Lions backup quarterback Jeff Driskel is expected to have a “plump” free-agent market for his services, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Birkett notes that as the NFL becomes more open to dual-threat quarterbacks, Driskel’s skill set has become more desirable to NFL teams.
The former Florida quarterback appears well-positioned to secure a backup job after vagabonding around the league since the 49ers selected him in the 6th round of the 2016 NFL Draft. After failing to make the 49ers 53-man roster, the Bengals claimed him off waivers and he served as depth in Cincinnati behind Andy Dalton and A.J. McCarron.
Following the 2017 season, McCarron signed with the Bills and Dalton became the primary backup behind Dalton. In 2018, Driskel began contributing in sub-packages where the team utilized his athleticism. An injury to Dalton allowed Driskel to make five starts as well. He finished the season completing 105 of 176 passes for 1003 yards, 6 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, with 130 rushing yards on 30 carries.
Last season, with the Lions, Driskel was the first to step in for Matthew Stafford after his injury. He made three starts before a hamstring injury of his own ended his season. He completed 62 of 105 passes for 685 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions with 151 rushing yards on 22 attempts.
NFL clubs are beginning to worry about the fragility of Ohio State Marshon Lattimore‘s hamstrings, and have concerns about him staying healthy for a full season, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Those injury issues could push Lattimore down draft boards, and may lead to him falling outside the top 10 picks.
Lattimore had been widely viewed as the draft’s No. 1 corner prospect, and was expected to be selected first among that strong position group. In PFR’s first mock draft of 2017, I sent Lattimore to the Bears at pick No. 3. The Titans, too, have shown a good deal of interest in Lattimore and are not expected to pass on him if he falls to pick No. 5.
But those hamstring issues may affect Lattimore’s stock — his hamstring tightened up during the scouting combine in March, and he had similar problems during his time with the Buckeyes. Those problems — and the fact Lattimore is only a one-year starter — could lead to the rise of his Ohio State teammate, fellow cornerback Gareon Conley.
Conley is considered a safer pick than Lattimore, and may now be overtaking the latter as this year’s No. 1 CB. The Jaguars will host Conley for a visit on Monday, reports Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com, who adds the Titans and Saints have also exhibited “a lot” of interest in Conley. NFL teams like Conley’s “work ethic and temperament,” per Pauline, and feels he’s ready to play in the pros immediately.
September 15th, 2016 at 1:49pm CST by Zachary Links
All summer long, longtime scouting consultant Dave-Te Thomas of The NFL Draft Report has been breaking down the draft class of every team in the league and identifying the players that can immediately make a difference. The Impact Rookies series, which wrapped up today with a look at the Seahawks, provides unique insight to this year’s NFL freshman class from a veteran guru who worked closely with several teams around the league leading up to the draft.
Here is the full rundown of the Impact Rookies series:
September 15th, 2016 at 9:18am CST by Zachary Links
The old adage that defense wins championships may or may not be true, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a title-winning team that didn’t build heavily through the draft. Rookie classes, naturally, are evaluated on the perceived upside of the NFL newcomers, but which rookies are ready to contribute right out of the gate? And, how do they fit in with their new team schematically?
To help us forecast the immediate future of these NFL neophytes, we enlisted the help of draft guru Dave-Te Thomas who has served as a scouting personnel consultant to NFL teams for multiple decades.
Out of eleven selections, we here at The NFL Draft Report only see one 49ers draft pick making a significant mark in 2016.
A “tall drink of water” at a shade over 6:07, Buckner entered the 2015 bowl season having produced 225 tackles (104 solos) that included seventeen sacks (eleventh on the school career-record chart) for -118 yards. His 34.5 stops-for-loss ranked ninth in Oregon history, good for losses of 154 yards. Additionally, he registered thirty quarterback pressures, with six of those hurries causing interceptions, as Oregon converted those turnovers into touchdown drives. He also caused three fumbles and recovered two others that led to Ducks scores.
Buckner has outstanding size and a developing frame, adding fifteen pounds of solid muscle mass to it during the 2015 off-season. He has a solid upper body frame, with a wide back, long arms, good lower body strength and room on his frame for additional growth. He has broad shoulders, good bubble, thick thighs and a tight waist. He has a very long torso, arms and legs. A well-proportioned athlete with good upper body muscle development, he has good shoulder size and width, large hands, good bubble, thick thighs, and calves.
The Oregon standout has incredible moves off the edge and can change direction immediately. Buckner shows very good hip strike on contact and is a normal strider who plays with leverage and above average body quickness. He has the burst to penetrate and balance much like a linebacker. Buckner can be an “elephant” (hybrid rush end/linebacker) or just a tenacious defensive end with a high motor and excellent intensity.
