Sometimes, numbers don’t translate for teams, scouts
determine what you’re looking for and what you’re going to ask the guy to do,” Houston general manager Rick Smith said.
The players get it. The level of competition is one concern.
Many also will be trying to learn more conventional offensive schemes. The routes, play calls and personnel all will be different and even seemingly simple things, like getting in and out of huddles, can become big obstacles.
The transition won’t be easy and the NFL history books are littered with names of college stars who never lived up to the hype.
Still, Baylor quarterback Seth Russell believes there are facets of these wide-open offenses that will help.
“I think everybody has strengths and weaknesses and I think the good coaches use those strengths,” Russell said. “They’ll go into the league with a lot of confidence because they make the big throws into tight spaces when they need to, they can make the big catch when they need to, they can make the big tackle when they have to.”
Of course, everything is secondary to making plays in the NFL.
But after productive college careers, players such as Davis, Jones and Kupp are getting a hard lesson in what matters in Indianapolis — speed, strength and agility .
Pass those tests, and all three will get a chance to prove they’re as good as the stat lines suggest.
“I’d be the first to tell you that stats lie and at receiver more than any other position, stats lie,” Kupp said. “The guys that last are willing to put in the time and I almost pride myself on that. That’s who I am and I’m excited to take that to the next level.”