NCAA Scouting
Senior Prospect Tracker - Week 13
by Paul Emery
November 30th 2011
 
Week thirteen was lucky for college football fans with a Thanksgiving feast of football – UK fans just need to work on getting two public holidays and we'll be in business!
 
Texas at Texas A&M
 
Texas
 
Foswhitt Whittaker – RB – suffered a torn ACL – will now be lucky to be drafted.
 
Kheeston Randall – DT – Randall has not played as well in the games I've seen this year. This was a good performance though and certainly the best I've seen him play so far. Several times he was able to use his mix of power and quickness to get penetration in the run game and he completely blew up two running plays. He didn't show up as much as a pass rusher, but it was better from him and hopefully he'll finish with a big Bowl game.
 
Keenan Robinson – OLB – there's some disagreement as to which Longhorn LB is the better prospect. I'm on the Robinson side – partly because he's bigger and has comparable range to Acho. There are times when Robinson gets caught up in traffic, but often it's due to the scheme. He plays right up on the line at times and just gets boxed in. When playing deeper, he can read and react – but is a little inconsistent here. However for a 6'3” 239 lb LB he moves very well and looks comfortable in coverage. He shows the ability to close nicely on stretch plays. He had a couple of penalties in this one (roughing the passer and a dubious horse collar), but overall I think he can push for the first round and should show up positively at the Combine.
 
Emmanuel Acho – ILB – the basic reason why I have Acho below his team mate is that he looks a little undersized (listed at 240 lbs – but looks 20 lbs lighter) and as shown in this game with more than one missed tackle (I had three) and getting run over early in the game he just lacks the explosion to finish the play the Robinson has. He can read and react nicely, but does get caught up on blocks a little too much. He's a good player, but I don't think he quite has the upside that Robinson offers. I'm thinking the 3rd/4th round region – I'll see what he weighs in at the Combine and how fast his 40 is before finished my projection.
 
Texas A&M
 
Ryan Tannehill – QB – although Tannehill guided a late fourth quarter drive down the field to give A&M a brief lead, I didn't feel his overall performance really deserved the win. He started off 4 out of 7 – but then cooled off considerably finishing with 20 completions from 49 attempts. The key note in his performance was 3 interceptions and it's his third game of the year where he has thrown 3 picks in a game. Rather interestingly these 3 pick games have come against Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and now Texas – all big games. I also thought he played poorly against Arkansas – but better against Iowa State. He had some real problems with the aggressive Texas defense. On many occasions he was in the pocket and you could see his decision making was slow – he looked like he was about to throw, but held and held, waiting to see if he had read the defense correctly. This resulted in all three picks and could have led to more. Tannehill carries a first round grade from many and some think he is a future franchise QB. However, he hasn't made the progress I would have hoped for and as such he's someone who if I were a GM I would let someone else take a chance on. He has upside, but I don't know if he'll ever completely get it.
 
Cyrus Gray – RB – missed the game with a stress fracture of his shoulder.
 
Jeff Fuller – WR – Fuller has been dealing with turf toe and has been less explosive than last year. Having said that he's still got 63 catches (72 last year) – the noticeable difference is in his average per catch 11.3 this year and 14.8 last. His stock has been falling, but at least there is a reason for the fall and should he be around in the third round for example, someone might just get themselves some fantastic value. Fuller had a decent day with 7 catches for 107 yards and a score. His best reception was a nice 29 yard come back route – something he does really well, presenting his numbers to his QB trying to extend the play. He has good timing with Tannehill and they are very productive on that 10-20 yard out route – Fuller cutting after the ball is thrown and doing a nice job of locating the ball and making the catch. He did have a couple of penalties (offensive pass interference and holding) and dropped a low pass early on – but on the whole he played well considering he's dealing with a painful injury.
 
