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NCAA Scouting
NFL Draft Prospect Tracker – Week 2
by Paul Emery
September 11th 2012
 
   
 
Week two got underway with a one sided Cincinnati win and while the Bearcats lost Derek Wolfe and John Hughes, they still have some talent on the defensive line.
 
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati
 
Pittsburgh
 
Ray Graham RB the fact that Graham has returned so quickly from an ACL tear so quickly is fantastic. He’s not even 12 months removed from the injury and that’s to be remembered when watching him and comparing him to his pre-injury form. His bulky knee brace is visual reminder of the injury and I’m sure it restricts a back like Graham who is more about making people miss than running them over. At 5’9 195 lbs, his stature is a little like for Panther and current Philadelphia Eagle Dion Lewis and at that size that are physical limitations in pass protection. Graham didn’t look great early in the game, but seemed to gain confidence after a very nice 50 yard run. On the play he slipped a tackle at the line, then waited patiently for the backside hole to open up. It was good to see him cut back when in the open against a safety as a few times in the game he either went down too easily or just got himself out of bounds, avoiding contact. He made a nice cut after catching a swing pass to suggest that ability is still in his locker. The most critical thing for him will be his health and the Combine medical will be key as well as continuing to gain confidence and strength in his knee.
 
Chris Jacobson OG Jacobson is also on the way back from a knee injury which caused him to miss most of the 2011 season. He was too visible for an offensive lineman incurring two costly penalties. One was a personal foul a late shove on a LB, which was stupid. The second was a holding call, but although he made an attempt to grab his man in the open, I didn’t he really grabbed any cloth so looked unfortunate to get called. In pass protection he has the right idea – he sinks in his stance and gets his arms extended. At times he gets himself overextended and balance is a concern as his weight is too far forward. In the run game he looked to be moving well enough when asked to pull and unlike some lineman, he doesn’t tip off in his stance when he’s going to be on the move. He’s a little out of control when he gets to the second level, like a good tackler it’s best to just break down, get square and then make the block but he over ran a couple of blocks and ended up going for desperate diving cut block attempts. As with his pass protection, balance was a concern he ended up on the ground a few too many times as he rather lunged at his man. I don’t think he’s a top prospect, but he has some ability and certainly could hear his name called on day three.
 
Jarred Holley FS Holley is asked to do different things in coverage, which is always helpful projecting him forward to the next level. Against a Bearcat spread attack he was 10-15 yards off the slot WR, with a LB to help him underneath. He was in some zone, but when blitzes were called he had man to man responsibility plus at times also rotated back to a single deep centre safety position. Holley doesn’t look like a top 100 pick in terms of explosion. I wasn’t sure of his speed when chasing a couple of long runs and he didn’t exhibit a quick break out of his backpedal. At times his angles weren’t quite right, although there weren’t any major over runs. His tackling was reliable, although at times he went with a cut type tackle and I’d like to see him stay on his feet and wrap. In the way he was used he reminded me on Michigan State’s Trenton Robinson from last year and could go in a similar area (round 6).
 
Cincinnati
 
Kenbrell Thompkins WR Thompkins had 44 catches in 2011, his first with Cincinnati. He only had two catches on the night, but could have had more with slightly more accurate throws. He did manage a big play a 42 yard catch, made in his hands with a CB draped all over him. He almost pulled off another big catch on a throw just behind him, but the ball just eluded him. He has decent size and there seems to be talent there, hopefully his young QB will settle down a bit more throwing the ball and we can see more of him moving forward.
 
