The Lesser Knowns: Part Four
After watching Twitter and the Internet since returning from Mobile, there is already a consensus of people’s opinions on the so-called best NFL Draft and fantasy prospects. Much of their talents get debated over and over. I want to take a few articles to discuss the “lesser known” for the lack of a better term. These are the players who have talent, but maybe play in smaller schools or are just less publicized than a Teddy Bridgewater, Carlos Hyde, Sammy Watkins, etc. Here are a few more of those players who might be valuable come rookie draft time:
Joe Don Duncan, TE Dixie State
Shout out to the @TheFFGhost for having me review this intriguing tight end prospect. It’s always extra fun to watch film while listening to fans scream “Go Dixie!” in the background. At 6′ 4′ 267 lbs., Duncan has the size to play in the NFL and definitely looked like a high school senior playing against freshmen. That aside, I am not totally convinced that it will be an easy transition to the pros for him. He is explosive, hurdles defenders and possesses soft hands. In the limited game tape I could find, he showed good balance, adjusts his body to poorly throw passes in tight coverage and tracked the ball well in the air. Duncan carried several players on his back fighting to get into the end zone at times and has good sideline awareness.
There are some issues with his play, though. Despite his size, Duncan is far from an accomplished blocker, so I would project him as a move or “joker” tight end. There did not seem to be much in route running experience or talent, so he could have a big learning curve in the NFL with the complexities of the game. Duncan is worth taking a flier on in premium tight end scoring leagues provided he gets drafted. I would draft him in the last round of your rookie drafts.
Josh Huff, WR Oregon
Huff was one of the wide receiver standouts at the Senior Bowl and was definitely worthy of more tape review. He is quite versatile as he lines up in the shotgun beside the quarterback, in the slot and split out wide. I recently reviewed his 2013 games against Texas, Tennessee and Oregon State. Huff does a great job catching the ball in stride out in front of him and at times looked a bit Percy Harvin-ish. He is dangerous out in open spaces and was explosive on bubble screens as he can break arm tackles in a hurry and dart down the sidelines. He adjusts to the ball midair, skies high to get to the pigskin, shows good balance and has the speed to get behind the defense.
Huff grabs the ball at its highest point, always using his hands to make the catch, not his body. He can start and stop quickly with his quick feet making over aggressive defensive backs miss. While he is only 5′ 10″ and 201 lbs., Huff is an athletic, muscular guy who can hurdle people, knock defenders off his body if they try to tackle too high and catches well in traffic. He works his way back to his quarterback when under pressure and finds a spot in the zone, who then sits down waiting for the ball.
Huff is also helpful in the running game as he can carry the ball in short yardage situations, although he did not look that comfortable doing so. He blocks well downfield, but would occasionally get too aggressive. If you watch any film of him, I would watch the fourth quarter of the Oregon State game. Huff made a crucial fourth and eleven play in the red zone for a touchdown to grab the lead and made a leaping touchdown grab with a defender draped all over him in the end zone with less than a minute left to seal the game. The talented junior wide outs will push his value down the board, but do not forget about Huff.
Terrance West, RB Towson
The entire draft community is buzzing around this guy. There are several people in the industry who think he is a top eight or better rookie running back talent. After watching three of his games: Eastern Illinois, Connecticut and James Madison, I saw various skills that should translate into the NFL, despite some issues. My first concern is a sizable one as he touched the ball almost 440 times this past season. Sure, he accounted for almost 2,800 yards and 42 touchdowns in 2013, but still had around 200 touches in his first two college seasons as well. His legs will not be as fresh as similar aged backs, but his nose for the end zone might be better. The other concerns are the level of competition he faced and he runs a bit too high at times exposing his body to more punishment.
West has a good blend of power and quickness. The back has quick feet, good balance, glides away from direct hits to his body and is willing to lower and square his shoulders and fight for tough yardage. He follows his blockers, sees the field well and uses jump cuts and spin moves to avoid defenders. West is a patient runner that takes the yardage that is there and is willing to pound away until he finds an opening. At that point, it is all over as he has an explosive step to daylight. He likes to run inside to outside instead of always trying to break outside like most backs. It’s that phone booth quickness that makes defenders look silly around him. If West needs to hurdle someone, he will do that too or just start and stop his feet quickly making the defender fly right past him.
His abilities in the passing game are less tested. West steps up to attack would be rushers and keeps his feet/balance while blocking, but he is not overly experienced there. He also lets the ball get into his body when he is trying to catch the ball. He does a good job of keeping track of where the quarterback is so he can stop blocking to be a pass target or cut a route short to come back to bail the signal caller out. West might not initially get the opportunity to be a three down back early in his career, but there is room for upside. Depending on what team takes him, West could be a viable second round rookie pick.
For further questions or comments, please contact me on twitter @AndrewMiley
