Passing on Kizer and Cunningham for McCaffrey!?

[The Franchise]

Obviously just a mock draft....but **** that.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/...Bnb7Kz#image=1

Kizer goes right after our pick to the Texans and Cunningham goes to the Raiders.

[DJ's left nut]

That would be unfortunate.

I mean, if we won a Super Bowl, I'd give zero ****s about the draft in all honesty, but still - I'd be pretty damn disappointed if somehow both Kizer AND Cunningham fell (probably my favorite QB and favorite 'chiefs possibility' in the draft respectively) and we didn't take them.

[Chief Northman]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

That would be unfortunate.

I mean, if we won a Super Bowl, I'd give zero ****s about the draft in all honesty, but still - I'd be pretty damn disappointed if somehow both Kizer AND Cunningham fell (probably my favorite QB and favorite 'chiefs possibility' in the draft respectively) and we didn't take them.

We all know Dorsey is not that stupid. Cunningham has all-pro potential and Kizer under Reid with his skill set would be phenomenal.

[RunKC]

Drafting McCaffrey would suck and I don't say that bc his dad was a Donk.

I think you could draft Ryan Switzerland in round 4 and get a similar impact bc McCaffrey isn't going to pound teams up the middle. He's more of a gadget player than true RB.

[O.city]

Is Cunningham that good? I've seen alot of talk about him here but I have limited views on him. He a true legit 3 down ilb?

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by O.city

Is Cunningham that good? I've seen alot of talk about him here but I have limited views on him. He a true legit 3 down ilb?

Yes, he's that good.



Marve, who was also an All-SEC linebacker at Vanderbilt, said it's always easier to coach someone who's as passionate about the game as Cunningham.

"He's in love with the game of football, and you see that every day in the way he prepares," Marve said. "He's always putting in extra time, but he also does a lot of things naturally that you don't see in a lot of players. You hear guys say they want to be great. Zach practices that way and approaches every game that way."

[Dante84]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

Yes, he's that good.



Marve, who was also an All-SEC linebacker at Vanderbilt, said it's always easier to coach someone who's as passionate about the game as Cunningham.

"He's in love with the game of football, and you see that every day in the way he prepares," Marve said. "He's always putting in extra time, but he also does a lot of things naturally that you don't see in a lot of players. You hear guys say they want to be great. Zach practices that way and approaches every game that way."

Okay, just watched that video, and he has one of the most unique tackling styles I've ever seen. I'm not sure how I feel about it...

Obviously he is throwing dudes like rag dolls, but almost all of his tackles were initiated by using his hands instead of his body. On other guys, I would say these are arm tackles and that won't play well in the NFL. On him, he seems very strong and so maybe it will?

The other thing is that he rolls the runner up, by using his momentum to spin them down. Would he be easily thrown off a spinning NFL runner with great balance? Or would he put them all on IR by destroying them?

Concerning for me was the horse collars, of which I saw like 4 in the highlight video. That's 15 yards a pop.

I really liked his speed, aggressiveness and the angles he takes... he also seems to fight through blocks well.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Dante84

Okay, just watched that video, and he has one of the most unique tackling styles I've ever seen. I'm not sure how I feel about it...

Obviously he is throwing dudes like rag dolls, but almost all of his tackles were initiated by using his hands instead of his body. On other guys, I would say these are arm tackles and that won't play well in the NFL. On him, he seems very strong and so maybe it will?

The other thing is that he rolls the runner up, by using his momentum to spin them down. Would he be easily thrown off a spinning NFL runner with great balance? Or would he put them all on IR by destroying them?

Concerning for me was the horse collars, of which I saw like 4 in the highlight video. That's 15 yards a pop.

I really liked his speed, aggressiveness and the angles he takes... he also seems to fight through blocks well.

What I saw w/r/t to the tackling was a guy that just doesn't always play with the correct leverage.

When he gets his pads down, he gets into the body, wraps and finishes. But he gets to the point of impact a little too upright fairly often so he can't really explode/drive through the hit.

