Rock out with your mock draft out: Draft Countdown
by Mocking Dan on Nov 6, 2009 9:00 PM EST
7 comments
Since it's been nearly a month since last doing this, why not talk about a mock draft on a Friday night?
Now, if you think I've been writing this during a Friday evening, you'd be wrong. But that's the beauty of future posting!
Anyway, this time we're taking a look at the latest mock draft from Scott Wright of Draft Countdown. Wright boasts that this mock has more than 7,000 words of analysis. So, there's that.
This is going to be an infrequent feature here at Mocking the Draft. The plan is to showcase some mock drafts from sites of name, and pull no punches. Instead of running down the first few picks opining on them, I'll talk about some of the surprising choices.
The first surprise is Cleveland taking Jake Locker at second overall. At this point, the Browns are such a mess it seems a little tough to expect them to not take a player who could start immediately in the NFL. While Locker is loaded with as much talent as anyone in the nation, he seems like a player who might have to sit and learn a year.
As per usual, Wright does an overall nice job with this mock. He covers all his bases in his descriptions and his layout is always clean. But back to the issues.
If someone can convince me that Oklahoma left tackle Trent Williams is deserving of a top 15 pick based on this season, please do. And while C.J. Spiller is a nice running back, I don't think he's a workhorse worth the 12th pick overall, which Wright does giving him to the Seahawks.
Tim Tebow to the Jaguars ... moving on.
It's a little surprising to see Wright putting Corey Wootton in the first round. Last year Wootton was one of my favorite players in the nation. This year he's clearly not as good after suffering a devastating knee injury. And I still don't get the Patrick Robinson as first-round talent argument. Someone please make it.
Like I said, though, this is a well-thought-out mock draft. That's something you can expect from Wright.
7 comments | 0 recs |
Dez Bryant NFL Draft scouting report
by Mocking Dan on Nov 6, 2009 4:54 PM EST
in 2010 NFL Draft
3 comments
Dez Bryant
6'2, 215 pounds | Oklahoma State
Strengths: The most noticeable thing about Bryant are his hands. They're incredibly large and strong, which allows him to make a lot of difficult catches in traffic. Bryant's hands are so impressive the New York Times wrote a whole story about them.
Does a really good job concentrating on the ball when it's in the air. Rarely has to make body catches. Often showed good awareness of where the sidelines were and can get his feet inbounds.
Has a great grasp of a play while it's developing. Knows when to come back to the quarterback to get open and gain positive yards. Excels catching the ball in the air and is a great red zone target. Shows the agility in the air to twist his body around and shield defenders off.
Bryant has good size at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds. More importantly, he knows how to use it after the catch. In the open field, Bryant is a bull to take down. He can easily break arm tackles and shrugs off tacklers who don't wrap up.
Lateral quickness and speed is as a good as when he's going straight line. Very good stop and go receiver. Doesn't take long strides which gives him some separation. Also uses head fakes well to trick cornerbacks.
Weaknesses: The biggest complaint about Bryant is his playing speed. Unlike Randy Moss, for instance, he probably won't time especially well. Fast cornerbacks can stick with him down the field and edge him over to the sideline.
A step slow off the snap. Could improve his suddenness to beat jams better with his quickness.
Because he comes from a spread offense, Bryant hasn't been asked to run a full route tree and may have to learn some in this area. His best route is clearly the quick slant.
Too often, Bryant likes to initiate contact. While this was fine against smaller Big 12 defensive backs, this could get him in trouble with more aggressive NFL defenses.
Can get knocked off his route and get knocked off his game somewhat (see this year's Georgia game). Could do a better job of properly securing the ball after the catch.
Typical of most spread receivers, Bryant can struggle blocking against the run.
Never really considered a leader on the Oklahoma State offense. Some question if he's a system player, much like former Oklahoma State star Rashaun Woods.
Final word: A lot of the same complaints that were made about Michael Crabtree can be made about Bryant. They both played in a spread offense. Neither has blazing speed but have the hands and high-point agility to make up for it.
