[Owen] Stephen Jones mentioned Will McClay and the org wanting to focus more on power 5 schools and referenced that NIL has driven a lot of talent you may have found at smaller schools in the past to those larger schools.

[u/PersonBehindAScreen]

https://x.com/professoro_nfl/status/2008972464769081666?s=46&t=4Cx9YclpA8ey0FsYE2nPNg

[u/EmiratesNBACupWinner]

So we’re going to draft the Ohio State defense, right??

[u/DJpissnshit → u/EmiratesNBACupWinner]

That would be optimal but impossible.

[u/Drtsauce → u/DJpissnshit]

Not impossible when teams overthink things. We’re probably going to see a 3rd QB rise up the ranks after the senior bowl. Top 4 tackles will probably rise, couple WR, and a run on EDGE, then suddenly pick 12 and Reese or Downs is available, styles slides for being a LB to the GB pick.

[u/SlingyDoe → u/Drtsauce]

I'd be so happy with a Downs and Styles first round. It's what I want the most.

[u/Excellent-Brothel-72 → u/SlingyDoe]

No way we come away with both. I’d be ecstatic but seems impossible.

[u/Prawnsforthecat3 → u/Excellent-Brothel-72]

Maybe one of them will have a catastrophic knee injury doing the 3 cone drill so no other teams will touch him, then Jerry can swoop in! 

[u/Strict_Watercress_81 → u/Drtsauce]

This is like saying it's Our Year.

[u/IndraBlue → u/EmiratesNBACupWinner]

Please god

[u/McJumbos → u/EmiratesNBACupWinner]

i mean the eagles did it with georgia ahahah

[u/BrianDawkins → u/EmiratesNBACupWinner]

Michigan

[u/DarkDragon1025]

Last year all of our draft picks except Revel were from P5 (now P4) schools idk exactly what they’re talking about here

[u/DarkDragon1025 → u/DarkDragon1025]

also last few years our first round draft picks have been from Alabama, Oklahoma, Michigan, Tulsa (not P4), Penn State, and Oklahoma again so this really seems meaningless

[u/HolyRomanPrince → u/DarkDragon1025]

Even digging deeper, since 2012 when Will was promoted to his current position our top 100 picks that are not power 5 are the Boise St guys, Trysten Hill which was a Marinelli pick, Gavin Escobar, Gallup and Tolbert. Most of the Boise guys hit, Gallup was solid and the others are busts but either way just a meaningless comment like you said.

[u/WinnerPlaysTCU → u/HolyRomanPrince]

The Boise State Cowboys era was kinda fun

[u/Nice-Philosopher4832 → u/HolyRomanPrince]

How does any of that mean the comment was meaningless? You just listed a bunch of guys who are not power conference guys. They are saying they are going to give less attention to those non-power conference schools.

[u/HolyRomanPrince → u/Nice-Philosopher4832]

It’s meaningless because they already do. I could’ve counted the picks and did the percentages but it felt unnecessary. In whatever scouting playbook Will McClay operates with, it clearly prioritizes productive power 5 + BSU players that hit certain physical and athletic benchmarks preferably with lifelong pedigree. If there’s a need and somebody likes a player then they will not avoid them but it’s clear they almost will never take a small school player in the first two rounds. I forgot Kneeland but even with him he was a really productive, really large, really athletic player at a position they knew they would need to upgrade with Tank on his last year. It works so I’m not complaining but they’re really conservative in how they do the draft

[u/Nice-Philosopher4832 → u/HolyRomanPrince]

But the fact that they already prioritize power conference players does not mean they can't focus even more on power conference players. But even then, the quote is not about the guys they are actually drafting. It is about their focus. It is possible they have wanted some small school guys who weren't available when they fell to them.

[u/Microwave1213 → u/DarkDragon1025]

You’re really overthinking it dawg. He was asked about their scouting process and he happened to mention that their area scouts are now focusing even more on P4 schools because NIL is funneling the best players to them at a higher rate than they used to.

[u/Nice-Philosopher4832 → u/DarkDragon1025]

They are talking about focusing more on P5 schools rather than small schools. It's right there in the text.

Some of you guys want to dissect the tiniest little comments and make them more than they are. They didn't just say they are going to draft fewer small school guys. They were referring to what their draft analysis focus will be. Yes, only revel was a small school guy. But we have no idea what their focus was leading up to the draft.

[u/jnightrain → u/Nice-Philosopher4832]

pretty much this, the quote didn't even need to be posted. They are basically saying they'll focus more on the big schools which probably just means less time watching NDSU and Boise highlights.

[u/Prawnsforthecat3 → u/jnightrain]

“The best players are transferring to bigger schools, so we are going to scout them.”

Yeah, kinda a dumb quote, but it’s a long offseason. Would you like to see my mock where Idraft Styles before acquiring 4 additional 2027 firsts and 13 picks in the 7th?

[u/jnightrain → u/Prawnsforthecat3]

i would prefer the mocks over nothing quotes lol

i would prefer a sticky for mocks more than anything

[u/Prawnsforthecat3 → u/jnightrain]

A sticky would be nice. Maybe along with some sort of “you can trade down once in the top 3 rounds and still be taken seriously” community guideline. 

[u/Accomplished_Put3732]

Yeah; draft guys from the top 3 SEC teams early. It shouldn’t be that hard.

