MastersofCombat
Basketball Junkie
YES
This is a great move for the cardinals
sweet
This is a great move for the cardinals
Leonard Pope 3rd round ...yes
- Thread starter MastersofCombat
- Start date
TigToad
Hall of Famer
I am...
happy.
happy.
az jam
ASFN Icon
Wonderful pick for the third round.
Skedoozy
*lurk lurk lurk*
Sweeeeeet deal.
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!
So happy, now I'm going to complete my current task of getting blind stinking drunk. I'm only almost drunk at the moment...blind and stinking is going to be FUN to get to.
Leinart, Duece, Pope. Day one is niiiiice.
So happy, now I'm going to complete my current task of getting blind stinking drunk. I'm only almost drunk at the moment...blind and stinking is going to be FUN to get to.
Leinart, Duece, Pope. Day one is niiiiice.
wierwolf
Koolaid Guzzler
Great Pick and Awesome draft so far....
Doc Cardinal
Old Fart
Leinart throws that fade away lob into the endzone and the 6'7" Pope can haul it in!!!
Sweet day.
Sweet draft.
Sweet day.
Sweet draft.
AzWins23
Registered User
Draft grade A
Rats
Somanyfreaks,SofewCircus'
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Another Awsome pick!! WE have really beefed up on offense. We need Defense tomorrow and there are several guys available....very sweet day!!
Shogun
Never doubt Mitch. EVER.
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A+.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/2006/draft/players/1771.html
Leonard Pope
BIO: Broke into the starting unit as a sophomore and has won All-Conference honors ever since. Led the team in receiving last year with 39/541/4 after 25/482/6 as a sophomore.
POSITIVES: King-sized pass-catching threat who creates mismatches in a defensive secondary. Quickly releases into routes, remains focused throughout the action and makes the tough grab in a crowd. Immediately gets to top speed and consistently makes important receptions down the field. Extends and adjusts to grab the pass from the air, displaying soft and strong hands. Gives effort blocking and works to play with good pad level.
NEGATIVES: Lacks footwork in pass protection. Bends at the waist as a blocker and does not finish the play.
ANALYSIS: An imposing target, Pope has been a game-changing pass-catcher the past two seasons. May never turn into a dominant blocking force but his playmaking skills catching the ball will give him significant opportunities as a rookie.
PROJECTION: Late First Round
Leonard Pope
BIO: Broke into the starting unit as a sophomore and has won All-Conference honors ever since. Led the team in receiving last year with 39/541/4 after 25/482/6 as a sophomore.
POSITIVES: King-sized pass-catching threat who creates mismatches in a defensive secondary. Quickly releases into routes, remains focused throughout the action and makes the tough grab in a crowd. Immediately gets to top speed and consistently makes important receptions down the field. Extends and adjusts to grab the pass from the air, displaying soft and strong hands. Gives effort blocking and works to play with good pad level.
NEGATIVES: Lacks footwork in pass protection. Bends at the waist as a blocker and does not finish the play.
ANALYSIS: An imposing target, Pope has been a game-changing pass-catcher the past two seasons. May never turn into a dominant blocking force but his playmaking skills catching the ball will give him significant opportunities as a rookie.
PROJECTION: Late First Round
BigDavis75
Making a Comeback
What if we somehow end up with Ko Simpson also? Amazing.
AsUdUdE
ASFN Lifer
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I think I just may cry....
Jttsaz
#40 Never Forget
http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/2006/pope_leonard
SUMMARY
Pope no doubt has the outstanding size and natural strength to be a physically dominant player at the point of attack who can be a good in-line blocker when he blocks aggressively and is a powerful runner after the catch who consistently breaks tackles and gains yards after contact. He has good hands to catch the ball away from his body well, but he needs to do a better job of coming back for the ball and fighting aggressively to make tough catches. He has the burst and play speed to get separation deep down the field on deep routes -- like 'Post' and 'Corner' routes. Overall, Pope has the talent to be a good all-around tight end who can make big plays as a receiver, but it is all dependent on his becoming a more consistently aggressive player. He plays similar to Titans starting tight end Erron Kinney in that he has good playing strength, good strength running with ball and good playing speed, but he is a very upright runner who lacks the flexibility to block with good leverage and it also hinders his ability to run very sharp routes consistently. In the end, Pope will be a good starting tight end who makes big plays, but is never as consistent or dominant as he is capable of.
