Elijah's 2014 NFL Scouting Thread

[elijah]

Most teams are 8 or 9 games into the season, so let's face it, aside from the QB position, only 1 game (the bowl game) has impact on the players draft stocks after this. Unless they completely fall off the face of the Earth, or they blow up with an explosion bigger than Hiroshima, all the film we need is already there. With that said, in the next 5 months I will be putting major scouting into this thread to try and give you guys a look at the players from a non-analyst point of view.

Please don't post until I say. I need like the first 6 posts of the thread to make it more neat and organized.

 

[elijah]

Jadeveon Clowney - South Carolina
4-3 DE - 6'5 - 272 Lbs. - Junior

Pro's
- Great speed off the ball.
- Very quick, effective swim move.
- Sheds blocks well. As the runner passes, easily sticks out his arm to grab the runner.
- Pure power is insane, easily pushes back offensive lineman.
- In an option offense, you leave the opposite DE unblocked assuming that we won't catch the runner. You can't do that with Clowney.
- Almost always sticks his arms up to bat down a pass, does it like it's natural.
- Teams often run away from him. (i.e.) Mizzou only ran in his direction 10 times for 36 yards, compared to their total of 41/155, Tenn ran his way 15 times for 10 yards, compared to the total of 41/146.)
- Causes lineman to hold often, will likely be called and more noticeable at the next level.
- Once he gets hot with momentum, you're not stopping him.

Con's
- Gives up on some pass plays kind of quickly.
- Too cautious when containing sometimes.
- Doesn't use many moves aside from his swim move and bull rushing.

Recap
The amount of pro's that Clowney brings is insane. Just his presence on the field scares teams. His overall line play is insane as well, his speed off the ball, how he sheds his blocks, the way he uses his swim move, his bull rush. All of those will do great things for him if he keeps it up. If he translates his game to the next level well, he will be a name to remember for awhile. The way that teams run away from him will do a lot in the NFL, you can't run the ball to only one side of the field in the NFL. There's too much talent to do it there. Also, another thing that can't happen in the NFL, Clowney is getting held nearly every other play. In the NFL that will get called more often, so when Clowney I'm curious to see what he can do when Clowney gets a full game with out being held.

It's hard to think of his game getting much better, but I saw two major con's in Clowney's game that are easily fixable. He often gives up on pass plays quickly, if the lineman takes him too deep into the pocket he'll just stand there. This is a huge issue with me, I hate when players give up on plays. But, then the other big con is that all he uses are a swim move and his bull rush. In the NFL, they'll jam his swim easier and they'll be bigger making the bull rush harder. He can't get away with only those two, however if he can add a spin move to his game, maybe add some pure speed when he's running around the lineman he'll be set.

2013 Stats (to this point): 27 total tackles, 6.5 TFL, 2 sacks
My Postion Rank: 1, My Overall Rank: TBD, My Grade: 9.8/10
Video Links: South Carolina vs Missouri, South Carolina vs Tennessee, South Carolina vs Arkansas

 

[elijah]

Anthony Barr - UCLA
3-4 OLB/4-3 OLB - 6'3 - 238 Lbs - Senior

Pro's
- Great speed around the edge.
- Reads the ball well.
- Draws the double team often.
- Always stays active and moving.
- Tends to be in the right place at the right time often.

Con's
- Doesn't shed blocks well.
- Easily over-powered by lineman. Could add 10-15 pounds.
- Waits for contact sometimes.
- Waits for the play to develop, doesn't do his job immediately always.
- Despite having good reads for the most part, he misreads the option often.
- Doesn't use much to rush besides speed, almost always get beaten when he bull rushes.

Recap
The Oregon tape was extremely disappointing. Reminds me a lot of Damontre Moore, at one time seen as a top 5 pick, lacked many skills and just had stats. Eventually slipped down to the third round. Unless I just so happened to watch the three worst games of Barr's career, he's extremely overrated. To me he looked like a 2nd round pick. He just doesn't do much besides speed, he's too weak for the NFL and he doesn't make things happen. He waits for them to happen. He waits for contract often, and he can not shed blocks for his life.

Unless Barr has an amazing bowl game, I fully expect him to drop until late first at the earliest. I'd stay away from him until early third personally. Maybe I'm judging harshly, I'll re-visit him after his bowl game. But, as of right now, I see Barr as an extremely overrated prospect that needs to add a bit of weight. He just so happens to have decent stats, the skill however, it isn't there.

