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+---- Thread: *Will Hondo Pan Out in the League? (/showthread.php?tid=9364)
*Will Hondo Pan Out in the League? - HalfEatenOnionBagel - 07-02-2018
Achilles Hondo continues to be one of the more intriguing players about to enter the DSFL draft. Coming from a small school it's hard to completely judge what he could be capable of when he stacks up against players with a higher pedigree. Unlike a lot of players coming into the league now, he also doesn't have a strong football bloodline to give an indication of his future potential either. The only thing that you can really look at is the agency that represents him and the moderate success that their other NSFL client, Micah Hendrix has had in the league. However, Hendrix himself came from one of the most prestigious college football programs in the country in the University of Miami and has shown an above average football acumen since he was in college.
Here's what one scout that talked to us had to say about Hondo: “His coaches rave about his work ethic and you can just look at the guy and tell he's a workout warrior. I mean look at some of the numbers he was able to put up just recently at the combine. But, he does come from a small school and he's still extremely raw. It's hard to tell exactly where he's going to fit into a team position wise. Just from an athleticism standpoint, he could probably be a serviceable running back in the DSFL but I just don't see him having the speed to make it as one in the NSFL. With his size, if he could learn how to catch he could probably be a good tight end and if he could learn how to block he could even be a fullback, though we haven’t really seen a blocking fullback in the league before. I think in the DSFL draft, a team is going to take him late just to fill a hole for a season because he's not going to be an elite player at any position in the DSFL. And really, we may look at him in three seasons if he's even still in the league and not know what to make of him. He's a risky player to take a chance on.”
It's true that if Hondo was to attempt to be a starting running back, his chances of having a successful career are extremely slim. Players like Jerome Bettis don't exactly have a place in the NSFL, and historically power backs like Otters legend Leroy Jenkins have been few and far between. The most successful player to try to comp Hondo to in the NSFL is Wraiths power back Robby Rainey, who is coming off an extremely impressive season that culminated in a championship. But, Rainey is an absolute athletic freak for someone his size and showed a lot of traits as a rusher when he was coming into the league that don't show up on tape for Hondo. It would be a real stretch to say he could reach that kind of potential at this point.
It's possible scouts and coaches have been mentioning this to Hondo though because recent reports have indicated that he has been working with former NFL fullback Vonta Leach. Leach represents a type of player that doesn't currently exist in the NSFL and has even been phased out in the NFL as teams shift to more west coast and spread based passing attacks. When Leach played in the league though, he was an absolute beast of a run blocker, paving the way for stars like Arian Foster and Ray Rice during some of their best seasons. If Hondo can even imitate Leach a little bit in his NSFL career, he could be a unique kind of player that the league has never really embraced before. At the same time, an experiment like this could fall flat on its face, leaving Hondo a bit of a misfit in a league where speed continues to be king. At best, that would leave Hondo as a second tier tight end in the league. It wouldn't be the worst fate, but certainly would be a bit disappointing for a player with so much potential.
Regardless of how his career plays out, it will be interesting to see how far Hondo is able to go in the NSFL. It will be important both in the DSFL and in his rookie season of the NSFL for the teams that he plays with to develop him well in order to reach his full potential. With the DSFL draft and subsequent preseason nearly at hand, we’ll finally get some idea of what teams think of a player like Hondo and get a glimpse of how his skillset could be utilized.
*Will Hondo Pan Out in the League? - kckolbe - 07-02-2018
I want this name to succeed.
*Will Hondo Pan Out in the League? - Bzerkap - 07-02-2018
Great article my man
*Will Hondo Pan Out in the League? - nunccoepi - 07-02-2018
:thinking:
*Will Hondo Pan Out in the League? - HalfEatenOnionBagel - 07-02-2018
(07-02-2018, 02:14 PM)nunccoepi Wrote::thinking:
Don't think, just draft and enjoy
*Will Hondo Pan Out in the League? - fusion247 - 07-02-2018
Hondo's going all the way, duh
*Will Hondo Pan Out in the League? - HalfEatenOnionBagel - 07-02-2018
(07-02-2018, 03:20 PM)fusion247 Wrote:Hondo's going all the way, duh
He could go all the way