No problem at all.fiestavike wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 11:30 amThanks for this report. It confirms a lot of what I've read elsewhere, but also provides some valuable context. I really want to see the kid, and hope we get to have preseason games this year.J. Kapp 11 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 9:45 am
Nate Stanley is an interesting prospect, for sure.
Yes, I did watch him play for 3 years at Iowa. From the beginning, it was apparent he had the arm. Of course when he was starting as a sophomore, he had a lot to learn, but he always acquitted himself well and played mature football.
Stanley's stats won't blow you away, but here's what you have to remember.
First, Iowa doesn't get a lot of big-name recruits. I think they've had one 5-star recruit in the past 15 years. Iowa's players are coached really well, especially along the O-line, which is why you see so many linemen and tight ends drafted from the Hawkeyes. But they don't get a lot of the top-top athletes. That means Stanley's receiving talent, while adequate for what Iowa does, never allows him to run up big stats.
Second, Kirk Ferentz is a VERY conservative coach in all areas of the game. On defense, they play base 4-3 ... always. Down and distance doesn't matter. He's very old-school in that his mantra is "we do what we do, and if we do it well enough, we'll win." Now, Stanley played in a pro-style offense ... Brian Ferentz, the offensive coordinator, was an assistant with New England, and they use a lot of their concepts. But Kirk Ferentz is never going to let his quarterback throw 40 times unless the Hawks are way behind. So again, Stanley's stats look pedestrian.
It may very well be that Nate Stanley will be a better pro than collegian.
Here's the downfall. He's not super mobile. He has some ability to escape, barely, but that's college. If he tries to run around much in the pros, these guys will run him down. I think he's more mobile than, say, Joe Flacco, but certainly not as good on the move as Kirk Cousins. Where he might have Cousins beat is when the play breaks down. Time will tell. But you're not going to mistake his wheels for Patrick Mahomes. He's essentially a pocket passer.
The other concern for me is his accuracy. Just under 60 percent is not a great stat. But again, it's hard to tell because Iowa's receivers just don't get a ton of separation, with the exception of when Hockenson and Fant were there. Also, a good percentage of Iowa's passes are on third down and medium-to-long (Ferentz runs on first down more than most teams) so that's going to hurt a quarterback's completion percentage. We'll just have to see how accurate he is throwing to better receivers in non-obvious passing situations.
For a seventh-round pick, you couldn't do much better than Nate Stanley. He has potential, especially at that price.
I'd love to say that Nate Stanley will be the steal of the draft. Can't say that. Don't know. But I do know that he's got size (6-3 1/2, 230) and skills that easily make him worth where he was taken. I'm with you ... truly hope there's a preseason so that we can see Stanley and all the rookies.
