Tag: thedraftnetwork

Where Jack Coan lands in DraftWire’s 2021 NFL Draft quarterback rankings

Despite two of the Power Five conferences canceling their fall football seasons and the issues surrounding eligibility being unsolved at…

Despite two of the Power Five conferences canceling their fall football seasons and the issues surrounding eligibility being unsolved at the moment, Luke Easterling of DraftWire published his “Early QB rankings for the 2021 NFL Draft” on Friday and coming in at No. 23 is Wisconsin quarterback Jack Coan.

Other Big Ten quarterbacks in the rankings are Ohio State’s Justin Fields at No. 2, Minnesota’s Tanner Morgan at No. 5, Penn State’s Sean Clifford at No. 22 and Nebraska’s Adrian Martinez at No. 24.

TheDraftNetwork’s ranking of Coan is in the same ballpark as DraftWire’s as they have him as the No. 272 overall prospect and No. 18 quarterback for the upcoming NFL Draft.

Coan is entering his senior season with the Badgers so, as referred to above, since the Big Ten canceled their fall season whether he will be able to play in the spring or next fall is yet to be decided.

One thing that is known at this point, though, is that the New York native helped his draft stock immensely last season but still needs another productive year to see himself drafted before the sixth or seventh round.

Hopefully we haven’t seen the end of Jack Coan in a Wisconsin Badger uniform.

 

 

 

PFF loves Badger safety Eric Burrell heading into 2020

Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard heads into the 2020 season looking for two new defensive leaders with the departures of…

[lawrence-newsletter]

Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard heads into the 2020 season looking for two new defensive leaders with the departures of Zack Baun and Chris Orr.

According to ProFootballFocus, one of those impact players will be safety Eric Burrell.

In an article posted on February 19 Anthony Treash, one of PFF’s senior college analysts, listed the top-10 players returning to the Big Ten in 2020.

At the top he listed the obvious names including Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan and Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman.

His No. 8 player on the list? Wisconsin safety Eric Burrell.

“Wisconsin Badgers safety Eric Burrell has played in the box, slot and at deep safety over the past couple seasons, and regardless of where he was at, he shined in coverage,” Treash wrote. “Among safeties, Burrell’s two-year PFF coverage grade is among the 10 best in the FBS — and he was one of the 20 most valuable safeties overall.”

While missed tackles are a continuing problem for the Maryland native, Treash concluded his piece by noting that “[Burrell] could very well end the 2020 season as one of the five best safeties in the country in coverage.”

These are glowing remarks for the safety who came to Madison in 2016 as a four-star prospect according to ESPN and made an immediate impact when he took over as a starter as a redshirt sophomore in 2018, recording 41 tackles, one interception and two forced fumbles.

His 2019 campaign continued his rise at the position as he started 13 games and recorded 55 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, two sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles.

And, if that wasn’t enough, he recorded three of the Badgers’ top-10 defensive plays of the year including a clutch stop on a 2-point conversion to help seal a win against Iowa.

PFF isn’t the only outlet loving Burrell’s future as TheDraftNetwork lists the safety as the No. 158 overall prospect for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Burrell will enter 2020 as the starter at free safety across from the sure-tackling strong safety Reggie Pearson on a Badger defense set to again be one of the best in the conference and in the nation.

A way-too-early look at Wisconsin’s 2021 NFL Draft prospects

TheDraftNetwork.com took no time releasing their way-too-early 2021 NFL Draft big board when last week’s draft concluded. Sometimes you…

[jwplayer ZIk7KIV6-er0jUifI]

[lawrence-newsletter]

TheDraftNetwork.com took no time releasing their way-too-early 2021 NFL Draft big board when last week’s draft concluded.

Sometimes you have players like Jonathan Taylor and Tyler Biadasz who are sure-fire NFL players even entering a season. On the other hand, sometimes you have a player like Zack Baun that wasn’t on the NFL draft radar before he experienced a break-out senior season.

The Badgers should have some of both in 2020, as there are several names on TheDraftNetwork’s 2021 big board and many others who have a shot at joining that list.

First, here’s who TheDraftNetwork lists as no-doubt NFL draft prospects entering the 2020 season.

 

Linebacker Jack Sanborn (No. 72 overall on TDN’s big board)

Sanborn will be a junior in 2020 so it isn’t a sure thing that he enters the 2021 NFL Draft.

Regardless, Sanborn is coming off a team-high 80 tackles and three interceptions in 2019 and is still improving at a rapid pace.

Even if it isn’t until 2022, Sanborn will hear his name called on draft day.

 

Tight end Jake Ferguson (No. 90 overall on TDN’s big board)

Maybe a bit of a surprise?

Ferguson is coming off a 33-catch, 407-yard season, good for second-best on the team in both categories behind now-Detroit Lion wide receiver Quintez Cephus.

Once the man filling the shoes of current NFL tight end Troy Fumagalli, Ferguson has finished second on the team in receptions two straight years and is molding into a really good receiving tight end in addition to excelling, as many Badgers do, as a blocker.

