Macnalty
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 3,639
- Reaction score
- 2,162
http://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/2qhzxv/is_your_team_already_out_of_the_playoff_hunt_well/
DEs
DEs
- Randy Gregory, Nebraska - Unbelievably productive in 2013. Was one of the most dominant players in the NCAA. JUCO transfer due to grades but stepped in and contributed right away for Nebraska. Very tall but still get's surprisingly good leverage in his pass rushing moves. Good technician and smart player. Some injury concerns, had his knee scoped earlier this year and we missed out on him versus Brandon Scherff because of a leg injury. Needs to put on weight, especially in his upper body.
- Shane Ray, Missouri - Tweener type that was unbelievably productive for Mizzou this year. Rival's Gregory's 2013 campaign. Unbelievable athlete. Think Vernon Gholston but with actual football skills. Fastest first step in college football, blew past a bunch of good tackles this year. Got ejected for targeting in the Bama game and I think he was definitely aiming to hurt Sims. Not a good run stuffer even though he's pretty damn strong. I just don't think he cares about playing the run.
- Alvin Dupree, Kentucky - Great athlete on a bad team. Compiled most of his stats against bad offenses but still played very well against South Carolina and Missouri, and absolutely feasted in the Mississippi State game. Was asked to do a lot, can put his hand in the ground or stand up and rush which will be valuable at the next level. Has a variety of pass rushing moves. Plays hungry. I think I saw him dive to make a tackle a few times which is easier said than done for defensive ends. Not that strong, not that great of a run stuffer. Gets caught on his blocker a lot.
- Shawn Oakman, Baylor - One of the biggest players I've ever seen. Just absolutely monstrous. Baylor lists him at 6'8 270 but I think he's pushing 6'9 290. Former basketball player with an amazing first step. Absolutely destroys anyone he tackles. Grew up in a really poor area of Philadelphia with a very troubling home life. Tons of off the field issues, got dismissed from the Penn State program. I think he turned it around though. Baylor has a great coaching program that seems to have fixed his off the field habits.
- Dante Fowler, Florida - Consistently great anchor for the Gators. Only one who looked like he gave a damn last year on that team, then followed it up with another productive year this year. Absolutely destroyed La'el Collins this year. Not the best run defender which is odd considering his size and not the best athlete. Kinda heavy for what he does, seems like a strong side DE at the next level.
- Leonard Williams, USC - The head honcho of the draft. I don't know where to begin. He's huge, fast, quick, smart. Great run stuffer, great pass rusher. Was asked to do everything for the Trojans and more. Lined up everywhere and dominated no matter where he went. Draws comparisons anywhere between Gerald McCoy and J.J. Watt, although I think he's more like McCoy. The only knock I can conceivably have for him is that he's a bit tall for the position and has trouble with leverage. Also isn't the quickest downfield pass rusher, but that's just nitpicking for a guy his size. Definitely my #1 prospect this year. Just a tough son of a *****.
- Danny Shelton, Washington - If your team needs a nose tackle, this is the guy to look for. Squat and strong and excellent at stuffing the run. Incredibly productive. People will look at his 9 sacks and go gaga but it's important to note that he picked up 4 of those against Eastern Washington. Was a star at the shot put which always seems to translate into a great NFL game for some unknown reason. But seriously though, he'll be a superb NFL anchor for the 3-4.
- Eddie Goldman, Florida State - Another strong anchor that can play the nose at the next level, but will most likely be a 1 or 2-tech DT. Fluid athlete, strong, and has good penetration. Goldman was somewhat productive this year for the Seminoles but got most of his notoriety for the Clemson game. Seemingly single handily won that game for Florida State by forcing a fumble then stonewalling the Tigers in overtime. Former five-star recruit that was stuck behind a wealth of talent and didn't produce much last year. Might be a one hit wonder.
- Arik Armstead, Oregon - I'm not sure where to list this guy since he seems like a DT but is far to tall to be that at the next level. Will probably end up as a 3-4 DE. In a draft with Shawn Oakman, I'm surprised there's another guy out there that makes him look small. Unbelievable athlete. Hugely powerful upper body with quick feet. Loses leverage battles but still seems to come out on top just due to his size. Won't be able to do that at the next level. Not that productive considering how immensely talented he is, which is a big red flag for me for d-line prospects.
