The Next Generation of Superstars!
Posted by Steve O'Reilly on November 18, 2009 · 9 Comments
In this segment we will take a look at who we think will be the next superstar at each offensive skill position. The criteria is simple, the player has to be in the league for 2 years or less. As we know, learning to play the NFL game is difficult. Athletes who were able to do things in college are not able to do those same things in the pros. They have to master the little things, use proper technique, hard work and decipline to become a Superstar. Looking for all those qualities plus talent is a chore but here is what we came up with.
OFFENSE
He wasn't taken high in the draft for no reason
QB – Matt Ryan – The Boston College QB came into the league like a house of fire. He was taken by the Atlanta Falcons 3rd overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. After a Rookie season that saw the Falcons go 11-5 that earned them a Wildcard birth, Matt Ryan seems poised to take the next level. He has the tools…accurate, strong arm, mobile, etc. The one thing that sticks out to me with Matt is his intellegence. On the famous “Wonderlic” exam, Matt scored a whopping 32 which tied Brian Brohm for the highest score for a QB that year. The one thing that impresses me the most when I watch Ryan is his presence. He knows what is going on. He is a master of film study, he understands defenses and what they are trying to do and he knows more importantly not to force the issue. Numerous times when Ryan has no play, instead of forcing a throw he simply throws it out of bounds. That avoids a sack, a turnover or possibly points for the other team. Paired with a young Roddy White and Michael Turner the Falcons have a nice nucleus to build off of and Matt Ryan is headed in the right the direction.
HONORABLE MENTIONS – Matt Stafford, Joe Flacco, Mark Sanchez
Catch me if you can!
RB – Chris Johnson – It’s easy to say that Chris Johnson is having his breakout season this year, in his 2nd year in the NFL. The young man out of East Carolina is straight up a baller. His 4.2 speed makes him a weapon to take it to the house on every play. He is a dual threat in the passing game as well having already had game with over 100 yards on the ground and over 100 yards in the air. Anytime that you can get a guy that you have to focus on corralling due to his speed that opens the door for other things to happen. The LB’s and Safeties will bite on Playaction everytime with Johnson in the backfield. In his rookie campaign in 2008, Johnson made the Pro Bowl after rushing for 1228 Yards in 15 games. So far in 2009, Chris has 1091 yards in only 9 games. With the type of speed and ability this young man has, a 2000 yard season is definitely not out of the question and it may come as soon as this year! The Titans are a good fit for Johnson as they like to run the football. Paired up with Lendale White, the Titans have a nice 1-2 punch with Johnson being the homerun threat. His future is probably the brightest out of everyone we mention today…he is that good!
HONORABLE MENTION – Knowshon Moreno,Ray Rice, LeSean McCoy,
He makes Vikings fan smile alot too!
WR – Percy Harvin – There is something about this young man that is special. He plays the game of football very hard. He is tough to bring down, he finishes out every play, he runs great routes and oh yeah…he can fly! Harvin was one of the most dangerous WR’s in college last year playing for the National Champion Florida Gators. Many people in the scouting industry were not 100% sold that Harvin would translate as a pure Wide Out in the NFL. Back in his collegiate days, he was lined up all over the place. He was a Running Back, a Wide Out and even a QB in the Wildcat. The one thing that everyone could agree on is that Harvin is dangerous with the ball in his hands. So far in his rookie campaign, Harvin has showed that he is very capable to play Receiver in the NFL. He has electric ability on Kick and Punt Returns and is 2nd in the NFL in All Purpose yards with 1357. He has 2 return TD’s but here is the stat that is the most eye popping – 19.7 yards per touch! Ranked number 1 in the NFL! That is Superstar material and if Harvin keeps workin hard and learning the nuances of the NFL, he will be the next big thing at WR! HONORABLE MENTION – Desean Jackson, Eddie Royal, Michael Crabtree, Kenny Britt
Better get used to hearing his name!
TE – John Carlson – The Tight End out of Notre Dame has been catching our attention. He has the tools to be an impact player at the TE position. Carlson has caught 34 balls for 403 yards and 3 TD’s this year with the Hawks but it’s all the little things that he does well that have him poised for greatness. He looks like a hybrid Wide Receiver, at 6-5 he offers a big target. He isn’t blazing fast, he ran a 4.85 at the combine nor is overly ellusive. He does however play smart football and he knows how to find the open spot in the zone and “sit down” in it and give the QB a big target to throw to. The Seahawks consistantly face bad weather and in those games a big Tight End offers a great weapon in the short passing game. He hasn’t scratched the surface yet as a big play TE like Vernon Davis or Antonio Gates have proven to be but his reliability should make him one of the best Tight Ends in the business as the years unwind.
