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Preseason 2013 Defensive End Watch List

Discussion in 'NFL Draft Forum' started by ckparrothead, May 16, 2012.

  1. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    The following are all based on tape viewing. I haven't reached the point of background checks, stat gathering, analysis of size and speed metrics, all that jazz. I'm just going off what I saw of these players on tape.

    1. DE Bjoern Werner, Florida State
    Comment: Underrated, probably because of German heritage and newness to the sport, which gives him a reputation for being "raw". I don't care what his back story is, watch him play football and he's a man amongst boys. He combines the kind of consistent gap control ability I saw out of Ryan Kerrigan with J.J. Watt type ball skills (tipped balls, even an interception) and the ability to explode off the line, get under a tackle's pads, and bend the arc. He had the only sack underrated Oklahoma tackle Donald Stephenson allowed in all of 2011. Long arms, great frame, powerful, fast, you name it, he has it. Fluid hands for neutralizing the hands of offensive tackles. There's definitely some rawness there but he's only a sophomore and from what I have seen the sky is the limit. He'll need to develop a little more endurance.

    2. DE/OLB James Gayle, Virginia Tech
    Comment: I never, ever, ever make this comparison. I can't even recall the last time I made it. However, this guy's style, not necessarily skill level, reminds me of Jason Taylor. I don't know his exact measurements, nor what his athletic measurements will end up, nor even his stats. This is all based on tape. He has great take-off ability, good counters, a deadly inside move, the ability to bend the arc, speed, and perhaps most importantly the ability to achieve all of this, including his take-off, either from an up or down position. Another guy with long arms that really avail him in pass rush.

    3a. OLB/DE Barkevious Mingo, LSU
    Comment: By the time all is said and done, he may be the guy that rises to the top of the Draft at this position, but that doesn't mean he'll be the best in the NFL. I still rank the other two above him just because they strike me as better than him right now. His power and strength just really are not going to impress you at all, unlike some of the other guys on this list. However, what is going to get you consistently, is the fact that he moves like he's controlled by a joystick. There are some pretty good players on that defensive line and his movement skills put them to shame. He consistently gets off the snap quickest. He's not weak, he's actually pretty feisty and physical, and does a good job keeping his feet churning through contact. You don't see him losing a lot of strength matches. But you don't see him pushing through as much as you'd like when it comes to strength. Still, the potential is massive.

    3b. OLB Jarvis Jones, Georgia
    Comment: There's a part of me that actually wants to rate Jarvis above Barkevious Mingo because he's more fluid in his combination of hand and feet movements, a little more violent with his hands and quicker to get into dangerous counters which leave blockers grasping at air. However, there's something to be said for the dirty 'p' word, potential. Jones is a lot smaller than Mingo and so Mingo's ceiling is probably higher. That doesn't keep Jarvis from ending up a damn good player, though. He's also not quite as quick off the ball as Mingo and one reason I wouldn't have him above Gayle is because I think Gayle is a more dangerous pass rusher from an up position, gets off the ball and into his speed rush better.

    5. DE/OLB Alex Okafor, Texas
    Comment: Okafor is clearly the better pass rusher on his defense compared with Jackson Jeffcoat. It is not even close. He does not rate as high as the guys above him because I don't think he moves quite as quickly off the ball as the guys above. However, he does consistently show the ability to bend the arc and get underneath the blocker to come back to the quarterback, and he's also more polished than some of these guys and has a full array of moves. I like him.

    6. DE William Gholston, Michigan State
    Comment: I have seen suggestions that Gholston is overrated. I would like to see another year before I come to that conclusion because what I see of him is an extremely well built, brutishly strong player with explosive qualities. When he gets to the ball, he swallows it and he's a mean S.O.B. He is not a guy that consistently bends the outside, which is why I don't have him higher right now, but he can get to the quarterback through an array of moves and he's always a pain in the butt for whoever tries to block him.

    7. DE/OLB Cory Lemonier, Auburn
    Comment: Lemonier is built like a Ferrari. Great length and frame, really good take-off from the snap, hands connect well and shed, strong player that can get off blocks and make plays. The reason he's not rated better is he consistently paddle steps around the edge and can't really bend and get under a blocker to execute a proper edge rush. It could be something that develops.

