Preliminary 2014 NFL Draft Quarterback Rankings

Top Seniors:

1-      Tajh Boyd, Clemson- Boyd really impressed me with his growth as a junior and had one of his best games in the bowl game against LSU. DeAndre Hopkins helped take over that game, but Boyd’s progression makes me think he will continue to improve as a senior. I’ve made this mistake before on Jake Locker, but I have high hopes for Boyd.

2-      David Fales, San Jose State- Thanks to Ben Allbright, Fales became a very popular name amongst NFL Draft analysts, particularly on Twitter. The hashtag #EpicFales may be one of the greatest hashtags of all time. Regardless, Fales has a NFL arm and really impressed me in the limited time I was able to watch him. He is not without flaws, but he’s definitely one of my top 5 QB’s even considering juniors.

3-      Jeff Matthews, Cornell- My good friend Emory Hunt turned me on to Matthews months ago and I have to say I was very impressed with what I saw. He’s got a strong arm, he’s accurate, and he’s definitely going to become more and more popular as the process goes on. Emory pointed out that he reminds him of Matt Ryan and I definitely see the similarities.

4-      Derek Carr, Fresno State- Carr has a very talented arm, not unlike his older brother David, but he worried me with how he handled pressure and he obviously struggled a lot while Margus Hunt terrorized him in Fresno State’s bowl game. He’s got another full year to show he can improve, and his natural talent means he’s in my top 5 QB’s, but I want to see him handle pressure better.

5-      Bryn Renner, North Carolina- This might be me showing my UNC fandom, but I really think Renner is a quality quarterback prospect. He certainly isn’t perfect, and he had a great season in a wide open offense last year, but he has experience in different styles of offense, a strong arm, and I think he’s an effective leader. I think he will open some eyes as a senior.

6-      Aaron Murray, Georgia- If I expect McCarron to be the most scrutinized quarterback in this class, I think Murray is going to be a close second. He has been deemed as a player who can’t win the big game, and he’s going to have a tough time changing everyone’s minds as a senior. I’m glad he came back because I still think he has room to improve, but there’s a stigma about him that is going to be hard to shake. I do think he is a NFL caliber starter though, but he’s definitely not a franchise caliber guy in my opinion.

7-      A.J. McCarron, Alabama- I can already tell McCarron is going to be a divisive prospect. Some are going to see a “winner” that has been a key cog to Alabama’s title runs and others are going to cite his terrific supporting cast (skill position players, offensive line, and defense) and claim he is not much more than a game manager. I certainly don’t think he’s an elite prospect and his arm strength leaves something to be desired, but I don’t think he’s been coasting on the talent of Alabama’s roster either. I think he has some starter upside, but I am excited to see how his 2013 tape looks. He will certainly be one of the most highly scrutinized quarterbacks in this class.

8-      Tyler Russell, Mississippi State- I thought Russell flashed upside when he was still splitting time as a sophomore and in his last full season as a starter he flashed a lot of upside but showed that he still had a lot of room left to grow. He had a pretty horrendous bowl game and clearly needs to work on some things, but he has all the size and arm strength you could want in a quarterback. He may never live up to the expectations I have for him, but I’m willing to be patient and see if he can progress like I believe he is capable of.

9-      Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech- Thomas is another guy I really thought would progress last year but unfortunately he regressed and was essentially a massive disappointment considering some of the hype he was getting in the pre-season. He has all the size and arm strength you could ever dream of, but he was maddeningly inconsistent with his accuracy and decision making and clearly has a ton of growing left to do. I continue to hear great things about his work ethic so I believe he can still improve, I just don’t know if he will ever put it all together.

10-   Zach Mettenberger, LSU- Mettenberger was getting a lot of hype coming into the season but he was underwhelming during his first season as a starter. He’s got an intriguing combination of size and arm strength but he has to put it all together this year. He has starter upside, but he isn’t there yet.

11-   Drew Allen, Syracuse- I might be one of the few people that prefers Drew Allen to the Belldozer, but I do. I think Allen is going to win the Syracuse starting job and show that he has NFL talent at the quarterback position. This is probably higher than anyone else will have him ranked, but I am convinced Allen has starter upside at the next level.

12-   Stephen Morris, Miami- I was one of the people advocating for Morris to start over Jacory Harris during Harris’ senior year and I still think he’s the better quarterback. He’s a quality athlete with a strong arm, but his accuracy wasn’t as consistent as I would have liked to see as a junior. Miami has been through a lot the last couple of years, so I’m excited to see if Morris can end his career on a high note this season.

13-   James Franklin, Missouri- Franklin is an intriguing guy thanks to his size, arm strength and athleticism, but like many of these quarterbacks he has to put it all together and show a mastery of the position as a senior. I personally don’t foresee him being a NFL starter, but he definitely has that upside if he can show more progression as a senior.

14-   Keith Price, Washington- At this time last year Price was coming off of a masterful performance in Washington’s bowl game against Baylor’s hapless defense. This year? He is coming off of a disappointing junior year that left a lot of people underwhelmed. He doesn’t have the arm strength I thought he had, his decision making was inconsistent, and he left a lot to be desired as a junior. I’m hoping he can reverse field as a senior, but I’m not holding my breath.

15-   Corey Robinson, Troy- I don’t think Robinson is going to be in very many top 15 quarterback rankings coming into the season, but I saw a talented quarterback when I watched him as a freshman and I still believe he can play at the next level. He may be undersized, but he has a NFL arm and I am excited to see if he can prove that as a senior.

Top Juniors:

1-      Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville- Bridgewater put on a show as a sophomore last year and made a believer out of me. I think he has all the arm talent, athleticism, toughness and intangibles to be a stud quarterback in the NFL. It remains to be seen how he will do this upcoming season, but I definitely have high expectations for him.

2-      Brett Smith, Wyoming- Smith is another player Allbright pointed out to me last year. I haven’t seen as much of him as I’d like, but what I have seen was very intriguing.

3-      Blake Bortles, Central Florida- I haven’t watched much of Bortles, but what I have seen was intriguing. It was his first full season as a starter so I look forward to reviewing some of those games but also to seeing how he does as a junior and as a starter with more experience.

4-      Braxton Miller, Ohio State- I am not sold on Miller as a NFL QB yet, but he made some strides as a sophomore and he’s too intriguing of a playmaker to leave him off this list entirely. He’s got a lot of upside, it’s just a question of whether he can ever become as good of a pure passer as he is as a runner.

5-      Garrett Grayson, Colorado State- Grayson is a player I think has a lot of upside. He’s definitely flying under the radar, but I expect that he will be the starter for Colorado State and prior to his collarbone injury last year he really showed me something. He looks like he has a NFL arm, it’s just a question of whether he can keep the starting job, stay healthy, and put together some good film.

Top Sophomores:

1-      Kevin Hogan, Stanford- Hogan has future 1^st round pick written all over him. He’s got the size, the arm strength (though his deep ball could use some work), athleticism and high football IQ I look for in a QB. He really impressed me when he took over for Josh Nunes, and he is embracing his role as a leader on Stanford and from what I’ve read seems to have a strong hold on Stanford’s complex offense. I think he’s going to be great this year and while he is eligible I expect him to come out after his junior season, not after his redshirt sophomore year.

2-      Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M- I know a lot of people will be surprised that I have anyone ranked over Manziel, but as far as the NFL is concerned I think Hogan is the superior prospect at this point. There’s no denying Manziel’s uncanny feel for the game, shocking athleticism and knack for game-changing plays, but he still has a long way to go before he is a “surgeon” rather than a butcher as a quarterback as Trent Dilfer would say. The upside is there, but he’s still learning.

Players I’d “Bang the Table” For

These prospects aren’t necessarily my top ranked guys or players that are going to go in the first round, but they are guys that I am 100% sold on and would fight for if I was in a NFL Draft War Room. Enjoy.

QBs:

Geno Smith, West Virginia
Tyler Wilson, Arkansas

Honorable mentions: Ryan Nassib, Syracuse, Ryan Griffin, Tulane

Analysis: I have been fairly outspoken about not being a fan of this quarterback class. That’s not to say there won’t be solid starters that come out of this class, there will, but I’m not comfortable tying my reputation to many of these quarterbacks and even the guys that I like have flaws. Geno Smith and Tyler Wilson have been my top 2 guys for months and that’s not going to change. I think Wilson is going to be a very good value if he’s there on day 2 and whoever gets him is going to get a very good, tough leader who may not be a pro bowler but is a guy you can win with. Geno Smith has been completely overanalyzed by this point, but I don’t think he’s a “franchise” guy, but definitely has pro bowl upside. That’s worth a 1^st round pick to me. He’s the #14 player on my overall big board. As for Nassib, he’s been my #3 QB for a long time as well and while his NFL success will be tied more to a good scheme fit than I think Smith and Wilson will I think that he’s going to be a quality starter as well. This is particularly true if he goes to a team with an entrenched veteran QB who can show him the ropes and give him time to develop. Like most of the QB’s in this class I don’t think he is ready to jump in and run the show from the start. And finally there is Ryan Griffin from Tulane who I wish I could have seen more of, but everything I saw of him was very intriguing. He’s going to be an early day 3 pick in my opinion and I really like his developmental upside. Should be a good #2 at least, potentially a solid starter. I’d roll the dice on him in round 4 or 5.

