@YouTheReader Alright, so instead of using this song for the Drake lyrics as a crutch of confidence I’d rather just Riff on my own on this one and Say What’s Real. It shouldn’t be too hard because everything I’ve ever published I wrote with good intentions and I’ve never lied about anything on Week to Week Notes. Okay maybe I’ve deceived you at times, but that was only to keep readers interested. Growing up I learned if you tell the truth you won’t get in nearly as much trouble.
Not going to lie now, I sometimes view my Rookie Season on Week to Week Notes as a social experiment. Everything I do on here, from words I first typed about sports to the Cover Stories that now become Reels were all crafted through trial&error of my own experiments. They all get posted on social media so in my view that makes them social.
I should probably address the fact that I’ve finally been Cancelled. If that is news to you, I’ll explain how I was on this Thursday’s His or Her Words, Not Mine. Just know that the words you’re reading now are coming from the Walking Dead so tomorrow’s Pint&Pen&Paper will be Zombie by the former Irish band you know as the Cranberries.
This shouldn’t really surprise too many people. I mean, @YouTheReader, if you’ll let me say what’s real on Say What’s Real, in my opinion, most people may have started getting interested in Week to Week Notes when I used Anti-Hero. However, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, an anti-hero isn’t a villain, according to Webseter-Merriam it’s the main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality.
Anyway, none of that’s important, what is…
… is I had an unforgettable Saturday night in Westwood. My grandparents have always been music people. They have their own music room as an extension to their living room filled with guitars and an electric piano. I always enjoy witnessing my grandma sing and grandpa play. My uncles strummed their guitars until their fingers went blue. Witnessing people you love perform what they’re passionate about is unbelievable. On top of that, I got to hang out with my parents, my siblings, my cousins & dogs. Despite being in #GuinnessChallengeSeason I’ve never been more sober in my entire adult life. I get drunk off joy now.
One thing I’m thinking of permanently adding to the social experiment is whatever song that is on the background of the pub I’m drinking Guinness will now be added to my personal story. This is probably me overthinking this and nobody will care, but I write down the music I hear for a reason. I’m an open book and recording what I hear at pubs&bars can only help. So, if you one minute you hear me walking out Corner Grove in Jersey City to Our Song by Taylor Swift, and then the next story you hear March Madness by Future as I leave The Ashford, it’s really just only trying to further let you in on the pub&bar experience. The music a pub or bar plays at their establishment says a lot about what kind of vibe in the setting they want to convey. It just so happens I love all types of music.
I will Say What’s Real about this Story I took on Friday night. As someone who now writes Week to Week Notes every day for an Instagram account called @You_The_Reader, I’ll admit, I sometimes get some of my best ideas when I’m Stumblin’ Along in the rain. When I’m just sitting around, I procrastinate. I’m assuming that’s pretty normal. When I get up and do things, the dots connect. I can only imagine what people who don’t read Week to Week Notes think. I for sure look like a loon, they must be so confused when I call myself a Fringe Lunatic, but I figure this is what comes with the frontier of any territory.
My bad for rambling on the Intro, all I’m trying to say is if I’m walking in the rain I’m really just out and about reaching for airs…
YouTube Rabbithole (Default)
Shane MacGown on Fairytale of NY
As Shane MacGowan states, “I do lose a lot of stuff, but if I lose a song I just write another one. The songs are just floating around in the air. That’s why we call tunes ‘airs.’ And we just reach out and grab them. That’s why I’m always grabbing. ‘Cause if I don’t reach out and grab it myself, it’ll go on and get to Paul Simon. I anticipated being big on the east coast of America because I knew all about the New York Irish and the New Jersey Irish… I have cousins over there…I’m obsessed with America because it’s always been a dream world to me. All those Irish people went to America. All the dreams they had and half of them died on the boat on the way… You know that lovely line… ‘I could’ve been someone’ and then she says ‘well so could anyone.’ That’s what it’s about.”
