Tag Archive for Analysis

Juron Criner Scouting Report

November 22, 2011 No comments

Position

WR

Height

6’4

School

Arizona

Weight

215

Class

Senior

40 Time

4.55

Grade

3rd Round

Athleticism:

May not time well but he plays fast on the field. Has the 2nd gear to pull away from defenders in the open field and he has impressive acceleration and agility. Despite his size he can make guys miss in space and make some really nice cuts. That said, he doesn’t play as big as his 6’4 215 pound frame would suggest.

Grade: 3.5

Hands:

Possess very inconsistent hands. Has great plucking ability and can snag balls away from his frame. However, he lets balls get into his pads quite a bit. His biggest issue however is concentration. He drops wide open routine catches because he looks up-field before securing the ball. This will drive coaches nuts. Doesn’t consistently attack the ball and waits for the ball to get to him, especially on deep balls. This allows defenders to close in and break up the pass. Struggles to adjust to poor passes and lacks elite body control and tracking ability.

Grade: 2.5

After Catch:

Dangerous with the ball in his hands because of his burst and agility. Used on a variety of screen plays at Arizona because of his play-making ability. Can be tough to tackle because of his size but not overly physical. Is more likely to make guys miss rather than running them over. Needs to do a better job of securing the ball in space.

Grade: 3.5

Route Running:

Average route runner who still gets lazy on his cuts. Capable of being an excellent route runner though because of his burst in and out of breaks. Shows some savvy as he can vary his route speed and has some very impressive double moves to get behind the coverage. Needs to do a better job of coming back towards the ball. Runs a lot of hooks at Arizona but will rarely come back to get the ball instead waiting out of his break for the ball to come to him. Can struggle to beat the jam against stronger and physical corners. Can be a good route runner but needs to be coached up.

Grade: 2.5

Blocking:

Poor blocker considering his size. Is more of a finesse receiver and shows in his blocking. Has the quickness to hit his target but lacks strength to really drive them off the ball. Also needs to work on staying engaged on his target as he usually just gets in a shot and hopes it does enough to get the defender out of the play. Willing blocker however who needs to touch up his technique. Actually used in an H-Back role in certain packages at Arizona.

Grade: 2.0

Intangibles:

Nearly missed the 2011 season due to serious medical conditions that was not disclosed right away leading to some uncertainty about his health. He underwent brain testing in the off-season and also dealt with an ill family member. No one knows exactly how serious this was and no doubt he will have to check out medically at the combine. He did end up ready to go for the 2011 season but still missed time after undergoing an appendectomy. Clearly did not look 100% after he returned from all of this and it has affected his game but has seen steady improvement. Not known to have any character concerns otherwise. Plays in a pass-happy offense that has inflated his numbers a little bit.

Grade: TBD

Outlook:

Criner is very talented and I really like his combination of size, speed and catching ability. However, he’s very inconsistent and it limits his upside to be a #1 receiver in the NFL. At best I can see him being a solid #2 option who can make plays with the ball in his hands. Not a true possession receiver yet not a burner either. Kind of in the middle with no true elite ability in any one area. I really like his game however and with some coaching he can be a much better player. Will not be sure about his success until we get some confirmation about what went down over the summer that had many thinking he wouldn’t play at all this season.

NFL Draft, Scouting Reports , , , , , ,

Michael Floyd Scouting Report

November 21, 2011 No comments

Position

WR

Height

6’3

School

Notre Dame

Weight

224

Class

Senior

40 Time

4.55

Grade

2nd Round

Athleticism:

Tall receiver with a strong build. Not a burner down the field but has a nice burst and suddenness which lets him get free on short routes. Will likely time in the 4.5 range but can be deceptively quick. Tremendous jumping ability and can win most jump ball battles with ease.

Grade: 3.0

Hands:

Has very strong hands and can pluck the ball away from his body. Shows tremendous ability to go up and get the football at it’s highest point. Will let balls get into his pads too often, especially over the middle or when he feels contact coming. This leads to quite a few drops when faced with tight coverage or when working across a zone. Great when facing the ball but can struggle with over-the-shoulder catches down-field.

