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Post by devongent on Dec 3, 2022 2:58:32 GMT -7
I thought best to help you out Cardinalsins and launch another player position.
These 'non-skill' positions are always much harder to find good tape on, hence starting our searches at Center and Nose Tackle may not be the easiest/ best. However, both are very relevant as far as far as 'Cardinal need' are concerned, hence important studies.
I believe we need to look at Nose Tacke separate from DE (many sites lump them together), hence your Jalen Carter's of this world will not be considered here. So, I will be seeking out the 'big guys' (minimum 330 lbs) to provide us that immovable rock in the center. For myself the highest price I would countenance is in the third-round, but the good news is that that we have two such picks this time around. Do we spend one on a NT is the question? The likelihood is that all these players will not be getting at the Quarterback much and that, in my estimation, does place a ceiling on their value.
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Post by devongent on Dec 3, 2022 2:58:58 GMT -7
Prospect 1 - Siaki Ika, Baylor Bears Starting off with the 'Big Daddy' of them all, weighing in at 358 pounds and standing at 6' 4". An imposing presence for sure. Highlight footage - From 2018 - www.bing.com/videos/search?q=siaki+ika&&view=detail&mid=2B1934886F5867DDF2152B1934886F5867DDF215&&FORM=VDRVSRand recently from Baylor - www.bing.com/videos/search?q=siaki+ika&&view=detail&mid=E2F76C04A263CD354476E2F76C04A263CD354476&rvsmid=A014328F1A8C9B6A0611A014328F1A8C9B6A0611&FORM=VDRVRVLooking at a full game contribution gives a better understanding of his abilities and effectiveness. This recent example is against Oklahoma State. www.bing.com/videos/search?q=siaki+ika&&view=detail&mid=C1C13635C818CAAC0CBAC1C13635C818CAAC0CBA&&FORM=VDRVSRAnd then the reviews - pre-2023 season from profootballnetwork.com - www.profootballnetwork.com/siaki-ika-dt-baylor-nfl-draft-scouting-report-2023/and the draftnetwork thedraftnetwork.com/sr-prospect/siaki-ika-390892f6-a3a8-4f84-82b4-76ca9ea64c38/Take your own view on Siaki, do you think that his skill set will translate well into the NFL, or will he too be limited. It is noteworthy that the draftnetwork crew have placed a fourth-round grade on him, which is much lower than many a pundit. I think third round is a reasonable assessment. If the FO were keen, then our high-end third, or if not, there is still the outside possibly he could drop to #97 (our compensatory pick). Lastly, a snippet of an interview. He appears to be a straightforward honest guy, who will work hard and give of his best. www.bing.com/videos/search?q=siaki+ika&&view=detail&mid=A014328F1A8C9B6A0611A014328F1A8C9B6A0611&&FORM=VDRVSR
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Post by devongent on Dec 3, 2022 2:59:15 GMT -7
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Post by devongent on Dec 3, 2022 2:59:31 GMT -7
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Post by devongent on Dec 3, 2022 2:59:49 GMT -7
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Post by devongent on Dec 3, 2022 3:00:02 GMT -7
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Post by devongent on Dec 4, 2022 3:11:04 GMT -7
Details of Prospect 1 now added (see above) - Siaka Ika, Baylor Bears.
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Post by devongent on Dec 6, 2022 1:43:02 GMT -7
Heading out of the Super-Heavyweight category we are dropping down a class to the plain Heavyweight (for our purposes players who tip the scales between 320-350 pounds). We have three prime prospects, and these are listed, above, (numbered two to four) in 'weight order' rather than any particular personal preference/ expected draft order.
When considering draft prospects, I like to look at three aspects - 1) Reading reviews from respected draft organizations and also individual pundits. No doubt all forum readers will have their particular favorites (I indeed have mine), but the important thing to remember is to widen the search a little. If relying on any one or two sources, then you are in danger of arriving at a biased appraisal which will result in an over optimistic or pessimistic view of a player. 2) Watch some tape! Yes, seeing is really believing. I like to combine highlight tape (useful to see what a player is capable of, plus is often readily available) together with a player's summary tape from a game or two (giving a more rounded appraisal of that person's overall contribution and effort). Also, it's good to watch from more than one season to evaluate for sustained performance. 3) A good personal interview. I want to try (as much as possible) and gauge what drive the player has and what makes him tick. Personal attributes are an extremely important aspect to me although I admit that any assessment here is more of a 'feel' rather than any firm 'proof'.
