This post is for discussing this weekend's NFL Draft. If the thread gets huge on Day 1 we can probably split it into two threads for each day. Any NFL fans wandering by after Cal players get drafted are welcome to comment too!
For Cal fans with NFL allegiances, you're free to speculate about which players your team is interested in, who you believe they should pick, how happy or disgusted you are with your team's picks, and how Mel Kiper's hair could be used as a biological weapon.
For those not terribly interested in where everyone ends up but just that they get drafted, this is one last chance to reminicise about seniors. Which senior will you miss the most? Which senior do you think the Bears will miss the most, based on their importance to the team? And is there anything wrong with the draft profiles on our players?
Here are some brief predictions of where some of our players can go by people (i.e. SBNation NFL blogs) who follow this stuff way more closely than me.
After Alex Mack, the jump takes us to the rest of the players who are in the draft mix and see which fanbases have expressed interest in them (the description is more detailed for Mack since he's the only one going on Day 1; after that it becomes essentially a crapshoot).
Alex Mack (click for Remembering the Seniors profile)
Interviews: Scout, Yahoo Sports
Strengths:
Ideal size and bulk...Extremely smart...Decent athlete with good agility and quickness...Physical and aggressive...Nasty with a killer instinct and always finishes plays...Great technician who understands angles and leverage...Outstanding awareness...Very strong and powerful and is a monster in the weight room...Above average mobility...Hard worker...Tough and durable... Has a lot of experience.
Weaknesses:
Does not have great balance and spends too much time on the ground...A little stiff in the hips...Not real light on his feet...Shorter arms than you'd prefer...Can be too aggressive at times...Will get out of control ... Susceptible to being overwhelmed by massive defenders
Alex Mack, Cal, C: I know some teams prefer Oregon's Max Unger to Mack in part because the Bear spends too much time on the ground. Some of the Pac-10 defensive tackles I've spoken to in the past say Mack was the better player. My hunch is that Mack will start in the NFL for close to a decade. He is a former standout wrestler with great flexibility and more than enough bulk to anchor the middle.
Zack Follett (click for Remembering the Seniors profile)
Interviews: Daily Cal, Scout, Examiner
Strengths:
Very physical with good strength...Reliable tackler...Excellent in pursuit...Does a nice job versus the run...Can take on and shed blockers...Good pass rusher and blitzer...Has a burst to close...Very intense and competitive...A big hitter...Has a non-stop motor...Superb instincts...Hard worker...Tough and durable...Has a lot of special teams potential... Productive and really had a terrific senior campaign.
Weaknesses:
Just average size and bulk...Stiff and not a great athlete...Doesn't play real fast...Has some health and durability concerns...Sub par change of direction skills...Too aggressive at times...Lacks fluid hips...A liability in coverage...Marginal ball skills...Struggles in space ... Limited upside.
Strengths:
Very athletic...Good speed and quickness...Soft, reliable hands...Great body control and ball skills...Decent leaper...Runs good routes...Able to separate..Strong...Is not afraid to work the middle...Still has upside.
Weaknesses:
Just average size and bulk...Isn't very elusive and won't do much after the catch...Questionable instincts and awareness...Isn't much of a blocker...Not real tough or physical...Durability...Limited experience.
Interviews: Yahoo Sports, Cal Bears Examiner, The Football Expert, Daily Cal
Strengths: Decent athlete...Great height and bulk...Extremely long arms and big hands...Strong...Powerful tackler...Stout at the point of attack..Does a nice job in pursuit...Has a non-stop motor...Very tough...Hard worker.Weaknesses: Below average speed and quickness...Is not very explosive and lacks a burst...Raw technician...Not a top pass rusher and repertoire of moves is limited...Durability is a concern...Is older than the average prospect.
Fanbases/teams interested in Rulon: New England, Oakland, Indy, Buffalo (maybe it's just that one fan, fami1y_first who keeps on posting Bears players. Not that I don't mind the coverage...wooo! MORE GOLDEN BEARS IN BUFFALO!)
Worrell Williams (Click for Remembering the Seniors Profile)
Strengths: Good athleticism...Is quick and agile with a burst...Decent bulk and a solid frame...A reliable tackler...Able to deliver the big hit...Good strength...Works through traffic well...Has a great motor...Intense and competitive...Versatile...Durable and experienced...Good bloodlines.Weaknesses: Shorter than you'd prefer...Does not have great timed speed...Lacks fluid hips...Average, at best, in coverage...Questionable instincts and awareness...Is too aggressive at times...Has trouble getting off blocks.
Will Ta'ufo'ou (Click for Remembering the Seniors Profile)
via www.dailycal.org
Sports Illustrated Draft Profile:
POSITIVES: Explosive lead blocker who flashes skill handling the ball. Quick off the snap, accelerates into blocks and fundamentally sound. Displays good footwork in pass protection, picks up blitzes and squares into defenders. Gets out front and creates space for running backs. Works hard to finish blocks. NEGATIVES: Average strength and really does not get much movement run blocking. Looks small for 250 pounds. Rarely asked to handle the ball. ANALYSIS: Ta'ufo'ou is a hard-working fullback who's also been very effective on special teams in college. He has the skill set to find a home as a number two fullback on a roster, and Ta'ufo'ou presents himself as a special teams demon.
Fanbases/teams interested in Will: Cincinnati
Anthony Felder (Click for Remembering the Seniors Profile)
Strengths:
Very athletic...Above average speed, agility and quickness...Excellent strength...Reliable tackler...Outstanding range...Intelligent with great instincts and awareness...Smooth in coverage...Offers some positional versatility...Fantastic work ethic...Lots of experience...Still has upside.
Weaknesses:
Does not have the size that you look for...Has trouble taking on and shedding blockers...Marginal pass rush ability...Isn't a big hitter...Does not make many impact plays in coverage...Durability may be an issue.
Poll
Which departing Cal player will you miss the most?
Nate Longshore (17 votes)
Alex Mack (48 votes)
Zack Follett (96 votes)
Cameron Morrah (1 vote)
Rulon Davis (2 votes)
Worrell Williams (2 votes)
Will Ta'ufo'ou (20 votes)
Anthony Felder (4 votes)
Jordan Kay (1 vote)
Tom Schneider (2 votes)
Another senior (Sean Young, Norris Malele, Nick Sundberg, etc.) (2 votes)
195 total votes
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