AJ Derby

[Tusk_Musk]

Does anyone else think he is going to be the next Gronk?

[usf15cc]

 

[dsgreen]

As long as he isn't the next Hernandez.

[OS2 (SW) Razor Back]

I think he will be what Hernandez shoulda been.

[usf15cc]

An ol "G"

[yraciv]

I'd just be happy if he sticks and manages to get into games.  Temper your expectations, he is a 6th round pick with 8 career TE starts.  Let him develop into a quality backup before you compare him to the best.

[Hogz87]

I'd just be happy if he sticks and manages to get into games.  Temper your expectations, he is a 6th round pick with 8 career TE starts.  Let him develop into a quality backup before you compare him to the best.

This.  I know Derby has him beat in measureables, but D.J. Williams was quite a bit better and much more experienced as a TE than Derby, and he's not even in the league right now.

On another note.  Seems the Patriots have some sort of affinity for Arkansas.  I mean not that they think we're killing it down here or something, and they've probably drafted just as mayn players, if not more, from other schools over the last few years.  But still, first they take Mallett and Bequette, and now Flowers and Derby?  And it's not because the Patriots organization thinks our coach and/or coaching staff is doing something exceptional, because those four picks have come under two different regimes. 

[WayneHawg]

In the score mobile draft app,AJ Derby was listed as a LB? You don't suppose he's getting a look there?

[gmarv]

This.  I know Derby has him beat in measureables, but D.J. Williams was quite a bit better and much more experienced as a TE than Derby, and he's not even in the league right now.
yeah that's kind of what I think.i like aj derby,was a good razorback but he was kind of the second string tightend here.but all in all I hope hes sticks in the pros for a long time.

[Hogarusa]

No

[Hawghiggs]

As long as he isn't the next Hernandez.

^^ This^^

[jjdlc]

This.  I know Derby has him beat in measureables, but D.J. Williams was quite a bit better and much more experienced as a TE than Derby, and he's not even in the league right now.

On another note.  Seems the Patriots have some sort of affinity for Arkansas.  I mean not that they think we're killing it down here or something, and they've probably drafted just as mayn players, if not more, from other schools over the last few years.  But still, first they take Mallett and Bequette, and now Flowers and Derby?  And it's not because the Patriots organization thinks our coach and/or coaching staff is doing something exceptional, because those four picks have come under two different regimes.

Yes, Williams was more experienced, but Derby is built like an NFL tight end, Williams was a bit too small for what most NFL teams want.  Derby has landed in an excellent situation.  The Patriots definitely use the TE as more than just another pass blocker, and they are looking for another one to step up, he'll have his chance to earn a spot on the team.

[SONofHAM]

Don't forget

This.  I know Derby has him beat in measureables, but D.J. Williams was quite a bit better and much more experienced as a TE than Derby, and he's not even in the league right now.

On another note.  Seems the Patriots have some sort of affinity for Arkansas.  I mean not that they think we're killing it down here or something, and they've probably drafted just as mayn players, if not more, from other schools over the last few years.  But still, first they take Mallett and Bequette, and now Flowers and Derby?  And it's not because the Patriots organization thinks our coach and/or coaching staff is doing something exceptional, because those four picks have come under two different regimes. 

Don't forget Cedric Cobbs

[Inhogswetrust]

This.  I know Derby has him beat in measureables, but D.J. Williams was quite a bit better and much more experienced as a TE than Derby, and he's not even in the league right now.

On another note.  Seems the Patriots have some sort of affinity for Arkansas.  I mean not that they think we're killing it down here or something, and they've probably drafted just as mayn players, if not more, from other schools over the last few years.  But still, first they take Mallett and Bequette, and now Flowers and Derby?  And it's not because the Patriots organization thinks our coach and/or coaching staff is doing something exceptional, because those four picks have come under two different regimes. 

The Pats will go dang near the end of the earth according to Holtz to find players.............................

[Hoginsavga]

The Pats will go dang near the end of the earth according to Holtz to find players.............................

