2012 College Football / 2013 NFL Draft

[Ray_Dogg]

He laid an egg against Bama where he was exposed for the entire world to finally see he was pure hype.

 

[BINGO]

If "gay" is slang for overrated, then yes he is.

It's a job interview, it is illegal to ask him that question. If the NFL wants a lawsuit handed to them in a devasting outcome, the commissioner needs to contact the GMs and owners immediately.

 

[BINGO]

He laid an egg against Bama where he was exposed for the entire world to finally see he was pure hype.

I wouldn't hold that one game against him. His mind wasn't there to begin with. He knew the turmoil and circus that was going to happen after the game. Mentality he was not there for that game. Not that I'm arguing for him in claiming that he is "that dude", I'm just saying he had prior knowledge from school official that the story had leaked out regarding his "girlfriend" and he had to announce the dilemma to the world. Having that placed in your head right before a bowl game is not something to be taken lightly.

 

[Ray_Dogg]

I wouldn't hold that one game against him. His mind wasn't there to begin with. He knew the turmoil and circus that was going to happen after the game. Mentality he was not there for that game. Not that I'm arguing for him in claiming that he is "that dude", I'm just saying he had prior knowledge from school official that the story had leaked out regarding his "girlfriend" and he had to announce the dilemma to the world. Having that placed in your head right before a bowl game is not something to be taken lightly.

That game not only exposed his play but also his mental state. He wasn't the viking giant leader of men he was cracked up to be. He is a mental midget that isn't a great LB. He is now officially the Tim Tebow of LBs. I'm gonna loathe his coverage for his NFL career.

 

[BINGO]

That game not only exposed his play but also his mental state. He wasn't the viking giant leader of men he was cracked up to be. He is a mental midget that isn't a great LB. He is now officially the Tim Tebow of LBs. I'm gonna loathe his coverage for his NFL career.

Would you draft him in the 3rd if he was there?

 

[Ray_Dogg]

Would you draft him in the 3rd if he was there?

No. I'm with Monte Poole. I wouldn't draft him at all. He's gonna be a gigantic media distraction forever.

 

[BINGO]

Ansah at No. 6?
February, 26, 2013 12:34PM ET
By Tim Kavanagh | ESPN.com

One of the more captivating prospects in this year's draft class is BYU pass-rusher Ezekiel (Ziggy) Ansah, who just picked up the sport during his junior year at the school, and thus is about as raw a talent as one could find. It also helps that he blazed to a 4.63 40-yard dash time while measuring in at 6-foot-5, 271 pounds. So is he under consideration for the Cleveland Browns at No. 6 overall?

In the opinion of ESPN Cleveland's Tony Grossi, he certainly should be, especially based upon the remarks from Browns CEO Joe Banner recently.

"Almost all the teams that get to the Super Bowl are teams that get a lot of sacks," Banner explained. "So in our mind we have to build a team that gets a lot of sacks and pressures quarterbacks. We want to have a more aggressive, attacking defense. We want to bring in more aggressive players. We want to be risk-takers. We want the other team to be on the defensive. We want our opponents to be worried about where we're coming from, what we're going to do next."

Ansah could represent a bookend option for Jabaal Sheard, who has developed into a fine pass-rusher during his brief NFL tenure, which is the glaring need for the Browns on the defensive side of the ball. Whether Cleveland takes the plunge with Ziggy will be determined in the coming weeks.

 

[BINGO]

New theory on Ravens at No. 32
February, 26, 2013 10:53AM ET
By Tim Kavanagh | ESPN.com

Coming off a Super Bowl victory, the Baltimore Ravens have a lot of big financial decisions to make in the early going of this offseason; what level of franchise tag will be placed on QB Joe Flacco? Will they re-sign key FAs like Ed Reed, Cary Williams and Paul Kruger? Will they have to release some high-priced veterans like Anquan Boldin? Once all of that is sorted out over the next several weeks, it'll be full-on draft prep time.

Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun discussed an interesting theory regarding the Ravens' draft strategy. Specifically, Wilson notes that the team has found success with players whose draft stock took a hit because of off-field concerns: Terrell Suggs was facing a felony aggravated assault charge when they drafted him, and Lardarius Webb dropped to the third round due to a violation of team rules that led him to transfer to Nicholls State.

Two players that Wilson references in this year's crop that could see a similar fall down the draft order are Georgia LB Alec Ogletree and LSU DB Tyrann Mathieu. The rangy Ogletree could serve as the heir apparent to Ray Lewis at inside linebacker, while adding Mathieu would help soften the blow of potentially losing Williams. Another player that could be in that boat: Notre Dame's Manti Te'o, who didn't do himself any favors with his on-field performance at the scouting combine this weekend; like Ogletree, he would play a significant role in the LB corps in 2013. This isn't to say that the Ravens would automatically take any of these players if they happened to still be on the board for them at No. 32, but it's just a reminder that youthful indiscretions can sometimes lead a player to land in a much more favorable destination (though his bank account won't be quite as impressive).

 

[BINGO]

Milliner to Detroit at No. 5?
February, 26, 2013 10:21AM ET
By Tim Kavanagh | ESPN.com

Prior the NFL scouting combine, Alabama CB Dee Milliner was foreseen as the top prospect available at the position, and a top-flight one at that: he can excel both in press man and zone coverages, and is unafraid of contact in run support. Any doubts on his athleticism were erased with his performance on Monday in the 40-yard dash, as he sped to unofficial times of 4.31 and 4.37.

As ESPN NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert notes, Milliner is now definitely in the conversation for the Detroit Lions at No. 5 overall, if he wasn't before. Of course, there is a case to be made for any of the teams ahead of Detroit -- Kansas City, Jacksonville, Oakland and Philadelphia -- to take Milliner as well, so this could turn into a game of chicken on draft night.

Here's Seifert with more on Milliner's stock:

Kevin Seifert
40 time ramps up Milliner buzz

"Speed is only one portion of the evaluation of any player, but at cornerback it is pretty important. Speaking about the position last week at the combine, Lions general manager Martin Mayhew said: 'We like fast.' Milliner is scheduled to have surgery to repair a torn labrum but, barring any complications, he figures to be a prime candidate for the Lions."

 

[BINGO]

Cover LBs on Buffalo's draft radar?
February, 26, 2013 8:54AM ET
By Tim Kavanagh | ESPN.com

Due to the fact that the Buffalo Bills are going to have to figure out a way to contain Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez twice per season for the next few years, finding effective coverage-capable LBs is an important step in their ongoing revitalization. As it turns out, there are a few players in this year's draft class that could step right in to such a role -- either in situational fashion, or as a three-down player -- should the Bills choose to invest a pick on that spot.

Over on BuffaloBills.com, Chris Brown identified three such players: Georgia's Alec Ogletree, Rutgers' Khaseem Greene and Southern Mississippi's Jamie Collins, expected to go in the first, second and third rounds, respectively.

All three prospects moved to LB from safety, so the fact that they have coverage skills is not a shock. Whether that ability transfers to their work at the NFL level remains to be seen. Whoever does fill the role for Buffalo in 2013 will certainly have their hands full: in addition to the two games against New England, the Bills also have New Orleans (Jimmy Graham), Cincinnati (Jermaine Gresham), Pittsburgh (Heath Miller) and Atlanta (possibly Tony Gonzalez) on the schedule.

 

[BINGO]

First-round OL for St. Louis?
February, 25, 2013 4:01PM ET
By Tim Kavanagh | ESPN.com

As a result of the St. Louis Rams' trade that sent the No. 2 overall pick to the Washington Redskins last offseason, they've got an extra first-rounder in this year's selection process. And despite the history of what their head coach has done during his NFL career, there's a chance that they'll be using one of those picks to bolster an offensive line in need of some help.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that never in Jeff Fisher's 16 seasons as coach of the Oilers-Titans franchise did he select an offensive lineman with the club's first-round pick. But looking ahead to April's event, he's not ruling it out.

