NFL
Change Is Coming
By: Jeff Doke
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
One would think that if you are still a Jacksonville Jaguars fan (as I am), you would have developed a bit more patience.
Imagine being a Jaguars fan that went into a coma after the 1999 season. You’ve experienced four straight playoff appearances, back-to-back division championships, two trips to the AFC Championship game, and an overall record of 49-31. The franchise looks primed for a long stretch of success on the gridiron.
Now imagine that fan coming out of that coma Thursday night.
The Jags have only had four winning seasons in the last 21 years. Only three trips to the post-season. I don’t even want to add up the win/loss record in this stretch (I’m not THAT much of a sports self-flagellator).
Gus Bradley. Doug Marrone. Mike Mularkey.
Oh, and Myles Jack wasn’t down.
And now, we have this season. We started the season with a highly-touted franchise quarterback. A new head coach with a top-notch college resume. Dare I say it, hope. Things, on paper, looked good.
And then, reality. An opening game loss to a Houston Texans team in a Jaguars-esque state of franchise chaos, followed by a week two loss to the Broncos, and a second-half collapse against the Cardinals.
Which brings us to Thursday night. Sometimes, being a Dawg fan prepares you for being a Jags fan. Remember the meme that was making the rounds after the 2018 SEC Championship game? Georgia and Alabama have played 120 minutes in the past two games. Georgia has led or been tied for 119 of those minutes and lost both games.
Wanna hear it sound even better? In those last two games the teams have combined for 290 plays. Alabama has had the lead for 9 (3%) of those.
Oof. Not “woof.” Oof.
Thursday night was like that for the Jags. They were tied or had the lead for the full 60 minutes of that game. The winning kick for Cincy crossed the goalposts as the clock read 0:00. It was the only play of the game that the Bengals were in the lead, and unfortunately, it was the only play that mattered.
And out come the boo birds. The defeatists. The naysayers. The fans that were expecting the franchise to immediately turn around with the arrival of Coach Meyer and T-Law, calling both men “mistakes” and “failures” with ¾ of a season still to play. Armchair GMs decreeing that the Jags are going to go nowhere with either one.
To quote our Commander-In-Y’know-The-Thing; “C’mon, man!”
Let’s be honest, Duval. We are on a 19-game losing streak. We didn’t get here by making smart choices. But change *IS* coming, just not overnight. To make my point, I implore you to look at the 1999 season.
Not ours, but Indianapolis’ 1999 season, otherwise known as “Peyton’s Rookie Year.”
The best forehead in the history of the NFL led his team to a 3-13 record. He threw two more interceptions than touchdowns. He finished the year with a 71.2 QB rating. And just look where he went from there.
Oh, and that same 1999 season, Bill Belicheck was unemployed. His win-loss record after five years in Cleveland was 36-44. Heck, his first season in New England looked like more of the same – 5-11 and last place in the division.
True, the last two decades of football on the banks of the St. Johns River have given us precious little reason to have hope for the future.
Four games into a career is not the time to give up on our new coach and QB. You’ve held on to that glimmer of hope thus far, keep the faith. Change is coming.
Just maybe not this year.
Down South
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Week 1 of the NFL is in the books. We have some early takeaways from each team. Let’s take a look at the AFC South to see if any of the teams are contenders.
Arizona Cardinals 38, Tennessee Titans 13: Tennessee received a lot of hype in the offseason. They traded for Julio Jones. Paired with A.J. Brown, several analysts speculated they were the best wide receiver duo in the league.
Derrick Henry led the league in rushing in 2020 with over 2,000 yards and 17 touchdowns. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith left to take the head coach position in Atlanta. Todd Downing has taken over as OC and things did not go well in the opening game.
They fell behind early and could not establish the run like they wanted. Henry rushed for 58 yards on 17 carries.
Chester Rogers led the team in receiving with 62 yards. Chandler Jones single-handedly terrorized the offense with 5 sacks. Ryan Tannehill complete 21 of 35 passes for 212 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception.
The Titans had questions on defense going into the season and they still do. Kyler Murray threw for 289 yards, 4 touchdowns, completed 66% of his passes and he ran for another score. Chase Edmonds only had 12 carries but he out-gained Henry with 63 yards.
Seattle Seahawks 28, Indianapolis Colts 16: Philip Rivers retired, and the Colts acquired Carson Wentz. He did not play well his last couple of seasons in Philadelphia, so he is trying to regain his confidence.
