Geeks Puzzled By Ali Marpet
May 11th, 2015
One of the great mysteries of the 2015 Buccaneers will be how Division-III offensive lineman Ali Marpet is able to handle the rigors of the NFL.
It’s one helluva jump.
How much of a jump? Well, Joe has covered quite a few Division-III football games in years past. Let’s just say it is glorified high school football. Plant High, or Largo or Armwood or East Lake would be able to beat a run-of-the-mill Division-III team. Really.
So in a sense, Marpet is going from high school to the NFL.
This is what has the spreadsheeters over at Pro Football Focus so confused. They love Marpet’s tape at noted football factory Hobart College, but then they realize Marpet was basically manhandling tackling dummies with a pulse, notes Thomas Maney.
Round 2: Ali Marpet, OL, Hobart
Ali Marpet certainly has an impressive highlight reel playing at Hobart, but since he didn’t face FBS opposition we only got an extended look at him during the Senior Bowl. He was very impressive there in both facets, finishing with a clean sheet in pass protection and a positive run blocking grade, after some good work against Houston’s Joey Mbu at the point of attack.
Depth Chart Fit: Training camp should yield a better answer, but could be competing for a starting job.
The braintrust of the Bucs is confident in both Marpet and left tackle Donovan Smith becoming opening-day starters. Of course they are. They wouldn’t have picked the duo if they thought they had a couple be stiffs.
But to outsiders looking in, it’s one helluva gamble to start two rookies — one coming from high school Division-III — tasked with making sure your franchise rookie quarterback doesn’t get crippled.
May 11th, 2015 at 7:44 am
Attitude,vision and belief in oneself….
May 11th, 2015 at 7:54 am
……if Marpet does well he’ll quickly become the most “beloved” player on this team.
May 11th, 2015 at 8:12 am
With his speed, he could become an awesome run blocker, especially when he pulls.
May 11th, 2015 at 8:14 am
Hopefully this stretch of a pick turns into a smart move. I think he will contribute, but right out of the gate is even a bigger stretch. It seems similiar in scope to a 100 to 1 longshot winning the Heisman Trophy. Talk about a coup of a pick if he holds his own.
May 11th, 2015 at 8:37 am
some kids arrive drafted high and think they have made it
some kids arrive drafted or as FA….with something still to prove
there are NO doubts in this kids mind that he will be a successful starter
old school…refreshing story
May 11th, 2015 at 8:45 am
Face the facts it is going to take awhile to recover from bruce allen and mark d’s drafts. Our current guys have shown they arent that good at picking free agents. Look at all the holes I say we need 3’good drafts to be a playoff contender and that is it the picks hit
May 11th, 2015 at 8:47 am
Gawd Joe! Use another picture. It damn close to spotting something that looks like a baby bird.
Others are correct you can’t teach size and speed, is the kid coachable? Does the kid have the drive to excel?
We will find out in Training Camp.
May 11th, 2015 at 9:02 am
I would like to know what level of football Joe stopped playing at where he feels qualified to call DIII football glorified H.S. Football?
May 11th, 2015 at 9:08 am
Marpet: 30 reps 225 lb lifts; 30 in the vertical; 30 on the Wonderlic. Add to this unquestioned motivation. With proper coaching and time….he can excel.
May 11th, 2015 at 9:15 am
I really don’t think it can get much worse than Anthony Collins and Patrick Omameh.
May 11th, 2015 at 9:17 am
Guys, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here….D III is, as Joe said, basically high school. Marpet is going to go from banging heads with 250 lb defensive lineman to trying to block grown ass men getting paid millions of dollars to ruin his life.
I hope in the Miami game they have him going against Suh for as long as Suh’s in the game….if he holds his own there, then we can start talking a starting position.
Marpet’s basically going from driving a bus to driving an F1 overnight….let’s have some patience here
May 11th, 2015 at 9:28 am
Plant High C/O 2004 Whoop Whoop. Back when we were a Bball school cuz of Mike Williams (USC/Lions WR). On topic – There’s a youtube of the Senior Bowl that focuses on Marpet. He looked liked he liked be belonged in D1 & still has room for improvement.
May 11th, 2015 at 10:08 am
The real question is will the rest of the team be able to keep up with Ali n Winston mentally and physically?
It’s all about attitude my friends and these two youn’ins dont know what losing is. Plus Ali is from upstate NY so he’s already coming in with a different attitude than most, hopefully he and mankins can set the tone for the Oline.
#nastyboys
May 11th, 2015 at 10:23 am
Give me a break… If the Seahawks, Patriots, Steelers, Packers picked him they would be praised for their adept Scouting, because it’s the Bucs its the wrong pick…
May 11th, 2015 at 10:44 am
Training camp, he will see quickness and strength from McCoy, quickness from McDonald, strength from Akeem Spence and another combo with with Melton, he will get a real baptism in training camp and preseason. The question is will Donovan Smith get a true test in training camp?
May 11th, 2015 at 10:46 am
It would be really smart to sign a couple vets, just in case they need a lil adjustment time.
Think Joe Barksdale is out there, and RG Connelly from the Pats.
Both vets that add good depth, and insurance in case they struggle
I believe they will both successed. But to count on them full time, from day one?
That’s an unnecessary gamble
May 11th, 2015 at 11:13 am
Bucs are at the front of the waiver line…Dallas is stacked…should be more than a few quaility OLmen released league wide and the Buc will bring them in…OL will be MUCH improved in 2015
May 11th, 2015 at 11:26 am
Largo high! I miss the good ole days! I miss the days when we would bulldoze the rest of Pinellas county. Losing to St. Thomas two years in a row sucked but man were those some great years for me!
Anyway, I’ve seen high school football and obviously NFL ball. But never d3 ball. Is it really that lowly to where a team like St. Thomas could dominate a lesser d3 program?
I think veterans will have alot of fun harrassing the chubby boy from Hobart. Seriously. Hopefully it makes him better. Cause its going to be rough at first.
May 11th, 2015 at 11:49 am
I like Marpet a little more than Smith. Despite the poor competition, he basically showed everything he could. Smith is scary because of the commitment issues. Talent is worthless if you don’t use it. At least you can bet that Marpet will maximize whatever abilities he has.
May 11th, 2015 at 1:15 pm
As Warren Sapp famously said, “You don’t pump weights on the 50-yard line.”
May 12th, 2015 at 7:28 am
clickbait title