@YouTheReader you may not fully get where I’m coming from with this YouTube Rabbithole now, but there is a reason it’ll be the default copy&paste YouTube Rabbithole for Week to Week Notes moving forward whenever I can’t stumble into a hole on my own. Whatever you may think of Shane MacGowan, the ends justify the means, the man was brilliant enough to provide a Christmas tune that will be sung for as long as people hang out in pubs.
The Scout That Never Was
@FanInsiders you can do a Mock Draft of your own on FanSpeak.com. I only picked the Jets players, a computer-simulated the rest of your football teams. Only featuring certain teams for now. Every player has a hyperlink to a YouTube highlight tape if you want to check out their good tape. I’m only doing the first 3 rounds for non-Jets fan insiders, I’ll try to start including all 7 rounds next week.
Bijan Robinson made 28 starts at Texas and was the winner of the 2022 Doak Walker Award (Nation’s Top RB). He ranks 4th all-time in Longhorn history with 3,410 rushing yards and 41 total touchdowns (33 rushing, 8 receiving). Robinson was a unanimous All-American in ‘22, the 4th UT RB to earn the honor, joining James Saxton (1961), Earl Campbell (1977), and Ricky Williams (1997, 1998). He finished 9th in Heisman Trophy voting in ‘22. At Texas, he had 18 career 100-yard rushing games, including a streak of 7-straight games that is the 3rd-longest in program history. His 33 career rushing touchdowns are the 3rd-most in Texas history. Robinson ranks 4th all-time in UT history in tandem yards (4,215), 8th in all-purpose yards (4,231), and 9th in points scored (246). He had 805 career receiving yards, the 3rd-most all-time for a Texas RB, and his 8 career receiving touchdowns are the most ever for a Texas RB. All of these accolades plus his relentlessness, size, power, and speed make him the consensus RB #1 in the ‘23 NFL Draft Class. (Source: Texas)
Anthony Richardson finished with 2,549 passing yards and 17 touchdowns for an average of 212.42 yards per game. He came in 2nd on the team in rushing touchdowns (9) and 3rd in rushing yards (654). He’s drawn comparisons to Cam Newton & Josh Allen and after an expectedly good NFL Combine showing where he ran a 4.44 40-time, comparing him to the former MVP may not be too crazy. (Source: Flordia)
If it feels like every year Notre Dame has a stud TE entering the draft, that is because they are basically Tight End University. Mark Bavaro, Anthony Fasano, Kyle Rudolph, John Carlson, Tyler Eifert, Troy Niklas, and Cole Kmet, are some of the notable names. Michael Mayer had at least one reception in all 36 games of his collegiate career. That consistency helped make Mayer the school's all-time leader in catches by a TE in an inconsistent offense. Mayer’s 809 receiving yards in ‘22 represented over 30% of Notre Dame’s 2,692 team passing yards.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is coming off a ‘22 season where he only played 2 games due to injury. His ‘21 Rose Bowl MVP performance where he had 15 receptions, for 3 TDs and 347 receiving yards was the stuff of legends. Injuries and questions over if he is limited to being a slot WR, where he lined up over 80% of his snaps throughout his career, would be the reason he falls.
Cam Smith as a starter in ‘21 and ‘22 showed 1st Round NFL talent. He had 6 career interceptions at South Carolina, 4 of which occurred in his final 2 years at SC. In ‘21 he had 9 pass breakups with a 36.5 QB rating when targeted and in ‘22 6 pass breakups with a 71.3 QB rating when targeted. One of his best game tapes is when he went up against Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt, the nation’s fastest WR, and only allowed 65 receiving yards on the day. Despite being tall for a CB, he is twitchy enough as a defender to play both the nickel and outside. (Source: South Carolina)
Asking any rookie WR to step into an offense and immediately become WR#1 is a bit unrealistic, but Quentin Johnston may have some special YAC ability where they can manufacture him touches. Johnston was a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist in ‘22, which recognizes the nation's most outstanding WR. He reached 1,069 receiving yards in ‘22 on only 60 catches for the season. That is an impressive average of 17.8 yards per catch. The 17.8 he averaged this past season was actually a career low at TCU as Johnston averaged 19.2 and 22.1 as a sophomore&freshman with fewer targets. Johnston at 6’4” with 4.4 speed should translate in pros.
