Arrelious Benn NFL Draft scouting report
by Mocking Dan on Feb 8, 2010 9:15 PM EST
in 2010 NFL Draft
2 comments
Arrelious Benn
6'2, 220 pounds | Wide receiver | Illinois
Agility: Only decent agility. Hips look a bit stiff when he changes direction. Benn is mostly a power wide receiver in the Terrell Owens mold. Doesn’t have the quickness to juke defenders in the open field.
Blocking: This is an area where Benn excels. He’s said he really likes to block and can really bully cornerbacks. When the run isn’t coming to his side, he doesn’t always give a great effort in this area.
Body control: Benn is really, really good in this area. He’s a strong receiver and uses that strength when he’s in the air to get deceptive separation. Doesn’t lose his balance when he’s running his routes.
Hands: This is where Benn needs to improve. His pass-catching technique is poor and he often catches the ball in his frame. Likes to have the ball placed in a certain spot and doesn’t make many catches away from his body. Cradle catches too often. Drops too many easy receptions.
Release: Benn was rarely jammed at the line because teams played off coverage to avoid his power at the line. Has quick feet, which he utilizes off the line. Takes very few false steps at the line. Played a good deal out of the slot.
Route running: Struggles some in his route running. Not very crisp into and out of his cuts. Ran a lot of simple routes – 10-yard digs, simple crossing patterns and short posts. At his best against the zone where he can just find a hole and sit in it. Gets good separation using a head fakes.
Size: Benn has excellent size for a wide out with very good strength. He uses this strength in the open field to break tackles. Already has NFL strength and long arms.
Speed: Benn’s straight-line speed is very good. But he has some trouble getting up to that speed because he slows down a lot when moving laterally. Once Benn gets into the open field, however, he’s hard to track down.
Vision: Uses his power really well in the open field. Can break a lot of arm tackles. This helps make up for some issues he has making defenders miss in the open field.
Final word: Benn is somewhat of an enigma as a wide receiver. The first thing you notice about Benn is his impressive size, strength and speed. He’s also a very tough receiver who will go over the middle and is a solid blocker.
However, the more you watch Benn and the more you’ll see his flaws shine through. His hands are only average and he needs to improve his catching mechanics. Benn will also require a good wide receivers coach who can show him to run a greater variety of routes.
While some of Benn’s down 2009 season can be blamed on the Illinois quarterback play and an early season ankle sprain, that’s not all of it. Benn never did a great job of adjusting to poorly thrown passes or working hard for the ball when it was in the air.
In three seasons, he finished with 159 catches for 2,221 yards and seven touchdowns. Also used a gadget running back and returned kicks.
2 comments | 0 recs |
Carolina Panthers team needs
by tjdove123 on Feb 8, 2010 1:40 PM EST
in Mocking the NFC South
10 comments
Carolina had a disappointing start to the season which killed their playoff hopes. The team struggled to find consistency from the quarterback position which led to teams stacking the box to shut down the running game. The Panthers also were bitten by the injury bug and need to find some depth at positions like defensive tackle.
1. Quarterback
- Carolina needs to find their quarterback of the future, is it Matt Moore? Moore had a few impressive games at the end of the season but this is still a position that needs to be addressed during the draft. Unfortunately, the Panthers don’t have a first round pick which could limit their options.
2. Wide Receiver
- Muhsin Muhammad is aging and a free agent and Dwayne Jarrett has not produced. If the Panthers want to take pressure off the running game and Steve Smith they need to find another weapon on the outside.
3. Defensive Tackle
- Injuries hit this position hard last season, so some depth needs to be found. Look for the Panthers to address this position in the later rounds of the draft.
10 comments | 0 recs |
Jerry Hughes NFL Draft scouting report
by Mocking Dan on Feb 8, 2010 6:00 AM EST
in 2010 NFL Draft
10 comments
Jerry Hughes
6'2, 248 pounds | Outside linebacker/Defensive end | Texas Christian
Pass rush: Plays two yards deep outside. Very good footwork. Properly adjusts his feet to get around the corner quickly. Pass rush moves are ordinary. Mostly a speed rusher. Never really showed consistently that he was comfortable with his spin move.
Pursuit: The effort Hughes displays is outstanding. He's a very aggressive player who always plays until the whistle. Has good speed in pursuit. Lateral movement is solid.
