((Fair attribution: Took the idea from the Chris Harris Jr article on Players Tribune. Part of this are reworked from that article))
Before I was drafted, I said that what sets me apart from other defensive backs in this league is my mind. I stand by that. It's not that I'm the smartest guy, or even that I read the game better. It's that what goes on up there is a bigger part of my game than any of my physical attributes. Hours upon hours are spent in the film room, watching tape over and over, trying to learn the habits or the receiver I'm lining up against on Sunday. Trying to understand the signals he gives, and when. Trying to identify the biggest threats, the areas I can win a head-to-head, and showdowns I want to avoid letting him force me into. I mean, nobody my size wants to end up in a 50-50 with a guy like Ricky Maddox, for example. Pretty much nobody in the league can hang with Stormblessed in a straight footrace, either. These things are what you have to keep in mind when you line up for the snap.
Speaking of Stormblessed, he's one of my top five.
Stormblessed
So I mentioned his speed, right? It's not just that he's fast, though. He gets to top speed so quickly, you have to be physical from the start. Stop him from ever getting into his stride. If he does... well... Fortunately, he's not the strongest guy, or the most reliable pair of hands, so if you can keep the pace with him, you have a decent shot at keeping the ball out of his hands. But that's easier said than done. I'm one of the quicker guys in the league, and I'm positive he'd win a race between us. Convincingly. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous sometimes when he's lined up opposite me, because I know I'm gonna need help over the top half the time... and half of those times, there isn't any.
Fox North
From unreliable hands to probably the most reliable hands among the league's receivers. Fox North is a dangerous guy because he finds the gaps in the zone, the blind spots, and gets into them before anyone realises. When he's being covered, there's this thing he does to give himself just enough space to make the grab. He cuts ultra sharp angles on his routes so it's exceptionally difficult to stay with him. Those cuts really tire you out over the course of a game too -- which might help explain why he seems to turn into a superhuman in the fourth quarter. Half a yard is all he needs, and he's making that catch. If nobody is near enough to take him down within a split second of it, he's probably going to rack up the yards after the catch too. Have you seen his 40 time? Fox can jet like a fighter pilot, let me tell you.
Cooper Christmas
On the topic of height...man am I glad Coop is a Hawk. In training, I really struggle with this guy. You look at the size of him and his body shape, and dimensions... you can't approach defending him like you would a normal receiver. Dude is a monster. I've tried bumping him at the line, but he just pushes off me and creates separation -- and once he has that, his wingspan is so massive, I can't get close -- before catching the pass at least a foot away from the limit of my reach. My reach is somewhere around the six and a half feet mark, so we're talking serious distance here. To make things worse, even if you know you can hit him after the catch, you probably won't take him down. He can ride that tackle like a power running back would, and just keep going. I don't envy DBs on other teams, if I'm honest.
Robert Phelps
Okay so Phelps is... different. He's not going to make space like North. He's not going to burn you over the top like Stormblessed. He's not going to extend himself and hold you off like Coop. He's lethal when the ball goes up. He's such an incredible athlete that 50-50 balls are no longer 50-50 when one of the guys going up is Phelps. And once he comes down with it, he can and will literally drag dudes to the end zone if he has to. Yeah. I'm not kidding. I've noticed that if you want to stop him, you've got to have a great vertical, because he'll go up and get the ball at the highest point. I'm not a tall guy, so this is particularly challenging for me. I've noticed though, that if I position myself right, I can obstruct the jump without drawing a penalty. Not going to explain in detail, though. My secret.
Josh Garden
This guy has the complete package that teams look for in a receiver, I think. He runs crisp routes, he's quick, good hands, and so on. He's not easy to jam at the line either, because he's stronger than you might think to look at him. He'll take a hit across the middle, where a lot of guys with his build would stay on the outside. He does it all. Some people are probably reading this and asking why he's number one on my list though, given what happened in the Conference Championship game last season. Well, the truth is, I feel like that was an anomaly. I think it was a one in a million game, so to speak. The more vigilant folk out there will also notice that I didn't actually prevent him from catching any of the balls that did come his way. I'll take the credit, but it wasn't all me. Conditions weren't ideal, and he just had a bad day. Every other time we've faced off, he's burned me. No exceptions. Pretty sure he's going to have a point to prove next time too, so I'll be getting ready for that. Last thing I need is to give up another 100 yard game. That tends to stick with me.
If you don't see your guy in this list, it's not a slight, I promise you. There are a lot of dangerous guys in this league, that's what has driven my development over the past two years. Looking at the younger guys breaking through, I can see I have plenty of incentive to keep going. It's a welcome reminder that I'm blessed to have the career I have. I will not take that for granted.