From a sheer strength point, Buckner has more natural power than you would expect. He generates a good jolt in his hips and hands to rock the offensive tackle back on his heels during the bull rush. He has more than enough speed and explosion to get an edge. Despite his size, he is stronger than he looks, as he plays with leverage and keeps his pads down, making it tough to block him head-on. He rarely ever gets washed by some down blocks, as he can simply overpower his opponent when heading up the gut (see 2015 Washington, California, Arizona State, and Stanford games). He is best coming off the edge, but he has that long reach and strong hand punch to play off the offensive tackle and quickly locate the ball in backside pursuit. In 33 games of film view, he has never been widened or steered away from the play in any phase.
Last season, Buckner honed his wrap-up tackling technique and became more explosive in that area. The 6’7″, 287 pound athlete is fun to watch as he stalks, chases, wraps, and drags down the ball carrier, as he looks like a spider engulfing the ball carrier to get a piece of the opponent’s body. When he is closing on the quarterback, he shows even more explosion. He is best in open quarters, but he has more than enough power to battle in-line.
As a rookie, Buckner is being slotted in as a starting defensive end in the Niners’ 3-4 alignment. With 2015 first-round pick Arik Armstead at the other bookend and 26-year-old Quinton Dial in the middle, this is a young defensive line that will grow together. Expect Buckner to impress right out of the gate and show the world why he was a Top 10 pick in this year’s draft.
Dave-Te Thomas owns and operates The NFL Draft Report, a service providing insight to league scouting departments for over 40 years. All year round, you can read Thomas’ in-depth reviews of both blue chip prospects and diamonds in the rough by visiting the NFL Draft Report blog.
September 14th, 2016 at 12:41pm CST by Zachary Links
The old adage that defense wins championships may or may not be true, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a title-winning team that didn’t build heavily through the draft. Rookie classes, naturally, are evaluated on the perceived upside of the NFL newcomers, but which rookies are ready to contribute right out of the gate? And, how do they fit in with their new team schematically?
To help us forecast the immediate future of these NFL neophytes, we enlisted the help of draft guru Dave-Te Thomas who has served as a scouting personnel consultant to NFL teams for multiple decades.
My hat is off to the Seahawks tireless college scouting staff. Yes, that was quite a bounty, drafting ten players, but they also deserve credit for their UDFA discoveries.
Second Round – Jarran Reed, DT (Alabama, No. 49 overall)
Reed’s tenure at Alabama lasted just two seasons, but the highly coveted recruit out of East Mississippi Community College proved to be an invaluable performer for the Tide. Now, he is being slotted in as one of the Seahawks’ starting defensive tackles right out of the gate.
Reed is a quick and explosive run container who plays with non-stop effort. He is a short stepper who does a very good job of using his upper body strength and lower frame power to collapse the offensive line and occupy multiple blockers. He gets into the blockers with good urgency and shows adequate hip flexibility and lower body quickness to make plays moving down the line (see 2015 Middle Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana-Monroe games). He plays stout at the point of attack and uses his hands well to keep blockers away from his chest. When he stays low in his pads, he gains leverage and shows strength and explosion coming off the snap.
Reed is a “never back down from anything” type. He sacrificed personal success to play the role of “trash man” for the Tide, using his power and frame to constantly take on double teams in order for a freed-up teammate to make the play. He is an all-out battler in tight quarters and shows enough functional quickness to make plays outside the box while also generating good urgency in pursuit. When he gets in a groove, he simply overpowers and wears down the blockers with his leg drive and combative nature.
The Alabama product might not have the 330-pound frame you look for in a three-tech, but he has above average upper body strength and that strong anchor to split double teams and collapse the offensive line. The youngster has become more conscious of using his hands to play off blocks and keeps them active when working across the face of an offensive lineman. He will engage and shed with good force and shows a surprising motor in short area pursuit. When he gets into the hole, he delivers that strong hand punch to clog the rush lanes and push back the lead blocker as evidenced by teams recording just four first downs on 52 rushing attempts against him in 2015.
Reed has long-term upside, but he also figures to pay dividends for the Seahawks D-Line right away in 2016.
Seahawks fans embrace those who thrive through hard work and McEvoy could become an instant favorite. He still has a lot to learn about being a pass catcher, as he was a safety even through the 2015 season. He ended his Badgers career with seven interceptions, 11 pass breakups,and 74 tackles, including three for losses. But, the Seahawks staff moved him all around on offense during 2016 training camp and they now have him pegged as a wide receiver.
McEvoy began his college career at Arizona Western College and joined the Badgers in the summer of 2013. He competed in fall camp as a quarterback before moving to wide receiver for the season opener vs. UMass. A wrist injury forced him to switch positions again to safety, where he played in ten games with three starts that year. He finished the season with 27 tackles, one for a loss, one interception and four pass breakups.
McEvoy started the first five games of the 2014 at quarterback, but he returned to safety for Outback Bowl. Then, last season, he saw time at safety, wide receiver, and wildcat quarterback. The versatile athlete earned All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention for his work on both sides of the ball and his play did not go unnoticed. While he did not hear his name called in April, the Seahawks were quick to call him up after the draft. Now, he’s on the WR depth chart behind two other UDFAs who have developed into tremendous players – Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse.