CRITICAL FACTORS
Size Athletic Ability Hands Competes Play Speed Blocking
7.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 5.5
STRONG POINTS
Pope is a huge tight end with the playing strength to be a powerful runner after the catch. He can break tackles, runs through arm/grab tackles, keeps feet vs. very hard hits and consistently gains yards after contact. He has quick feet and accelerates to full speed fast and has an explosive burst on deep routes to get separation. He has the hands to make tough catches and when he stays focused he has shown the ability to adjust and make great catches; especially on overthrown passes. When he blocks aggressively he has the playing strength to turn and seal defender out of the play and eliminates him. He can get through to the second level quickly and does a good job blocking the linebacker out of the play.
WEAKNESSES
Pope is a straight-line athlete and lacks the flexibility to get down and block with leverage and struggles to get in and out of cuts quickly on short routes. He stands straight up at the snap and does not explode off the ball into the route -- he can be slowed in his release by a defender’s jam. He does not attack the defender consistently on in-line run blocks, which allows aggressive defenders to defeat his block and make/disrupt the play. He has bad footwork and technique in pass protection and gets beaten way too easily. He does not consistently go up and aggressively pluck the off-target pass -- on all passes, he has a tendency to wait for the pass to get to him and does not come back to the ball at all.
POSITIONAL FACTORS
Grade Category Comments/Description
6.0 Hands Has good enough hands to make all the catches, but he is not natural adjusting to off-target throws.
5.5 Initial Quickness He gets moving at the snap quickly, but because he pops straight up first, he does not explode off the ball.
5.5 Release Off Line He is not explosive off the ball and struggles to defeat the jam and release quickly when he has to.
5.5 Patterns Deep routes are good because he does not have to be sharp, but short routes are a little raw and choppy.
6.0 Adjustment Ablility He has the hands and coordination to adjust and make tough catches, but is not consistent doing so.
6.0 Deep Threat Once he gets to full speed, he has an explosive burst to get separation down the seam down the field.
6.5 Run After Catch His size, strength and competitiveness running with ball lets him consistently gain yards after contact.
5.5 Run Block In-Line Can be good on positional/seal blocks, but lacks the play strength to drive defensive lineman off the ball and get movement.
6.0 Run Block Space Gets through to the second level very well and once he gets a hold of the linebacker, he can eliminate his man from the play.
5.0 Pass Blocking He has bad technqiue as a pass blocker and gets beaten too easily by college pass rushers.
6.0 Play Strength He plays very strong running after the catch, but is inconsistent at the point of attack on in-line run blocks.
5.5 Fumbles/Error He is not a fumbler, but struggles to play up to his ability because of sloppy and raw technique.
ATHLETIC ABILITY Section Grade: 5.0
Pope is a good straight-line athlete, but he does not have the good all- around athleticism of the elite NFL tight ends. Despite having quick feet, he does not burst/explode off the ball into routes. He tends to pop up straight before going forward and cannot avoid good jams well. Once moving his foot quickness lets him accelerate to full speed fast and he has the playing speed to get separation deep down the seam. He does not have the flexibility to bend his knees and sink his hips to run routes with good leverage and bend, which leads to his routes being very upright -- he does not get in and out of sharp cuts quickly. He does not avoid contact consistently in routes -- good when he uses his quick hands aggressively and has a little space to work, but he struggles when the quarters are tight. His lack of flexibility causes him to be an upright, positional run blocker who struggles to get movement on in-line run blocks. He does show the body control, coordination and hands to adjust to off-target passes and can make tough catches when he aggressively fights for the ball.
Q.A.B. Quick Feet C.O.D. Flexibility Coordination
5.5 6.0 5.0 5.0 6.0
COMPETITIVENESS Section Grade: 6.0
Pope is a tough tight end who consistently has shown toughness catching passes in traffic right before getting hit hard and consistently holds onto the ball. Throughout his career at Georgia, Pope has consistently been their go-to-receiver in the red zone and on short yardage plays. On important running plays, he seems to block more aggressively and usually eliminates man from the play. His overall production has been very good at times as a receiver and solid as a blocker, but he is not as consistent as he needs to be. He struggles to release off the ball and into route quickly vs. jam, does not run very sharp/crisp short routes and does not aggressively go up and catch jump ball passes well. He is a pretty competitive player who runs strong and aggressively with the ball after the catch and never quits fighting for extra yards until he ends up on the ground.
