Videos of Zach Martin

Cowboys Draft Zach Martin from Notre Dame in 1st Round

Zach Martin, Notre Dame, #70

Game Film Evaluated:
Stanford (2013)
USC (2013)

Pros: Gets good depth in protection, drives well in run blocking. Understands angles and can seal the edge in run blocking. Collapse his man inside to open up cut back. Really really good at turning his man to seal off the edge in the run game. Going to work great in a zone blocking scheme. Just doesn’t give an inch in pass protection. Quickly recovered when beaten off snap from Trent Murphy.
Cons: Will struggle with elite speed rushers if stays at tackle. Only speed rushers will give him trouble, don’t see elite quickness off the snap. Never saw him pull or get out in space. Did not see him block to the 2nd level except rarely on sweeps. He was beaten a couple of times with a good swim move, Martin dropped his head.

Senior Bowl: With a number of big names opting to decline their invitations, some due to injury and some by choice, Notre Dame OT HYPERLINK "http://www.draftcountdown.com/ScoutingReports/OT/Zack-Martin.php" \t "blank"Zack Martin entered the week as one of the top prospects in this years game. It’s still very early but so far Martin has lived up to that billing. A four-year starter on the blindside for the Fighting Irish, Martin doesn’t necessarily look the part of a stud left tackle prospect but as they say looks can be deceiving. Martin checked in at 6-4⅛ and 305 pounds with 32¼-inch arms, 9¾-inch hands and a 76⅞-inch wingspan. On the face those aren’t eye-popping numbers and the relatively short arms are of particular concern. With that said it’s important to remember that just last year Justin Pugh was selected in the Top 20 overall with eerily similar measurables. Many feel Martin may fit best at right tackle or perhaps even kick inside to guard at the next level but so far he has more than held his own on the left side and excelled against top competition such as Stanford DE Trent Murphy. If Martin continues to perform well the rest of the way it will no longer be a question of if he’s a first rounder but rather how early he might come off the board in round one. While Martin may not have the prototypical physical tools that you look for at the position. Notre Dame OT HYPERLINK "http://www.draftcountdown.com/ScoutingReports/OT/Zack-Martin.php" \t "blank"Zack Martin, Minnesota DT HYPERLINK "http://www.draftcountdown.com/ScoutingReports/DT/RaShede-Hageman.php" \t "blank"Ra'Shede Hageman and Pittsburgh DT HYPERLINK "http://www.draftcountdown.com/ScoutingReports/DT/Aaron-Donald.php" \t "blank"Aaron Donald were standouts yesterday and all three continued to put on a show in Mobile. In fact, Martin is arguably the best player in attendance and could very well be the first 2014 Senior Bowl participant selected on Draft Day. By now it almost goes without saying but Notre Dame OT HYPERLINK "http://www.draftcountdown.com/ScoutingReports/OT/Zack-Martin.php" \t "blank"Zack Martin and Pittsburgh DT HYPERLINK "http://www.draftcountdown.com/ScoutingReports/DT/Aaron-Donald.php" \t "blank"Aaron Donald continue to shine. Martin actually got some work inside at offensive guard today which set up a highly-anticipated showdown with Donald. In that head-to-head matchup between two of this weeks most dominant performers it was Martin who was finally able to slow down Donald. Solid, Solid, solid! That’s the best way for me to describe my opinion of the work of OT/ZACK MARTIN/Notre Dame this week. He may not be perfect in his movement, but he never seems to get really beaten by a defender. He is tenacious and fights to and thru the whistle. He’s effective against bigger guys, and he’s effective against faster guys. There is concern about his lack of ideal height, at 6’4, as well as his weight at 305. He also has just average arm length, but 32 ½” arm length does not scare me. I see no reason he cannot be an effective OT in the NFL. But I also think he could easily slide inside and be a starter at OG as well. He displays economy of motion, and I do not see a glaring flaw in any of his work this week. Solid! Interesting day for Notre Dame G/T Zach Martin, who came into Mobile as one of the fastest risers on the board despite being somewhat undersized with real short arms for an OT. What Martin has been able to do this week though is show that he is a fine technician who moves his feet well and can lock when he makes good initial contact. However, there were several pass block situations today where Martin wasn’t able to close down the edge off the snap and appeared to lack the length to regain the advantage.

Summary: Steady and consistent, two words would best describe Martin. I would not say he is dominating but he will neutralize his man regardless if in pass protection or blocking in the run game. He fits best in a zone blocking scheme as his feet are very good and since he is not a mauler. I did not observe him having to block in space so difficult to project him at left guard. I like him best as a right tackle zone blocking scheme. He is a 1st round pick.

