Archive for February 10, 2012

Riley Reiff Scouting Report

February 10, 2012 No comments

Position

OT

Height

6’6

School

Iowa

Weight

300

Class

Junior

40 Time

4.90

Grade

1st Round

Pass Blocking:

Has great athleticism and projects well as a left tackle. Is mobile and has the foot speed to excel in pass blocking. Shows a natural knee bend and good ankle flexibility as well and rarely over-extends at the waist. Is quick off the snap and gets into his stance right away. Lacks a powerful punch and doesn’t always extend his arms allowing defensive lineman to get into his body. Will give up ground to stronger lineman however shows adequate strength and flexibility to anchor. Still needs to add strength to his lower body. Susceptible to inside moves as he will get off-balanced with his footwork trying to get the edge.

Grade: 3.5

Run Blocking:

Not a mauler but a solid run blocker regardless. Is quick of the snap and generally plays with a good pad level despite his size hindering him. Won’t drive defenders out of the way, at least not consistently because he shows flashes, but can control them and positions himself well to give his back a clear lane. Has the ability to get to the 2nd level and looks good doing so. Needs to sustain his blocks a little better as he can over-extend the longer he is engaged.

Grade: 3.0

Mobility:

A great athlete as he was a former tight end. Has the athleticism to hit targets in space and while not asked to pull often he looks good in space. Has the foot speed and agility to make contact with most linebackers. Will whiff on some blocks as he can get caught over-extending trying to reach his target. Inconsistent cut blocker.

Grade: 4.0

Technique:

Reiff’s technique is generally good but he does have some things to work on. He has to extend his arms better when pass blocking as to not allow lineman to get into his body and drive him back. He also has to make sure he doesn’t kick his feet too wide apart as it leaves him open to counter inside moves. Other than that he has a great knee bend and uses his hands well to lock onto defenders when run blocking and can effectively control them.

Grade: 3.0

Mean Streak:

Praised for his nastiness and ability to finish blocks. Once he gets his pad level down and latches onto defenders when run blocking he shows the ability to drive them well out of the play. Doesn’t stop blocking till the whistle and shows a good motor when reaching the second level, trying to hit anything he sees. Not a mauler, so you won’t see him dominate many opponents to the ground with pancake blocks.

Grade: 3.0

Intangibles:

A 3 year starter who has played numerous positions. Saw playing time at left tackle, right tackle and inside at guard as well. Played tight end and defensive end in high school and was also a great wrestler. Has the ability to play left tackle and has the potential to excel at it. Better pass blocker than former teammate Bryan Bulaga but might not be a better run blocker. Arrested for public intoxication in 2008 before he even played his first game as a Hawkeye. Has not had any incidents since. No major injury concerns.

Grade: 3.0

Outlook:

Reiff looks like a starting left tackle to me. He has the athleticism to excel at it and despite not being a left tackle for long, shows surprisingly good technique and fundamentals. He does have some things to work on, and he might have some problems early on against stronger lineman as he needs to continue to develop his lower body, but he could develop into a very good left tackle in the NFL.

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Bobby Wagner Scouting Report

February 10, 2012 No comments

Position

OLB

Height

6’0

School

Utah State

Weight

241

Class

Senior

40 Time

4.60

Grade

3rd Round

Athleticism:

An athletic linebacker that looks smaller on the field than his listed size. Bulked up to 241 for the Senior Bowl. Has the speed and range to make plays all over the field. However, a bit top heavy and has some stiffness. Has a nice burst but lacks great lateral agility. Could still stand to add some strength, specifically through the lower body.

Grade: 3.0

Instincts:

Wagner possess great instincts. He reads plays almost instantly off the snap and is always in good position to make a play. Rarely takes false steps and when he does he has the speed to recover and still make the play. Does a good job of staying at home on play action fakes as well as on reverses and keeps contain. Not as instinctual in coverage and can get lost at times.

Grade: 4.0

Point of Attack:

Solid at the point of attack but still needs to get better. Flashes the ability to stack and shed but has to use his hands better to get off blocks. Is better at running around blocks than going through them, although he does have a pretty good feel for it. Flows down the line fairly well and usually keeps himself clean but has trouble avoiding cut blocks. Will occasionally take on a block and get knocked off balance and can be driven out of the play. Hand usage and pad level is key for him in the future.

Grade: 2.5

Coverage:

Has the skill set to be a decent cover linebacker. Has great speed and range although a little tight. Capable of running with backs and tight ends in man coverage. Shows some poor awareness in zone at times. Will get caught in no mans land too often. Can be a little slow to read the quarterbacks eyes and results in him being a step to late to the play. Is usually blitzed on passing downs.

Grade: 2.5

Pass Rush:

Used as a pass-rusher quite a bit. Has nice speed around the edge and a solid get off. However, is too stiff to consistently bend around tackles on the edge. Lacks the strength and technique to disengage quickly and lacks a variety of pass rush moves. Has a tremendous motor and gets most of his sacks on hustle plays where he never stops working. Gets his hands up to try and disrupt passing lanes.

Grade: 2.5

Tackling:

A solid wrap-up tackler who is more of a drag-down type of guy. Good at making tackles inside and is helped out by his impressive reach. Might have some difficulty with quicker backs in space. Stiff and lacks the lateral agility to be able to mirror a backs moves. Will come in uncontrolled and miss tackles at times.

Grade: 3.0

Intangibles:

A 4 year starter who has had a very productive career at Utah State. Finished with at least 114 tackles in 3 seasons, including 147 as a senior. A fiery player who gets pumped up on the field. Credit must be given to his work ethic both in the film room and the weight room. Has great instincts and has bulked up from 210 pounds as a freshman (likely inflated since they also listed him at 6’3) to his current weight of 241 pounds. Is best suited as a weak-side linebacker in a 4-3 and I think he would be miscast in a 3-4 on the outside. Lost his mother after his freshman season and has only worked harder since. No major injury concerns and no known off-field issues.

Grade: 4.0

Outlook:

Bobby Wagner is an athletic linebacker with good instincts. He showed off his skills at the Senior Bowl and was one of the top performers. While he still has to work on some things, notably his ability to get off blocks more consistently and his general awareness in zone coverage, its his instincts that leads me to believe he can be a starter at the next level. He’d be best off starting as a Will and perhaps being able to play the Sam if he improves his ability to stack and shed, however he’s at his best in space right now. He reminds me a lot of Michael Boley who has developed into a solid all-around linebacker in the NFL.

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