Toughness Clutch Play Production Consistency Team Player Pride/Quit
6.0 6.0 6.0 5.5 6.0 6.0
MENTAL ALERTNESS Section Grade: 5.5
Pope shows smarts at times in his use of hands to defeat bumps during route, but his blocking technique is very raw, does not use hands/body well to shield defender from the ball and does not come back for the ball at all -- tends to just stand there and wait for the ball to get to him. He has good instincts, which helps him to get moving quickly at the snap. Even though he stands straight up at the snap and does not explode into route and to find open spots vs. zone coverage. He does not play with good concentration consistently -- he lacks urgency in routes at times, does not always stay after and finish run blocks and does not fight aggressively to win the battle for jump balls.
Learn/Retain Instincts/Reactions Concentration
5.5 6.0 5.5
STRENGTH/EXPLOSION Section Grade: 6.5
Pope has excellent size for a tight end with the height and build that is tough to find. He has been a durable player at Georgia and with his size and strength he should have no trouble staying healthy in the NFL. Despite having quick feet and consistently moving quickly at the snap, he lacks an explosive burst off the ball into routes and does not burst off the ball into in-line run blocks. He does however have a burst to get separation from the defender on deep 'Post' and 'Corner' routes. He has very good playing strength running with the ball to run through arm/grab tackles and can break tackles to gain yards after contact. He is however inconsistent in terms of his playing strength as a run blocker -- because he is an upright run blocker he can be pushed around at the point of attack by aggressive and strong defensive linemen.
Body Type Durability Explosion Play Strength
7.0 6.0 5.5 6.0
SUMMARY
Pope no doubt has the outstanding size and natural strength to be a physically dominant player at the point of attack who can be a good in-line blocker when he blocks aggressively and is a powerful runner after the catch who consistently breaks tackles and gains yards after contact. He has good hands to catch the ball away from his body well, but he needs to do a better job of coming back for the ball and fighting aggressively to make tough catches. He has the burst and play speed to get separation deep down the field on deep routes -- like 'Post' and 'Corner' routes. Overall, Pope has the talent to be a good all-around tight end who can make big plays as a receiver, but it is all dependent on his becoming a more consistently aggressive player. He plays similar to Titans starting tight end Erron Kinney in that he has good playing strength, good strength running with ball and good playing speed, but he is a very upright runner who lacks the flexibility to block with good leverage and it also hinders his ability to run very sharp routes consistently. In the end, Pope will be a good starting tight end who makes big plays, but is never as consistent or dominant as he is capable of.
CRITICAL FACTORS
Size Athletic Ability Hands Competes Play Speed Blocking
7.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 5.5
STRONG POINTS
Pope is a huge tight end with the playing strength to be a powerful runner after the catch. He can break tackles, runs through arm/grab tackles, keeps feet vs. very hard hits and consistently gains yards after contact. He has quick feet and accelerates to full speed fast and has an explosive burst on deep routes to get separation. He has the hands to make tough catches and when he stays focused he has shown the ability to adjust and make great catches; especially on overthrown passes. When he blocks aggressively he has the playing strength to turn and seal defender out of the play and eliminates him. He can get through to the second level quickly and does a good job blocking the linebacker out of the play.
WEAKNESSES
Pope is a straight-line athlete and lacks the flexibility to get down and block with leverage and struggles to get in and out of cuts quickly on short routes. He stands straight up at the snap and does not explode off the ball into the route -- he can be slowed in his release by a defender’s jam. He does not attack the defender consistently on in-line run blocks, which allows aggressive defenders to defeat his block and make/disrupt the play. He has bad footwork and technique in pass protection and gets beaten way too easily. He does not consistently go up and aggressively pluck the off-target pass -- on all passes, he has a tendency to wait for the pass to get to him and does not come back to the ball at all.
POSITIONAL FACTORS
Grade Category Comments/Description
6.0 Hands Has good enough hands to make all the catches, but he is not natural adjusting to off-target throws.
5.5 Initial Quickness He gets moving at the snap quickly, but because he pops straight up first, he does not explode off the ball.
5.5 Release Off Line He is not explosive off the ball and struggles to defeat the jam and release quickly when he has to.
5.5 Patterns Deep routes are good because he does not have to be sharp, but short routes are a little raw and choppy.
6.0 Adjustment Ablility He has the hands and coordination to adjust and make tough catches, but is not consistent doing so.
