout said. “I don’t see how he holds up. People had the same conversation with Devin Funchess. You’re talking about the Jared Cook’s of the world. That’s just a different body type.” Finished with 150 catches for 2,159 (14.4) and 19 TDs. “The big ones that don’t make it, like Jonathan Baldwin, is because they’ve got a long ways to go because of (lack) of polish,” the second scout continued. “He’s not that far away. He’s fast, aggressive, has good hands. He was a dog on special teams. If you try to make him a multi-cut route runner, it’s going to be a problem. Let him be a big, fast, vertical, take-the-lid-off, contest-catch-winning guy. Mike Evans is a vertical route runner. I’m not calling this kid Mike Evans, but there are some comparable traits.” From Abbotsford, B.C., Claypool is the first Notre Dame signee from Canada since 1994. He posted a Wonderlic score of 27.
3. ADAM TRAUTMAN, Dayton (6-5, 255, 4.78, 2-3): Often compared to TE Adam Shaheen (6-6 ½, 278, 4.81), the Bears’ disappointing second-round pick in 2017 from NCAA Division II Ashland (Ohio), Dayton is a member of the FCS but non-scholarship Pioneer League. “It looked like (NCAA Division III) when I showed up at practice,” said one scout. “Some of the teams they played down south were good. I liked him. He didn’t back down at the Senior Bowl. They (the Flyers) kind of just used him as a pass-catching tight end. He has a big catch radius, soft hands. Needs to work on his lower-body strength and his blocking.” Started 40 of 44 games, catching 178 passes for 2,295 (12.9) and 31 TDs. “He played against little people, but he dominated that level of competition as a receiver and a blocker,” a second scout said. He ran a blazing 3-cone of 6.78. “He’s a poor man’s Cole Kmet,” said a third scout. “He does a lot of things well. He doesn’t do things great. He’s not that fast, not that strong. He’s a good route runner but he’s better laterally than stretching the field.” He scored 27 on the Wonderlic. “If the guy from the Bears (Shaheen) goes in the second, this guy goes in the third,” a fourth scout said. “He’s got a lot of football to learn but he’s got a lot of upside. Good blocker. Works to finish.” Trautman is from Elk Rapids, Mich.
4. HARRISON BRYANT, Florida Atlantic (6-4 ½, 243, 4.73, 3-4): “I have him shadowed across tight end and fullback,” said one scout. “He’s not an old-school thumper where you can run iso with him. With the way it is now, I could see him in a West Coast (offense) almost like San Fran uses their fullback (Kyle Juszczyk). He can line up on the wing, the edge of a formation and run across the formation and you can throw him the ball. He functions enough as a blocker.” Played a flex position under FAU coach Lane Kiffin, surpassing 1,000 yards as a senior. Finished with 148 receptions for 2,137 (14.4) and 16 TDs. His major negative might be an arm length of 30 5/8, shortest at the position. “Not real high on him,” said another scout. “He doesn’t have top size. He has no length. He’s not real strong. The athletic traits are just average.” He posted a Wonderlic of 26 and is from Gray, Ga.
5. ALBERT OKWUEGBUNAM, Missouri (6-5 ½, 258, 4.50, 3-4): A fourth-year junior, one scout said Okwuegbunam is “kind of an enigma to me. Really talented human being in terms of size and athleticism but just doesn’t put it all together. Someone’s going to take him based off potential. If they can get through to the mind to get it out of the body he’ll have a chance. It’s a risk-reward pick that I don’t have interest in. Someone might be silly enough to go second round.” He caught 43 passes from Drew Lock in 2018 but nabbed just 26 in 2019 to finish with 98 for 1,187 (12.1) and 23 TDs. “You’re talking about a 6-6 guy that runs 4.5,” another scout said. “He had a really good junior year. The senior year was off. At least he has dominant traits. You see guys like that go in the third, fourth and fifth rounds and become really good players.” His father emigrated from Nigeria. Okwuegbunam, from Springfield, Ill., posted a Wonderlic of 28 and has the longest arms among tight ends (34 1/8). “He oozes around on routes, lots of drops, timid blocker,” said a third scout. “Non-factor.”
