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Cotton

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Pre-Combine NFL Draft rankings: Tight end class lacks star power but not starter-level talent
By Dane Brugler Feb 12, 2020

Over the past three drafts, there have been at least three tight ends drafted in the top 50 each year. Not only will the 2020 draft class snap that streak, but there also might not be one tight end drafted in the top 50 in April.

If the tight ends get shut out of the top 50 picks, it would mark only the second time that has happened over the past 25 years.

Despite not being a top-heavy year for the position, tight end has several intriguing options with starting potential on Days 2 and 3 of draft weekend. Entering the combine, this is how I would rank the top 10:

1. Adam Trautman, Dayton (6-foot-5, 251 pounds, 4.76 40-yard dash)

Williamsburg, Mich. (Elk Rapids), redshirt senior. Age: 23.22 (calculated to nearest 100th on draft day)
A four-year starter at Dayton, Trautman was the “Y” tight end in the Flyers’ shotgun spread offense, lining up primarily detached and out wide. He leaves Dayton as the program’s all-time leading receiver, which is noteworthy considering he spent the first 19 years of his life as a quarterback and his first reception for the Flyers (September 2016) was his first catch in a football game in his life.

Trautman is a fluid big man, and his basketball background shows at the catch point with his ability to adjust and attack. His routes need fine-tuning and his blocking is based more on effort than technical understanding right now, although he doesn’t lack in intensity or effort in either category. Overall, Trautman doesn’t have the body of work versus top-level competition, but his athleticism and pass-catching traits for a player his size make him a highly intriguing prospect, projecting as a player who should crack the starting lineup as an NFL rookie.

All-22 takeaway: Trautman’s route athleticism is a key reason for his TE1 status entering the combine. Lined up inline at the top of the formation against Indiana State, he uses a quick release to enter his route and a clean stick at the stem to give his quarterback an open target. His impressive body control not only shows mid-pattern but also at the catch point, reaching behind him to finish with the ball thrown at the wrong shoulder. Trautman needs to tighten up his route movements, but the functional athleticism is what will entice NFL teams early on Day 2.

2. Cole Kmet, Notre Dame (6-6, 255, 4.69)

Lake Barrington, Ill. (St. Viator), junior. Age: 21.12
A two-year starter at Notre Dame, Kmet was the starting tight end in head coach Brian Kelly’s pro-style scheme, splitting his snaps inline, on the wing and detached. Following in the footsteps of players like Golden Tate and Jeff Samardzija, he is the latest Notre Dame product who split his time between baseball and football in South Bend, choosing the NFL over MLB, like Tate.

Kmet is an easy player to like on and off the field, with outstanding ball skills and body control to dominate the catch point. While he must continue learning the details of route-running and blocking, he has never played only one sport, so year-round dedication to football will certainly accelerate his development. Overall, Kmet is a dependable and physically impressive pass-catcher who doesn’t have a deal-breaking weakness to his game, projecting as an NFL-ready “Y” target similar to Jason Witten when he was coming out of Tennessee.

3. Harrison Bryant, Florida Atlantic (6-5, 242, 4.77)

Gray, Ga. (John Milledge), senior. Age: 22.00
A three-year starter at Florida Atlantic, Bryant lined up at “F” tight end in head coach Lane Kiffin’s spread offense, occasionally seeing snaps inline but mostly detached. He led all FBS tight ends in receptions and receiving yards as a senior and became the first tight end from a non-Power 5 program to win the Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end.

Bryant is an athletic receiver with the agility and ball skills to be productive in the quick game (slants, hooks, etc.) or down the seam. He is an efficient, try-hard competitor as a move blocker but doesn’t have the power to face off against NFL defensive linemen on the edge. Overall, Bryant doesn’t have ideal bulk or power for the position, but he is a versatile pass-catcher with the savvy routes and adjustment skills to handle “F” tight end duties in an NFL offense.

All-22 takeaway: Bryant feasted on Conference USA defenders all season, but he also got the job done against Ohio State, the clear best opponent on FAU’s 2019 schedule. Lined up in the slot on the far hash, he uses a simple inside-out shake to stack and get over top the safety. Bryant then showed off his catch-point skills and finishing toughness, completing the reception with the defender in his face. Plays like this are why he has a legitimate chance of sneaking into the top 100 picks.

4. Hunter Bryant, Washington (6-2, 244, 4.63)

Issaquah, Wash. (Eastside Catholic), junior. Age: 21.68
A two-year starter at Washington, Bryant lined up across the formation in Chris Petersen’s shotgun spread offense, doing most of his damage out of the slot. He battled two serious knee injuries over his first two seasons for the Huskies, missing 12 games, but he stayed healthy and productive in Year 3, finishing No. 2 in school history in career receiving yards (1,394) by a tight end.

With his speed and run balance, Bryant is a dynamic threat before and after the catch, making it tough for single tacklers to ground him in space. While he shows athletic ball skills, he is a low-percentage finisher with crowded catch points. As a blocker, he struggles to sustain and shouldn’t be expected to handle inline duties. Overall, Bryant is a low-ceiling blocker and could use a few more credits in receiving school, but his plus athletic traits as a pass-catcher make him a potential mismatch “move” tight end if the medicals are clean.