Dave-Te Thomas owns and operates The NFL Draft Report, a service providing insight to league scouting departments for over 40 years. All year round, you can read Thomas’ in-depth reviews of both blue chip prospects and diamonds in the rough by visiting the NFL Draft Report blog.
September 13th, 2016 at 12:04pm CST by Zachary Links
The old adage that defense wins championships may or may not be true, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a title-winning team that didn’t build heavily through the draft. Rookie classes, naturally, are evaluated on the perceived upside of the NFL newcomers, but which rookies are ready to contribute right out of the gate? And, how do they fit in with their new team schematically?
To help us forecast the immediate future of these NFL neophytes, we enlisted the help of draft guru Dave-Te Thomas who has served as a scouting personnel consultant to NFL teams for multiple decades.
Even Stevie Wonder could see that the biggest problem for Los Angeles/St. Louis was their quest to find Kurt Warner’s replacement. They finally feel they found that answer in-state, drafting Jared Goff after a trade for the rifle-armed passer. The front office then used four of their next five selection to add weapons to the receiving corps for their new signal caller. Still, all that attention led to two glaring omissions – help for both lines.
Goff is expected to be brought along slowly this year and based on his exhibition performances to date, it seems like a wise idea to have him observe, rather than being thrown to the wolves. The Rams offensive line is mediocre, if even that, and will be breaking in two new guards this season, along with trying to figure out the tight end and wide receiver crowd. The No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft may prove to be a solid quarterback down the line, but you won’t see him listed as an “Impact Rookie.” In fact, there’s only one member of the Rams rookie class that we can envision making a mark this year.
At one point this summer, Higbee was running with the first team and it looked like he might be Los Angeles’ primary tight end. Instead, Higbee is No. 2 on the TE depth chart behind Lance Kendricks. In the Rams’ season opener, Higbee caught one pass for two yards. That’s hardly superstar production, but he did draw four targets while Kendricks saw only three.
If the Rams can figure out their offensive line issues, then Higbee could have a chance to break out a bit in his frosh campaign. There is no doubt that Higbee is an NFL caliber tight end. The big question is – will he mature enough to stay out of trouble off the field?
For a tight end, Higbee displays good quickness and timed speed. He has above average agility, flexibility, and burst and displays the ability to adjust on the run. The WKU product stays on his feet with good balance, flexibility and change of direction agility. He makes good adjustments on the run, doing a nice job of spotting coverage while running routes. He has the speed to get open after the catch and shows good hustle getting out on the edge to cut block.
Higbee might not be bulky, but he does not step away from b fourthlocking assignments down field. He needs to be more physical in his in-line blocking approach, though. He is a well-coordinated athlete with good speed and quick feet for his position. He shows good balance in his routes and has enough speed to threaten the defenses on deep patterns, but is more comfortable on controlled routes. Higbee runs with a normal stride and builds quickly to top speed. He is not really explosive, but has the balance and body control to make proper adjustments on the move.
Higbee has soft hands and is very good with hand placement on the ball. He will catch in his hands, extend and pluck outside the framework and look natural doing both. The thing you notice on film is his ball concentration skills. Once he gets the ball within his grasp, it will result in a clean catch. When in stride, he catches the ball smoothly, showing the hand/eye coordination to make proper body adjustments and will extend some to catch out of the body’s framework.
As a fourth-round pick, Higbee may make some GMs regret passing him up. But, he’ll need the offense around him to get it together.
Dave-Te Thomas owns and operates The NFL Draft Report, a service providing insight to league scouting departments for over 40 years. All year round, you can read Thomas’ in-depth reviews of both blue chip prospects and diamonds in the rough by visiting the NFL Draft Report blog.
September 1st, 2016 at 11:20am CST by Zachary Links
The old adage that defense wins championships may or may not be true, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a title-winning team that didn’t build heavily through the draft. Rookie classes, naturally, are evaluated on the perceived upside of the NFL newcomers, but which rookies are ready to contribute right out of the gate? And, how do they fit in with their new team schematically?
To help us forecast the immediate future of these NFL neophytes, we enlisted the help of draft guru Dave-Te Thomas who has served as a scouting personnel consultant to NFL teams for multiple decades.
First Round – Robert Nkemdiche, DT (Mississippi State, No. 29 overall)
The NFL Draft Report casts a wary eye on the Cardinals’ first round selection. In sort of a déjà vu’ for the staff, could this Ole Miss prospect pull a “Honey Badger” and see the error of his ways off the football field, or are we again seeing a remake of the Demetrius Underwood situation, where a talented player simply self-destructs in life? We are very cautiously including him in this article, because it’s hard to cast the troubled Nkemdiche as an “impact player,” despite his talent.
