10/3/15 CFB Scouting Notes

[Defjamz26]

I figured that since I'm home all day on some Saturday's and I watch a couple of games, I'd make a short write up on some well known prospects in the games I watched. I might try and make this a weekly thing. But here goes:

1. Alabama vs. Georgia

A'Shawn Robinson- I had heard that he was a first round prospect, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. After the game I came away thinking that he's simply a product of the system. Alabama has a lot of big bodies that they rotate in on that line. While he did make a number of plays, when he had to come out to rest, the replacements were just as good and made the same type of plays. He pushed and collapsed the pocket several times but I don't think he's special. Second round guy IMO

Reggie Ragland- When I saw how high he was ranked before the season started, I thought "Another over-hyped Alabama defensive player". Happy to say I was proven wrong Saturday. While he isn't the playmaker that C.J. Mosely was coming out, Ragland is a good LB that understands coverage assignments really well. He was all over the field for them, and made solid tackles. He can go sideline to sideline with ease. The worst play he had was later in the game when Bama had the lead firmly in hand. He was mostly responsible for Chubbs 83 yard TD run because he didn't fill his gap. But I think it was just the defense taking their foot off the gas because they were ready to go.

IDK about first round because it's rare for ILBs to go that high, although there is usually at least 1 every year. But If he doesn't go round 1, Ragland is a high Day 2 pick. Teams like Greenbay and the Colts should have their eyes on him

On the Georgia side:

Leonard Floyd and Jordan Jenkins- I'll do them as a pair since they basically play the same position. Not the best outing by these 2 stud edge players who are the leaders of that Georgia D. Floyd had a rough day. For starters he was dropped into coverage a lot, which says a lot about his athleticism, but he gave up yards when he was asked to cover. He also struggled getting to the QB except for like 2 plays. I've heard he's playing at 235 and it looks like that on field. He's very light for a rush OLB and clearly lacks functional strength. He also can't hold up against the run. I'm still high on him because he flashes elite potential, but as an NFL prospect he's definitely a "project". I would still take him in round 1 though. The Raiders and 49ers should be interested.

Jenkins on the other hand, looked a lot better. Not his best game either but he really showed what he can do. I'm not sure he's as an explosive pass rusher as Floyd but he's equally as talented overall. I thought he played well against the run, and set the edge nicely. He was all over the field, tracking the ball carrier. There were a few times where he got caught up in the traffic though, and was taken out of the play. But he showed hustle and patience when it comes to pressuring the QB. He continues to work. I would say that right now he's more pro ready than Floyd. I think Jenkins can start at SAM in a 3-4. Colts should look at him hard as a guy who can make up for the Werner pick.

2. MSU vs Purdue

Connor Cook- I get why people are excited about Goff, but Cook is being overlooked because of stats. He played a better game this week but demonstrated the ability to stay calm and not give the game away when it's close. Also showed better accuracy by going on a 7-8 streak of consecutive caught passes. I really hate to use wins as a stat when evaluating QBs at any level but Cook has only lost 3 games in his career and you can see why. His intangibles are outstanding and he has an innate feel for the game. He's a natural leader and a winner. I know the Bears are high on Goff, but they shouldn't count out Cook. Neither should the Redskins or Texans. Heck, the Saints should be interested too.

Shalique Calhoun, DE- His arrow is pointing down for me. You want to like him so bad because there was talk of him being a top 5 pick in 2015, but his play just continues to go downhill. While his physical attributes and potential scream game wrecker, he just doesn't make any plays out there. From what I see he has a very questionable motor. There are several plays where he looks like he's not even trying. And a guy like him should dominate against Purdue. Everyone seems to think he's a sure fire first round pick to play 4-3 end or 3-4 OLB but If his play doesn't improve, I see him as a second round guy due to lack of production.

3. Ole Miss vs Florida

Robert Nkedimche DE/DT- Has to be his quietest game of the season. He really didn't make any impact plays, and looked really gassed that first half, although credit to Florida's offense who was rolling.

Laquan Treadwell WR- For the first time in years, the WR class doesn't look deep. But Treadwell is at the front of this class. But blame for this game goes on the QB and coaching staff for not getting him the ball enough. Early on he caught whatever they did throw to him.

One of the most impressive plays I saw the whole game was when Kelly threw a ball that should've been intercepted but Treadwell absolutely just plucked the ball from the defender, which is what he does. I know Hargreaves was on him but he was open more than it seemed. He's a 1st round prospect though that a team like the Saints should keep an eye on. He's a physical playmaker.

