How fast will Zabel adapt?

[FreshBoxLive]

I mean scouts fell in love with him after senior bowl. All we needed to see is how he performed against top tier talent. We got our answer.

 

[Hawkstud]

Humbled? He’s going to humble the NFL. Eventually they are going to let him play all five o line positions…at the same time! In fact I have inside scoop that Chuck Norris has been humbled by this pick and is turning in his retirement papers as the most amazing human ever.

Are you serious Clark? HAHA!

 

[GetNjigbaWithIt]

I hear a lot of talk about Zabels best position being center. Is gaurd more important than center? Maybe gaurd is harder to play, but a center who is the heart and soul of the line is really cool. Like Jason Kelcie

I would think Center is more important, especially in Kubiak's offense, where the Center is the one calling the protections.

 

[HawkRiderFan]

What I heard in pre-draft talk was his path would probably be guard to begin with and then move to centre in a few yrs.

 

[toffee]

Humbled? He’s going to humble the NFL. Eventually they are going to let him play all five o line positions…at the same time! In fact I have inside scoop that Chuck Norris has been humbled by this pick and is turning in his retirement papers as the most amazing human ever.

I am with ya 100%, however, I might reevaluate after TC and regular season games. For perspective, this time last year, Christian Haynes could do NO WRONG in my books. I still think highly of Haynes, it was, after all lousy coaching and poor QB plays by geNO.

 

[Sperrydogg]

I am with ya 100%, however, I might reevaluate after TC and regular season games. For perspective, this time last year, Christian Haynes could do NO WRONG in my books. I still think highly of Haynes, it was, after all lousy coaching and poor QB plays by geNO.

Yeah Haynes was really getting talked up by his former coaches and stuff, I kinda expected him to be better but we’ll see how he improves. A lot a guys we’ve had get better over time. Like Ethan pocic and Justin britt. I always liked Ethan pocic. He was too tall for Russ though so we had to go with little Joey hunt. Never seen an nfl lineman get bull rushed to his behind like Joey hunt

 

[SNDavidson]

There's a thread trying to tear down Zabel? haters get bored too I guess

 

[Sperrydogg]

There's a thread trying to tear down Zabel? haters get bored too I guess

It’s not working

 

[SNDavidson]

you ever wonder how many of our threads are started by niner "fans"? half our board sounds like some whiner dorks on the gameday forum, shut up

 

[Maelstrom787]

I mean scouts fell in love with him after senior bowl. All we needed to see is how he performed against top tier talent. We got our answer.

I'm still concerned about his anchor. I say this because my first experience with him was watching every senior bowl rep. He's not getting blown past, but he is giving up a concerning amount of space on bull rushes that'd affect the pocket in real play.

I'm still seeing his best fit as center when I watch him. I think it'll take him a year or two to face NFL interior defenders and win if he isn't helped significantly. Other than that, the upside at guard is he'll be a monster when asked to pull or when getting to the second level and the fact that FCS strength programs are nothing like NFL ones. Could have significant untapped strength and mass to add to his frame.

I made no secrets that I didn't think he was a prospect worth 18th overall and that I personally had a second round grade on him. That said, I really hope people aren't calling the kid a bust if he has a really rough first 8 games. He's coming from the FCS. Different game speed and he's never faced anything remotely like NFL DL talent. It's a HELL of a jump to make and he'll deserve some patience.

 

[Maelstrom787]

I hear a lot of talk about Zabels best position being center. Is gaurd more important than center? Maybe gaurd is harder to play, but a center who is the heart and soul of the line is really cool. Like Jason Kelcie

They're crucial in different ways. Kubiak is a zone disciple - specifically running a ton of outside zone. You want that to run like a well oiled machine and the center is of large importance in Kubiak's scheme, like most schemes, as the general of the line. They're going to be calling protections, etc.

Guard is just as crucial, just because... well, they play a massive role in blocking. They have a big role in pocket integrity as interior pressure is the worst for an offense to deal with, and obviously are huge in any run game scheme.

They're all of pretty equal importance as none of this will work as it should without competent play from all of them - but I do hear that center is especially important for a Kubiak offense (probably more for the mental processing aspect than the blocking aspect, which is always important regardless).