"Yeah. I'd draft just about any position in the first round, except maybe a kicker or punter," Fisher quipped. "We don't need those."

Specifically, Thomas notes that the Rams are in need at LG and RT, and a couple prospects at the latter position are Oklahoma's Lane Johnson and Alabama's D.J. Fluker. The Rams have the No. 16 and No. 22 pick in the first round, and there's a very real chance that we could hear an O-lineman's name in one of those spots, whether it's one of those two or someone else.

 

[BINGO]

First-round DT for Carolina?
February, 26, 2013 1:08PM ET
By Tim Kavanagh | ESPN.com

It's hard to find much fault with what the Carolina Panthers have done with their first-round picks in 2011 and 2012. 2011 yielded QB Cam Newton, who earned AP offensive rookie of the year honors and appears destined to serve as the franchise QB for the time being. In 2012, they landed LB Luke Kuechly, who landed the defensive rookie of the year honors, making good on his promise as a tackling machine -- his 164 total tackles were 61 more than the second-most on the team in 2012. In an effort to help Kuechly and his linebacking crew out, the team may be using their first-round pick this offseason on a defensive tackle.

"I think it's a need. Is it one of our top needs? We'll see as we go through the free agency process and the process of scouting these college football players," Panthers HC Ron Rivera said at the scouting combine, per the Charlotte Observer. "But I do know having stout, physical defensive linemen is important. Just ask the linebackers. They'll tell you how important it is so they can run and make plays."

It's possible that they'll sign someone in free agency. The Eagles released Cullen Jenkins and Mike Patterson on Monday, and they join a list of FA DTs that also includes Randy Starks, Henry Melton and Jason Jones (pending the usage of the franchise tag by their incumbent teams).

But if they don't find someone they like amongst the veterans available, the No. 14 overall pick may well be invested on a DT. Utah's Star Lotulelei -- considered the top player in the draft -- will likely be long-gone by that point, but Florida's Sharrif Floyd, Missouri's Sheldon Richardson and UNC's Sylvester Williams may still be available for them.

 

[BINGO]

NFL Combine Buzz
Originally Published: February 25, 2013
What does slow 40 time mean for Te'o?
By Todd McShay | Scouts Inc.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Across the board, the performance of Notre Dame ILB Manti Te'o (Scouts Inc. grade: 91) on Monday at the NFL combine was slightly below-average for the position, and for his size (6-foot-1¼, 241 pounds).

What concerned me most was his 40-yard dash, which clocked in officially at 4.82 seconds. The rest of the times and numbers are fine: 7.13 seconds in the three-cone drill, 9-foot-5 in the broad jump and a 33-inch vertical jump. Some have called him undersized, but he hits the average height and weight numbers for a middle linebacker on the dot.

But the 40 time leads to one question: can Te'o be an every-down linebacker who is not a liability in coverage?

While the 4.82 doesn't tell us anything definitive, it does raise concerns about him being able to match up one-on-one in coverage. We had those concerns about him coming into the 2012 season, but he took off some weight, improved his quickness and came up with seven interceptions, and that helped ease some of those concerns.

Manti Te'o's subpar 40 time could hurt his stock, but there is time to recover.

The interceptions don't necessarily mean he was faster or more fluid, but he did show the instincts and athleticism to make those plays.

But you don't draft a middle linebacker if you're concerned about keeping him on the field at all times. So, he needs to trim that 40 time down. Teams will take the fastest recorded 40 when evaluating a prospect, so if he can get it down to 4.7 before the draft it will really help his cause.

And remember, Te'o played his final game of the season on Jan. 8, when many of the other players invited to the combine had already been training for the combine for two or three weeks.