Walter Stewart DE I mentioned Stewart in my season preview article and rightly so on this performance. Stewart plays DE in the base 4-3 at 248 lbs, he’s undersized for the position at the next level. But the beauty of modern day college defenses is there are far more multiple than they used to be as coaches search for an answer to the spread. The nickel sees Stewart stand up as an outside linebacker, most likely his pro position. While he specialises in getting after the QB he is also asked to drop in coverage and looks comfortable in space. He primarily dropped in zone coverage but did have man coverage on a tight end on one play and was all over his man. His best ability is rushing the passer where he flashed a really quick get off which saw him beat Pitt’s left tackle clean off the line for a sack and forced fumble. He showed he can dip his inside shoulder when turning the corner, but does get a bit high at times, so just needs to be aware of that and be consistent in getting low. He flashed some strength, but at times got hung up on blocks too much. His second sack was an example he was controlled initially on the play and only got off the block as the QB rolled right to him. He showed a swim move over the FB to make a TFL on a reverse, but didn’t use the move when rushing the passer. I think he can still improve his technique, but has enough talent to be on the radar to be a top 100 selection.
 
Dan Giordano DE Giordano is a bit bigger than Stewart at 6’4 262 lbs and showed the ability to get his arms extended to keep blockers off and then shed. He did so against a TE to get pressure early in the game on Tino Sunseri and then was able to set the edge nicely on a running play. As the game moved on he showed up more as a pass rusher like Stewart showing he can dip his inside shoulder and although he doesn’t look quite as quick as his bookend, he had enough speed to get in on a sack in the fourth quarter. He certainly looks a draftable prospect may suit a different type of defense than Stewart looking a little bigger and stronger.
 
Utah at Utah State
 
Utah
 

John White RB for a 5’8, 186 lb back Utah certainly aren’t frightened to let him carry the load. Last season on four occasions he carried the ball more than 30 times in one game and so far this season he already has 51 carries in two games. In this one he had 27 carries for 96 yards, which is only 3.6 yards a clip. He’s not a real dancer, being a very direct North-South style runner. A couple of runs he had the chance to bounce out, but as soon as he had daylight he cut up the field, rather than trying to go laterally. While that style is best at the next level, his physical running style doesn’t suggest he can carry it forward. Against NFL size 186 lbs is going to move many piles however I do like the way he runs and certainly think he’ll be in an NFL camp even if he’s not drafted.
 
DeVonte Christopher WR after a quiet start Christopher came into the game when the backup QB Jon Hays came into the game. Christopher has had two years of solid production (39 and then 42 catches) and had 6 for 56 yards in this game. I thought he looked quite fast on a kick-off return (for 35 yards), but most of his catches were shorter routes. He did a job separating from the cornerbacks with sharp out cuts and also running the defender off to run little hitch routes. His hands looked soft and indeed one catch of a low pass was a one handed effort falling down. He was only throw to once on a deeper route, but the CB knocked the ball away. I’ll be watching Utah again because of Lotulelei, so you can bet NFL scouts will see him again as well and that could help his stock.
 
Tevita Stevens C Stevens comes into the season ranked as a free agent and I would agree with that ranking. In pass protection he played high with a narrow base and a few times was jolted back towards his QB. He gave up a sack on one play when he lunged at the DT who was able to avoid him and gain a free path to make the play. Stevens also lunged a couple of times in the run game he must make sure he gets his feet under him better and remain balanced. He has decent size and some ability, but does need extensive technique work.
 
Star Lotulelei DT Lotulelei was the only top prospect on show in this game, so it’s important to put this performance into context as it’s not like this was Alabama’s offensive line. The 318 lb man was pretty quiet for most of the evening. Now, part of that was due to Utah State avoiding him when running the ball but also was in part to some technique deficiencies. Lotulelei moves very well for his size and gave good effort on outside runs, chasing everything hard. He’s looks naturally powerful and isn’t moved easily even by a double team block. However, he has two main problems that have me really concerned. The main one is he plays too high. Part of that in this one was because after chasing those outside runs he was probably tired and it’s pretty common for college lineman to play high when that’s the case. But even when fresh early in the game it was the case. He’s been compared to Haloti Ngata coming out of Oregon, but Ngata played lower. The other problem was on the few occasions he got penetration, he was often off balance. That’s linked to the playing high point as when he bends it’s at the waist and if you try running while bent over, you’ll figure out it’s tough to keep balanced. He must really work on his knee bend his natural power meant he made some plays and I think he’s more suited to a Kansas City two gap defense than Dontari Poe is at this point (he’s a nickel pass rusher only at this stage) but like the Memphis man, he needs work and I wouldn’t want to take him in the top 10 right now. Michael Brockers came on in the second half of last year so hopefully that will be the case for Lotulelei. Powerful with a fantastic size/speed combination, but getting by at the moment with his power.
 
