Is this just in reference to Gary or the draft as a whole because most of the guys while they are almost all exceptional athletes I also don't really see an issue as far as being a "football player" is concerned. Savage had good production and plays like an animal throwing his body around, the 2nd rounder Jenkins played pretty much every single spot on the OL, the TE Jace had huge production, then the later round guys are kind of mixed but that's when you aren't getting a player without some kind of issue.
Originally Posted by: steveishere
This is in reference to all of our picks, but our 2nd and 3rd rounder.
Don't get me wrong, Savage did nice things in college, but not as good as a lot of other safeties that were on the board at that point. The thing he has over them is his speed, versatility and ability to reach a higher ceiling.
One big knock on him, for instance, is that he often made pretty bad decisions when playing single high safety. Step the wrong way, turn around, wide receiver is gone deep. He misses tackles and bites on play-actions, pump fakes etc.
That said, I like the pick. He's ridiculously quick, he's the perfect addition to Amos' certain style of play, but the reason he goes late in the 1st instead of late in the 2nd is his athleticism, not his gametape or instincts.
On Sternberger... Love the pick, but you pick him on one year sample size. That doesn't have to be a bad thing, especially since he did get a lot of catches and yards in that one single year, but that does add some risk. Maybe athletics over production isn't the correct statement in his case, so I'll give you that one.
Later rounds picks I agree on, as well. You don't get polished prospects in round 6 and 7. You have to accept some flaws. A guy like Ty Summers, though, is barely a football player. Amazing athlete, runs great for someone with linebacker-size, but didn't do anything all that well on even a college-level. Maybe as a special teamer, he'll contribute, but this pick is ALL about the athlete.
That still makes it 5 out of 7 picks. With two of those being first rounders. It's a gamble that can work out great or leave you in in the same state as the 2000s Raiders. I'd like to see us pick more balanced, but maybe it's just the way the pieces fell this year for Gute.