Welcome To The NFL, Part 2: The Not Drafteds

by Oops Pow Surprise on Apr 28, 2009 12:39 AM CDT in Football Comment 16 comments

As mentioned to the right, Iowa had a few guys go to schools as undrafted free agents. These are they, or whatever the right grammar is.

In what we can all agree was the most egregious oversight by GMs across the league... Andy Brodell went undrafted. Luckily, the Galloping Ankenyman was quickly scooped up by the Green Bay Packers, where he's already drawing obvious comparisons to Sterling Sharpe. At least that's what this gnome is telling me, because I am fucking tripping balls like crazy right now. Did you know my fingers are made of music?

Matt Kroul is totally going to be roomsies with Shonn Greene after he signed with the New York Jets. We're not really sure why he went there. It's possible that he puts on 30 pounds and becomes a 2-gap stuffer or something; that seems more plausible than playing end in a 3-4 system, since Kroul is as much a defensive end as, oh, KOK is. Hope he goes somewhere else.

Rob Bruggeman went to Tampa Bay, so... say hello to the Brugganeers! Yes, I'm still higher than a kite. He's smallish, but Bruggeman's technical skills and pure work ethic are probably going to be enough for him to stick around--remember that Casey Wiegmann was in the exact same boat when he was coming out of Iowa a few years back.

And then there's Mitch King, who signed with the Titans. We don't have much to say about the Titans, but listen. If 32 general managers can't figure out a way to use a 275-280 pound defensive lineman who was generally regarded as the single most unblockable person in the Big Ten last season, we're pretty sure that's not the lineman's fault. King is like a healthier Jared DeVries, who was a 3rd round pick and has only been in the NFL for 11 years now. Further, if you think King can't learn to play at a high level wherever you need him to play, I'm sorry, you're goddamn foolish.

We can say this with a good amount of confidence: King will stick around and make some coach very happy, probably for longer than most of the 21 defensive tackles that got drafted instead of him.

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It's sad in my book.

These “scouts” and Mel Kipers and Todd McShays get so into over-evaluating every little combine score and measurement to the point they try so hard to project guys and find diamonds in the rough that they overlook guys like King who are just plain ol’ badass football players. Some of the clowns that got drafted can’t even hold King’s jock. The Titans had better realize what just fell into their lap and take advantage of it.

This was a very bittersweet weekend for me. I’m happy for Shonn and the boys, and I know Mitch will make an NFL living for quite a while, but it is hard for me to see these guys move on every year…and this year more than most. I am especially extremely sad this year to see Du Hast Mitch go.

Wow…I can’t even imagine how hard it is going to be in 4 or 5 years when Wegher is done…I’ve already been in love with him for a year and he hasn’t even been in uniform yet!

FREE ADRIAN CLAYBORN!

by CUNKNNK on Apr 28, 2009 3:31 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

The difference is

Kiper and McShay are not drafting these players. They do not make the decisions for the NFL teams. All they do is provide their analysis of who they think should be taken where and why and tell us the viewer what is going through the minds of the scouts and teams. Do people in NFL circles listen to Kiper and McShay? Maybe a little, but the determining factor is the team itself. What player do the people within the organization think is best for their team. If it had been King then a team would have taken him. That’s not King’s fault, Kiper’s fault, or McShay’s.

by Buddy Light on Apr 28, 2009 2:31 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

If anyone saw...

I’m not sure if anyone was watching the end of the draft, but Kiper said right before the Mr. Irrelevant pick that he was surprised that nobody had grabbed King yet and that he could contribute at the NFL level. He also noted (I’m paraphrasing of course because alcohol has killed my memory) whoever got King was getting “a hell of a football player”.

by Buddy Light on Apr 28, 2009 2:22 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I heard that

and it made me high-five that thing on his head.

No self-respecting man from Iowa goes anywhere without beer

by Hayden Fry's Moustache Ride on Apr 28, 2009 5:31 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

You know......this:

No self-respecting man from Iowa goes anywhere without beer

by Hayden Fry's Moustache Ride on Apr 28, 2009 5:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm just glad....

that a title like Mr. Irrelevant didn’t get attached to King.

by Argulor on Apr 28, 2009 5:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

My money is on Bruggeman

I think he’s the one of this group that has the brightest future. I believe he is the single and most significant difference between an O-Line that gave up 46 sacks in 2007 and a line that produced a Doak Walker award winner in 2008.

by Internet Legend on Apr 28, 2009 3:04 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I hope somenone didn't post this else where.

6. Mitch King, DE/DT Iowa 6-1, 275
"I wish I could put your heart into some of my players’ bodies." While King might not exactly be Rudy, if he was about two inches taller and about 15 pounds heavier he might warrant top five overall consideration. Ultra-productive, he’ll never stop working and he’ll never stop trying to make plays. He’s not a true defensive tackle at the next level, but he could be a whale of a 3-4 end who’ll always make a team on hustle and practice production. The limitations are too great for him to ever become a star, but he could be a good starter if surrounded by big-time talent.
CFN Value Rank: Fifth Round CFN Position Rank: 10

Sounds like King to me. I hope he makes the Titans (sorry Shake)

In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.
- Thomas Jefferson

by Hawkeyewith49Jackrabbits on Apr 28, 2009 4:58 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

He is big enough and it seems to me that there are a lot of NFL-caliber offensive lineman that have played in the Big Ten in the last couple of years who could not block him. I will be shocked if he is not in the NFL for a long time.

by Bluzmn on Apr 28, 2009 5:16 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

One of my favorite King memories...

the night game against Wisconsin in 2007. ESPN put up a graphic of the huge discrepancies between Wisconsin five mounds of man meat with their average weight somewhere over 300 and Iowa’s speedy front four with an average weight of around 270. Herbstreit lauded how good Wisconsin’s dinosaurs were and how they should easily be able to push the Iowa guys around. Mitch King saw things differently and Iowa’s D-line had their way with the Badger beasts that night. Too bad the final score didn’t show that.

by Argulor on Apr 28, 2009 5:54 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Mel on ESPN Now

Mitch King is the best undrafted player. Shay has him in top 5.

In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.
- Thomas Jefferson

by Hawkeyewith49Jackrabbits on Apr 28, 2009 7:45 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm so upset with the Colts for not at least bring him in

I would have bought the idea that they wanted to get bigger at DT and were set on undersized guys, but they brought in a 280lb DT that wasn’t Mitch King as an undrafted FA (though I won’t complain about him too much. I’m sure the writers here would kill to have a player named Pat Kuntz on their roster).

I got Summer hatin' on me cuz I'm hotter than the sun. Spring hatin' on me cuz I ain't never sprung
Winter hatin' on me cuz I'm colder than Y'all. And I will never, I will never, I will never Fall.
-Lil Wayne, Mr. Carter

by shake n bake on Apr 28, 2009 9:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs