NCAA Scouting
Team Draft Review - NFC East
by Paul Emery
June 2nd 2010
 
The NFC East looks like it's going to be a very competitive division this coming season – so a good Draft could give one of these teams an edge – but which one?
 
Dallas Cowboys
 
1 Dez Bryant WR Oklahoma State
2 Sean Lee ILB Penn State
4 Akwasi Owusu-Ansah FS/CB Indiana (Pa.)
6a Sam Young OT Notre Dame
6b Jamar Wall CB Texas Tech
7 Sean Lissemore DE William & Mary
 
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has apparently never forgiven himself for passing on Randy Moss a few years back and so it was that he couldn't resist a falling Dez Bryant. Unfortunately Bryant comes with some baggage off the field, just like Moss and my issue in drafting a “talented but troubled” type is that you don't have to give yourself a distraction with these types of players. Look at the 2006 Draft – yes, Brandon Marshall was there – but Greg Jennings and Marques Colston were also in there and they aren't trouble. The talented vs troubled argument is a matter of opinion – but with the Commissioner coming down harder and harder on those who get themselves into trouble – why put yourself into a position of risk? Bryant missed most of the 2009 season through suspension, so there's not a whole lot of tape on him from last year – but he is a big guy who can go up and get the jump ball. He will drop some passes through lack of concentration, but he does have soft hands. He didn't run very well at his pro day, but I think that was partly because he wasn't in great shape – so I think he's faster than his 40 time dictates, particularly when the ball is in the air. However, no matter how talented, I can't get over the baggage he brings with him and even in a thin WR group, I wouldn't have touched him.
 
Sean Lee is more like it – a real leader who I think is going to be a top player for a long time. Lee is scheme diverse, but I think he's a great fit into the Cowboys 3-4 system. He relishes contact – I thoroughly enjoyed watching him play as he will take on the lead blocker and more often than not come out on top. He reads the game very well and should take over from the ageing Keith Brooking. The one concern with him is his knee – he missed the 2008 season with a knee injury and had some trouble with it still in 2009 – but the Cowboys are confident he's healthy and ready to go.
 
Akwasi Owusu-Ansah was someone who I thought might have become a real post season riser with a strong Senior Bowl, but unfortunately a shoulder injury meant he couldn't play and thus he was still around in the fourth round. Owusu-Ansah still needs to answer the level of competition question, but he really oozes star quality and I think he'll be fine. He is going to be tried out at Safety first of all, but he has CB skills. He should also see time as a gunner on the punt coverage team and possibly help out in the return game as well. He's very athletic, versatile and a real playmaker and I think this could be a real steal.
 
This draft is not exactly one where I'm finding it hard to form opinions on those taken – Sam Young is next up and he's at the negative end of the spectrum. Young is a tall OT with very little flexibility or foot quickness – he was lit up on numerous occasions against edge speed and I have real problems projecting him to the NFL even in the Cowboys system. Young does have long arms, so presumably the Cowboys think he can get by with them as former Left Tackle Flozell Adams did in the last few years – but Young lacks any kind of knee bend or set up speed and I just can't see him sticking. Young is too tall to move inside to Guard, so he's a Right Tackle or nothing.
 
Jamar Wall is a guy who flashes some ability and is thus a decent enough sixth round pick. He's not the biggest guy, but he's physical and doesn't shy away from contact. The best thing he does is time his break on the ball well – he sticks his foot in the ground and really drives to the ball – quicker than his 40 time (4.55) suggests. He can be beaten deep because of his aggressive nature and he lacks the speed to recover when beaten, but I think he'll contribute on special teams and might get a look as the nickel back. Sean Lissemore is a college 4-3 DT who projects to DE for the Cowboys. He's very athletic, has good length and has a good motor. Lissemore pretty much had his way at his level of competition and will need to learn technique to cope with NFL talent – particularly when it comes to knee bend and leverage – but he has some tools at a hard to find position.
 