Coryell Judie – CB – Judie has had a stop-start season dealing with a hamstring injury that wouldn't go away. He was the third CB in this one, but still on the field for a large proportion of snaps. Early on in off man coverage he got lucky. He opened his hips too early and was turned side-on facing the sideline. The receiver ran a slant and it took him too long to get his body turned right around. Fortunately for him, the pass was off and incomplete – but certainly his technique on the play was poor. In press coverage he looked better. He's got decent, but not great, size at 5'11” 188 lbs – but he's very physical and is able to get a solid jam at the line. He has the speed to turn and run with his man down the field, looking very comfortable. Clearly it's been a down year for him due to the injury – he will need to try and rescue things with a solid Senior Bowl performance – but as it's still early in the Draft process he could still be a first round pick – certainly he has the talent to go this high.
 
Iowa at Nebraska
 
Iowa
 
Marvin McNutt – WR – it's amazing just how many top prospects seem to have poor days against Nebraska. Last year Jake Locker didn't complete a pass in the first half of the Bowl game and this year BJ Cunningham and Kirk Cousins were made to look very ordinary. This week it was the turn of McNutt who got very little change from Alfonzo Dennard. He only managed 4 catches for 29 yards – his lowest yardage output of the year so far. Considering he has 8 100 yard games and 78 catches for 1,269 yards it shows how dominate the Nebraska defense is. He had three drops on the day (one I think a DB may have broken up) and really only a 26 yard corner route rescued his stat line. I still think he's a good prospect and as Locker discovered a down game against Nebraska doesn't destroy your stock.
 
Markus Zusevics – OT – Zusevics has really impressed me this year, but I thought this was his weakest game. He struggled outside for speed – being beaten one time and also getting called for holding. I did think he could stay at right tackle as a pro, but this gave me concerns and I think he could be headed inside to Guard. Having said that he was still solid technically – struggling against speed he didn't resort to waist bending and he has to be given great credit for trusting his technique. I still like him and indeed do so far more than the Eagles first round pick last year Danny Watkins.
 
Broderick Binns – DE – Binns isn't a dominant prospect, but I do quite like him as a later round option. He doesn't have the speed to threaten the edge rushing the passer, but does play responsibly with backside contain throughout being very good. He made a couple of nice plays – the highlight being beating the pulling guard to the hole and making a TFL. He's put together a solid year and certainly I would be willing to spend a late round pick on him.
 
Mike Daniels – DT – Daniels hasn't impressed me this year, but has been dealing with an ankle injury and is only now 100%. Certainly the difference in his play was noticeable as he was able to get penetration with his quickness and disrupt some. He still struggled to hold up at times – but that's to be expected from a 275 lb DT against a power option offense. He moved laterally pretty well and I can see from this performance why he was ranked so high. Hopefully he can follow this performance up with a solid post season.
 
Tyler Nielsen – OLB – Nielsen was in on a few tackles, but too many of them were after big Nebraska gains. He tends to peel back off blocks and doesn't show the ability to use his hands to shed – this was evident in the Penn State game also. He's used in coverage a lot – but struggled in this area in this one. He bit up on a play fake and let the HB get behind him for a TD and was also called for holding on a 'jerk' route, which he was unable to stay with. He carries a mid round grade, but I feel this is probably a little high.
 
Shaun Prater – CB – Prater wasn't tested particularly against an offense that ran 61 times and only passed 22 times. His highlight play of the day was breaking up a pass in the end zone – the receiver had initial separation, but a good closing burst saw him recover to prevent a score. When up in press coverage, he wasn't able to get particularly clean bumps and for a CB who may suit a Cover-2 this is a concern. He was active in the run game and certainly didn't shy away from contact, but overall not the greatest test he's had this year.
 
Nebraska
 
Lavonte David – OLB – while this game was still close and Iowa were running, David struggled a little. When the Hawkeyes were playing catch up and throwing more – he looked much better. He's very comfortable in coverage and did a nice job of defending Brad Herman who only had one catch, which was a perfect 'bucket' throw. He blitzed frequently and times it nicely – his closing speed to get to the QB is impressive. Against the run game at times he was just engulfed by blockers – it will be interesting to see just how much he weighs. Certainly a team trying to stop Jimmy Graham for example might value him higher than a team that has to deal with power run games in division – so his value will differ dramatically depending on defensive system.
 
