DanTheMan 2015 Draft Film Review

[dantheman41]

Kevin Johnson (CB) Wake Forest 6'0 190

Positives: Outstanding movement skills. Really good backpedal and quickness. Will not get run past or beat deep. Moves all over the place. Really physical, aggressive and willing tackler. Great closing speed. Does really nice job of playing the ball. Excellent hand use. Very aware football player. Can cover any type of receiver. Elite athleticism. Good blitzer. Will occasionally lay a huge hit on a receiver.

Negatives: Tends to get overaggressive sometimes and get caught by double moves. Has a small frame, worry about how he will hold up. Gets manhandled in the run game far too often. Not a lot of experience in press man to man, bump and run, or covering slot receivers. Bit of a gambler, will give up the 5 yard passes.

Comparison and Where He Fits on Our Team: More of a zone or off coverage corner as well. Another bend but not break guy. This guy is an outstanding football player. I would take him at the 27th pick. Everything you want. Needs to maybe put on another 5 or 10 pounds and get stronger, but has a lot of elite traits you want in a corner. Perfect for our scheme. Certainly plays with an edge. 1st round player.

 

[dantheman41]

Marcus Peters (CB) Washington 6'0 197

Positives: Very willing tackler who gets ball carriers down. Really good blitzer. Excellent special teams player. Extremely physical player. Really good size. Moves all over, plays outside and slot. Looks to play the best in press man to man.

Negatives: Does not possess great closing speed or athleticism. Tends to get overly physical and grabsy. Lots of off the field issues, both his former coaches did not like. Does not always look engaged on the field.

Comparison and Where He Fits on Our Team: Not a huge fan. I think Kevin Johnson is a better football player, off the field issues aside. Can be a good corner in a press coverage defense. Saw him get run past a few times which scares me. 2nd round player to me on tape, off the field issues make him more of a mid rounder for me.

 

[dantheman41]

Trae Waynes (CB) Michigan State 6'0 186

Positives: Outstanding athleticism, quickness and closing speed. Ball hawk makes a lot of plays. Will rarely get beat badly on a route, always contested catches. Plays a lot more physical then his size suggest. Can play right or left corner. Excellent competition weekly.
Negatives: Not a great tackler, whiffs on a lot. Very small frame, needs to get stronger. Will get outmuscled at times against physical receivers. Not a lot of slot experience.

Comparison and Where He Fits on Our Team: Really good football player. Very hard time deciding between him and Kevin Johnson. Both 1st round players in my book. Both could stand to get stronger, but have athleticism and quickness that is needed for a corner.

 

[gmoney112]

Just some minor corrections for ya.

Trae Waynes plays at MSU. Kevin Johnson plays at Wake Forest. Henry Anderson (my pet cat) plays at Stanford.

Just letting you know the posts had some minor typo's.

Thanks for your contributions!

 

[jday]

Mods if you can please sticky this post.

I'm going to start on my film review, as I did last year. I want to have this open for debate if you don't agree with my viewpoints, I would love to hear from you.

I want to review at least 2 or 3 games of each guy I review. I want to talk about how they would fit in with our team, position, strengths and weaknesses. I am NOT going to base my opinions or lean towards someone else's opinion. I want to have my own opinion on each of these guys, and they will be strong opinions.

If you have any recommendations for players you want me to review, I would LOVE to. I am going to start with defensive lineman first. Would love all your feedback.

How about a cross-comparison between Todd Gurley (Georgia), Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin), Jay Ajayi (Boise) and Tevin Coleman (Indiana). Who would you like to see the most in a Cowboys uniform and do you think the Cowboys would draft one this high considering who they already have on the roster.

 

[dantheman41]

How about a cross-comparison between Todd Gurley (Georgia), Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin), Jay Ajayi (Boise) and Tevin Coleman (Indiana). Who would you like to see the most in a Cowboys uniform and do you think the Cowboys would draft one this high considering who they already have on the roster.