Most pro teams look for speed, height, and weight when drafting.  The Pats look for football players. Derby just happens to fit all of the criteria. I think he will make it with the Pats.

[Inhogswetrust]

Most pro teams look for speed, height, and weight when drafting.  The Pats look for football players. Derby just happens to fit all of the criteria. I think he will make it with the Pats.

I agree. Except my post was apparently a weak attempt at humor about what Holtz said about Fayetteville.

[LZH]

Honestly, I think he has the physical talent to go from a no-name so-and-so to a Pro Bowl talent in five years or so......I really do.

Will he?  Probably not.  But he has the opportunity - right now.

[younghog]

This.  I know Derby has him beat in measureables, but D.J. Williams was quite a bit better and much more experienced as a TE than Derby, and he's not even in the league right now.

On another note.  Seems the Patriots have some sort of affinity for Arkansas.  I mean not that they think we're killing it down here or something, and they've probably drafted just as mayn players, if not more, from other schools over the last few years.  But still, first they take Mallett and Bequette, and now Flowers and Derby?  And it's not because the Patriots organization thinks our coach and/or coaching staff is doing something exceptional, because those four picks have come under two different regimes. 

Patriots have quite a relationship with Arkansas players.. Its A good thing..

I love it.. GO HOGS

[smb]

Congrats to AJ Derby.

[yraciv]

Does anyone else find it odd this is the same guy that was our backup QB a couple years ago? The same guy that complete less than 50% of his passes at a JUCO and was highly criticized as Bielema giving his buddy's son a chance.  I've never seen such a criticized recruit get drafted, and I'll admit I was guilty of some of the criticism.

[bennyl08]

I would be surprised if he ever makes a pro bowl, but he can be a productive player at the next level. I think him having 8 career starts is an advantage for him. He has just scratched the surface of what he can do at TE and he looked pretty good in the SEC. It remains to be seen how deep that surface is though. Maybe a scratch is all he has, maybe the talent is a lot deeper.

That said, I think he will be sort of like the next Hernandez on the field. He is a versatile and smart player who will quickly carve himself a role on special teams while he gets acclimated to TE/H-back.

[bphi11ips]

Does anyone else find it odd this is the same guy that was our backup QB a couple years ago?

Not I.  Predicted this exactly one week before Bielema moved Derby to tight end, not that it wasn't obvious to those evaluating him out of high school that tight end is his natural position. The allure of QB was strong with young Mr. Derby, but in the end the allure of the NFL was stronger.

[LZH]

Not I.  Predicted this exactly one week before Bielema moved Derby to tight end, not that it wasn't obvious to those evaluating him out of high school that tight end is his natural position. The allure of QB was strong with young Mr. Derby, but in the end the allure of the NFL was stronger.

Yepper.  You and I both predicted that Matt Jones and Ryan Mallet would be all-world TE/WR's...............

Shows what they know, buddy.

[PonderinHog]

Does anyone else find it odd this is the same guy that was our backup QB a couple years ago? The same guy that complete less than 50% of his passes at a JUCO and was highly criticized as Bielema giving his buddy's son a chance.  I've never seen such a criticized recruit get drafted, and I'll admit I was guilty of some of the criticism.

Well, he sure as hell wasn't drafted as a quarterback.  I hope he has a great career.  The poTEntial is there.

[TNRazorbacker]

I think it says a lot that the Pats took him. They have a proven  eye for talent that isn't apparent to others.

[jjdlc]

Noticed that Blake Bell got drafted as a TE as well, so Derby wasn't the only former QB turned TE in the draft.

[bphi11ips]

Yepper.  You and I both predicted that Matt Jones and Ryan Mallet would be all-world TE/WR's...............

Shows what they know, buddy.

Really?

[lasthog]

I agree. Except my post was apparently a weak attempt at humor about what Holtz said about Fayetteville.

Well played.  I must admit I missed it.