2013 Stats (to this point): 44 total tackles, 13 TFL, 6 sacks
My Postion Rank: 3, My Overall Rank: TBD, My Overall Grade: 7.8/10
Video Links: UCLA vs Oregon, UCLA vs Nebraska, UCLA vs Utah

 

[elijah]

Khalil Mack - Buffalo
3-4 OLB - 6'2 - 244 Lbs. - Senior

Pro's
- Great amount of power, often times pushes lineman back.
- Good in zone coverage for a LB.
- Dips his shoulder often and does it well.
- Great speed around the outside.
- Swim move looks a little different, he does it lower than normal. But it's very useful for him and he does it well.
- Very good at block shedding.
- Contains the outside very well.
- Gets around the field quickly.

Con's
- Takes himself out of the play with his spin sometimes.
- Makes hard contact, but doesn't always wrap up.
- Good at block shedding, but doesn't always put complete effort. Therefor, not shedding the block.
- Contains sometimes when it's not his job to.

Recap
A lot of people probably assume the main reason he looks good is because he plays in the MAC. However, despite what people think, his most impressive game on film is against Ohio State. With out bias, I'd easily take Mack over Barr. Barr just wasn't that impressive to me, and if scouts start to drop him, Mack will be the play to step up and take his spot. Mack is almost a complete package, he has insane amounts of power often times pushing offensive lineman back. He has a great swim move, gets off the ball fast, gets around the end quick, and has perfect technique with dipping his shoulder. And, on top of all that, he has pretty good coverage for a linebacker. Well, zone that is, UB doesn't play a man coverage where the outside linebacker has an assignment.

Those are just the pro's though, of course Mack has some cons. With his spin move, he gets pushed back while spinning most times, taking himself 3 to 4 yards out of the play. Thankfully for his game, he doesn't spin often. While tackling, he makes very hard contact, but a couple times out of 10 that's all he does. He makes hard contact and forgets to grab the player. Then, his block shedding is hard to explain/scout. At times, he does it as well as anyone in college. But, at other times he does it like a below average starter. So, I'm not going to go too far indepth with his block shedding. Then, his containment. He contains very well, forcing the play upfield often. However, he contains when it's not always his job. That's very teachable and correctable though, so it's not a big issue.

My Postion Rank: 2, My Overall Rank: TBD, My Overall Grade: 8.6/10
Video Links: Buffalo vs Ohio State, Buffalo vs Ohio, Buffalo vs Stony Brook

 

[elijah]

I was just told that I can't go back and edit these posts, so if someone could delete posts 2-8 it'd be appreciated.

 

[MISKO]

I was just told that I can't go back and edit these posts, so if someone could delete posts 2-8 it'd be appreciated.

done

 

[elijah]

done

thank you

 

[elijah]

Trent Murphy - Stanford
4-3 DE - 6'6 - 261 Lbs. - Senior
(PICTURE)​

Pro's
- Great size
- Very patient with developing plays (PA, Option)
- Great tackler, near perfect form
- Arms always up on throws, reminds me of JJ Watt
- Plays decent from the stand up in coverage (mainly zone)

Con's
- Lines up way too close to the ball. (Also a pro at times)
- Acceleration can be slow at times.

Recap
Regrettably, I didn't have that much film, or that well of film. Murphy is one player I'll definitely need to revisit. I like Murphy, but he doesn't have that many pros that stick out too much. That may be his biggest pro, his game is even, every part of it is consistently good. Nothing is outstanding, but nothing is really bad. That makes him what he is, a hard guy to block and a good consistent player. He will likely develop more once he gets to the NFL level. I don't ever see him being a huge, household name player. But I can see him being a consistent, 6-8 sack per year player.

