Here is a guy who's been mentioned on these boards several times as a possible small-school "sleeper" WR pick who should be available to us in round 3 or maybe even 4.
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There is plenty of buzz about the top WR prospects heading into the NFL Draft (Blackmon, Floyd, Wright, etc.), but this is a deep class at the position. And one of those prospects that should carry a mid-round grade is Brain Quick out of Appalachian State. Size (6-3, 222) and athletic ability that I saw at the Senior Bowl practices in team drills and one-on-one sessions.
Today, let’s take a look at Quick in the red zone, breakdown the route concept and discuss his ability to adjust to the ball—a key in the grading process for WRs that I broke down this morning.
A couple of coaching points here…
- Appalachian State is in an empty look vs. Cover 2. A formation we see throughout college football because of spread offensive systems. However, check out the pre-snap alignment of Quick (No.2 to the open side of the formation). Whenever you have a top WR aligned out of position, he is there for one reason: to get the ball.
- Base route concept: Smash-Seam. A smart call vs. Cover 2. Force the CB to sit (or squat) on the Smash route and create a one-on-one matchup with Quick vs. the deep half safety in the end zone. Stem the route up the numbers and go to work on the safety.
- Talked about “adjusting to the ball” above. This is a perfect example. Seam route with the ball thrown on the back shoulder. Here we see Quick use his athletic ability—and body control—to find the throw, take the hit and finish the play.
This is just one clip (or highlight) of the Appalachian State WR. However, in talking with NFL scouts back in January after practice sessions in Mobile, there was a reason his name kept coming up. And everyone is looking for size at the WR position. Click here to see the NFP Big Board.
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If Jeffery makes it to/near #50, something to consider...
Prior to February’s Combine, reports surfaced that South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery had let his weight balloon above 240 pounds and was running his 40-yard dash in the 4.8-range. Naturally, Jeffery’s draft stock took a hit as questions mounted in regards to his dedication and commitment.
ICONAlshon Jeffery made himself some money on Wednesday.
Even though the aforementioned reports turned out to be completely false, Jeffery’s image was nonetheless tarnished. But while Pro Day workouts may prove to be somewhat meaningless for guys like Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, they can make all the difference for a guy like Jeffery looking to repair an image that was wrongfully damaged.
And after Jeffery’s performance at South Carolina’s Pro Day on Wednesday, it looks like the wideout’s stock is finally headed in the right direction.
According to a tweet from Gamecocks Online.com, Jeffery weighed in at a trim 213 pounds on Wednesday and turned in a vertical jump of 36.5 inches with a broad jump of 10 feet, two inches.
As for the ever-important 40-yard dash, Kevin Weidl of ESPN is on the scene and tweeted that scouts he talked to had Jeffery in the high 4.4 to low 4.5-range.
Shaky quarterback play kept the 6-4 wideout from rolling up Justin Blackmon-type statistics during his time at South Carolina, but Jeffery did record 88 receptions for 1,517 yards and nine touchdowns in 2010. Last season, the wide receiver caught just 49 passes for 762 yards, but found the end zone eight times.
Blackmon, Notre Dame’s Michael Floyd and Baylor’s Kendall Wright are considered to be the top three wideout prospects in this year’s draft class, but Jeffery’s weight and 40-yard dash time could go a long way toward putting him in the discussion as this season’s third-best wide receiver prospect.
Quick = yes please but not before round three. Jeffery = no thank you please period.
Quick is one of those guys who will almost always go lower than he should due to his small school heritage. Jeffery is just the opposite. Teams want to see potential in him beyond the obvious blemishes so they draft him hoping that he matures into a productive NFL WR. The problem is the odds of that happening with guys who lack discipline in college even before they are drafted isn't good.
If we wanted to take a taller, heavier WR in the third Quick would make a good prospect and I know we've looked at him. I don't think Quick will ever become an All Pro but what I see is a guy who could become a very effective #2 and red zone guy. He's exactly the type of receiver we could play behind Marshall and Bennett and get some mileage out of while he develops. I think he'd be a great pick in the middle rounds.
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ICONAlshon Jeffery made himself some money on Wednesday.
