R5,P143: Jordan Morgan, OL - Kutztown

College football and the NFL Draft

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wab
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Highlight package from Patriots' website

Hmmmm

Jordan Morgan (G)
HT: 6'3" WT: 309LBS.
POSITION: G
SCHOOL: Kutztown (PA)
ARM LENGTH: 34 5/8"
HANDS: 10"

Overview
Morgan does not look like a Division II athlete. Listed at 6-foot-4, 320 pounds, the Philadelphia native has been overwhelming defenders since his redshirt freshman season, starting every game the past four seasons at left tackle. He started every game at left tackle in 2013, and then earned first-team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference recognition in 2014. Morgan found national recognition with a spot on the Associated Press Little All-American squad as a junior, also earning the second of three consecutive first-team all-conference nods. Morgan again was in the national spotlight in 2016 as an AP Little All-American and a finalist for the Gene Upshaw Award for the top lineman in Division II. In an unusual move, he was also named the PSAC Offensive Athlete of the Year, an award typically awarded to a skill position player.

COMBINE STATS
40 YARD DASH: 5.36 SEC
BENCH PRESS: 21 REPS
VERTICAL JUMP: 27.0 INCH
BROAD JUMP: 102.0 INCH
3 CONE DRILL: 8.13 SEC
20 YARD SHUTTLE: 4.73 SEC
ANALYSIS

Strengths
Has desired NFL mass with adequate arm length and big hands. Plays with light feet when coming out of his stance and into his work. Always working feet into position to secure his block. Drive blocker who grinds from his in-steps. Composed in his movements in space. Operates with adequate bend in knees and ankles. Possesses aggressive field demeanor and is always looking to finish. Hand placement is generally inside the frame and offers up decent leverage points. Maxes out his arm length with stiff, potent punch that lands at full extension.

Weaknesses
Ducks head as a run blocker at times. Needs to bring feet with him and up under his hips to increase potential to sustain blocks. Could struggle with balance early in his career. Needs to keep weight centered at his punch rather than lunging forward. May take time to get punch timed up with move from tackle to guard. Dominated smaller, less talented players across from him.

Draft Projection
Round 4-5

NFL Comparison
Hugh Thornton

Bottom Line
Four-year starter at left tackle who was able to physically overwhelm much smaller opponents across from him. Morgan is a good athlete with the nastiness as a run blocker that is necessary to transition inside to guard, but he could be headed for early struggles mirroring NFL rushers in pass protection. Morgan could become a solid NFL backup with eventual starter potential if he improves his balance and stops lunging.
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thunderspirit
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I hate this pick, but less than I hate the Tarik Cohen one. So there's that.
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dplank wrote:I agree with Rich here
RichH55 wrote: Dplank is correct
:shocked:
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wab
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I thought he could have gone in the 3rd. He's a big dude, but not an OT. Which is what I wanted.
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karhu
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Love the pick on its own merits. Honestly thought he was off the board. But yeah, we're going to need some magic at tackle. This draft hurt Fox, but I'm not sure how much it helped Pace.
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He didn't look out of place at the Senior Bowl, always a plus. But man, that 3-cone time for a guard is a big red flag.

You hope he gets better with top-level coaching and training.
KFFL refugee.

dplank wrote:I agree with Rich here
RichH55 wrote: Dplank is correct
:shocked:
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FaithInCutler
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This is the first pick I can't talk myself into liking . . Pace has earned the right to take his guys, but i just don't understand this one. We needed a tackle if we are going o-line.
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Oh good. We just drafted the latest excuse to spend the off-season projecting a Kyle Long position change.

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MoFugger wrote:Oh good. We just drafted the latest excuse to spend the off-season projecting a Kyle Long position change.

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I think it's a hedge against Long's health. Not a guy to push him back out to OT.
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Rusty Trombagent
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yeah. "can kyle long stay healthy" has been feeling like the elephant in the room for awhile now. and josh sitton is 30 and expensive so i understand this move long term. buttttt, we probably could have waited another year to draft a guard project.
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I'm thinking he's a backup for Leno and a eventual replacement for Sitton
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wab wrote:
MoFugger wrote:Oh good. We just drafted the latest excuse to spend the off-season projecting a Kyle Long position change.

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I think it's a hedge against Long's health. Not a guy to push him back out to OT.
Well, Sitton too. And you know that, and I know that.
But I bet you a bottle of Redbreast...