Dave Kruger DT Kruger is the younger brother of the Ravens Paul and his brother-in-law is Raiders rookie Tony Bergstrom. His other brother Joe plays DE and was ejected in this one. Dave Kruger is listed at 6’5 300 lbs and like his more decorated team mate Lotulelei he plays too high. However, he flashed the ability to use that length to his advantage keeping blockers off him and then shedding them to make some plays. A couple of times he got off blocks, but didn’t have the explosion to get him to the ball carrier to make the tackle. So, looks a little limited athletically but his frame will appeal to 3-4 teams and he’d be wise to work hard in the weight room after the season to particularly appeal to two gap teams.
 
Utah State
 
Kerwynn Williams RB Williams was the number two back last year behind Seahawks Robert Turbin, who I really liked, with the Bucs Michael Smith also getting some carries. This year he’s the main back and in this game he relatively quietly ran for 95 yards on 17 carries. Williams is more like Smith than Turbin he’s 5’9 185 lbs but unlike White he prefers to run outside the tackle box. He certainly has the speed to turn the corner and he made some big plays. He’s probably more of a complimentary back at the next level because of his size, but I think there’s a niche for him there.
 
Matt Austin WR I saw Utah State last week (for Southern Utah’s QB Brad Sorensen who is a bit like John Skelton big arm, but accuracy all over the place) when he had 5 catches for 119 yards. But against better opposition he only had 2 catches for 28 yards. He wasn’t thrown at much and did get open on an out and up, but Keeton missed him. He has good size and reliable hands and I think he could see himself taken on day three.
 
Penn State at Virginia
 
Penn State
 
Matt Stankiewitch C Stankiewitch had some nice moments in the run game, where he showed a controlled mean streak. He was finishing his blocks and doing a nice job of winning the leverage battle against senior Will Hill. In pass protection his technique needs some work. His feet go back and out and I think better quality opposition will give him problems. He’ll need to clean up things in the passing game to push himself up boards.
 
Jordan Hill DT Hill was over shadowed by Devon Still last year, but is a decent prospect in his own right. He made a flash play, but generally was held in check. That play was a really nice interception for a big man feeling a screen and able to get a big paw up and knock the ball to himself for a really nice play. He got some push a couple of times but for a 1 technique DT very worryingly he got absolutely buried on a double team. I don’t think he’s going to go as high as Still and perhaps at 298 lbs, the 1 technique slot might not be for him…
 
Michael Mauti OLB Mauti missed the majority of the 2011 season due to a serious knee injury. A vocal leader off the field he carried that into the game and was simply outstanding. He was active throughout the game and finished with 9 tackles (including a forced fumble), a fumble recovery and a pass break-up. I thought his best play was a stretch run by Perry Jones he mirrored him perfectly and made a tackle for no gain despite Jones trying some shake and bake. Mauti looks comfortable in coverage he can re-direct smoothly and in the zone can read the QB as he did very nicely on his pass breakup. He has a thick build and has no problem sticking his nose in the fan to stuff up a hole which he did on numerous occasions. He showed he can get off blocks and the only major weakness on the day was that he bit hard on a couple of play action fakes. If the knee checks out medically I can see him being a high pick.
 
Gerald Hodges OLB Hodges is listed as only 8 lbs lighter than Mauti but doesn’t look as thick and indeed has a relatively thin frame. He had a solid game, but I didn’t think he was quite as good as Mauti. His best play of the game was on a naked bootleg by the QB he stayed at home and made a tackle for no gain. Like Mauti he also looks comfortable in zone coverage and indeed in the nickel he moves out over the slot WR. He’s not as good at filling in the hole as Mauti but can beat blockers with his quickness. Not as good as Sean Spence from last year but might be viewed in a similar manner and certainly could push for a day two slot if he runs fast in the post season.
 
