Senior Bowl Thread; Current News on Draft Prospects.............

[Blue Horse-shoe]

Posted this because Whitney Mercilus is mentioned and he's one of the better pass rushing DE's mentioned as a late first round prospect.

Junior prospects on the rise

Underclassmen who could move up draft boards with strong post-seasons. Wes Bunting

There is always more of an unknown when you start evaluating underclassmen prospects. They are typically younger, need a bit more seasoning, but the overall talent and upside are what make them so intriguing. Therefore, here is a look at five prospects who aren’t getting a ton of first round publicity now, but could be on the move up draft boards in the coming weeks with strong Combine performances.



February 04, 20122 Comments
QB Brock Osweiler: Arizona State (6-8, 240)
I’m not a huge fan of Osweiler. I think from a pure talent standpoint he’s probably worth a third round grade. However, when breaking down his tape, his overall performances and grade as a quarterback doesn’t warrant much more than a later round pick. However, he’s a strapping kid with sneaky athleticism for his size and a strong arm. And with some of the struggles of the senior quarterback crop, Osweiler is a guy who could seize momentum throwing vs. air at the Combine -where I expect him to excel- and become the draft’s third rated QB.

ICONOsweiler has the talent to move up draft boards.

RB David Wilson: Virginia Tech (5-10, 205)
Running back is a stopwatch postion and typically the guys who run the fastest end up going the highest. And there is no doubt that Wilson is going to run well. He’s got an explosive first step, presses space quickly and can outpace angles in the open field. He needs to do a better job of not leaving so many yards on the field and simply take what the defense gives him at times. However, he’s a talented kid with homerun potential and his stock should soar once he puts down some impressive workout numbers.

TE Orson Charles: Georgia (6-3, 241)
The mismatch tight end is becoming the “must have” postion in the NFL now. A guy who can create down the seam and separate from the slot vs. safeties/corners warrents quite the price tag in today’s NFL. Charles is a gifted athlete who runs well and has the type of athleticism needed to create vertically and run after the catch. He’s going to be the most athletic tight end at the Combine this year and likely will end up being the top rated “off the line Y” prospect in the draft., which could allow him to sneak into round one. (Somebody forget to leave that message on Martz and Angelo's desk?)

DT Dontari Poe: Memphis (6-5, 350)
There aren’t many men in the NFL that possess Poe’s combination of size, power and athletcism. And that right there will likely cause him to get drafted higher than his play warrents. The big man flashes on tape there is no doubt about that. However, he doesn’t have that kind of play-to-play passion you look for, as his motor is inconsstent and he doesn’t make a ton of plays on the football. I’d feel more comfortable taking this guy somewhere in round two and giving him more time to mature.. However, the talent is elite and when it’s all said and done I can see him getting over drafted because of it.

DE Whitney Mercilus: Illinois (6-4, 265)
He’s a freaky looking athlete with good size, “plus” length and elite production in 2011. He’s going to run well at the Combine and has the physical attributes that will intrigue. However, I see a tighter pass rusher who struggles to drop his pad level on the edge, doesn’t have much lateral quickness off his speed rush and struggles to keep his pad level down when working the bull. Nevertheless, this is a guy who because of his workout numbers will likely have a good chance of cracking round one. (What concerns me here is whether this guy is just another workout warrior or whether he has the goods. Is he another Sidney Rice or an other John Thierry?)(
Follow me on twitter: @WesBunting
Check out the NFP Draft page here...

Sidney Rice is a bit undersized for a DE - now Simeon Rice on the other hand I could live with LOL ! ( "proofread " Mr Speed Racer !

[soulman]

Sidney Rice is a bit undersized for a DE - now Simeon Rice on the other hand I could live with LOL ! ( "proofread " Mr Speed Racer !

OOOOOOOOOOOPPSS!!!! How completely, totally and utterly embarrassing.

Please excuse me while I leave to hide my shame. May as well take a dump while I'm hiding.

