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How many Cats will be drafted?

DaCat

DaCat

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
25,787
2,220
113
Both Lowry and Vitale have been invited to the Combine on Feb. 23-29. Assuming both these guys get drafted, do we have anyone else who could get drafted?
 
DaCat

DaCat

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
25,787
2,220
113
Do you think a Henry, Mogus, or Frazier could make it as UFA's?
 
DaCat

DaCat

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
25,787
2,220
113
I guess this group is a typical Fitz graduating class: 1 or 2 draftees (0 in some years) with 3-4 UFA's invited to camp, and a couple sticking as practice squad players. Looking at the next crop of seniors, looks like only Matt Harris has a shot at being drafted, with guys like Odenigbo, Kuhar, Park, etc. needing monster seasons to even get on the radar. Barring anyone leaving early (Walker, Igwebuike) it will be more par for course on draft day next year. The glass half-full crowd will say that Fitz does more with less, while the half-empty crowd will lament that we can't develop players. We've talked about this before, but ironically it seems we had more Dark Age players drafted (early to mid-80's) than we do now.
 
F

footballphilreturns

Redshirt
Dec 12, 2015
72
39
0
DaCat said:
Unidentified Foreign Agent
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The former FBI agent in me kicked in, but then I realized this was a joke.

One or two drafted is typical. I do not know if it is development but it seems that all Fitz teams combine to play as a unit, and that is what matters. It is similar to how I use all of my muscles when dead lifting 700 pounds plus.


Phil
 
G

Gocatsgo2003

All-Conference
Mar 30, 2006
47,269
3,666
78
DaCat said:
I guess this group is a typical Fitz graduating class: 1 or 2 draftees (0 in some years) with 3-4 UFA's invited to camp, and a couple sticking as practice squad players. Looking at the next crop of seniors, looks like only Matt Harris has a shot at being drafted, with guys like Odenigbo, Kuhar, Park, etc. needing monster seasons to even get on the radar. Barring anyone leaving early (Walker, Igwebuike) it will be more par for course on draft day next year. The glass half-full crowd will say that Fitz does more with less, while the half-empty crowd will lament that we can't develop players. We've talked about this before, but ironically it seems we had more Dark Age players drafted (early to mid-80's) than we do now.
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If you restrict the pool to just next year's seniors, Harris is definitely the best bet to get drafted. He still has to show greater fluidity in man coverage, but he's got all the attributes to succeed as a core special teams player while providing secondary depth (a la Sherrick McManis, who's turned those attributes into a solid NFL career). Kuhar and Mertz might have a chance just because they're big dudes, but that's a stretch. Odenigbo has a TON of work to do to even get on the radar screen for NFL scouts.

Walker and Igwebuike are pretty easily the best pro prospects on the current roster. I don't know that we would see either guy leaving early (Walker doesn't have prototypical NFL size while Igwebuike is probably a half-step slow by NFL standards), but they should both definitely earn their fair share of NFL paychecks.

I wouldn't be entirely surprised if guys like Vault, Dickerson, Watkins, Jackson, or Lancaster get fringe looks, but they've got a ways to go in terms of production and/or physical development before that happens.
 
DaCat

DaCat

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
25,787
2,220
113
It seems that Lancaster has a high ceiling. Jackson may not be fast enough or big enough, but he definitely has been productive. He must have an amazingly elastic body, with all his carries that he has been relatively injury-free, knock on wood.
 
DaCat

DaCat

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
25,787
2,220
113
ColumbusCatFan1 said:
The NFL used to go 12 rounds in the 1980s. Maybe that has something to do with it?
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You are correct. But given the abysmal record on the field during the Dark Ages it still is amazing that we produced guys like Chris Hinton, Steve Tasker, John Kidd, Mike Guendling, Alex Moyer, etc. who were drafted or had successful pro careers. Given our relative success this past decade it still is puzzling how Fitz has done it without more NFL caliber talent.
 
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YesterdaysCat

Junior
Dec 7, 2015
1,470
270
0
DaCat said:
You are correct. But given the abysmal record on the field during the Dark Ages it still is amazing that we produced guys like Chris Hinton, Steve Tasker, John Kidd, Mike Guendling, Alex Moyer, etc. who were drafted or had successful pro careers. Given our relative success this past decade it still is puzzling how Fitz has done it without more NFL caliber talent.
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Those were good players, no doubt, but scouting for the draft has become much more sophisticated. Not only are there fewer rounds today (which means fewer picks) but you see guys drafted from all kinds of different programs and levels due to scouting services that the NFL teams use today. I think teams knew more about power conference players back in the 1970s and 80s--remember, back in the 1980s some teams used Joel Buchsbaum's reports and Lindy's and Street and Smith's preseason guides to pick players in later rounds--and Big Ten players felt like safer bets than NAIA and D-III players--not those guys were even known to most clubs--and that benefitted our players.
 
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S

Seattle_Cat

Freshman
Sep 8, 2003
5,278
65
0
FloridAlum said:
And therefore there are more free-agent signing's now. I think it is a lot cheaper and less risk for professional teams.
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It also better for the lesser rated players to be able to choose which team they want try out for. Otherwise they could end up as training camp fodder with little chance of making the team.
 
N

NURoseBowl

Junior
Jun 16, 2009
8,187
344
58
I spoke with one of the position coaches at the Signing Day event about the possibility of Deonte Gibson getting a late-round flyer, and he told me that he would likely end up in someone's camp.
 
DaCat

DaCat

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
25,787
2,220
113
I forgot about Deonte. He definitely improved in his senior year and should get signed as an UFA. Probably doesn't have the freak athleticism needed on the edge to stick though.
 
N

NURoseBowl

Junior
Jun 16, 2009
8,187
344
58
DaCat said:
I forgot about Deonte. He definitely improved in his senior year and should get signed as an UFA. Probably doesn't have the freak athleticism needed on the edge to stick though.
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That was pretty much the gist of what I was told.
 
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