With these Nose Tackles there is unfortunately a lack of coverage and with the exception of Siaki Ika there is currently insufficient material to provide you with a rounded proper appraisal. I will keep a look out over the coming weeks, and I will fill in the gaps as and when more becomes available.
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Post by devongent on Dec 7, 2022 2:00:57 GMT -7
Prospect 5, Keeanu Benton, details entered, above. (Video evidence will be added a later date when available).
I have broken my self-imposed rule on this one, Keeanu is 'below weight' (I was looking for 330 pounds minimum) and he doesn't fit my designated Super-Heavy weight (above 350lbs) or Heavyweight (320 - 350 lbs) class categories. However, from all I read he is touted to be a true Nose Tackle, hence working on the 'if it looks and sounds like a duck then it must be a duck' principle...
Keeanu is much lighter than the other four and by very much so in comparison to the top-three listed candidates. There appears a clear tradeoff between weight and power versus mobility and speed. Unlike some of the other guys Keeanu has potential three-down appeal and this has been highlighted in the Browns article (see above).
More to follow...
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Post by devongent on Dec 7, 2022 2:03:16 GMT -7
Initial conclusions, thoughts and musings -
TBC
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Post by FLCardinalFan on Dec 7, 2022 5:00:49 GMT -7
Initial conclusions, thoughts and musings - TBC Great Thread devongent, Here are some highlights for the forum of your prospects One thing I want to add in my looking at prospects is what level of competition are they facing. Leki Fotu is big but he did he face the stiff competition of players in the SEC, Big 12, PAC 12. Another player is Andy Isabella, there were too many much better players like Terry McLaurin in his draft. Isabella did not face top corners and got his stats because of that. Here is a comparison of Keeanu Benton of Wisconsin and Siaki Ika of Baylor. Skip the first few minutes of the jabbering. Keeanu Benton Highlights Siaki Ika .
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Post by devongent on Dec 7, 2022 16:21:38 GMT -7
A STORY...
I've attended a live boxing match once in my lifetime. Many, many years ago whilst at University a bout was arranged as centerpiece during RAG week (a means to raise some funds for charity and have fun along the way!). Two willing contents came forward and went into some serious training before the match-up.
I knew neither contestant. In one corner there was a big guy of Greek descent, whilst in the other was a man of Africa-Caribbean decent who was visibly smaller but well toned and muscled and really looked the part. Three round of three minutes each, and off went the first bell. It was evident within the first thirty seconds what we had here; the Greek guy was somewhat overweight and was in no-way a great boxer but he had a clear (I would guess) two stones weight advantage over his opponent. The Caribbean could box and move well and it was also clear that he was physically fitter. The contest, although brutal, was fascinating. Who would win I couldn't tell as we had completely unbalanced opponents, but this disparity made it, well balanced.
By the end of the first round the Greek was breathing hard and had taken a lot of hits. I felt a little sorry for him and wondered about his wellbeing. Apart from the blows he took I thought can he really keep this up for two further rounds? What struck me most was how long three minutes seemed, it must have been torture in there. The same pattern occurred Round 2 and the Caribbean was still moving and jabbing good. The Greek was mad with the hits he took, and was charging 'all in' to try and land a killer punch. He looked outclassed and was gasping for breath and his face was red and marked. He looked bad.
Round 3 came and the same. It got down to a minute left and I thought to myself, great both are going to survive and finish the contest. I felt good for the Greek, his pain would soon finish and he could hold up his head high with pride. He was certainly going to lose, but he had fought hard and given his all. Half a minute and the Greek was hardly moving, the guy was beat-up and tired. Twenty, fifteen seconds left and then a miracle happened. The Greek landed a big one and the Caribbean was down. He was down and out for sure and was on the canvas for two minutes or more. I worried for the Caribbean boxer, is he going to be okay...?