Vernon Hargreaves III, CB- He's struggled in recent weeks and I thought he played solid but the Rebels didn't do enough to get Treadwell the ball as mentioned above so he got saved IMO. He had a pretty good interception though and shows good quickness. Possibly a top 15 draft pick.

That's all for now. Those are the guys who stuck out in the games I watched. I saw highlights of others but wanted to give insightful opinions on 4 quarters of play. Thanks to whoever read.

[Yoshinator]

I figured that since I'm home all day on some Saturday's and I watch a couple of games, I'd make a short write up on some well known prospects in the games I watched. I might try and make this a weekly thing. But here goes:

1. Alabama vs. Georgia

A'Shawn Robinson- I had heard that he was a first round prospect, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. After the game I came away thinking that he's simply a product of the system. Alabama has a lot of big bodies that they rotate in on that line. While he did make a number of plays, when he had to come out to rest, the replacements were just as good and made the same type of plays. He pushed and collapsed the pocket several times but I don't think he's special. Second round guy IMO

Reggie Ragland- When I saw how high he was ranked before the season started, I thought "Another over-hyped Alabama defensive player". Happy to say I was proven wrong Saturday. While he isn't the playmaker that C.J. Mosely was coming out, Ragland is a good LB that understands coverage assignments really well. He was all over the field for them, and made solid tackles. He can go sideline to sideline with ease. The worst play he had was later in the game when Bama had the lead firmly in hand. He was mostly responsible for Chubbs 83 yard TD run because he didn't fill his gap. But I think it was just the defense taking their foot off the gas because they were ready to go.

IDK about first round because it's rare for ILBs to go that high, although there is usually at least 1 every year. But If he doesn't go round 1, Ragland is a high Day 2 pick. Teams like Greenbay and the Colts should have their eyes on him

On the Georgia side:

Leonard Floyd and Jordan Jenkins- I'll do them as a pair since they basically play the same position. Not the best outing by these 2 stud edge players who are the leaders of that Georgia D. Floyd had a rough day. For starters he was dropped into coverage a lot, which says a lot about his athleticism, but he gave up yards when he was asked to cover. He also struggled getting to the QB except for like 2 plays. I've heard he's playing at 235 and it looks like that on field. He's very light for a rush OLB and clearly lacks functional strength. He also can't hold up against the run. I'm still high on him because he flashes elite potential, but as an NFL prospect he's definitely a "project". I would still take him in round 1 though. The Raiders and 49ers should be interested.

Jenkins on the other hand, looked a lot better. Not his best game either but he really showed what he can do. I'm not sure he's as an explosive pass rusher as Floyd but he's equally as talented overall. I thought he played well against the run, and set the edge nicely. He was all over the field, tracking the ball carrier. There were a few times where he got caught up in the traffic though, and was taken out of the play. But he showed hustle and patience when it comes to pressuring the QB. He continues to work. I would say that right now he's more pro ready than Floyd. I think Jenkins can start at SAM in a 3-4. Colts should look at him hard as a guy who can make up for the Werner pick.

2. MSU vs Purdue

Connor Cook- I get why people are excited about Goff, but Cook is being overlooked because of stats. He played a better game this week but demonstrated the ability to stay calm and not give the game away when it's close. Also showed better accuracy by going on a 7-8 streak of consecutive caught passes. I really hate to use wins as a stat when evaluating QBs at any level but Cook has only lost 3 games in his career and you can see why. His intangibles are outstanding and he has an innate feel for the game. He's a natural leader and a winner. I know the Bears are high on Goff, but they shouldn't count out Cook. Neither should the Redskins or Texans. Heck, the Saints should be interested too.

Shalique Calhoun, DE- His arrow is pointing down for me. You want to like him so bad because there was talk of him being a top 5 pick in 2015, but his play just continues to go downhill. While his physical attributes and potential scream game wrecker, he just doesn't make any plays out there. From what I see he has a very questionable motor. There are several plays where he looks like he's not even trying. And a guy like him should dominate against Purdue. Everyone seems to think he's a sure fire first round pick to play 4-3 end or 3-4 OLB but If his play doesn't improve, I see him as a second round guy due to lack of production.

3. Ole Miss vs Florida

Robert Nkedimche DE/DT- Has to be his quietest game of the season. He really didn't make any impact plays, and looked really gassed that first half, although credit to Florida's offense who was rolling.