On the undrafted free agent front the Cowboys signed quite a few good prospects and the class is led by Barry Church – SS – Toledo. I was surprised he wasn't drafted as he showed up nicely at the Shrine Game with a couple of big hits. He tested out well at the Combine and has been productive – it would be interesting to know why teams passed on him. Will Barker – OT – Virginia is another good signing and is a player who I like more than Sam Young. Barker moves pretty well and has decent technique making him well worth a look. Matt Nichols – QB – Eastern Washington impressed me at the Shrine Game – while lacking top size and arm strength, he's a kid who just seems to make plays to keep the chains moving. He could develop into a decent backup and maybe more – like a Matt Moore. Lonyae Miller – RB - Fresno State was the backup to first round pick Ryan Mathews as a Senior and therefore saw his stock fall. Miller can play though and he has the advantage of being fresh after seeing fewer carries last season. Mike Tepper – OG – California like Sam Young struggled with edge speed last season (he played Left Tackle) – but he's shorter than Young and has good knee bend, so I think he's someone who could stick. Terrell Hudgins – WR – Elon is an interesting small schooler. He broke many of Jerry Rice's records at the FCS (formerly 1-AA) level. He's big at 230 lbs and only ran a 4.7 40 time, but like a Freddie Barnes – if you throw it near him, he'll catch it.
 
Overall, this effort is very mixed – with picks at polar opposites. Bryant has talent, but why set yourself up for a circus – I can never understand any franchise wanting to do that – particularly in the modern day NFL. There's enough here to lift the grade up though plus it gets a lift from one of the better undrafted free agent classes out there.
 
Diner Grade: C
 
New York Giants
 
1 Jason Pierre-Paul DE South Florida
2 Linval Joseph DT East Carolina
3 Chad Jones SS LSU
4 Phillip Dillard ILB Nebraska
5 Mitch Petrus OG Arkansas
6 Adrian Tracy OLB William & Mary
7 Matt Dodge P East Carolina
 
If I was GM of a team picking a few picks after the Giants I would have been praying for them to waste their pick, giving me a greater chance of securing some value and in my opinion that's what the Giants did. If DE's had to back-flip to the QB then Jason Pierre-Paul would be an All-Pro – but last time I checked this doesn't work too well. Pierre-Paul has been labelled a freak due to his size and ability to back flip several times as demonstrated at the combine – but looking in detail at his complete workout, it wasn't that impressive. He has a nice frame and had a good 40 time, but his 10 yard split was just below average, hit shuttle poor and the explosion drills below average. On the field he has limited experience having played for two years at two different Junior Colleges and then one year at South Florida, where he only started seven games. I look on Pierre-Paul as a one trick pony – very much like a Derrick Harvey and I see him having the same problems in his first year or two as a professional. Whether the light will ever go on is debatable – but I certainly would not be willing to spend my first round pick on him to find out. Let someone else take the gamble and worry about him – for me he's a boom or bust type and I say bust.
 
Linval Joseph was being touted as a 3-4 NT candidate, but I think he might be better off in a 4-3 as he's very athletic for a big man and can thus use speed off the ball to penetrate. Joseph was a surprise early entry into the Draft, but he quickly rose up boards with his combine showing. He's not the finished product and like Pierre-Paul has risk about him – but he's more polished and offers ability to stack up the middle or penetrate and disrupt. I'm sure the Giants are going to be looking at different ways to use him – he can certainly help them become very creative defensively. I think this position is about right for Joseph – some risk with the pick, but worth it here.
 
Chad Jones is another early entry – he was a two sport star at LSU – also playing baseball. Jones is a big kid at 221 lbs and he can light you up if you come over the middle. He's not got the best speed, but his shuttle time was good at the Combine so he should be OK at Strong Safety as a pro. Jones doesn't look real instinctive on tape – often being out of position – so he has much to learn. As a rookie though he should excel as a gunner on the punt coverage team. Another risky pick and I don't see him as great value as he's more athlete than football player.
 
