I've Found Arizona's First Round Pick

[Diamondback Jay]

He's a Soph, who spent a year at a Military Academy and can declare for the draft this year, and by all indications probably will..

Meet my pick for the Arizona Cardinals, Jared Gaither.

http://umterps.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/gaither_jared01.html

Class:
Sophomore

Hometown:
White Plains, Md.

High School:
E. Roosevelt

Height / Weight:
6-9 / 350

Position:
Offensive Tackle

Experience:
1V








On Gaither: Second-year player who looks like one of the ACC's burgeoning young stars ... had a tremendous campaign in his first at the college level, not allowing a single sack from his left tackle position ... could play right tackle this season with the return of Stephon Heyer ... ideal combination of size and athleticism ... player who is naturally very strong and has yet to reach his physical potential ... an honors candidate, despite his youth ... in the spring, set the school record for an offensive lineman with a 36-inch vertical jump.

2005 (Freshman): Saw action in all 11 games, starting the last eight ... named a third team Freshman All-American by College Football News and honorable mention by The Sporting News ... finished the season with a 1.122 grade, second-highest on the team ... did not allow a sack in 583 offensive plays (all at left tackle) ... was whistled for just two penalties all year ... (at NCSU) ... on a day the team struggled in pass protection (6 sacks), gave up no sacks and managed two pancake blocks and no penalties in 70 offensive plays ... (vs. BC) ... was in on 83 plays ... did not allow a sack and recorded two pancake blocks ... (at UNC) ... was team's highest-rated blocker on 77 plays ... yielded no sacks and has just one missed assignment ... cleared a hole on the right side for Lance Ball for a 13-yard gain in the first quarter ... opened up a similar seam later in the quarter, setting up a 10-yard Ball pickup... (at FSU) ... was in for all 65 plays ... did not allow any sacks and credited with a pair of big blocks ... (vs. VT) ... was team's second-highest rated lineman ... in on a team-high 64 plays ... credited with a team-high tying three big blocks ... made a big block on LB Xavier Adibi to open up a hole for Lance Ball on a 12-yard pickup where he knocked the star linebacker two yards out of bounds ... (vs. UVa) ... started and was in on a team-high 80 plays ... credited with three big blocks ... was second on the team with three pancake blocks ... allowed no sacks and was whistled for no penalties ... (at WFU) ... made first career start at left tackle ... did not allow a sack and was credited with one big block.

Prep: Attended Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va. ... started every game at right tackle ... a four-star recruit by Rivals.com ... rated as the No. 3 prep school prospect in the nation by Rivals.com ... recruited out of prep school by Penn State and Virginia Tech ... coach at Hargrave was Robert Prunty.

High School: A one-year letterwinner and starter at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Md. ... played basketball for three years before going out for football for the first time as a senior ... played defensive tackle and tight end for one of the top teams in the state ... recorded 89 tackles, nine sacks, and one forced fumble while batting down four passes at the line of scrimmage ... was primarily a blocking tight end, but finished the season with three receptions for 93 yards and a pair of touchdowns ... earned significant postseason honors despite playing only one year ... ranked as the 36th-best defensive tackle in the nation by Rivals.com ... an honorable mention All-Met selection by the Washington Post ... a SuperPrep All-American and Mid-Atlantic all-region pick ... a PrepStar honorable mention selection ... selected to play for Maryland in the Super 44 all-star game ... first team all-league and all-county ... team posted a 12-1 record in 2003, losing its only game of the season in the 4A state semifinals ... lettered four years in basketball ... was a major D-I recruit in basketball ... had verbally committed to South Carolina in hoops before deciding to play football ... was also recruited in football by Florida, Georgia, Pittsburgh and Clemson ... high school coach was Rick Houchens.

Personal: Jared Gaither was born March 18, 1986 ... son of Joyce Gaither and David Suggs ... enrolled in the College of Letters and Sciences.

 

[Red Dawn]

...in the spring, set the school record for an offensive lineman with a 36-inch vertical jump.

Dang, at 350 pounds, that's quite a load.

