WHO GETS DRAFTED FIRST

WHO GETS DRAFTED FIRST

  • Fant

    Votes: 43 67.2%

  • Hock

    Votes: 21 32.8%
  • Total voters
    64
karras said:
This misses the point.

Hock should've been on the field for every offensive snap
Fant should've been on the field for every snap as well - splitting time between WR/TE/FB - before you freak out, Brian himself said Fant could play those 3 positions and produce.
And for those who say "How could they both get 100% of the snaps when Fant is getting snaps at TE?" -- well, 2-TE (sometimes 3-TE) sets answer that question.
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I am not sure how presentation of stats can miss the point when no point was made. But overall I agree; I was surprised at Fant's snap counts. Going into the season, I was of the opinion that he was probably our best WR (I am less sure about that now, but I still think he was certainly among our top 3 options to line up wide), and if he wasn't playing TE or H, he should be lined up wide. They never really went that way for some reason.

Iowa has not had a lot of guys play multiple receiver positions that I can recall. It is not a trivial task to learn multiple spots, but it is not an impossible ask either.

I think the stats I presented really highlight the role Fant was asked to play: he was the constant big-play threat intended to keep a defense honest. Much like Tevaun Smith a few years back, the stats do not completely reflect his worth to the offense. His 519 yards and 7 TDs from this past year are big numbers for a TE, but replacing him will not just be about replacing that production, but finding someone else who can tilt the defense in a way that opens opportunities for others.

Considering the attention Fant got, it is kind of impressive that the staff schemed him open on a deep route so frequently throughout the season (seems like at least once per game). Unfortunately, so many of those opportunities came up empty due to Stanley and Fant not being able to connect. Improve that connection rate slightly, and Fant's #s all of a sudden match TJs for the year.
 
ModebaSan said:
Fant has great intangibles, but I think Hock is a better all around TE. Fant has speed and verticality. But Hock is the better blocker and is a more of a clutch catcher in critical situations. Hell, if San Francisco was smart, they’d draft both Fant and Hock and line them up in a 3 TE set with Kittle. Talk about a nightmare cover! In the pro game, the TE spot has become one of the most productive positions. They are faster than LB’s and are bigger and stronger than safeties and corners. We are TE U now, we need to recruit only the best TE’s from coast to coast. Time to stock at least one position we are famous for with 5 star talent!
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I looked at the 2020 class and most of the TE talent is far from local, which means Kirk and staff will kindly concede that they aren't worth chancing after.
 
HawksMN said:
Fant first then Hooker 3rd or 4th round followed closely by Hock. AN does not get drafted.
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Nelson must have gotten feedback that he would be drafted pretty high or he would not have declared. If anyone has info about this please respond
 

From Dochterman and The Athletic:
Per Sports Info Solutions, Fant was targeted in the red zone 21 times the last 2 seasons. He caught 15 passes w/12 TDs, which the 4th-most TDs in FBS. Of the 61 players w/ at least 20 red-zone targets the last 2 seasons, Fant’s 57.1 percent TD rate ranked as FBS' best.
 
99topdawg said:
Mel Kiper just released his first mock of the year and has Hock going 19th to the Titans and does not have Fant going in the 1st round.


19. Tennessee Titans
T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa

This might not look like a need on paper, but Delanie Walker is 34 and missed most of the season after a severe ankle injury. Hockenson can be a weapon. He is an all-around tight end, an excellent blocker and a good pass-catcher with a big 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame. The Titans will keep a close eye on playmakers for Marcus Mariota.
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Kiper and McShay had a one hour show last night but I only caught his last four picks. Did he mention Fant at all? I also saw he had Irv Smith Jr going later in the first round.

SI released a mock yesterday that had Fant going 18th but no Hock. It is not likely, but not improbable that both go in the first.

That would have to be a first. Two underclassmen TE's from same college going in first round. Wow. That would be something.

Three TE's went in first in 2017.
 
Daniel Jeremiah of nfl.com put out his first mock draft:
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...ock-draft-10-kyler-murray-lands-with-patriots

PICK 8


T.J. Hockenson - TE

School: Iowa | Year: Sophomore (RS)
This might be a little early for Hockenson, but he fits the physical identity the Lions have been attempting to build.