Ferguson, like Sanborn, is not entering his final season of eligibility in 2020 but were he to enter the draft after the season he projects as a fringe third round prospect.

 

Here’s who TheDraftNetwork lists as more questionable 2021 NFL Draft prospects.

 

Safety Eric Burrell (No. 158 overall on TDN’s big board)

Burrell broke onto the scene in 2018 and became the team’s 6th-leading tackler as a starter at safety opposite current Tampa Bay Buccaneer D’Cota Dixon.

In 2019 the Maryland native improved again as the leader of the secondary as he was the team’s 5th-leading tackler to go along with two interceptions and two forced fumbles.

The senior returns to an experienced and talented secondary unit in Madison and, according to TDN, has a real chance at playing at the next level.

 

Left tackle Cole Van Lanen (No. 181 overall on TDN’s big board)

Van Lanen is thought of as a sure-fire NFL prospect though has been overshadowed a bit by the other NFL talent along the Wisconsin offensive line during the past few years.

The analysts at TDN mention how the left tackle “is an absolute load coming off the snap. He’s got natural power for days thanks to his foot drive and mass, once he’s able to create any level of forward push, he’s consistent in his efforts to continue to balloon the point of attack,” and how “he’s going to be a natural in the run game at the next level.”

As the 2020 season progresses expect Van Lanen to shoot up draft boards and into one of the top tiers at his position.

 

Finally, here’s who TheDraftNetwork lists as questionable/fringe 2021 draft prospects and who I believe are other names to watch as the season progresses

Isaiahh Loudermilk (No. 232 overall)

Logan Bruss (No. 244 overall)

Jack Coan (No. 305 overall)

Garrett Rand (Unranked)

Caesar Williams (Unranked)

Danny Davis (Unranked)

 

 

USA TODAY Sports names Jonathan Taylor as Boom or Bust NFL Prospect

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA Today Sports released an article on Friday analyzing the “15 riskiest prospects” in the upcoming NFL…

[lawrence-newsletter]

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA Today Sports released an article on Friday analyzing the “15 riskiest prospects” in the upcoming NFL Draft and former Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor was included in his list.

“Another player who might have been best fit for a bygone era,” Middlehurst-Schwartz’s analysis of Taylor reads. “At 5-10 and 226 pounds with breakaway speed (4.39-second 40-yard dash) and great instincts, he’s an accomplished ball-carrier who finished sixth all-time in rushing for the Football Bowl Subdivision. It’s the passing game, however, that could trip Taylor up, as he struggled at times as a receiver and didn’t do much as a blocker. Pervasive fumbling issues (18 in 41 career games) also could put him out of favor with his next head coach. So long as he can remain healthy after tallying 968 touches in three years, Taylor will have the chance to prove himself as a dependable back at the next level.”

I would not contend that Taylor’s mileage and problem with ball security create a few question marks surrounding the former Badger as he gets ready to transition to the NFL. If you analyzed his game based on only his first two years, maybe receiving would create one as well.

But after a junior season during which he caught 26 passes for 252 yards and five touchdowns while spending many passing situations on the sideline for Garrett Groshek to receive snaps, it became clear that pass-catching was no longer one of his glaring weaknesses. Is it one of his strengths? Not quite. But after working hard in the offseason to incorporate receiving into his game, he proved during the season that he is more-than-capable of running routes out of the backfield.

This brings me to his pass protection.

As mentioned earlier Taylor was sidelined during many passing downs to give way to a proficient pass-catching running back in Groshek. When he was on the field for passing downs, however, Taylor impressed as a pass blocker and showed that he has all of the tools to successfully block for the quarterback at the next level.

Kyle Crabbs, a senior NFL Draft analyst for TheDraftNetwork.com and lead editor of USA Today’s DolphinsWire wrote when describing Taylor’s pass protection, “Physical. Like how he’s willing to step into contact and he’s dense enough to really bang with free runners off the second level and help buy his quarterback time. Effort level here is strong — effort in stepping forward and embracing contact is a huge plus.”

Other TheDraftNetwork.com analysts echoed this sentiment and listed pass protection as one of Taylor’s strengths as he prepares to enter the NFL.

Furthermore, ProFootballFocus gave Taylor an overall grade of 91.1 for this past season, a rating that incorporates all aspects of his game and one that tops even Melvin Gordon III’s 89.5 from his final season in Madison.

Yes, Taylor’s overall mileage may become an issue as well as his ball security, but if an NFL general manager was faced with a decision between the former Badger and another running back without his experience or with an actual history of injuries, do you think he would look at Taylor’s 968 total touches in college and write him off of his draft list? No chance.

Every prospect comes to the NFL with some bust potential. For Taylor, the long list of his strengths outweigh his only weaknesses of mileage and fumbling–no, his glaring weaknesses do not include receiving or pass blocking–and, given how polished he is as a runner and what he was able to do against the nation’s top run defenses week in and week out, the risk presented by his weaknesses is a much smaller one than a history of injuries or a lack of experience would present for some of the other running backs in the draft.

In total, there’s a lot more “boom” potential than there is “bust” potential for Taylor as he heads into the NFL.