Iggles Blog - Philadelphia Eagles Blog

Is DeSean Jackson Just Ted Ginn?

I had kind of an unsettling thought last night.  What if DeSean Jackon is really just Ted Ginn in a different college uniform?

I should explain.  For three years, I watched Ted Ginn play at Ohio State and I thought he was one of the most overrated players in college football.  Sure, he was fast.  You had to be careful kicking the ball to him.  But as a receiver, he didn't seem like anything special.

I know he kind of owned Michigan, but in three years against Penn State he accumulated a whopping seven catches for 78 yards and no touchdowns.  Great straight line speed, dangerous with the ball in his hands, but no route-running ability and easy to keep in check if you stayed disciplined.

In fact, last July I wrote this in my (yes, imaginary) mailbag:

Which rookie will have the biggest impact on the 2007 season? (Drew, Orlando)

... Keep an eye on Teddy Ginn though.  If there's one guy out there poised to change the way an entire fanbase thinks about its team, he's the one.  Or maybe he won't suck.  There's always a chance

So yeah, not a big fan.  Although I know not everyone agrees.  This Dolphins blogger has a good long post evaluating Ginn's rookie season.  (And it's worth reading that post if only to set realistic expectations about what NFL receivers are usually able to contribute in their rookie seasons.)  At least there's some room for optimism if you're a Miami fan -- although mostly because the team can't be any worse from this point forward so Ginn probably will have to have better numbers by default.   

But back to Jackson, take a look at the respective scouting reports coming out of college and tell me who's who:

Player #1

POSITIVES: Game-breaking skill player with home-run speed. Quick releasing off the line, has opponents playing back on their heels, and consistently stretches the field. Possesses a terrific burst of speed and runs to daylight if given the slightest space of open field.

NEGATIVES: Not big, and beaten out in physical battles. Easily brought down at the initial point of attack. Has trouble handling the jam.

ANALYSIS: A track and field sprinter who translates his natural speed onto the football field, [Player 1] is a vertical receiver who loosens up the defense. Must get stronger, but he's a game-breaking threat every time he steps onto the field.

And:

Player #2

POSITIVES: Game-breaking receiver with home run speed. Quick off the line, immediately gets to top speed, and possesses the second gear. Easily makes the difficult catch downfield running at full speed and not afraid to go up in a crowd for the reception. Shows excellent focus, looks the pass into his hands, and makes the reception away from his frame. Plays with good balance and body control and gets vertical to grab the high pass. Effectively positions himself and uses his frame to protect the ball. Extends and offers the quarterback a nice target. Adjusts to the errant throw and makes the reception in stride. Elusive handling the ball and can run to daylight if given the slightest bit of open space. Possesses soft hands and plucks the ball from the air.

NEGATIVES: Lacks the big frame and loses out in battles. Must be more disciplined running routes, as he tends to float out of breaks. Durability has been an issue the past two years.

ANALYSIS: [Player 2] is a tremendous athlete with rare speed and the ability to impact games in a variety of ways. He strikes fear in opponents and his ability to beat defenders downfield is highly respected. [Player 2] must physically mature and improve his playing strength, yet he should produce in a variety of ways at the next level.

Pretty similar, yeah?  And no, I didn't edit those other than to take out the names. 

...

I know the suspense is killing you ... so I'll tell you that #1 is Ginn and #2 is Jackson.

The good news is that Jackson's report talks more about how well he catches the ball.  That was a concern with Ginn coming out of college, but other than that, we're talking about the same guy.  Except that Ginn is an inch and a half taller, 10 pounds heavier and somewhat faster (according to their 40 times). 

Hmmm...

I guess the good news is that the Dolphins drafted Ginn at #9 and the Eagles took Jackson much, much later.  That's important.  On the other hand, I'm not convinced Ginn is ever going to be a #1 receiver in this league, so what does that mean for Jackson?

- - - - - -

Open discussion time: 

My brother watches more college football than I do.  When I sent this idea over to him, his response was: "I always thought Jackson was a more complete receiver than Ginn. It didn’t seem like he was just a track star. But I’ve only seen him play a couple times." 

What's the rest of Eagledom think?  Anyone out there feel like they watched enough of both guys in college to form a good opinion of the ways in which they're different?

For comparison, here's a good site with the college statistics of both Jackson and Ginn.

Eagles fans want to know.

Remember, He Gets Paid For This

Jason's angry, I'm just laughing.

Because the Eagles are the only team ever in the league that hasn't hit on 100 percent of its draft picks and you should be TOTALLY PISSED AS A FAN when fifth-round draft picks aren't quite good enough to make it in the NFL.

Pretty Slim Pickings

Not a great year to entice undrafted rookies to come take a shot at the roster.  Too many draft choices and too much depth already in place.