Nkemdiche has Ndamukong Suh-like athletic ability, but his problems occur when he seems to throttle down more than he plays with intensity. His occasional “let-ups” on the field became much more noticeable this year and he did seem to be more concerned about his running back duties than he did in giving pursuit as a defender. The Ole Miss defender made only two long distance tackles this year, despite having valid lateral agility and burst to give proper chase. When his head is in the game, Nkemdiche demonstrates the ability to easily take plays from the chalkboard to the field.
He needs minimal reps to retain and evident by the fact that he has started every game during his career, he has a good feel for blocking schemes and the vision to locate the ball in a hurry. He understands his assignments and his feel for the ball is above average, but his woeful inconsistency and attention to detail can be maddening, at times. He is not the type who will make an effort on every play to get to the ball and there are more than a few times where he is caught out of position due to a mental error.
Nkemdiche is a hard worker in the weight room, but is the type that needs to be pushed to get the best effort out of him. He has the ability to be a self-starter and he is a good field leader who lets his actions speak louder than his words, but his inconsistency has now become an issue. He is compliant to the coach’s wishes and plays with good intensity and effort when he performs to his ability, but he runs too hot-and-cold to be strongly considered a football player on par with his athleticism.
Ultimately, on the field, we believe that Nkemdiche has a lot to offer. How he performs at the next level, however, will hinge largely on his own head.
Rated the third best player in the state of Texas and the seventh-best running back in the nation as a senior at Brookshire Royal High School, Williams was really never given the opportunity to be the featured ball carrier. He originally joined the Oklahoma Sooners in 2012, where he rushed for 219 yards on 46 carries while seeing action in eight games. OU life was not for Williams, and he sat out the 2013 campaign after leaving the university and enrolling at Texas A&M.
The strength room’s MVP during his season on the sidelines for the Aggies, Williams was still relegated to a support role during his first year at A&M. In 2014, he saw action in every game and made six starts, but he still didn’t have a major role on the team.
The 2015 season was a year of change – a change for the better – for Williams. He took over field cornerback duties for the Aggies, as he tallied 37 tackles on the year, including a season-high five third-down tackles against Alabama. He also broke up seven passes and returned to his roots, making a lone appearance at running back, recording one carry and one reception against Nevada, each for three yards.
True, Williams still has a lot to learn at his new position, but throughout camp, he has been the Cardinals’ most impressive newcomer. He has a developing frame with room to carry at least another ten pounds of bulk with no loss in quickness. He possesses the long arms and reach, along with very good timing and leaping ability to get to the pass at its highest point. The Aggies defender displays natural hands to make the interception and demonstrates good vision and running stride to gain valid yardage after the pass theft.
Williams is slated to start opposite of Patrick Peterson and the Cards are hoping that he learns a lot from his three-time First-Team All-Pro teammate.
Dave-Te Thomas owns and operates The NFL Draft Report, a service providing insight to league scouting departments for over 40 years. All year round, you can read Thomas’ in-depth reviews of both blue chip prospects and diamonds in the rough by visiting the NFL Draft Report blog.
The old adage that defense wins championships may or may not be true, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a title-winning team that didn’t build heavily through the draft. Rookie classes, naturally, are evaluated on the perceived upside of the NFL newcomers, but which rookies are ready to contribute right out of the gate? And, how do they fit in with their new team schematically?
To help us forecast the immediate future of these NFL neophytes, we enlisted the help of draft guru Dave-Te Thomas who has served as a scouting personnel consultant to NFL teams for multiple decades.
First Round – Sheldon Rankins, DT (Louisville, No. 12 overall)
The Saints found a playmaker in Louisville’s Sheldon Rankins. One month ago, I would have told you that Tyler Davison and Nick Fairley should watch their backs as the former Cardinals powerhouse was rapidly pushing for first unit assignments. Unfortunately, Rankins suffered a broken fibula a couple of weeks ago, meaning that we’ll have to wait a little longer to see him take the field. Even though he seems ticketed for IR-DTR, Rankins still appears poised to make an impact in 2016.
Thrust right into action as a 280-pound true freshman, Rankins was a valuable performer for Louisville and “fireplug” at the strong-side defensive tackle position, playing in a 4-3 defensive alignment during his first two campaigns.
With the Cardinals shifting to a 3-4 defense in 2014, Rankins returned to his “roots” at strong-side defensive end, a position where he had compiled 153 tackles (112 solos) with 23.0 sacks and 49.0 additional stops behind the line of scrimmage with 23 quarterback pressures, five fumble recoveries, six forced fumbles, six pass deflections, and three interceptions during his sophomore through senior prep campaigns.
Entering the 2015 season, the Cardinals defender has an appropriate last name. If you consider the consensus analysis from professional scouts, at the strong-side defensive tackle position, it is sort of a “rank and file,” with Rankins the unquestioned top 2016 draft talent, and the rest of the eligible prospects “filing” in behind him.
Rankins is a very disruptive run defender with rare initial quickness. He is at his best shooting gaps and planting ball carriers in the backfield, but he also has long arms (33 inches) for his frame and the upper-body strength to press blockers off him. His ability to penetrate also makes it tough for quarterbacks to step up in the pocket, and he doesn’t have to win with quickness to be an effective pass-rusher, either. He has the violent hands and motor to get to the quarterback when he doesn’t win with his first move.