5. Albert Okwuegbunam, Missouri (6-4, 264, 4.76)

Springfield, Ill. (Sacred Heart Griffin), redshirt junior. Age: 21.99
A three-year starter at Missouri, Okwuegbunam lined up inline, in the slot and outside as a wideout in offensive coordinator Derek Dooley’s offense. He finished his career second in school history with 23 receiving touchdowns (23.5 percent of his career catches), although his final receiving production didn’t match the hype of his redshirt freshman season, partly due to injuries.

Okwuegbunam plays loose but lacks urgency and won’t surprise NFL defenders with his lackluster burst at the top of routes. While he stays balanced as a blocker, he needs to utilize better techniques to tap into his power and generate movement in the run game. Overall, Okwuegbunam leaves you wanting more on tape, but he has a projectable body with the talent to win his share of one-on-one’s and get the job done as a point-of-attack blocker.

6. Devin Asiasi, UCLA (6-4, 256, 4.76)

Shoreview, Calif. (De La Salle), redshirt junior. Age: 22.69
A one-year starter at UCLA, Asiasi was the starting “Y” tight end in head coach Chip Kelly’s up-tempo offense, lining up primarily inline to the boundary. After a reserve season at Michigan and another year sitting out as a transfer, he spent 2018 backing up Caleb Wilson before taking over as the starter in 2019, finishing second on the team in receiving.

There isn’t much deception or diversity to his route tree (mostly digs, outs, posts on tape), but Asiasi moves well and presents a window for his quarterback. Although he isn’t shy banging as a blocker, he needs to be more of an aggressor in the run game. Overall, Asiasi doesn’t have the traits that scream playmaker, but he is well rounded with the steady ball skills and blocking chops to earn a roster spot and fight his way up the depth chart.

All-22 takeaway: There isn’t anything particularly special about this clip, but that is why I chose to feature it. There is nothing particularly special about Asiasi, but he carries his weight well in his routes and adjusts well to throws outside his frame — like on his post play against Oklahoma. This is one of 14 receptions of 20-plus yards that he collected over his two years for the Bruins. Although he might not be receiving a ton of draft hype, Asiasi could emerge as a down-the-road starter in the NFL because of his well-rounded game.

7. Colby Parkinson, Stanford (6-6, 244, 4.74)

Simi Valley, Calif. (Oaks Christian), junior. Age: 21.29
A two-year starter at Stanford, Parkinson was the starting tight end in head coach David Shaw’s pro-style scheme, lining up inline, slot and outside. With JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Trenton Irwin and Kaden Smith off to the NFL, Parkinson was the team’s top returning target in 2019, but with the absence of other offensive playmakers, defenses were able to limit his role (Stanford ranked 97th in the FBS in total offense).

A “freak of an athlete” according to Shaw, Parkinson has the route speed to win down the seam and the focus to isolate and pluck the football away from his body. He is a fluid pass-catcher with soft hands, but those soft hands also show up in his blocking, lacking the sustain strength for steady inline work. Overall, Parkinson is a predictable route-runner and mediocre blocker, but his speed, length and ball skills are desirable traits, projecting as an athletic possession target in the slot.

8. Jared Pinkney, Vanderbilt (6-4, 254, 4.78)

Norcross, Ga. (Norcross), redshirt senior. Age: 22.67
A three-year starter at Vanderbilt, Pinkney was the “Y” tight end in former offensive coordinator Gerry Gdowski’s scheme. After his productive junior season, he was graded as the top senior tight end prospect by several NFL teams, but he was vastly underutilized in 2019, averaging only 3.9 targets per game, and both of his touchdowns came versus East Tennessee State.

Pinkney displays good balance and body control for the position to work over the linebackers and create small windows of separation. However, he struggles to set up defensive backs and needs to be more aggressive in his routes and as a blocker to earn consistent snaps in the NFL. Overall, Pinkney has limitations in his blocking and doesn’t have explosive traits as a pass-catcher, but he is a smooth athlete with reliable ball skills to be a capable three-level target in the NFL, projecting as a borderline starter.

9. Brycen Hopkins, Purdue (6-4, 241, 4.80)

Nashville, Tenn. (Ensworth), redshirt senior. Age: 23.07
A two-year starter at Purdue, Hopkins was the “Y” tight end in head coach Jeff Brohm’s offense, lining up inline and detached. After flashing as an underclassman, he emerged as a more reliable option in the offense as a senior, finishing second in the FBS in catches and receiving yards among tight ends.

Hopkins has the size and speed of an oversized receiver, showing fluid cuts and enough juice to run past safeties. However, his awareness and finishing skills are still a work in progress at the position with a limited ceiling as a blocker. Overall, Hopkins doesn’t have the body power required for inline work, and he is still learning the details of route-running, but his foot speed and upside are worth the gamble in the middle rounds as an “F” tight end.

10. Thaddeus Moss, LSU (6-3, 248, 4.75)

Charlotte, N.C. (Mallard Creek), redshirt junior. Age: 21.94
A one-year starter at LSU, Moss was the starting “Y” tight end in offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger’s offense, lining up inline and detached. He set LSU single-season records for catches and receiving yards at the tight end position in 2019, although a high percentage of his catches came on uncovered underneath patterns.

