NCAA Scouting Team Draft Review – AFC East by Paul Emery May 4th 2010
With the dust settled on the Draft, I’m going to take an in-depth look at how each team performed we’re starting with the AFC East.
Buffalo Bills
1 C.J. Spiller RB Clemson 2 Torell Troup DT Central Florida 3 Alex Carrington DE Arkansas State 4 Marcus Easley WR Connecticut 5 Ed Wang OT Virginia Tech 6a Arthur Moats OLB James Madison 6b Danny Batten OLB South Dakota State 7a Levi Brown QB Troy 7b Kyle Calloway OT/OG Iowa
I think the Bills picked some really exciting prospects – even in the later rounds and indeed there’s only one pick I really don’t like. On this basis they should get a very high grade, but they have ignored a huge need at Left Tackle which may well get whoever wins the Bills starting QB job killed. The pick of CJ Spiller in itself is fantastic – he’s a game breaker and there aren’t many of those around. However, with Lynch already on the roster (it doesn’t seem the Bills are in a hurry to trade him), the pick is very much a luxury one when they passed on Anthony Davis. Clearly Davis had some red flags and it could be they weren’t comfortable with him – but they enter mini camp without a decent Left Tackle. It’s an interesting choice, but they clearly feel Spiller’s game breaking ability in the running, passing and return game wins out over a Tackle.
Torell Troup’s pick has been seen as a “reach” by some – I personally try not to use the word reach because if a team finds a prospect a superb fit for them, then why not – not all 32 teams will have prospects rated the same. I feel perhaps the media may be to blame as prospects are often clustered into the same sort of areas with no one willing to say Troup was better than a Dan Williams or Terrence Cody for example. Troup was my top rated NT – I think he’s without doubt someone who can hold up at the point of attack and he even offers some pass rush, which the other NT prospects don’t. The NT is key to a 3-4 – there aren’t many around and I love the pick.
The Bills added to their new 3-4 defense with another nice pick in the 3rd round. Alex Carrington is from a smaller school, but looks to be a fine fit. He’s not the quickest off the ball – but he’s got the length required for the position and he’s strong enough to hold up. Marcus Easley is a little more of gamble – he only started the one year at UConn – but he did test out very well at the Combine. From looking at him on tape – he makes every effort to catch the ball away from his body and shows that he can use his body to shield DB’s from the ball. He does have small hands though – which might be a concern in Buffalo as the season moves along.
The Bills did draft two college OT’s – but I don’t know if they will play at the position at the next level. Ed Wang had real trouble with any kind of edge speed whenever I watched VT last season. He tested out better than I expected at the Combine and it could be he might get away with playing at T in the Bills Zone Blocking Scheme – however – his tape is very concerning and I certainly don’t see him as a better player than Jamon Meredith who the Bills signed off the Packers practice squad last season or the Bills other OT pick. Kyle Calloway, who has experience at G – including in his last game for Iowa was picked up in the 7th round. The problem with moving Calloway inside is that he’s 6’6″ and doesn’t look particularly flexible – so he’s always going to struggle with leverage against smaller DT’s – in division though, he’s more likely to get away with it if he’s matched up against 3-4 DE’s. I do like Calloway – he has solid technique – but he may be a classic tweener. However, unlike Wang I think he’s shown enough to warrant this pick.
The Bills three other draft picks are very interesting. Arthur Moats and Danny Batten are both smaller school prospects who have non stop motors. Moats is shorter, but has a little better explosion off the edge. It could well be that one or both are tried inside and it appears that Moats will certainly get a look there during mini camp. Both prospects are nice 3-4 fits and have enough athletic ability to go with that work rate to have a real chance. Levi Brown was taken to join in the QB competition – despite many thinking the Bills might draft someone far earlier. The big problem this year is that the QB class was poor – Clausen’s arm isn’t the best and along with concerns over his small hands – the Bills may have decided that he isn’t a bad weather type QB. After that, maybe they could have considered John Skelton in the 5th round, but I must say I prefer Brown as a prospect to Skelton. Brown has a really good arm – he played in a spread offense, but I did note that his footwork was better than most spread QB’s as he takes the snap and then takes a 3 step drop, which looks more like a pro style QB. I don’t know if he’s experienced enough to be considered a contender for the starting job this year, but he certainly has a ton of potential down the road.