6. DEVIN ASIASI, UCLA (6-3, 257, 4.79, 3-4): He spent one year at Michigan before departing for off-field reasons. He sat out at UCLA in 2017, backed up in ’18 and started in ’19. Almost all of his production (44 catches, 789, 15.2, six TDs) came as a fourth-year junior. “He is a ball-playing Jesse,” said one scout. “You love watching him. He is a competitive kid that will block. He’s tough, he finishes and he’ll go down inside. He’s got good hands, although they didn’t use him much as a receiver. He can run a little bit. He can flex, but he’s not going to challenge the safeties. He is a great utility player to have on your team.” He scored 25 on the Wonderlic and has had weight problems in the past. “He’s one of those dumpy-body looking guys that makes you think he isn’t athletic but he is,” another scout said. “Really good all-around player.” From Shoreview, Calif.
7. HUNTER BRYANT, Washington (6-2, 248, 4.75, 4-5): Personnel men for several teams expressed considerable concern about Bryant, a third-year junior with a long medical history (knee, back, hamstring). He missed time in his first two seasons but started all 12 games in 2019. “He’s a sawed-off, muscled-up dude,” said one scout. “Definitely a receiving tight end. He’s somebody you can move around and kind of take advantage of some mismatches against linebackers. Really good hands. Gives effort in the run game. He does enough. He gets in the way or seals people off. You can put him in the backfield. He’s not going to be that physical root-somebody-out kind of guy when you line him up at fullback. The versatility is what attracts me to him.” Finished with 85 catches for 1,394 (16.4) and five TDs. “I didn’t like him,” said another scout. “Most of these guys will try. He doesn’t even try to block. I don’t think he’s that athletic for being that small. Very inconsistent. Late pick.” He scored 29 on the Wonderlic and is from Issaquah, Wash.
OTHERS, in order: Brycen Hopkins, Purdue; Thaddeus Moss, LSU; Colby Parkinson, Stanford; Dalton Keene, Virginia Tech; Sean McKeon, Michigan; Cheyenne O’Grady, ex-Arkansas; Jared Pinkney, Vanderbilt; Stephen Sullivan, LSU; Charlie Taumoepeau, Portland State; Jacob Breeland, Oregon; Ahmad Wagner, Kentucky; Kyle Markway, South Carolina; Mitchell Wilcox, South Florida.
SCOUTS’ NIGHTMARE
Thaddeus Moss, TE, LSU: As the son of Hall of Fame WR Randy Moss, there are advantages and disadvantages. Moss played just one season for the Tigers as the fifth wheel in a wildly explosive offense, so scouts wonder how much of his production (47 receptions, four TDs) was the result of defenses basically ignoring him. Medically excluded at the combine, Moss’ 40 time has been estimated at 4.85 and 4.9. At his size (6-2, 250), that type of speed won’t cut it.
1. COLE KMET, Notre Dame (6-5 ½, 262, 4.68, 1-2): Kmet reminded one scout of ex-Cowboy Jason Witten (6-5 ½, 260, 4.67). “If you want an all-around guy, kind of a Kyle Rudolph-type guy, he’s it,” said another scout. “He’s faster than Kyle, but he doesn’t have the ball skills. He’s had some durability issues. He’s got great intangibles. He can run. He can catch. He doesn’t have an elite trait but you really love the body type and everything about him.” Third-year junior with 60 catches (43 in 2019) for 691 (11.5) and six TDs. “He’s not a talent like Vernon Davis or Evan Engram,” a third scout said. “He’s more of a throwback, classic Y tight end. He’s solid. He won’t fail.” From Lake Barrington, Ill. “I don’t see a great blocker and I don’t see a great receiver,” said a fourth scout. “I see a guy that’s more of a U. I don’t see a great Y. He reminds me a lot of the (Drew) Sample guy that came out last year out of Washington and plays with the Bengals. Some of the workout (numbers) were better than the player he is. I don’t see first round. I think he’s always going to be a solid No. 2 (tight end), maybe a good No. 3.” Wonderlic of 28.