Virginia
 
Oday Aboushi OT Penn State didn’t have any real edge speed to test Aboushi and that’s my main concern with him. At times when setting up in pass protection he looked heavy footed with his hands dropping low with each step (chicken wings). A few times I thought he was in trouble, but he managed to move his man up the field with his inside hand coming from low to leverage his man where he wanted. I think pure speed will beat him as he doesn’t consistently get his hands up quickly enough to deliver an initial punch. He does have good power when he gets that initial punch in so if he can just refine his technique I think it will help him. When in close quarters his hands tend to sneak outside and he was lucky to only get called for holding the once. I did love his aggressiveness in the run game he finishes plays and really went after a CB on a stretch play continuing the block out of bounds, fortunately behind the officials back! I think he’s probably a right tackle prospect at the next level this wasn’t the game to be 100% sure he can’t play pro left tackle, but I’ll check later in the year to find out.
 
Ausar Walcott DE to my knowledge Walcott doesn’t carry a draftable grade coming into the year, but he got my attention. Undersized for a DE at 240 lbs at times he was overwhelmed by a big Penn State offensive line. But he showed a nice get off rushing the passer and caused some problems. He looks to have long arms and a frame that can add some bulk. I’ll be sure to watch out for him down the stretch as a potential sleeper.
 
Steve Greer ILB for scouts heading to watch Aboushi, while he’s on the bench scouts will be watching Greer the highest ranked defensive Cavalier in pre-season rankings. He’s 225 lbs but not as fast as ideal for an undersized LB. He’s very instinctive and a number of times was able to read the play perfectly and make a play. When blockers got onto him he really struggled to get off blocks and he didn’t have the quickness to beat the blocks. Could be a late rounder similar to Calab McSurdy (round 7, Cowboys).
 
USC vs Syracuse
 
USC
 
Matt Barkley QB Barkley is going to be a relatively tough evaluation I think. He finished 23-30 for 187 yards, 6 TD’s and 1 INT on the day. Of those 30 passes, only 4 travelled more than 10 yards in the air and many were swing passes. Barkley generally looked poised, but under pressure twice he made bad decisions one of which was a left handed attempt at a throw, which was flagged for intentional grounding. He needs to know when to just eat it one would like to think a QB of his experience would already know this. His interception showed the main knock on him lack of top arm strength. He threw a little behind his receiver on a deep pass over the middle and it seemed to take too long to get there. The accuracy allowed the safety to make the play. Barkley’s footwork looked good he looks balanced and co-ordinated dropping back and can step up in the pocket keeping his eyes downfield. He has excellent touch on the in the bucket throws one deeper one to Woods for a TD was superb and not something many young QB’s can do. He seems in control of the offense but does use his two stud WR’s to make plays after short catches a bunch which is going to make it a jigsaw puzzle with his evaluation. It would be great for him to play in the Senior Bowl, but as a top prospect he’ll probably not play. Clearly not as good as Andrew Luck last year polished to a degree but doesn’t necessarily wow you.
 
Silas Redd* RB the much talked about Penn State transfer had a good day, running for 107 yards on only 15 carries. He’s got good size at 209 lbs and presses the hole hard. When there’s not much there in terms of blocking he just keeps his legs churning and gets what he can. He’s a classic zone blocking scheme runner he can cut sharply and get upfield. He showed very good vision to cut back and get a 40 yard gain another requirement for the system. He looks to be a very good prospect and it will be interesting to see if he comes out early after this season, after only one year at USC or comes back for a second.
 
Curtis McNeal RB another shorter RB, McNeal is listed at 5’7 182 lbs. When Redd had little blocking he could still get something with his power but twice McNeal literally bounced back in similar situations, so he has limitations. Having said that he still ran for 63 yards on 11 carries with two very nice runs one with a sharp cut the other breaking a couple of tackles. His size realistically means day three for him, but he can carve out a niche.
 
