Draft Steal? Derion Kendrick had a hamstring issue at his pro day

[fearsomefour]

Absolutely correct! They should run from the two point stance if they want to measure football speed. Only the track guys do the best in the current 40 at the combine.

I loved the Williams pick for all of the things that weren't his 40 time.
Balance, shiftiness, ability to make a guy miss in the hole, avoiding square contact, blocking, toughness, soft hands. So much there to really like. But, over and over, I kept hearing about his 40 time.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I've read enough of people who watch tape being concerned about his long speed to be a little concerned.. but I think that would be a bigger issue on the outside than on the inside.
I think he's playing inside.. we see many more bigger slots these days and he's got good size.. and great instincts and ball skills. I'm very interested in what he becomes.
He'll be a big upgrade over DD, even as a rookie, imo. So the depth quality is going to be much better this season, at the least.

Exactly. He only has to be better than Deayon, which I fully expect he will be. I shy from laying high expectations on late round picks. They aren't draft steals until they prove it on the field. Right now Kendrick is depth. If he's better depth than last year, then that's a win.

DB depth was my biggest concern. I posted about it part way through last season. I'm glad that Snead and company agreed with me for once.

 

[fanotodd]

Exactly. He only has to be better than Deayon, which I fully expect he will be. I shy from laying high expectations on late round picks. They aren't draft steals until they prove it on the field. Right now Kendrick is depth. If he's better depth than last year, then that's a win.

DB depth was my biggest concern. I posted about it part way through last season. I'm glad that Snead and company agreed with me for once.

Right? Why don’t they read this forum more often!
But seriously, agree on the assessment. He’s STs and depth until there’s a need (injury/bad performance). You don’t just walk onto a SB caliber roster and expect a ton of PT right away.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Right? Why don’t they read this forum more often!
But seriously, agree on the assessment. He’s STs and depth until there’s a need (injury/bad performance). You don’t just walk onto a SB caliber roster and expect a ton of PT right away.

Well, most years they do the opposite of what I think they need to do. Dumbasses.

 

[PhillyRam]

40 times do matter. But... the reported 40 time of 4.6/4.7 just didn't make sense. With a time like that he wouldn't have made it to a Divison 1 program.

I like your theory, around injury, @TheTackle, and I hope you're right.

Reality is a vet like Ramsey, at this point in his career, probably runs a 4.55 or 4.6. He excels with his mind and athletic ability/ball skills...not his 40 time.

 

[HitStick]

Didn’t Richard Sherman run a 4.6?
Wasn’t Ronnie Lott a 4.6?
Technique wins 10/10.
That’s why Jerry Rice has all those records. That’s why emmit smith has all his.
That’s why Kupp is the way he is.
Speed helps but it’s not the end all he all.

 

[Kupped]

Exactly. He only has to be better than Deayon, which I fully expect he will be. I shy from laying high expectations on late round picks. They aren't draft steals until they prove it on the field. Right now Kendrick is depth. If he's better depth than last year, then that's a win.

DB depth was my biggest concern. I posted about it part way through last season. I'm glad that Snead and company agreed with me for once.

If Rochell takes a big step.. IF... this defensive backfield could be MUCH better than last year... he's kind of the key. If he's as good as Williams was last year.. Hill is a step up from Long.. Long seemed to be better at the end of last year... Durant and Kendrick are, to me, much better than DD and the rest of the Rams corners last year.

You've got three safeties with starting experience.. and two rookie safeties who look promising to me.

The pass rush will take a step back from what it was in the Super Bowl.. but the inside linebackers and secondary could both be appreciably better.

Having a decent amount of change is a good thing, imo.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

If Rochell takes a big step.. IF... this defensive backfield could be MUCH better than last year... he's kind of the key. If he's as good as Williams was last year.. Hill is a step up from Long.. Long seemed to be better at the end of last year... Durant and Kendrick are, to me, much better than DD and the rest of the Rams corners last year.

You've got three safeties with starting experience.. and two rookie safeties who look promising to me.