The Colts have one of the best defenses, but they could not stop Seattle. Russell Wilson completed 78% of his passes for 254 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Chris Carson had 16 carries for 91 yards. Tyler Lockett caught 4 passes for 100 yards and 2 TD’s.
Wentz threw for 251 yards and 2 touchdowns. He attempted 38 passes, which is more attempts than Indy wants.
Starting left tackle Eric Fisher did not play and he was under constant pressure. Running back Jonathan Taylor had 17 carries for 56 yards.
Houston Texans 37, Jacksonville Jaguars 21: Jacksonville has Urban Meyer in his first year as a professional coach. They drafted Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft and he’s the opening day starting quarterback. They are coming off of a 1 – 15 season, so they have several holes to fill on the roster.
Lawrence completed 55% of his passes for 332 yards, 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He had 51 pass attempts which is too many for a rookie QB to be successful.
“Losing is always hard, especially when you feel like you are prepared and had a great week,” Lawrence said. “I really think we were ready and obviously didn’t play well. It starts with me. I didn’t play well, for sure.”
Jacksonville had 10 penalties which is uncharacteristic for a team coached by Meyer.
Houston is not playing star quarterback Deshaun Watson because of open sexual assault allegations.
Veteran Tyrod Taylor is the starter and he passed for 291 yards and 2 touchdowns. Brandin Cooks had a monster day with 5 catches and 132 yards. Mark Ingram II ran for 85 yards and a TD.
Tennessee and Indy are still the best teams in the division. The Colts have a brutal schedule though and play the Rams next.
It doesn’t get much easier for the Titans because they play Seattle on the road. Houston travels to Cleveland Week 2. Jacksonville hosts Denver next and that’s a game they can win.
Gurley Reclamation
By: Jeff Doke
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When Todd Gurley wrapped up his time between the hedges in 2015, he was expected to land somewhere between Herschel Walker and Terrell Davis in the pantheon of UGA alumni in the NFL.
For a while there, it looked like he was going to meet those lofty expectations. After a sophomore slump in 2016, Gurley followed up his 2015 Rookie of the Year Award with some serious hardware; two straight Pro Bowls in 2017 & 2018, 1st team All-Pro for both years and NFL leader in rushing touchdowns in those same years.
Then, the wheels started to come off.
The knee issues, that cost him 3 games in his already NCAA violation-shortened final campaign in Athens, raised their ugly head during the 2018 playoffs and the 2019 season as well.
Gurley saw a significant drop in every metric from 2018 to 2019, and it cost him his job just two years removed from a massive $60 million extension.
Those numbers fell even further during his one season with the Atlanta Falcons. The fewest yards, attempts, and touchdowns in his career – combined with some costly mental errors – meant his return to the Peach State was over before it really had a chance to get started.
The fall from grace is staggering when you look at it. To go from a league-leading multi-millionaire to an unsigned free agent in two years is almost unheard of.
The arthritic knee – which was the focus of great speculation leading up to Super Bowl LIII – seems to be more of a career-threatening issue than originally expected.
The situation in Atlanta seemed to have been tailor-made for the Tarboro, NC native, but the results simply weren’t there and the powers that be in Flowery Branch decided “one year is enough, thanks.”
So where does Gurley go now? Last month, it seemed like he was destined to join the Detroit Lions backfield, joining fellow Dawg D’Andre Swift and the former Packer Jamaal Williams.
Gurley made a visit to the Lions facility and talks progressed, but no contract. Last week, he made another unfruitful visit, this time with the Baltimore Ravens.
Between the two teams, the Ravens seem like the unlikelier choice. He’d be battling Justice “I’m Not Related to Tyreek” Hill for the third spot behind J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards.
Plus, the Ravens only have a scant $11 million left in cap space – not exactly the wiggle room you need to get into a bidding war, and that’s exactly what it looks like Gurley is trying to force.
One must wonder, though, if that’s the best strategy for an injury-plagued back looking for his third team in three years. Granted, he could have a comeback season for the ages on tap for this year, but until we see him on the field it’s anybody’s guess.
Gurley will make a roster this year, of that I have no doubt. More than likely, it will be with the Lions, but there are some fairly intriguing options out there as well.
For example; the Miami Dolphins. Myles Gaskins is a serviceable if uninspiring starter.
