Every team, “draft expert” and draftnik has a “big board”. I am no different. Here is my Big Board for the 2012 NFL Draft.
Top 255 Players
1. Andrew Luck QB Stanford
2. Robert Griffin III QB Baylor
3. Matt Kalil OT USC
4. Luke Kuechly ILB Boston College
5. Morris Claiborne CB LSU
6. Trent Richardson RB Alabama
7. Justin Blackmon WR Oklahoma St.
8. David DeCastro OG Stanford
9. Fletcher Cox DT Mississippi State
10. Michael Floyd WR Notre Dame
11. Courtney Upshaw OLB Alabama
12. Dont’a Hightower ILB Alabama
13. Riley Reiff OT Iowa
14. Melvin Ingram OLB South Carolina
15. Stephon Gilmore CB South Carolina
16. Quinton Coples DE North Carolina
17. Dontari Poe DT Memphis
18. Jonathan Martin OT Stanford
19. Mark Barron S Alabama
20. Michael Brockers DT LSU
21. Dre Kirkpatrick CB Alabama
22. Ryan Tannehill QB Texas A&M
23. Kendall Wright WR Baylor
24. Cordy Glenn OT Georgia
25. Peter Konz C Wisconsin
26. Coby Fleener TE Stanford
27. Mike Adams OT Ohio State
28. Whitney Mercilus DE Illinois
29. Devon Still DT Penn State
30. Nick Perry DE USC
31. Stephen Hill WR Georgia Tech
32. Janoris Jenkins CB North Alabama
33. Bobby Massie OT Ole Miss
34. Jerel Worthy DT Michigan State
35. Mohamed Sanu WR Rutgers
36. Dwayne Allen TE Clemson
37. Josh Robinson CB UCF
38. Brandon Thompson DT Clemson
39. Jayron Hosley CB Virginia Tech
40. Zach Brown OLB North Carolina
41. Kelechi Osemele OG Iowa State
42. Doug Martin RB Boise State
43. Brandon Weeden QB
49. David Wilson RB Virginia Tech
50. Michael Brewster C Ohio State
51. Amini Silatolu OG Midwestern State
52.Casey Hayward CB Vanderbilt
53. Rueben Randle WR LSU
54. Jared Crick DT Nebraska
55. Tommy Streeter WR Miami (FL)
56. Lavonte David OLB Nebraska
57. Harrison Smith S Notre Dame St.
58. Kendall Reyes DT Connecticut
59. Trumaine Johnson CB Montana
60. Robert Turbin RB Utah State
61. Alfonzo Dennard CB Nebraska
62. Ronnell Lewis OLB Oklahoma
63. Cam Johnson OLB Virginia
64. Josh Chapman DT Alabama
65. Brandon Brooks OG Miami (OH)
66. Mike Martin DT Michigan
67. Josh Norman CB Coastal Carolina
68. Ben Jones C Georgia
69. Chandler Jones DE Syracuse
70. Ladarius Green TE UL-Lafayette
71. Dwight Bentley CB UL-Lafayette
72. Brandon Mosley OT Auburn
73. LaMichael James RB Oregon
74. Ryan Broyles WR Oklahoma
75. Shea McClellin OLB Boise State
76. Chase Minnifield CB Virginia
77. Jeff Allen OT Illinois
78. Vinny Curry DE/OLB Marshall
79. Brandon Boykin CB Georgia
80. Andre Branch OLB Clemson
81. Isaiah Pead RB Cincinnati
82. Bobby Wagner OLB Utah State
83. Leonard Johnson CB Iowa State
84. Nick Toon WR Wisconsin
85. David Molk C Michigan
86. Mychal Kendricks ILB California
87. Alshon Jeffery WR South Carolina
88. Chris Polk RB Washington
89. Lucas Nix OG Pittsburgh
90. Jarius Wright WR Arkansas
91. Senio Kelemete OG Washington
92. Ryan Steed CB Furman
93. Marvin McNutt WR Iowa
94. Justin Bethel S Presbyterian
95. Marvin Jones WR California
96. Levy Adcock OT Oklahoma State
97. Trevor Guyton DT California
98. Russell Wilson QB Wisconsin
99. Matt McCants OT UAB
100. Billy Winn DT Boise State
101. Juron Criner WR Arizona
102. Brandon Washington OG Miami
103. Jamell Fleming CB Oklahoma
104. Philip Blake C Baylor
105. Jordan White WR Western Mich
106. Mitchell Schwartz OT California
107. Dwight Jones WR N. Carolina
108. Kirk Cousins QB Michigan St.
109. Jeff Fuller WR Texas A&M
111. Joe Adams WR Arkansas
110. Derek Wolfe DT Cincinnati
112. Chris Givens WR Wake Forest
113. Mike Harris CB Florida State
114. Michael Egnew TE Missouri
115. Tramain Thomas S Arkansas
116. DeVier Posey WR Ohio State
117. Asa Jackson CB Cal Poly
118. Markelle Martin S Oklahoma St.
119. Shaun Prater CB Iowa
120. Tony Bergstrom OT Utah
121. Gerell Robinson WR Arizona St.
122. Sean Spence OLB Miami (FL)
123. A.J. Jenkins WR Illinois
125. Frank Alexander DE Oklahoma
124. Cyrus Gray RB Texas A&M
126. Ryan Miller OG Colorado
127. Omar Bolden CB Arizona State
128. Keenan Robinson OLB Texas
129. Quinton Saulsberry C Miss St.
130. DeQuan Menzie CB Alabama
131. Drake Dunsmore TE N-western
132. Terrance Ganaway RB Baylor
133. Nate Potter OT Boise State
134. Bernard Pierce RB Temple
135. James Brown OT Troy
136. Malik Jackson DE Tennessee
137. B.J. Coleman QB UT-Chatt.
138. Marquis Maze WR Alabama
139. DaJohn Harris DT USC
140. Coryell Judie CB Texas A&M
141. T.Y. Hilton WR Florida Int.
142. Andrew Datko OT Florida State
143. Brad Smelley TE Alabama
144. Jack Crawford DE Penn State
145. Vick Ballard RB Mississippi St.
146. Joe Looney OG Wake Forest
147. JM Johnson ILB Nevada
150. Jake Bequette DE Arkansas
149. Audie Cole ILB N.C. State
148. Tyrone Crawford DE Boise St.
151. Travis Lewis OLB Oklahoma
152. Brock Osweiler QB Arizona State
153. Brandon Taylor S LSU
154. Greg Childs WR Arkansas
155. George Iloka S Boise State
156. Danny Coale WR Virginia Tech
157. Bruce Irvin OLB West Virginia
158. Devon Wylie WR Fresno State
159. Tom Compton OT South Dakota
160. Eric Page WR Toledo
161. Brandon Lindsey OLB Pittsburgh
162. Marcus Forston DT Miami (FL)
163. Terrell Manning OLB N.C. State
164. Brandon Bolden RB Ole Miss
165. Jonathan Massaquoi OLB Troy
166. Ron Brooks CB LSU
167. Justin Anderson OG Georgia
168. Jarrett Boykin WR Virginia Tech
169. Nigel Bradham OLB Florida State
170. Will Vlachos C Alabama
171. Trenton Robinson S Michigan State
172. Kheeston Randle DT Texas
173. Donnie Fletcher CB Boston College
174. Kellen Moore QB Boise State
175. Emmanuel Acho OLB Texas
176. Jaye Howard DT Florida
177. Kyle Wilber OLB Wake Forest
178. Nick Foles QB Arizona
179. Alfred Morris RB Florida Atlantic
180. Tydreke Powell DT North Carolina
181. Josh Kaddu OLB Oregon
182. Christian Tupou DT USC
183. Charles Brown CB North Carolina
184. Akiem Hicks DT Regina
185. Olivier Vernon DE Miami (FL)
186. Chris Rainey RB Florida
187. Ryan Lindley QB San Diego State
188. Hebron Fangupo DT BYU
189. Tauren Poole RB Tennessee
190. Adam Gettis OG Iowa
191. B.J. Cunningham WR Michigan State
192. Matt Reynolds OG BYU
193. Jermaine Kearse WR Washington
194. Edwin Baker RB Michigan State
195. T.J. Graham WR N.C. State
196. Ronnie Hillman RB San Diego State
197. Brian Linthicum TE Michigan State
198. Rishaw Johnson OG California (PA)
199. Brian Quick WR Appalachian State
200. Tony Jerod-Eddie DT Texas A&M
201. LaVon Brazill WR Ohio
202. Antonio Fenelus CB Wisconsin
203. Deangelo Peterson TE LSU
204. Bryan Anger P California
205. Antonio Allen S South Carolina
206. J.J. McDermott QB SMU
207. Davin Meggett RB Maryland
208. George Bryan TE N.C. State
209. Patrick Edwards WR Houston
210. Robert Blanton CB Notre Dame
211. Dan Herron RB Ohio State
212. Mike Daniels DT Iowa
213. Darron Thomas QB Oregon
214. Markus Kuhn DT N.C. State
215. Blair Walsh K Georgia
216. Evan Rodriguez TE Temple
217. Jaymes Brooks OG Virginia Tech
218. Shawn Powell P Florida State
219. Janzen Jackson S McNeese State
220. Kelvin Beachum OG SMU
221. Chris Greenwood CB Albion Christian
222. Adrian Robinson OLB Temple
224. Vontaze Burfict ILB Arizona State
223. Randy Bullock K Texas A&M
225. Case Keenum QB Houston
226. Donte Paige-Moss DE North Carolina
227. James Hanna TE Oklahoma
228. Cliff Harris CB Oregon
229. Chandler Harnish QB Northern Illinois
230. David Paulson TE Oregon
231. Tank Carder OLB TCU
232. Drew Butler P Georgia
233. Renard Williams DT Eastern Washington
234. Carson Wiggs K Purdue
235. Derek Dennis OG Temple
236. Rishard Matthews WR Nevada
237. Rokevious Watkins OG South Carolina
238. Lennon Creer RB Louisiana Tech
239. Kevin Koger TE Michigan
240. Philip Welch K Wisconsin
241. Cordarro Law DE Southern Miss
242. Brad Nortman P Wisconsin
243. Keshawn Martin WR Michigan State
245. Jerry Franklin ILB Arkansas
244. Marcel Jones OT Nebraska
246. Sean Richardson S Vanderbilt
247. Bradie Ewing FB Wisconsin
248. Marc Tyler RB USC
249. Sean Cattouse S California
250. Darrell Scott RB South Florida
251. Kelcie McCray S Arkansas State
252. Jewel Hampton RB Southern Illinois
253. Da’Jon McKnight WR Minnesota
254. Scott Solomon DE Rice
255. Elvis Akpla WR Montana State
The 2011 Heisman Trophy winner as the best college football player in the country, Robert Griffin III is a special talent with the type of elite physical tools and mental makeup that rarely comes along. A three-year starter with 40 career starts for the Bears, Griffin rewrote the record books at Baylor, having set 26 single-season, 20 career and eight single-game marks in his four years in Waco. Over the course of his career, Robert threw for 10,366 yards, 78 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions with a 67.1% completion percentage (800-1,192) while rushing for 2,254 yards and 33 touchdowns on 528 carries; his best statistical season came during his Heisman Trophy-winning junior year in which he threw for 4,293 yards, 37 touchdowns, and just six interceptions with a 72.4% completion percentage (291-402) and rushed for 699 yards and 10 touchdowns on 179 carries. Griffin brings elite intangibles, leadership, intelligence, and the work ethic that coaches and scouts dream about; he’s a very confident player who got the job done off the field as well, earning numerous academic honors in addition to ranking seventh in his class and being his class president in high school. The way that he led the Bears during his junior season is something that simply can’t be taught and brought back memories of Cam Newton’s spectacular season in 2010. At Baylor, Robert led his team to victories over Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, TCU, and
The best QB prospect that to enter the NFL since Peyton Manning in 1998, at least that’s what 99% of the scouts and draft experts say. Andrew Luck heads to the next level as the type of franchise quarterback prospect that only comes once every 10 to 20 years. A threeyear starter with 38 career starts at Stanford, Luck led the Cardinal to a 31-7 record over the course of his career while finishing second for the Heisman Trophy twice, as well as being named a two-time Offensive Player of the Year in the Pacific Athletic Conference. He helped lead a team that had endured seven consecutive losing seasons to three-straight bowl games, a near-chance at competing for a national championship, and the 11 games that Stanford won in each of the past two seasons is the most in school history. In his three years as the lead signal caller in Palo Alto, Andrew finished among the school’s all-time leading passers, having thrown for a total of 9,430 yards, 82 touchdowns, and 22 interceptions with a 67.0% completion percentage (713-1,064); his best statistical season came in 2011 during his junior year when he threw for 3,517 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions with a 71.3% completion percentage (288-404). As complete of a prospect as I have ever seen, Luck’s intelligence, instincts, and
