Projected stats and expectations for the rookie class

[CR91]

With training camp right around the corner, lets look at each of the draftees and their potential role on the team for 2018 along with predicting their stats on the season.

 

Quenton Nelson

 

Nelson is the projected day one starter at LG. Its not easy providing stats for a lineman as the only real stats are pancakes, hurries, hits, and sacks allowed. I expect Nelson to be an upgrade for our line, but I do expect him to struggle in the first couple of games until he starts to get his feet wet. Overall, I believe Nelson will have similar success as Kelly for his rookie year.

 

Darius Leonard

 

Leonard will most likely start at the Will day one. Leonard will most likely be in coverage, however he can rush the passer as well. I will predict a 80 tackle 4 PD 3 ints 4 sacks season

 

Braden Smith

 

Smith will probably not start this season unless injuries force him into the lineup. Slauson is currently on a one year deal so I expect Smith will be our starting RG next year.

 

Kemoko Turay

 

Turay will be competing with Basham for reps. I see Turay in situational pass downs with potentially beating out Basham later in the season. I predict a 35 tackle 5 sack season

 

Tyquan Lewis

 

Lewis I see as a interior pass rusher that will come in during obvious passing situations. I don't believe he will beat out Autry so his reps will be limited. I predict a 15 tackle 1.5 sack season

 

Nyheim Hines

 

Hines will be a spread out weapon rather that is in out wide, in the slot, or in the backfield. I see Hines as a big part of our offense right out of the gates. I predict a 144 rush 549 yards 2 tds 60 rec 614 yards 5 tds 300 Return Yard 1 td season

 

Reece Fountain

 

Fountain will be competing with Grant, Rogers, and Cain for reps so I do believe his production will be limited to situational or relief reps. I predict 35 recs 312 yards 3 tds

 

Jordan Wilkins

 

Wilkins will most likely just be relief for Mack, however with Turbin being suspended for the first 4 games, he will see a slight increase in reps. I predict a 90 rush 410 yard 4 td 10 rec 112 rec yard season

 

Deon Cain

 

Cain just like Fountain will probably get similar work, but because of his breakaway speed we can see slightly more yards. I predict a 30 rec 410 5 td season

 

Mathew Adams

 

Adams if he makes the team, will most likely play majority on STs with his position most likely the SAM. I will predict a 10 tackle season with 20 ST stops

 

Zaire Franklin

 

Franklin like Adams will most likely majority play on STs with his position most likely the MIKE, however I see Franklin getting more defensive reps. I will predict 20 tackles, 1 int 1 sack season. 5 ST stops

[TKnight24]

I have Deon Cain winning the #2 spot at WR so about 600 yards and a good 6 or so TD if he’s gonna be a red zone threat like I think he is 

[NewColtsFan]

42 minutes ago, CR91 said:

With training camp right around the corner, lets look at each of the draftees and their potential role on the team for 2018 along with predicting their stats on the season.

 

Quenton Nelson

 

Nelson is the projected day one starter at LG. Its not easy providing stats for a lineman as the only real stats are pancakes, hurries, hits, and sacks allowed. I expect Nelson to be an upgrade for our line, but I do expect him to struggle in the first couple of games until he starts to get his feet wet. Overall, I believe Nelson will have similar success as Kelly for his rookie year.

 

Darius Leonard

 

Leonard will most likely start at the Will day one. Leonard will most likely be in coverage, however he can rush the passer as well. I will predict a 80 tackle 4 PD 3 ints 4 sacks season

 

Braden Smith

 

Smith will probably not start this season unless injuries force him into the lineup. Slauson is currently on a one year deal so I expect Smith will be our starting RG next year.

 

Kemoko Turay

 

Turay will be competing with Basham for reps. I see Turay in situational pass downs with potentially beating out Basham later in the season. I predict a 35 tackle 5 sack season

 

Tyquan Lewis

 

Lewis I see as a interior pass rusher that will come in during obvious passing situations. I don't believe he will beat out Autry so his reps will be limited. I predict a 15 tackle 1.5 sack season

 

Nyheim Hines

 

Hines will be a spread out weapon rather that is in out wide, in the slot, or in the backfield. I see Hines as a big part of our offense right out of the gates. I predict a 144 rush 549 yards 2 tds 60 rec 614 yards 5 tds 300 Return Yard 1 td season

 

Reece Fountain

 

Fountain will be competing with Grant, Rogers, and Cain for reps so I do believe his production will be limited to situational or relief reps. I predict 35 recs 312 yards 3 tds

 

Jordan Wilkins

 

Wilkins will most likely just be relief for Mack, however with Turbin being suspended for the first 4 games, he will see a slight increase in reps. I predict a 90 rush 410 yard 4 td 10 rec 112 rec yard season

 

Deon Cain

 

Cain just like Fountain will probably get similar work, but because of his breakaway speed we can see slightly more yards. I predict a 30 rec 410 5 td season

 

Mathew Adams

 

Adams if he makes the team, will most likely play majority on STs with his position most likely the SAM. I will predict a 10 tackle season with 20 ST stops

 

Zaire Franklin

 

Franklin like Adams will most likely majority play on STs with his position most likely the MIKE, however I see Franklin getting more defensive reps. I will predict 20 tackles, 1 int 1 sack season. 5 ST stops

 

Of the rookie receivers....  

