NCAA Scouting
Senior Prospect Tracker - Bowl Games Part Three
by Paul Emery
January 21st 2012
 
The third and final part of my Bowl season starts with one of, if not the, best game of the season – the Outback Bowl between Michigan State (with my number one senior QB Kirk Cousins) and Georgia.
 
Georgia vs Michigan State (Outback Bowl)
 
Georgia
 
Cordy Glenn – OT – Glenn has grown on me a little since he started the season giving up three sacks against Boise State. His best play of the night was a pancake block against junior Jerel Worthy, showing the power that will appeal to teams like the Steelers (who need some youth on their offensive line). His technique is a problem though, but to be fair to him it's made worse because he is out of position at left tackle (he played left guard in 2010 and only moved outside to tackle because of injury to Trinton Sturdivant). His hands are low when he sets up in pass protection and at times he was slow to bring up his outside hand, so he was blocking with one hand at times! When Georgia rolled Aaron Murray away from him to the right, he was bolt upright and backpedalling. Also, at other times he forgets to keep his feet moving and ends up off balance, bent at the waist. The end results though were better than the technique deserved. He gets his long arms extended, which is his get out of jail card and does look strong. I don't see him as a first round pick because of the technique flaws, but inside at guard I would start to consider him maybe in the second round.
 
Ben Jones – C – Jones is the number one Center on many sites boards, but not mine. I have Baylor's Philip Blake way above Jones and if you compare the two performances against good players, there's a big difference and Jones comes in second. Much of the night Jones was up against big Anthony Rashad White. Early on Jones really struggled – he was caught out with how big and strong the Michigan State man is and was jarred back on initial contact. This really is Jones big weakness – he doesn't sink in his stance – so he's too upright and a DT getting under him can just jack him back right into his QB's lap. To Jones credit he did recover and play a little better as the game moved forward, but he went back to his other problem. He over extends after the snap – he's not quick enough to snap and get his hands out for the initial punch. This leaves him reaching – off balance and he spent some time on the ground, never a good sign. Jones was growing on me, but this just reminds me of his struggles last year and earlier in the year. I think he's an early day three pick – perhaps late round three if a team has a need and he fits – but he does need work.
 
Brandon Boykin – CB – it's not a Georgia thing, but I don't really like Boykin. His technique is sloppy in man coverage and his tackling is awful. Although he had a difference making game – he still missed a tackle which resulted in a TD. He also got caught in bail technique on a short out (my least favourite thing for a CB to use – I just have no idea why anyone would use it and give up that easy out cut) and Keshawn Martin had a ton of separation on an 8 yard catch. But on the positive side, I do have to say Boykin was fantastic – an exciting punt return for a TD – showing up on offense at RB and catching a TD pass – plus making a nice tackle for a safety early in the game. Georgia used mostly zone coverage and it's where Boykin looks best – he has a great break on the ball and a feel for the game – even if he seems to freelance a bit sometimes. I think you have to take the negatives with him – but his return ability increases his value and he should be taken on day two and because of his poor technique he has some upside as when he gets that down, he's going to be a much better player.
 
Blair Walsh – PK – this was one of those games you want to carry on forever and it was tough that Walsh's blocked field goal attempt in the third overtime period ended an enthralling contest. From time to time he makes a really nice high kick and I think he's back – but all year he's been struggling and he's gone from a 4th/5th round area pick to a later round type. His 32 yard field goal was a shortish kick – but the height he got was NFL style. But then he had a chance to win it and it was a case of one step forward, two steps back as he missed a 42 yard effort wide right. He was able to respond in the next overtime with a 47 yarder which he just hooked in, but his Georgia career unfortunately ended with heartache. This is a thin kicker class, but he'll be drafted from his junior year performance.
 
Drew Butler – P – Butler had one of his busier days and was OK. I was disappointed with a 36 yard punt in the fourth quarter which was to the Michigan State 27 yard line – decent field position when he could have put them inside their own 20. But he did have three super punts and in a poor class I think he's the best in it and should get a call on the third day of the draft.
 
Michigan State
 
Kirk Cousins – QB – despite 3 interceptions, this was a gutsy performance from Cousins. At one point in the game it looked like the Spartans were going to get beaten badly. With the running game not going (29 rushes for 94 yards in all – only 2.5 yards a carry), Georgia very much asked Cousins to beat them and he did. Against a pro style zone blitz 3-4 defense, Cousins was given different looks by Georgia and for the most part looked very poised in the pocket, particularly at the end of regulation when he drove his team down the field.
 
The reason why I have him as my number one rated senior QB was on show. He's very good with the play action fake and can look off defenders. Now on one of his interceptions, he made a bad decision – throwing off his back foot and with BJ Cunningham stumbling out of his break the CB made the play – but probably would have at least broken it up had Cunningham stayed on his feet. The pick by Rambo was a nice break on the ball by a talented safety – but Cousins did telegraph it a little. He also had a pass tipped by a LB and then picked off by the NT – but that was just a great athletic play.
 
Cousins showed a quick release and courtesy of ESPN we saw him talking to Keshawn Martin on the sidelines, just willing him to get open on a specific play. Martin was having a quiet game and it was great to see Cousins keeping him involved in things. It was a rare insight into a QB's ability to lead and certainly there can be some comparisons between Cousins this year and Andy Dalton last who flew up boards after he interviewed well. I liked Cousins anyway – but after that performance with receivers not really separating a great deal outside of his TE, I think he made himself some money. I think we begin to think of Cousins as a late first round pick and if he plays like Christian Ponder did at the Senior Bowl last year he could push himself even higher up.
 