The only player in Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) history to record more than 4,000 passing and 1,500 receiving yards in a career, Ryan Tannehill enters the NFL with one of the most intriguing blends of physical tools, athleticism, and instincts for the position. A quarterback prospect out of high school, Tannehill was asked to move to wide receiver as a freshman where he finished first on the team in receiving as a redshirt freshman and second on the team as a sophomore. After starting quarterback Jerrod Johnson began to struggle in 2010, head coach Mike Sherman asked Ryan to move back to quarterback where he immediately grabbed ahold of the job of led the Aggies to a 5-1 record to finish his junior season. In 2011, Tannehill led the team to a 7-6 season as the starter while throwing for 3,744 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions with a 61.6% completion percentage (327-531); Ryan finished his career with the Aggies having thrown for 5,450 yards, 42 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions with a 62.4% completion percentage (484- 774) and caught 112 passes for 1,596 yards and 10 touchdowns. Owning ideal size for the position, Tannehill is a tall quarterback who sees the field well and is comfortable working out of the pocket. An efficient quarterback whose precision and accuracy are his strengths, Ryan does a very good job of putting the right amount of touch on the ball to deliver it quickly and accurately down the field. He’s displayed the ability to fit the ball into tiny windows, however he also has shown that he can drop the ball in the bucket down the field using great touch. Having only started for one full season at Texas A&M, he’s still developing his ability to throw the ball with pinpoint accuracy down the field, however he understands how to put enough loft on it to let his receiver run underneath the ball, and in the short-to-intermediate range shows excellent accuracy. Ryan’s arm strength down the field is very good, showing the ability to make every throw that an NFL quarterback needs to make. His velocity isn’t elite, however he makes up for it with his fluid mechanics and getting rid of the ball quickly. Tannehill offers a fine delivery with a quick release, however with this only being his first full season concentrating on the position, he is still refining and tweaking his mechanics, but is far enough along that he shouldn’t have any problems polishing it up at the next level. Although he looks more comfortable working out of the shotgun, Ryan also has experience working from under center as well, and shouldn’t have any trouble doing either at the next level. His footwork in stepping into his throws is something that he will need to develop, as there are occasions when he will throw off of his back foot; he also doesn’t drive the ball down the field, so developing more torque through the hips would be something that I would have him work on as well. Being that he is such a talented athlete, Tannehill offers outstanding mobility with the speed and agility needed to take off and make plays with his legs. He’s not a quick-twitch or explosive player, but rather owns long strides with light enough feet that he can redirect in the open field to evade a defender; he rushed for 382 yards and five touchdowns the past two seasons. Ryan shows great awareness here with a distinct understanding of when he should and should not take off with the ball. Ryan does a nice job of keeping his eyes down the field while moving about the pocket and has a strong sense for where the pass rush is coming from. I’m impressed with his ability to throw the ball accurately down the field while on the run and outside of the pocket. Tannehill has a good understanding of how to read defenses and go through his reads and progressions, however part of his development at the next level will be the mental aspect of the game and gaining more experience here after having only done it for a short period of time while at A&M. Ryan has shown the understanding of how to use pump fakes, however there were times through the past two years when he would get caught staring down his receiver, which is something that he’ll need to work on correcting. Over the past season and a half, Ryan has displayed the type of intangibles and leadership that coaches look for at the quarterback position. Ryan Tannehill offers all of the tools, skills, and instincts that you look for at the quarterback position. However, he’s still in need of
One of the most interesting quarterback prospects in this year’s draft who began his professional career in Major League Baseball, Brandon Weeden enters the NFL owning the type of physical tools you look for in a top prospect, yet he has age limitations that could limit how high he is drafted. Originally drafted in the second round of the 2002 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees, Weeden played four seasons in the Yankees’ minor league system before he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers; after two seasons in Los Angeles’ system, Brandon was selected in the Rule 5 Draft by the Kansas City Royals where he went on to play one season before seeing his baseball career get cut short by a torn labrum and tendinitis in his rotator cuff. Opting not to have surgery, but rather to switch sports entirely, Weeden hopped off the mount and onto the gridiron when he enrolled at Oklahoma State. After redshirting in 2007, Brandon was a backup as a freshman and sophomore before winning the starting job as a junior. In his two years as the Cowboys’ starter, Brandon led Oklahoma State to a 23-3 record, including a Fiesta Bowl victory over Stanford to cap off his college career. He threw for a total of 9,260 yards, 75 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions with a 69.5% completion percentage (766-1,102) over his four year career, with his most productive season coming his senior year in 2011 when he threw for 4,727 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions with a 72.3% completion percentage (408-564). Offering ideal size at the quarterback position, Weeden is a poised player who looks very comfortable when working in the pocket. Owning the arm strength to make any throw that an NFL quarterback needs to make, Brandon is capable of consistently dropping the ball in the bucket with excellent touch on his throws outside the numbers and down the field. In addition, Brandon has very good accuracy to all parts of the field, displaying the touch and precision that you look for in a top prospect at the position. A smart, instinctive player who makes good decisions with the ball, Weeden manages the game very well while also possessing some of that “it” factor that you look for in a quarterback to lead the team. Brandon’s mechanics are ideal; he’s a natural thrower who also understands when he needs to throw the ball with different angles to put better accuracy on the ball. His footwork is going to be a work in progress at the next level as he makes the transition from the spread offense in college to the pro-style one that he’ll play in with the team that drafts him. Although he’s going to need some refinement in dropping back from under center, as he played the majority of his team with the Cowboys in the shotgun, I do like the way that he steps into his throws, putting more velocity and torque into his delivery. Brandon displays adequate pocket presence with fine awareness for where the pass rush is coming from, however he doesn’t offer the type of mobility to consistently get to the
Michigan State’s all-time leading passer, Kirk Cousins enters the NFL after having had a prolific college career in East Lansing. A three-year starter for the Spartans, Cousins threw for 9,131 yards, 66 touchdowns, and 30 interceptions with a 64.2% completion percentage (723-1,126); his best statistical season came as a senior in 2011 when he threw for 3,316 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions with a 63.7% completion percentage (267-419). Also the winningest quarterback in Spartan history (27 victories), Kirk concluded his career ranked in the Top 10 All-Time in the Big Ten Conference in four different categories (completion percentage, passing efficiency, passing yards, and touchdown passes). Only the second three-time captain in Michigan State history (first sophomore to be named captain since 1949), Kirk offers the type of leadership, work ethic, and intangibles that coaches and scouts dream about. A smart, intelligent quarterback with adequate size for the position, Cousins has experience running a pro-style offense and is the epitome of what coaches look for in a game-managing quarterback. He has experience going through his reads and progressions, and although he’s still developing here, has displayed a good enough understanding to show that he has some upside here. He has plenty of experience playing under center and in shotgun, also displaying great timing with his play action fakes. Kirk is a great decision maker with the ball, offering better than a 2-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio at the college level. Experienced in the pro-style offense, Cousins has great mechanics, holding the ball chest-level high with a quick delivery; his mechanics are close to NFL-ready. He displays good arm strength to deliver the ball 50-60 yards down the field and has enough velocity to make most of the throws that an NFL quarterback needs to make. I love the way that Kirk instinctually leads his wide receivers down the field, whether it’s away from coverage and towards the end zone or simply to give his target a better opportunity to make a safer catch and avoid a big hit. He’s not the type who will force many throws, but rather likes to play it safe. He typically does a good job of taking care of the ball and doesn’t make many mistakes. Kirk throws the ball accurately in the short-to-intermediate range, and has shown the ability to drop the ball in the bucket as well as make accurate throws down the field, however his accuracy still is inconsistent and not where you’d like it to be at. In the pocket, he shows good pocket presence with a strong awareness for where the rush is coming from. He’s a solid athlete who possesses the mobility to escape the pocket when it collapses. However, he’s not the type of quarterback that is going to beat you with his legs, offering just enough speed out on the edge to scramble ahead for a few yards and pick up an occasional first down. With his mechanics, I’d really like to see Kirk work on stepping into his throws; he tends to throw off his back foot or at a standstill at times, which shows that he still needs some refinement of his footwork; throwing through his hips will give him better velocity and more accuracy with his throws. As much as there is to like about Cousins, I still have some doubts. He’s not what I would consider a poised, confident, and collected quarterback, often struggling under pressure, and has shown that he will get sloppy with his mechanics and footwork when under pressure from the defense. He’s not the type of quarterback that will be able to carry his team on his shoulders and go win the game singlehandedly. He shows flashes of having great potential and then other times you want to question whether he’s a draftable prospect. Kirk Cousins has the intelligence, great intangibles, and solid physical tools to develop into a very good, reliable backup quarterback who has the potential to develop into a serviceable starter in the league.
