NFL Draft Profile: DT Kendrick Norton

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Feb 20, 2018
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Don’t let Kendrick Norton’s three-star rating deceive you. Norton was a highly respected recruit, as he came out of high school with 25 offers including Alabama, Florida, and Florida State. Norton decided to join Miami, where he was partially overshadowed by his defensive-line teammates like Chad Thomas and other flashy pass-rushers, but he still continued to impress NFL scouts and make a name for himself.

Pre-Draft Measurables

Height: 6’ 3”

Weight: 314 pounds

Arms: 33¾”

Hands: 10¾”

Strengths

Space Eater

As I mentioned before, Norton was commonly forgotten about because he didn’t necessarily pile up sacks and make flashy plays. The reason why other guys on the team made plays was in a large part because of Norton. When you have a stocky, athletic player like Norton that can occupy the center and force a double team, it relieves pressure for the other 2-3 guys on the defensive line. Norton attributed for a lot of run stops at the line and tackles for loss without necessarily making the play.

Intangibles

Norton consistently hustles to the ball and normally out-hustles his blockers, allowing for an extra body to help stop runs on the outside. Norton is almost a guarantee to not start his rookie year, so having a guy that will hustle every chance he gets is comforting. I hate to be so cliché, but without even meeting Norton, I can tell by his effort and more importantly his enthusiasm on the field that he’ll make for a great guy in the locker room.

Weaknesses

Not the Fastest

Effort is great, but sometimes effort isn’t enough. Norton will certainly be able to cause problems, creating cutbacks and obstacles for lineman and ball carriers alike, but his lack of speed gives him trouble for actually making the play. Norton’s speed is a burden, a burden that will only allow him to be a playmaker only within the tackles. Not a terrible problem, but a problem that’ll separate him from the elite interior defensive lineman in the league.

Draft Projection: 4th-6th Round

Norton is a one-trick pony. It’s now a fact that Norton can clog up the inside and cause problems in between the tackles, freeing up the front seven to make more plays. The problem, though, is that all Kendrick Norton is a space eater with heart. Norton can be a successful player in the NFL, but I have a problem with picturing him as anything above an average starter.
 
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Kendrick Norton comes from a family loaded with athletic history. Norton’s father, Ken Norton, just signed a deal to become Jon Gruden’s defensive coordinator in Oakland, and his grandfather (Ken Norton Sr.) is a former heavyweight champion. .

Petee doing the work as a sauce...
 
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Jeez those first sentences about his family made me cringe. Ken Norton is a west coast guy - not his father.
 
I don't blame him for declaring early. He and RJ put in two full seasons where they played almost every down.

With some hard work they'll both get a nice 2nd contract and set themselves up pretty well.
 
When somebody provides such misinformation about his family lineage then it totally discredits anything else he writes about his draft evaluation.

Where did they get this crazy stuff? I was reading it with my jaw hanging down...how did I not know this about his family? Surely I would have heard if he was related to the heavyweight boxer and his son the former UCLA and Cowboy LB.

The one thing I heard about a UM player that I was never able to verify was the story that former UM LB Darryl Sharpton was the nephew of Al Sharpton. I believe Darryl's father was an accountant and maybe a Republican. Doesn't sound like a relative of Al Sharpton. Does anybody know?
 
Norton is very strong 430 bench press and over 550 in the squat. He will be in the NFL.
 
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After 3 rounds ESPN has him ranked as the 142nd best prospect. Which makes him a free agent, if draft goes according to rankings.

Good news he is the 9th ranked DT left. If two DT go each remaining round... he goes undrafted.

He received bad advice coming out.
 
After 3 rounds ESPN has him ranked as the 142nd best prospect. Which makes him a free agent, if draft goes according to rankings.

Good news he is the 9th ranked DT left. If two DT go each remaining round... he goes undrafted.

He received bad advice coming out.
Or he is what he is
 
After 3 rounds ESPN has him ranked as the 142nd best prospect. Which makes him a free agent, if draft goes according to rankings.

Good news he is the 9th ranked DT left. If two DT go each remaining round... he goes undrafted.

He received bad advice coming out.

Norton listened to the advice of a sleazy agent. Never go against the advice of the advisory board.
 
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Should have listened to Richt and the advisory board. Norton and RJ will most likely go undrafted like many on here predicted.
 
Lol. Neither are going undrafted. Put down the hyperbole pipe. But it's hard to believe they got sold on leaving early to be 4th rounders at best.
 
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When somebody provides such misinformation about his family lineage then it totally discredits anything else he writes about his draft evaluation.

Where did they get this crazy stuff? I was reading it with my jaw hanging down...how did I not know this about his family? Surely I would have heard if he was related to the heavyweight boxer and his son the former UCLA and Cowboy LB.

The one thing I heard about a UM player that I was never able to verify was the story that former UM LB Darryl Sharpton was the nephew of Al Sharpton. I believe Darryl's father was an accountant and maybe a Republican. Doesn't sound like a relative of Al Sharpton. Does anybody know?
al sharpton is his second cousin
 
Right, he wasn't going to become Vita Vea over the course of 8 months. Some team that runs a 3-4 will take the guy today hopefully.

How do you know that? Both of these guys are 3 years out of high school. It's almost unheard of to come out as a defensive lineman this early, these guys made a horrible decision. Both had a lot of promise, and maybe they wouldn't have been top 15 picks next year but we wouldn't be sitting here in the 4th round wondering if they're going to get drafted at all.
 
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