I have been spending time in recent days watching the top prospects and the more I have watched Ohio St. LB Sonny Styles, the more impressed I became. So much so that yesterday morning, I tweeted this:
The top three perfect fits for the Cardinals' who bring the most consistently relentless effort, tough as nails tackling and outstanding production.
1. Rueben Bain Jr., ED, The U
2. Caleb Downs, S, Ohio St.
3. Sonny Styles, ILB, Ohio St.
This was before anyone saw this:
If there ever was a 10.0 RAS, this one by Sonny Styles takes the cake.
I based my morning tweet on game film evals with regard to the consistent quality of play. That's where Rueben Bain. Caleb Downs and Sonny Styles have been popping out and separating themselves from others.
So, as I often like to do this time of year, I wanted to test my evals with nfl.com's Lance Zierlein, whom I consider the most comprehensive and fair-minded judge of NFL talent. Lo and behold, this is what I found:
Fascinating: http://nfl.com/NextGenStats' Highest Ranked Total Scores with Player Comps:
1. 92 - Jeremiyah Love, RB1, ND - Jahmyr Gibbs
2. 87 - Sonny Styles, LB1, OSU - Fred Warner
3. 86 - Fernando Mendoza, QB1, IU - Joe Burrow
4T. 84 - Reuben Bain, ED1, The U - Brandon Graham
4T. 84 - Caleb Downs, S1, OSU - Jalen Pitre
6. 83 - David Bailey, ED2, TTU - Nik Bonitto
7T. 82 - Arvell Reese, ED3, OSU - n/a
7T. 82 - Spencer Fano, T1, UTA, Brian O'Neill
9. 77 - Francis Mauigoa, T2, The U, Taliese Fuaga
The Cardinals should hopefully learn from their trade down from pick #3 mistake in 2023 to "stick and pick" this time. The pick at #3 is a home run with any of the top 5 on this list: Love, Styles, Mendoza, Bain and Downs all #1 ranked at their positions and are instant plug and play ballers.
Cards could be stylin with Styles. If MO trades down from the 3rd pick—after already botching prior drafts by passing on elite, franchise-level talent—it’ll just be more of the same short-sighted asset shuffling instead of actually securing a difference-maker.
I give Baines a slightly higher grade than Bailey. He's a littl better versus the run. Wahim.s hoping Styles would slip to tge second round so we would have a shot at him. He reminded me of Daryl Washington...real fluid athlete
The goal-line tackle Styles makes @ 1:55 in his highlight video took some serious strength. I can't believe he started off playing safety for the Buckeyes with that frame of his.
Is anyone keeping score in the final act of the Kyler Murray saga? He’s got all the leverage, a giant bag secured, and the “brain trust” has an even less than no chance to trade him somewhere as bad as this franchise. Murray’s camp is spinning a narrative that neatly removes his future from the Cardinals’ hands altogether. Masterclass stuff, really.
Walter B J Mitchell @WBJMItch · Feb 26 If this was not the game of football and was a poker game instead, Kyler Murray has cleaned up by millions over the "Team President." He's hedged every bet and pulled off every bluff. 💰💰💰 No studying clause needed.
His brother Lorenzo ran the fastest 40 of all DBs and the fastest 40 run by a safety since they've been tracking it (2003). Talk about an athletic pair of brothers.
Clayton Tune: The Fateful Path of an NFL Legacy by Walter Mitchell photo: @azcardinals.com via Instagram During the second night of the 2023 NFL Draft, Clayton Tune received a call from the Green Bay Packers. The Packers wanted to assure Clayton of their interest in drafting the University of Houston quarterback at some point on day three. When the Arizona Cardinals selected Clayton Tune with the #139 pick a day later, he was surprised, given that the Cardinals had not expressed any significant interest in him during the pre-draft process. The Cardinals were not one of the six teams that brought him in for 30 visits (Texans, Saints, Browns, Steelers, Bucs, Giants). Tune had also been given a private workout by the Rams. The eventual link the Cardinals had to Clayton Tune was that Israel Woolfork was one of his coaches at the Senior Bowl. At that time, Woolfork had just finished his second year of a Bill Walsh/Bill Willis coaching fellowship with the Cleveland Browns. A...
