For Those Who Celebrate It’s McGinn Season

Name this prospect. 

Nevertheless, for all of his feats and honors, **** the pro prospect encountered his share of doubters across the NFL. No matter how much they admired his blazing fast 40-yard dash and exceptional production at ****, some scouts and coaches didn’t think his sawed-off dimensions would stand the litmus test against pro offensive linemen.

“His speed is rare … and I hate him,” a college scouting director for an NFC team said about **** before the 2014 draft. “I can’t stand him. A 6-foot, 280-pound DT … who’s he going to beat in our league? I think the media has created this guy.

“Listen. He makes some plays, there’s no question. But put a game film on and when he’s double-teamed and down-blocked … he’s small. “Our game is not built for him. He’s a great player, don’t get me wrong. I like him as a college player. But I don’t see him on our team making a difference.”

Executives in personnel for four other teams also categorized **** as a second-round draft choice. “He doesn’t fit what we do but some teams still use those little guys,” said another executive high up in his NFC organization. “Penetrator kind of guy. We need guys that hunker down in there and two-gap. He’ll get his ass kicked for 10 straight plays and then he’ll make a sack. It’s the damndest thing. He’s just so damn productive every game but, down in and down out, playing the run, it’s going to be hard. Everybody has us picking him but we wouldn’t take him in the first or second round.”

MaroonBells wrote:
Name this prospect. 

Nevertheless, for all of his feats and honors, **** the pro prospect encountered his share of doubters across the NFL. No matter how much they admired his blazing fast 40-yard dash and exceptional production at ****, some scouts and coaches didn’t think his sawed-off dimensions would stand the litmus test against pro offensive linemen.

“His speed is rare … and I hate him,” a college scouting director for an NFC team said about **** before the 2014 draft. “I can’t stand him. A 6-foot, 280-pound DT … who’s he going to beat in our league? I think the media has created this guy.

“Listen. He makes some plays, there’s no question. But put a game film on and when he’s double-teamed and down-blocked … he’s small. “Our game is not built for him. He’s a great player, don’t get me wrong. I like him as a college player. But I don’t see him on our team making a difference.”

Executives in personnel for four other teams also categorized **** as a second-round draft choice. “He doesn’t fit what we do but some teams still use those little guys,” said another executive high up in his NFC organization. “Penetrator kind of guy. We need guys that hunker down in there and two-gap. He’ll get his ass kicked for 10 straight plays and then he’ll make a sack. It’s the damndest thing. He’s just so damn productive every game but, down in and down out, playing the run, it’s going to be hard. Everybody has us picking him but we wouldn’t take him in the first or second round.”

Did he leap out of a pool? Were you the only guy I recall pounding the table for him?

JustInTime wrote:

Did he leap out of a pool? Were you the only guy I recall pounding the table for him?

I wasn't the only one who loved him, but I think I was the only one saying he was best player in the draft and that I'd take him with the #1 overall pick. And you have to remember this was the year JD Clowney was the consensus 1st overall pick for at least a year. Funny thing is I read all these scouts comments and still thought he was the best player. I learned two things: trust your instincts and scouts are wrong. A lot.

MaroonBells wrote:

I wasn't the only one who loved him, but I think I was the only one saying he was best player in the draft and that I'd take him with the #1 overall pick. And you have to remember this was the year JD Clowney was the consensus 1st overall pick for at least a year. Funny thing is I read all these scouts comments and still thought he was the best player. I learned two things: trust your instincts and scouts are wrong. A lot.

I liked him but I didn’t love him. I liked Clowney way more. Maybe I have a SoCar bias. There’s positions I get way too tied up on the triangle numbers.

MaroonBells wrote:
Name this prospect. 

Nevertheless, for all of his feats and honors, **** the pro prospect encountered his share of doubters across the NFL. No matter how much they admired his blazing fast 40-yard dash and exceptional production at ****, some scouts and coaches didn’t think his sawed-off dimensions would stand the litmus test against pro offensive linemen.

