Bold Prediction: Vontaze Burfict Goes Undrafted

[JHL6719]

Originally Posted by Scotty D

Come on...you can't blame one player for the play of a whole defensive unit. I'm not even trying to defend Burfict but you can't judge prospects like that.

I'm not blaming the entire defensive unit on Burfict. I'm trying to get the point across that he's not a player that can legitimately bring "toughness" into a defensive unit. That is precisely the myth that a large part of his hype was based on to begin with.

When you watch him play and disregard the stupid penalties, you see a very undisciplined and mediocre college linebacker.

Now that he's tested like the slug that he is, when you project his lack of speed and athletic ability to the NFL where players are bigger, faster, and smarter than the one's he couldn't dominate in college... well...

...you have an extremely average prospect who's lack of athletic upside isn't even enough to off-set the tremendous amount of risk.


Ozzie Newsome won't touch him. He'll grab a guy like Hightower from his alma mater and get not only a better kid who's coachable, but also a better player.

[holt_bruce81]

It's not an overreaction to te 40-time.

The 40-time just adds on to a long list of crap that people have found out since his Sophomore year of college.

Undeciplined, Character concerns, runs around blocks, horrible instincts, takes plays off, Rumored to have done bad in his interviews......And now you find out he's ******* slower than Matt Kalil.

[Complex]

Originally Posted by JHL6719

Burfict was never the player that his hype indicated. In fact, most of the hype surrounding Burfict came from his fanboys... that's it. Just like it did for Rey Maualuga.

All that nonsense about being a "feared" defender... "he's the guy that can make a defense feared", etc.

LOL.. since when was Arizona St.'s defense feared?


There are no feared defenses outside of the SEC. You want to see what a feared defense looks like? Look at the one Dont'a Hightower led.

Arizona St.'s defense is soft as drug store cotton... just like the overrated Vontaze Burfict. All you have to do is tell him that to his face and you'll get a free 15 yards on top of it.

Yeah cause it was Dont'a Hightower that made Alabama defense one of the most feared defenses last season. It wasn't all those 5 star and 4 star recruits that played with him.

[JHL6719]

Originally Posted by Complex

Yeah cause it was Dont'a Hightower that made Alabama defense one of the most feared defenses last season. It wasn't all those 5 star and 4 star recruits that played with him.

I think you may have misunderstood me. Let me clarify:


Hightower was a LEADER on a truly feared, and elite defense. One of the best defenses college football has seen in decades.

The linebacker position is one that requires LEADERSHIP, and football IQ due to it's nature. Hightower's versatility is also what allowed Bama's defense to be so multiple in it's personnel. He would drop down and play DE in certain packages... putting pressure on quarterbacks playing with his hand in the dirt.

Burfict displays ZERO leadership. The coach that said Burfict was the face of Arizona St.'s problems and underachieving ways knows what he's talking about.

The times when they needed a guy like Burfict to step up and show it the most, he was nowhere to be found. Instead, he was usually the one responsible for hurting the team with his stupidity.

[Caulibflower]

4:18.

[Flaming Mo]

Originally Posted by Complex

Against Georgia, I think it was Freshman year you could tell he was going to be good after that game. Then this year happen lol but I still like him and this thread is a overreaction.

I hope the Raven draft him or one of the Ryans.

The problem is he was a different player then physically. He atleast gained 10-15 lbs of bad weight which robbed him of some of his speed and athletisism.

[Don Vito]

Originally Posted by Caulibflower

4:18.

I went to 4:00 so I wouldn't miss it. I saw the **** at 4:02 and I stopped watching.

[Caulibflower]

Originally Posted by Don Vito

I went to 4:00 so I wouldn't miss it. I saw the **** at 4:02 and I stopped watching.

I don't really understand why some people completely write off a prospect because he makes mistakes in college. The positives of his game, his upside, is pretty special.

[metafour]

Originally Posted by Caulibflower

The positives of his game, his upside, is pretty special.

What is the positive of his game? The fact that he makes a "big hit" 1 in 10 times when he just so happens to be in the right place at the right time? The guy's entire hype came off of big hits because thats all you saw in highlight reels...what people failed to see is the stupid amount of times he was nowhere to be found because he just aimlessly runs around the field.

Evaluators are going to crush a kid that doesn't even seem to be able to play within a set scheme.

[Prowler]

To sum this up for people

Reasons for going undrafted:

1. 17 personal fouls in 35 games.

2.

Originally Posted by Vontaze Burfict

“I could've played better. That's what hurt me at times. The coaches kind of messed me up. I didn't know if I would start a game or be benched. It hurt me, but I tried to fight through it.”

3. Outlandishly bad combine performance
a) 5.09 40 time- I'd rather have Poe as my MLB.
b) 30" Vertical Jump??? middle school girls are better than that, I am better.
c) Failed to make the top 15 in any category....

4. He's had academic issues.

5. Undisciplined on the field.

Reasons to like him
1) "Physical freak"
2) 5 star recruit coming out of HS
3) He "reminds people of Ray Lewis"

I'm going to go with potential 6th-7th round pick because a team might want exclusive rights to him for training camp, but he's absolutely nothing as a prospect right now.

[JoeJoeBrown]

Not even on browns draft board.

He is a turd.

Updating a previous item, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the Browns have "zero interest" in Arizona State LB Vontaze Burfict.
We'd wager heavily that Burfict isn't even on Cleveland's draft board. Burfict isn't a good football player, and his litany of character concerns will most likely knock him out of the draft. He's this year's version of Adarius Bowman. Apr 11 - 8:07 PM

[P-L]

What may have seen like a bold prediction two months ago, doesn't seem so bold now. Once you cut through the hype, there is very little substance to Burfict's game. His junior year film is pretty bad and even when you go back to his sophomore year film, that isn't all that much better. He's a late round pick, at best, without the character issues. Add those in, and he wouldn't even be on my draft board.

