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April 20, 2018We are less than a week away from the 2018 NFL Draft! WFNY has been getting fans ready and informed about the big draft over the past many months. It has been a fun time examining and looking over the many talented prospects in the 2018 NFL Draft.
WFNY’s Joe Gilbert and Jake Burns have done extensive work on the prospects in the upcoming draft. They have gone through their thoughts on the top prospects in each position class and how their top 50 big boards shake out. But, the tandem is back to go further into each position. This time they will examine the skill sets that make up the classes. The two will give their thoughts on what prospects lead the way in each of the big skill sets that are important for each position. So, let’s start on the offensive side of the ball.
Gilbert & Burns’ Final 2018 NFL Draft Rankings: Offensive Positions, Defensive Positions and Big Boards
Quarterbacks
Best Athlete
Joe: Lamar Jackson, Louisville
This is not even close. Jackson is one of the best athletes to come out at the quarterback position since Michael Vick. He can create huge plays with his legs.
Jake: Lamar Jackson, Lousiville
Like Joe said, this one is without question. There is a chance Jackson is the best athlete we have ever seen play the quarterback position.
Best Accuracy
Joe: Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold, and Baker Mayfield all have good accuracy, but Mayfield leads the way in the class. The Oklahoma quarterback has great accuracy to all levels of the field, including on his deep passes.
Jake: Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
In a class full of prospects that excel in accuracy, minus one obvious name, Mayfield led the group. Josh Rosen excelled in the intermediate but Mayfield finds high amounts of success to all levels of the field.
Best Arm Strength
Joe: Josh Allen, Wyoming
Allen has an elite arm. This is the asset that is making him shoot up the board, overshadowing his troubling problems like accuracy. He can throw the ball with great speed and to depths on the field that few can throw to.
Jake: Josh Allen, Wyoming
Easy choice here. Allen has the hardest recorded velocity we have ever seen at the position and he can drive it downfield with ease.
Best Decision Maker
Joe: Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
Overall, I like the decision making of both Mayfield and Rosen, but I like Mayfield’s decision making the most. His ability to run the RPO at Oklahoma was masterful. He made the right decision in those situations, reading the defense to find the best advantage to take.
Jake: Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
Mayfield prides himself in making the decision he feels leads his team to the highest level of success each play. He will have to speed up his internal clock in the NFL but he processes so well that I don’t think it will be a problem.
Best Pocket Presence
Joe: Sam Darnold, USC
Darnold moves around the pocket very well, keeping his eyes downfield to continue scanning the field to find an open target. He deals with pressure really well (he dealt with a lot this season) and has the ability to throw under pressure or on the move better than any quarterback in the class.
Jake: Sam Darnold, USC
Darnold was forced to work from behind a pretty bad offensive line at USC and he has the best blend of off-platform throwing, extending plays, and maneuvering within the pocket.
Best Mechanics
Joe: Josh Rosen, UCLA
Rosen is the cleanest quarterback in the class. He has the ideal mechanics and footwork to complete passes accurately and on time.
Jake: Josh Rosen, UCLA
Rosen is an instruction manual put to life with his form in throwing a football. His balance, transition, release point, and follow through are exactly how a computer design might make it look.
Running Backs
Best Athlete
Joe: Saquon Barkley, Penn State
Barkley is by far the best athlete in the running backs class. He has great speed, explosion, and power that few backs possess together. He is such a rare athlete for the position.
Jake: Saquon Barkley, Penn State
Barkley is the combine warrior we thought he would be, and his athletic profile matches up on tape.
Best Power/Strength
Joe: John Kelly, Tennessee
Kelly is the hardest runner in the class. At just 205 pounds, he plays with great power and strength. He lowers his head to run through tackles and is able to break arm tackles easily. His stiff arm is also a big asset in his power.
Jake: Rashaad Penny, San Diego State
Penny led the FBS in average yards per carry when contacted at or behind the line of scrimmage. It doesn’t take many reps in his tape to see his ability to push through arm tackles and break through even those who have him squared up.
