Players leaving early for the draft

Tideflyer

Hall of Fame
Dec 14, 2011
7,829
3,908
187
Savannah, GA
I think Mack should return, but just my opinion. He struggled with his reads and you can see the defense moving and looking lost on quite a few plays. Mack has the physical ability, but just need to work more on getting the defense in the right alignment.
Yep, Mack`s got the physical tools, he needs more work on the mental aspects of the game and his responsibilities in it. And yes, I too really don`t recall a year in which more guys looked confused and/or out of position.
 

92tide

TideFans Legend
May 9, 2000
58,154
44,877
287
54
East Point, Ga, USA
Yep, Mack`s got the physical tools, he needs more work on the mental aspects of the game and his responsibilities in it. And yes, I too really don`t recall a year in which more guys looked confused and/or out of position.
at least to my untrained eye, that would suggest something on the coaching front.
 

CB4

Hall of Fame
Aug 8, 2011
9,457
13,446
187
Birmingham, AL
Yep, Mack`s got the physical tools, he needs more work on the mental aspects of the game and his responsibilities in it. And yes, I too really don`t recall a year in which more guys looked confused and/or out of position.
I think that was my frustration all year defensively. It is one thing if an opponent out plays or beats you on a given play. It’s another however if your getting beat because you're out of position, misaligned or miss an assignment. I think I saw more of that this year defensively than I’ve seen in the last five years combined. At times Mack looked lost.
 
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CrimsonForce

Hall of Fame
Dec 20, 2012
12,757
94
67
It kind of makes sense for Irv and R Davis to come back because their two position groups are loaded in this years draft. TE and defensive line are very deep this year. In this years draft their best case scenario would be late 1st / early 2nd but next years draft they could both be solid 1st rounders. D Thompson on the other hand should probably come out this year because the safety class is pretty weak so any team looking for a true free safety would bring Thompson off the board quickly since there's not many in the draft this year..
 

CajunCrimson

Moderator (FB,BB) and Vinyl Enthusiast
Staff member
Mar 13, 2001
26,542
20,519
337
Breaux Bridge, La
Yep, Mack`s got the physical tools, he needs more work on the mental aspects of the game and his responsibilities in it. And yes, I too really don`t recall a year in which more guys looked confused and/or out of position.
He's more Reuben Foster and less SDH or CJ Mosley
 

rgw

Suspended
Sep 15, 2003
20,852
1,351
232
Tuscaloosa
Would love to have Quinnen Williams back but I think he's probably maxed out his potential. He'd only come back to max out his college accomplishments. They saw what 3 guys who should've went pros did to their OL in the red zone earlier this week. Maybe our guys are catching that bug?
 

Bamabuzzard

FB Moderator
Staff member
Aug 15, 2004
30,570
18,354
237
48
Where ever there's BBQ, Bourbon & Football
at least to my untrained eye, that would suggest something on the coaching front.
I saw signs all season long of possible coaching issues on the defensive side of the ball. I saw more times of guys looking confused on their assignments pre-snap than I have in recent years. Knowing that our DC was a first time DC leads me to believe he was the cause of a lot of that. Which to some degree is to be expected in his first year. I don't expect to see it in year two though, and I'm sure Nick Saban doesn't either. ;)
 

CrimsonForce

Hall of Fame
Dec 20, 2012
12,757
94
67
Would love to have Quinnen Williams back but I think he's probably maxed out his potential. He'd only come back to max out his college accomplishments. They saw what 3 guys who should've went pros did to their OL in the red zone earlier this week. Maybe our guys are catching that bug?
This narrative has been wrong all year. The narrative of "Clemson had 4 1st round defensive lineman" come back to school. No, they didn't. Clelin Ferrell was the only player who would've been considered to be a 1st round draft pick from the guys who came back. The others were 2nd-mid rounders. Even after coming back Ferrell is probably the only lock first rounder. Wilkins is borderline first round. From all accounts Quinnen is a lock to go top 5. If that's true it's a completely different decision than the Clemson players made last year..
 

rgw

Suspended
Sep 15, 2003
20,852
1,351
232
Tuscaloosa
This narrative has been wrong all year. The narrative of "Clemson had 4 1st round defensive lineman" come back to school. No, they didn't. Clelin Ferrell was the only player who would've been considered to be a 1st round draft pick from the guys who came back. The others were 2nd-mid rounders. Even after coming back Ferrell is probably the only lock first rounder. Wilkins is borderline first round. From all accounts Quinnen is a lock to go top 5. If that's true it's a completely different decision than the Clemson players made last year..
Sir, don't let YOUR facts get in the way of MY story!
 

rgw

Suspended
Sep 15, 2003
20,852
1,351
232
Tuscaloosa
I think Quinnen Williams is in a weird spot because I think the same reasons he was evaluated a little low coming out of high school are likely to affect his draft stock after they get all the measurables in the combine meat market. He almost certainly got a first round grade. He will probably go in the first round but I don't think he's going to go as high as the media draftniks think. I think he's going to "fall" to the back half of the first round.

Q has maxed his potential. The only thing he could do to improve his stock is better fitness but frankly he doesn't have much weight to lose and be an effective interior linemen in the pros. Can he really improve that cardio/fitness aspect without hurting his ability to hold up at the point of attack (which isn't his best attribute as an interior linemen anyway)?

This is a DEEP DL draft too. He's gonna get picked apart for how he's not a prototypical DT and maybe reached the peak of his athletic ability. He could even drop out of the 1st depending on team needs. He's got one big thing going for him though: Aaron Donald. This year, Donald put a serious scare into the single-season sack record from an interior position. The NFL is a copycat league and people may say "he might not have untapped potential but what he is fits what we need."
 
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CoachJeff

Suspended
Jan 21, 2014
3,596
3,654
187
Shelby County Alabama
I think Quinnen Williams is in a weird spot because I think the same reasons he was evaluated a little low coming out of high school are likely to affect his draft stock after they get all the measurables in the combine meat market. He almost certainly got a first round grade. He will probably go in the first round but I don't think he's going to go as high as the media draftniks think. I think he's going to "fall" to the back half of the first round.

Q has maxed his potential. The only thing he could do to improve his stock is better fitness but frankly he doesn't have much weight to lose and be an effective interior linemen in the pros. Can he really improve that cardio/fitness aspect without hurting his ability to hold up at the point of attack (which isn't his best attribute as an interior linemen anyway)?

This is a DEEP DL draft too. He's gonna get picked apart for how he's not a prototypical DT and maybe reached the peak of his athletic ability. He could even drop out of the 1st depending on team needs. He's got one big thing going for him though: Aaron Donald. This year, Donald put a serious scare into the single-season sack record from an interior position. The NFL is a copycat league and people may say "he might not have untapped potential but what he is fits what we need."
I agree. I don’t think he’ll be a top 5 pick. He’ll drop once folks start seeing his measurables.
 

CrimsonForce

Hall of Fame
Dec 20, 2012
12,757
94
67
Disagree about Q. I've seen where a lot of scouts are torn between he or Bosa for the #1 overall pick. Bosa has to be cleared medically also. If anything comes up with Bosa's medicals Q would be a lock for the #1 pick unless someone trades up for a QB. I'd be shocked if Q falls out of the top 5. There's a whole season of tape on him dominating the league that produces the most NFL draft picks. Could be wrong but that's how I see it playing out. I'd be selfishly ecstatic if he someone drops down to my Titans pick :biggrin2:
 

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