It seems that the Bears is going to have a yuge kicking competition this season.
Ya but if Baron is as good as he looks, you have to think he's the favorite. Although I'm interested in the K/P kid. Could you imagine a guy being able to do both effectively, thus freeing up a roster spot?
Player Bio Hall earned scholarship offers not only based on his All-State play at Franklin (Tenn.) Centennial High School, but also his track prowess. He won a state championship in the high jump and also two AAU Junior Olympic Track gold medals in 2011 (pentathlon, high jump). Hall spent two years as a reserve receiver for the Tigers, first catching eight passes for 64 yards (8.0 average) in 11 games in 2015. The following year, his production in 12 games increased (19-307-16.2, two TD). He started 9 of 12 games in 2017, playing through a hamstring injury early in the year. He scored eight times that season, including a SEC-high seven scores in conference games. Hall also ranked second nationally with 24.8 yards per reception (33-817). League coaches named him second-team All-SEC in 2018, though he only played in nine games with seven starts due to a groin injury. His 22.4 yards per reception last fall (37-828, six scores) would have ranked second in the FBS if he had played enough games to qualify.
Analysis By Lance Zierlein NFL Analyst Draft Projection Round 4 NFL Comparison Mike Wallace
Overview One-trick pony at Missouri with impressive turbo boost to rocket past cornerbacks and take the top off of defenses. Hall's transition into the NFL could be slowed by the challenge of physical press corners with good top-end speed, but his athleticism and short-area quickness should allow him to counter as a three-level route-runner with more exposure to an NFL route tree. It could take time, but he has the size and speed to become a low-volume, high-impact WR2/WR3.
Strengths Excellent combination of size and speed Smooth release with instant acceleration into go-routes Long-strider with horsepower to outpace most cornerbacks Posted career average of 20.5 yards per catch Showed improvement in locating deep ball earlier in his route Improved drop rate after poor 2017 showing Tremendously athletic with rare stop-start quickness for his size Sinks hips and stutters feet into sudden stops to uncover and present on comebacks Feet are quick and choppy into breaks for short-area separation Burst and stride to become a playmaking menace on crossers and slants
Weaknesses More sprinter than polished receiver Route inventory lacking with work confined to one quadrant of the field Routes are fast but lack finesse Needs better routes adjustments according to coverage Ball skills are below average with too many career drops Doesn't attack football and allows throws to beat him up Needs to prove he can compete for the ball in traffic Lacked competitiveness against Georgia and Deandre Baker
It seems that the Bears is going to have a yuge kicking competition this season.
Ya but if Baron is as good as he looks, you have to think he's the favorite. Although I'm interested in the K/P kid. Could you imagine a guy being able to do both effectively, thus freeing up a roster spot?
We shall see.. It seems that Pace learned his lesson from the Parkey fiasco.
I suspect we might see more K/P in the NFL since the NFL might reduce the role of the kicking game.
Player Bio Raymond came on strong in his final two seasons with the Aggies, garnering honorable mention All-Mountain West honors in 2017 and 2018. He caught 41 passes for 456 yards (11.5 average) and a score as a junior, and then grabbed 27 passes for 345 yards (12.8) and two touchdowns in his senior campaign. Raymond redshirted in 2016 due to a back injury after playing in nine games as a reserve the previous season (4-72-18.0). The All-Utah pick in football and basketball at Provo's Timpview High School served a two-year church mission to Russia before heading to Utah State.
Analysis By Lance Zierlein NFL Analyst Draft Projection Round 7-Priority free agent Overview Raymond is a capable athlete but might not have the attributes needed to uncover against safeties and nickel linebackers on the next level. If he's not able to specialize as a matchup tight end, he'll need to correct his poor hand usage and placement in order to give him a chance to find work in 12-personnel groupings (2 TE, 1 RB). Raymond has the ability to compete for a roster spot in camp but needs to find an area to stand out in if he wants to stick long-term.