6.0 Deep Threat Once he gets to full speed, he has an explosive burst to get separation down the seam down the field.
6.5 Run After Catch His size, strength and competitiveness running with ball lets him consistently gain yards after contact.
5.5 Run Block In-Line Can be good on positional/seal blocks, but lacks the play strength to drive defensive lineman off the ball and get movement.
6.0 Run Block Space Gets through to the second level very well and once he gets a hold of the linebacker, he can eliminate his man from the play.
5.0 Pass Blocking He has bad technqiue as a pass blocker and gets beaten too easily by college pass rushers.
6.0 Play Strength He plays very strong running after the catch, but is inconsistent at the point of attack on in-line run blocks.
5.5 Fumbles/Error He is not a fumbler, but struggles to play up to his ability because of sloppy and raw technique.
ATHLETIC ABILITY Section Grade: 5.0
Pope is a good straight-line athlete, but he does not have the good all- around athleticism of the elite NFL tight ends. Despite having quick feet, he does not burst/explode off the ball into routes. He tends to pop up straight before going forward and cannot avoid good jams well. Once moving his foot quickness lets him accelerate to full speed fast and he has the playing speed to get separation deep down the seam. He does not have the flexibility to bend his knees and sink his hips to run routes with good leverage and bend, which leads to his routes being very upright -- he does not get in and out of sharp cuts quickly. He does not avoid contact consistently in routes -- good when he uses his quick hands aggressively and has a little space to work, but he struggles when the quarters are tight. His lack of flexibility causes him to be an upright, positional run blocker who struggles to get movement on in-line run blocks. He does show the body control, coordination and hands to adjust to off-target passes and can make tough catches when he aggressively fights for the ball.
Q.A.B. Quick Feet C.O.D. Flexibility Coordination
5.5 6.0 5.0 5.0 6.0
COMPETITIVENESS Section Grade: 6.0
Pope is a tough tight end who consistently has shown toughness catching passes in traffic right before getting hit hard and consistently holds onto the ball. Throughout his career at Georgia, Pope has consistently been their go-to-receiver in the red zone and on short yardage plays. On important running plays, he seems to block more aggressively and usually eliminates man from the play. His overall production has been very good at times as a receiver and solid as a blocker, but he is not as consistent as he needs to be. He struggles to release off the ball and into route quickly vs. jam, does not run very sharp/crisp short routes and does not aggressively go up and catch jump ball passes well. He is a pretty competitive player who runs strong and aggressively with the ball after the catch and never quits fighting for extra yards until he ends up on the ground.
Toughness Clutch Play Production Consistency Team Player Pride/Quit
6.0 6.0 6.0 5.5 6.0 6.0
MENTAL ALERTNESS Section Grade: 5.5
Pope shows smarts at times in his use of hands to defeat bumps during route, but his blocking technique is very raw, does not use hands/body well to shield defender from the ball and does not come back for the ball at all -- tends to just stand there and wait for the ball to get to him. He has good instincts, which helps him to get moving quickly at the snap. Even though he stands straight up at the snap and does not explode into route and to find open spots vs. zone coverage. He does not play with good concentration consistently -- he lacks urgency in routes at times, does not always stay after and finish run blocks and does not fight aggressively to win the battle for jump balls.
Learn/Retain Instincts/Reactions Concentration
5.5 6.0 5.5
STRENGTH/EXPLOSION Section Grade: 6.5
Pope has excellent size for a tight end with the height and build that is tough to find. He has been a durable player at Georgia and with his size and strength he should have no trouble staying healthy in the NFL. Despite having quick feet and consistently moving quickly at the snap, he lacks an explosive burst off the ball into routes and does not burst off the ball into in-line run blocks. He does however have a burst to get separation from the defender on deep 'Post' and 'Corner' routes. He has very good playing strength running with the ball to run through arm/grab tackles and can break tackles to gain yards after contact. He is however inconsistent in terms of his playing strength as a run blocker -- because he is an upright run blocker he can be pushed around at the point of attack by aggressive and strong defensive linemen.
Body Type Durability Explosion Play Strength
7.0 6.0 5.5 6.0
Shane H said:NOW THATS A GREAT PICK!
WildBB
Yogi n da Bear
WOW - Another 1st Round type talent - (with some work). This guy is a BEAST. We just upgraded the OL AGAIN!
az1965
Love Games!
Projected late first round.
Why did he fall?
Why did he fall?
az1965
Love Games!
Good pick btw...
Red Hawk
JUST WIN!