**Senior Bowl Reports from NFLDraftcountdown & GBN Draft Report**

Cowboys pass on Manziel. Here is the report I had with him.

Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M, #2

Game Film Evaluated:
Alabama (2013)
Alabama (2012)
Auburn (2013)
Missouri (2013)

Pros: He puts the ball up for grabs but mostly to his biggest target as obvious he trust his receiver to go up and get the ball. He makes quick decisions, not slow at all in his decision making. He is quick and fast, out runs angles defenders have on him. He can be deadly accurate but was inconsistent with this in 2013. He has that clock to sense pressure. Able to deliver the ball in pressure.
Cons: Its one read, maybe two and then he’s off and running. Can he progress through his reads from inside the pocket? Far too often, it is one read and ball is gone. 100% shotgun exclusive offense. No experience taking snaps from under center. Ball security is a concern he does not protect it when he is running in the pocket or even outside going downfield. He can put his offensive line in trouble with how long he holds the ball to extend plays and take a lot of un-necessary shots with his running out of pass plays. Missouri game was best example of pro-game, their pass rush gave him problems and weren’t concerned about getting beat deep. Everything was underneath in that game.
Summary: Manziel is as true a wildcard as I’ve seen in draft since probably Michael Vick coming out of Virginia Tech. However there were no questions about character coming out nor about his arm strength which Manziel does. The concerns are there, the competitive drive, the sense of calm he brings to his team and confidence cannot be under estimated. Are you willing to live with the immaturity off the field, durability and size questions?  If the answer is yes then you have a QB who can upgrade a team into a contender. Not a franchise QB prospect but better version of Russell Wilson coming out of Wisconsin. 1st Round Top 20 overall prospect.

Cowboys Draft Targets

Adhering to my draft board, these players will be available around when Dallas comes on the clock.  This is my mock draft of who I would draft if I were in charge.

1st Round - Dee Ford, Auburn Defensive End - It is wise to look at the blueprint for success provided by that years Super Bowl champion.  The Seahawks built their winner with a talented and DEEP defensive line with a physical secondary. It can be argued that Dallas has some corners who are CAPABLE of being pretty good if things work out. No one will argue that Dallas has defensive lineman who could become physical and a force for the team except maybe Jerry Jones as he stated last year thinking it was the strength of the team.  Ford is the speed rusher you hope Anthony Barr could develop into which he might but Ford already is there and has done it against extremely athletic lineman in the SEC.  That leaves only a stay at home 1-techniques which can be found at any point of the draft, here is not when they should do that.

2nd Round - Billy Turner, North Dakota State Offensive Tackle - Dallas goes tackle again but this time on the offensive side of the ball. Turner is not well known to casual fans but he is extremely talented and a run blocking force who projects to shift inside to guard and destroy people in the trenches for next several years.

3rd Round - Trai Turner from LSU, Offensive Guard - Turner is coming out after his redshirt sophmore seasn and his best football is way ahead of him. He's a physical athletic guard who can do it all at a high level, just needs to improve his consistency which isn't surprising considering the lack of experience. I hope like hell for this kid.

4th Round - Caraun Reid, Princeton Defensive Tackle - It is always wise to be deep and talented on the lines, Reid is an impressive athlete who can develop into the valuable 3-technique and be a pass rushing force.

5th Round - Lorenzo Taliaferro, Runningback from Coastal Carolina - He is a big physical inside runner who excels at pushing the pile. He can even get to the outside but he will make his yards at the next level on the inside between the tackles.  He is a adequate receiver but excels at blocking in pass protection. He will not be a liability back to protect the Quarterback.

6th Round - Keith Wenning, Quarterback from Ball State - I've been late to the party on Wenning but I am extremely impressed with what this kid can do.  He excels at throwing the ball deep with accuracy, he has pretty good footwork and is used to taking snaps and seeing the field from under center.  He needs to work on not staring down his receivers and being faster in his decision making.  There is a lot to like and without anything come up the ranks at QB, I would love to take a shot with one and Keith Wenning would be the guy in the later rounds.

2014 NFL Draft All-Knucklehead Team

Every year, there are prospects coming out with red flags.  They may due to some criminal history since high school and hasn't learned his lesson.  They range from minor to Adam Jones and Marcus Vick type levels.

A few years ago I started keeping a list of the prospects with the biggest red flags with regard to character each year.  Last year I decided to make a team full of nothing but knuckleheads, the disturbing part is usually the All-Knucklehead team can be 1 or even 2 players deep at every position.  The only position that is routinely hard to fill is kicker & punter so I have eliminated them from contention.

Enough background, onto the 2014 All-Knucklehead Team.