[factchecker]

Does anyone else find it odd this is the same guy that was our backup QB a couple years ago? The same guy that complete less than 50% of his passes at a JUCO and was highly criticized as Bielema giving his buddy's son a chance.  I've never seen such a criticized recruit get drafted, and I'll admit I was guilty of some of the criticism.

Lets not forget- he was also a walk-on.  When he received a scholarship before this past season some posters were livid!  Oh well, at worst he gets to meet Tom Brady for a nice chunk of change.  Not to mention; he is marrying a smart, athletic, and beautiful young lady, Calli Berna. 

Good ole "Derpy" did well for himself: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hCUeVcVryg

[Iwastherein1969]

This.  I know Derby has him beat in measureables, but D.J. Williams was quite a bit better and much more experienced as a TE than Derby, and he's not even in the league right now.

On another note.  Seems the Patriots have some sort of affinity for Arkansas.  I mean not that they think we're killing it down here or something, and they've probably drafted just as mayn players, if not more, from other schools over the last few years.  But still, first they take Mallett and Bequette, and now Flowers and Derby?  And it's not because the Patriots organization thinks our coach and/or coaching staff is doing something exceptional, because those four picks have come under two different regimes.

you mean the guy who wore #45 and dropped a Ryan Mallett pass that hit him between the #'s 4 and 5 at the OSU 9 yard line with less than a minute to play in the Sugar Bowl in 2011 ?  On the next play we threw the pick that lost the game......I like DJ, but he's had his shot at the NFL and didn't quite have enough talent....I think Derby does have what it takes to be an NFL TE

[SooiecidetillNuttgone]

you mean the guy who wore #45 and dropped a Ryan Mallett pass that hit him between the #'s 4 and 5 at the OSU 9 yard line with less than a minute to play in the Sugar Bowl in 2011 ?  On the next play we threw the pick that lost the game......I like DJ, but he's had his shot at the NFL and didn't quite have enough talent....I think Derby does have what it takes to be an NFL TE

+1 for your cheap shots and how you managed to single out a single play despite all the fabulous ones he had.

I guess Welker dropping the pass in the Superbowl makes him a bum and unworthy of making a roster.

What does your All-Time team look like, players that made only one play their entire career and then retired from fear of your scathing yet ''fair'' analysis?

Epic Fail.

[SooiecidetillNuttgone]

This.  I know Derby has him beat in measureables, but D.J. Williams was quite a bit better and much more experienced as a TE than Derby, and he's not even in the league right now.

DJ was a tweener.   Too thick for WR, too short (and by definition a little too small) for prototypical TE.  It usually takes rare talent to overcome the ''tweener'' syndrome.  Maybe if DJ were the right size, things would have worked out different.

[HogShat]

The Pats will go dang near the end of the earth according to Holtz to find players.............................

Well. maybe not to the end of the earth, but you can see it from there... I saw what you did... Well done! +1

[HogMantheIntruder]

I agree. Except my post was apparently a weak attempt at humor about what Holtz said about Fayetteville.

Don't you mean what Nolan said?  If so, I got it!  If not, maybe I just didn't understand what Holtz was saying at the time...

[HogMantheIntruder]

you mean the guy who wore #45 and dropped a Ryan Mallett pass that hit him between the #'s 4 and 5 at the OSU 9 yard line with less than a minute to play in the Sugar Bowl in 2011 ?  On the next play we threw the pick that lost the game......I like DJ, but he's had his shot at the NFL and didn't quite have enough talent....I think Derby does have what it takes to be an NFL TE

I literally rolled my eyes and shook my head at this post.  DJ is one of the greatest Razorbacks of all time, an amazing ambassador for both the state and the program, and was a huge part of our success under Petrino.  But football aside, he's a great person and an exceptional role model.  The fact that you would pick out one of the ONLY bad plays he EVER had as a Hog and use that as some kind of summation for who he was as a player is pathetic and disrespectful.  You are classless, and you're post is garbage.  -1

[thirrdegreetusker]

If you want to understand how precise the NFL scouting/drafting culture is, google Cameron Wake. Four-time pro-bowler, undrafted out of Penn St.

