Every year there are players who we miss on in the NFL Draft and end up becoming busts. SB Nation's NFL roundtable tries to identify those players by selecting which draft pick is most likely to end up being a bust.
May 16, 2012 - One of the reasons the NFL is so great is that at times like this, around the month of May, nearly every team can legitimately claim to have a shot the next year. Parity is the name of the game in the NFL, but the teams that stay consistently competitive are the ones that excel at the NFL Draft. And the ones that consistently struggle are usually the ones that do not excel at the draft.
That brings us to the question in SB Nation's NFL roundtable: Which draft pick is most likely to be a bust?
The options are endless: If we knew which players would be a bust, we'd be running an NFL team. Obviously, we are not. Let us know in the comments section what we got right and what we got wrong.
Here's what SB Nation NFL bloggers had to say about the player most likely to be a bust:
VIDEO: Dontari Poe Scouting Report
Joel Thorman, Arrowhead Pride and SB Nation NFL editor: The player with the highest chance of busting is Dontari Poe, defensive tackle out of Memphis. The Chiefs, who don't exactly have a stellar history of drafting defensive linemen in the last decade, selected Poe with the 11th overall pick, and he very well could be asked to take on a major role right off the bat as the Chiefs only have developmental players at the nose tackle position. Poe played against lower competition in Conference USA, and he didn't dominate there, which is a concern heading into the NFL level. Defensive linemen often struggle early because the strength and size of NFL offensive linemen compared to college lineman is drastic. It also seems at least some of the success of defensive linemen in the NFL is based on motivation which, according to some draftniks, is an issue with Poe. Romeo Crennel and the Chiefs have a tall task to transition him into the NFL.
Ryan Van Bibber, Turf Show Times and SB Nation NFL contributor: Quinton Coples is blessed with the kind of quickness and power prized in a defensive end. At 285 pounds, he lacks the pure speed and overall athleticism of a pass rushing outside linebacker, but he makes up for that with strength and explosiveness. His raw talent alone was enough to make him worthy of a 1st round pick, and the New York Jets grabbed him with the 16th pick. It was still a big risk. Coples' last year at UNC was most notable for up and down play. Accusations that he "took the year off" are hard to prove. The tape shows a player on the outside who struggled with double blockers and even chip blocks from running backs. Only Coples knows his motivations, but he certainly did not look like a consistent player with the Tar Heels. Now he's playing for the New York Jets, a team with a reputation of a locker room meets frat house lobby. If Coples really does have motivational issues, it could be a difficult place to start his pro career. He will also be shifting to the five-technique spot. His skill set should benefit him there, but it is something of a new position.
Alfie Crow, Big Cat Country and SB Nation NFL contributor: The player from the 2012 NFL Draft who has the highest chance of being a bust is Cleveland Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden. The age thing that most will cite isn't an issue to me, because he's a quarterback, but I question his ability to adjust to the pro-style game from the offense he played in at Oklahoma State. Weeden has the size and the arm strength you look for in an NFL quarterback, but he's not going to be able to force feed someone like Justin Blackmon the football in a 4-5 wide receiver set on every down like he did in college. Weeden also had problems in college when he was forced to move in the pocket and on some of the longer sideline throws when people were at his feet. Couple that with not having many pass catchers to work with on the Browns, and he's likely going to struggle being thrown out there as a rookie.
10 comments Add comment
Source: http://www.sbnation.com/2012-nfl-draft/2012/5/16/3023838/nfl-draft-pick-bust-2012?xid=si_nfl
Eric Berry Tim Tebow Kyle Orton Demaryius Thomas Ndamukong Suh
No comments:
Post a Comment