Quarterback - Zach Metternberger from LSU - Dismissed from Georgia in 2010 following arrest, plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of sexual battery.

Backup - Johnny Manziel from Texas A&M - A party animal, just does things that aren't real smart, not necessarily criminal in nature. Just makes you say, come on Manziel, you have to be smarter than that. Whether its behavior on twitter, autograph compensation, hand gestures during games or just doing immature things during the offseason.

Runningback - Isaiah Crowell from Alabama State - Beats to the tune of his own drum. Extremely immature, dismissed from Georgia as freshman after arrested on 3 weapons charges in 2012 though charges were later dropped.

Runningback - Jeremy Hill from LSU - Two criminal incidents on his record, currently on probation until July 2015.

Wide Receiver - Mike Davis from Texas - Bad on-field body language and temperament. Not a self-starter and like several other Texas prospects, great sense of entitlement.

Wide Receiver - Kelvin Benhamin from Florida State -  At one of his workouts for an NFL team, told one of the position coaches who had just arrived that he was too tired to work out.  This is the equivalent of telling an employer prior to an interview, you aren't ready to do the interview.

Tight End - Colt Lyeria from Oregon - Not a disciplined player. Quit the team in 2013, later arrested due to unlawful possession of cocaine.

Offensive Line - Taylor Lewan from Michigan - Faced multiple assault charges from an incident in December 2013 after Michigan's loss to Ohio State.

Offensive Line - Seantrel Henderson from Miami - Suspended twice by team for violating team rules and failed drug test at the combine.

Defensive Line - Javedon Clowney from South Carolina - Two speeding tickets in less than a month. First going 110mph in a 70, the second going 84mph in a 55 zone. Add onto the work ethic questions and way he conducted himself off the field at the combine.

Defensive Tackle - Timothy Jernigan from Florida State - Failed drug test at the combine.

Linebacker - Shayne Skov from Stanford - Suspended for a game in 2012 following a DUI arrest.

Linebacker - Telvin Smith & Christian Jones from Florida State - Both failed the drug test at the combine.

Secondary - Victor Hampton from South Carolina - Off the field problems dating back to high school. Attended 4 different high schools. Issues with anger management, emotional outburst and team suspensions.

Secondary - Bradley Roby from Ohio State - Detained by police on suspicion of a DUI after he was allegedly found 'passed out' in a parked car. According to Roby, he was not arrested, driving or went to jail. He was scheduled to be arraigned in a Columbus court.

Secondary - Ahmad Dixon from Baylor - Received multiple targeting penalties in college, plays outside the rules and hurts his team with his stupid play. Can't win doing stupid things on the field.

Follow the 2005 Draft to fix DLine...how to do it?

I read a story from Brandon George at the Dallas Morning News.  He mentions that team needs to follow their success in 2005 to fix their defensive line.

This sounds real easy, lets break down exactly who they selected in 2005, why they were available and if someone could be available this year.

It must be mentioned that Dallas was rebuilding their defense that year with a brand new scheme which meant every job was up for grabs.  They acquired a true nose tackle in Jason Ferguson via free agency who had prior experience with Bill Parcells during their time with the Jets.

I argue the Cowboys have done that this offseason bringing in Henry Melton who had his best seasons with current defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli in Chicago.  That leaves 3 other defensive line positions up for grabs.

It is highly unlikely to think Jerry Jones can repeat their performance from 2005 without Bill Parcells' voice in the war room.  The Cowboys were dead set on upgrading the defense that year and spent 6 of their 8 picks on the defensive side of the ball to do it.  I simply don't have the confidence in the GM to focus on upgrading the squad and not getting cute with his picks (trading down for less value, 2nd Rd backup tight ends & drafting receivers).  Those actions have been what this organization has done far more regularly than upgrading the lines like they did in 2005.

But it is possible and here's how you can.
2005 NFL Draft

The Cowboys had 2 first round picks that year thanks to the St. Louis Rams who traded up the previous year with Dallas to acquire RB Steven Jackson in return for this years first round pick.

DeMarcus Ware, Troy - The 6-4, 262 pound defensive end from Troy had an amazing week at the Senior Bowl showcasing tremendous ability to turn the corner and rush the passer.  He was projected as a late 1st to early 2nd round pick.  GM Jerry Jones overruled Hall of Fame Coach Bill Parcells and selected Ware with the 11th overall pick.

IMPACT: Ware's impact goes without saying but Dallas had an open position to slide Ware right into immediately and make the impact he did.

WHO TO GET: JaDeveon Clowney is the only prospect who could make the immediate impact Ware did at the defensive end position.  It is almost impossible to think Clowney will make it anywhere close to the 16th overall pick muchless out of the top 10 to justify trading up to get him.  That leaves the 1-technique defensive tackle position available and there is a player available who can fill that position at a high level. That is Timmy Jernigan from Florida State who fits into their scheme as a high quality player.