The Fins signed Malcom Brown in the offseason and drafted Gerrid “that’s not how you spell that last name” Doaks in the 7th round, so there’s competition to be had if Gurley decides to head south.
The Buffalo Bills. The Mafia has had some workhorses in the backfield over the years; Thurman Thomas, Travis Henry, Marshawn Lynch. 2021, though? Not so much. The tandem of Devin Singletary and Zack Moss scream two things; “committee” and “training camp open competition.” Gurley would do well here.
The New England Patriots. Bill Belichek can’t seem to resist two things; UGA running backs and reclamation projects. Gurley would be a twofer, so don’t rule out a trip to Foxboro in his future.
Tebow Impact
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Consumers love Tim Tebow and are happy to see him back in the NFL.
Just 24 hours after signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tebow’s apparel has been flying off the sleeves.
NFLShop.com reported the top 5 selling items all belong to Tebow: black alternate jerseys for men, women and children, as well as T-shirts for men and women.
The Tebow effect caused Tom Brady’s red Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey to fall to ninth on the list of top sellers.
Tebow’s jersey was the bestselling uniform when he was with the Denver Broncos in 2010, New York Jets in 2012, New England Patriots in 2013 and Philadelphia Eagles in 2015.
In 2016 for a few weeks his New York Mets jersey was the best-selling Major League Baseball jersey in the country.
Tebow’s longest run as the best-selling jersey in sport came as a quarterback at the University of Florida, where even to this day, it holds the record for the most jerseys of a college player ever sold.
Tebow signed a one-year deal (non-guaranteed) to play tight end with the Jaguars. He is currently sporting the number 85 jersey. He might not even wear the 85 jersey for long.
If Jacksonville moves backup quarterback Gardner Minshew, which rumors suggest they are trying, Tebow could claim his iconic 15 jersey.
If that happens, you can bet football and Tebow fans won’t hesitate to complete their collection.
As a sputtering franchise, the Jaguars didn’t warrant much attention last season, but look at them now! The Jaguars are the talk of the NFL on shows, radio and social media around the country.
The attention is only going to intensify as OTA’s starts and the media will be allowed to watch practice in person this week. Tebow obviously has generated most of the attention because of his comeback at age 33 to play tight end, a position he’s never once played.
Jaguars jerseys are three of the top seven and four of the top 15 jerseys on NFLShop.com.
Tebow is a megastar in the Jacksonville area, a former standout at Nease High School and the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner at Florida. He also helped Urban Meyer win two national championships for the Florida Gators.
Tim Tebow will be trying to land a spot on the Jaguar roster and battling Chris Manhertz, James O’Shaughnessy, Luke Farrell and Tyler Davis on the roster.
Whatever you think of Tim Tebow, you must say, he makes a tremendous financial impact wherever he plays.
Teal Hope
By: Jeff Doke
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NFL Draft is one of those magical times for sports fans. A time where hope springs eternal, and your eyesight is clouded by visions of Lombardi Trophies and Belichekian Dynasties yet to be – that is, unless you’re a Raiders fan.
Of course, I don’t have much room to talk since I pull for a team that drafted a punter when Russell Wilson was still on the board.
Right now, however, is not a magical time. We are several weeks removed from the draft, a week or so past rookie minicamps, and less than a month away from the first OTAs. The new has rubbed off the recent draft picks, and the time for second guessing has begun.
For the Jaguars, the new hasn’t rubbed off the first overall pick. The open arms that have welcomed Trevor Lawrence to Duval are still wide open and our new franchise quarterback is still firmly ensconced in his honeymoon phase.
There’s really no reason to second-guess this pick; until his play on the field shows us otherwise, Lawrence was the right pick at the right time. Kind of hard to have gotten this wrong.
After that, things get a little fuzzy. When the Jags selected Travis Etienne with the 25th overall pick, I’ll be honest I was shocked. Mouth agape, hand over craw, absolute blindside shocked.
From what I can tell, Etienne was not on anybody’s radar at that pick, save for Urban Meyer. In the immediate aftermath of the selection, it seemed to make sense. You bring in a potential Hall of Fame caliber running back that already knows the potential Hall of Fame caliber franchise quarterback that was selected earlier in the round.