The pass rush will take a step back from what it was in the Super Bowl.. but the inside linebackers and secondary could both be appreciably better.

Having a decent amount of change is a good thing, imo.

The only problem is that there are some big ifs. The only sure things are Ramsey and Hill. I guess I could count Long in that the Rams know what they got in him.

Rochell had limited action in year one and is coming off an injury. Then they’ve got four rookies. Hopefully at least one of them can step in and produce early. There is definitely some risk here. I’d feel better if they still had Williams.

 

[Merlin]

Speed is less a concern with wideouts, given the way route technique can give separation. With corners though the slower guys are scheme limited, where they need help. There are no shutdown corners who lack speed.

Rams run a lot of cover 4. In that call the cb and safety read the route depths and have to be on same page to ensure both don't end up on one wideout, i.e blowing coverage on the other. Depth of the corner can be press or off depending on gameplan, so if you put a slow corner out there he will usually be off which fans hate, and still prone to giving up the deep ball.

Kendricks is a cover 3 guy if he isn't in the slot. Where there will be a deep safety you can help him with. But again the lack of speed basically reduces the DC's options for the call.

Speed matters.

 

[Kupped]

Speed is less a concern with wideouts, given the way route technique can give separation. With corners though the slower guys are scheme limited, where they need help. There are no shutdown corners who lack speed.

Rams run a lot of cover 4. In that call the cb and safety read the route depths and have to be on same page to ensure both don't end up on one wideout, i.e blowing coverage on the other. Depth of the corner can be press or off depending on gameplan, so if you put a slow corner out there he will usually be off which fans hate, and still prone to giving up the deep ball.

Kendricks is a cover 3 guy if he isn't in the slot. Where there will be a deep safety you can help him with. But again the lack of speed basically reduces the DC's options for the call.

Speed matters.

It does, but tackling, instincts and size matter as well. The NFL is seeing a lot of bigger slots, so Kendrick makes sense there. There are limitations, for sure.. but if you're running nickel but it's a down where a run is still realistic.. I think Kendrick would absolutely make sense.
I feel like Durant is a very good comp to Darious Williams... Williams 40 was a hair slower... but better numbers in the other testing areas and every bit as instinctive in coverage.

 

[oldnotdead]

The Rams have said they don't really use pro day and combine 40 times. They use game analytics to determine how fast a guy plays. Unfortunately we fans don't really have access to those numbers. All we can do is wait until we see him on the field to determine if he's fast enough.

That said even before his pro day there were questions about his long speed as game tapes showed him struggling to stay in phase when fast receivers would take him deep. The biggest reason he dropped even on the Ram's board was his inconsistent play. Right now
I see him as a dime short zone DB but primarily as a ST's player.

 

[Malibu]

Everyone here that says he got dropped due to his pro day is giving 31 other teams no creedance which is utterly ridiculous. First off he has been scouted to death way more than 90% of the the CBs in college why because the team he played for. They were an elite team in the best conference in college football. He went up against tons of future pros and scouts know this and combed over everything.

Could we have gotten a gem maybe but he dropped for a real reason don't say 31 other teams scouts missed on him or said oh his 40 time at his pro day was horrible so ok I'm just bailing on him I highly doubt that.

 

[kurtfaulk]

Everyone here that says he got dropped due to his pro day is giving 31 other teams no creedance which is utterly ridiculous. First off he has been scouted to death way more than 90% of the the CBs in college why because the team he played for. They were an elite team in the best conference in college football. He went up against tons of future pros and scouts know this and combed over everything.

Could we have gotten a gem maybe but he dropped for a real reason don't say 31 other teams scouts missed on him or said oh his 40 time at his pro day was horrible so ok I'm just bailing on him I highly doubt that.

cooper kupp.

.

 

[dang]

Everyone here that says he got dropped due to his pro day is giving 31 other teams no creedance which is utterly ridiculous. First off he has been scouted to death way more than 90% of the the CBs in college why because the team he played for. They were an elite team in the best conference in college football. He went up against tons of future pros and scouts know this and combed over everything.

