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S GOOD AS GONE (8)
Sammy Watkins*, WR, Clemson: 6 feet 1 inch, 211 pounds. In what might become an all-time class of wide receivers, he stands as the best entering the draft. "He can pretty much do everything," one scout said. "He's fast. He makes plays. Catches the hell out of the ball. Knows how to play." Caught 240 passes (101 in 2013) for 3,391 yards (14.1-yard average) and 27 touchdowns. "He'll be a great kickoff return guy, too," another scout said. "But he won't do that very long. Not real tall but he's thick. He looks like a running back more than a wide receiver."
Greg Robinson*, T, Auburn: 6-5, 332. Redshirt sophomore started two years at LT. "He's phenomenal," one scout said. "He's the most talented of all of them...the most upside." Long arms (35). Bench-pressed 32 times. Ran a fast 40-yard dash of 4.92 seconds Saturday at the combine. Ability to drive block is what excites some scouts. "He'll mash you," said another. "He needs work in pass protection but he can pass protect. You see his punch. And he comes off the ball."
Jake Matthews, T, Texas A&M: 6-41/2, 308. Started 46 of 49 games, playing RT from 2010-'12 before moving to LT in '13 as the replacement for Luke Joeckel. "You can't go wrong with him," one scout said. "You just take him and you don't worry about anything. He's probably the most solid of the tackles." Average size, arm length (333/8), hand size (97/8) and strength (24 reps on the bench). Good speed (5.07). Cousin of Green Bay OLB Clay Matthews. "Really good technician," said another scout. "Good, not great athlete. He's a little soft. Not that he won't be a very good player. He gives great effort."
Johnny Manziel*, QB, Texas A&M: 5-11½, 207. Third-year sophomore and two-year starter. Won Heisman Trophy in 2012. "Hit or miss? What the hell are they talking about?" one scout said. "He's a better passer than the guy (Russell Wilson) who won the Super Bowl, and he's got a better arm. Here comes the pressure, a guy breaks open and he finds the receiver. Does he have a gun? No. But he doesn't have a bad arm at all." Has had a colorful if not controversial career off the field. Nicknamed "Johnny Football." Said another personnel man with more than 15 years of NFL scouting experience: "I'm fine with him on the field. He's probably the most unique guy I've done at that position. Just the way he kind of controls the game when he's on. But it's the other stuff. He's not a worker. He doesn't show up. He does what he wants to do. They need him. Everybody just kind of shrugs it off. You try to pull some of the stuff he does in an NFL locker room and it's just not going to work."
Blake Bortles*, QB, Central Florida: 6-5, 232. Fourth-year junior. "He's either the first or second quarterback (drafted)," one scout said. "Really good athlete. Great size. Above average to very good arm strength. Tough. Poised. Very productive in his last year." Completed 65.7% of his passes and started two years. "He's actually more of a runner," another scout said. "They ran him a lot and roll him out. He's raw. If somebody takes him and thinks he's going to be their franchise guy, they're going to get burned. He's not very accurate, and guys that are inaccurate don't really become that accurate. You can depend on him. He works his (expletive) off. He's a leader. He's won. He kind of raised the program. But I'm shaky with him."
Jadeveon Clowney*, DE, South Carolina: 6-5, 266. Often compared to Mario Williams and Julius Peppers. "I don't know where people say he didn't play hard this year," one scout said. "Not in the games I watched. They hold him. Somebody asked if he could play linebacker. He'd be a great linebacker. He stands up now sometimes." Third-year junior and probable top-five pick. "I would not put my job on the line for that guy," another scout said. "Who has a profile like that that's been successful in the NFL? Lazy. Not playing hard....I think his physical talent is being overblown. At what point in his life has he had to push himself? Now you're going to give him this money and say, 'Do something you're never done in your life before. Against guys you just can't run over.' I would not do it."