It seems like a great way to give both of them a little more familiarity starting this new phase of their careers. Granted, it was the first time in NFL history that a quarterback and running back from the same college team were selected by the same NFL franchise in the first round, but in a weird way it makes sense and brought some much-needed excitement to EverBank.
But are we looking at the pick “through teal-colored lenses?” Is it just the fan in us that sees what we want to see?
Realistically, was this a truly necessary pick at 25? James Robinson proved that it was a mistake not to draft him with his record-setting rookie campaign.
Did we really need another big time running back? The view through the teal-colored lenses sees shades of Kamara & Ingram, but the realist in me sees that offensive line that still needs work. Would it have made more sense to trade out of the first round, beef up the second & third rounds and get T-Law some blindside protection? That’s a solid “maybe.”
Then there’s the second-round picks. As a self-proclaimed Dawguar, I was giddy to see another Red & Black selection from my favorite pro team…but then the teal-colored lenses come off, and we see some concern.
While Tyson Campbell will compete for a starting job, his stats beg the question of whether he should be. As a three-year starter in Coach Kirby Smart’s punishing defense, Campbell allowed a 59% completion rate to opposing QBs, and had just one interception in 33 games as a Dawg.
Compare that to the other UGA corner taken in the draft – Eric Stokes (drafted by the Packers four picks after the Etienne selection) had four INTs in just nine games last year, and two of those picks were taken back for TDs.
Yikes. Now, I’m not only second-guessing the Campbell selection, I’m back to questioning the Etienne pick again.
Later in the second round at #45 overall, the O-Line finally gets the nod. Walker Little was an All-conference selection at Stanford as a sophomore, before losing most of his Junior season to a knee injury in the season opener and losing all of his Senior season due to COVID.
Potential? Absolutely. The fact that he hasn’t seen any significant game action in two full seasons gives me pause. I have similar concerns with our sole 3rd round pick Andre Cisco. He’s a ball hawk with 13 interceptions in 24 games, but he missed 11 games last year when he tore his ACL.
After colliding with a teammate. During pre-game warmups. Oof.
All total, this draft (and the post draft signing of Touchdown Timmy) leaves the fan in me feeling very optimistic of the future. That’s why I’ll be leaving these teal-colored lenses on for as long as I can, until the realist in me gets his way. Or the regular season performance tells me otherwise.
Like it has done most of these last 20 seasons.
Draft Domination
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
There were 259 players drafted in the 2021 NFL Draft, with 14.3% hailing from The Sunshine State. The state of Florida accounted for 37 players selected. South Florida alone had 17 and Broward County accounted for 12 players.
Texas was a close second, with 33 players, the same number as in 2020, which led the draft for most picks.
Georgia (21), California (19), Louisiana (13) and North Carolina (10) were the other states with double digit players selected.
American Heritage High School in Plantation set an NFL record with six players picked in this year’s draft. The Patriots are considered to be one of the best high school programs in the country.
Heritage draftees in 2021: Patrick Surtain II the ninth player selected in the draft by the Denver Broncos, Tyson Campell the 33rd to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Anthony Schwartz the 91st to the Cleveland Browns, Marco Wilson the 136th to the Arizona Cardinals, Tadarrell Slaton the 173rd to the Green Bay Packers and Khalil Herbert the 217th to the Chicago Bears.
Fort Lauderdale’s St. Thomas Aquinas had three players selected, giving the Raiders 26 alumni being drafted since 2001, the most by any high school during that time period. Elijah Moore, Josh Palmer and Asante Samuel Jr are the newest Raiders in the NFL.
It’s no surprise that Florida leads for Power 5 signees the past 10 years, and that South Florida has roughly provided 45%-50% of the talent pool.
Elite football players come from all over the country, but the largest concentration of them originated from the SEC. The SEC set a record with 65 players selected and this continued the conference’s distinct dominance over the three-day event.
This year’s SEC haul included 6 of the first 10 picks and 12 of the 31 players in the first round.
They included Florida tight end Kyle Pitts 4th to Atlanta, LSU wide receiver JaMarr Chase 5th to Cincinnati, Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle 6th to Miami, South Carolina corner Jaycee Horn 8th to Carolina, Alabama corner Pat Surtain II 9th to Denver and Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith 10th to Philly.
For the 15th year in a row, the SEC asserted its dominance over every other Power 5 conferences. All 14 SEC football programs helped break its own conference’s record of players drafted.
It was a record setting day for Alabama too, the Tide led the way among SEC schools with a total of 10 players selected. Georgia was in second with nine sections, followed by Florida with eight, LSU with seven, Kentucky with six, Missouri with five, Auburn, South Carolina and Texas A&M with 4, Tennessee, Mississippi State and Ole Miss with 2 and Arkansas and Vanderbilt with 1.
The 2021 NFL Draft featured record setting and record tying draft results for the SEC and Alabama. The University of Alabama had six players drafted in the first round, which tied the record set by the 2004 Miami Hurricanes.
You’ve heard the saying before: “The SEC, it just means more.” College football’s juggernaut conference has done it again, and look out for the 2022 class: a class that looks to break the 65-player mark.
Flying Class
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2021 NFL draft is in the books. We saw what each team did to address their needs. Let’s take a look to see how the Atlanta Falcons did. This was the first draft for General Manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith.
I’m trying to not get too excited, but I have seen several different publications give the Falcons an A+ draft grade.
They selected Florida tight end Kyle Pitts with the 4th pick. Pitts is the highest rated tight end prospect ever. He’s projected to have an impact like Travis Kelce and that should really help in the red zone. Atlanta should have an explosive top five offense in 2021.
In the second round with the 40th pick Atlanta selected UCF safety Richie Grant. He was first-team All-American Athletic Conference in 2019 and 2020.
Last season he led UCF with 72 tackles, 3.5 for loss, 6 pass deflections, 3 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles in 9 games. He was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s top defensive back.
Michigan guard Jalen Mayfield was taken with the 68th pick. The Falcons needed help on the offensive line, so they addressed a need.
Mayfield is only a redshirt sophomore, so he does not have much experience. In 2019 he played 13 games at right tackle and was honorable mention All-Big Ten. He played two games in 2020 before a high ankle sprain ended his season.
San Diego State corner back Darren Hall was the 108th selection. In 2019 he tied for the FBS lead in pass breakups with 16.
In 2020 he was first-team All-MWC and led the Aztecs with 3 interceptions, 6 pass deflections, 38 tackles with 2 for loss in 8 games.
Stanford center Drew Dalman was the 114th pick. He’s the son of former 49ers offensive lineman Chris Dalman and he was a top 10 center nationally coming out of high school. He was first-team All-Pac-12 in 2020 and started all 6 of their games.
The 148th pick was Texas defensive lineman Ta’Quon Graham. He was a top-150 recruit nationally coming out of high school.
Graham started every game the past two seasons and was named honorable mention all-conference as a senior in 2020. He had 23 tackles, 7 for loss and 2 sacks.
Notre Dame defensive end Adetokunbo Ogundeji (pronounced ah-DAY-tok-uhn-bo oh-gun-day-gee) was 17 when he enrolled in college. It took him a while to work his way into the rotation because of that.
He started 12 games as a senior and was a team captain. He was honorable mention All-ACC and had 23 tackles and a team high 7 sacks.
Boise State corner back Avery Williams was the second to last pick (No. 183) for the Falcons.
He was All- Mountain West Conference in all four seasons and he’s a good kick returner as well.
He was a third team All-American as an all-purpose player because he led the FBS in combined return yardage (19-533-28.1 kick returns, 15-229-15.3 punt returns), topped the country with two punt return touchdowns and tied for the national lead with two kick return touchdowns. He also tied for fifth in the FBS with two blocked kicks.
The final player drafted was Arizona State wide receiver Frank Darby (No. 187). ASU only played four games in 2020 and he played in three as a team captain. He received limited touches after suffering a rib injury in the season opener.
Time will tell if these players develop the way the franchise hopes but Atlanta did a good job addressing team needs.
Winners and Losers
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I sat in the confines of my own home and watched every first-round selection of the NFL draft. Let’s take a look at my winners and losers in the first round:
Winner: Jacksonville Jaguars: It turned into a Clemson love affair for the Jaguars.
Trevor Lawrence was selected number 1 overall, which has been known for months, but the Jags get a generational talent at QB who will be the face of the franchise for 12-15 years.
Lawrence’s number will probably get retired in Jacksonville when his career is done.
The selection of Travis Etienne at pick 25 was great in my opinion as the Jags got the most productive RB in the history of the ACC. A threat to take it to the house on every play and can catch the football out of the backfield. A true three down back.