RBs:

Johnathan Franklin, UCLA
Giovani Bernard, North Carolina
Dennis Johnson, Arkansas
Benny Cunningham, Middle Tennessee State

Honorable mention: Montee Ball, Wisconsin

Analysis: Franklin is my #2 running back in this class, Bernard is my #3, and Johnson is my #5. Franklin and Bernard have both been discussed an awful lot, I think they are both quality backs and will be effective NFL starters. Dennis Johnson is one player that I am far higher on than most, and I think he is going to shock a lot of people at the next level. When I watch him I see a young Michael Turner who can contribute on special teams as an effective kick returner. He’s a complete back and he is my early pick for the steal of the draft. Benny Cunningham is a late addition to this post, but I am extremely intrigued by him. He just ran a 4.51 at his pro day months after a season ending knee injury and if he comes back 100% I think he is going to be a steal on day 3. He absolutely has starter running back upside and if he gets his chance I think he will surprise people. Last but not least I couldn’t leave Montee Ball off this list. I’ve watched him live too many times at Camp Randall Stadium and despite his heavy college workload I think he is being underrated. He’s a quality back and he can likely be had in the 3^rd or 4^th round.

WRs

Keenan Allen, California
Robert Woods, USC
DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson
Conner Vernon, Duke

Analysis: Allen has been my #1 WR since October and I haven’t wavered on that despite his knee injury, testing positive for marijuana at the combine or not being able to perform fully at Cal’s pro day. Maybe that makes me stubborn, but I’ve been watching him since he was a freshman and I’ve been convinced for three years that he has #1 WR upside at the next level, so why should I change my mind now? The tape screams NFL #1 to me, so that’s what I’m trusting. Robert Woods was initially my 1a to Keenan Allen but his injuries concerned me a bit and he dropped down on my rankings, but he is at worst a terrific #2 in the NFL and is back at #2 in my rankings. I wish I could hear more about his ankle to see if he was going to be 100% at the next level, but he’s a 1^st round pick in my opinion and will be a very effective NFL receiver. Hopkins has been my #2 for a while but thanks to some possible character concerns I’ve dropped him down to #4, but I am still a big fan on tape. He should be a 1^st round pick in my opinion, but if he drops to the 2^nd round some team could get a nice value with him. And finally Conner Vernon is the last player I’ll “bang the table” for at the wide receiver position. In a class absolutely stacked with talent I wanted to add a late round guy who I think is worth fighting for. He may not be the biggest or the fastest, but Vernon just always seems to be open and he has very good hands. He’s not going to be a pro bowler, but he’s going to have a 10+ year NFL career in my opinion. Look for him on Day 3.

TEs

Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame
Justice Cunningham, South Carolina

Analysis: Eifert may feel like a cop out, but he’s been my #1 TE for months now and he’s in my top 10 on my big board (#9) so I’m very confident he is going to be an impact tight end at the next level. Cunningham may seem a bit out of left field, but from the first time I noticed him I just had a gut feeling that he was being completely slept on and I still feel that way. He may not be a stud at the next level, but I’m not sure I’ve even seen anyone project him to get drafted. In a deep, talented tight end class I really think he could surprise and make a roster.

OTs

Eric Fisher, Central Michigan
DJ Fluker (RT/OG), Alabama
Reid Fragel, Ohio State

Analysis: I’ve been a big fan of Fisher since before the Senior Bowl and he was awfully impressive there and I feel confident saying I was one of the first people to say he was on Joeckel’s level (if not better) back in January. Others have since come to a similar conclusion, and while I have Joeckel rated above Fisher on my big board (#2 and #3 respectively) I am convinced Fisher has pro bowl potential at tackle and is worth a high draft pick. Fluker is an interesting prospect and while I think he would underwhelm in pass protection at right tackle I think he is so effective in the run game that he is worth banging the table for if you are a power running team. Not only that, but if he doesn’t pan out at right tackle you can just slide him inside to guard and enjoy pro bowl caliber play for the next 10 years. Reid Fragel is the last tackle I am a really big fan of. He is a developmental guy who needs some technique work and could stand to get stronger, but I think he has the upside to play left tackle and getting a guy like that in rounds 3-5 is something I and many NFL teams will always be interested in. I think he’s going to have a better NFL career than many expect.

OGs

Chance Warmack, Alabama
Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina
Larry Warford, Kentucky
Hugh Thornton, Illinois

Analysis: Warmack and Cooper go without saying, they are studs and should be quality starters as rookies. Warford is a player some have cooled on, but I really like him as a quality starter at guard and I think he could start as a rookie. He’s short, squatty and not particularly mobile but he’s going to have a long, effective NFL career if you ask me. And finally there is Hugh Thornton, he’s had to overcome a lot of adversity in his life and some teams are reportedly concerned about the anger he has inside of him, but he screams effective NFL starter at guard and call me crazy, but I love the nastiness he plays with. There are some great stories in this NFL Draft, but it’s tough to think of a guy who’s had tougher luck than Thornton. I’m a fan of him on the field, but I’m honestly rooting for him more as a person than I am as a football player.

Cs

Barrett Jones, Alabama

Analysis: This is not my favorite crop of centers, and I’ve been pretty outspoken about Khaled Holmes being a mid-round pick (I gave him a 4^th round grade in June) and while Barrett Jones may not be an elite center prospect I think he is too smart and too sound from a technique standpoint to not have a long NFL career as a starting center. He’s not going to dominate at the point of attack, but he’s as tough as they come and he’s going to be the leader of whatever offensive line he gets drafted to.

DEs

Bjoern Werner, Florida State
Tank Carradine, Florida State
Datone Jones, UCLA
Corey Lemonier, Auburn
William Gholston, Michigan State
David Bass, Missouri Western State
Stansly Maponga, TCU

Analysis: Werner, Carradine and Jones are pretty self explanatory. I think Werner has 10+ sack upside and he’s a top 10 player to me, as is Carradine. Jones may not have that same pass rush upside but I think he can be a very versatile player in the NFL, not to mention he is virtually unblockable 1 on 1 when he slides into DT in pass rush situations. Lemonier is a player some don’t like, but I think he has a ton of upside as a pass rusher. He needs some technique work but he’s a guy I think you roll the dice on, coach up and the dividend could be a stud right end if he commits and works hard. Gholston is a player that some don’t like, but I have a feeling that he could surprise some people. Part of that bad rep comes from simply having the same last name as Vernon Gholston, but he has all the size and athleticism you could want and I don’t think he was coached particularly hard at Michigan State because he was such a big time recruit for them. With some NFL coaching and guidance I think he could surprise a lot of people, so I’m definitely willing to bang the table for him. David Bass impressed me a lot at the East-West Shrine Game and I think he has starter upside at defensive end, so on Day 3 he is definitely worth a draft pick to me. And finally Stansly Maponga presents some upside on Day 3 as well. He doesn’t have the height you want, but I think he definitely presents value as a rotational pass rusher and could go earlier than some have him projected.

DTs

Sheldon Richardson, Missouri
Jesse Williams, Alabama

Analysis: This is a deep crop of defensive tackles, but I am very high on both of these guys. Richardson has been my #1 DT for a long time and I think he’s going to be an absolute impact player whether he’s in a 4-3 or a 3-4 as a DE. As for Williams I think he is the rarely seen 3 down nose tackle that can be effective versus the run and the pass in a 4-3 scheme. He’s worth a 1^st round pick and I think he’s going to have a long, effective NFL career.

OLBs

Sean Porter, Texas A&M
Khaseem Greene, Rutgers
Brandon Magee, Arizona State

Analysis: This may seem like a random group of outside linebackers, but I have been a fan of Porter for two years now and he is a poor-man’s Von Miller to me. He won’t be the dominant player Von is, but I think he can be effective if allowed to rush the passer in a similar capacity. I may be alone in that thinking though. Khaseem Greene is a guy that I think is going to be a good leader and an effective OLB in a 4-3, likely on the weak side. And Magee is a late round sleeper that I think is going to outperform everyone’s expectations for him.

ILBs

Arthur Brown, Kansas State
Kiko Alonso, Oregon

Analysis: Arthur Brown is my favorite 4-3 linebacker in this class and I personally think he is a definite first round draft pick and can play inside or outside in that scheme. Alonso may not be for everyone, but I love the way he plays and I think he is going to be good whether he’s inside in a 3-4 or outside in a 4-3.

