Just a feeling: Jonathon Stewart will go much higher than expected.

[Lomax to Green 84]

No insider information, just have a feeling that when teams go back and really evaluate their board, Stewart is going to be very intruiging to teams. In many ways, his situation reminds me of Jamal Lewis back in 2000. Lewis was considered a superior talent who had some injury questions. Early on in the draft process due to the injury concerns, Lewis was viewed as a mid to late first round pick who could slip out of the first round. As things really started heating up closer to the draft, you started hearing his name more and more. I think as teams look at Stewart and see a guy who at 235-240 pounds (same as Lewis) who runs in the 4.4's (even with a bum big toe) and was really productive last year, someone even in the top 10 may take a flyer on this guy.

The fact that Stewart did everything at the Combine, didn't use the toe as an excuse and most imporantly did extremely well in the drills says alot about his toughness and character. Throw in the fact that this is one huge, fast SOB who would bring a level of toughness and intimidation to the runningback position for any team (Cardinals ?) and this is a guy that I think will go much higher than originally expected.

The latest Pro Football Weekly Mock Draft has Stewart going #6 overall to the Jets. I heard that Charlie Casserly said that his contacts within the league have Stewart as the #1 runningback ahead of both McFadden and Mendenhall on a number of teams draft boards.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

I wouldn't doubt it. The guy is a beast.

 

[abomb]

Noted.

 

[Stout]

I hope he does go high. I don't want to touch him with #16. I'd be comfortable with us taking him in the 2nd, but not before.

 

[earthsci]

I hope he does go high. I don't want to touch him with #16. I'd be comfortable with us taking him in the 2nd, but not before.

Why? What don't you like about him?

 

[Shogun]

Why? What don't you like about him?

Because he's not Darren McFadden.

 

[DoTheDew]

I would be happy with Stewart or Mendenhall, or by some miracle McFadden, if we choose to go RB in round one. I still think we are better off in the short term drafting defense however.

 

[CardinalChris]

He is a young Edge, and comes ready to block. He would be PERFECT for this team and an infusion of similar talent to replace aging talent. Plus we have the luxury of being patient with his injury.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

He is a young Edge, and comes ready to block. He would be PERFECT for this team and an infusion of similar talent to replace aging talent. Plus we have the luxury of being patient with his injury.

And he is 232 lbs.

And ran a 4.4 on a bad toe.

 

[lobo]

And he is 232 lbs.

And ran a 4.4 on a bad toe.

Whomever we take I am predicting 75% of us will not be happy or will be disappointed...reason...because there are only a hand full of real standouts who will go in the top five and the rest is a real crap shoot....I feel that if we go CB first RB second I will be satisified they will not go too far afield with the pick.

Unless something totally crazy happens you will be able to guess 6 of the seven rounds insofar as the positions we will draft...it will hinge on who else we sign in f/a and of course who is left on the board...

 

[DaisyCutter]

Whomever we take I am predicting 75% of us will not be happy or will be disappointed...reason...because there are only a hand full of real standouts who will go in the top five and the rest is a real crap shoot....I feel that if we go CB first RB second I will be satisified they will not go too far afield with the pick.

Unless something totally crazy happens you will be able to guess 6 of the seven rounds insofar as the positions we will draft...it will hinge on who else we sign in f/a and of course who is left on the board...

I don't know. I kind of get the feeling that the opposite will happen. Unless someone like Mendenhall falls to us and we pass on him for Cason, I think that most people here will be relatively happy.

I'd guess that 75% of the people might be mildly disappointed with the way the entire draft shakes out, since there's some disagreement on what our needs are (it seems like a lot of people will be put out if we don't draft a WR somewhere, for example). But I don't think that's the case with the first pick.

 

[WildBB]

No insider information, just have a feeling that when teams go back and really evaluate their board, Stewart is going to be very intruiging to teams. In many ways, his situation reminds me of Jamal Lewis back in 2000. Lewis was considered a superior talent who had some injury questions. Early on in the draft process due to the injury concerns, Lewis was viewed as a mid to late first round pick who could slip out of the first round. As things really started heating up closer to the draft, you started hearing his name more and more. I think as teams look at Stewart and see a guy who at 235-240 pounds (same as Lewis) who runs in the 4.4's (even with a bum big toe) and was really productive last year, someone even in the top 10 may take a flyer on this guy.