Phillip Dillard is an interesting prospect – who started the year viewed as a late round pick, dropped off the radar for a month or so and then moved back up media boards. I consistently thought Dillard looked a good prospect. He didn't have to get off blocks too much playing behind a top D-Line at Nebraska – but he showed he can do it well. He reads the game very well and showed good coverage skills. His one negative is his tackling, which needs to improve – but he should be very active on special teams as a rookie and possibly see some time in nickel packages. The best pick of this Giants draft so far for me. Continuing the positive picks is Mitch Petrus who is a super fit for the Giants power running game. When Petrus locks his arms on you – it's all over – he makes it look easy, with good technique and top power. Mike Iupati the top Guard this year has dubious hand placement – but if you look at Petrus his is first class. He is very dangerous as a pulling Guard – he's really fun to watch. His weakness is against quicker players – he doesn't always set up quickly and it's what kept him from being drafted earlier.
 
Adrian Tracy is a small school DE who projects to pro OLB. Tracy isn't a top athlete – but he plays hard and should make an impact on special teams – the Giants have at least helped themselves here in this Draft. Tracy needs technique work to help him get off blocks and will need to learn to play in space – he's a special teams coverage pick with developmental possibilities down the road. Matt Dodge was my second rated Punter. He has a nice leg and indeed kicked off as well, which adds to his value. I found his hang time wasn't always the best – so he'll need to work on that – but his leg strength makes him a nice fit in New York.
 
The Giants top undrafted free agent for me was Duke Calhoun – WR – Memphis who was my number five overall rated WR. I don't care that he wasn't drafted, I still believe he has the hands, size and athletic ability to make it – I certainly like him more than Ramses Barden who the Giants drafted last year. Nate Collins – DT – Virginia is the other signing that stands out – he's undersized, but is very quick off the ball and consistently disrupts – he played as a 3-4 NT, so will be better in the 4-3 and he could form a useful partnership with Joseph.
 
Overall, two of the first three picks aren't good for me – with only Linval Joseph a good pick. I really am not a Pierre-Paul fan and although he could end up being a Pro Bowler, there is huge risk with the pick and I don't see him contributing right away as a best case scenario. From the fourth round things look up and I like that the special teams coverage unit is much improved. Two very nice undrafted free agent signings nudge this one up a little.
 
Diner Grade: C-
 
Philadelphia Eagles
 
1 Brandon Graham DE Michigan
2 Nate Allen FS South Florida
3 Daniel Te'o-Nesheim DE Washington
4a Trevard Lindley CB Kentucky
4b Keenan Clayton OLB Oklahoma
4c Mike Kafka QB Northwestern
4d Clay Harbor TE Missouri State
5a Ricky Sapp DE Clemson
5b Riley Cooper WR Florida
6 Charles Scott RB LSU
7a Jamar Chaney ILB Mississippi State
7b Jeff Owens DT Georgia
7c Kurt Coleman FS Ohio State
 
The Eagles drafted 13 players – so are making me work! They started off with a super pick in Brandon Graham. Graham is a little shorter than ideal, but is a high motor guy off the edge who is further along with his hand use than any other prospect in this draft class. If you think you can let your TE handle him in the run game – then think again as he'll win more often than not. As a pass rusher he's quick off the edge and being shorter tends to get leverage naturally. I really like this pick – I think he'll be productive off the edge for many years to come and when compared to the Giants Pierre-Paul pick, there's no contest as this wins every time.
 
The Eagles struggled to replace Brian Dawkins at Free Safety and in the second round moved to fix the problem by drafting Nate Allen, a player who may have gone earlier in other years – but he was still around in a deep FS class. Allen is very active against the run – he's not afraid to mix it up and can hit. In coverage he has great range and shows classic FS skills by breaking on passes and making some nice plays on the ball. Allen has top character to boot and is another fine pick. On the basis you can never have enough pass rushers, the Eagles went for Daniel Te'o-Nesheim in the third round. He's a high motor guy who tested out better at the combine than I expected, having the best overall workout among the DE group and this vaulted him this high. He has a little more length than Graham, with longer arms and he uses this to his advantage against the run – where he can string plays out nicely. He was a player who was flying under the radar throughout the draft process, but he's a good player and a nice pickup.
 