Thanks for the question! That actually segways perfectly with what I am doing right now. After the Murray even of the last week, I've been watching RBs. Need to catch up here. I will let you know in the next week or so.

 

[dantheman41]

Tevin Coleman (RB) Indiana 5'11 206

Positives: Long strider who once he hits the open field is gone. More fast, then quick. Outstanding receiver, looks very natural. Good punt and kickoff return guy. Outstanding balance to stay on his feet. Good vision. Good change of direction. Willing blocker, but needs to improve.
Negatives: Looks more like a wide receiver then a RB the way he is built. Runs very upright, plays with bad pad level. Major fumble problem which is very worrisome. Doesn't punish tacklers, goes down rather easily.

Comparison and Where He Fits on Our Team: If he didn't have the fumble or ball security issues, I would say he is a 1st rounder. Really really good football player. Like the fact that once he hits the hole he is off to the races. Very impressed. Question is, can he continue to get stronger while also working on his ball security? I hope so!

 

[dantheman41]

Todd Gurley (RB) Georgia 6'1 226

Positives: Very tough, physical, powerful and forceful runner. Rarely falls backwards, always goes forward when hit. Fights for extra yards. Willing blocker. More then enough explosiveness, very good in open field. Has the ability to run guys over and make guys miss. Good receiver. Can win inside and outside. Excellent ball protection, rarely fumbles. Excellent vision to find holes. Very good in short yardage situation.
Negatives: Taken down by way too many ankle tackles. Needs to continue to improve his technique in pass blocking. Receiving skills need some refining. Durability, is his injury a concern?

Comparison and Where He Fits on Our Team: Outstanding in almost every aspect of the game. If his physical goes well, he should be a 1st round pick no question. Upside is through the roof, and will only get better. Loves to play football. Would add a nastiness we could use on this offense.

 

[theogt]

Eddie Goldman (DT) Florida St 6'4 320

Positives: Really good swim move and effects QB a lot for guy his size.. Can move for his size. Outstanding in run game. Occupies multiple blockers almost every play, and still disruptive. Very powerful. Position flex, can play the 0 tech, 1 tech, or 3 tech.

Negatives: Quick in short spurts, very rarely will chase ball carrier down. Not consistently a pass rush threat. Needs to get his hands up more to get in QB's lanes of vision.
Comparison and Where He Fits on Our Team: Love this player! He can be a HUGE upgrade at 1 tech. Will get a few QB pressures every game, and be outstanding against the run. He's solid pass rusher for a 1 tech, but an outstanding player against run. Plus he will occupy multiple blockers opening up our 3 tech for 1 on 1's. He can really be a value for us. You might say I'm crazy, but I have him as 2nd best DT behind Leonard Williams. I like better then Shelton.

Just found this thread. Haven't really been paying attention to the draft this year as much as year's past. But I went through today and watched a bunch of the top DT prospect games and came away thinking Goldman was the best of the bunch. Really love this guy. He would complete our D-line so well. Glad to see someone else think he's decent in the pass rush department. I think most reports on him just look at the sack stat and say he can't pass rush but dude collapses the pocket better than any DT in the draft in my opinion. Dat bull rush when he's 1-on-1 is nasty.

 

[DuDa]

Demarious Randall please.

 

[dallasdave]

The better comparison with Von Miller would be Vic Beasley. Would include Davis Tull too.

Hey that's a good comparison.

 

[dantheman41]

Ronald Darby (CB) Florida State 5'11 195

Positives: Plays with outstanding athleticism and agility. Elite agility and movement skills. Can move to both right and left side. Tends to play mostly man coverage, occasionally will play more off coverage. Reliable tackler and will occasionally throw a big hit.