Quickness/Explosion: Good first step off the snap. With his hand down, Hughes has as good of a burst off the snap as any pass rusher in the nation. Easily fires past linemen who don't quickly get into position.
Run defend: At defensive end, Hughes really struggled at times against the run. Tackles could easily lock him up and shut him down. Did a much better job against tight ends and fullbacks, where he could use leverage and disengage. Can be fooled by fakes and misdirection plays.
Size: Has ideal size for a 3-4 outside linebacker but would be considered slightly undersized as an end. Looks to have long arms and is high cut. Not especially tight skinned.
Strength/Ability to shed blocks: Has good functional playing strength for a linebacker. If he wants to stay at end, Hughes will have to get much stronger. He struggles to get of blocks and can be engulfed by linemen.
Tackling: A very good, aggressive tackler. Uses his length nicely as a tackler. Showed he has a nose for the ball by forcing eight fumbles over his final two seasons.
Technique: Stays low to the ground coming around the corner. Shows a good rip move. Needs to use his hands better to stack and shed.
Versatility: Played defensive end exclusively for his first three years. During his senior year, Hughes would often take his hand off the ground and play more of a traditional linebacker. A good 3-4 outside linebacker option who may not be able to play anything else.
Final word: As a pass rusher, Hughes is very good. But he'll need to do a better job against the run and learn how to drop into coverage. He shows a solid first step, which helped him lead the nation in sacks in 2008. He shows above average lateral quickness, but needs to learn how to shed blocks better.
He'll be a good value pick for a 3-4 team in the second round.
10 comments | 1 recs |
Evening NFL Draft links to click
by Mocking Dan on Feb 7, 2010 11:58 PM EST
in 2010 NFL Draft
5 comments
The Super Bowl is over. It was nice. Now, turn all of your attention to the draft. If you were caught up in Colts/Saints hoopla, you may have missed this:
Rochester Democrat: Should Buffalo go after Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen if he's available with the ninth pick? I would say if Buffalo doesn't like one of the left tackles and either Clausen or Sam Bradford fall, they should go quarterback.
Orlando Sentinel: This is the time of the year where we'll start to hear about players preparing for the NFL Scouting Combine. This is always a good time to get solid inside information. This story is a quick look at Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes and how he's about to start his workouts.
Field Gulls: Did you know Seahawks left tackle Walter Jones retired today? With two picks in the first round, it now seems imperative Seattle will use one on a tackle. As for Jones, he has to be considered a first-ballot hall of fame selection.
Pride of Detroit: Sean Yuille, the blog's head man, interviewed last season's No. 1 pick Matthew Stafford. Pretty interesting stuff. Stafford mentions that he would like the Lions to draft Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant.
MLive.com: The Lions must find a way to trade out of the second overall pick. Good luck with that one.
Sporting News: Russ Lande wraps up the Texas vs. the Nation Challenge. His winners were Jonathan Crompton, Ryan Perrilloux, Trindon Holliday, Clay Harbor and Nick Howell.
5 comments | 0 recs
Shake's Mock Draft: Ready for Primetime.
by shake n bake on Feb 6, 2010 11:38 PM EST
in Mock Draft
74 comments
To pass some of the last 24 hours before the Super Bowl I ran a thorough revision. Let me know what you think.