“His speed is rare … and I hate him,” a college scouting director for an NFC team said about **** before the 2014 draft. “I can’t stand him. A 6-foot, 280-pound DT … who’s he going to beat in our league? I think the media has created this guy.

“Listen. He makes some plays, there’s no question. But put a game film on and when he’s double-teamed and down-blocked … he’s small. “Our game is not built for him. He’s a great player, don’t get me wrong. I like him as a college player. But I don’t see him on our team making a difference.”

Executives in personnel for four other teams also categorized **** as a second-round draft choice. “He doesn’t fit what we do but some teams still use those little guys,” said another executive high up in his NFC organization. “Penetrator kind of guy. We need guys that hunker down in there and two-gap. He’ll get his ass kicked for 10 straight plays and then he’ll make a sack. It’s the damndest thing. He’s just so damn productive every game but, down in and down out, playing the run, it’s going to be hard. Everybody has us picking him but we wouldn’t take him in the first or second round.”

I was pretty happy the way that draft went down that year and taking Anthony Barr, but yeah, lot of mixed opinions on Donald that year and a lot of people missed including me. His size scared me and I watched him play Notre Dame a couple times and he didn't do dick. Thought he'd get washed out against the run and be a one trick pony and a poor man's John Randle...instead he became a rich man's Aaron Donald. Good guy and happy for his success. 

Speaking of Barr, could you imagine him playing the Van Ginkle role in this style of defense? He was damn good as a standup LB but as an edge pass rusher in a 3-4...he might have been unstoppable.

JustInTime wrote:

I liked him but I didn’t love him. I liked Clowney way more. Maybe I have a SoCar bias. There’s positions I get way too tied up on the triangle numbers.

I remember somebody loving a small school pass rusher from Buffalo that year only for the Raiders to burst your bubble. That guy is still playing pretty well

supafreak84 wrote:

I was pretty happy the way that draft went down that year and taking Anthony Barr, but yeah, lot of mixed opinions on Donald that year and a lot of people missed including me. His size scared me and I watched him play Notre Dame a couple times and he didn't do dick. Thought he'd get washed out against the run and be a one trick pony and a poor man's John Randle...instead he became a rich man's Aaron Donald. Good guy and happy for his success. 

Speaking of Barr, could you imagine him playing the Van Ginkle role in this style of defense? He was damn good as a standup LB but as an edge pass rusher in a 3-4...he might have been unstoppable.

I remember somebody loving a small school pass rusher from Buffalo that year only for the Raiders to burst your bubble. That guy is still playing pretty well

Daily. I think of this daily. 

Barr was my fallback when it became apparent Mack wasn’t sliding. 

What could have been.

There isn’t a guy I watched more than Barr at UCLA. 5 full games live and parts of others.

supafreak84 wrote:

I was pretty happy the way that draft went down that year and taking Anthony Barr, but yeah, lot of mixed opinions on Donald that year and a lot of people missed including me. His size scared me and I watched him play Notre Dame a couple times and he didn't do dick. Thought he'd get washed out against the run and be a one trick pony and a poor man's John Randle...instead he became a rich man's Aaron Donald. Good guy and happy for his success. 

Speaking of Barr, could you imagine him playing the Van Ginkle role in this style of defense? He was damn good as a standup LB but as an edge pass rusher in a 3-4...he might have been unstoppable.

I was good with the Barr pick. And I understood why some were opposed to Donald since we'd taken a 3T just a year before. But I think the biggest thing people missed about Donald was his character, his work ethic. I remember reading coaches talk about him and the stories were the stuff of legend. Up at 4:30 to workout every morning since he was 12. To this day, even after 3 DPOYs, that's one of the things that stands out most about him. 

Size and production flags don't move the needle much for me, but character flags do. And I'm not talking about the stupid Warren Sapp weed issue or even a reputation for partying. I'm talking more about players who have a lazy or entitled gene. IMO, Johnny Manziel didn't fail as much because he was a drinker. Kramer was a drinker. Favre was a drinker. Manziel failed mostly because he came from wealth and had everything handed to him. And speaking of work ethic, we've all heard the stories about JaMarcus Russell and the blank DVD. What a putz that guy was.