CBs

Jamar Taylor, Boise State
Johnthan Banks, Mississippi State
Jordan Poyer, Oregon State
Nickell Robey, USC
Nigel Malone, Kansas State

Analysis: Jamar Taylor and Johnthan Banks are traditionally ranked pretty high by most analysts, at least those that I interact with, and I really think Taylor is worth a 1^st round pick. Banks may not have had the workouts that he needed to go in round 1, but he has good ball skills as well as the size and length that is becoming more and more popular to match up with bigger wide receivers. Poyer has been a favorite of mine for years, really since he housed an interception on Matt Barkley when Barkley was a sophomore. He’s a top 40 player on my board and I think he’s going to be a good corner in the NFL. Robey and Malone are two other players I think I am a lot higher on than most. Robey is a top 100 player in my book despite his obvious lack of size. He’s an absolute playmaker and I think you can never have too many of those at corner. Malone is undersized and doesn’t have elite athleticism, but he’s going to stick on a NFL roster, likely as a nickel or dime guy, and make plays on the ball when he’s on the field. I’ll take guys who can play the ball like Malone on my roster any day, especially late in the draft.

Safeties

Kenny Vacarro, Texas
Jonathan Cyprien, FIU
DJ Swearinger, South Carolina
Bacarri Rambo, Georgia
Duke Williams, Nevada

Analysis: Vacarro is at the top of plenty of safety rankings and I think he’s going to be a very good safety at the next level, and I feel the same about Cyprien. I was really impressed with what I saw from him when I watched him on tape and live. Swearinger was a popular name for a while but has cooled lately, but I’m still a big fan of his. If he’s there in the 3^rd round I’d jump all over him. Rambo has some questions surrounding him but he strikes me as an absolute ballhawk and those aren’t as easy to find at the safety position as it may seem. I’d also jump all over him in round 3. And finally Duke Williams, a guy I’ve been rooting for since I saw him LAY someone out in a bowl game a couple years ago, should go sometime on Day 3 and I think he has legitimate starter upside.

2013 NFL Draft Positional Rankings

**Disclaimer** If a player is not in my rankings it likely means I didn’t have time to watch him. Enjoy.

Quarterback:

1-      Geno Smith, WVU

2-      Tyler Wilson, Arkansas

3-      Ryan Nassib, Syracuse

4-      Zac Dysert, Miami (OH)

5-      EJ Manuel, Florida State

6-      Matt Barkley, Southern Cal

7-      Mike Glennon, NC State

8-      Tyler Bray, Tennessee

9-      Landry Jones, Oklahoma

10-   Ryan Griffin, Tulane

11-   Matt Scott, Arizona

12-   Brad Sorensen, Southern Utah

13-   Sean Renfree, Duke

14-   Colby Cameron, Louisiana Tech

15-   Jeff Tuel, Washington State

16-   Nick Florence, Baylor

17-   Jordan Rodgers, Vanderbilt

18-   Ryan Aplin, Arkansas State

19-   Matt Brown, Illinois State

20-   Nathan Stanley, Southeastern Louisiana

21-   Mike Hermann, RPI

22-   Kyle Essington, Stony Brook

23-   Ryan Radcliff, Central Michigan

24-   Alex Carder, Western Michigan

25-   James Vandenberg, Iowa

26-   Tino Sunseri, Pittsburgh

27-   Seth Doege, Texas Tech

28-   Matt McGloin, Penn State

29-   Collin Klein, Kansas State

30-   Kyle Padron, SMU

31-   Casey Brochman, Murray State

Running Backs:

1. Eddie Lacy, Alabama
2. Johnathan Franklin, UCLA
3. Giovani Bernard, North Carolina
4. Le’Veon Bell, Michigan State
5. Dennis Johnson, RB, Arkansas
6. Montee Ball, Wisconsin
7. Christine Michael, Texas A&M
8. Andre Ellington, Clemson
9. Benny Cunningham, Middle Tennessee State
10. Stepfan Taylor, Stanford
11. Mike Gillislee, Florida
12. Kenjon Barner, Oregon
13. Zac Stacy, Vanderbilt
14. Jawan Jamison, Rutgers
15. Cierre Wood, Notre Dame
16. George Winn, Cincinnati
17. Ray Graham, Pittsburgh
18. Michael Ford, LSU
19. Rex Burkhead, Nebraska
20. Kerwynn Williams, Utah State
21. Mike James, Miami
22. Chris Thompson, Florida State
23. Spencer Ware, LSU
24. Knile Davis, Arkansas
25. Theo Riddick, Notre Dame
26. Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina
27. Ontario McCalebb, Auburn
28. Miguel Maysonet, Stony Brook
29. Curtis McNeal, USC
30. Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State

Wide Receivers:

1-      Keenan Allen, California

2-      Robert Woods, USC

3-      Tavon Austin, West Virginia

4-      Deandre Hopkins, Clemson

5-      Cordarelle Patterson, Tennessee

6-      Markus Wheaton, Oregon State

7-      Quinton Patton, Louisiana Tech

8-      Stedman Bailey, West Virginia

9-      Terrance Williams, Baylor

10-   Justin Hunter, Tennessee

11-   Da’Rick Rogers, Tennessee Tech

12-   Chris Harper, Kansas State

13-   Ryan Swope, Texas A&M

14-   Cobi Hamilton, Arkansas

15-   Kenny Stills, Oklahoma

16-   Marquise Goodwin, Texas

17-   Tavarres King, Georgia

18-   Ace Sanders, South Carolina

19-   Aaron Dobson, Marshall

20-   Uzoma Nwachukwu, Texas A&M

21-   Conner Vernon, Duke

22-   Corey Fuller, Virginia Tech

23-   Denard Robinson, Michigan

24-   Josh Boyce, TCU

25-   Zach Rogers, Tennessee

26-   Aaron Mellette, Elon

27-   Jasper Collins, Mount Union

28-   Rodney Smith, Florida State

29-   Quentin Sims, Tennessee Martin

30-   TJ Moe, Missouri

31-   Erik Highsmith, North Carolina

32-   Emory Blake, Auburn

33-   Justin Brown, Oklahoma

34-   Chad Bumphis, Mississippi State

35-   Alec Lemon, Syracuse

36-   Marcus Davis, Virginia Tech

37-   Marquess Wilson, Washington State

38-   Keenan Davis, Iowa

39-   Brandon Kaufman, Eastern Washington

40-   MarQueis Gray, Minnesota

Tight Ends:

1-      Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame

2-      Zach Ertz, Stanford

3-      Travis Kelce, Cincinnati

4-      Gavin Escobar, San Diego State

5-      Jordan Reed, Florida

6-      Vance McDonald, Rice

7-      Levine Toilolo, Stanford

8-      Ryan Otten, San Jose State

9-      Nick Kasa, Colordao

10-   Dion Sims, Michigan State

11-   Jake Stoneburner, Ohio State

12-   Joseph Fauria, UCLA

13-   Mychal Rivera, Tennessee

14-   Chris Gragg, Arkansas

15-   Justice Cunningham, South Carolina

16-   Phillip Lutzenkirchen, Auburn

17-   Michael Williams, Alabama

Offensive Tackles:

1-      Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M

2-      Eric Fisher, Central Michigan

3-      DJ Fluker, Alabama

4-      Lane Johnson, Oklahoma

5-      Menelik Watson, Florida State

6-      Terron Armstead, Arkansas-Pine Bluff

7-      Dallas Thomas, Tennessee

8-      Brennan Williams, North Carolina

9-      Reid Fragel, Ohio State

10-   Vinston Painter, Virginia Tech

11-   Ricky Wagner, Wisconsin

12-   Oday Aboushi, Virginia

13-   Jordan Mills, Louisiana Tech

14-   Xavier Nixon, Florida

15-   Chris Faulk, LSU

Offensive Guards:

1-      Chance Warmack, Alabama

2-      Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina

3-      Larry Warford, Kentucky

4-      Justin Pugh, Syracuse

5-      Kyle Long, Oregon

6-      Hugh Thornton, Illinois

7-      David Bakhtiari, Colorado

8-      Brian Winters, Kent State

9-      David Quessenberry, San Jose State

10-   Alvin Bailey, Arkansas

11-   Garrett Gilkey, Chadron State

12-   J.C. Tretter, Cornell

13-   Earl Watford, James Madison

14-   Jeff Baca, UCLA

Centers:

1-      Travis Frederick, Wisconsin

2-      Brian Schwenke, California

3-      Barrett Jones, Alabama

4-      Khaled Holmes, USC

5-      Dalton Freeman, Clemson

6-      TJ Johnson, South Carolina

Defensive Ends:

1-      Bjoern Werner, Florida State

2-      Tank Carradine, Florida State

3-      Ezekiel Ansah, BYU

4-      Datone Jones, UCLA

5-      Corey Lemonier, Auburn

6-      Damontre Moore, Texas A&M

7-      Quanterus Smith, Western Kentucky

8-      Alex Okafor, Texas

9-      Margus Hunt, SMU

10-   Cornelius Washington, Georgia

11-   William Gholston, Michigan State

12-   Michael Buchanan, Illinois

13-   Sam Montgomery, LSU

14-   Malliciah Goodman, Clemson

15-   David Bass, Missouri Western State

16-   Brandon Jenkins, Florida State

17-   Armonty Bryant, East Central

18-   Tourek Williams, FIU

19-   Lavar Edwards, LSU

20-   Devin Taylor, South Carolina

21-   Mike Catapano, Princeton

22-   Stansly Maponga, TCU

23-   Joe Kruger, Utah

24-   Wes Horton, USC

25-   Meshak Williams, Kansas State

Defensive Tackles:

1-      Sheldon Richardson, Missouri

2-      Star Lotulelei, Utah

3-      Jesse Williams, Alabama

4-      Sylvester Williams, North Carolina

5-      Shariff Floyd, Florida

6-      Johnathan Hankins, Ohio State

7-      Kawann Short, Purdue

8-      Brandon Williams, Missouri Southern State

9-      John Jenkins, Georgia

10-   Bennie Logan, LSU

11-   Akeem Spence, Illinois

12-   Jordan Hill, Penn State

13-   Montori Hughes, Tennessee-Martin

14-   Cory Grissom, South Florida

15-   Josh Boyd, Mississippi State

16-   TJ Barnes, Georgia Tech

17-   Chris Jones, Bowling Green

18-   Everett Dawkins, Florida State

19-   Will Pericak, Colorado

20-   Anthony McCloud, Florida State

Outside Linebacker:

1-      Barkevious Mingo, LSU

2-      Dion Jordan, Oregon

3-      Jarvis Jones, Georgia

4-      Jamie Collins, Southern Mississippi

5-      Alec Ogletree, Georgia

6-      Khaseem Greene, Rutgers

7-      Sio Moore, Connecticut

8-      Jelani Jenkins, Florida

9-      DeVonte Holloman, South Carolina

10-   Zaviar Gooden, Missouri

11-   Sean Porter, Texas A&M

12-   Chase Thomas, Stanford

13-   Trevardo Williams, Connecticut

14-   Ty Powell, Harding

15-   Brandon Magee, Arizona State

16-   John Simon, Ohio State

17-   Gerald Hodges, Penn State

18-   Jake Knott, Iowa State

19-   Lerentee McCray, Florida

20-   Michael Mauti, Penn State

Inside Linebacker:

1-      Arthur Brown, Kansas State

2-      Manti Te’o, Notre Dame

3-      Kevin Minter, LSU

4-      Kiko Alonso, Oregon

5-      Kevin Reddick, North Carolina

6-      Jon Bostic, Florida

7-      AJ Klein, Iowa State

8-      Nico Johnson, Alabama

9-      Keith Pough, Howard

10-   Vince Williams, Florida State

Cornerback:

1-      Xavier Rhodes, Florida State

2-      Dee Milliner, Alabama

3-      Jamar Taylor, Boise State

4-      DJ Hayden, Houston

5-      Jordan Poyer, Oregon State

6-      Johnthan Banks, Mississippi State

7-      Desmond Trufant, Washington

8-      Darius Slay, Mississippi State

9-      Dwayne Gratz, Connecticut

10-   Logan Ryan, Rutgers

11-   David Amerson, NC State

12-   Leon McFadden, San Diego State

13-   Nickell Robey, USC

14-   Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Connecticut

15-   Tyrann Mathieu, LSU

16-   Robert Alford, Southeastern Louisiana

17-   BW Webb, William & Mary

18-   Will Davis, Utah State

19-   Brandon Mcgee, Miami

20-   Dax Swanson, Sam Houston State

21-   Sanders Commings, Georgia

22-   Terry Hawthorne, Illinois

23-   Nigel Malone, Kansas State

24-   Steve Williams, California

25-   Aaron Hester, UCLA

26-   Tharold Simon, LSU

27-   Johnny Adams, Michigan State

28-   Josh Johnson, Purdue

29-   Rod Sweeting, Georgia Tech

30-   Mike Edwards, Hawaii

31-   Micah Hyde, Iowa

 

Safeties:

1-      Kenny Vacarro, Texas

2-      Jonathan Cyprien, FIU

3-      Eric Reid, LSU

4-      DJ Swearinger, South Carolina

5-      Bacarri Rambo, Georgia

6-      Phillip Thomas, Fresno State

7-      Matt Elam, Florida

8-      TJ McDonald, USC

9-      Shawn Williams, Georgia

10-   Josh Evans, Florida

11-   Tony Jefferson, Oklahoma

12-   Shamarko Thomas, Syracuse

13-   JJ Wilcox, Georgia Southern

14-   Duke Williams, Nevada

15-   Earl Wolfe, NC State

16-   John Boyett, Oregon

17-   Cooper Taylor, Richmond

18-   Robert Lester, Alabama

19-   Damion Stafford, Nebraska

20-   Zeke Motta, Notre Dame

21-   Brandan Bishop, NC State

22-   Rashard Hall, Clemson

23-   Jordan Kovacs, Michigan

24-   Ray-Ray Armstrong, Miami

25-   Jawanza Starling, USC

My Final Mock Draft

1. Kansas City Chiefs- Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan
2. Jacksonville Jaguars- Dion Jordan, DE/OLB, Oregon
3. Oakland Raiders- Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M
4. Philadelphia Eagles- Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah
5. Detroit Lions- Ezekiel Ansah, DE, BYU
6. Cleveland Browns- Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia
7. Arizona Cardinals- Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma
8. Buffalo Bills- Ryan Nassib, QB, Syracuse
9. New York Jets- Barkevious Mingo, OLB, LSU
10. Tennessee Titans- Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama
11. San Diego Chargers- Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama
12. Miami Dolphins- Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State
13. New York Jets (F/ TB)-  Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia
14. Carolina Panthers- Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri
15. New Orleans Saints- Kenny Vacarro, S, Texas
16. St. Louis Rams- Deandre Hopkins, WR, Clemson
17. Pittsburgh Steelers- Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia
18. Dallas Cowboys- Jonathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina
19. New York Giants- Tank Carradine, DE, Florida State
20. Chicago Bears- Arthur Brown, MLB, Kansas State
21. Cincinnati Bengals- Eric Reid, S, LSU
22. St. Louis Rams (F/ WAS)- Jonathan Cyprien, S, FIU
23. Minnesota Vikings- Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina
24. Indianapolis Colts- Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington
25. Minnesota Vikings (F/ SEA)- Manti Te’o, MLB, Notre Dame
26. Green Bay Packers- Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame
27. Houston Texans- Robert Woods, WR, USC
28. Denver Broncos- Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State
29. New England Patriots- Jamar Taylor, CB, Boise State
30. Atlanta Falcons- Datone Jones, DE, UCLA
31. San Francisco 49ers- Jesse Williams, DT, Alabama
32. Baltimore Ravens- Keenan Allen, WR, California

Scouting Report: Luke Joeckel

Size: Joeckel is listed at 6’6”, 310 pounds but we will have his official measurement in a couple weeks at the NFL Combine at which point I will update this section. I think he will likely be an official 6’5” and about 310 pounds. He has prototypical left tackle size and length even though he could stand to get stronger overall, particularly in his lower body.

Athleticism: Joeckel is one of the most athletic offensive tackles in a class that is seemingly full of them. He is consistently one of the first players off the ball, he is very smooth when getting in position for wall-off blocks and he gets to the second level effortlessly. He has all the athletic ability you could want in a left tackle prospect.

Technique: This is one of Joeckel’s strengths as a player. He generally has good hand placement inside the numbers but there are definitely too many instances where his hands get outside onto the defensive lineman’s shoulder pads which will lead to some holding calls at the next level. Joeckel’s kick slide is gorgeous though. His steps are short and choppy which help him maintain good balance which makes it easier for him to anchor versus a bull rush or recover if beaten to the inside or outside. One of the reasons he lets his hands get outside onto the shoulder pads of defenders at times is because when he comes out of his stance his arms are wide and not tight inside his frame. That’s a coachable technique point and upon watching some of his games from 2011 he did a considerably better job both from a kick slide and hand placement perspective as a junior. He does bend at the waist from time to time while in pass protection, but he leans and bends at the waist very consistently when he is asked to drive block. That leads to balance issues and results in him struggling to sustain those blocks.

