Tonight's game and how it will effect the draft.... (1 Viewer)

[chad_moore]

Tonight's game will have a HUGE impact upon the draft. Not only for the players, but more importantly for us and who we select at #10 and in the second and third rounds.

I can see no less than 8 players on these two teams that could either greatly improve their slot in the draft or have to rely upon the combine to get themselves back to where they started.

With this many players in the potential top 64 picks playing against each other, who do you think has the most to prove and the potential of falling the most? I can see this as a golden opportunity for Hester, HIghsmith and Jackson to improve their stock and move up. I could see Dorsey potentially dropping a few spots if he doesn't bode well against the Buckeyes front line. The LB from OSU will have every opportunity to showcase his talent and it wouldn't surprise me if that was the first question out of the media's mouth after the game..."are you going to enter the draft???"

I'm hoping the Saints scouting department has their mock board ready and evaluates how these young players do in a nationally televised game with so much at stake. should be intersting...no?

 

[Waymer]

This game has very little impact on the draft. The draft will be far more impacted by game film, combine and personal workout numbers, Senior Bowl practices, interviews, etc. This game, in the grand scheme of things, is minuscule. Both of these teams are from BCS conferences, so there really isn't anything to prove that hasn't already been proven (i.e. can a person play against a bigger school and do well, etc). You may get a slight bump here or there due to some being a "big game player," but that's unlikely to change much.

Personally I'm hoping Saints scouts are not watching a nationally televised game with the intention of scouting these two teams...I hope they have already been doing that live and in person throughout the season and/or via film.

 

[Nevimeister]

This game has very little impact on the draft. The draft will be far more impacted by game film, combine and personal workout numbers, Senior Bowl practices, interviews, etc. This game, in the grand scheme of things, is minuscule. Both of these teams are from BCS conferences, so there really isn't anything to prove that hasn't already been proven (i.e. can a person play against a bigger school and do well, etc). You may get a slight bump here or there due to some being a "big game player," but that's unlikely to change much.

Personally I'm hoping Saints scouts are not watching a nationally televised game with the intention of scouting these two teams...I hope they have already been doing that live and in person throughout the season and/or via film.

It will have a huge effect. Teams want to know how players perform under pressure on the biggest stage. Had Vince Young thrown for 4 interceptions against USC and Texas had got blown out do you think he would have gone 3rd? If Brady Quinn had picked apart LSU and beat them with Jamarcus Rusell playing terribly, do you still think they would have gone number 1 and 22 still??? Ray Melauga just improved his stock tremendously with his performance against Illinois. You pair a big game in a bowl game and a good workout your stock is going to soar. Leon Hall's stock dropped massively after getting burned repeatedly late in the season. If he had shut them down he would have likely gone in the top 10 last year

 

[chad_moore]

Waymer, very good points. I didn't really take the Senior Bowl into consideration like I should have. As for the scouts watching films throughout the season and preparing for the combine, we've had a recent history of drafting guys from small schools who were relatively unknowns. Maybe I'm just getting a little nervous after our last draft. I just don't want us blowing the #10 pick on someone who CAN NOT come in and make an immediate impact. Much less, taking the wrong guy in the second or third round. I have a feeling we will be taking someone who plays in tonight's game on of the top four rounds in this coming draft. We have serious needs on defense and these are two of the best teams in that category playing tonight. Heck after this past season, I'd give up an entire draft to just have either of these teams' defenses playing for us on Sunday instead of Saturday

 

[whiteboycarl]

This game has very little impact on the draft.

Tell that to Troy Smith.

 

[Colin311]

I think the guy who could bring more value to his draft status is Early Doucet. He didn't have a good senior season, due to injury, and he's going up against one of the best CB's in college. Time for him to prove he's a first round pick.

 

[Waymer]

Again to those above: As I noted in my first post you will get bumps for "big game players," the exact type of players Nevimeister noted. But all in all this game has limited impact. Everyone here is looking at things on a micro scale, as opposed to a macro scale. Vince Young improving from #11 to #3 isn't really that big a deal. Brady Quinn falling from #3 to #22 isn't really that big a deal. These are small movements on a macro scale.

I suppose in hindsight I misinterpreted CM's post, because he does get into asking what players it will help out (or conversely hurt). From an individual's (micro) standpoint, sure it will matter to a certain degree. But from a draft standpoint (macro) it has extremely limited meaning because the draft is fluid in and of itself already. Far more important dates lie ahead for the draft (those I noted, such as the Senior Bowl practices, combines, etc).