Went and looked up Mack’s game vs Ohio State, 2.5 sacks, pick six, 3 tackles for loss, 9 total tackles. I think it took all of two more weeks to figure out we’d have to pick probably top 3-5 to have a shot.

Lol, the other thing I remember was some poor asshole telling me Buffalo was a D3 school and why would we even look at him. Rented mules were ridden more gently. 

That’s when I really focused on Barr. I think in the right scheme he’s an absolute star. I thought maybe he’d pack on 15-20 and be another Doleman.

JustInTime wrote:
Went and looked up Mack’s game vs Ohio State, 2.5 sacks, pick six, 3 tackles for loss, 9 total tackles. I think it took all of two more weeks to figure out we’d have to pick probably top 3-5 to have a shot.

Lol, the other thing I remember was some poor asshole telling me Buffalo was a D3 school and why would we even look at him. Rented mules were ridden more gently. 

That’s when I really focused on Barr. I think in the right scheme he’s an absolute star. I thought maybe he’d pack on 15-20 and be another Doleman.

That Ohio State tape was about as impressive as it gets and he showed the full arsenal against a top college program. I remember by draft day, some guys like Mayock had even moved Mack ahead of Clowney. 

Funny note on Anthony Barr, as a big Notre Dame fan I use to salivate watching high school tape of him as a running back. He was a legacy commitment to the program who flipped his commitment after he started dating a girl who went to UCLA. I was beyond pissed when he flipped his commitment so when the Vikings drafted him I chuckled a bit as it had all come full circle.

“Pearce belongs with the top three but the mental part, the personality part is what I would say pushes him down,” a fourth scout said. “You knew at the combine he would put on that show, and he did. He did not disappoint. He probably goes after Williams, Carter and Stewart. But it will probably be to a successful team that will feel like they can take him on. At Tennessee, he was literally a no-go. You ask somebody there: ‘Hey, if you had a chance to come to the league, would you bring this guy?’ They’re, like, ‘Absolutely not.’ On his own program. The whole team’s working out and he’s in his apartment. They didn’t know where he was.”

Plus, no one went to his birthday party.

JustInTime wrote:
Went and looked up Mack’s game vs Ohio State, 2.5 sacks, pick six, 3 tackles for loss, 9 total tackles. I think it took all of two more weeks to figure out we’d have to pick probably top 3-5 to have a shot.

Lol, the other thing I remember was some poor asshole telling me Buffalo was a D3 school and why would we even look at him. Rented mules were ridden more gently. 

That’s when I really focused on Barr. I think in the right scheme he’s an absolute star. I thought maybe he’d pack on 15-20 and be another Doleman.

That was my hope as well after his rookie campaign.

No one caught the Draft Day reference?

C'mon

JustInTime wrote:
No one caught the Draft Day reference?

C'mon

You've seen Draft Day, but not Jackie Brown...

C'mon man lol

MAD GAINZ wrote:

You've seen Draft Day, but not Jackie Brown...

C'mon man lol

Guilty. 

I have no valid retort. Mark the calendars. 

I will slink away in utter shame.

Apparently it’s not available on any platforms.

JustInTime wrote:

Guilty. 

I have no valid retort. Mark the calendars. 

I will slink away in utter shame.

Apparently it’s not available on any platforms.

Well shit... We might have to schedule a private showing with Quentin.  Guaranteed he has a copy and a home theater.