On the undrafted free agent front – there are several pick ups that look really good and this adds to an excellent Draft class. The pick of the bunch is Sean Allen – C – East Carolina. I had him as my number two Center prospect and I certainly think he’s flying under the radar. He’s got excellent technique and tested out well enough at the Combine. I could even see Allen pushing for some playing time. Another fine pick up is Antonio Coleman – OLB – Auburn. A number of 3-4 OLB types fell in the Draft and so it was with Coleman who wasn’t picked up despite having good pass rush skills. There’s always a question about ability to play in space, but I think Coleman has the ability to do this and I believe he’ll be pushing strongly for a roster spot. Joique Bell (RB – Wayne State) was widely reported as being a solid Third Day type pick – until he ran very poorly at the Combine. However, to go with a Spiller type – he’s ideal. Bell is a strong runner and in many ways is a small school version of Charles Scott (LSU – Eagles). Cordero Howard (OG – Georgia Tech) looks like a ZBS type on tape and might be able to stick. Naaman Roosevelt (WR – Buffalo) and David Nelson (WR – Florida) show enough to give them a look.
In terms of the players selected, this Draft would get an A grade – a lot of very good looking picks supplemented with a nice undrafted free agent class. However – Left Tackle is such a key position that the grade has to go down a notch because there’s a still a big hole there to fill. It’s a major issue because Trent Edwards has talent, but struggles to stay healthy if they could keep him clean in the pocket, he might be able to play a whole season and I think would put up good enough numbers.
Diner Grade: B+
Miami Dolphins
1 Jared Odrick DE Penn State 2 Koa Misi OLB Utah 3 John Jerry OT/OG Mississippi 4 A.J. Edds ILB Iowa 5a Nolan Carroll CB Maryland 5b Reshad Jones SS Georgia 7a Chris McCoy OLB Middle Tennessee 7b Austin Spitler ILB Ohio State
I very much like the Dolphins first four picks in this Draft – but then it starts to fade away a little. The Dolphins managed to trade down to get back into the Second Round and found a perfect fit for their 3-4 defense at DE in Jared Odrick – Penn State. Odrick could have been equally at home in the 4-3 and as such, it wouldn’t have surprised me had he gone a few picks earlier. But when you look at a similar type in Alualu (Jaguars), you see how the Dolphins have worked hard to arrange a trade down and get value for the pick plus ensure they got back into the 2nd round – perfect in a strong draft while the Jags stayed put and got poor value. Odrick is able to hold up at the point of attack, but flashes some explosion to penetrate – he’s someone who can play on 3rd down as he has some pass rush ability – he’d be fine in any 4 man lines the Dolphins might consider using now and again also. Koa Misi was one of the only 3-4 OLB prospects who didn’t fall in the Draft and was taken before Sergio Kindle (who went shortly after to Baltimore). Right now Kindle is a better player and indeed may be a better prospect all around – but post Draft reports indicate that he needs knee surgery and presumably this gave the edge to Misi in the Dolphins eyes. I liken Misi to the Chiefs Tamba Hali as he plays the game at break neck speed – giving top effort on every snap. He makes a number of plays from the backside with his hustle. However, he also shows enough explosion off the ball to warrant this pick. He needs to learn how to play the position – like all former 4-3 college DE’s – but I think he can be a solid starter.
John Jerry is a big mauler, just the type who you think has to move inside to Guard. But looking at his combine numbers, they are pretty good and he might get away with it at Right Tackle as a pro if needed. However, his spot will be a Guard to start with in Miami and there he can really get after people – he’s got a nice initial punch and flashes that nastiness I just love to see. He needs to work some on his technique – he can bend at the waist at times and he needs to focus on bending his knees to ensure he wins the leverage battle. However, he’s a nice fit in Miami. A.J. Edds isn’t a top athlete, but I felt he had enough speed to play as a 4-3 SLB. With very few of these around in this Draft I did think he would be taken earlier be a 4-3 team – but this is good value and although it’s not an immediate need pick I think Edds will become a very good starter down the road and contribute immediately on special coverage units.