Nolan Smith’s ‘22 season was cut short due to a torn pec, but entering the season he was named to preseason watch lists for the Outland Trophy (nation's top interior lineman) and Bronko Nagurski Trophy (nation's top defender). (Source: Georgia) While his career stat line may look a bit underwhelming, 11.5 sacks in 46 games in Athens, NFL scouts may point to Travon Walker from last year as a reason to take Smith in the first two days of the NFL Draft. Like Walker, Smith has some rare athletic combination of traits that could be further developed as he matures as a pass rusher in the pros. Expect scouts to drool over his 4.44 40-time speed, but he’ll need to be coached up some to fine-tune his pass rush moves.
Will McDonald IV went from Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year (‘18) to First Team All-Big 12 – Coaches (‘20, ‘21, ‘22), so McDonald IV seems willing to be coached up. He can also jump over a car.
Calijah Kancey in ‘22 was an American Football Coaches Association All-American (1st team), Associated Press All-American (1st team), Football Writers Association of America All-American (1st team), Sporting News All-American (1st team), Walter Camp All-American (1st team), CBS Sports All-American (1st team), ESPN All-American (1st team), and Pro Football Focus All-American (1st team). I mean shrimp, I might as well name him a Week to Week Notes All-American 1st teamer. College Football Network (CFN) also named him their National Defensive Tackle of the Year and he was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Kancey became the Panthers’ first Unanimous All-American since defensive tackle Aaron Donald in ‘13. In 133 seasons of intercollegiate football, Pitt players earned Unanimous All-America recognition only 15 times (13 total players have achieved this distinction). Kancey was the only player in the country to be selected as a 2022 finalist for both the Outland Trophy (nation’s best interior lineman) and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (national defensive player of the year). His career stat line at Pitt ended up 37 games played, 16 sacks, 92 tackles, and 34.5 of them being a tackle for a loss. How could this guy fall out of the first round? Well, his size could be a Red Flag for scouts, as he stands 6’0” and weighs in at 280 lbs, which is featherweight for an interior lineman. What he does have going for him is that Aaron Donald is only an inch taller and weighs 284 lbs. (Source: Pitt)
Antonio Johnson was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week and Lott IMPACT Trophy Player of the Week honors after recording 13 tackles in the ‘22 win against Arkansas. (Source: The 12th Man) His sophomore season of ‘21 was what put Johnson on the NFL scouting map. He 58 tackles, 18 assists, and had 26 stops (the total number of plays by a defensive player that prevent a successful play by the offense, defined as 45% of needed yards on first down, 60% of needed yards on second down, and 100% of needed yards on third or fourth down, according to Football Outsiders). In coverage, he totaled one pass breakup, one interception, and an impressive QB rating of 71.2 when targeted against. Johnson regressed in ‘22 a bit in terms of coverage (91.2), but still kept to par in run defense with 55 tackles, 16 assists, and 28 stops. His 6’3” size should help the 21-year-old fill out into a very physically imposing safety one day.
Cody Mauch was nicknamed “Toothless and Ruthless” for his play at the Senior Bowl. He does not in fact have his two front teeth, but when you’re in the football trenches like he is, who cares? During his time as Bison, Mauch played a bit of guard and both of the tackle positions. He was AP All-America 2nd Team in ‘21. When he 1st walked on to North Dakota State, he was a 220 lbs. TE before he eventually bulked up to a 300+ lbs. offensive tackle without losing much speed. He was the captain of his team during his junior & senior seasons and he only gave up 2 sacks throughout his 5-year college career. Although he comes from a small school, his size, hair, and smile should make him stand out in the NFL.
