COLLEGE to PRO FOOTBALL Q&A With PIGSKIN

January 4, 2023

As we head for the end of the NFL regular season, and into heavy duty NFL DRAFT preparation I get e-mails, texts and questions sent to the GBN website, which COLIN kindly passes on to me. So before the mail-pile gets too big I have puled out the most pertinent given the timing, and those that I actually have some answers for. I am not implying that those answers are always right, but they make sense to me and others whom I chat with.

Colin got a logical one from reader-David over the weekend I believe it was. David wondered how the GBN website Big Board of Draft prospects could list WILL LEVIS/QB/Kentucky as the 5th highest player, while in my most recent Top 25, his name did not appear.

The answer is primarily twofold. The Big Board is reflective on what Colin reads and hears from “contacts” he has around the NFL world. My Top 25 list is primarily about what I have seen from game action with my own two eyes, mostly in the past two seasons of play. And I also weigh very heavily how I feel a prospect’s athleticism and skill set will translate at the next level. I am not impressed with LEVIS potential. I might end up including him in my Top 100, but only because of the value of a QB being so high in general.

P.S. Where is MR. LEVIS’ name on the Senior Bowl roster? Is he dodging the competition or is he significantly hurt? Word of advice, accept the invite. If he shows up injured they will flunk him during the physical, but he can still meet and talk with NFL Personnel people.

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Why did former-LSU WR KAYVON BOUTTE change his mind and decide he would declare for the Draft after all, and go pro.

The first story I heard was that once QB Jayden Daniels decided to return to LSU a week or so ago, BOUTTE, who never seemed to develop a relationship with DANIELS on or off the field, and was not targeted often last season, decided he would go pro. Rumors have sprung up in the past week that BOUTTE got involved in some off-field issues again and HC KELLY and members of his staff decided enough was enough, and it was time to remove BOUTTE from the team. BOUTTE was asked to reconsider his Draft decision and just leave the program. Could be a bit of both IMO.

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A couple of folks have asked why BRYCE YOUNG was eligible for the NFL Draft after only 2 seasons at ‘Bama.

That’s an easy one, but not often mentioned until now. He arrived at Alabama in Covid-mad 2020 and basically red-shirted while MAC JONES piloted the Crimson Tide Offense. Thus he was really a RS-Soph this season and chose to count that year as one of his 3 years served and to enter the Draft. Despite his lack of size (est. 5’11/190) he has the arm and the football smarts to play pro ball IMO. He’s a Top 5 Pick for the 2023 Draft, but I admit I will be watching his and size come Combine time.

Russell Wilson was at the Senior Bowl more than a decade ago now, and though 5’10, he weighed a solid 200+lbs, and had hands measuring over 10″. And the Sea Hawks fell in luv with him.

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Sure looks like Southern Cal fell apart at the end of the season, losing the Pac-12 Championship game to Utah, and then blowing a nice lead to plucky TULANE in the Cotton Bowl. No offense to the Tulane team, but what’s going on?

Pretty easy answer to my way of thinking;   Defense, or more specifically lack thereof. This is the same kind of collapse that caused Oklahoma teams to fall short during Lincoln Riley’s tenure in Norman several years. Until he places more recruiting importance on Defense, and hands  it over to a first rate Defensive Coordinator the Trojans will continue to fold up in the 4th Quarter of games. That could get pretty frustrating next season for their star QB and Heisman winner named WILLIAMS.

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One question that comes up repeatedly once Draft season kicks in is whether any RB will be drafted in Round One, and if so how many?

It cannot be argued that giving a big dollar second contract at the RB position is risky at best. But I don’t buy into the absolute nature of the concept that you just can’t spend a first round pick on a RB. And this year may be the one to severely challenge that principle. BIJAN ROBINSON/Texas is Top 10 material in my mind. He’s the fast, big guy (6’1/215) who could run for 1,000+yards per season, for the each of the 5 years teams control a Round 1 player. Then your team can draft another worthy RB after those 5 seasons and let Robinson walk to a high-dollar bidder. I see one other sure-fire Round 1 RB in JAHMYR GIBBS/RB/Alabama. In this day-and-age of air attack offenses a guy with his hands and speed looks very similar to me to a young NFL star named Christian McCaffrey. He claims to have run a 4.29/40 sometime in the recent past. If he does that, or something close to it, at the Combine, it should lock him up for the middle of Round 1.

I am also of the opinion today, that we could see another 5-6 RB before Round 3 is over. Based on the underclassmen who have already indicated they will declare for the 2023 Draft this year’s RB class could be that highly anticipated talented and deep RB group.

Keep those cards and e-mails coming folks.

Cheers

Pigskin