Realistically, which players do you think will get drafted, or at least have a very good chance of getting drafted in the first round at some point?
For me, I think we have three. Fuller is a sure thing barring injury. But, I think that Hodges has the talent and with a big season like we expect from him, he could get his stock up in a hurry. The last one is Teller. A lot of people are big on this guy and when you see him pancake a player, it is easy to tell why. Those are the only three that I think will get drafted first round.
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Facyson had a real shot pre-injury, if he continued improving on his fundamentals. Might have even had a higher ceiling than Fuller (I think he is more explosive and has better ball skills).
Post-injury... I'll have to wait and see how he looks.
I think besides the ones you have mentioned, the following MIGHT be able to make it depending on how their careers either finish or continue to grow.
Obviously they would need BIG and I mean big years but Dadi and Maddy.
I think that I. Ford could have the chance. A lot of things go into this, mainly that we have a quarterback that can consistently get him the ball.
If Trey Edmunds had gotten the opportunity to be an every down work horse, I think he has the potential to put up big numbers. His injury probably cost him the opportunity though.
Trey was never going to be a first round pick. Rbs have to be All-American level to get taken in the first. Trey never had that potential
Completely disagree, he certainly had the physical tools of a first round RB.
He probably wouldn't have gotten the touches in Shane's rotation needed to be All-American, and forget running behind that line his freshman year...
But people forget how good he looked towards the end of his freshman year. If he was playing at Wisconsin or Alabama for four years, he had the speed, power, and was learning the vision necessary to get there. With the injury, the number of RB's on the roster, and Shane/Loeffler's aversion to using a work horse back it's out of the question for now.
Sorry, but this is delusion.
There hasn't been a RB selected in the 1st round since David Wilson in 2011. It's questionable whether there will be one this year (Gurley and Gordon from Wisc are the only possibles IMO).
I like Trey Edmunds a lot and have said he's the best all-around back at VT for 3 years now. But Trey Edmunds was not going to be, is not currently, and will not next year be a 1st round draft pick.
EDIT: David Wilson was the last RB selected in the first round, but that was 2012, not 2011.
Fair enough, I hadn't taken into consideration the RB draft trend.
Yep... You could realistically take the top 10-20 RBs in college football and shake them up in jar, and more than likely get the same result no matter which one you pull out. NFL teams are very hesitant these days to spend a first round pick on an RB, when you can get the same bang for your draft day buck in the 2nd to 4th rounds.
Of course, this is all tossed out when the next Adrian Peterson or Barry Sanders walks through the door.
But AP/Sanders...Todd Gurley ain't.
Trey, love him to death, wouldn't have gone anywhere near the first round.
I love Trey Edmunds, but no NFL team should ever draft a running back in the first round regardless of how good they are. It is a low value position now.
NFL teams aren't high on drafting RB's in the first round. Teams now know they can get their RB in later rounds that fit their scheme. Edmunds might have the tools to be a starter or first round pick, but teams won't draft him that high
How good he looked at the end of freshman year??? LOL. Are you kidding me...he certainly improved but you really need to take off your O&M goggles. One of the most ridiculous statements I've ever read on this board. Compare Edmunds' RS-Fr stats to those of a True-Fr Chubb (potential 1st rounder)......they aren't comparable. Yes everyone has potential to improve, but you need to be at least a little realistic here...
http://espn.go.com/college-football/player/gamelog/_/id/530531/year/2013...
Top 5 kindest reply in TKP history.
Lots of heat for that one. Take this:
When trying to tactfully walk back an opinion on TKP...
I think I got here just a little late. I'm out of the loop.
Mason, were you being mean again?
Agreed. RB completely devalued in NFL now, only 1-2 guys a year in 1st round, you have to be the elite of the elite.
I don't think we'll see very many tailbacks in the first round in the future. Their career length is usually too short and most teams are playing 2 or 3 to reduce wear and tear. There might be 1, on a really good year 2, that go in the first round, but in 2014, the first RB didn't come off the board until late in the 2nd round (Pick #54) and Andre Williams who had the 5th best season all time in his senior year at BC didn't come off the board until the 4th round.