Moss displays athletic movement skills to stay smooth in and out of the drive phase, fluidly adjusting to throws. As a blocker, he is physical and works hard to sustain or throw a shoulder, but he is more likely to end up on the ground than put a defender on the ground. Overall, Moss is a get-in-the-way blocker with the athletic catch-point skills to be a steady short-to-intermediate target in the NFL, but his average speed and limitations should temper expectations.
 

Cotton

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Pre-Combine NFL Draft rankings: Top-heavy offensive tackle class has NFL teams excited
By Dane Brugler Feb 14, 2020

The overall depth of this offensive tackle class is mediocre, but it is the best collection of young talent in the early rounds that the NFL has seen in recent memory.

I took some heat last fall when I put Jedrick Wills at No. 1 in my offensive tackle rankings, but that is what the tape told me, and I continue to stand by that. But the beauty of this tackle class is the volume of high-level talent at the top. Several NFL scouts prefer the intriguing ceiling of Mekhi Becton. Some lean towards Tristan Wirfs while others think he needs to move inside to guard.

It will be interesting to see the order these tackles come off the board on draft weekend — maybe as many as six or seven in the first round. Until then, here is a look at my top-10 offensive tackles entering the combine:

1. Jedrick Wills, Alabama (6-5, 322, 5.28)
Lexington, Ky. (Lafayette), junior. Age: 20.93 (calculated to nearest 100th on draft day)
A two-year starter at Alabama, Wills lined up as the right tackle in offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian’s scheme, allowing only one sack over his 39 games for the Tide. He protected Tua Tagovailoa’s blindside in college and while he has the natural talent to switch over to left tackle, all of his in-game snaps in high school and college came at right tackle, creating an unknown in his evaluation.

A fired-up competitor, Wills looks like a man among boys as a run blocker, driving defenders off the ball and never passing on an opportunity to bury. He needs continued growth as a technician, but he has steadily developed in pass protection, gaining proper depth in his kickslide with fluid steps. Overall, Wills is a balanced, light-footed big man with the explosive power, aggressive mentality and budding confidence that should translate very well to the NFL level, projecting as a long-term NFL starter with All-Pro upside.

All-22 Takeaway: On first-and-goal from the six-yard line, Alabama ran Najee Harris off-tackle for the touchdown, putting Alabama up 10-7 in the second quarter of November’s Iron Bowl. This is a well-blocked play for the Tide with both tight ends and even Henry Ruggs getting key blocks to spring the score. But it all starts with Wills (#74) at right tackle, who quickly gets underneath his man and uses his upper body torque to power him on the ground. That block gave Harris an initial opening for the play. More impressive than just the block, is the fact that Wills buries 297-pound Marlon Davidson, a potential top-50 draft pick, on this play. It was the Auburn tape that convinced me that Wills is OT1 in this class.

2. Tristan Wirfs, Iowa (6-5, 320, 5.08)
Mount Vernon, Iowa (Mount Vernon), junior. Age: 21.25
A three-year starter at Iowa, Wirfs lined up primarily at right tackle in offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz’s pro-style scheme. He became the first true freshman in the Kirk Ferentz era to start at offensive tackle and was considered interchangeable on the left or right sides (played mostly right tackle because Alaric Jackson was a better left tackle than right tackle).

A natural athlete, Wirfs’ background in track (explosiveness) and wrestling (body control) have translated to his football skills, including the importance of training and preparation. While he is still refining his fundamentals, his ability to reset is impressive, rarely losing his center. Overall, Wirfs’ lack of ideal length will push him to guard on some boards, but his big-man twitch, developed power and tendency to always default to his balance are an impressive combination, projecting as a starting tackle or guard in the NFL.

3. Mekhi Becton, Louisville (6-7, 365, 5.40)
Highland Springs, Va. (Highland Springs), junior. Age: 21.01
A three-year starter at Louisville, Becton was the starting left tackle in head coach Scott Satterfield’s stretch zone scheme, becoming the first player in school history to win the Jacobs Trophy, which goes to the top blocker in the ACC (as voted on by the coaches). He alternated at left and right tackle under the previous coaching staff, which used strongside/weakside tackles, and is well-versed at either position (played both spots in high school).

With his rare combination of size and athleticism, Becton stonewalls rushers in pass protection and generates a surge in the run game, using his length to escort defenders off the screen. He overwhelms with his natural strength, although he has some sloppy reps on tape and must continue to fine-tune his consistency. Overall, Becton has overaggressive tendencies that lead to balance concerns, but he is a gifted blocker with impressive movement skills and power, projecting as a high-upside prospect at either left or right tackle.

All-22 Takeaway: Becton is a freaky guy. He has coordinated feet for such a large body and doesn’t appear labored in his movements. Clemson beat up Louisville pretty good this season, but Becton routinely had his way with whichever Tiger defender he lined up against in this game. On this stretch play, he showed off his upper body power and natural movement skills to clear the corner for the ball carrier.