2. SMAEL MONDON, Georgia (6-2, 229, 4.60, 2-3): Led the linebackers in the broad jump (10-10) and bench press (25 reps). “Not as good as Quay Walker but a good football player,” said one scout. “Georgia’s done a great job producing linebackers. Second and third round, he’s gone. Really good run-and-chase player. Good interior blitzer. Needs to clean up some things going on behind him in coverage but he’s really good in first-level coverage – being able to read and react. I think he relies more on his athletic ability than his instincts.” Limited to 10 games as a senior due to injury. “He got banged up and missed some time so he really never settled in,” a second scout said. “When he was healthy he was more the will linebacker, the fast-flow type versus a heavy-handed, stack blocks, between the tackles type guy. Now the character’s not great on him but, assuming he gets healthier and gets coached up, I think he’s a starter. Second round.” Finished with 212 tackles (18 for loss), eight sacks ands just one turnover play. “The body has come a long way,” said a third scout. “It took him time. Holding above 220 has always been a challenge. That was a big key for him this year — to get the weight and hold it. He tests out well, at least in a straight line. More early Day 3 guy but could creep up a little higher if people get excited about the testing numbers. I would say he isn’t (a green dot). I think he did make the calls somewhat this year but I don’t think that’s him in the NFL. They say he’s super intelligent, a guy who makes 3.0 (grade-point average) without cracking a book. That’s the problem. He’s not going to put in a lot of effort. It’s the same way he’s been on the field. The guy’s a great athlete but never spent the time he needed in the weight room and the nutritional aspect, things like that.” Started 32 of 51 games. Arms were 31 ¾. “He can run the middle and cover wide-receiver slots,” a fourth scout said. “He’s got hips and feet like a safety. Not a knock-back tackler. Not great getting off blocks. Not an ideal point player but who gives a f--- because his athletic ability is (ideal). Second round for sure.” Five-star recruit from Dallas. Played running back, quarterback and wide receiver in addition to linebacker as a prep.

I frequently get this guy in the 7th and I can’t figure out why he’s available that late.

MAD GAINZ wrote:

Well shit... We might have to schedule a private showing with Quentin.  Guaranteed he has a copy and a home theater.

I’ll bring the tequila, have Quentin bring Selma.

JustInTime wrote:
Massive thank you to MB for sharing. I’ve literally read McGinn’s compilation of scouts, GMs and personnel guys for nearly 50 years. 

Here’s a couple beauties:

On Burden

“He’s a 5-star, they kiss his ass for three years just to keep him there,” another scout said. “The girlfriend is his manager. The mom is a problem. But he’s a good player on Saturday and he’s very ordinary Monday through Friday.

On Savion

“With this guy, you see him in the slot, you see him in the backfield, in motion. He is a height-weight-speed guy. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him slip into the first round. Would it be a little crazy? Probably, because he doesn’t have the resume, but he’s got a big upside. He’s Cordarrelle Patterson. He’s got no polish but you see him elevate for a ball and you see him catch a bubble and take it to the house. You see him run an angle (route) out of the backfield and catch it and run to the house. If I didn’t have a quarterback and was trying to figure out a way to manufacture some offense, I’m all over this guy. He could go 25 to 45.”

The Missouri HC was just on NFL radio and basically called bullshit on the reports that Burden is a diva. 

Question everything and accept nothing at face value.

4. JAHDAE BARRON, Texas (5-10 ½, 198, 4.38, 1): Played corner, nickel, dime and safety. “This guy is a player,” said one scout. “I’ve never seen a corner who lines up in the A gap calling out coverages and blitz stuff. Really good athlete with change of direction. Not super explosive down the field. That’s the only thing. Kills stuff in zone and underneath where he can jump routes. Hands are really good. Not a safety-type tackler but really good for a corner. Just a versatile winner wherever you play this guy. He’s more of a skilled cover guy than Brian Branch. Goes in the 20’s.” Started 39 of 57 games over five seasons. Finished with 226 tackles (21 for loss), eight picks and 24 passes defensed. Shortest arms (29 5/8) of the top 12 at the position. “He’s a little shorter than you would like,” said a second scout. “He ran fast (but) the play speed is kind of average. Willing tackler. He’s a really good football player. He’s late first.” Four-star recruit from Austin, Texas. “I think he’s more late second, early third,” a third scout said. “More of a zone corner than a man corner. He’s physical to a certain degree but a lot of his plays come off of his vision and catching tipped balls. He’ll be very good in a zone scheme. In a man scheme, he might struggle some because he’s not as quick-twitched as the (top) guys. I think he’s a nickel/free safety. He can’t play man coverage like Branch. He’s not a natural man-cover guy. He plays with his eyes.”

