Right now, I believe the most overrated prospect on this board... (1 Viewer)

[REALCHRISM]

is Kenny Phillips. I am prepared to discuss the issue. I think he's a top 20 talent, even top 15. And I would not upset if selected him at #10 depending on who else is on the board when we pick. But I think that some people are getting too carried away with the Ed Reed/Sean Taylor hybrid comparisons. I think some people are envisioning a guy with outstanding range who is fluid and can cover with the best of them. I think that when you see Phillips, you see a guy who is very good, but not great. Phillips, in many ways, plays his best ball inside the box sort of like the safeties we have on our team.

His strengths are that he flows to the ball well and can really hit. He rarely misses a tackle and does a great job defending the run. On the other hand, his weaknesses include being over-aggressive at times and he has shown the tendency to get beat over the top. While he is capable of defending a TE, he struggles with slot receivers and plays a bit stiff. He's not terrible in coverage, but it is just not his strength as some perceive it to be.

Overall, he's a good prospect and certainly a first round talent. I do not know that I would rate him in the same class as Taylor or Reed and I think that a guy like LaRon Landry also ranks higher as a prospect. I think a good comparison for Phillips might be Donte Whitner. Phillips tackles better, hits harder but Whitner may actually have more range as a safety. Again, he shouldn't disappoint you but he may not be as great as some believe him to be.

 

[pennstater]

His strengths are that he flows to the ball well and can really hit. He rarely misses a tackle and does a great job defending the run. On the other hand, his weaknesses include being over-aggressive at times and he has shown the tendency to get beat over the top. .

On paper that sounds pretty good. For me to want him at #10. That would mean he would be the defensive BPA left.

Anyone know anything about this personality? I want some guys at safeties with a mean streak in them. Somebody who will give you a pop in the chest and put fear in the offenses minds.

 

[Slim K]

How long before BoNcHiE comes to the rescue?

 

[DownWithDisease]

POSITIVES: Heady defensive back with outstanding ball skills. Diagnoses plays, keeps the action in front of him, and quickly locates the ball. Consistently puts himself in a position to make plays on the ball handler. Tough defending the run, flashes on the scene and seemingly comes out of nowhere to make a play on the ball. Displays top sideline-to-sideline range, quick to the flanks and possesses a burst of closing speed. Smooth transitioning to run with opponents and has a nice break on the throw. Excellent move on the ball and hands for the pick.

NEGATIVES: Best when the action is in front of him. Lacks prototypical safety size.

ANALYSIS: A secondary prospect with an outstanding feel for coverage; is a natural center fielder who can be used in a variety of systems. The ability to make plays against the pass will get him considerable playing time as a rookie in the NFL.

Sounds pretty good doesn't it? Well, that's SI's expert prospect write-up on Josh Bullocks before he came out of Nebraska! The fact is, you can really never tell how a player's game is going to translate into the NFL.

LB seems like the safest pick for us at #10... I'm hoping for Rivers, Conner, or Lauranitis (Rey Mauluaga would trump all of those guys if he declared though).

 

[REALCHRISM]

On paper that sounds pretty good. For me to want him at #10. That would mean he would be the defensive BPA left.

Anyone know anything about this personality? I want some guys at safeties with a mean streak in them. Somebody who will give you a pop in the chest and put fear in the offenses minds.

That's true, it sounds good on paper. But what I am also trying to show is that he is a better version of what we already have in that his strengths are playing in the box and that he does get beat over the top. He's not a great liability in that regard but if you are going to play to his strengths, you do that by bringing him down to stop the run.

 

[DownWithDisease]

IMHO, if we're dead-set on drafting a FS, we'd be better off drafting Malcolm Jenkins and putting him at FS.

 

[REALCHRISM]

POSITIVES: Heady defensive back with outstanding ball skills. Diagnoses plays, keeps the action in front of him, and quickly locates the ball. Consistently puts himself in a position to make plays on the ball handler. Tough defending the run, flashes on the scene and seemingly comes out of nowhere to make a play on the ball. Displays top sideline-to-sideline range, quick to the flanks and possesses a burst of closing speed. Smooth transitioning to run with opponents and has a nice break on the throw. Excellent move on the ball and hands for the pick.

NEGATIVES: Best when the action is in front of him. Lacks prototypical safety size.

ANALYSIS: A secondary prospect with an outstanding feel for coverage; is a natural center fielder who can be used in a variety of systems. The ability to make plays against the pass will get him considerable playing time as a rookie in the NFL.

Sounds pretty good doesn't it? Well, that's SI's expert prospect write-up on Josh Bullocks before he came out of Nebraska! The fact is, you can really never tell how a player's game is going to translate into the NFL.

LB seems like the safest pick for us at #10... I'm hoping for Rivers, Conner, or Lauranitis (Rey Mauluaga would trump all of those guys if he declared though).

I would not be a fan of taking Connor at #10. I think the pick would be a reach. I think Laurinaitis still ranks ahead of Mauluaga. While Mauluaga seems like more of a thumper, he's not as discipline and overruns plays at time. He's a great prospect but, for me, I would rate James a little higher.

 

[CargoJon]

I would not be a fan of taking Connor at #10. I think the pick would be a reach. I think Laurinaitis still ranks ahead of Mauluaga. While Mauluaga seems like more of a thumper, he's not as discipline and overruns plays at time. He's a great prospect but, for me, I would rate James a little higher.