Robert Woods* WR I thought Woods put the ball on the ground too much last year and I believe he dropped an easy deep chance last week. However, there was none of that on show this week as he had 10 catches for 93 yards and 2 TD’s. He also had a 76 yard run on a reverse plus a nice punt return for 31 yards. 6 of his catches were swing passes but he’s so dynamic with the ball in his hands, the USC coaching staff just need to get him the ball and let him work his magic. His best catch of the day was actually called back for a penalty he laid out for a 15 yard crossing route beautifully. He looks quick at the line against press coverage tough to jam and was just electric with the ball in his hands. He looks to be a special talent who is poised for a huge year.
 
Khaled Holmes C Holmes day ended badly as he was rolled up on in the fourth quarter and is expected to be out for several weeks according to the LA Daily News. Prior to the injury Holmes was having a great day in the run game but struggling in pass protection. His run blocking was fun to watch he was really manhandling people inside, opening up some nice holes. He plays with a real nasty edge to his game and really finishes his blocks. He gets to the second level very well plays square and just gets after it. However, in pass protection it was a different story. He got stood up straight a number of times and on one play he was jacked right back into Matt Barkley’s lap. Just before the injury he was actually knocked onto his backside. He just plays too high and indeed looks a little stiff in his play.
 
Wes Horton DE did not play for the second week due to an undisclosed injury.
 
Nickell Robey* CB before his suspension from LSU one of the big talking points of the Draft would have been if Tyrann Mathieu was a high pick despite being under sized. It would seem we can still have that discussion, but with Robey rather than the sidelined Honey Badger. Listed at 5’8 172 lbs Robey would have had a problem coming into the league 10 years ago. But with many pro teams employing 3 or 4 WR sets far more, he can fit in nicely against a slot WR. Naturally if that guy is the Saints Marques Colston he’ll have a problem but for a Wes Welker type it’s a better matchup than a tall CB like 6’1 Dee Milliner who I looked at last week. Robey plays a lot of zone coverage. He’s not asked to press much and when he was he didn’t look comfortable. He missed a bump on Marcus Sales, which gave the Syracuse man a clean 15 yard catch in front of the safety. Robey looks very comfortable in reverse he has loose hips and can change directions extremely smoothly. He has a nice break on the ball and is certainly not afraid to come up and make tackles on swing passes and against the run. He’s so physical they blitz him a fair amount and although he was turned up the field easily by a RB he did make a nice tackle on a RB for no gain. The main weakness for him is that a couple of times he got a bit nosey he was so busy looking at the QB, his feet stopped and let his man get separation. However, I think he’s still a day two type prospect who also adds value as a very direct punt returner.
 
T.J. McDonald FS McDonald is well put together and after a few steps he seems to really build speed. Numerous times he flew downhill to get in on tackles. His more effective coming from deep centre field than in the box, where he looks a bit stiff and lost. It is tough to evaluate a deep centre fielder, but it’s clear to see he doesn’t have a great initial burst. On a deep pass play down the sidelines he was late over he made the tackle but a Cover-2 safety needs to be getting over to break that play up. He also completely whiffed on one tackle he got downhill quickly, but his feet completely stopped and it was easy for the RB to cut back inside. He’s rated very highly but I do have some concerns. I will be most interested in his 10 yard split time at the Combine I think the 40 will be fine, but he’s a bit of a long strider.
 
Syracuse
 
Ryan Nassib QB Nassib certainly doesn’t lack arm strength he threw some really nice passes outside of the numbers with excellent zip. Unfortunately he throws the ball too hard at times. He was clearly fired up early in the game as he was high on a number of passes. He had a couple of drops, even later in the game, when he just needed to take some steam off to complete the pass to receivers in space. The arm will certainly get him a lot of attention from scouts though. His footwork looks a bit choppy, so he’ll need to clean that up. Under pressure his feet get a bit happy certainly not as smooth as Barkley stepping up in the pocket. I did like the fact that he checked down a number of times. Nassib can throw the touch pass he did so a couple of times he just needs to select the right club from the bag more often. He made several audibles at the line, so was in control of the offense but did hold the ball too long a few times, so he needs to speed up his decision making somewhat. If he can clean up a few things he could certainly rise up boards as of now I think he’s a day two candidate because of the big arm but has significant upside because of the physical tools.
 