    8. DE Sam Montgomery, LSU
    Comment: There are times you're watching Sam Montgomery and he is showing you the things that Barkevious Mingo is missing, and then there are times you're watching Barkevious Mingo and seeing the things Sam Montgomery is missing. He doesn't rate higher because he's consistently slow off the snap before he gets into his rush. He explodes in bursts, but he takes a while to gather himself before he explodes into his second and third bursts. He does not have great balance and I didn't see him consistently bend the arc. There are elite qualities to his game, the dangerous 'p' word, however he's in MUCH more danger of ending up "just a guy" than a Barkevious Mingo, who will always possess that god-given Cam Wake type joystick movement and explosiveness.

    9. DE/OLB Brandon Jenkins, Florida State
    Comment: Jenkins has pretty good take-off ability and his 2nd and 3rd steps don't let him down, so he has the ability to pass rush around the edge. He is not consistently strong and flexible bending the arc when challenged heavily, however. His natural athleticism helps him make hustle plays, but then you don't really see him hustling so it's kind of one step forward, one step back. His speed might be overrated. Hand use is definitely very inconsistent. Shows timely play recognition and gives good strong effort when blocked for the run game. He just doesn't hustle to the ball as well as you'd hope when the play goes by and he's not blocked any more. Good spin move.

    10. DE/DT Margus Hunt, Southern Methodist
    Comment: Margus is an incredible athlete with ridiculous size, speed, strength and explosiveness elements. The problem is, what do you do with him? He's blocked more kicks than I've ever even heard of but on the field you're wondering if he's sort of a poor man's Jared Odrick. He's not nearly flexible enough in my opinion to pass rush from the edge of the formation when you need pass rush. You will have to reduce him inside to rush the passer over a guard. That leaves you putting him at end on first and second down primarily as a run stopper, where he's not all that instinctive or impactful. It's like trying to put together a puzzle with a missing piece.

    11. DE Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas
    Comment: I'm given the impression from some of my fellow draftniks that I'm supposed to actually like Jackson Jeffcoat, but I'm really not sure why. I don't know his stats but I am sure he has collected some sacks off the good work that Alex Okafor and some others on the Texas defensive line (including our own Kheeston Randall) did for him. He reminds me a little bit of a cross between this year's Boise State defensive end Tyrone Crawford, and the old Arizona pass rusher Ricky Elmore. Actually scratch the Crawford comparison, he mainly reminds me of Elmore, which isn't a good thing. He has some athletic ability and some take-off from the line, but he doesn't put together the full package and was in my opinion conisistenty shown up by his teammate Okafor.

    12. DE Michael Buchanan, Illinois
    Comment: I am also given the impression that I am supposed to like Whitney Mercilus' linemate, Michael Buchanan. Maybe it's the scheme because I did not like Mercilus and I sure do not like Buchanan. He has some movement ability and he is built nicely, however I found that he doesn't really earn anything he does. He's just too easily blocked. Not enough speed, not enough explosion, not enough physicality, not enough flexibility. The reality is I probably would not even have him ranked in the top 12 by draft day, however I am given the impression he is supposed to be a top prospect, and so I felt I should address him.
     
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  2. BlameItOnTheHenne

    BlameItOnTheHenne Taking a poop

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    Davie
    I don't care how good this guy is, I want him on name alone.
     
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  3. RoninFin4

    RoninFin4 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    I like Alex Okafor. I wonder if Miami would be high in the pass-rusher market next year; probably depends on what they've got in Olivier Vernon.
     
  4. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    All I know is that while I have to scour tape of Vernon to find the instances of pass rush that give me hope, I watch half of these guys play and I'm like overwhelmed by all the pass rush.

    I have hopes for Vernon but I don know if he'll ever be a great pass rusher.
     
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  5. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    I like Okafor a lot too by the way. This time next year I could see all of the top seven ending up in the 1st round.
     
  6. UCF FINatic

    UCF FINatic The Miami Dolphins select

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    Werner is just so fun to watch out there. To me he always seems a bit unorthodox, but he is always around the ball making plays.
     
  7. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    He's fun to watch not just because he's always around the ball but because he's always dominating. That's what I look for in defensive linemen. I'm not results oriented (did you get to the ball or didn't you). I just want to see you win. He wins all the time.
     
  8. PhinsRDbest

    PhinsRDbest Transform and Transcend

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    the next dimension
    Well the Giants have shown us that you can never have enough pass rushers. CK no fan of Devin Taylor?
     
  9. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    My honest opinion? No. Not as big a fan as some.

