|
 NCAA Scouting
Dan Shonka: Scouting Report
by Mark Bielby
9/11/2007
Diner scout Mark Bielby spoke with legendary NFL scout Dan Shonka (pictured right) from Ourlads Scouting Services recently, and Dan gave us the following exclusive scouting reports on some of the biggest names in the coming draft class:
Glen Dorsey, DT, LSU (6-1, 313, 5.0e)
Two-year starter and started parts of two others. Has the strength and explosion to two-gap. Plays with leverage and has a strong use of hands and arms. Long arms and big hands to stack point of attack. Sudden to disengage blocks and find the ball. Strength to pull and jerk the blocker. Stays on his feet after controlling the opponent. Quick reactions. Reacts on the move and reacts to blocking angles. Unlocks his hips with force. Plays with a good knee bend and balance. Competitive and instinctive athlete.
 Brian Brohm, QB, Kentucky (6-3, 227, 4.89)
Plays in a versatile offensive scheme. Takes snaps under center and in shotgun. Poised under blitz pressure. Demonstrates good touch with good velocity. Throws with his body and his arm. Steps into his passes. Effortless mid-range passer. He can lay the ball over linebackers and hit the deep voids in zone coverage. Excellent ball placement. Clutch ability to make a play in crucial situations. Can read the defensive coverage including a pre-snap read and sight adjustments. Has a natural feel for the passing game. Good anticipation and sixth sense to quickly read the defense as it develops. Always ready to throw. Keeps his elbow up and no wasted motion. Can make plays either right or left on the move. Has the ability to avoid and escape rush pressure. A good leader who will step up and take charge and lead his teammates. Not vocally but by example.
Andre Woodson, QB, Kentucky (6-4. 220, 4.88)
Three-year who improved dramatically in 2006. over his sophomore year. Right-handed passer that is better in the pocker. Buggy-whip type delivery. Elbow drops down and keeps him from consistently hitting his receiver in stride. Takes snaps in the shotgun and conventional offense. Generally smart with the ball. Sudden to the throwing point. Gets set-up quickly. Demonstrates good ball velocity with zip. Throws a spiral with good rotation. Poised in the pocket. Lets the play develop and finds the open receiver. At this point he leads by example, not a real vocal guy. Good fakes on play-action passes. Better than average accuracy short and medium. Has a long throwing motion on the deep passes. Has the arm strength to go deep and keep the secondary honest. Good timing on crossing routes. Not a scrambler but can side-step a rush. Needs to feel the rush around him better. Sometimes he just needs to throw the ball away. A good athlete that is football smart and competitive.
 Jake Long, OT, Michigan (6-7, 313, 5.1e)
A four-year starter that is a physical player who shows quickness, power and a mauler mentality. Plays with a good base in the run and passing games. Can maintain his power angles in the lower body with little crossover. Drops his hips in pass protection and demonstrates the ability to anchor against power rushes. Has a good reach and kick to his pass protection. Better in close quarters than in the open field. Limited pulling ability. Will struggle with edge speed at times. Michigan mostly slides and gap protects, so you don’t see him singled up a lot. He always has inside help on the slide and outside on gap protection. Could be a feature RT like Jon Jansen but will struggle on the left side. Needs to improve his pass protection punch. Will waist-bend and over extend at times. Good quickness for his size on backside scoop blocks. Michigan asks their tackles to move lateral and expand defenders. He does a good job with his technique.
Chris Long, DE, Virginia (6-3, 274, 4.8e)
Three-year starter with big hands and explosive edge quickness. Has the quickness to counter all blocks. Gets a great jump on the ball. Has quick hands. High motor quick twitch player. Instinctive player that is in the right place at the right time. Demonstrates the ability to explode and unlock hips with force. Strength to control the point of attack against the run. Finishes pursuit. Gets through traffic and runs the play down. Smart, competitive and athletic. Son of Hall-of-Famer Howie Long.
|
