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Feb. 17, 2009 Print it
By Russ Lande
Russ Lande and his team of former NFL scouts provide news, notes and observations as teams and prospects converge in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine, which begins today and runs through Tuesday:
There is a lot of debate in draft rooms over Tennessee DE Robert Ayers, whose draft stock is on the rise. A player who rotated a lot with other ends before 2008, Ayers had a very strong senior season and really helped himself with a breakout game against Alabama, beating elite OT Andre Smith more than a few times to make impact plays. Ayers followed up with a very good week at the Senior Bowl, where he showed impressive athleticism, hip snap and explosiveness�more than he had displayed on film.
The debate is over whether he has what it takes to be a consistently productive pass rusher because he is somewhat of a 'tweener. He might be too big to be a good speed rusher and not big enough to be a strongside end. His performance at the Combine will greatly affect his draft value, and you can be sure a number of 3-4 teams will put him through the paces during his personal workout to determine whether he is best suited to bulk up to 285 or 290 to play end or to stand up and play rush linebacker in the 255- to 260-pound range.
If he performs as well the rest of the spring as he did at the Senior Bowl, he could move into position to be a second-round pick.
Looking forward to Knox
Abilene Christian WR Johnny Knox was receiving a lot of attention from scouts leading up to the draft. After Knox's strong week of practice at the Texas vs. the Nation all-star game, teams examined him more closely. His college play looked impressive on film, so scouts are looking forward to seeing how he performs at the Combine.
He is regarded as a good athlete, but teams want to see his speed and explosiveness to determine how he stacks up against other receiver prospects. A big week in Indy could help him move up draft boards into third-round consideration.
Brown impresses
Before the 2008 season, Georgia's Ramarcus Brown was viewed as a marginal prospect because he hadn't done much as a cornerback, though he had been a productive return man. Based on his 2008 film, however, we were impressed by Brown. He flashed foot quickness, athleticism and man-to-man coverage ability that we did not expect. When you combine that with his dangerous return skills, he is in position to be drafted after being regarded as merely a free-agent prospect before 2008.
Marks not so high up
After evaluating his play on film, we are disappointed by Auburn junior DT Sen'Derrick Marks. The ultimate question: Why isn't a player with his natural size, strength and athleticism more productive? When he plays with aggressiveness and intensity, he has shown the ability to jolt and defeat pass blocks and get into the backfield to pressure quarterbacks. He has also displayed the strength to stack the point of attack against run blocks, then free himself and make the tackle.
However, he too often he gets too high at the snap of the ball, usually isn't aggressive enough and gets tied up and ridden out of the play too easily and often.
True player, not athlete
West Virginia G Greg Isdaner isn't getting a lot of media attention but has really impressed us on film. He is a strong and highly competitive blocker who usually is able to control and eliminate his opponent much easier than we expected. However, he is not a premier athlete and will not stand out at the Combine.
He is the ultimate example of a guy who is a much better player then athlete. He won't be high on the draft boards of teams that base most of their player grades on measurables and personal workouts. Look for him to get snapped up by one of the teams that consistently wins. When you evaluate him on film, he displays some similarities to San Diego's Mike Goff and New England's Logan Mankins, and we expect him to become a starter who is a little like each.
By Russ Lande
Russ Lande and his team of former NFL scouts provide news, notes and observations as teams and prospects converge in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine, which begins today and runs through Tuesday:
There is a lot of debate in draft rooms over Tennessee DE Robert Ayers, whose draft stock is on the rise. A player who rotated a lot with other ends before 2008, Ayers had a very strong senior season and really helped himself with a breakout game against Alabama, beating elite OT Andre Smith more than a few times to make impact plays. Ayers followed up with a very good week at the Senior Bowl, where he showed impressive athleticism, hip snap and explosiveness�more than he had displayed on film.
The debate is over whether he has what it takes to be a consistently productive pass rusher because he is somewhat of a 'tweener. He might be too big to be a good speed rusher and not big enough to be a strongside end. His performance at the Combine will greatly affect his draft value, and you can be sure a number of 3-4 teams will put him through the paces during his personal workout to determine whether he is best suited to bulk up to 285 or 290 to play end or to stand up and play rush linebacker in the 255- to 260-pound range.
If he performs as well the rest of the spring as he did at the Senior Bowl, he could move into position to be a second-round pick.
Looking forward to Knox
Abilene Christian WR Johnny Knox was receiving a lot of attention from scouts leading up to the draft. After Knox's strong week of practice at the Texas vs. the Nation all-star game, teams examined him more closely. His college play looked impressive on film, so scouts are looking forward to seeing how he performs at the Combine.
He is regarded as a good athlete, but teams want to see his speed and explosiveness to determine how he stacks up against other receiver prospects. A big week in Indy could help him move up draft boards into third-round consideration.
Brown impresses
Before the 2008 season, Georgia's Ramarcus Brown was viewed as a marginal prospect because he hadn't done much as a cornerback, though he had been a productive return man. Based on his 2008 film, however, we were impressed by Brown. He flashed foot quickness, athleticism and man-to-man coverage ability that we did not expect. When you combine that with his dangerous return skills, he is in position to be drafted after being regarded as merely a free-agent prospect before 2008.
Marks not so high up
After evaluating his play on film, we are disappointed by Auburn junior DT Sen'Derrick Marks. The ultimate question: Why isn't a player with his natural size, strength and athleticism more productive? When he plays with aggressiveness and intensity, he has shown the ability to jolt and defeat pass blocks and get into the backfield to pressure quarterbacks. He has also displayed the strength to stack the point of attack against run blocks, then free himself and make the tackle.
However, he too often he gets too high at the snap of the ball, usually isn't aggressive enough and gets tied up and ridden out of the play too easily and often.
True player, not athlete
West Virginia G Greg Isdaner isn't getting a lot of media attention but has really impressed us on film. He is a strong and highly competitive blocker who usually is able to control and eliminate his opponent much easier than we expected. However, he is not a premier athlete and will not stand out at the Combine.
He is the ultimate example of a guy who is a much better player then athlete. He won't be high on the draft boards of teams that base most of their player grades on measurables and personal workouts. Look for him to get snapped up by one of the teams that consistently wins. When you evaluate him on film, he displays some similarities to San Diego's Mike Goff and New England's Logan Mankins, and we expect him to become a starter who is a little like each.