    I think he can play at the next level, but he's going to have to learn to be a great run defender because I doubt he's ever going to be a good pass rusher. Once you get that label, you're kind of dead in the water because teams will always be looking for great pass rushers. He's very big and built like a hulking, lengthy defensive end, reminds me of Malik Jackson in his build. However, he's got a bad first step off the snap, no way around that. It's not explosive at all. He builds up his speed on the speed rush with his second, third and fourth steps, which are all very choppy and short. He's got an upright body orientation as he does this, which makes him a very big target and highly susceptible to punches that can send him reeling despite his size. I've seen him get the outside shoulder and successfully execute the outside rush, however I usually feel this is more the result of negligence on the part of the guy blocking him rather than Taylor's own ability. He's not a very flexible player. He's not very quick twitch. Ultimately, nobody is ever going to accuse him of being a fast guy.

    He does sort of remind me of Malik Jackson and that's a good thing, but Malik had some things working in his favor that this guy hasn't shown me YET. That could change. I felt like Malik could have easily gone in the 3rd round and I think that Devin Taylor could top out around that, but is more likely for the 4th or 5th round.
     
  10. RoninFin4

    RoninFin4 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Thinking he's more akin to Koa Misi 2.0?
     
  11. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    More of a defensive lineman than Koa Misi, who was more of a blitzer.
     
  12. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Some more players that I really like, at other positions:

    Quarterback
    I think when all is said and done, Logan Thomas is the #1 quarterback in the 2013 NFL Draft. Whether he goes #1 overall is a matter of which team ends up picking there, and whether or not they botch their leverage in trade negotiations. If it's Miami, for instance, I doubt Miami drafts Logan as they will still want to give Tannehill a chance. I won't even get into whether that's wise or not. I believe Matt Barkley is the second best quarterback and I like him a whole lot. In the 2012 Draft he would have been below Brandon Weeden for me on a talent-potential basis, but his age probably would have put his value above Weeden. I still see Barkley as another Drew Brees type and I think another year throwing to Marquise Lee and Robert Woods will help him continue to evolve with his deeper passes and his improvisation, getting outside the pocket and making big plays. The difference between he and Logan Thomas is primarily physical. I believe Logan throws the football just as well and accurately as Barkley, has the same potential for reading defenses and executing offenses, but he adds on top of it a Cam Newton-type set of physical skills both running and passing. Tyler Wilson is below those two, for me. He's a clean player that shows plus improvisational ability, able to scramble and create big plays. However, I consistently see issues when he tries to read the middle of the field and make throws into that area. I would have Tyler Bray and Landry Jones as the next two guys. Both are potentially great throwers of the football that need to work on consistency and pocket ability. After that, I personally will be keeping an eye on Brad Sorenson of Southern Utah, whom I've not seen play but whom I've heard spoken of highly from someone whose opinion I respect on such matters, and A.J. McCarron whom I thought showed some signs he might be turning the corner and genuinely becoming a decent quarterback prospect. When all is said and done, I don't see myself being interested in Geno Smith or E.J. Manuel. I see myself only having marginal interest in Aaron Murray, probably as a career backup.