Nolan Carroll was a mild surprise this early as he missed most of his senior year with a broken leg. He has decent speed, but looking at his combine numbers may be a bit too much of a straight liner. He’s a physical type who tackles well, but is still rather raw in coverage and I would have concerns about him if put in at the deep end as a rookie. Reshad Jones is the type of player who flashes some top ability and makes some really nice plays – if you are just casually watching a game he stands out. But when you watch him closely, very quickly you see some major concerns. He takes very poor angles to the ball far too much and he missed too many tackles and that’s always a worry at Safety. He certainly has athletic ability, but one wonders if his football instincts are there as he just takes himself out of way too many plays. He may be tried at Free Safety where the Dolphins have need but it’s probably safer to use him in the box so he’s not the last line of defense.
Chris McCoy is a smaller school type who failed to grab my attention when I watched him. Particularly concerning was that he didn’t stand out at all at the Shrine Game, where he played at LB after playing DE in college. He lacks a top burst off the edge and although he gives good effort, I’m not so sure about him outside – I would see him more as an inside type – similar to a David Veikune (Hawaii – Browns) last year. Austin Spitler only started one year at Ohio State – but that’s not an issue as he had top players in front of him. Spitler has been drafted with special teams in mind as he was a standout for the Buckeyes before he moved into the starting lineup. I don’t think he has enough to be more than a special teams type – but I’m not someone who under estimates special teams, so if he can be a leader on the coverage teams it’s a solid enough pick.
Only the two undrafted free agent signings really stand out for Miami – both on the D-Line. Travis Ivey of Maryland is a big NT type candidate. I was impressed enough by him last season to think he has a chance. The other is Vince Oghobaase (Duke) who projects to 3-4 DE. He had injuries in his senior year which lowered his stock, but he has an ideal frame for the 5 technique and is certainly worth a look.
Needs wise, one position that I thought the Dolphins might look at was Nose Tackle, particularly with Jason Ferguson suspended for the first 8 games of the season. It appears with Odrick on board, they may move Randy Starks to the nose as a temporary measure. Of course, they may think highly of Ivey and think he is as good as any mid/late round prospects. Free Safety is also another big need and I think there were better options available there than Jones as he can’t be relied upon.
Diner Grade: C+
New England Patriots
1 Devin McCourty CB Rutgers 2a Rob Gronkowski TE Arizona 2b Jermaine Cunningham OLB Florida 2c Brandon Spikes ILB Florida 3 Taylor Price WR Ohio 4 Aaron Hernandez TE Florida 5 Zoltan Mesko P Michigan 6 Ted Larsen C North Carolina State 7a Thomas Welch OT Vanderbilt 7b Brandon Deaderick DE Alabama 7c Kade Weston DT Georgia 7d Zac Robinson QB Oklahoma State
The Patriots again managed the board very well, moving down in the first round to accumulate more picks and they came away with 12 players. Overall, I find this a mixed bag some picks I really don’t like, some which are OK and some that I really like.
Let’s start with the OK picks. Devin McCourty was the best special teams player in the Draft and that ability really added to his value and fits in with the Patriots nicely. However as a CB, I have some questions about him because he doesn’t make enough plays. Only one interception in 2009, he tends to give up too many receptions in front of him he’s certainly not a gambler like Kyle Wilson or Patrick Robinson who went shortly after this pick. McCourty is a good tackler, willing in run support and has good long speed but I can’t help but want more from him as a first round CB. Rob Gronkowski didn’t play in 2009 as he had a back injury which required surgery. There were rumours circulating about nerve damage and this causing future problems, but one would assume that with him being taken this early that wasn’t the case. On the field Gronkowski is an excellent blocker, with reliable hands he lacks top speed, but can be a guy who can be a medium range target. If he’s healthy it’s a good pick if his back bothers him down the road, it’s not. Thomas Welch is a decent enough pick in the 7th round there was some buzz going around that he would be taken higher. Welch could be someone who needs a year on the practice squad as he needs to bulk up he’s only 307 lbs (I remember when that used to be considered huge!) but he has nice knee bend and sets up quickly enough. I think he’s certainly someone who could develop in time.