It's also hard to imagine a bigger distraction than the girlfriend hoax Te'o dealt with over the past few weeks, which is rumored to have cost him a day of training. All that has to affect him to a certain degree.

And it's reasonable to expect Te'o could make an improvement in the next four weeks before his pro day on March 26 in South Bend, Ind.

We had Te'o ranked as the 20th overall prospect coming into the combine, based solely on what we think of him as a football player. It has nothing to do with anything off the field. If these numbers stand and he doesn't improve them, then I could see him falling a little more.

I was asked all day Monday whether I think he could fall out of the first round, and while there is a chance, I highly doubt it.

Te'o has enough good tape to stand on, a good enough body of work that shows his ability to make plays. He's much like former Florida and current New England Patriots LB Brandon Spikes, who I personally timed at 4.91 during his pro day. Both play quicker than fast, and because of Te'o's instincts he plays faster than his 40 time could ever indicate.

In the end, my guess is that we'll see an improvement in his times at the Notre Dame pro day, and Te'o will end up being a first-rounder when all is said and done.


Todd McShay
Scouts Inc.

 

[BINGO]

NFL Combine Buzz
Originally Published: February 26, 2013
Defensive linemen put on impressive show
By Todd McShay | Scouts Inc.

LSU's Barkevious Mingo led an impressive group of defensive linemen at the combine.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Coming into the combine we knew the defensive linemen would be a good group. On Monday, they backed it up.

Five defensive linemen ran the 40 in 4.6 flat or faster, which is terrific speed. UConn's Trevardo Williams (Scouts Inc. grade: 49) ran a 4.57, LSU's Barkevious Mingo (Grade: 93) ran a 4.58 and SMU's Margus Hunt (Grade: 79), Oregon's Dion Jordan (Grade: 95) and LSU's Corey Lemonier (Grade: 85) each ran a 4.6. That's big-time speed, especially for some of the bigger guys.

Of that group, Mingo and Jordan put up some of the better numbers across the board. Mingo had a 37-inch vertical and went 10-8 in the broad jump. When you look at the numbers Mingo put up at LSU this season, it's easy to look at the sack production (4.5) and say he underachieved.

And while I think there's room for improvement in becoming more savvy and efficient in getting to the QB, he never stops. His motor runs in the red a lot. He plays hard and he has explosive quickness off the ball. Yes, he is undersized and when he gets his pads up, he gives offensive linemen a target and they can push him off the ball. But he does a better job than guys such as Texas A&M's Damontre Moore (Grade: 94) and Lemonier of maintaining leverage prior to initial contact. He's stronger and he's got more of a mean streak than most defensive end/conversion outside linebacker prospects.

When you study his tape, LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis wisely asked Mingo to be more of read-and-react and to use gap discipline because of the mobile option QBs they were facing. If you look at the Texas A&M tape, he maintained his gap and shadowed Johnny Manziel so he wouldn't get to the outside. Plus, opponents knew Mingo was a threat. He was often facing double-teams and chip blocks from the backs. The more tape I study, I think he'll be a top 15 pick and possibly top 10 as a 3-4 outside linebacker. Mingo's workout on Monday confirms what we see on tape.

As for Jordan, he's not as polished, but he is more athletic and fluid in his movements. I think Jordan's ceiling is higher than Mingo's. Just like Mingo, he ran a 4.6 40. At 6-foot-6, 248 pounds with an 82-inch wingspan -- matching that speed to that size -- it's the combo of both that we've seen on tape.

So, right now, Mingo's more polished, but Jordan's game can get to rare air. He has a higher ceiling and that's why he could come off the board before Mingo, possibly as high as No. 2 to the Jaguars, or Philly at No. 3. It's unlikely, but not out of the realm of possibility. I know that Jordan isn't the perfect prototype for a 4-3, but the Jaguars had 20 sacks last year. There are a list of teams -- the Lions at No. 5, the Browns at No. 6 (they're moving to a 3-4 and need an outside linebacker), the Jets at No. 9 -- that have need. For any team that has that need, it's easy to come up with a scenario where Jordan comes off the board in the top 10.