What's this (apparent) meaningless story of fight and adversity about, why bother wasting the time to post (and others to read). The answer is 'size and weight'. Despite the lack of fitness and technique he overcome the odds and prevailed. On this occasion maybe saved by 'a lucky shot', or perhaps his opponent became complacent when sensing certain victory. In the NFL the battle isn't quite as stark as in the boxing ring, but size and brute strength do matter.... a lot!
Thinking about the balance between varying Nose Tackle prospects just reminded me of this past event. It's hard to beat the big guy when the space around is small.
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Post by devongent on Dec 9, 2022 2:01:12 GMT -7
Here is a comparison of Keeanu Benton of Wisconsin and Siaki Ika of Baylor. Thanks for posting that FL; the discussion between the two guys was very interesting and many valid points made. I agree with Ryan Roberts at the end of the video and would place Siaka Ika in the 75 - 100 pick range. Our top third round pick could be required to secure his services or (at a push) our complementary pick #97 might just do. If you like Siaka and he is picked up earlier, say in the second round, then I would just think 'best look elsewhere'. There are two more heavyweights in the pack to consider, D'Vondre Sweat and Keondre Coburn (both from Texas Longhorns). Don't discount either of these two purely out of lack of information, I am keeping an open mind on each. One or both might be available #97 (or perhaps even lower down). - You have to remember these players are not going to sacking the QB much (hopefully creating pressure up the middle) and not every NFL Team out there will have NT on their shopping list. Mazi Smith remains my favorite NT prospect. He is the 'bridge prospect' (weighing in the middle between the heavier three and the 'sapling' that is Benton). I have uploaded a couple of reviews on Smith plus a couple of articles and his physical attributes. Mazi is super strong and has better agility that the heavier three. He is highly thought of in Michigan and (like it or not) they are a premier college organization. - I hope Mazi is still around early in Round 3 and, if so, I would say 'go get him!'. His recent arrest for carrying a weapon may bizarrely work in our favor (maybe teams will be put off investing a Round 2 pick on Smith). On our current roster we have Leki Fotu (weight 330 pounds/ 6' 5" height) and Rashard Lawrence (weight 308 pounds/ 6'2" height). In my opinion Lawrence is just too small to man the center as a true Nose Tackle and perhaps this is why he is often injured. To my mind Lawrence and Benton would be better suited at DT in a 4-3 formation and should we draft the latter then I would be happy to see them paired together down the middle in a 4-3 or 4-2-5 type of set up. Here ends my initial assessments for NT but I will keep looking out for informative reviews and video evidence (the latter is in short supply).
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Post by devongent on Dec 11, 2022 3:37:23 GMT -7
Update the player's profile, as follows -
1) Added video footage for Mazi Smith.
2) Keondre Coburn: some good articles and video coverage now placed. 'Snacks' comes across as a real good dude and I like the man. There is plenty here to be positive about and I think he may be a real option for us to consider for the third round.
3) T'Vondre Sweat: unfortunately, very little out there that I can find and share. That doesn't mean that T'Vondre is not a good prospect and I will keeping looking over the coming weeks and months. This man could well be flying under the radar within the press community, hence a potential bargain pick-up at the end of Round 3 (#97), or even in the middle rounds. - Don't mark him down because others are not looking his way!
So, for now that completes my odyssey of the Nose Tackle main prospects. There are some other 'names' out there that I had debated with myself whether to mention, but in the end thought it better to stick with the likely main prospects. As mentioned before I consider that an upgrade at NT for a 3rd-round selection (either pick to be considered) is achievable, and on a personal level I love watching these big fella's wrestle and smash away up-front.
I am prepared to research and present a similar type appraisal across the whole Defensive Line (from the light Edge rushers through to the bigger guys) as my contribution to the forum 2023 draft experience. In the past we have relied on one or two members putting in a large body of work (to give readers a great experience), which I feel is a bit unfair on these individuals. Perhaps they have enjoyed doing it, but I don't think that we all should just assume they are prepared to do so again to the same extent (we all have a life outside this forum). If you are not too keen on my own format style and presentation then I will stop here, as I am more than happy to give others a chance (Just let me know, I won't be offended!). Ultimately, the more that participate and contribute over the coming weeks and months the better. Your own views do matter!
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