from NFL1000: Ranking the Top Quarterbacks from 2017 Season
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2751014-nfl1000-ranking-the-top-quarterbacks-from-2017-season
9. Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams
Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images
Accuracy: 20/25
Arm: 20/25
Under Pressure: 17/20
Decision-Making: 17/20
Position Value: 10/10
Overall Grade: 84/100
After being selected with the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft, Jared Goff seemed like he might be hit with the bust label after seven ineffective starts. Under the tutelage of new head coach Sean McVay, however, Goff flourished in 2017.
The second-year signal-caller took an impressive leap forward with respect to reading the field and showing anticipation on his throws, and he helped propel the Rams to the playoffs for the first time since 2004. Goff also displayed great feel and footwork in the pocket—something that was a point of debate during the predraft process.
He made mistakes, and at times, he was slow to get the ball out, leading to interceptions or strip-sacks. But the huge developmental leap Goff took from Year 1 to Year 2 cannot be denied.
—NFL1000 QB Scout Mark Schofield
There is no better example of the value of good coaching through the 2017 season than Goff’s transformative year.
With McVay defining his reads—and making it clear that Goff would benefit from a first-read open receiver on nearly every play—the signal-caller became far more comfortable and productive than he ever could have been in 2016 under then-head coach Jeff Fisher and his offensive coordinator, Rob Boras.
He’ll be a product of McVay’s system in the short term; how Goff is able to transcend it over time is what will become really interesting.
—NFL1000 Lead Scout Doug Farrar
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from NFL1000: Ranking the Top Defensive Tackles of 2017 Season
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2751939-nfl1000-ranking-the-top-defensive-tackles-of-2017-
1. Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
31 OF 31
James Kenney/Associated Press
Snap Quickness: 24/25
Pass Rush: 24/25
Run Defense: 20/25
Tackling: 12/15
Position Value: 7/10
Overall Grade: 87/100
The 6’1″, 280-pound Aaron Donald has a muscular, athletic build with broad shoulders and good thickness throughout a stocky frame. He also shows elite play speed with electric snap quickness and change-of-direction ability. Donald plays with tremendous natural leverage due to pad level, mobility and hand placement. He can also blow by run-blockers and live in the backfield or strike their frame, create leverage with his hands, generate hip torque and shed at will. He shows incredible dexterity, tilt and bend as a pass-rusher.
With a diversified pass-rush plan, he’s capable of stringing together multiple moves on a single rush to win either the outside or inside using speed, power or both. He’s also got hair-trigger closing speed to finish around the corner and in pursuit.
—NFL1000 DT Scout, Brandon Thorn
Donald’s 39 sacks through his first four seasons? That’s a number any edge-rusher would like. To put up those stats as an interior defender and primary focus of every offensive line he faces—and thus gets as many double-teams as any lineman in the league—shows his real effect.
Strong enough to win as a head-over nose tackle and physically gifted enough to line up at defensive end in special packages, Donald is the NFL’s toughest defensive lineman to deal with on a snap-to-snap basis. He puts on a clinic every week, whether he’s slow-rolling a guard only to devastate him with a quick inside counter or using his arms to push a center back before rip-moving him out of the picture.
—NFL1000 Lead Scout, Doug Farrar
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from NFL1000: Ranking the Top Running Backs of 2017 Season
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2752016-nfl1000-ranking-the-top-running-backs-of-2017-season
1. Todd Gurley II, Los Angeles Rams
26 OF 26
Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
Inside Running: 22/25
Outside Running: 23/25
Receiving: 18/20
Blocking: 16/20
Position Value: 7/10
Overall Grade: 86/100
While the development of Jared Goff has been the major theme of Sean McVay’s first season as Rams head coach, Todd Gurley II’s revival shouldn’t be overlooked. McVay has done an excellent job scheming ways to get Gurley in space, where he can show off his terrific athletic ability. He runs well to the edge, where he looks to bounce outside and take on smaller defenders he can run over. He’s also proved to be a huge threat as a receiver, making him a complete back that finished the season with over 2,000 yards from scrimmage.