I don't think it's a tentative thing because he's aggressive as hell. It's just an odd technique flaw that doesn't appear to have been coached out of him. I agree that it's not something that would work nearly as well at this level but I also don't think it would take too terribly much to coach it out of him. My worry there, more than the tackling, would be his ability to disengage from blockers. Playing that upright, he'll get eaten alive by any OL that got through the DL. Part of that comes from being tall. Cunningham is just a hell of a lot taller than you're used to among ILBs. So he's going to have to play very smart to keep guys from getting inside/underneath him.

He's not going to be the athlete that DJ was in his prime, IMO. He won't be quite as strong a coverage backer (DJ really was elite in that regard...even if he couldn't catch half the interceptions he put himself in position to make). I think Cunningham will be merely solid in coverage. The massive length might help him get his hands on a few balls that many ILBs wouldn't even if it costs him a little lateral agility.

But a solid coverage backer who enjoys playing run support is a definite 3-down answer, IMO.

Best case scenario? NaVorro Bowman seems an interesting comp. I don't know that he's quite as agile as Kuechly but plays a very similar game and is built very similarly as well.

Dude's a hell of a prospect, IMO. I still don't think its terribly likely that he gets past mid-late teens.

[O.city]

If foster were to get past 15, would you trade up for him?

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by O.city

If foster were to get past 15, would you trade up for him?

Is Cunningham gone? I think I like Cunningham more than Foster.

Eh, probably not either way. If they're both there, I'd be confident that one would fall. If only Foster is there, the move up into the high teens would be massively expensive and I just don't trust 'bama ILBs anymore.

I just think Cunningham has a better chance to be a truly special, unique player. Foster's floor may be a bit higher because I can't imagine any way he isn't at least a solid player whereas Cunningham's leverage issues could sabotage him. But I really like Cunningham's ceiling.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Is Cunningham gone? I think I like Cunningham more than Foster.

Eh, probably not either way. If they're both there, I'd be confident that one would fall. If only Foster is there, the move up into the high teens would be massively expensive and I just don't trust 'bama ILBs anymore.

I just think Cunningham has a better chance to be a truly special, unique player. Foster's floor may be a bit higher because I can't imagine any way he isn't at least a solid player whereas Cunningham's leverage issues could sabotage him. But I really like Cunningham's ceiling.

I don't thi k I'd trade up much for either, but shit, from the looks of this defense, a young stud mlb and you're pretty set for a bit.

It'd be kicking the can down the road a bit, but if Timmons hits free agency I'd start there.

[OldSchool]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

Yes, he's that good.



Marve, who was also an All-SEC linebacker at Vanderbilt, said it's always easier to coach someone who's as passionate about the game as Cunningham.

"He's in love with the game of football, and you see that every day in the way he prepares," Marve said. "He's always putting in extra time, but he also does a lot of things naturally that you don't see in a lot of players. You hear guys say they want to be great. Zach practices that way and approaches every game that way."

He looks slow but that's a good thing in terms of the draft. It means there is a possibility of him dropping to the Chiefs' 1st round pick despite his production.

[Willie Lanier]

Wrap tackler...

I can't tell you how much that pisses me off...

But he has great instincts and would fit into this defense nicely

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by Willie Lanier

Wrap tackler...

I can't tell you how much that pisses me off...

But he has great instincts and would fit into this defense nicely

Cunningham's instincts are freakish. You see that level in guys like Kuechly, Johnson, etc. He's also got great usable strength and length. Comes off blocks like a freak and he is able to diagnose plays amazingly well.

He's got All Pro level [position ttraits and his production numbers this past season are amazing.
Dorsey is a pure numbers guy and I'm not sure how Cunningham will test out. HOwever his size and length fits what Dorsey has been trying to put into that particular position.

I think it would be hard to him pas on Cunningham if he was available.

However, a guy like BYU's ILB Harvey Langi fits his profile as well. Langi is an ahtletic freak of nature and will likely test well. And Langi also has multiple position capability that Dorsey seems to love. (Played RB, DE, OLB, ILB for the Cougars this past season. Long and big (6'3", 253 lb. Was the defensive MVP of the 2016 Poinsetta Bowl.