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Draft audibles
What NFL evaluators are saying in final meetings
By Nolan Nawrocki
April 17, 2006
Scouts have been on the trails for nine months, but in the month preceding the draft, many evaluators who will be pulling the trigger on Draft Day are finally getting the opportunity to really dissect players and study their favorites as teams put their final grades on players and stack their draft board for the last time before the big day.
Through our everyday dealings with teams, PFW offers the opinions and thoughts of those who matter, which are being conveyed in the final weeks leading up to the draft. Keep in mind, a lot of smoke flies in April as teams try to conceal their intentions, and this is the time of the year that many scouts change their opinions when they are dealing with even their closest peers and, no doubt, media.
PFW does not necessarily agree with all of the statements made by evaluators below, but it nonetheless offers some of what is being said in draft meetings around the league. Whether these opinions are sincere or not, they are still NFL opinions and carry many truths:
“(Penn State CB Alan) Zemaitis reminds me of (2005 Colts first-rounder) Marlin Jackson. He’s very instinctive.”
“(Maryland TE) Vernon Davis is not dumb when you are talking to him — he just does not have a good base of football knowledge or really understand how to convert routes. … There’s a big difference between scouting and looking at numbers (production, height, weight and speed). Davis may have better numbers than (Jeremy) Shockey and (Kellen) Winslow (Jr.), but he is not nearly as refined of a pass catcher as either were coming out. Go back and watch Davis and show me one catch he makes where he does not have to stop to bring in the ball. No one can deny his physical ability, but he’s got a lot of work cut out for him.”
“I know there are some scouts who have first-round grades on (Fresno State CB) Richard Marshall, but I don’t know what they are looking at. He’s stiff. He will play, but I don’t ever see him being more than just a guy in the league. I have him graded in the third round.”
“I watched four games of (Maryland LB) D’Qwell Jackson yesterday. I love his football temperament, instincts and the way he plays the game, but I do not like his foot speed. This is not the 1980s anymore. He is a liability vs. the pass.”
“(Purdue SS) Bernard Pollard is very active. He has good instincts. He plays fast, has good man cover skills. He can mirror a quarterback and break on throws. He is a playmaker. He’s a second-round talent.”
“(Florida State FS) Pat Watkins shows some situational toughness, but he is so long and gangly. That concerns me.”
“I went back and watched more of (Florida State DT) Brodrick Bunkley. He is a mean sucker. Wow! You put on the North Carolina tape, and he is a man. I haven’t seen anyone kick the (crap) out of his opponents like he does in a long time.”
“(Ohio State S) Donte Whitner is the last guy moving. His angles are bad. He can cover on the short end but not on the top end. He’s (Patriots 2005 fourth-round pick) James Sanders. He has no instincts. He is aggressive, tough, can close to the ball. He’ll hit you and support the run, but I didn’t like his key and diagnose. He’s not a half safety. You need some special goggles to evaluate if you think he’s a half safety. He’s choppy in his movement. He can run and he’s fearless, but he’s not Bob Sanders moving at the snap. And little safeties wear down.”
“I can’t cosign on drafting (Syracuse S) Anthony Smith because he’s only 194 pounds. (Bengals 2004 second-rounder) Madieu Williams wore down at 190 pounds and has not been able to stay healthy. It’s going to be the same issue.”
“(Auburn OT) Marcus McNeil passed our physical. He never missed any time. He doesn’t tuck his tail and get in and up on (defenders) like you want him to, but he’s not a major medical risk in the eyes of our doctors.”
“(South Carolina CB) Johnathan Joseph will take several years to figure it out and he may be a bust. He’s not a good worker. He misses a lot of tackles not wrapping. He gets beat a lot. He does not like the weight room. He has a 315-pound squat and two injuries after only playing one year. He can’t hold up.”
“Does (Michigan WR) Jason Avant get drafted on the first day? I put him in the fourth round. He can’t run. A lot of receivers are going to get drafted higher than they should. This is the worst receiving class I have seen since I have begun evaluating.”
“(Minnesota RB Laurence) Maroney is a tight, erect runner. He’s not a creator. There has to be a lane there for him to clear the line. He is a system guy. And he has an odd personality. He does not know when to shut up.”
“(Ohio State CB) Ashton Youboty is very young in his thinking. He should have stayed in school. He looks terrible on tape sometimes. He’s not consistent at all.”
“(Notre Dame TE) Anthony Fasano is a lot like (Steelers 2005 first-rounder) Heath Miller was last year. He’s not as good of an athlete, but he can help your team in a lot of the same ways.”