Alfonzo Dennard – CB – Dennard wasn't healthy earlier in the year. The last time I watched Nebraska, he was the only one of 4 CB's not up in press coverage – so clearly they weren't confident in his ability to turn and run. Back to 100% he looked very good. At times he does struggle to get a clean bump at the line – much like Prince Amukamara last year – and it could well be his short arms like his former team mate. However, this was the only negative as in all he had a top game – shutting down a big and physical receiver in McNutt. This performance will shoot him up boards and he should be a first round pick.
 
Arkansas at LSU
 
Arkansas
 
Joe Adams – WR – Adams had only 37 yards earlier in the year against Alabama and against another top defense in LSU he only had 35 yards on 3 catches. His production has been steady this year and last (50 catches last year, 49 this) but in a crowded receiver field this year it's difficult to tell just where he fits in. He didn't look healthy against Texas A&M, but looked did look to be 100% in this one – just struggling against a very talented LSU defensive backfield. After early success Arkansas did struggle to a degree, but still a down week.
 
Greg Childs – WR – as mentioned in commentary, Childs is clearly not the player he was pre-injury. He has been free falling down boards with only 16 catches this year. Having said that he made 3 catches and was the pick of the Arkansas senior receivers. He made three nice hands catches and although not looking super fast after the catch, he did look strong and was able to carry tacklers. The most important thing for him in the post season will be his Combine medical – one assumes it's not quite right.
 
Jarius Wright – WR – Wright has been the most productive of the three senior prospects with 63 catches on the year. He had 13 catches against Texas A&M and 10 against Vandy, but was pretty much shutdown in this one with only 2 catches for 27 yards. He did get a touchdown with one catch – a nice quick jerk route (out and then back in) – but like Adams and McNutt clearly a down week. It's certainly going to be interesting to see where all these slot receivers go in the Draft – there are plenty around this year.
 
Jake Bequette – DE – Bequette has struggled with a hamstring injury this year, but despite missing 3 games, he still has 8 sacks to date. He got 6 sacks in 3 weeks against South Carolina, Tennessee and Mississippi State – but was shut out in this one. As Gary Danielson mentioned in commentary he was very quiet in this game and indeed other than a couple of QB pressures he was completely controlled rushing the passer. He doesn't look to be super fast off the edge, but does have a high motor and I think much of his production comes from that. Some have a mid round grade on him, but I have him a little lower – I will need to catch his three sack South Carolina game I think to be fair to him.
 
Jerry Franklin – ILB – Franklin has been very productive with 90+ tackles each of the last 3 years. I have two concerns with him and I think they explain why he's seen as a later round prospect despite the production. The first is his speed – he doesn't look to have great top end speed and this was evident in coverage when he trailing a TE on a deep seam route, but was fortunate the pass was over thrown. The second problem is his inability to get off blocks – he is listed at 241 lbs, but doesn't play to this size. He did make a tackle on a punt return and it will probably be his chance for a roster spot lies on special teams at least to start with.
 
Tramain Thomas – FS – despite being benched earlier in the year, I do like Thomas. He's a centre field type who can sit deep and make plays. He also showed in this one he can get downhill in a hurry – coming up on a running play and forcing a fumble, which was then returned for a touchdown. He also had an interception as he broke in front of the receiver and caught an ill advised Jordan Jefferson throw. He did miss a tackle, which was the reason for his benching, but certainly for teams that like to play a deep centre field free safety, he should draw interest.
 
LSU
 
Deangelo Peterson – TE – this LSU team could be very good next year as well, as there is little draftable senior talent (although they will probably have a junior or two come out early). Peterson didn't start the game and LSU used a two TE set – so saying Peterson may be draftable might be a bit generous. He had 4 catches in the season opener against Oregon and looked good, but since that time he's only managed 15 passes – including two short receptions in this one. He's a HB type who isn't a great inline blocker and he'll have to test out well athletically to offer enough upside to spend a draft pick on him.
 