Rankins is an exceptional competitor with great football character and football/classroom intelligence. He’s a self-motivator, called the team’s “best” practice player by the coaching staff. He has developed into a “film junkie” and easily transfers what he learns in film study to the field. He displays elite first-step quickness and explodes into the backfield, as he can handle either the five- or three-technique chores, thanks to his low center of gravity and explosiveness that makes it tough to establish position against him.
Rankins’ hand usage and upper body strength shows that he has more than enough ability to split double teams. He consistently shoots the gaps to make plays in the backfield and excels at using his hands to control blockers and tracks the ball when moving down the line. He is not the type that will have any issues when trying to anchor when forced into phone booth vs. bigger offensive linemen, as he does a very nice job to split double team action with initial quickness and power.
Second Round – Michael Thomas, WR (Ohio State, No. 47 overall)
Saints coach Sean Payton says that he would want to target Michael Thomas in fantasy football and that’s a sign that he’ll be targeted often by Drew Brees. At the same time, Payton has said that fellow receiver Brandon Coleman has been “pedestrian” for most of training camp. Thomas is technically listed behind Coleman and Willie Snead on the depth chart for now, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Ohio State product leapfrog one or both of those players.
There are times when Thomas can simply flat-out fly down the sidelines and once he gets into his route, he builds his acceleration nicely. He is a long strider, but has good quickness off the line and the ability to eat up a defender’s cushion. He shows nice acceleration throughout his routes, but needs to develop an array of moves to set up the defender, even though he does a good job of sinking his hips/pads to come out of his breaks cleanly.
Yes, Thomas takes long strides, but they are quick enough for him to get to his break point, thanks to his ability to lower his pads and drop his weight to generate the burst needed coming out of his plant. He has the speed to run off defenders and has started to develop a good feel for quarterback pressure, doing a solid job of working back to the ball. He rounds up field routes some, but has the body control to adjust and get under the thrown ball without having to break stride.
Thomas can bend and catch the low ball or jump and adjust to the overthrown passes and get to the ball at its high point. He looks natural with his body control to get in position and make plays over his shoulder. He times his leaps well and it is rare to see him lose on a jump ball battle. He has some hip stiffness, but gets good elevation and extension to catch away from his frame. He also does a good job of using his long arms to catch the ball at its high point and despite consistently poor throwing by his quarterbacks, he had just 9-of-88 targeted passes deflected away from him in 2015.
Dave-Te Thomas owns and operates The NFL Draft Report, a service providing insight to league scouting departments for over 40 years. All year round, you can read Thomas’ in-depth reviews of both blue chip prospects and diamonds in the rough by visiting the NFL Draft Report blog.
The old adage that defense wins championships may or may not be true, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a title-winning team that didn’t build heavily through the draft. Rookie classes, naturally, are evaluated on the perceived upside of the NFL newcomers, but which rookies are ready to contribute right out of the gate? And, how do they fit in with their new team schematically?
To help us forecast the immediate future of these NFL neophytes, we enlisted the help of draft guru Dave-Te Thomas who has served as a scouting personnel consultant to NFL teams for multiple decades.
First Round – Vernon Hargreaves III, CB (Florida, No. 11 overall)
Hargreaves shows above average body control and does a nice job of keeping his feet on the move. He shows good agility and balance, but needs to redirect and change direction skills better when challenging the receivers running deep routes along the perimeter. Still, he shows explosion out of his plant and is a quick twitch type who shows good alertness vs. plays in front of him. When beaten, he has that sudden burst to recover. His quickness in transition prevents smaller receivers from getting good position working underneath vs. him.
Hargreaves is a mentally tough athlete and solid hitter who could play inside at safety, if needed. Still, his primary position with the Bucs will be cornerback. He will hustle and run down a ball carrier from across the field and seems to enjoy the contact in run force. He plays at full speed and few players in the game of foot-ball can match his quickness. He competes for the ball with no regard for his body.
With his exceptional speed. Hargreaves has no problem maintaining inside position when challenging a receiver in man coverage, especially when working along the sidelines. He has the speed, closing burst and ball reaction skills to stay tight with any opponent, whether they are quick and fast or tall and physical. He needs to improve his strength base, so not to get backed off by the bigger receivers at the next level, but has the frame to add the power needed.
Hargreaves will be a starter right off the bat for the Bucs and anyone who doubts his ability clearly wasn’t watching Saturday night’s preseason contest against the Jaguars. Hargreaves picked off opposing quarterback Chad Henne twice, helping Tampa Bay to a 27-21 victory.
Click here to continue reading about the Bucs’ rookie class..
