Me too. His weigh in, measurements, and bench press were very impressive. I still don't know if I'd take any of the 2010 tackles in the top five though. The Kansas City Chiefs will be in a tough spot. I still like the upside of Charles Brown and Bruce Campbell though.
BYU tight end Dennis Pitta just put up just as many reps as Mike Iupati (27)... That's really impressive.
45 reps is impressive as hell! Where does he stand with other FBs? I've always wanted a road grater type FB, but none of the big guys ever pan out.
Mitch Petrus is an offensive lineman. He began his career as a fullback at Arkansas. He's one of the more athletic offensive line prospects in this draft. Petrus is 6'3 310 now, and could be a very effective in our offense if he played a role like Wayne Hunter does - a rotational, blocking tight end that also provides depth on the offensive line.
Ahhh gotcha.. I'd even like him in the capacity you mentioned. I'm big on athletic players who have potential to fill many roles.
Me too, rocky. If Petrus continues to dominate the combine, someone will take him a lot earlier than he should be drafted. I see him as a more of a 5th or 6th rounder...so if he's there, I wouldn't mind the Jets taking him. His versatility could be valuable in our offense. The kid's a hell of a run blocker.
I can see him being drafted mid 4th at the earliest. I wanna know what he did to go from 6'3 FB to to Guard. That's a big transformation. He'll be a road grader, but just how good is the question.
Harmon doesn't have a future in the NFL unless he gains about 15 pounds. He's lighter than some NFL wideouts. If you want to see a versatile tight end/h-back type player look at Pitt's Dorin Dickerson.
Mitch Petrus was a blocking tight end in high school. He was so talented at blocking that the Razorback coaching staff had to get him on the field. Lining him up in the backfield as a jumbo-sized fullback was a hell of an idea.
Pitts' Dorin Dickerson really stood out. 4.40 40 yard dash for a tight end/h-back prospect is incredible.
ah ok. That is a smart idea. The kind of thing Schotty would make this kid do in the Jets offensive scheme.
To me, players excelling at drills like the bench show me that they've been doing the work to present themselves in peak condition. I know that he won't be benching defensive linemen in the NFL, but I think teams will see his success in workouts as a sign he can dedicate himself to something and improve. Will it suddenly shoot him up 2 or 3 rounds? Maybe, maybe not, but when it comes down to Petrus or Player X, the majority of teams will take Petrus.
The most exciting Tackle Prospects to me today were Trent Williams, and Brian Bulaga. Both looked Great in the Mirror Drill, and the Kick Shuffle(or what ever it is called). I would love either one of them. I was not real impressed with Okung, or Campbell. I would say if Mike Iupati fell to mid 2nd, he might be worth a trade up, but I would not like to see a 1st round pick for him. Sterotypically, Samoins typically have alot of heart, but not real impressed with his footwork. Marshall Newhouse looked real natural for a late round project. Real fluid runner, and seemed to have good posture. I have it Tivo'd so will watch again, but no one else really jumped out at me. However, could you imagine if Campbell fell, and we picked him up in the third for a Fullback/H-back/TE/Depth. (I have no idea if he could transition to the FB or TE position, but has the atheletic prowness.)
I like how they're thinking of people who had big games at the Combine, and the first two guys they mention are "Vernon Gholston and Dustin Keller"
I'd hope Iupati doesn't fall to the second round because that would mean we passed on him once already. If Iupati is on the board at 29 (and Graham isn't), I'd like to see the Jets take him. Having that kind of security with the OL would be huge.
Mike Iupati isn't as versatile as I thought. He's still the #1 guard prospect in this draft, but I think he may be available in the beginning of the second round now. ...especially after a mediocre Senior Bowl and a less than average combine performance. Stanford's Rodger Saffold is an offensive line prospect to keep an eye on. He had an amazing combine, and he's pretty versatile. The NFL Network crew kept mentioning a switch to guard, but I think he'd be a perfect RIGHT tackle. Saffold is probably a third round prospect after today. I did a write up on Southern Cal's Jeff Byers a few weeks ago. He showed great strength today with 33 bench reps. I think he'll be a great value pick as a guard in anytime after the fourth round.
He was not as smooth with his catches as I would have liked to see him. His speed is amazing but his hands disappointed me in the workouts. I really like Byham as an H-Back/Fullback prospect. Great blocker.
Yeah, I was a little disappointed in his route running and receiving ability, but he's extremely raw. Wannstache moved him around so much. I think he'll be a hell of an h-back if he's given some time to develop. Dickerson has great value as a receiving out of the backfield, and he's a tough lead blocker. Nate Byham looked very good. He showed better hands than I thought he would. He looked a little lost when he went down field for passes, but that's not in his job description. Byham and Shuler Jr. are two of my favorite late round blocking tight ends.