Brandon Taylor – SS – Taylor carries a later round grade, but I've been impressed with him. He was playing quite deep in this one, so wasn't in the box and thus in the mix against the run. He showed good one range on one over the top coverage play – but on the flip side was late over on another, but the pass was overthrown and he got away with it. He made a TFL coming downhill in the run game, but it was tough for him to show up a huge amount playing so far off the line.
 
California at Arizona State
 
California
 
Marvin Jones – WR – Jones doesn't have super high production, but he does look impressive. His 5 receptions in this one took his season total to 54. He's generally been able to produce in every game – although against Pac-12 South Champs UCLA (still think Neuheisel has lost the team Jesse Palmer?) limited him to one catch. His best catch was a 19 yard slant route, which he just plucked out of the air away from his frame – demonstrating a large catching radius. He looked strong after the catch – using a nice stiff arm on one play. He also had a nice gain on a reverse, but unfortunately it was called back for a block in the back. I think post season performance is going to be needed to separate a number of WR's this year – 40 time will be more important than usual – but certainly Jones is in the mix and should start to draw interest in the third round.
 
Mitchell Schwartz – OT – Schwartz at times was slow to get moving and with fairly slow/heavy feet it did mean he was beaten a couple of times for speed. Having said that, his technique looked solid and he showed some power. He's better in the box as when getting to the second level he wasn't always able to engage his man effectively. He may need to move inside to guard and will probably suit a power team only, but he does have ability and I think he can stick at the next level.
 
Trevor Guyton – DE – Guyton came into the year as the top rated Bear, but I like Jones and Kendricks a little better. Guyton isn't a great pass rusher with only 4.5 sacks on the year and this does limit his value. He was controlled quite comfortably as a pass rusher in this one, which is a similar story from other Cal games I've seen this season. Against the run he's a little inconsistent. At times he was thrown around – literally been thrown to the ground a few times and also being drive back 10 yards on one play. But he kept working, had a nice forced fumble on a tackle from behind and was able to shed blocks and make tackles. I'm finding it a little difficult to get a feel for him as at times he looks like he's struggling to hold up, but others he looks powerful. Hopefully he'll get a Senior Bowl invite and I can have a good look at him in practice.
 
Mychal Kendricks – ILB – Kendricks lined up inside in the base 3-4 defense and outside in the 3-3-5 look. Playing with a cast on his left thumb he was still able to make some really nice tackles and indeed his tackling can be classed as explosive. He also had a sack (he had 8.5 last year playing outside) as he stayed with the play, getting off the guard late to make the play. He showed the ability to get off blocks in the run game and also showed a high motor chasing down a long run. His versatility is clearly a plus as is the fact he looked comfortable in coverage. He lacks ideal NFL LB height (listed at 6'0”) and this will limit his stock – but he can play.
 
Arizona State
 
Gerell Robinson – WR – Robinson has put together a career best year by some distance. His previous best was his 29 catch junior year, but he has 64 this year. This was one of his quieter games limited to 3 catches for 56 yards. He's a big target and caught all of his catches with his hands away from his body. He's certainly helped himself with a strong senior year, but does suffer somewhat in a very strong receiver class. He could be good value on day three.
 
Mike Willie – WR – I've seen Willie getting some mention as a potential late rounder. He had two catches in this one – he did make two others, but both were called back for penalties (one his offensive pass interference). Like Robinson he has good size at 6'3” 220 lbs and is yet another big receiver in this class (there are a bunch of good smaller slot guys too – which is why it's the strongest position in this Draft). He did have a drop, but certainly with production in the 30's both the last two years he's going to be a later round pick at best in this class.
 
Omar Bolden – CB – Bolden tore his ACL in the spring game. He is back on the scout team, but even being thin at CB he's not yet all the way back. It doesn't appear he will consider a medical redshirt and it could be he's ready to play in the Bowl game.
 
Ohio State at Michigan
 
Ohio State
 
Dan Herron – RB – in his sixth game since returning from suspension Herron had his lowest output with only 37 yards on 15 carries. He nearly broke a couple of runs and just as he was getting going and looking dangerous the Buckeyes went away from him. He did bounce a couple of runs outside where he didn't look as good – but running in between the tackles he can make sharp cuts and looks very powerful. I quite like him – I know a number of juniors will come out early and push him down boards, but it's close between him and Boise State's Doug Martin for the top senior RB.
 
