Daniel Fa'alele may be the next Gophers 1st Round NFL Pick

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hungan1

hungan1

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ATTENTION VIKINGS: You have to get this hometown kid! Dalvin Cook can run all day.

400-lb Animal!
NFL teams are already salivating - I will predict he is the next 1st Round Draft Pick for the Gophers! He landed at a perfect place with PJ Fleck and Brian Callahan. He's only played two years of football. The scary thing is he is still a baby by football experience standards. Bryce Benhart was rated higher. He is no Daniel Fa'alele. Ko Kieft looks like a dwarf standing right next to him.

Film Breakdowns | Minnesota Gopher Right Tackle Daniel Faalele
From Seahawks Scouting, November 29, 2021

 
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How much did Big Dan pay for this?

Really though, great to see. The injury at the end of 2019 was tough and so was 2020. Glad we had him for 2021. Another team to pay attention to once he gets drafted.
 


Can he possibly be too big for the NFL tackle position? As has been mentioned before, his footwork will need to improve (NFL coaches get paid to fix this). He'll get drafted, but will he stick? Yes, he's a project worth the pick.
 


The Vikings just drafted a 1st round tackle, and gave O’Neill a long term contract. He may be a first round pick, but he definitely won’t be wearing purple next season.
 


Based on where he is right now as a player he isn't a first round pick but the simple fact is that guys his size don't come around often and the NFL will be drooling over his potential which is why someone will draft him early.

Would be awesome for Faalele and the program if he ends up getting drafted in the first round. He would have to have some terrible workouts or senior bowl practices not to get drafted before the end of day 2.
 

Oh. He'll get drafted early, but I just don't think he's 1st rounder. He's still too much of a project. I hope I'm wrong though.
 





nitramnaed said:
Oh. He'll get drafted early, but I just don't think he's 1st rounder. He's still too much of a project. I hope I'm wrong though.
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I agree with this. Fa'alele's main selling point has been his size, not his skills. That's not to say he's not good at footwork, for example, but it's not what stands out.

His draft trajectory kind of reminds me of Ra'Shede Hageman's. Hageman had the size, the dude was built like a beast, but his technical skills on the football field still needed work. As a result, he was taken in the second round.

I think it could very well be the same case with Fa'alele.
 

hungan1 said:
ATTENTION VIKINGS: You have to get this hometown kid! Dalvin Cook can run all day.

400-lb Animal!
NFL teams are already salivating - I will predict he is the next 1st Round Draft Pick for the Gophers! He landed at a perfect place with PJ Fleck and Brian Callahan. He's only played two years of football. The scary thing is he is still a baby by football experience standards. Bryce Benhart was rated higher. He is no Daniel Fa'alele. Ko Kieft looks like a dwarf standing right next to him.

Film Breakdowns | Minnesota Gopher Right Tackle Daniel Faalele
From Seahawks Scouting, November 29, 2021
Click to expand...
Uhh-What_de268.gif
 



I love him, but IMO he's still a project to some extent. The consistancy isn't always there. At the NFL level ... not sure that flys. I duno if a project (a very promising one) is a 1st round pick.
 

He has not declared his intension. Would an extra year in college nake a difference?
 

hungan1 said:
He has not declared his intension. Would an extra year in college nake a difference?
Click to expand...
if he came back and looked better in pass pro, yes. If he came back and looks the same, no it will hurt him. would all be about what he'd expect in development. he is a project pick hoping to sell on his potential, not what he currently offers as he isn't an immediate starter in the league day one right now
 



hungan1 said:
He has not declared his intension. Would an extra year in college nake a difference?
Click to expand...
He had a senior day farewell message. Pretty sure he is 100% going to the NFL. Extra year would potentially solidify him as a 1st rounder. Right now if he goes that high it is based on what teams believe he can be more than what he is today.
 

He needs to lose 30 pounds and improve his technique. He's more like a late 2nd Round pick with some big upside.
 

Faalele might be one of those players that would benefit from an NFL training staff. Rather than a college game where he has other obligations like classes and whatnot....I feel like he could benefit from focusing all his time on getting himself in the shape needed to be an elite OL player. And since he's already being projected anywhere from the late first round to the third round....his prospects are pretty good. He'll put on a good show at the Senior Bowl and the combine and go early second day at the latest. Wish him the best of luck....but I can understand why he doesn't have much to gain by coming back.
 

If he doesn't get a top 2 round grade he's got massive potential for WWE as Vince's personal project
 


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