Vernon Davis enters draft

[BlainThePain]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?i...ce=NCFHeadlines

Maryland's Davis to enter NFL draftESPN.com news services

Maryland tight end Vernon Davis will enter the NFL draft.

"Vernon is a premier player with rare athletic ability and versatility and we believe he'll be the top tight end in the draft," agent Eric Metz of Lock, Metz and Malinovic, the firm that will represent Davis, told ESPN's Joe Schad on Monday.

Davis, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound junior, has 83 catches for 1,371 yards in his three-year career with the Terrapins.

[Kazkal]

If he enters and no worthy DT or SS @ 26-32 I say take him

[BlainThePain]

If he enters and no worthy DT or SS @ 26-32 I say take him

If Davis falls to us, he will be the top player on the board. I'd be shocked if he falls past 15 and he'll probably go top 10.

Here are his numbers compared to past and present top tight ends:

Vernon Davis college numbers

JUNIOR SEASON (2005) - 51 rec, 871 yds (lead all NCAA TE), 6 TDs

CAREER (2 yr starter) - 83 rec, 1371 yds, 9 TDs, 16.5 ypc

Jeremy Shockey college numbers

SENIOR SEASON (2001) - 40 rec, 519 yds, 7 TD

CAREER (2 yr starter) - 61 rec, 815 yards, 10 TDs, 13.4 ypc

Kellen Winslow college numbers

SENIOR SEASON (2003) - 60 rec, 605 yds, 1 TD

CAREER (2 yr starter) - 119 rec, 1365 yds, 9 TDs, 11.5 ypc

Tony Gonzalez college numbers -

SENIOR SEASON (1996) - 46 rec, 699 yds, 5 TD

CAREER (2 yr starter) - 89 rec, 1302 yds, 8 TDs, 14.6

Marcedes Lewis college numbers -

SENIOR SEASON (2005) - 58 rec, 741 yds, 10 TD

CAREER (3 yr starter) - 126 rec, 1571 yds, 21 TD, 12.5 ypc

Davis is also the best blocker out of these tight ends at this point in his career. Davis also put up these numbers in a horrible offense.

[Stripes]

I hope to the dear Lord we pursue defense this year. If there are no worthy defenders available when we pick but Davis is.... then trade down! Get more lower round draft picks and let Marvin work his magic.

[Kazkal]

A TE would help alot look @ dallas clark for the colts.+ with marvins success in the 2nd and 3rd rounds + all our money to sign a FA or 2 we could still get our defensive needs.

[Kochman]

Personally I don't see us taking a TE before the third round. Here are the top 3 TE in the draft. Notice they all need to improve blocking. Im not saying they can't or won't be studs but would'nt it make more sence to draft a more complete TE.

Mercedes Lewis

Pros: Great size, good speed, can strech the field, soft hands, excellent red zone target, knows how to use his body and create mismatches, can line up at receiver, gets the ball at the highest point

Cons: Not a good blocker, needs to get stronger, could stand to add a little more weight

Vernon Davis

Pros: INCREDIBLE athlete, Very fast for his size, set all the TE records at Maryland for lifting, only 3% body fat, great receiving skills, will go and get the ball rather than wait for it to come to him, rarely drops passes, can find the hole in zones, decent blocker, workout warrior

Cons: Could work on his blocking to up his value, not the biggest TE compared to Lewis or Pope, no glaring holes, just needs to refine his techniques and keep getting better, limited potential size-wise

Leonard Pope

Pros: Great size, uses his body well, hard to out-jump, a big mismatch, can and will stretch the field, sure handed, doesn’t drop passes

Cons: Blocking skills are in question, needs to be more physical for his size, needs to get tougher, could add some more weight on his frame if need be

Then you have more complete TE's that probably won't go in the first two rounds.

