Ken
Guest
Dear NFL: Play it safe, draft a Buckeye
Ken via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
(Image courtesy cleveland.com)
This year’s NFL Draft is nigh upon us. The Ohio State Buckeyes have quite a few players intending, and capable of playing at the NFL level. With so many players draft eligible, there are a few position groups represented; running back, defensive line, defensive back. wide receiver, offensive line, linebacker, tight end and quarterback.
Let’s take a look at the current hopefuls, their fore-bearers and their prospects. I selected a handful of fore-bearers at each position group; your mileage may vary.
Running Back
Hopeful: Ezekiel Elliott
Fore-bearers: John Brockington, Keith Byers, Eddie George, Archie Griffin, Pete Johnson, Jim Otis, Bo Scott, Robert Smith, Matt Snell.
Prospects: Those are tough acts to follow. His ancestors were small, fast, big, powerful. However, Zeke is multi-talented enough to easily slide into this pantheon.
Defensive Line
Hopefuls: Joey Bosa, Adolphus Washington
Fore-bearers: Rodney Bailey, Jim Houston, Eric Kumerow, Kenny Peterson, Ryan Pickett, Jay Richardson, Will Smith, Dan Wilkinson.
Prospects: Both Hopefuls bring a combination of strength, speed and quickness. they are probably versatile enough to find homes and, if not stellar careers, long (by NFL standards) careers.
Defensive Back
Hopefuls: Eli Apple, Vonn Bell, Tyvis Powell
Fore-bearers: Will Allen, Nate Clements, Kurt Coleman, Neal Colzie, Mike Doss, Chris Gamble, Shaun Gayle, Ray Griffin, Malcolm Jenkins,, Steve Luke, Donnie Nickey, Ahmed Plummer, Doug Plank, Mike Sensibaugh, Shawn Springs, Jack Tatum, Antoine Winfield.
Prospects: Let’s just say that if Eli, Vonn and Tyvis come close to having careers comparable to their fore-bearers, they would have terrific careers.
Wide Receiver
Hopefuls: Jalin Marshall, Braxton Miller, Michael Thomas
Fore-bearers: Brian Baschnagel, David Boston, Morris Bradshaw, Chris Carter, Joey Galloway, Ted Ginn Jr, Jeff Graham, Brian Hartline, Michael Jenkins, Dante Lavelli, Brian Stablein, Paul Warfield.
Prospects: This year’s mix incorporates a lot of the attributes of their fore-bearers; speed, possession-type, route running, toughness, open field ability. There is a little something for everyone (NFL teams) with these hopefuls.
Offensive Line
Hopeful: Taylor Decker
Fore-bearers: LeCharles Bentley, Alex Boone, Mike Current, Dave Foley, Dick Himes, Jim Lachey, Nick Mangold, Rufus Mayes, Orlando Pace, Jim Parker, Korey Stringer, Dick Shafrath, Jim Tyrer, Jeff Uhlenlake, Doug Van Horn .
Prospects: At one point, I believe OSU was “Tackle U”. Taylor has potential to keep the tradition alive. If Taylor gets mentioned in the same breath as his fore-bearers, you’ll be able to visit his bust in Canton. It’s possible…
Linebacker
Hopefuls: Darron Lee, Joshua Perry
Fore-bearers: Bob Brudzinski, Na’il Diggs, Randy Gradishar, A.J. Hawk, Pepper Johnson, Jame Laurinaitis, Mike Vrabel, Stan White.
Prospects: A strong lineage of talent and performance. Like their predecessor, Darron and Joshua offer complimentary styles of capabilities and play.
Tight End
Hopeful: Nick Vannett
Fore-bearers: Jake Ballard, Ricky Dudley, John Frank, Ben Hartsock, Jan White.
Prospects: Not a lot of history at this position. However, Vannett has shown a willingness and capability to block (in-line/H-back) and get open and catch the ball. He’s definitely worth a look.
Great second half in good situations
Quarterback
Hopeful: Cardale Jones
Fore-bearers: Tom Matte, Joe Germaine, Bobby Hoying, Mike Tomczak and Kent Graham.
Prospects: Except for a period under John Cooper, OSU’s offense was not “pro-ish” in its approach. Really, not much to go on here.
Wrap up
All the position groups, except for tight end and quarterback, have a long history of repeated success in the NFL. If you’re an NFL magnate that’s takes the long view, there is no shortage of Buckeyes to call on for help. They represent position groups that you probably need to upgrade.
The post Dear NFL: Play it safe, draft a Buckeye appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
Continue reading...
