WVSaint

With the size and speed of NFL wideouts constantly improving, tall corners who can run and leap are always at a greater premium each year. Willie Byrd is among the tallest corners available (6'3.1") and recently did a vertical jump of 41.5" at the Miles College Pro Day at Legion Field in Birmingham, AL. His pro agility numbers are excellent and you can see for yourself that the dude is ripped! The question marks all involve his productivity at tiny DII Miles College, where they don't even keep accurate stats, but we do know Willie picked off at least 3 passes early this past year and then was shunned by opposing QBs after that. He also picked off the first pass thrown his way at the 6th Annual East Coast Bowl in Petersburg, VA on 11-25-06. Certainly the workout numbers are there with this guy (see recent CDS news article.) He will need to be examined closely by teams to determine how well his skill set translates. He could possibly be moved to safety as well. We also know that Willie is a mature guy who has fought through adversity his whole life. No matter what, with the kind of package that Willie has--thanks in part to the hard work he has put in at Vitality Healthcare (www.ruvital.com) in Atlanta--he deserves a very hard look by NFL scouts...
----------------------------------------------------------------


I found that on another draft site, it seemed kind of interesting for a late pick. Does anyone know anything on this guy?

hagan714

6 ft. 2.9 in. Weight 197 lbs. Speed 4.49
Overview
Freakish corner size and agility for his size. Played well in the East Coast Bowl in Petersburg, VA (11/25/06) picking off a pass to thwart an early scoring attempt by the North squad. Played collegiately all over the place (William Penn, Garden City CC, North Dakota State and Miles College) due to a variety of factors mostly related to the birth of his daughter (Alexia, age 4) in April 2002, and academic issues.
Strengths
A player with great measurables who is just starting to come into his own. Reminds some people of Brandon Browner, but with better lateral agility and upside. A physical corner who makes it tough for an opponent to get cleanly off the line. Excels in press coverage. Good leaping ability. Decent hands. Miles College kept no stats, but we do know that Willie had 3 picks early on in '06, before the opposition began to avoid his side of the field. Solid character--wants to be a fireman if football doesn't work out for him. Mature. Willing to learn and work to improve. Great physique. Reportedly will do close to 20 reps at his pro day.
Weaknesses
All the issues you might expect with super tall corners are there, but not in the extreme. Level of competition issues will dog him, but his play at the ECB will help some. Has not played in a zone very much. May struggle with complex schemes.
Projection
Will be at the Miles College pro day at Legion Field on 2-16-07, and is currently working out at Klass Sports in Atlanta under Dr. Clayton Gibson. If he runs sub 4.5 at his pro day, and does well in all the other drills, he will definitely get a camp invitation, and could be drafted as early as the 6th round.

Could This Man be the best CB not at the Combine?
I was waiting till his pro day work out to bring him up. but you beat me to him.
if his pro day is good and the interview goes well i could see us picking him in the 5th as a CB/S. he does not need to know much about zone coverage with us just ask Fred.

hagan714

I have looked all over for his pro day results and have come blank.

hagan714

Tiny Miles College (DII) held the season's first pro day at Legion Field in Birmingham, AL today. CB Willie Byrd and DE Robin Gamble were the participants, and their times were taken by a scout for the Kansas City Chiefs. Byrd measured in at 6'3.1" and 197 pounds. He ran a 4.39 and 4.41 with the wind (8-12 mph cross wind) and a 4.56 against the wind. His best 10-yard time was 1.29. His other numbers were: 41.5" vj, 10'4" bj, 18 reps, 6.72 3-cone, 4.22 short shuttle.

DE Robin Gamble measure 6'5.5", 270. He ran a 4.74, 4.79 and 4.83. His other numbers were: 37.5" vj, 9'5" bj, 24 reps, 7.22 3-cone and 4.53 short shuttle.

Both guys will also participate in most drills at the Samford pro day on March 15th.

http://condraft.com/story.php?id=454

A DE You May not Have Seen...
I know Robin is not an offensive player, but we have such a backlog of fine defensive guys to show you, and so...Robin Gamble is one of the finest small school defensive ends in the nation. DII Miles College (Birmingham, AL) doesn't even keep stats, but Robin had three sacks in the two games we scouted and has very impressive raw numbers to back up his resume. He measured in at his pro day (on 2-16-07 at Legion Field) at 6'5.5," and 270 pounds. He ran 4.74, 4.78 and 4.83 in his three heats at forty yards (timed by an NFL scout for the K.C. Chiefs), did a 37.5" vertical, a 9'5" broad jump, and a very respectable 7.22 cone drill, and 4.63 short shuttle. He also did 24 reps and has 36" arms and 10.5" hands. He needs to be coached up, but already possesses a nice club move. He played LB some in college too, and could be looked at as an OLB. He also has pretty good hands and played TE in high school. Robin is a good kid and has worked really hard to attain what he has. He showed marked improvement in all areas since the end of the '06 season under the tutelage of Dr. Clayton Gibson of Atlanta. Robin will be working out again at the Samford pro day on March 15th.

"We may have lost the game, but you'll be hurting tomorrow." Doug Atkins

hagan714

Overview
One of biggest diamonds in the rough you will ever find. Plays DE and DT for a tiny program that handles their players more like a rec league than a college football team...i.e. everyone plays about the same amount of time, and they keep no stats. Thus, Robin does not have the verifiable proudction you would expect from a full time stud like he is.
Strengths
Tall and room to add bulk. Ideal size for a 3-4 DE. Extremely well-built. Looks like King Kong playing with toy soldiers at his level. Pretty good speed. Very GOOD kid who will do what you tell him to do, and wants it.
Weaknesses
Herky-jerky movements. Unsure of himself, as you might expect from the lack of reps. Does not take good angles. Hand fights way too long. Plays high. Is as raw as a live animal. Will need multiple reps on new concepts. Lacks great balance and change of direction. Speed is average.
Projection
Probably will go late, as the NFL is aware of him, though the average fan is not. He will need time to develop at the next level though, and must go to a patient organization willing to be richly rewarded down the road.
http://condraft.com/database/divisio...ble/index.html

He sound interesting