These are my 2012 RB Rankings. These are not projections. Click on the players name for a scouting report if one is available.
1. Trent Richardson* – Alabama
2. Lamar Miller* – Miami (FL)
3. David Wilson* – Virginia Tech
4. Doug Martin – Boise State
5. Chris Polk – Washington
6. Cyrus Gray – Texas A&M
7. LaMichael James* – Oregon
8. Bernard Pierce* – Temple
9. Tauren Poole – Tennessee
10. Isaiah Pead – Cincinnati
These are my 2012 QB Rankings. These are not projections. Click on the players name for a scouting report if one is available.
1. Andrew Luck* – Stanford
2. Robert Griffin III* – Baylor
3. Ryan Tannehill – Texas A&M
4. B.J. Coleman – UT-Chattanooga
5. Brandon Weeden – Oklahoma State
6. Kirk Cousins – Michigan State
7. Kellen Moore – Boise State
8. Russell Wilson – Wisconsin
9. Nick Foles – Arizona
10. Brock Osweiler* – Arizona State
|
Position |
QB |
Height |
6’2 |
|
School |
Baylor |
Weight |
220 |
|
Class |
Junior |
40 Time |
4.45 |
|
Grade |
1st Round |
||
Arm Strength:
Has a strong arm and is capable of making all the throws. Does a great job of changing up his pass velocity when needed. Will zip passes between defenders but will throw nice touch passes on screens. Can throw effortlessly 50+ yards down the field although his deep passes tend to have a lot of air under them.
Grade: 3.5
Accuracy:
Flashes excellent accuracy but is still inconsistent in the intermediate range. Shows the ability to thread the needle and put the ball on the receivers correct shoulder. Will lead receivers on slants and deep post routes putting the ball precisely where it needs to be. Shows a great feel for the deep ball as he routinely connects against 1 on 1 coverage. Accuracy tends to dip when pressured or when he doesn’t set his feet. Will throw behind receivers occasionally and can overshoot receivers in the flats as he doesn’t step into his throws.
Grade: 3.0
Mobility:
Excellent mobility and a top notch athlete. Has great straight line speed and can pull away from defenders in space. Has little difficulty eluding pressure in the pocket. Not in the same category as Michael Vick as Vick was smaller and had more fluid hips. Tends to go down easily on contact and won’t break many tackles. Also needs to do a better job of protecting the football once he becomes a runner.
Grade: 4.0
Decision Making:
Makes very smart decisions with the ball. Will rarely throw into coverage and doesn’t throw many interceptions. Will pull the ball down and run if there is nothing open down-field. Shows the ability to go through his progressions and can extend the play with his legs. Keeps his eyes down-field when rolling out or stepping up in the pocket always looking to throw before he runs. Does a good job of putting the ball where only his guy can make a play on it. Tends to only make bad decisions with pressure right in his face and even then doesn’t make boneheaded plays.
Grade: 4.0
Mechanics:
Release is a bit long as he drops the ball before delivering it over the top. Plays in shotgun a lot so he’ll have to work on his drop-backs from under center. Generally has good footwork and steps through his throws but will get lazy at times and not move his feet. This leads to some inaccurate passes and explains why he at times fails to lead his receivers. Rarely throw off his back foot and off-balance.
Grade: 2.5
Pocket Awareness:
Has great pocket poise and has a good feel for pressure. Will stand in the pocket and doesn’t panic and run when he doesn’t have to. Senses pressure off his blind side and does a good job of rolling out and keeping his eyes down-field. Shows that he can routinely step up in the pocket as well. Will take some big hits to deliver passes and isn’t afraid of contact.
Grade: 4.0
Intangibles:
Will likely win the Heisman trophy after a stellar Junior season. A 3 year starter and meets the criteria to qualify as experienced. Has turned around the Baylor program and led them to a 9-3 record. Stepped up in big games as he beat Oklahoma on a last second touchdown throw. Regarded as a smart player with a terrific work ethic and helps explain his marked improvement over his college career. Tore his ACL in 2009 but has no other major injury concerns. Routinely takes hit after hit and bounces right back up. A tough player who has the “it” factor.
Grade: 4.0
Outlook:
I would not hesitate to draft RGIII 1st overall if Andrew Luck wasn’t in this draft class. Luck is the safer prospect but RGIII might have more potential. I rate him even higher than Matt Barkley who to many is the consensus #2 prospect. Has franchise QB written all over him. A winner and a tough player with a great work ethic. Might not be the same athlete Vick was but is much further along as a passer. Better prospect than Cam Newton who has had a tremendous rookie year in Carolina.
|
Position |
OT |
Height |
6’6 |
|
School |
USC |
Weight |
295 |
|
Class |
Junior |
40 Time |
5.05 |
|
Grade |
1st Round |
||
Pass Blocking:
Great pass blocker who looks like a natural fit at left tackle. Bends at the knees and looks smooth when asked to pass protect. Has quick feet to mirror rushers and can beat quicker defenders to the edge. Has a strong anchor and will rarely be driven back. Has to do a better job of being more alert and keeping his feet moving. Will occasionally commit to the speed rush and be beat back inside with a counter move.
