DiderotsGhost
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As UT fans, I know we're all biased, but I can't help but to think that many of our guys are going to be looked back as great "value picks" from this draft. Scanning through all 7 rounds of the draft, who were the value picks?
Cam Sutton. Shut-down corner who got injured last season. Probably a late 1st rounder / early 2nd rounder otherwise. For the Steelers to pick him up late in the 3rd round is an unbelievable bargain. I don't know if Cam has Pro Bowl potential, but he certainly has starter potential and that's pretty good for a late 3rd Round pick.
Josh Malone. I'm in the camp that thinks Malone made a bit of a mistake by leaving early, but I understand his decision. Look at how many of our guys have stayed one more year, got injured, and then saw their draft stock fall? Yet, Malone has the potential to be a starting WR in the NFL. My only concern is that I'm not sure how well he fits in with the Bengals needs, but I would not be surprised to see Malone develop into a starting WR within a few years. He was an absolute steal in the 4th Round. If he stuck around another year, he may have even moved up to the 1st or 2nd Round.
Josh Dobbs. We all know Dobbs struggled with accuracy and consistency at times, but we also all know that he's super-intelligent, an excellent leader, and dedicated to improving himself. He has the arm strength to succeed in the NFL. Out of all the prospects in the draft, he probably had the most time-demanding curriculum, and I do think part of his struggles were related to not having a dedicated QB coach on staff. (We're already seeing improvement with the QBs under Canales IMO.) I don't know if he can be a starter in the NFL, but he found the absolutely perfect landing spot in Pittsburgh, where he can be mentored and have time to develop for a few years before being thrown into the fire.
Outside of the UT players, some other good "value picks" that stuck out to me.
Jake Butt. Goofy last name, but great player at Michigan. Very good TE who fell due to injury. Broncos picked him up in 5th Round.
Bucky Hodges. Don't know if he'll pan out, but he's got high upside, so a pretty good pick up in the 6th round by the Vikings.
Isaiah Ford. Another VT player. He got picked in the 7th Round by the Dolphins. A lot of scouts have concerns about his measurables, but he's one heck of a football player. In the 7th round, he's a great value that could potentially develop into a #3 receiver.
As for the rest of our guys:
Alvin Kamara. I love AK, but I admit I just don't have a feel for how he might do in the NFL. I think he's the type of player where "fit" matters a lot, and I'm unsure if the Saints really suit his style. I wouldn't call him a "value pick" because I think 2nd Round was about right for him based on what he's shown.
JRM. We love him, scouts aren't crazy about him. We know he's an excellent football player, just a question if he can recover from injuries and find somewhere that he fits. I'm curious to see if someone tries to convert him into a Safety. I wouldn't bet against JRM, but he is a player that, like AK, I think his fortunes may depend on how the coaches around him decide to use him.
Derek Barnett. Can't wait to see this guy play in the NFL. I think he'll surprise people. Can't call him a "value pick" as a 1st Rounder, but I do think the scouts focusing on "measurables" sometimes miss the intangibles. No one is more determined than Derek Barnett! The guy was a one-man wrecking crew during parts of the season.
Good luck to all of our Vols in the League. Happy to finally see some Tennessee names on the draft board again; feels like we've had quite a drought.
Cam Sutton. Shut-down corner who got injured last season. Probably a late 1st rounder / early 2nd rounder otherwise. For the Steelers to pick him up late in the 3rd round is an unbelievable bargain. I don't know if Cam has Pro Bowl potential, but he certainly has starter potential and that's pretty good for a late 3rd Round pick.
Josh Malone. I'm in the camp that thinks Malone made a bit of a mistake by leaving early, but I understand his decision. Look at how many of our guys have stayed one more year, got injured, and then saw their draft stock fall? Yet, Malone has the potential to be a starting WR in the NFL. My only concern is that I'm not sure how well he fits in with the Bengals needs, but I would not be surprised to see Malone develop into a starting WR within a few years. He was an absolute steal in the 4th Round. If he stuck around another year, he may have even moved up to the 1st or 2nd Round.
Josh Dobbs. We all know Dobbs struggled with accuracy and consistency at times, but we also all know that he's super-intelligent, an excellent leader, and dedicated to improving himself. He has the arm strength to succeed in the NFL. Out of all the prospects in the draft, he probably had the most time-demanding curriculum, and I do think part of his struggles were related to not having a dedicated QB coach on staff. (We're already seeing improvement with the QBs under Canales IMO.) I don't know if he can be a starter in the NFL, but he found the absolutely perfect landing spot in Pittsburgh, where he can be mentored and have time to develop for a few years before being thrown into the fire.
Outside of the UT players, some other good "value picks" that stuck out to me.
Jake Butt. Goofy last name, but great player at Michigan. Very good TE who fell due to injury. Broncos picked him up in 5th Round.
Bucky Hodges. Don't know if he'll pan out, but he's got high upside, so a pretty good pick up in the 6th round by the Vikings.
Isaiah Ford. Another VT player. He got picked in the 7th Round by the Dolphins. A lot of scouts have concerns about his measurables, but he's one heck of a football player. In the 7th round, he's a great value that could potentially develop into a #3 receiver.
As for the rest of our guys:
Alvin Kamara. I love AK, but I admit I just don't have a feel for how he might do in the NFL. I think he's the type of player where "fit" matters a lot, and I'm unsure if the Saints really suit his style. I wouldn't call him a "value pick" because I think 2nd Round was about right for him based on what he's shown.
JRM. We love him, scouts aren't crazy about him. We know he's an excellent football player, just a question if he can recover from injuries and find somewhere that he fits. I'm curious to see if someone tries to convert him into a Safety. I wouldn't bet against JRM, but he is a player that, like AK, I think his fortunes may depend on how the coaches around him decide to use him.
Derek Barnett. Can't wait to see this guy play in the NFL. I think he'll surprise people. Can't call him a "value pick" as a 1st Rounder, but I do think the scouts focusing on "measurables" sometimes miss the intangibles. No one is more determined than Derek Barnett! The guy was a one-man wrecking crew during parts of the season.
Good luck to all of our Vols in the League. Happy to finally see some Tennessee names on the draft board again; feels like we've had quite a drought.
