Does the name Colt McCoy ring a bell?
If it doesn't, I won't blame you. After all, the QB talk these days is centered around the other three. We seem to know where Sam Bradford will be drafted. Now the question is whether it's by the St. Louis Rams or the Cleveland Browns.
Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen is the likely next QB off the board, but is it to the Oakland Raiders at No. 8? How about the Buffalo Bills at No. 9? Or is it somewhere in Aaron Rodgers territory?
And Tim Tebow? He seems to be the most intriguing player in the draft based on the number of times you hear his name on a given day.
But McCoy is nowhere to be found. Save for Jon Gruden's QB Camp on ESPN, he is a relative no-show. Expect the same on Thursday night.
Sure, he has the mental makeup of a top QB. He has the college stats to back it up. Other than his injury in the National Championship Game, he's durable. But he is not a first round pick.
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. has McCoy at No. 25 on his latest Big Board (as of April 14), which is surprising. Yes, he's got a good arm and good size (6-2, 210). Yes, those numbers are very impressive: He threw 61 touchdowns against 20 interceptions in his final two college seasons and had a completion percentage over 70.0% both years.
But there are a number of questions surrounding McCoy.
Is he fully recovered from the title game injury, and is his arm back to 100%? Does he have enough mobility to survive at the next level? After all, he was sacked 78 times over his final three seasons in Austin. Most importantly, do his stats belie his abilities, having played in a favorable system?
Make no mistake, he is a good QB, and has as good a shot as anyone in this draft class of succeeding as a signal-caller in the NFL. Still, he's a clear notch below Bradford and Clausen. Tebow has shown promise with his revamped throwing style, and his versatility trumps McCoy's.
So where does that leave Colt? He's clearly a day two pick, and probably mid to late second round. If the Pittsburgh Steelers are serious about trading Ben Roethlisberger, he could be taken at No. 52 overall (20th in the second round). Maybe the Arizona Cardinals (58th overall) or the Seattle Seahawks (60th overall) take him. These are all possibilities.
Just don't expect Thursday to be McCoy's night.
Showing posts with label Jimmy Clausen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jimmy Clausen. Show all posts
Monday, April 19, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
Will Silver and Black be Back?
Last year, the Oakland Raiders turned heads with their first round pick. Will it be the same this year? Raiders fan Alejandro Madrid tries to make sense of what should happen.
Following a record seventh straight season of losing at least eleven games, the Oakland Raiders head in to the 2010 NFL Draft with the eighth overall pick. The draft has not been kind to Oakland in recent years. Since 2001, the Raiders have made eleven first-round selections, and only one of them had a noticeable impact—Nnamdi Asomugha.
Looking ahead, it is nearly impossible to project the Raiders’ direction, considering owner Al Davis’s penchant for head-scratching picks. On April 22 at Radio City Music Hall, the Raiders must avoid a first round debacle similar to last year’s. Davis sent a hush over the usually boisterous crowd as he inexplicably selected Darrius Heyward-Bey—projected to be a late first-round pick—with the seventh overall selection. Davis cited Heyward-Bey’s impressive 40-yard dash time as the rationale for the pick. Without a doubt, Davis is aware of safety Taylor Mays’ jaw-dropping performance at the NFL Combine a few weeks ago in Indianapolis. However, Davis must resist drafting Mays. Despite his impressive numbers at the combine, scouts are mixed on how his skills will translate to the NFL, and he fails to address the Raiders’ most considerable needs.
Unfortunately, the Raiders need upgrades at every position except kicker, punter, and tight end. In the first round, Oakland’s wisest route would be to select a quarterback or an offensive tackle.
Oakland desperately needs a QB. JaMarcus Russell has failed to prove he is an NFL-caliber player, and journeyman Bruce Gradkowski, who played well at times in relief of Russell, is not a permanent answer. Neither of the top two quarterbacks, Jimmy Clausen or Sam Bradford, appears to fit with Oakland. Clausen’s arrogant mentality, similar to that of Russell, will only irritate fans and alienate teammates. As for Bradford, he is coming off of a serious injury, and the Raiders cannot afford to gamble on another quarterback after Russell proved to be a bust as the first overall selection in 2007.