Read more from Journal Sentinel: http://www.jsonline.com/sports/pack...look-b99210557z1-246732851.html#ixzz2uAYL176c
Follow us: @JournalSentinel on Twitter
Sammy Watkins*, WR, Clemson: 6 feet 1 inch, 211 pounds. In what might become an all-time class of wide receivers, he stands as the best entering the draft. "He can pretty much do everything," one scout said. "He's fast. He makes plays. Catches the hell out of the ball. Knows how to play." Caught 240 passes (101 in 2013) for 3,391 yards (14.1-yard average) and 27 touchdowns. "He'll be a great kickoff return guy, too," another scout said. "But he won't do that very long. Not real tall but he's thick. He looks like a running back more than a wide receiver."
Greg Robinson*, T, Auburn: 6-5, 332. Redshirt sophomore started two years at LT. "He's phenomenal," one scout said. "He's the most talented of all of them...the most upside." Long arms (35). Bench-pressed 32 times. Ran a fast 40-yard dash of 4.92 seconds Saturday at the combine. Ability to drive block is what excites some scouts. "He'll mash you," said another. "He needs work in pass protection but he can pass protect. You see his punch. And he comes off the ball."
Jake Matthews, T, Texas A&M: 6-41/2, 308. Started 46 of 49 games, playing RT from 2010-'12 before moving to LT in '13 as the replacement for Luke Joeckel. "You can't go wrong with him," one scout said. "You just take him and you don't worry about anything. He's probably the most solid of the tackles." Average size, arm length (333/8), hand size (97/8) and strength (24 reps on the bench). Good speed (5.07). Cousin of Green Bay OLB Clay Matthews. "Really good technician," said another scout. "Good, not great athlete. He's a little soft. Not that he won't be a very good player. He gives great effort."
Johnny Manziel*, QB, Texas A&M: 5-11½, 207. Third-year sophomore and two-year starter. Won Heisman Trophy in 2012. "Hit or miss? What the hell are they talking about?" one scout said. "He's a better passer than the guy (Russell Wilson) who won the Super Bowl, and he's got a better arm. Here comes the pressure, a guy breaks open and he finds the receiver. Does he have a gun? No. But he doesn't have a bad arm at all." Has had a colorful if not controversial career off the field. Nicknamed "Johnny Football." Said another personnel man with more than 15 years of NFL scouting experience: "I'm fine with him on the field. He's probably the most unique guy I've done at that position. Just the way he kind of controls the game when he's on. But it's the other stuff. He's not a worker. He doesn't show up. He does what he wants to do. They need him. Everybody just kind of shrugs it off. You try to pull some of the stuff he does in an NFL locker room and it's just not going to work."
Blake Bortles*, QB, Central Florida: 6-5, 232. Fourth-year junior. "He's either the first or second quarterback (drafted)," one scout said. "Really good athlete. Great size. Above average to very good arm strength. Tough. Poised. Very productive in his last year." Completed 65.7% of his passes and started two years. "He's actually more of a runner," another scout said. "They ran him a lot and roll him out. He's raw. If somebody takes him and thinks he's going to be their franchise guy, they're going to get burned. He's not very accurate, and guys that are inaccurate don't really become that accurate. You can depend on him. He works his (expletive) off. He's a leader. He's won. He kind of raised the program. But I'm shaky with him."
Jadeveon Clowney*, DE, South Carolina: 6-5, 266. Often compared to Mario Williams and Julius Peppers. "I don't know where people say he didn't play hard this year," one scout said. "Not in the games I watched. They hold him. Somebody asked if he could play linebacker. He'd be a great linebacker. He stands up now sometimes." Third-year junior and probable top-five pick. "I would not put my job on the line for that guy," another scout said. "Who has a profile like that that's been successful in the NFL? Lazy. Not playing hard....I think his physical talent is being overblown. At what point in his life has he had to push himself? Now you're going to give him this money and say, 'Do something you're never done in your life before. Against guys you just can't run over.' I would not do it."
Read more from Journal Sentinel: http://www.jsonline.com/sports/pack...look-b99210557z1-246732851.html#ixzz2uAYL176c
Follow us: @JournalSentinel on Twitter
Zach Kruse @zachkruse2 