| Round 1 | |||||
| 1 | St Louis | Ndamukong Suh | DT | Nebraksa | The Rams lost 2 QBs to injury last season. You don't take a Franchise QB if you can't protect him. They have their LT of the future in place though, so they take the best player in the draft and wait for Jason Smith to develop |
| 2 | Detroit | Gerald McCoy | DT | Oklahoma | If the Lions weren't interested in Oher in the second half of the 1st round last year, they are going to keep rolling with their current tackles. Likely to Matt Stafford's detriment. |
| 3 | Tampa Bay |
Eric Berry | S | Tennessee | The Bucs abandoned their switch away from the Tampa-2, making Berry's experience under Monte Kiffin a plus on an already great prospect. |
| 4 | Washington | Russell Okung |
OT | Ok State | A broken franchise QB is like not having one, but more expensive. |
| 5 | Kansas City | Rolando McClain |
ILB | Alabama |
The Chiefs OL may have turned the corner late in the year allowing just 8 sacks in their last 6 games after giving up 37 in their first 10. This lets them address a hole on the D and worry about the OL later. |
| 6 | Seattle | Jimmy Clausen |
QB | Notre Dame | Matt Hasselbeck is nearing the end of the line and Senneca Wallace isn't stepping into his shoes. |
| 7 | Cleveland | Joe Haden | CB | Florida | Such horrid pass D is rare with a competent pass rush. The Browns need serious coverage help. |
| 8 | Oakland | Bruce Campbell | OT | Maryland |
Too much sense for a Raiders pick? |
| 9 | Buffalo | Sam Bradford |
QB | Oklahoma | Ryan Fitzpatrick is not a starting QB and Trent Edwards lost his job to him. |
| 10 | Jacksonville | Derrick Morgan | DE | Georgia Tech | Pass rush lacking Jags try that whole top 10 DE thing over again. |
| 11 | Denver | Dez Bryant | WR | Ok. St. | Assuming Marshall is gone, but since Eddie Royal's issues against the press might make him a better fit in the slot, the pick's not totally impossible even if Marshall is still in Denver in April. |
| 12 | Miami | Dan Williams |
NT |
Tennessee |
The Dolphins add a NT to shore up a D that had issues stopping short yardage. |
| 13 | San Fran | C.J. Spiller | RB | Clemson | Niners get a massive boost in the return game (a major asset to a defense center team that'll be playing the field position game) and add a compliment to Frank Gore. |
| 14 | Seattle | Anthony Davis |
OT | Rutgers | Seahawks rebuild the line after getting a Franchise QB. |
| 15 | NY Giants | Brian Price | DT | UCLA | Perfect fit to shoot gaps in a 4-3 |
| 16 | Tennessee | Carlos Dunlap |
DE | Florida | Kyle Vanden Bosch's indefatigable motor netted just 3 sacks last year and the Titans pass defense suffered greatly as a result. |
| 17 | San Fran | Bryan Bulaga |
OT | Iowa | Bulaga was finally back to his dominating form of 2008 in the Orange Bowl and will be well rewarded for it. He'll be more than competent at RT and able to slide to LT in a pinch. |
| 18 | Pittsburgh | Earl Thomas |
S |
Texas | A bit early for a guy that couldn't get under 370 for the start of pre-draft workouts, so the Steelers get a excellent complement to Polamalu |
| 19 | Atlanta | Jerry Hughes | DE | TCU | Falcons pass D needs more pressure from the front 4 to improve. Hughes at DE should be a big help. |
| 20 | Houston | Taylor Mays | S | USC | Bernard Pollard gave the Texans some passable safety play, but there's a reason he was cut and the John Busing/Brian Russell combo at the other safety spot is horrendous. |
| 21 | Cincinnati | Damian Williams |
WR |
USC | The Bengals have the QB and the OL to be a great passing O, but the targets are lacking. |
| 22 | New England | Sergio Kindle | OLB | Texas | The Pats are desperately in need of a pass rush. |
| 23 | Green Bay | Brandon Graham |
OLB | Michigan | While OT is a major need, the Pack could use a edge rusher since Kampman didn't take to the 3-4 as well as hoped, is coming off a season ending injury and will hit free agency. Graham looked phenomenal in the Senior Bowl. |
| 24 | Philadelphia | Everson Griffen |
DE | USC | Eagles love to bring the heat, a top rusher to put opposite Trent Cole would certainly do it. |
| 25 | Baltimore | Jermaine Gresham |
TE | Oklahoma | Todd Heap has morphed into an athletic tackle and "The Franchise Player" isn't an answer at all. |
| 26 | Arizona | Brandon Spikes |
ILB | Florida | Carlos Dansby may walk away which would be a hole that needs to be filled. A high flying pass attack needs a strong pass D to prevent teams from keeping pace or closing deficits. |
| 27 | Dallas | Mike Iupati | G | Idaho | The 'Boys need OL help badly. Iupati might not be a pro LT, but the only other 1st round OT option remaining, Charles Brown, is far too light for Dallas' taste. |
| 28 | San Diego | Jonathan Dwyer | RB | Georgia Tech | LDT basically told the Chargers to shove it, so they'll need a bigger back to complement the dangerous, but severely undersized Sproles. |
| 29 | NY Jets | Jared Odrick |
DE | Penn State |
Odrick fills one of the Jets Ds few gaps |
| 30 | Minnesota | Kyle Wilson |
CB | Boise State |
Riser from the senior bowl fills one of the Vikings big needs |
| 31 | New Orleans | Sean Weatherspoon |
OLB | Missouri | Both Saints OLBs are over 30, Weatherspoon should add some more attacking speed to that D. |
| 32 | Indianapolis | Charles Brown | OT | USC | The Colts have given up just 10 sacks, but that's a near miracle given the flaws Charlie Johnson and Ryan Diem have in pass protection. Brown will let them move CJ or Diem inside, making avoiding the rush easier on Peyton and improving the terrible run blocking. |
74 comments | 0 recs
Jevan Snead NFL Draft scouting report
by Mocking Dan on Feb 6, 2010 5:30 PM EST
in 2010 NFL Draft
4 comments
Jevan Snead
6'3, 214 pounds | Quarterback | Mississippi
Accuracy: Has a hard time hitting a moving target across the middle. Is often wild high as a result of throwing with a low elbow. Rarely hits a receiver in full stride, makes his target adjust too often.