 

Cain is getting lots of buzz and Fiuntain has received very little.

 

Yet you have Fountain getting more receptions than Cain?!?   Not sure why?   Because he’s drafted one round higher?

 

Also...   don’t bet the farm that Leonard starts Day one.   You might want to wait until he signs his contract, shows up healthy,  and proves himself on the field.

 

[CR91]

24 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

Of the rookie receivers....  

 

Cain is getting lots of buzz and Fiuntain has received very little.

 

Yet you have Fountain getting more receptions than Cain?!?   Not sure why?   Because he’s drafted one round higher?

 

Also...   don’t bet the farm that Leonard starts Day one.   You might want to wait until he signs his contract, shows up healthy,  and proves himself on the field.

 

 

Cain is mostly a speedstar. Fountain can play the possession role. Its just by 5 catches. Nothing crazy. What is his competition exactly for him not to start? Leonard missing offseason practices is not that big a deal. Sure he missed reps, but id rather him be healthy going into camp then aggravate it

[Yoshinator]

1 hour ago, CR91 said:

With training camp right around the corner, lets look at each of the draftees and their potential role on the team for 2018 along with predicting their stats on the season.

 

Quenton Nelson

 

Nelson is the projected day one starter at LG. Its not easy providing stats for a lineman as the only real stats are pancakes, hurries, hits, and sacks allowed. I expect Nelson to be an upgrade for our line, but I do expect him to struggle in the first couple of games until he starts to get his feet wet. Overall, I believe Nelson will have similar success as Kelly for his rookie year.

 

Darius Leonard

 

Leonard will most likely start at the Will day one. Leonard will most likely be in coverage, however he can rush the passer as well. I will predict a 80 tackle 4 PD 3 ints 4 sacks season

 

Braden Smith

 

Smith will probably not start this season unless injuries force him into the lineup. Slauson is currently on a one year deal so I expect Smith will be our starting RG next year.

 

Kemoko Turay

 

Turay will be competing with Basham for reps. I see Turay in situational pass downs with potentially beating out Basham later in the season. I predict a 35 tackle 5 sack season

 

Tyquan Lewis

 

Lewis I see as a interior pass rusher that will come in during obvious passing situations. I don't believe he will beat out Autry so his reps will be limited. I predict a 15 tackle 1.5 sack season

 

Nyheim Hines

 

Hines will be a spread out weapon rather that is in out wide, in the slot, or in the backfield. I see Hines as a big part of our offense right out of the gates. I predict a 144 rush 549 yards 2 tds 60 rec 614 yards 5 tds 300 Return Yard 1 td season

 

Reece Fountain

 

Fountain will be competing with Grant, Rogers, and Cain for reps so I do believe his production will be limited to situational or relief reps. I predict 35 recs 312 yards 3 tds

 

Jordan Wilkins

 

Wilkins will most likely just be relief for Mack, however with Turbin being suspended for the first 4 games, he will see a slight increase in reps. I predict a 90 rush 410 yard 4 td 10 rec 112 rec yard season

 

Deon Cain

 

Cain just like Fountain will probably get similar work, but because of his breakaway speed we can see slightly more yards. I predict a 30 rec 410 5 td season

 

Mathew Adams

 

Adams if he makes the team, will most likely play majority on STs with his position most likely the SAM. I will predict a 10 tackle season with 20 ST stops

 

Zaire Franklin

 

Franklin like Adams will most likely majority play on STs with his position most likely the MIKE, however I see Franklin getting more defensive reps. I will predict 20 tackles, 1 int 1 sack season. 5 ST stops

This would be pretty horrible if you are right.

[CR91]

14 minutes ago, Jared Cisneros said:

This would be pretty horrible if you are right.

 

I think its realistic especially since Reich's offense is about getting the whole team involved. As for the defense, only really Leonard and Turay are expected to get signicant reps

[Nesjan3]

I have a good feeling about this class, im hoping the majority of them turn out as starters eventually. Although i wasn't upset about getting Nelson, i don't agree with taking a Guard top 10 so Nelson better be good from day 1.

[Yoshinator]

2 minutes ago, Nesjan3 said:

I have a good feeling about this class, im hoping the majority of them turn out as starters eventually. Although i wasn't upset about getting Nelson, i don't agree with taking a Guard top 10 so Nelson better be good from day 1.

Nelson is the least of our worries. Even if he isn't elite from day 1, he'll be solid. It's the rest of the class that all have a question mark or two.

[Yoshinator]

9 minutes ago, CR91 said:

 

I think its realistic especially since Reich's offense is about getting the whole team involved. As for the defense, only really Leonard and Turay are expected to get signicant reps

If Braden and Lewis can't start over Slauson and Autry, then I'm immediately going to question this draft and assume that both were reaches. Leonard is giving me fits right now (unless he signed and I missed it). Really starting to get frustrated. The RB's and WR's should get plenty of opportunities. If Cain and Fountain can't get significant playing time from Grant and Rogers, then something's wrong. The RB's also have little competition. Turbin is suspended 4 games, Mack isn't 100% yet, so Hines and Wilkins should get a lot of playing time early in the season. I would be mortified if your predictions were correct and would really question Ballard's drafts from now on.

