Doogie: Tyler Johnson should look at going pro

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In his latest Scoops Podcast, Doogie and former Gopher QB Connor Rhoda discuss the possibility of Tyler Johnson leaving for the NFL Draft. Doogie said it's not a deep WR draft and said if he were Tyler Johnson that he would look at going pro.

http://www.1500espn.com/tag/the-scoop/

Go Gophers!!
 

In his latest Scoops Podcast, Doogie and former Gopher QB Connor Rhoda discuss the possibility of Tyler Johnson leaving for the NFL Draft. Doogie said it's not a deep WR draft and said if he were Tyler Johnson that he would look at going pro.

http://www.1500espn.com/tag/the-scoop/

Go Gophers!!

What?? So he could maybe go in round 6-7 or UDFA?

He had the dropsies and he doesnt have high end speed. TJ needs to come back for sr yr, show that he won't drop passes, and work on his speed.
 

Sure he should look into it. See where he might be drafted, etc.

Unless he hears Rd1 (he won't) he should stay. He's bound to have a better and more prominent 2019 barring injury, and under-aged WRs have a poor rookie NFL track record unless they have truly elite physical ability.
 

I think he could get drafted. But I think if he stays his last year, has a season like this season and gets rid of the dropsies on his first pass each game he could be a late first round early 2nd round guy next year (*if he continues to put the work in to continue to improve).
 

Of course Tyler should look in to it and submit his name to that board feedback thingy. Doubt he gets a recommend that he should leave though.
 


I don't think I could disagree more. Johnson is good. Really good. But he isn't ready for the NFL just yet. Hopefully he'll get some better passes, especially on the deep routes next season where he can really shine.
 

Bad take. Test the waters, but come back and show some improvement and boost draft stock.

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I don't think I could disagree more. Johnson is good. Really good. But he isn't ready for the NFL just yet. Hopefully he'll get some better passes, especially on the deep routes next season where he can really shine.

I think he'd be drafted. Where? That would depend on how he performed at the combine. He looks the part and in the pass-happy NFL, there are plenty of schemes in which a guy like Johnson would fit. My guess is he'll be back because he likely wouldn't be a first round guy, but if he grades out as a second-day guy, it might be dicey for him to risk injury. I sure hope he's back. Love watching him play.
 

It has been my assumption that Johnson would be back, but I haven't forgotten the hype that surrounded Eric Decker's senior year, then he got hurt and posted subpar (for him) stats in a partial season. Do you remember? The lesson of that experience might be that he should take the money while it's a sure thing. On the other hand, there might be no lesson, because he's been a durable and reliable receiver and each player is different.
 



He needs another year, IMO

As for the drops, it hasn’t been much of an issue for the last several games. Maybe he’s over that. He also makes a lot of ridiculous contested catches.


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Guys like Johnson and Coughlin should test the waters but would be pretty shocked if either would grade out high enough to make the jump now. Both would be well served to come back for their senior years in my opinion at least. As long as they don't hire an agent there is no harm in doing some checking.
 

Guys like Thielen and Diggs show that it doesn't matter which round you're drafted in or if you're even drafted at all; what matters is how you continue to develop in your career. The question is, where would Johnson expect to have the best chance to continue to develop next year - in a senior year of college or in an uncertain situation in the pros?
 

Even if he grades well and goes Bateman, CAB, Douglas ready to explode. Future stars. Add in Spann-Ford, the other freshmen and recruits and it’s already looking to be a deep pass catching corps. Test the waters young man and if it’s time then I’ll be ecstatic for you. It’s also good for the program going forward.
 
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He needs another year, IMO

As for the drops, it hasn’t been much of an issue for the last several games. Maybe he’s over that. He also makes a lot of ridiculous contested catches.


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Exactly on the drops. Early in the season he seemed to drop the first pass thrown to him. That hasn’t happened for about five games or so and he does have great hands besides those odd early first drops.
The guy is super quick, strong for his size and run routes really well for his age.
I don’t think he gets as much appreciation from Gopher fans as he deserves.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see him go early and maybe be a second day draftee.
 