Golden's a good guy.  Team captain his senior year.  More background info here if you're interested.

Courageous Reporting

We won't even begin to know how good this draft is until training camp -- and the true story won't be told until we see what the Eagles do with that #1 draft pick next season -- but I do respect the opinion of Eagles fans worried that the team didn't make enough of an immediate offensive impact with their draft choices.  Obviously, I don't agree, but we'll see who's right soon enough.

What I don't respect are local writers who play to the worst impulses of the crowd by saying things like this:

Fans are debating whether the Eagles avoid drafting in the first round because of economics or simple wrong-headedness.

In other words, are they too cheap to pay first-round money to a guy they don't really love?

Or do they really think the holdovers from an 8-8 team are so good they cannot be replaced?

Or, hey, third option, because they could get the same guys they wanted while still picking up extra selections.  Inane, false dichotomy there.

But the lavish price the Panthers paid to get the Eagles' No. 19 pick on Saturday provided the Birds with a fig leaf of cover.

Or, rather than being a "fig leaf," it's what actually happened.  It's not like Shawn Andrews was sitting at #19.  And as I said before, I simply don't understand the anger over picking up two extra draft picks and deferring your first-round choice for a year when the guy you would have drafted wouldn't have played for at least a year anyway.

How they're gonna spin yesterday's fourth-rounder, though, is beyond me.

To quote colleague Bob Brookover, the Birds "took a cornerback (Wisconsin's Jack Ikegwuonu) with legal problems and a knee injury that won't allow him to play this year."

Spin that one!

The guy has "first-round" talent and majorly screwed up the last year of his life.  Cornerbacks are hard to find and so, much like Buffalo drafted the injured WIllis McGahee a few years ago as a development prospect, the Eagles used one of their three fourth-round picks on this guy.  It may or may not work out, given that all picks after the first couple rounds are a crap shoot, but that's kind of what you can do when you make trades with Carolina that get you a ton of picks.

Wow, that sure was tough to "spin!"

And no, I'm not linking to this jerk.  Screw giving him any traffic.

Trent Cole vs. Bryan Smith

Trent Cole
University of Cincinnati

Size at time of draft:
6-2 1/4 236 lbs
or
6-2, 257 lbs
Also this:
In 2002, Trent started nine games, including eight contests as a 227-pound defensive tackle

Size now:
6-3, 270 lbs

Measureables:
4.74 in the 40-yard dash (wind-aided)
4.86 in the 40-yard dash
35.5-inch vertical jump
10'2" broad jump
225 Lb. Bench Reps: 15
20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.22
3-Cone Drill: 6.98

Performance:
In 2004, he started every game at weak-side defensive end, again picking up All-Conference honors. He totaled 68 tackles (41 solos) as he led the team with 8.5 sacks and ranked fourth in the nation with 22 stops for losses.

- - -

Bryan Smith
McNeese State

Size at time of draft:
6-2, 228 lbs
or
6-3, 231 lbs

Measureables:

40 Yrd Dash: 4.74 and 4.65
Vertical Jump: 32.5" and 36.5"
Broad Jump: 10'00" and 09’09”
225 Lb. Bench Reps: 17
20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.40 and 4.31
3-Cone Drill: 7.22 and 7.20

Performance:
Three-year starter named Southland Defensive Player of the Year last season when he was also awarded All-American honors.  Finished the year with 60 (tackles) / 22.5 (tackles for loss) / 10.5 (sacks) lining up at defensive end.  Junior-year totals included 68/21/13.5.

- - -

Not saying he's the next Trent Cole, although the similarities are there.  Just saying that to knock the guy for his pre-NFL numbers seems a little shortsighted given the Trent Cole experience.

Video Links for All Eagles Draft Picks

Compilation of video links for all Eagles draft choices available here.

And So It Goes

Pissed off by the draft?  Think I'm nuts for being so pleased with the results?

This'll make you feel better.  You'll have to scroll way down ...

... to the bottom.

So, How'd We Do...

Let's start with a little housekeeping.  I posted a lot of stuff over the last two days, but if you weren't online to read it all at the time, here are a few pieces that were a little more in-depth/interesting:

• Thoughts after the first day
• DeSean Jackson punt return highlights
• Why they need depth on the defensive line
• Why they had to target special teams and defensive playmakers

And just to put those Spadaro rumors to rest, here's a look back at what I thought about last year's draft.