[CR91]

25 minutes ago, Jared Cisneros said:

If Braden and Lewis can't start over Slauson and Autry, then I'm immediately going to question this draft and assume that both were reaches. Leonard is giving me fits right now (unless he signed and I missed it). Really starting to get frustrated. The RB's and WR's should get plenty of opportunities. If Cain and Fountain can't get significant playing time from Grant and Rogers, then something's wrong. The RB's also have little competition. Turbin is suspended 4 games, Mack isn't 100% yet, so Hines and Wilkins should get a lot of playing time early in the season. I would be mortified if your predictions were correct and would really question Ballard's drafts from now on.

 

Youre expecting way too much from our rookies. Youre gonna be easily disappointed

[NewColtsFan]

23 hours ago, CR91 said:

 

Cain is mostly a speedstar. Fountain can play the possession role. Its just by 5 catches. Nothing crazy. What is his competition exactly for him not to start? Leonard missing offseason practices is not that big a deal. Sure he missed reps, but id rather him be healthy going into camp then aggravate it

 

Fountain has done nothing.

Cain has turned heads.   

 

What’s standing in the way of both are Grant and Rogers who are both better than you think.

 

But Cain is far ahead of Fountain.   There’s no reason to think Fountain is even close to Cain.

 

Leonard is easily the most talented but (A) he’s coming from a low level of college so the jump to the NFL without much practice is going to be hard.   And (B) he’s not signed, it’s not known if he’s even healthy.   If you think Ballard is just going to hand him the job without earning it then you haven’t been watching closely.   Jobs are earned with Ballard and this crew.

[CR91]

28 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

Fountain has done nothing.

Cain has turned heads.   

 

What’s standing in the way of both are Grant and Rogers who are both better than you think.

 

But Cain is far ahead of Fountain.   There’s no reason to think Fountain is even close to Cain.

 

Leonard is easily the must talented but (A) he’s coming from a low level of college so the jump to the NFL without much practice is going to be hard.   And (B) he’s not signed, it’s not known if he’s even healthy.   If you think Ballard is just going to hand him the job without earning it then you haven’t been watching closely.   Jobs are earned with Ballard and this crew.

 

So because Cain makes one wow play in practice hes all of a sudden ahead of fountain? That makes no sense. As for Leonard, small school or not, he can play and just because he hasnt practice doesnt mean hes behind. Rep wise sure, but no one is taking his spot because he missed offseason practice. As for his contract, a bunch of rookies are not signed yet.

[NewColtsFan]

44 minutes ago, CR91 said:

 

So because Cain makes one wow play in practice hes all of a sudden ahead of fountain? That makes no sense. As for Leonard, small school or not, he can play and just because he hasnt practice doesnt mean hes behind. Rep wise sure, but no one is taking his spot because he missed offseason practice. As for his contract, a bunch of rookies are not signed yet.

 

One “wow” play?   Where do you get this stuff?   Cain makes plays every day in practice.   I’m guessing you don’t read many of the articles on this website and the other sites too?   If you had you wouldn’t be talking about Cain making “one play”.     It’s not “all of a sudden”.   It’s been that way since Cain and Fountain showed up in Indy.

 

There have actually been discussions here whether Fountain makes the final 53 or he ends up on the PS.   True or not that’s the perception of some here on this site.

 

As for Leonard, I like him, happy we drafted him.   But he’s behind.   Way behind.    Health matters.   Reps matter.  Experience matters.   Leonard is a giant question mark.   He has much to learn and prove.   And the longer his contract situation plays out the further behind he threatens his own rookie year.   Ballard is not going to lose this contract stand-off, he can’t afford to.   So he won’t.  Rookies are due into camp on the 22nd.  That’s one week.   Leonard will likely test Ballard.   That will put him even further behind.   That’s not good.   

 

Look, I easily could be wrong.  The contract could get settled tomorrow.   But Leonard is going to have to earn every rep he gets.   And he needs lots of them.

 

[CR91]

11 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

One “wow” play?   Where do you get this stuff?   Cain makes plays every day in practice.   I’m guessing you don’t read many of the articles on this website and the other sites too?   If you had you wouldn’t be talking about Cain making “one play”.     It’s not “all of a sudden”.   It’s been that way since Cain and Fountain showed up in Indy.

 

There have actually been discussions here whether Fountain makes the final 53 or he ends up on the PS.   True or not that’s the perception of some here on this site.

 

As for Leonard, I like him, happy we drafted him.   But he’s behind.   Way behind.    Health matters.   Reps matter.  Experience matters.   Leonard is a giant question mark.   He has much to learn and prove.   And the longer his contract situation plays out the further behind he threatens his own rookie year.   Ballard is not going to lose this contract stand-off, he can’t afford to.   So he won’t.  Rookies are due into camp on the 22nd.  That’s one week.   Leonard will likely test Ballard.   That will put him even further behind.   That’s not good.   

