They run a feature on an ND blog I read where they take like 6 bloggers/writers and have them each rank their top 20 players and then they produce a composite ranking. I'm too lazy to do the overall ranking, but thought it would be a good waste of my time to rank the top 20 and see how others saw it.
So a couple of rules/disclaimers for this exercise:
1 -- I'm ranking OL as a whole b/c I just don't think there are many here who can actually decipher exactly who's good and who's not on the OL and even then it's tough to rank that position vs. others. So let's just take the OL as a group and rank it.
2 -- Obviously we have to project/predict how these guys will do this season or else this an even more pointless exercise than before. However, let's project only for impact this season. So, for example, feel free to rank George Morris III wherever you want, but if you're going to put him at 4, it should be based on the opinion that he's going to be big-time this year, not two years from now.
3 -- Actually ranking these players is not only difficult, it's pointless. Just figured it might fun and burn a little time between now and camp.
So with that said, here we go:
20. Josh Kirkland
Sounds like he is an aggressive, disruptive player. That's what SS, and I'm guessing Bulloch, are looking for in their LBs. Might be tough to get on the field with the three in front of him but he could be key on special teams and in terms of depth.
19. George Morris III
My guess is there won't be a boatload of carries but if he's as fast and physical as people suggest he is, there's no reason to think he can't force his way onto the field more often.
18. Micah Robinson
Think he'll be solid but hopefully he shows the ability to create some pressure. Not exactly sure what I think of him.
17. Raymon/Z. Jones/Crume
I'm going to cheat and rank all these guys in one spot. I'm not sure who will play more and who will play less but I think DT is a strength for this team and part of that strength comes in numbers. Should be a really solid rotation with all these guys playing a key role.
16. Jeremiah Kobena
Poised for a big year IMO. If I'm picking a darkhorse to actually come out of nowhere, basically, and put up a big season, I'm going with Kobena. There are questions about his hands, I guess, and he needs to stay healthy, but I like the way he runs and he catches the ball with his hands. 40+ catches and 15 ypc is not out of the question if Allen/Hunt figure it out and the OL holds up.
15. Rob Welsh
Probably a bit higher than most will have him but I love that he seems to be productive whenever he's on the field. Not likely to make us forget about Dwight Freeny but I think he's better than his size/reputation suggest he is.
14. Cam Lynch
I'm not as high on Lynch as many. Think he's a good player but a bit of a tweener. Still he should be a big part of this defense.
13. Beckett Wales
Wales doesn't blow you away but still put up a solid season last year. Obviously we're a bit thin behind him, so he's a key player. Think he'll be solid if unspectacular.
12. Ritchy Desir
Kind of a stab at this one but I liked how he looked returning punts and if he's beating out Wayne Morgan he's got to be pretty decent.
11. Drew Allen
My guess is he starts and is pretty good. What's tough to know is how good is the talent around him (WR and OL) and is he as good as his vitals and pedigree suggest he might be? Two big ifs. At the end of the day it's a complete guess but I'm going to be optimistic b/c it's July.
10. Offensive line
Tough to rank this group b/c we all know how they played once Pugh came back and, of course, he and Chibane are gone. But three really solid returning starters and quite a few viable options for the open guard spot. The key will be how they handle RT and that's the only thing keeping this group from being in the top 5, IMO.
9. Jerome Smith
Folks will probably think I"m insane for having him this low, but a couple of factors here: he played behind a really good offensive line last year; he played in a really dynamic system; he's not the most physically gifted guy at least in terms of speed; and he's probably going to lose at least some carries to GMIII or McFarlane. Still think he's a really good back and poised for a very nice season, but I'm not sure he'll crack 1,000 again.
8. Brandon Reddish
I think Reddish is a guy that ideally would have redshirted for a year, but that's neither here nor there. He's ready to break out and will be part of one of the better units on this team. Should play a ton regardless of whether he or Anderson starts.
7. Ashton Broyld
Probably a bit high for Broyld but he does look good with the ball in his hands and the staff seems enthralled with his potential. If -- IF -- he actually finds a comfortable role it's hard not to think he could be a very dangerous, big-play type threat for this offense.