Anyone else have him as CB4!? Jeremiah Smith goes 1-4 and Barron is CB4? Cmon.

7. SHAVON REVEL, East Carolina (6-2, 200, no 40, 2): Compared by two scouts to Quinyon Mitchell, the Eagles’ first-round pick from Toledo last year and an all-rookie team corner. “Early on I said this could be Quinyon Mitchell,” said one scout. “He is tall and that length shows up. Explosive close as a straight-line athlete. Yeah, for a guy that tall, he’s going to get leggy at the top of a route and get segmented in transition. But he has rare stuff. For such a long guy he’s so explosive and fast. He displayed natural timing to make a play on the ball and high-point it. Probably my favorite thing about this guy was just how aggressive he was as a run defender. He throws his body around. He probably needs to protect himself a little bit more. You can tell: he loved it. This was a solid Day 2 guy.” That picture changed dramatically Sept. 18 in practice when he suffered a torn ACL; surgery was performed Oct. 15. “Before he got hurt he was trending to being a first-round corner so now maybe he goes in the second or third,” a second scout said. “He has a small body of work and it’s not against a ton of Power 4 teams. Impressive run with people. Able to play the ball. Strong tackler. Has a lot of high-level starter traits.” Spent 2020-’21 at a junior college but the first season was canceled and he played just six games in the second. Started 15 of 24 games for the Pirates from 2022-‘24, finishing with 70 tackles, three picks and 15 passes defensed. “I was hoping he’d get to an all-star game and then you could see what he looked like against top receivers and quarterbacks,” said a third scout. “I think about him and Mitchell. I wasn’t sold on Mitchell until the all-star game (Senior Bowl).” Three-star recruit from Winston-Salem, N.C. “Where he goes I don’t know, but he has first-round talent,” said a fourth scout. “He’s a late-bloomer. Hasn’t played a ton. He didn’t even know how good he was.” Arms were 32 5/8. Added a fifth scout: “ACL in September after three games. Seems to be a theme for this group. Raw, but he’s competitive. He’s going to start if he’s healthy.”

3. MAXWELL HAIRSTON, Kentucky (5-11, 183, 4.27, 1): Fourth-year junior. “He’s really fast, really quick,” one scout said. “He’s not going to be fazed by tough competition. His style translates quickly to the NFL. Most guys have to learn to play without using their hands all the time. That’s how he already plays. You see so many flags on the young guys because they grab people all the time because of the college rules. This guy is really quick with his feet.” Clocked the fastest 40 at the combine to go with a vertical jump of 39 ½ inches and a 10-9 broad jump. “After Travis Hunter he might be the best athlete of all of them,” said a second scout. “He is electric as far as change of direction, movement, speed. He’s a thinner dude. Just elite cover athletic ability, awareness and confidence. He is a cocky little guy. Reminds me of Janoris Jenkins coming out of Florida (in 2012), but faster. The only thing is that size.” Redshirted in 2021, barely played in 2022 and started 20 games the past two years. Arms were 31. “There are some size and strength limitations,” a third scout said. “But he is quick, fast, feisty, aggressive and has good instincts. I just worry about the size and strength over the long haul. But it’s about instincts and speed. It’s hard to find that combo.” Finished with 89 tackles, six interceptions and 10 passes defensed. Forced three fumbles. Missed five games in 2024 with what was described as a nagging shoulder problem. “He had the unfortunate episode where he had I want to say a shoulder injury of some kind and he went to the hospital in Lexington and he got stuck with an infected needle, of all things,” said a fourth scout. “So he missed a good portion of the season and then came back at the end. Kentucky has a history of producing DBs the last eight, 10 years under Stoops because that was Mark’s position as a coach. Hairston’s the best one they’ve ever had, he really is. I think he’s definitely a first-rounder. Running that time at the combine solidified it.” Three-star recruit from West Bloomfield, Mich.