DeVier Posey – WR – this was Posey's second game back after a 10 game suspension and he added something to the Buckeye offense. He finished with 3 catches for 58 yards – but with better QB play he would have had more. He was able to stretch the field and his routes looked very sharp – able to get open three times on double moves which resulted in a TD catch and two poor throws and missed opportunities. He's been out of sight, out of mind to a large extent with his suspension and he will need a strong post season to get noticed in this crowded WR class, but I thought he looked good in this one.
 
Mike Adams – OT – I've watched Adams a few times since coming back from his suspension and a clear picture is now in focus. He has all the talent in the world – but every now and again he just switches off and bad things happen. In this one he was called for holding in the end zone, which resulted in a safety – he just didn't move his feet well on the play, and then over extended to try and hold up his man who had the jump on him and it all went wrong from there, as it does tend to with over extending. Back when I scouted Michael Oher it was clear he had the feet for left tackle, but switched off now and again. He was my top rated OT that year (and to honest it was actually right as Jason Smith, Andre Smith and Eugene Monroe haven't been great either) but he has never got out of that and it does make me rather reluctant to say top 10 pick with Adams. I think later first round or high second round and hope you can get in his head to sort out the odd stupid play. He does have upside – but sometimes that's a curse and never realised.
 
Michael Brewster – C – Brewster was my top rated Center coming into the year, but he's not had a fantastic senior year. He's developed a bad habit of moving his feet back and out in pass protection, meaning anchoring is difficult. He did play better in this game and seemed to be aware of this as he recovered a few times to sit in his stance in the correct manner. Once again he did very well getting to the second level – he doesn't move as quickly as Michigan's bulk – but he plays square and is able to engage and seal very well. He did have a real problem on one play with Mike Martin – on the play Martin at 300 lbs was stood up at ILB and came downhill at him – not surprisingly he ended up being jacked back into his QB. He'll probably have nightmares about seeing a 300 lb man come downhill at him! Overall, better – but he's not a complete prospect.
 
Andrew Sweat – OLB – out with an injury – post concussion problems and had his arm in a sling.
 
Michigan
 
Kevin Koger – TE – as mentioned in previous outings, I like Koger as a later round option. I don't think he's Jimmy Graham or anything – but he's a decent short range receiver and a solid blocker. He had 4 catches in this one, with Michigan doing a nice job of scheming him open, bringing him back against the grain to sneak out of the back door. This was actually his most productive day as a receiver, taking his season total to 19 catches – a career high. He can seal the edge as a blocker, but could do with getting stronger as he released blocks a little early a couple of times.
 
David Molk – C – Molk isn't as big as Brewster, but in a week when I looked at 3 of the top Center's (see also Vlachos below), Molk comes in a number two, just below Brewster. At 285 lbs he moves very well and is used to pull a fair amount. He gets to the second level very quickly – but he's not as controlled as Brewster when he gets there. He could use with just slowing things down a touch and getting nice and square as he released blocks too early or missed the completely. The best thing he did was get into his man very quickly at the line – his transition from snap to hands up and into contact was very quick. He did a nice job in pass protection – he uses good technique but does to need to add some bulk to help him against 3-4 NT's or 4-3 over-tackles.
 
Mike Martin – DT – Martin is the kind of player who draws you in. Even when you are looking at someone else, he seems to make a play and you end up switching attention to him. He's not the best pass rusher in the world (3 sacks this season) and that does limit his value a little – particularly considering all the passes flying around this year in the NFL. However, against the run he is tough to control. He's able to get penetration consistently and disrupt. He has a nice swim move and also understands leverage as a former wrestler and can get off blocks well. He will suit a one gap system – quite where you can justify taking someone who won't help much against the pass I don't know, but for certain divisions I think he might start to draw some interest in the third round.
 