—NFL1000 running backs scout Mark Bullock
In 2016, Jeff Fisher did the impossible: He made Gurley disappear. Fisher and offensive coordinator Rob Boras put one of the most talented backs of the last decade in a weird committee, punishing him with limited snaps when he couldn’t create miracles behind a horrid offensive line. The switch to McVay obviously opened things up for Goff and for Gurley as a receiver, but it also let Gurley use all his abilities in a fully dimensional offense. Behind a much improved offensive line, Gurley led the league in yards from scrimmage with 2,093 and touchdowns with 19. There isn’t a thing you’d want a running back to do that Gurley can’t—he has great power and speed, ankle-breaking agility, and he’s developing into a top-flight asset as a receiver. Perhaps the best pure back to come out of college since Adrian Peterson, Gurley finally has the perfect offense for his talents, and the arrow is pointing up.
—NFL1000 lead scout Doug Farrar
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from NFL1000: Ranking the Top Left Tackles of 2017 Season
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2752521-nfl1000-ranking-the-top-left-tackles-of-2017-season
3. Andrew Whitworth, Los Angeles Rams
16 OF 18
Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
Pass Protection: 20/25
Run Blocking: 16/20
Power: 16/20
Agility: 18/25
Position Value: 9/10
Overall Grade: 79/100
The NFL won’t recognize an offensive lineman as the MVP, but the case can be made that Andrew Whitworth belongs in the conversation based upon what he has meant to the Los Angeles Rams since signing as a free agent. He not only bolstered their offensive line, but he provided veteran leadership to the entire offense.
When Cincinnati let Whitworth leave, it lost someone who now has 179 career starts. He also secured first-team All-Pro honors in 2015 and 2017, was a second-team All-Pro in 2014 and is a three-time Pro Bowler (2012, 2015, 2016). But most importantly, he showed tremendous veteran leadership and professionalism on a unit that clearly struggled in 2017.
—NFL1000 OT Scout Duke Manyweather
Whitworth has played left tackle and left guard in his career, and he could work at an All-Pro level at both. While he’s decently athletic, he succeeds with optimal technique and a veteran’s understanding of angles and leverage. He’s rarely out of position, and he’s smart and quick enough in short spaces to adjust to whatever an edge-rusher might throw at him. He was one of the key factors in the Rams’ offensive turnaround, and while the bar at left tackle was pretty low before his arrival, the transformation along the line in 2017 was undeniable.
—NFL1000 Lead Scout Doug Farrar
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from NFL1000: Ranking the Top Offensive Guards of 2017 Season
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2755358-nfl1000-ranking-the-top-offensive-guards-of-2017-season
9. Rodger Saffold, Los Angeles Rams
18 OF 26
Kelvin Kuo/Associated Press
Pass Protection: 16/25
Run Block: 18/25
Power: 16/20
Agility: 16/20
Position Value: 7/10
Overall Grade: 73/100
Offensive line coach Aaron Kromer deserves a lot of credit for the improvement of this Rams offensive line, but the player that had the starkest improvement under Kromer after a couple of inconsistent seasons was Rodger Saffold. Perhaps he was healthier this season, or just more engaged, but Saffold looked like a different player from the jump, from coming out of his stance faster to having much more active footwork when mirroring. Saffold’s feel for arriving to the second level in the run game and effectiveness when he got there were clear upgrades from last season as well and big reasons Todd Gurley saw so many more holes this year.
—NFL1000 OL Scout, Ethan Young
Very quick to engage in both two- and three-point stances, Saffold has made the complete turn from former failed offensive tackle to outstanding left guard. Saffold still has the quickness and agility the Rams saw when they selected him 33rd overall in the 2010 draft, but now that he’s playing inside, he doesn’t have to worry about edge-rushers beating him to the edge of the pocket. Instead, Saffold can focus on using his lower-body strength to drive-block and sealing the edge well on run plays.
—NFL1000 Lead Scout Doug Farrar
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Agamemnon