Grade: 3.0

After Catch:

Tough runner and tough to tackle simply because of his size. His suddenness allows him to make some nice cuts and can shake corners occasionally. Has solid vision with the ball in his hands and likes to cutback to pick up extra yards but won’t be outrunning many NFL defensive backs. Needs to do a better job of securing the ball once he’s got possession.

Grade: 3.0

Route Running:

Has gotten better as a route runner but still needs work. Rounds a lot of his cuts and still gets lazy at times. Has the ability to overcome this but needs to be coached up. Needs to do a better job of working back towards the ball on curls and comeback routes as he too often waits or drifts back after he makes his break. May have some trouble initially creating separation in man coverage but has the burst to do so, he just needs to do it consistently. Does a good job of adjusting to poorly thrown balls and shows tremendous body control.

Grade: 2.5

Blocking:

Very competitive blocker who is willing to help out his teammates. Shows the ability to lock onto his man and drive him completely out of the play. Still has trouble engaging corners as they are simply too quick for him at times and it leads to some ugly whiffs.

Grade: 3.0

Intangibles:

Floyd has big character concerns as he’s already been arrested a whopping 3 times during his time at Notre Dame leading to a suspension. Underage consumption may not be that big of a deal to some, but a DUI should be. This shows that he is careless and still has some maturing to do. Also has some durability concerns. Broke his collarbone in ’09 and has also had trouble with his knee and hamstring causing him to miss time.

Grade: 1.0

Outlook:

Floyd is a very talented player but there’s some things that keep me from giving him a 1st round grade. For one, his hands are inconsistent and he drops too many easy passes. To be a #1 receiver in the NFL you have to catch the ball consistently and Floyd doesn’t. And secondly, his off the field issues and injury history are also concerning  which is why I would not take him in the 1st round. He compares to someone like Kenny Britt who has had a solid career thus far in the NFL but has been plagued by arrests and injuries. He can be a great receiver at the next level but he has to get his act together and work on becoming a better football player.

NFL Draft, Scouting Reports , , , , , ,

Alshon Jeffery Scouting Report

November 15, 2011 No comments

Position

WR

Height

6’3

School

South Carolina

Weight

216

Class

Junior

40 Time

4.60

Grade

2nd round

Athleticism:

Jeffery may be the most physical imposing receiver I have ever seen. Incredibly big and strong and uses it to his advantage well. The biggest drawback of course is his speed. Doesn’t have a great burst and his top end speed isn’t fast enough to get by NFL corners. Great vertical and times his jumps well to go and get the football. Looks almost fat and out of shape and might have issues controlling his weight.

Grade: 2.0

Hands:

Jeffery has a tremendous pair of hands. Can catch almost anything thrown his way. Huge catch radius. Can pluck the ball away from his frame easily and effortlessly. Works across the middle and will hang onto the ball when taking hits. Tends to body catch a lot in traffic but doesn’t have an issue with drops. Shows tremendous concentration as he routinely makes tough circus catches in tight coverage.

Grade: 5.0

After Catch:

Not a shifty guy and won’t run by many NFL defenders. Tough to tackle because of his size and strength. Will be a nightmare for some smaller corners but sound corners should be able to bring him down with no problems. Lacks the speed and agility to take short passes the distance.

Grade: 2.5

Route Running:

Very poor route runner. By far his biggest issue and could make or break his ability to be a great NFL player. Very lazy route runner. Doesn’t make sharp cuts and tips his hand too early allowing corners to close in easily. Lacks the burst in and out of cuts to create separation consistently and relies on simply over-powering smaller defenders. Gets most of his separation from fakes and varying his route speed but can’t do so consistently. Almost always pushes off the defender and will have a lot of trouble with pass interference in the NFL unless that is coached out of him. Will jog some of his routes and almost looks disinterested at times.