Connor's downright better than Larengitis. Check your stats.

 

[REALCHRISM]

Connor's downright better than Larengitis. Check your stats.

Stats do not tell an entire story. I can name a ton of guys who had more interceptions than Nnamdi Asomugha this year. That does not change the fact that Asomugha is the best cornerback in the league right now.

I am not dissing Connor. I think he's a legitimate first round prospect. I just happen to believe his best value is in the late middle to latter part of the first round. He's a lot like Pozluszney and I wouldn't be surprised to see him fall some come draft day. He's solid, but not spectacular and looks a little mechanical at times, which means he's not as fluid as you would like.

 

[CargoJon]

Stats do not tell an entire story. I can name a ton of guys who had more interceptions than Nnamdi Asomugha this year. That does not change the fact that Asomugha is the best cornerback in the league right now.

I am not dissing Connor. I think he's a legitimate first round prospect. I just happen to believe his best value is in the late middle to latter part of the first round. He's a lot like Pozluszney and I wouldn't be surprised to see him fall some come draft day. He's solid, but not spectacular and looks a little mechanical at times, which means he's not as fluid as you would like.

Honestly I think that's your opinion, not a fact....you'd get a lot of argument from a lot of people on that statement....

 

[REALCHRISM]

Honestly I think that's your opinion, not a fact....you'd get a lot of argument from a lot of people on that statement....

You're right, it is an opinion and I would get arguments for other guys. Point is, stats do not tell the full story. There are guys who might not have better stats but may have a greater influence on a game. To me, when you look at Asomugha, he's a guy that teams rarely throw at and when they do, they aren't successful. I can remember the year that Deltha O'Neal led the league with 10 interceptions. There was no way that you could argue that he was a better CB than Champ Bailey just because he outproduced him statistically.

 

[BoNcHiE]

How long before BoNcHiE comes to the rescue?

Good to see I'm so popular.

I've said my peace about Phillips. Dude will be a beast in the NFL. Write it down.

 

[Saint Droopy]

POSITIVES: Heady defensive back with outstanding ball skills. Diagnoses plays, keeps the action in front of him, and quickly locates the ball. Consistently puts himself in a position to make plays on the ball handler. Tough defending the run, flashes on the scene and seemingly comes out of nowhere to make a play on the ball. Displays top sideline-to-sideline range, quick to the flanks and possesses a burst of closing speed. Smooth transitioning to run with opponents and has a nice break on the throw. Excellent move on the ball and hands for the pick.

NEGATIVES: Best when the action is in front of him. Lacks prototypical safety size.

ANALYSIS: A secondary prospect with an outstanding feel for coverage; is a natural center fielder who can be used in a variety of systems. The ability to make plays against the pass will get him considerable playing time as a rookie in the NFL.

Sounds pretty good doesn't it? Well, that's SI's expert prospect write-up on Josh Bullocks before he came out of Nebraska! The fact is, you can really never tell how a player's game is going to translate into the NFL.

LB seems like the safest pick for us at #10... I'm hoping for Rivers, Conner, or Lauranitis (Rey Mauluaga would trump all of those guys if he declared though).

Sold... if he's there at 10 I don't care who else is on the board... we need an Ed Reed-esque safety back there to erase some mistakes...

 

[REALCHRISM]

Sold... if he's there at 10 I don't care who else is on the board... we need an Ed Reed-esque safety back there to erase some mistakes...

See, that's the thing. I do not know if he is Ed Reed-esque. I don't see that in his game. I see a very solid safety who definitely has first round talent but I do not know if he is the ballhawk that Reed was when he came out of Miami. I think the tendency to compare him with Reed and Taylor is due to the fact that they all went to Miami. To me, he is a much better prospect than Merriweather but not at the same level as Reed or Taylor. Again, that's good if you are realisitc about the type of player you are getting. And he could make an immediate impact. But I do not think we should have visions of a guy intercepting the ball at the back of the endzone and taking it back 109 for a touchdown. I think you are more likely to see a guy who plays sounds and does a great job in helping us to stop the run.

 

[Saint Droopy]

See, that's the thing. I do not know if he is Ed Reed-esque. I don't see that in his game. I see a very solid safety who definitely has first round talent but I do not know if he is the ballhawk that Reed was when he came out of Miami. I think the tendency to compare him with Reed and Taylor is due to the fact that they all went to Miami. To me, he is a much better prospect than Merriweather but not at the same level as Reed or Taylor. Again, that's good if you are realisitc about the type of player you are getting. And he could make an immediate impact. But I do not think we should have visions of a guy intercepting the ball at the back of the endzone and taking it back 109 for a touchdown. I think you are more likely to see a guy who plays sounds and does a great job in helping us to stop the run.

We'll never know bro... until he gets drafted... puts on the Fleur, and play in a game we won't know what the kid is capable of.

I can only hope he has Ed Reed/Sean Taylor-type ability... to be honest... Brandon Merriwaeather-type skills would be more than what we got from our FS position this season.

I do know this... KK is our best FS, and that's not saying much. As a matter of fact Roman Harper moved to FS when KK started for JB... I just want a gguy in our secondary that will not let guys run free behind them... maybe I'm alone on this, but for some reason every time a QB would throw a deep ball on our defense I counted it as a catch for the WR before the ball started its downward flight... I want to be able to say "that's a pick" whenever a QB throws a deep ball on us.