It is probably my naive and selfish nature to want to believe that these kids want to stick it out with the Gophers and try to accomplish something special here, particularly a hometowner.

IMO, Johnson could used a tad of seasoning to hone his game further, and as someone commented earlier, with the development of the offense, he will hopefully have the chance to really explode.
 

Are we talking about checking the "hey where do people think they'd draft me" system? Yeah he should do that.

But as for seriously doing it, no way. Play more, get rid of the drops and play better and he could be in WAY better shape for the draft.
 

Exactly on the drops. Early in the season he seemed to drop the first pass thrown to him. That hasn’t happened for about five games or so and he does have great hands besides those odd early first drops.
The guy is super quick, strong for his size and run routes really well for his age.
I don’t think he gets as much appreciation from Gopher fans as he deserves.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see him go early and maybe be a second day draftee.

If he was for sure going to be drafted in the first 3 rounds it would make some sense to go early but anything after that he would be much better served in coming back for his senior year and developing at the U as opposed to fighting for his life in the NFL with very little guaranteed money.

For someone as new to the position as he is he has come a long way in a short time but another year of college ball could really solidify him as one of the top options at the position next year.

I just hope he gets his advice from someone reputable who truly has his best interests in mind. Hopefully he is back, but as someone else posted, we do have some capable options at the position so it won't kill the offense if he does go pro. Selfishly I would love to see another year of Johnson and Bateman because I think those two could do some major damage.
 

If he was for sure going to be drafted in the first 3 rounds it would make some sense to go early but anything after that he would be much better served in coming back for his senior year and developing at the U as opposed to fighting for his life in the NFL with very little guaranteed money.

For someone as new to the position as he is he has come a long way in a short time but another year of college ball could really solidify him as one of the top options at the position next year.

I just hope he gets his advice from someone reputable who truly has his best interests in mind. Hopefully he is back, but as someone else posted, we do have some capable options at the position so it won't kill the offense if he does go pro. Selfishly I would love to see another year of Johnson and Bateman because I think those two could do some major damage.

Yep I totally agree. I have heard he is a great mentor to the younger receivers and they could have a pretty special season here next year.
 

Yes, he absolutely should check to see where he'd be drafted, if at all. I assume Fleck would agree that he should look into it. I hope he's back next year but if he gets drafted and on a team, good for him. Hard to turn down the money.

FWIW, a mid-5th round pick (just as an example) got about $280k signing bonus (guaranteed money) and a total contract of about $2.8 mil (non-guaranteed) with a first year salary in the $550k range. The signing bonus is paid when he signs. The remainder of the money only gets paid if he is on the team, obviously.

I don't know Tyler Johnson's family situation. I do know not many people live in North Minneapolis by choice. If he thinks he can get paid...its hard to pass up. I have no idea if he'll be drafted, or what round. If he comes back for his senior year and repeats what he did this year (70+ catches, 1000+ yards, 8+ TDs) I think he could find his way into the 3rd round conversation. That usually means you're on the team for your rookie contract because they are more invested in you than in a 5th or 6th or 7th round pick.

We'll see what he decides but he should test the waters and not hire an agent. He can get feedback from the league and make a decision. It isn't like he talks to one random person. Its a process.
 

Unfortunately, we don't get a lot of these threads debating whether someone should leave early or not, but they are always interesting. You can usually count on 80% of the posters saying he should stay(regardless of the situation), but you can be pretty sure some bias comes in that we really want as fans to have the guy back to help the team next year.
 

Per some sites, looking at his ranking as a WR, he's sitting in the mid teens, which is about a 4th-5th round grade given the last several years. Now that gets dicey because those guys are all looking relatively similar on paper and someone has to fall in love with you over someone else. Feels like once you get to around this rating, you could go anywhere on the 3rd day of the draft or even undrafted, which would have to be pretty nerve wracking. I'd imagine he's back (and think he should to work on speed, continuing to see the field prominently) but wouldn't blame him if he left
 

Guys like Thielen and Diggs show that it doesn't matter which round you're drafted in or if you're even drafted at all; what matters is how you continue to develop in your career. The question is, where would Johnson expect to have the best chance to continue to develop next year - in a senior year of college or in an uncertain situation in the pros?