Best Agility
Joe: Saquon Barkley, Penn State
Barkley can make defenders look absolutely silly. He has the fluid hips to juke defenders and the quick cuts to change direction on a dime. His agility is fun to watch.
Jake: Ronald Jones, USC
Jones has the ability to get in and out of cuts at a level of smoothness we don’t often see. He’s also quick to top end speed as well.
Best Homerun Threat
Joe: Saquon Barkley, Penn State
No player looks for a home run more than Barkley. He has the speed to run past a defender for a big gain. He also has the elusiveness and power to get past defenders for a big gain.
Jake: Saquon Barkley, Penn State
Barkley is the premier homerun threat in this class. If he is given an easy hole to find and it turns into a foot race, he often wins.
Best Balance
Joe: Saquon Barkley, Penn State
Barkley has the balance to take on contact and keep chugging. But, his balance is also seen in his agility. He can put on some extraordinary moves that would cause most to get off balance.
Jake: Sony Michel, Georgia
This one won’t be popular but in studying Michel he is always on balance and controls his body well at any angle. He makes some balance plays few do in this group.
Best Vision
Joe: Rashaad Penny, San Diego State
Penny has the best vision in the class. He can find the tiniest of gaps in the line and hit them quickly for a gain.
Jake: Derrius Guice, LSU
Guice is this class’s best between the tackles runner and it isn’t close. He has the ability to set up blocks and make the necessary cut with anticipation that will be imperative on Sundays.
Best Speed/Explosion
Joe: Ronald Jones, USC
Jones has the best combination of speed and explosion in the class. He can make up ground on defenders in an instant. He is so explosive after just a few steps in the backfield, allowing him to burst through the hole.
Jake: Ronald Jones, USC
46.1% of Jones’ carries went for 15 or more yards in 2017. He uses his quick burst to elude first and second level defenders for big chunks of yards.
Best Third Down Back Ability
Joe: John Kelly, Tennessee
Kelly was a productive receiver last season, showing reliable hands. He runs good routes with the ability to draw separation with his routes. He also uses his physicality and fearlessness to be a willing blocker in the passing game.
Jake: Saquon Barkley, Penn State
This one is rather simple. Barkley is already an elite pass catcher at the position and he protects the passer well enough to see the field all three downs.
Wide Receivers
Best Athlete
Joe: D.J. Moore, Maryland
Moore is the best athlete in the class, which is filled with some impressive athletes. Moore is an explosive athlete with the long speed to make big plays on the field.
Jake: D.J. Moore, Maryland
Moore can do it all in this group. He has great flat line speed and his foot speed in and out of cuts make him truly dynamic.
Best Hands
Joe: Auden Tate, Florida State
Tate has strong hands, catching the ball outside of his frame. He can make contested catches and has a huge catch radius due to his length.
Jake: Trey Quinn, SMU
Quinn led the FBS in catch percentage in his 116 targets last year and his 10 1/8″ hands allow him to make catches all over his body radius.
Best Route Runner
Joe: Calvin Ridley, Alabama
Ridley is a smooth athlete and it shows in his route running. He quickly gets in and out of breaks and can change directions with ease, allowing him to gain separation from the coverage.
Jake: Dante Pettis, Washington
Pettis is routinely a clinic in footwork and body control in his routes. He is crisp in breaks and works subtle body angles to make his defender bite on the misdirection.
Best Deep Ball Catcher
Joe: James Washington, Oklahoma State
Washington was a big play producer all throughout his career. He possesses good speed to get past the defense and an impressive ability to track the pass downfield.
Jake: James Washington, Oklahoma State
Washington thrived with Mason Rudolph in OSU’s RPO based offense where Washington routinely killed opponents on deep post routes. He tracks the ball better than any receiver in this group and puts his body in position to make each play possible.
