kearly
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I'd hate it, but I could see it.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-combine/0 ... competitor
First, Jones gives a pretty good interview, and in that interview, he's sure to mention the word "competitor", a major buzzword for Pete Carroll. Remember that interviews are a major factor for how players get drafted, and Seattle did interview Jones at the combine.
Second, Jones has shitty tape, but he is probably the best pure athlete at DT in this draft. I'm not going to count Ansah because Datone Jones looks like Geno Atkins compared to Ansah inside. Ansah will be a DE or 3-4 OLB in the NFL. The video shows two 4.84's, but his official time was actually faster: 4.80. Only one other DT posted an official forty time under 5 seconds, and that was future UDFA Nick Williams of Samford, who ran a 4.94. Edit: Shariff Floyd also had a 4.92.
Just as importantly, perhaps moreso, is how Jones ran that 40. He is a smooth and natural runner. You watch the gifted runners like Denard Robinson and Tavon Austin and the first thing you notice is how smooth their athleticism is. Jones may not be that fast, but he's similarly smooth, which is pretty rare for a defensive tackle to be that fluid.
Then you watch Jones working the drills (in that video), and again, smooth, natural athleticism. Rare smooth. And remember, this FO grades by athleticism first when sorting their draft board. They grade for athleticism before grading for anything else.
And the thing is, Pete Carroll doesn't seem to care too much if you have great tape. Bruce Irvin was talented but highly undeveloped. Golden Tate was more of a running back than a WR. Richard Sherman had just converted to CB from WR two years prior. JR Sweezy wasn't even an offensive lineman. And so on.
Basically, Pete wants unique athletes that are teachable and driven to be successful. I don't know about you, but I think Datone Jones checks all three of those boxes.
That might end up working at some positions great and horribly at others, but hey, two of the best DTs to come out in recent years were both 4th round picks who didn't walk into the league as finished products.
I'd still hate the pick, but then again, I'm the guy that would have cut Golden Tate after the 2011 preseason. He looked hopelessly awful. And now just two regular seasons later, he looks like a fringe #1, a breakout star masked by an offense that spreads the football around. So hey, if it does happen, don't hate the pick just because I do. I think Pete's earned our trust on this one.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-combine/0 ... competitor
First, Jones gives a pretty good interview, and in that interview, he's sure to mention the word "competitor", a major buzzword for Pete Carroll. Remember that interviews are a major factor for how players get drafted, and Seattle did interview Jones at the combine.
Second, Jones has shitty tape, but he is probably the best pure athlete at DT in this draft. I'm not going to count Ansah because Datone Jones looks like Geno Atkins compared to Ansah inside. Ansah will be a DE or 3-4 OLB in the NFL. The video shows two 4.84's, but his official time was actually faster: 4.80. Only one other DT posted an official forty time under 5 seconds, and that was future UDFA Nick Williams of Samford, who ran a 4.94. Edit: Shariff Floyd also had a 4.92.
Just as importantly, perhaps moreso, is how Jones ran that 40. He is a smooth and natural runner. You watch the gifted runners like Denard Robinson and Tavon Austin and the first thing you notice is how smooth their athleticism is. Jones may not be that fast, but he's similarly smooth, which is pretty rare for a defensive tackle to be that fluid.
Then you watch Jones working the drills (in that video), and again, smooth, natural athleticism. Rare smooth. And remember, this FO grades by athleticism first when sorting their draft board. They grade for athleticism before grading for anything else.
And the thing is, Pete Carroll doesn't seem to care too much if you have great tape. Bruce Irvin was talented but highly undeveloped. Golden Tate was more of a running back than a WR. Richard Sherman had just converted to CB from WR two years prior. JR Sweezy wasn't even an offensive lineman. And so on.
Basically, Pete wants unique athletes that are teachable and driven to be successful. I don't know about you, but I think Datone Jones checks all three of those boxes.
That might end up working at some positions great and horribly at others, but hey, two of the best DTs to come out in recent years were both 4th round picks who didn't walk into the league as finished products.
I'd still hate the pick, but then again, I'm the guy that would have cut Golden Tate after the 2011 preseason. He looked hopelessly awful. And now just two regular seasons later, he looks like a fringe #1, a breakout star masked by an offense that spreads the football around. So hey, if it does happen, don't hate the pick just because I do. I think Pete's earned our trust on this one.