Sam LaPorta ranks 14th in career receiving yards with 1,786 yards on 153 receptions . . . among Iowa tight ends all-time, ranks first in receptions and second in receiving yards . . . according to PFF in ‘21, led Big Ten tight ends in receptions (53), yards (670), yards after catch (299), yards after contact (206) and catches of 15+ yards (18). He maintained a streak of 24 straight games with at least one reception from ‘19 through 10 games in ‘21. (Source: Iowa)
Recipient of the William V. Campbell Trophy awarded by the National Football Foundation to the American college football player with the best combination of academics, community service, and on-field performance. It is considered by many to be the "Academic Heisman.” Jack Campbell was also the winner of the Butkus Award as the top linebacker in the nation.
Darius Rush originally went to South Carolina as a WR. After redshirting his freshman year in ‘18, he went into ‘19 training camp as a pass catcher and came out guarding them. In ‘21 & ‘22, he made 21 combined starts and ended up with 3 INTs with 18 pass deflections. He possesses very good ball skills, it’s not like they left him once he switched to defense, and he also has very good route recognition from his days running routes. (Source: South Carolina)
Karl Brooks was the ‘22 PFF first-team All-American. Brooks at Bowling Green was a 2-time Team Captain. He played 5 years at Bowling Green and racked up 27.5 sacks in 52 career games. This past ‘22 season he had 10 sacks, a career-high. Just a shot in the dark, but I see a bit of young Mo Wilkerson in him. Brooks was snubbed from the NFL Combine. (Source: Bowling Green)
Henry To’oTo’o earned first-team All-SEC honors from the league coaches. He was a true leader on a Nick Saban defense which almost certainly stands out for NFL scouts. Like most Saban LBs, To’oTo’o seems to have good instincts at linebacker which makes up for him being a bit undersized. He has some real athleticism but didn’t have much production in either pass coverage or pass rush.
Andre Carter II had a terrific junior season in ‘21 where he had 15.5 sacks. His ‘22 season didn’t reach the same sack heights, but his draft stock watch was relevant enough that a U.S. bill was revised so that Carter could possibly reach the NFL immediately after graduating from Army. Graduates of military academies -- namely Army, Navy, and Air Force -- are typically required to fulfill two years of active-service duty immediately following graduation. (Source: NFL.com)
Felix Anudike-Uzomah was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He finished his career tied for 6th in school history in career sacks (20.5), while he tied for fourth in career forced fumbles (8)... The second player in school history to tally three games with 3.0 or more sacks (Nyle Wiren)... Left college football ranked fourth nationally and tops in the Big 12 among active players in forced fumbles per game (0.25), while he was sixth nationally and tops in the Big 12 in sacks per game (0.64). (Source: Kansas State)
Tyjae Spears exploded as a senior in ‘22. He rushed for 1,528 yards and 19 rushing TDs. He is also an elite passing option out of the backfield, averaging 12.6 yards per catch in ‘22. He has great speed (4.4 40-time), vision, and wiggle. His stellar Senior Year was a huge reason why Tulane was ranked #9 in the country to close out the year, which is the highest in school history since 1998 when they were ranked #9 as well. (Source: Tulane)
Eli Ricks transferred to Alabama from LSU. In ‘22, Ricks worked in 10 games with five starts after battling injuries early in the season. He recorded 13 tackles, including one for loss (-4 yards), to go with four pass breakups. Played in 14 games across his 2 seasons with the Tigers. He suffered an injury midseason that cut his ‘21 campaign short, but as a freshman, he recorded 20 tackles to go with 4 interceptions and 5 pass breakups so the potential, if he can stay on the field, is still there. (Source: Roll Tide)
Riley Moss was voted a permanent team captain for the ‘22 season. He won Iowa’s Hustle Award in ‘21 and ‘22. Moss was first-team All-Big Ten by coaches and second-team All-Big Ten by the AP. In his 54 games as a Hawkeye, Moss started in 40 of them, had 37 pass breakups, 11 INTs, and scored 3 defensive TDs. Moss has vertical-jumped 42 inches and broad-jumped 10-8. We’re told he has clocked the fastest short shuttle time for DBs in Kirk Ferentz’s two decades-plus at Iowa, blazing through it in 3.85 seconds.
