Official 2007 Live Draft Thread

[Bretsky]

Where's my TE ? I want a dam refund !!

In the McCarthy system TEs are trained to be FBs. Maybe FBs will also be trained to be TEs, so we'll have a linebacker playing fullback and tight end.

Can we get them to be red zone threats at WR too ?

[sepporepi]

NFL.com DraftTracker:

18 192 Green Bay (from Pittsburgh) Bishop, Desmond ILB 5-2 239 California

5-2

That is smaller than my mother

Or a typo?

[wist43]

Go figure... I don't think TT even looks at what position a player plays.

Is he going to continually draft 13 guys a year, and simply turn over the bottom end of the roster year after year???

2 slow LB's who, even if they make the team, they're going to replace last years 3rd round pick - so that one would be wasted - and the other one they'd have to unseat would be Tracy White. Are these 2 backers better than White and Hodge??? Is he just throwing a dart at the wall???

His drafting is just bizaare sometimes.

[Tarlam!]

They drafted Hall to be a Fullback......

Hey, what about that Bank ??

Where's my TE ? I want a dam refund !!

Wait, are you telling me you'd listen to a dumbass Australian living in Germany on an NFL related issue?

I got some real estate I'd like to show you, B.

[J-Rok]

Hey, if Crosby makes it so I'm secure with kicking a field goal, I'll be happy. Right now I can't even make my heart pump blood when we're kicking.

[RashanGary]

Did we pick a tight end

[woodbuck27]

http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/2007/bishop_desmond

Prospect Profiles

Desmond Bishop - ILB

Height: 5-2 Weight: 239
Position: Inside Linebacker College: California


Copyright NFLDraftScout.com, distributed by The Sports Xchange


OVERVIEW

Called the "pulse" of the Cal defense, Bishop enjoyed a banner senior year, leading the Pac-10 with 126 tackles. A model of consistency, he registered at least seven tackles in 18 of the 25 games he played in for the Bears since transferring from the City College of San Francisco.

The son of former Illinois defensive back Dennis Bishop, Desmond's father was selected in the 1983 United States Football League territorial draft by the Chicago Blitz and played with that team before the league's demise.

Desmond Bishop was a second-team All-State selection by Calhisports.com while a senior at Fairfield High School. He also played in the California North-South Shrine All-Star Game in 2002.

Upon graduating, he enrolled at the City College of San Francisco, where he was a teammate of present California quarterback Joe Ayoob. He was ranked by Super Prep as the fourth-best community college player in the nation and was voted California's 2004 Junior College Defensive Player of the Year by the JC Athletic Bureau/California Community College Football Coaches Association. He also was named the Northern California Conference Defensive Most Valuable Player.

Bishop was a first-team JC Gridwire All-American, averaging almost 12 tackles per game with 118 stops in 10 regular-season contests in 2004. He was virtually unstoppable in the state's championship game with 14 tackles (including eight solo stops), one sack and two tackles for loss against College of the Canyons. He was the driving force behind a Ram defense that ranked seventh in points allowed (15.4 ppg) and ninth in yards yielded (249.7 ypg) in the state. He also played on CCSF's undefeated (13-0) team that won the national championship in 2003.

The talented linebacker immediately won a starting job at California upon his arrival in 2005. He picked up second-team All-Pac 10 Conference honors, as he led the team with 89 tackles (62 solos). He added six stops behind the line of scrimmage and a quarterback pressure while also causing one fumble and deflecting two passes.

Bishop garnered All-Pac 10 first-team accolades in 2006. He captured the conference title and led the Bears for the second consecutive year with 126 tackles (63 solos). He had three sacks, a team-high 15 stops for losses and two pass break-ups. He intercepted three passes, caused two fumbles and recovered two others.

Bishop started all 25 games that he appeared in at California. He collected 215 tackles (125 solos) with three sacks for minus-18 yards and 21 stops for losses of 54 yards. He added one quarterback pressure with four pass break-ups. He caused three fumbles and had a pair of fumble recoveries. He also totaled 79 yards on three interception returns (26.3 avg).


