Jordan Fuller rookie of the week

[TexasRam]

But the Rams' area scout, who had followed Fuller closely for four years, insisted to the Rams brain trust that Fuller was the best safety in the draft and that the Rams had to pick him.

That's one hell of a scouting job.

Source?

If so, that scout needs a promotion.

 

[FarNorth]

Source?

If so, that scout needs a promotion.

Data, film and luck: How the Rams hit the jackpot on Jordan Fuller

The Rams, high on Fuller's talent and character, were shocked to draft him as the 17th safety off the board.

theathletic.com

Brian Hill is the Rams’ Midwest area scout, and if he worked in education, he would be the teacher all of the students dread. Hill is a tough grader, a stickler for hard data and deep film study, and he is the stingiest to hand out high marks among all of the Rams’ scouting personnel.

The Rams’ scouting grades rank, from lowest to highest, with terms such as “camp player,” “fringe,” “back-end,” “backup,” “good starter,” “top-notch starter,” and “elite starter.” Within each category, there is a number system that helps the staff understand at which end of the category the player should be placed.

In the last three years, Hill has only given starting-level grades to 11 players. They have included San Francisco defensive end Nick Bosa, Washington outside linebacker Chase Young, Detroit tight end T.J. Hockenson and Pittsburgh linebacker Devin Bush, all of whom were top-10 picks.

And Fuller.

So when Hill’s report on Fuller landed in the inboxes of team personnel and data staffers, it caused a bit of a stir.

“The first thing that stood out to me was Brian’s grade,” Temme said. “Knowing his background, he is typically someone who is … a tough grader. Typically, when he gives a starter grade, it’s meaningful and impactful. … It was kind of a blinking indicator on my end. These guys were talking about him (based on his position) on maybe Day 3 of the draft, but our area scout is grading him along with people who have gone in the top 10.”

In fact, Fuller was Hill’s top-rated safety in the entire draft class. And in advocating for Fuller, Hill even pushed himself out of his comfort zone in meetings.

“He was one of my favorite guys in the draft. I tried to convey that as emotionally as I could,” Hill said with a laugh. “There are some scouts who are excellent presenters. … I’m more analytical, more introverted. So it was about being more firm. Yes, this guy is the top safety. Yes, I would take him. Yes, I love this guy. Yes, I want him (to be a Ram).”

The fact that Hill — usually even-keel, restrained and deadpan — was pounding the table for the prospect was an even bigger deal. Snead purposely does not let his own emotions or feel for prospects show throughout pre-draft meetings because he doesn’t want that bias leaking into his scouts’ thoughts. He wants instead to feel what they feel about their guy.

And Fuller was Hill’s guy through and through. Hill had scouted Fuller’s older brother, Devin, at UCLA when he was covering the West Coast, and even then had heard that Jordan was a pretty solid athlete.

“A couple of years later, I’m the Midwest scout. … (Jordan) played a little as a freshman and then ended up starting three years at Ohio State,” said Hill, who began following Fuller’s career after former Ohio State coach Greg Schiano raved about him as a sophomore.

Coach after coach soon followed. Everybody wanted to tell Hill how special Fuller was. As Hill got his hands on more of Fuller’s tape, he saw what they meant.

“He is just so smart,” Hill said. “Our (defensive backs) coaches — Ejiro Evero and Aubrey Pleasant — those two are smart guys. They always talk about how you only have one chance to find the right angle, and that’s Jordan. He plays with excellent angles. He gets to the football. His range — he’s a big dude, he’s 6-foot-2 and he covers ground, eats up stripes — and he was just always in the right position all the time.”

Ohio State, loaded with a star-studded defensive backfield that in 2019 featured two first-round picks in Jeff Okudah and Damon Arnette, played a lot of press-man coverage. That left Fuller to hold down the back middle of the field alone, and in that space, Hill said, Fuller made remarkably few errors, if any.

“He just kind of played that deep-centerfield safety position,” Temme said, “but he was just extremely effective in his role.”

 

[CGI_Ram]

LOL. The Rams Scout, Brian Hill, speaks in direct conflict with the scouting report by thedraftnetwork.

Seriously. What the heck?