 

Look, I easily could be wrong.  The contract could get settled tomorrow.   But Leonard is going to have to earn every rep he gets.   And he needs lots of them.

 

 

Ive read plenty and its the same thing. Cain can be a steal. Thats all fine and good, but all I hear is he made a big play in the back in the end zone. Look I have nothibg against Cain, but the amount of disrespect Fountain gets is laughable. Again the contract thing will get settle. Leonard has no grounds to argue that. 

[Defjamz26]

I expect Nelson to live up to the hype. I think he’s a pro-Bowl guard year 1.

[Matthew Gilbert]

11 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

This would be pretty horrible if you are right.

I think he may actually be over shooting a little on his stat predictions but I don't think he's too far off. I'd love to see your expectations of the rookie class. With the way Reich plans on spreading the reps around on offense I don't really think any of the rookies will have a spectacular season stat wise.

[Yoshinator]

2 minutes ago, Matthew Gilbert said:

I think he may actually be over shooting a little on his stat predictions but I don't think he's too far off. I'd love to see your expectations of the rookie class. With the way Reich plans on spreading the reps around on offense I don't really think any of the rookies will have a spectacular season stat wise.

Sure, I'll do my expectations, give me a few to write it down.

[Matthew Gilbert]

I'll wait until the preseason is over to make any real predictions. Too many question marks right now for me. As it stands right now, Nelson is the only day one starter in my eyes.

[Yoshinator]

@Matthew Gilbert wanted to hear my thoughts on the rookie class, so I'll lay them out here.

 

1.) Quenton Nelson- Easy day one starter and should fix the hole at LG immediately. No real weaknesses to speak of and should thrive right away in our O-Line. I expect him to be our top O-Lineman by the end of his rookie season with very few pressures or sacks allowed.

 

2.) Darius Leonard- I'm a little iffy on him right now because of his lack of reps and him not signing yet, but as long as he signs within the next week and shows up for training camp, I see him as a day 1 starter for us. I see 100 tackles, 5 sacks, and 2-3 INTs. He will have all the opportunity in the world at possibly our weakest position on the depth chart below him. Sky is the limit his rookie season.

 

3.) Braden Smith- Braden was taken by Chris Ballard in hopes of being a day 1 starter. He said it himself that Braden was the last starting G on his board. Braden has said he has learned a lot so far in practice, and I believe he will either overtake Slauson at RG before the season begins or have some sort of rep split with him to get experience. Ballard is very high on him, and Braden is a very intelligent kid that should figure it out quickly. He'll either start or get some 40/60 RG rep split with Slauson during the season, depending on how Reich feels about him.

 

4.) Kemoko Turay- He's still a huge boom or bust pick to me. However, I'm leaning toward the boom side the more I see of him. As said above, he will split reps with Basham to begin the season, however, Turay is an impact guy. He will probably get 6-8 sacks his rookie season in limited reps just because of his ability to get to the QB. He's not going to be a 3 down DE, but he'll make his opportunities count.

 

5.) Tyquan Lewis- Very solid player that should start IMO over Autry. He is a passing down specialist, but he'll play during about half the downs iMO and be very effective. He doesn't have the moves that Turay does, but I can see 4-5 sacks and 40 tackles during his rookie season.

 

6.) Nyheim Hines- Love this kid. Will get all the opportunities in the world as a receiving back, and will get some decent carries early in the season with Turbin suspended and Mack somewhat hurt as they ease his carries early. Very good as well in special teams. I can see 500 yds rushing and 4-5 tds with 600-700 yds receiving and 4-5 tds.

 

7.) Daurice Fountain- Haven't been impressed with him so far. He could easily be the no 4-5 Receiver as of now, and I think he'll get the scraps in receptions, yards, and tds. 30 receptions, 300 yds, and 2-3 tds.

 

8.) Jordan Wilkins- Jordan has a huge opportunity early in the season to get extra carries from Mack and make an impact. He will make a nice tandem with Mack, might get some goal-line carries in the first 4 games, and has a chance to really break out early if he has the talent. 150 carries, 580 yds, 5-6 tds, 15 receptions, 100 yds, 2 tds.

 

9.) Deon Cain- This kid has been absolutely balling out so far after being drafted. He's making great catch after great catch and now he's working with Randy Moss to improve our game. Best pick besides Nelson IMO. I believe he will be the no2 WR on this team by the end of the season. Extremely high on him. 60 receptions, 800 yds, 6-8 tds. He will be a top 5 rookie WR this year.

 

10&11.) Adams and Franklin- These two guys will play special teams for the most part if they make the final 53. Maybe one surprises and works his way into being a starter by the end of the season. Both are longshots though.

 

 

[Matthew Gilbert]

23 minutes ago, Jared Cisneros said:

@Matthew Gilbert wanted to hear my thoughts on the rookie class, so I'll lay them out here.