B.J. Cunningham – WR – Cunningham had some problems creating separation. He did have 7 catches, but for only 66 yards. He had the same problem against Nebraska and despite a productive year I think he's somewhat limited at the next level. He looks like he could run a 4.6+ 40 yard time at the Combine. He was unable to bring in a couple of high passes and in the context of the game I would really have liked to see him help his QB out. I think he's a day three guy who will fit a West coast system where he can use his big body on short slants – but he doesn't carry the athletic ability to separate and get big yardage after the catch.
 
Keshawn Martin – WR – I thought Martin struggled. When matched up against Boykin he got nothing and indeed on his first catch of the game Boykin tackled him for a safety. He had 4 catches for 35 yards and lost yardage overall on two fly sweeps. He did make a big play at the end of regulation – almost getting a TD, but being ruled down a yard short. Still a down game against a good defensive backfield, of which there are many waiting for him at the next level.
 
Brian Linthicum – TE – Linthicum hasn't impressed me a great deal this year, but he had a really good game. His 7 catches for 115 yards was a season high in terms of both receptions and yardage. Michigan State did a nice job a couple of times in terms of play design to get him open, but he made a couple of very nice catches and was also to get a big 51 yard gain on a fake counter screen play. He didn't look like Jimmy Graham down the sideline, but certainly he has enough speed to be considered an intermediate threat. He isn't overpowering as a blocker, but did a nice job at HB moving people on up the field – something Georgia's aggressive LB's were keen to do. Over the course of the season I think he's still a day three pick – if he can surprise with his 40 time then maybe higher – but a performance like this only sees his stock rise.
 
Trenton Robinson – FS – when matched up in man coverage Robinson struggled and his stock takes a hit because of it. He was beaten by Tavarres King on an 80 yard play – he bit on a double move and that was that. He also struggled on another deep pass to King – this time having over the top coverage, but just didn't turn his head early enough – couldn't thus locate the ball and then missed the tackle after the catch to give up another 18 yards. Where he did look very good was coming downhill from 10-15 yards off the line. He was in on a number of tackles for little or no gain. The problem in projecting him to that kind of role at the next level is that he lacks ideal size at 5'10” 195 lbs and not looking that big. I do like him, but the man coverage problems against SEC speed do give me some concern and drop him a touch on my board – the thin safety class may save him though.
 
Houston vs Penn State (TicketCity Bowl)
 
Houston
 
Case Keenum – QB – Keenum didn't have a great outing in the C-USA title game, but he rebounded very nicely with a good game against big name opposition. His stats were video game numbers - 45-69-532-3TD and 0 INT's. Many of Keenum's throws were short swing passes – he gets the snap, gets his body round and throws – there's little there to really project him forward to the NFL. He threw 6 passes over 20 yards and 12 passes in the 10-20 yard area – everything else was under 10 yards. In ESPN's Bio Blast the negatives listed for him were low release point and height (6'2”) – but despite Penn State coming into the game wanting to bat passes down at the line, they only managed to do this twice – so he's clearly skilled at finding throwing lanes and I don't think it's as much of a problem in a wide open NFL offense as it would have been 5-10 years ago when dropping from center more and making this a little more difficult.
 
The main negative for me was that he didn't step into his deeper throws at times. He had one 18 yard corner route sail on him, a 15 yard post was also high and an out route was also a touch high and therefore dropped. He does a nice job of feeling pressure and stepping up in the pocket and is mobile enough to escape pressure to extend the play or even scramble. Many of his passes are one read throws – but he did show he can go to his second read and there were a few check down throws in there. He'll need to work on this aspect of his game the most – he needs to learn to read defenses, something the spread doesn't really need you to do. To really make it at the next level early in his career he'll need a team to run a stripped down offense – much like the Panthers did with Cam Newton. It's more likely though he'll be a third stringer initially and take some time to learn the complexities of the game.
 
Patrick Edwards – WR – this has been Edwards best year – he finished his senior year with 89 catches for 1752 yards (19.7 yards a catch!) and his 228 yards in this one were his season high. When Penn State were playing off him early on he completely destroyed them. When they came up to the line more as the game moved forward, he was held in check more and at 5'9” 175 lbs that's something that limits him in terms of draft stock, despite the amazing numbers. Western Michigan's Jordan White has similar stats – but is bigger, so projects better in a Greg Salas kind of way. But in 4 or 5 WR sets he certainly has a good shot at making a roster.
 
Sammy Brown – OLB – rather bemusingly despite having 30 TFL's and 14 sacks this year, Penn State decided not to block him at times. He had a sack and a TFL when unblocked – but also when unblocked did lose backside contain and a reverse was able to get some yardage. He also missed a tackle on a wildcat play which gained 12 yards. He had two QB pressures – beating a FB on one play and then beat a tackle for speed outside. At 6'2” 240 lbs he's built pretty well, but lacks the wingspan of a top rusher off the edge. However, with his play this year he should be drafted – something that wasn't expected in the pre-season.
 
Penn State
 
Derek Moye – WR – Moye has had steady production over three years, but missed a couple of games due to injury in mid season and coupled with poor QB play his production is down as a senior. He had a nice punt return in this one, but other than that did nothing. He dropped the one pass that he had a chance of catching, letting the ball go right through him and was held without a catch for the first time this year.
 
Johnnie Troutman – OG – Troutman has received an invitation to the Senior Bowl, which is a little surprising as I had him down as a late round/free agent type. He showed some power in this one, but was too upright in pass protection. He also struggled a little against the quicker Houston LB's at the second level, missing some blocks – although when he was able to engage he dominated. I think he'll struggle against the top players in Mobile, but at least he has the chance to move up boards.
 
Jack Crawford – DE – Crawford's motor is always set to high, but at times it was frustrating going for him. Keenum threw so many quick passes, rushing the passer become tough because the ball was gone before he could even engage the tackle – let alone get to the QB. He had one QB pressure where he beat the tackle for speed, but outside of this didn't make any impact rushing the passer. He made a couple of plays on swing passes – in on a WR tackle and then having good coverage on a RB in the flat. He batted a pass down at the line, but a long and unfruitful day for him.
 