Marcus Sales WR Sales was suspended for the entire 2011 season after being arrested on drugs charges. He had 11 catches last week against Northwestern and added 8 for 104 yards this so he’s going to beat his previous career high 28 catches in a season before a quarter of the season has gone. He looks bigger than his listed 6’0 185 lbs he just plays big like Justin Blackman last year. He showed quickness to beat a press attempt at the line by Robey and looked sharp on slant routes. he did the same later in the game on an up route and caught an over the shoulder 17 yarder. Hopefully he has turned things around off the field it may restrict his stock but certainly he’s talented enough to be a mid round Draft pick and perhaps could rise higher if he checks out off the field.
 
Justin Pugh* – OT out injured with an upper body injury.
 
Washington at LSU
 
Washington
 
Desmond Trufant CB LSU only put the ball up 19 times, so Trufant wasn’t tested to a large degree. What he was asked to do I thought he did well. He’s a taller CB at 6’0 but is listed at only 185 lbs and could do with adding a little weight to help with tackling he struggle to bring Alfred Blue down one time, but did hang on to make the play. He was asked to press at the line and other than one time did a nice job of getting in a nice bump. One time he missed his punch and was beaten by a quick inside move off the line, but he got away with it as Mettenberger was under pressure and didn’t see his open man. He had one pass caught on him for some reason he wasn’t set at the line he was running over at the snap and struggled to recover. In one on one matchups with Russell Shepard he was all over the LSU man. I liked the way he turned and ran with his man down the field, he seemed quite in control. The USC game will be the one to watch though and hopefully that’s not on the Pac-12 Network which isn’t available outside of the States!
 
LSU
 
Spencer Ware* – RB 8 carries for 38 yards. Missed last week with an injury and missed most of the second quarter dealing with a toe injury, but got some carries in the second half. Carries his weight very well is listed at 223 lbs, but looks to be very lean. Had a couple of really nice runs got low one time and punished the tackler. Also broke a DT’s tackle at the line just putting his shoulder into him and driving his legs. He was able to consistently drive his legs on contact. He almost had a pass completion on a stretch to the left he pulled up and threw. He got hit as he threw, but it still should have been caught. Due to the stable of backs, it’s a case of watching a few more LSU games to work him out but very positive from limited action.
 
Russell Shepard WR was thrown to once, which was ruled a drop. He had a low crossing route in the end zone and was on the ground with the ball in his hands but the CB just hit it out at the last minute and as he didn’t have control for long enough it was ruled incomplete and not challenged. Other than that he wasn’t always in the game and when he was against Trufant the Washington man was all over him.
 
Alex Hurst OT 6’6 340 lb prospect is a classic power right tackle only. I can’t say I came away impressed with him. In the run game when he can lock his man up then good things happen unless you are the defender getting driven back 10+ yards of course! However, he misses opportunities to wear down his opposite number as on stretch plays away from him, he gets lazy with his footwork and doesn’t get square. He’ll just get his considerable frame in the way and often just didn’t block anyone. He also had a major problem with his balance, he spent far too much time on the ground. He wasn’t tested in pass protection, but the will come in SEC play. He did look very heavy footed though and one time was struggling for speed, his feet stopped and he bent at the waist again getting off balance. He doesn’t look naturally flexible and thus plays too high. I think at some point this year he’ll really struggle and certainly at the Senior Bowl I could see him having a long week.
 
Chris Faulk* – OT out for the year with a knee injury.
 