“He is just so smart,” Hill said. “Our (defensive backs) coaches — Ejiro Evero and Aubrey Pleasant — those two are smart guys. They always talk about how you only have one chance to find the right angle, and that’s Jordan. He plays with excellent angles. He gets to the football.

CONS: Terribly inconsistent calculating angles and he doesn’t have the speed to makeup for misses.

 

[TexasRam]

LOL. The Rams Scout, Brian Hill, speaks in direct conflict with the scouting report by thedraftnetwork.

Seriously. What the heck?

Yea I noticed that as well hahaha.

Great find FarNorth.

Really cool story how he was pounding the table for him as the best safety in the draft putting his reputation on the line.

 

[kurtfaulk]

LOL. The Rams Scout, Brian Hill, speaks in direct conflict with the scouting report by thedraftnetwork.

Seriously. What the heck?

Yep, they saw the numbers, made their conclusion from that and looked at a couple of tds against Ohio and voila, they confirmed their conclusion and came up with their summary.

That's my guess.

.

 

[kurtfaulk]

.



.

 

[CGI_Ram]

.



.

Yep, they liked him... DAY 1.

 

[BonifayRam]

If Snead & his team can do it once they can get very close again in this 2021 draft. Fuller selection came right @ the best time period! It's most likely Fuller is capable of doing everything that JJ III has done for Staley next season he is that smart. Very good chance that UFA JJ III will get a contract that will net Snead @ least a 4th round CDPA in 2022.

Funny how we here @ ROD posted so much & made fun & laughed @ Snead for several years now on how much & how many 6th round draft selections Snead loves to collect..... Maybe Snead is onto something?

The Terrell Burgess selection on the 2nd day in the 2020 draft in many ways is the opposite of what Fuller was coming out. I see a more versatile DB in Burgess. He is far more of a DB mixer of Nickle/ Deep safety/ Strong Safety/Corner combination.

He was very slow out of the gate his rookie season but he did demonstrate & flashed what his future can be for Staley in this defense once he is fully recovered. Burgess might very well be our Starting Nickel when corner Ramsey is not playing the "STAR Position". Snead needs a talented corner in the 2021 draft.

This might be our initial 2021 secondary
CB- Williams/ Deayon
CB- Long/ McGhee
Star- Ramsey/ Burgess
SS- Rapp/ Hughes/ Gervase
FS- Fuller/ Scott/ Reed

 

[OC--LeftCoast]

Jordan Fuller
PROS: Slapped together nicely. Good height and a thick frame. 40-game starter in college and is known for his exceptional character and leadership traits. Physical and aggressive playing downhill. Unquestioned toughness and he battles in pursuit and tackles with intent. Can handle most tight ends in man coverage. Fairly consistent tackler. Willing to run the alley and show up to the party.

CONS: Terribly inconsistent calculating angles and he doesn’t have the speed to makeup for misses. Doesn’t have great range and he’s likely a split zone guy. Hasn’t had as much success as you’d like playing in the box for a bigger safety. Tight hips and he’s tall in his pedal, leading to elongated transitions. Doesn’t have great anticipatory skills in coverage.

Jordan Fuller, S, Ohio State

Senior, 6'2", 205 lbs

thedraftnetwork.com

2020 NFL Draft Rankings: Top 15 Safeties Sports Illustrated

1. Grant Delpit, LSU (JR, 6'3", 213 pounds)
2. Xavier McKinney, Alabama (JR, 6'0", 201 pounds)
3. Ashtyn Davis, Cal (rSR, 6'1", 202 pounds)
4. Antoine Winfield Jr., Minnesota (rSO, 5'9", 203 pounds)
5. Jeremy Chinn, Southern Illinois (SR, 6'3", 221 pounds)

6. Kyle Dugger, Lenoir-Rhyne (SR, 6'1", 217 pounds)
7. Terrell Burgess, Utah (SR, 5'11", 202 pounds)
8. Brandon Jones, Texas (SR, 5'11", 198 pounds)
9. Julian Blackmon, Utah (SR, 6'0", 187 pounds)
10. K'Von Wallace, Clemson (SR, 5'11", 206 pounds)