The big difference is their attitudes. While Crabtree was known to have an inflated sense of his own self worth, Bryant is known to be a down-to-earth individual. He had a rough upbringing, being raised by a single mother who spent 18 months in prison for selling drugs.
Trouble with academics in high school scared away some teams, but his football acumen is sound. It's impossible to say how well Bryant will be able to digest an NFL playbook, but he just knows how to get open.
To do that, he can rely on his athleticism and quickness. Bryant may not be terribly fast, but he strong and shifty. No receiver in college football could cut on a dime as well as Bryant. That allowed him to get open for a split second and that's when his elite-level hands come in.
Over two and a third seasons, Bryant had 147 receptions for 2,425 yards and 29 touchdowns. He's also a very good special teams player who took back three punts for a touchdown.
In Crabtree, Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald and Andre Johnson, there have been some special receivers in the draft this past decade. Bryant has the ability to be as good as any of them. He's like a better version of Anquan Boldin.
3 comments | 0 recs |
What makes Rolando McClain the best linebacker in America?
by Mocking Dan on Nov 5, 2009 3:00 PM EST
in 2010 NFL Draft
2 comments
His teammate Javier Arenas said he's like having a big and athletic version of Nick Saban on the football field.
Some consider him the next Brian Urlacher, at least when Urlacher was healthy. Saban, who doesn't just throw praise around, said he's the football version of Albert Pujols.
What Alabama's Rolando McClain is for certain the optimum linebacker prospect. He's got NFL size at 6-foot-4 and 258 pound. When he hits, he hits hard.
But McClain isn't just a shoulder-leading highlight-catching defender. He clearly knows how to wrap up and drives through the ball carrier.
This season, McClain's stat line is impressive. In eight games, e has 57 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, two sacks, two interceptions, seven quarterback hurries, three passes defended and a forced fumble.
McClain will also do well in offseason testing. He recently told a reporter his body fat was only 9 percent. When asked about his 40 time, McClain said he ran a 4.59 and 4.63 over the summer.
But McClain isn't one of those players who doesn't play up to his speed. He's always going hard and fast toward the ball. He takes correct angles to the ball carrier and doesn't get caught up on blocks.
While McClain is rumored to have some anger issues, is that such a bad thing for a middle linebacker?
Most impressively, McClain is smart. As a sophomore, McClain became the leader of the vaunted Alabama defense. He's like another coach on the field, barking order at his teammates making sure they're in the proper position.
"He lines up the guys next to him," LSU coach Les Miles told reporters this week. "He understands backfield sets and what to expect. You can tell he's a very bright player. (He) understand the intricacies of the game."
Those intricacies are just what might make McClain a top five pick in the draft.
2 comments | 0 recs |
McShay says it perfectly about Mike Williams
by Mocking Dan on Nov 5, 2009 10:55 AM EST
in 2010 NFL Draft
0 comments
Instead of coming up with my own half-assed opinion about wide receiver Mike Williams quitting the Syracuse football team, ESPN's Todd McShay did it for me.
Here's what he had to say for a story on Syracuse.com:
"There’s real serious concerns about him from a maturity standpoint, a mental toughness standpoint and handling everything that takes to be successful in the NFL," McShay said. "Everyone has talent in the NFL. A lot of cases, it comes down to whether you’re mentally or physically tough enough to play at the next level. If you have a guy that wasn’t tough enough or mature enough to handle academics and mature enough to finish out the season …if he just quit because he was frustrated, it can significantly hurt him."
McShay goes on to somewhat intimate what happened with Williams might help the case of Oregon's LaGarrette Blount who stayed in school while being suspended.
0 comments | 0 recs |
Okung solidifies himself as top 10 pick
by Mocking Dan on Nov 3, 2009 11:44 PM EST
in 2010 NFL Draft
0 comments
Oklahoma State may have been dominated 41-14 by Texas on Saturday, but the Cowboys still had the best player on the field.