Devon Still – DT – like Crawford it was a tough outing for Still and indeed it was the weakest game I've seen from him this season. The best thing he did was try and fire up the defense when Penn State were trailing 17-0 early on, but he couldn't make a play to ignite things on the field. He made two plays all day – a nice swim move over the guard to hit Keenum as he threw and then drew a holding penalty as he tried to get off his man with Keenum rolling right. He was doubled teamed at times, but even when he wasn't he didn't make an impact.
 
Nebraska vs South Carolina (Capital One Bowl)
 
Nebraska
 
Lavonte David – OLB – there are a number of undersized LB's in this class and I have David leading the group. I did some extra work on him before the Bowl season and loved his instincts. I didn't think was a great game for him – he took too many false steps, not something he's done too much this year. I noted four times that he took false steps – although he did settle down in the second half. He had some problems getting off blocks and at 225 lbs this will continue to be a problem. He's very comfortable in coverage though and could be a potential answer for NFC South teams trying to stop Jimmy Graham. It's also possible some could view him as a strong safety – particularly if his actual weight is under 220 lbs. He's going to be an answer to the wide open offenses the NFL is currently seeing – I'll be very interested to see when the run on this group of weakside LB prospects begins – but I really like him and certainly would start thinking he's too good to pass up the longer the second round moves on.
 
Alfonzo Dennard – CB – before he was ejected, this was exactly what I've been wanting to see from Dennard all year. He wasn't healthy early in the year and as a result wasn't trusted in press man coverage – tending to be 5-10 yards off the line. In this one though he was right up in Alshon Jeffery's face. Unfortunately Jeffery made two big plays on him – one he decided not to jam and rather worryingly the big South Carolina man pulled away from him for a 78 yard play. Jeffery is not regarded as a burner – he's a long strider, but still I would have expected Dennard to be able to match him comfortably for speed. The other play was the hail mary – tough for Dennard to defend, but he was under the play and got nowhere near the ball. Dennard completely lost his cool in the second half – throwing two big punches and was rightly ejected – joining North Alabama's Janoris Jenkins as a top CB prospect who has been kicked out of a game this season for throwing a punch. So a mixed bag for him, but at least I finally saw him up in press.
 
South Carolina
 
Alshon Jeffery – WR – Jeffery was ejected in the second half – but I thought was unlucky as he just shoved Dennard (unless something happened before the camera got to him) – as opposed to throwing punches like his shadow for the day. He struggled to get separation at times from the Nebraska man – but as mentioned above did pull away from Dennard on a 78 yard play. He also caught a TD pass with the last play of the second half on a hail mary. This is a very crowded WR class for bigger WR's – with Michael Floyd, Jeff Fuller, Dwight Jones, Marvin McNutt and Brian Quick all pushing for slots in the first three rounds. His production this year hasn't been great (49 catches) and I don't think he looks as explosive as Floyd – or Fuller when healthy. I'll be very interested in his 40 time at the Combine – he might be a mid 4.5's guy who takes a while to get going – if he runs a 4.6+ it might well see his stock fall below some of the above names.
 
Rokevious Watkins – OG – back inside at guard for this one after mostly playing tackle this year. In pass protection he was bolt upright which just doesn't project well to the next level. He does have some power and indeed I liked him from last years tape – but he seems to have got more upright, when he needs to start bending more. I don't know if I'd spend a draft pick on him, despite flashing power.
 
Melvin Ingram – DE/DT – Nebraska clearly saw Ingram as a danger when he moved inside to DT on passing downs. He was doubled through the first three quarters and was kept quiet. When single teamed late in the game he was able to get pressure – he finished off one sack (credited with half a sack) and then beat the guard cleanly to get a sack for himself. When outside at DE he was up against two big senior OT's with long arms and he struggled to make a great deal of impact against them. The one thing that's stopping me pushing him higher up my board is the fact I don't quite know what to do with him. He's not super fast off the edge at DE and at 271 lbs isn't big enough for DT. He didn't stand up much in this one – but in previous games has, but I think he lacks the explosion he shows with his hand in the ground. I like the way he reads the game, I like his pass rush from inside – ideally suited to a team facing pass heavy teams where he can play DT – but will struggle to hold up against the run. A really interesting prospect who I will give some more thought to, certainly his Combine numbers will help me project him.
 
Antonio Allen – 'Spur' LB – when Allen lines up against 3+ receiver sets he is over a slot WR. This enables him to make a lot of tackles in the run game – simply because he can easily get off a WR's block – or just slide over and make uncontested tackles. He's thus had big numbers tackle wise – for example 13 against Auburn. Against Nebraska it was harder work for him, but to his credit he was able to get off blocks some and had 7 tackles and a sack. He's someone who plays the game fast and in such a thin safety class (Tony Dye's neck injury lowers his stock, Allen being a beneficiary from this) he could be a fairly high pick for a team that has a need at the strong safety position.
 
Florida vs Ohio State (Gator Bowl)
 
Florida
 
John Brantley – QB – expectations were high for Brantley in Charlie Weis' pro style offense, but his numbers this year are about the same as last. Had he been back next year in the same system, I think there would have been more improvement, but he's run out of time on the college stage. He did throw a couple of very nice passes – but on a couple of out routes his passes seemed to hang rather, so I think his stock is somewhat limited.
 
Jeff Demps – RB – it tends to be all or nothing from Demps. He's had three 100+ yard games but outside of those three games his highest output has been 48 yards. He struggled to get on track in this one with 30 yards from 7 carries. His sprinter speed should make him a star at the combine, but he hasn't impressed me much this year and I wouldn't be willing to spend more than a late round pick on him.
 