The quarterback and leader of the Alabama Crimson Tide National Championship-winning defense in 2011, Mark Barron is a physically intimidating player with an NFL-ready skill-set to start at the safety position. A three-year starter who started 38 career games for Alabama, Barron leaves Tuscaloosa having produced 235 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, five sacks, 24 pass breakups, and 12 interceptions; his best statistical season came during his sophomore year in 2009 when he tallied 74 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, half of a sack, 11 pass breakups, and seven interceptions. Built very well for a strong safety with the height, length (33 inch arms), and strength that you look for, Mark is a well-put together prospect who offers all of the physical tools needed to have a successful NFL career. A true strong safety who is a very reliable tackler in the open field, Barron has a very heady, instinctive ability to sit back while reading the action in front of him before diagnosing the play, locating the ball, and driving downhill to deliver a hit. He’s shown the ability to be a head hunter in the secondary and will make opposing receivers nervous about crossing in front of him. Mark is a natural at coming down and lining up in the box as a run defender, often acting as another linebacker for the Crimson Tide defense with his reliability and polished technique as a wrap up tackler. He does a terrific job of filling the hole when asked to and understands run fits up front. He offers a strong grip with good functional strength needed to grab the ball carrier and pull him backwards from his forward progress to prevent him from picking up additional yardage. Barron is a polished prospect both technically and mentally; he
A smart, instinctive safety who figures to be over-drafted in 2012 due to a rather poor class at the safety position, Harrison Smith enters the NFL after having been one of the leaders of the Notre Dame defense the past four years. A 3.5-year starter with 47 career starts who was the Irish’s only team captain in 2011, Smith offers elite intangibles, owning the type of leadership, confidence, and work ethic that coaches and scouts look closely for in a player. The only player in Notre Dame history to record at least 200 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and 15 pass breakups, Harrison finished his career in South Bend having produced 309 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 28 pass breakups, and 10 interceptions; his best statistical season came as a junior in 2010 when he tallied 93 tackles, one tackle for loss, seven pass breakups, and all seven interceptions. A reliable and dependable last line of defense whose leadership and instincts were invaluable to Notre Dame the last three years, Smith is a savvy, high-football IQ player who is rarely out of position and provides a non-stop motor to his team. Offering prototypical size for the safety position, Harrison proved to be a physical, active defender in the run game during his career, consistently working his way down inside the box to make plays around the line of scrimmage. A player who reads and reacts very quickly to what he sees, Harrison diagnoses the play before breaking downhill to attempt to make a play. He is a sound, form tackler who can be counted on to make a sure tackle in the open field and has also displayed the ability to provide a pop at the point of contact with the ball carrier. Owning enough of a burst to make an impact,
One of the top small-school players in the 2012 NFL Draft class, Justin Bethel enters the NFL with an intriguing skill-set to project to both safety and cornerback at the next level. A four-year starter for the Blue Hose, Bethel recorded 279 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 16 pass breakups, and seven interceptions; his most productive season came in 2011 during his senior year when he led the team in tackles with 87, in addition to tallying 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, six pass breakups, and four interceptions. Justin is one of the best special teams players in this year’s draft, also owning the Big South Conference record for most blocked kicks in a career with nine. Owning ideal size for either cornerback or safety, Bethel has good, but not great length with the long arms (32 inches) that you look for. Justin is a very good athlete, which he proved at the NFL Scouting Combine when he recorded the best vertical jump (39.5 inches) and second-best broad jump (10-feet, 11-inches) of any defensive back in attendance. A fluid athlete who offers the ability to open up his loose hips and turn and run down the field without any wasted motion, Justin has great range to cover ground quickly and has the straight-line speed to keep up with the majority of receivers he’ll match up with at the next level. In coverage, he’s one of the more versatile defensive backs in this year’s class, having played both safety and cornerback throughout his career in addition to lining up in the slot and coming off the edge as a rusher. I personally feel that his best fit will come as a free safety in the NFL with his fluid athleticism and awareness for the position. He’s further along from a development standpoint at the safety position, as he displays a strong ability to drop back as a reliable last line of defense, read the action in front of him, before diagnosing the play quickly and breaking to make a play. He offers a strong ability to plant and drive on the football, which was shown against California in 2011 when he cut in front of a receiver, intercepted the pass, and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown. He’s a smart, instinctive player who I feel projects well at the safety position, but may need time to get accustomed to more complex coverages and schemes at the next level. At cornerback, he would project inside at nickel back early in his career, as he has experience playing here, and his short-area quickness and agility would give him an advantage here when matched up with slot receivers. He offers the upper body strength (19 reps on bench) to get an effective jam at the line of scrimmage, however further refinement of his technique will be needed here. At cornerback, he has shown that he can transition and turn and run to mirror the receiver down the field, however further coaching will be needed with his technique in order for him to better understand leverage and how to play the ball while it’s in the air; he recorded more of his interceptions and pass breakups while playing safety and being able to read and react than he did from corner. In addition, his back pedal is still sloppy and will need refinement. Still raw from a technique standpoint, Bethel will need to begin developing at one position so that he can learn the nuances of it and develop his fundamentals, as he jumped back and forth enough times between cornerback and safety during his career that he never had a true chance to grow in one specific role. However, the fact that he was able to make plays from both positions proves that he offers promise with his versatility at the next level. While the jump in talent level from the Big South Conference to the NFL will be a big one, he played well against California, Wake Forest, and Clemson the past two years, had success at the East-West Shrine Game, and stood out as one of the top performers at the Combine, which is why this doesn’t strike me as being as big of a concern with him as it is with other small-schoolers. Justin Bethel is a very intriguing prospect because of the versatility he brings to play cornerback and safety, the raw physical tools he possesses, as well as the outstanding special teams play that he offers to teams. In my opinion, he has what it takes to develop into a future starting free safety if given time to develop, learn the nuances of the position, and become accustomed to the speed of the next level.
The most underrated safety prospect in the 2012 NFL Draft, Tramain Thomas is a hard-hitting safety who offers a complete package of skills at the position. A two-year starter with 31 career starts for the Razorbacks, Thomas recorded 236 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, half of a sack, 13 pass breakups, and 12 interceptions; the most productive season of his career came during his senior season in 2011 when he tallied 91 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, six pass breakups, and five interceptions. Offering ideal size for the safety position with fluid athleticism, Tramain is a very instinctive player who displays a heady ability to consistently make plays in the secondary. Being the son of a coach and former quarterback, Tramain has a fantastic football IQ and understanding of the game. An aggressive player who does a great job of supporting his defense in the run game, Thomas is one of the most reliable open field
With the range of a free safety and the hard-hitting prowess of a strong safety, Oklahoma State’s Markelle Martin offers an intriguing blend of physical tools as he enters the NFL. A three-year starter for the Cowboys, Martin recorded 178 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 36 pass breakups, and three interceptions during his career in Stillwater; his most productive season came as a junior in 2010 when he tallied 55 tackles, two tackles for loss, 10 pass breakups, and all three interceptions. With prototypical size for the position, Markelle offers the range, closing speed, and quick-twitch abilities to cover ground quickly from his free safety position. A confident defender who plays with the type of attitude that you look for in a centerfielder in the secondary, Martin’s fluidity to turn and run as well as his closing speed gives him the ability to make plays sideline-to-sideline for his defense. Possessing great instincts at the position, Martin does a very good job of reading the quarterback’s eyes before breaking quickly to make a player on the ball. With 39 passes defended in four years, Markelle has excellent ball skills with the anticipation that you look for. Although I love the fact that he managed to record 39 passes defended throughout his career, it amazes me that he was only able to turn three of them into interceptions. Being able to hold onto the ball and come down with it rather than batting it away is something that he could really stand to improve on at the next level. He’s got the type of mindset you look for with his ability to get to the table and get his hands on it, you’d just like to see him now turn those breakups into interceptions. Martin has experience lining up in the slot as a nickel back in man coverage, although I don’t believe this will be his best fit at the next level. Instinctively, he does a nice job of cutting off the receivers’ routes by anticipating and driving on the ball, especially on shorter to more intermediate passes. However, with his tall, long frame, he doesn’t sink his hips in his backpedal as well as you’d prefer and doesn’t own the type of explosive burst to recover if beaten off the line or down the field. An intimidating headhunter in the secondary whose been known to make some big hits throughout his career, Markelle tends to play overboard at times when defending the run or breaking on a receiver in front of him, attempting to lay the wood rather than wrap up for a big tackle. This tenacious play has resulted in a number of failed tackle attempts, which is something that he must change in the NFL. Developing better technique as a form tackler when playing downhill would be my recommendation, as I feel he plays far too wild in attempting to make a big play at this time. He does have the upper body strength needed to chase and wrap up a ball carrier when given the opportunity to do so. Markelle had two injuries during his career that teams will certainly check out, as he missed the first two games during his sophomore season with a hip injury and he missed spring practice before his senior season after having surgery on his left shoulder. A great student in the classroom, Markelle earned Oklahoma State’s Nate Fleming Award for his academic success. He does not have any known character concerns entering the next level. Markelle Martin is a player who possesses all of the physical tools and instincts to develop into a solid starting free safety in the NFL, he just needs further development and refinement in a few areas of his game.