Best Physicality/Toughness
Joe: Anthony Miller, Memphis
Miller has a chip on his shoulder and plays with great emotion and energy. He is a physical runner after the catch and as a pass catcher, he can make the tough catches through contact.
Jake: Anthony Miller, Memphis
Miller was Memphis’s team leader and it showed in how he played weekly. He never shied away from contact in the open field and he breaks through arm tackles routinely.
Best Player After the Catch
Joe: Anthony Miller, Memphis
Miller is an explosive athlete with the speed to break one on any play. He has the agility and tough running style to break tackles to gain yards after contact.
Jake: D.J. Moore, Maryland
Moore thrives after the catch where he uses fluid hips and excellent change of pace to leaves defenders baffled. Typically one man doesn’t bring him down with arm tackles, either.
Best Ball Skills
Joe: Courtland Sutton, SMU
Sutton is a tall receiver, but also a receiver with a wider frame than most, allowing him to get body positioning against any defender.
Jake: Auden Tate, Florida State
Tate isn’t a burner, but he is known to use his 6’5 frame to win nearly every high point contested catch at the college level. He will need more than leaping ability in the NFL, but the skills are there.
Best Blocker
Joe: Courtland Sutton, SMU
Sutton uses his size well, blocking defenders, who he can overmatch with his size. He has shown the willingness to block in all situations, too.
Jake: Anthony Miller, Memphis
Miller is caught putting in the extra effort in the blocking game routinely in his tape over the years with elite physicality and technique. Seen sprinting downfield often as well making huge effort plays.
Offensive Tackles
Best Athlete
Joe: Brian O’Neill, Pittsburgh
O’Neill is a great athlete, who moves so well at his size. He ran a 4.82-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, while also scoring two touchdowns in his college career.
Jake: Kolton Miller, UCLA
Miller blew away the testing portion of the combine with a 4.95 40 yard dash. He is a special athlete for the position.
Best Power/Strength
Joe: Orlando Brown, Jr., Oklahoma
Brown is a huge human being who can completely dominant defenders into submission with his strength and power. His best asset is his immense strength.
Jake: Orlando Brown Jr., Oklahoma
There is no denying that if Brown gets his momentum moving and his hands on you, you’re going wherever he wants to take you. The best power in the class despite combine numbers.
Best Run Blocker
Joe: Connor Williams, Texas
Williams best trait is his run blocking. He has good power to move defenders as a road grader. He is a fluid athlete with patience and technique to stay in the right position to make a block.
Jake: Orlando Brown Jr., Oklahoma
Like I mentioned above, Browns moves people with ease. Catch a clip of Brown clearing out an entire side on a down block for the Sooners.
Best Technique
Joe: Connor Williams, Texas
Williams has great feet. He stays square to the defender when blocking and he uses his hands well to stay engaged on the block.
Jake: Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame
McGlinchey is just a sound technician at the tackle position. He has his slips ups here and there, but he is the most consistent in this group.
Best Pass Blocker
Joe: Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame
McGlinchey has the size and athleticism teams want in their left tackle. His length and athleticism allow him to be a tough man to get around on the edge.
Jake: Jamarco Jones, Ohio State
Jones is a hidden gem in this class. He excels in the kick step and I see him having a chance to thrive at left tackle in the NFL if it clicks for him in all phases.
Best Versatility
Joe: Connor Williams, Texas
Williams has the skill set to play both tackle spots and possibly both guard spots. His run blocking, technique, and athleticism allow him to move all across the line.
Jake: Tyrell Crosby, Oregon
Crosby has played both tackle spots in his Oregon career and he has the skill set to be able to do both wherever he is drafted.
Interior Offensive Linemen
Best Athlete
Joe: James Daniels, Iowa
Daniels is a great athlete with the fluidness that few possess at that size. He had the second-best three-cone drill time at the NFL Combine amongst all offensive linemen.