My Postion Rank: 3, My Overall Rank: TBD, My Overall Grade: 8.2/10
Games Watched: USC, Washington, Oregon (2012)

4/3 DE - 3/4 OLB RANKINGS (to this point)
1.) Jadeveon Clowney
2.) Khalil Mack
3.) Trent Murphy
4.) Anthony Barr

 

[elijah]

Vic Beasley - Clemson
3/4 OLB-4/3 DE - 6'3 - 235 LBS. - Junior
(PICTURE)​

Pro's
- Quick off the ball
- Good on-field speed
- Plays both stand up and down lineman consistently
- Gets around the edge quick
- Off the line quick
- Mixes his pass rush moves well (aside from con seen below)

Con's
- Over powered when he tries to bull-rush
- Overuses his speed and cross over moves at times
- Gets predictable at times
- Doesn't take a play off but also doesn't always go 100%

Recap
The choice between Beasley and Murphy will ultimately come down too how the team wants to use them. If they're looking for more stand-up, Beasley is the guy. He uses his speed to his advantage. While I saw him as more of a down lineman in the games I watched, his body fits to be more of a stand up rusher. Everything he does, he does it quick. This will make teams more than likely use him as a stand up outside rusher, he'll be too small for line in the NFL. He'd be an Aldon Smith kind of guy, or Jerry Hughes.

My Postion Rank: t-3, My Overall Rank: TBD, My Overall Grade: 8.2/10
Games Watched: Ohio State, Georgia, South Carolina

4/3 DE - 3/4 OLB RANKINGS
1.) Jadeveon Clowney
2.) Khalil Mack
T-3.) Trent Murphy
t-3.) Vic Beasley
5.) Anthony Barr

 

[Stomp]

If you're taking requests Travis Swanson, Bryan Stork, or Weston Richburg would be cool.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Excellent Job Thus Far!

A player I really like for PIT is Hageman, DT MIN...I think he's a great fit @ DE in our 3-4 scheme.

Currently I'm mocking him to PIT @ 15...your thoughts.

 

[elijah]

Mike Evans - Texas A&M
WR - 6'5 - 225 LBS - RS Sophomore

Pro's
- Huge target, size of a TE.
- Good on-field speed.
- Reacts quick when the QB is scrambling, never goes to a standstill.
- Blocks very well.
- Gets off the line very well and quick.
- Very athletic when going for the ball.
- Can improvise his route well.

Con's
- Stutters a lot when running in the open.
- Can get a tad physical.
- Drops some balls that need to be caught at the NFL level.
- Restricted to screens, comebacks and slants all year.

Recap
For receivers and cornerbacks, you don't always see them in the tape making it a little bit harder to get a full evaluation. Because of this, about 85% is my original thoughts, 15% are what I've gathered from reading other reports. What I've gathered from Evans is that he's a very physical receiver, almost too physical. He'll more than likely be flagged more often as he plays in higher competition. However, when he isn't getting flagged, he plays extremely athletic. There will always be shoving, but sometimes he has excessive grabbing and pushing. But, he still finds a way to get most of his jump balls. Because of his size, speed and leaping ability all combined, Evans is practically always open. He is just all-around athletic, and his size will do a lot for him in the NFL.

The Missouri game hurt his stock a little bit, however I don't think it should have too big of an impact. He doesn't have many negatives to his game, however the biggest one may be how many routes he can run. Evans was typically held to only screen routes, comebacks and slants all year at Texas A&M. He does also have the slight issue of dropping some open passes that should be caught, but that can be fixed. Another big issue is how physical he is, he often grabs and pushes more than he should. That's also coachable. All of Evans cons are extremely coachable, which is a good sign.

My Postion Rank: 1, My Overall Rank: TBD, My Overall Grade: 8.8/10
Video Links: vs Auburn, at LSU, vs Duke

NEW TWITTER ACCOUNT, PLEASE FOLLOW: @ThatSportReport

 

[elijah]

A player I really like for PIT is Hageman, DT MIN...I think he's a great fit @ DE in our 3-4 scheme.

Currently I'm mocking him to PIT @ 15...your thoughts.

I haven't scout him yet, but I've heard a lot of good about him. Seems to be like a highly touted DT

 

[elijah]

Sammy Watkins - Clemson
WR - 6'1" - 211 Lbs. - Junior

Pro's
- Extremely fast on field speed.
- Runs very dynamically, almost like a good agile back.
- High points the ball very well.
- Good separation on deep balls.
- Good cuts.
- Never gives up on the play.
- Gets tons of yards after contact and after the catch.
- Tough stiff arm.

Con's
- Clemson's offense mainly consisted of Watkins running deep routes or screen routes.
- Doesn't block too well, that is when he does even put forth an effort.