11. Alohi Gilman, Notre Dame (rJR, 5'11", 201 pounds)
12. J.R. Reed, Georgia (rSR, 6'1", 202 pounds)
13. Antoine Brooks Jr., Maryland (SR, 5'11", 220 pounds)
14. Myles Dorn, North Carolina (SR, 6'2", 205 pounds)
15. L'Jarius Sneed, Louisiana Tech (SR, 6'1", 192 pounds)

2020 NFL Draft Rankings: Safeties

It's not as clear which safety should be first off the board as it is as most other defensive positions this year, but several could be taken in Round 1.

www.si.com

Jordan Fuller 2020 NFL Draft Profile

Position: Safety
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 203 Pounds
School: Ohio State

NFL Combine Performance Data

40 Yard Dash: 4.67 Seconds
Vertical Jump: 35.5 Inches
Broad Jump: 122 Inches
20 Yard Shuttle: 4.27 Seconds

Fuller landed 81 tackles and grabbed an interception in 2018, then earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors in 2019, with 62 tackles and two interceptions. He played deep most of the time at Ohio State, in a position that may not suit him in the NFL. Regardless, his off the field work, and flashes that he may have the potential to move up as a box safety should encourage scouts to take him late on day 3.

Strengths

• Team captain and team leader;
• Has potential experience playing deep zone and tracking receivers;
• Finds the football when running downhill;
• Athletic and agile across the field;
• Flashes of toughness and power when playing downhill

Weaknesses

• Relies on thinking through of plays instead of acting instinctually;
• Gets stuck when he gets too far ahead of plays;
• Too reactive to slight adjustments or quarterback eyes;
• Will not be able to perform man coverage;
• Needs stronger frame to consistently contribute at the NFL level

Jordan Fuller 2020 NFL Draft Profile

Jordan Fuller: A team leader on and off the field, Fuller has earned high regard for his professionalism. Now its time for him to adapt to the speed of the NFL.

lastwordonsports.com

JORDAN FULLER

Overview
After watching his coverage struggles in 2018, it felt like Ohio State was trying to hide him as a single-high safety in its scheme. With that said, Fuller actually stepped up and had a bounce-back season protecting against chunk passing plays and supporting the run. He doesn't have the range to play single-high in the pros and is a little thin as a box safety. He doesn't lack football intelligence or toughness, but the traits and instincts fail to stand out. Fuller could compete for a backup role as a split-safety with the potential to match up with tight ends.

Prospect Grade 5.62

5.8-5.9 Backup/special-teamer
5.5-5.6 Chance to make end of roster or practice squad

Weaknesses

• Doesn't have ideal traits for either safety spot
• Heavy legged backpedal
• Lacks desired range and long speed as free safety
• Quarterbacks manipulate him out of position with glances
• Long gather-and-drive phase from the top of his drop
• Gets lost at route stems in space
• Showed his issues with man coverage duties in 2018
• Needs to run through tackle attempts

Jordan Fuller Draft and Combine Prospect Profile | NFL.com

Jordan Fuller NFL Draft 2020:

S20 Jordan Fuller, Ohio State

STRENGTHS

—Works best when sitting in zone coverage; can play single-high, two-deep or underneath.
—Has the size to work in man coverage against tight ends and bigger slot receivers.
—Works toward the line of scrimmage in the run game rather than sitting and waiting.
—Great angles to the ball and ball-carrier, which makes up for his slow 4.67-second 40-yard dash.

WEAKNESSES

—Slow click-and-close when the ball is in the air; has the chance to make plays but is slow to react.
—Adequate tackler but not punishing; most tackles are gang tackles.
—Too slow to play free safety but too small to play strong safety.
—Jack of all trades, master of none.

OVERALL

Fuller comes from the prolific DBU, where he became one of the leaders on a great defense. His experience and leadership in the secondary helped Ohio State keep the title of DBU and make a run at a national championship. His high football IQ will give him a chance in the NFL, but his lack of size and speed will make it hard to get a look from NFL teams.
https://bleacherreport.com

2020 Safety Rankings (Draft Countdown)
http://draftcountdown.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2020SRankingsGrantDelpit.jpg

