MSU Red Cedar Message Board

Gholston at 22nd out of all DL on 40 time, 27th in Bench, and 28th in Vertical.

So he doesn't have the measureables, doesn't have the stats to counter that, and has games where he disappears. I think we'll see it on draft day, but it was a mistake for him to leave early. We'll see where they project him after today.

tRCMB finding an excuse to complain over minor details? Nah, that never happens.

Gholston's stock just tanked. I think he bulked up too much. Should have played around 265 as a 9-tech DE.

That said he's still got good athleticism for a 5-tech DE so somebody will take him in the 4th or 5th.

By the way, this thread is extremely interesting and thanks to all the contributing "combine eggheads." Great stuff.

So, I’d like to know the following:

It's obvious the NFL scouts eventually are going to take into account performance at the combine, including IQ tests, and tape (presumably of game high and low lights for players). This package of information or dossier on each player seems to me to be more or less duplicatable way before the draft by, among others, the player's college coaches.

If that's so, the coaching staff, seems to me, would benefit by hiring the people who train players to excel at the combine and, in other ways, duplicate this dossier as a service to these players way before they commit to the NFL Draft process and can't return to school if they flame out. The coaches have to maintain some credibility when they advise players thinking about leaving early, so, if they had in their hands at the end of the season an independent record, mirroring results of what the player's going to experience in this whole NFL process, isn't that going to help players make a better decision? Even better, do it during the summer after an interested player’s second and third years for comparison.

In the interest of full disclosure, it is my opinion, and I could be very, very wrong, none of this means anything to 98% of the players that get talked up as going early because they really just want out for their own reasons and will believe anything that rationalizes that result and disbelieve anything cutting against it. All for their own reasons, some legit and some bogus.

Maybe this is already done—mini-combines—and I’m “not aware.”

Gholston has fallen....hard.

My predicition.

Bell 2nd-3rd round. Would love to see the Giants draft him great fit.

Sims. 5th -6th Round

Gholston 7th round -UFA.

Any word on how Johnny Adams did?

Sims I would have a bit further up, like late 3rd to mid 5th.

Gholston may not have blown up combine but he'll still be worth a midround pick. I don't see him going undrafted. He's no pass rusher but he was beastly vs. the run this year (except Nebraska) and had 10 pass breakups.

It's hard to say someone made a mistake when we don't know all the details as to why they are leaving but just as a fan and alum looking at it from afar I'd pretty much never say Bell made a mistake. RBs have such a short life and his weakness (speed) was not going to improve with time. Sims I still say it is up in the air. I thought he has a chance to be a decent round pick and I don't think it's out of the realm if possibility even after the combine. IMO the one who at least right now looks like made a mistake is Gholston. Because he has some question marks and then when you combine it with a potentially poor combine you risk pushing yourself to the late rounds or out of the draft and its hard to then say it's not a massive mistake. I wish him the best but right now it looks like Gholston made a mistake. I hope I'm wrong though.

I agree and disagree. I think part of the problem with Will has been that we always thought he would be a 270 lb 9 technique end because we saw flashes of it early on in his career, but he really doesn't have any pass rushing moves outside of the bullrush, and he's just not that quick or agile around the edge. We always saw him in the Osi Umeniyora mold when perhaps we should have been looking more at the JJ Watt mold. I don't remember much of Watt's career at UW and certainly I'm not saying Will will be JJ Watt in the league, but it's a more apt comparison for his natural skillset and body type imo than trying to compare him to a Umeniyora/Jason Taylor/John Abraham type.

Funny how the "stars" rarely align how we think, huh?

Bell was under recruited, but any idiot could see he was a future pro from his very first game his freshman year ...and now he might be the best RB in the draft this year as a true junior. Gholston was a can't-miss prospect with incredible HS measurables with that football "look" but underperformed in college and might have cost himself millions with a poor combine (where he was supposed to turn heads).

Gholston's combine doesn't surprise me. So many times over his career Big Will has been inches away from a huge sack, tackle, etc, and narrowly missed. He's had incredible games but also pulled a few disappearing acts, especially without a pro DT next to him in Worthy.

Hope all our Spartans get drafted into a good organization that teaches them and believes in them, because all three juniors have some work to do.

I'm hoping Geno Smith is there at 5, and someone will really, really want him. The problem is the teams that most need a qb are above us in the draft.

If I'm a GM After how deep last years QB class was I am trading for A Kirk Cousins rather than taking a chance on Smith or Barkley.

I would argue his bench reps negate that. And yes, no need to mention his long arms.