Fuck whoever said they didn’t want Elijah Molden.
(Hoping I never said that)
I knew Molden was going to be great in college. I saw him play against my Rams in the state title game. ‘Play against’ is a euphemism for repeatedly rape. That CC team had Lamar Winston, Brady Breeze, Lamar Winston’s brother, and a handful of lower D1 scholarship types.
Molden just looked special. There are a few guys you see play live and you know they’re different. Even in high school where every three star can look like Barry Sanders or Ed Reed some are just several notches above.
Molden has lived up to expectations. I’d bet he could play RB and be a lot better than Kamari Pleasant. If I had to pick between Molden and Jevon Holland it would be a no brainer. It’s Jevon Holland. Assuming Holland would actually play, but I can’t fault someone who graduated for bailing on his friends and teammates instead of risking that NFL money.
They're somewhat different players. Both tackle really well in space.
I felt that was worth mentioning, but since I already tend to drone on I didn’t. With Oregon’s depleted secondary Molden would be playing the same position Holland did last year, that nickel back spot Avalos uses in his retarded-when-it-fails-genius-when-it-works 3-3-5. Not because that’s where Molden belongs but because he could excel there for that very reason: tackling.
Holland’s replacement Jamal Hill has actually been pretty decent, he was out for the boover game most likely with the Rona tracing. But Hill has blown some tackles or opportunities that would have been losses or short gains. Last week they used Pickett there for a half until he got hurt, and once even he was out then OSU really lit them up.
I’d think Molden runs a faster 40 than Holland, and has good instincts for the ball flight path. Holland should be drafted ahead of him. In the NFL Hollans could be an elite run safety with decent to good coverage and the occasional big interception. Guys like him are becoming more valuable the more common huge WRs and high usage, pass catching TEs become.