Second Round – Noah Spence, DE (Eastern Kentucky, No. 39 overall)
Multiple drug test failures brought Spence’s Ohio State career to an end prior to the 2014 season, forcing him to sit out the year before he was accepted at Eastern Kentucky. Spence knew this was his “last chance saloon,” at EKU. He made the most of that opportunity, leading the Football Championship Subdivision with 22.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage while placing second with 11.5 sacks. He added 63 tackles through eleven games along with fifteen QB pressures and three forced fumbles. His average of 2.25 tackles-for-loss per game is the 18th-best figure in NCAA FCS history.
Spence then faced his biggest challenge – scouts and coaches at the 2016 Senior Bowl grill session. He handled himself well under a slew of questions about his troubling 2014 season. He then went out on the field at Mobile and simply dominated. By the end of the Senior Bowl practices, he was the near unanimous choice by NFL decision makers when it came to naming the top defensive performer at the event. Many teams wondered if the college rush end could make a successful transition to professional outside linebacker. The Bucs didn’t have that dilemma, however, as they felt comfortable with using him as a DE at the next level.
Despite his “bonehead mistakes” off the field, Spence is an instinctive player, but not the type that will out-think himself on the field. He is a quick reactor to action in front of him and easily picks things up well, showing no problem taking plays from the chalkboard to the playing field. There should be no issues with him digesting a complicated playbook. Spence is reliable, works hard in the weight room, and is a self-starter. He takes well to hard coaching and is the unquestioned leader of the defensive unit. For his age, he had an advanced knack for reading the quarterback well, as it is rare to see him fooled by misdirection or play action.
Spence is quite effective using his strong hand punch to shed blocks, but it is his ability to jam/reroute receivers that will earn him success when utilized as a 3-4 strong-side linebacker at the next level. He has no problem holding up tight ends and slot receivers in the short area passing game. He is an active, fend-off type of defender that will shock-and-jolt versus offensive linemen, as he also knows how to deliver a blow and is quick to get placement when trying to grab and jerk on the opponent’s jersey. When he keeps his pads down and hands inside the framework, he can clear blocks and get to the ball regularly. Even when his pad level gets high at times, he has a very good punch and extension to defeat the blocks. He uses his hands well with good placement, but does struggle some to shed and escape at times (mostly when working in-line). He has very good rip and pull moves, along with the ability to get active with his hands when attempting to separate vs. the blockers on inside running plays.
The Bucs plan on using Spence off the bench in his rookie season, playing in support of William Gholston and free agent addition Robert Ayers. Ayers put up some gaudy sack numbers with the Giants last season and Spence may be able to get some numbers of his own in this bookend rotation.
Second Round – Roberto Aguayo, K (Florida State, No. 59 overall)
Finally, I get to write about a kicker in this series!
Ask anyone in the scouting industry and they will tell you that lightning struck twice. More than a decade after Al Davis selected Sebastian Janikowski in the first round, an FSU player was unanimously dubbed as the best placekicker in his draft. Statistically, the Seminole is the most accurate kicker in the history of the college game. For his career, he tallied 405 points, making all 198 of his conversion tries and 69-of-78 field goals (88.46%) in three seasons.
Aguayo became the second Seminole in program history to be a three-time first-team All-American, joining Deion Sanders. Last season, he was named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award and finished the schedule going 21-for-26 on field goals, hitting his two longest (45 and 51 yards) vs. Florida in the regular season finale in Gainesville. He also connected on all 49 PAT chances during his redshirt junior season, placing second on the team in points with 112. He ranked fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference in field goal percentage (.808) and field goals per game (1.62) and sixth in scoring (8.6 ppg).
While most kickers have a small frame, Aguayo stand 6’0″ and weighs 207. He shows good muscle tone, firm midsection and proper thigh and calf development. He’s very poised under pressure, showing great confidence in his ability to kick for distance and in poor weather conditions. He has tunnel vision on the field, blocking out all distractions and demonstrates pretty decent speed and urgency getting down field to help the kickoff coverage unit.
Aguayo has the quickness, balance, agility and leg flexibility to put full force behind his kicks from either hash, as he hits the ball with a quick stride, showing steady acceleration and trajectory on his attempts. He displays excellent mechanics and in a pinch, he can handle the multiple kicking chores, along with connecting with the ball with very good pop on contact during kickoffs, field goals and extra points. He has shown marked improvement getting his kickoffs to sail through the end zone (123-of-287 attempts resulted in touchbacks, 42.86%) and while he’s never been used for punting duties, he has the ability to field snaps with ease and can adjust to the off-target snap.
Aguayo can drive the ball deep on kick-offs, even when making attempts into the wind. He shows very good strength on contact with the ball, driving it deep and with great hang time. He is the type that can consistently get the ball into the end zone on kickoffs and has the range to make field goals from the 50-yard area. Each year, he has developed quicker steps to the ball, as he starts his motion early, giving him good snap-to-toe timing (1.29 second on field goals/1.21 on PATs).