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MoFugger wrote:
wab wrote:
MoFugger wrote:Oh good. We just drafted the latest excuse to spend the off-season projecting a Kyle Long position change.

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I think it's a hedge against Long's health. Not a guy to push him back out to OT.
Well, Sitton too. And you know that, and I know that.
But I bet you a bottle of Redbreast...

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Redbreast?? That's a serious bet.
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I like him on the Practice Squad for a year until they figure out what they're going to do with Hroniss.
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alexwilkins wrote:I like him on the Practice Squad for a year until they figure out what they're going to do with Hroniss.
Grasu is going to back up Whitehair until Whitehair gets hurt or Grasu is no longer a Bear.
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wab wrote:
alexwilkins wrote:I like him on the Practice Squad for a year until they figure out what they're going to do with Hroniss.
Grasu is going to back up Whitehair until Whitehair gets hurt or Grasu is no longer a Bear.
Im not so sure. Maybe on paper, but Grasu plays exclusively Center. They way I understand it, if that's the case, you only dress if you're the starting center. As it stands now, they dress Leno, Sitton, Whitehair, Long, Massie, Kush, and whoever they place at swing.
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alexwilkins wrote:
wab wrote:
alexwilkins wrote:I like him on the Practice Squad for a year until they figure out what they're going to do with Hroniss.
Grasu is going to back up Whitehair until Whitehair gets hurt or Grasu is no longer a Bear.
Im not so sure. Maybe on paper, but Grasu plays exclusively Center. They way I understand it, if that's the case, you only dress if you're the starting center. As it stands now, they dress Leno, Sitton, Whitehair, Long, Massie, Kush, and whoever they place at swing.
That's kinda what he's saying.

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alexwilkins wrote:Grasu plays exclusively Center. They way I understand it, if that's the case, you only dress if you're the starting center. As it stands now, they dress Leno, Sitton, Whitehair, Long, Massie, Kush, and whoever they place at swing.
I believe you are correct, unless and until, they can coach Grasu up to where they are confident he can play guard as well.
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wab wrote:
MoFugger wrote:Oh good. We just drafted the latest excuse to spend the off-season projecting a Kyle Long position change.

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I think it's a hedge against Long's health. Not a guy to push him back out to OT.
It's a few things... hedge against Long, future replacement for Sitton, and it clearly tells me that Grasu is only viewed as a center.
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VA_Mountain_Bear
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I really really wanted an OT as well. But, Sitten isn't young, and this guy plays with a huge natsy streak that I like.
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Morgan's one of those guys who would work in a vacuum should injuries deplete team, but ideally you have him learn multiple positions for a season or two.
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UOK wrote:Morgan's one of those guys who would work in a vacuum should injuries deplete team, but ideally you have him learn multiple positions for a season or two.

my hope is he is actually capable of doing that ... a true "swing lineman" ... maybe not good enough to beat out a starter, but adequate enough to back any of them up in a pinch
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I created a thread before I went to sleep this morning. When I woke I realized it was poor, falling asleep trying to make an observation has proven time and time again to be bad. Sense I deleted the word vomit.

Morgan was the only prospect the Bears brought in that they coached at the Senior Bowl. I would like to think that means they know the kids abilities pretty well, and have a plan for him.

I would think given his height it would be as an interior guy. People may suggest he is proportional to Leno due to height and arm length. However he is not the same athlete and I don't think your going to ever see him on the edge.
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Yeah. He's a guard. A hedge against Long and potential eventual replacement for Sitton.
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Pace on Kutztown guard Jordan Morgan: "[He] played tackle in college, we see him more as a guard, he can do a little bit of both has good arm length, again an advantage of coaching the senior bowl was intimate knowledge with this player and another small school player but I think that senior bowl experience kind of cemented for us what kind of player he is, were excited about adding him to our offensive line."
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I was thinking we would take a tackle this year and a guard next year. Either way, I'm happy to see continued investing in the line.
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WagonForce wrote:I was thinking we would take a tackle this year and a guard next year. Either way, I'm happy to see continued investing in the line.
I can only assume it's because the OT class in this draft was the worst it's been in a generation.
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wab wrote:Yeah. He's a guard. A hedge against Long and potential eventual replacement for Sitton.

He can back up at tackle, but his future is as a guard once Sitton and/or Long are gone.
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Morgan signed w/ the Bears today.
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http://www.patriots.com/video/2017/03/0 ... g-kutztown" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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