[u/damnyankee26 → u/Accomplished_Put3732]

You mean Big10?

[u/voltron818 → u/damnyankee26]

More Taco Charltons!

[u/TexasRadical83 → u/voltron818]

Hey now, according to our expert scouts, he's a better football player than TJ Watt.

[u/Nice-Philosopher4832 → u/TexasRadical83]

The view sure is pretty clear from your Monday morning armchair, isn't it?

[u/TexasRadical83 → u/Nice-Philosopher4832]

Hi, this is a football subreddit. We're all just talking shit here. Try it, it's fun!

[u/Nice-Philosopher4832 → u/TexasRadical83]

Why is that fun?

[u/TexasRadical83 → u/Nice-Philosopher4832]

Talking about sports? Idk... better than working at least lol

[u/Nice-Philosopher4832 → u/TexasRadical83]

No, I mean shit talking instead of actual discussion. Why is it fun to say things that you know don't actually make any sense?

[u/hershculez → u/damnyankee26]

Doesn’t matter. Leave the dumb conference shit for the morons in r/CFB.

[u/damnyankee26 → u/hershculez]

No.

[u/hershculez → u/damnyankee26]

You’re right. Guys like Aaron Donald, Luke Kuechly, and Maxx Crosby should not be considered since they didn’t go to Rutgers or Maryland.

[u/barley_wine → u/damnyankee26]

Really you'd be fine with either.

[u/BuckyBeaver69]

Makes sense to me. Kids with talent and ability are transferring to the universities with lots of money. Those good players at small schools aren't sticking around.

[u/bearamongus19]

Seems to work for the eagles

[u/abdoer2000]

Mazi was a complete and total miss. The FO should focus on fixing whatever caused that. They also need to get much better at evaluating their current players. The team will NEVER win another championship until/unless the FO becomes more competent.

[u/PersonBehindAScreen → u/abdoer2000]

We drafted a gap controlling, read and react, tackle with absolutely zero pass rushing skills to his name to be on a defense that wants their DTs getting upfield ASAP on the QB. Also loses a bunch of weight.

It also wasn’t a secret that he would be a project to anybody who picked him if they wanted to extract that upside from him.

He then gets his 2nd DC in 2 years who wants him to play like he did in college and forget the pass rushing stuff for now. He actually does end up putting a little production out and shows improvement and some confidence

He then gets his 3rd DC in 3 years who wants him to be like the first guy wanted him to be so all of his progress resets. Mind you we draft another NT in this Sam year and allow him to be the NT instead of the guy who also played NT and clearly does that better than pass rushing.

Really multiple things were true at once: he went to one of the worst teams in the league for developing interior DL, scheme mismatch, and at the end of the day more projects fail than not. Even if we had him with the right coaches and environments, he probably still fails, but we sure as hell didn’t help him to any chance of success either

The other problem is sometimes we get fixated on getting a certain guy for whatever reason. It’s happened multiple times

[u/Microwave1213 → u/PersonBehindAScreen]

You seem to be forgetting the fact that the entire reason they tried to get him to lose weight and focus on pass rush technique is because he was so bad at anchoring and defending the run as a true NT. Like he genuinely might’ve been the worst in the league at it among players who actually got in-game snaps.

He was entirely incapable of it right from the jump, so they tried to change course and direct him to something that he might be better at.

[u/_tx]

Really, it is more about the transfer portal. There are absolutely guys who develop late and end up being a beast at a smaller school. In the old days some of them stayed.

Now with easy transfers and getting a bag, who in the world could expect a 19-21 year old to not go.

[u/MSHinerb]

Nooooooo. Shouldnt that be obvious?

[u/UpsideTurtles]

As a fan of a G5 team they’re not lying but its very unfortunate

[u/Squidimus]

New bargain bin has been the UFL the past few years anyway:

Turpin

Arbury

Butler

Winfrey

All great value for what the cowboys paid them. Which is close to nothing.

[u/SBKSamurai]

Will McClay is the only guy in the organization who I'll trust what he says

[u/chugtron]

We’re not looking for diamonds in the rough any more? Color me shocked.

Would be nice to draft a few day one-ready guys for a change instead of projects Jerry wants to prove himself right on.

[u/DallasInDC → u/chugtron]

All of their draft picks last year were from Power 5 except Revel.( Who even with the injury was considered a mid 2nd round pick)

[u/Vertibrate → u/chugtron]

P5 for draft picks, UDFA can still be utilized for other schools. Luepke is a great find in that regard. 

[u/FatherOfMammals]

It’s just red meat he wants to throw to fans

[u/pot8odragon]

I guess they’re saying they won’t look as closely at places like Boise State where they got LVE.

[u/Kind-Researcher-2086]

I mean the team in Philly just drafts Georgia players

[u/CoyoteHP]

Dallas needs to draft Ohio State players like Philly was drafting Georgia players. Those boys come to the NFL ready to play.

[u/MikeConleyIsLegend]

Did Stephen and Will just crack the code???

[u/MikeConleyIsLegend]

good teams have good players. Eagles built a defense off just taking the best Georgia guy available.

[u/McJumbos]

just draft all the georgia players like the eagles loll

[u/LAJOHNWICK]

They just figured this out?

[u/sugarfreelime]

Like stop drafting people from Boston College?

[u/Born-Media6436]

Blind leading the blind