What do we have in Brycen Hopkins?

[ArkyRamsFan]

So to answer the OP's question what we have is the dude we took instead of Tyler Biadasz the Center from Wisconsin who would be well on his way to becoming the starter over Cap'n Blythe.

Hope Hopkins proves me wrong but we could really use Biadasz about now.........

~ArkyRamsFan~

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

So to answer the OP's question what we have is the dude we took instead of Tyler Biadasz the Center from Wisconsin who would be well on his way to becoming the starter over Cap'n Blythe.

Hope Hopkins proves me wrong but we could really use Biadasz about now.........

~ArkyRamsFan~

agreed

 

[8to12]

Yes which is my concern. I have to think that if he's standing out in practice catching the ball they would have found a way to get a look at him on gameday. Because we really could have used a matchup threat last season. So him not sniffing the field insinuates that he wasn't really standing out.

Best hope there is that it was the blocking. Which could explain it. Either way having a weapon emerge at TE would be incredible. I envy all these offenses that have that big target threat.

Agreed. I will just add that at this time last yes, I didn't want to touch him with a 10-foot pole because of the high amount of drops. And, because he was mainly used split-out, not inline, told me he has little experience blocking. Then, after the Rams selected him, I took a closer look into the drops. It seems the "drops" were in specific situations and not others. I'll use streets as as analogy... when he had a play with a route that he reached it''s end, like a culdesac, and with a defender on him, he was able to hold the ball and bring it in to his body just about every time. Where he seemed to drop the ball was when he was on the boulevard with green lights in front of him.... he seemed to drop a good percentage of these. So, this tells me, he has the ability to hold onto the ball. He will need to be coached to have the same concentration on the seam routes as he does when running an out route near the sideline.
Regarding blocking, you would think having a father as an All Pro O-Tackle, that the blocking would come natural to him. We have to hope that he got in a good season of NFL strength training to help in this department. If not, the Rams will be replacing one athletic pass catching TE (Everett) with another (Hopkins).

 

[Neil039]

As of right now his stats speak volumes as to what the Rams have in him. Stats can always change.

 

[TexasRam]

Right now Joe Klopfenstein leads Hopkins in every major Rams career receiving category.

That's all I got.

 

[So Ram]

Absolutely.
I never like to see TE drafted early. It is usually a slower position to develop. Many never do.

I was not happy when we took Everett in the 2nd round.
Guys like Higbee can be found later.
I think Kittle was taken in the same draft as Everett, but much later.

The Everett pick was a solid pick.Yes-Kittles priced at 146
After Copper Kupp 69
JJ - 96 which McSnead traded back for because they had Everett picked out & Les Snead knows the value of the draft board.
117 Josh Reynolds
125 Sampson Ebukham

Everett will be a Real Good TE in The NFL. No matter if you like him or the pick. JJ will get his value back again because of the trade.He played at close to an AllPro level.

 

[So Ram]

Yes far deeper IMO.....what I see in his future with Stafford & this is just from reviewing the video on his college career .......this large guy appears to have much more wideout in him than prototype NFL LOS TE.

I can also see Snead giving RFA TE Johnny Mundt a tender offer that will slow down most of the NFL team's interest in him. IMO Mundt was just more of a dependable target than Everett was & a much more consistent blocker but far less big-play abilities & talent. I believe that Stafford will use what Mundt has to offer much more than previously used in the past.

Then there is Kendall Blanton a very large long LOS blocking TE who has been a Ram post-2019 draft. When Blanton was playing in the 2019 East-West Shrine event he was over 6-6 265lbs/ 82-inch wingspan with 34-inch arms & a first baseball mitt sized hands way over 10 1/2 inches. This was 2 yrs ago, no telling how big he is now. We have no idea what he has learned from both WR coach Eric Yarber & TE coach Wes Phillips during this time span, but enough that Blanton just got a new Ram contract for 2021. If Blanton does get a clue.... Simply put: this dude is a size mismatch against any defender in the league. I am desiring to see ASAP where this young developing TE is at from when we last saw him in the preseason a year & a half ago.

Thus I am not thinking the TE is such a DRAFT NEED as most of ROD does. A four TE cadre of Higbee/ Mundt/ Blanton & Hopkins sure looks like a good blend & mixture to me.

I will not Let you get away UNCHALLENGED with Gerald Everett’s Blocking. The dude for his size was blocking very well.There is no Comparison to him & Johnny Mundt
as a TE either.The Free Agent contract he gets will tell you that & the rest of his career.