The ball can explode off his foot and he has showed good improvement with his trajectory over the years (hang time was as low as 3.84 seconds earlier in his career, but his kickoffs averaged 4.28-4.54 seconds in 2015). The ball jumps off his foot with good rise on field goals/PATs, as he can generate good lift upon contact. He puts some nice air under his kick-offs and is not prone to kicking line drives. He also demonstrates the ability to kick off towards the corners or let the ball sail out of the end zone.
Aguayo can kick from both hashes effectively and he makes proper adjustments in his approach to the ball, based on field and weather conditions. He’s poised and in control in pressure situations, showing confidence and concentration coming through in the clutch. He’s also a tough open field tackler who will square up, wrap and secure with good pop on contact. He has the loose hips to recover when he’s juked by a returner and is not afraid to stick his hat into the pile.
For what it’s worth, Aguayo seems to be having some hiccups in preseason, but we’re hoping that he’s just getting the rookie jitters out of his system in advance of the regular season.
The old adage that defense wins championships may or may not be true, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a title-winning team that didn’t build heavily through the draft. Rookie classes, naturally, are evaluated on the perceived upside of the NFL newcomers, but which rookies are ready to contribute right out of the gate? And, how do they fit in with their new team schematically?
To help us forecast the immediate future of these NFL neophytes, we enlisted the help of draft guru Dave-Te Thomas who has served as a scouting personnel consultant to NFL teams for multiple decades.
First Round – Vernon Butler, DT (Louisiana Tech, No. 30 overall)
While Butler is certain to play an important role in the defensive tackle rotation this year, his arrival holds even further importance. With the first round pick showing flashes in camp, the Panthers have not yet embraced the idea of giving right defensive tackle Kawann Short the long-term deal the player wants. They could let Short walk after the season, if Butler shows he is ready to step in and contribute this season.
Before his junior season, Tech coaches were seriously considering moving Butler to the offensive line – reasoning that his burst off the snap might be a better fit trap blocking from the guard position. Instead, they kept him on the D-Line and watched his draft stock soar.
Butler is a highly competitive sort who relishes his role as the defense’s “garbage man,” taking on multiple blockers constantly to free up a fellow Bulldog defender to make the play. He is simply unstoppable when he charges through the gaps and uses his hands with tremendous force when facing constant double teams. Some scouts were concerned about his gas tank late in games, but he worked hard during the 2015 offseason to get his weight down in order to eliminate his “tired legs” issue.
His strength at the point of attack is one of his best assets, as I have yet to see any blocker, or blockers, capable of riding him out once he anchors and establishes position in the trenches. He doesn’t use his violent hand punch as much as he should, but he can easily obliterate any blocker once he gets his hands into their body. He is the type that will rarely ever get bounced around by double teams, thanks to his overall strength and ability to remain at a low pad level. With his big, strong hands, body mass and aggression, Butler excels at shutting down the interior running game.
Second Round – James Bradberry, CB (Samford, No. 62 overall)
When a team loses a vital cog in their secondary like Josh Norman, it is very hard to replace that talent. However, the Panthers thought that Norman might have peaked last year and was not worth the money he was asking. Besides, there were locker room whispers than his on-field antics were starting to get in the way of his play and the solution for the team was to find his replacement in the draft. Carolina selected Bradberry in the second round, followed by West Virginia’s Daryl Worley in the third round. They then took Oklahoma’s Zack Sanchez in the fifth round, hoping one might of the three emerge this year. The Panthers’ depth chart now has Bradberry and Worley in the starting spots while Sanchez will serve as the swingman, backing up both of his fellow rookie defensive backs.
The reason for his instant success in Panthers camp is the fact that Bradberry is a smart, instinctive, and tough football player, one who diagnoses plays quickly and frequently a step ahead of the receivers. He is a physical tackler who can jam receivers when asked to line up in press coverage and he has the closing burst, along with awareness and positioning to make plays on the ball in flight, showing that second gear needed to run with receivers downfield.
Bradberry has fluid hips and can change directions instantly, doing a nice job of rotating his hips when coming out of his backpedal. He is savvy enough to know how to recover from rare false steps when keeping the receiver in front of him and he displays natural hands to snatch the ball out of the air. In run support, he fills hard and flashes the ability to deliver the big hit. He takes sound pursuit angles and is a consistent open field tackler that does a nice job of breaking down in space.
While his total tackle numbers are not awe-inspiring, Bradberry consistently steps up and makes hard tackles in run support and on receivers after the catch. He does a good job of using his hands to jolt and slow the receiver’s release off the line of scrimmage and he is able to stay with the receiver on short routes. He has the ball skills to reach in front of the receiver and consistently break up passes. He also reads the quarterback well in zone coverage. When he gets started toward the receiver, he has a good closing burst to either break up or intercept the pass and is especially effective in the red zone.