4. Andrew Thomas, Georgia (6-5, 318, 5.11)
Lithonia, Ga. (Pace), junior. Age: 21.25
A three-year starter at Georgia, Thomas was the starting left tackle in former offensive coordinator James Coley’s pro-style spread. He put his name on the NFL radar as a true freshman starter at right tackle (moved to the left side as a sophomore) and graded as one of the most effective blockers in the SEC the last three seasons.

Thomas has dominant qualities in the run game, steering and controlling blockers once he gets his hands on them. With his tendency to wind up, lean and abandon his lower body fundamentals, he needs to shore up his pass pro technique, but he gets the job done on tape due to his anchor, toughness and girth. Overall, Thomas’ balance issues are the main concern with his pro transition, abandoning his mechanics and getting himself out over his skis, but he can maneuver his hips in pass protection and clear run lanes, projecting as a starting NFL tackle with fixable issues.

5. Josh Jones, Houston (6-5, 311, 5.28)
Richmond, Texas (George Bush), redshirt senior. Age: 22.84
A four-year starter at Houston, Jones was the starting left tackle in head coach Dana Holgorsen’s shotgun spread offense. A basketball athlete most of his life, he played in three different offensive systems at Houston (for five different offensive line coaches), which stunted his development, but he showed promising development as a senior.

Jones has outstanding lower body movements and flexibility, replacing his hands and showing natural sink to keep rushers occupied. The anchor strength concerns are valid, and he looks to have body type restrictions so teams must be comfortable with his frame. Overall, Jones is currently a better pass protector than run blocker, but his flexible athleticism and eager hands are outstanding foundation traits to play left tackle in the NFL, making him deserving of first-round consideration.

6. Austin Jackson, USC (6-6, 308, 5.08)
Phoenix, Ariz. (North Canyon), junior. Age: 20.93
A two-year starter at USC, Jackson was the starting left tackle in offensive coordinator Graham Harrell’s up-tempo offense. Highly recruited out of high school, he steadily developed his body and game the last three seasons, making a jump as a junior that showcased his immense upside.

Although it rarely looks picture-perfect, Jackson has the foot quickness and body flexibility to get the job done in space. He allows his chest to receive too much action in his pass-sets, but the run game is where he must show the most improvement before he sees NFL snaps. Overall, Jackson is a smooth-moving big man with natural knee bend, projecting as a steady NFL starter when/if his upper body mechanics, specifically his punch timing and hand placement, catch up with his athletic skill.

All-22 Takeaway: The USC-Utah game was a great tape to best understand Jackson’s strengths and where he is still developing. Utah senior edge rusher Bradlee Anae (#6) got around him a few times, but Jackson more than held his own vs. the Utes’ all-time leading rusher. This rep is an accurate representation of the USC left tackle in pass protection. Jackson is clean in his set-up, hits his landmarks and stays patient with his hands. Anae gets a great head start off the snap, but he is unable to reach the corner or get Jackson off-balanced. Although the consistency isn’t quite there yet, it is easy to see why teams are intrigued by Jackson’s size and athletic upside.

7. Isaiah Wilson, Georgia (6-7, 339, 5.42)
Brooklyn, N.Y. (Poly Prep Country Day), redshirt sophomore. Age: 21.20
A two-year starter at Georgia, Wilson was the starting right tackle in former offensive coordinator James Coley’s pro-style spread. The Bulldogs had a top-three ranked recruiting class in 2017 and he was the highest-ranked prize in the class, although he required a redshirt year as he adjusted to the heat and got his body right.

A traits-based prospect, Wilson is built with a girthy frame, long arms and enough quickness to make it difficult for rushers to get around him. While he creates movement with play strength and a mean streak, he doesn’t consistently win with his hands and his fundamentals have yet to catch up with his natural skill, leaving him laboring and leaning. Overall, Wilson is a work in progress as a technician with uneven college tape, but he has yet to play his best football, offering the functional movements and brute power of an eventual NFL starter.

All-22 Takeaway: Talking to an NFL scout last week, he mentioned that Wilson used to run wildcat plays in high school. Curious of what that looked like, I tracked down some of his high school tape. How does this clip help predict his NFL future? I’m not sure it does, but I wanted to share because I can’t stop watching it — that’s one athletic big man.

8. Ezra Cleveland, Boise State (6-6, 315, 5.25)
Spanaway, Wash. (Bethel), redshirt junior. Age: 21.96
A three-year starter at Boise State, Cleveland was the starting left tackle in head coach Bryan Harsin’s offense. After his redshirt year, he earned the starting left tackle job (pushing Archie Lewis to right tackle) as a freshman and started 40 games there the last three seasons, playing 95.6% of Boise’s offensive snaps over that span.

An impressive athlete for the position, Cleveland is comfortable in space with a quick, efficient punch and the intelligence to beat rushers to the spot. However, his lack of anchor strength and explosiveness in his hands are concerns for his NFL transition. Overall, Cleveland struggles to match power in the run game and his lack of length creates a small margin for error, but he stays balanced in his pass-sets with the lower body athleticism that frustrates rushers, projecting as an NFL starter.

9. Saahdiq Charles, LSU (6-4, 301, 5.09)
Jackson, Miss. (Madison-Ridgeland), junior. Age: 20.74
A three-year starter at LSU, Charles was the starting left tackle in offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger’s offense. Despite not becoming a full-time starting offensive lineman until his senior year in high school, he started all three seasons in Baton Rouge, protecting Joe Burrow’s blindside the last two years (aside from his six-game suspension in 2019).