Grade: 1.0

Blocking:

Has the potential to be a terrific blocker due to his combination of size and strength. Lacks the technique to stay engaged and drive his man away from the play. Seems to give up too early and doesn’t always give great effort as a blocker.

Grade: 2.5

Intangibles:

Was an absolute beast in 2010 but has been awful thus far in 2011. Poor quarterback play has had an effect but truly elite receivers can still produce (Calvin Johnson). Had a 4 game stretch where he couldn’t break 24 yards which is inexcusable. Regarded as a hard worker who always works at improving his game but still has a lot of question marks and red flags that pop out to me. He was borderline fat this summer and was completely out of shape. Has cut a lot of weight in the off-season and has in fact worked hard to lose the weight. Has never had any major injury concerns but does get banged up from time to time as he takes a lot of hits.

Grade: 2.0

Outlook:

A boom or bust prospect if I ever saw one. Has elite hands but will struggle mightily to create separation in the NFL. Has gotten by in college by simply over-powering smaller defenders. That won’t be too successful in the NFL. As I mentioned earlier there are quite a few red flags surrounding him. Certainly not a guy I would feel comfortable taking in the first round let alone the Top 10 where he is currently projected. Some compare him to Brandon Marshall or Andre Johnson, but he can easily be the next Mike Williams, Dwayne Jarrett or Reggie Williams.

NFL Draft, Scouting Reports , , , , , ,

Justin Blackmon Scouting Report

November 14, 2011 No comments

Position

WR

Height

6’1

School

Oklahoma State

Weight

215

Class

Junior

40 Time

4.55

Grade

1st round

Athleticism:

Big, physical receiver who plays even bigger than his listed size of 6’1. Lacks both elite burst and elite speed but is deceptively quick. Routinely manages to get behind defensive backs on go routes despite running in the 4.5 range. Has suddenness to his game which goes a long way. Can make nifty jukes to slip tackles and uses it to create separation on certain routes. Will struggle to separate consistently in the NFL based on his speed but does a good job of using his body to his advantage and boxing out defenders. Blackmon has a great leaping ability, and also times his jumps well, which is why he’s so good at coming down with jump balls.

Grade: 3.0

Hands:

Blackmon has very strong hands and a very wide catch radius. Can go up and fight for pretty much any ball you throw his way. Routinely shows the ability to pluck the ball away from his frame with ease. Does a very good job of attacking the ball and working his way back to the quarterback. He’s shown he can take a hit and still hang onto the ball and he does work over the middle at Oklahoma State. Can lose his concentration at times and it will lead to some drops, but this does not happen often. Also, at times he will struggle with making difficult catches down the field as he tries to trap the ball against his body rather than attacking it and high-pointing the ball.

Grade: 4.0

After Catch:

Blackmon is a tough runner after the catch but he’s not elite. He struggles to break out of tackles especially considering his size. He also tries to do too much and consequently can end up with some negative plays. Used a lot on screens at Oklahoma State and he generally ends up turning them into decent gains.

Grade: 3.0

Route Running:

Can get sloppy with his route running. Shows the ability to dip his hips in and out of cuts but never makes completely sharp cuts and will round out a lot of his routes. His lack of a great burst hurts his ability to great separation against man coverage. Tracks the ball really well and will adjust nicely to the deep ball. Looks good when setting up his defender as he can really sell fakes well to get behind defenders.

Grade: 2.5

Blocking:

Has the size and strength to be a very good blocker. Is certainly willing and isn’t afraid to mix it up with defenders. Needs to work on his technique as he can struggle to stay engaged and will whiff on blocks in space.

Grade: 3.0

Intangibles:

Definitely carries the label as a guy with character concerns. Looks immature and cocky on the field and will scare some teams away because of his attitude. Has had quite a lot of boneheaded plays in his career. Unlike Dez Bryant, Blackmon also has been previously arrested for a DUI, again showing a lack of maturity. Suffered an ankle injury in 2010 but no other major injury concerns. Has put up insane numbers in his time at Oklahoma State but he plays in a pass-happy offense that looks to get him the ball as much as possible.