 

1.) Quenton Nelson- Easy day one starter and should fix the hole at LG immediately. No real weaknesses to speak of and should thrive right away in our O-Line. I expect him to be our top O-Lineman by the end of his rookie season with very few pressures or sacks allowed.

 

2.) Darius Leonard- I'm a little iffy on him right now because of his lack of reps and him not signing yet, but as long as he signs within the next week and shows up for training camp, I see him as a day 1 starter for us. I see 100 tackles, 5 sacks, and 2-3 INTs. He will have all the opportunity in the world at possibly our weakest position on the depth chart below him. Sky is the limit his rookie season.

 

3.) Braden Smith- Braden was taken by Chris Ballard in hopes of being a day 1 starter. He said it himself that Braden was the last starting G on his board. Braden has said he has learned a lot so far in practice, and I believe he will either overtake Slauson at RG before the season begins or have some sort of rep split with him to get experience. Ballard is very high on him, and Braden is a very intelligent kid that should figure it out quickly. He'll either start or get some 40/60 RG rep split with Slauson during the season, depending on how Reich feels about him.

 

4.) Kemoko Turay- He's still a huge boom or bust pick to me. However, I'm leaning toward the boom side the more I see of him. As said above, he will split reps with Basham to begin the season, however, Turay is an impact guy. He will probably get 6-8 sacks his rookie season in limited reps just because of his ability to get to the QB. He's not going to be a 3 down DE, but he'll make his opportunities count.

 

5.) Tyquan Lewis- Very solid player that should start IMO over Autry. He is a passing down specialist, but he'll play during about half the downs iMO and be very effective. He doesn't have the moves that Turay does, but I can see 4-5 sacks and 40 tackles during his rookie season.

 

6.) Nyheim Hines- Love this kid. Will get all the opportunities in the world as a receiving back, and will get some decent carries early in the season with Turbin suspended and Mack somewhat hurt as they ease his carries early. Very good as well in special teams. I can see 500 yds rushing and 4-5 tds with 600-700 yds receiving and 4-5 tds.

 

7.) Daurice Fountain- Haven't been impressed with him so far. He could easily be the no 4-5 Receiver as of now, and I think he'll get the scraps in receptions, yards, and tds. 30 receptions, 300 yds, and 2-3 tds.

 

8.) Jordan Wilkins- Jordan has a huge opportunity early in the season to get extra carries from Mack and make an impact. He will make a nice tandem with Mack, might get some goal-line carries in the first 4 games, and has a chance to really break out early if he has the talent. 150 carries, 580 yds, 5-6 tds, 15 receptions, 100 yds, 2 tds.

 

9.) Deon Cain- This kid has been absolutely balling out so far after being drafted. He's making great catch after great catch and now he's working with Randy Moss to improve our game. Best pick besides Nelson IMO. I believe he will be the no2 WR on this team by the end of the season. Extremely high on him. 60 receptions, 800 yds, 6-8 tds. He will be a top 5 rookie WR this year.

 

10&11.) Adams and Franklin- These two guys will play special teams for the most part if they make the final 53. Maybe one surprises and works his way into being a starter by the end of the season. Both are longshots though.

 

 

Thank you and I respect your opinion. Again it's hard for me to project stats without knowing all of the rookies exact roles but I'll hit on your expectations.

 

1.Q.Nelson- I agree with you on him.

 

2.D.Leonard- I'm as high on him as anyone on this forum but he still has a lot of work ahead of him before he named a starter. Granted, what's in front of him is weak and I do think he'll have every chance to win the job. If he's the starter day one, I do think he will have an All-Rookie team type of year.

 

3.B.Smith- I'm pretty firm on Mewhort being the starter at RG and Slauson being top backup at C and RG.(I'm probably the biggest Bond fan on the forum as well but my prediction on him being sent to the practice squad and immediately signed by another team still stands.) I know what Ballard said about Braden Smith but I don't think he starts at RG day one. I still think he can slide out to RT but I haven't seen any reports of that happening.

 

4.K.Turay- Love the upside here but he's pretty raw. I'm guessing he'll get reps as a 3rd down rusher but not all of those reps. You say 6-8 sacks but I'll take the under on that. Pass rushing is definitely his strong suit and I wouldn't be totally shocked if he had 8 sacks but I think his best football Is a little more down the road.

 

5.T.Lewis- I think his best role is an inside rusher but there is a bit of a logjam there with Autry and Nunez-Roches. Lewis has a shot at a DE role on early downs but I think he has his work cut out for him there as well.

 

6.N.Himes- I'm not as high on him as a lot of people in the forum and it looks like you're on the high side with him. You're around 1,100 yards rush/receiving and 9 TD total. I think he's more likely to have about half of those numbers.

 

7.D.Fountain- I like the upside but he'll likely need time to develop. Sounds like he is fighting for the #5 spot at this point but we're still very early in the process. I don't really have many expectations for him this season and his best football is likely down the road IMO.

 

8.J.Wilkins- Looks like you have him at 3.8 YPC. I'll be pretty disappointed if he gets more than 100 carries and doesn't have better than 4 YPC with our O-line. We really have some maulers on the interior. With his running style, I think he will flourish in our system. 