Drew Petzing Deserves More Praise Than Derision image courtesy of @azcardinals.com By Walter Mitchell On X yesterday, there was this chance for Cardinals' fans to grade Jonathan Gannon, Drew Petzing and Nick Rallis thanks to @BirdmanofAZ. Bird Droppings @BirdmanofAZ Bye week report card.......coaching staff Jonathan Gannon ________ Drew Petzing ________ Nick Rallis ________ Here are the average results thus far of the fans' grades: Jonathan Gannon: D Drew Petzing: F Nick Rallis: C Why is it that Drew Petzing has drawn such abject scorn from Cardinals' fans? Going back to last year, the PHNX Cardinals media site has been waging a daily campaign to see Drew Petzing get fired, that is if he can't coach up a weekly magical connection between Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. This season, in light of Kyler Murray's inconsistencies and Marvin Harriso...
Was Will Johnson's Red and White Interception Staged? by Walter Mitchell photo thanks to Tyler Drake at Arizona Sports Cardinals' 2nd round pick, CB Will Johnson of Michigan, is off to a fabulous start just 10 days into training camp. Will Johnson has come to the Cardinals just as advertised. He is a keenly instinctive zone cover corner who reads his man and the QB extremely well, which enables him to jump routes and make timely pass breakups and interceptions. In man coverage, he lacks the requisite recovery speed to stay sticky on speedy receivers. But that's ok, as long as the coaches match him up with receivers whom he can run stride for stride with. We have yet to see whether the 2024 concerns about Will Johnson's tackling, which may have been due to injuries. With him presumably taking over Sean Murphy-Bunting's starting role, the coaches will have to hope that he tackles way better than SMB (29.4 2024 PFF tackling grade). If you look at Will's 2023 ga...
I am still in favor of Bain/Bailey at #3 - After so many failed ILB drafts I am wary of using yet another 1st round pick on ILB.
ReplyDeleteOn another track - how 'bout those NFLPA grades Cardinal fans? Bidwill rising the ranks!!!
He'll fix that, just give him time to sink back to the very bottom. It's where he's happiest and most fulfilled
Delete...and, it has always been this way. Players have to overcome ownership! Take it from HOF players who have interacted with Bidwills'.
Deletehttps://www.si.com/nfl/cardinals/onsi/news/hall-fame-wr-slams-arizona-cardinals-michael-bidwill
Cards could be stylin with Styles. If MO trades down from the 3rd pick—after already botching prior drafts by passing on elite, franchise-level talent—it’ll just be more of the same short-sighted asset shuffling instead of actually securing a difference-maker.
ReplyDeleteAnother trade down - please NO! take BPA #3 no frills, no muss, no drama, no Bidwill effect.
ReplyDeleteI give Baines a slightly higher grade than Bailey. He's a littl better versus the run. Wahim.s hoping Styles would slip to tge second round so we would have a shot at him. He reminded me of Daryl Washington...real fluid athlete
ReplyDeleteI was thinking the same thing on the D-Wash comparison.
DeleteThe goal-line tackle Styles makes @ 1:55 in his highlight video took some serious strength. I can't believe he started off playing safety for the Buckeyes with that frame of his.
ReplyDeleteTremendous play by Sonny!
DeleteIs anyone keeping score in the final act of the Kyler Murray saga? He’s got all the leverage, a giant bag secured, and the “brain trust” has an even less than no chance to trade him somewhere as bad as this franchise.
ReplyDeleteMurray’s camp is spinning a narrative that neatly removes his future from the Cardinals’ hands altogether. Masterclass stuff, really.
DeleteWalter B J Mitchell
@WBJMItch
·
Feb 26
If this was not the game of football and was a poker game instead, Kyler Murray has cleaned up by millions over the "Team President." He's hedged every bet and pulled off every bluff. 💰💰💰 No studying clause needed.
His brother Lorenzo ran the fastest 40 of all DBs and the fastest 40 run by a safety since they've been tracking it (2003). Talk about an athletic pair of brothers.
ReplyDeleteThose boys be Stylin"!
Delete