Coming into the season Trevard Lindley was rated as a first round type – but his slight frame and an ankle injury in 2009 dropped his stock. Lindley has experience in man to man coverage at Kentucky and is a playmaker. He has 4.51 speed, which is good, but not great. Initially he can compete for the nickel job – he'll need to get stronger – but he his coverage skills see him in with a chance of a starting job down the road. Kennan Clayton is the first questionable pick – I didn't see him as anything other than a late round/free agent type. His strength is coverage and at 220 lbs that's where he will get his chance to impress. Against the run he didn't show up much at all, despite playing behind a good D-Line at Oklahoma. He'll be a special teams asset, but I think it's too high for him.
 
It's no surprise to see the Eagles take a QB as they understand the value of the position. Mike Vick may be gone after this season and so they took a QB fairly high in the hope he can be the backup to Kevin Kolb next year. Mike Kafka was a one year starter – but threw enough passes to gain more than a years worth of experience! Kafka will need to learn a pro style offense after playing in the spread. He has nice touch and an arm which allows him to thread the needle when needed – but he does make too many ill advised passes which he'll need to get out of his system. He's very mobile, which adds a dimension to his play and overall is a good pick who has a shot to develop into a starter down the road. Clay Harbor is a guy who the Eagles can move around some – he's a TE/HB/FB type who at 6'3” is a little shorter than the classic TE. Harbor is a small school guy who impressed at the Shrine Game – he's a natural hands catcher who was very productive at a lower level. As a blocker he's better than one might imagine – he's a flexible type with good knee bend and he gives good effort. This is a pick that might just well surprise – I really like his potential and versatility.
 
Ricky Sapp was a guy who dropped big time on draft day – he was expected to be a second or third round pick to a 3-4 team – but he was one of several of these types who fell. I look at one thing for Sapp and think this pick is great value – his 10 yard split time of 1.60 – a shade better than the 1.61 Graham and Te'o-Nesheim both posted. The thing that dropped Sapp was his inconsistency – in some games he looked every bit the top prospect – with a burst off the edge, good hand use and some nice pass rush moves – highlighted by a nice swim move – but in others he was invisible. I'll be interested to see how the Eagles use Sapp, but initially I would imagine he's a nickel type pass rusher.
 
Riley Cooper is a guy who many rated far higher – but I wasn't high on. However, I think this is about right for him as he did flash some skills. Cooper is a big kid who can run well for his size – he's clever at using his body to shield his man from the ball. His big problem is his hands – he can make the highlight reel catch – but he drops way too many easy passes – including an over the shoulder one against Arkansas he's probably still having nightmares about! There were rumours about his poor work ethic and attitude pre Draft – so he's a watch and see – he's also a legitimate baseball prospect and could consider the sport if things don't happen initially in football.
 
Charles Scott is the runner up in my best value pick of the Draft (we haven't the winner yet – so stayed tuned!). Scott is a no nonsense runner – the thing to look at here is how he runs with great body lean – when tackled he rarely fails to push the pile and fall forward. He dropped due to his poor 40 time at the combine and a broken collarbone sustained against Alabama which wasn't quite healed in time for the Senior Bowl. He's a thunder type back who should help right away in short yardage and goal line situations – but I think he can be more – super pick.
 
Jamar Chaney is an athletic LB who never quite played to his athletic numbers at Mississippi State. He missed the 2008 season through injury – which isn't a major concern as it was a broken ankle. Chaney isn't one for getting off blocks – but where he could contribute is as a nickel LB as he showed some decent coverage skills. With his athletic ability he's a special teams asset – he certainly has the tools to be more down the road – so it's worth a pick at this stage. Jeff Owens is my third overall value pick in the Draft. He's not big enough to be a 3-4 NT right now, so he wasn't considered by those teams – but he certainly has the strength. I thought he was the best at holding up against the double team in the entire draft, but concerns about his 2008 knee injury dropped him – I can only imagine his medical at the combine was a concern. Owens is very much like Broderick Bunkley and can back him up and if he can stay healthy I think he can be a starter in time. The final pick for the Eagles was Kurt Coleman – who might be a tweener type. He lacks top end speed for FS – but lacks the size to play in the box. Coleman flashed ability and he should be a special teams type.
 