After Morris Claiborne was awarded the Jim Thorpe Award as the country’s top defensive back, for the second consecutive year the top defensive back selected in the draft will come from LSU. After Patrick Peterson set the NFL on fire with his return ability as a rookie, Claiborne enters the league with an equally-talented skillset that he’s ready to bring to a team. A two-year starter with 26 career starts for the Tigers, Claiborne produced 88 tackles, two tackles for loss, 12 pass breakups, and 11 interceptions in the past two seasons alone after tallying seven tackles in a backup role as a freshman; his best statistical season came in 2011 during his junior year when he recorded 51 tackles, one tackle for loss, six pass breakups, and six interceptions. Morris owns an elite skillset for the position with the height, length (33 inch arms), speed, and fluidity that you look for in a top prospect. An aggressive player, Claiborne is a natural in man coverage where he has shown over the past two seasons to be on the verge of developing into a potential shutdown cornerback. Experienced in both press and man-off, Morris is very effective when playing close to the line of scrimmage, as he has displayed a strong ability to get an effective jam at the line of scrimmage before riding the receiver down the field while staying in his hip pocket. A nimble defender with the quick-twitch athleticism needed to be a star, Morris has the loose hips and flexibility along with great short-area quickness to accelerate in and out of his breaks, and I really like his ability to flip his hips in transition with ease 219 before quickly turning and running down the field. He’s extremely quickly in small spaces, which allows for him to effectively mirror defenders down the field. Claiborne has shown an elite ability to drive downhill to make a play on the ball. Down the field, he does a terrific job of trailing right behind the receiver while at the last second either sticking his arm out to deflect the ball away or
A former top recruit with the combination of size, speed, and athleticism that you desire at the cornerback position, Stephon Gilmore is a high-upside player whose best football may be coming in his future. A three-year starter with 40 starts for the Gamecocks, Gilmore produced 176 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, seven sacks, 17 pass breakups, and seven pass breakups; his best statistical season came as a sophomore in 2010 when he tallied 79 tackles, six tackles for loss, three sacks, two pass breakups, and three interceptions (41 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, seven pass breakups, three interceptions as a junior in 2011). A former high school quarterback who only began to fully concentrate on playing defensive back as a true freshman, Gilmore is still in the early
The top cornerback recruit in the country coming out of high school, Dre Kirkpatrick enters the NFL after having helped Alabama win two National Championships during his career. A two-year starter with 24 career starts for the Tide, Kirkpatrick has great experience from playing in the SEC and leaves Tuscaloosa having produced 91 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 16 pass breakups, and three interceptions over the course of his career; his best statistical season came in 2010 during his sophomore year when he tallied 53 tackles, four tackles for loss, seven pass breakups, and all three interceptions. A very confident cornerback who plays with a swagger, Dre is one of the most physical defensive backs in this year’s class and owns the combination of height, length, and speed needed to develop into a starting corner at the next level. Experienced in man coverage with the skillset that projects to both press and off-man at the next level, Kirkpatrick is a fluid athlete with no wasted motion when turning and running with the wide receiver down the field. An aggressive corner who fires his hands into the receiver to get an effective jam at the line of scrimmage, Dre rides the receiver down the field in man coverage while showing little hesitation to make contact to attempt to deflect the pass away. An explosive athlete who owns quick feet in and out of his breaks, Kirkpatrick offers the tools needed to match up with most receivers in man coverage at the next level, however lacks elite speed to stay with the fastest of wideouts that he’ll be matched up with. Dre is an instinctive player who reads and reacts very well to what he sees in front of him, and at times will trust his eyes too much. He takes some risks, which will result in pass breakups or interceptions, however they have also resulted in him getting beat deep for touchdowns, so this is something that he’ll need to continue to work on at the next level. In off-man coverage, he does a great job of smoothly dropping back while sitting low in his back pedal and reading the receiver’s route before accelerating out of his break to arrive at the receiver at the same time as the ball to bat the pass away. He has a heady understanding of how to plant and drive downhill, which also has translates well in the run game as well. Dre will need to play with more discipline with his physical play down the field, as he has been known to draw pass interference or illegal contact penalties down the field, and those only stand to increase if he doesn’t develop better discipline here. Kirkpatrick’s instincts and physical style of play project well to zone coverage as well, although he doesn’t own nearly as much experience there as he does in man. Dre’s ball skills and body control to elevate (35 inch vertical) are both what you look for at the position, however I wouldn’t consider him to be a ball hawk after producing just 19 passes defended in three years. Dre Kirkpatrick is a talented, athletic defensive back who owns the tools and skill-set needed to develop into a quality starting cornerback in both man and zone coverage schemes. He’ll need to continue to get stronger and develop better
One of the most talented players in this year’s draft with some of the best all-around athleticism of any player available for selection in 2012, Janoris Jenkins is a player who must overcome significant character and attitude question marks in order to win over teams and be a top pick this year. After signing with the Florida Gators out of heralded Pahokee High School, Janoris was a star for the Gators for the first three years of his career before he was kicked off the team in the spring of 2011; in addition to being arrested once in 2009 after being involved in a fight, he was also arrested two times on drug-related events in a span of three months, the final straw being an arrest in April of 2011 on marijuana possession. After briefly considering entering the 2011 Supplemental Draft, Janoris opted to transfer to North Alabama. For Jenkins, who claims that he has matured and changed since he was kicked off the team at Florida, he will have an uphill battle leading up to the draft as he hopes to change his image for teams. A three-year starter at Florida and one-year starter at North Alabama, Jenkins was only the second true freshman in Gator history to start at cornerback on opening day. Throughout his four-year collegiate career, Janoris totaled 174 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 29 pass breakups, and 10 interceptions; after recording 121 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 25 pass breakups, and eight interceptions in 36 career starts at Florida, Janoris tallied 53 tackles, four tackles for loss, four pass breakups, and two interceptions in his lone year at North Alabama. As confident of a defender as there is in this year’s draft, Janoris plays with a swagger on the field and does not back down from competition, rather sticking his nose into the mix no matter what the situation. A very instinctive player who reads and reacts very well to what he sees in front of him, Jenkins is a smooth and fluid athlete who flips his hips very quickly to turn and run down the field with a receiver. A quick-twitch defender whose explosion and burst to the ball are elite, Janoris has all of the skills that you look for in a shutdown cornerback in the NFL. To prove just how high his upside is at the next level, as a junior, Janoris matched up with both former Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green and former Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones, two Top 10 overall picks in the 2011 Draft, and held them to a combined eight catches for 61 yards. Owning fantastic ball skills, Jenkins attacks the ball while it’s in the air with little hesitation to throw his body at the receiver to attempt to dislodge the ball on contact. He does a terrific job of positioning himself correctly to make a play on the ball and to shield the receiver away, and while he may not out-jump taller receivers, he displays great body control as he extends out to bat the ball away or intercept it. Janoris Jenkins has the talent, athleticism, tools, and skill-set needed to develop into a Pro Bowl starting cornerback for a team in the NFL. There will be risk with selecting him due to the off-field concerns, however if he can keep his head on straight at the next level, Jenkins has everything that I look for in a premier player capable of developing into a shutdown cornerback in the NFL.
A player who has the potential to be one of the gems of this year’s draft, Josh Robinson has a rare combination of elite physical tools and exceptional instincts for the cornerback position. A three-year starter with 36 career starts for Central Florida, Robinson produced 176 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 36 pass breakups, and 10 interceptions throughout his college career; the most productive season of his career came in 2009 during his true freshman season when he made 69 tackles, one tackle for loss, eight pass breakups, and six interceptions. Although shorter than you’d prefer, Josh was the fastest player at the NFL Scouting Combine and offers elite physical tools with outstanding straight-line speed for the position. A natural in man coverage who offers the loose hips and fluid athleticism to mirror top receivers down the field, Robinson transitions very well in the open field and has no trouble turning and running down the field. Sitting low in his backpedal, Josh accelerates quickly out of his breaks with very nimble feet to make plays in small areas. He’s an explosive player who displayed his great athleticism at the Combine when he jumped 11-feet, 1-inch in the broad jump. Robinson is more experienced playing off than press in man coverage, however he does have the long arms (31 inches) and upper body strength ( 17 reps on bench) that you look for here to develop as a press corner At times, he will get a bit high when turning and getting vertical, however this is a minor technical flaw that can be coached up at the next level and should not impact where he gets drafted. For a cornerback to have 46 passes defended in just three years is simply extraordinary. Josh is a ball hawk who displays fantastic ball skills with his ability to read the quarterback’s eyes and break on the ball to make a play. In man coverage, he does a great job of trailing the receiver down the field before closing quickly at the last second to either bat the ball away or cut in front of the wideout to make the interception. Although his lack of height won’t help him in jump ball situations, his 38.5-inch vertical jump and great body control both help to make up for it, giving him the ability to climb the ladder and compete with taller receivers for the ball. Although it’s nitpicking, you’d like to see him turn some of his 36 pass breakups into more interceptions. Owning a skillset that also projects favorably in zone coverage, Robinson is a savvy defender with his ability to drop back, diagnose the play in front of him, before breaking on the ball. His timing and awareness are both excellent, showing an instinctive ability to drive on throws and has proven to be a true playmaker throughout his career for the Knights. After making the interception or recovering a fumble, Josh has a heady ability to get up the field quickly with great vision, and with his elite straight-line speed, has shown the ability to make plays with the ball in his hands, having returned two interceptions and one fumble for touchdowns during his career. An active defender in supporting the run, Josh locates the ball quickly and displays the reliability that you look for out on the edge to make a tackle in the open field. Josh Robinson has the tools to develop into a future No. 1 starting cornerback for a team. With his ability to play both man and zone coverage, experience as a returner, and elite physical tools and instincts, Robinson is a play that I am very high on.