Laquan Treadwell WR- For the first time in years, the WR class doesn't look deep. But Treadwell is at the front of this class. But blame for this game goes on the QB and coaching staff for not getting him the ball enough. Early on he caught whatever they did throw to him.

One of the most impressive plays I saw the whole game was when Kelly threw a ball that should've been intercepted but Treadwell absolutely just plucked the ball from the defender, which is what he does. I know Hargreaves was on him but he was open more than it seemed. He's a 1st round prospect though that a team like the Saints should keep an eye on. He's a physical playmaker.

Vernon Hargreaves III, CB- He's struggled in recent weeks and I thought he played solid but the Rebels didn't do enough to get Treadwell the ball as mentioned above so he got saved IMO. He had a pretty good interception though and shows good quickness. Possibly a top 15 draft pick.

That's all for now. Those are the guys who stuck out in the games I watched. I saw highlights of others but wanted to give insightful opinions on 4 quarters of play. Thanks to whoever read.

Appreciate the well-thought out analysis. It seems like a lot of these guys are struggling early on. Kind of a disappointment to hear that about Leonard Floyd, as I was really high on him, but you have kinda taken the wind out of my sails as far as he goes, lol. Hearing about about these guys struggle (a good amount of them being 1st rounders), it makes me want to take an O-Lineman even more in the 1st round. Not sure how this year will go, but we may have our choice come next year's draft. Thanks for the write up, and I hope you do one every week!

[Defjamz26]

Appreciate the well-thought out analysis. It seems like a lot of these guys are struggling early on. Kind of a disappointment to hear that about Leonard Floyd, as I was really high on him, but you have kinda taken the wind out of my sails as far as he goes, lol. Hearing about about these guys struggle (a good amount of them being 1st rounders), it makes me want to take an O-Lineman even more in the 1st round. Not sure how this year will go, but we may have our choice come next year's draft. Thanks for the write up, and I hope you do one every week!

It's not that Floyd isn't good, it's just he's really raw. I think it'll take 1-2 seasons in the NFL before he breaks out. The big thing is the weight though. I expect him to bulk up for the combine but the team that drafts him might want him at 250-260. Then you have to see how he handles the new weight. Does he lose any speed off the edge? Still a first round pick for me but don't expect him to dominate year 1.

And the OL talent looks really good. There 4 top OTs ( Stanley, Tunsil if he gets cleared, Conklin, and Decker) and some promising guards (Alexander, Whitehair, Elfein,etc..). OL should be a target for the Colts round 2 because this year the defensive talent in round 1 isn't as deep. Deep LB and safety groups but only 1-2 legit 1st round guys there for me. And there's been a lot of injuries.

[OffensivelyPC]

It's not that Floyd isn't good, it's just he's really raw. I think it'll take 1-2 seasons in the NFL before he breaks out. The big thing is the weight though. I expect him to bulk up for the combine but the team that drafts him might want him at 250-260. Then you have to see how he handles the new weight. Does he lose any speed off the edge? Still a first round pick for me but don't expect him to dominate year 1.

Sounds a little like Ezekiel Ansah (should your assessment prove true).  Ansah was decent in his first two years.  He was better than other 4-3 DEs and 3-4 OLBs to come out of the 2013 draft class, but he's really started to dominate in his 3rd year.  He's on pace to get the same number of sacks in his first two years combined in the NFL.  I've always really liked the guy and followed him since he was drafted (I guess I kinda liked his story), so I was happy to see that he's starting to put himself in the upper class of edge rushers.

[Defjamz26]

Sounds a little like Ezekiel Ansah (should your assessment prove true). Ansah was decent in his first two years. He was better than other 4-3 DEs and 3-4 OLBs to come out of the 2013 draft class, but he's really started to dominate in his 3rd year. He's on pace to get the same number of sacks in his first two years combined in the NFL. I've always really liked the guy and followed him since he was drafted (I guess I kinda liked his story), so I was happy to see that he's starting to put himself in the upper class of edge rushers.

Ansah was raw because h actually hadn't played that much football. That's why he took a while to break out. Floyd is raw physically. He's played a lot of football but he's just under developed. Extremely light frame and doesn't have much "technique " yet.

He's like a really raw Aldon Smith without the off the field issues. He might be more explosive though, which is scary. The team that bulks him up and teaches him some pass rush moves is going to have a yearly double digit sack guy. Like with Ansah.