Despite the mismatch, Oakland may be forced to select one of these two highly touted prospects if they are still available when the Raiders pick. 2011 is filled with quality quarterbacks like Jake Locker and Ryan Mallet, who would fit in nicely with the Raiders. However, the Raiders don’t have a first round pick in 2011 after trading it away to New England for Richard Seymour last off-season. In the absence of a first-round pick next year, the Raiders need to either select a quarterback this year or wait until 2012.
Even though two years is a considerable amount of time to wait, the Raiders are not going to instantly become a title contender and should be patient. Following this logic, the best use of their first-round pick is to draft a solid offensive tackle. During 2009, Oakland’s offensive line allowed the 3rd most sacks with 49. At tackle, Oakland is depleted, and 2010 offers a crop of very athletic offensive tackles that can make an instant impact. Russell Okung and Anthony Davis both possess impressive size and blocking ability that would not only protect the quarterback—whether it is Russell or Gradkowski—but also create bigger holes for running backs Michael Bush and Darren McFadden. While Okung and Davis are clearly the top two offensive tackles, Bryan Bulaga would be a major upgrade, and the Raiders would be wise to draft him.
In the later rounds, Oakland should address needs on the defensive side of the ball. The Raiders could use a speedy, physical linebacker as well as a cornerback with above average cover skills to complement one of the league’s top cornerbacks in Asomugha. Although the receiving corps was underwhelming in 2009, the Raiders should stay away from drafting a WR. The group showed occasional signs of brilliance and will be much improved in 2010 as Chaz Schillens, Johnnie Lee Higgins, and Louis Murphy gained valuable experience last season.
After years of futility, Raiders fans cling to the hope that Draft Day 2010 will turn the franchise around.
Following a record seventh straight season of losing at least eleven games, the Oakland Raiders head in to the 2010 NFL Draft with the eighth overall pick. The draft has not been kind to Oakland in recent years. Since 2001, the Raiders have made eleven first-round selections, and only one of them had a noticeable impact—Nnamdi Asomugha.
Looking ahead, it is nearly impossible to project the Raiders’ direction, considering owner Al Davis’s penchant for head-scratching picks. On April 22 at Radio City Music Hall, the Raiders must avoid a first round debacle similar to last year’s. Davis sent a hush over the usually boisterous crowd as he inexplicably selected Darrius Heyward-Bey—projected to be a late first-round pick—with the seventh overall selection. Davis cited Heyward-Bey’s impressive 40-yard dash time as the rationale for the pick. Without a doubt, Davis is aware of safety Taylor Mays’ jaw-dropping performance at the NFL Combine a few weeks ago in Indianapolis. However, Davis must resist drafting Mays. Despite his impressive numbers at the combine, scouts are mixed on how his skills will translate to the NFL, and he fails to address the Raiders’ most considerable needs.
Unfortunately, the Raiders need upgrades at every position except kicker, punter, and tight end. In the first round, Oakland’s wisest route would be to select a quarterback or an offensive tackle.
Oakland desperately needs a QB. JaMarcus Russell has failed to prove he is an NFL-caliber player, and journeyman Bruce Gradkowski, who played well at times in relief of Russell, is not a permanent answer. Neither of the top two quarterbacks, Jimmy Clausen or Sam Bradford, appears to fit with Oakland. Clausen’s arrogant mentality, similar to that of Russell, will only irritate fans and alienate teammates. As for Bradford, he is coming off of a serious injury, and the Raiders cannot afford to gamble on another quarterback after Russell proved to be a bust as the first overall selection in 2007.