Tim Day 3rd round prospect

Pros: Great size, LOTS of potential, productive pass catcher, lines up in the slot as a WR occasionally, can get downfield, good speed, amazing hands, doesn’t drop passes, red zone target, good strength, breaks tackles easily, can turn short plays into long ones, good run blocker, controls his man well, good pass blocker as well, very attentative

Cons: Has had a few minor injuries in the past, dropoff in production because of QB injuries, lacks inensity, needs to just keep working on techniques and get better

Dominique Byrd 4th-5th round prospect

Pros: Decent size, GREAT speed for his size, can stretch the field, breaks tackles easily, can make big plays, great hands, doesn’t drop many passes, athletic, good blocker, solid at the point of attack

Cons: Not very tall, might be better suited as an H Back, durability a concern, has had a few injuries his career, has had a few off field problems, not very productive stats-wise yrd 3rd 4th round prospect

Jeff King 4th-6th round prospect

Pros: great red zone target (he was for Vick this year), solid safety valve, good hands, deceivingly athletic, underrated skills, decent blocker (not a liability), good size

Cons: has shown flashes of greatness but isn’t consistent, Hasn’t produced very well in college, like most college TEs could stand to add weight and get stronger, not very fast

Thats my 2cents

[AGrizzlyBaer]

with lewis davis and pope being there, im sure you could find one at 26. i would go with one gladdly if there is no dt worth while there, or a playmaker saftey

[schweinhart]

Personally I don't see us taking a TE before the third round. Here are the top 3 TE in the draft. Notice they all need to improve blocking. Im not saying they can't or won't be studs but would'nt it make more sence to draft a more complete TE.

Mercedes Lewis

Pros: Great size, good speed, can strech the field, soft hands, excellent red zone target, knows how to use his body and create mismatches, can line up at receiver, gets the ball at the highest point

Cons: Not a good blocker, needs to get stronger, could stand to add a little more weight

Vernon Davis

Pros: INCREDIBLE athlete, Very fast for his size, set all the TE records at Maryland for lifting, only 3% body fat, great receiving skills, will go and get the ball rather than wait for it to come to him, rarely drops passes, can find the hole in zones, decent blocker, workout warrior

Cons: Could work on his blocking to up his value, not the biggest TE compared to Lewis or Pope, no glaring holes, just needs to refine his techniques and keep getting better, limited potential size-wise

Leonard Pope

Pros: Great size, uses his body well, hard to out-jump, a big mismatch, can and will stretch the field, sure handed, doesn’t drop passes

Cons: Blocking skills are in question, needs to be more physical for his size, needs to get tougher, could add some more weight on his frame if need be

Then you have more complete TE's that probably won't go in the first two rounds.

Tim Day 3rd round prospect

Pros: Great size, LOTS of potential, productive pass catcher, lines up in the slot as a WR occasionally, can get downfield, good speed, amazing hands, doesn’t drop passes, red zone target, good strength, breaks tackles easily, can turn short plays into long ones, good run blocker, controls his man well, good pass blocker as well, very attentative

Cons: Has had a few minor injuries in the past, dropoff in production because of QB injuries, lacks inensity, needs to just keep working on techniques and get better

Dominique Byrd 4th-5th round prospect

Pros: Decent size, GREAT speed for his size, can stretch the field, breaks tackles easily, can make big plays, great hands, doesn’t drop many passes, athletic, good blocker, solid at the point of attack

Cons: Not very tall, might be better suited as an H Back, durability a concern, has had a few injuries his career, has had a few off field problems, not very productive stats-wise yrd 3rd 4th round prospect

Jeff King 4th-6th round prospect

Pros: great red zone target (he was for Vick this year), solid safety valve, good hands, deceivingly athletic, underrated skills, decent blocker (not a liability), good size

Cons: has shown flashes of greatness but isn’t consistent, Hasn’t produced very well in college, like most college TEs could stand to add weight and get stronger, not very fast

Thats my 2cents

That sums it up nicely. I would say after watching Dominique Byrd last night that he's probably the best of the second-tier TEs at breaking the first tackle after the catch and getting YAC in the short passing game.

There's a few more TEs who will make the position even more interesting come draft day. If it's Dallas Calrk a team is after, Garrett Mills of Tulsa is freakish with how well he runs routes and how clean he gets off the line vs. bump from LBs. At 230-something pounds, he'll still need to add some poundage if he's gonna be offset in the backfield or tight at the line. But having a guy that good out of the slot in 3 receiver sets should get him drafted in Day 1 IMO. David Thomas of Texas is another strong H-back type for the second day. He's got a lot of strength and agility after the catch as he showed in spades last night in the Rose Bowl.

I also like Charles Davis of Purdue a lot as a blocking TE who does have excellent receiving skills for somebody his size. TJ Williams of NC State is as good a receving TE as any in the draft but after eyeballing his blocking closely the last two games, I think he leaves something to be desired there.

There are even several more than these who would be IMO an upgrade over Schobel and Stewart. And probably some undrafted rookie free agents who would also be better.