What kind of a season would Dadi need? Teams love pass rushers, but not sure they like his size
Lacks the size, IMO. Will probably be drafted by a team looking at him playing either DE or OLB, making him more if a project, meaning later than first round.
Gahh, I'm so sick of hearing lack of size as an excuse for Hokie linemen not going higher in the draft. No hate towards you because you are probably correct, but my gosh it's just growing old.
It's true though, dem NFL Olinemen are big boys.
Its just because we pick up guys that fit are system which usually means smaller because they need to have speed. You're right though it would be nice to see our guys get some love regardless of body type.
Right they are smaller for college DEs but if they're so fast you'd think a few more would be able to convert to NFL OLBs like tons of players do
Jason Worilds made the transition pretty well.
Right just him though. I guess we'll see how Dadi ends up
While blazing fast for college DEs, a lot of them don't have NFL speed for an OLB.
Dadi, however, probably does.
It isn't his speed thats the problem, its his weight. Even the fastest OLB I've seen in a long time Von Miller was 245 coming out of college, at an inch shorter
And there's the rub. I think Dadi has the frame to add ten good pounds, but I don't think he can without losing a step (or he already would have gained it.) So if he does that, will he still be OLB fast?
The same issues a system offense has putting guys in the League, we have putting certain defensive positions.
He can afford to lose a few steps. There are plenty of OLBs that aren't pure speed guys. He can't afford to not put on weight
You think so? I dunno. Dadi's game is pretty centered around explosiveness off the ball. I could see losing a step really snagging him up. Complicated by the fact that he is basically a Charlie Wiles product. He basically knows how to play his position the way Wiles had molded him. He wasn't a well rounded football player coming in.
Not to be hypercritical of him. This conversation just illustrates the issues in play concerning drafting him.
That's true, I guess I don't know how he would adjust if he had to play less of a speed game. Either way he needs 10 lbs
I would draft Nicholas just on logo value alone.
"Who's your Dadi?" would do well on a shirt or a towel.
Yeah, but he got BIG at Pittsburgh.
Does anyone think he would transition to OLB or a Leo like in the Seattle defensive? Maybe have a career like Worilds
He definitely fits the worilds style and he said he was open to it so I believe he would make the transition.
Good point, I could definitely see him playing the roll of players like Bruce Irvin or Von Miller.
I have no idea, but I wouldn't be surprised if this is the last year we see both Kendall and Bucky in maroon and orange
Battle of Bristol is a HUGE calling card if you are not a lock to go in rounds 1 or 2.
Fuller might not want to leave money on the table, but Bucky could use some polish IF Coach L starts to make him a focal point and feed him the rock.
I wouldn't be surprised if Bucky left, but in order to be a first round pick I think he'll need another year of experience to have the type of game on the outside NFL team's are looking for.
Leaving as a redshirt sophomore would be highly unusual unless you are a first rounder. I don't think Bucky will get there this season
If Shai can come back and do the right things (on and off the field). He certainly has all the natural ability
Two ACL's and a sex crime charge? Even if that is dropped, he's not gonna be a first round pick. He may get drafted if he can stay healthy but probably after round 3 at least.
Shai is talented, but if this is about what players and NFL GM would use a first round pick on, I'm leaning towards the reasons listed above
1) RBs are interchangable these days. Teams are willing to use a mix of 2 or 3 players at the position and drop those that become too expensive for cheaper parts
2) Shai has knees made out of paper mache. Not sure teams are looking at that as a track record of durability
Kendall should almost be a lock with another All-ACC year. Bucky has work to do but has the potential. We also forget that Maddy thought about leaving after his junior year and would have been a 2nd- or 3rd-round pick then. Lastly, Dadi and Ekanem are long shots but both should at least get drafted by day two.
I'd bet Teller doesn't go in the first. Usually only 1 guard per year is taken in the first. Not great odds.
I'd say that Kendall is the only lock. Bucky will be if he polishes up. I think Maddy is the third most likely if he has a very explosive return. Dadi is not quite the size that is looked for even as a rushing OLB. Facyson is a wild card with that injury, but the nfl is loving bigger corners now
I could see possibly all 3. If I were a betting man, I would say only Kendall.