The Eagles added to this monster draft class with a decent undrafted free agent class. David Pender – CB – Purdue is my pick of the bunch. Pender is tall, but has a very slight frame – so will need to get stronger – but he showed enough in coverage to believe he can make it at the next level. Pat Simonds - WR – Colgate played at the Shrine Game and made one nice catch on Alterraun Verner which was called back for a holding call. He's a big kid who has just enough speed to have a shot – a poor man's Marques Colston if you will. Charles Alexander - DT – LSU is a space eater who occasionally flashed ability to get off blocks – could be a practice squad type who could contribute down the road.
 
This draft has one pick I'm not sure about in Clayton – but otherwise is superb. There's instant production, value and prospects who could develop in time. The Eagles have an exciting young roster and this class will add to it. Superb effort.
 
Diner Grade: A+
 
Washington Redskins
 
1 Trent Williams OLT Oklahoma
4 Perry Riley ILB LSU
6 Dennis Morris FB Louisiana Tech
7a Terrence Austin WR UCLA
7b Erik Cook OG New Mexico
7c Selvish Capers OT West Virginia
 
The Redskins aren't a team that values the Draft particularly and they didn't have picks in the second or third rounds – so they missed out on some top talent – a negative right away. If the Redskins ever work out you have to build through the Draft and supplement with Free Agency they might have a shot.
 
With a high first round pick, they passed on top rated OT Russell Okung and instead went for Trent Williams basically because they saw him as a more athletic type for the Mike Shanahan zone blocking system. Williams had a good Combine – but interestingly on my overall rating scale Okung came out slightly better. I have concerns about Williams as a Left Tackle – his big weakness is against the double move, where he struggled. He also leaves his feet too much for my liking – but that won't be an issue in this system. I don't think this is great value here – despite the position and matching need and I think passing on Okung may prove to be a mistake.
 
After a long wait, the Redskins next picked in the fourth round with Perry Riley who was an OLB in a 4-3 in college – but projects as an ILB in the Skins new 3-4 defense. I really like Riley – he's an all around LB who has good speed, reads the game well, shows ability to get off blocks and to boot is very good in coverage. He's a guy who should start down the road, if not right away – but certainly will contribute on special teams as a rookie. Missing a fifth round pick, the Redskins then waited until the sixth round to pick again and took Dennis Morris a FB/HB type who is a good all around player. He's a good blocker and he's been very productive as a receiver – having some nice hands. He doesn't have great speed, but he could be a very productive outlet receiver in addition to his blocking and contribution on special teams – solid pick.
 
Terrence Austin was the first of three seventh round picks. Austin is 5'9”, 165 lbs – so is very small – but he's very quick. The big question is whether he can stand up to NFL punishment – but he could get a look as a slot receiver. I think there were better options still on the board by far. Erik Cook is an odd pick as he isn't a real athletic type – he started at Center the past two seasons, but is too tall to play there and not athletic enough for a Tackle – so I think he's probably a Guard. He's more of a mauler type and is an odd pick. Selvish Capers is a better fit – he has the athletic ability to become a starter, but has horrible technique. Many times he was beaten clean off the edge – I thought his base was too wide and he never seemed to want to lock up his man, keeping them alive. I thought he looked better as a run blocker – but needs work on his hand placement. He's a Right Tackle type or could even move inside to Guard – has tools but is nowhere near the finished product – but I think he's worth the pick here rather than risk missing out on him in the undrafted free agency scramble.
 
Talking of undrafted free agents – the Redskins class was small and the only prospect to stand out is Daryll Clark – QB – Penn State. Clark needs work, but he has some touch – but uses touch passes almost exclusively and needs to fire balls in at times.
 
I'm not a fan of this Draft at all – Williams is a question and that's all they took out of the first two days. Really only Perry Riley and Dennis Morris look like prospects who have a good chance of becoming good pro's, so not a high grade.
 
Diner Grade: D-