Xavier Hutchinson in ‘22 was a First Team All-American selected by AP and PFF. Hutchinson earned First Team All-Big 12 for the third time in his career. He led the Big 12 and broke his own single-season school record with 107 receptions. Became the first Cyclone in school history to record 100 receptions in a season. The first player in league history to lead the Big 12 in receptions in 3 consecutive seasons. He finished the season with 40 more receptions than the player with the next most in the Big 12 Conference. Topped the Iowa State career record with 254 receptions, the most-ever by a Big 12 player in just three seasons. Hutchinson finished his career with the eighth-most receptions in Big 12 history. He had 1,171 receiving yards as a senior, the 2nd most in a single season in school history. He concluded his career with 2,929 receiving yards, the 3rd most by a Cyclone, led the nation in receptions per game (8.9), making at least eight receptions in 11 of 12 games, and was among the top-10 nationally in receiving yards (8th). He set the ISU career mark with 13 career 100-yard games, including seven as a senior ... had a reception in all 37 games of his career, the 2nd-longest streak in school history, and tied for the 7th-longest active streak in the nation when his career ended ... recorded 9 career games with 10 or more receptions, a school record. Led ISU with 6 touchdowns receptions in ‘22 and 15 in his career, tied for the 5th-most in the ISU career record books. As a senior, he had 2 streaks of 3 consecutive 100-yard receiving games, the 2nd-longest streak in school history. (Source: Iowa State)
Andrew Vorhees appeared in 44 games during his career for the Trojans. He made 25 starts at right guard, 8 starts at left guard, and 4 starts at left tackle. (Source: USC) At 6’6” and 325 lbs, Vorhees according to the USC strength coach, Bennie Wylie, can bench 225 40 times. That doesn’t sound too surprising based on the limited clips&film I’ve seen on him. His versatility and experience in different spots on the offensive line should make him a Day 2 pick. Vorhees appeared to have suffered a significant injury during the NFL Combine on-field drills. (Source: @_MLFootball)
In ‘22 Nathaniel Dell was named a Team Captain of his Houston Cougars squad. He also led the nation in receiving yards (1,398) and receiving touchdowns (17). The only thing that may hold back Nathaniel “Tank” Dell from being drafted earlier is he only weighs 165 pounds. Even if the slight frame may deter teams from drafting Tank as the focal point of their offense, his speed and twitch should at least make him an above-average NFL punt returner.
Jarrett Patterson was named a team captain prior to the start of the ‘22 season. Started and played in 12 of the final 13 games after missing the season-opening game at Ohio State. Made the transition to left guard for his final season at Notre Dame. Helped the Irish average 4.6 yards per carry during the ‘22 season, racking up 2,457 total rushing yards. Finished the season with 25 total rushing touchdowns as the Irish offense averaged 31.77 points per game. Helped clear the way for seven games of 220+ yards rushing, with four games of 260+. Irish ranked 16th nationally in the least TFLs allowed per game. Patterson was named the team’s offensive lineman of the year in ‘22. (Source: Notre Dame)
McClendon Curtis has versatility playing all over the offensive line. He started all 11 games with 7 at left tackle and 4 at his customary right guard. Curtis played both positions in multiple games which is even more impressive as he excelled at polar opposite movements in the middle of contests. Jacobs Blocking Award in ‘22, which goes to Top SoCon OL. (Source: Go Mocs)
Jakorian Bennett was named the ‘22 Duke's Mayo Bowl MVP and was selected to the ‘22 PFF All-Bowl Team. His 11 pass breakups in ‘22 ranked 3rd in the Big Ten. He led all FBS players in passes defended since the beginning of the ‘21 season with 29. (Source: Maryland)