Jordan had a 32 1/2-inch vertical, which isn't the best for a guy at 6-6, but I'd rather see the lower body explosion, and he had a 10-foot-2 broad jump. It's hard to find a guy at his size who is as fluid with his feet and his hips in transition when you study his tape. It adds to his value.

Speaking of value, BYU's Ezekiel Ansah (Grade: 91) is the story of the combine. Here's a guy who five years ago hadn't even watched a game and didn't know how to put on pads the first time he tried to play. When he did get the pads on, they told him to chase down a kick. He outruns the coverage by taking a bad angle, stops on a dime, turns and chases down the returner. BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said all right, he's on the team.

The amazing thing about Ansah is that he wasn't even a starter coming into the season, and only had a chance to start when the guy in front of him got injured. So, it's remarkable how far he's come. He's a big-time player: disruptive, powerful, fast, with great size and closing burst, and a long wingspan. He doesn't have great instincts, but better than you'd expect for a guy with his history.

Sometimes you build up these physical freaks and you get to the combine and come away disappointed, but he was better than I expected. The Giants' Jason Pierre-Paul wasn't that polished, either, but the two players aren't that far apart.

I can't believe I'm saying it, but I legitimately think he belongs in the top 12 picks of this draft. I would be shocked if he made it to the 20s.

At defensive tackle, Utah's Star Lotulelei (Grade: 96) is not here. He has an issue with his heart that needs to be examined and straightened out by doctors. For him, it's no longer a football issue, but a medical issue. He's represented by Rep1 Sports and in a text, they told me they're seeking a second opinion and are gathering as much information as possible to cover all their bases. When they get answers, they're going to get back to NFL teams and to us with the prognosis. This is not an issue of Lotulelei being done, because as a football player, he's still the top DT on the board, neck-and-neck with Florida's Sharrif Floyd (Grade: 95).

Florida's Sharrif Floyd continues to move up the draft board with strong workouts.

Here at the combine, Floyd was the real deal. He's 297 pounds and ran a 4.92 40-yard dash, had a 30-inch vertical leap and had a 8-10 broad jump. Overall, he looked good in drills. He almost fell once, but regained his balance. He has really good quickness and showed good agility throughout. He also showed the ability to bend and has flexibility. He's perfect in the three-technique, and he's bigger and a better football player than Missouri's Sheldon Richardson (Grade: 94), who ran a 5.02. But to see Floyd run faster than Richardson, it shows that Floyd has outstanding natural ability, and it's coming together in his last few years of playing.

Hunt, as expected, put up outrageous numbers with 38 reps in the bench press -- the most of any defensive lineman. He's 6-foot-8 1/8 and 277 pounds and had a 34 1/2-inch vertical leap, which was near the top of the board for the group. He is an explosive blend of straight-line speed and power. It's hard to imagine a better combo. Still, he plays stiff and upright. He looks mechanical and robotic in his movements. He needs more savvy with his hand usage and as a run-stopper. He still has a lot of work to do as a football player and is a developmental project. He could contribute right away on special teams and could be available in the third round.

You can see the explosiveness of UConn's Williams on tape as a pass-rusher. I think he could be a situational pass-rusher in the NFL. He's undesized and may not be an every round fit. But he and LB Sio Moore (Grade: 77) have had the best workouts of any players here. Williams had the top 40 and the top vertical jump with 38 inches and a good broad jump at 10-4.

Ohio State's Johnathan Hankins (Grade: 90) didn't wow people. He's a big guy, and we were hoping to see more athleticism and explosiveness out him during the position drills. Georgia's John Jenkins didn't work out. The Georgia guys seemed to have a gentleman's agreement as none of them -- Jarvis Jones, Abry Jones -- worked out.