The first of the picks I really don’t like is Jermaine Cunningham. I’ve seen Cunningham quite a lot and many times you would hardly know he was playing. He does have some pass rush ability but he relies on his speed off the edge almost exclusively and any half decent NFL OT will handle that pretty easily as they will just set up with the outside rush in mind. He’s a liability against the run, he doesn’t always remain disciplined on draws and the like and I fear he’s a one trick pony. I may have considered him late on Day Three, but certainly not this high. Cunningham’s Florida team mate Aaron Hernandez is another pick I don’t like. He’s a slightly more athletic version of Patriots TE David Thomas but he lacks his willingness to at least try to block. Hernandez is a pass catching HB only his hands aren’t that great but he does have excellent after the catch ability often highlighted on shovel passes in the Florida offense. Post draft reports of a failed drug test further raise questions although the Patriots are one team that can manage players with character issues with a veteran locker room. Zoltan Mesko was the first punter off the board and while I love the commitment to special teams, I didn’t have Mesko in my top three Punters, so really don’t like the pick. Mesko, for me, was just far too inconsistent he flashed an NFL leg and also the ability to down punts inside the 20 so important to win the field position battle. But then he lets a really poor punt go at least once every game and if he brings that inconsistency into camp, I don’t see him landing the job. Brandon Deaderick has experience in Alabama’s defense which included some 4-3 looks in a base 3-4. I never came away impressed by Deaderick and the biggest test for him was against Chris Scott of Tennessee where he was completely neutralised. He’s someone who I regard as a camp body and I wouldn’t expect him to make the roster. With Brian Hoyer and Jeff Rowe behind Tom Brady a late round pick on a QB makes sense and the Patriots went for Zac Robinson ahead of Tim Hiller who went undrafted. Robinson had a decent Senior Bowl week to elevate his stock. He’s a mobile prospect who can throw on the run, but I do not believe his accuracy is good enough at the next level he could be used in the Wildcat, but I would be worried if he passed out of that formation.
Let’s finish with the picks I really like! Brandon Spikes does have a red flag character wise (see eye gouging incident), but he’s an excellent football player. His 40 time dictated he’s a pro 3-4 ILB only and that’s where he fits in New England. Spikes is an aggressive player who lined up all over the place for Florida and does offer blitz ability. He’s a solid tackler and certainly looks faster on the field than his timed speed. He does need some work in getting off blocks and controlling his aggression, but he’s a fine player who should be very productive on special teams. It’s certainly nice to see a player who runs a slow 40 still taken fairly high. Taylor Price is another nice pick. He didn’t have decent QB play to help him out this past season, but his Senior Bowl performance showed he has talent. Price needs to work on catching the ball more away from his body and also needs some work on his routes (most WR’s coming out of college do), but I think he’s solid value. Ted Larsen is another pick I really like I always love nasty offensive lineman and Larsen qualifies. He’s a former DT with only two years experience at Center so he still has things to learn (like bending at the knees consistently) but he knows how a DT thinks and he brings that aggression over to the offensive side of the ball. I liked current backup Center Ryan Wendell coming out of Fresno State, but he’s possibly not big enough Larsen is and should beat him out for the backup job. Kade Weston was one of three excellent Georgia DT’s who were all taken in this Draft. Weston is ideally suited to play NT at the next level as he is able to hold up against the double team. He is perhaps a little tall, so needs work on bending his knees to ensure he wins the leverage battle, but NT’s are tough to find, so I like this late round pick.
The undrafted free agent class brings a couple of names that I like. Pat Paschall of South Dakota State looked the pick of the RB’s at the Shrine Game very productive at a lower level, he’s quicker than fast (great shuttle time, poor 40 time) and can catch the ball out of the backfield he does have an off the field red flag though. Bryan Anderson WR Central Michigan is the other he lacks the speed to be viewed as anything but a possession receiver, but he has reliable hands and could push for a roster spot.