A two-time Biletnikoff Award winner as the top receiver in the country, Justin Blackmon heads to the NFL with the type of elite production that figures to land him with an overrated grade from some teams at the next level. A two-year starter who filled the large hole that Dez Bryant left at Oklahoma State when he declared for the draft in 2010, Blackmon is not quite the elite prospect that Bryant was, however he still very much a fine prospect in his own right. Over the past three years, Justin hauled in 252 receptions for 3,564 yards and 40 touchdowns, with his best statistical season coming during his red-shirt sophomore season in 2010 when he caught 111 passes for 1,782 yards and 20 touchdowns. Shorter than you’d prefer from an elite No. 1 receiver prospect, Blackmon is a physical player who plays bigger than his listed size and owns fine arm length (32 inches) for the position. An explosive player with the burst, acceleration, and quick-twitch agility that you look for, Justin is capable of making a play from anywhere on the field and is a constant threat to take the ball the distance any time he touches it. While his straight-line speed is not going to rank among the best in this year’s draft, he owns great quickness and agility off the line of scrimmage and into his routes, showing the type of nimbleness and burst needed to separate from defensive backs at the next level. He has enough size needed to fight off of a jam at the line of scrimmage and understands how to use leverage down the field as a route runner by shielding the defender away with his long frame. A relatively refined route runner with only minor polishing needed, Blackmon has experience running the majority of the routes on the tree, however because he played in Oklahoma State’s spread offense, he hasn’t run every route that he’ll be asked to use in the NFL. He has proved throughout his career to be capable of catching the ball over the middle, on slants, as a deep threat, as well as working outside the numbers, and also offers the versatility needed to kick inside to the slot if needed at the next level. Justin displays the burst and acceleration in and out of his breaks that you look for with the flexibility and fluidity needed to sink his hips and drive out of his cuts. Owning elite ball skills and body control, Blackmon has a rare ability to attack the ball while it’s in the air. As effective of a receiver as you’ll find on fade routes, he and Brandon Weeden were nearly unstoppable near the goal line the past two seasons when Weeden would loft the ball up while letting Blackmon run underneath it in the corner of the end zone; he offers an elite ability to track the ball over his shoulder and come down with it. While his vertical jump (35 inches) is not considered a great number for a top prospect, he has enough of an ability to climb the ladder and attempt to high point the ball that he should be capable of winning jump balls at the next level. Justin has a great ability to extend his body out to catch the ball away from his body, showing very strong hands to catch and secure the ball while in traffic. He understands how to use his size to his advantage when matching up with smaller defensive backs and will take advantage of the size difference by leveraging or shielding the defender away to give him an opening to bring in the pass. Blackmon was most effective working across the middle and catching the ball before using his explosion and burst once he brings the pass in to cut up the field and accelerate away from the defense; his strength to run through tackles at the second and third level is rare for a receiver, despite only owning average upper body strength (14 reps on bench). With his 4.48 speed, he’s not going to flat out run away from defensive backs in the NFL, which is why he’s not considered an elite deep threat who will consistently stretch the field or take the top off the defense. However, when working against zone coverage down the field, he has a strong understanding of how to find the soft spots in coverage and settle down to give his quarterback an open target to throw to. As a blocker in the run game, Justin offers the aggressive and physical attitude that you look for and has shown enough of an ability to get the job done here that with further coaching he should be able to develop into an effective blocker at the next level. Justin won’t be on the level of Calvin Johnson, Andre Johnson, or Larry Fitzgerald, however has the tools to work himself into that second tier of elite receivers if he lands with the right team.
Michael Floyd enters the NFL with an elite combination of size, strength, speed, and athleticism for the receiver position. A 2.5-year starter in South Bend, Floyd leaves Notre Dame as the school’s all-time leading receiver after having re-wrote the record books throughout his career; in four years, he hauled in 271 passes for 3,686 yards and 37 touchdowns; his best statistical season came during his senior year in 2011 when he caught 100 passes for 1,147 yards and nine touchdowns. Owning the height, long arms (32 inches), and lean frame that you look for, Michael is a polished, confident receiver who proved throughout his career to be a dangerous weapon in the passing game because of everything that he brings to the table. Off the line, he has the size and upper body strength to physically overpower defensive backs to beat the jam, however he also displays a nice stutter-step to cleanly disengage as well, and accelerates down the field after releasing. While he owns more build-up speed than explosion off the line, Floyd has the straight-line speed that you look for needed to consistently stretch the field and threaten to take the top off the defenses. A sharp route runner with the explosion out of his breaks to create separation, Michael is a fluid athlete with the loose hips needed to sink in and out of his breaks to drive out with more acceleration. Although he excelled at working as a deep threat down the field, Floyd also had a lot of success in college working the short-to-intermediate range where his size and big frame made it easy for him to work across the middle of the field and make plays in traffic; he has no problem hanging onto a catch after taking a hit thanks to his big frame. Down the field, he’s among the best in the country at tracking the ball over his shoulder while showing elite body control and ball skills to extend out and catch the ball away from his body. He’s proven to be capable of tip toeing the sideline on throws outside the numbers in addition to using his huge frame to his advantage; he can out-muscle nearly any defensive back in college for a jump ball and out-jump (36.5 inch vertical) most of them as well. Owning great hand-eye coordination, Mike does a fantastic job of adjusting his body to the ball while it’s in the air and has proven throughout his career to be capable of diving out and making acrobatic catches. After the catch, Mike is a pure athlete with the combination of strength and quickness to run through tacklers in the open field; he has no trouble breaking tackles at the second and third level with his strength (16 reps on bench), however he also offers the elusiveness to side-step or spin away from defenders. One of the most underrated assets that Michael has as a prospect is his ability to block in the run game out on the edge; he developed as a blocker throughout his career and has emerged as one of the better prospects in the country here. He does a great job of extending his long arms out and gaining control of the defender off the ball before using his upper body strength and large frame to either drive the defender out of play or simply wall him off to create an open running lane. He gives great effort here and it should help his value with teams at the next level. Floyd’s straight-line speed is not elite, however for a player of his size it is better than expected. Because of this, he’s not one that will consistently run away from defensive backs, but rather often relies too much on his large size climb the ladder and high point the ball while shielding off the defender. Although this was very effective throughout his career, he put himself in a number of awkward positions from this and does have some durability concerns because of it. Michael Floyd has the talent and natural athleticism to develop into a legitimate No. 1 receiver for a team in the NFL with the upside and potential to make it to a number of Pro Bowl’s. His success at the next level could largely depend on how badly he wants it; if he can stay out of trouble and stay healthy and on the field, then he has the chance to follow in the footsteps of Larry Fitzgerald as the next premier receiver from the Twin Cities to emerge as a star in the NFL.
2011 Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III’s go-to receiver who leaves Baylor as the school’s all-time leading receiver, Kendall Wright is arguably the most explosive receiver in this year’s draft. A four-year starter for the Bears, Wright hauled in 302 receptions for 4,004 yards and 30 touchdowns over the course of his heralded career in Waco. His best statistical season came during his senior year in 2011 when he emerged as one of the top receivers in the country in catching 108 passes for 1,663 yards and 14 touchdowns. In the past four years, he’s also rushed for 425 yards and two touchdowns on 75 carries. An elite downfield threat capable of taking the top off of a defense, Kendall is a confident, savvy receiver who has the straight-line speed, quick-twitch agility, and vision needed to be a dangerous weapon for an NFL offense. A playmaker with experience lining up both outside as well as in the slot, Wright brings ideal versatility with the skill-set needed to make plays all over the field. With a burst off the line of scrimmage, Kendall accelerates quickly down the field and into his route. A natural athlete with the light feet and quickness needed to separate from coverage with ease, Wright offers the explosion in and out of his breaks that you look for. While his speed is not elite, I love his ability to snatch the ball out of the air before making one cut and exploding up the field. He’s a reliable receiver both in the short-to-intermediate range where his smaller size projects well, as well down the field as a deep threat, where he has proven to be capable of beating the corner deep before running away from the defense. He shows the toughness that you look for when working in traffic, having taken a number of hits after bringing in the catch, however he always bounces back up afterwards. Kendall owns outstanding body control and ball skills, having shown on numerous occasions that he can track the ball over his shoulder without trouble before securing the catch; his ability to adjust his body to throws down the field as well as make acrobatic catches are among the best in the draft. In addition, he owns the vertical jump (38.5 inches) needed to climb the ladder and compete for jump balls down the field; he also shows great awareness along the sideline to tiptoe the edge of the field while securing the catch. As a runner in the open field, he possesses the vision needed to find the open crease as well as the quickness and burst to hit and accelerate into the open field; he’s a very shifty back who weaves in and out of traffic with the elusiveness that you look for, however what makes him so difficult for defenses to bring down is his understanding of angles and the way that he uses his blocks down the field to force the defense to take the most difficult angle necessary to cut him off down the field. He’s a very hard player to bring down with his natural ability to make defenders miss. As a route runner, Wright still has some minor refinement that he needs with some of his routes, as he was never asked to run the full route tree while at Baylor, however other than a lack of size, he does not have many holes in his game. Kendall Wright is a dynamic, playmaking receiver who has the explosive talent and skill-set worth investing a first round draft pick in. Because of his lack of height, his ceiling could be a bit limit at the next level, however he has the potential and upside to develop into a very good receiver in the NFL.