Chris Rainey – RB – Rainey on the other hand looked good. He hasn't been healthy at times this year, but right from his first carry it was clear he was 100%. He finished with 71 yards from 16 carries, with 3 catches as well. He does bounce most of his runs outside, which won't be as easy at the next level – but his little dip inside and bounce outside will still allow him to get outside even against NFL speed. At 5'9” 178 lbs he's someone who will be a special teams guy and maybe complimentary back. His size means he's limited in pass protection, so doesn't project super well as a third down back despite his ability to catch the ball (31 catches in 2011). One area where Rainey is a real plus is special teams – he blocked a punt which was his sixth career block. I like him more than Demps – he'll need to be managed at the next level to keep him healthy, but he could be a nice weapon for an NFL team.
 
Jaye Howard – DT – you can't fault Howard's work ethic. Twice he chased plays down from the backside – a TE screen 26 yards down the field and then a RB screen 12 yards down the field. He had a sack – where he correctly guessed the snap count to beat the guard – but otherwise was fairly quiet. He lost the battles with Mike Brewster and although he has decent size, I think he's more a day three type.
 
Ohio State
 
Dan Herron – RB – I really like Herron – his first three games back from suspension were all 100+ yard efforts, so he clearly stayed in good shape. Since then it's been 4 straight losses for the Buckeyes and they seem to have got the ball to him less. In this one he only had 12 carries, but ran for 82 yards. He also had 4 short catches. He's not the fastest back in the world, which may limit his stock, but he has the ability to create if the designed play is clogged up. He has the ability to make sharp cuts and made a safety miss in the open field with one such move. He's a powerful kid who runs hard. I like him above most of the other senior RB's – I'll use the post season to decide between him and Doug Martin at the top of the senior list.
 
DeVier Posey – WR – Posey has only played three games this year, but he added something to the Buckeye offense. Even in just three games, Posey has shown he can get open deep – the trouble is with poor QB play the ball hasn't necessarily got to him. He got open on a post-corner route in this one – but the pass was way off target and he had no chance. He was able to get off press coverage – and showed good hand use to bat the CB's hands away. He then had a clean release on slant plays and his TD catch was an example of this. He did fumble after catching a slant – holding the ball loosely (you would have thought ex Buckeye Chris Spielman would have dropped in to give them a talk about ball security!) and was relatively quiet (5 catches 38 yards), but with the average at best QB play he did OK. He'll need a strong post season as he's not played much, but I do think he's got talent.
 
Mike Adams – OT – in Adams first game back after suspension he looked very good. I've watched quite a few games since that time and he's rather frustratingly had lapses at times. This was again the case here, he had a couple of plays where he just seemed to switch off and was beaten. I think he has the raw tools to stay at left tackle at the next level, which may mean a first round pick, but I don't know you can trust him to protect your QB's blind side with all the lapses. He has some Michael Oher about him – the Ravens haven't been able to trust him at LT and unless he can clear up the little lapses I think it will be a similar story for him.
 
Michael Brewster – C – Brewster's big problem is that he struggles against big NT's – he doesn't sit in his stance and thus can't anchor against power. The Buckeyes didn't pass a great deal and often Brewster was the free man in protection – so didn't have a NT over him. When he did have someone over his nose his feet went back and out. However, he managed to get away with it because Florida just didn't have a great presence there. In the run game Brewster is the best center in this class in terms of getting to the second level – getting square and engaging his man. He looks very comfortable doing this and is also athletic enough to pull, something becoming more common place. I don't think he's a first round pick and indeed in a division filled with big 3-4 NT's I think his value will be lower – but he'll appeal to some certainly and should be gone by the end of third round.
 
Oregon vs Wisconsin (Rose Bowl)
 
Oregon
 
David Paulson – TE – Paulson is not heavily featured in Oregon's offense and outside of the Oregon State game he's been a 1 to 3 catch a game man only. He was used at HB and as an inline TE in this one (he's been used more in the slot in other games). He only had the one reception, a three yard out route caught with hands away from his body with seven yards after the catch. He was OK as a blocker, he's not dominant – but was able to seal the edge and also help out nicely in pass protection. He doesn't look to be a super fast prospect and I think has a little DJ Williams about him. I don't think these HB types get taken in the first three rounds unless they are very athletic (Ladarius Green – Louisiana-Lafayette for example), so I think Paulson will be a 4th/5th round pick.
 
Wisconsin
 
Russell Wilson – QB – the first thing for Wilson to decide now is whether to go back to baseball or continue with his football career. He's not going to be a super high Draft pick simply because of his height, or lack thereof. At 5'11” many pro teams will not be willing to invest a high pick on him and as such his salary is unlikely to get close to his baseball contract. This performance was decent enough and indeed it looked like he was going to lead Wisconsin down the field late in the fourth quarter but the Abbrederis fumble stopped the drive. He was then left with little time at the end – but for some reason went for the spike to try and stop the clock and failed. One thing that I'd not seen from Wilson was the touch pass – but he did show nice touch checking down to Ball on one play when he was rolling to his right. He was a little unlucky with his interception, in that he did look off the defense – but the break on the ball was just very good to make the play. Unless Wilson loves football, I doubt we'll see him at the next level – but if he does decide to stay on the gridiron he's likely going to have to start with a third day slot.
 
Nick Toon – WR – some like Toon as a first round pick, but all year I've had him lower on my board. His longest catch was a 33 yard effort on the final drive of the game – the majority of his other 8 catches were shorter efforts. He did separate nicely on his TD catch though – just drifting as if going to the post, then coming back to the corner to get open. I'll be very interested to see what his 40 time is at the Combine – I don't think he's going to get under the 4.5 mark. I also hope he gets a Senior Bowl invite – I really want to see if he can get separation in 1 on 1 drills – something I've not seen enough from him this year.
 