Alabama at Auburn
 
Alabama
 
Marquis Maze – WR – with Ryan Broyles going down with a serious injury, this was a chance for Maze to really push himself up boards – but he didn't take it. He was held to 4 catches for 18 yards – all little swing passes/screens and just didn't look dangerous after the catch. Of course he's not in an Oklahoma type system (35 rushes, 23 passes for Alabama on the day) – but this was a missed opportunity for me.
 
William Vlachos – C – Vlachos is listed at 290 lbs, so like Molk is a little undersized. He doesn't move as well as the Michigan man – but can still get to the second level well enough. He's not someone who gets movement in the run game – but he does hold his blocks nicely and looks to be someone who will fit into a zone blocking system very comfortably. His technique was a little mixed – he over extended some, reaching to engage leaving him off balance and was also a little upright in pass protection – although no one took advantage and got under him (if Nick Fairley was still a Tiger he would have had problems). Overall, I think he graded out in third place against Brewster and Molk, but I still have him in the 3rd/4th round region and with Alabama prospects being a popular 'brand' I think that might well be the 3rd round for him.
 
Josh Chapman – NT – Chapman had very little impact against Auburn's spread attack and that's been consistent over the year against such attacks. He helped stuff up the middle on a 4th and 1 and got off the guard to get in on a tackle on another run up the middle – but otherwise was kept quiet. As a pass rusher he offered nothing – he's bolt upright off the snap and rarely even got off the line of scrimmage. As mentioned with Mike Martin, just what the value of a prospect who isn't good rushing the passer is I don't know. Certainly I like quite a few DT's far more – including some NT's. For me Chapman is an old school two down run stuffer who is tough to move – but offers very little in terms of athletic ability. I liked the Chiefs Jerrell Powe far more last year and he was a sixth round pick...
 
Courtney Upshaw – OLB – Upshaw is frustrating. He has the ability to just take over games as he did in the second half of the Ole Miss game – but in this one there were just brief glimpses of his ability. He beat Brandon Mosley with a nice club move to make a TFL – then beat a pulling Guard to blow up a pass play (I think he was credited with the sack as the QB fell over the Guard) and he was in on another sack, but was unblocked. Outside of these plays he was pretty quiet. I can't really see him going super high – although when he wants to he does look that good. I'm surprised Coach Saban hasn't been able to light a fire under him – and that in itself could be a red flag as if he can't, then who can?
 
Mark Barron – SS – was fairly quiet before hurting his neck and didn't return.
 
Auburn
 
Brandon Mosley – OT – I'm not really quite sure on Mosley, so I wanted to use this game as the one where I finally try and slot him into a vague region before refining that in the post season. He's rated as a second/third round pick by many, but at times this year I've not been impressed. In all I thought he did a nice job against Upshaw. He did lose out against his club move on a running play – but in pass protection he was able to mirror and hold up effectively. He sits in his stance and has his hands up and ready when setting up. His initial punch lacks top power and he doesn't like to lock his man up – just shoves them back and mirrors. I think he's more a 3rd/4th rounder – I'm still not real sure about him, so might even wait for his combine numbers to project him.
 
Notre Dame at Stanford
 
Notre Dame
 
Michael Floyd – WR – at times I think the Irish get a bit too clever for themselves with their play calling and decide to involve Floyd. In the first half he wasn't thrown to that much – but after the break he was targeted often and looked really good. For a big man he was able to use quickness to get off press coverage and against a Cover-2 defense he was thus able to settle into the soft spot in the zone and make plays. He has a large catching radius – making one really nice high catch with the cornerback jumping in front of him. He now has 95 catches on the season for 1,106 yards. His on field play has been fantastic this year and with very few prospects really showing star quality – Floyd has been able to and should be a high first round pick.
 
Ethan Johnson – DE – Johnson caught my attention when he gave Pitt's highly rated Lucas Nix problems and once again in this one he had some nice moments. He seems to naturally be able to get under his man and get off blocks. He could do with getting a little bigger and stronger – but I like him as a later round guy who can develop into at least someone who can form part of a defensive line rotation.
 
