A scouts perspective

A scouts perspective

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Who had the best and worst drafts?

It does take 3 years to accurately grade a team's draft. However based off my favorite players evaluated, one team stood out at getting tremendous value throughout the draft and fitting into their scheme. While another team got cute, didn't address needs nor getting any type of quality value. Baltimore Ravens No surprise that the Ravens show up as among the best in the NFL. GM Ozzie Newsome is one of the best in the league and just gets great value in the draft. Here is who he got. ROUND 1 (17TH OVERALL) CJ Mosley, Alabama, #32 Game Film Evaluated: Texas A&M (2013) Auburn (2013) Pros: Plays on his toes in coverage. Can find the ball in traffic, questionable lateral quickness. He will attack the action, not wait for the blockers. Plays fast and aggressive, can beat lineman on their blocks. Athletic enough to make plays in coverage, not good hands to go get the INT. Gets his hands on a lot of passes. He can play all 3 downs. Cons: Struggled to make plays on the perimeter vs the speed from Auburn. Not real good lateral quickness to make plays on the sideline. Poor hands to bring in the interception. Summary: Mosley has the makings of a fine 3-down backer in a 3-4 scheme or a 4-3 but might get exposed due to lack of top lateral quickness to make plays on the perimeter. He could be a playmaker if he could catch considering how many passes he knocks down. 1st Round Pick best for a 3-4 team as either the mike or thumper backer. ROUND 2 (48TH OVERALL) Timmy Jernigan, Florida State, #8 Game Film Evaluated: Pittsburgh (2013) Boston College (2013) Florida (2013) North Carolina State (2013) Pros: Relentless, violent hands, can easily disengage blockers if he can get his hands on the lineman. He has the strength to toss blockers aside, can finish plays. Has good speed and can close on the QB. He is capable of holding at the POA in the run game. Has excellent lateral quickness to side step blocks. Can play with leverage and knock a lineman back on his heels. Cons: Shorter than ideal, not explosive off the snap, plays with short arms and really struggles to keep lineman from getting their arms on him. Not a real threat to rush the passer with much consistency but can be when he his uses his hands like swim move. Summary: Plays the 2-gap nose tackle at Florida State but his lack of height hurt his ability to play the nose in a 3-4 at the pro level. Tweener player as he lacks ideal measurables and size to fit into most schemes as a starter. However best suited for defensive tackle in a penetrating role as a 1 or 3 technique but not bulky enough to clog up the middle. His motor and ability to use his hands make him a nice tackle at the next level. I view him as a 1 technique in a scheme that doesn’t want a massive run stuffer, instead a one-gap run defender. Tested Positive at the combine for a diluted urine sample. Second Round Value ROUND 3 (79TH OVERALL) Terrence Brooks, Florida State, #31 Game Film Evaluated: Pittsburgh (2013) North Carolina State (2013) Boston College (2013) Pros: Kid is a clear playmaker in coverage, forcing a fumble. Good tackler. He can play centerfield role, play aggressive and try to go get the ball versus being safe to tackle the receiver allowing the catch. Capable of playing the deep half, get to the sideline to make play on the ball. The kid locates the ball well and attacks it. He is capable of being a playmaker in coverage in centerfield or deep half role. Cons: Not nearly as comfortable stopping the run. Athletic to blitz but cannot disengage from a blocker. Not the best size from the safety position, little on the shorter side. Summary: Top playmaker who can make game-changing plays in the passing game and occasionally force a fumble. He is a good tackler and would have complete confidence with him in deep half or center field type coverage. Despite his less than ideal size, he makes up for it in solid tackling and coverage skills. 3rd Round Value with great upside. ROUND 3 (99TH OVERALL) Crockett Gillmore, TE from Colorado State - Fell inlove with this player when he got the call at the Senior Bowl. He was instantly the best tight end up in Mobile, he showed up as an athletic receiver and more than solid blocker. I went back to watch more film of him and was just as impressed with his college tape as his week in Mobile. The Ravens had injuries at tight end last year and wouldn't have any problem with Gillmore starting as a rookie or quality No.2 TE. They draft guys with a plan to move on from them as they consistently draft well to stay ahead of the salary cap. Felt the Ravens got four day 1 starters here and instantly upgrades their starting lineup or adds quality depth to their bench. Not that Ozzie was done here. The value kept coming. ROUND 4 (138TH OVERALL) Lorenzo Taliaferro, Coastal Carolina, #15 Game Film Evaluated: Liberty (2013) Montana (2013) Shotgun offense. Below average runner when going east/west. A power inside runner. Didn’t get many carries running inside thanks to the spread offense. Changes directions and cuts pretty quickly. Quick feet. Team player, when he doesn’t get the ball, looks to hit someone to help out QB. Slow to recognize blitzers and get in position to pick them up. Gives high effort in everything he does on the field. Senior Bowl: Coastal Carolina RB Lorenzo Taliaferro was dominant in the blocking drills and even though he ran for 1,729 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior his best fit at the next level may come at fullback. Then again the same was said about Alfred Morris. ANDREWS, along with unheralded Lorenzo Taliaferro of unheralded Coastal Carolina also had outstanding performances in the pass pro drills, as the continually stoned blitzing LBs. Summary: Big fan of Taliaferro, not the best athlete but he is a fine football player who does his job well. He is not a good threat as an outside runner but is powerful inside runner and will make a team and be successful. May never be a starting back in the pros but will be a fine short yardage runner and power finisher type back. 5th Round Value. ROUND 6 (194TH OVERALL) KEITH WENNING, QB FROM BALL STATE - He has experience taking snaps under center, deadly accurate on deep passes. Has shown the capability to progress through his reads. He always keeps his eyes downfield trying to make a play versus making the simply check down. He needs to work on getting the ball out quicker and not staring down his receivers. There is a ton to be excited about as a developmental QB. New Orleans Saints The Saints were constantly reaching passing over far better prospects at the same position they selected someone. ROUND 1 (20TH OVERALL) Brandin Cooks, WR from Oregon State - Cooks is a speed receiver, what else? I need more for my first round pick, that defense could of used some help to continue their improvement. ROUND 2 (58TH OVERALL) Stanley Jean-Baptiste, CB from Nebraska - I feel bad for this kid as he has been compared for months to Richard Sherman and he shouldn't be. Yes, he has all the measurables of Sherman but that is the end of the comparison. He doesn't play like Sherman did in college, he is not physical enough, he doesn't play the ball as well as he did. He's not going to be anywhere close to what Sherman has done in the league. I think this kid has been set up to fail. ROUND 4 (126TH OVERALL) Khairi Fortt, ILB from Cal - All I had on Fortt was "players who are always hurt can't help you in a game". None of their picks project to start in 2014, think they will rush Jean-Baptiste to the starting lineup just to be disappointed.

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