Urban Meyer went offense for a team that needed everything. Now the Jags can address the pass rush with the first pick in the second round. Grade: A+
Loser: Houston Texans: The Texans have no first or second round picks in 2021 because of the Laremy Tunsil trade of couple of years ago. Too many negative waves surround this franchise. Grade: F
Winner: Chicago Bears: The Bears got their QB in Justin Fields by trading up to pick 11 with the Giants, and taking the second best rated QB in the draft.
The Bears with a solid QB are a Super Bowl contender with their defense. The question about Fields is how quickly can the Bears get him ready to play?
I’m predicting he is ready to go on day 1 in Chicago. What a steal by the Chicago Bears to get Justin Fields and finally fix their QB issues once and for all. Grade: A+
Loser: Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow gets carted off the field last year with a blown ACL, but yet the Bengals pass on the best offensive lineman in the draft?
Ja’Marr Chase should be an elite receiver who was a 2020 opt out at LSU, but not getting protection help for your franchise QB makes the Bengals look once again like their nickname the Bungles. Grade: C
Winner: Detroit Lions: My Lions got the best offensive lineman in this draft in Penei Sewell OT from Oregon. You have to be a Lions fan to understand how great this pick is.
This shows a commitment by the new regime to change the culture of this franchise. Lions’ fans are ecstatic with this pick. Championship teams are built from the inside out. Grade A+
Loser: New Orleans: The Saints went defense, which was a shock after the retirement of Drew Brees.
I thought the Saints might trade up to get into the QB sweepstakes unless they are about to make a deal for Aaron Rogers.
They draft Payton Turner a DE from Houston, who may have been a reach at pick 28. You draft a defensive player from a conference that plays the worst team defense in college football the AAC? Head scratcher there Saints. Grade: C-
Beat trade of the night went to the Chicago Bears trading up to get Fields. Kudos to the Eagles for trading up and grabbing Devonta Smith to help that porous WR room.
Most surprising pick went to San Francisco in taking Trey Lance. I love the pick, but thought they would play it safe with Mac Jones.
Mac Jones landed right in the Patriots lap and New England’s QB issues are instantly solved.
Biggest Draft Winner of the Night: The Atlanta Falcons with their selection of TE Kyle Pitts of Florida at pick 4.
I think Pitts was the best overall player in this draft and history will prove this to be true. He is a matchup nightmare for anyone the Falcons face. Grade: A+++++++++
Boom Or Bust
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
In some ways the NFL Draft is the ultimate crapshoot, and oftentimes some teams simply need good luck more than anything else.
That was the case with the Seahawks landing Russell Wilson in the third round along with a bunch of other teams finding diamonds in the rough late rounds.
Only 50% of second round picks actually pan out, and the odds are obviously worse for later round picks.
With that in mind, my personal belief is teams should target boom-bust picks in the late rounds. The odds are against a so-called safe pick panning out, so teams should go for the player with one or two NFL traits who could turn out to be a massive steal.
Here is my list of boom or bust players that may get drafted in the 2021 NFL Draft.
1.Zach Wilson, QB, BYU: Wilson will blow you away with the kinds of throws you’d expect from an All-Pro NFL quarterback (good tape brings Aaron Rodgers to mind) but there are a few outliers that trouble me.
Wilson’s pocket presence is a concern, because he tends to bail. He needs to better identify pre-snap pressure.
With a lack of competition this season Wilsons completion percentage jumped 11 points. Finally, he is being drafted by the Jets. Wilson does not have the body type, accuracy, and support cast. He has BUST written all over him.
- Marvin Wilson, DL, Florida State: Wilson played with quickness and explosiveness in 2019, but in 2020 he added weight and played slow and uninterested.
Wilson went from a late first, early second round pick to a day three flyer. I say the buyer beware of a BUST.
- Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia:On the field, Campbell looks like an NFL boundary corner. At 6’1” 193 pounds and runs a 4.45 40, he has all the traits NFL teams drool over. However, with these traits, Campbell should have more in-game ball production.
He had 10 pass breakups and just one interception in college. The former five star is susceptible to losing contested 50-50 balls (watch the Florida/Georgia tape).
NFL quarterbacks will test him and I believe a challenging and rocky career will BUST.
- Monty Rice, LB, Georgia: Rice isn’t going to blow teams away with his speed or quickness, but he is a smart and savvy linebacker that just makes plays.