Negatives: Plays with tight hips, gets turned around too much. Inconsistent with technique, backpedal isn't great. Needs a lot of work with his foot technique. Got eaten up alive by Phillip Dorsett. Does not play with any power at the point of attack. Gives way too much slack. Slips and falls quite a bit. When playing zone, struggles with keys and misreads. Not a ball hawk, doesn't play the ball at high point. Really struggles against good route runners.

Comparison and Where He Fits on Our Team: Least favorite CB watched so far. He is a project. Needs lot of coaching, but has the upside with his athletic ability. I personally wouldn't take him for this team unless he fell to the 3rd round. Boom or bust type of player. Will get eaten up by good route runners in NFL.

 

[dantheman41]

PJ Williams (CB) Florida State 6'0 194

Positives: The ideal speed, size, length and strength for corner. Good tackler. Physical player. Good blitzer. Excellent press corner who will fight receivers at the line and play bump and run. Can move all over right, left, slot. Can be left on an island. Shows the ability to carry receivers across the field when playing slot.

Negatives: Looks uninterested at times, especially when playing zone or going after the ball carrier. Will get beat on comeback routes and stops. Plays a little too high at times. Plays a little too physical at times. Does not possess great closing speed or catchup speed, will get beat by speed receivers.

Comparison and Where He Fits on Our Team: Love this kid. My favorite corner so far. Has everything your looking for. If Marinelli wants to play more zone, this might not be the guy he wants. But if he wants the best all around corner who you can leave on an island, this is the guy.

 

[dantheman41]

Jalen Collins (CB) LSU 6'1 203

Positives: Prototypical size, length. Experience in both man and zone. Knows how to play balls in the air. Forces contested throws. Shows good long speed when chasing down carriers. Plays with good technique in mirroring receivers.

Negatives: Terrible tackler, gets embarrassed at times. Doesn't play as physical as his size suggests. Doesn't do anything great, rarely makes a WOW play. Will get beat badly consistently on slants. Poor reaction time.

Comparison and Where He Fits on Our Team: Don't see how he is a top 2 or 3 round pick at corner. He isn't a starter at this point in the NFL. Needs to get a lot better in almost every facet of playing corner.

 

[marchetta]

Alvin Dupree (Edge Rusher) Kentucky

Positives: Excellent size. Relentless, never stops. Moves all over the place. Stands up, puts his hand on ground, left side, ride side, used in coverage. Has an outstanding first step. Excellent make up speed, does great job setting edge. Even when he takes bad angles, his speed allows him to catch up to play. Really nice bend and dip to his hips. Definitely a fast-twitch player.
Negatives: Needs to develop more pass rush moves, tends to get by with his speed rush only. Difficulty shedding blocks in run game, rarely see him make a stop against the run. Overruns the plays a lot and gets overaggressive, especially when rushing QB.
Comparison and Where He Fits on Our Team: Really like the player! With his athletic ability and size, his upside is through the roof. I can see him in the Von Miller role for us meaning start at SAM linebacker, and rushing in the nickel.

Drew Boylhardt (The Huddle Report): [Summarized in my own words no copy/paste]

Alvin Dupree DE/OLB Kentucky

TALENT BOARD ROUND 2

STRENGTHS
He's smart with good football IQ. Fits best in a 3-4 defense best. Has the burst, and lateral agility, to put an OT on his heels and make him off-balanced. His long limbs allow him to reach a QB in just a few strides. Because of his agility, he also has the ability to drop in coverage, which is why he's ideal for a 3-4 defense.

He is very smart and has good football intelligence. Alvin works well with his teammates and looks on film to be an excellent teammate. He has the body type that shows a good work ethic and has the athletic talent and size to be a playmaker at the next level for the team that selects him.

WEAKNESSES
Can't get off blocks. Hesitates/Reads instead of trusting what he sees. Doesn't rely on instincts in order to make those quick decisions that's necessary to make plays. Instead, he seems to over-think things on the field. Liability against the run due to his trouble disengaging from blocks.