2. CHASE CLAYPOOL, Notre Dame (6-4, 238, 4.44, 1-2): Made 33 starts at WR over four seasons. Some teams are vociferous about him playing outside in the NFL. Others see him as a TE. “I think he’s big enough to be a tight end,” said one scout. “He’s every bit as big as Travis Kelce. He’s faster than Kelce. That’s who I saw.” His combine numbers were the best by a tight end. “I just don’t see the blocker at tight end,” a second scout said. “I don’t see how he holds up. People had the same conversation with Devin Funchess. You’re talking about the Jared Cook’s of the world. That’s just a different body type.” Finished with 150 catches for 2,159 (14.4) and 19 TDs. “The big ones that don’t make it, like Jonathan Baldwin, is because they’ve got a long ways to go because of (lack) of polish,” the second scout continued. “He’s not that far away. He’s fast, aggressive, has good hands. He was a dog on special teams. If you try to make him a multi-cut route runner, it’s going to be a problem. Let him be a big, fast, vertical, take-the-lid-off, contest-catch-winning guy. Mike Evans is a vertical route runner. I’m not calling this kid Mike Evans, but there are some comparable traits.” From Abbotsford, B.C., Claypool is the first Notre Dame signee from Canada since 1994. He posted a Wonderlic score of 27.
3. ADAM TRAUTMAN, Dayton (6-5, 255, 4.78, 2-3): Often compared to TE Adam Shaheen (6-6 ½, 278, 4.81), the Bears’ disappointing second-round pick in 2017 from NCAA Division II Ashland (Ohio), Dayton is a member of the FCS but non-scholarship Pioneer League. “It looked like (NCAA Division III) when I showed up at practice,” said one scout. “Some of the teams they played down south were good. I liked him. He didn’t back down at the Senior Bowl. They (the Flyers) kind of just used him as a pass-catching tight end. He has a big catch radius, soft hands. Needs to work on his lower-body strength and his blocking.” Started 40 of 44 games, catching 178 passes for 2,295 (12.9) and 31 TDs. “He played against little people, but he dominated that level of competition as a receiver and a blocker,” a second scout said. He ran a blazing 3-cone of 6.78. “He’s a poor man’s Cole Kmet,” said a third scout. “He does a lot of things well. He doesn’t do things great. He’s not that fast, not that strong. He’s a good route runner but he’s better laterally than stretching the field.” He scored 27 on the Wonderlic. “If the guy from the Bears (Shaheen) goes in the second, this guy goes in the third,” a fourth scout said. “He’s got a lot of football to learn but he’s got a lot of upside. Good blocker. Works to finish.” Trautman is from Elk Rapids, Mich.
4. HARRISON BRYANT, Florida Atlantic (6-4 ½, 243, 4.73, 3-4): “I have him shadowed across tight end and fullback,” said one scout. “He’s not an old-school thumper where you can run iso with him. With the way it is now, I could see him in a West Coast (offense) almost like San Fran uses their fullback (Kyle Juszczyk). He can line up on the wing, the edge of a formation and run across the formation and you can throw him the ball. He functions enough as a blocker.” Played a flex position under FAU coach Lane Kiffin, surpassing 1,000 yards as a senior. Finished with 148 receptions for 2,137 (14.4) and 16 TDs. His major negative might be an arm length of 30 5/8, shortest at the position. “Not real high on him,” said another scout. “He doesn’t have top size. He has no length. He’s not real strong. The athletic traits are just average.” He posted a Wonderlic of 26 and is from Gray, Ga.
5. ALBERT OKWUEGBUNAM, Missouri (6-5 ½, 258, 4.50, 3-4): A fourth-year junior, one scout said Okwuegbunam is “kind of an enigma to me. Really talented human being in terms of size and athleticism but just doesn’t put it all together. Someone’s going to take him based off potential. If they can get through to the mind to get it out of the body he’ll have a chance. It’s a risk-reward pick that I don’t have interest in. Someone might be silly enough to go second round.” He caught 43 passes from Drew Lock in 2018 but nabbed just 26 in 2019 to finish with 98 for 1,187 (12.1) and 23 TDs. “You’re talking about a 6-6 guy that runs 4.5,” another scout said. “He had a really good junior year. The senior year was off. At least he has dominant traits. You see guys like that go in the third, fourth and fifth rounds and become really good players.” His father emigrated from Nigeria. Okwuegbunam, from Springfield, Ill., posted a Wonderlic of 28 and has the longest arms among tight ends (34 1/8). “He oozes around on routes, lots of drops, timid blocker,” said a third scout. “Non-factor.”