Goes along with Tom Brady, Jamarcus Russell, Ryan Leaf..........you can't measure heart........

[KlubhouseKonnected]

Derby could not have asked for a better situation. They want to see what he can do with a little polish. Upside

[bphi11ips]

If you want to understand how precise the NFL scouting/drafting culture is, google Cameron Wake. Four-time pro-bowler, undrafted out of Penn St.

Goes along with Tom Brady, Jamarcus Russell, Ryan Leaf..........you can't measure heart........

Wes Welker.  Russell Wilson was a 3rd round pick, not exactly where QBs with franchise expectations are drafted. 

AJ Derby is a football player, not some guy with Mel Kiper "measurables", although I agree with Sooicide that he is built better than DJ Williams for the TE position in the NFL.  Derby reminds me of Frank Wycheck, another 6th round pick.  And a 3-timer Pro Bowl selection.     

[Inhogswetrust]

Don't you mean what Nolan said?  If so, I got it!  If not, maybe I just didn't understand what Holtz was saying at the time...

Not Nolan. Lou once said when asked about Fayetteville being the end of the world said "no but you can see it from there".
Looking back it was funny but he caught some flak over it............and other things he said as well.

Here is a list of some Lou quotes from footballbabble.com:
Lou Holtz Quotes
�You'll never get ahead of anyone as long as you try to get even with him� (Lou Holtz)
�If he's got golf clubs in his truck or a camper in his driveway, I don't hire him.� (Lou Holtz)
�A lifetime contract for a coach means if you're ahead in the third quarter and moving the ball, they can't fire you.� (Lou Holtz)
�No one has ever drowned in sweat.� (Lou Holtz)
�On this team, we�re all united in a common goal: to keep my job.� (Lou Holtz)
�When all is said and done, more is said than done.� (Lou Holtz)
�No, but you can see it from here.� (Lou Holtz when asked if Fayetteville was at the end of the world)
�If you don't make a total commitment to whatever you're doing, then you start looking to bail out the first time the boat starts leaking. It's tough enough getting that boat to shore with everybody rowing, let alone when a guy stands up and starts putting his jacket on.� (Lou Holtz)
�Broadcasting is easy; you just talk until you think of something to say.� (Lou Holtz)
�I never learn anything talking. I only learn things when I ask questions.� (Lou Holtz)
�If what you did yesterday seems big, you haven't done anything today.� (Lou Holtz)
�If you burn your neighbor�s house down, it doesn�t make your house look any better.� (Lou Holtz)
�The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is most likely the one who dropped it.� (Lou Holtz)
�Absolutely. There are a 1000 better coaches in the cities, but I�m the best in the country.� (Lou Holtz, when asked if he was the best coach in the country)
�To my wife�I told you I was sick.� (Lou Holtz, when asked what he would want carved on his tombstone)

[KlubhouseKonnected]

Wes Welker.  Russell Wilson was a 3rd round pick, not exactly where QBs with franchise expectations are drafted. 

AJ Derby is a football player, not some guy with Mel Kiper "measurables", although I agree with Sooicide that he is built better than DJ Williams for the TE position in the NFL.  Derby reminds me of Frank Wycheck, another 6th round pick.  And a 3-timer Pro Bowl selection.     

I think Kiper was actually a little higher on Derby than most of the other draftniks.

[bphi11ips]

I think Kiper was actually a little higher on Derby than most of the other draftniks.

Maybe so.  I was referring to Kiper in general.  Most of the time when I watched this year he looked like he was sucking a lemon.  Never been a fan of his approach to evaluating players. 

[HogMantheIntruder]

Not Nolan. Lou once said when asked about Fayetteville being the end of the world said "no but you can see it from there".
Looking back it was funny but he caught some flak over it............and other things he said as well.