Good catch! Either Sidney starts catching more passes or were gonna make him use that speed to chase QB's around.

[Blue Horse-shoe]

Depending on what happens in FA I'd take best LT/DE in rd 1 & try & get Sanu in the 2nd. The guy looks like a beast.

Mohamed Sanu Highlight Reel (BEAST) - YouTube

Makes me think about Art Monk and John Stallworth when I watch him.

[soulman]

I like Sanu and Rutgers guys seem to make good pros but he doesn't seem to rate anything more than a late first of early second round pick right now. Maybe he comes up the boards before the draft but I don't think he's worth the #19 pick and he probably won't last until our second.

MOHAMED SANU WR, Rutgers

• 2011 GRADE: 6.8 D J HT: 6-2 WT: 215
• Overview

News & Updates

Jan 12 Where does Rutgers WR Mohamed Sanu rank in this year’s draft class?

He’s raw, but exhibits intriguing NFL talent.

• Scouting Report
• SCHEDULE & STATS

5

An imposing physical specimen with a long set of arms, strong looking frame who certainly looks the part of a starting caliber wide out. Is still learning the position, but the natural talent is there. Isn't that clean off the line, has a tendency to take a negative initial step, chopping his back foot before sinking his hips and getting into his route. Needs to clean up his initial wasted motion. Is going to need to learn to beat press coverage with consistency at the next level. Wasn't pressed much in college but has the skill set to be effective in that area. Showcases a natural burst to his game out of his breaks, both in the three-step game and on sharply breaking routes. Possesses excellent foot quickness and coordination for a guy his size. Is able to quickly change directions, keep his feet under him and accelerate well. Uses his body well to put a corner on his hip and has the length and hands to consistently pluck off his frame. Showcases elite range when asked to go get the football. Has the length and leaping ability to go get the football when its located anywhere near him with the hand size and length to make some really impressive one handed plucks. However, his hands are a bit inconsistent. Will fight the football into his body too often and when he doesn't have to be isn't a real natural plucker and at times will put the ball on the ground.

Is still developing as a route runner as well. Showcases the ability to be effective in the three step game, is sharp and precise out of his breaks and can gain a step. However, gets lazy at times on sharply breaking routes rolling into his breaks prematurely and not creating the same type of burst. Now, he does have the foot quickness and fluidity to drop his pad level and cleanly separate on the shallow/intermediate out. Also, has some savvy setting up his routes, changing speed and looking off corners on the double move. Is quickly able to get out of his breaks, snap his head around and go get the throw. Finds soft spots well working the seam and possesses "plus" awareness vs. zone.

Looks like a 4.55 guy vertically. But plays faster because there is an initial first step burst to his game. Makes the game look very easy and has a lot of untapped potential to his game as a receiver. Showcases a willingness to be physical, will break tackles after the catch and a natural balance/suddenness to his game to make the initial man slip off him. Isn't overly explosive in the open field, but runs hard and can stiff arm/break tackles. Has the size to be effective blocking in the run game and do some damage on the strong side as the "Z".

Impression: Physically reminds me some of Hakeem Nicks. Isn't as NFL ready, but can go get the football, breakdown and separate on all levels of the field. Looks like a future NFL starter who might need some time, but the talent is most definitely there.

This is what bothers me about most of these guys. Quite a few if not most wear this tag, "not NFL ready". If they aren't we sure as hell don't want to spend a 1st round pick on them. I think this draft is full of guys like Sanu some of whom will fall farther than they should when they get passed over for other positions of need. JMO.

[Dagan81]

That is why I agree with you, soul, that we need to stay away from the wide receivers in the first round. If they are not considered NFL ready, why mess with them? There are only about four receivers that are labeled as NFL ready (Blackmon, that guy from Baylor, Jeffrey, and Floyd). Outside of Blackmon, I wouldn't want to risk a pick on someone who may not be able to make an immediate impact in the league when we have the option of going out and purchasing a receiver in free agency.