Grade: 4.0
Run Blocking:
Not a road grader but an efficient run blocker. Locks onto defenders and keeps his feet moving to drive them out of the play. Does a good job on trap blocks and is good at walling off defenders from running lanes. Can get a little high in his stance and can have some difficulty pushing back bigger defenders.
Grade: 4.0
Mobility:
Very good mobility. Looks good moving in space and is comfortable hitting the second level. Asked to roll out a lot and looks good doing so as he gives defenders a strong initial punch that takes them out of the play. Does a good job of cutting defenders as well showing excellent technique. Can get caught over-extending and bending at the waist when trying to hit linebackers and safeties in space.
Grade: 4.0
Technique:
Uses his hands incredibly well to lock onto defenders. Once he locks on it’s pretty much game over for the defender. Has an excellent knee bend but can get caught bending at the waist in space. Has good balance and looks very smooth in his movements. Has improved his leverage and does a much better job at driving his legs when run blocking. Needs to work a little bit on anticipating double moves, especially against speed-rushers.
Grade: 4.0
Mean Streak:
Has a bit of a mean streak and will finish his blocks. Will drive his defender to the ground and pancake them. Not afraid to get into the pile and push anything in his way. Will block to the whistle and stops when the play is over ensuring he won’t get called for stupid penalties.
Grade: 3.5
Intangibles:
Brother of standout center, Ryan Kalil, who plays for the Carolina Panthers. His father also played in the NFL so he has good bloodlines. Was the left tackle at USC over Tyron Smith who has had a very good rookie season thus far in Dallas. Was regarded as the better pass blocker between the two so he started at left tackle. Seems to be a hard worker as he’s corrected some technique issues he had in 2010.
Grade: 4.0
Outlook:
Kalil is hands down the consensus offensive tackle in the 2012 NFL Draft if he chooses to declare. He looks like the prototypical left tackle and would be a welcomed addition to any team. He may not be elite but he has little flaws to his game and should be a very good starter in the NFL. I would not hesitate to draft him in the Top 5.
|
Position |
WR |
Height |
6’0 |
|
School |
Western Michigan |
Weight |
215 |
|
Class |
Senior |
40 Time |
4.55 |
|
Grade |
4th Round |
||
Athleticism:
Not a great athlete and by far his weakest area. Will likely time in the 4.5-4.6 range. Lacks the speed to threaten secondaries deep. Has nice agility and can make quick cuts but nothing out of the ordinary. Has an adequate burst off the line of scrimmage. Plays much bigger than his listed size due to his thick frame and ability.
Grade: 2.0
Hands:
Tremendous pair of hands. Can snag passes away from his frame with ease. Has great concentration and will rarely drop easy balls. Doesn’t let balls get into his pads and does a good job of attacking the football. Has great body control as he’s made some spectacular catches throughout his career. Fearless and will work over the middle showing that he can consistently hang onto the ball when being hit. You don’t catch nearly 300 passes in college and not have great hands.
Grade: 4.0
After Catch:
Tough runner but he’ll struggle to make things happen after the catch in the NFL. His lack of straight line speed and elite burst will limit his ability to pull away from defenders. Has some short area quickness and agility to juke defenders in tight areas but again not a threat to take it the distance. Lowers his pads and can be tough to tackle as his size works to his advantage here.
Grade: 2.0
Route Running:
Solid route runner who understands the nuances of the wide receiver position. Will round some of his cuts at times. Can set up defenders with nice double moves and does a good job of reading his cover man. Does a tremendous job of working his way back to the ball and adjusting to poorly thrown passes. Very good at finding the soft spots in zone coverage and makes a living off of finding space in the defense. Will struggle to separate consistently in the NFL against quicker corners on the outside.
Grade: 2.5
Blocking:
Could work on his blocking as he quite simply isn’t asked to block a lot since he is the focal point of the offense. Has potential because of his size and strength but needs to work on his technique. Needs to do a better job of staying engaged. Could have trouble with quicker corners in the NFL.
Grade: 2.0
Intangibles:
Has had an outstanding career at Western Michigan catching nearly 300 passes. Has dealt with some serious injuries in his past which is why he has been granted a 5th year of eligibility. Tore both of his ACL’s but has had no issues the past 2 seasons. Teams may be scared away by his durability issues and will have to be 100% for the combine. Otherwise a high character player who loves competing.
Grade: 2.5
Outlook:
Jordan White has been on my radar for 3 years now. He’s not flashy, and he won’t run a blazing 40, but the guy is a football player and he can catch the ball extremely well. He may never develop into a #1 or even a #2 receiver, but he can be a valuable asset to a team. His best fit would be as a slot receiver where he can work shallow underneath routes over the middle. He can make tough grabs in traffic and he’s great at finding soft spots in zone coverage. He compares favorable to guys like Jason Avant and Davone Bess, who ran a 4.62 and 4.69 respectively, yet have found success in the NFL as reliable slot receivers.