ANALYSIS

Positives:

Has a thick frame with a tight midsection, good arm length and muscle definition, large hands, thick thighs and calves and broad shoulders (looks the part of an ILB) … Physical inside run plugger whose aggressive style and punishing hits make up some for a lack of ideal quickness … Hard worker who struggled with his academics earlier in his career, but shows good field vision and instincts … Normal reps type who is mostly a collision type of tackler, but can run to the ball with good urgency, as he is quick to locate it working through trash … Can fill the rush lanes with force and gets proper body position when attacking offensive linemen in one-on-one situations … Has the hand punch to jam tight ends and backs in the short-area passing game … Flashes good ability to jab and punch in attempts to get off blocks working in-line … Compensates for a lack of speed and marginal hip snap by reading the plays and avoiding blocks when closing … Decent in attempts to thread through traffic and does a good job of using his hands to protect himself from low blocks … Has the upper body strength to take on the lead blocker, stack at the point of attack and clog the rush lanes … Can charge through traffic, fend off the cut blocks, split double teams and keep his feet in attempts to close on the pocket … Has the functional strength needed to drag down the ball carriers and hits with good pop on contact … Reads the plays quickly and knows how to take the shortest path to the ball … Has decent hands and extension to catch and secure the ball outside his frame … Shows good anticipation skills to get up field and avoid reach blocks … Plays with a steady motor and uses angles to fill hard against the inside running game … Keeps his hands active and inside his frame when taking on blockers and is also effective at using his hands to reach in and try to separate the ball from the runner.

Negatives:

More of a two-down type of linebacker, as he has just marginal range and very stiff hips, preventing him from flowing to the ball along the sidelines … Lacks suddenness and labors to recover when beaten due to poor timed speed … When this happens, he reverts to getting tall in his stance and blockers are quick to attack his body … Has poor backpedal technique, as he is prone to taking false steps and his stiff hips makes him look awkward in attempts to turn and run after the ball … Has limited man coveraqe agility, as he is more often trailing the receiver rather than mirroring his opponent … Shows poor body flexibility when dropping off in coverage, getting a bit out of control in his charge when having to change direction … Doesn't have the burst to get a jump on the ball in flight when playing in the zone.

Compares To: Larry Foote, Pittsburgh … If you are looking for a physical run stuffer who is great at playing inside the box and taking down the lead blocker to clog the rush lanes, Bishop fits that need. However, he lacks quickness, shows poor timed speed, is a liability in man coverage and is too stiff in his hips to generate the range needed to make outside plays. He might be more of a situational short-yardage/ground game-only type of contributor at the next level, but he will punish an opponent with his collision-type tackling ability.


INJURY REPORT

2007: Could not complete agility tests at the Combine due to a rib cage muscle strain.


AGILITY TESTS

Campus: 4.81 in the 40-yard dash … 385-pound bench press … 4.65 20-yard shuttle … 7.14 three-cone drill … 32 ½-inch vertical jump … 9-foot-4 broad jump … 32-inch arm length … 10 ¾-inch hands … Right-handed …

15/27 Wonderlic score.

Combine: 4.77 in the 40-yard dash … 1.66 10-yard dash … 2.77 20-yard dash … Bench pressed 225 pounds 33 times.


HIGH SCHOOL

Attended Fairfield (Calif.) High School, playing football for head coach Randy Hood … Second-team all-state selection by Calhisports.com … Played in the California North-South Shrine All-Star Game in 2002.


JUNIOR COLLEGE

Lettered at the City College of San Francisco from 2003-04 … Was a teammate of present California quarterback Joe Ayoob … Ranked by Super Prep as the fourth-best community college player in the nation and was voted California's 2004 Junior College Defensive Player of the Year by the JC Athletic Bureau/California Community College Football Coaches Association … Named the Northern California Conference Defensive Most Valuable Player … First-team JC Gridwire All-American, averaging almost 12 tackles per game with 118 stops in 10 regular-season contests in 2004 … Was virtually unstoppable in the state's championship game with 14 tackles (including eight solo stops), one sack and two tackles for loss against College of the Canyons … Driving force behind a Ram defense that ranked seventh in points allowed (15.4 ppg) and ninth in yards yielded (249.7 ypg) in the state … Also played on CCSF's undefeated (13-0) team that won the national championship in 2003.


PERSONAL

Interdisciplinary Studies major … Son of Sherri Harris and Dennis Bishop … Father was a defensive back at Illinois and was selected in the 1983 territorial draft by the Chicago Blitz in the United States Football League, playing for that organization until the demise of the league … Has an interest in pursuing a career in social welfare … Born July 24, 1984 … Resides in Fairfield, Calif.