The fact that Stewart did everything at the Combine, didn't use the toe as an excuse and most imporantly did extremely well in the drills says alot about his toughness and character. Throw in the fact that this is one huge, fast SOB who would bring a level of toughness and intimidation to the runningback position for any team (Cardinals ?) and this is a guy that I think will go much higher than originally expected.

The latest Pro Football Weekly Mock Draft has Stewart going #6 overall to the Jets. I heard that Charlie Casserly said that his contacts within the league have Stewart as the #1 runningback ahead of both McFadden and Mendenhall on a number of teams draft boards.

There are numberous publications and sites that indeed have Stewart rated ahead of both Mendenhall AND McFadden, because none of them ran out of a traditional pro-set offense with any kind of regularity. So alot of people are hitching their wagon to that hoss.

 

[Stout]

Because he's not Darren McFadden.

I didn't know you cared enough to pay such close attention to me Shogun lol

No, not for that reason, although I would love to draft McFadden. I'd be willing to have our selection be Mendenhall, but not Stewart. Stewart has an injury in a place that's very bad for RBs, and I keep reading these reports of him battling through injuries in college. Sure, he still played and played well, but that's college, and that's only for that span of time. He's just too big of a risk, IMO, for #16.

 

[WildBB]

I didn't know you cared enough to pay such close attention to me Shogun lol

No, not for that reason, although I would love to draft McFadden. I'd be willing to have our selection be Mendenhall, but not Stewart. Stewart has an injury in a place that's very bad for RBs, and I keep reading these reports of him battling through injuries in college. Sure, he still played and played well, but that's college, and that's only for that span of time. He's just too big of a risk, IMO, for #16.

At 16 it's not that risky. At 5 yeah. High reward potential right out of the shute. All-pro skills.

Jenkins is not a Whizenhut type player. Too lackadasical. DRC has some concerns as well.

As far as I can tell , we'll have a decision to make of one of the following: McKelvin, DRC, Jenkins, Mendenhall, Stewart,Williams, Merling and Rivers. Probobly 3 of those will be taken at least.

Any others you see?

 

[Big Deal]

He can't be worse than Thomas Jones

 

[BigShtank]

Stewart or Mendenhall will be there and I'm hoping it's Stewart. Stewart is everything you could ask for in a player, like a Q, but instead he's a RB. I just don't think anyone else is worth drafting at that spot. Whis already said he's a run first coach and if we are going to be it, we need a second RB since JJ and MS are not going to get the ball ever in Whis' system. We draft Stewart, and trade JJ and/or shipp and second round pick to move up to take Cason.

 

[Stout]

At 16 it's not that risky. At 5 yeah. High reward potential right out of the shute. All-pro skills.

Jenkins is not a Whizenhut type player. Too lackadasical. DRC has some concerns as well.

As far as I can tell , we'll have a decision to make of one of the following: McKelvin, DRC, Jenkins, Mendenhall, Stewart,Williams, Merling and Rivers. Probobly 3 of those will be taken at least.

Any others you see?

EVERYONE is underestimating his injury. Even if his injury heals exactly as hoped, he's not going to be ready until near the start of the season. NO WAY he makes a big impact right away under those circumstances.

On top of that, I get the feeling that he's going to be injury prone. Ah, thank you, no. Mark this thread down so we can revisit it in a few years. Hopefully, he won't be OUR injury-riddled RB.

 

[DaisyCutter]

EVERYONE is underestimating his injury. Even if his injury heals exactly as hoped, he's not going to be ready until near the start of the season. NO WAY he makes a big impact right away under those circumstances.

On top of that, I get the feeling that he's going to be injury prone. Ah, thank you, no. Mark this thread down so we can revisit it in a few years. Hopefully, he won't be OUR injury-riddled RB.

Actually, he said in an interview last week (no memory of where it was--SI.com?) that the recovery time for his injury is much less than the 4-6 months as was stated in the press. It's more like 2-4 months, according to him.

He was nicked up frequently at Oregon, but it never kept him off the field. Comparisons to Q are a little overblown at this point, but he seems to be a warrior.

I'd rather have Mendenhall, but Stewart is a legit choice. If you're interested in drafting an RB in the first round.

 

[WildBB]

EVERYONE is underestimating his injury. Even if his injury heals exactly as hoped, he's not going to be ready until near the start of the season. NO WAY he makes a big impact right away under those circumstances.