Ken via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
(Image courtesy cleveland.com)
This year’s NFL Draft is nigh upon us. The Ohio State Buckeyes have quite a few players intending, and capable of playing at the NFL level. With so many players draft eligible, there are a few position groups represented; running back, defensive line, defensive back. wide receiver, offensive line, linebacker, tight end and quarterback.
Let’s take a look at the current hopefuls, their fore-bearers and their prospects. I selected a handful of fore-bearers at each position group; your mileage may vary.
Running Back
Hopeful: Ezekiel Elliott
Fore-bearers: John Brockington, Keith Byers, Eddie George, Archie Griffin, Pete Johnson, Jim Otis, Bo Scott, Robert Smith, Matt Snell.
Prospects: Those are tough acts to follow. His ancestors were small, fast, big, powerful. However, Zeke is multi-talented enough to easily slide into this pantheon.
Defensive Line
Hopefuls: Joey Bosa, Adolphus Washington
Fore-bearers: Rodney Bailey, Jim Houston, Eric Kumerow, Kenny Peterson, Ryan Pickett, Jay Richardson, Will Smith, Dan Wilkinson.
Prospects: Both Hopefuls bring a combination of strength, speed and quickness. they are probably versatile enough to find homes and, if not stellar careers, long (by NFL standards) careers.
Defensive Back
Hopefuls: Eli Apple, Vonn Bell, Tyvis Powell
Fore-bearers: Will Allen, Nate Clements, Kurt Coleman, Neal Colzie, Mike Doss, Chris Gamble, Shaun Gayle, Ray Griffin, Malcolm Jenkins,, Steve Luke, Donnie Nickey, Ahmed Plummer, Doug Plank, Mike Sensibaugh, Shawn Springs, Jack Tatum, Antoine Winfield.
Prospects: Let’s just say that if Eli, Vonn and Tyvis come close to having careers comparable to their fore-bearers, they would have terrific careers.
Wide Receiver
Hopefuls: Jalin Marshall, Braxton Miller, Michael Thomas
Fore-bearers: Brian Baschnagel, David Boston, Morris Bradshaw, Chris Carter, Joey Galloway, Ted Ginn Jr, Jeff Graham, Brian Hartline, Michael Jenkins, Dante Lavelli, Brian Stablein, Paul Warfield.
Prospects: This year’s mix incorporates a lot of the attributes of their fore-bearers; speed, possession-type, route running, toughness, open field ability. There is a little something for everyone (NFL teams) with these hopefuls.
Offensive Line
Hopeful: Taylor Decker
Fore-bearers: LeCharles Bentley, Alex Boone, Mike Current, Dave Foley, Dick Himes, Jim Lachey, Nick Mangold, Rufus Mayes, Orlando Pace, Jim Parker, Korey Stringer, Dick Shafrath, Jim Tyrer, Jeff Uhlenlake, Doug Van Horn .
Prospects: At one point, I believe OSU was “Tackle U”. Taylor has potential to keep the tradition alive. If Taylor gets mentioned in the same breath as his fore-bearers, you’ll be able to visit his bust in Canton. It’s possible…
Linebacker
Hopefuls: Darron Lee, Joshua Perry
Fore-bearers: Bob Brudzinski, Na’il Diggs, Randy Gradishar, A.J. Hawk, Pepper Johnson, Jame Laurinaitis, Mike Vrabel, Stan White.
Prospects: A strong lineage of talent and performance. Like their predecessor, Darron and Joshua offer complimentary styles of capabilities and play.
Tight End
Hopeful: Nick Vannett
Fore-bearers: Jake Ballard, Ricky Dudley, John Frank, Ben Hartsock, Jan White.
Prospects: Not a lot of history at this position. However, Vannett has shown a willingness and capability to block (in-line/H-back) and get open and catch the ball. He’s definitely worth a look.
Great second half in good situations
Quarterback
Hopeful: Cardale Jones
Fore-bearers: Tom Matte, Joe Germaine, Bobby Hoying, Mike Tomczak and Kent Graham.
Prospects: Except for a period under John Cooper, OSU’s offense was not “pro-ish” in its approach. Really, not much to go on here.
Wrap up
All the position groups, except for tight end and quarterback, have a long history of repeated success in the NFL. If you’re an NFL magnate that’s takes the long view, there is no shortage of Buckeyes to call on for help. They represent position groups that you probably need to upgrade.
The post Dear NFL: Play it safe, draft a Buckeye appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
Continue reading...