Kevin Zeitler – OG – I really like Zeitler, but have to admit that at times he struggled to engage at the second level against a quick defense. When up against defensive lineman he did a nice job – he's a powerful kid and does a nice job either turning his man up the field away from the play or just moving them off the line. In pass protection he continues to play a little high – this wasn't a major problem in this one – but will be at the next level. I like him as a second round pick and certainly being from a team that has produced a number of NFL offensive lineman will only help his stock as GM's will be very comfortable with the 'brand'.
 
Aaron Henry – FS – I don't think Oregon's Lavasier Tuinei is a burner by any stretch of the imagination – yet he was able to pull away from Henry in man coverage on a deep cross touchdown reception. As mentioned with Michigan State's Trenton Robinson – a safety who struggles in man coverage has limited value these days – so his stock will have fallen. He's best when he can just sit in centre field and read – he had an interception on such a play, but it was a lucky bounce on a tip. His lack of speed was also evident when he wasn't even close to stopping De'Anthony Thomas' long TD run – he was too far up the field and couldn't even get an angle. I'm thinking 4th/5th round for him – his history of knee problems could see him slide later than this if his medical isn't clear at the Combine.
 
Philip Welch – PK – just had a 29 yard field attempt on the day, which was good. His kickoffs had good depth generally. He missed the start of the year with injury and the field goal in this one was only his sixth attempt on the year – so a little difficult to assess him – it would be useful for him to get a Senior Bowl invite to really see what he can do.
 
Brad Nortman – P – Nortman only punted twice, but both were good punts. He had a 33 yarder downed at the Oregon 5 yard line and then launched a really nice 56 yarder which was fielded at the 8 of Oregon. His cold weather experience should mean he gets a camp look from a north/eastern team.
 
Oklahoma State vs Stanford (Fiesta Bowl)
 
Oklahoma State
 
Brandon Weeden – QB – just another day at the spread office for Weeden who threw for 399 yards with only 13 of his 42 passes travelling over 10 yards in the air. The bulk of his passes (18) were under 10 yards to the right side. The slant to Blackmon was particularly effective and Weeden did a nice job getting these out early with good zip. He started the game out poorly with an interception on his first throw. Rolling right against zone coverage, the CB was able to drift back to make the play on the ball – he just didn't see the drift. There were a couple of things of concern to note. A couple of times with pressure in his face, he missed open receivers – one was a short hop on a 22 yard corner route. It was interesting to hear the ESPN commentators talking about Stanford knocking him off his pitching mound and on the odd occasion they did, Weeden struggled. The other thing of concern was he threw a couple of wobbly spirals – Cooper dropped a short pass because of it and an 18 yard out was wobbly.
 
On the plus side, Weeden was very calm driving them down to tie late in the fourth quarter and in his brief showing in overtime before the win. It was a shame he couldn't finish his career with a TD pass, but his receiver was ruled down at the one after review. The post season process for him is going to be convincing league personnel he can adjust to a pro style offense and contribute quickly – before he gets too old – you'll probably hear he's 28 already many, many times between now and April.
 
Justin Blackmon – WR – Blackmon has already declared for the Draft, so it's my first chance to comment on him. Blackmon isn't the most natural catcher of the ball at times – he seemed to fight one slant route a little, bobbled a short crossing route and dropped a pass away from his frame in the end zone. I always like consistent hands catchers because when that pass comes that's not perfectly thrown, you need to make the play away from your body (A.J. Green is a great example of this and he has certainly made Andy Dalton look good this year). On short slants though Blackmon was unstoppable all night – his ability to break tackles was very impressive. He also showed he can find the soft spot in the zone – as he did on one of his TD catches. There's been some noise regarding off the field problems – but the story from ESPN about him staying in touch with a young girl suffering from cancer shows that may be off base. He looks like he has a desire to win – he wants the ball and he looks to be a first round talent. Just the lack of natural hands stops me from thinking top 10.
 
Levy Adcock – OT – Adcock started the night out at left tackle but in the second half was over at right tackle, back to left and then finished back over on the right side! Outside of one game I have not been impressed with Adcock this year. I wondered if he had an injury which cleared up for Bedlam (which was his good game), but his performance in this one was average and nowhere near as good as that Oklahoma game, so I'm rather baffled by him. Early on particularly he was all over the place – ducking his head into contact and releasing blocks and Chase Thomas swam over him one time. Thomas also made him completely whiff in pass protection with a sharp inside move. He looked better over at right tackle and certainly this looks to be his likely pro position – but overall after playing like the first round prospect some think he will be against Oklahoma, its back to disappointing for me.
 
Markelle Martin – FS – I talked above about Trenton Robinson's ability to get downhill and make plays and Martin showed he can do this to. The difference in projecting to the next level is that Martin is clearly a lot bigger than the Michigan State man. Listed at 6'1” 202 lbs – he moves very well and as shown early on he can deliver the highlight hit. Now in coverage he bit hard on a play fake, allowing Montgomery to get behind him easily. Unfortunately he then slipped in off man coverage against Ertz and gave up a TD – I actually saw the same thing Luck did pre-snap that the under coverage was blitzing and was watching the matchup, so a shame he slipped and deprived me of an interesting scouting moment! He looks to be best suited to a two deep system where he has license to get downhill quickly. He's OK in coverage, but isn't someone who has CB type cover skills – so I don't know if he will suit all. He could also project at SS – he showed in this one he can get through traffic in the box.
 