A light-footed athlete, Charles is an impressive mover and shows enough core strength to hold his ground at the point of attack. He doesn’t have the ideal length for edge work and is consistently late getting his hands in position, which leads to body-to-body blocks and contact balance issues. Overall, Charles uses efficient movement patterns to consistently beat pass rushers to the spot, but his technique is under-developed and the maturity concerns will remove him from draft boards, projecting as a top-50 talent who likely won’t be drafted that high due to the red flags.

10. Prince Tega Wanogho, Auburn (6-5, 307, 5.23)
Montgomery, Ala. (Edgewood Academy), redshirt senior. Age: 22.42
A three-year starter at Auburn, Wanogho lined up at left tackle in head coach Gus Malzahn’s spread-option offense, showing steady development each season. The Nigerian native has only been playing the sport since 2014 and moved to the offensive line in 2016 so the instinctive issues are understandable, but his intelligence and “want to” are there.

Wanogho is a gifted athlete with a bounce in his feet that allows for quick advantages, helping him protect the corner vs. edge speed or redirect vs. inside counters. He creates too many self-inflicted mistakes due to timing and finesse issues with his punch and needs to load more ammo into his hands. Overall, Wanogho doesn’t currently play with consistent timing or cohesion, but he is a toolsy prospect with NFL starting potential due to his light-footed athleticism and reliable football character.

All-22 Takeaway: This clip from the season-opening win over Oregon is Wanogho in a nutshell — both the good and the bad. Lined up at left tackle, he shows off his athleticism and wide base with his initial kickslide plus his recovery balance after the rusher makes contact. But his hands are stuck in his holster and late to react to the pass rush, leaving his chest exposed for free contact. The undersized Ducks’ rusher wasn’t able to create much movement on the play, but it will be a different story vs. NFL rushers. While Wanogho is a very intriguing athlete, his technique, specifically with his hand/punch, must improve to reach his high ceiling.
 

Cotton

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Pre-Combine NFL Draft rankings: Several future NFL starters among the interior OL class
By Dane Brugler 2h ago

In my last article, I wrote about the immense talent at offensive tackle in the early rounds of this draft class. However, it is the exact opposite for this year’s prospects on the interior of the offensive line.

Without a lock first-round pick at guard or center, it isn’t a top-heavy group. But there is quality depth starting in the second round with several players who project as NFL starters.

My pre-combine top-10 interior offensive linemen:

1. Lloyd Cushenberry, LSU (6-3, 312, 5.21)
Geismar, La. (Dutchtown), redshirt junior. Age 22.42 (calculated to nearest 100th on draft day)
A two-year starter at LSU, Cushenberry lined up at center in offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger’s offense, earning team MVP honors in 2019. He became the first offensive lineman to be awarded LSU’s coveted No. 18 jersey (only wore it in practice), which is presented to a player with high character and “does all the right things.”

Cushenberry anchors well in pass protection with his low hips and physical hands, quickly regaining his balance to redirect vs. counters. Although he doesn’t consistently bully in the run game, he stays connected to his man with quickness and tenacity on the move. Overall, Cushenberry needs to tweak some technical shortcomings, but he is an ironman with the lower body agility, natural power and dependable intangibles to be a starting NFL center.

2. Cesar Ruiz, Michigan (6-4, 320, 5.10)
Camden, N.J. (IMG Academy), junior. Age: 20.86
A three-year starter at Michigan, Ruiz was the starting center in head coach Jim Harbaugh’s pro-style offense, starting every game there the last two seasons. The coaches speak highly of his confidence and understanding of protections, which earned him playing time as a true freshman (Harbaugh: “Players gravitate to him and coaches like him”).

While not explosive, Ruiz plays with efficient movement patterns and outstanding body control, sitting in his stance with the awareness to make quick adjustments. He moves his feet well to gain proper angles, load his hands and drive his feet, but sacrifices his balance at times. Overall, Ruiz’s technique tends to break down when rushed, but he is very steady in pass protection and continues to grow as a run blocker, displaying all the ingredients to be a longtime NFL starting center.

3. Robert Hunt, Louisiana (6-5, 314, 5.35)
Burkeville, Texas (Burkeville), redshirt senior. Age: 23.66
A four-year starter, Hunt lined up at right tackle in head coach Billy Napier’s run-heavy offense. Along with right guard Kevin Dotson (his roommate), they formed one of the nastiest right sides of the offensive line in the FBS in 2019, although he missed the second half of the season and part of the draft process due to his groin injury.

Hunt has stubborn hands to keep defenders tied up, not simply engaging, but preferring to strike and bury his opponent. While he rolls into his blocks to overwhelm defenders in the run game, he must use better sink mid-kickslide to win the leverage battle in pass pro. Overall, Hunt needs to clean up some bad habits from a mechanical standpoint, but his quiet feet, loud hands and competitive nature are NFL starting-level traits, projecting best at guard.

