2014 NFL Draft

[DrumNFeather]

Ok, so we're a little early for this, but Houston has given itself the inside track to the #1 pick by getting swept by Jacksonville. Understanding that Houston needs a QB, I'm not sure there is a true #1 overall pick QB this year. Bridgewater...meh.

Now, the thought of Watt and Clowney playing on the same defensive line is pretty intriguing.

[DrumNFeather]

1. Houston
2. St. Louis (from Was)

The Rams will shop this pick again in an effort to acquire more picks. The NFC West will be a murderers row in about 2 years.

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[DrumNFeather]

Mel Kiper has Jake Murphy ranked as the 6th best TE prospect, and Keith McGill as the 8th best defensive back prospect.

[DrumNFeather]

From the Senior Bowl practice:

"Keith McGill (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/34719/keith-mcgill), Utah Utes
Role: Press corner
NFL comparison: Brandon Browner (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/9250/brandon-browner)
NFL fits: Seahawks, Jaguars, Packers

Given the size of some of the more prolific receivers in the NFL today, there is an increased need for bigger cornerbacks who can match up with them in press coverage. As we mentioned on Monday (http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/nfl-draft/post?id=2566), there are several bigger corners in practices this week, and McGill is one who has stood out both days so far.

McGill has pretty good instincts in terms of his overall awareness and route recognition. He also does a good job of finding the ball in the air and playing it. He had some ups and downs this season, and there are aspects of his game he needs to clean up (his hip fluidity can improve). But because of his size, he doesn’t need to always be in ideal position to be disruptive to a receiver’s route and make a play on the ball when he’s forced to turn and run. He really knows how to throw his weight around -- not all big corners are aggressive, physical and competitive, but he has been all three in practices.

He needs to improve his press technique, but he has the tools to do it. McGill's size will be tempting for teams. He’s 6-3, 214 pounds, which is slightly bigger than Richard Sherman (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/14086/richard-sherman)when he was coming out of school (6-2, 205) and roughly the same size as Browner when he was coming out (6-3, 221). For teams in the middle rounds looking to add size at cornerback, particularly one who can hold his own in press coverage, McGill could be an intriguing option. "

[Applejack]

From the Senior Bowl practice:

"Keith McGill (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/34719/keith-mcgill), Utah Utes
Role: Press corner
NFL comparison: Brandon Browner (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/9250/brandon-browner)
NFL fits: Seahawks, Jaguars, Packers

Given the size of some of the more prolific receivers in the NFL today, there is an increased need for bigger cornerbacks who can match up with them in press coverage. As we mentioned on Monday (http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/nfl-draft/post?id=2566), there are several bigger corners in practices this week, and McGill is one who has stood out both days so far.

McGill has pretty good instincts in terms of his overall awareness and route recognition. He also does a good job of finding the ball in the air and playing it. He had some ups and downs this season, and there are aspects of his game he needs to clean up (his hip fluidity can improve). But because of his size, he doesn’t need to always be in ideal position to be disruptive to a receiver’s route and make a play on the ball when he’s forced to turn and run. He really knows how to throw his weight around -- not all big corners are aggressive, physical and competitive, but he has been all three in practices.

He needs to improve his press technique, but he has the tools to do it. McGill's size will be tempting for teams. He’s 6-3, 214 pounds, which is slightly bigger than Richard Sherman (http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/14086/richard-sherman)when he was coming out of school (6-2, 205) and roughly the same size as Browner when he was coming out (6-3, 221). For teams in the middle rounds looking to add size at cornerback, particularly one who can hold his own in press coverage, McGill could be an intriguing option. "

I can see McGill having a career arc similar to Paul Soliai's: once he is established in the NFL, many Ute fans will say "I don't even remember that guy on Utah."

[DrumNFeather]

McGill with a pick to end the Senior Bowl.

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[DrumNFeather]

Michael Sam, DE out of Missouri comes out as a proud, openly gay man in advance of the NFL draft:

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/10429030/michael-sam-missouri-tigers-says-gay

I think many will rightfully applaud this move. It will be interesting to see how this impacts his draft stock, if at all. I think Kiper had him in the 3-4th round. My guess is that he drops a little bit because whoever selects him is going to be inviting a bit of a media circus, and they might not think it is worth it for a mid-round pick. It is going to take the right team to take him to be able to handle that level of media attention/scruitiny.

[DrumNFeather]

The CNN headline is "Top NFL prospect says he's gay."


ESPN has him ranked #119, but I think they just went for the headline on that one.

[SoCalPat]

ESPN has him ranked #119, but I think they just went for the headline on that one.

When you consider how many seniors there are who are vying for an NFL roster spot, I think it's safe to say a guy projected to be drafted in rounds 3-5 is a "top", but clearly not "THE" top prospect. I'd guess he's in the top 10 percent of all draft-eligible players.