 

9.D.Cain- Another guy that a lot of the forum is really high on. You say 60 rec 800 rec yards and 6-8 TD. I'm going to side with under on all of those numbers. I like the upside and besides TY, there isn't a ton in front of him in terms of getting the reps. I like Chester Rogers and am interested in seeing how Grant fits in before I crown Cain with the job. Cain has the size, speed, and pedigree that you're looking for in a WR but like most of this class, I think his best football is down the road.

 

10,/11 Adams/Franklin- Agreed with your assessment on both. 

[CR91]

1 hour ago, Jared Cisneros said:

@Matthew Gilbert wanted to hear my thoughts on the rookie class, so I'll lay them out here.

 

1.) Quenton Nelson- Easy day one starter and should fix the hole at LG immediately. No real weaknesses to speak of and should thrive right away in our O-Line. I expect him to be our top O-Lineman by the end of his rookie season with very few pressures or sacks allowed.

 

2.) Darius Leonard- I'm a little iffy on him right now because of his lack of reps and him not signing yet, but as long as he signs within the next week and shows up for training camp, I see him as a day 1 starter for us. I see 100 tackles, 5 sacks, and 2-3 INTs. He will have all the opportunity in the world at possibly our weakest position on the depth chart below him. Sky is the limit his rookie season.

 

3.) Braden Smith- Braden was taken by Chris Ballard in hopes of being a day 1 starter. He said it himself that Braden was the last starting G on his board. Braden has said he has learned a lot so far in practice, and I believe he will either overtake Slauson at RG before the season begins or have some sort of rep split with him to get experience. Ballard is very high on him, and Braden is a very intelligent kid that should figure it out quickly. He'll either start or get some 40/60 RG rep split with Slauson during the season, depending on how Reich feels about him.

 

4.) Kemoko Turay- He's still a huge boom or bust pick to me. However, I'm leaning toward the boom side the more I see of him. As said above, he will split reps with Basham to begin the season, however, Turay is an impact guy. He will probably get 6-8 sacks his rookie season in limited reps just because of his ability to get to the QB. He's not going to be a 3 down DE, but he'll make his opportunities count.

 

5.) Tyquan Lewis- Very solid player that should start IMO over Autry. He is a passing down specialist, but he'll play during about half the downs iMO and be very effective. He doesn't have the moves that Turay does, but I can see 4-5 sacks and 40 tackles during his rookie season.

 

6.) Nyheim Hines- Love this kid. Will get all the opportunities in the world as a receiving back, and will get some decent carries early in the season with Turbin suspended and Mack somewhat hurt as they ease his carries early. Very good as well in special teams. I can see 500 yds rushing and 4-5 tds with 600-700 yds receiving and 4-5 tds.

 

7.) Daurice Fountain- Haven't been impressed with him so far. He could easily be the no 4-5 Receiver as of now, and I think he'll get the scraps in receptions, yards, and tds. 30 receptions, 300 yds, and 2-3 tds.

 

8.) Jordan Wilkins- Jordan has a huge opportunity early in the season to get extra carries from Mack and make an impact. He will make a nice tandem with Mack, might get some goal-line carries in the first 4 games, and has a chance to really break out early if he has the talent. 150 carries, 580 yds, 5-6 tds, 15 receptions, 100 yds, 2 tds.

 

9.) Deon Cain- This kid has been absolutely balling out so far after being drafted. He's making great catch after great catch and now he's working with Randy Moss to improve our game. Best pick besides Nelson IMO. I believe he will be the no2 WR on this team by the end of the season. Extremely high on him. 60 receptions, 800 yds, 6-8 tds. He will be a top 5 rookie WR this year.

 

10&11.) Adams and Franklin- These two guys will play special teams for the most part if they make the final 53. Maybe one surprises and works his way into being a starter by the end of the season. Both are longshots though.

 

 

 

Wow shooting for the moon there buddy

[Yoshinator]

5 minutes ago, CR91 said:

 

Wow shooting for the moon there buddy

You do realize this isn't a typical draft class right? We have possibly the best player in the class in Nelson, and four 2nd round picks. This isn't 7 picks with 1 pick in each round where most of the players have to develop. A lot of these players are already very developed, and our RBs and WR's that were drafted later have much bigger opportunities to produce here then they would on most teams. I stick by my predictions.

[CR91]

54 minutes ago, Jared Cisneros said:

You do realize this isn't a typical draft class right? We have possibly the best player in the class in Nelson, and four 2nd round picks. This isn't 7 picks with 1 pick in each round where most of the players have to develop. A lot of these players are already very developed, and our RBs and WR's that were drafted later have much bigger opportunities to produce here then they would on most teams. I stick by my predictions.