Jake: James Daniels, Iowa
Like Joe said, Daniels three cone tells the story of his quickness inside to get where he needs to in the pivot. Daniels handles the power side with great agility.
Best Power/Strength
Joe: Billy Price, Ohio State
Price is a powerful and strong interior lineman who can take on the big defensive tackles in the trenches. He is a stout player in the passing game against bull rushers and can move defenders out of the way in the run game.
Jake: Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame
Quenton Nelson is a bull inside and he controls his opponents with his upper/lower body strength combo that makes his work in both phases appear so easy.
Best Run Blocker
Joe: Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame
Nelson is a road grader with the power and strength to plow open holes for his runner. He also has the mobility to get to the second level or pull across the line to block in the run game.
Jake: Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame
Just like mentioned above, Nelson creates running lanes inside whether in zone or power schemes by combining excellent footwork with a powerful drive.
Best Technique
Joe: Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame
Nelson is almost always working to stay square on his block with good knee bend and the right positioning of his hands on the defender.
Jake: Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame
Beating a bit of consistent drum here. Nelson constantly keeps his center of gravity where it needs to be with an excellent bend in both phases to dominate his opponent.
Best Pass Blocker
Joe: Isaiah Wynn, Georgia
Wynn did a good job as a pass protector at left tackle last season. He has the athleticism and feet to be a strong pass protector at offensive guard.
Jake: Frank Ragnow, Arkansas
Watch Ragnow tape and notice how cerebral he is with what defenses are trying to do to generate pressure (twists, stunts, blitzes) and he eats them up with a keen power/anticipation combo.
Best Versatility
Joe: Billy Price, Ohio State
Price has college experience playing both guard and center. He has the athleticism and strength to play all three interior offensive line positions.
Jake: Isaiah Wynn, Georgia
Wynn played both tackle and guard at Georgia and did both with excellent results. He can handle the bull rush inside and keep his frame clean but can also work in the retreat at tackle.
Tight Ends
Best Athlete
Joe: Mike Gesicki, Penn State
Gesicki’s performance at the NFL Combine showed how elite of an athlete he is. He has the explosion and speed to be a true mismatch at the tight end position.
Jake: Mike Gesicki, Penn State
Gesicki put up some of the best combine numbers ever for a tight end and it matches what we see on film at Penn State. A true freak for his size.
Best Ball Skills
Joe: Dallas Goedert, South Dakota State
Goedert has the best ball skills because of his combination of size, athleticism, hands and body positioning. He can make the tough catch and get the ball at its highest peak.
Jake: Mike Gesicki, Penn State
This was tough to choose Gesicki over Goedert but I trust the tape against high-level competition and Gesicki didn’t get the opportunities that Goedert was allowed at SDSU.
Best Hands
Joe: Hayden Hurst, South Carolina
Hurst has great hands with the ability to pinpoint the ball outside of his frame and through contact. According to Pro Football Focus, he dropped three passes of the 103 catchable passes in his career.
Jake: Hayden Hurst, South Carolina
Hurst is the best combination of skills at the position and those include the ability to make nearly every catch he has a shot at.
Best Player After the Catch
Joe: Hayden Hurst, South Carolina
Hurst is a fluid athlete who can make defenders miss and break tackles with his strength. He was trusted to make plays after the catch that South Carolina even called screen passes to him.
Jake: Dallas Goedert, South Dakota State
Goedert will surprise in the open field in the NFL as he is a massive player who can run really well when given the ball in screens and quick drags and outs.
Best Blocker
Joe: Dalton Schultz, Stanford
Schultz was asked to block a lot at Stanford, both in run and pass blocking situations. He has the strength to block defensive lineman, using body positioning to stay between the defender and ball.
Jake: Christopher Herndon, Miami
Herndon is coming off a knee injury suffered late in 2017 but his tape shows an excellent frame and style for a tight end and he can do it in the inline position or wing where he is pulling in zone schemes.