    Wide Receiver
    I believe the guy destined to be the #1 wide receiver in the 2013 Draft (unless he stays in school) is Marquess Wilson of Washington State. He is not a 4.3 burner, however he is an excellent receiver possessing a great all-around game. He can make big plays running after the catch, or he can get open for big plays. He tracks the ball well in the air, catches with his hands, runs balanced and shows agility, and at 6'2" he has decent size. I think Robert Woods is a good player, but he has always been overrated in my eyes. I have been more impressed with Marquise Lee since probably the 2nd or 3rd USC game of this season, which was Lee's freshman year. It didn't take long for me to see that Lee was destined to become the better player. Woods reminds me a little of Mario Manningham, and that's the caliber player I think he'll become at the next level. A guy that has the pure potential to end up a star is Justin Hunter of Tennessee. He has that really long frame combined with the good hands and pure track star ability that everyone envisions as the next Randy Moss. However, he's still rail thin and needs to come back from injury and stay healthy. I find myself (for the time being) more drawn to Da'Rick Rogers who is an explosive, agile player that has great size yet doesn't run like he's a big player. He can work the slot or the outside. The big problem with him is that he's got a reputation for being an immature diva. While we don't know whether Wilson, Woods, Hunter or Rogers will even end up in the 2013 Draft, one guy we do know will be there is Aaron Mellette of Elon. He only started playing football halfway through high school which put him behind in the recruiting process, and so he spurned some FBS schools from C-USA and the like to go to Elon which was an hour up the road from his home town. He broke out in 2010 with 80 something catches for 1100 yards and 12 TDs, and then topped that with 113 catches for over 1600 yards and 12 TDs in 2011. One scout went on record with the media saying that in the Applachian State game the best WR on the field was not Brian Quick (who went #33 overall this year) but rather Mellette. The real impressive performance is when he went against 2nd round, All-SEC Casey Hayward in the first game of the season against Vanderbilt. That Vanderbilt secondary boasts another corner in Trey Wilson that may have a bright future, and two safeties that should get NFL camp invites at the least. Mellette was the one guy you had to watch out for on Elon, after his breakout 2010 season and especially since the second most productive pass catcher from 2010 graduated. Yet, Mellette torched Vandy for 180 yards and a TD on 11 catches. He broke tackles, he ran away from people after the catch, he got open and made great catches, he did it all. From the interviews I've seen, I get a positive feeling about him as a person, as well. I hate to always see Jordy Nelsons every time we look at a guy for Joe Philbin, but he reminds me a lot of Jordy Nelson. No less than excellent balance, always keeping his weight square over his feet, showing really good quickness and the balance along with his size (6'3" and 215 lbs) creates a lot of tackle breaking opportunities. Able to run away from people. Tracks the ball and catches it smoothly over the shoulder which isn't easy. Can shield the ball in traffic or catch with his hands. Diligent, productive guy that runs any route. Aside from those guys, it's tough finding anyone to really love. I think Kendall Wright's teammate Terrance Williams is a decent track star type of receiver that can run vertically and catch big throws, but does he have a complete game? To me, Cobi Hamilton is a little overrated, especially in the speed department as a lot of people believe him to be a 4.3 type of speedster (he creates a lot of vertical plays) but I see more 4.50 type speed if not slower. What in blazes do you do with Tavon Austin? Clearly a terrific play maker that can make plays in so many different ways but only 5'9" and 176 lbs soaking wet. Ryan Swope is an interesting player. Clearly he was Ryan Tannehill's favorite target at Texas A&M. He runs option routes really well and has enough speed to do damage at the next level. But it's hard to see him as much more than a Jordan Shipley. The guy that may end up the best in the class isn't even playing the position yet, and that's Denard Robinson. Terrific athlete, gifted runner, good size for the receiver position, and I like his pure play making and focus/concentration ability.

    Tight End
    The only guys that have really caught my eye so far are Joseph Fauria of UCLA whom I've talked about plenty in the past, Levine Toilolo of Stanford and of course the one that would have everyone's tongues wagging, Tyler Eifert of Notre Dame. Eifert and Toilolo definitely have more explosive running skills in my opinion than Fauria. I believe Fauria will be commonly thought to have more pass catching ability than Toilolo who may be regarded as a blocking specialist, but I wouldn't be surprised if at the NFL level it's closer to the other way around. I see tremendous run blocking potential in the 6'7" Fauria. As a pass catcher, he runs pretty well and you can't beat that height. He has some run after catch ability. Heavy basketball background and of course his uncle, Christian Fauria was a nice tight end talent. Toilolo is a little bit more explosive and doesn't move like the 6'7" and 263 lbs guy that he is. He's not as polished a pass catcher and it's hard to know if he'll take a step up now that Andrew Luck is gone. Tyler Eifert is more one dimensional but it's a pretty significant one dimension. I believe all three of these players will come out in 2013 and I like all three.