- - -

As for this year, I'm definitely pleased with how this draft went.  I think more Eagles fans would agree if they considered the following:

The Eagles didn't plan to trade out of the first round.  I think last year's draft was all about Kevin Kolb.  The Eagles knew they wanted him -- which was a big part of why they didn't keep Garcia, incidentally -- and their entire draft was about making that one pick.  This year's draft was different.  The Eagles definitely had some guys they were targeting in the first round.  We heard today that they tried to trade up for Branden Albert, but the teams ahead of them wanted a king's ransom for the selection.  We also heard before the draft that the Eagles were high on Chris Williams of Vanderbilt, but the Bears took him one pick before Albert went.

Once those guys were gone, there wasn't a truly game-changing player available at #19.  Absolutely there were guys who could have made an impact.  No question.  But with the possible exception of Kenny Phillips -- who would have been a reach at that point -- was there a single guy in the rest of the first round who could plausibly have started for the Eagles this year?  Take a look at the list.  I don't see a guy who would have been a starter in 2008.

This wasn't a good draft for first-round skill position talent.  It was a weak year at the top for everything but running back.  The QBs weren't stellar, the tight end position was soft and not one wide receiver was taken in the first round, for the first time in more than 15 years.  The Eagles' biggest need was for offensive home run hitters.  Other than running back, those guys weren't available in the first round.

- - -

So why all the whining about leaving the first round?  Is it really because people wanted to see the Eagles draft Jeff Otah?  Because that's what was coming if the Panthers hadn't made the Eagles an offer they couldn't refuse for that #19 pick.

I understand it's a little annoying having to wait until 2009 to spend that Carolina first-rounder, but how is that any different from drafting Otah and planting him on the bench for the next year (at least)?  Especially because the Eagles did not need another pipeline offensive tackle.

And especially especially because the Eagles got three picks out of that deal, including an '09 first-rounder that could look mighty juicy if the Panthers don't get that franchise turned around this season.

- - -

As for other avenues of possible criticism, what needs have the Eagles not addressed in free agency or the draft?  On paper, they've improved the pass rush and the secondary, dramatically enhanced the special teams, upgraded the fullback position, given McNabb another weapon at wide receiver and built depth along the offensive line.  With the trade for Lorenzo Booker, the Eagles seem to think they have added another pass-catching running back who can help in that part of the game, as well.

On the minus side, they did not acquire another red zone target, I'm not as over the moon on this linebacking corps as some folks are, and they failed to bring in / trade for any of the top-tier wide receivers they've been linked to over the past couple months. 

The good news on that front is that they still have Lito Sheppard available as a trade piece, along with two first-round choices for next year.  I've said all along that we should keep Lito and run out one hell of a secondary, but if he can be moved for Chad Johnson -- and note the Bengals drafted not one but two wide receivers in the first three rounds (and no cornerbacks) -- then I'm all for that, too.   

- - -

So now that we've wrapped up what the Eagles didn't do, let's talk about what they did.

Trevor Laws
Defensive tackle, Notre Dame

I wasn't crazy about this move at the time, because as I said above, my number one priority for this draft was one or more home run hitters for the offense and special teams.  But the Eagles proved they knew what they were doing when DeSean Jackson was still available two picks later. 

Laws is a Mike Patterson type of tackle who fits in well with the Eagles' system.  His statistics last year are almost a little hard to believe.  I read a few different places that he was a penetrating type tackle, which is also important, because neither Patterson nor Bunkley are great pass rushers right now.  If he can bring the pressure on passing situations, that's going to be a big help for a team who's "secret weapon" on passing downs last year was Darren Howard.

He also sounds like a very hard worker, which should mean he can avoid the Brodrick Bunkley rookie year "I can just show up and dominate" effect:

In two months, Trevor Laws has undergone a total-body overhaul worthy of a late-night infomercial.

Between lost body fat and increased weight, he has added about 30 pounds of lean muscle. He said he has bench-pressed 225 pounds, the NFL industry standard, 31 times. He sometimes works out three times a day, always eats five times a day...

"My body has changed immensely," Laws said. "I just changed the type of weight I had on. I put on muscle, but I also lost tons of body fat, so I got a lot more power, a lot more speed. I'm just feeling pretty good right now."

You can also see a highlight package of Laws on this page, including one play where he runs down Tony Hunt.

- - -

DeSean Jackson
Wide Receiver, Cal

Now this was a pick I loved right off the bat.  Jackson runs in the 4.3s and he was one of the nation's best collegiate punt returners.  Andy Reid made it clear he sees him as a long-term fit at the wide receiver position, but for the 2008 season his top contribution should be on special teams.

The Eagles' special teams have been mediocre to very bad the last few seasons.  Jackson won't solve all the problems, but combined with the free agent signings and a few other draft choices, this pick could take the Eagles' special teams from an area of weakness to an area of strength.