Maddy, Dadi, Kendal, Facyson (if he repeats his freshman year), Teller, and Bucky.
Realistically, almost none 1st round. Top 32 in country, for that year, and usually 6 offensive tackles, 4 quarterbacks, 8 defensive tackles, 6 cornerback/safety, and 1-2 at every other position. MAYBE Kendall depending on who else comes out that year and what he runs at the combine. Realistically speaking.
4 quarterbacks is a little high isn't it? I feel like that many getting picked in the first only happens if there are a good pool of them that year.
Based on the last 5 years of the Draft not so much. Here is the total number of 1st round picks per position over 5 years
Based on that the average to expect for this year would be
Also of note
A record 98 underclassmen announced their intention declare themselves in the draft following the 2014 season. Plus four players who received degrees but still had eligibility remaining, up to 102. 15 of them were selected in the draft's first round,
2010 NFL Draft had 53 non-seniors
Kendall's a lock barring major injury. Top corners are a commodity, and he's one of the best in the nation from a school that puts defensive backs in the league. Considering Kyle went mid 1st and Kendall has a higher ceiling, I'd say it's a safe bet.
Anyone else, I'd have to put on some maroon glasses, but it's possible.
Agreed. Kendall for sure, Hodges has the potential, Teller if he pans out there.
Sam Rogers will go in the 0th.
Sam Rogers is already in the league, but Goodell is allowing him to play out his eligibility because he's Sam Rogers.
To be a first round pick, you have to be the best at your position (or maybe top 2-3 depending on position) in not just your class, but perhaps a couple of classes.
So I say one...Fuller. With a few others probably 2nd rounders.
I know this is heresy around these parts, but I don't think Hodges is going to be a 1st round TE. It's been almost 10 years since more than one TE was taken in the 1st round and a few have had none. If you're an NFL team...is he an average sized TE with speed when his hand is on the ground or huge, but relatively slow, slot receiver?
I think Teller could become a top 3 guard, but guards are perhaps the least valuable position in football (except maybe RBs). You see maybe one in the 1st round and usually mid 1st round at that.
Nicholas and Maddy are probably 2nd or 3rd round picks.
Neither Ford nor Phillips, while likely draftable, are 1st rd talents
Facyson -- good as he looked -- was probably not a 1st round pick even before the injury. Teams get nervous about 6'3" CBs (even though there are some very, very good ones).
Nijman could ultimately become that kind of talent, but it is WAY too early to even remotely make that kind of projection.
None of the current RBs have an elite skill/attribute and it takes that (and probably more) to be a 1st round RB. I'd guess that there isn't even a 2nd or 3rd round RB on the team currently.
Agree with basically everything, but
Corner backs are trending bigger nowadays, teams are more likely to take a risk on a tall corner than a small one. Facyson certainly had a long ways to go to be a 1st round pick, but he had the physical traits and the ball skills that they are looking for from corners in the first round.
If we're talking about just the baseline physical requirements of being a 1st round pick, we're talking Fuller, Facyson (pre injury), Bucky, Teller... and that's probably it. Nijman maybe because of his length and build, but he has to add a lot of weight and show some more foot quickness.
Dwayne Lawson could also end up with the physical requirements for a 1st round QB, but he has to put on weight.
Of the 12 CBs taken in the 1st round of the last 3 drafts, the tallest was 6'1 5/8". Only 3 were taller than 6'1". The majority were under 6'0". My gut tells me that GMs/coaches love tall corners, but they are difficult to project and that makes them a riskier proposition and drops their draft status. I'm sure they'd take a tall, can't miss CB in the 1st, but I don't think Facyson was/is in that category.
Agree on Lawson. Someone above mentioned Settle. I forgot about him, but it's certainly within the realm of possibility that he could be a 1st round pick. But that's total speculation right now (for Settle and Lawson).
Don't admit that. Just claim that you intentionally left him off because he's not enrolled yet.
How many of those corners were taken because they were shorter and how many because they were simply the best corner? I suspect the latter...
I can't really recall any excellent tall corners who inexplicably fell in the draft or who had height as a knock on them.
I can't say you're wrong.