    Linebacker
    The two guys I will personally have my eye on will be Shayne Skov of Stanford and Manti Te'o of Notre Dame. I like Skov better than Te'o as he's a little smarter, a little less wasted movement, and he combines that with straight ahead explosive ability that will make him a great tackler and a great blitzer. As implied though, Te'o has the better sideline to sideline ability and reminds me a little of a young Brian Urlacher in that he can make mistakes but has the pure athletic ability to bail himself out and still get to the ball a ton. I tend to think of Kevin Reddick as pretty overrated, as I thought of his teammate Zach Brown. We will see if he improves. Jake Knott is an outside linabcker that would interest me greatly as a linebacker that I know has the potential to be a three down guy because the first thing he would be is an excellent coverage linebacker. In a different defense, perhaps a different position, Knott is the guy that Luke Kuechly was sometimes accused of being. That is to say, an extremely gifted pass covering linebacker that has good instincts and racks up a ton of tackles, but most of those tackles coming downfield and not making enough plays in the backfield. I felt that was a little bit of a myth about Kuechly but it's more true about Knott. However, everyone's known Kuechly as a premium linebacker prospect for quite a while whereas right now Knott is flying very much under the radar, so if Knott is what Kuechly was accused of being that would actually make him highly underrated at the moment. Kenny Tate would interest me because of how purely explosive he is, but he's a guy that doesn't fit many molds and so you end up confused about what he is. I think he would look good as a Will backer in a defense like Miami's, and I would blitz him a fair amount and use that explosive ability to my advantage. Jake Knott has a teammate by the name of A.J. Klein that would interest me in the mid to lower rounds. Very physical guy with good, solid build. He blitzes well and plays aggressively at the line of scrimmage. I noticed his mental game is very sharp, excellent at playing games at the line of scrimmage to disguise his intentions. When Knott went down with some injuries this year, that's when Klein got a chance to step up and he really did. Racked up a ton of tackles this year, made more plays at or near the line than Knott typically does. With three touchdowns in the last two years, he has a knack for sniffing out big plays.
     
  13. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Inclined to bump William Gholston down behind Cory Lemonier, keeping Gholston is appropriate company with Sam Montgomery. The potential is clearly there. Gholston diligently keeps his pads down but he loses balance because of it, and he needs to get a lot stronger. Obviously his hand placement is a mess at times.
     
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  14. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Finding out some more about Bjoern Werner's background. Some of this is pretty crazy.

    He fell in love with the sport when he was playing flag football and then tackle football at the Club Sports level in Germany (Berlin Adler, German word for Eagles). At flag football, he played wide receiver and safety. In the club sports he played a little linebacker until his coach decided he needed to move to defensive end because that's where he had the most potential to wreck the offense. At about 15 years old, Bjoern was wrecking 18+ year old guys, and his coach recognized that he had uncommon ability. The coach (German) had never done this before, but he recommended to Bjoern that he go to America immediately and try and go through a prep school and into the college ranks. Bjoern thinks very fondly of that coach and thinks of him as much a friend as a coach, credits him for the wisdom of moving him to defensive end but also for thinking more for Bjoern's sake than his own as Werner naturally would think that a coach in that position would want to keep hold of a guy that talented rather than send him off.

    This is where it gets interesting. His coach may have planted the idea in Bjoern's head, for which he's grateful, but he didn't really do much aside from that. Bjoern sees an advertisement on the Berlin Thunder NFL Europe's website for the USA Football International Student program. The program takes kids from all over the world and places them in various prep schools in the New England area, pays a little portion of the tuition and then it's up to the school to figure out how to collect the rest of the tuition. Bjoern applied to the program and was accepted.

    This is a 16 year old kid and he's doing all this pretty much on his own. He approached his family about it after he'd taken care of most of it and they were only worried about the money angle, because they didn't have the money to pay for any of this. Normally an exchange student program costs you thousand and thousands of dollars, but he explained it's not like that...he wants to come over and stay permanently and play football. He told them not to worry about the money, he's 16 years old and he's old enough to take care of all of this, and his mom said OK but we really can't pay.

    He began emailing Coach Chris Adams at the Connecticut prep school where he would eventually end up, expressed his desire to play there. He sent over a highlight tape of himself playing at the Club Sports level. The coach got the school to offer him sports financial aid, and the only thing Bjoern and his family had to pay for were the flights over from Germany.

    He went back and forth from Connecticut to Germany during the long breaks they had at his prep school, as he had a girlfriend back in Germany that he met when he was 16 years old about 6 months before he left for Connecticut. Eventually, his senior year of High School when he was about 19 years old, they decided to get married. He said teammates don't tease him about being married but they do ask a lot of questions about it, why he got married so young, etc. His wife thinks he's a super star because of the attention college football players get by the media. As of an interview just prior to the 2011 season, he had not been back to Germany since he came to FSU. He hears that his little brother has sprouted up to 6'6" now (soccer player), but he can't even picture his own family, he only hears them over the phone.

    German stereotypes that annoy him? No, he does not love David Hasselhoff. He doesn't eat sausages, he's from Berlin and that's all in the South, he says. His friends tell him, oh man you probably drink a lot (drinking age lower in Germany). He says no, I don't drink at all.

    Unusually mature at an early age, married, doesn't drink, physical phenom, no sense of entitlement. Gonna make a hell of an NFL player one day.
     