Pass Protection: This is obviously the strength of Joeckel’s game and what makes him a likely top 5 pick. I previously mentioned his kick slide which is very impressive, but he is also very quick out of his stance. He is consistently one of the first out of his stance on the Aggies offensive line and actually looked better as a junior in that regard than he did in the games I watched of him as a sophomore. It’s very difficult to beat Joeckel off the edge with a speed rush thanks to his lateral agility, smooth kick slide and long arms. However, he does occasionally get beaten inside, particularly against power moves. Still, Joeckel rarely lunges in pass protection and mirrors pass rushers effectively. He has some “quick-twitch” to him which enables him to react quickly when he is technically sound. Additionally, he is smart and athletic enough to handle stunts and twists by defensive linemen easily, and he has the agility to pick up linebackers and defensive backs who are blitzing off the edge. His weakness in pass protection is power moves, most notably the bull rush. He needs to get stronger in the lower body because his anchor leaves something to be desired at this juncture. That’s not to say he can’t anchor at all, he certainly can, but he also lets his feet get too wide at times when he is trying to recover from a bull rush. The most concerning things about Joeckel’s pass protection are his less than ideal anchor and his occasional issue with waist bending which hurts his balance. Both of those issues are correctable and improvable, so overall Joeckel grades out very high in this department.

Run Blocking: This is where Joeckel leaves something to be desired. He’s never going to be a very effective drive blocker and this has to do with him leaning and bending at the waist pretty consistently when he is asked to do so. This problem isn’t always easily correctable and I usually consider it to be a habit NFL teams are going to struggle to break the player of. Joeckel has shown the mentality to finish blocks when he is asked to block down on a defensive tackle and can generate movement when asked to do so, but when he is head up with a defensive end he is much better at getting out of his stance, beating the player to a spot or reaching him and sealing him off to create a lane for his running back to run through. He struggles to sustain when man blocking because he bends at the waist, and is much more effective when asked to block down or wall off. He’s also a very effective cut blocker, and he reaches the second level easily thanks to his athleticism and consistently locates and blocks defenders when he gets there. He may not be an elite run blocker, particularly when asked to drive block, but he is very, very effective when asked to wall off to create a running lane behind him.

Overall: Joeckel is going to be a top 5 pick in the NFL Draft and he’s going to get consideration for the top overall slot depending on whether or not Branden Albert is resigned or if the Chiefs can find another serviceable left tackle in free agency. I can understand picking him that high if you have a glaring need at the position, but ideally the player would be a dominant left tackle. They are a rare breed these days though, and Joeckel is a very good pass protector who while not ideal as a run blocker isn’t a slouch either. He has some technical issues he can clean up a bit and if he can get stronger in his lower half (and frankly his upper body as well, as I saw him simply get overpowered by Lerentee McCray, Lavar Edwards and Adrian Hubbard at times) I think he will be a high level starter. Will he be dominant? Not in my opinion, but I think he will be very good. If you’re a tackle needy in the top 7 (the Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals could all potentially be interested) Joeckel has to be near the top of your wish list.

Projection: Top 5

Conference Championship Predictions

Atlanta-San Francisco:

I want to pick the Falcons so bad for this game, but I have a feeling they are going to have issues bottling Kaepernick up and slowing down the 49ers run game. Hopefully it’s a good game, but I think the 49ers will come out with the win in a close one: 27-24

New England-Baltimore:

Ray Lewis has had a heck of a run and I’m sure there are a lot of people rooting for him to go to the Super Bowl, but I don’t think Tom Brady is going to be out-dueled by Joe Flacco in this game (even if it has technically happened before) and I think the balanced attack the Patriots are wielding this year will be too much for Baltimore to keep up with. I’m taking the Pats 31-21

Enjoy the games! Hopefully I don’t miss much of them as I am traveling to Mobile.

–Tom

East-West Shrine Game Recap

Quarterbacks:

1-      Nathan Stanley, Southeastern Louisiana- Stanley still has room to improve as his accuracy and timing seemed to be a bit off at times, but he has the size and arm strength that makes him an intriguing developmental Day 3 guy in my opinion. He has a ways to go from working under center and making reads, etc. However, he’s got talent worth stashing as a 3^rd quarterback late in the draft in my opinion.

2-      Colby Cameron, Louisiana Tech- Cameron has never been my favorite prospect, but he showed me a little more velocity than I thought he had this week and I think he has some potential to be developed into a solid back-up.

3-      Matt Scott, Arizona- Scott certainly had his struggles this week, but he spins a clean ball and has the 2^nd best velocity of all the quarterbacks in St. Petersburg and has the kind of athleticism that teams will be looking into at quarterback given the emergence of the zone read in the NFL. He’s very much a developmental prospect that is better out of the shotgun than under center at this point, but I think he warrants consideration on Day 3.

4-      Alex Carder, Western Michigan- I have never been a big fan of Carder and I don’t think he’s going to be a NFL starter, but he grades out as a 7^th round/UDFA quarterback from what I’ve seen of him. I don’t think he spins a very clean ball and doesn’t have much beyond average arm strength and velocity, so I don’t think he has much upside at the next level.

5-      Seth Doege, Texas Tech- Doege’s lack of arm strength was on display this week and while he has made a career out of overcoming adversity I don’t think he is going to be a NFL starter. He will attempt to follow in the footsteps of Graham Harrell and be developed as a potential back-up in the NFL.

6-      Collin Klein, Kansas State- Klein struggled with velocity and accuracy every day that he was here and I think that there were so many questioning whether he could play quarterback at the next level coming into the week that it’s even more difficult to make that argument now. I actually expected him to be bigger considering the beating he took the past two years running the ball so much but he only weighed in at 218 pounds despite being over 6’4”. He looked best to me when he was running the ball, and maybe someone will still take a flyer on him late on Day 3 to try to develop him or maybe sign him as an undrafted free agent, but it’s hard to imagine him being a NFL quarterback after watching him this week.

Running Backs:

1-      Christine Michael, Texas A&M- There’s not a strong argument to be made that Michael isn’t the running back with the highest upside here in St. Petersburg. According to @DashDiallo1 (Follow him) he is high on the reserve list for the Senior Bowl and he has had a great week. Brandon pointed out something I had not noticed before- Michael seemed to be looking at the ball as he was taking hand-offs and pitches instead of keeping his eyes up and reading his blocks. I hadn’t noticed this, but that’s definitely something that he has to work on. He has all the size and athleticism to be a quality NFL running back, and if he can clean up his eye level when taking hand-offs or tosses he will be ready to make an immediate impact. It is certainly concerning, but it should be coachable.

2-      Ray Graham, Pittsburgh- Graham should be ready to contribute right away as he has the burst and athleticism you want as well as reliable hands. He’s had a good week and was the strongest back on the East roster.

3-      Zac Stacy, Vanderbilt- There are some that are high on Stacy and some that aren’t, but I’m a fan. He’s not a flashy back, but he does a lot of things well and I think if he lands with the right team he could be a solid contributor as a rookie. He’s not as explosive as Michael or Graham but his game translates to the next level.

4-      Kerwynn Williams, Utah State- Williams looked good this week as well and despite being an undersized back he has some burst and explosiveness. I don’t think he is a sub 4.5 guy in the 40 and there were some times I saw him get strung out when he tried to get the edge this week. I’m not sure he can be a NFL starter, but I think he has the potential to be a complementary back.

5-      Zach Line, SMU- Line caught my eye last year when I was watching SMU and I think he is going to make a NFL roster as a running back/fullback hybrid. Pure full-backs aren’t very typical anymore and that makes Line’s skill set valuable. I haven’t seen him block often, but he runs the ball effectively despite a lack of great speed and he has caught the ball well when I’ve seen him this week.

6-      Montel Harris, Temple- Harris has so many red flags thanks to his injury history and off-field issues that even with a great performance this week I would have hesitated to give him a draftable grade. He’s an undrafted free agent to me not only because of those things, but because of the wear and tear he’s had as a ball carrier. If you invite him into a camp and he impresses that’s one thing, but this running back class is way too deep to pick him in my opinion.

Wide Receivers:

1-      Corey Fuller, Virginia Tech- Coming into this week I thought Fuller was a sleeper and while he may not have had a perfect week I think he showed that he is a smooth runner with room to grow as a route runner, impressive straight line speed and reliable hands. There were plenty of people looking forward to seeing what Marcus Davis could do, but more and more I think evaluators are realizing that Fuller was the more talented Virginia Tech receiver on this roster. This was his break-out campaign and he has plenty to work on, but he is a great day three sleeper at receiver that has a lot of upside.

2-      Chad Bumphis, Mississippi State- Bumphis isn’t going to burn you vertically and I think he’s probably in the 4.5-4.54 range in the 40 yard dash, but what he can do is out-quick you. He is so good in and out of his breaks, he showed that he can run good routes, and he generated separation when he was allowed to work in the slot. He’s not going to run by a lot of players vertically, but he can make plays in the slot and gain yardage after the catch.

3-      Erik Highsmith, North Carolina- The only disappointing thing about Highsmith’s week was the weigh in, where he apparently measured at 6004 (6’.5”) instead of his listed height of 6’3”. He also measured in at 190 pounds with 8 inch hands, the smallest on the entire East roster. However, while he may not be a blazing fast kid he runs solid routes, knows how to use his hands to keep defenders off of him and he has good hands. In a very deep class at receiver Highsmith is going to be overlooked by a lot more flashy receivers, but even if it’s in the 6^th-7^th range or as an undrafted free agent I would be surprised if he doesn’t make a roster.