6. DEVIN ASIASI, UCLA (6-3, 257, 4.79, 3-4): He spent one year at Michigan before departing for off-field reasons. He sat out at UCLA in 2017, backed up in ’18 and started in ’19. Almost all of his production (44 catches, 789, 15.2, six TDs) came as a fourth-year junior. “He is a ball-playing Jesse,” said one scout. “You love watching him. He is a competitive kid that will block. He’s tough, he finishes and he’ll go down inside. He’s got good hands, although they didn’t use him much as a receiver. He can run a little bit. He can flex, but he’s not going to challenge the safeties. He is a great utility player to have on your team.” He scored 25 on the Wonderlic and has had weight problems in the past. “He’s one of those dumpy-body looking guys that makes you think he isn’t athletic but he is,” another scout said. “Really good all-around player.” From Shoreview, Calif.
7. HUNTER BRYANT, Washington (6-2, 248, 4.75, 4-5): Personnel men for several teams expressed considerable concern about Bryant, a third-year junior with a long medical history (knee, back, hamstring). He missed time in his first two seasons but started all 12 games in 2019. “He’s a sawed-off, muscled-up dude,” said one scout. “Definitely a receiving tight end. He’s somebody you can move around and kind of take advantage of some mismatches against linebackers. Really good hands. Gives effort in the run game. He does enough. He gets in the way or seals people off. You can put him in the backfield. He’s not going to be that physical root-somebody-out kind of guy when you line him up at fullback. The versatility is what attracts me to him.” Finished with 85 catches for 1,394 (16.4) and five TDs. “I didn’t like him,” said another scout. “Most of these guys will try. He doesn’t even try to block. I don’t think he’s that athletic for being that small. Very inconsistent. Late pick.” He scored 29 on the Wonderlic and is from Issaquah, Wash.
OTHERS, in order: Brycen Hopkins, Purdue; Thaddeus Moss, LSU; Colby Parkinson, Stanford; Dalton Keene, Virginia Tech; Sean McKeon, Michigan; Cheyenne O’Grady, ex-Arkansas; Jared Pinkney, Vanderbilt; Stephen Sullivan, LSU; Charlie Taumoepeau, Portland State; Jacob Breeland, Oregon; Ahmad Wagner, Kentucky; Kyle Markway, South Carolina; Mitchell Wilcox, South Florida.
SCOUTS’ NIGHTMARE
Thaddeus Moss, TE, LSU: As the son of Hall of Fame WR Randy Moss, there are advantages and disadvantages. Moss played just one season for the Tigers as the fifth wheel in a wildly explosive offense, so scouts wonder how much of his production (47 receptions, four TDs) was the result of defenses basically ignoring him. Medically excluded at the combine, Moss’ 40 time has been estimated at 4.85 and 4.9. At his size (6-2, 250), that type of speed won’t cut it.
cdp
Ravens Ring of Honor
It's kind of OT, but I was watching Colin Cowherd's 3 word game and it inspired me to do my own version. Anyone missing?
Burrow – On to Cincinnati
Tua – Hips don’t lie
Herbert – He ain’t it
Jordan Love – Can he read (defenses)?
Hurts – Watch for copycats
Jonathan Taylor – too much wear?
Jeudy – Wonderlic a concern?
Mims – Draft’s biggest riser
Ruggs – Need for Speed
Bowden – WR or gimmick?
Simmons – Let him fly
Okudah – OSU real DBU!
CJ Henderson – Beware Florida CB
Kenneth Murray – Hit or Miss
Cesar Ruiz – Draft’s best iOL
Burrow – On to Cincinnati
Tua – Hips don’t lie
Herbert – He ain’t it
Jordan Love – Can he read (defenses)?
Hurts – Watch for copycats
Jonathan Taylor – too much wear?
Jeudy – Wonderlic a concern?
Mims – Draft’s biggest riser
Ruggs – Need for Speed
Bowden – WR or gimmick?
Simmons – Let him fly
Okudah – OSU real DBU!
