Risen Star
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For those that were available. Nothing on Ferguson, Waletzko, Bland or Harper.
5. TYLER SMITH, Tulsa (6-4 ½, 327, 5.04, 1-2): Another third-year sophomore. Started two of four games as a true freshman before redshirting. “Natural left tackle,” said one scout. ”This guy can pull and trap. Great technician. He can bend his knees and move his feet and slide. He was 21 on April 3. At the second level he was totally amazing. About as tough a guy as I saw. I don’t know how Tulsa got him. Only thing I didn’t like: he wants to hurt people. Sometimes when they do that, they get holding penalties (12 in 2021). He just smashes guys down and officials call a hold.” His high school in Fort Worth was small and fielded losing teams, reducing his exposure and college offers. “When you have the toughness he plays with and his makeup, there’s not an offensive line coach that would not want to work with him,” said a second scout. “He might have more upside than all these guys. You’re getting a really good athlete that can play guard or tackle. He’s long (34 arms). He’s a violent player. It’s hard for those guys to fail, but he has to clean up a lot of stuff from a fundamental standpoint. If you moved him to defense you’d be talking about a high-end nose tackle.” Made 21 starts at LT. Wonderlic of 30. “He’s a left tackle but I thought he was a long, long ways away,” said a third scout. “He’s just so out of control and so raw. Just sloppy. The big guy tries but the technique’s way off. He lunges, he’s top-heavy. I don’t see the top athletic ability that some others may see.”
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SCOUTS’ NIGHTMARE
Sam Williams, Mississippi: Has been charged with sexual battery on two different occasions but each time charges were dropped. The university suspended him for two months in summer 2020 after one of the arrests. In high school, he was kicked out of school for an incident in which a knife was involved. Williams (6-3 ½, 258, 4.56) scored 21 on the Wonderlic and had 12 ½ sacks in ’21, including an impressive performance against Alabama LT Evan Neal. One team removed him from its draft board. “He’s got second- or third-round ability,” said one scout. “But he has the worst intangibles ever.”
13. JALEN TOLBERT, South Alabama (6-1, 193, 4.52, 3): Suffered a knee injury as a freshman in 2017 and redshirted. Played four seasons, starting the final three. “Baseball player,” said one scout. “Went there to play both. Then he hurt his knee and focused on football. He’s a good fit for this West Coast offense all these teams are running because he is very versatile. He makes plays. You cannot discount this kid’s playmaking ability. Second round is a little rich, but people will be all over him in the third. He’s sturdier than the top guys. He’ll be close to 200 (pounds). Little more rocked-up than those other guys. I like him as an underneath guy and I think he runs good enough to get over the top.” Finished with 178 receptions for 3,140 (17.6) and 22 TDs. Wonderlic of 27. “He’s got really good hands but he had too many concentration drops,” another scout said. “He tries to run too much before the catch. He’s basically their entire offense. He is talented.” From Mobile, Ala.
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5. DAMONE CLARK, Louisiana State (6-2 ½, 239, 4.60, 3-7): After backing up Devin White in 2018 and Patrick Queen in ’19, he started in the middle the past two years. “Big, long-armed (33), athletic and fast,” said one scout. “His instincts are a touch off. They were off two years ago and improved since then. Very productive; he was a bright light in a dark room at LSU this past season. As the season sunk he just kept playing and got better. Reluctantly, he could do it (wear the green dot).” At the combine, one of the Cowboys’ team doctors diagnosed him with a herniated cervical disc. On March 24, he underwent a fusion through the front of his neck and won’t play in 2022. “There’s no way he goes first- or second-round now,” the scout said. “He’s going to sink like a rock.” Finished with 249 tackles (23 ½ for loss) and 10 sacks. “He was the No. 1 (linebacker),” said a second scout. “Not as talented as Devin White but he was all over the place. Just makes plays. Explosive as hell. He can cover and blitz. He’s a Pro Bowl linebacker. He’ll stack. Strikes people. They man him up a lot. He was amazing.” Wonderlic was 9. “Good man (cover) on running backs,” said a third scout. “Inconsistent tackler in space more due to technique than skill. Can have delayed reactions at times. Probably can play all three positions but you might be a little hesitant to put him at Mike based on the mental. Very talented. He’ll start.” From Baton Rouge, La. “I guess you could draft him late or sign him as a college free agent and pay him for the year and see how the surgery goes,” a fourth scout said. “Just redshirt him. But a linebacker with a fused neck? I don’t know.”
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11. JOHN RIDGEWAY, Arkansas (6-5, 320, 5.46, 4): Redshirted at FCS Illinois State in 2017 before starting for three years. Made a graduate transfer to the SEC and started 11 games in ’21. “Converted (high school) offensive lineman,” said one scout. “Greatest thing he did was display his power and strength at the Senior Bowl. He’s going to be like Dean Lowry.” Finished with 102 tackles (eight for loss) and one sack for the Redbirds and 39 tackles (four for loss) and two sacks for the Razorbacks. “I like that guy,” a third scout said. “I really like the makeup. More run stopper than pass rusher. He didn’t run well but he’s not a slug. He moves better than his 40 time would indicate. He has really good make-it potential based on who he is.” Arms were 33 3/8. From Bloomington, Ill., where he was a state champion wrestler.
