RD 2 | PICK 63 - @Chiefs: Willie Gay LB, Miss State
Gay (4.46 40 @ 243 lbs) made our NGS day 2 standouts list with elite athleticism (99 athleticism score) for a linebacker. Suspensions (8 total games) derailed his 2019 season and his production score took a hit (53).#NFLDraftpic.twitter.com/rCpEi7X6qT
A lot of comparisons to Derrick Johnson being made by pundits and I’m not sure that is entirely fair.
Chiefs fans need to be patient with this guy. Remember how DJ’s career started? Pretty lacklustre, but Todd Haley was the guy who figured out which buttons to push.
Gay has superior athletic traits and measurables which likely allow him to see the field sooner than later. My concern with him him is his relevant experience and football IQ. Only a six game starter with the Bulldogs and a recurring knock on him in scouting reports is his inconsistent gap discipline along with a tendency to overrun plays.
The character questions do not bother me here - I trust Reid/Veach vet these guys well. For the sake of the young man I hope the fanbase is patient (not many were patient with DJ), because there is some boom/bust here. I take solace in the fact that the Chiefs are coached extremely well, and Spags/House will get this guy up to speed. [Reply]
To say that Alabama tape is concerning is ridiculous. He's not always sure where to be early on but as the game progresses his confidence builds and the dude just kills it. I saw a forced fumble, multiple open tackles, two sacks, and a PICK, oh against the #1 team in America.
Originally Posted by gblowfish: I keep wondering if Speaks is ever going to amount to anything. It'll sure be good to get Thornhill back. That guy is money.
Doubt it...dude's a fat lazy pos who should've never been drafted by KC. [Reply]
Originally Posted by smithandrew051:
The subtitles on Facebook aren’t working very well. The video of our pick has Goodell saying “The Kansas City Chiefs select really gay linebacker.” Lol
So I watched some more tape on this guy last night and confirmed a lot of what's been said about this kid. Yes, he sometimes takes bad angles, and yes, he doesn't use his hands enough to shed blockers, yes, he tends to aim too high when tackling, and yes, he sometimes is a little hesitant to pull the trigger and attack the ball, or he's over-aggressive and overruns the play.
But nearly all of that is probably due to lack of game snaps. Because when you watch him play, you can see that his instincts are generally good. When he does pull the trigger, he slips through blockers well and explodes on the ball carrier. His coverage skills are basically NFL-ready; unusual for a college LB, especially with so little actual game experience. He has a feel for zone coverage, which isn't easy for most LBs even at the NFL level. And he wraps up well; none of that "I don't have arms so I'm going to hit you with my shoulder and hope you fall over" crap. Finally, I really like his recognition skills. He deciphers plays very quickly.
But what really pops is that glorious speed. When he decides to go to the ball, his acceleration is elite. And I'm pretty sure his change-of-direction is also at an elite level. He's a true sideline-to sideline LB. Give him a season under Coach Spags/Daly/House and I think he'll smooth off most of those rough edges. It's a shame he won't get the benefit of OTAs and training camp; I think this kid could really benefit more than any of our picks. Man, is this kid going to be great to watch.
Gay reminds me a little of Ray Lewis, to be honest. He tackles a lot like him. Was thinking last night that it would be really great if Suggs returned, just to take this kid under his wing and coach him up on hand-fighting techniques, footwork, shedding blocks, etc. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Chris Meck:
It seems like, and this may just be my perception based on a small sample size-but it seems to me that EVERY kid coming out of Mississippi State is raw and has discipline issues.
Like...it's an SEC school, so they attract good athletes, but don't particularly coach well or have a structured team environment.
They're always "inconsistent" and have some behavioral "red flags", or some fights, or positive drug tests or something. They're all "projects" who have great measurables but will need coaching to reach their potential.
Am I wrong? Does it just seem that way?
Last guy we drafted from Mississippi State turned out to be pretty good, last I checked. [Reply]
Originally Posted by L.A. Chieffan:
To say that Alabama tape is concerning is ridiculous. He's not always sure where to be early on but as the game progresses his confidence builds and the dude just kills it. I saw a forced fumble, multiple open tackles, two sacks, and a PICK, oh against the #1 team in America.
GTFOH bro
The pick was amazing. From an athleticism standpoint, that was a really tough grab. But also, his feel for coverage in that spot was really, really good. You just don't see many college LBs get themselves in the right spot to even have a chance at making a play right there most of the time. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Chris Meck:
It seems like, and this may just be my perception based on a small sample size-but it seems to me that EVERY kid coming out of Mississippi State is raw and has discipline issues.
Like...it's an SEC school, so they attract good athletes, but don't particularly coach well or have a structured team environment.
They're always "inconsistent" and have some behavioral "red flags", or some fights, or positive drug tests or something. They're all "projects" who have great measurables but will need coaching to reach their potential.
Am I wrong? Does it just seem that way?
If they were polished they would have been at Alabama and LSU. There's a reason why they were Bulldogs. [Reply]
Spags will have specific packages for this kid day 1, can’t WAIT to see a legit burner play backer... he can run with just about any back or tight end [Reply]