CJ Henderson – Beware Florida CB
Kenneth Murray – Hit or Miss
Cesar Ruiz – Draft’s best iOL
Willbacker
Ravens Ring of Honor
I'll go one better - song titles that are 3 words
Joe Burrow: Highway to Hell
Jerry Jeudy: Black Hole Sun
Cesar Ruiz: Edge of Seventeen
Tua Tagovailoa: Hips don't Lie
Kenneth Murray: Thank u, next
Kevin Dotson: Walk This Way
Bryan Edwards: Seven Nation Army
Joe Burrow: Highway to Hell
Jerry Jeudy: Black Hole Sun
Cesar Ruiz: Edge of Seventeen
Tua Tagovailoa: Hips don't Lie
Kenneth Murray: Thank u, next
Kevin Dotson: Walk This Way
Bryan Edwards: Seven Nation Army
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interesting that he thinks Davidson would be potentially available when the Ravens pick in round 2, and you know I obviously love that he thinks Greenard might be a guy we'd look at
allblackraven
Hall of Famer
sorted
JoeyFlex5
Hall of Famer
An idea I’ve gotten pretty big on is Clyde Edwards helaire somewhere in R2. We know that lamar has been able to do a good bit of damage from the 5 wide empty sets, statistically it’s where he was at his best but there is also a very easy argument to make that our offense is more consistently hard to stop when there is a rb present.
a rb like Edwards-Helaire eliminates this little conundrum, Lamar is a big play waiting to happen from the empty set but the offense in general is schematically very hard to defend when the read option or RPO is incorporated, we no longer have to choose, CEH will line up in the pistol, Lamar will make his reads, send him outside if needed to work out the coverage, bring him back inside if needed. He can run the route from the LOS, he can run the route from the backfield, he can take the handoff and run like a true rb.
It feels like this kinda guy would give us tons of flexibility and would be a dream fit here just because of the ability to have a true RB who can line up as a wr on any given down, rather than try to gimmick a guy handoffs or scheme a lesser receiving back open, let that guy work with Lamar to dictate the playcall and how the defense reacts.
a rb like Edwards-Helaire eliminates this little conundrum, Lamar is a big play waiting to happen from the empty set but the offense in general is schematically very hard to defend when the read option or RPO is incorporated, we no longer have to choose, CEH will line up in the pistol, Lamar will make his reads, send him outside if needed to work out the coverage, bring him back inside if needed. He can run the route from the LOS, he can run the route from the backfield, he can take the handoff and run like a true rb.
It feels like this kinda guy would give us tons of flexibility and would be a dream fit here just because of the ability to have a true RB who can line up as a wr on any given down, rather than try to gimmick a guy handoffs or scheme a lesser receiving back open, let that guy work with Lamar to dictate the playcall and how the defense reacts.
imagine danny woodhead in this offence with lamar... on 3rd down - outrageous
LSURavenFan
Veteran
I would be thrilled to get Clyde.
Burrow might have won the Heisman, but Clyde was the Tigers MVP. He went into that star studded game in Tuscaloosa and was the best player on the field, he willed LSU to that victory.
I think he’s the best receiving back in all of the draft too.
I think he could be available, but the team I worry about is Tampa. We all know Brady loves to dump it off to his RB
Edgar
Ravens Ring of Honor
I agree Flex. I'll say this; to me he's better than any WR Im anticipating being available at 55. Not just a better RB than they might be a WR but a better fit and greater weapon in our offense. The idea that its too high for an RB doesn't make a ton of sense in that light. If he's Ray Rice ish, you take him and put him to work.
JoeyFlex5
Hall of Famer
Except I see CEH as an every down back, he’s one of the more slept on prospects I think, he could be an elite back.
and Bruce arians likes to air it out, you need a third down back for him and brady
JoeyFlex5
Hall of Famer
Agreed entirely. I like Bryan Edwards A LOT so that’s the one that I’ll get hung up on as far as wrs go, but he’s about as intriguing a player for us as there is, it’s basically a slam dunk that he would be a dream fit here.
the guy that stays in my head when watching him is Brian Westbrook
JO_75
Hall of Famer
Ravens among teams interested in Alabama DL Raekwon Davis. I could see us taking him with one of our second round picks, likely the earliest one we have.
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/04/16/raekwon-davis-drawing-interest-from-multiple-teams/
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/04/16/raekwon-davis-drawing-interest-from-multiple-teams/
Ellicottraven
Ravens Ring of Honor
I'm glad he loves to cook and eat. Otherwise I would be concerned about him eating people.