[DrumNFeather]

Murphy puts up 24 reps of 225 on the bench. Sixth among TEs.

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[Applejack]

Murphy puts up 24 reps of 225 on the bench. Sixth among TEs.

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Good for him. I think he could have used another year where his stats would pop more than they did this year, but with our uncertainty at QB, he probably made the right choice.

Where is he projected? 5th-7th?

[Diehard Ute]

Good for him. I think he could have used another year where his stats would pop more than they did this year, but with our uncertainty at QB, he probably made the right choice.

Where is he projected? 5th-7th?

NFL.com has an breakdown of each player.

Murphy's includes that he "entered the draft prematurely" to support his wife and daughter.

It certainly didn't make any effort to hide that they believed he should have waited

[DrumNFeather]

He and Denham both were top 7 in the 40, I believe.

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[Hot Lunch]

Kieth McGill just ran a 4.44 and 4.47 forty. He just made some money today. 6'3 211 pounds running that is pretty dang impressive.

[Applejack]

Kieth McGill just ran a 4.44 and 4.47 forty. He just made some money today. 6'3 211 pounds running that is pretty dang impressive.

Yowzas!@ Can he sneak into the first round? I doubt it, but that is blazing for a big guy.

It's too bad we really only got one year out of him. But it's nice to see our DB draft factory start back up.

[Hot Lunch]

Yowzas!@ Can he sneak into the first round? I doubt it, but that is blazing for a big guy.

It's too bad we really only got one year out of him. But it's nice to see our DB draft factory start back up.

It really is we didn't get more than one year from him there. His improvement from game 1 was amazing.

I doubt he he sneaks into round 1 but I believe he has become a mid 2nd rounder which is awesome.

Tenny Palapoi really helped himself as well. He could be a 4th or 5th rounder now.

[Applejack]

It really is we didn't get more than one year from him there. His improvement from game 1 was amazing.

I doubt he he sneaks into round 1 but I believe he has become a mid 2nd rounder which is awesome.

Tenny Palapoi really helped himself as well. He could be a 4th or 5th rounder now.

From what I've read, it seems like all the Utes did well. Reilly was 6th in bench press for linebackers, Palepoi was solid, McGill hit it out of the park. Hell, even Denham was pretty solid (although he's not getting drafted). Jake Murph had good agility drills, although his speed was on the slow side.

[DrumNFeather]

Rich Eisen runs the 40 again...

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos/0ap2000000328942/Eisen-takes-on-the-40-yard-dash

[DrumNFeather]

According to S.I.'s mock, McGill has worked himself into the second round: http://nfl.si.com/2014/02/26/2014-nfl-mock-draft-greg-robinson/3/

[Utah]

Wouldn't it be classic if McGill was taken above Van Noy? Lol.

[DrumNFeather]

The NFL Draft starts today! (What a long wait!)

Looking at Todd McShay's top 300, the Utes listed are: McGill, Jake Murphy, and Teny Palepoi. Trevor Riley does not appear on his top 300 list. However, Riley does appear in most mocks as a 5th or so rounder, so I think he at least gets taken.

The only other guy that I could see teams taking a flyer on at TE is Anthony Denham. Either way, should be a fun 3 days!

[DrumNFeather]

Gotta love the draft. I thought Riley was listed much higher a few months ago. How did his stock drop?

My Broncos - need CB, OL, LB, pass rush

Alex's Chiefs have few picks. Need a tackle and a WR plus whatever they can get on defense.

Riley has never really had the measurables according to all the scouts, but his intangibles are off the charts. I suspect he'll still get selected.

[SoCalPat]

Gotta love the draft. I thought Riley was listed much higher a few months ago. How did his stock drop?

My Broncos - need CB, OL, LB, pass rush

Alex's Chiefs have few picks. Need a tackle and a WR plus whatever they can get on defense.

His age has to be a concern. He's 26. I'm also guessing he doesn't have the power to match his speed, which is his greatest strength. He's a third down guy in the NFL.

[SoCalPat]

Lots of talk about Buffalo moving up to No. 1 or 2. The intriguing thing is that they have two guys they would really like -- Jadaveon Clowney and Greg Robinson -- so this is the rare instance in which it's the team moving down that has to give up "more" (in reality, demanding less) to get out of the first or second pick.

Getting Clowney -- provided he lives up to the hype -- would give the Bills perhaps the greatest pass-rushing D-line in the modern NFL era. They already led the league in sacks last year, and they're adding Clowney? They would never have to blitz, which immediately gives them a huge edge on about 95 percent of the league.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/05/07/bills-making-calls-about-a-trade-to-no-1-or-no-2/

[DrumNFeather]

More fun. Kiper puts out his final positional rankings:


WR

32. Anthony Denham

TE

9. Jake Murphy
16. Anthony Denham

DT:

22. Tenny Palepoi

OLB

18. Trevor Riley

CB

16. Keith McGill.

Based on this, Denham could very well be drafted.

