I’m not going to try to make you feel better about this pick but if you’re interested, former NFL long snapper Patrick Mannelly has some great info on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ newest pick, Colin Holba. Because I’ll be honest, I know some about Holba, but there isn’t a scouting report coming on him.
Mannelly – who snapped for the Chicago Bears for a decade – gave Holba the highest grade and apparently NFL coaches agreed. Two scouts from Longsnap.com had Holba ranked as either the best or second best long snapper and Mannelly named him as the top guy. Here’s what he has to stay on the rookie.
“Mannelly on Holba: “He’s a self-taught kid who is still kind of raw at the position but has a tremendous upside. Might have the biggest upside of all three of them. … He’s a bigger guy (6’4, 248 pounds). A little bit more raw. I think they project more out of him as far as his ceiling. Scott (Daly) is probably a little more polished right now, but I think that Colin could potentially be a bigger, top-notch athlete at the snapper position.”
He had four to five sessions working with Holba, enough time to draw an accurate conclusion. Holba has great and rare length for the position with 33 1/4 inch arms and was one of the few long snappers invited to the Senior Bowl.
I was sitting in the lobby when one scout, I think someone from the Buffalo Bills, sat down to talk to him. First thing he remarked was how great his length was. He was almost certain to get drafted and is a bigger guy than the usual prospect, though there’s questions of how good of an athlete he is.
Again, not trying to make you feel better. Just a little more informed. Encourage you to read the whole article over at Windy City Gridiron.