Grade: 1.5

Outlook:

Blackmon is overrated. While he is still a very good receiver prospect, he’s not as good as Dez Bryant, yet he’ll probably end up being drafted higher than him. I’m concerned about his ability to create separation consistently in the NFL unless he works on his route running. Has a slew of character concerns that will definitely hurt his stock and will find himself crossed off some teams draft boards. Not sure he has the skill set to be an elite #1 receiver. Can be a tremendous #2 but might not ever be able to handle the load as a true #1 for a team. He has 1st round talent but has way too many question marks to be taken in the Top 10.

NFL Draft, Scouting Reports , , , , , ,

Isaiah Pead Scouting Report

November 10, 2011 No comments

Position

RB

Height

5’10

School

Cincinnati

Weight

200

Class

Senior

40 Time

4.45

Grade

6th Round

Athleticism:

Pead is listed at 200 pounds but he looks quite skinny on the field, especially through his lower body. He has an average burst and really only turns it on when he has a wide open field ahead of him. He has a little bit of a 2nd gear when he gets into the open field but again this is not displayed on a down-to-down basis. He lacks great lateral agility and he isn’t very shifty in tight spaces. You can see at times that his legs can’t keep up with the rest of his body and he runs into defenders instead of making them miss.

Grade: 2.0

Power:

Pead lacks any sort of power to his game. His lower body appears weak and he doesn’t generate much power to push through piles. Not only that but his feet go dead on contact almost every time. He goes down repeatedly with simple arm tackles. He also tends to be a bit upright as a runner so that can ruin any leverage he has on defenders. Overall it’s a really weak area to his game and he’ll struggle to break tackles in the NFL.

Grade: 1.5

Vision:

Pead is a little bit streaky with his vision. When he’s feeling it he’ll make nice cuts and find cutback lanes which can spring him into the open field where he’s at his best. Other times he simply runs into a pile and gets nowhere. He’s a poor inside runner and prefers to bounce everything outside. He’s also tentative when running inside and will slow down before contact is even made. This really hurts his ability to generate any sort of momentum to at least fall forward on tackles.

Grade: 2.5

Hands:

Pead has solid hands and he can be used on screens and swing passes. He shows the ability to catch with his hands and does a good job of securing the ball before turning up-field. However, he’s not as reliable when he senses a hit coming. He’ll get alligator arms in the flats and it really limits his ability to be involved as a receiver unless he learns to accept the hit.

Grade: 3.0

Blocking:

Although a willing blocker, it looks like Pead zones out on some plays completely missing his assignment. At times he’ll be aggressive and initiate contact with the defender, other times he is simply content with giving them a shove that really does nothing. He definitely needs to work on his technique and recognizing the free rusher much faster. He also has to get much stronger if he wants to stay on the field on 3rd downs in the NFL as he currently gets over-powered by linebackers in college.

Grade: 2.0

Intangibles:

I don’t think Pead can survive as an every down back in the NFL which really hurts his value. Not only is he on the small side, he’s also a very poor runner between the tackles. Pead has had some minor issues with his knees before in the past but he never missed much time. Runs with a bit of an attitude which can be good or bad depending on how you look at it. Some have labelled him immature.

Grade: 2.0

Outlook:

Pead is not an every down back and best case scenario he finds a home as a change of pace or 3rd down back with a team. However, if he want’s to stay on the field on 3rd downs he must improve as a blocker and become a more reliable receiver over the middle. He’s simply overrated right now by most internet draft sites and he’ll likely be picked much later in the draft than people think. ProFootballWeekly.com described him as immature and whether or not that is accurate remains to be proven. However, you don’t get the sense that he’s a very quiet kid after you see him play. Where there is smoke there is usually fire and I just don’t see Pead ever amounting to much in the NFL.

NFL Draft, Scouting Reports , , , , , ,
« Older Entries   Recent Entries »