But you can flip that and ask can you recall any really tall corners who rose in the draft or their height was considered a plus? Or were those 5'11' corners simply better because it's almost impossible to play corner in the NFL at 6'2"+.
CB heights are increasing, but a 6'1" is still a very tall CB. A 6'2"+ CB is like a 6'7" DT or a 6'10" OT. It can be done, but it's very risky to draft them high and NFL teams are not risk takers by nature. They have prototypical sizes they are looking for because humans on the ends of the bell curves generally have a much more difficult time doing the things they need to do at that position. And teams aren't in the business of drafting a guy in the 1st round who might be a CB or might be a safety -- or neither. 4th or 5th round? Sure. But not first round.
Bottom line...IMO, if extreme height in a corner isn't a question mark -- especially when teams would kill for a true 6'2"+ corner to cover 6'5" receivers -- they'd be getting picked in the first round in the draft.
I still think you need to be an absolute can't miss CB to get drafted in the first at 6'2"+. And IMO, while Brandon Facyson has NFL ability, he was/is not a can't miss prospect.
Fair enough. I just don't think that height would preclude GMs from looking at a CB like at other positions (say an exceptionally short or tall DT).
Obviously he's not a can't miss prospect (considering he's been injured for a year) but I think he had the potential to develop into one.
I think you are drawing a false conclusion, that GM's don't want to draft 6'3 because they don't think that corners that tall can play the position. In reality, if a corner is going to be drafted in the first round they have to already have that skill set. Kyle Fuller wasn't drafted that high because the Bears thought that "maybe one day" he would have the necessary quickness/agility to be a star, they drafted him that high because they knew he already had the required physical attributes and believed he could learn their defense/techniques to be a star.
NFL GM's aren't drafting 6'3 corners because most of them don't show the hips required to be NFL stars while in college. If a 6'3 corner came along that had the film from college showing he had the physical traits, it's not like GM's think those traits are going to disappear as soon as they get their first NFL check. It's a matter of hitting a basic athletic threshold, most tall corners don't hit it.
Keeping that in mind, the debate shouldn't be "Is Facyson too tall to be drafted in the first round", rather it should be "Is Facyson too tall to have the athletic traits needed to be drafted in the first round"... to answer that question we have to consult the game film. IMO, he had those traits... although I understand if someone disagrees with my assessment. Moving forward, I'd have to see how he recovers from his injury.
I think the term can't miss prospect, he was using interchangeably with first round pick. As in first round picks are can't miss starters on NFL teams from Day 1, not necessarily a third round guy you expect to make the team and challenge to start, but is not a can't miss talent.
Exactly (I think). I'm not saying they won't draft a very tall corner (in fact I'd probably argue they'd be more willing to take a tall corner in the middle/low rounds), but they'll hesitate enough to drop a guy out of the first unless he's like a clear top 5 type athlete.
I thought Facyson had some tendencies as frosh that -- combined with his height -- could scare the hell out of GMs looking for a CB in the 1st round as the shiny new franchise toy.
Don't get me wrong...assuming he can come back strong for injuries...he could be a 2nd to 4th rounder that ends up playing like a 1st rounder. I just think his height will put enough doubt into the minds of GMs to pass on him early.
There were a lot of games their freshman year where Facyson was hands down the better corner than Kendall.
I would say that there were a lot of games their freshman year, before Kyle was injured, when Gray and Foster were able to let Facyson play more aggressively because Kendall was on the same side of the field. In the First 7 games, during which Kyle played, Facyson had 4 interceptions and 5 passes defended, while Kendall had 2 interceptions and 4 passes defended. After Kyle was out of action, Facyson had 1 int and 3 passes defended, while Kendall had 4 interceptions and 6 passes defended. The second set of stats are skewed a little because Facyson may have missed 2 games. (I don't remember him missing any time to injury, but there were two games that he doesn't have any stats for. Those games do coincide with the 3 games that Exum Island was available in 2013 though, so that could be part of it). His Freshman year, Facyson was at his best when he had a big cushion and used his reaction time and quickness to break on routes in front of him.
Sources:
http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/kendall-fuller-1/gamelog/2013/
http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/brandon-facyson-1/gamelog/2013/
http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/kyle-fuller-1/gamelog/2013/
http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/antone-exum-1/gamelog/2013/
Who had more tackles?