JustInTime wrote:
4. JAHDAE BARRON, Texas (5-10 ½, 198, 4.38, 1): Played corner, nickel, dime and safety. “This guy is a player,” said one scout. “I’ve never seen a corner who lines up in the A gap calling out coverages and blitz stuff. Really good athlete with change of direction. Not super explosive down the field. That’s the only thing. Kills stuff in zone and underneath where he can jump routes. Hands are really good. Not a safety-type tackler but really good for a corner. Just a versatile winner wherever you play this guy. He’s more of a skilled cover guy than Brian Branch. Goes in the 20’s.” Started 39 of 57 games over five seasons. Finished with 226 tackles (21 for loss), eight picks and 24 passes defensed. Shortest arms (29 5/8) of the top 12 at the position. “He’s a little shorter than you would like,” said a second scout. “He ran fast (but) the play speed is kind of average. Willing tackler. He’s a really good football player. He’s late first.” Four-star recruit from Austin, Texas. “I think he’s more late second, early third,” a third scout said. “More of a zone corner than a man corner. He’s physical to a certain degree but a lot of his plays come off of his vision and catching tipped balls. He’ll be very good in a zone scheme. In a man scheme, he might struggle some because he’s not as quick-twitched as the (top) guys. I think he’s a nickel/free safety. He can’t play man coverage like Branch. He’s not a natural man-cover guy. He plays with his eyes.” Anyone else have him as CB4!? Jeremiah Smith goes 1-4 and Barron is CB4? Cmon.

7. SHAVON REVEL, East Carolina (6-2, 200, no 40, 2): Compared by two scouts to Quinyon Mitchell, the Eagles’ first-round pick from Toledo last year and an all-rookie team corner. “Early on I said this could be Quinyon Mitchell,” said one scout. “He is tall and that length shows up. Explosive close as a straight-line athlete. Yeah, for a guy that tall, he’s going to get leggy at the top of a route and get segmented in transition. But he has rare stuff. For such a long guy he’s so explosive and fast. He displayed natural timing to make a play on the ball and high-point it. Probably my favorite thing about this guy was just how aggressive he was as a run defender. He throws his body around. He probably needs to protect himself a little bit more. You can tell: he loved it. This was a solid Day 2 guy.” That picture changed dramatically Sept. 18 in practice when he suffered a torn ACL; surgery was performed Oct. 15. “Before he got hurt he was trending to being a first-round corner so now maybe he goes in the second or third,” a second scout said. “He has a small body of work and it’s not against a ton of Power 4 teams. Impressive run with people. Able to play the ball. Strong tackler. Has a lot of high-level starter traits.” Spent 2020-’21 at a junior college but the first season was canceled and he played just six games in the second. Started 15 of 24 games for the Pirates from 2022-‘24, finishing with 70 tackles, three picks and 15 passes defensed. “I was hoping he’d get to an all-star game and then you could see what he looked like against top receivers and quarterbacks,” said a third scout. “I think about him and Mitchell. I wasn’t sold on Mitchell until the all-star game (Senior Bowl).” Three-star recruit from Winston-Salem, N.C. “Where he goes I don’t know, but he has first-round talent,” said a fourth scout. “He’s a late-bloomer. Hasn’t played a ton. He didn’t even know how good he was.” Arms were 32 5/8. Added a fifth scout: “ACL in September after three games. Seems to be a theme for this group. Raw, but he’s competitive. He’s going to start if he’s healthy.”

I wouldn't pay too much attention to where these players are ranked right now. I don't even know how or why he puts them in order. I suspect it's just based on the overall feedback from the scouts. When he releases his top 100 that will the be the one to pay attention to.