Scout Inc: Info on ALL Draft Picks except CB Alan Ball

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Anthony Spencer
DE | (6'2 ", 261, 4.7) | PURDUE

Scouts Grade: 91
Selected by: Dallas Cowboys
Round: 1
Pick (Overall): 26(26)

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Strengths: An explosive up-the-field player. Displays very good first-step quickness and top-end speed. Also possesses closing burst to turn the corner as a perimeter pass rusher in the NFL. His motor never stopped running as a senior and it seems that the "light finally came on" in terms of his technique and recognition skills. He plays the run hard and will give great effort pursuing from the backside. Displays good strength for his size. He shows good catch-up speed and is a powerful hitter.

Weaknesses: Lacks ideal size; somewhat on the shorter side with just adequate bulk. Might struggle to get off of blocks as quickly versus bigger NFL lineman. He is quick and fast, but he doesn't possess great change-of-direction skills. He needs to continue to improve his array of pass rush moves. He will overextend at times and will take himself out of some running plays, as a result. He shows stiffness in his hips and will be limited in terms of dropping into coverage in the NFL.

Overall: Spencer arrived at Purdue in 2002 and was redshirted. In 2003 as a redshirt freshman, he tore some foot ligaments during spring practice which limited him early on but he then saw action in 10 of 13 games as a reserve defensive end and on special teams, posting six total tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss. Spencer won a starting spot for all 12 contests in 2004 and recorded 33 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles. In 2005, he once again started every game (11) for Purdue and registered 23 tackles including 7.5 for loss, three sacks, one fumble recovery, and three forced fumbles. In 14 games during the 2006 season, Spencer made 93 total tackles, 26.5 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, five forced fumbles, blocked one kick, and was named to the All-Big Ten First Team.
Spencer turned in a monster season as a senior in 2006. In fact, very few prospects improved their stock as much as Spencer did over the course of the last year. After combining for 17.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks through his first three seasons, Spencer notched 26.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks as a senior. While some consider him a 'tweener defensive end/outside linebacker, we're not convinced he's athletic enough to play linebacker in the NFL. His best fit most likely will be as a 4-3 defensive end in a one-gap scheme similar to the Colts'. Regardless, Spencer should come off the board late in the first or early in the second round.

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James Marten
OT | (6'7 ", 309, 5.08) | BOSTON COLLEGE

Scouts Grade: 79
Selected by: Dallas Cowboys
Round: 3
Pick (Overall): 3(67)
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Strengths: Plays with a mean streak, works to the whistle and flashes the ability to sustain blocks. Gets adequate hand placement, has decent upper body strength and can lock onto defender's frame. Plays with a wide base and shows good balance as a run blocker. Takes sound angles to blocks, shows good range for size and can get into position at the second level. Has long arms, moves feet well and can ride defenders past the pocket. Possesses good lateral mobility, can change directions quickly and flashes the ability to counter double moves. Shows good awareness, keeps head on a swivel and can adjust to line stunts as well as blitzes. Possesses good size and has the frame to comfortably get bigger. Has experience lining up at guard and is somewhat versatile.

Weaknesses: Lacks ideal explosiveness and has some problems beating defenders to the point of attack. Doesn't deliver a violent initial punch, doesn't roll hips into blocks and isn't going to knock many defenders back. While flashes good lower body strength doesn't play with great leverage and isn't a great drive-blocker at this point. Takes too long to get into pass set and is going to have problems preventing explosive edge rushers from turning the corner. Though flashes ability to anchor against bull rushers doesn't get great knee bend in pass set and can get pushed back into the pocket.

Overall: Marten arrived at Boston College in 2002 and was redshirted. As a redshirt freshman in 2003, he appeared in all 13 games while backing up Jeremy Trueblood, and started the Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl at right tackle. Marten became a fulltime starter in 2004 at left guard for all 12 games that season. In 2005, he once again started all 12 contests at left guard. Marten then moved to left tackle for the 2006 season, where he started all 13 games, earning second-team All-ACC honors.
Marten doesn't dominate the point of attack and one-gap defenders will give him some problems. On the positive side, Marten has enough physical tools to develop into a starter, including an excellent frame and above-average athletic ability for his height. That's why we believe Marten is underrated and warrants consideration on Day 1.

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Isaiah Stanback
QB | (6'2 ", 216, 4.62) | WASHINGTON

Scouts Grade: 59

Flags: (I: INJURY) Coming off injury that may affect play
Selected by: Dallas Cowboys
Round: 4
Pick (Overall): 4(103)
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Strengths: Has good arm strength, puts good zip on downfield passes and can make all the throws. Possesses good size and it tall enough to see the entire field. Shows good patience when gets sound pass protection and has improved decision making. Possesses great mobility, throws fairly well on the run and is capable of making defenders miss. Has good lower body strength, shows great balance and flashes the ability to break tackles. Shows good ball skills and sells play action. Has good top-end speed, can change directions quickly and is capable of developing into a dangerous open field runner. Plays with confidence and is a leader on the field.

Weaknesses: Loses the strike zone too much, doesn't have a great sense of timing and hasn't shown the ability to lead receivers. Doesn't put great touch on short-to-intermediate pass and puts too much zip on shorter passes. Throws off back foot at times, doesn't always follow through and isn't fundamentally sound. Lacks ideal awareness, doesn't read defenses well and throws into coverage at times. Shows happy feet in the pocket and needs to show better poise. While has excellent athletic ability doesn't have great pocket presence and isn't as effective buying time in the pocket as natural ability would suggest. While has improved in this area, occasionally tries to do too much and gets into trouble when doesn't take what defense gives him. Holds onto the ball too long and takes some big hits. Appears indecisive at times and isn't as effective running the ball as someone with his natural ability should be. Suffered a season-ending broken foot injury vs. Oregon State (10/14) as a senior in 2006.

Overall: Stanback was redshirted in 2002. He appeared in 11 games during the 2003 season. While he primarily lined up at receiver, he connected on his only two passing attempts for 18 yards. Stanback also rushed for 27 yards on eight carries, caught ten passes for 143 yards, and returned eight kickoffs that year. He started one of the five games he played quarterback in during the 2004 season. Stanback threw for 389 yards, three interceptions, and three touchdowns while completing 33.8-percent of his passes. He also rushed for 66 yards and two touchdowns on 41 carries. Stanback started all 11 games in 2005 throwing for 2,136 yards, nine touchdowns, and six interceptions while completing 54.2-percent of his throws. He also rushed for 353 yards and five touchdowns on 100 carries. The Baltimore Orioles selected him in the 45th round of the 2006 MLB draft. In 2006, he started the first seven games before suffering a Lisfranc foot injury against Oregon State, which required surgery. In those seven games Stanback threw for 1,325 yards, 10 touchdowns, and three interceptions while completing 53.4-percent of his passes. He also rushed 85 times for 350 yards and four touchdowns.
Stanback's marginal footwork has always led to poor accuracy as a passer. In order to compete for playing time as a quarterback his overall mechanics and decision-making skills must greatly improve. He also comes with durability baggage. However, he possesses good size, a powerful arm and outstanding mobility. If he doesn't make it as a quarterback, Stanback is athletic enough to contribute at wide receiver, running back and/or in the return game. That potential versatility is the reason we grade him higher than many other more polished passers in this year's class.

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Doug Free
OT | (6'6 ", 324, 5.19) | NORTHERN ILLINOIS

Scouts Grade: 76
Selected by: Dallas Cowboys
Round: 4
Pick (Overall): 23(122)
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Strengths: A tall offensive tackle with adequate bulk and even more room on his frame to get bigger. He does a good job with his first step and blocking angles in the running game. He shows outstanding quickness and mobility for his size. Is an agile offensive lineman with the ability to consistently reach the second-level and hit the moving target in the running game. He gives a great effort on every play and will impress you with his motor. He shows good quickness in his set and rarely will get beat by speed off the edge. He also plays with good balance and body control, which allows him to shuffle laterally versus double moves. Displays good awareness in pass pro, as well. He has great experience and has been a durable player throughout his career. He also has dominated the mid-major DI-A level for the last two seasons.

Weaknesses: Lacks ideal bulk and will struggle to anchor versus bigger, more powerful bull rushers. Base is somewhat narrow and he must learn to play with more consistent leverage. He has adequate-to-good overall strength but lacks explosive upper body power. Has not played against top competition on a weekly basis at the collegiate level. Will have a little bit of a bigger transition to the NFL as a mid-major player than some of the other top OT prospects from powerhouse DI-A programs.

Overall: Free made 12 starts as a true freshman in 2003 at left tackle (including two at tight end). In 2004, Free played in and started all 12 games for the Huskies at tackle. Free became an All-MAC First Team performer after the 2005 season when he once again started all 12 games, giving him 36 consecutive starts over the past three seasons. In 2006 Free started all 13 games at left tackle, ending his career with 49 straight starts.
Free suffered a stress fracture in his foot in the season opener (Ohio State) that lingered throughout most of his senior year. As a result, he did not look as agile as he did on film from the previous season. Even when at full strength, Free has never been an overpowering blocker and he will need to improve his strength in order to sustain blocks longer in the NFL. With all that said, Free is still worthy of first-day consideration because of his impressive combination of size and mobility. He draws many comparisons to former Northern Illinois OT Ryan Diem, who currently starts at right tackle for the Colts, but Free is a significantly better prospect now than Diem was in 2001.

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Nick Folk
PK | (6'1 ", 225, 4.95) | ARIZONA

Scouts Grade: 36
Selected by: Dallas Cowboys
Round: 6
Pick (Overall): 4(178)
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Strengths: Has a strong leg, can connect on long-range field goal attempts and gets good distance on kickoffs. Confident and shown the ability to come through in high-pressure situations. Has experience punting and is versatile.

Weaknesses: Though has improved in this area misses some field goal attempts inside 40 yards and accuracy is somewhat inconsistent. Kicks the ball too low at times and is vulnerable to getting blocked.

Overall: Folk arrived at Arizona in 2002 and was redshirted. In 2003, he played in 10 games, taking over as the fulltime place-kicker for the final four contests, made eight of eight extra point attempts, and missed all three field goal attempts. Folk won the starting job in 2004 for all 11 games, made 18 of 18 extra point attempts and eight of 13 field goal attempts (long; 53 yards). In 2005, he became an honorable mention All-Pac 10 performer after converting 31 of 33 extra point attempts and seven of 11 field goal attempts (long; 51 yards) in 11 contests. Folk made all 22 extra point attempts and 15 of 20 field goal attempts (long; 52 yards) in 2006 to earn first team All-Pac 10 accolades while playing in 12 games. For his career, Folk has also punted 96 times for 4,242 yards (44.2 average), with a long of 78 yards, and 36 punts downed inside the 20-yardline. Additionally, he kicked off 140 times with 83 touchbacks during the 2004, 2005, and 2006 seasons.
There is some concern about Folk's accuracy but he missed just one field goal attempt inside 40 yards his senior year. He has excellent range and he is versatile. Folk projects as a late-round pick or rookie free agent.

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Deon Anderson
FB | (5'10 ", 243, 4.73) | CONNECTICUT

Scouts Grade: 31

Flags: (C: CHARACTER) Problems on and off the field
Selected by: Dallas Cowboys
Round: 6
Pick (Overall): 21(195)
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Strengths: Has good size, runs with adequate leverage and is a powerful short-yardage runner that rarely goes down with the first hit. Is physical and looks to run over defenders. Plays with a mean streak, possesses good upper body strength and is physical at the point of attack. Shows good focus while the ball is in the air and rarely drops passes that should catch. Keeps head up, shows good awareness and can pick up the blitz when asked to help out in pass protection. Plays with a good motor, has experience covering kicks and can contribute on special teams.

Weaknesses: Doesn't show great balance as a blocker, fails to lock onto defenders at times and has some problems sustaining blocks. While is capable of knocking defenders back doesn't always roll hips into blocks and isn't fundamentally sound. Appears hesitant at times and has problems getting into position at the second level when isn't aggressive. Doesn't have the burst to turn the corner and lacks ideal top-end speed. Isn't elusive and isn't going to make many big plays. Missed the 2005 season for unspecified reasons and looked into transferring before returning to the team in as a walk-on in January of 2006, he has had some off-the-field problems and character is somewhat of a concern.

Overall: Anderson started six of the 12 games he appeared in during his true freshman season in 2002, rushing for 119 yards and one touchdown on 34 carries and catching five passes for 12 yards. He started five of the 12 games he appeared in during the 2003 season rushing for 124 yards on 35 carries and catching 15 passes for 148 yards and one touchdown. Anderson started three of the 12 games he appeared in during the 2004 season rushing for 99 yards on 22 carries and catching 14 passes for 133 yards. He missed the 2005 season and re-joined the team as a walk-on in 2006. In his return to action in 2006 he played in 11 games with nine starts, missing the season finale against Louisville with a neck stinger, and finished with 23 carries for 78 yards (3.4 average) and 14 catches for 101 yards and two touchdowns.
There are concerns about Anderson's character and he needs to work on his technique as a blocker. On the positive side, he displays the toughness, size and versatility to develop into an every-down fullback for teams in search of his kind. Anderson might be too much of a risk to waste a draft pick on but he is worth bringing into training camp as a priority free agent.