 

[chad_moore]

Waymer, you don't think that jumping from #11 to #3 is a big deal? I'm sorry, but I have to respectively disagree with you on that one. My thinking on it is, that we pick #10. A move like that for any ONE player, would obviously have someone in the top 10 sliding out. This game could showcase some offensive talent and have one of the defensive players we are targeting fall into our laps. You statement is exactly what I was hoping to get feedback on. WHO could pull a Vince Young and improve their stock, which in turn would help us land someone targeted in the top 8 to fall to us at #10. Who in the top #10 could lose out and fall back to the mid teens. There are just too many players in tonight's game that have a legitimate shot at being selected in the first round....and potentially falling to us in the second.

Not trying to slam on ya, but I really think tonight is a preview of a future Saint's player in the 08' season.

 

[DSnfla]

From #11 to #3 and #3 to #22 no big deal ???? tell that to their bank accounts

 

[Waymer]

Waymer, you don't think that jumping from #11 to #3 is a big deal? I'm sorry, but I have to respectively disagree with you on that one. My thinking on it is, that we pick #10. A move like that for any ONE player, would obviously have someone in the top 10 sliding out. This game could showcase some offensive talent and have one of the defensive players we are targeting fall into our laps. You statement is exactly what I was hoping to get feedback on. WHO could pull a Vince Young and improve their stock, which in turn would help us land someone targeted in the top 8 to fall to us at #10. Who in the top #10 could lose out and fall back to the mid teens. There are just too many players in tonight's game that have a legitimate shot at being selected in the first round....and potentially falling to us in the second.

Not trying to slam on ya, but I really think tonight is a preview of a future Saint's player in the 08' season.

Your first line of the thread was that this game will have a HUGE impact on the draft. I (apparently I just didn't comprehend the rest of your thread...too late in the day I guess) mistakenly interpreted that to mean the entire draft, whereas you are apparently talking about impact to the Saints draft or to individual players.

Yes, I do think it's one of the more important games in terms of watching players during their college career...but that's on a micro scale. Overall in terms of the draft it really doesn't mean much. The draft consists of +/- 250 picks. Players aren't going to be moving from Pick #200 to Pick #8, and thus the draft really won't be affected by players "moving all over the place."

This game involves involves a mere fraction of players that are eligible for the draft, and will be drafted. So again, just to reiterate, I don't believe whatsoever that this game means much to the draft. Does it mean something to individual players and the location of picks here and there? Certainly.

 

[Waymer]

From #11 to #3 and #3 to #22 no big deal ???? tell that to their bank accounts

Thank you for making my point. It means more to the individual players than the grand scheme of the draft. Pick #22 is going to make whatever Pick #22 is slotted to make, no matter who is taken at that spot. Thus the draft itself is unaffected though the players are directly affected.

 

[4saintspirit]

I see little real movement just from tonights game == For example

Dorsey can move to number 1 if he plays like he is capable of playing -- if he plays like he did with the injury then I think you will see Chris Long get the number 1 nod.

Ohio States middle LB is going to go high no matter what --

Now some movement is definitely out there --

Hester can improve from a 4 to maybe a 3.

IMO the one who can really improve his stature is Highsmith -- if he plays tonight like he did against Arkansas people will take notice --

But this only raises you a certain bump -- you will still need to impress during the workouts.

 

[chad_moore]

Waymer, thanks for your input. I see where you're coming from and realize I didn't effectively communicate my thoughts in my original post. I was more concerned with the NFL teams and the draft over the actual players and how that might shake up potential defensive players falling to us....say Doucet moves from #14 to #8, which would mean one more defensive player for the Saints to choose from at #10.

I do agree that the movement may not be huge, but what I'm hoping for is that the offensive players have some break throughs and help us in having a better pool to draw from on defense. I'm all for Hester or Doucet moving up higher and allowing another defensive player to fall into our laps

 

[Waymer]

I do agree that the movement may not be huge, but what I'm hoping for is that the offensive players have some break throughs and help us in having a better pool to draw from on defense. I'm all for Hester or Doucet moving up higher and allowing another defensive player to fall into our laps

You, me, and 98% of us here.

 

[CoolBrees1]

This will be the perfect opportunity for Glen Dorsey to showcase himself and solidify the possibility of being the #1 pick in the 08 draft....