4-      Keenan Davis, Iowa- Davis had a good week this week and while I don’t think he’s a great threat on the outside I like him as a slot receiver threat. He measured in at a legit 6’2”, 216 pounds with huge 10 3/8” hands and while he doesn’t exactly eat up cushion he showed reliable hands all week. I liked what I saw from him this week and in the game.

5-      Emory Blake, Auburn- Blake didn’t stick out to me too much in a positive or negative way this week, but when I saw him I didn’t see drops and he may not be a guy with blazing speed but he can stretch the field vertically and track the ball in the air. He’s going to be a day three guy as well thanks to this very deep class, but he has a NFL skill set.

6-      Anthony Amos, Middle Tennessee State- Amos isn’t going to blow the doors off the combine by any means (4.5-4.54 guy in my opinion) but he has some quickness to him, he can create a little separation when he’s running routes (though he can improve here) and he showed impressive hands to snag passes outside of his frame. He’s another late round kid, but he can be a reliable possession guy for you at the next level, particularly in the slot.

Tight Ends:

1-      DC Jefferson, Rutgers- Jefferson had an impressive week and it was really evident that he was not properly utilized at Rutgers in part because of poor quarterback play. He’s got all the size and athleticism you could want at tight end and he showed the ability to high point throws and make catches with his hands outside of his frame. He’s got a lot of untapped upside and could be a nice value in the 3-4 round range given his talent level.

2-      Joseph Fauria, UCLA- Fauria was a player I was looking forward to evaluating this week, especially as a blocker, but he got injured early in the week and wasn’t able to come back in time for the game. He’s got plenty of upside thanks to his size and athleticism so it was a shame we didn’t get to see him compete all week.

3-      Lucas Reed, New Mexico- Reed was a player I was not familiar with at all but despite lacking blazing speed he has reliable hands along with a NFL body that should make him a relatively appealing day 3 target in a deep tight end class.

4-      Chris Pantale, Boston College- Pantale isn’t a flashy prospect but I thought he had a solid week. I don’t think he’s going to be a top 100 prospect by any means, but he should get a look later on day three.

Offensive Line:

1-      Terron Armstead, OT/OG, Arkansas-Pine Bluff- I don’t think anyone had a better week than Armstead did. He wasn’t perfect, but he showed that he can play offensive tackle from an athletic standpoint. He showed better technique than I anticipated as well and even though he opened up his hips early at times and got beat inside he was too much for any defensive end to handle in the game. The only defensive ends I saw beat him rushing the passer this week were David Bass and Devin Taylor, and we saw what happened to Tanner Hawkinson when he was tasked with blocking Taylor in the game.

2-      Mark Jackson, OT/OG, Glenville State- Jackson has the size and length you look for in an offensive lineman at over 6’5” with 33.5” arms. He didn’t look great outside at tackle because I don’t think he has the foot quickness for it, but if he loses a little weight (he weighed in at 341 pounds, I think he would be better off in the 325-330 range, so that’s something to monitor at the combine or his pro-day) I think he would be fine at guard. He is strong and while he doesn’t look like a natural puller he can generate push off the ball and he’s hard to shed after he engages you. He’s a quality day 3 option at guard.

3-      Manase Foketi, OT/OG, West Texas A&M- Foketi was a huge let down this week since we never even got to see him practice. I saw him standing watching drills on Monday and wondered if he was going to get in on practice the next day but he didn’t practice on Tuesday either and by the end of the week he wasn’t even in St. Petersburg anymore. I haven’t found out why he never competed but I am interested to hear what the reason was.

4-      T.J. Johnson, C, South Carolina- Johnson got some time at center and at guard this week and while he isn’t a great athlete he has all the size and length you could want at center as he measured in at over 6’4”, 323 pounds with 33 inch arms. He has shown that he can anchor against strong defensive tackles 1 on 1 and he looked good snapping the ball this week. He was the best center in St. Petersburg all week and he definitely warrants a pick on Day 3.

5-      Earl Watford, OG, James Madison- Watford didn’t play in the game unfortunately (I heard it was something with his knee) but he showed that he is athletic enough to play guard at the next level even if he still needs to get stronger and continue to improve on his technique. If he can add some lower body strength to help him anchor and drive he should stick on a roster.

6-      Jeff Baca, OG, UCLA- Baca is a late round guy but I think he has solid anchor and did a pretty good job in pass protection this week. He doesn’t have a lot of starter upside at the next level, but he did enough this week to earn a late round draftable grade from me.

Defensive Line:

1-      David Bass, DE, Missouri Western State- Bass was extremely impressive to me this week. I came in with high hopes for him and he certainly lived up to them. He has NFL size, athleticism and he did a good job versus the run and the pass all week. I have to go back and watch more of him, but I think he has helped elevate himself into potential top 100 consideration.

2-      Mike Catapano, DE, Princeton- Catapano isn’t an elite athlete but he has a great motor, he’s strong, has active hands and is hard to push off the ball. He is the kind of kid who is going to get the most out of all his ability and his 6’3”, 270 pound frame with just under 34 inch arms. He’s an impressive kid and he’s going to be a contributor to a defensive line rotation as a rookie.

3-      Devin Taylor, DE, South Carolina- Taylor is a guy who has as much upside as anyone in St. Petersburg but when I’ve watched him he just hasn’t lived up to his immense upside given his athleticism and his 6’7”, 275 pound frame. He had an up and down week in my opinion, but he had a great game going up against Tanner Hawkinson all night. Hawkinson doesn’t have good enough feet to stick at tackle and he doesn’t have the strength to play guard so Taylor beat him using his speed and his strength consistently all night. Taylor won’t have it so easy with NFL caliber tackles at the next level though, and despite his intriguing upside I still am not sold on him being an impact pass rusher at the next level.

4-      William Campbell, DT, Michigan- Campbell had a good week going against a poor cast of interior offensive linemen on the West roster but he has NFL size and athleticism. He never lived up to my expectations at Michigan but while he is still raw he certainly has upside. I think he’s a day 3 caliber draft pick with some upside as a nose tackle in a 4-3.

5-      Scott Vallone, DT/DE, Rutgers- Vallone didn’t have an amazing week but he has shown the ability to be disruptive and make plays versus the run. He’s never been much of a pass rusher, but I think he has some value as an undersized defensive tackle.

6-      Will Pericak, DT, Colorado- Pericak isn’t a flashy player but I think he has a place on a NFL roster. He’s got the size, length and strength to stick in a defensive line rotation. His motor and effort level impressed me this week.

Linebackers:

1-      Keith Pough, Howard- Pough had a fantastic week of practice. I think the thing that impressed me the most was the vocal leadership he was able to show and he was one of the only players that was able to energize the West practices at all. I definitely need to watch more of him but he really stuck out to me this week.

2-      DeVonte Holloman, South Carolina- I didn’t see as much of Holloman as I wanted to this week but he showed me enough to make me want to go back and watch more South Carolina to see him in action. He is likely a day 3 pick, but I think he has NFL talent.

3-      Sio Moore, Connecticut- Moore doesn’t strike me as a great fit in a 4-3 as an outside linebacker but I haven’t seen him in coverage a lot. Still, I think he is at his best when he is rushing the passer and when he was given the opportunity to that (even with his hand down) he was effective. I don’t think he fits the mold as a 3-4 OLB either though, so he might be a two down linebacker in a 4-3 who can put his hand down and rush the passer on obvious 3^rd downs. He has upside, but he’s not a fit for every team in my opinion.

4-      Gerald Hodges, Penn State- Hodges packs some punch as a hitter but he didn’t stick out to me frequently this week when I was watching practice. When I did see him he seemed to flow to the ball well but I didn’t see him shed blocks effectively at the point of attack. That’s something I’ll certainly have to investigate more when I watch Penn State.

5-      A.J. Klein, Iowa State- Klein is a tackling machine that impressed me when I watched Iowa State, but he didn’t stick out to me much this week. He’s not a great athlete so he is going to have to compensate for that with good or great instincts, but I didn’t get a good enough look at him to evaluate that this week.

6-      Steve Greer, Virginia- Like a couple other linebackers in St. Petersburg he isn’t a great athlete but he showed a nose for the ball when I saw him this week and I already knew he was a good tackler. He’s going to have to play special teams to ensure a roster spot but I think he’s got value as a back-up linebacker.

Cornerbacks:

1-      Brandon McGee, Miami- McGee had an up and down season when I saw him play this year but he had a very good week. He showed fluid hips, good feet and impressive ball skills this week and he is going to run a very impressive 40 yard dash time at the combine. He’s got a lot of upside so keep an eye on him.