As for Jackson's negatives, yeah, he's kind of small.  Good thing they don't need to use him as an every-down player right away.  But imagine him in three years catching on-the-money crossing routes from Kevin Kolb and RACing his way down the field for big gains. 

This pick is a win-win:  immediate help on special teams, long-term answer at wide receiver.  As I said a couple days ago, if the Eagles had traded down to #25 and taken this guy then, I would have been happy.  Getting him in the second round is just gravy.

- - -

Bryan Smith
Defensive end, McNeese State

and

Andy Studebaker
Defensive End, Wheaton College

These guys are really similar.  Small school, undersized DEs with plus athletic ability.  Can either of them play football?  Yeah, evidently, since they were both dominant in college (at their level).  Will that translate to the NFL? 

Who knows.

What we do know is that these two selections -- along with the free agent signing of Chris Clemons -- have the potential to upgrade the Eagles's pass rush.  As a group, the defensive ends managed 22 sacks last year, but 12 of those came from Trent Cole.  Juqua Parker (nee Thomas) chipped in five, but only one came in the second half of the season after he was named the starter.  Reinforcements were needed and obtained.

- - -

Quintin Demps
Safety, UTEP

Four point three nine.  That's Demps' time in the 40-yard dash.  Compare that to Kenny Phillips who -- though bigger -- runs in the 4.5 range.

No, he didn't play in one of the premier conferences, but the guy just seems like the definition of a playmaker:

One of the elite pass thieves in college football, Demps' 17 interceptions were the most among active players in the NCAA in 2007 and rank second in Conference USA and school history. He is one of only seven players in college history to gain more than 400 yards (404) in returns on interceptions in a career, setting the league all-time record (331 yards in Conference USA competition).

The free safety has been a huge problem for not only opposing offensive coordinators, but also opposing special team coaches. In addition to his 17 interceptions, he ranks second in school annals with 24 pass deflections. He also ranks eighth in UTEP history with an average of 22.1 yards per kickoff return. Finding the end zone has become a fact of life for Demps, who scored on interceptions, kickoffs and fumble recoveries during his time with the Miners.

He also played cornerback his senior year, so we could see him on the field early in the dime package inside (if Lito gets traded) as well as on special teams, where he gives the Eagles another option as a returner.

The guy has his negatives, which you can read all about in that last link.  If he didn't, they wouldn't have gotten him in the fourth round.  But if he commits to his career and the coaches can refine the rough edges, there's a lot of potential here at a position where the Eagles have a looming need for help. 

- - -

Jack Ikegwuonu
Cornerback, Wisconsin

No idea on this one.  Despite some statements that he has "first-round talent," there are a lot of issues with this kid, including injuries and a legal entanglement.  Even more of a question mark than the usual draft pick, but he was a "freebie" as a compensatory pick and you can never have too many corners.  I like that he'll get a year of "book learnin'" to study the defense and maybe make a push in 2009.

- - -

Michael McGlynn
Offensive guard, Pittsburgh

and

Michael Gibson
Offensive guard, California

Two college tackles who project to guard in the NFL.  McGlynn also talked about being able to play at center.  Again, I know nothing about these players, but I do like three things about these picks:

1. They had the athletic ability to play tackle in major college programs, suggesting they'll be more than athletic enough for guard at this level.
2. Neither one came in the highest rounds at the expense of a DeSean Jackson-type playmaker.
3. The Eagles coaches have a great track record developing offensive linemen taken at this stage of the draft.

- - -

Joe Mays
Linebacker, North Dakota State

Forgot to mention this guy the first time through.  Undersized, small-school linebacker who will have to be a monster on special teams to stick around.

- - -

King Dunlap
Offensive Tackle, Auburn

The Eagles drafted an immense -- 6 feet, 8.5 inches -- big school tackle with their final pick.  Sounds like an enormous project to me.  If he flashes potential this summer, maybe he makes the practice squad.

- - -

Bottom line:
From top to bottom, and understanding that the two days also netted Lorenzo Booker and a 2009 first-rounder, that's a very solid haul.

Eagles Keep Drafting the Same Guy

McGlynn in the fourth and Gibson in the sixth -- both college tackles who project to guard at the NFL level.  Very similar measureables:  6'4", 311, 5.379  for McGlynn and 6'3", 305, 5.28 for Gibson.

On the other side of the ball, Smith and Studebaker are both small-school DE/OLBs whom the Eagles ostensibly see as pass rush specialists in the NFL.  Even though both seem like better fits as rush OLBs for 3-4 teams.  (Joe Mays is another small school OLB, but he sounds like more of a depth LB / STs type.)

Interesting.  No idea what it means.

And ... We're Done

Not much more one can say in real time at this point.  I'll be back at some point to do a final wrap-up, but we're done for now.