2 Hawks in top 7--Kiper

99topdawg

Well-Known Member
Mel Kiper came out with his top draft prospects. Stanley didn't make the top 25, but was Kiper's #2 rated senior QB.

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5. A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa*

HT: 6-6 | WT: 280 | Previously: 5

It's worth noting that Epenesa led the Hawkeyes in sacks last season while playing only 30 snaps per game. He was a part-time player for a deep front seven, and yet he still had 10.5 sacks and 16.5 total tackles for loss. What could he do in a full-time role this season? With great size and length, Epenesa has the skill set to be dominant against the run while pitching in double-digit sacks. He could end up as an end in a 3-4 defense at the next level.


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7. Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa*

HT: 6-5 | WT: 322 | Previously: 17

Left tackle, right tackle -- it really doesn't matter anymore. NFL teams aren't differentiating between the value of the two positions. Just look at the $36.75 million guaranteed the Raiders gave Trent Brown, who's going to play on the right side this season. Teams just want good tackles, period. Wirfs, a former high school wrestling champion, plays right tackle for the Hawkeyes, and he just mauls defenders. Dominates them. He has incredible strength and power -- check out this video -- and he can also move his feet. Wirfs is a rare talent who could keep moving up.
 












Mel Kiper came out with his top draft prospects. Stanley didn't make the top 25, but was Kiper's #2 rated senior QB.

i

5. A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa*

HT: 6-6 | WT: 280 | Previously: 5

It's worth noting that Epenesa led the Hawkeyes in sacks last season while playing only 30 snaps per game. He was a part-time player for a deep front seven, and yet he still had 10.5 sacks and 16.5 total tackles for loss. What could he do in a full-time role this season? With great size and length, Epenesa has the skill set to be dominant against the run while pitching in double-digit sacks. He could end up as an end in a 3-4 defense at the next level.


i

7. Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa*

HT: 6-5 | WT: 322 | Previously: 17

Left tackle, right tackle -- it really doesn't matter anymore. NFL teams aren't differentiating between the value of the two positions. Just look at the $36.75 million guaranteed the Raiders gave Trent Brown, who's going to play on the right side this season. Teams just want good tackles, period. Wirfs, a former high school wrestling champion, plays right tackle for the Hawkeyes, and he just mauls defenders. Dominates them. He has incredible strength and power -- check out this video -- and he can also move his feet. Wirfs is a rare talent who could keep moving up.


Well this sucks for those 2 guys, since kiper said this, these guys will fall out of the first round.
 






From CBS Sports:

First offensive lineman off the board
Tristan Wirfs, Iowa
Wirfs is an absolute monster. The 6-foot-5, 322-pounder was devastatingly powerful in every game for the Hawkeyes last season as a 19-year-old true sophomore. Physically overpowering defensive linemen before your 20th birthday in college -- regardless of the conference in which you play -- is extremely rare. And of course, Wirfs is getting stronger. He was No. 1 on Bruce Feldman's list of "freaks" at the college football level. He power cleaned 450 five times to set an Iowa record previously held by then fifth-year senior and No. 5 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft -- Brandon Scherff.

But we all know it's not simply about strength on the offensive line. Then again, getting "NFL strong" isn't easy, and even many of the highly touted prospects take a full year to get there. Wirfs shouldn't have any problems in that area. And based on his film last season, he does have to get a little quicker laterally when dealing with those one-gap interior penetrators. But he already can demolish in the run game, and bull rushes don't phase him in pass protection. I expect Wirfs to take enough of a step forward in pass protection that he'll be viewed as a Quenton Nelson Lite type guard prospect -- with a chance to play tackle -- and, like Nelson, be the first offensive lineman off the board in his draft class.
 


