Dane Brugler's top 100 draft board

[Russ Smith]

I agree with the notion about punt returners except that some elite ones like Ismail and Howard really failed to impact at the NFL level.

What I like about Waddle is the first guy never gets him, or almost never. In our offense with all those lateral passes or short passes to Wr's, you want a guy who makes people miss. We saw that over and over with Kirk, he doesn't make people miss. He had less than 200 yards after the catch this year and I would bet far less than that after contact. Waddle has never played in the NFL so it might not translate but it often does with other guys. He just has a knack of making you miss or breaking a tackle, not a huge guy but he has a knack for not being easy to get down.

Add in the deep balls, the balls in the air etc and if the ankle checks out I would love to get him. I think we need a CB and will probably take one though

 

[Russ Smith]

Should add his soph year playing with Jeudy, Smith and Ruggs, Waddle not only led the team in yards after catch at 12.2, he led the nation. 2nd was Antonio Gibson who moved to RB for Washington this year, 3rd was Donta Smith of Alabama, Waddle's teammate. Some of that is he didn't see double coverage with all the other guys, some of that is he's just really hard to get down

 

[Dr. Jones]

Waddle looks to be an insane freak.

My "twitch" category is seen in the 10yd & 20yd splits and also the shuttles.

Reek actually was .02 slower than Ruggs in his 40 time but was .04 faster than Ruggs at 10yds, and .01 faster at 20yds. And if Ruggs tested in the 97th percentile for his 20yd split and Reek was faster..... Damn boy. that's nuts. Ruggs was only in the 88th percentile at 10yds. My guess is that reek would have been 99th percentile at 20yds and 95 to 97th at 10yds if he had tested at the combine.

Ruggs possesses a "cruising speed" that may be slightly superior but in that intermediate area, over the middle and below 20yds..... Reek is far superior. In fact, I couldn't find any pro day or combine shuttle times for Ruggs. If he avoided them, it was probably a very smart play by him.

Waddle will have to be tested, but what I see on tape gives me the same shock value that we see in Tyreek Hill. A suddenness that cannot be explained or guarded.

Time will tell of course. But if he tests up there...... He may join Chase and Smith in the top 10.

 

[Chopper0080]

Farley over Surtain is a lot more common than you think. The only reason it’s close is because Farley opted out. Farley has more translatable traits than Surtain & I’m a Bama alumni saying this.

Farley definitely has the athleticism edge over Surtain.

 

[GatorAZ]

Waddle and Juedy have the highest ceiling (Waddle’s hands give him a higher floor)

Smith will be a solid productive WR

I was never high on Ruggs

 

[Chopper0080]

@Chopper0080 Has somehow fooled people into thinking Alabama WRs are like Wisconsin RBs. That’s incredible.

lol...for the record, I like Wisconsin RBs.

My feeling is that most WRs are over-drafted. If a guy is a physical freak ala Julio Jones, Calvin Johnson, Mike Evans etc...take them in round 1 and take them high. If a guy is a solid athlete with normal size, the gap between that player and the one who goes in round 2 is probably small (IMO). I think college production for WRs is over-rated because of the huge mismatches in talent between them and the CB across from them. Alabama WRs specifically get a lot of soft/shell coverage because of all of the talent that these teams are trying to match up with. This creates non-NFL scenarios where they just aren't contested at the catch and then are wide open in space vs 2 and 3 star guys.

Does that mean I don't think Devonta Smith is good? No. But I don't view him as a top 15 player and I don't feel the gap between him and Kadarius Toney is very large.

Also, for the record, @DVontel making me think about Devonta Smith also makes me wonder what the gap is between Ja'Marr Chase and Rashod Bateman.

 

[oaken1]

You draft Bama players for their floor not their ceiling

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

You draft Bama players for their floor not their ceiling

I think that’s a great way to put it.

 

[BritCard]

So what is the hit rate?

There has been 5 Alabama WRs drafted in the 1st round in the Saban era.


One is going to be wearing a gold jacket.


One is on the verge of being a top 5 WR where WR talent is very deep.


One has had a pretty good career & is top 15.


One was coming off his rookie season where the hospital ball king Drew Lock was his QB while also having to catch passes from Brett Rypien, Jeff Driskell, & a RB.


One was a reach, but also has some good moments like catching a GWer as well.




So.....what is this hit rate you’re looking at

He has a point. I'd take the hit rate on Bama WRs over the hit rate on round 1 TEs.

And as good as Pitts looks in college I still think he's a big slot/WR rather than a TE. I think anyone expecting him to be an inline TE that's blocking on 50%+ snaps is going to be disappointed. Which of course is how most NFL teams use TEs.

 

[BritCard]

Way too much time talking about Pitts when it would be astronomically dumb for a team with so many holes to take a TE in round 1.

Especially a team with a scheme that uses TEs far more for blocking than route running. Especially on a team that isn't great in the short to intermediate center of the field where TEs generally operate. Especially on a team where no TE plays more than around 40% of snaps.

 

[overseascardfan]

If Surtain is there he would be my pick but I take Adebo over Horn. Adebo can play in any scheme, has the length at close to 6'2 and ball skills (8 INT's in 2 years). Getting lost in CB order because of opting out but if he used the time to put on muscle mass then that would be his only real question mark.

I've seen some mocks with Adebo going in mid first so he wouldn't be a reach, definitely has #1 CB potential.

 

[DVontel]

If Surtain is there he would be my pick but I take Adebo over Horn. Adebo can play in any scheme, has the length at close to 6'2 and ball skills (8 INT's in 2 years). Getting lost in CB order because of opting out but if he used the time to put on muscle mass then that would be his only real question mark.

I've seen some mocks with Adebo going in mid first so he wouldn't be a reach, definitely has #1 CB potential.

Adebo & his slow feet, meh hips, & average speed definitely can not play in any scheme. He’s purely a zone defender & that’s it. He has a lot of limitations. Did you not watch his 2019 tape when he was getting beat relentlessly by Gabriel Davis & other quick WRs? That is one dude I pray we stay away from on Day 2 & if we don’t draft a CB on Day 1.

 

[overseascardfan]

Adebo & his slow feet, meh hips, & average speed definitely can not play in any scheme. He’s purely a zone defender & that’s it. He has a lot of limitations. Did you not watch his 2019 tape when he was getting beat relentlessly by Gabriel Davis & other quick WRs? That is one dude I pray we stay away from on Day 2 & if we don’t draft a CB on Day 1.

Agree to disagree.