All-22 Takeaway: Lined up at right tackle, Hunt shows off his physical demeanor in the run game on this play vs. Mississippi State. He uses his powerful hands to latch-and-drive the defensive end, finishing with his trademarked nasty streak. Hunt has the skills to overwhelm his man without sacrificing his balance.

4. Matt Hennessy, Temple (6-4, 302, 5.05)
Bardonia, N.Y. (Don Bosco Prep), redshirt junior. Age: 22.43
A three-year starter at Temple, Hennessy was the starting center in head coach Rod Carey’s up-tempo RPO attack. He never took a snap at center before he arrived at Temple, but he allowed only one sack the last three years and was awarded a single-digit jersey (practiced with the No. 3) for his toughness, work ethic and appetite for football.

Hennessy is alert and diagnoses quickly with his eyes married to his feet and his hands not too far behind, reaching three techniques with ease. While he isn’t a bully in the run game and will be out-matched by power at times, he does a nice job staying between the ball and defender due to his body control. Overall, Hennessy has only ordinary point-of-attack strength, but he is an athletic craftsman with his outstanding quickness, balance and attention to detail, projecting as an NFL starter in a zone-blocking scheme.

5. John Simpson, Clemson (6-5, 330, 5.26)
North Charleston, S.C. (Fort Dorchester), senior. Age: 22.68
A two-year starter at Clemson, Simpson lined up at left guard in head coach Dabo Swinney’s shotgun spread scheme. Clemson hasn’t had an offensive lineman drafted in the top-90 picks since 1979, but there is a decent chance that will change in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Although he has only average athletic skill and needs to polish his mechanics, Simpson is able to punch holes at the line of scrimmage as a run blocker and consistently gets the job done in pass protection when his technique is right. His intelligence and genuine intangibles are both strong selling points and made him a steadying presence on the interior of Clemson’s line and in the locker room (Swinney: “He’s one of my favorite kids I’ve ever recruited”). Overall, Simpson is built to be a road-grader and dominates his square due to his girthy body and brute power, projecting as starter-level NFL prospect with room to get better.

All-22 Takeaway: The main knock on Simpson is his athleticism, but he has enough functional mobility to execute simple pulls and screens – like this play against Texas A&M. The Clemson left guard does a great job luring the initial defender before disposing of him like a tackling dummy and advancing to the second level. Simpson and the pulling center easily take out linebacker and spring the running back with the inside tunnel action.

6. Damien Lewis, LSU (6-2, 335, 5.30)
Canton, Miss. (Canton), senior. Age: 23.09
A two-year starter at LSU, Lewis lined up at right guard in offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger’s offense. After arriving in Baton Rouge in 2018 from the JUCO level, he instantly became a favorite of the Tigers’ coaching staff, who praised him for his initiative and never-flinching play personality.

With his body girth and thick lower half, Lewis creates a surge in the run game and has an appetite for finishing blocks. While he was rarely overpowered on tape, he struggles to reset after he moves his feet, creating balance issues when asked to block in space. Overall, Lewis doesn’t have high-end athletic traits required for some NFL schemes, but he is a masher in the run game with inline power to wash opponents, giving him a chance to push for starting duties in the NFL.

All-22 Takeaway: Lewis loves his pancakes. When he has the opportunity to put defenders on the ground and bury them, he doesn’t pass it up. On this play vs. Vanderbilt, Lewis (at right guard) blocks his man to the other side of the field, nowhere near the football, and still made it a point to finish him to the ground.

7. Ben Bredeson, Michigan (6-5, 316, 5.34)
Hartland, Wis. (Arrowhead), senior. Age: 22.18
A four-year starter at Michigan, Bredeson lined up at left guard in head coach Jim Harbaugh’s pro-style scheme. One of the few two-time team captains in Michigan history, football is important to him, playing with a killer instinct and the mature toughness that translates to the pros.

Bredeson is a savvy, power-based blocker, who can create a surge with his hands. However, his initial reflex is to react with his hands, not his feet, which will tie him up vs. quick rushers at the snap. Overall, Bredeson displays the lower body tightness and athletic concerns that likely limit him to a phone booth in the NFL, but he is experienced, strong and tough-minded, showing the starting-level positional traits for a power-running scheme.

8. Kevin Dotson, Louisiana (6-4, 310, 5.30)
Plaquemine, La. (Plaquemine), redshirt senior. Age: 23.60
A four-year starter, Dotson lined up at right guard in head coach Billy Napier’s run-heavy offense. Along with right tackle Robert Hunt, he helped anchor one of the best right sides of the offensive line in the FBS the last few seasons, becoming the first player in school history to earn First Team Associated Press All-American honors.

Dotson is naturally strong with a physical punch to win the point-of-attack, displaying better-than-expected mobility. He tends to default to his power too often instead of trusting his technique and his snap-to-snap urgency could use a boost. Overall, Dotson has some untidy elements to his game, but he controls the line of scrimmage and physically moves defenders around the field like a pissed off club bouncer, showing NFL starting potential in a power scheme.

9. Jonah Jackson, Ohio State (6-4, 310, 5.29)
Media, Pa. (Penncrest), redshirt senior. Age: 23.22
A one-year starter at Ohio State, Jackson played left guard in head coach Ryan Day’s scheme. After only 11 wins over his four years at Rutgers, he became an integral part of Ohio State’s 13-win CFB playoff team in 2019 after the Buckeyes lost four of their five offensive line starters from 2018.

