Second-round picks are expected to contribute and develop into good players, but there's a reason why they don't get selected in the first-round of the NFL Draft. Some combination of factors lowers their projected value enough to drop them out of the top 32 players in the eyes of NFL teams. That's what makes unearthing hidden gems in the second-round such a rewarding experience; the unexpected return of stardom.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Robert Ayers thinks that second-round rookie DE Noah Spence is going to be a star.
Ayer said in a recent interview that Spence "kind of reminds me, [based on] stature and watching his college film, he kinds of reminds me of Von Miller."
That's high praise. But it did not come without certain hesitations.
"Miller was a 4.4 (40-yard dash) guy, though, so he's a little different, but their body language and their body movement, their build, their stature, their arm length and things like that, they're real similar. Von is a lot faster, but just the way they play and the way they do things is real similar."
Ayers spent three seasons with Miller on the Denver Broncos, so he's familiar with the reigning Super Bowl MVP's game. Miller didn't quite hit the 4.4 that mark Ayers spoke about - Miller was clocked at 4.53 at the 2011 NFL combine, still incredibly impressive for a linebacker - but his measurables are similar to Spence's.
The rookie stands at 6-foot-2, 251 pounds with 33-inch arms, Miller at 6-foot-3, 246 pounds with 33 1/2 - inch arms. Their jumps were similar as well: 35-inch vertical, 10-foot-1 broad for Spence; 37-inch vertical, 10-foot-6 broad for Miller.
Ayers' comparison makes sense from a physical standpoint, and he's not the only one heaping praise on Spence. Four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said recently that rushing the passer "is just in [Spence's] DNA," and that "I'm very excited for the future to see what's to come."
Let's see how Spence lives up to the lofty expectations being set by his teammates when mini-camp begins later this month. If he's anything like Miller, Tampa Bay may have just scored the steal of the draft.