Barkevious Mingo* – DE at 6’4, 240 lbs Mingo is a Bruce Irvin style of DE undersized but a fast twitch player off the edge. He’s visibly quicker out of stance that bookend Sam Montgomery, but it didn’t always lead to pressure in this one. At times he was double teamed with a TE helping and another, when he had the tackle beaten outside the RG peeled back to help. Washington also ran a number of short routes, plus moved Keith Price out of the pocket. He still managed pressure on the night and was able to show a very nice spin move. When his man count onto his body he struggled strength wise to counter and perhaps lining up a little further outside and really dipping that inside shoulder might help present less of a target. Certainly in a system like the Eagles I can see him having success. I thought his best play was in pursuit just showing explosive speed to catch a scrambling Keith Price and then laying out to make the tackle. Ten years ago the NFL would have struggled to find a place for him, but with so many teams in 4 WR sets much of the game, there’s most certainly a place for him and he has the athletic skill set to be a very high pick.
 
Sam Montgomery* – DE as mentioned above, Montgomery is a slower twitch guy he noticeably got off the ball slower, even though he’s only listed as 8 lbs heavier. Montgomery has the right idea he has long arms and gets them extended into his man really nicely. Unfortunately he’s not strong enough to consistently shed and he tends to play a little high and stop his feet at times so he gets neutralised a little too often for my liking. If he can get up to the 260 lb region and get stronger, then I think he has all the makings of a very high pick and a DE a little like Jason Pierre-Paul (who I have to admit I got wrong!!). He did look good moving inside a little in three man fronts he got under the LG one time and got good push and then just peeled inside to sack Keith Price who will have instantly regretted his decision to step up in the pocket. Could be a high pick coming out early, but staying for an extra year, getting stronger could send him to a top 5 pick in the 2014 Draft.
 
Bennie Logan* – DT listed at 288 lbs, but looks much heavier. Looks to have a really nice frame with long arms. He tried to do the Michael Brockers two gap technique some but like Brockers at this time last year, he hasn’t quite worked it out yet. The way Brockers came on in the second half of the year gives me hope for Logan. He had a fairly quiet night, but was able to draw a holding call where he just overpowered his man. He tried a swim move later in the game, but didn’t have enough foot speed to make it work. I’ll keep an eye on him as he has the tools to work with.
 
Josh Downs DT left the game fairly early in the third quarter with an ankle injury and didn’t return. Listed at 287 lbs, but does look heavier than this. I was expecting more of a Drake Nevis prospect at that weight, but outside of a swim move where he got into the backfield (and drew a holding call) he didn’t show any explosion off the ball. He battles away with his hands, but there doesn’t seem to be enough pop behind them. Clearly difficult to tell on a half of action and then he was rotating, so will check out again.
 
Kevin Minter* – ILB Minter looks like a good read and react linebacker. On numerous occasions he read the play very quickly and just flew up into the hole to make the tackle. Like many linebackers in the modern era, he does struggle to get off blocks but that didn’t stop a number of guys like Zach Brown getting drafted early last year. He looked good in coverage for example, just stoning a RB on a crossing route with physical coverage. My other concern with him is that at times he’s a little bit out of control he could do with breaking down a little before he gets to the play as he can overshoot things. But certainly in a one gap fly up the field system he will be in high demand.
 
Eric Reid* – FS I didn’t see the North Texas/LSU game from week one, but seeing ABC put up the video of Reid giving up two TD’s in coverage was certainly interesting. Prior to that I was thinking that Reid looks a little heavier than last year. I remember Mark Barron in 2010 looked a bit heavy and awkward in coverage, but seemed to be lighter and more explosive in 2011 and it led to him being a very high pick. I came into the year thinking highly of Reid, but he just looks quite stiff in the hips and seemed to struggle to re-direct himself. It was almost like watching Alex Hurst try and redirect his 340 lb frame. Now he can hit as Kevin Smith found out but Smith got his revenge by beating him in coverage with Reid’s only response being to hit him with the ball in the air, which drew a pass interference call. Maybe it’s just that detailed study has shown up some weaknesses I missed in passing, but I came away quite shocked at how different he was from my perception going into the game.