[soulman]

That is why I agree with you, soul, that we need to stay away from the wide receivers in the first round. If they are not considered NFL ready, why mess with them? There are only about four receivers that are labeled as NFL ready (Blackmon, that guy from Baylor, Jeffrey, and Floyd). Outside of Blackmon, I wouldn't want to risk a pick on someone who may not be able to make an immediate impact in the league when we have the option of going out and purchasing a receiver in free agency.

I wouldn't even trust that Floyd or Jefferey would make an immediate impact. At least Kendall Wright has the speed to be a playmaker the other two aren't all that fast. Unless Jefferey starts getting his 40 time below 4.6 he's gonna slide too.

Two names came up today who made some sense to look at as FA. Reggie Wayne and Robert Meachem. Meachem was a Vol so you should know all about him. Maybe you can shed some light on him for us. Wyane is getting up there in age (33) but still plays well and provides some experience and a cushion while a younger guy develops.

[Dagan81]

I wouldn't even trust that Floyd or Jefferey would make an immediate impact. At least Kendall Wright has the speed to be a playmaker the other two aren't all that fast. Unless Jefferey starts getting his 40 time below 4.6 he's gonna slide too. Two names came up today who made some sense to look at as FA. Reggie Wayne and Robert Meachem. Meachem was a Vol so you should know all about him. Maybe you can shed some light on him for us. Wyane is getting up there in age (33) but still plays well and provides some experience and a cushion while a younger guy develops.

I remember him when he was at Tennessee. He really flourished under David Cutcliffe's offense back in the Phil Fulmer years. He struggled, by the way, during the Randy Sanders era as offensive coordinator. David Cutcliffe, as some will know, developed Peyton Manning at UT and Eli Manning at Ole Miss when he was head coach there, so he knows a thing or two about developing young QBs and WRs. Ever since his leaving the program and taking the job at Duke, the Vols have been in the shitter. Fulmer lost his job in 2008, and in came Lane Kiffin to rat fuck us by leaving the team for USC three weeks after the 2009 bowl game concluded. Tennessee tried to coax Cutlcliffe into coming back to Knoxville to coach and thus bring in the big recruits like he used to, but he declined, since he was loyal to Phil Fulmer and largely felt that the program was headed in the wrong direction under then-AD Mike Hamilton. But yeah, with good coaching, I think Meachem can flourish in the NFL. I don't know if he can become that #1 WR that Cutler wants though because in the pros, he's never really been in that position. It will be very interesting what goes down if the Bears decide to sign him. One thing is for sure, though: he comes from a once-strong college program that used to develop powerful offensive players.

[soulman]

Breaking down three top Alabama defenders

A look at the games of Upshaw, Kirkpatrick and Barron. Greg Gabriel

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Print This February 10, 2012, 04:00 PM EST
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Since Nick Saban has been head coach at Alabama the talent level of the Tide’s players has gotten better and better. This year there are three players on defense that could go very high in April’s NFL Draft. They are outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw, corner Dre Kirkpatrick and safety Mark Barron. In preparing this report I was able to look at the game tape of the Mississippi, Tennessee and LSU regular season games and a TV tape of the BCS game vs. LSU. Let’s take a look at their games.


Courtney Upshaw

Upshaw plays the weakside OLB in Alabama’s 3-4 defense. He will often line up as a defensive end and have his hand on the ground for obvious passing situations. He lacks ideal height for the position and may be a bit heavy. At the Senior Bowl he measured 6-1 and 273 with only 31.5” arms. While he is quick with a very good first step, I would not say he is a fast guy. He plays as if he is a 4.75-4.80 type. He is athletic with good change of direction and body control and plays with excellent strength and power.


