I would like to be aggressive with the RB position. I'm happy that Lamar Miller is making good on his potential but I'm also not satisfied because he's still not breaking tackles or making the kinds of plays he could be making in this offense, especially in the passing game. Ameer Abdullah is a jack of all trades, perfect fit for the offense, but also a bit small. I would like to see if Devon Johnson comes out of Marshall because he's a legit prospect. He has speed on the field that is comparable to guys in the 4.5's yet he is 6'1" & 245 lbs. He's a former tight end so it's no surprise he catches the football well (17 catches for 316 yards and 4 TDs the last 2 years). With his size it's also no surprise that he blocks well. Unlike some backs of the past that got hyped because of how big they were (e.g. Ron Dayne), he actually breaks a bunch of tackles, plows through people, stays balanced and runs like the big powerful back that he is. His nickname is "Rock Head" for a reason. He's used to running out of the shotgun too. This isn't just me being partial to a Marshall player. This is a legit prospect that Miami should look into.
Holy smokes, CK! Thanks for your time on these guys! Seriously. Really appreciate the thoroughness of your evaluations on players. It's refreshing. Helluva eye, though, you do not hide when you really like a player. haha Again, great stuff! Hope you have the time in the future to get around to some Ole Miss players. Would really like to read your thoughts. **Please no Bo Wallace. I have it on good authority that he talks about himself in the third person.....regularly. Not that I was a fan of his to begin with, but hearing that just takes the cake on this doofus.
You're welcome! And also, thanks for the praise. I haven't gotten around to Bo Wallace yet but I really don't believe I'm going to like what I see, so I'm not in a hurry with him. I don't know if you saw this but if you go into the other stickied thread you'll find a clickable index of all the players I've done some work on.
The index thread is updated by the way. 66 players and counting. http://www.thephins.com/forums/showthread.php?83389-Prospects-for-2015-(Clickable-Index)
It's funny you mention Ole Miss and Bo Wallace. Not for the first time, I'm seeing Marshall projected to the Peach Bowl to play against Ole Miss on New Year's Eve.
Kasen Williams has undergone a dramatic drop down the boards with respect to the media and public perception. Heading into the year I believe I referred to him as the top senior wide receiver in the class. Now, he's an afterthought. In that way, this reminds me of Marquess Wilson. Except where Marquess Wilson's fall was his own doing, I don't know that this is Kasen Williams' fault. He took what turned out to be an horrific injury, simultaneously a broken fibula and lisfranc injury. While he kept claiming he's 100%, I don't think the coaches ever believed it and I don't think it showed on the field. He caught a total of 7 balls through the first 10 games of the season. But against Arizona they got him a lot more involved. He put up modest numbers, only 5 catches for 39 yards. But he looked like his old self on those catches. He looked big, powerful, explosive. He caught the football well. This is one of those things where it wouldn't surprise me if you fast forward to whatever bowl game Washington plays, and Kasen Williams is catching like 12 balls for 150 yards with multiple TDs or something like that. He'll be back, and then he'll be in a decent All Star game.
When watching Gurley I find myself questioning if he's suited for an NFL team that runs a lot of outside zone. He frequently has a blocker either out front or creating a designed crease for the cutback [with him knowing where the cutback is supposed to be], and to me it seems like it fits him best when he can gather a bit of steam and plow through second and third level defenders b/c it looks like his explosion occurs in the 5-10 yard range of his running [in general, not just upfield]. I don't know if I want him patiently waiting for and recognizing the lane in outside zone and then rely on planting and exploding through those first 5 yards. He seems okay on inside zone stuff but the sharper angles on outside zone concern me.