[Hot Lunch]

More fun. Kiper puts out his final positional rankings:


WR

32. Anthony Denham

TE

9. Jake Murphy
16. Anthony Denham

DT:

22. Tenny Palepoi

OLB

18. Trevor Riley

CB

16. Keith McGill.

Based on this, Denham could very well be drafted.

If Denham gets drafted, it will be as a TE and not as wideout. I think he is a pretty interesting prospect at that position. Someone will take a chance on hi.

I love the NFL draft. Been extremely busy lately and haven't had the time to follow a lot of the pre draft buzz. I will however be glued to the TV tonight and tomorrow night. This probably my favorite sporting event of the year.

[DrumNFeather]

Keith McGill to the Raiders

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[Hot Lunch]

Keith McGill to the Raiders

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Man I hate the Raiders. I hate when Utes go there.

[DrumNFeather]

Trevor Riley to the Jets

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[DrumNFeather]

He may yet get picked or make a roster as a FA, but I think it is safe to say that Jake Murphy got some bad advice.

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[DrumNFeather]

Argh. He was a difference maker for us. Best player on the offense.

Sounds like he signed w Oakland along with Karl Williams. Tenny signs with SD.

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[UBlender]

He may yet get picked or make a roster as a FA, but I think it is safe to say that Jake Murphy got some bad advice.

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Just my opinion but I don't think Jake would have been able to raise his stock all that much by staying. A productive season would have been off-set by being another year older (and his age was already a detriment).

Also, he already has his degree.

It sucks for Utah but if I put myself in Jake's shoes I have little to gain from staying one more year.

[UTEopia]

Just my opinion but I don't think Jake would have been able to raise his stock all that much by staying. A productive season would have been off-set by being another year older (and his age was already a detriment).

Also, he already has his degree.

It sucks for Utah but if I put myself in Jake's shoes I have little to gain from staying one more year.

I agree UBlender. Jake had three things going against him that aren't going to change: age, height (6'3") and lack of speed. He would have helped the Utes had he returned, but I don't think he would have helped himself. If he can make the Raiders now, good for him.

[UtahsMrSports]

Best of luck to all of the Utes who were either drafted, or who will be in the for the battle of their lives to stick on a roster!

I do not have an NFL team, so I just follow the former Utes and cheer for them. It is always a challenge to find out who is where come kickoff. I guess Brandon Gurney and the Des News endless lists actually have a purpose after all. :)

[Applejack]

I don't buy this. If Jake had stayed healthy, turned in a 1000 yard, all-conference season as a captain, he gets drafted and in a decent spot. He was Wilson's favorite target, and that kind of season was possible.

I think he made a bad decision. Even if he doesn't improve his stock, he at least gets another year of playing football. He may never play a down of meaningful football again (obviously, we hope he does). Plus, he gets another year of being a Ute and being a leader. He gets to take the team to a bowl. He gets to work on a graduate degree for free. He gets another year of making memories. Students in general are often too anxious to move on to the next phase, not realizing that they are in the best phase.

Anyway, I already pull for the Chargers and the Chiefs for Utah related reasons. Might as well add the Raiders to the list and be the most confused Broncos fan in the world.

Agreed [except for the Broncos part].

[Sullyute]

I think he made a bad decision. Even if he doesn't improve his stock, he at least gets another year of playing football. He may never play a down of meaningful football again (obviously, we hope he does). Plus, he gets another year of being a Ute and being a leader. He gets to take the team to a bowl. He gets to work on a graduate degree for free. He gets another year of making memories. Students in general are often too anxious to move on to the next phase, not realizing that they are in the best phase.

You also have to realize that he is married with a kid. It is really hard to stick around making little to no money having fun playing football as you go deeper into debt trying to provide for your family. I agree that for most young people they are in a great place playing college football, but once you marry and have kids, your priorities change and you have to make adult decisions based on your family needs. He made the best decision for him and his family. I hope that he impresses his coaches and makes some decent coin.

[DrumNFeather]

You also have to realize that he is married with a kid. It is really hard to stick around making little to no money having fun playing football as you go deeper into debt trying to provide for your family. I agree that for most young people they are in a great place playing college football, but once you marry and have kids, your priorities change and you have to make adult decisions based on your family needs. He made the best decision for him and his family. I hope that he impresses his coaches and makes some decent coin.

I think in this situation, both sides are right. I believe he probably made the right decision for his family right now, especially if he can make a roster and earn a paycheck in the NFL. However, I also believe he made that decision based on some bad advice. My assumption here too is that as the son of Dale Murphy there wasn't much of financial need, but maybe that is not fair. As others have said though, I hope he makes it.