Missouri Southern Brandon Williams continues to impress as well. He moves well for a big guy and had a nice Senior Bowl. As we study more tape, the more he impresses. He may have moved himself into second-round range. He's one of the premiere small school prospects in this class.

Finally, this combine hasn't gone as one highly-rated defensive lineman has wished, and that's Texas A&M's Moore. He only had 12 reps on the bench, which is weak and it shows on tape. He doesn't use his hands a lot. And if he did, he didn't use them well because they're not strong. Also, it appeared as if he tweaked something during his second 40-yard dash. I've watched three full tapes on him, and he really struggled against Alabama and LSU. He did have a 35-inch vertical and a 10-2 broad jump, and those were among the top five in both categories. But there is some question about his maturity. While he looks like a great worker on the field -- always running -- there have been questions about how he handles his business and how he prepares in the weight room. He needs to show more explosive upper body power and improve his speed and work ethic by his pro day. He needs a faster time or else it will be a problem.


Todd McShay
Scouts Inc.

 

[BINGO]

David Amerson runs unofficial 4.38 in Indy

NC State CB David Amerson ran an unofficial 4.38 forty at the NFL Combine

His top 10 yard split clocked in at 1.52 seconds. This is a lot more straight-line speed than was expected for Amerson, but his slow hips and feet in transition is where the Wolfpack corner struggle. A second day pick could be in Amerson's future.

Feb 26 - 10:55 AM

 

[BINGO]

If this is true, this could affect a team from putting him at center:

Scout: G Chance Warmack not real bright

An anonymous scout said Alabama OG Chance Warmack "scares the hell" out of him because he's "not real bright".

"They tell you he can't play more than one position and you have to be careful in games what kind of adjustments you make," the scout said. "Not a real bright kid. He kind of reminds me of (Seattle's James) Carpenter. You see stuff that's impressive, then later in the game he starts to fade. For me, a guard has to be perfect to take in the first round. Because how much difference is there in that guy and a guy you take in the fourth?"
Source: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Feb 25 - 6:00 PM

 

[Tubbs1518]

If this is true, this could affect a team from putting him at center:

Scout: G Chance Warmack not real bright

An anonymous scout said Alabama OG Chance Warmack "scares the hell" out of him because he's "not real bright".

"They tell you he can't play more than one position and you have to be careful in games what kind of adjustments you make," the scout said. "Not a real bright kid. He kind of reminds me of (Seattle's James) Carpenter. You see stuff that's impressive, then later in the game he starts to fade. For me, a guard has to be perfect to take in the first round. Because how much difference is there in that guy and a guy you take in the fourth?"
Source: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Feb 25 - 6:00 PM

I've never seen 1 person anywhere talk about putting him at C outside of this board.

 

[BINGO]

I've never seen 1 person anywhere talk about putting him at C outside of this board.

That is because we (9ers fans / fake GMs) are smarter than the rest. We take that habit from our coaches. Boone who is 6'8 is transition to freaking guard for crying out loud. Aldon was pegged to be a 4-3 DE by everyone except the 9ers. Coming out of college Bruce Miller was viewed solely as a defensive player, do you want to take a wild guest at the position he is playing now as a pro?

 

[Tubbs1518]

That is because we (9ers fans / fake GMs) are smarter than the rest. We take that habit from our coaches. Boone who is 6'8 is transition to freaking guard for crying out loud. Aldon was pegged to be a 4-3 DE by everyone except the 9ers. Coming out of college Bruce Miller was viewed solely as a defensive player, do you want to take a wild guest at the position he is playing now as a pro?

I also didn't see 1 scout saying Smith was a 4-3 DE. He was listed 3-4 OLB all the way.

 

[BINGO]

I also didn't see 1 scout saying Smith was a 4-3 DE. He was listed 3-4 OLB all the way.

Not true. Do you not see the content of this message board. We follow college football / NFL draft all year round. And I am telling you that most mocks had him going to a 4-3 team. This is what we do all day everyday - this draft topic never gets tiring for us.