Top 50 NFL Prospects. Wowza, 3 TE's in Top 28. Good analysis.
- Thread starter skinnykilmer17
- Start date
I've been telling folks since before TJ decided to not be surprised that he could be the first TE off the board... He does everything. Fant as athletic as he is and the upside he has he's still a bit 1 dimensional for the next level. He'll be good too but TJ is exactly what teams want he'll be compared to Kittle like crazy
NikeHawk21
Well-Known Member
That’s great, with the understanding that where you might rank on a big board doesn’t necessarily determine draft position. Much of it has to do with team needs and their own big boards.
I’m liking all of the positives we’ve heard about T.J. since he’s declared. Hopefully he and Fant can separate themselves as the top 2 TEs. If they are I do believe they’ll both go in the top 2 rounds.
I’m liking all of the positives we’ve heard about T.J. since he’s declared. Hopefully he and Fant can separate themselves as the top 2 TEs. If they are I do believe they’ll both go in the top 2 rounds.
Stanzi
Well-Known Member
Kittle's huge season should help Hock and Fant. Draft analysts thought Kittle was a reach at the time he was drafted.
Hock does everything well and I literally can't remember a single time he dropped a catchable ball. Fant has the edge in speed and athleticism, but I can remember numerous drops from him. The most notorious likely being the drop in the 2017 Northwestern game. Both guys should have really good careers.
Hock does everything well and I literally can't remember a single time he dropped a catchable ball. Fant has the edge in speed and athleticism, but I can remember numerous drops from him. The most notorious likely being the drop in the 2017 Northwestern game. Both guys should have really good careers.
Coaches got a big bonus, what else do you want?
Iowa to a warm weather bowl game, where all the follow-ons get to go vacation, what else do you want?
More wins for the dean of coaches, what else do you want?
The NFL tends to spit out soft players, very brutal game.
skinnykilmer17
Well-Known Member
Are you saying Fant is soft?
I think he is based on what I know/hear/see. Several "red flags" pop up on how he has been used, etc. Read between the lines. First round picks are valuable. That said, I hope he does well and becomes a top ten pick, NFL all pro.
Disclaimer: I have never met the man.
HawkleberryFinn
Well-Known Member
I don't think this draft analyst realizes Nick Easley was the Outback Bowl MVP, not Jeffery Simmons.
HawkleberryFinn
Well-Known Member
Not soft--specialty player. Plays best when limited to two series a half.
ModebaSan
Well-Known Member
I see Kyler Murray popping up in the 1st rd. of the draft, but I think baseball is in his future. He’d only last about 5 yrs. in the NFL, whereas he could be in MLB for many more years. Football will put more wear and tear on your body than baseball ever will. I think he flirts with the NFL just for publicity, but will be in MLB next year. Besides, he’s only 5’9” and will never be able to put another 20 lbs. on his frame to be durable enough for the NFL.
Well Miss St has three guys projected to go in the first round, and they won one less game than Iowa.
skinnykilmer17
Well-Known Member
Did he ever miss a game to injury? I believe he even suffered a concussion and played the following week.
Not sure we should jump to conclusions and I honestly wouldn't begin to know what lines to read between. It was outwardly a strange situation this year regarding his usage.
Look, Ree provided us all with a video accusing Fant of basically being soft by falling before being tackled etc. I studied that video. Nonsense.
There were 24 catches on that video. 13 of those 24 catches went for 1st downs. 7 of those 13 1st down catches were on 3rd or 4th down. 7 of those 24 catches were touchdowns. So 20/24 catches on Ree's video were either for 1st downs or TD's.
My point? NFL guys are looking at his ability to create mismatches with his speed and his knack for making clutch catches. They aren't looking necessarily at his blocking ability are they? And I have no idea if he is "soft". Not even sure what that means in this context. And we have no idea if he will hold up to the pounding he will receive in the NFL. It is a violent game, even for TE's. Just ask CJ Fiedorowicz, Dallas Clark, or even Gronk.
He is probably a hybrid TE in the NFL. Like all skill players it is critical he gets drafted by a team that knows how to best utilize his skills.
One more thing. After watching Fant's highlight video it reminded me of how unstoppable he was when put in motion. Impossible to cover off the line of scrimmage as opponents had to respect his speed. Why didn't BF use that more? Why didn't Fant get targeted in the Penn St game until well into the 4th quarter? And he made an immediate impact.
I think the criticism is valid that we had two very special TE's (the best tandem in Iowa history and possibly 1st rd NFL picks) yet only won 8 games with them. And an elite defense to boot. ??
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okeefe4prez
Well-Known Member
I agree with the guy that the TE order is Hock. Irv and then Fant. I would take Quinnen Williams over Bosa at 1. To be honest, I would put Christian Wilkens ahead of Bosa. Bosa's okay, but I think these mock guys are all putting a lot of stock in his name and the way the game is evolving, teams have figured out that it is probably better to have a freakish DT who is going up against less talented guards than it is to have a super talented rush end who is going to have to go up against stud left tackles every week. Donald and Suh make it damned hard to muster up much offense against the Rams.
Life-long Rams fan disclaimer here
Suh is very good if motivated. I would hope he is in the Super Bowl. I like the Rams in this one. I think they will be able to drop and pressure TB when he drops back.
Donald is a freak. Quick, extremely strong. Low center of gravity. Diesel engine. Slippery. Type of guy QBs are aware of all the time creating skeeer.
I would like either one of the Iowa TEs with the Rams, the other with Green Bay, since I follow them also.
Fryowa
Administrator
I think Fant’s going to struggle somewhat in the NFL. More than Hockenson will, for sure.
Fant has tons of athleticism and physical ability, but his two biggest weaknesses are his hands and his blocking. It just so happens that in the NFL the two most important skills at TE are hands and blocking. I think TJ has shown that he can mix it up on the OL like Gronk and then post up or go across the middle in tons of traffic. We didn’t really see that with Fant (you can argue about why, but the fact remains).
I guess what I’m saying is that Fant beat college players by being a physical freak where TJ did it by using his TE-specific skill set. Fant could be in trouble because he’s entering a league made up of nothing but physical freaks. He’s not going to find (relative to him) slow LBs or DBs at the next level.
Fant has tons of athleticism and physical ability, but his two biggest weaknesses are his hands and his blocking. It just so happens that in the NFL the two most important skills at TE are hands and blocking. I think TJ has shown that he can mix it up on the OL like Gronk and then post up or go across the middle in tons of traffic. We didn’t really see that with Fant (you can argue about why, but the fact remains).
I guess what I’m saying is that Fant beat college players by being a physical freak where TJ did it by using his TE-specific skill set. Fant could be in trouble because he’s entering a league made up of nothing but physical freaks. He’s not going to find (relative to him) slow LBs or DBs at the next level.
okeefe4prez
Well-Known Member
Suh won't get credit for it, but I think the guy materially changed the game. When he was on Nebraska, he was completely unblockable and he kept them in games they had no business being in. He got a really bad rep in the NFL, but even at that level, he showed how much a star DT can improve a defense where common thinking was to spend all your money on an outside rush end. Then, Donald kicked it up. Seriously, if they called the line play on Donald straight up, the Rams would probably have gotten to 15 regular season wins and might even be barking up '73 Dolphins territory. The NFL is so hellbent on creating offense, though, that there's no way they call the Super Bowl straight up - if they do, Brady will be embarrassed.