Are you sure about the passes defended stats? I seem to recall Kendall having more passes broken-up and passes defended than Facyson at the mid-point of the season.
IIRC, I believe Facyson got injured fairly early in the UVa game -- and I think he missed a game in the middle of the season somewhere.
For the season Facyson had 25 total tackles, 19 solo/6 assited and Fuller had 56 total, 36 solo/20 assisted. The passes defended stats came straight from the links in the post and the games Facyson didn't have stats for were BC and Duke.
I disagree. He had more interceptions, but I thought Kendall was more versatile and better at every other stat and non-stat. [EDIT: My mistake...I just remembered it was Kyle that had the better pass break-up and defended stats. Kendall was indeed slightly behind Facyson in these stats]
I said the same at the time when he was named a mid-season All-American and KYLE Fuller wasn't. That's not to say he wasn't very good, but he wasn't as good as Kyle or Kendall.
Averaged sized at 6'13"? You cray cray!
I think that once Settle gets coached up, he has the most potential as any VT defensive player ever not named Bruce Smith. Bud hasn't had a talent like him on the DL for a long time.
Right now, I agree that Fuller, Hodges, and Teller are the best bets. Dadi could sneak in with a monster senior season and if Facyson regains his old form than he could sneak in as well. I think that Ekanem is 2nd-4th round prospect.
Realistic answer: Kendall and Bucky.
Rose colored glasses answer: Wyatt Teller and a completely healed Facyson.
Fukler, Teller, Hodges. Ford is a sleeper if he grows into his frame without losing his ability to get separation. Facsyon and Phillips have the upside to be first day guys along with Maddy (as a DE to a 3-4 team) and Dadi (3-4 OLB). I can't comment on the early enrollees without seeing them live yet.
I'm not sure Ford has the speed to be a 1st rounder. I think he has the ceiling of a good 2 WR, but if a team goes for a Wide Receiver in the first round they normally want a prototypical home run guy. Same with Phillips.
Ford could be a really solid possession receiver in the NFL. He reminds me a little bit of Jerricho Cotchery, and that is a good thing.
Absolutely.
If only Matt Millen were still the Lions GM...
I hear Isaiah Ford could be a first round talent in the NBA draft in the coming years! #sources #sike #icouldntresist
I think just Kendall and maybe Bucky. Dadi, Maddy, and Ekanem are probably round 2-4 type guys depending on their seasons' and combines. Would take a fantastic combine to get Dadi or Maddy in the first round. We might see someone take a chance on Marshall in the later rounds. As for Teller, it's just really hard for a guard to get into the first round, as good as he is/will be.
I'll wait on Facyson.
I think this is all on the nose. Getting taken in the first round isn't easy
With the first pick of the 2016 NFL Draft we pick Sam Rogers because we are too damn afraid not to take him.
You, sir, have moxy.
Rogers, of course, will be our first zero round pick. He'll simply appear on the depth chart of the team of his choosing the night before the draft. The coach won't question it for fear of his soul.
Dadi's athletic ability and potential might get him a 18-32 pick. Maddy, Fuller, Fayscon, (I assume he's going to be good to go unless otherwise told), Bucky in two years.
Hopefully the overall increase in talent, cohesion, and experience will make everybody shine.
Dwayne Lawson.
Besides Fuller, he probably is the only one with that level of potential.
As much as I love our D-line, I really don't see one drafted above the 4th round. Settle maybe, if he develops. Maddy and Dadi are undersized. Ekenam probably has the most realistic shot, but I don't know if he's 3rd or better talent. If you had Ekenam's size combined with Dadi's talent, you're talking 2nd round, potential 1st round.
VT has always turned coal into diamonds on the defensive side. However, besides some DBs, VT has not had many high draft picks on the defensive side. Corey Moore is the most honored and accoladed defensive player in VT history. He was drafted in the 3rd round.
Bruce Smith was a number one pick
Meant to add the word recently... But yea, B Smith was pretty good.
Maddy isn't terribly undersized, but I think you're right that the combine will be huge for Dadi and Maddy.