Despite the mismatch, Oakland may be forced to select one of these two highly touted prospects if they are still available when the Raiders pick. 2011 is filled with quality quarterbacks like Jake Locker and Ryan Mallet, who would fit in nicely with the Raiders. However, the Raiders don’t have a first round pick in 2011 after trading it away to New England for Richard Seymour last off-season. In the absence of a first-round pick next year, the Raiders need to either select a quarterback this year or wait until 2012.
Even though two years is a considerable amount of time to wait, the Raiders are not going to instantly become a title contender and should be patient. Following this logic, the best use of their first-round pick is to draft a solid offensive tackle. During 2009, Oakland’s offensive line allowed the 3rd most sacks with 49. At tackle, Oakland is depleted, and 2010 offers a crop of very athletic offensive tackles that can make an instant impact. Russell Okung and Anthony Davis both possess impressive size and blocking ability that would not only protect the quarterback—whether it is Russell or Gradkowski—but also create bigger holes for running backs Michael Bush and Darren McFadden. While Okung and Davis are clearly the top two offensive tackles, Bryan Bulaga would be a major upgrade, and the Raiders would be wise to draft him.
In the later rounds, Oakland should address needs on the defensive side of the ball. The Raiders could use a speedy, physical linebacker as well as a cornerback with above average cover skills to complement one of the league’s top cornerbacks in Asomugha. Although the receiving corps was underwhelming in 2009, the Raiders should stay away from drafting a WR. The group showed occasional signs of brilliance and will be much improved in 2010 as Chaz Schillens, Johnnie Lee Higgins, and Louis Murphy gained valuable experience last season.
After years of futility, Raiders fans cling to the hope that Draft Day 2010 will turn the franchise around.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Clausen or Bradford?
We began the college football season with four QBs on the first round radar: Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, Tim Tebow and Jevan Snead. Now, we're down to two: Bradford and Jimmy Clausen.
Bradford is ahead on many big boards, including ESPN's Big 2 (Scouts Inc. has Bradford at 9 and Clausen nowhere to be found; Mel Kiper Jr. has Clausen at 4 and Bradford 5). But on this big board, it's clear cut: Clausen is ahead.
Before I explain, let's take a look at the numbers:
Make no mistake about it, Sam Bradford had a phenomenal college career. He put up incredible numbers two years ago before missing most of this past season with an arm injury. He's going to make a good QB at the next level.
But Clausen has a few things that Bradford doesn't. He has a stronger arm and pretty good accuracy on the deep ball. He played in a more pro-style system at Notre Dame than Bradford did at Oklahoma, and threw the ball very well. Clausen has much more experience playing under center than Bradford, a major plus when it comes to the next level.
And Bradford scares me a bit with the injury. Clausen is a tougher QB than Bradford, and much more durable. Clausen fought through turf toe for a good portion of the season and continued to play for the Irish.
Bradford will still be a first round pick, and it would be surprising right now to see him fall out of the top 20. But the first QB off the board should be Clausen.
Bradford is ahead on many big boards, including ESPN's Big 2 (Scouts Inc. has Bradford at 9 and Clausen nowhere to be found; Mel Kiper Jr. has Clausen at 4 and Bradford 5). But on this big board, it's clear cut: Clausen is ahead.
Before I explain, let's take a look at the numbers:
Make no mistake about it, Sam Bradford had a phenomenal college career. He put up incredible numbers two years ago before missing most of this past season with an arm injury. He's going to make a good QB at the next level.
But Clausen has a few things that Bradford doesn't. He has a stronger arm and pretty good accuracy on the deep ball. He played in a more pro-style system at Notre Dame than Bradford did at Oklahoma, and threw the ball very well. Clausen has much more experience playing under center than Bradford, a major plus when it comes to the next level.
And Bradford scares me a bit with the injury. Clausen is a tougher QB than Bradford, and much more durable. Clausen fought through turf toe for a good portion of the season and continued to play for the Irish.
Bradford will still be a first round pick, and it would be surprising right now to see him fall out of the top 20. But the first QB off the board should be Clausen.
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