GT NFL Draft 2014

Rodney Kent

Ramblin' Wreck
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558
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McDonough, GA
The scouts do not always consider the game statistics of a player to determine his potential. They are aware that some players do not meet their potential because of the system in which they play or the developmental effectiveness of the training they have received. That is one reason why they have tryouts and measure the vital statistics of each player. They may detect a missed gem in the group. Give him better training in the pros, and he might develop into a star in the pros, much like a walk-on in college.

Most of the comments on the board were of the flavor that Dieke never reached his potential. Maybe, he might reach it in the pros if he is given a chance. We will never know unless he gets the chance.
 

Boomergump

Helluva Engineer
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3,262
The scouts do not always consider the game statistics of a player to determine his potential. They are aware that some players do not meet their potential because of the system in which they play or the developmental effectiveness of the training they have received. That is one reason why they have tryouts and measure the vital statistics of each player. They may detect a missed gem in the group. Give him better training in the pros, and he might develop into a star in the pros, much like a walk-on in college.

Most of the comments on the board were of the flavor that Dieke never reached his potential. Maybe, he might reach it in the pros if he is given a chance. We will never know unless he gets the chance.
I hope he gets the chance, for his sake. I will never root against him. I just honestly feel he will end up like me, and a long list of other college players, who go pro in something other than sports. It is OK. Life is still worth living. Emmanuel has the prototypical size and build for a great pro, or college player for that matter. IMHO, it is not about the quality of his training either. He just doesn't have the feet or the agility to get leverage with any consistency. In other words, he is not a great athlete. When you watch film, frame by frame, and compare how quickly he gets off the mark compared to Attaochu, or how he changes direction and gets angles, it is totally different than JA. He rarely gets doubled or has a RB assigned to give him a chip because DCs know that their OT can handle him alone. The vast majority of his tackles, the ball carrier was steered into him. The only time I can remember him whipping somebody and making a play was in the UGAg game where he tackled Girly man for a loss on the edge. You may be right, but I would put my money on Dieke moving on in another profession. I would love love love to be proven wrong.
 

daBuzz

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
965
Attouchu will go in the 3rd round, IMO. IF Thomas gets drafted, it will be in the 7th round but I suspect he will be a free agent. However, I think he and Brandon Watts will make NFL rosters as FA's.

Godhigh has 0.0000001% chance of making an NFL squad. I love the kid and what he did for GT but he doesn't have the size or speed to make it in the pros.

All my own opinion of course.
 

Rodney Kent

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
558
Location
McDonough, GA
Boomergump: I understand the odds are against it, but it does not hurt an athlete to try for the draft and to attend some of the tryouts. As I said, there is an occasional walk-on who makes it in college, and there is the occasional college player, not highly rated, that makes it in the pros. What is the old saying, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained"!
 

Boomergump

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3,262
Boomergump: I understand the odds are against it, but it does not hurt an athlete to try for the draft and to attend some of the tryouts. As I said, there is an occasional walk-on who makes it in college, and there is the occasional college player, not highly rated, that makes it in the pros. What is the old saying, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained"!
Absolutely true. I encourage every athlete to try an achieve at the highest level their abilities will take them. The only way to do that is to test the limits. No way that kid should listen to the likes of me, or anybody else for that matter, who thinks he can't. If he thinks he can, he should try. This advice is good for pretty much every person in any endeavor.
 

Boomergump

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Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber has more chance of boinking that chick than Godhigh making any NFL roster.
I think RG is a very interesting case. While humorous, the dumb and dumber reference, is far from accurate in my mind. I have vivid memories of some of the crap I took on a different board over the last couple of years when predicting RGs future success in our own program. People were ruthless. I went so far as to predict some production numbers in the face of the criticism and fellow board members just insinuated that I had given myself rope to hang myself by. When it was all said and done, RG exceeded even my lofty predictions, and the board died before I could ever say I told you so.

RG is a niche player at the next level. That is absolutely certain. He can't really be used in every system as they are currently designed. It is absolutely true that prototypical NFL measurements will not favor him when compared to the other candidates flooding the market at the offensive skill positions. There are, however, some other, not so measurable, qualities where RG is pretty much off the charts. The combination of RG's sturdy build, low center of gravity, and natural balance may be unequalled in this class of NFL bound players. His ability to absorb punishment and stay on his feet while keeping plays alive is pretty amazing. That plays at every level. His ability to tip toe and make implausible cuts to avoid tacklers is nothing short of elite. He is also a punishing blocker and that plays at every level too. Here in lies the problem. RG projects as a slot type guy in the NFL. He is a good receiver with relatively good hands, but he provides a pretty small window for completions to be made. Time and time again, at GT, we have seen balls delivered RG's way, looking as if they would be completed, that ended up just off his finger tips. He is short, his arms are short, and he really doesn't have the ability to stretch and make plays like his peer group does. We all want to point to his top end speed as being the show stopper. I don't think that is it at all. There are many successful NFLers without it. He has shown the ability to get open consistently in tight spaces as a receiver. For a guy like Megatron, the QB has a barn door's size area to deliver the ball in for a play to be made on it. With RG, the area may prove to be too small.

I don't predict RG to be drafted, but I do think he will be given a tryout. I think he will turn heads and surprise people. He will have a long road to hoe and he will have to prove it. Many of you think he will have a snowball's chance. I think he makes a practice squad and eventually about a 1 in 3 chance of seeing time on an active roster some day.
 

ATL1

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7,377
Personally I can see Attoachu going in the second round especially after a good combine showing. His tape will get him there. Jemea 6 or 7 round and will have to fight his way onto a roster but I believe he will get drafted.
 

AE 87

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13,015
I'm a fan of RG and our O, but it's hard to project from our O to the pro game, esp passing. A better qb connects with rg regardless of his height on most of those throws. But, he doesn't get that open in most offenses, imo. I think RG would have to come out of the backfield at the next level, using his invisibility till he can use his shiftiness.
 

jeffgt14

We don't quite suck as much anymore.
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5,786
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Mt Juliet, TN
Dieke has the physical tools to do something. I bet nobody thought Gary Guyton would've ever been playing solid minutes in a super bowl.
 
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