- Michael Bennett, Ohio State - Great player on an otherwise poor defense this past year. Small guy, reminds me of Aaron Donald. Unbelievable first step for a DT, moves with the suddenness of a running back. Smart guy that uses his quickness to win matchups that he shouldn't. Able to change direction easily. Will definitely need to put on some weight to win at the next level though. He won't put any blocker on his back and sometimes gets lost in his blocker.
- Vic Beasley, Clemson - It's always hard to rank OLBs since their games vary so much, but Vic Beasley stands out as the premier pass rusher at his position. Not as productive as Ray was this last year, but he was suffering from nagging injuries all season. Unbelievable first step, seems to abuse everyone he comes up against. Made A.J. Cann and the Gamecocks o-line look foolish. Compiled 8 sacks as a freshman while only playing on passing downs, then followed that up with another 13 sacks in 2013. Incredibly smart pass rusher and just has a nose for the ball in the backfield. Kinda twiggy to play DE, won't ever put his hand in the dirt.
- Shaq Thompson, Washington - One of the most intriguing prospects I ever looked at. It's rare to see a guy who could realistically be a running back or a linebacker at the NFL level. Loves football, loves hitting people. Seems like a gap filler at the next level even though he has superb feet. Total bruiser when given the ball, played so well at RB that the coaches weren't giving him defensive snaps. Won the Paul Hornung award for most versatile player in the NCAA. Also played minor league baseball for the Red Sox.
- Hau'oli Kikaha, Washington - Another great prospect from the Huskies. Old school type of linebacker. Extremely aggressive and loves hitting people. Smart player that always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Incredibly productive this year. Great hands and tackling abilities with fluid enough hips to drop back into coverage. Great character guy, always seems to be a student of the game and a gym rat. Unfortunately limited by his lack of athleticism, won't test very well.
- Eric Striker, Oklahoma - Sideline to sideline player. Great first step and good pass rusher. Smart guy that can drop into coverage or track RBs in a predator type role. Not very strong. Plays kind of stout when he gets locked on by a blocker and ends up disappearing because of it. If he puts on a bit of weight I'd say he could be a 4-3 strong side linebacker, but until then I think his best place is in the 3-4.
- Lorenzo Mauldin, Louisville - Took over for Marcus Smith as the team's best pass rusher. Big, violent player. Hits gaps hard and wins at the point of attack. Uses his hands well and wins arm battles. Plays too upright, no leverage against OTs. Prefers to use his hands and bounce off of OTs to win battles instead of using pass rushing moves. Relentless motor. Gets himself out of position too much to be a good run stuffer.
- Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State - The Dak Prescott for the Bulldogs' defensive side of the ball this year. All around superb athlete. Can drop into coverage or go right down the middle and beat NFL caliber blockers. Made Ogbuehi look foolish this year. Not actually that technically sound. Gets lost on defense sometimes and gets himself in trouble when rushing the passer. Kinda stiff hips, reminds me of Bostic or Spikes. Might be a 3-4 ILB at the next level but has the potential to play anywhere.
- Denzel Perryman, Miami - One of the best defenders in college football. A bit on the short side but that hardly stops him. Appears all over the field and is one of the better tacklers to come out in a few years. Superb run stopper. Pops anyone who comes near him. Surprisingly great in pass coverage and was asked to do both man and zone for the Hurricanes last year. Is somewhat limited by his size, won't be able to cover freakish NFL TEs. Not a great pass rusher but does work when he gets back there. Looks like the safest pick in the draft.
- Eric Kendricks, UCLA - Another short guy with a big heart. Kinda smaller than Perryman but is quicker and makes more plays in the open field. Unbelievably productive, led the Bruins with 139 tackles. Did 105 last year and led the Pac-12 with 149 back in 2012. Has a nose for the football and explodes towards whoever has it. Kind of a lunger tackler though, not technically sound. His style is superb for the NCAA but needs to improve for the NFL level. Not that great in coverage.
- Ramik Wilson, Georgia - Fastest ILB in my top 5 with fluid hips. Broke out in 2013 leading the SEC in tackles but then didn't build on that in 2014. Not that much of a knock though since he was still productive for the Bulldogs. Looks like a 3-down linebacker, can cover or pick up the run. Can't take on blockers worth a **** though. Often gets enveloped and pushed away from the ball if there's a guy in front of him.