2-      Nigel Malone, Kansas State- Malone has been a guy I’ve liked all season since I previewed Kansas State before the season and he continues to live up to my expectations. He’s not the biggest or the fastest, but especially in a zone scheme he could be a very reliable corner. He’s got smooth hips, good feet and impressive ball skills. He evidenced those in the game as he got a pick 6 (even though it was thrown right to him). He might not end up in the top 100, but I’ll take him any time on Day 3.

3-      Terry Hawthorne, Illinois- Hawthorne has plenty of upside but he didn’t seem to close on passes in front of him very well this week, didn’t show me very smooth transitions and while he has good ball skills I wonder how good of a starting corner he can be. He had a nice interception when he was dropped into zone in this game (looked like Cover-3 but it was hard to see from the press box which was on the opposite side of the field from his interception) and he has talent, I just don’t know if I’d pick him day 2.

4-      Branden Smith, Georgia- Smith is an undersized corner who isn’t a great tackler but he is a good athlete with quality ball skills. He did badly misplay a pass thrown by Matt Scott to Chad Bumphis in the game that led to a long touchdown reception for Bumphis, but he usually plays the ball well. He doesn’t have the size or length to be an impact player and he weighed in at under 170 pounds but he has enough talent to warrant consideration on day 3.

5-      Sheldon Price, UCLA- Price had a solid season this year at UCLA and while I still have some questions about his game he definitely has the speed to play corner and he looked pretty good when flipping his hips in coverage this week. He has sub 4.5 speed which allows him to recover when beaten initially as well which helped him in 1 on 1’s this week.

6-      Josh Johnson, Purdue- Johnson has shown the versatility to contribute as a return man on special teams and to be a solid corner. He’s undersized but he showed me some ball skills this week and I think he warrants mid-late consideration on day 3.

Safeties:

1-      Cooper Taylor, Richmond- Taylor was a player I hadn’t seen at all coming in and I was anticipating him being a stiff, oversized safety that wasn’t good in coverage. I am happy to admit I was completely wrong and that Taylor showed good hips, impressive range and a good feel for the safety position. He’s got a great combination of size and athleticism and I think he warrants top 100 consideration based on what I saw from him this week.

2-      Duke Williams, Nevada- I’ve had my eye on Duke for a couple years now since he was a junior. He can really hit and while I have some questions about him in coverage I think he is a quality option at safety on Day 3.

3-      Shamarko Thomas, Syracuse- Thomas has good range and while he is undersized he seems to support the run pretty well despite the occasional missed tackle. At times he bites too hard on the run though and as the last line of defense that is a problem. He will get knocked for his lack of size, but if he can work on being less aggressive I think he could have a future as a starter.

4-      Earl Wolfe, NC State- Wolfe was a player I had a high opinion of coming into the week but he showed some ability in coverage as well as some ball skills. He’s a little undersized at 5’11”, 206 pounds but I think he will get drafted on day 3.

5-      Zeke Motta, Notre Dame- Motta carried a late day 3/undrafted free agent grade for me coming into the week but he showed more range and fluidity in coverage than I expected. I’m still not sold on him beyond a day 3 prospect, but he’s got more upside than I originally thought.

6-      Rashard Hall, Clemson- Hall didn’t impress me a lot when I watched tape of him but he has some ball skills and despite some missed tackles he looked solid against the run. He’s not my favorite safety prospect, but I think he has draftable talent.

West Practice Notes: 11.14.13

Seth Doege- Doege’s arm strength looked as questionable as ever today. He threw a couple rainbows when I was watching him and I didn’t see much velocity, but it will be interesting to see how he does working from under center. Arm strength is going to be the main strike against him all week though.

Kerwynn Williams- I wasn’t overly impressed with Williams when I watched film of him but he looked good to me today. He’s so quick even if he doesn’t have the size I usually like in running backs. I want to see him in a full pads prospect.

Dan Buckner- Buckner impressed me today when I saw him, he tracked a nice ball over his shoulder and I’ve always thought he had reliable hands. He’s not a burner, but I think he’s going to be a Day 3 gem for somebody in this deep class of wideouts.

Amos Anthony- I didn’t see Anthony much but he made a couple impressive catches with his hands, including one on a throw that was well behind him from Seth Doege. I haven’t seen him play before so I want to see more of him this week.

Joseph Fauria- Fauria was skinnier than I expected him to be but he seemed to hurt his hip during practice, so hopefully he will be able to recover and play the rest of the week.

Braden Brown- Brown struggled mightily when I watched him today. He didn’t show a good anchor against bull rushes, he struggled versus inside moves because of opening his hips too early and didn’t seem to sustain blocks well. I didn’t have a draftable grade on him coming into the week and he didn’t do much to change that today.

Dann O’Neill- O’Neill predictably struggled with pad level since he stands at 6’8”. He didn’t impress me in drills and was beaten badly a couple times by Wes Horton, one time he barely even got a hand on him as he beat him off the edge. He has tackle size at 6’8”, but I don’t think he’s going to stick there in the NFL.

Manase Foketi- Foketi didn’t participate today and I’m not sure why. It was certainly disappointing because he was the offensive lineman I was most looking forward to seeing on the West squad. Hopefully he is out there tomorrow.

James Ferentz- Ferentz isn’t going to blow you away with his size and strength, he’s LISTED at 6’1”, 288 pounds, but he’s a coach’s son and he plays smart. Even in drills he was praised by the offensive line coach for funneling Josh Boyd to his right side where he would have guard help. Smart centers often find a way to stick, but if you’re looking for a man-blocking scheme center Ferentz probably isn’t going to be your guy.

Kirby Fabien- Fabien was at tackle when I saw him and he seemed overwhelmed there. He opened his hips too early, was reaching in pass protection and wasn’t “letting them come to him” in 1 on 1 drills which led to him getting beat a couple times. He had a tough first day, but I’m interested to see how he rebounds the rest of the week.

Andrew Robiskie- Robiskie struggled a lot in 1 on 1 drills and was beaten badly a couple times. Like Fabien he had a tough day when I was watching him, so seeing how he bounces back will be important. He looked overwhelmed by the size and athleticism of some of the West’s interior linemen to me.

Blaize Foltz- Foltz is a Day 3 kid in my opinion and he’s very, very strong so he held up well in drills when I was watching him. The West has some strong interior linemen, so look for him to hold up better than some of the other interior guys this week thanks to his strength.

Wes Horton- I was not a Horton fan when he was at USC, but after he missed this season due to injury I was looking forward to seeing how he looked. He’s not exactly going against NFL left tackles in practice, but he was able to win off the edge and with strength and hand usage. He’s one guy I want to see more of.

Brandon Thurmond- Thurmond was one guy I wanted to see and he flashed some real skills today. I didn’t have a lot of notes on him, but he definitely caught my eye. I will have plenty of notes on him tomorrow, so look out for those.

William Campbell- Campbell is inconsistent off the snap and was getting coached pretty hard by the DL coach about firing off the ball and staying low out of his stance. If he can stay low and keep his pads down he could be very disruptive because he flashed impressive athleticism for a 6’5”, 310 pound (listed) defensive tackle. He showed an impressive arm over move a couple times and a nice bull rush when he kept his pads low. He has a lot of potential but he’s never really lived up to it, so it will be interesting to see if the light comes on this week.

Josh Boyd- Boyd was getting coached as hard if not harder than Campbell by the defensive line coach as he was not firing off the ball well either. He seemed to step it up a bit in drills but he had an inconsistent day. I’m interested to see how he progresses all week, but he flashed some potential as a bull rusher and he can beat you off the snap if he fires off well.

Travis Johnson- Johnson may not have elite athleticism or speed but he has such active hands and a good effort level it’s hard not to like him. I heard him talking after practice saying that he really admired Clay Matthews’ playing style and that he felt comfortable in a 4-3 or a 3-4, for what it’s worth.

Will Pericak- Pericak was probably my favorite defensive linemen from either practice today. I hadn’t seen him play much before this, but he looked the part of a 3 tech defensive tackle and showed an impressive motor and strong, active hands. He was a handful for every interior offensive lineman I saw him go up against 1 on 1. I am definitely going to be tracking him down for an interview and I will have a close eye on him this week, but if you missed it I tweeted out during practice that “Will Pericak is going to make a NFL roster. #VaultMe” and I mean it. Keep an eye on Pericak.

Nigel Malone- Malone isn’t going to be a 2nd or 3rd rounder but I would love to pick him on Day 3. He’s not the biggest or the fastest but he has smooth hips, good feet and he has great ball skills. I’m sold on him at this point even though I didn’t get to see a lot of him today. He’s going to stick on a roster I am sure of it.

Divisional Playoff Picks:

I’m going to be traveling on Sunday morning en route to the East-West Shrine Game so I am going to make all of my picks today. We’ve got four intriguing match-ups going on this weekend, so it will be interesting to see how they shake out.