Rank	First	Last	College	Height	Weight	40-Time	Class
1	Grant	Delpit	L.S.U.	6-2 ½	213	4.50	JR
2	Xavier	McKinney	Alabama	6-0 ⅜	201	4.63	JR
3	Antoine	Winfield, Jr.	Minnesota	5-9 ⅛	203	4.45	rSO
4	Jeremy	Chinn	Southern Illinois	6-3	221	4.45	SR
5	Kyle	Dugger	Lenoir-Rhyne	6-0 ⅞	217	4.49	SR
6	Ashtyn	Davis	California	6-0 ⅞	202	4.39	rSR
7	Terrell	Burgess	Utah	5-11 ⅜	202	4.46	SR
8	Brandon	Jones	Texas	5-11 ⅛	198	4.49	SR
9	K’Von	Wallace	Clemson	5-11	206	4.53	SR
10	Kenny	Robinson, Jr.	West Virginia	6-0 ¾	202	4.46	JR
11	Julian	Blackmon	Utah	5-11 ¾	187	4.48	SR
12	J.R.	Reed	Georgia	6-0 ¾	202	4.54	rSR
13	Geno	Stone	Iowa	5-10 ⅜	207	4.62	JR
14	Josh	Metellus	Michigan	5-11	209	4.55	SR
15	Alohi	Gilman	Notre Dame	5-10 ½	201	4.60	rJR
16	Brian	Cole II	Mississippi St.	6-1 ¾	213	4.52	rSR
17	Antoine	Brooks, Jr.	Maryland	5-10 ⅝	220	4.64	SR
18	Jared	Mayden	Alabama	5-11 ⅞	201	4.45	SR
19	Grayland	Arnold	Baylor	5-9 ⅛	186	4.59	JR
20	Jordan	Fuller	Ohio St.	6-1 ⅞	203	4.67	SR

2020 NFL Draft Safety Rankings

2020 NFL Draft Safety Rankings

draftcountdown.com

Would love to read this “draft expert‘s” write up on GRob, no doubt gurgling on his balls.

These yay-hoos swing and miss every bit as much if not more than our dedicated ROD draftniks, and they’re somehow getting paid, haha

 

[Florida_Ram]

He didn't do shit last game..

Fuller needs to get over the Brady draft comparisons celebrations and do his thing vs the Cardinals.

 

[CGI_Ram]

He didn't do shit last game..

Fuller needs to get over the Brady draft comparisons celebrations and do his thing vs the Cardinals.

 

[Memento]

He didn't do shit last game..

Fuller needs to get over the Brady draft comparisons celebrations and do his thing vs the Cardinals.

Blue font?

 

[Dz1]

This Young Man looks like the pick of the year,imho.

 

[BonifayRam]

Snead might have located close duplicate safety like the 6-2 203 safety Jordan Fuller in a 6-1 194lb safety J.R.Reed.

Rams have been test-driving JR Reed out now since SEP 9 2020 when the Rams signed Reed after he was cut by the Jags to the Practice Squad. On NOV 23 2020 Rams activated Reed to the master roster when Fuller was injured & shortly returned to the PS. The following week they did the same thing again bringing Reed back for action in the regular-season game.

Now they have done for the 3rd straight time where they have activated Reed for three straight weeks to now play against the Cards. Rams sure seem to be short on OLB/ILB/'ers but they have a large size group of DB safety types active. While waiting to see if safety Taylor Rapp might be able to return from a knee injury before the 2020 season concludes.

JJ III
Jordan Fuller rookie
Nick Scott
JuJu Huhges rookie
JR Reed rookie
Best Trait - Tackling
"J.R. Reed projects as a depth safety at the pro level. Reed's range isn't spectacular but he's a pretty reliable down hill alley defender in the run game. The more often you can get Reed worked into the box, the better he will shine — more of a traditional strong safety".
J.R. Reed S Georgia - Draft Player Profile | The Draft Network

Staley who does not have any reserve ILB'ers to both of his now starting ILB'er who were reserve ILB'er when the season started ......now seems to prefer to utilize "Box Type" safeties to fill in behind Lb'ers Reeder/Young at this time. Just maybe if the Rams can snag the last wild card spot Staley might get MLB'er Micah Kiser & SS Taylor Rapp back healthy for the playoffs!

 

[Reddog99]

As a guy who doesn't follow college football Fuller has been a pleasant surprise. The defense is on another level with him in there.