- Reggie Ragland, Alabama - Stepped in for C.J. Mosely and filled in beautifully. Tough guy, loves going down hill and thumping people. Broad shouldered with strong legs. Not the best pass rusher or block shedder but anchors the point well when he gets engaged. Doesn't cover. Will probably be a 3-4 ILB at the next level and a good one at that.
- Trae Waynes, Michigan State - Tall CB that loves battling at the point of the pass. Ball hawk, great hands, could probably play WR if he wanted to. Played great against Mariota. Likes to cheat a bit, definitely a jersey tugger and an arm-barrer. That could result in more than a few penalties at the next level. Great run support DB that loves to tackle and hit people. Lanky though. Kinda stick thin looking. Likes to gamble too much on passes and that might hurt him in the long run.
- Marcus Peters, Washington - Most talented DB in the class. Superb athlete with fluid hips and a strong upper body. Played against some tough competition this year in Jaelen and Mariota but excelled against both of them. Would be my first CB off the board except for the obvious character concerns. Was dismissed from the Huskies' program and doesn't seem to take the game seriously. Apparently fights with his coaches a lot. Not very conducive to having a team wanting to pick you high, but whoever grabs the guy will definitely have a top tier talent.
- Ifo Ekpre-Olomu - Thought he was coming out last year but decided to return and improved his draft stock mightily. Smart, smart player. Highly competitive. Reads WRs well and keeps up with their breaks. Good leaping ability and good hands. Doesn't bait the QB and prefers to stick to his guy rather than gamble on interceptions. Kinda short for the position but possesses a large frame. As pointed out to me, he tore his ACL so will not be matching up against Jameis and Florida State, which is a shame.
- P.J. Williams, Florida State - Big corner. Plays tough. Played well against DeVante Parker but still got beat a few times. Very fast and quick, will be able to keep up with NFL WRs. Good in the run game too. Can snuff out sweeps all day. Not the greatest coverage WR though, has trouble sticking to his man. Will probably be a zone corner at the next level.
- Ronald Darby, Florida State - The other guy in the Seminoles' tough pass defense. Sticky corner. Prefers to attack at the line then bully WRs around the field. Gets away with his fair share of defensive holding and pass interference calls. Good speed and quickness, prototypical size for the position. Not the fastest guy though and his coverage skills could be exposed at the next level against NFL caliber WRs.
- Landon Collins, Alabama - Prototypical Saban strong safety. Huge guy for his position. Loves tackling and popping people, but isn't a head hunter. Smart, downhill type of player in the run game and reads receivers well in the open field. Pretty good at pass coverage, can keep up with his receiver in zone or man coverage. Not the best at it though. Can get lost at times when playing the zone.
- Gerod Holliman, Louisville - Unbelievable ballhawk for the Cardinals this year. Leads the nation with fourteen interceptions. Replaced Calvin Pryor and filled in beautifully. Makes me wonder why he sat behind the guy as Pryor is just a head hunter while Holliman has a superb all around game in coverage. Not that great of a run stopper though, but I doubt he'll be asked to do that much at the next level. Great height and weight, will be able to pick up NFL WRs on deep routes and fight them all along the way.
- Anthony Harris, Virginia - Rangy strong safety for the Cavaliers. Looked great in the upset against Louisville this year. Likes to gamble on routes. Doesn't stick to his guy but always seems to be there for a pass break up. Likes to get involved in the run game. Launches himself at the ball carrier and blockers regardless of their size. Poor tackler though. He's all hands. Odd considering how aggressive he is.
- Jalen Mills, LSU - Tweener safety that can also be a cornerback. Consistently reliable presence for the Tigers for three years now. Good coverage guy, can pick up his man and stick with him. Willing tackler too. Sometimes gets lost on deep plays and needs to get bailed out over the top. Apparently punched a girl in the face so hard that he knocked her unconscious. The facts around that case are still murky but Les Miles did suspend him for it.(latest from beat writers is he is staying in school)
- Derron Smith, Fresno State - Total ballhawk. Led his team with 7 interceptions in 2013 but barely got any this year. Looked like he regressed a bit entering this season which is a disappointment. Limited somewhat athletically. Stout guy though and a willing tackler for the free safety position. Will be interested to see how he tests speed wise at the combine.
Who needs to be added or substracted?
