RiverDog
Well-known member
I just subscribed to PFF as it offers one of the better football analyses in the business. I think that they are very well done and do a good job at a very difficult task. I understand that a lot of you don't put a lot of weight on their ratings and rankings, but at the very least, they make for a good discussion point.
I've gone down the rankings after the first two weeks of the season, showing where our guys are ranked and the top player at each position.
Offense
QB's (33 ranked): Geno Smith, #4. Top ranked: Kyler Murray, Cards.
WR (102 ranked): Tyler Lockett #18, JSN #28, DK Metcalf #48. Top Ranked: Chris Godwin, Bucs
HB (48 ranked): Kenneth Walker, #9, Zach C #45. Top Ranked: James Cook, Bills
TE (62 ranked): AJ Barner, #48, Noah Fant #52. Top Ranked: Isiah Likely, Ravens
C (33 ranked): Conner Williams, #15, Top Ranked: Eric McCoy, Saints.
G (65 ranked): Laken Tomlinson, #36, Anthony Bradford #54. Top Ranked: Lucas Patrick, Saints.
T (68 ranked): Charles Cross, #1, Stone Forsythe, #52. Top Ranked: Charles Cross, Hawks
Defense
CB (96 ranked): Tariq Woolen, #1, Devon Witherspoon, #11, Tre Brown, #44. Top Ranked: Tariq Woolen, Hawks
S (76 ranked): Julian Love, #2, Rayshawn Jenkins, #6. Top Ranked: Elijah Molden, LAC
LB (71 ranked): Jerome Baker, #32, Tyrel Dodson, #36. Top Ranked: Fred Warner, Niners.
DT (111 ranked): Leonard Williams, #4, Jarron Reed, #39, Byron Murphy, #49, Jonathan Hankins #92. Top Ranked: Dexter Lawrence, NYG
Edge (102 ranked): Boye Mafe, #14. Derrick Hall #28, Dre Mont Jones, #55. Top Ranked: Adian Hutchinson, Lions.
I included the number of players ranked as we have to keep the individual rankings in perspective. For example, Conner Williams' #15 ranking, while not bad, isn't nearly as good as Devon Witherspoon's #11 ranking at cornerback. There are only 32 starting centers while there's 64 starting cornerbacks, meaning that the midpoint for center is #16 while midpoint for cornerback is #32. Williams is in the top 50% of starting centers while Witherspoon is roughly in the top 1/3rd of starting cornerbacks. Additionally, there were a lot more non-starting cornerbacks (64) that got enough snaps to qualify for a ranking than there were non starting centers (1), which has an effect on the overall ranking.
A lot of this meets the eye test. Any of us who have watched the Lions don't need a PFF ranking to understand what kind of season Adian Hutchinson is having. It also makes sense that the Saints have the top ranked center and guard. They also have the #3 ranked rushing offense.
The highlights on defense for us include Tariq Woolen a huge improvement over last season when he was benched for a period of time. Witherspoon's #11 ranking is no surprise as he was ranked in or near the top 10 all last season. And there's a huge improvement in our safety play, with Love and Jenkins being ranked in the top 6, quite a change from what we saw with last season's safety pair of Adams and Diggs. We've given up very few big plays so far this season, and that's reflected in their rankings. Boye Mafe and Derrick Hall have made big strides (at least according to the rankings) so far under Mac. Disappointments might include Byron Murphy.
On offense, obviously Geno's had a solid first two games, but the real surprise is Charles Cross. We've seen a big improvement in our center's ranking as we're used to seeing them ranked somewhere in the high 20's or 30's. Lockett's ranked about the same as last season, but Metcalf has slipped in these first two games. Tight end, guard, and right tackle look to be weak spots, which meets my eye test.
Overall, it's a very good report card for our first two games. But then again, it's only two games and our competition can't be considered first rate.
I've gone down the rankings after the first two weeks of the season, showing where our guys are ranked and the top player at each position.
Offense
QB's (33 ranked): Geno Smith, #4. Top ranked: Kyler Murray, Cards.
WR (102 ranked): Tyler Lockett #18, JSN #28, DK Metcalf #48. Top Ranked: Chris Godwin, Bucs
HB (48 ranked): Kenneth Walker, #9, Zach C #45. Top Ranked: James Cook, Bills
TE (62 ranked): AJ Barner, #48, Noah Fant #52. Top Ranked: Isiah Likely, Ravens
C (33 ranked): Conner Williams, #15, Top Ranked: Eric McCoy, Saints.
G (65 ranked): Laken Tomlinson, #36, Anthony Bradford #54. Top Ranked: Lucas Patrick, Saints.
T (68 ranked): Charles Cross, #1, Stone Forsythe, #52. Top Ranked: Charles Cross, Hawks
Defense
CB (96 ranked): Tariq Woolen, #1, Devon Witherspoon, #11, Tre Brown, #44. Top Ranked: Tariq Woolen, Hawks
S (76 ranked): Julian Love, #2, Rayshawn Jenkins, #6. Top Ranked: Elijah Molden, LAC
LB (71 ranked): Jerome Baker, #32, Tyrel Dodson, #36. Top Ranked: Fred Warner, Niners.
DT (111 ranked): Leonard Williams, #4, Jarron Reed, #39, Byron Murphy, #49, Jonathan Hankins #92. Top Ranked: Dexter Lawrence, NYG
Edge (102 ranked): Boye Mafe, #14. Derrick Hall #28, Dre Mont Jones, #55. Top Ranked: Adian Hutchinson, Lions.
I included the number of players ranked as we have to keep the individual rankings in perspective. For example, Conner Williams' #15 ranking, while not bad, isn't nearly as good as Devon Witherspoon's #11 ranking at cornerback. There are only 32 starting centers while there's 64 starting cornerbacks, meaning that the midpoint for center is #16 while midpoint for cornerback is #32. Williams is in the top 50% of starting centers while Witherspoon is roughly in the top 1/3rd of starting cornerbacks. Additionally, there were a lot more non-starting cornerbacks (64) that got enough snaps to qualify for a ranking than there were non starting centers (1), which has an effect on the overall ranking.
A lot of this meets the eye test. Any of us who have watched the Lions don't need a PFF ranking to understand what kind of season Adian Hutchinson is having. It also makes sense that the Saints have the top ranked center and guard. They also have the #3 ranked rushing offense.
The highlights on defense for us include Tariq Woolen a huge improvement over last season when he was benched for a period of time. Witherspoon's #11 ranking is no surprise as he was ranked in or near the top 10 all last season. And there's a huge improvement in our safety play, with Love and Jenkins being ranked in the top 6, quite a change from what we saw with last season's safety pair of Adams and Diggs. We've given up very few big plays so far this season, and that's reflected in their rankings. Boye Mafe and Derrick Hall have made big strides (at least according to the rankings) so far under Mac. Disappointments might include Byron Murphy.
On offense, obviously Geno's had a solid first two games, but the real surprise is Charles Cross. We've seen a big improvement in our center's ranking as we're used to seeing them ranked somewhere in the high 20's or 30's. Lockett's ranked about the same as last season, but Metcalf has slipped in these first two games. Tight end, guard, and right tackle look to be weak spots, which meets my eye test.
Overall, it's a very good report card for our first two games. But then again, it's only two games and our competition can't be considered first rate.
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