Jackson is a very stout blocker and wins with his natural size and energy, overwhelming defenders at the point of attack. His upper half is quicker than his lower half, however, which leads to balance and mechanical issues, especially in space. Overall, Jackson lacks ideal range and isn’t nearly as effective outside his square, but his natural size, strength and tenacity are NFL-quality traits, giving him the chance to fight for NFL starting snaps in his first two seasons.

10. Shane Lemieux, Oregon (6-4, 317, 5.24)
Yakima, Wash. (West Valley), redshirt senior. Age: 22.95
A four-year starter at Oregon, Lemieux lined up at left guard in offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo’s spread, shotgun scheme. He didn’t play on the offensive line until his sophomore year of high school, but proved to be a quick study and started all 52 games at left guard the last four seasons.

Lemieux moves with agile feet and enough body flexibility to leverage the point-of-attack and get his hands involved. However, his timing issues at the snap and with his punch will be even more pronounced vs. NFL-level speed and power. Overall, Lemieux’s lack of explosive traits limits his NFL ceiling, but he works hard to stay engaged and keep defenders occupied, projecting as a scheme-versatile reserve who should push for starting consideration by year two.

All-22 Takeaway: While I think Lemieux has NFL starting potential, this play is an example of those timing issues I mentioned in his report. At left guard vs. Stanford, he allows the nose tackle to cross his face before he can get his hands in position to land his punch. The defender wins the gap and Lemieux’s only hope is to slow him down, which he is unable to do, leading to the holding penalty and near-sack of his quarterback.
 

boozeman

28 Years And Counting...
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I forgot the Combine is going to be in primetime this year. That means they will dumb it down for the casual fan.
 

bbgun

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Combine in primetime, draft picks on boats, etc. Everything has to be a fucking spectacle.
 

Cotton

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Changes Are Coming to the Combine, and the Bench Press May Be Killed Next

Major changes are coming to the combine in 2020, and they sound better for the TV audience than the teams actually scouting players. As they rethink what the combine should be, the bench press may be the next casualty.

KALYN KAHLER FEB 19, 2020

The 2020 edition of the NFL scouting combine is less than a week away, and for the first time ever, the on-field workouts will be televised in the late afternoon and primetime slots instead of the morning and afternoon. The broadcast upgrade has upended a schedule that had hardly changed in years. Weigh-ins were always in the morning all week long, with workouts in late morning/early afternoon and interviews at night. This year, the schedule varies by day. The dramatic broadcast change has been the impetus for even more tweaks to the combine, in position-specific drills, player interviews and team turnout.

“It is easier to name the things that haven’t changed,” said Jeff Foster, president of National Football Scouting Inc., the group that runs the combine. Foster has been directing the combine since 2005, so he’s accustomed to fielding complaints from the 32 clubs each year. This year, he’s braced for more passionate feedback than usual.

Last May, the NFL Network announced it would be broadcasting the on-field workouts in primetime. The move to gain a wider audience had been in the works for several years, but was slow to develop because of how it would disrupt the rest of the combine schedule. Football people are creatures of habit, after all. In response to the broadcast change which would impact every part of the schedule, Foster assembled a committee of five general managers to review all aspects of the event. This committee, dubbed the “combine working group” started meeting with Foster in earnest last August. They held conference calls or in-person meetings every three-to-five weeks to brainstorm improvements. Everything was on the table for discussion, including combine staples like the bench press.

The bench press has been one of the combine components since at least 1985, but many NFL evaluators don’t take it seriously as an indicator of football strength. The bench press is an endurance strength test, and Foster says the committee had discussions about replacing it with a pure strength test that would better project to functional football strength—something like pull-ups, or having players push and throw medicine balls that have an accelerometer inside (a drill like this would measure the amount of force a player can generate by shoving with his hands, a genuine football move).

I polled a handful of scouts on the purpose of the bench press. They all agreed that it doesn’t translate to the field and is only useful when comparing current prospects to past players. Many scouts view the bench press as just a number to reference. It shows NFL teams how much time a prospect spends in the weight room, but not whether that endurance strength will help a wide receiver beat press coverage. Scouts evaluate functional strength live during games or practice and on tape.

“The majority of the combine drills are antiquated and have limited relevance,” one veteran scout says. “If we want to evolve, sure, there will be a gap of time without the ability to compare current to past, but we need to focus more on the future.”

The bench press will still be a part of this year’s combine, but Foster says they are considering eliminating it in the future in an effort to modernize and make sure that each component of the combine is applicable to football.

The bench press hangs on for now, but here are some other changes to watch for this year.

ON-FIELD DRILLS

TV ratings for NFL Network’s live combine coverage have not been impressive, especially compared to the way the draft sets new ratings records every year. Last year, ABC aired a two-hour live combine special on Saturday afternoon from 1-3 p.m. EST that drew a 0.7 rating and was outperformed by several college basketball games. The NFL Network’s 10 a.m.-5 p.m. EST broadcast drew similarly meager ratings at 0.3. According to NFL Network, last year’s live coverage averaged 235,000 overall viewers. Saturday’s coverage of the quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends was the most watched day of the weekend, with 363,000 total viewers. Moving the on-field drills into late afternoon and primetime will help to draw a larger audience for the combine, and many of the changes to on-field drills were made with the entertainment factor in mind.