Recap
Before watching any tape on Watkins, I thought that Evans was the true top receiver in the draft. Boy was I wrong, Sammy Watkins is an insanely athletic receiver and he can do pretty much everything. Watching the film, he reminds me of what Hakeem Nicks could and would have been. Watkins is explosive, and after he catches the ball he takes off like he's a running back. When he runs down field routes, he gets extremely good separation, enough to be considered 'wide open' in the NFL (which is only like a yard or two). He does the same off of short routes, because he has good crisp routes. He always, always high points the balls. Just all around, Watkins is explosive and versatile. Quite possibly the best WR prospect since AJ Green in 2011.

There's not many down falls to Watkins. I only managed to find two major ones, the routes he ran at Clemson and his blocking. With his routes, he mainly ran screen routes and deep vertical routes. That doesn't necessarily mean he can't run the other routes, it's just something to give you a little bit of concern. As for his blocking, he frequently gave up on his blocks against Ohio State.

My Postion Rank: 1, My Overall Rank: TBD, Overall Grade: 9.2/10
Video Links: vs Ohio State, vs Georgia, @ Virginia

Rankings Change:
1.) Sammy Watkins
2.) Mike Evans

NEW TWITTER ACCOUNT, PLEASE FOLLOW: @ThatSportReport

 

[elijah]

Kelvin Benjamin - Florida State
WR - 6'5" - 240 Lbs. - RS Sophomore

Pro's
- Very, very good size. Almost built like a tight end.
- Very good concentration on the ball.
- Does a decent job at high pointing the ball.
- Runs his slant and drag routes well.
- Not excellent, but does a decent job at separating downfield.
- Has a lot of strength. Doesn't put much effort into blocking, but when he does he overpowers players easily.

Con's
- Poor blocker because he rarely puts in effort for it.
- Not the fastest receiver that you'll find.
- Catches with his chest more often than he should.
- Poor ball-carrying quite often.
- Still room to improve his route-running skills.

Recap
My almost immediate reaction to watching Benjamin's tape; overrated. However, he saved himself as the tape went on. You have to study Benjamin to find more pro's than con's. I could see him dropping to late 2nd, early 3rd if a couple of receiver needy teams pass on him. However, the biggest plus side to him you'll find is that he can be a huge redzone threat. He attacks the ball at it's high point well most of the time, he's a huge guy, and it shows in his strength too. Not only that, but he has great concentration on the ball. May not be an immediate big player in the NFL, but he will be an immediate red zone threat.

There's two huge con's that you'll find in Benjamin. He has poor route-running skills and he allows the ball into his chest way too often. While both of those are extremely fixable if he's open to being fixed, they're also both things that you expect to be taken care of senior year of high school or freshman year of college. Benjamin has upside if he proves to be a coachable player though.

My Postion Rank: 3, My Overall Rank: TBD, Overall Grade: 8.0/10
Video Links: vs Duke, vs NC State

WR Rankings
1.) Sammy Watkins
2.) Mike Evans
3.) Kelvin Benjamin

Please follow my twitter account: @ThatSportReport

 

[elijah]

Marqise Lee - USC
WR - 5'11" - 192 Lbs. - Junior

Pro's
- Very good footwork, especially on the sideline.
- Never gives up on the play, Always goes 110%.
- Gives full effort blocking.
- Catches with his hands instead of his chest.
- Not the fastest, but has good bursts of speed.
- Quick off the line of scrimmage.
- Ran a large variety of routes with USC.
- Enjoys the game a lot.

Con's
- Very small, likely won't be a #1 receiver at 5'11"
- Has a lot of post-play reactions/actions.
- When running after the catch, he runs lateral sometimes instead of going north and south.
- Depends on athleticism too much at times.

Recap
Lee impressed me a lot more than I was expecting him too. He was always giving 110% effort throughout the season and that will always look nice. The two things that impressed me the most was his footwork and his hands. He always caught with his hands instead of his chest, something you don't see too often. His footwork was also excellent, not just in his routes but along the sidelines too. Any other draft year, I would more than likely have Lee as my 2nd overall, if not top, receiver prospect. But this year Evans and Watkins are just special talents. Perhaps what I liked the most about Lee, was that he seems to really enjoy the game. If you have someone like that, you know for sure that you're always going to get everything they have.

Staying healthy for Lee was a bit of a struggle in 2013, that may bother some scouts, but personally it doesn't bother me. He has a lot of natural talent and natural athleticism. That athleticism may be his own kryptonite though, he depends on it a bit too much at times. He didn't have any major cons other than his height, which might prevent him from ever being a legitimate #1.