Marcus Spears, LSU - Coach Parcells wanted Spears with the 11th overall pick in 2005 as he thought Spears was the impact player to make the 3-4 defense go.  Spears was an athletic beast at LSU during their national championship run who showcased impressive quickness and agility for such a big man.

IMPACT: Spears never became the high impact player Parcells visioned but he was a quality two-down run stuffing defensive end for several years.  He was a top voice in the locker room and good guy to have on the team.  He never played like the first round pick he was drafted to be.

WHO TO GET: Dallas only has one first round in 2014 but assuming they addressed the defensive tackle position earlier, this makes a defensive end a must.  The best available end is likely to be Notre Dame's Stephon Tuitt who is coming off an inconsistent year for the Irish. However he is a power player who is athletic to make plays in both the run & passing game.  He would project to be the starting strongside defensive end.

Chris Canty, Virginia - The Cowboys picked Canty with their second 4th round pick in 2005 to fill out their 3-4 defensive line.  Canty had first round talent but had fallen due to disturbing durability questions.  He had been the victim of a bar room fight that resulted in an eye injury suffered from glass during the fight.  People did not question Canty's talent, they did question his ability to be ready to start the season and be a durable player in the pros.

IMPACT: Canty was a rookie starter at the opposite end position from Marcus Spears and made an immediate impact in run & passing game.  He offered some pass rush which is rare for lineman in Parcells' 3-4 scheme, that came from the outside linebackers mostly.  Canty's production slowed in the following years when he was urged to gain weight to hold up on the line which took away his quickness and his passing rushing efficiency was never the same after his first two years in the league.

WHO TO GET: Jeremiah Attaochu from Georgia Tech may be available in round 3.  He is an undersized defensive end who played outside LB and end in passing situations for Tech. He knows how to get rush the passer at a high level and could be a real find.

Jay Ratliff, Auburn - Dallas struck gold in the 7th round selecting Ratliff who proved to be an invaluable rotation player at every position on the line as rookie until he became a full-time starter on the nose when Ferguson got injured.  Ratliff fell to the 7th round as he played out of position his senior season at Auburn filling in for hurt teammates.  He started his career as a tight end, a reserve defensive end as a junior and finally a tackle his senior season.  He had only one sack that senior season but was very quick for his size and relentless in his play.

IMPACT: Ratliff was a fan favorite with his high energy brought to the field and was very productive pass rusher for a position not known for getting to the QB.  He gave the line immediate quality depth before becoming a full-time starter in 2007.

WHO TO GET: It is unrealistic to suggest there are pro-bowl players in the 7th round that you can project ahead of time.  If the player has that type of potential, he will not fall to the 7th round.  It is a matter of luck, having an opportunity to succeed and the playing working hard to develop his skills.  There are a number of players who have high potential skills, played out of position or struggled to stay healthy that could be available in the later rounds.  I am interested in Calvin Barnett from Oklahoma State who did not receive an invite to the combine but has incredible quickness for a large man.  He gives all out effort, played through reportedly a concussion as a senior who could develop into a quality player.  There is George Uko from USC who is coming out early and played out of position for the Trojans as a junior.  He has excellent quickness but highly questionable strength after lifting only 18 reps at the combine.  He played the nose in school and really struggled to hold the point but he could get after the QB. Finally there is Dominique Easley from Florida who has had ACL surgery done on both of his knees during his college career.  No one questions Easley's ability on the field but teams will be extremely nervous selecting him prior to round 4 because of those durability concerns.

I simply don't have confidence in Jerry to be able to do this again without someone like Bill Parcells in the war room but it is possible.  We will find out starting on May 8th.

Safety Rankings - 2014 NFL Draft

Safeties are done!  I see two 1st round talent safeties with two excellent 2nd round prospects as well.  There is good depth behind them going 6 deep who can start as rookies in the NFL.

Here will be my Top 10 Ranking for Safeties.

1. Terrance Brooks - Florida State
2. Tre Boston - North Carolina
3. Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix - Alabama
4. Jimmie Ward - Northern Illinois
5. Ed Reynolds - Stanford
6. Jemea Thomas - Georgia Tech
7. Calvin Pryor - Louisville
8. Craig Loston - LSU
9. Deone Buchanon - Washington State
10. Dion Bailey - USC

I removed Ahmad Dixon from Baylor off my board.  You can't win with stupid players and he's about as stupid as they come.  He looks alarmingly too much like Roy Williams in coverage. That's enough for me.

38 days until the NFL Draft.