Third Round – Daryl Worley, CB (West Virginia, No. 77 overall)
Worley continues to prove in camp that his 2015 season, when he led the Big Twelve Conference with six interceptions and twelve pass deflections was no fluke. Through 34 games with the Mountaineers, he started 27 times – often covering the opponent’s top wide receiver. He recorded 146 tackles (126 solos) through three seasons, making 9.5 stops-for-loss while picking off a total of ten passes and breaking up 21 other throws.
Worley is a well-built athlete and he uses his size to be very effective with his initial jam at the line of scrimmage. He displays loose hips to turn and run with the receiver and can shadow even the speediest opponent due to very good lateral quickness and the ability to plant and go out of his cuts. He has that explosive burst to close on the ball and evident by his thefts and break-up figures, he gets his hands on a lot of passes.
Worley is a natural playmaker with soft hands for the interception, one who times his leaps well and can snatch the ball out of the air. He demonstrates good body control to make the catch outside of his frame and looks natural with the ball in his hands, along with possessing a good feel for the return and the vision to set up blocks. He has the agility and quick burst to accelerate, which makes him a reliable open-field tackler who can break down in space well and wrap his arms securely.
Normally, a seventh round tight end will barely get noticed in Panthers camp, but with All-Pro Greg Olsen dealing with back problems and backup Ed Dickson sidelined with a groin injury, the former Miami product who transferred to MSU is in line to earn the final spot on the three-man tight end depth chart.
This well-traveled tight end finally found a home in the Big Sky Country, where he has developed some very impressive blocking skills. Sandland sat out the 2014 schedule after transferring in late August. It allowed him time to add muscle and bulk in the training room. By the time the 2015 season commenced, he was firmly entrenched as the Bobcats’ starter. The All-American third-team and All-Big Sky Conference first-team choice by The NFL Draft Report contributed 37 catches for 632 yards and nine touchdowns during his lone season at MSU. Sandland’s nine scoring receptions led the tight end in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision ranks and his 632 yards placed second at that position behind 850 recorded by Harvard’s Ben Braunecker. His nine touchdowns also tied for fifth on the school’s season-record chart.
Sandland is a fluid open field runner who is a valid threat to stretch the field or out-muscle defenders to get to the ball in a crowd. He is the type of runner that needs to be accounted for by the opposing safeties, as the slower linebackers struggle to maintain mirror in his route progression. He has large, natural, soft hands that lets him extend to catch outside the body’s frame. He almost never body catches and has the pluck-and-snatch agility to get to almost any pass thrown his way (only two drops in 2015). He is a smooth catcher and makes a concentrated effort to get to all throws – even the off-target ones.
Kelvin Benjamin is reportedly out of shape as he recovers from last season’s knee injury and fellow wide receivers Stephen Hill (knee) and Brenton Bensin (ribs) also at less than 100%. One player to keep an eye on as training camp winds down is free agent Keyarris Garrett. The Tulsa standout was not taken in the draft, despite standing at 6’4″, 222 pounds with 4.5-second speed and a 37-inch vertical jump. Last season, he averaged 122.2 receiving yards per game, tallying an NCAA-best 1,588 yards with eight touchdowns on 96 catches.
Back in form as a senior, Garrett tested well at the NFL Scouting Combine and during Tulsa’s Pro Day, but then sat and waited for a phone to ring during the three-day draft event. Knowing that the Panthers were lacking depth at wide receiver and their penchant for signing big wideouts, so far, it looks like the team and player are finding common ground. If the injuries linger for Hill and Bersin, the Tulsa talent might be able to secure the fourth or fifth spot in the receiving corps.
Garrett is “starting to string it together,” according to head coach Ron Rivera, as the receiver has caught Rivera’s attention with his good performances throughout training camp. Now, the prolific producer at Tulsa is looking to continue his recent success in an attempt to carve out a role in the passing game. Based on his performance last year, you can see he is a player who can dominate smaller defensive backs with his height and strong overall build. His long strides give him deceptive downfield speed and he takes advantage of soft coverage with receiver screens and short patterns, making better use of his foot quickness than expected for his size.
Garrett generates quick moves at the line to get off a jam and shows that he is able to snatch the ball with his hands, secure it and quickly turn to get additional yardage. He has become a strong red-zone presence and jump-ball target due to his height, length and size. He will use his hands well while blocking on the outside, which can make him a valuable asset in the running game. While he doesn’t have elite top-end speed he does demonstrate impressive body control and soft hands.
The Tulsa product can twist his body to catch off-target passes with remarkable ease and can get up high to make the catch over cornerback in jump-ball situations. He has shown in camp that not only is he fully recovered from leg woes, but that he has no fear catching passes in traffic, taking a hard hit and holding on to the ball. He is the type that comes down the line aggressively and will blow up the linebacker on a crack-back block. He also does well blocking down the field, staying after blocks and eliminating the defender to spring the ball carrier for a big play.
Dave-Te Thomas owns and operates The NFL Draft Report, a service providing insight to league scouting departments for over 40 years. All year round, you can read Thomas’ in-depth reviews of both blue chip prospects and diamonds in the rough by visiting the NFL Draft Report blog.