 

[football karma]

On principle, I am just saying "no" to offensive linemen who are judged to be really good because they are really big.

Been there, done that, and the Cards are 1-7

 

[Diamondback Jay]

Second-year player who looks like one of the ACC's burgeoning young stars ... had a tremendous campaign in his first at the college level, not allowing a single sack from his left tackle position ...ideal combination of size and athleticism ... player who is naturally very strong and has yet to reach his physical potential ...

Did not allow a sack in 583 offensive plays (all at left tackle) ... was whistled for just two penalties all year ... (at NCSU) ... was team's highest-rated blocker on 77 plays ... yielded just one missed assignment ...

I'm not judging the guy based on his size, it's these highlighted remarks that really have me salivating over the prospects of the guy anchoring the offensive line for many years to come. Keep in mind, this was typed up in his FRESHMAN year, where he started as a true freshman and has gotten progressively better this year, helping Maryland to their current success.

The guy reminds me a lot of Orlando Pace. I know that seems to be the bar that every offensive lineman worth a pound of salt seems to have placed on them, but this guy really does fit the bill of a commanding presence to have on the line, and someone who's only going to get better and better from here.

 

[Russ Smith]

He's only draft eligible by age but you're right he is moving up mock draft boards quickly. I've seen him on first rounds on a bunch of sites so he's no longer a secret once people figured out he'll be 21 by draft time and thus eligible to file.

I saw a bit of Maryland 2 weeks ago and they were talking him up apparently he shut out(no sacks) both Mario Williams and Kiwanuka as a freshman.

 

[Pariah]

This is the kind of pick you take a chance on then you're drafting very late in the first round. Unfortunately, we don't have that sorta mojo going for us.

If he's there in the second, great.

 

[Russ Smith]

This is the kind of pick you take a chance on then you're drafting very late in the first round. Unfortunately, we don't have that sorta mojo going for us.

If he's there in the second, great.

Depends, in some ways he's very similar to Eric Swann when we picked him except he played 2 years of college where Swann just played semipro ball.
Athletically he's got it all. I did some reading last night after seeing this thread coming out of HS he was heavily recruited, had some grade issues(that's why he went to Hargrave Military Academy to get his core grades up so he could go to college). But basically everyone recruited him, he wound up at Maryland and along the lines of Vernon Davis and Merriman, was kind of under the radar because they're not on tv that much.

Supposedly the kid ran a 4.8 40 in spring drills at 350 pounds and vertical jumped 36 inches. Those are the kinds of things that if you do it at the combine and personal workouts, you vault into the top 10 pretty quickly.

Will be interesting assuming he comes out. One site I read was touting him as the #1 pick in the 2009 class and said we haven't seen an athlete like this at this size since Ogden.

But I admit I've seen almost none of the kid I'm going strictly off what I read last night.

 

[Twist18]

Not to knock Gaithers but I watched Joe Thomas the last couple of weeks and I have been very impressed. He recovered a fumble by pure hustle as he followed the play downfield. When is the last time you seen a Card lineman do that. Plays with a real mean streak as well.

 

[earthsci]

Plays with a real mean streak as well.

We need that on our line. Badly.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Depends, in some ways he's very similar to Eric Swann when we picked him except he played 2 years of college where Swann just played semipro ball.
Athletically he's got it all. I did some reading last night after seeing this thread coming out of HS he was heavily recruited, had some grade issues(that's why he went to Hargrave Military Academy to get his core grades up so he could go to college). But basically everyone recruited him, he wound up at Maryland and along the lines of Vernon Davis and Merriman, was kind of under the radar because they're not on tv that much.

Supposedly the kid ran a 4.8 40 in spring drills at 350 pounds and vertical jumped 36 inches. Those are the kinds of things that if you do it at the combine and personal workouts, you vault into the top 10 pretty quickly.

Will be interesting assuming he comes out. One site I read was touting him as the #1 pick in the 2009 class and said we haven't seen an athlete like this at this size since Ogden.

But I admit I've seen almost none of the kid I'm going strictly off what I read last night.

Definitely. A 350 OFFENSIVE linemen who could jump 36"!!