2023 NFL Draft Thread

[Mdot21]

Anthony Richardson sets QB record for vertical jump and long jump.
But that's not the biggest WOW:
He tied for the 4th-fasted 40 time.....@ 244 lbs.
The other 4 QB's weights that ran as fast or faster:  198, 223, 200, 199.
.
Soooooo he runs an official 4.43, can leap out of the building, is built like a shit brickhouse....and can throw the ball 80+ yards. 
That damn 6-yard slant route, though......

if only QB's didn't have to speed read defenses and make split second good decisions on the fly and throw the ball accurately consistently....this dude would be something.

I'd draft him in like the 5th or 6th rd and move him to RB or Flex TE if I was an NFL GM. Worth a shot. 

[Mdot21]

in what everyone already knew already anyway...Bryce Young isn't the 6 ft Bama lists him at. Checks in at the combine at 5'10". Why do these schools insist on listing BS heights and weights on their official rosters lol? CJ Stroud checked in at 6'3". I think Stroud is going to be the first QB taken off the board.

[FearlessF]

CJ would be my first pick

be a great replacement for Kirk Cousins

[FearlessF]

Dude is a freak of nature. Think he's going to be the next Gronk if he gets with a legit QB. Most of the celebrated TE's in the NFL over the last 25 years can't block for sh&t and are just glorified flex WRs. Gronk was a unicorn in that he was an absolutely dominant receiver AND blocker. Washington has that same type of potential to be a devastating, dominating blocker and an unguardable pass catcher.

the next great Left Tackle

[OrangeAfroMan]

Damn, MSU is one 4* TE recruit away from being the funny part of this video


https://twitter.com/jontweetssports/status/1632174794551570436?t=WdeR8rT5KLZ4XA3RVfK5KQ&s=19

To be fair, his technique is garbage.  The other TEs are using quick, choppy steps because that's how you're supposed to do it. 
Washington's big, slow steps, while impressive, are not how you're taught to block. 
.
When a defender tries to do a move, you want to have your next step/touching the ground immediately to take advantage.  You don't want to be waiting for your next step to happen, you lose any advantage you may have had.
.
The 2nd guy is how it "should" look, but he should have had a flatter back, to avoid raising the sled too high.
Mayer, the last guy, just lacks strength. 
So while Washington is probably big and strong enough to get away with imperfect technique....there's a reason he was UGA's backup TE.

[MrNubbz]

yep. kinda crazy how NFL teams draft dudes way higher than they should just based off of workouts in t-shirts and shorts or downgrade a player just bc of a bad workout. and they never seem to learn their lesson.

As Jimmy Johnston used to tell all the so called talent gurus that would be slobbering over the freakish numbers repeatedly -
Jimmy did you see his 40 times                           "Ya but can he play"
Jimmy did you see his long jump                        "Ya but can he play"
Jimmy did you see his multiple bench presses           "Ya but can he play"
Jimmy did you see his high jump                             "Ya but can he play"
Jimmy did you see his obstacle course time              "Ya but can he play"
Jimmy did you see his  Wonderlic Score                 "Ya but can he play"

"Ya but can he play"

[FearlessF]

So while Washington is probably big and strong enough to get away with imperfect technique....there's a reason he was UGA's backup TE.

could be his wonderlic assessment

[OrangeAfroMan]

I tend to think it's probably because freak athletes like him can dominate certain levels of play w/o being fundamentally great and also because their starting TE is one of the 5 best players in the country.

[Cincydawg]

So while Washington is probably big and strong enough to get away with imperfect technique....there's a reason he was UGA's backup TE.

He played a lot of downs, and there is another reason he was not their Number One TE.  

He was played as a major matchup problem more than as a target.

[Cincydawg]

Every year, we see athletes with superb "measureables" who don't pan out.  And I notice often folks around here know it ahead of time.

They are akin to a pitcher with a 98 mph fastball and no control.

[MrNubbz]

Sid Finch

[CatsbyAZ]

I think some jackwagon on CBSsports has Richardson going #1.  I'm SURE it's for clicks/eyeballs, but still.
The kid is basically a superman, but he ain't hitting that 6-yard slant route. 

The combine is only driving Richardson’s hype higher. Weird how I can watch as many Gators games as I do and never once find anything in Richardson’s play that translates to potential success in the NFL. Leave it to one dumb GM to spend a high draft pick on Richardson anyway. We talked in another thread on how ADs time and time again get away with very costly contract extensions which quite often seem more about serving hype than positioning the program for better results.

I’m always surprised to see GMs similarly serve hype rather than process through the layers of context around college prospects as part of making a careful decision. For instance, when it comes to drafting QBs, was the prospect an accurate passer? If NO, move on. If yes, than was the offense overhauled to raise accuracy? Keep in mind Tebow threw for a 67% college accuracy with an offense was redesigned around his blind spots. If not, and the prospect kept his numbers high regardless of what went on around him, that’s a QB for whom I’d like to study more game tape, interview, workout, etc. Deshaun Watson is an example where the game tape puts his combine numbers to rest.

The GMs that won’t/can’t do this really stand out as individuals holding jobs they are in no way qualified for. And across the working world there are A LOT of individuals working positions well beyond their capacity.

[MrNubbz]

I've stated before this forum could come up with an impressive player personnel/talent evaluation here as we follow the collegiate game. Here we watched Bill Bellichik when he was with the Browns pull the most ignorant picks one could imagine. They all seemed to be projects that he thought he could develop. The guys cornbread isn't done all the way thru,good Xs & Os guy though

[bayareabadger]

So while Washington is probably big and strong enough to get away with imperfect technique....there's a reason he was UGA's backup TE.

Because the guy playing ahead of him is extremely excellent?