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  15. UCF FINatic

    UCF FINatic The Miami Dolphins select

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    Great story. His work ethic is unparalleled. You see some Trace Armstrong in him?

    [video=youtube;k-gRYXg7D08]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-gRYXg7D08[/video]
     
  16. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Accounting for more players as I go, making some adjustments here and there, etc...

    01. DE Bjoern Werner, Florida State - Burst off ball. J.J. Watt. Ball tracking. Unusual number pass deflections. Maturity. Background. Hands. Always in control. Edge rush w/ compression. Flexibility. Strength. Demeanor. Great size. Aware. Premium caliber.

    02. DE/OLB James Gayle, Virginia Tech - Burst off ball. Jabaal Sheard. Jason Taylor. Down stance. Up stance, rare. Control. Hands. Edge rush w/ compression. Counters. Inside move while acclerating w/ no contact. Balance. Strength.

    03. OLB Barkevious Mingo, LSU - Lacks strength, but not weak. Foot churn. Cat quick. Acceleration. High potential. Joystick control and balance. Jack rabbit retrace. Quickest off snap. Linebacker build. Not small.

    04. DE/OLB Dion Jordan, Oregon - Tall. Hands. Punch, shock, shiver. Strong side linebacker. Hits tight ends. Hits backs. Quick off snap. Length. Outside rush. Counters. Decent control. Speed. Acceleration. Tight end background. Aware.

    05. DE Malliciah Goodman, Clemson - Thick. Size. Arm length. Strength. Israel Idonije. Hands. Pad level. Deflections. Powerful. Burst. Edge rush w/ compression. Flexible. Foot churn. Inconsistent off snap. Inconsistent shed vs run. Keeps blockers off body. Punch. Aware. Control.

    06. OLB Jarvis Jones, Georgia - Hands. Counters. Pass rush. Punch. Up player. Violent. Fluid hand-foot coordination. Not great off snap. Not great edge rush yet. Small.

    07. DE/OLB Alex Okafor, Texas - Length. Savvy. Play maker. Edge rush. Versatility. Control. Not the quickest. Not the fastest. Clock not running at elite level.

    08. DE Cory Lemonier, Auburn - Build. Speed. Burst off snap. Edge rush needs improvement. Paddle steps. Keeps blockers off body. Length. Sheds. Strength. Thin.

    09. DE Sam Montgomery, LSU - Bad off snap. Gathers. Good burst after gather. Strength. Power. Size. Length. Bad balance. Doesn't bend the outside.

    10. DE William Gholston, Michigan State - Bad hand discipline. Not in control. Size. Length. Needs more strength. Vicious. Motor.

    11. DE John Simon, Ohio State - Bad off snap. Ridiculous motor. Energy. Wide. Long arms. Phenomenal strength. Control. Run defense. Shadow. Aware. Overgrown linebacker. Can beat tackles outside with athleticism. Lacks bend. Nasty.

    12. DT/DE Margus Hunt, SMU - Stiff middle. Ridiculous size/speed. Explosive. Motor. Lacks edge rush. Lacks instincts for ground game. Doesn't shed enough. Blocks tons of kicks.

    13. OLB Brandon Jenkins, Florida State - Take-off. 2nd/3rd step guy. Some edge rush. Not strong. Not flexible. Hustle plays. Inconsistent motor when unblocked. Overrated speed. Inconsistent hands. Consistent effort when blocked. Spin move.

    14. DE Demontre Moore, Texas A&M -

    15. DE/OLB Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas - Motor. Burst off snap. Solid build. Bad technique. Bad hands. Easily blocked. Unearned stats. Overrated strength. Not aware.

    16. DE Wes Horton, Southern Cal - Build. Bad off snap. Pad level. Doesn't shed. Gets blocked. Strong. Not aware. Not fast.

    17. DE Devin Taylor, South Carolina -

    18. DE Michael Buchanon, Illinois - Build. Athletic. Motor. Soft. Weak. Unearned stats. Not explosive enough. Not fast enough. Not flexible enough.

    19. DE Craig Roh, Michigan - Not fast. Lacks burst. Motor. Strength. Size. Bad change of direction.

    Note: Texas A&M Sean Porter excluded only because I evaluate him as a 4-3 Will backer, not really same position as the above. Most other exclusions are due to lack of evaluation.
     
  17. PhinsRDbest

    PhinsRDbest Transform and Transcend

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    the next dimension
    http://www.rotoworld.com/player/cfb/131348/james-gayle
    Damn, this dude is definitely athletic enough to be #2 on CK's list.
     