[CyclonePackFan]

To give you an idea of the winds that day, a tornado touched down 5 miles north of JTS an hour before the game. I'm not joking.

So what? "Can he play TE?" is the ONLY question in here!

I honestly expected one of those three to be a TE just like everybody else. However, I really was hoping one of them to be Crosby. I'll take an automatic 3 whenever we're inside the 40 yard line. Also kickoffs for touchbacks will be nice.

[Lurker64]

Did we pick a tight end

YES! We drafted a Korey Hall, a Linebacker, weren't you paying attention?

[RashanGary]

Bolstering the special teams?

I think so.

Hawk, Barnett, Poppinga, Hodge, ????, ????

We have room for some LB depth.

[Rastak]

WR - goes to Hawks....



Courtney Taylor
WR | (6'1", 204, 4.5) | AUBURN

Scouts Grade: 66

Flags: (D: DURABILITY) Player that can't stay healthy Selected by: Seattle Seahawks
Round: 6
Pick (Overall): 23(197)
View by: Round | Player | NCAA School | Position | NFL Team | Flag | All Ranked Players | NFL Draft History
You are signed into Insider and have access to the exclusive draft content below.


Strengths: Possesses good height and the frame to improve his bulk. Is quicker than fast. Shows good agility and is a smooth athlete. Much more effective on short-to-intermediate routes than he is working vertically. He shows good leaping ability and will make the acrobatic catch along the sidelines. Possesses outstanding body control for a taller receiver. Gets in and out of breaks quickly. Shows awareness and instinct. He will go over the idle and make the tough catch in traffic. He shows very soft and strong hands. Can pluck on the run and also shows the consistent ability to take the ball away from defenders in the air. He gives a great effort as a blocker and displays good overall technique in that facet of the game. He has proven to be a clutch performer in the past.

Weaknesses: Lacks explosiveness as a receiver. He possesses marginal top-end speed and will never be a vertical threat in the NFL. Not overly physical and could stand to improve his strength. Gets pushed around at times as a receiver, which takes him off-course when running routes. Battled a high-ankle sprain that affected his performance in 2005, so durability is a legitimate concern.

Overall: Taylor was redshirted in 2002. In 2003, he played in all 13 games, made five starts, and caught 34 passes for 379 yards (11.1 average). Taylor started all 13 games for Auburn in 2004 and finished the season with 43 receptions for 737 (17.1 average) and six touchdowns. In 2005, Taylor played in 11 games, starting two of the first three contests, but then missed the WKU game with a lingering ankle injury that hindered his performance for the rest of the season. He finished the year with 278 receiving yards on 22 catches (12.6 average) and scored one touchdown. In 2006, Taylor started 11 out of the 12 games he played in, recording 54 receptions for 704 yards (13.0 average) and two touchdowns.
Taylor was a difference maker at the wide receiver position in 2004, but he suffered a high-ankle sprain early in 2005 and wound up taking a backseat to Ben Obomanu, Devin Aromashodu and Anthony Mix. Taylor had a solid season as a senior but he was never able to reach the expectations set following his impressive sophomore campaign. Regardless, Taylor lacks ideal speed and will never be a vertical threat in the NFL. However, he possesses the size, athleticism, competitiveness and playmaking instincts to contribute at the next level as a sub-package possession receiver. As such, Taylor projects as a late-first day or early-second day prospect in the 2007 class.



* Player biographies are provided by Scouts Inc.

[falco]

Bolstering the special teams?

I think so.

Hawk, Barnett, Poppinga, Hodge, ????, ????

We have room for some LB depth.

Unless Hodge makes a serious improvement over last year he might not be on that list...

[gbgary]

i love the kicker pick. he'll win that job.

[Lurker64]

NFL.com DraftTracker:

18 192 Green Bay (from Pittsburgh) Bishop, Desmond ILB 5-2 239 California

5-2

That is smaller than my mother

Or a typo?

The Packers site has him at 6'2", considering that none of the site list "Height" as a weakness, I imagine it's a typo.

[Charles Woodson]

Damn, for a small guy this is alot!

Bench pressed 225 pounds 33 times.