6. Keon Lyn
Could be on the top of this list when all is said and done, but he's a really good corner. Good athleticism, hip turn, etc., but pretty strong in run support as well. Underrated player.
5. Marquis Spruill
Would have him higher but he struggled a bit in the middle the last time we saw him there. Not sure he's a great fit for the position, but he's a good athlete with a boatload of experience at this point.
4. Jarrod West
I'd have him at 1, but I'm always wary of injuries with him. Either way, a really hard worker, good talent and have to feel like he will be a focal point of much of the passing game.
3. Gulley
Huge bowl game performance and a really, really good year last year. Smith may be the better running back in a true sense of the word but I think Gulley's going to be extremely valuable in terms of being able to play in the slot as well. See a big year for him.
2. Dyshawn Davis
Talented guy who's gotten a lot of criticism at times but really was forced onto the field much earlier than he should have been in an ideal world. Good fit for Shafer's defense and a gifted atlete. Think he's ready for a big year.
1. Jay Bromley
Central figure on defense for three years and easily one of the best athletes on this team.
Guys who just missed
Krautman (seems he was struggling a bit with confidence and kickers need confidence)
McFarlane (carries just seem tough to come by right now)
Hunt (Good prospect per the reports, but I'm guessing he doesn't win the job, which would make it tough to have an impact)
Funderburk (seems to have had some off-field stuff to deal with and that's generally not a good sign. Should have plenty of talent)
Christopher Clark (Think he'll be solid)
Eskridge (I like him a lot but he apparently isn't starting somehow. I'm surprised by this)
Rishard Anderson (Good player but a bit of a tweener who may fit better at S, IMO)
Guys who didn't really just miss the list
Jonathan Fisher -- needs to be waaaayyyy more consistent.
Jeremai Wilkes -- just not a huge fan. Feel like he struggles in coverage and is a shaky tackler
Flemming -- I know people like the guy but I'm not sure I've ever seen him and, therefore, am not exactly sure he exists.
Steve Rene -- no explanation needed.
So a couple of rules/disclaimers for this exercise:
1 -- I'm ranking OL as a whole b/c I just don't think there are many here who can actually decipher exactly who's good and who's not on the OL and even then it's tough to rank that position vs. others. So let's just take the OL as a group and rank it.
2 -- Obviously we have to project/predict how these guys will do this season or else this an even more pointless exercise than before. However, let's project only for impact this season. So, for example, feel free to rank George Morris III wherever you want, but if you're going to put him at 4, it should be based on the opinion that he's going to be big-time this year, not two years from now.
3 -- Actually ranking these players is not only difficult, it's pointless. Just figured it might fun and burn a little time between now and camp.
So with that said, here we go:
20. Josh Kirkland
Sounds like he is an aggressive, disruptive player. That's what SS, and I'm guessing Bulloch, are looking for in their LBs. Might be tough to get on the field with the three in front of him but he could be key on special teams and in terms of depth.
19. George Morris III
My guess is there won't be a boatload of carries but if he's as fast and physical as people suggest he is, there's no reason to think he can't force his way onto the field more often.
18. Micah Robinson
Think he'll be solid but hopefully he shows the ability to create some pressure. Not exactly sure what I think of him.
17. Raymon/Z. Jones/Crume
I'm going to cheat and rank all these guys in one spot. I'm not sure who will play more and who will play less but I think DT is a strength for this team and part of that strength comes in numbers. Should be a really solid rotation with all these guys playing a key role.
16. Jeremiah Kobena
Poised for a big year IMO. If I'm picking a darkhorse to actually come out of nowhere, basically, and put up a big season, I'm going with Kobena. There are questions about his hands, I guess, and he needs to stay healthy, but I like the way he runs and he catches the ball with his hands. 40+ catches and 15 ypc is not out of the question if Allen/Hunt figure it out and the OL holds up.