BOTTOM LINE
He looks the part of an impact player, but he doesn't play the part. He's too hesitant. He waits and reacts instead of trusting his vision or his instincts so he's always a step late. He waits to be engaged, rather than trusting his instincts and attacking. If a good coach can get him to stop thinking so much, and teach him to rely on his instincts more, he could develop into an impact player. He has the tools (size, strength, speed, agility, long arms and legs, and intelligence) to impact, but he doesn't know how to use them. He may be used early on as a pass-rush specialist, due to his burst and agility, that will allow him to focus on just one thing and won't allow his over-thinking to affect him on the field. Then, once he develops his instincts, he'll can be a 3-down player that will impact the game. While his skill set is ideal for a 3-4 D, trying to put him in a 3-4, with all its responsibilities, may overwhelm him. Because of this, a 4-3 D that requires him to get upfield and attack the QB may be a better fit.

 

[marchetta]

Dante Fowler Jr (Edge Rusher) Florida

Positives: Outstanding side to side speed and athleticism. Extremely disruptive. Ridiculously quick first step. Excellent at stunt pass rushing moves. Deceptive strength. Wide array of pass rush moves. Can beat you so many ways. I believe can play DE or outside linebacker in 3-4 and did both at Florida. Extremely violent with his hands and fighting blockers. Relentless, never stops. Really effective even rushing inside in 3rd down situations.
Negatives: His height is going to be huge at combine. Doesn't always play with technique or leverage. Not always disciplined in staying in his lanes against run.
Comparison and Where He Fits on Our Team: Outstanding football player! Sky is the limit. I see this guy as an outstanding pass rusher in the NFL. So many qualities especially his explosiveness. I would line him up at left or right end.

Drew Boylhardt (The Huddle Report): [Summarized in my own words no copy/paste]

Dante Fowler Jr DE/LB Florida

TALENT BOARD ROUND 1

STRENGTHS
Has the athletic ability to play any one of the linebacker positions. Then, on passing downs, you can put him at DE to rush the passer. Rushes the QB with good techniques. Plays with effort, passion, and has natural leadership skills. Every team wants a player like this on their team. [He appears to be a JG RKG]. Has the same type of skill set as Patriots’ Dont’a Hightower.

WEAKNESSES
Sloppy tackler when he doesn't use correct form. But this can be corrected. Sometimes, he tries to do to much and do other player's jobs, which will put him out of position. Dante is the type of player who tries to do too much which leads to him not finishing his job. He is a sloppy tackler, who sometimes engages his opponent to high, which causes him to lose leverage. Again, this can be corrected.

BOTTOM LINE
Dante is so versatile, that the team selecting him will have a pleasant problem, finding which position he best fits. His issues are all correctable, and are primarily due to the fact that the kid is so versatile, that his college team used him all over the field, which caused him to get a little sloppy in his techniques. Dante just plays the game the Right Way! He has excellent leadership skills and a never give up attitude. No matter how far down his team was on the scoreboard, Dante played hard, encouraged his teammates, and never gave up. His positive attitude is just as great as his athletic ability. Dante will be a leader, and cornerstone, for the team that picks him.

 

[marchetta]

Shane Ray (Edge Rusher) Missouri

Positives: Outstanding first step, even better then Fowler's. For a guy his size, makes a lot of plays in run game. Moves all over the line, and is effective even rushing inside in nickel. Violent hands. Plays very smart, and reads QBs well. As good as his first step is, his overall speed is just as good. Very few QBs will be able to get away from him, or outrun him.

Negatives: When first move is blocked, has difficulty getting off blocks. Relies a little too heavily on his quickness then actual pass rush moves. Lot of his pressures and sacks come off stunts. Disappears at times in games.
Comparison and Where He Fits on Our Team: Wow another outstanding edge rusher. Really close for me between him and Fowler. I give the slight edge to Fowler because I feel he has a bigger tool belt and is more relentless. But Ray is better against the run, and has a slightly better first step. I would use him at RE, but he can easily play LE as well. This guy is going to be a really good football player, and is a proven pass rusher.