IMO Ekanem can be a 2nd round talent if he keeps producing the way he has and keeps his explosiveness with a couple more pounds. Look at the draft stock of Power 5 defensive ends with similar stats last year- he's in good company.
I'd be willing to bet that one or two of those d-line guys go above the 4th round, provided they stay healthy.
Sorry to have to disagree strongly, but let us examine the stats:
Consensus All-American
Outland Trophy winner
The first pick in the 1985 NFL draft
46 career sacks while at VT
CFB Hall of Fame
I won't even bother to touch on his pro career.
Very few schools in CFB can boast of any defensive player with Bruce's accomplishments. Bruce was a Beast. Watching him terrorize OL's was pure joy. Corey was awesome, but Bruce was one for the ages.
Hasn't played a down of college football yet, hasn't even enrolled in school yet. I mean come on man.
An yet, I stand by my comment wholeheartedly. That motherfucker can ball.
He can ball in high school, but all our athletes could too.
** Cut to Ford and Durkin nodding glumly**
Fuller and Bucky if he stays a few more years. Other than that, nothing close on the radar right now.
3
I don't claim to pay enough attention to the NFL or the draft to have any idea of how said draft works, but I just finished up this upcoming season on NCAA and had 14 draft picks, 12 in the first round. So yeah, I'd say about 10 first rounders would be reasonable.
you know...this seems legit. Very sound logic. Leg...
Unless someone has a MONSTER season, outside of Fuller, Teller, and Bucky, no one will be drafted in the first round
What Hokie team has had the most 1st rounders at one time?
2004 draft, with 2 - DHall and Kevin Jones.
http://www.hokiesports.com/football/draft/
The 2011 Hokies squad also had two first rounders on it. David Wilson in the 2012 draft and Kyle Fuller in the 2014 draft.
Duane Brown also on the 2004 team.
2004 draft would have been 2003 team.
He was on the team in 2003 with KJ and Hall. That was his Freshman season. He redshirted but he was on the team.
I mistyped 2004 after reading 2004 Draft in the previous post.
Actually you're not even an asshole.
Outstanding deployment.
Definitely gotta look at the other DB's to really see if Kendall will be a first rounder...
Vernon Hargreaves - UF (will be first DB taken IMO)
Cameron Sutton - TENN
Tony Connor - Ole Miss
Zack Sanchez - Oklahoma
Eddie Jackson - Bama
Jalen Ramsey - FSU
All guys to be watching this upcoming year to see who may be competing with Fuller for a first round pick.
With all mentioned I do think Kendall will be 2nd or 3rd DB taken in the first round and 2016 is going to be a great year for DB's in the draft as last year and this years class of WR is amazing for the NFL = teams needing great DB's in the upcoming years.
Hard to see Bucky going first round, but definitely possible, to the right team.
And Teller going first round is going to be based completely off of how many lineman are taken before him. It worked out great for Duane Brown as 7 Offensive Tackles were taken before him in the first round, which led to him getting taken in the first round. But if he had been in the 2007 draft class, there were only 2 OT's taken in the first round so he could have been pushed back to a 2nd or 3rd round pick. Just goes to show you how much the draft runs by teams needs that year and value of each position group. But as someone mentioned before, much harder for guards to be taken in the first round compared to tackles.
So hard to predict the draft! But it is fun!
Brewer after he averages 4.8 TDs per game, 500 yards per game, with a FAINT of -11 on the season. He wins the Heisman and is the National Championship co-MVP (with Rogers). Later, I run into him downtown where we chat and drink some shiner bocks. We really hit it off and I get invited to draft day. Eventually we hear "with their first round pick the Dallas Cowboys select Michael Brewer." Then we both meet Jerry Jones who offers me free season tickets for life. I'm excited, but then Brewer supports the idea more by offering me funding to open up a smoke house. In the end, I eat brisket and watch as Brewer fades into the sunset, his trusty horse walker beneath him and his six shooter at his side, and the whole nation reflects on the 6 super bowls he won as a Dallas Cowboy.
And then I wake up.
Brian Williams, is that you? I was wondering how you were using your time off, welcome to TKP.
I'm just giving the people what they want.