Here is a list of some Lou quotes from footballbabble.com:
Lou Holtz Quotes
�You'll never get ahead of anyone as long as you try to get even with him� (Lou Holtz)
�If he's got golf clubs in his truck or a camper in his driveway, I don't hire him.� (Lou Holtz)
�A lifetime contract for a coach means if you're ahead in the third quarter and moving the ball, they can't fire you.� (Lou Holtz)
�No one has ever drowned in sweat.� (Lou Holtz)
�On this team, we�re all united in a common goal: to keep my job.� (Lou Holtz)
�When all is said and done, more is said than done.� (Lou Holtz)
�No, but you can see it from here.� (Lou Holtz when asked if Fayetteville was at the end of the world)
�If you don't make a total commitment to whatever you're doing, then you start looking to bail out the first time the boat starts leaking. It's tough enough getting that boat to shore with everybody rowing, let alone when a guy stands up and starts putting his jacket on.� (Lou Holtz)
�Broadcasting is easy; you just talk until you think of something to say.� (Lou Holtz)
�I never learn anything talking. I only learn things when I ask questions.� (Lou Holtz)
�If what you did yesterday seems big, you haven't done anything today.� (Lou Holtz)
�If you burn your neighbor�s house down, it doesn�t make your house look any better.� (Lou Holtz)
�The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is most likely the one who dropped it.� (Lou Holtz)
�Absolutely. There are a 1000 better coaches in the cities, but I�m the best in the country.� (Lou Holtz, when asked if he was the best coach in the country)
�To my wife�I told you I was sick.� (Lou Holtz, when asked what he would want carved on his tombstone)

I have ALWAYS thought that Nolan was the one who said it!  I can't stand that quote, and I've been putting it on him for all these years.  Well, here's my public apology; I'm sure Nolan will sleep much sounder tonight knowing that I have been corrected. 

[jdevers]

Nolan would never say that, he loves it here...probably loved it more when it was half the size it is now.

[Dropkick]

I have ALWAYS thought that Nolan was the one who said it!  I can't stand that quote, and I've been putting it on him for all these years.  Well, here's my public apology; I'm sure Nolan will sleep much sounder tonight knowing that I have been corrected. 

I actually thought Lou said it about Lubbock?

[bennyl08]

If you want to understand how precise the NFL scouting/drafting culture is, google Cameron Wake. Four-time pro-bowler, undrafted out of Penn St.

Goes along with Tom Brady, Jamarcus Russell, Ryan Leaf..........you can't measure heart........

http://www.battleredblog.com/2011/4/27/2137559/odds-of-getting-a-pro-bowler-by-round-years-2000-2007

For players drafted from 2000-2007
First round: 12.5 players per year making pro-bowl
2nd round: 5.5
3rd round: 2.0
4th round: 2.375
5th round: 1.625
6th round: 1.5
7th round: 0.75
FA: 4.125

Essentially what you see there is an exponential function. The higher you are picked, the much more likely you are to be a successful player (before the argument is made that pro bowl is just popularity, 1/3 of pro-bowl voting is, but fans aren't the sole decider).

[HogInFlorida]

Gronk is the best TE in the NFL by a wide Margin and hes only 25. No i dont think AJ Derby is the next Gronk.

[KlubhouseKonnected]

Maybe so.  I was referring to Kiper in general.  Most of the time when I watched this year he looked like he was sucking a lemon.  Never been a fan of his approach to evaluating players. 

It bugs me that no one ever holds him accountable when he gets his evaluations wrong.

[Inhogswetrust]

I have ALWAYS thought that Nolan was the one who said it!  I can't stand that quote, and I've been putting it on him for all these years.  Well, here's my public apology; I'm sure Nolan will sleep much sounder tonight knowing that I have been corrected. 

No problem. No need to apologize. Nolan had some great quotes as well.

[Inhogswetrust]

Nolan would never say that, he loves it here...probably loved it more when it was half the size it is now.

I'll always respect nolan for staying in NWA after everything that happened. Not many fired coaches will stay in the area of the place they were fired from and then return to the campus many, many times..........

[Inhogswetrust]

I actually thought Lou said it about Lubbock?

It would have been more appropriate.