That would be senior left tackle Russell Okung. Against one of the best pass rushes in the nation, Okung was stellar. Neither Texas starting defensive end -- Sergio Kindle and Sam Acho -- registered a sack or a tackle for loss.
Okung showed every aspect of his game on Saturday. Against Ocho's deep outside pass rush, Okung effortlessly slid around the edge to seal off. When Kindle tried to bull rush, Okung sunk his hips, repositioned the end and neutralized him. On run plays Okung kept his legs moving finishing off his blocks.
Those are precisely the skills that make Okung clearly the best left tackle prospect in the 2010 NFL Draft.
0 comments | 0 recs |
Nation's sack leader talking NFL Draft
by Mocking Dan on Nov 3, 2009 11:18 AM EST
in 2010 NFL Draft
0 comments
Texas A&M junior Von Miller said on Monday that he'll wait until the season is over to decide whether or not he'll enter the 2010 NFL Draft. Miller, a hybrid defensive/linebacker, leads the nation with 13.5 sacks.
"You've at least got to take a look at it," Miler told reporters about his draft possibilities.
A&M is currently 5-3 with games remaining against Colorado, Oklahoma, Baylor and Texas. Unless the Aggies lose a game they shouldn't don't expect to hear Miller's decision any time this month after the team concludes its regular season on Nov. 27.
It should be noted that eight of Miller's sacks came against New Mexico, Utah State and UAB. Still, he knows how to get after a quarterback. That often comes at a premium in the NFL.
Miller is not considered a great prospect. At 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, he has decent size. But he's not known to have great speed or athleticism. It seems likely his role at the next level would be that of a nickel package pass rusher.
0 comments | 0 recs |
Mike Williams Quits the Team
by BSU_Alum07 on Nov 2, 2009 9:55 PM EST
14 comments
Wide receiver Mike Williams has left the Syracuse footbal team, as announced by head coach Doug Marrone today. Williams was the Orange's best offensive player, despite the lack of play makers on Syracuse's offense. My question for you is this: how will this affect his draft status? You have to assume that he's going to the NFL, it would make little sense for him to transfer to another program given the year he lost to academic troubles.
Extra added by Dan: Williams is a big target with 20 career touchdowns. He clearly has talent, but there are a ton of issues surrounding Williams. Before this, he was suspended for the Akron game for breaking a team rule. He sat out the 2008 season because of academic issues.
14 comments | 0 recs
Earl Thomas of Texas is the most intriguing man in the world
by Mocking Dan on Nov 1, 2009 9:35 AM EST
in 2010 NFL Draft
6 comments
Texas strong safety Earl Thomas continues to look like a star in the making this season.
In the Longhorns' 41-14 route against Oklahoma State, Thomas was one of the defensive standouts. He intercepted a pass that was returned for a touchdown and broke up two other throws.
This comes two weeks after Thomas secured Texas' win over Oklahoma with a fourth-quarter interception.
On the season, Thomas has 37 tackles, six interceptions, 11 pass breakups and two touchdowns.
Compare that to Tennessee's Eric Berry who has 57 tackles, six pass breakups and only one interception. In Berry's stellar sophomore season, he had 72 tackles, seven interceptions and six pass breakups.
Berry might get all the NFL Draft headlines, but Thomas should not be overlooked. He's a redshirt sophomore, making him eligible for the draft next year. Given the uncertainty of the NFL rookie pay scale, a larger number of redshirt sophomore could enter the draft.
Thomas and Berry compare favorably because they play the same position and have very similar size. Thomas is listed at 5-foot-10 and 197 pounds. Berry is at 5-foot-11 and 203 pounds.
They also have very similar playing styles. Both could probably line up at cornerback against a team's No. 1 receiver and do well. They show excellent instincts when the ball is in the air and are dangerous with the ball in their hands.
Although Berry is only slightly bigger, he plays much better against the run. In Thomas' defense, though, he's not always asked to play the run in Texas' scheme.
But if Berry is supposedly the next Ed Reed, Thomas just might be the next Eric Berry. And there's certainly nothing wrong with that.
6 comments | 0 recs |
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