Arm Strength: Very strong thrower that can launch the ball without being fully balanced. Can generate a lot of power from his arm alone. Needs to use his lower body more to get full force. Can make the deep out throws, a necessary asset at the next level.
Athleticism/Mobility: Has light feet in the pocket. Can run well in space and can break free if the opportunity presents itself. Comfortable mover when evading pressure.
Decision Making: Has the gunslinger mentality that trusts his arm perhaps a bit too much. Struggles to read coverage with pressure bearing down on him. Throws in to double coverage way too often. Likes to take chances, but will make the classic mistakes such as throwing downfield with all arm and throwing back across his body in to traffic.
Field Vision: Played in a pro style offense, thus he has experience making multiple reads upon dropping back. Does not always see the safety which results deep balls in to double coverage. Makes his mind up without going through necessary reads. Does not see the whole field.
Mechanics: Very inconsistent. Has the awkward throwing motion that does not go completely over the top. Short arms a lot of passes to quicken his release. Footwork is picture perfect at times, and absolutely horrid at others. Does not consistently drive through the pass, uses too much arm and not enough legs.
Pocket Awareness/Poise: Tough passer that will stay put in the pocket and take a hit. Has the body to handle plenty of hits. Can sense a blitz coming from the blind side and he can avoid pressure within the pocket well. Tries to get rid of the ball quickly, keeps the clock on in his head with each pass play.
Touch: Struggles to put touch on the ball when he has the time and space to. Likes to put the ball on a straight line. When the effort to put touch on the pass is there, his accuracy loses out and the ball floats on him.
Final Word: Snead entered the 2009 season as one of the top quarterback prospects in the nation but he consistently struggled and turned in a season that left most under the assumption that he would go back for his senior year. However in a quarterback class that is gray in terms of who is at the top, Snead will hope that scouts and coaches will fall in love with his arm strength and high ceiling. The ability and physical traits are there, but the mental side of the game is far from developed despite playing two years in a pro style offense. Throughout his 20 interception season this past fall, Snead made too many poor decisions and did not keep his mechanics under control. He hasn’t even sniffed the 60% completion percentage tier and he will need at least a full year under NFL coaching before he can be thrown in to the wolves. He is a player that entered college as one of the top signal callers in the nation and has been recognized for his hard work on and off the field. A change of scenery and less pressure may be what the doctor ordered to get the potential out of him.
4 comments | 1 recs |
Texas vs. the Nation open thread
by Mocking Dan on Feb 6, 2010 2:07 PM EST
in 2010 NFL Draft
48 comments
Hey, why not? It's football. It's checking out players. This is airing on CBSC (channel 613 on DirecTV).
Find my preview here. I'm keeping a close eye on quarterback Ryan Perrilloux and offensive tackle Jared Veldheer.
Note: I'll be leaving at half time. We're snowed in here and I need to shovel. You can also follow the Draft Guys' Twitter.
48 comments | 1 recs
The Super Bowl and the NFL Draft
by Mocking Dan on Feb 6, 2010 12:00 PM EST
10 comments
Looking over the Super Bowl rosters, here is how the players were drafted:
| Team | First | Second | Third | Fourth | Fifth | Sixth | Seventh | Later | UDFA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAINTS | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 18 |
| COLTS | 6 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 1* | 19 |
The player who was drafted after the seventh round is Colts kicker Matt Stover. He was selected by the Browns in the 12th round of the 1990 draft with the 329th overall pick.
What exactly can be gleaned from this information? I'm not so sure. However, I figured some sort of Super Bowl coverage should be put up here at MTD.
10 comments | 0 recs |
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