Stanford
 
Andrew Luck – QB – what can be said about Luck? 27-31-347-2 TD and 1 INT in a huge game. He led his team down for a very makeable field goal, only for that to miss and he ends up on the losing side. The interception is about the only bad thing he did all game – he stared the route down a bit too much, so the safety was able to undercut the route. Outside of that he was fantastic and it's easy to see why many think he's the best college prospect since Manning, or even John Elway. He does all the pre-snap reads – can audible and was very comfortable with defenders in his face. His ability to go through his progressions is simply elite. His best play of the night was a 3rd and 14 completion – extending the play by rolling to his right and found his 3rd choice receiver for 18 yards on a comeback route. This guy for me is by far the best player in this class and indeed it's going to be a long time before someone this good comes out again. The Colts should just submit their pick now.
 
Coby Fleener – TE – as mentioned in previous Stanford games, Fleener is a better pro prospect than his college production may suggest. In this one he only had two catches before leaving the game with injury. He did show he can seal the edge once again and although he's not the biggest TE in the world, he does give good effort as a blocker. I just hope the injury isn't serious and he can do everything in the post season – it's where he can really show the upside I think he has.
 
Jonathan Martin – OT – like Luck, Martin has announced he's leaving early and rightly so. I've done some work on USC's Matt Kalil already and on this evidence it's going to be very close between the two. Martin has very nice feet – there's none of this heavy footed stuff from him. He sits in his stance nicely and just looks very comfortable. In the run game he got the second level very nicely, got square and sealed. He also showed good power – he doesn't look that big – but he can still move people. On this evidence he's a top 10 pick, but I do need to see him against better competition – I'll go back to the USC game for a look against Nick Perry who is also coming out early.
 
David DeCastro – OG – another junior who has already announced he's leaving early. I thought he had a weak game and indeed I was very disappointed with him. I had already done some work on him and was far more impressed than I was in this one. In the first half particularly he spent way too much time on the ground – he was lunging at defenders and released blocks or even missed them completely before falling. He pulls frequently – moving well – but you can see when he's going to pull as he just rocks slightly in his stance, that could even draw some false start penalties. In pass protection overall I thought he played too upright. Now, he was in complete control and didn't have too many problems – but Haloti Ngata would destroy that. I'll put some more detailed work in with him, as I will with all the juniors, hopefully this was a one off poor game – it certainly didn't match my more casual observations of him.
 
Michigan vs Virginia Tech (Sugar Bowl)
 
Michigan
 
Junior Hemingway – WR – if you are only going to catch two catches on the day you might as well make them both touchdowns! What is surprising for a receiver with decent size like Hemingway is that he only had two other scores all year. He finished his senior year with 34 receptions, so production wise is some distance from some of other prospects in this class. He's likely to be a later round pick, although at times he does look better than that – I just wonder if he might turn into a steal...
 
Kevin Koger – TE – Koger isn't going to be a super high pick. Although he has decent size at 6'4” 256 lbs – he's not super fast and funnily enough lining up against Virginia Tech he reminds me of former Hokie Andre Smith who stuck with the Bears this year. Koger lines up at HB much of the time and he does a nice job sneaking out the back door as he did on one of his two receptions. His limitations athletically were demonstrated on a double move – comfortably covered by Tech. He's not quite as good as Smith last year as a blocker, but does enough to make me think he can make a roster as a third TE.
 
David Molk – C – Molk hurt his foot in pre-game warm-ups and didn't start the game, but after two wayward snaps by his backup – he gave it a go and managed to get through the game. He struggled early on, but seemed to settle down after his first couple of series and overall had another good game. He lacks ideal size, listed at 285 lbs, something which could limit his stock. However, he's a technique conscience prospect who does a very nice job of playing square in the run game. He has quick feet in pass protection, so can mirror effectively. He will struggle against a 320 lb NT – so teams facing 3-4 defenses in division probably won't be super interested in him. However, for a zone blocking scheme team he will appeal and should be off the board in the 3rd/4th round region – if he can add some bulk and still run well, that will only get better.
 
Mike Martin – DT – in a new defense this season Martin started off the season relatively slowly. For example, I watched the week one Western Michigan game before Christmas and he didn't impress greatly. But in the second half of the season I've been far more impressed with him. He's rather limited as a pass rusher and as such I don't know how high his stock will get. He tends to rely on a bull rush and doesn't seem to have a swim or rip move in his arsenal. Against the run though he's much better – he's able to get penetration consistently and does a very nice job getting off blocks. He's only 6'0” and being shorter helps him to get lower than his blocker and thus get leverage to win battles. He also has a wrestling background which further helps him understand leverage (low man wins being the basic rule). He may not shine at the Combine and perhaps old school two down types aren't much longer for this passing world – but I like him to stick and contribute – if he's a third day pick he's therefore likely to be solid value.
 
Virginia Tech
 
Jarrett Boykin – WR – Boykin was fairly quiet with only 4 short receptions. His season ending reception total was 61 – a career high. He's shown flashes of being a mid round type, but equally has had a few games like this where he's been shut down. A little like Nick Toon he doesn't always separate, so I think is more a late rounder, particularly in a very deep class.
 
Jaymes Brooks – OG – Brooks carries a mid-late round grade from NFL Draft Scout and as such a highly rated prospect, it's odd to see him rotate some. It makes me question if his conditioning is good enough or indeed if he's just not that good – personally I would want a mid round offensive line prospect on the field at all times. He doesn't look to have super quick feet and struggled a couple of times against Mike Martin. When faced with quickness he did tend to lose technique and bend at the waist – leaving him off balance. He did show good hand use in pass protection, but for me after six watches this year, I think he's a late round guy at best.
 
Jayron Hosley – CB – Hosley has already announced his decision to come out early. This seems to be a fair enough decision as for the type of CB he is (zone), I don't know his value would increase greatly from coming back for another year. Hosley showed he has excellent short area quickness and a nice break on the ball. Tech mostly uses zone coverage and he can read the QB nicely and make plays. He has to watch his hands – he got away with pulling a jersey in the end zone and had an interception called back for having his left hand on the receivers shoulder. That's going to be called even more at the next level with the 5 yard contact rule. I doubt he'll be a first round pick because of what he is, but for a zone team he'll be a guy who can play early in his career and also help returning kicks.
 