“(Western Michigan TE) Tony Scheffler reminds me a lot of (Bengals third-rounder) Aaron Schobel. (Scheffler) runs routes like he has a rod shoved up his ***. When you watch him on tape, he looks like a guy you see in black and white cut-ups, like he came out of the 1930s. He’s not fluid at all. I'd be surprised if he went on the first day, but he could. Anything is possible with the group of guys making decisions in this league.”
“I talked to a coach the other day who had (Michigan State DT) Domata Peko graded as a first-day talent. And I couldn’t correct him, but I hope they take him there. That just means another good player will be there for us. (Peko) is a one-year starter from junior college. Those are not the guys I want to bet on coming around.”
“Vince Young has put the brakes on his slide. It’s amazing how all of these evaluations come full circle. No football has been played since January, and what you thought he was then, he still is now. I think he is still more of a thrower than a passer. He’s so big. He drops 11 yards on seven steps. His presence is so intimidating.”
“(Penn State DE) Tamba Hali cannot find the ball. He is very overrated, and when you combine the history of Penn State defensive ends — Courtney Brown, Michael Haynes — I wouldn't touch him. More mistakes are made on players at that school than any because of the way the head coach (Joe Paterno) treats scouts. Call me shortsighted, but I have never drafted one from that school, and it will take a lot of convincing before I do.”
“I like (Miami, Fla.) OT Eric Winston better than (USC OT) Winston Justice. (Winston) is a good technician with solid fundamentals.”
“(Georgia TE) Leonard Pope is a 50-50 catcher with marginal concentration. He has way too many drops. With the amount of time tight ends have to catch in traffic in the pros, I don’t want him on my team. He can’t get in and out of routes.”
“I think a lot of teams will get spooked out by Ernie Sims’ concussions. I love the way he strikes, but I don't know how long he can hold up with the way he hits. He's an assassin."
“(Boston College DE) Mathias Kiwanuka cannot transfer his speed into power. He has no power. He has few special qualities. He's manufactured. You don’t want to know where I graded him. I have him in the third round.”
“(LSU OT) Andrew Whitworth will be overdrafted like all those big, long-armed maulers are. He can’t pull and change directions well enough to help us. He cannot stop a speed charge. He’s not explosive. He has no upside. He hasn’t changed since his freshman year except getting stronger. He has no flexibility. He’s a straight-line mauler with no lateral quickness. But someone will overdraft him because he’s an overachiever.”
“(Virginia LB) Kai Parham is a dinosaur. He will never be successful in the National Football League. He would have been really good as an inside ’backer in the 3-4 back in the early ’80s.”
What NFL evaluators are saying in final meetings
By Nolan Nawrocki
April 17, 2006
Scouts have been on the trails for nine months, but in the month preceding the draft, many evaluators who will be pulling the trigger on Draft Day are finally getting the opportunity to really dissect players and study their favorites as teams put their final grades on players and stack their draft board for the last time before the big day.
Through our everyday dealings with teams, PFW offers the opinions and thoughts of those who matter, which are being conveyed in the final weeks leading up to the draft. Keep in mind, a lot of smoke flies in April as teams try to conceal their intentions, and this is the time of the year that many scouts change their opinions when they are dealing with even their closest peers and, no doubt, media.
PFW does not necessarily agree with all of the statements made by evaluators below, but it nonetheless offers some of what is being said in draft meetings around the league. Whether these opinions are sincere or not, they are still NFL opinions and carry many truths:
“(Penn State CB Alan) Zemaitis reminds me of (2005 Colts first-rounder) Marlin Jackson. He’s very instinctive.”
“(Maryland TE) Vernon Davis is not dumb when you are talking to him — he just does not have a good base of football knowledge or really understand how to convert routes. … There’s a big difference between scouting and looking at numbers (production, height, weight and speed). Davis may have better numbers than (Jeremy) Shockey and (Kellen) Winslow (Jr.), but he is not nearly as refined of a pass catcher as either were coming out. Go back and watch Davis and show me one catch he makes where he does not have to stop to bring in the ball. No one can deny his physical ability, but he’s got a lot of work cut out for him.”
“I know there are some scouts who have first-round grades on (Fresno State CB) Richard Marshall, but I don’t know what they are looking at. He’s stiff. He will play, but I don’t ever see him being more than just a guy in the league. I have him graded in the third round.”
“I watched four games of (Maryland LB) D’Qwell Jackson yesterday. I love his football temperament, instincts and the way he plays the game, but I do not like his foot speed. This is not the 1980s anymore. He is a liability vs. the pass.”
“(Purdue SS) Bernard Pollard is very active. He has good instincts. He plays fast, has good man cover skills. He can mirror a quarterback and break on throws. He is a playmaker. He’s a second-round talent.”
“(Florida State FS) Pat Watkins shows some situational toughness, but he is so long and gangly. That concerns me.”