One of the fastest players in this year’s draft who was tied for the second-fastest 40-yard dash of any player at the NFL Scouting Combine, Stephen Hill offers a very intriguing skillset with his combination of size, speed, and raw athleticism. A two-year starter for the Yellow Jackets, Hill leaves Georgia Tech having caught 49 passes for 1,248 yards and nine touchdowns; Stephen averaged 25.47- yards per reception, a gaudy number for the position, and if he had caught one more pass to qualify for the career record book at Georgia Tech, he would have easily broken the school record. Where he did break the school’s record was in 2011 during his junior year when he averaged an incredible 29.3-yards per reception (28 receptions for 820 yards and five touchdowns), the highest number of any player in the country and breaking the school record formerly held by current Denver Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas (25.1) in 2009. One of the premier deep threats in the 2012 NFL Draft, Hill offers a combination of big size and elite straight-line speed that is very hard to find. As athletic of a player as you’ll find in this year’s draft, Stephen was an Olympic-caliber long jumper in high school. He offers a tall, lean frame with the long arms (33 inches) needed to extend out and catch the ball away from his body. Stephen is a fluid athlete who releases very quickly off the line of scrimmage and glides down the field with long strides. Capable of out-running just about any defensive back he matches up with, Hill was primarily a three-route receiver at Georgia Tech who excelled at stretching the field deep and running short slant routes that helped his run-oriented passer get him the ball. I do like the way that he has shown the ability to settle down in the middle of zone coverage to provide a big target for his quarterback down the field, however further development will be needed here. When given the chance to extend out and catch the ball away from his body, Stephen displays outstanding body control and ball skills to make acrobatic catches. In addition his vertical (39.5 inches) to climb the ladder and high point the ball when coupled with his tall frame and long arms make it extremely difficult for any defensive back to compete with him for a jump ball. In addition, he offers great flexibility to adjust to poorly thrown passes. Although he’s not going to offer much short-area quickness due to his big size and long strides, Hill is a smooth, fluid athlete who offers enough agility to occasionally make a defender miss down the field; where he does use his athleticism well is after making the catch and redirecting in the open field to attempt to get up the field and evade oncoming defenders. After hauling in the catch, he has the straight-line speed to run away from defenses, and when he is faced with a defender attempting to make the tackle, he has shown the ability to use his big size to run through tackles; I like the way that he continues to churn his legs through contact to pick up additional yardage, something that you don’t often see from receiver prospects. Thanks to playing in a triple-option offense, Stephen is a fully-developed blocker in the run game and will provide a great impact to his offense here at the next level. Stephen Hill has as much upside as any receiver in this year’s draft. For the team that drafts him, they must be patient as he develops and transitions from the triple-option offense at Georgia Tech to the pro-style offense in the NFL. If he maximizes his talent, Hill projects as a legitimate No. 1 receiver for a team at the next level, however he’d also be a fine No. 2 option on a good team.
A big, physical possession receiver who lacks the straight-line speed to be a No. 1 receiver in the NFL, Mohamed Sanu is a talented, athletic receiver prospect with the physical tools needed to develop into a terrific No. 2 option in a team’s passing game at the next level. A three-year starter for Rutgers, Sanu hauled in a total of 210 passes for 2,263 yards and 12 touchdowns over the course of his career; his best statistical season came in 2011 during his junior year when he recorded 115 receptions for 1,206 yards and seven touchdowns. Owning a big, lean frame with the long arms (33 inches) that you look for, Mohamed has all of the tools that you look for in a classic possession receiver in the NFL. Off the line, he owns the size and strength (19 reps on bench) needed to beat the jam at the line of scrimmage before building up speed down the field. While not an explosive player, Sanu offers enough acceleration to get down the field and into his routes. He’s a refined route runner who owns the flexibility needed to sink into and accelerate out of his breaks while offering the polished skillset needed to contribute here immediately at the next level. A weapon in the passing game over the middle of the field who has shown the ability to be a dangerous run-after-the catch player, Mohamed has some of the best, most natural hands in this year’s draft. He extends out with ease before snatching the ball out of air with his strong hands and owns some of the best ball skills and body control of any player available for selection this year; he has made numerous one-handed and acrobatic catches through his career and is as reliable of an option to throw to as you’ll find thanks to his elite hand-eye coordination. In addition, he owns the vertical (36 inches) needed to climb the ladder and compete with defensive backs, if not consistently win jump ball situations. Although his straight-line speed will limit him at the next level, he offers enough needed to at least challenge a defense deep, and with his ability to play the ball in the air, he has what it takes to occasionally come down with a big play. He’s shown great awareness when in the back of the end zone or along the sidelines with his ability to keep his feet in bounds while securing the catch. In the open field, Sanu displays great vision to find the open hole and patiently understands how to wait for his blocks to develop before following them down the field. He’s not a quick-twitch player, but rather owns enough agility and shiftiness to work his way through traffic and make defenders miss; he also owns the big frame and strength to run through tackles, as he certainly is not an easy player for defenders to bring down. Mohamed Sanu has the tools and polished skillset needed to
In 2011, Melvin Ingram emerged as one of the top playmakers in the SEC, if not the country, on the defensive side of the ball in his only season as a starting defensive end for the Gamecocks. As a senior, Ingram produced 48 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, two pass breakups, two interceptions, and three touchdowns (one rushing, two return); in a situational pass rusher role early in his career, Melvin concluded his four years at South Carolina having produced 109 tackles, 30.5 tackles for loss, and 21 sacks. One of the most intriguing athletes in this year’s draft who possesses excellent versatility at the next level, Ingram has experience playing both with his hand on the ground at end and tackle as well as standing up at linebacker, and projects well to both end and linebacker at the next level. A hybrid end who possesses a maxed out frame with great speed and agility for a 275+ pound defender, Melvin is a quick-twitch, attacking defender who South Carolina couldn’t keep off the field, moving him inside to tackle on third downs to maximize the number of pass rushers they had on the field. With an explosive burst off the ball, Ingram accelerates up the field, showing great instincts to find the open crease in the line and sneak inside it as he pursues the quarterback. Owning a polished pass rush repertoire, Melvin displays a great swim move to penetrate the line of scrimmage and also offers a very good spin move to create separation from the offensive lineman and turn away from the line to meet a ball carrier on the perimeter. He doesn’t offer the speed to consistently pressure the edge against the tackle, however his great hand use and his explosive, quick-twitch ability to make sideline-to-sideline plays is where he is going to bring great value. Ingram is a high-motor player with great range who closes on the ball quickly in the run game. He displays an instinctive ability to peek into the backfield and diagnose the play, locating the ball quickly before redirecting his angle to runner. Although he may have some trouble consistently setting the edge against bigger, stronger offensive linemen at the next level, he does a very good job of closing down the line the meet the ball carrier as he’s entering the hole and has shown enough of an ability to stack and shed with his leverage and flexibility that shows the type of upside that he can bring here. In addition, Ingram is a high-motor defender who pursues the ball very well and has shown on numerous occasions the ability chase down the ball carrier in the open field. While not a punishing tackler, he’s capable of providing a pop on contact with a strong upper body to consistently bring the runner down. Although he doesn’t have a ton of experience dropping back into coverage because of how well he rushes the passer, Melvin has displayed the fluid athleticism needed to gain depth in his drops and keep his head on swivel.
Among the most talented players in the 2012 NFL Draft, Quinton Coples is a player whose on-field production has yet to meet the immense upside and potential that he brings to the next level. A two-year starter for North Carolina, Coples finished his career at Chapel Hill having produced 144 tackles, 40.5 tackles for loss, and 24 sacks; his most productive season came as a junior in 2010 when he tallied 59 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks. A player who has all the potential in the world but has yet to put
One of the top pass rushing prospects in this year’s draft who offers excellent versatility at the next level, Courtney Upshaw leaves Alabama after having been one of the most valuable players on the top-ranked Crimson Tide defense in 2011. A two-year starter for the Tide, Upshaw finished his career in Tuscaloosa having produced 141 tackles, 36.5 tackles for loss, 17.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, four pass breakups, and one interception; his best statistical season came his senior year in 2011 when he tallied 52 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and his lone interception. Lining up in Alabama’s “Jack” linebacker position, Courtney is experienced lining up both with his hand on the ground at end in a four-man front as well as playing outside linebacker in the Tide’s 3- 4 defense; he projects well to either position at the next level. An intimidating defender who plays with the type of tenacious and fiery attitude that I love to see out of a pass rushing prospect, Courtney is a relentless player who offers a non-stop motor; his persistence and motor as a pass rusher are what makes him such a good player. As a pass rusher, he offers the acceleration and speed off the ball needed to beat the tackle to the edge as well as the flexibility and fluid athleticism needed to redirect quickly in the open field. Although he doesn’t possess an elite burst or explosive get off that you see with some other top pass rushers, Upshaw’s ability to line up anywhere in the box and create pressure is what makes him so valuable. He’s displayed a unique ability to consistently beat the tackle to the edge before dipping his hips and lowering his shoulder to get underneath the tackle and turn the corner in pursuit of the quarterback. He also owns very good vision, quickly finding an open crease in the offensive line and accelerating through it with the agility to elude blockers as he chases down the quarterback. Although this is nitpicking, I’d like to see Courtney continue to develop his swim and rip moves in his pass rush repertoire, as this will allow for him to continue to improve as a pass rusher in the NFL. He’s got a great start, owning polished hand use with a very good swim move, however he has great potential here and still has room to improve. An instinctive defender who reads and reacts very well to what he sees in front of him, Courtney locates the ball very quickly outside, showing a great ability to close down the line to meet the running back as he’s entering the hole. He plays with great leverage out on the edge in the run game, displaying a consistent ability to give the offensive lineman a violent punch at the point of attacking before setting the edge against the offensive tackle. Upshaw cleanly disengages with great hand use, and has the fluid athleticism and flexibility to sink his hips and get around the blocker to meet the running back in the backfield. The fact that one out of every four tackles he made was behind the line of scrimmage shows the type of impact he makes in defending the run. Despite being smaller than any offensive lineman he goes up against, Courtney shows the type of leverage and flexible ability to bend underneath the offensive lineman with an arched back to consistently win the leverage battle at the point of attack. Terrific in pursuit with sideline-to sideline range, Courtney plays downhill and has repeatedly shown the ability to chase down ball carriers from behind. Despite weighing over 270 pounds, he offers outstanding speed and closing speed for a player of his size.