IMO - I think The Rams offense will have less TE packages & they will bring in another WR or 2 ? They could carry an extra TE.
There were a couple games Everett was put in as a HB to block & looked good as well.
View on Hopkins is he is young & has talent.He is known to have issues with catching the football.I think Gerald Everett as a Ram had that issue.He missed to many big time possession passes.Kielce is still being talked about missing as pass.Certain passes Fans remember.Like the at SeaHags game of 2019.
—Phillips has this TE group & will see how Blanton does.I’ve seen improvement from just his rookie training camp.Johnny Mundt is a JAG

 

[So Ram]

Right now Joe Klopfenstein leads Hopkins in every major Rams career receiving category.

That's all I got.

Yeah - great observation. It least he didn’t cost a early 2nd rd pick.He was what I’LL SAY is a Luxury Pick! Well worth the gamble & came in without s much pressure.Yes Covid didn’t help
A lot of the 2020 draft for ascending players.
2021 Preseason is going to be fun to watch. I can’t wait for all The Wolford Fans watch The Rams Offensive depth.

 

[TexasRam]

Yeah - great observation. It least he didn’t cost a early 2nd rd pick.He was what I’LL SAY is a Luxury Pick! Well worth the gamble & came in without s much pressure.Yes Covid didn’t help
A lot of the 2020 draft for ascending players.
2021 Preseason is going to be fun to watch. I can’t wait for all The Wolford Fans watch The Rams Offensive depth.

 

[CoachAllred]

if his play in college are any indication, He has below average hands and struggles
adjusting to the ball in the air.
I am not very excited about this guy. Nothing more frustrating than having a guy
with the ability to get open, only to drop passes.
Hopefully he was made to catch balls of the jug machine every day
at practice. The only way I know how to improve hands is excessive reps.

 

[WestCoastRam]

Covid training camp and lack of fuller OTA's prob set back a number of players drafted this year. With even less reps to go around, most were reserved for guys anointed as starters (this is basically what happened with Oline) and guys like Fuller really only showed cause other guys were nursing injuries in TC (if I remember correctly).

Most likely, we don't really know what we have in him. Even less so than normal.

 

[Merlin]

if his play in college are any indication, He has below average hands and struggles
adjusting to the ball in the air.
I am not very excited about this guy. Nothing more frustrating than having a guy
with the ability to get open, only to drop passes.
Hopefully he was made to catch balls of the jug machine every day
at practice. The only way I know how to improve hands is excessive reps.

I will admit that the way he answered questions about the drops struck me as dismissive almost. Don't recall what he said exactly but it sort of struck me as he didn't see drops as a problem.

Which may just mean he's a confident player. Who knows.

I'm guessing he was probably a Snead upside pick. Because I doubt the staff was beating the table for him. And I am fine with doing that btw. Just hit on the pick.

 

[So Ram]

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Hopkins

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What do you know ABOUT Hopkins?
I know Gerald Everett is going to get PAID.Still Hopkins did get a lot of Reps with Phillips who I believe has helped in his development.
I think Watching Hopkins & others will be Fun to see how good they are after being Rams for over a Year.Wolford was a player Ram Fans were calling for to start.Triston Jackson,Webster,Xavier Jones,Raymond Calais,Bryce Perkins.

I can go on. Then we can talk about other players.Hopkins was a VALUE PICK by Position. I call it a Luxury pick because of his Upside & if he came out of College in 2021 he would have more than likely a 2nd rd pick.
I go back to Edwards & Evans as well last season.If The Rams needed Hopkins to start he imo would have done well.Still though us Ram Fans still do not know that to be the case.

 

[So Ram]

I will admit that the way he answered questions about the drops struck me as dismissive almost. Don't recall what he said exactly but it sort of struck me as he didn't see drops as a problem.

Which may just mean he's a confident player. Who knows.

I'm guessing he was probably a Snead upside pick. Because I doubt the staff was beating the table for him. And I am fine with doing that btw. Just hit on the pick.

Like I said. Hopkins was a Luxury pick.The Rams had TE’s in 2020.They didn’t need him.His value was to good to pass up & Everett was going to be a FA The Rams could not afford to keep.I’ve talked about Comp Picks. Will see how this plays out.

I’ll add Jefferson was more or less The same type of Pick.He has 1st rd/2nd rd value.His experience in 2020 was big.

T. Lewis the same type of pick.He has the Off Season to Heal & Grow as a Player.
I love the forsite.Especially for The Cost.2020 could be McSneads best ever ?

 

[CoachAllred]

I will admit that the way he answered questions about the drops struck me as dismissive almost. Don't recall what he said exactly but it sort of struck me as he didn't see drops as a problem.

Which may just mean he's a confident player. Who knows.

I'm guessing he was probably a Snead upside pick. Because I doubt the staff was beating the table for him. And I am fine with doing that btw. Just hit on the pick.

He had 2nd round athletic ability and size.
If he can overcome his catching woes? lookout.
It's a boom or bust pick, because he has the tools to be special.