I was with you until it was the cowboys... HTTR
Some people have told me that it is a character flaw, others have told me that I made them want to not hate the Cowboys. Regardless, it was a struggle moving to Maryland in middle school (from Indiana not Texas).
I'm a Skins fan who grew up in MD. Do you suffer from NBD Syndrome?
I suffer from a less severe case, RBD (Rarely Been to Dallas)
Admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery. Leg for your level of self awareness.
Is that a similar affliction to NBSB (Never been to South Bend) Syndrome and NBYS (Never been to Yankee Stadium) Syndrome?
Can't forget the NASCAR fans in the crowd, many suffering from NBWTFJGIF Syndrome (Never been to wherever the fuck Jeff Gordon is from).
To be fair I've been to both those places and dislike both those teams. I still cringe every time I hear the Notre Dame fight song after living near South Bend for about 10 years, and don't get me started on the people that say "we don't get treated fairly because we're not in a conference." THEN (FULLY) JOIN A DAMN CONFERENCE!
Leg for you and Brewer opening a smoke house.
Thanks, smoking meats is a hobby of mine that I've put some time into over the last couple of years. Although I'd like any hobby where the end result is getting to eat something delicious.
Fuller, Hodges. Teller and Facyson if he regains frosh form.
*looks up NCAA roster limitations*
85. There are 85 first rounders currently on this VT team.
and 31,000 potential first rounders on campus.
We're going to put 2001 Miami to shame
Also, you never quite know what the Patriots have up their sleeves, or the Seahawks. Both drafted DL in recent years that I hadn't even heard of, much less expected to go in the first round (Chandler Jones for NE, and...Bruce Irvin? in Sea).
Fuller and Hodges only. Fuller is a great corner (he'd probably be a top 5 corner if he left a year early), and Bucky is the prototypical tight end that NFL teams want now as a receiving threat: Tall, fast, hard to cover by DB's and LB's, although he isn't the best now, his potential is through the roof. If he becomes an Eric Ebron type TE that was at UNC, then he will definitely be a 1st rounder. But he could just as easily become a bust for us, depending on whether he can calm down off the field.
I honestly wonder if by the time he is ready to be drafted will Bucky be listed as a TE or a WR.
c. Jimmy Graham franchise tag, New Orleans Saints
He's not "currently" on the team, but I think Drew Harris could be something special in the next 15 years
He's saving his eligibility for when we really need him. I bet we see him on campus toting the rock next spring.
I see no reason to think Fayscon wouldnt return to his freshman form, and based on his playing ability I would think he is first round talent. If Fuller and he were to go together I imagine that could prove interesting.
With the new draft grades, I imagine Bucky stays, unless he goes Thor all over the field playing like a Norse God.
If Teller continues his development, I see no reason that a team wouldn't take a road grader in the first round. Seems like a great man, no trouble, good work ethic. Oh, and throws a pancake party better than Prince.
I would hope Ford. He seems to have the heart and mind of a winner. His comments after the Miami game, and how he has improved since being here, I don't see why he couldn't be a late first rounder given a few other circumstances.
To me, the d-line is a crap shoot. A lot of d lineman get taken every year.
There's some doubt as to whether he plays again, much less to form. He has missed A LOT of time and I haven't heard enough positive things said about "when" he returns...
Where does this doubt come from? I keep a pretty good pulse in tesn news, and I haven't heard anything extremely doubtful.
He was originally injured late 2013 about a year and a half ago. He had one day of spring practice in 2014 before being injured or reactivating. I think he played parts of three games and that was it for the year. He had a broken leg in December and had surgery.. He won't practice this spring. So yes I think there is doubt as to whether he plays again and not just whether he plays again up to his previous standards.
Also, the nature of the injury. It's the same leg continuously. He had a bone graft once to heal a stress fracture, but then it broke again anyway, so he had surgery in December, I think, a rod put in? The fact of all the problems from the same leg gives the doubt as to whether it will hold up. I hope he recovers fully.
Whether or not he plays again doesn't seem in doubt to me. Everything we've heard from Torrian is that he will be a full go in the summer. Being held out of the spring as a precaution/insurance to make sure he's fine. Whether he returns to form is indeed a good question, but publicly I've seen nothing from anyone that suggests he won't play again.