A talented former top recruit with great physical tools and athleticism, Nick Perry is a player who put everything together in 2011 to have a fine junior season before opting to make the jump to the NFL. A two-year starter for the Trojans, Perry produced 103 tackles, 29.5 tackles for loss, and 21.5 sacks over the course of his career; his best statistical season came in 2011 during his junior year when he made 54 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 9.5 sacks. A natural pass rusher with a true understanding of what it takes to get to the quarterback, Nick owns the combination of size, strength (35 reps on bench), and athleticism needed to start at the next level. Perry comes off the ball with more build-up speed than explosion, however he shows the ability to get up the field before bending down, dipping his shoulder, and beating the tackle to the outside. He’s shown that he can consistently pressure the edge, if not run the arc as a pass rusher, as he owns good range outside to cover ground quickly. Although he’s not a quick-twitch defender, he displays nice quickness and lateral agility to side-step the tackle and beat him to the outside, and shows the balance and coordination needed to change directions quickly in the open field. Nick shows enough of a pass rush repertoire to suggest that he is still developing here; he shows good hand use in being able to bat the offensive lineman’s hands down before attempting to rip through the line. He’ll need to continue to refine and work on his swim and rip moves, however he’s got a fine start here. A high motor player who offers great effort on every play, Perry does a great job of chasing the quarterback down once he’s penetrated the line of scrimmage and shows a nice burst to close in short areas. When in position to make the sack, he also does a great job of striking not only the quarterback, but also aiming to jar the ball loose, having forced five fumbles in the past two years. As a pass rusher, he plays with good leverage at the point of attack, displaying the type of flexibility needed to play underneath the opposing blocker. Nick does a very good job of getting his long arms (33 inches) up to obstruct passing lanes when he can’t get to the quarterback, having batted down six passes in the last two seasons. As a run defender, Nick shows the ability to extend out and set the edge, understanding how to play with proper leverage, however he’s still too inconsistent here and will need to develop better strength in his lower body in order to become more effective. He does a much better job of simply shedding the block off the snap and closing down the line quickly to tackle the running back as he’s entering the hole. If Perry changes positions to outside linebacker, he will have to learn to play in space better, where he looks lost most of the times.
One of the surprises of the 2011 season, Whitney Mercilus emerged out of nowhere as a junior in his first season as a starter to lead the country in sacks with 16 and win the Ted Hendricks Award as the best defensive end in the country. In his lone year as a starter, Mercilus produced 57 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, and also broke the Big Ten conference record for most fumbles forced in a season with nine; he finished his career at Illinois having produced 81 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 18 sacks, and two fumbles forced. Owning an ideal frame for the defensive end position, Whitney offers the athleticism and long arms (33 inches) that you look for. A high-motor pass rusher for the Illini, Mercilus racked up much of his production on second-and-third effort plays in which he pursued the quarterback and finally wrapped him up after closing on him. He does a great job of working through traffic and takes advantage of any open creases in the line and accelerates through it with ease. In addition, when closing in on the quarterback, Mercilus’ innate ability to target the quarterback’s arm to strip the ball away is very hard to find. While not an explosive presence up front , Whitney works up the field with his speed while showing enough flexibility to dip his hips, lower his shoulder and get underneath the offensive tackle to run the arc; he’s shown the ability to bend, however I wouldn’t call him a fluid or flexible athlete. Mercilus owns very quick feet with the agility, speed, and closing burst needed to swarm to the ball whenever he penetrates the line of scrimmage. He’s also a versatile presence up front with experience rushing the passer at both end and tackle, and should be able to translate that versatility to the next level. Whitney does not offer the polished hand use needed to be an effective pass rusher right away at the next level. He lacks the swim and rip moves that you look for, which will result in him getting up the field and staying blocked until either the quarterback runs to him or the play ends. He’s still a very green player who will need to continue to learn the nuances of the position and develop his instincts and awareness, as he doesn’t show the awareness that you look for and must develop a better anticipation of the snap count. Whitney simply seemed to be making plays off of his athleticism in college, not because he’s polished prospect, which certainly won’t fly at the next level. When he doesn’t manage to get to the quarterback, he does a nice job of getting his long arms in the air to attempt to block passing lanes, having batted two passes down in the past two seasons. Mercilus needs to play more disciplined when defending the run, as he doesn’t do a good enough job yet of setting the edge up front yet. Although he owns the long arms and upper body strength (27 reps on bench) needed to be effective here, he also needs to develop better lower body strength in order to anchor at the point of attack, set the edge, and not get flushed down-field away from the hole.
An intriguing defensive tackle prospect who offers outstanding versatility thanks to his rare combination of size, strength, and athleticism, Fletcher Cox is one of the most high-upside prospects in this year’s draft. A two-year starter at Mississippi State, Cox produced 107 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks throughout his career; his best statistical season came in 2011 during his junior year when he tallied 49 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks. Fletcher owns elite measurables for a defensive lineman, as he offers the height, length (34 inch arms), raw athleticism (4.79 40), and strength (30 reps on bench) needed to develop very quickly at the next level. He’s one of the most versatile defensive linemen in this year’s draft, as he has experience playing nearly
One of the most physically impressive players in this year’s draft, Dontari Poe offers teams a rare combination of size, strength, and athleticism for the defensive tackle position. A 2.5-year starter with 30 career starts at Memphis, Poe recorded a total of 101 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, and five sacks over the course of his career; his best statistical season came in 2010 during his sophomore year when he tallied 41 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks. A dancing bear whose immense size and light, nimble feet are extremely hard to find, Dontari is a disruptive presence who offers more untapped potential than almost any other player in this year’s draft. Off the ball, he flashes extremely impressive quickness, agility, and acceleration for a player of his size. His ability to change directions on a dime is something that I don’t think I’ve ever seen from a 350 pound athlete. When he’s on, he shows the ability to fight through blocks before closing down the line and crashing into the running back to stop him in his traps; he’s also shown the balance, coordination, and range needed to chase backs down in the backfield. Poe is well-versed in the art of taking on and shedding double teams at the point of attack and owns the lower body strength that you look for in a fire hydrant on the interior of the defensive line. Dontari is a flexible player who has shown the ability to dip his hips, stay low, and fire through the middle of the double team to penetrate the line of scrimmage. With his flexibility, he is capable of playing with outstanding leverage to the point that he can’t be moved off the ball at times. While he doesn’t have a ton of experience working in a two-gap scheme, he projects very well in this role, and with proper coaching, he has what it takes to develop into one of the best in the league here. Poe’s strength (500 pound bench, 700 pound squat, 400 pound clean) is incredible, which was shown at the Combine where he posted the top performance of any player in attendance in the bench press when he threw up 44 reps of 225 pounds. Poe’s upper body strength allows for him to collapse the pocket with ease; he was frequently double teamed at Memphis, as he had little trouble fighting through a single block. When he doesn’t manage to fight his way into the backfield, Poe does a nice job of getting his hands up to obstruct passing lanes, having batted down two passes at the line this past season. For as much as there is to like about Dontari, there are just as many reasons to hesitate. He’s a very raw player whose technique is underdeveloped and will need plenty of patience as he transitions to the next level.
A strong, powerful interior defensive lineman for LSU, Michael Brockers is an intriguing, high-upside underclassman with plenty of untapped potential as he heads to the NFL. A one-year starter with 14 career starts for the Tigers, Brockers produced 72 tackles, 10.5 tackles, and two sacks in his two years he played on LSU’s defense; his best statistical season came during his sophomore year when he was starting, as he tallied 47 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and his two sacks. Owning an elite combination of size, strength, and athleticism for the defensive tackle position, Michael owns very long arms (35 inches) with the mass, power, and athleticism needed to develop quickly at the next level. A raw prospect with immense upside, Michael presents intriguing versatility to in both the 3-4 and 4-3 defenses in the NFL, as he has experienced lining up as a one, two, and three-technique while playing at LSU. As a run defender, Brockers delivers a violent blow to the offensive lineman at the point of attack off the ball and has proven to be capable of penetrating the line of scrimmage by simply using his powerful upper body strength to push the blocker backwards into the backfield. With the length that he possesses, Michael has shown flashes of being able to extend out, control the blocker at the point of attack, before shucking him to the side to grab ahold of the running back as he’s entering the hole; however, he’s very inconsistent here and must develop better technique in the run game. He owns the lower body strength needed to be an effective anchor in the NFL, however he tends to let his pad level rise and get pushed backwards when he loses the leverage battle; the upside is there with his size and strength, but must develop better technique at the point of attack. Michael simply plays too wild at times with little awareness or discipline, which is something that must improve when he lands at the next level and begins to work with his position coach on understanding the game and further learning the nuances of the position. Brockers is a streaky player who doesn’t yet understand how to get small and rip through underneath to beat a double team; he can be neutralized when he gets two blocks on him. However, as you would expect from a young, talented player, he did get better as his sophomore season went on.
The Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2011, Devon Still enters the NFL after having finally emerged during his senior season as one of the most disruptive defensive linemen in the country for Penn State. A two-year starter for the Nittany Lions, Still produced 55 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks in his standout season during his senior year; over the course of his career at Penn State, Still accumulated 113 tackles, 32.5 tackles for loss, and 10.5 sacks. Devon offers the leadership and intangibles that coaches and scouts look for in a player, having been a team captain at Penn State. Built well with tall height, a thick upper body, and the long arms (33 inches) that you look for, Devon has an ideal combination of size, strength, and athleticism for the position at the next level. An active defender in the run game who understands how to penetrate and create disruption, Still excels as a one-gap penetrator where he displays the type of quickness and explosion in short areas that I look for at the position. Because of this quickness off the ball, he’s proven to be very effective on slants and stunts on the defensive line. Inside, he has displayed enough of an ability to change directions quickly that he can effectively maneuver his way through small creases in the line. When given the chance to make the tackle, Still does a nice job of wrapping the ball carrier up and bringing him down with a thud. With a nice burst off the ball, Devon delivers a strong punch at the point of attack to the opposing offensive lineman. Owning the power and strength (26 reps on bench) to push his way into the backfield, Devon does a better job of getting up the field as a run defender than he does of taking on defenders and playing stout at the point of attack. He has a big frame to eat up space on the interior in the run game, however he’s inconsistent as an anchor. Devon’s pad level is inconsistent; there are plays when he will fire low off the ball and play with great leverage inside, however there are also times when his tall height will get the best of him and he will let his pads rise and give the offensive lineman a chance to drive him backwards. This is something that he must correct at the next level, otherwise he will be driven out of the play too frequently in the NFL. Still’s love for football and motor is also something that is inconsistent; he flashes the playmaking ability of a first round pick, however those come too inconsistently in my opinion.