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  18. alen1

    alen1 New Member

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    From Senior pass rushers, Michael Buchanon is better than many IMO. I like him more than Okafor and Jenkins right now. As well as Dion Jordan and Devin Taylor. I guess it'd be safe to say, right now, he's my top Senior pass rusher.
     
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  19. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    That's really interesting. If you're onto him, then I know I had better give him another couple of chances to impress me.
     
  20. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    PhinsRDbest likes this.
  21. BlameItOnTheHenne

    BlameItOnTheHenne Taking a poop

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    Brandon Jenkins out for the season.
     
  22. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    Carradine better anyway, IMO.
     
  23. PhinsRDbest

    PhinsRDbest Transform and Transcend

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    the next dimension
    http://www.rotoworld.com/player/cfb/131332/dion-jordan
    Interesting blurp about this very subject.
     
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  24. PhinsRDbest

    PhinsRDbest Transform and Transcend

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    the next dimension
    After week 1

    01. DE Bjoern Werner - 5 Tackles 4 Sacks
    02. DE/OLB James Gayle - 1 Sack
    03. OLB Barkevious Mingo - 6 Tackles 0 Sacks
    04. DE/OLB Dion Jordan - 1 Tackle 0 Sacks
    05. DE Malliciah Goodman - 1 Tackle 0 Sacks
    06. OLB Jarvis Jones - 8 Tackles 1.5 Sacks
    07. DE/OLB Alex Okafor - 5 Tackles 1 Sack
    08. DE Cory Lemonier - 2 Tackles 2 Sacks
    09. DE Sam Montgomery - NSA
    10. DE William Gholston - 0 Tackles 0 Sacks
    11. DE John Simon - 3 Tackles 0 Sacks
    12. DT/DE Margus Hunt - 2 Tackles 0 Sacks
    13. OLB Brandon Jenkins - 3 Tackles 1 Sack (out for season)
    14. DE Demontre Moore - NSA
    15. DE/OLB Jackson Jeffcoat - 5 Tackles 0 sacks
    16. DE Wes Horton - NSA
    17. DE Devin Taylor - 3 Tackles 0 Sacks
    18. DE Michael Buchanon - 2 Tackles 1 Sack
    19. DE Craig Roh, Michigan - 4 Tackles .5 Sack
    *** DE Jadevon Clowney - 4 Tackles 1 Sack
    *** DE Cornellius Carradine - 9 Tackles 1 Sack
    *** DE Kareem Martin - 3 Tackles 0 Sacks
    *** DE Aaron Lynch - NSA
     
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  25. alen1

    alen1 New Member

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    That's not good. He needed this year big time IMO. He's a scary projection because I am not sure he is instinctive enough at OLB and there are questions around DE.
     
  26. alen1

    alen1 New Member

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    I could very well be wrong as he's still learning the game, but he's got it all IMO. Much more impressive than Mercilus ever was. He's a Leo and did a lot of work both ways (forward; reverse).
     
  27. alen1

    alen1 New Member

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  28. Boik14

    Boik14 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Thats ok because Mercilus is killing it in Texans camp. Some guys are just better pro players then college players
     
  29. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    I can't wait to see FSU start playing some better opponents. I'd like to see what Werner and Carridine are really made of, because they're just absolutely killing it against these mickey mouse teams. Werner 5 sacks and pulled in the 3rd quarter of each game (actually might've been pulled in 2nd quarter of Savannah State). Carridine killed it both games too.

    And I really wish Bud Foster would stop subbing James Gayle out so damn much.

    Disappointed with what I saw in Malliciah Goodman's first game. Need to see a lot more and a lot better. Haven't checked up on Dion Jordan or Barkevious Mingo yet. Liked what I saw out of Corey Lemonier though I just wish he'd get off the snap better.
     
  30. alen1

    alen1 New Member

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    Goodman is eh. I still wonder if he'd be better inside as a 3 technique.
     
  31. ckparrothead

    ckparrothead Draft Forum Moderator Luxury Box

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    It's frustrating because I saw so much more decisiveness in his rush last year. It was just one game but it was a turnoff.
     
  32. ToddPhin

    ToddPhin Premium Member Luxury Box Club Member

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    IMHO he's best suited as 4-3 DE, but he's gained too much size to where he sacrificed pass rush ability in order to be more stout vs the run. I thought he looked like a better & quicker DE prospect when he was 265 than the 280 he is now.