Strengths Athletic bloodline with father and brother who were collegiate athletes Oily hips with long, loose strides in open space Early speed to run past linebackers in seam and on crossing routes Bodies up coverage and keeps them on his hip Adjusts between catching ball with body and hands depending on the traffic Quick to get it upfield after the catch Good at slipping first-tackle attempt Adequate radar for finding proper assignments as move-blocker Desirable grit in blocking until the whistle helps overcome spotty technique Works his feet into proper positioning to seal blocks in space Might offer value on cover teams Weaknesses Will be a 24-year-old rookie Needs to add more bulk to his frame Asked to run basic combination of routes from game to game Ball skills are average Creates his own contested catches at times Plays into zone linebackers rather than sitting down in space Struggled to uncover against man coverage by Michigan State safety Too inconsistent at point of attack Bear-hugging hands just begging for holding penalties in run game
ALEX BARS NOTRE DAME G Prospect Info HOMETOWN Nashville, TN CLASS r-Senior Prospect Grade 4.98 SHOULD BE IN AN NFL TRAINING CAMP
Player Bio Bars is one of several prospects for the 2019 NFL Draft that comes from a family of college football players. His father, Joe, played linebacker at Notre Dame. His brother, Blake, played on the offensive line at Michigan and another brother, Brad, played on the defensive line at Penn State. That lineage made Bars a ballyhooed prospect coming to South Bend, a top 100 overall recruit and second-team USA Today All-American. He played in six games as a redshirt freshman, starting twice at left guard for injured Quenton Nelson before suffering an ankle injury himself that ended his season. Bars came back to start all 12 games in 2016 at right tackle, then started all 13 games at right guard in 2017. His senior year came to a halt in the fifth game, as a knee injury forced the team's starting left guard to undergo season-ending surgery.
Analysis By Lance Zierlein NFL Analyst Draft Projection Priority free agent Overview While Bars' final season was cut short, he does have NFL size and a solid understanding of technique in a variety of run-blocking concepts. Athletic rushers could become a major concern for him due to his waist-bending. Bars does enough things to be considered with a Day 3 selection provided his knee checks out, but he'll have to clean up his technique in order to be more than offensive line depth. Strengths Team captain in 2018 and starting guard for 2017 position group that won Joe Moore Award for top offensive line in college football Good overall thickness of frame Has base anchor to stand his ground against power Has starting experience at both guard spots and right tackle Works well with teammates on double teams maintaining hip-to-hip approach Features adequate initial quickness into his block fit Uses sturdy post hand to steady and steer his opponent Good understanding of angles and second-level target points on move blocks Quickness to transition to linebacker shooting the B-gap Good overall recognition of twists in pass protection Possesses hearty initial punch to stymie face-up rush challenges. Weaknesses Excessive waist-bending leads to off-balance whiffs and some early losses Narrows base on move blocks causing below-average contact balance Might lack core strength to control point of attack vs sturdy two-gappers Heavy and awkward out in space Will struggle with long pulls and screen plays Lateral-recovery quickness is below par Edge-to-edge interior rushers could be too much for him to handle Suffered season-ending ACL/MCL tear in September.
MARQUEZ TUCKER SOUTHERN UTAH G Prospect Info HOMETOWN Chandler, AZ CLASS Senior HEIGHT 6' 1" WEIGHT 300 lbs ARMS 33 1/4” HANDS 9 1/8” Prospect Grade 5.36 NFL BACKUP OR SPECIAL TEAMS POTENTIAL
Player Bio Tucker was a two-time All-Big Sky Conference selection for the Thunderbirds. He started all 23 games in those two seasons but moved from left tackle to left guard for the final two games of his senior season to make room for 6-7, 300-pound redshirt freshman Braxton Jones. Tucker began his collegiate career at Mesa Community College in Arizona (where he was listed at 256 pounds) after matriculating from Chandler's Hamilton High School.
Analysis By Lance Zierlein NFL Analyst Draft Projection Round 7-Priority free agent Overview Transitional tackle to guard prospect with an ability to snap and play center as well. Tucker plays with an elevated level of technique for a smaller school prospect and his ability to snatch, secure and mirror in pass protection is sure to catch the eyes of evaluators looking for protection help. He must learn to play lower or the move inside could be too challenging against power. If he can play with better bend, he has a chance to make a roster as a day three interior lineman Strengths Weight room strength translates on the field Athletic with consistent base width in pass slides and redirections Patient hands followed by quick, direct punch Hands are vice grips that snatch and eliminate rushers Keeps defender centered with capable mirroring feet Initial hands in rung are precise and accurate Adequate lateral quickness to get to the spot Excellent ability to sustain blocks Fluid from block to block on climbs Reaction time to recover against sudden moves Plays with above-average technique Weaknesses Teams will need to check lean muscle mass for him Plays with an elevated pad level Appears a little tight in the knees Plays primarily from two-point stance with limited drive blocking Needs to prove he can play inside against stronger players Long opponents can catch his frame with quick punch Can do better at adjusting block angles to the second level Average sink and anchor against ball rushers