papz

ESPN analyst Adam Schefter reports that some NFL executives believe Houston DL Payton Turner could go in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Turner weighed in at 6-foot-6, 268 pounds with absurdly long 35 3/8" arms and did not run the 40-yard dash at his pro day workout. His 3-cone drill of 6.70 seconds ranked in the 99th percentile of historical NFL defensive ends. The Cougars' standout DE ran a 4.25 short shuttle (84th percentile), banged out 23 bench reps and posted a 36" vertical jump (76th), all exceptional marks. Turner earned a superb 90.0 pass rush grade in 2020 according to PFF, and it's easy to see why he was able to dominate so thoroughly in the AAC after seeing these stellar testing marks, posting 10.5 TFL and five sacks in just five games this year. Schefter cites Turner's character, Medicals and length as being some of the traits that have caught the eye of NFL decision makers. He is shaping up to be a second-round mock that could get pushed into the first if things break right.

SOURCE: Adam Schefter on Twitter
Apr 29, 2021, 4:47 PM ET


That was time stamped right before the draft. I guess it wasn't completely out of nowhere.

Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege.

All little common sense goes a long way.

ChrisXVI

A 6.70 3-cone time for a DE is insane.

WW_Who_Dat

The CB’s I think merited 1st round consideration were gone yet 28th pick and from story line the Saints tried to move up but were locked out. Some of the LB’ers they were looking at are still there in the second round. I follow Saints as close as anybody and I have to agree with AG all the sideline GM’s know is what PR colllegiate and statistics that form their opinions which interesting conversation but in the end you might not like the choices and moves but I trust Sean Mickey and Jeff .... I like this pick ... never heard of him just goes too show.

voodooido

Honestly surprised we didn’t trade up for a needed position. I don’t like the pick but they obviously went with the bpa on their board. I know we are “just fans” but everyone sees the glaring needs we have. I just hope they fill these needs Friday. Hopefully everyone is wrong

K Major

"If you listen to the fans, you'll be sitting up there with them." BUDDY RYAN

AsylumGuido

AsylumGuido

It takes two to Tango. You can't trade up if no one is willing to trade down. If you draft strictly for need you will likely pass up better talent.

saintfan

I would have traded up and gone CB - didn't work out. Not going to complain about going with DE tho. Games are still won (and lost) up front.

Boston Saint

After sleeping on things...it’s still a head scratcher. I see the arguments and I’m not as “upset” as I was last night. I could, and hopefully am, be shown wrong, but the players “value” was not near the 28th pick he was selected at. Even if he ends up being defensive rookie of the year, the question will always exist of the likelihood of him have been there around pick number 60 as most had him slated and who they did not take.

AsylumGuido

What gives you the idea that he would still be there at 60 or that he wasn't valued at 28? Something you read from others that really don't know either? These people that come up with these ranking do not have a whole staff that spends hundreds of hours researching these players. Nor do they have the opportunity to interview these players multiple times. According to Turner himself his agent told him to expect to be picked between 20 and 40 and that's just right where he went.

This is why I have always thought this pick prognostication business is meaningless. None of them have the access or the resources to fully know what they are doing and it simply results in the general public buying into their nonsense.

The only way to know a player's true draft value is to wait until he is drafted.

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” — Winston Churchill