    I'm not sure if and how much the change in coordinators from Kevin Steele to Brent Venables has changed his role.
     
  33. PhinsRDbest

    PhinsRDbest Transform and Transcend

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    the next dimension
    After week 3

    01. DE Bjoern Werner - 11 Tackles 6.5 Sacks
    02. DE/OLB James Gayle - 7 Tackles 2 Sack
    03. OLB Barkevious Mingo - 8 Tackles 0 Sacks
    04. DE/OLB Dion Jordan - 14 Tackle 2 Sacks
    05. DE Malliciah Goodman - 6 Tackle 0 Sacks
    06. OLB Jarvis Jones - 18 Tackles 3.5 Sacks
    07. DE/OLB Alex Okafor - 9 Tackles 3 Sack
    08. DE Cory Lemonier - 10 Tackles 3 Sacks
    09. DE Sam Montgomery - 7 Tackles 1 Sack
    10. DE William Gholston - 12 Tackles 1 Sack
    11. DE John Simon - 9 Tackles 1 Sack
    12. DT/DE Margus Hunt - 5 Tackles 1 Sack
    13. OLB Brandon Jenkins - 3 Tackles 1 Sack (out for season)
    14. DE Demontre Moore - 6 Tackles 2 Sacks
    15. DE/OLB Jackson Jeffcoat - 11 Tackles 2 sacks
    16. DE Wes Horton - 5 Tackles 0 Sacks
    17. DE Devin Taylor - 9 Tackles 0 Sacks
    18. DE Michael Buchanon - 6 Tackles 1 Sack
    19. DE Craig Roh, Michigan - 8 Tackles .5 Sack
    *** DE Jadevon Clowney - 13 Tackles 3 Sack
    *** DE Cornellius Carradine - 12 Tackles 3.5 Sack
    *** DE Kareem Martin - 13 Tackles 1.5 Sacks

    *Defensive statistics not considered official.
     
  34. alen1

    alen1 New Member

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    I still like this guy. Those numbers aren't impressive but he has a few pressures too. Note his balance.
     
  35. alen1

    alen1 New Member

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    I just don't like him a whole lot. I watched his tape from last year and was not big on him. I don't know how long he is, but I'm intrigued by him (if you are going to play him at end) as a closed end in a 40 front.
     
  36. alen1

    alen1 New Member

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    Not the most flexible but former defensive tackle, smart, instinctive, powerful, has done work in short zones in Manny Diaz's endless Fire Zones.

    When I see Horton, I just say to myself: "blah, blah, blah".
     
  37. alen1

    alen1 New Member

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    I know defensive ends is the topic of choice here, but Mississippi St. cornerback Johnthan Banks was brought up in another thread around here. I think he's benefiting from a rather weak Senior class but one thing I thought was interesting was how much deep third, Cover 3 he played last season.

    Also, as I tweeted a couple months ago, I like Terry Hawthorne of Illinois. Different than the usual Illini defender as he's better with the ball in the air. Jordan Poyer of Oregon St. can man up with the best of them but is awful against the run and has legal issues. Micah Hyde of Iowa is a S at best IMO. Johnny Adams of MSU is going to have to make the move into the slot IMO. Demontre Hurst is an Oklahoma cornerback -- enough said.

    Desmond Trufant, I am not big on as others are. Still debating on Rod Sweeting; want to see more.

    Regarding running backs, also not noted, I like Jonathan Franklin if he can stop fumbling. Very talented runner. Andre Ellington speaks for himself, although is schematically limited I think. Ray Graham is a talent. Montee Ball, I am not big on at the moment. Kenjon Barner runs well but fumbles too. Christine Michael, can you stay in one piece? (No) DJ Harper also has a bad medical history, probably goes UDFA, but has value as contributor on third down I think.
     
  38. RoninFin4

    RoninFin4 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    You like Alex Okafor? Where do you see him fitting in defensively?
     
  39. alen1

    alen1 New Member

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    I do. I think he can be a strong side end or a strong side stand up rusher. I think he's a more instinctive, more fluid (hips; not necessarily knees) Brian Orakpo.
     
  40. RoninFin4

    RoninFin4 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    From the few games I've seen of him, he seems a step slow off the ball sometimes. I think for his size, he's able to turn and run the arc pretty well. I think Chris echoed that same thing about him. Think he's a mid first round at this point?
     

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