Probably going to have to re-order my thinking about the running backs in this draft. Anyone else tempted to move David Johnson full time to wide receiver? He's got this beautiful 6'2" & 230 lbs frame with these long arms, yet he cuts well and has great agility and flexibility at that size. He has good hands and runs routes really, really well. The body language on him just seems to spell out wide receiver. He's also got speed easily in the 4.5's I think. The thing I like about him least is probably his vision in the backfield and that's another reason I'm tempted to put him at wide receiver. I mean, he'll make a compelling prospect either way but I would be tempted to move him. He's built like Terrell Owens and he moves like Terrell Owens. From 2014: [video=youtube;zpKTcIFToF4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zpKTcIFToF4[/video] From 2013: [video=youtube;Jq0EWpbT4kQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Jq0EWpbT4kQ[/video]
Gridiron King may be able to get a hold of more footage on him (if you're interested), since he is a UNI alum and I believe worked for their broadcasting for a while prior to his current job, so he may have connections.
Need more videos on Damian Swann CB of UGA. DBD has only one view from Nebraska game, there are a few short ones on YT. From a brief glance through listed CBs for 2015, this guy is my fave CB.
CK, what do you think about Devon Johnson's game? I think he would be a good pick up for Miami..especially if we can get 4th or 5the round.
Devon Johnson is a junior so it's tough to say if he'll come out or now. I love him. But it's difficult to talk about him much not having any idea if he'll come out.
As always CK thank you for replying and thank you for all of your hard work on all of the players you have reviewed to date. It is really awesome to be able to review them from your work up and for me personally to see 1st hand a true scout at work. It is also refreshing for me when I see your work up on a player that I really like and lets me know that occasionally, I might have a good eye for talent! Again, THANK YOU!
And many thanks to Crunch Time, ToddPhin, DJ and all others who spend so much of your time reviewing players for the rest of us to enjoy and get a heads up on the talent at different positions. Wow what a benefit it is to have Club and access to all of this information
Lynden Trail video done recently. He's going to go for a bargain price because he got bored at Norfolk State. [video=youtube;5nLO1wrb5SA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=5nLO1wrb5SA[/video]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XngpV8_Wj7s&feature=player_embedded This is a film of Aaron Donald from 2012 however it gives a good look at a young C Austin Reiter of South Florida. They faced each other about 7 or 8 times in the video and I'd say Donald got the better of him clearly on one occasion, obvious passing down from USF's own end zone and Donald slanted in and walked Reiter back to the QB. No sack or anything but Donald definitely had the upper hand. On the other hand Reiter clearly had Donald locked up on several downs as well. Reiter told me last night that after the game everyone teased him when he kept telling them that Aaron Donald might be the best DT in the country.
Good stuff. New nothing about him. Devon is also just the ideal kind of complement to Miller/Williams that Miami needsc. I think you need multiple styles of backs in the same unit in today's NFL to specialize against different defensive strengths.
Ifo Ekpre-Olomu may have just tore his ACL in practice. What a terrible break for the kid. Love him too.
DT Christian Ringo, University of Louisiana-Lafeyette (Class: 2015) Here's a body for DJ to dissect. DT Christian Ringo out of UL-Lafayette. Look at the lower body mass on this guy. [video=youtube;Ryk0aZI5lNk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Ryk0aZI5lNk[/video] He's a bit more Glenn Dorsey/Marvin Austin than Aaron Donald but he's got that kind of production in terms of TFLs, Sacks, pressures, etc. He's unblockable in the Sun Belt. He's got a size deficiency but if you watch closely, don't confuse it with a strength deficiency. He's a hellish strong kid, probably because of all that dark meat (not making a racist joke). As Austin Reiter (Center from USF, highly draftable IMO) recently put it to me, this man packs some sh-t in his hands. That said the big concern is the guy gets put on the ground way too much, like Brian Price a number of years back. That's kind of a red flag for a guy who is smaller because that's the concern you're going to have about a small guy, neutralized (e.g. put on the ground) too often. In a game where one thoroughly blown gap can result in a huge play, that can be something that makes teams real nervous. Ringo's teammate DT Justin Hamilton is going to rate higher because of this factor.