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Courtney Brown
CB | (6'1 ", 196, 4.39) | CAL POLY

Scouts Grade: 59

Flags: (S: SPEED) Player lacks ideal speed at position
Selected by: Dallas Cowboys
Round: 7
Pick (Overall): 2(212)
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Strengths: Possesses excellent top-end speed, shows a second gear when tracking the ball downfield and can run with most receivers. Gets adequate knee bend in backpedal and shows good closing speed attacking the line of scrimmage. Flashes the ability to change directions quickly and has the burst to develop above-average man-to-man cover skills. Possesses good upper body strength and has the potential to develop into an effective press corner. Is tall, times jumps fairly well and can compete for jump balls. Reads routes fairly well, is aggressive and can jump routes. Lined up at receiver during freshman season, has the ball skills to make plays in coverage and is a dangerous open field runner that can produce after the catch. Fills hard when reads run and is an adequate open field tackles. Can get downfield quickly and has the potential to develop into a strong special teams' player.

Weaknesses: Inconsistent footwork and can take too long to open hips when forced to turn and runs. Is vulnerable to play action and takes too long to recover when gets caught out of positions. Doesn't have great bulk for frame and could get pushed around by bigger receivers. Lacks experience returning kicks and isn't expected to contribute to the return game at this point. Played at a small school and there is some concern about ability to make the jump to the NFL. Sustained a season-ending knee injury in 2004 and durability is somewhat of a concern.

Overall: Brown lined up at receiver during his true freshman season in 2002 and he caught nine passes for 139 yards. He moved to corner in 2003 and he started six of the eight games he appeared in. Brown finished with 16 tackles, two interceptions and one pass break up. He played in game of the 2004 season before sustaining season-ending knee injury. Brown started 13 games of the 2005 season and he intercepted seven passes. He also broke up 12 passes and recorded 44 total tackles that year. Brown played in 11 games in 2006 and intercepted one pass. He also recorded 51 total tackles and broke up seven passes.
A knee injury in 2004 and small school competition caused Brown to fly under the radar throughout most of the draft process. However, he has drawn late attention due to a strong senior season. Brown clearly has the tools to develop into a contributing defensive back and special teams player in the NFL. He has a good frame for a corner, he's fast enough to run with receivers downfield and he shows good quickness underneath. If he's coached properly and continues to develop his skills with experience, Brown could emerge as a late-round steal a few years down the road.

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JPM

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Courtney Brown
CB | (6'1 ", 196, 4.39) | CAL POLY

Scouts Grade: 59

Flags: (S: SPEED) Player lacks ideal speed at position

Didn't he run a 4.32 or 4.38 ? How is that not enough speed ?
 
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JPM;1480849 said:
Didn't he run a 4.32 or 4.38 ? How is that not enough speed ?


I'm with you.............What are they lookin for in Speed. That is not to far off D. Sanders speed. That tell you some of those guys just mahe stuff up just to write articles as the see it.
 

CrazyCowboy

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Spencer should be just what the Dr. ordered to help Ware.....I hope anyhow
 

Charles

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CrazyCowboy;1480872 said:
Spencer should be just what the Dr. ordered to help Ware.....I hope anyhow
I hope so too, but the extra 1st in 2008 makes the pick
 

JerryFan

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I usually don't post on here, because most of you have a lot of good things to say. The one thing I can comment on a little bit is CB Alan Ball from Illinois. Being an Illinois fan I think this pick is a waste honestly. He did play a lot better last year then in his previous 3 years, but him playing in the 3 previous years was more speaking of the lack of talent on Illinois then him being good. I like the guy and admire what he put up with at Illinois for 4 years (specially playing D-back with our d-line). He isn't overly fast, and doesn't have good instincts. He will hit you, but is a bad tackler and takes horrible angles. The best DB on our team last year was a frosh named Vontae Davis. Watch this kid the next few years though because he is going to be a big time stud. He is the brother of 49er TE Vernon Davis and will be a 1st rounder when he decided to leave Illinois. I'm not being negative on the draft because I LOVE what Jerry did, but I just know Alan Ball doesn't have much of a chance to make this team. He wasn't a very good special teams player either, so that also kind of limits what he can do.
 

Pottsville Maroons

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This just doesn't make any sense.

Courtney Brown

Flags: (S: SPEED) Player lacks ideal speed at position

Strengths: Possesses excellent top-end speed, shows a second gear when tracking the ball downfield and can run with most receivers...shows good closing speed attacking the line of scrimmage. Flashes the ability to change directions quickly and has the burst to develop above-average man-to-man cover skills...is a dangerous open field runner that can produce after the catch...Can get downfield quickly.

Weaknesses: Nowhere does it mention lack of speed.

Overall: Brown clearly has the tools to develop into a contributing defensive back and special teams player in the NFL....he's fast enough to run with receivers downfield and he shows good quickness underneath.
 
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