Jay, here.
A couple of weeks ago, a thread (”DuckD’s In-Depth Pre-Spring Depth Chart”) from one of the eDuck message boards came across my desk here at Duck Sports News and caught my attention.
So, I decided to shoot an email to DuckD to see I could share his analysis with other Duck fans through Duck Sports News. Upon completing his preview, he was more than happy to email his entire entry (Thank you, DuckD).
Instead of publishing the entire entry here, I’ve decided to break it up into more bite-size parts over the course of several days. Here’s a look at the schedule:
Offense
Friday, March 21st: Quarterback
Saturday, March 22nd: Running Back
Sunday, March 23rd: Wide Receiver
Monday, March 24th: Tight End, Half Back
Tuesday, March 25th: Offensive Line
Defense
Wednesday, March 26th: Defensive End
Thursday, March 27th: Defensive Tackle
Friday, March 28th: Linebacker
Saturday, March 29th: Cornerback
Sunday, March 30th: Safety
Here’s DuckD’s preview of the Tight End and Half Back positions:
DuckD’s Spring Preview: TIGHT END, HALF BACK
Probable Starter: Ed Dickson jr.
Depth: Malachi Lewis so., Matt Larkin sr., David Paulson fr.
Incoming: Mychal Rivera fr.
Analysis: Ed Dickson had a terrific season as a first year starter. I think we all figured that he would produce like he did, but it is always nice to have a player live up to our expectations on the field. Shoot, I even remember him being used as an option back against Washington! Not your “typical TE”, he is a terrific athlete and great receiver. I look for Dickson to take on more of a leadership role this year as well as improving on his terrific sophomore campaign (43 receptions for 453 yards and 3 TDs, as well as 2 rushes for 10 yards). He will need to continue to develop as a LOS blocker and should be more of a threat in the mid-to-deep middle passing game. Defenses have to take Dickson into their considerations or he will make them pay.
Malachi Lewis is one of those players that has to be on the field. This son-of-a-Duck is so talented that he could have played any number of positions, but seems to have found a home at HB/TE. He will definitely need to add muscle and bulk in order to be a more effective blocker, but I see Chip Kelly coming up with a variety of ingenius ways to get Lewis the ball (can you say “TE Reverse”?). Lewis only had 3 catches last fall, but I see his role expanding considerably as he gets stronger and more knowledgeable of the system. His skills as a highly-rated high school RB could be put to good use the more the ball is in his hands.
Larkin is an unsung role player and special teams standout. He’ll never be the “star” player, but he does a lot of the little things that every team needs.
Paulson, after his redshirt year, finally gets his opportunity to show off the receiving skills that the coaching staff have been raving about. He seems to have the size to be a capable blocker (6′4″ 250), but we’ll have to see if he has the desire to apply the techniques he is taught. With the depth chart at this position, he has every opportunity to see the field and make an impact this year. I could easily see him being the 3rd TE/HB behind Dickson and Lewis.
Rivera will come in and have an opportunity to put himself into the rotation this fall. He played in a run-oriented offense in high school so he should be a decent blocker, which may help him see the field this fall. He was our first commit last year, which says a lot to me about the coaches belief in his potential. He would not have been offered so early if they didn’t think he was worth it.
We are young, and not overly deep at TE/HB, but there is definitely talent there.
Tomorrow: OFFENSIVE LINE
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