“I went back and watched more of (Florida State DT) Brodrick Bunkley. He is a mean sucker. Wow! You put on the North Carolina tape, and he is a man. I haven’t seen anyone kick the (crap) out of his opponents like he does in a long time.”
“(Ohio State S) Donte Whitner is the last guy moving. His angles are bad. He can cover on the short end but not on the top end. He’s (Patriots 2005 fourth-round pick) James Sanders. He has no instincts. He is aggressive, tough, can close to the ball. He’ll hit you and support the run, but I didn’t like his key and diagnose. He’s not a half safety. You need some special goggles to evaluate if you think he’s a half safety. He’s choppy in his movement. He can run and he’s fearless, but he’s not Bob Sanders moving at the snap. And little safeties wear down.”
“I can’t cosign on drafting (Syracuse S) Anthony Smith because he’s only 194 pounds. (Bengals 2004 second-rounder) Madieu Williams wore down at 190 pounds and has not been able to stay healthy. It’s going to be the same issue.”
“(Auburn OT) Marcus McNeil passed our physical. He never missed any time. He doesn’t tuck his tail and get in and up on (defenders) like you want him to, but he’s not a major medical risk in the eyes of our doctors.”
“(South Carolina CB) Johnathan Joseph will take several years to figure it out and he may be a bust. He’s not a good worker. He misses a lot of tackles not wrapping. He gets beat a lot. He does not like the weight room. He has a 315-pound squat and two injuries after only playing one year. He can’t hold up.”
“Does (Michigan WR) Jason Avant get drafted on the first day? I put him in the fourth round. He can’t run. A lot of receivers are going to get drafted higher than they should. This is the worst receiving class I have seen since I have begun evaluating.”
“(Minnesota RB Laurence) Maroney is a tight, erect runner. He’s not a creator. There has to be a lane there for him to clear the line. He is a system guy. And he has an odd personality. He does not know when to shut up.”
“(Ohio State CB) Ashton Youboty is very young in his thinking. He should have stayed in school. He looks terrible on tape sometimes. He’s not consistent at all.”
“(Notre Dame TE) Anthony Fasano is a lot like (Steelers 2005 first-rounder) Heath Miller was last year. He’s not as good of an athlete, but he can help your team in a lot of the same ways.”
“(Western Michigan TE) Tony Scheffler reminds me a lot of (Bengals third-rounder) Aaron Schobel. (Scheffler) runs routes like he has a rod shoved up his ***. When you watch him on tape, he looks like a guy you see in black and white cut-ups, like he came out of the 1930s. He’s not fluid at all. I'd be surprised if he went on the first day, but he could. Anything is possible with the group of guys making decisions in this league.”
“I talked to a coach the other day who had (Michigan State DT) Domata Peko graded as a first-day talent. And I couldn’t correct him, but I hope they take him there. That just means another good player will be there for us. (Peko) is a one-year starter from junior college. Those are not the guys I want to bet on coming around.”
“Vince Young has put the brakes on his slide. It’s amazing how all of these evaluations come full circle. No football has been played since January, and what you thought he was then, he still is now. I think he is still more of a thrower than a passer. He’s so big. He drops 11 yards on seven steps. His presence is so intimidating.”
“(Penn State DE) Tamba Hali cannot find the ball. He is very overrated, and when you combine the history of Penn State defensive ends — Courtney Brown, Michael Haynes — I wouldn't touch him. More mistakes are made on players at that school than any because of the way the head coach (Joe Paterno) treats scouts. Call me shortsighted, but I have never drafted one from that school, and it will take a lot of convincing before I do.”
“I like (Miami, Fla.) OT Eric Winston better than (USC OT) Winston Justice. (Winston) is a good technician with solid fundamentals.”
“(Georgia TE) Leonard Pope is a 50-50 catcher with marginal concentration. He has way too many drops. With the amount of time tight ends have to catch in traffic in the pros, I don’t want him on my team. He can’t get in and out of routes.”
“I think a lot of teams will get spooked out by Ernie Sims’ concussions. I love the way he strikes, but I don't know how long he can hold up with the way he hits. He's an assassin."
“(Boston College DE) Mathias Kiwanuka cannot transfer his speed into power. He has no power. He has few special qualities. He's manufactured. You don’t want to know where I graded him. I have him in the third round.”
“(LSU OT) Andrew Whitworth will be overdrafted like all those big, long-armed maulers are. He can’t pull and change directions well enough to help us. He cannot stop a speed charge. He’s not explosive. He has no upside. He hasn’t changed since his freshman year except getting stronger. He has no flexibility. He’s a straight-line mauler with no lateral quickness. But someone will overdraft him because he’s an overachiever.”
“(Virginia LB) Kai Parham is a dinosaur. He will never be successful in the National Football League. He would have been really good as an inside ’backer in the 3-4 back in the early ’80s.”