 

[SoulfishHawk]

I look forward to seeing the doubters proven wrong......yet again. Nothing wrong with concerns, just pretty silly when he hasn't even taken a snap. And in plenty instances, people just don't like a guy because it wasn't who THEY wanted. I could respect someone actually just admitting that's why they don't like a guy. It's just an odd obsession, TO ME, that people put their foot in the ground so deep when the team picks someone they didn't have as THEIR guy. Oh well, to each his/her own. Couldn't be more stoked about our #18 pick. He's gonna' be a beast.
And not because it's who I was hoping they would take, but because he's one hell of a football player. And he could end up being our C for years if they're not sold on Olu.
Edit: SOME doubters, very few, but some.

 

[Maelstrom787]

I look forward to seeing the doubters proven wrong......yet again. Nothing wrong with concerns, just pretty silly when he hasn't even taken a snap. And in plenty instances, people just don't like a guy because it wasn't who THEY wanted. I could respect someone actually just admitting that's why they don't like a guy. It's just an odd obsession, TO ME, that people put their foot in the ground so deep when the team picks someone they didn't have as THEIR guy. Oh well, to each his/her own. Couldn't be more stoked about our #18 pick. He's gonna' be a beast.
And not because it's who I was hoping they would take, but because he's one hell of a football player. And he could end up being our C for years if they're not sold on Olu.

I'm confused. The pick seems fairly popular with near unanimous approval. I just don't see anyone doing what you're saying here.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

There will always be some. Relax, you're taking this way too seriously. It does seem like you're one of the few that are pretty iffy about the pick.
That's my point, to ME it just seems like you don't like the pick because it's not someone who's high on your list.
We will forever agree to disagree on a lot of stuff, and that's ok.

Go Hawks

 

[Maelstrom787]

There will always be some. Relax, you're taking this way too seriously. It does seem like you're one of the few that are pretty iffy about the pick.
That's my point, to ME it just seems like you don't like the pick because it's not someone who's high on your list.
We will forever agree to disagree on a lot of stuff, and that's ok.

Go Hawks

How am I taking this too seriously? I posted my thoughts on the guy as a player, which were pretty mild but seem to be the only comments that even skew negative in the thread. You proceeded to post multiple paragraphs about doubters, including saying they're not objective because they're personally angry that their guy wasn't selected.

I'm just saying - he doesn't really seem to have many "doubters" here, and if he does, so what? A lot of us are here to talk about the details of the sport... not everyone agrees on prospects. Me thinking Grey was a second round caliber of prospect doesn't mean I dislike him or am rooting against him.

 

[Sperrydogg]

I'm confused. The pick seems fairly popular with near unanimous approval. I just don't see anyone doing what you're saying here.

I like this pick because Brock Huard told me to.

I honestly do not research these guys besides how tall is he and much does he weigh and let’s see some highlights.

I saw Zable make some sweet blocks with great kick steps and quick hands and absorb some massive hits with great hand placement

I think he’s smart and tough and so sometimes I could care less where someone is picked if he is the right guy.

It’s greedy to think maybe we can trade back and get one more pick and still get our guy and then he’s gone.

I read somebody say that if we traded back even a few picks we mighta missed him.

I like the farm boys at lineman he is prototypical

 

[sutz]

Haven't seen much, but he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who needs or will be "humbled." Sounds pretty humble and grounded to me.

 

[HawkFreak]

Haven't seen much, but he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who needs or will be "humbled." Sounds pretty humble and grounded to me.

It is kind of an odd thread to be honest. Yes - the title would assume that he is not humble and needs to embarrassed into humbleness by getting beaten on the field.

Maybe this makes more sense if it was asking how long until someone like Shedeur Sanders is humbled by the NFL.

 

[Ostatehawk]

It’s not working

Hatred bounces right off of porn staches.

 

[Appyhawk]

"Second tier" requires additional definition as that can mean different things to different people. It could mean any candidate after pick 5, or it could refer to a talent level below a number of more talented players. In the latter instance I do not believe Zabel is below top tier in talent level as compared to other players at his position. My only concern would be the level of competition he has faced. His performance against the best of the best defenders in this class during the pre-draft sessions convinced me he is as good as it gets for draftees. Yes, NFL players are more experienced and have had more exposure to nfl coaching. Yes nfl players probably have conditioning advantages over some of, if not all, the college programs, But those are areas in which a rookie can make up ground rather rapidly. I am very confident Zabel will be a major factor in improving our O Line from day 1 and even more going forward.