By the way his senior teammate Justin Hamilton is widely considered the better DT prospect and for good reason. He's bigger, moves just as well, also very powerful, and they have him playing more varied roles. Very interested in both. If Ringo slips through the cracks it will remind me of Darrington Sentimore. But I don't think he will. He's too powerful. Too good at shedding blockers. Sentimore's main asset was just his athleticism which you'd hope would be a part of his game considering his being undersized. Ringo has that but packs a lot more of a punch. It's really interesting watching ULL defensive line play because when you're watching Ringo your eyes get drawn to Hamilton but when you're watching Hamilton your eyes get drawn to Ringo. Two good players.
Really depressing to watch how little help Cody Fajardo gets on the field. Guys can't run their routes, can't even make the most obvious adjustments. Can't catch the football. Sometimes they don't even look for the damn ball like they think they're just a straight up decoy. They fumble the ball. Line doesn't really protect him. He's got to do everything there and it's just really sad to see a guy with some real skills drowning like that.
Fajardo's really growing on me. Obviously the physical tools are really nice, spins it, does subtle little things on the move and as a ballcarrier. But to me the most appealing thing about him is just his timing. He seems to make decisions and movements at a really natural pace. Nice rhythm to his game. Not sluggish through reads and options, but not panicked and rushed despite the team and blocking around him. I dunno, it's hard to explain. Combination of feel for the system and following his instincts as bodies start flying around. It just seems like he does things at a really natural clip, flows really well in the sequence of the play. I very rarely see him holding it too long or bailing too soon. Good intuition as things develop, I'd say, which is probably a sign of how he's processing information as it unfolds. Just a good impression I get having watched several cut-ups. I might go back and see if Kaep had this feel in college too. Maybe it's just a Nevada system thing? Cause he's really lost that sense of timing in San Francisco lately, imo.
He's borderline robotic that way like Tannehill, and I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way. Always have been tempted to compare him to Tannehill. I don't think he has anywhere near the help Tannehill had at Texas A&M though.
QB Jason Vander Laan Apparently a TE prospect- I could see it. Beast runner with some wheels, not really impressed by his arm but he could be an emergency QB. This guy could be a monster in the wildcat imo if they ever want to pull out that wrinkle, but he's worth a look as a developmental TE, 6-4 240 lbs with room to grow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSgH5pE9CNE http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/ct-sports-ssw-tl-1225-20141222-story.html
WR Dorial Green Beckham Could be our Kelvin Benjamin type, 6-6 and can go up for the ball, red zone threat. Imagine him paired with Wallance and Landry... Watch this guy at 2:28- can move and he's shifty. This is a talented receiver, not a straight up burner but I can see him completing the receiver squad. We need a guy like this way more than Hartline, and as per Tannehill and the short passing game DGB would make a nice target and safety net for Tannehill in all kinds of situations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEtdr01slXI BTW Beckham has wheels, but he's probably not going to be impressive in a 10 yard split, at all. He's a strider, but watch how he picks up steam when he gets in high gear. Pull away speed, but as one can imagine given his height, he ain't no Brandin Cooks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_7iGMyMtpk All things considered, if he's deemed a worthy risk as per off-field behaviour, I'm a buyer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEtdr01slXI http://www.normantranscript.com/spo...cle_87ca7b1c-88c0-11e4-9482-e79d7f0e350a.html
CB Alex Carter Stanford http://www.sfgate.com/collegesports...Alex-Carter-will-weigh-2015-entry-5976587.php
CK burst my bubble on him with some stuff in the Club level draft chatter thread. He sounds like he has major issues. CK put him in the Lawrence Phillips category, in that sense.
CK has told the story of DGB in many threads outside of the Club too. I don't expect him to be a target for Miami because of it, but it wouldn't shock me to see him as a Bengal next year.
For me its easily Coates. The man is a beast. Shows the ability to track the ball in the air and go up and get it. At times reminds me a lot of Brandon Marshall.