On top of that, I get the feeling that he's going to be injury prone. Ah, thank you, no. Mark this thread down so we can revisit it in a few years. Hopefully, he won't be OUR injury-riddled RB.

Disagree, with a four month time period he'll be ready for the start of training camp. This kid's a gamer, you can tell.

This isn't much of a crap shoot IMO. Even IF it takes him say the 3rd pre-season game to get action (I really doubt it) he'll still make a legitimate contribution right from the get go. Running back is the most natural transition of any of the positions in football.

He'll also likely put a fire in James' jetzz at least the first half of the season possibly unlike we've seen in him yet.

As far as injury prone. All backs get nicked up and alot of them play through it. This kid has shown he can and will.

I understand your concern with the toe, but we heard this all last season with Petersons shoulder and the pounding they take. And at 16, again, less of a risk.

Jenkins has character and competition concerns, DCR played at nowhere ST. and has liver concerns. Talib has concerns. Merling has a sports hernia. Yet they are all not being downgraded much, because of the talent.

http://www.sportznutz.com/nfl/draft/2008/mock_draft.htm

Look at 1-20. 50 sports sites averages. As of today.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

I didn't know you cared enough to pay such close attention to me Shogun lol

No, not for that reason, although I would love to draft McFadden. I'd be willing to have our selection be Mendenhall, but not Stewart. Stewart has an injury in a place that's very bad for RBs, and I keep reading these reports of him battling through injuries in college. Sure, he still played and played well, but that's college, and that's only for that span of time. He's just too big of a risk, IMO, for #16.

hmmm, good point.

 

[Stout]

Actually, he said in an interview last week (no memory of where it was--SI.com?) that the recovery time for his injury is much less than the 4-6 months as was stated in the press. It's more like 2-4 months, according to him.

He was nicked up frequently at Oregon, but it never kept him off the field. Comparisons to Q are a little overblown at this point, but he seems to be a warrior.

I'd rather have Mendenhall, but Stewart is a legit choice. If you're interested in drafting an RB in the first round.

Yeah, so HE said. The doctors said different. Until I read something from a doctor, color me unconvinced.

Now, as to the bolded, I believe you just defeated the entire argument as to why he should be drafted. He was dinged up in college a lot. How many times do injury-prone college RBs come into the league and manage to play healthy for a prolonged period of time? It's one thing to play through injury in college, where raw talent can get you by when you aren't 100 percent. It's another thing to play through injury in the NFL where many guys can't even crack the lineup playing at 100 percent. Just ask Eddie George what a nagging injury like that can do to your career.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

Yeah, so HE said. The doctors said different. Until I read something from a doctor, color me unconvinced.

Now, as to the bolded, I believe you just defeated the entire argument as to why he should be drafted. He was dinged up in college a lot. How many times do injury-prone college RBs come into the league and manage to play healthy for a prolonged period of time? It's one thing to play through injury in college, where raw talent can get you by when you aren't 100 percent. It's another thing to play through injury in the NFL where many guys can't even crack the lineup playing at 100 percent. Just ask Eddie George what a nagging injury like that can do to your career.[/QUOTE]

Interesting example.

Eddie George - 9 years in the league - 4-time Pro Bowler & 3-time All-Pro.

I can only hope we could be so unlucky. (lol)

 

[Stout]

Yeah, so HE said. The doctors said different. Until I read something from a doctor, color me unconvinced.

Now, as to the bolded, I believe you just defeated the entire argument as to why he should be drafted. He was dinged up in college a lot. How many times do injury-prone college RBs come into the league and manage to play healthy for a prolonged period of time? It's one thing to play through injury in college, where raw talent can get you by when you aren't 100 percent. It's another thing to play through injury in the NFL where many guys can't even crack the lineup playing at 100 percent. Just ask Eddie George what a nagging injury like that can do to your career.[/QUOTE]

Interesting example.

Eddie George - 9 years in the league - 4-time Pro Bowler & 3-time All-Pro.

I can only hope we could be so unlucky. (lol)

Oh, I see...selective memory. He didn't have the injury going INTO the league. Once he did receive the injury, he never adequately recovered from it. I didn't think I had to explain that, but since you wanted to spin, I guess I had to.

 

[slanidrac16]

RB would not be a terrible pick at 16. Just think what this offense would turn into if James went down for the season.

We have nothing, NOTHING behind James that could step into his role. If Stewarts injury is not career threatening, I really wouldn't care if he is not quite ready for the start of mini camps or training camp.