Tag Archive for Wide Receiver

Dwight Jones Scouting Report

February 26, 2012 No comments

Position

WR

Height

6’3

School

North Carolina

Weight

230

Class

Senior

40 Time

4.55

Grade

5th Round

Athleticism:

A big bodied receiver who certainly looks the part at 6’3 and 230 pounds. Not a terrific athlete however. Doesn’t have a great burst off the line and has only average top end speed. Is not sudden enough, nor does he have great lateral agility, to consistently separate through his routes. Big and strong but plays softer than what you’d expect.

Grade: 2.0

Hands:

Has big hands and can go up and snatch the football. However, allows too many passes to get into his body, especially when he feels contact coming. This leads to a lot of drops in tight coverage and veteran corners can easily break up passes because he doesn’t extend to pluck the football. Not a guy who can be a dependable receiver working across the middle and he will get alligator arms. Has some concentration issues as he will take his eyes off the ball before he secures the catch.

Grade: 2.0

After Catch:

Big receiver who shows some moves after the catch. Not overly shifty and is more of a north-south runner. Smaller corners might have some trouble trying to tackle him. However, not a dynamic threat with the ball in his hands.

Grade: 2.0

Route Running:

Not the sharpest of route runners. Will round off a lot of his breaks and lacks the suddenness to snap on his routes. Limited agility hurts his ability to ever be a guy who can make sharp cuts on a dime and instead will have to rely on using his big body to get positioning on defenders. Has to do a better job of working back towards the football and being more aggressive.

Grade: 2.0

Blocking:

A strong receiver who has the tools to be a great blocker. Can handle weaker corners and drive them out of the play. However, you still expect more from him considering his size. Seems to be a question of effort and desire more than anything.

Grade: 2.5

Intangibles:

A 2 year starter who is trying to follow in former teammates Hakeem Nicks and Greg Little’s footsteps. A receiver who looks impressive on paper, however lacks the “it” factor. Not aggressive and plays too soft. Gives questionable effort at times and failed to stand out at the Senior Bowl or at the Combine. Was reportedly dogging it at the combine. Has no known off-field issues or major injury concerns. A #2 receiver at best in the NFL.

Grade: 1.5

Outlook:

I’m not at all impressed with Dwight Jones. He’s a guy that has talent but can’t put it together and seems to lack the “it” factor. He’s not aggressive and he doesn’t always give 100%. I can’t see him ever becoming more than an average #2 receiver in the NFL and is more of a project at this point than a guy who can contribute immediately. His stock has slipped considerably this off-season and should not be higher than a mid-round pick in April.

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Jordan White Scouting Report

November 29, 2011 No comments

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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