Coming into the 2011 season, most scouts held a first round grade on Michigan State’s Jerel Worthy because of the talent, immense upside, and disruptive style of play that he brought to the table. One of the most talented defensive linemen in this year’s draft, Worthy is an extremely inconsistent player whose motor runs hot and cold, and simply plays when he wants to play. A three-year starter with 38 career starts for the Spartans, Jerel produced 107 tackles, 27.5 tackles for loss, and 12 sacks throughout his career in East Lansing; the most productive season of his career came in 2010 during his sophomore year when he tallied 40 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and four sacks. Well-built with a very thick frame and great bulk for the position, Worthy has the long arms (33 inches) that you look for in addition to owning great natural strength. When his motor is running strong, Jerel can be as disruptive as any defensive tackle in the country, displaying good quickness off the ball with a violent punch at the point of attack. He has the strength and raw power to physically push the offensive lineman right off the ball and bullrush his way into the backfield. Worthy’s hand use is excellent, doing a great job of fighting off of blockers while displaying a pass rush repertoire that is far more advanced than you’d expect to see from an underclassman. He offers an impressive swim move to play over the top of smaller defensive linemen while also possessing a rip move needed to split the crease in the line and penetrate the line of scrimmage. After disengaging from the blocker, Jerel locates the ball quickly in the backfield and has proven to be a punishing tackler capable of crashing down on the ball carrier or quarterback and driving them into the ground. When he isn’t able to work his way into the backfield, Worthy does a nice job of getting his hands up to block passing lanes, having batted six passes down at the line of scrimmage in the past three years. In the run game, he does a great job even when still engaged with the offensive lineman to extend one arm out, grab ahold of the runner with his great strength, and drag the ball carrier to the ground before he can accelerate through the hole. Jerel’s short-area explosion is outstanding; he’s displayed the ability to cross the face of the offensive lineman and win the leverage battle at the line of scrimmage. Even when he doesn’t make the play, his disruption in the backfield often breaks up the offensive play and allows for one of his teammates to swarm to the ball. Jerel is one of the most frustrating players in the country to scout because of the way that he underachieved this season. He consistently takes plays off and his motor is either on or off; it’s as if he flips a switch when he wants to play, and that switch gets flipped too frequently. Worthy plays too wild without proper awareness and will not be one to ever chase down running backs on the perimeter. He understands leverage and how to play with proper positioning, however he does it too inconsistently and must improve on this in order to be a successful pro.
Trent Richardson is the most complete running back prospect to enter the NFL since Adrian Peterson (who was selected seventh overall in 2007 by the Vikings). Trent Richardson is a classic workhorse back who put Alabama’s offense on his shoulders in leading the Crimson Tide to a National Championship season in 2011. The Doak Walker Award winner as the best running back in college football, Richardson is only a one year starter after splitting time with Mark Ingram during the first two years of his career. Owning rare strength for the running back position (475 pound bench, 650 pound squat, 365 pound clean), Trent is built like a bulldog, who is a thick, powerful running back with Redwood tree trunks for legs and an ideal combination of size, strength, and speed for the position. A workhorse back capable of shouldering the load in the run game, Richardson is one of the best between-the-tackles runners to enter the NFL in the past five years. He displays rare patience to wait for his blocks to develop while staying at full steam in order to accelerate through the hole the second that it opens up. Richardson is a true “bell cow back” who owns the power and strength needed to run through tackles with ease; he does a fabulous job of running behind his pads, and with his center of gravity and pad level, he’s almost always the lowest man at the point of contact with the defender. Trent has natural vision down the field, finding open cutback lanes with ease while owning the burst and acceleration needed to hit it consistently. He’s shown the ability to stick his foot in the ground and cut up the field or bounce the run to the outside after reaching the second level. A versatile all-purpose athlete capable of running, catching, and returning, Richardson brought a complete package of tools to Alabama. A natural receiver out of the backfield, Trent caught 68 passes for 730 yards and seven touchdowns over the course of his career.
One of the most complete running backs available in this year’s draft, Doug Martin leaves Boise State after having been a valuable weapon on offense for the Broncos. A two-year starter in Boise, Martin finished his career having rushed for 3,435 yards and 43 touchdowns on 616 carries, good for a 5.6-yards per carry average; his best statistical season came as a senior in 2011 when he produced 1,299 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns on 263 carries (4.9-yards per carry). A compact, downhill runner with a terrific combination of strength, agility, and quickness to take the ball the distance from 30 anywhere on the field, Martin has a habit of making defenders miss once he reaches the second level and is given room to work with in the open field. A patient runner with very good vision through the hole, Doug’s decisive running style and fantastic cutback ability are reasons why he has been a very hard player for opposing defenses to bring down. In addition to providing the shiftiness and elusiveness to make a defender miss in the open field, Martin runs low to the ground with good leg drive, and when you combine that with his great strength and balance as a runner, he’s proven that he can also run through defenders at the second and third levels. A very good yards-after-contact back who does not go down easily, Doug does a good job of running behind his pads and turns into a tough, powerful back through the hole once he reaches his top speed as quickly as does. His explosion and burst through the hole and down the field is excellent and I love his ability to stop and start on a dime when redirecting at the second level. Although not elite, Doug has shown that he has more than enough speed to beat a defense as a home run threat. What makes Martin such a complete back is his reliability as a pass blocker as well as when he’s catching the ball out of the backfield. He’s polished as a blocker with the overall strength to consistently take on and neutralize defenders at the point of attack. Having caught 67 passes for 709 yards and four touchdowns throughout his career at Boise State, Doug has displayed the soft, dependable hands needed to be a terrific check down or safety net.
Emerging at the national level in 2011, Lamar Miller took advantage of being handed the starting job and ran with it at Miami (FL). A one-year starter with just 13 career starts for the Hurricanes, Miller rushed for 1,272 yards and nine touchdowns on 227 carries (5.6 yards-per-carry) during his redshirt sophomore season; he finished his career at Miami having carried the ball 335 times for 1,918 yards and 15 touchdowns. A downhill, one-cut back with the agility needed to stick his foot in the ground and make a defender miss, Lamar owns the straight-line speed needed to take it the distance any time he touches it. Owning a fine frame for the position, Miller will need to continue to add weight and get stronger at the next level. With very quick feet to and through the hole, Lamar offers very good acceleration upon reaching an opening and shows the burst needed to pick up speed and run away from a defense. Between the tackles, he offers enough bulk needed to bounce off of tacklers, however not enough to physically run through them with power; he runs more upright than you’d prefer, not doing a good enough job yet of running behind his pads at the point of contact. Lamar shows the quickness at the second level needed to make a defender miss with one cut to get the ball outside and into the open field. Miller owns the explosion that you look for in short areas, making him a very difficult player to bring down for just one defender, as he’s more than capable of either evading or sliding off the tackle. He’s not quite a quick-twitch back who will make defenders miss on a consistent basis, but has the type of light feet where it comes natural to him to change speeds without hesitation to create separation.
When Ryan Williams and Darren Evans both declared for the 2011 NFL Draft, many expected David Wilson to come in and be a fine replacement, however not many could have expected him to rush for 1,709 yards and nine touchdowns on 290 carries (5.9-yards per carry) as well as being named the ACC Player of the Year in his first season as the Hokies’ starter in 2011. That standout season resulted in a one-and-done situation in which Wilson opted to declare for the draft himself, making it three Hokie backs in two years to enter the NFL. Over the course of his three-year career at Virginia Tech, David rushed for a total of 2,662 yards and 18 touchdowns on 462 carries (5.8-yards per carry). One of the top all-around athletes in the country at any position, Wilson proved in 2011 to be one of the most elusive backs in college football, capable of sticking his foot in the ground and getting up the field very quickly. An explosive and agile runner with great vision, David has very light, nimble feet with excellent quickness to find the hole and pick his way through it; he does a great job of tip toeing his way through traffic with good patience while also showing the suddenness, acceleration, and burst needed to dart in and out of holes in the open field. Wilson’s explosiveness was more than evident at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis where he had a standout performance (41 inch vertical, 11 foot broad jump) which has helped his draft stock. Wilson is a far more effective runner in the open field than between the tackles, David is an effective east/west runner who gets outside to the perimeter quickly on stretches and sweeps and has proven to be a dangerous threat in the open field who is very difficult for defenses to contain. He’s a very balanced runner who has shown on numerous occasions that he has the skills needed to create on his own. Between the tackles, Wilson does a fine job of following his blocks through the hole before sticking his foot in the ground to cut outside once he reaches the second level; he has little trouble side-stepping linebackers in the hole and offers the fluid athleticism and flexibility needed to redirect on a dime to take a different angle down the field.
The second-leading rusher in Washington school history, Polk proved to be a bell cow for the Husky offense throughout his career, finishing his four-year stay with 4,049 yards and 26 touchdowns on 799 carries (5.1-yards per carry); his most productive season came as a senior in 2011 when he carried the ball 293 times for 1,488 yards and 12 touchdowns (5.1-yards per carry). A workhorse back capable of carrying the full load in the run game, Polk offers an excellent combination of size, strength, balance, and speed for the position. In the last three years, Chris has 20 games where he carried the ball 20+ times, including 10 as a senior in 2011; his ability to shoulder the load in the run game and allow for his offense to run him into the ground and still gain production is something that I really like about him. He’s a dependable and reliable back who his team could lean on when they needed to pick up yardage. Chris is a north/south runner who possesses enough shiftiness and agility to make a defense respect his ability to make defenders miss. Although not very explosive or quick, he’s an agile player with light enough feet to tiptoe his way through traffic and make a cut to elude a defender. A big yards-after-contact back who runs with power, Polk is capable of running through arm tackles at the second level when given the chance to gain momentum with an open hole. He’s not one that owns the quick-twitch ability to create on his own in the backfield, however when he has the opportunity to hit a hole, he does so with good acceleration, giving himself the chance to bounce off of defenders down the field. I also like the fact that he churns his legs to pick up extra yardage after contact; it’s almost rare when one defender brings him down by himself, often needing swarming teammates to assist with the tackle. Chris is a very patient runner who consistently waits for his blocks to develop up front before entering the hole; there are times when he’s almost too hesitant, which will result in him being caught behind the line or being stonewalled at the line of scrimmage. One of the most underrated parts of Polk’s overall game is his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. A natural receiver with soft hands, Chris hauled in a total of 79 passes for 683 yards and four touchdowns throughout his career with the Huskies. (Note: I have watched play since he was in High School at Redlands East Valley HS in Redlands, California)
