Nfl.com mock draft says: Percy Harvin to Vikes?!
by Macdaddy4508 on Mar 3, 2009 10:54 PM CST
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~Harvin's speed and elusiveness in the open field makes him a special prospect, whether teams project him as a receiver or running back.
He arrived in Gainesville as one of the top recruits in the country because of his ultra-productive high school football and track career in Virginia. So his early departure from Florida was expected after a first-team All-SEC junior season. His versatility as a runner (660 yards on only 70 carries - 9.4-yard average - and 10 scores) and receiver (644-40-16.1-7) also made him an all-purpose All-American in 2008. Had an arm span of 31 5/8 inches and a hand span of 9 3/8 inches at the combine.
Harvin's durability will be an issue, but his propensity to get big yardage on every touch -- even when less than 100 percent -- will likely allay any fears teams have about making him a mid-to-late first-round pick.
~~He ran a 4.41 40 dash, and was also #5 in the Bench for WR with 19! That was more than Chad Greenway!!! LOL (Chad had 16... but he's a stud.)
Analysis
Positives: Shorter than scouts would like, but has a strong, compact build. Rare straight-line speed. Rare elusiveness. Can make defenders miss in tight quarters. Good vision when running in space. Sets up his blocks well and can cut back against the grain. Good agility as a route-runner. Strong, secure hands for the reception. Courageous going over the middle. Gathers in the pass and quickly moves upfield to maximize production. Can extend outside of his frame to make the spectacular reception. Versatile athlete who can contribute as a receiver, running back and shows great potential as a returner, although he never attempted a kick or punt return at Florida. Has struggled with durability, but is considered a physically tough player.
Negatives: Looks shorter on film than his listed 5-11. Many of his plays in this offense were slip screens designed to get him the ball quickly and in space. Could struggle acclimating to a more pro-style offense. Lack of success at the NFL level from former receivers from Meyer's offense is troubling. Has struggled with durability. Missed practice time in 2008 with ankle, hip pointer and tendonitis in his knee and heel.
~Would we draft a WR in the 1st round???
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I'd love to see
Hakeem Nicks drafted. The boy is a BEAST! The big, strong, surehanded possession guy we need. Harvin would be nice as a returner, but I don’t think he is going to be a highly productive NFL receiver.
If the Vikes go WR in the 1st, I hope they go the Nicks route.
V-I-K-I-N-G-S! Skol Vikings, Let's Go!!
Nicks would look great in purple
Nicks won’t wow anyone with his athleticism, but he’s the best NFL-ready receiver in the draft besides maybe Crabtree, who will be long gone by #22.
by Eric J. Thompson on Mar 4, 2009 10:08 AM CST up reply actions
I second that
Hakeem would be a much cheaper, younger, stronger version of the guy who left town for mo money in Seattle and we could have him for the next ten years! TJ who is right!
Theres 3 major mock drafts.
1) Vikings take Percy Harvin
2) Vikings take Alex Mack (center)
3) Vikings take D.J. Moore (Corner)
I’ve compared Harvin and Hakeem Nicks and Nicks is most def. the possession guy we need. He’s big. His hands are great! NFL.com has him going 25th to Miami, hopefully the Vikes get OL fixed in the FA so we steal him at the 22nd pick. I agree. Great WR.
Skol Vikes 4 Life!
THAN AGAIN LOL...
I disagree to what I just said. Check this:
http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/darrius-heyward-bey?id=80427
Look at everything he was top 10 in. Almost every combine drill. He’s 6’2" 210. He’s the fastest WR in the draft. He will be amazing. Where ever he goes. He’s also not predicted to go in the 1st, so we could go OL in the 1st and maybe get him in the 2nd but????
Skol Vikes 4 Life!
by Macdaddy4508 on Mar 4, 2009 12:21 AM CST up reply actions
I don't really
put much into the combine.
I prefer looking at game film of the guys, and Nicks is the real deal as a big, strong, posession guy.
V-I-K-I-N-G-S! Skol Vikings, Let's Go!!