PICK 32


Noah Fant - TE



School: Iowa | Year: Junior
Fant is an athletic freak and would be a nice complement to the young WR corps in Green Bay.Jimmy Graham isn't the long-term answer at the position.
 
DMLadyhawk said:
Nelson must have gotten feedback that he would be drafted pretty high or he would not have declared. If anyone has info about this please respond
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He was tied for 2nd or 3rd depending on how you look at it in sacks this year in the Big Ten. He was 4th in the big ten in sacks last year. He'll get drafted somewhere between 2nd-4th rounds. My guess would be late 3rd.
 
iloveyoularrystation said:
He was tied for 2nd or 3rd depending on how you look at it in sacks this year in the Big Ten. He was 4th in the big ten in sacks last year. He'll get drafted somewhere between 2nd-4th rounds. My guess would be late 3rd.
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I am sure he will get drafted - I was just wondering what kind of NFL feedback he got to make him leave a year early. If he was told 2nd I understand it. Not so much if late 3rd or 4th. But....his decision.
 
DMLadyhawk said:
I am sure he will get drafted - I was just wondering what kind of NFL feedback he got to make him leave a year early. If he was told 2nd I understand it. Not so much if late 3rd or 4th. But....his decision.
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According to the interview of him that Rob posted, he was given a 3rd-4th grade. I totally understand it, though, considering he already has his degree. There is a certain cohort he came in with (not just on the team, but on-campus), and it makes sense to leave with them as well.
 
I can understand Fants reason for not playing in the bowl game as many players are now doing. But I also think coaches like it when a player decides to put the team first. I think Hockenson is a better all around TE than Fant and will be drafted before him. But I still have a lot if love for Fant. I would like to hear both of them come off the board in the 1st round. I think that would be the first time in NFL history that two TE’s from the same school get drafted in the first round. That would be music to the ears to high rated TE recruits for years to come and Iowa would and should definitely use that to their advantage.
 
Hock will go first, he is a better receiver, faster and more nimble. He has a lot more upside. He will go mid to late first round. I can see someone like New England picking him sense Gronk will be gone.
 
Pre-combine, it's hard to say. If Fant has the combine that many expect, I think he'll go first. Taking nothing away from Hockenson, who will immediately make an NFL team better.
 
Stanzi said:
I'm seeing Hock in the first more and more with the mock drafts that are coming out. I think people are realizing how good he is in all facets. He doesn't really have any weaknesses.
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My guess would be this...Wow, Hock pops up high on a "expert's" mock draft. Other "experts" feel left out and think, wow, I don't know much about Hock (or much of anything else) but I am an "expert" and need to get him up higher, whoever he is. It is herd mentality, predicting what might be, seldom is, as they try to build a following and flow of $$$ for their expert advice.

That said, I think Hock makes the best long term NFL player and I hope he goes higher than anyone expects. It will be good for him and for Iowa recruiting.

Two cents.

Also, I think Nelson will do well in the NFL: length, tenacity, intelligence. You need a few of those on a team.
 
Stanzi said:
I'm seeing Hock in the first more and more with the mock drafts that are coming out. I think people are realizing how good he is in all facets. He doesn't really have any weaknesses.
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Exactly... He doesn't have to be the fastest, tallest or jump the hightest guy to be the best TE. If you can block like he can and do everything else as well as he can what's not to like? Fant obviously has a few negative check marks to his game. Do his possitives counteract that enough? We'll see but it's also scheme fit and what team you go to. I'd rather they both go someplace they'll be a good fit and be used a lot rather than go and just be an after thought.
 
I recall one TD catch in early 2017, where Fant catches a ball around the 10, then carries the would-be tackler and 2 other DBs into the end zone.

He has that ability.

Gronkowski couldn’t block when he came into the NFL, but learned how (he gives credit to Brian Ferentz for that). Fant can be taught how to be a more effective blocker. I think he will test off the charts at the combine. He will be the earlier pick.
 
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