Darius Fleming – OLB – Fleming always seems to make plays and although he was controlled as a pass rusher, he was still able to make an interception on an ill advised Andrew Luck throw (there aren't many of those – but more on him if/when he declares). He's listed at 6'2”, but looks shorter than this – which should see him be around on the third day. He was used in coverage some and looked comfortable in space. I think he can push for a roster spot – lacks an ideal NFL frame, but he can play.
 
Robert Blanton – CB – Blanton has been receiving some positive press and at times he did look very good. He was much like the Irish as a whole, not great in the first half – but rebounded with a nice second half. He was called for two penalties – one for holding as he grabbed a jersey up in press coverage. He was also called for pass interference – grabbing a receiver on a slant in. He was also beaten for a TD on a fade route up against a taller TE and then for good measure got turned around , gave up a catch and dragged into the end zone by tight end Fleener. After all of that he was still able to rebound with a positive second half performance and credit has to be given to him for doing so. He had two nice pass break-ups – one on a slant where he got his right hand in front of the receiver nicely and then on a post-corner route he was able to break under the route to make the play. Clearly a mixed performance, I don't know he's going to be a super high pick – but he has decent size and that may see him taken perhaps a little higher than his play at times may suggest.
 
Harrison Smith – SS – another Irish player with some negative moments, Smith was called for pass interference and missed an open field tackle – but did rebound and make some plays. I'm not sure what was said in the locker room at the half, but certainly the Irish came out fired up and played far better. His best play on the day was under cutting a corner route to break up a pass and indeed perhaps should have picked it off. He was active in the run game making several tackles. I've not been high on him – but he looked good in man coverage in this one, which is something the next level loves, so he moves up my board some.
 
Stanford
 
Chris Owusu – WR – out again after suffering another concussion. His Draft stock is falling as a result.
 
Coby Fleener – TE – one would think such a high pick would have higher production than 32 catches on the year. With so many talented TE's on the Stanford roster, he isn't even on the field all the time. However, in this one he really showed what he offers as a receiver. Matched up against a safety in man coverage he ran a nice double move and on a slick field, the safety slipped and he had a 55 yard TD. He was also able to carry Robert Blanton the last 7 yards or so into the end zone on his first TD. He looks very athletic and has nice soft hands. He should create mismatch problems at the next level and is a nice fit for someone looking for a Jimmy Graham type weapon.
 
Troy at Western Kentucky
 
Troy
 
James Brown – OT – a lot of Draft analysts don't like to project non AQ school/FCS talent due to the level of competition question mark. My view is that you need to be special at this level and then pass the test of a post season All-Star game. Last year many people like Troy's Jerrel Jernigan a bunch, but I wasn't sure – enough for him to fall to my 16th ranked WR and with him yet to make an NFL catch that looks perhaps a little too generous. Brown isn't rated as highly as Jernigan, but he does carry a later round grade. In this one he really struggled and it could drop him down to the ranks of the undrafted. He struggled with speed off the edge, was too upright in pass protection and had problems with balance. For a big man (337 lbs) he was man handled too much for my liking and it wasn't a performance that would make me want to spend even a late round pick on him.
 
Western Kentucky
 
Western Kentucky need some help to get to a Bowl game as Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette have nabbed the Sun Belt's two guaranteed Bowl slots. I know some people don't like the smaller Bowl games, but WKU have turned things around in a big way this year and I think they deserve the reward, hopefully they will get it.
 
Bobby Rainey – RB – Rainey was certainly busy with 43 carries on the day for 227 yards and 3 TD's. In this game he became Western Kentucky's all time leading rusher and also broke the previous season record high (he has 1,695 on the year). Rainey is a smaller back at 5'8”. The NFL isn't a huge fan of shorter backs, mainly because pass protection becomes tougher. However, when running the ball behind a big offensive line as Rainey does for the Hilltoppers it's very tough to find him and it becomes an advantage. He's not super fast – but has good quickness and can make the jump cut to find the hole. He missed a couple of holes in the first half, but ran with greater patience in the second half and had some really nice runs. He did fumble – but that was his first on the year and he's had 369 carries, so not really a concern. I would suspect his height and lack of top speed will see him as a later round type at best – but there's just something about him...