15. Rob Welsh
Probably a bit higher than most will have him but I love that he seems to be productive whenever he's on the field. Not likely to make us forget about Dwight Freeny but I think he's better than his size/reputation suggest he is.
14. Cam Lynch
I'm not as high on Lynch as many. Think he's a good player but a bit of a tweener. Still he should be a big part of this defense.
13. Beckett Wales
Wales doesn't blow you away but still put up a solid season last year. Obviously we're a bit thin behind him, so he's a key player. Think he'll be solid if unspectacular.
12. Ritchy Desir
Kind of a stab at this one but I liked how he looked returning punts and if he's beating out Wayne Morgan he's got to be pretty decent.
11. Drew Allen
My guess is he starts and is pretty good. What's tough to know is how good is the talent around him (WR and OL) and is he as good as his vitals and pedigree suggest he might be? Two big ifs. At the end of the day it's a complete guess but I'm going to be optimistic b/c it's July.
10. Offensive line
Tough to rank this group b/c we all know how they played once Pugh came back and, of course, he and Chibane are gone. But three really solid returning starters and quite a few viable options for the open guard spot. The key will be how they handle RT and that's the only thing keeping this group from being in the top 5, IMO.
9. Jerome Smith
Folks will probably think I"m insane for having him this low, but a couple of factors here: he played behind a really good offensive line last year; he played in a really dynamic system; he's not the most physically gifted guy at least in terms of speed; and he's probably going to lose at least some carries to GMIII or McFarlane. Still think he's a really good back and poised for a very nice season, but I'm not sure he'll crack 1,000 again.
8. Brandon Reddish
I think Reddish is a guy that ideally would have redshirted for a year, but that's neither here nor there. He's ready to break out and will be part of one of the better units on this team. Should play a ton regardless of whether he or Anderson starts.
7. Ashton Broyld
Probably a bit high for Broyld but he does look good with the ball in his hands and the staff seems enthralled with his potential. If -- IF -- he actually finds a comfortable role it's hard not to think he could be a very dangerous, big-play type threat for this offense.
6. Keon Lyn
Could be on the top of this list when all is said and done, but he's a really good corner. Good athleticism, hip turn, etc., but pretty strong in run support as well. Underrated player.
5. Marquis Spruill
Would have him higher but he struggled a bit in the middle the last time we saw him there. Not sure he's a great fit for the position, but he's a good athlete with a boatload of experience at this point.
4. Jarrod West
I'd have him at 1, but I'm always wary of injuries with him. Either way, a really hard worker, good talent and have to feel like he will be a focal point of much of the passing game.
3. Gulley
Huge bowl game performance and a really, really good year last year. Smith may be the better running back in a true sense of the word but I think Gulley's going to be extremely valuable in terms of being able to play in the slot as well. See a big year for him.
2. Dyshawn Davis
Talented guy who's gotten a lot of criticism at times but really was forced onto the field much earlier than he should have been in an ideal world. Good fit for Shafer's defense and a gifted atlete. Think he's ready for a big year.
1. Jay Bromley
Central figure on defense for three years and easily one of the best athletes on this team.
Guys who just missed
Krautman (seems he was struggling a bit with confidence and kickers need confidence)
McFarlane (carries just seem tough to come by right now)
Hunt (Good prospect per the reports, but I'm guessing he doesn't win the job, which would make it tough to have an impact)
Funderburk (seems to have had some off-field stuff to deal with and that's generally not a good sign. Should have plenty of talent)
Christopher Clark (Think he'll be solid)
Eskridge (I like him a lot but he apparently isn't starting somehow. I'm surprised by this)
Rishard Anderson (Good player but a bit of a tweener who may fit better at S, IMO)
Guys who didn't really just miss the list
Jonathan Fisher -- needs to be waaaayyyy more consistent.
Jeremai Wilkes -- just not a huge fan. Feel like he struggles in coverage and is a shaky tackler
Flemming -- I know people like the guy but I'm not sure I've ever seen him and, therefore, am not exactly sure he exists.
Steve Rene -- no explanation needed.
