Holy moley, some of our best players are leaving for the professional ranks! Whether it be money, fame, or an opportunity to live in Oakland, a few of the most memorable Ole Miss Rebel footballers are making their way out of Oxford to play ball on the next level. What would their potential money-stuffed suitors like to know about each and every one of them? We at the Cup know!
John Jerry - Guard
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 335
40: Slow
Rebel Career Stats: "Stats" doesn't so much apply here. He did block for three 1,000 yard rushers (BJGE twice and Dex once), earn two all-SEC honors, and one all-American honor; so there's that. He also started something like 46 games at Ole Miss which is pretty impressive.
Pros: He's huge and strong; gets very low at the point of attack; takes up plenty of space and can make a block in many situations; experienced at both right tackle and guard and could feasibly see time at both in the NFL (although he may be a bit slow and cumbersome for an NFL right tackle).
Cons: He has hemorrhoids--or really, that could be a positive because it's hilarious for a guy in his early-20's to have swollen blood vessels on his butt; a bit top-heavy; doesn't do as well at the next level of defense as he should.
The Skinny: John Jerry is just another in the long line of great Rebel interior linemen. He won't be a flashy, all-pro type at the next level, one wouldn't imagine, but he'll do well and likely have a long, productive pro career. I'm very nervous to think of just how much we will miss his run blocking this autumn.
Who should take him, and when: It's too difficult to determine who really, really needs a right guard or tackle and needs one bad because very rarely is that a situation. Furthermore, were such a situation to arise, free agency is by far the preferred method to adjust such shortcomings. If he gets drafted to play guard, he'll be one of the top-3 guards taken which puts him somewhere in the 2nd or 3rd. If he gets drafted as a tackle, he'll be in the top-10 at that position which puts him in the 3rd or 4th round. Teams I could see picking up Baby J (i.e.; teams who just need some big bodies up front): Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Dallas, Washington, and every other team in the NFL.