GRADED
Before I was drafted, I said that what sets me apart from other defensive backs in this league is my mind. I stand by that. It's not that I'm the smartest guy, or even that I read the game better. It's that what goes on up there is a bigger part of my game than any of my physical attributes. Hours upon hours are spent in the film room, watching tape over and over, trying to learn the habits or the receiver I'm lining up against on Sunday. Trying to understand the signals he gives, and when. Trying to identify the biggest threats, the areas I can win a head-to-head, and showdowns I want to avoid letting him force me into. I mean, nobody my size wants to end up in a 50-50 with a guy like Ricky Maddox, for example. Pretty much nobody in the league can hang with Stormblessed in a straight footrace, either. These things are what you have to keep in mind when you line up for the snap.
Speaking of Stormblessed, he's one of my top five.
Stormblessed
So I mentioned his speed, right? It's not just that he's fast, though. He gets to top speed so quickly, you have to be physical from the start. Stop him from ever getting into his stride. If he does... well... Fortunately, he's not the strongest guy, or the most reliable pair of hands, so if you can keep the pace with him, you have a decent shot at keeping the ball out of his hands. But that's easier said than done. I'm one of the quicker guys in the league, and I'm positive he'd win a race between us. Convincingly. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous sometimes when he's lined up opposite me, because I know I'm gonna need help over the top half the time... and half of those times, there isn't any.
Fox North
From unreliable hands to probably the most reliable hands among the league's receivers. Fox North is a dangerous guy because he finds the gaps in the zone, the blind spots, and gets into them before anyone realises. When he's being covered, there's this thing he does to give himself just enough space to make the grab. He cuts ultra sharp angles on his routes so it's exceptionally difficult to stay with him. Those cuts really tire you out over the course of a game too -- which might help explain why he seems to turn into a superhuman in the fourth quarter. Half a yard is all he needs, and he's making that catch. If nobody is near enough to take him down within a split second of it, he's probably going to rack up the yards after the catch too. Have you seen his 40 time? Fox can jet like a fighter pilot, let me tell you.
Cooper Christmas
On the topic of height...man am I glad Coop is a Hawk. In training, I really struggle with this guy. You look at the size of him and his body shape, and dimensions... you can't approach defending him like you would a normal receiver. Dude is a monster. I've tried bumping him at the line, but he just pushes off me and creates separation -- and once he has that, his wingspan is so massive, I can't get close -- before catching the pass at least a foot away from the limit of my reach. My reach is somewhere around the six and a half feet mark, so we're talking serious distance here. To make things worse, even if you know you can hit him after the catch, you probably won't take him down. He can ride that tackle like a power running back would, and just keep going. I don't envy DBs on other teams, if I'm honest.
Robert Phelps
Okay so Phelps is... different. He's not going to make space like North. He's not going to burn you over the top like Stormblessed. He's not going to extend himself and hold you off like Coop. He's lethal when the ball goes up. He's such an incredible athlete that 50-50 balls are no longer 50-50 when one of the guys going up is Phelps. And once he comes down with it, he can and will literally drag dudes to the end zone if he has to. Yeah. I'm not kidding. I've noticed that if you want to stop him, you've got to have a great vertical, because he'll go up and get the ball at the highest point. I'm not a tall guy, so this is particularly challenging for me. I've noticed though, that if I position myself right, I can obstruct the jump without drawing a penalty. Not going to explain in detail, though. My secret.
Josh Garden
This guy has the complete package that teams look for in a receiver, I think. He runs crisp routes, he's quick, good hands, and so on. He's not easy to jam at the line either, because he's stronger than you might think to look at him. He'll take a hit across the middle, where a lot of guys with his build would stay on the outside. He does it all. Some people are probably reading this and asking why he's number one on my list though, given what happened in the Conference Championship game last season. Well, the truth is, I feel like that was an anomaly. I think it was a one in a million game, so to speak. The more vigilant folk out there will also notice that I didn't actually prevent him from catching any of the balls that did come his way. I'll take the credit, but it wasn't all me. Conditions weren't ideal, and he just had a bad day. Every other time we've faced off, he's burned me. No exceptions. Pretty sure he's going to have a point to prove next time too, so I'll be getting ready for that. Last thing I need is to give up another 100 yard game. That tends to stick with me.
If you don't see your guy in this list, it's not a slight, I promise you. There are a lot of dangerous guys in this league, that's what has driven my development over the past two years. Looking at the younger guys breaking through, I can see I have plenty of incentive to keep going. It's a welcome reminder that I'm blessed to have the career I have. I will not take that for granted.
Code:
1088 wordsGRADED
I impersonate a programmer for a living
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