Mel Kiper came out with his top draft prospects. Stanley didn't make the top 25, but was Kiper's #2 rated senior QB.

i

5. A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa*

HT: 6-6 | WT: 280 | Previously: 5

It's worth noting that Epenesa led the Hawkeyes in sacks last season while playing only 30 snaps per game. He was a part-time player for a deep front seven, and yet he still had 10.5 sacks and 16.5 total tackles for loss. What could he do in a full-time role this season? With great size and length, Epenesa has the skill set to be dominant against the run while pitching in double-digit sacks. He could end up as an end in a 3-4 defense at the next level.


i

7. Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa*

HT: 6-5 | WT: 322 | Previously: 17

Left tackle, right tackle -- it really doesn't matter anymore. NFL teams aren't differentiating between the value of the two positions. Just look at the $36.75 million guaranteed the Raiders gave Trent Brown, who's going to play on the right side this season. Teams just want good tackles, period. Wirfs, a former high school wrestling champion, plays right tackle for the Hawkeyes, and he just mauls defenders. Dominates them. He has incredible strength and power -- check out this video -- and he can also move his feet. Wirfs is a rare talent who could keep moving up.
This is THE year for Stanley to show poise and accuracy. He has talent and experience as the Iowa QB. (experienced senior QB for Iowa, yikes...)

This is THE year for Kirk to show poise, leadership, flexibility, and managed risk. He has talent on the field and experience in his staff and at the QB position.

This is THE year for Iowa to show that it has some legitimate WR targets for Stanley to throw to and for Kirk and Son to include in the game plans.

This is THE year for Iowa O-line to blow people off the ball and create running lanes that will produce some longer, game breaking gains.

This is THE year for one, please, RB who can go beyond 10 yards on a somewhat consistent basis.

This is THE year for Iowa to have an average or above average punter, critical to Kirkball success.

This is the year for Son of Kirk to demonstrate that his time of "learn on the job" has ended. Time to produce and don't whine like a little baby when calls "don't go your way." Take the pain, be a leader. Get over it.
 








Is Stanley's thumb fully healed? I think that issue was overlooked too often during the season last year.
I agree about the thumb, hurting accuracy. However, his biggest "shadow side" as a top level college and NFL QB is his default to panic when he needs to be calm and make good decisions under duress. This separates the "good" and "talented" from the great, of which there are far fewer.
 


I didn't have that thought last year, devoid of WR talent which could get open.
My main point was that every time fans are emphatic that a particular year is THE year (which is just about every season), it usually falls flat. All of the "pieces being in place" is not a good indicator for Iowa fans that something special is going to happen. Not saying it can't, but you have to be the homerest of the homers to get juiced up about a particular roster because when you do, more often than not it goes 7-5 and an Outback bowl.

I hope the Hawks go undefeated, but there's no evidence to me that this season is any more special than the 7-7.5 wins that are the norm.
 


My main point was that every time fans are emphatic that a particular year is THE year (which is just about every season), it usually falls flat. All of the "pieces being in place" is not a good indicator for Iowa fans that something special is going to happen. Not saying it can't, but you have to be the homerest of the homers to get juiced up about a particular roster because when you do, more often than not it goes 7-5 and an Outback bowl.

I hope the Hawks go undefeated, but there's no evidence to me that this season is any more special than the 7-7.5 wins that are the norm.

The last few years didn't pan out because they weren't "the year" like this one is!!!
 


Mel Kiper came out with his top draft prospects. Stanley didn't make the top 25, but was Kiper's #2 rated senior QB.

i

5. A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa*

HT: 6-6 | WT: 280 | Previously: 5

It's worth noting that Epenesa led the Hawkeyes in sacks last season while playing only 30 snaps per game. He was a part-time player for a deep front seven, and yet he still had 10.5 sacks and 16.5 total tackles for loss. What could he do in a full-time role this season? With great size and length, Epenesa has the skill set to be dominant against the run while pitching in double-digit sacks. He could end up as an end in a 3-4 defense at the next level.


i

7. Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa*

HT: 6-5 | WT: 322 | Previously: 17

Left tackle, right tackle -- it really doesn't matter anymore. NFL teams aren't differentiating between the value of the two positions. Just look at the $36.75 million guaranteed the Raiders gave Trent Brown, who's going to play on the right side this season. Teams just want good tackles, period. Wirfs, a former high school wrestling champion, plays right tackle for the Hawkeyes, and he just mauls defenders. Dominates them. He has incredible strength and power -- check out this video -- and he can also move his feet. Wirfs is a rare talent who could keep moving up.

So where does he have Alaric Jackson?
 








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