Eddie Whitley – FS – this looks to be a weak safety class and in this article there are struggles for Trenton Robinson and Aaron Henry. Whitley is built like Robinson – he looks lighter than his listed 195 lbs. He showed a willingness to gamble in this one – twice he broke in front of routes and was 50% in his success rate. Unfortunately the one he lost turned into a TD by Hemingway as he missed the ball, wasn't able to make the tackle and indeed took out the CB, allowing the Michigan man to jog into the end zone. The one he won was in the end zone and was a nice breakup. He wasn't as active as other games I've seen – I think his size limits him at the next level and he'll have to run fast and show he can cover man to man to get a mid round slot.
 
Clemson vs West Virginia (Orange Bowl)
 
Clemson
 
Andre Branch – DE – Branch had an interesting battle with Don Barclay, who is a likely late round/free agent type. Barclay is a battler though and at times Branch found it hard work. He was able to slant inside Barclay on one play to make a tackle for loss and beat him outside to flush Geno Smith out of the pocket. Branch stood up some and dropped in coverage a couple of times and at 6'5” 260 lbs could project to this position in a 3-4 defense. He was quieter than he has been at times this year – but part of that was due to West Virginia's quick passing game. I think from his body of work this year he's a second or third round talent.
 
Brandon Thompson – DT – after playing very well early in the season, after about the three quarter mark of the season Thompson's play dropped off. I wondered if the break between end of season and Bowl game would lead to a better performance, but unfortunately he had another quiet game. Having said that, he still showed his quickness off the ball with two tackles for loss – beating the guard inside one time and the other time getting off the center's block. He lined up at NT in 3 man lines and could project to this position in a one gap defense like Houston's. His play earlier in the year suggested first round, but perhaps that has dropped a little. The thing that could save his stock is the simple fact he's 310 lbs and can still get penetration with quickness – there aren't many people like him on the planet.
 
West Virginia
 
Bruce Irvin – DE – Irvin burst onto the scene last year with 14 sacks, but his production is down this year at 8.5 sacks – mainly due to a very slow start to the season (only 1 sack in his first 5 games). As West Virginia pulled away this was a perfect situation for Irvin who could just pin his ears back and fly upfield to the QB. He did manage a sack – the left tackle leaving the inside open and Irvin took it nicely to make the play. He had a couple of other pressures – but tended to take a very wide path to the QB and took too long to get around the edge. His best play was tackling Tahj Boyd from behind and forcing a fumble – showing good hustle. He's clearly overmatched at DE against the run, so will benefit from a move back to LB. He may be too light at 235 lbs for some 3-4 teams – but can certainly be a situational pass rusher early in his career and in some ways the Denver/Von Miller role would be good for him. I'd like to see more from him in terms of pass rush moves, but he certainly has all the raw tools to become an NFL pass rushing threat – interested teams will just want to make sure he's willing to work at his trade.
 
Julian Miller – DE – Miller came into the year with a mid round grading, but I've not seen much from him and think he's a late round pick at best. Against a veteran Clemson offensive line he once again had a quiet game in both phases of the game.
 
Keith Tandy – CB – Tandy has a nice feel for zone coverage as shown with his interception, but does give up too much in front of him. Part of that is the system – he's 5-10 yards off the line of scrimmage – but he lacks the elite break on shorter routes of Casey Hayward (Vanderbilt) and Brandon Boykin (Georgia). This was demonstrated on a 12 yard out route – where he dived in front of the receiver, but was late by a fraction and the pass was completed. His pick was very nice though – just drifting back to make the play under the intended receiver. He might be a little small for a move to safety (5'10” 198 lbs) and as it is will only appeal to zone heavy teams.
 
Pittsburgh vs SMU (BBVA Compass Bowl)
 
Pittsburgh
 
Lucas Nix – OG – Nix missed a large portion of the season with a knee injury and he was still sporting a brace on his left knee. I am going to watch the Syracuse game to see him again post injury, but he didn't play that well in this one for me. In the Notre Dame game he had leverage problems against Ethan Johnson (who hasn't impressed me since that game) and again this problem was evident. He gave up a sack to Taylor Thompson and actually was out leveraged to the point he ended up on his backside with Thompson running over him on his way to the QB. He also had some balance problems at times in the run game. He did have some positive plays – but overall I have too many questions – one of which is the health of his knee. I'd be certain to ask for a thorough report on that knee at the combine medical.
 
Brandon Lindsey – DE – Lindsey has been somewhat inconsistent this year, but still managed an 8.5 sack season (slightly down from 10 last year). However, I thought this was one of his better games and as I wasn't sure what kind of effort Pitt would put forward with their coaching situation he's to be given credit. He didn't have a sack in this game, mainly because SMU's offense had a lot of short passes. But he did give Kelvin Beachum a torrid time – and I've seen Beachum's name mentioned as a potential sleeper. I'll be interested to see his arm length at the Combine – at 6'2” he doesn't have classic pass rusher length. He lined up more at OLB than much of the year when he's been a DE in Pitt's 3-4 (but still lined up outside of the tackle). The pass rusher class isn't that strong this year and it doesn't look like there are too many juniors either – so he should still be drafted relatively high, but he is someone who could use a strong post season showing just to make sure.
 