 

We dont even know what we have yet from this draft class. Im glad you have high expectations for this draft class and I hope youre right, but its unrealistic

[richard pallo]

I will be very disappointed if Smith doesn't start at RG.  I believe he is also a 1st. team All American and I think he will win the job.  If Slauson out plays him so be it but if they're close he should get the start and pick up the experience.  I think Wilkens is the only three down back on our roster and should start.  He looks like a complete back on film.  Pass blocking is reportedly his biggest weakness.  But he has the size and hopefully with some real coaching he can make a big improvement in that area.  Mack and Hines are situational backs IMO.  I don't see how so many people are in love with Rogers.  He has a hard time staying on the field and actually plays hit or miss when he's out there.  Not a consistent threat.  Cain has way more upside and is already turning heads.  I can see him being on the field a lot more than Rogers and quickly taking over the No.2 receiver role.  Just my 2 cents. 

[ColtsBlueFL]

16 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

If Braden and Lewis can't start over Slauson and Autry, then I'm immediately going to question this draft and assume that both were reaches.

 

Autry was signed to 3 year contract, got 6.5 million guaranteed (paid this year), and received another 3.5 million roster bonus mid March, so that's 10 million in his pocket!  And while rooks will get rotation reps, let it be known they'll have to significantly outplay Autry in practice and scrimmages to take the starter role.  I do not see that happening for 2018.

 

16 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

Leonard is giving me fits right now (unless he signed and I missed it). Really starting to get frustrated. The RB's and WR's should get plenty of opportunities. If Cain and Fountain can't get significant playing time from Grant and Rogers, then something's wrong. The RB's also have little competition. Turbin is suspended 4 games, Mack isn't 100% yet, so Hines and Wilkins should get a lot of playing time early in the season. I would be mortified if your predictions were correct and would really question Ballard's drafts from now on.

 

I see Hines as a 3rd down and passing situational RB.  I can see him in the backfield with two tight ends.  Once their D is set, then one tight end and then maybe even Hines motion and line up out wide and create mismatches for Luck to exploit.

 

4 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

@Matthew Gilbert wanted to hear my thoughts on the rookie class, so I'll lay them out here.

 

1.) Quenton Nelson- Easy day one starter and should fix the hole at LG immediately. No real weaknesses to speak of and should thrive right away in our O-Line. I expect him to be our top O-Lineman by the end of his rookie season with very few pressures or sacks allowed.

 

2.) Darius Leonard- I'm a little iffy on him right now because of his lack of reps and him not signing yet, but as long as he signs within the next week and shows up for training camp, I see him as a day 1 starter for us. I see 100 tackles, 5 sacks, and 2-3 INTs. He will have all the opportunity in the world at possibly our weakest position on the depth chart below him. Sky is the limit his rookie season.

 

 

I'm hoping for very good things from Leonard, but I'm not on board here with these projections at all and feel these numbers are too inflated, the bar is just set way too high.  Those numbers you project above are Derrick Brooks type numbers! (see in the link below)  Brooks was a 3 time All American in college at Florida State (big school), a late 1st round draft choice, Al Rookie Honors, elected to 11 pro bowls, selected as a 5 time 1st team All Pro, selected to the NFL's All Decade team of the 2000's, and an inducted HOF member after a stellar 14 year career.  And he never missed a game!!

 

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BrooDe00.htm

 

I'd love for Leonard to be the next Derrick Brooks, but lets not have a coronation of him before he has even practiced in pads with the club.  In my mind, Quinton Nelson has a much better chance of being the next Alan Faneca than Darius Leonard does being the next Derrick Brooks.

 

4 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

 

3.) Braden Smith- Braden was taken by Chris Ballard in hopes of being a day 1 starter. He said it himself that Braden was the last starting G on his board. Braden has said he has learned a lot so far in practice, and I believe he will either overtake Slauson at RG before the season begins or have some sort of rep split with him to get experience. Ballard is very high on him, and Braden is a very intelligent kid that should figure it out quickly. He'll either start or get some 40/60 RG rep split with Slauson during the season, depending on how Reich feels about him.

 

 

This is up in the air.  Who stays healthy and plays best - Mewhort, Slauson, or a talented, yet NFL green, Rookie?

 

3 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

You do realize this isn't a typical draft class right? We have possibly the best player in the class in Nelson, and four 2nd round picks. This isn't 7 picks with 1 pick in each round where most of the players have to develop. A lot of these players are already very developed, and our RBs and WR's that were drafted later have much bigger opportunities to produce here then they would on most teams. I stick by my predictions.

 

If Ballards 2018 draft class comes close to what the Saints did in the 2017 draft, we will be a power to be reckoned with sooner rather than later.

 

Saints 2017 draft class-
(1) Marshon Lattimore, Ryan Ramczyk, (2) Marcus Williams, (3) Alvin Kamara, Alex Anzalone, Trey Hendrickson

That was a homerun in my book, and I remember most experts/pundits were calling it a "B" draft right after the draft ended.  This is why drafts cannot be graded/predicted right after the players were taken.

 

Let's see how we (and notably the rookies) actually do before we compare our draft to the Saints haul last year.

[jameszeigler834]

21 hours ago, TKnight24 said:

I have Deon Cain winning the #2 spot at WR so about 600 yards and a good 6 or so TD if he’s gonna be a red zone threat like I think he is 

I have high hopes for Cain I think when we picked him that was the steal of the draft a guy with 2-3 round talent in the mid 6th round.