Drew Boylhardt (The Huddle Report): [Summarized in my own words no copy/paste]
Shane Ray LB/DE Missouri

TALENT BOARD ROUND 1

STRENGTHS
Shane has the athletic ability and football IQ to be an impact defender in a 4-3, or, 3-4 defense. He has enough lateral agility, that he can play OLB in a 3-4 in coverage. But, that would be a waste of his talent. He has the speed, quickness, agility, and strength to make him a dominant pass-rusher. He doesn't give up when Double, and Triple, teamed. He gives great effort no matter how many guys you throw at him. He's an excellent teammate and natural leader. He'll gladly sacrifice his stats, by doing the dirty work, to allow his teammates to make plays. He's big enough to hold his own at the LOS when engaged with an OL, to stop the run. While having the speed, and agility, of an OLB to terrorize QBs when attacking the LOS.

WEAKNESSES
Needs to get stronger in his lower body and become more consistent using his techniques. I can't understand why he didn't play more before this year. The players that started ahead of him where not NFL talented. Yet, the coaching staff chose to play them ahead of Shane. That's a head-scratcher.

BOTTOM LINE
It's troubling that Shane couldn't beat out less talented players last year. Maybe it was coaching politics concerning players. But, for whatever reason, that should be addressed by the team drafting him. He had too much talent to be behind players that don't have the talent to play in the NFL. Nevertheless, he has too much talent, and production, to split hairs as to why he didn't see the field in prior years. His improvement has been remarkable, and he has the skills set, and work ethic, that will make him a NFL star.

 

[marchetta]

Vic Beasley (Edge Rusher) Clemson

Positives: Really good first step and plays with a lot of explosive ability. Nice job of splitting double teams at times. Possesses really good athleticism. Has an excellent speed rush and spin move. Excellent flexibility to bend around the edge. Does a good job of converting speed to power.
Negatives: Little thin and undersized for my liking. Doesn't play with a lot of strength and has difficulty shedding blocks when initially blocked. No position flex. Plays as a RDE and doesn't move at Clemson and wouldn't in NFL. Not a great wrap up tacker. Gets mauled by physical offensive lineman. On ground a lot! Has a very hard time in run game. Relies a little too much on his speed rush and getting tackles off balance.
Comparison and Where He Fits on Our Team: Interested to see how explosive he would be if he gained 10 lbs or so. Like him, don't love him to be honest. Huge step down from Ray, Dupree and Fowler. Would get mauled in NFL unless he gains considerable strength, but certainly has some nice pass rush ability which we need. I think he's a slightly better player then Demarcus Lawrence, certainly more explosive.

Drew Boylhardt (The Huddle Report): [Summarized in my own words no copy/paste]
Vic Beasley LB Clemson

TALENT BOARD ROUND 4

STRENGTHS
Vic is a pass rushing machine. He's quick, with long arms and legs, and has a burst at the snap to be disruptive. He has the agility to drop into coverage. Long arms allow him to bat down passes and balls when he's defending opponents down field. He would fit ideally in a 3-4 Defense.

WEAKNESSES
Lacks strength and bulk to handle being a starter. Poor against the run. He also has poor instincts, tackling technique, and skill-set to play the LB position.

BOTTOM LINE
He lacks the size, strength, and tackling technique to stop the run. Consequently, he may never be more than a ST/Specialty player.

 

[theogt]

If we were a 3-4 defense still, I'd love to have Beasley. No way I'd start him every down as a 4-3 DE, though. While that burst is certainly elite, he'll get pushed around on running downs. No ability to set the edge. He's kind of a tease or conundrum -- too good to last very far in the draft and not good enough to be worth too high of a pick.

 

[NorthwestDallas40]

RB Buck Allen, please. I think either he or TJ Yeldon will be our RB pick in the 3rd round...