Big Blue Huddle

Quote from: bamagiantfan on April 04, 2024, 02:34:22 PMSo, I had heard during the last few months that there were some concerns about Odunze's ability to separate and that despite his size it could limit him in the NFL. A pre-draft comparison to another highly thought of receiver - Laquan Treadwell - was made. Does anyone have any concerns about that? I have seen plenty of highlights but have not seen Odunze play.

Treadwell boasted similar measurables.  Separation is about attitude - ability to win in a handfighting contest.  To evaluate Odunze in separation you have to know more about his personality then watch film.  Big guys dint automatically separate.

Quote from: bamagiantfan on April 04, 2024, 02:34:22 PMSo, I had heard during the last few months that there were some concerns about Odunze's ability to separate and that despite his size it could limit him in the NFL. A pre-draft comparison to another highly thought of receiver - Laquan Treadwell - was made. Does anyone have any concerns about that? I have seen plenty of highlights but have not seen Odunze play.

Treadwell ran a 4.64 sec 40

Odunze ran a 4.45 sec 40

I do not see the similarity.

Plus, on Reddit, someone posted the percentage of catches that are contested—a player with a high percentage of targets that were contested struggles to get open.  Here are the numbers for the top 3 WRs

Nabers- 23.6%
Odunze- 20%
MHJ- 23.6%

I think that because Odunze has an impressive 75% contested catch rate, some people mistakenly assume that he struggled to get open.

https://www.reddit.com/r/NFL_Draft/comments/1adyxq0/2024_draft_class_wrs_metrics/

Quote from: bamagiantfan on April 04, 2024, 02:34:22 PMSo, I had heard during the last few months that there were some concerns about Odunze's ability to separate and that despite his size it could limit him in the NFL. A pre-draft comparison to another highly thought of receiver - Laquan Treadwell - was made. Does anyone have any concerns about that? I have seen plenty of highlights but have not seen Odunze play.

I watched 4 games of his live.  Two of them were playoff games.  I didn't see anything that made me wonder if he could separate.  Now that's not all the games and when you are watching live its not like they show you the receiver that didn't get the ball, so there could be issues. 

In addition all of his measurables at the combine, including the 3-cone drill point to NFL level quickness and burst. 
Compared to all the WRs that participated at the combine here is where he performed:

- Tied for 4th best 10 yard split 1.52 secs (best was 1.49)
- Tied for 11th in vertical jump with 39" (best was 42.5)
- Tied for 17 in the broad jump with 10'4" (best was 11'4", Tied with Ladd McConkey)
- 4th in 3-cone drill with a 6.88 (best was 6.64)

I think I saw on tape the ability to separate, and the combine showed some consistency with that.

Quote from: bamagiantfan on April 04, 2024, 02:34:22 PMSo, I had heard during the last few months that there were some concerns about Odunze's ability to separate and that despite his size it could limit him in the NFL. A pre-draft comparison to another highly thought of receiver - Laquan Treadwell - was made. Does anyone have any concerns about that? I have seen plenty of highlights but have not seen Odunze play.

Quote from: uconnjack8 on April 04, 2024, 09:46:01 AMI love Odunze, but this regime seems to love smaller quicker WRs.  Odunze would have had a great career in a Coughlin-Gilbride offense.

Maybe its time for a change then. cause it aint working.

Quote from: bamagiantfan on April 04, 2024, 02:34:22 PMSo, I had heard during the last few months that there were some concerns about Odunze's ability to separate and that despite his size it could limit him in the NFL. A pre-draft comparison to another highly thought of receiver - Laquan Treadwell - was made. Does anyone have any concerns about that? I have seen plenty of highlights but have not seen Odunze play.

I have seen him play, and have no such concern. I can imagine it as a smokescreen rather than as a fire.

In any case, in 15 games last season he had 92 Receptions for 1640 Yards 17.8 Av with 13 TDs including the National Championship Semi-final against UT where he caught 6 for 125 Yds with a Long of 52, and in the Championship against Michigan's vaunted Defense, he caught 5 for 87 with a Long of 44. Those numbers don't suggest a separation problem- not to me, anyway.
 
Cheers!

I do have some concerns about Odunze's separation if Daniel Jones is the QB because he will hardly ever see the ball. I don't have to tell most of you here that he's a possession Receiver with flypaper hands. If a Corner was on his hip, he was open. He has short arms, so his horizontal radius is not what his vertical is. He does run crisp underneath routes and gets open along the sidelines well. under 20 yards, he finds a way to get open, especially in Zone coverage that he reads well. He's going to be that YAC Guy who makes the tough catches in big situations. The best match for him would be a QB who isn't afraid to drill in it tight windows. Penix was that guy. 

Quote from: Painter on April 04, 2024, 03:20:59 PMI have seen him play, and have no such concern. I can imagine it as a smokescreen rather than as a fire.

In any case, in 15 games last season he had 92 Receptions for 1640 Yards 17.8 Av with 13 TDs including the National Championship Semi-final against UT where he caught 6 for 125 Yds with a Long of 52, and in the Championship against Michigan's vaunted Defense, he caught 5 for 87 with a Long of 44. Those numbers don't suggest a separation problem- not to me, anyway.
 
Cheers!

He had one long catch for something like 40 yards but he was held quiet for everything else with 4 catches for 40 yards.  He didnt dominate at all in the championship game.

Quote from: Philosophers on April 04, 2024, 03:56:00 PMHe had one long catch for something like 40 yards but he was held quiet for everything else with 4 catches for 40 yards.  He didnt dominate at all in the championship game.

Rome was open several times, Penix just didn't see him.

Is Odunze faster than Bowers. To my untrained eye, on the field, Bowers seemed faster. I'm probably wrong because Bowers is probably 20 lbs. heavier.

Thanks Ed. He seems to chew up zones but against man I can see where the concerns are coming from. Still, he looks like a beast after he gets the ball.

Quote from: bamagiantfan on April 04, 2024, 04:38:28 PM

Thanks Ed. He seems to chew up zones but against man I can see where the concerns are coming from. Still, he looks like a beast after he gets the ball.

Yes, he is a beast after catch. Kind of like a smaller version of a TE. I'm wondering if he could additionally function as an H-Back or utilized as the Niners use Deebo in some sets. I would think he would be very effective in Routes out of the Backfield or Set Back and in a Pitch Out. I think JJ, Daniels or Drake would be a great combination with him. Especially JJ and Daniels. 

I wonder if those "concerns" were being expressed by team(s) hoping he'd drop to them?

Quote from: Ed Vette on April 04, 2024, 04:49:36 PMYes, he is a beast after catch. Kind of like a smaller version of a TE. I'm wondering if he could additionally function as an H-Back or utilized as the Niners use Deebo in some sets. I would think he would be very effective in Routes out of the Backfield or Set Back and in a Pitch Out. I think JJ, Daniels or Drake would be a great combination with him. Especially JJ and Daniels. 

He has to have a viable QB to throw to him. So drafting Odunze is nice but means little in terms of winning games until he is paired with a QB with skills.

Brian Thomas is best of Nabers and Odunze.  Fast and twitchy like Nabers and big like Odunze.  Just needs more seasoning