[akcolt]

19 hours ago, CR91 said:

 

So because Cain makes one wow play in practice hes all of a sudden ahead of fountain? That makes no sense. As for Leonard, small school or not, he can play and just because he hasnt practice doesnt mean hes behind. Rep wise sure, but no one is taking his spot because he missed offseason practice. As for his contract, a bunch of rookies are not signed yet.

Fountain is a small school kid with all the tools to succeed in the NFL but there will likely be an adjustment period. Cain put up numbers at Clemson and many thought had day 2 skills but some off the field concerns. He has a chip on his shoulder and comes in turning heads has the coaches buzzing. Then he goes off to work with Moss. That's more or less the reason Cain is getting the hype. I like the kid and think he could make a difference this year. I think people might be sleeping on Grant and I want to see the kid from BC Ishmael too. 

 

I agree Leonard should still be able to come in and start at LB. That position group isn't loaded. It would be a surprise if he doesn't 

[krunk]

Some of you are jumping the gun with these projections based around hearing xyz about a guy doing something during OTAs. Just because you hear something doesn't mean it's a lock they will do well when the pads go on in Training camp and preseason. And just because you don't hear anything about a guy making plays during OTA doesn't mean they aren't progressing. Nate Hairston for example was expected to take a while and we didn't hear a lot. However once training camp started he was getting snaps with the starters during preseason.

[richard pallo]

10 hours ago, krunk said:

Some of you are jumping the gun with these projections based around hearing xyz about a guy doing something during OTAs. Just because you hear something doesn't mean it's a lock they will do well when the pads go on in Training camp and preseason. And just because you don't hear anything about a guy making plays during OTA doesn't mean they aren't progressing. Nate Hairston for example was expected to take a while and we didn't hear a lot. However once training camp started he was getting snaps with the starters during preseason.

Just people having fun with projections while they kill time until training camp begins.  

[Stephen]

Cain 64 rec 900 yards 14 tds

[Superman]

18 hours ago, krunk said:

Some of you are jumping the gun with these projections based around hearing xyz about a guy doing something during OTAs. Just because you hear something doesn't mean it's a lock they will do well when the pads go on in Training camp and preseason. And just because you don't hear anything about a guy making plays during OTA doesn't mean they aren't progressing. Nate Hairston for example was expected to take a while and we didn't hear a lot. However once training camp started he was getting snaps with the starters during preseason.

 

Yup, the only expectation I have is that Nelson starts, barring injury. Expecting rookies to light the world on fire in Year 1 is setting yourself up for disappointment. The majority of the time, rookies don't perform to high expectations.

 

I'd rather do projections for the 2017 class. 

[Stephen]

5 hours ago, Superman said:

 

Yup, the only expectation I have is that Nelson starts, barring injury. Expecting rookies to light the world on fire in Year 1 is setting yourself up for disappointment. The majority of the time, rookies don't perform to high expectations.

 

I'd rather do projections for the 2017 class. 

Might be our best rookie class since 2012

[CR91]

13 minutes ago, Stephen said:

Might be our best rookie class since 2012

 

Based on what exactly? We havent seen them play a single down

[Stephen]

1 hour ago, CR91 said:

 

Based on what exactly? We havent seen them play a single down

Potential. Obviously we will find out when they take the field, havent been this hype about a draft class since 2012.

[Bshultz]

I saw on Instagram, Turay says his goal is 10 sacks, 6.5 tfl, and he wants to lead all rookies in sacks.

[ColtsBlueFL]

9 hours ago, Bshultz said:

I saw on Instagram, Turay says his goal is 10 sacks, 6.5 tfl, and he wants to lead all rookies in sacks.

 

That would be good production in the NFL, especially for a rookie.

[Coffeedrinker]

On 7/16/2018 at 11:13 PM, CR91 said:

 

Based on what exactly? We havent seen them play a single down

You projected stats on all of them even though you haven't seen them play a single down.

 

How is that any different than Stephen projecting this will be the best draft class since 2012?

[CR91]

1 hour ago, Coffeedrinker said:

You projected stats on all of them even though you haven't seen them play a single down.

 

How is that any different than Stephen projecting this will be the best draft class since 2012?

 

My stats dont say their gonna be the best draft class 

[Coffeedrinker]

23 minutes ago, CR91 said:

 

My stats dont say their gonna be the best draft class 

Oh, I see.  

 

Two things:

1)  Your stats do say they are going to be the best draft class.  You have every draft pick contributing pretty significantly... what other draft class has that happened?

2)  Why is it your WAG projections based on no information have more merit that Stephen's WAG based on no information?

 

 

[CR91]

24 minutes ago, Coffeedrinker said:

Oh, I see.  

 

Two things:

1)  Your stats do say they are going to be the best draft class.  You have every draft pick contributing pretty significantly... what other draft class has that happened?

2)  Why is it your WAG projections based on no information have more merit that Stephen's WAG based on no information?

 

 

 

I said lewis would have 1.5 sacks, cain and fountain would combine for 650 yards and 8 tds, and adams and franklin would get 30 tackles. How is that the best?