HONORABLE MENTION – Brandon Pettigrew, Dustin Keller, Martellus Bennett,
Been handling the best since Day 1!
Left Tackle – Ryan Clady – There are only a few Left Tackles with the skills that Ryan Clady has. His feet, his size and his strength set him apart from the rest. Clady went his entire rookie campaign without allowing a full sack. He went the first 4 games without allowing one this year as well and that was an NFL record. Clady has all the skills to be elite if he isn’t already. His quiet and humble demeanor are hardly what you would expect from a man who is 6-6 and 325 pounds. The Left Tackle position is one that is extremely important in the NFL as it protects the blind side of the QB, the Denver Broncos have a staple on their line that should be a rock for many years to come. Any time a rookie Left Tackle can come into league and allow only .5 sacks in 20 games, he is special!
Honorable Mention – Jake Long, Michael Orr, Jason Smith
These players all have one main thing in common beside natural ability and that is work ethic. I have always maintained that in a pool of talented men it’s the ones who work the hardest that seperate themselves. If you want to be the best, you have to work harder than the rest! Check back with us as we will be doing “The Next Generation of Superstars” for the defensive players!
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Matt Ryan…and no Joe Flacco? Come on guys!
okay I take that back! I missed the honorable mentions part! lol
Michelle, you sure do love your Ravens! I saw the picture of you getting autographs when you just a little one…so I know it runs deep!
The reason that I went with Ryan is that he makes such good decisions and he has a good supporting cast to grow with over the next 7-9 years. The only part of the cog right now that won’t be around is Tony Gonzalez but to work with Roddy White and Michael Turner will make them a contender every year.
While I really like Flacco, the old school traditions of the Northeast is still evident in some squads like Baltimore…they run the ball and play smashmouth football but, if they get a Wide Out who can really stretch the field, that may change!
Henne doesnt get honorable mention…Sanchez over Henne…CMON MAN!!!!!!!!!!
As long as Henne is in Miami and Parcells is there too the Dolphins will be run first team. Mark Sanchez has all the tools to be great. He is a rookie and has made rookie mistakes, that we will admit, but he has also shown enough to warrant the mention. Teams didn’t move up in the first round to take him if they didn’t also see the potential to be great!
I couldnt resist sharing this…
Sophomore Slumps
In his first eight games, Joe Flacco threw for 12 touchdowns. In his last two games, Flacco hasn’t notched a single touchdown, but has thrown two interceptions.
Flacco’s two-game slump is nothing compared to his fellow 2008 first-round draft selection, quarterback Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons. Halfway into his sophomore season, Ryan is suddenly playing like a freshman, says Nate Davis of USA Today.
“Second-year quarterbacks are expected to struggle in the NFL,” Davis said. “However Ryan, who won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2008 while helping the Atlanta Falcons to 11 wins and an unexpected playoff berth, seems to be slightly regressing instead of progressing as he battles to get over the performance bar he raised with his stellar first-year play.”
Ryan, who owns a 5-4 record, has been picked off 11 times in his last six games, which matches his total for the entire 2008 campaign. With 12 interceptions in 2009, Ryan is tied for third-most in the league with rookies Mark Sanchez and Matthew Stafford.
What you are saying is absolutely true however, as teams see more film and breakdown what you do well and not so well it gets harder. The Falcons have added more passing weapons and therefor pass more often. The more you throw the more opt you are to turn the ball over. We are projecting more of what these players will look like in the future and Matt Ryan is extremely smart and a very hard worker…not that Flacco isn’t but Ryan has the presence that all great ones have. He makes good decisions and the INT’s don’t bother me that much.
I mayyyyyy be a bit bias but I just think Flacco gets overlooked a lot in all of Matt Ryan’s rookie glory. Flacco made the AFC championship game in his rookie year, further than Ryan made it in the play offs but you wouldn’t know that the way ESPN and another media outlets talk him up. I guess I look at it as look what Flacco has done without all the weapons that Ryan has at his disposal. I just want to see 2nd year Flacco against the Steelers next week, as opposed to rookie year Flacco. I’m anxious for that comparison.
Comparisons like that are exactly fair though. Ryan didn’t have Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs on his defense either! Flacco is a good young QB, no doubt about it but Ryan has Roddy White and Michael Turner to grow with and that was a major factor as to why he got the nod!