Hands issues, I believe
I read somewhere, can’t find the article that Heyward-Bey has hands issues. Scouts consider him very raw, though highly gifted. It reminds me a bit of old Troy Williamson who was unproductive in a sputtering college offense, then climbed draft boards because of his combine performance, then failed to transition his game to the pro-level.
by Anthony Carter on Mar 4, 2009 6:00 PM CST up reply actions
While we're on the subject..
Does anyone remember that sports analyst that predicted Williamson would have a breakout season this year? Man, I can’t help but laugh every time I think of that.
NFL Network
was discussing the same thing tonight. THey said he’ll look great catching one ball then drop the next one…inconsistent
I'd personally rather have Heyward-Bey
He’s 6’2" and ran a faster 40, along with having one helluva vertical
Workout warrior?
Heyward-Bey was an absolute beast at the combine, but I’d rather have a guy that has proven it on the field, like Nicks.
by Eric J. Thompson on Mar 4, 2009 10:11 AM CST up reply actions
Geeze, Vernon Davis, Vernon Gholston…. Teams should just stay away from players named Vernon in the draft.
Na Vernon Davis is great, he just needs a QB, a team, and a coach to back him up.
Skol Vikes 4 Life!
by Macdaddy4508 on Mar 4, 2009 12:59 PM CST up reply actions
Athlete vs Baller
Yea there are some great athletic WR in this years drafts. You got a handful of your prototypical 6-2, 4.4 guys that can jump out of the gym, but do they use their hands when they catch? Do they make plays in traffic or in big situations? Were they in passing offenses in college? Whats my point? Athletic superiority in college does not necessarily translate to NFL success.
Give me the playmaker, give me the football player. I want a guy whose speed shows up on the field not just the combine(no more troy williamsons). Personally I like Percy Harvin and the skills he brings to the table. He would immediatly give a huge boost to the vikes punt return game and if utilized correctly could be the third gamebreaking threat this offense needs (AD, BB).
I love the idea of running him on drag routs, quick screens and end arounds. If he could give us the type of season DeSean Jackson gave Philly I would be happy. Of course DeSean was drafted in the second round I believe.
Your Play Suggestions
Aren’t even that imaginative; most NFL teams run them, but wow, to the thought of having a player that could give the Vikings that sort of diversity is exciting. He would take so much pressure off the Quarterback position.
I think he (if healthy) is available, he is the must get at 22. OL is deep in the draft and there is good secondary depth in the second (Harris, Butler) that should be around when the Vikes pick.
Thats why he wont be any good to our system. chilly doesn't have plays like that lol
Skol Vikes 4 Life!
by Macdaddy4508 on Mar 4, 2009 12:59 PM CST up reply actions
lol Right
If Childress ran an end around, and it ended up doing terrible, everyone would be complaining. This team isn’t the Cardinals. Gadget plays aren’t very effective with us, we can’t turn a flea flicker into TD. Childress does call screens though. All the time. Just not to any recievers. It’s pretty much only to Chester Taylor.
Gimmickry isn’t football anyway. But the WR screens the speedy drag route are basic and missing from the playbook as well. Likely because we don’t have the personnel to run such plays. Of the WR’s that can catch, only one of them can outrun a linebacker. Harvin would present all kinds of match up issues for opposing defenses looking to stop the run.
see I disagree...
If the Vikings were to do something like an end around or a flea flicker, it would catch teams completely off guard. Even one or two at the beginning of the yaer would force teams to respect that aspect of the game
by PurplePeopleEaters09 on Mar 5, 2009 2:35 AM CST up reply actions
I know
Thats what drives me crazy. These are standard ,simple, effective plays that every offense runs to stretch the field and attack the edges. Wasnt trying to reinvent the wheel.
I agree
Chilly does not scheme to open holes for other plays.
You won’t see him even run much play action or draws. Granted, when you run 70% of the time, a draw will not work very well.
Third and Short
He’l line them up in that far pro set and hand the ball to peterson cutting back off the centers backside. Every Time. He must of run the play 15-20 during the season. I love the play; it is great smash mouth football, but they never ran anything else out of the formation. In the playoff game was the perfect opportunity to send out a route or two and instead we were forced to punt.