Here are the issues I see with DeVante Parker: [video=youtube;yZV9Ly66s3Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yZV9Ly66s3Y[/video] Several times in this tape (and really almost any of the tapes) you're going to notice that corners like Juston Burris and Jack Tocho, BOTH of whom have speed in the 4.6 area, will play up on Parker in a press-man look and fully keep up with him on deep fades to where they're in position to knock down the pass. What's disturbing isn't necessarily the fact they were able to defend these passes. What is disturbing is how comfortable they looked doing it. These are not necessarily top prospects, they have 4.6 speed, and they're comfortable covering Parker aggressively and knocking down passes on the fade. What you notice he does a lot of in this game and some others is catch the ball underneath deep off coverage, or catch slant patterns where the corner doesn't really play very aggressively. But what happens when he gets to the NFL and the corners have 4.3 speed? They're going to play him aggressively on those slants. He can't JUST be a slant guy at the next level. Then you look at his Florida State game: [video=youtube;cQdeARMvt5E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=cQdeARMvt5E[/video] Right away, you see a HUGE play. But how and why does this play happen? Details matter. Was it given, or taken? Should always ask that about a player's production. This happened because Tyler Hunter the safety from Florida State (#1) was watching the backfield and NOT watching DeVante Parker. He wasn't playing against Parker, he was playing against the QB and the backfield. Parker didn't "beat" him. And what happened after Parker caught the pass? Tyler Hunter caught up to him and brought him down. Tyler Hunter has 4.67 speed according to NFL Draft Scout's record of campus testings. Doesn't that scare you? It should. This is a 4.7 guy tracking down DeVante Parker from behind. Yeah Parker had to slow down for the ball but he had more than enough room to speed back up and beat Hunter IF he was truly faster than him. There's another play at 1:03 in the Florida State video and this should scare you because this is an NFL caliber corner (P.J. Williams) with NFL speed, playing NFL caliber defense against Parker. Look what he does. He plays up to the line of scrimmage as close as he can. He can't press Parker because Parker is off the line. You can tell Parker actually tries to put on the jets here because he's trying to sell Williams deep. Williams just does not care. You can freeze frame when Parker is 2 yards beyond the LOS and at this point, P.J. Williams should be toast. Parker is 5 yards into his gait and Williams hasn't even turned his hips yet! But by the time Parker gets to the yellow line, Williams is perfectly with him, perfect leverage to guard both the deep ball AND the back shoulder fade. He's not struggling. If he were struggling then this back shoulder fade would have opened up because Williams would have had to run all out after taking so much time to turn his hips. But he's very easygoing about it. Why? Because he's not scared of DeVante Parker...AT ALL. You can see it again at about 1:19. Here's a nice replay of Parker running deep against Ronald Darby. But Florida State's corners aren't 4.6 guys like NC State. They're so fast they actually just live inside DeVante Parker's hip pocket, right next to his credit cards.
Looks like Jameis is returning to FSU next season. So its just Mariota alone in the first round unless someone explodes in the combines. After the game yesterday he said hes looking forward to next season and baseball so yeah, i dont think he feels ready for the NFL and hes smart if he stays another season to clean up his game.
I wouldn't count on that. That's not necessarily even been hinted at the way people think it has. He lost a tough game, his first in college football, and he gave out a very non-committal answer to a question about the draft. This is like Jim Harbaugh talking about how leaving the 49ers is nowhere near a possibility in his mind. They're just saying where their mind is at right now. Jameis hadn't been thinking about the draft because he was trying to chase another championship. He'll have time this week to think about it more and then he'll decide. And he'll probably decide to come out.
Any love for Paul Dawson, LB TCU? I watched the West Virginia and Texas games and was impressed. He isn't a stack and shed type of LB but I'm thinking he was tailored made for the WILL if we keep the 4-3. The INT he mad the WV game was awesome. He seems to lose his man a bit sometimes in zone and looks like he is kind of grabby in man coverage. He definitely can lay the wood on people. There were a couple of hits that stopped guys in their tracks and had them going sideways. I don't know if I would call him physical though as he seems to run around blocks a lot. I just worked an almost 11 hour shift at the hospital so I'm going to have to re-watch these tapes and see if I can find more.
Been such a joy the past few years watching Greg Hardy, eh Chris. I don't think he meshes with our WR needs after drafting Landry and still having Gibson on the roster though. You?