As a classic middle linebacker with a nonstop motor, he is fundamentally sound and more importantly, Rice’s instincts and leadership skills will be welcomed in any locker room.
As a late second day or early third day draftee, Rice will excel on defense and special teams. Rice looks like the type to deliver the BOOM.
- Aaron Robinson, CB, UCF: Robinson is a quick footed, urgent athlete with excellent turn and run skills to stay in phase versus speedy receivers.
He has solid ball production with 20 passes defended in the last two seasons. One scout stated, “scrappy run defender and a dog in coverage.” After weighing some good with some bad, I see Robinson as a BOOM.
- Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami:Rousseau put up video game numbers with 19.5 tackles for loss, 15.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles in 13 games.
Rousseau is the opposite of Jayson Oweh of Penn State, he is very productive where Oweh is very active.
At 6’5” 260 pounds, he seems pro ready but his limited experience makes him an unignorable risk. I’m still calling BOOM.
- Richard LeCounte, S, Georgia:I know Bulldog fans are thinking I picked on their team, but LeCounte was the player I just kept watching.
I know he doesn’t have NFL size or speed, but he is a solid football player who was ultra productive at Georgia.
He had 61 tackles, 3 passes defended and 2 forced fumbles, while providing a strict no fly zone on deep passes. I think LaCounte is a disruptive force that will make an impact an NFL roster. Bulldog fans should look out for this BOOM
Throughout NFL history there have been HOF-ers drafted in the mid to late rounds of the draft, and this year may produce one or more of those.
Great players are often backups for a few seasons before earning a starting role and excelling. When all is said and done, the truth is definitive: The NFL is a big crapshoot!
AFC South Draft Preview
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2021 NFL Draft is later this week. Let’s take a look around the AFC South to see who will be drafted in the first round.
Jacksonville: The Jaguars (1-15) earned the top pick but they also have the 25th pick.
With a record that bad they clearly need help at several positions. Legendary college coach Urban Meyer came out of retirement and was hired as head coach.
We know Clemson Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is going to be the first pick in the draft. He has all of the measurables, standing 6’6 and 220 pounds. He has high football IQ and a strong arm. He has basically every accolade you can get as a college player except for the Heisman Trophy.
He’s a national champion and led his team to the College Football Playoff in the three seasons he played. The last quarterback prospect I can think of that was clearly the top prospect like this was Andrew Luck. I expect him to be very successful in the NFL.
With the 25th pick. I think a difference maker at wide receiver is what they will get to pair with Lawrence.
Purdue receiver Rondale Moore fits that mold. Purdue only played four games last season and Moore played three of them.
He had 35 catches and 270 yards.
His best statistical season was as a freshman in 2018. He had 114 catches, 1,258 yards and 12 TD’s.
He ran a 4.33 40 at his pro day so he’s very fast.
Florida receiver Kadarius Toney is also another possible selection. In 11 games he had 70 receptions, 984 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Indianapolis: The Colts (11-5) are a very solid team. Philip Rivers played his only season in Indy last year and led the team to the playoffs before he retired.
Now they have Carson Wentz as the signal caller. The Colts have the 21st pick so they can go in several directions depending on the players still available.
Ole Miss wide receiver Elijah Moore would be a good pick. In 8 games last season he had 86 receptions, 1,193 yards and 8 touchdowns. He ran a 4.34 40-yard dash at his pro day. He reminds me of Tyreek Hill and Indy could use a playmaker at wide receiver.
Miami edge rusher Jaelan Phillips might be another possibility. He’s 6’5, 266 pounds so he has ideal size for the position. In 2020 he had 45 total tackles and 8 sacks.
Tennessee: The Titans (11-5) won the division last season. They advanced to the AFC Championship game in 2019. I think this team is a serious championship contender.
Oklahoma State tackle Teven Jenkins would be a good pick to strengthen the offensive line. We know Tennessee loves to run the ball with Derrick Henry, so this makes sense. He was First Team All-Big 12 in 2020.
At 6’6 and 320 pounds he looks the part. He’s very physical and aggressive.
Virginia Tech corner back Caleb Farley might also be a possibility. He opted out of the 2020 season because of COVID-19 concerns. He recently had back surgery, which is something to consider. In 2019 he had 20 tackles, 12 pass deflections and 4 interceptions.
The Houston Texans (4-12) do not have a first-round pick. I’m looking forward to the draft to see how teams will address their needs.
