The MIP countdown continues. Place-kicker Wes Byrum was No. 10. Cornerbacks Neiko Thorpe and Demond Washington were tied for No. 9.No. 8 is wide receiver Darvin Adams. Let's get started, right after you follow the blog on Twitter.
- Skill level: 4. Adams has the type of skills you'd like to see in a receiver. He's big (6-3, 185), fast enough (he's not a burner but can get separation), has good hands and has a knack for finding holes in coverage and providing a nice, big target for the quarterback. He might not have the deep ball capability some receivers have, but he does the every-down gruntwork that's ultimately more valuable to the team. How many times did Auburn need a third-down catch and Adams came through? That's the kind of receiver you want on your team.
- Production history: 5. After a mostly silent freshman campaign (and really, who can blame any receiver for being unproductive in that offense), Adams burst on the scene last year with 60 catches for 997 yards. That set an Auburn single-season record for receptions and put Adams third in the SEC in receiving yards. His 10 touchdowns were second in the SEC to LSU's Brandon LaFell, so you're not getting much better production out of someone in the red zone. Despite his all-SEC snub, Adams certainly warranted a spot on either the first or second team.
- Position importance: 3. While it's nice to have a reliable receiver like this, it's not essential. Football coaches say it all the time: run the ball, stop the run, find a quarterback and protect the quarterback. Those are most teams' priorities. And while a talent like Adams certainly is a boost to an offense, you can get by with average players at receiver.
- Backup competence: 3. Auburn certainly isn't lacking in bodies at receiver. DeAngelo Benton is waiting in the wings for an opportunity, backing up Adams at one of the outside receiver spots. The potential doesn't stop with the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Benton. Terrell Zachery has proven himself as a productive starter, while Emory Blake appears as though he'll have a solid career. Freshman Trovon Reed will arrive in August, adding another potential weapon to the mix. (And yes, I know they don't all play the same receiver position, but they're fairly interchangeable).
- Leadership: 2. Adams is another leader by example player, and while I'm sure he has a profound impact on the rest of the receivers, I don't know if that's necessarily true of the rest of the team. Not his fault, but, as I've mentioned before, when you're lined up out wide like Adams often is, how much can you actually contribute in a leadership capacity on a play-to-play basis.
- Total: 17. This is a pretty good score for a receiver, where position importance and leadership qualities are going to be hard to get high marks. Adams is an extremely reliable player, which gets undervalued at a glamor position like wide receiver. He might not break as many big plays as someone like Zachery, but he'll move the chains, whether it's by catching a pass or springing a run with a block on the outside. For a wide receiver, it's tough to ask for much more.
7 comments:
If you want us to post why we think you're an idiot (as you suggested we do at the start of this series), you're going to have to make it a lot easier for us.
Another excellent analysis, AB. Thanks!
AB,
You hit the nail on the head for DA.... he should get more PUB.... because if you put the stats top 4 receivers in the SEC on last year without a name up against you would be able to separate the top 4 from all the reset and DA would have been in the Top 2, no doubt!!!
Whats up THT!!!
This series is a great idea. Thanks Andy!
DA can play.
He's also a relentless blocker and he makes tackles on special teams.
i love me some Kennesaw, Georgia! #89 is my boy!
DA is great did the analysts see the catch against Clemson!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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