SMU
 
Kelvin Beachum – OT – as mentioned with Lindsey's review, Beachum is getting some press as a trendy sleeper pick. Clearly at 6'3” he's going to have to move inside to guard (or even center) at the next level and that was backed up by his footwork. He was very heavy footed setting up in pass protection and Lindsey beat him clean off the edge one time and gave him problems all day. He also struggled with Aaron Donald on the Pitt man's forced fumble – releasing him into the play. He also was beaten by Chad Alecxih in pass protection. I will admit I haven't seen much of him, but from this showing I wouldn't spend a draft pick on him.
 
Taylor Thompson – DE – there was talk in commentary that pro teams are thinking about him as a TE. At 6'6”, 276 lbs that is an interesting thought – but his length as a pass rusher would be useful. If he can add 15-20 lbs then you can talk about him as a 5 technique in a 3-4 defense. He had 7 sacks on the year, including one in this game where as mentioned above he just ran over Lucas Nix who some like as a day two pick. His motor was always running and he did a nice job getting blockers hands of him very quickly. He's an interesting athlete who can be molded down the road – I'd keep him on defense and he's certainly an interesting option at some point on day three.
 
Arkansas State vs Northern Illinois (Go Daddy Bowl)
 
Arkansas State
 
Demario Davis – OLB – let's say that NFL Draft Scouts valuation of North Carolina's Zach Brown is correct – they say 1st/2nd round. Looking at the position (weakside LB), it's not one of great Draft day value – you aren't going to take someone at this position ahead of an offensive tackle in the top 10 for example. Their rating of Davis is 7th round/undrafted free agent. I'm all about value on Draft day – so if I have need at this position in a 4-3 defense – then I would rather take Davis in round 6 or 7 then spend a late first/high second on Brown. I think NFL Draft Scout have him a couple of rounds too late. Having said that – this wasn't his best game – but he still made a couple of nice plays – the highlight being a big hit on Harnish for a sack where he closed very nicely. He has experience in coverage – often lining up over the slot receiver – he also lines up over the tackle and in a more traditional weakside LB slot. He had some problems getting off blocks in this one, but then every other WLB in this class has at times this season. I'd only planned on watching Arkansas State a couple of times this year – but Davis made me watch two more games – he's been a very pleasant surprise. I think he can make a roster and possibly more despite this weaker outing.
 
Northern Illinois
 
Chandler Harnish – QB – in commentary Danny Kanell mentioned that Harnish would be a good fit in Denver to back up Tim Tebow. I made that very point after watching the MAC Championship game and after seeing Tebow in the Wild Card matchup, there are some similarities. I do think Harnish has a little more about him than just this one system though. He doesn't always step into his throws – partly the result of a fair few swing passes and the like where no footwork in necessary. He has a nice arm, but I'd like to see a little more touch from him. If he is to be a running QB at the next level, I think he'd need to get a bit bigger – at 220 lbs he has decent size, but he'd take a battering so would need to hold up. I think he's a day three pick – he has some raw tools to develop for sure, but will need time.
 
Alabama vs LSU (BCS Championship)
 
Alabama
 
Marquis Maze – WR – Maze seems to have a knack for big punt returns – he had another early in this one, but unfortunately pulled his hamstring on the play and was unable to return. Hopefully he will be healthy enough to take part in the post season process.
 
William Vlachos – C – when asked to move people off the line, Vlachos struggles. He also struggles at times in pass protection as his first movement is back and out with his feet, so his body is at an angle and he's off balance. However, what he does nicely is stick to his man and I can see him being a great fit in a zone blocking scheme. He also gets to the second level very well, gets square and again does a nice job sticking to his blocks. Over the course of the season I have other center's ahead of him and at 6'1” 290 lbs he's a little undersized, which doesn't help him. Unless someone takes him earlier mainly because he's a Nick Saban coached kid, then I would expect him to be a day three pick.
 
Josh Chapman – NT – I've seen Chapman rated as high as the first round, but I have him rated as a day three prospect and I've yet to see a game this year to make me change my mind. He's a classic two gap NT – very tough to move – but I've not seen much in the way of burst up the field from him to suggest he's worth a high pick. I'm pretty sure I can find a big body from somewhere to clog up the middle without having to spend a high pick (last year Jerrell Powe in the 6th round for example). So if the early rounds are the price for Chapman, then it's too much for me.
 
Courtney Upshaw – DE/OLB – Upshaw can take over games, but perhaps because Alabama were concerned with Jordan Jefferson's mobility he wasn't flying up the field as a pass rusher. He did have a sack, but he was unblocked on the play. He was very disciplined against the option and indeed the whole Alabama defense did a great job with this and stuffed it up all night. This time last year he destroyed Michigan State's offensive line, but he was much quieter in this game. There aren't a great many pass rushers in this class, so he should still be a high pick – but not the super high pick he could have been with more consistency.
 
Mark Barron – SS – Alabama were using a two deep zone for much of the night, so Barron was off screen most of the time. He was up at nickel LB some and got in on a sack late in the game. Tough to judge without proper coaches film unfortunately.
 
LSU
 
LSU have a few prospects who could be late round picks (I expect there will be some underclassmen declaring early – more on them after the 15 January deadline). QB Jordan Jefferson struggled all night – made a really bad decision on his interception and made some bad decisions running the option. TE Deangelo Peterson had one short catch and struggled as a blocker, including a pathetic cut block attempt on Upshaw on the first play from scrimmage. LB Ryan Baker is a little undersized at 228 lbs and struggled to get off blocks at times, but did have a nice hit on Hanks. SS Brandon Taylor didn't play as well as I have seen at times this year. He took a bad angle on a short swing pass and had some missed tackles.
 
Next Up As the post season process starts, I'll post the list of juniors declaring after the 15 January deadline with some brief thoughts. I'll then have a look at the top seniors at the Senior Bowl (practice and game) and post winners and losers from this big week. After this I'll get to my detailed scouting of the juniors and sandwich my usual Combine analysis in there before posting my final rankings in April. As always, it should be an interesting few weeks!