Could we have gotten a gem maybe but he dropped for a real reason don't say 31 other teams scouts missed on him or said oh his 40 time at his pro day was horrible so ok I'm just bailing on him I highly doubt that.

Good point. He certainly wasn’t a hidden gem playing for both Clemson and Georgia. Perhaps like Terrell Lewis there are obstacles to taping into consistent stellar play.

 

[OldSchool]

Good point. He certainly wasn’t a hidden gem playing for both Clemson and Georgia. Perhaps like Terrell Lewis there are obstacles to taping into consistent stellar play.

It's a terrible argument, there are multiple 6th and/or 7th round picks starting for every NFL team not to mention UDFA. Thirty one teams failed with all those players. We all know the draft is a crap shoot at times especially when you get towards the end of day three. Teams look for what they like on tape and players they feel they can coach up. It seems the Rams felt strongly enough about Kendrick to use a pick on him.

 

[Florida_Ram]

2022 NFL Draft - LA Rams - cornerback - 6th Round (212 overall) (Georgia transfer from Clemson) 6'0 190 lbs.

Derion Kendrick didn't slide to the sixth round only because of his 40-yard dash time.

He slid because his film study by 32 NFL GM's and their scout teams had concerns with his tape and likely some of his off the field history prior to transferring to Georgia.

I'm guessing even if he ran a 4.4 40 yard-dash, he still doesn't get drafted until the 4th or early 5th round.

Regardless, he's a Ram now and like all of us fans, I'm hoping he surprises us and makes the 53-man roster.

As of today, I'm projecting Kendrick to be on the practice squad until proven different.

You can bet your bottom dollar I'm hoping he proves all 32 GM's and scout teams wrong (including the Rams) for letting him slide to the 6th round.


Starting with the 2022-23 season, NFL teams will be allowed 14 players on the practice squad. Of those 14 players, only four of them are allowed to be veterans with an unlimited number of accrued seasons. For those wondering, an accrued season is earned when a player spends a minimum of six regular season games on the team’s active roster with full pay status.

For the remaining 10 players on the practice squad, here are the eligibility requirements for each NFL team:

• Rookies that have zero accrued seasons in the league (normally players that were just drafted).
• Players with one accrued season that spent less than nine regular season games on their team’s active roster.
• Players with no more than two accrued seasons in the league with no limitations on the number of games they’ve played (teams are only allowed four of these players).

If a player falls into one of those three categories, they’re eligible to be signed to a team’s practice squad. Keep in mind, teams are only allowed two veterans and four players with no more than two accrued seasons in the league.

​

 

[TSFH Fan]

Looking at both 2020 games, I thought Kendrick looked pretty good when he was locked up 1-on-1 with current NFL World Champion Ben Skowronek. Kendrick looked pretty good . . . for the most part.

View: https://imgur.com/koYYcZk


I'm really hoping he turns out great. I'm just not expecting it any time soon.

 

[So Ram]

Reality is a vet like Ramsey, at this point in his career, probably runs a 4.55 or 4.6. He excels with his mind and athletic ability/ball skills...not his 40 time.

Yeah - it looked like it in the SuperBowl. Players also play hurt a lot as well that gets overlooked.

I look at the Troy Hill trade right after picking D.Durant . Then all these DB’s The Rams selected makes me think there might be a trade during the end of Training Camp.

 

[So Ram]

I loved the Williams pick for all of the things that weren't his 40 time.
Balance, shiftiness, ability to make a guy miss in the hole, avoiding square contact, blocking, toughness, soft hands. So much there to really like. But, over and over, I kept hearing about his 40 time.

OLDNOTDEAD hates him & always still talks about his 40.

 

[TheTackle]

OLDNOTDEAD hates him & always still talks about his 40.

Are you trying to get me flailed alive by the haters by reanimating this thread [blue font].

BTW Both have clearly outplayed their draft position and 40 times