Harvin=Versatility
Provided that his injuries aren’t ongoing, Harvin would be the versatile player that we need to shore up more than one position. Remember, there were questions about Adrian Peterson’s durability also. Percy would be a major threat in the open field every time he catches the ball plus he could be that much needed return man that was missing on the team last year. Picking him in the draft would be fixing two spots for the price of one. Randy Moss was used as a return man from time to time. Why not Harvin? I agree with Macdaddy4508. I like this choice.
I’d take a look at the draft pre-combine for the best results, really. Obviously the exception would be Andre Smith isn’t going to be in the top 5 probably. But the drafts that come after the combine are skewed by the numbers. Vernon Gholston, was he worth the 6th overall pick last season? I’d hope not.
Hindsight is 20/20.
Gholston’s 2008 performance isn’t going to end the trend of players being drafted higher than their worth.
My Poll Answer:
I didn’t see this as an option for the poll, but assuming Crabtree is long gone by then, I would say: “No to any WR with the No. 22 pick”, and this is regardless of what happens in free agency or what other WRs are available at the time they pick. Provided the Vikes don’t trade their first rounder, I am hoping they use it for a CB or the offensive line. Both of those positions are relatively deep this year and in my opinion, would benefit us much more than any WR would.
Using the logic that the draft is deep at a certain position would grant you the option of looking at it in later rounds.
True, but by deep I mean that there are a few tackles/cornerbacks that would normally be picked in the Top 15 of the draft which may fall to the 22nd spot. Also, would you rather have a RT contributing in 100% of the offensive plays or a 2nd or 3rd string WR in about 25-50% of the offensive plays? That’s my main point.
Unfair...
To compare anyone to Larry Fitzgerald. He’s a superfreak. Superfreak. He’s superfreaky. Wow.
Sidney Rice comes to mind when agreeing with the Speed > Size idea. He’s not doing too well right now. For a new WR, I think speed would be the preferable way to go, if forced to make a decision.
Visit:
http://www.vikingvigil.com
Skol Vikings!
Woot Woot!
Or how about Troy Williamson?
All the speed in the world is useless if you can’t catch the frickin’ ball. We need a big possession guy over another questionable burner.
by Eric J. Thompson on Mar 4, 2009 11:51 AM CST up reply actions
So it sounds like...
Either would be good, it’s just about not getting a bust.
No more fast/burner busts (Troy Williamsons) or big, strong WR busts (Mike Williams).
Easy enough, right?
D’oh…
Visit:
http://www.vikingvigil.com
Skol Vikings!
Woot Woot!
Thats why I continue
to like Ramses Barden. He is a big receiver that uses his hands to catch the ball and while not a speedster, he is athletic enough to use his body to shield the defender and go and get the ball. I still think Harvin would be a great fit for his versatility on offense and special teams, but if the Vikings don’t pick him up, I think Barden would be a great pick later. A good red zone target and a large target over the middle.
Did anyone see
Brian Robiskie at the Combine? The man ran great routes and looked like he had super glue on his finger tips when it came to catching the ball. He intriuges me, plays hard, ran a 4.4, and is an acedemic all american. Scheduled to go in the second round, but I’m wondering if the WR dash won’t start in the first round this year instead of the 2nd round like last year?
by Hagar the Horrible on Mar 4, 2009 2:03 PM CST reply actions
The combine does not impress me.
Not to sound pompous.
I like players that work hard on their academics, that means they will study film more.
But, we need a proven threat at WR, not someone who is going to be good in a few years.
Who's Proven?
None of the guys in the draft have proven anything in the NFL to this point, so I’m assuming you would trade for somone or ink Coles to a deal? Agreed on the academics = responsibility and work ethic.
by Hagar the Horrible on Mar 4, 2009 3:18 PM CST reply actions
That is the problem.
About the only 3 WR that are proven are Housh, Henderson and Coles.
Coles is the only one left and appears to be headed for Cincy.
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