[Monomach]

Originally Posted by Caulibflower

4:18.

That is some horrible game tape there. I was laughing after the first minute.

Not sure why I'm supposed to be impressed at 4:18. He never moved when the ball was snapped and the back ran straight at him. Yay. He got a stop.

[killxswitch]

So is his bad attitude the only thing that got him any hype? People thought because he seems a little unhinged he is automatically a good player?

He's not a physical freak. He has always looked soft and kind of chubby to me. He's clearly not fast. His tape shows bad instincts. He can deliver a hit, if he finds himself in the right position. His attitude is absolutely awful and hurts his team. This doesn't seem like a good player at all. How was he ever considered a top 15 pick?

[SolidGold]

Originally Posted by killxswitch

So is his bad attitude the only thing that got him any hype? People thought because he seems a little unhinged he is automatically a good player?

He's not a physical freak. He has always looked soft and kind of chubby to me. He's clearly not fast. His tape shows bad instincts. He can deliver a hit, if he finds himself in the right position. His attitude is absolutely awful and hurts his team. This doesn't seem like a good player at all. How was he ever considered a top 15 pick?

I think people thought he had a cool name and thought it was cool to shorten it to 'Taze when talking about him on internet message boards. It's been a fairly unprecedented fall for a prospect who had so much hype and was considered a potential first round pick at the end of the 2011 season.

[eaglesalltheway]

Originally Posted by killxswitch

So is his bad attitude the only thing that got him any hype? People thought because he seems a little unhinged he is automatically a good player?

He's not a physical freak. He has always looked soft and kind of chubby to me. He's clearly not fast. His tape shows bad instincts. He can deliver a hit, if he finds himself in the right position. His attitude is absolutely awful and hurts his team. This doesn't seem like a good player at all. How was he ever considered a top 15 pick?

Terrible instincts, that's what is really going to hurt his draft stock. I'm sure if everything about him stayed the same (lack of athletecism, character concerns, etc...) stayed the same, but he had good instincts, he could easily be looking at a mid-round pick, maybe even a third rounder. Plenty of less athletic LBs get drafted in that range that have good instincts and football IQ. His lack of those two things is what really does him in.

[BeerBaron]

I like how I got ripped up for suggesting this initially and now the last 6 or so recent posts have all supported my claims.

I definitely wouldn't touch him personally and still think there's a very good chance of him going undrafted. If someone does take him, I expect it to be very, very late.

[JoeJoeBrown]

Originally Posted by BeerBaron

I like how I got ripped up for suggesting this initially and now the last 6 or so recent posts have all supported my claims.

I definitely wouldn't touch him personally and still think there's a very good chance of him going undrafted. If someone does take him, I expect it to be very, very late.

I never ripped you. I've always thought he was a terrible football player. I've crapped on 'Taze on these very boards (not in this thread, I don't think).

The fact that Herbstreit fawned over him made me detest him even further.

[SolidGold]

I was never a big fan - lots of hype, didn't think he would go undrafted though but after the smoke clears who knows what will happen. Shannahan was stupid enough to draft Clarett in round 3.

[tjsunstein]

Special team dream but not worth a pick in the draft. Pick him up as a UDFA, hope you have the coaching staff to straighten him out and if not there's no loss. He's too much of a risk to be worth the coaching project to me however. Give me Tank Carder or Adrien Cole over him.

And unlike others in this thread would like to admit, I was on the hype train for a while. Really thought he could be a special player. Obviously not anymore. He never got better.

[Thunder&Lightning]

Think its more of a bold prediction saying "he will" get drafted

[descendency]

If I felt like one of my coaches could mentor him, the absolute earliest I'd consider is in the 7th round. And that would be just to guarantee he ends up in my camp instead of in jail.

[bornnraisedwhodat]

I have him going undrafted also. But I can see someone like the Jets snatching him up in the 5th or 6th round.

[Sloopy]

I might consider him with a 5th-6th rounder.

I still think the kid has potential although his Pre-draft #s haven't been impressive.

I like his demeanor and I still think he shows athleticism on the field. Has the size to take on blocks and may just need some coaching. can definitely push the pile.

I also for one don't question his instincts. He needs coaching but the kid has a nose for the ball and uses his athleticism to get there.

I mean in the very video above he sniffs out the screen gets off a wood-be blocker and would have made the tackle if the RB didn't drop the ball.

Has the instincts to get his hands up as Barks is throwing the ball to make the pick.

He doesn't have elite instincts but he has decent enough instincts.

So yea, I'd take him with a 5th-6th because I'm sure someone will jump on him in that area or at the very least in the 7th.

Instead of taking some career back up type in the later rounds, I guarantee some team will take a flyer on him in the chance that he DOES get his **** together and pans out.

[cmd34]

Originally Posted by Monomach

That is some horrible game tape there. I was laughing after the first minute.

Not sure why I'm supposed to be impressed at 4:18. He never moved when the ball was snapped and the back ran straight at him. Yay. He got a stop.

4:18 marked he shedded an offensive lineman and knocked a full on running(power) back to the ground from a standstill. He closes well and he delivers impactful hits.

He played well that game. In fact, had he played every down like he did in the 3 games in his careeer against USC he'd be a first rounder. Kid has deep, deeeep emotional issues but he has some talent. Someone will draft him.