Coming out of high school, Upshaw was a 4-star recruit and was recruited by most of the southeast’s major schools. He played as a backup as a freshman and sophomore and has been a starter the last two seasons. He had excellent stats this year with 51 total tackles including 17 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and 1 interception.
Upshaw rarely drops into coverage; he is more of a rush OLB. He has top instincts and is very quick to find the ball. He shows strength and power at the point and does a good job shedding blocks. He is a top competitor who pursues hard and takes good angles. As a pass rusher, he gets off the ball quickly with a quick first step and shows the ability to dip his shoulder to get under blockers. He has the hand use, foot quickness and body control to put together counter moves and is a very good bull rusher. What he lacks is top speed to just beat his opponent cleanly with his speed.


Overall, I see Upshaw as purely a 3-4 OLB. He lacks the height and arm length to play DE in a 4-3. He needs to lose some weight to be more effective. At 273 he looks heavy in the mid-section. 255 would be a much better play weight and it may increase his speed some. His short arms could hurt in the leverage game at the next level but because of his competitive nature and overall talent he should be a starter fairly early in his career.


Dre Kirkpatrick
ICONDre Kirkpatrick has all the physical tools to be an excellent corner in the NFL.


Kirkpatrick is a 3rd year junior who is entering the draft early. He has been a 2-year starter at left corner but there are some games or situations where he lines up as the field corner. He has rare height for a corner at about 6-2 with a lean frame and long arms. He looks to play at about 190. He had a very productive season with 30 tackles and 9 broken up passes. He had no interceptions. In fairness, teams don’t throw his way very often. As a sophomore he had 3 interceptions.
Coming out of high school, Kirkpatrick was a 5-star recruit and was recruited by some of the top programs in the country. He is an excellent athlete with smooth body control and good play speed. He looks as if he can run in the high 4.4’s. He stays low in his pedal, turns quickly and has a burst out of his turn. There is no wasted movement when he is in transition and he closes quickly.
Kirkpatrick can play all the coverages; he is effective in press, zone and off. While in press he has a strong jam to redirect and excellent mirror skills. He plays double moves very well. In zone and off he consistently stays in good position, shows excellent awareness and doesn’t let a receiver get behind him. He tracks the ball and won’t give up a reception without a fight. He shows excellent run support ability, coming up quickly and can be an explosive tackler.


Overall, Kirkpatrick has all the physical tools to be an excellent corner in the NFL. Corners with his height and wingspan are rare and he should get drafted very high assuming he runs well at the combine. The main concern is that shortly after the season ended, he was arrested for marijuana possession. The charges were later dropped when his companion said the “grass” was his. Still it’s a red flag and cause for concern and his off-field activities need to be checked out.


Mark Barron



Barron is a 3-year starter at strong safety and a very productive player. This season he was second in tackles for the Alabama defense with 68 to go along with 1 sack, 2 interceptions and 5 broken up passes. Barron has ideal safety size at 6-1 and 223. While there is no verified times on him he looks to be in the 4.50–4.55 range.
As a senior in high school, Barron was rated as a 4-star recruit and like Upshaw, he was recruited by all the major southeast powers.


As an athlete, Barron is very fluid with excellent body control. He has a low pedal, turns smoothly and has no wasted movement in transition. He is effective in zone and man coverage. He will often line up on a slot receiver in man and shows very good mirror skills. He has the long speed to stay with them deep and the body control to play versus moves. He is very instinctive and alert in zone and has the range to get to the sideline from the center of the field. In the first LSU game he broke on the ball from the middle of the field to get the pick and then return it to inside the 10-yard line. In other games he has shown the range to get to the sideline to make a PBU.


One of the best aspects of Barron’s game is his run support and tackling. He is very instinctive and reads run quickly. He comes up aggressively, can shed and is a very good tackler. I didn’t see a miss in 4 games viewed.
Overall, in my opinion, Barron is a better player than any safety in last year’s draft class. He has all the tools to start early in his career. He has size, speed, strength, ball skills and instincts. While you don’t see many safeties get drafted in the first round, Barron has a strong chance of that happening this year. This guy is a player.

[Dagan81]

Roll, Tide, Roll. Down the Hole and Through the Commode. Roll Tide.