Need wise, the Patriots elected not to draft a DE until the 7th round Jared Odrick was still on the board before they traded down the second time in the first round and that might be a decision they come to regret particularly with Odrick going to the Dolphins. But otherwise, with numerous picks, they managed to hit all their other needs.
Diner Grade: B-
New York Jets
1 Kyle Wilson CB Boise State 2 Vladimir Ducasse OT Massachusetts 4 Joe McKnight RB USC 5 John Conner FB Kentucky
After acquiring Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes, Lito Sheppard and Antonio Cromartie the Jets were left with a league low 4 picks.
In the first round they made a fine selection with Kyle Wilson. Wilson is a perfect match for Rex Ryan’s defense he’s aggressive and confident. He will be able to play nickel back as a rookie and could even challenge Cromartie for the starting role he will also bring ability in the return game. Wilson will gamble and miss at times and he’ll need to learn to pick his moments, but he’s a super player and very nice value.
Vladimir Ducasse has only played 6 years of football after moving to the US from Haiti. He’s a big man and a borderline Tackle/Guard prospect, who could get by at Tackle with his long arms. Ducasse is still very raw and will need technique work and to adjust to the level of competition, but he’s powerful and will battle it out with Matt Slausen for the starting LG spot initially. He’s a solid pick who could possibly be a Right Tackle down the road which would improve the value.
Joe McKnight came to USC compared to Reggie Bush, but he was never as productive as Bush. McKnight is a back who can break the big run, but the main concern is that he runs too upright thus making him easier to tackle and more susceptible to injuries as he takes a fair amount of punishment. It would appear he’s been drafted as a direct replacement for Leon Washington and he should do well in that role.
The Jets final pick is an old school Fullback – John Conner. Tony Richardson is no spring chicken, so bringing Conner on board makes sense Conner and Shonn Greene coming at you on a cold day would be no fun at all! Conner is fun to watch he’s put together and is very physical.
The free agent class is important for the Jets with so few picks and there are three that stand out. Brian Jackson CB Oklahoma is a physical corner that lacks top end speed I think he may be more of a zone scheme fit, unless the Jets look at him at Safety. He is a very good special teams player though and he could get himself a roster spot on that basis alone. Donovan Warren CB Michigan was at one point rated as a high draft pick but then he ran a slow 40 time at the combine and his stock fell dramatically. It is surprising that he wasn’t drafted, however as there were a bunch of similar CB’s taken throughout the Draft. So the Jets have an interesting pickup like Jackson he could be tried at Safety, but he will also contribute on special teams. Mick Williams DT Pittsburgh is a very good player, but it’s an odd pickup as he’s too small to play Defensive Line for the Jets so I wonder if they see him as a LB. Williams is quick off the ball and can disrupt he has nice spin and swim moves and would be ideal for a one gap attacking system. We’ll see how they try and use him in pre-season.
Overall, a small Draft class which should see immediate impact from Wilson and McKnight as role players, plus possibly Ducasse as a starter. Down the road Wilson, Ducasse and Conner should become starters. Whether the decision to trade for so many players works out, we’ll see but it might be the Jets feel they have something and want to push for a Super Bowl this coming season, which is easier to do with a veteran influx as opposed to rookies. Needs wise I wondered if they would look at a pass rusher, but the passed on Jerry Hughes in the first round to take Wilson. As always time will tell on that choice.
NCAA Scouting
Torell Troup’s pick has been seen as a “reach” by some – I personally try not to use the word reach because if a team finds a prospect a superb fit for them, then why not – not all 32 teams will have prospects rated the same. I feel perhaps the media may be to blame as prospects are often clustered into the same sort of areas with no one willing to say Troup was better than a Dan Williams or Terrence Cody for example. Troup was my top rated NT – I think he’s without doubt someone who can hold up at the point of attack and he even offers some pass rush, which the other NT prospects don’t. The NT is key to a 3-4 – there aren’t many around and I love the pick.
Joe McKnight came to USC compared to Reggie Bush, but he was never as productive as Bush. McKnight is a back who can break the big run, but the main concern is that he runs too upright thus making him easier to tackle and more susceptible to injuries as he takes a fair amount of punishment. It would appear he’s been drafted as a direct replacement for Leon Washington and he should do well in that role.