Diggs was one of the top WR's coming out of HS. If I remember correctly....the reason why he dropped so far in the draft was because his college career at Maryland was plagued by injury. Yup. Not very impressive stats.

https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/stefon-diggs-1.html

The Vikings took him based on talent and potential and it's worked out well.
 

Found this in an article in a business publication, of all things:

One data point that all players who are thinking about leaving athletic eligibility behind should be looking at is provided through a free service supported by the NFL. The service is called the NFL Draft Advisory Board, and while it is imperfect, it is free, and should be provided at least some weight by every player who is considering an early exit from their respective universities.

The NFL Draft Advisory Board, made up of NFL scouts and general managers, gives players insight on where they think they may be selected in the upcoming NFL Draft, if selected at all. Again, it should only serve as one data point for athletes considering to leave school early.


So, as I read this, Johnson can ask the board for an opinion, and it does not impact his eligibility. That makes it a no-brainer. get the free evaluation, and maybe get some feedback on what you need to work on to improve your draft position. Can't blame a guy for wanting to consider all options for his future. (and future income).

On the flip side, if the board says he might go in the top 4 rounds (probably not likely, but you never know), then that might make it a 50-50 decision, depending on financial issues/need.
 

Guys like Johnson and Coughlin should test the waters but would be pretty shocked if either would grade out high enough to make the jump now. Both would be well served to come back for their senior years in my opinion at least. As long as they don't hire an agent there is no harm in doing some checking.

I think Coughlin has a tough row to hoe, this year or next. Tweener, Not big enough for DE, might be fast enough to play LB but not tops in that area. Stay in school enjoy another year as a team captain, probably get a run somewhere as an UFA after next year.
 

Found this in an article in a business publication, of all things:

One data point that all players who are thinking about leaving athletic eligibility behind should be looking at is provided through a free service supported by the NFL. The service is called the NFL Draft Advisory Board, and while it is imperfect, it is free, and should be provided at least some weight by every player who is considering an early exit from their respective universities.

The NFL Draft Advisory Board, made up of NFL scouts and general managers, gives players insight on where they think they may be selected in the upcoming NFL Draft, if selected at all. Again, it should only serve as one data point for athletes considering to leave school early.


So, as I read this, Johnson can ask the board for an opinion, and it does not impact his eligibility. That makes it a no-brainer. get the free evaluation, and maybe get some feedback on what you need to work on to improve your draft position. Can't blame a guy for wanting to consider all options for his future. (and future income).

On the flip side, if the board says he might go in the top 4 rounds (probably not likely, but you never know), then that might make it a 50-50 decision, depending on financial issues/need.

Hell if I wasn't even going to the draft ... I'd ask... just to get the response, then print it out and hang it above my locker.
 

I think Coughlin has a tough row to hoe, this year or next. Tweener, Not big enough for DE, might be fast enough to play LB but not tops in that area. Stay in school enjoy another year as a team captain, probably get a run somewhere as an UFA after next year.

Guarantee he's faster than Chad Greenway, who had a very nice NFL career. I don't think speed will be an issue for Coughlin.
 

I think Coughlin has a tough row to hoe, this year or next. Tweener, Not big enough for DE, might be fast enough to play LB but not tops in that area. Stay in school enjoy another year as a team captain, probably get a run somewhere as an UFA after next year.

CC would definitely run one of the fastest 40's among LB's at the combine.

His speed is the #1 reason why he was leading the Big Ten in sacks and TFL's for 3-4 straight weeks. I'd guess he'd run a high 4.5 or low 4.6.
 

This is all funny to me, a few weeks ago when I posed this same question, I was told that TJ would go undrafted. Everyone thought I was crazy when I said I think he and CC would be mid round picks if they declared this year.
 


I guess it never hurts to check into things but I can’t imagine anyone who knows anything would recommend to him that he enters the draft.
 




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