My Postion Rank: 3, My Overall Rank: TBD, My Overall Grade: 8.5/10
Video Links: vs Stanford, @ Oregon State

WR Rankings
1.) Sammy Watkins
2.) Mike Evans
3.) Marqise Lee
4.) Kelvin Benjamin

Follow me on twitter please, @ThatSportReport

 

[elijah]

Teddy Bridgewater - Louisville
QB - 6'2" - 214 Lbs. - Junior

Pro's
- Ran a pro-style offense at Louisville.
- Throws very-well on the run, or un-set.
- Extremely mobile in the pockets, avoids the rush often. Keeps the play alive.
- Quick release.
- Can scramble with out relying on, knows when to slide.
- Good footwork.
- Throws the ball downfield with ease.
- Excellent accuracy.

Con's
- Can place the ball a little lower at times.
- His touch is inconsistent, can improve.
- Doesn't always watch for his receivers, leading them straight into defenders at times.
- Ankle could become a cause for concern injury-wise.

Recap
Bridgewater can very easily develop into a franchise quarterback. It was hard to pick out cons for him, as he is very good already. What impressed me the most was his mobility, I knew he was mobile but I didn't know just how mobile he was. He has really good footwork in the pocket and he keeps the play alive when it should be dead quite often. And while he's scrambling, he throws the ball around with ease. He can also throw the ball down field with ease. He has a quick (but low) release, and he has excellent accuracy.

Not many cons to find about Bridgewater. The main things that I saw about him, was that he places the ball too high quite often and along with that he doesn't always lead his receivers to good places. On the Miami film, I counted 3-4 passes where the receiver could have gotten pretty badly injured. His touch is also inconsistent, could improve on that a little.

My Postion Rank: 1, My Overall Rank: #, My Overall Grade: 8.7/10
Video Links: vs Miami, vs UCF, @ Cincinnati

 

[elijah]

Blake Bortles - Central Florida
QB - 6'5" - 232 Lbs. - RS Junior

Pro's
- Good NFL sized build.
- Very good in the pocket, quick feet.
- Climbs the pocket well.
- Good zip/touch on his throws.
- Hits receivers quick out of their cuts.
- Keeps his arm high and close to his chest at all times.
- Throws very well in stride.
- Watches the entire field.
- Throws the curl/comeback/hook route nearly perfectly.
- Has a lot of potential.
- Very good leader.

Con's
- Took most of his snaps from shotgun, not many under center.
- Trust his receivers with the jump ball maybe a little too often.
- Often overthrows, or throws a little too low. Accuracy could be a little better.
- Doesn't force a lot of throws, but forces one too many.

Recap
When watching film, you'll quickly notice how well Bortles works with his feet. He climbs the pocket almost naturally, and does it quickly as well. He has extremely quick and choppy steps in the pocket, moving around it as the pressure comes. The next thing that is noticed is the zip on his throws. While his arm strength may not be completely top notch, he throws the balls with a very good zip and good touch. The balls gets to his guy quickly and with the right amount of power behind it. Along with that, Bortles finds his receivers at the right time when they come out of their cuts. The best example is when he throws the comeback route, he places it in his receivers hands at the perfect time. Ideally, you want your quarterback to throw the ball as his receiver goes into the cut, Blake does that. Ultimately the decision between Bridgewater and Bortles will come down to a team-by-team preference. They both have relatively similar skill sets with really good upsides. The biggest difference is that Bortles seems to be more pro-ready at the moment, but that can change quickly. It'll be interesting to see how the draft goes, if it comes down to Jacksonville expect Bortles to be off the board first.

You can find cons to Bortles, but you won't find many major ones. One of the big ones is that he took many of his snaps this past year from the shotgun instead of under the center. However, that is becoming less and less of an issue with how the NFL is changing. You're beginning to see more and more shotgun and spread offensive sets in offensive playbooks. The biggest concern with Bortles game is his inconsistent accuracy. He shows that he can be accurate with many of his throws, but not all of them. You'll see him throw a little too high or a little too low way too often. This will need to be corrected eventually, likely will be very quickly.

My Postion Rank: T-1, My Overall Rank: TBD, My Overall Grade: 8.9/10
Video Links: @ Penn State, @ Louisville, vs South Carolina