5. TYLER SMITH, Tulsa (6-4 ½, 327, 5.04, 1-2): Another third-year sophomore. Started two of four games as a true freshman before redshirting. “Natural left tackle,” said one scout. ”This guy can pull and trap. Great technician. He can bend his knees and move his feet and slide. He was 21 on April 3. At the second level he was totally amazing. About as tough a guy as I saw. I don’t know how Tulsa got him. Only thing I didn’t like: he wants to hurt people. Sometimes when they do that, they get holding penalties (12 in 2021). He just smashes guys down and officials call a hold.” His high school in Fort Worth was small and fielded losing teams, reducing his exposure and college offers. “When you have the toughness he plays with and his makeup, there’s not an offensive line coach that would not want to work with him,” said a second scout. “He might have more upside than all these guys. You’re getting a really good athlete that can play guard or tackle. He’s long (34 arms). He’s a violent player. It’s hard for those guys to fail, but he has to clean up a lot of stuff from a fundamental standpoint. If you moved him to defense you’d be talking about a high-end nose tackle.” Made 21 starts at LT. Wonderlic of 30. “He’s a left tackle but I thought he was a long, long ways away,” said a third scout. “He’s just so out of control and so raw. Just sloppy. The big guy tries but the technique’s way off. He lunges, he’s top-heavy. I don’t see the top athletic ability that some others may see.”
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SCOUTS’ NIGHTMARE
Sam Williams, Mississippi: Has been charged with sexual battery on two different occasions but each time charges were dropped. The university suspended him for two months in summer 2020 after one of the arrests. In high school, he was kicked out of school for an incident in which a knife was involved. Williams (6-3 ½, 258, 4.56) scored 21 on the Wonderlic and had 12 ½ sacks in ’21, including an impressive performance against Alabama LT Evan Neal. One team removed him from its draft board. “He’s got second- or third-round ability,” said one scout. “But he has the worst intangibles ever.”
13. JALEN TOLBERT, South Alabama (6-1, 193, 4.52, 3): Suffered a knee injury as a freshman in 2017 and redshirted. Played four seasons, starting the final three. “Baseball player,” said one scout. “Went there to play both. Then he hurt his knee and focused on football. He’s a good fit for this West Coast offense all these teams are running because he is very versatile. He makes plays. You cannot discount this kid’s playmaking ability. Second round is a little rich, but people will be all over him in the third. He’s sturdier than the top guys. He’ll be close to 200 (pounds). Little more rocked-up than those other guys. I like him as an underneath guy and I think he runs good enough to get over the top.” Finished with 178 receptions for 3,140 (17.6) and 22 TDs. Wonderlic of 27. “He’s got really good hands but he had too many concentration drops,” another scout said. “He tries to run too much before the catch. He’s basically their entire offense. He is talented.” From Mobile, Ala.
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5. DAMONE CLARK, Louisiana State (6-2 ½, 239, 4.60, 3-7): After backing up Devin White in 2018 and Patrick Queen in ’19, he started in the middle the past two years. “Big, long-armed (33), athletic and fast,” said one scout. “His instincts are a touch off. They were off two years ago and improved since then. Very productive; he was a bright light in a dark room at LSU this past season. As the season sunk he just kept playing and got better. Reluctantly, he could do it (wear the green dot).” At the combine, one of the Cowboys’ team doctors diagnosed him with a herniated cervical disc. On March 24, he underwent a fusion through the front of his neck and won’t play in 2022. “There’s no way he goes first- or second-round now,” the scout said. “He’s going to sink like a rock.” Finished with 249 tackles (23 ½ for loss) and 10 sacks. “He was the No. 1 (linebacker),” said a second scout. “Not as talented as Devin White but he was all over the place. Just makes plays. Explosive as hell. He can cover and blitz. He’s a Pro Bowl linebacker. He’ll stack. Strikes people. They man him up a lot. He was amazing.” Wonderlic was 9. “Good man (cover) on running backs,” said a third scout. “Inconsistent tackler in space more due to technique than skill. Can have delayed reactions at times. Probably can play all three positions but you might be a little hesitant to put him at Mike based on the mental. Very talented. He’ll start.” From Baton Rouge, La. “I guess you could draft him late or sign him as a college free agent and pay him for the year and see how the surgery goes,” a fourth scout said. “Just redshirt him. But a linebacker with a fused neck? I don’t know.”
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11. JOHN RIDGEWAY, Arkansas (6-5, 320, 5.46, 4): Redshirted at FCS Illinois State in 2017 before starting for three years. Made a graduate transfer to the SEC and started 11 games in ’21. “Converted (high school) offensive lineman,” said one scout. “Greatest thing he did was display his power and strength at the Senior Bowl. He’s going to be like Dean Lowry.” Finished with 102 tackles (eight for loss) and one sack for the Redbirds and 39 tackles (four for loss) and two sacks for the Razorbacks. “I like that guy,” a third scout said. “I really like the makeup. More run stopper than pass rusher. He didn’t run well but he’s not a slug. He moves better than his 40 time would indicate. He has really good make-it potential based on who he is.” Arms were 33 3/8. From Bloomington, Ill., where he was a state champion wrestler.