Denver-Baltimore:

As much as I want to see Ray Lewis and Baltimore continue on this season I’m not convinced they are going to. It’s hard to bet against Peyton Manning and this Broncos team, especially since this Denver defense is much more complete than any defense Manning ever had in Indianapolis. They can really get after the passer but I think they’ll be able to slow down Ray Rice as well, and that’s what I’d be worried about most if I was a Ravens fan. The Broncos can match up with the Ravens on both sides of the ball, and I’m not sure they have the fire-power on offense or the talent on defense to take away Manning’s passing options. On top of that, I’m not a big Flacco fan and I’m not sure he’s going to be able to make the big throws the Ravens need to win this game. He made some last week, but this defense is a different animal. I’m hoping for a good game, but I think Denver is going to win by more than one score: 31-20.

Green Bay-San Francisco:

This is a tough match-up to pick, but I’m going to go with San Francisco. I think they match up ok with Green Bay’s bevy of weapons on offense and they should be able to get after Rodgers without blitzing which is a big no-no against him. If you can generate pressure with four or five rushers (like the Vikings did in Week 17) then you can knock him around a bit and not give him a lot of options and force him to make unbelievable throws. The 49ers should be able to do that, and I think they’ll be able to take away the semblance of a running game that Green Bay has. On the other side of the ball I think the 49ers will be able to run the ball how they want against the Packers, and Kaepernick’s mobility outside of the pocket should extend a couple drives for the 49ers that could prove to be critical. It’s risky to pick a young QB like Kaepernick against a seasoned veteran like Rodgers, but Kaepernick isn’t one to wilt under pressure. I’m going with the 49ers but I think it’s going to be close: 27-21

Houston-New England:

I have to pick the Patriots here. I just don’t think the Texans defense will be able to match up with the weapons that the Patriots have on offense, and if the Pats can get the run game going I think the Texans will struggle to slow Brady and the Pats offense down. The Pats aren’t a great team on defense, but I think they’ll be able to do enough to slow down the Texans offense. If they can bottle Foster up and not allow Schaub to suck their linebackers in with play action fakes I think the Pats will be able to win this game. I think it’s going to be a close game, but I’m not going to be able to bet against Tom Brady in a playoff game at home: 31-24

Atlanta-Seattle:

This is a hard game for me to pick. I mentioned last week that I think the Seahawks match up very well with the Falcons on defense and I still believe that. This game is going to come down to who wins the match-ups between the Falcons WR’s and the Seahawks corners and whether or not the Falcons can find a way to get Tony Gonzalez involved without forcing him the ball. And if Michael Turner finds a way to have a productive game the Falcons can definitely win. But if the Seahawks make the Falcons one dimensional I will be very nervous with Ryan trying to carry the Falcons to victory against a very talented Seahawks secondary. They are missing their top pass rusher, but their secondary is good enough that I’d still be concerned. The Seahawks will look to run the ball early and often and I think the Falcons have the advantage on this side of the ball. Their defense has been very good at coming up with clutch turnovers this year and even if they let Wilson and Lynch move the ball I have a feeling Wilson is going to end up with an interception in this game and Lynch needs to make sure he covers up the ball because the Falcons will be looking to strip it. It’s never a good idea to bet against Russell Wilson (I did it last week and we all know how that worked out) but I think the Falcons have the defense to match up with him and even though I’m very nervous for this game I’m picking the Falcons to win a close one: 27-20

Those are my picks, hopefully I can improve over my 2-2 record last week. Enjoy all the football guys and look out for my coverage of the East-West Shrine game this next week. I’ll be posting notes here and on The Football Standard.

–Tom

Why Mike Shanahan Was Wrong

If you follow me on Twitter you can tell that I was pretty surprised that Mike Shanahan left Robert Griffin III in the game against the Seahawks on Sunday. He started out by leading two scoring drives, but he clearly aggravated his knee and was noticeably limping after he did. Not only that, but he was clearly not 100% before he aggravated his knee and it was obvious any time he tried to use his normally elite mobility. But after he aggravated his knee (the same knee he tore his ACL in when he was at Baylor) there was no question in my mind- RGIII needed to come out of the game.

I can understand wanting to keep him in until halftime, but at halftime if I am Mike Shanahan I would have benched RGIII and put Kirk Cousins in the game. I’m sure some will claim that hindsight is 20/20, but I was calling for this to happen in real time on Twitter, go read my timeline. I’m not saying that Cousins would have led the Redskins to a glorious victory, but I think he gave them a better chance to win than a clearly hurt RGIII.

I understand this was a huge game for Washington and really for the entire city of DC. And honestly, Shanahan would have likely caught flak either way no matter what he did. If he pulls RGIII and he loses he’s a moron, but if he keeps him in, loses, and it results in his franchise QB doing serious damage to his knee then he’s an even bigger moron. I don’t expect Shanahan to bend to the will of the fans and the media (and he shouldn’t) but that is just another reason why he shouldn’t have been afraid to take RGIII out. This team is building for the next decade, not just for this one wild card game. You have to be able to see long term, and while advancing in the playoffs is awfully important this is the exact situation you drafted Kirk Cousins for: your star quarterback is hurt, he can’t run effectively so the zone read is a glorified hand-off, and he can’t drive off of his plant leg because of the pain from his injury leading to inaccurate throws (and an interception by Earl Thomas). Put Cousins in. He knows the offense, he isn’t as mobile as RGIII but he can run the zone read and make plenty of the same throws that RGIII can make. He’s not the same, but if he was as good as RGIII he would have gone much earlier in the draft. He is a capable back-up, and this is why you drafted him- PLAY HIM!

But Shanahan didn’t play him, and there are going to be people defending his decision to not do so. One of those people is Mark Schlereth. Another is Skip Bayless. I don’t know about you, but those aren’t the kind of people I want backing up my decision making. In fact, I’d prefer the opposite. Regardless of who agrees or disagrees with Shanahan though, he left his QB in after the half instead of playing his capable rookie back-up. As the head coach, that is his decision. Some are already saying “Well I’m sure RGIII wanted to stay in the game, I agree that Shanny should have left him in if he wanted to be in.” That is irrelevant. Very rarely will an athlete, hurt or not hurt, ask to come out of a game. Everyone can remember what happened when Jay Cutler came out of the game right? He was torn apart in the media and even some players criticized him (here’s looking at you Maurice Jones-Drew). Was it fair? Maybe, maybe not, but my point is that in one of the rare instances where a player requested to be removed from the game he was torn apart for it. I personally believe that RGIII is a much better leader and honestly a more likeable person than Cutler is, and it’s not a surprise that he would want to stay in the game. And I won’t be surprised when he defends Shanahan’s decision to leave him in the game- it’s almost certainly what he wanted. He wanted to lead his team to a playoff win and he wanted to do it whether he was playing on one leg or two. I respect that, and it was alright for the first half despite the fact that he was noticeably less accurate after he was injured. However, the head coach is responsible for telling RGIII that even though he wants to play, it’s not worth the long term risk of injury, especially given how much less effectively he has been running the offense. That is why he gets paid a small fortune every year; to make tough decisions that while possibly unpopular are better for the team even if the players involved are vehemently opposed to his decision. I think Shanahan understands that, but inexplicably he still left Griffin in and we all saw the result- he got hurt.

I really hope that RGIII didn’t do any structural damage to his knee. He tore that same ACL when he was at Baylor and doing damage like that to it again would likely be very problematic. It sure looked like he did something to it though, it buckled when he planted it after that bad snap and he crumpled to the ground. He did walk off under his own power, but I have seen plenty of players with serious knee injuries walk off under their own power only to find out they did structural damage to it. It may seem encouraging, but it doesn’t guarantee he didn’t do any serious damage. We will have to wait for the result of that MRI, but regardless of what happened to his knee I believe that he should have been taken out. He couldn’t throw accurately, he was throwing with awful footwork and mechanics because he couldn’t drive off of his plant leg, and the one time he kept the ball on the zone read he literally limped for 9 yards and went out of bounds. He should have been taken out of the game.

Honestly, I am in disbelief that RGIII even played as long as he did and I have a ton of admiration for Coach Shanahan. In fact, I’m about to buy his book. But RGIII could barely jog back to the huddle. He couldn’t drive off of his plant leg. He couldn’t throw with his normal velocity or accuracy. He couldn’t run the ball effectively. He couldn’t even roll out on a bootleg. James Andrews, a man who seems to perform more surgeries on serious knee injuries than anyone ever has or will, said he was worried about RGIII playing today. They decided to play him anyway, but there were a number of times where Shanahan should have, in my opinion, asserted himself as the Head Coach of this team and taken him out. In the heat of the moment you can’t expect an athlete, especially an athlete as talented and tough as RGIII, to willingly take himself out. A leader like that will lie, cheat, beg and steal to keep himself from being taken out. RGIII did that tonight and now he got hurt. He was very professional after the game as we expected him to be, but that doesn’t make Shanahan’s decision the correct one. Here’s hoping he didn’t do any structural damage, but even if he didn’t that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t have come out of the game. It would only mean that he is lucky.