Foster says the combine has never made this many changes to the on-field workouts before. Roughly eight or nine position-specific drills have been cut from the workouts and replaced with the same number of new drills. The committee decided to add timing to some existing drills like the gauntlet, and the defensive backs’ W drill, in order to make the workouts more entertaining for fans tuning in to the NFL Network’s broadcast. “The idea is to make it more competitive for the group of players,” Foster said. “See if that data helps us as an evaluation, and also make it more exciting for the fans and on TV.”

So this year, viewers will see times listed in order on drills that were never quantifiably competitive before.

Some of the new drills include a smoke route for quarterbacks and wide receivers. A smoke route is a short route, a one-step hitch that is popular in run pass option plays which are now a staple of NFL offenses. The smoke route is usually used on the backside of a run play as a bail out for the quarterback when the run look isn’t there. This drill will also be timed, from the quarterback’s hands to the receiver’s hands.

A screen drill is new for offensive linemen this year, so evaluators can see their speed in blocking on screen plays. Offensive and defensive linemen used to do mirror drills where they would shadow another prospect who would mimic a lineman across the line of scrimmage and act as the “rabbit.” Foster said they have eliminated the rabbit in those drills this year because, “The rabbit doesn’t typically make those movements any other time, so why would we have him do it then? And then we have him turn around and do the drill, that is not reflective of today’s game.” A coach will signal change of direction instead.

For offensive and defensive linemen and tight ends, instead of squaring up to coaches holding bags in certain drills, they will push a sled for two-to-five yards.

For defensive linemen, the committee added a popular figure eight pass rush drill seen at pro days. The prospects will run a timed figure eight formation to show their bend and lean coming around the edge.

FEWER INTERVIEWS

Because of the schedule changes from shifting to primetime, each team will only get 45 interview spots this year, instead of 60. Opinions on this change vary from team to team. Some scouts I spoke with said it’s not a huge change because not every team even used all 60 interview slots.

“Most times, 60 were scheduled because 60 were offered,” one scout said. “Not sure how many teams utilized the full allotment of 60, usually ended in mid- to high-50s,” said another scout.

Each team has its own strategy with interviews. Some will choose players said to have character issues, while others will target certain position groups or players they really like. Whether the full 60 is crucial to a team or not, scouts realize now that they’ll have to make up for that lost time in other ways: pro days, phone calls, video calls, top-30 visits and school contacts.

“Even though it’s only 15 minutes, it’s the only opportunity to get the decision makers in a room with those guys,” one scout said. “15 less guys to be face-to-face with. That’s a big deal.”

FEWER TEAMS SENDING FULL STAFF

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Rams and the Broncos are not sending their full coaching staff to the combine this year. Per Schefter’s sources, both teams felt their coaches would make better use of their time staying home and watching film, or in the Rams, case, the coordinators are staying back to implement new schemes.

I asked scouts if they felt the Rams and Broncos might be starting a trend. Could more teams leave staff at home next year?

“It’s possible, with the combine becoming such a production,” said one evaluator.

“Only decision-makers need to go, scouts don’t really need to be there,” said another NFL scout.

All the film cut-ups of the prospect workouts will be available just a couple days after the combine. The two most important aspects of the combine are the medical and the interview portion. Each team handles interviews differently. Some include area scouts for prospects in their area, some don’t. Some include assistant coaches in interviews, some have no need for that.

“It’s team-by-team and who is making the calls,” said another evaluator. “If coaches aren’t involved in interviews, it is a more efficient allocation of time [to stay home.]”

Privately, several scouts expressed concerns that the NFL has taken the combine too far in aiming to profit off of it. In the effort to amp up the combine and make it a more entertaining and lucrative product, the event is becoming increasingly less user-friendly for the club staff who were the original purpose for the combine.

“Priority A of the combine is medical,” said one scout. “Priority B is interviews. It’s been rearranged for the workouts, which is the part that is increasingly less relevant to the people that matter.”

The way the combine drills are structured makes it inefficient from a scouting standpoint. WR1 runs a route. Then 30 more receivers run the same route before WR1 runs again. A few days after the combine, a scout can watch all of WR1’s routes back-to-back-to-back.

The networking aspect of the combine will always be beneficial because it’s the only time in the year where all of the league is one place at the same time. But as the combine grows into a production of even longer days, catering more and more to the entertainment of the TV audience, it’s making more sense for scouts or assistant coaches to stay back and spend time watching game tape.

“The drills may be different, but you still can not replicate football,” one scout said. “When was the last time you saw a quarterback get pressured or throw into tight coverage at the combine? If the drills reflected football, I’d pay attention.”

POTENTIAL COMBINE HOLDOUTS?

With the combine becoming such a production and important event for the NFL, there’s a bit of buzz around the idea of high-profile prospects holding out for money to participate. If the combine sees a big revenue jump from gaining a wider primetime audience, will marquee prospects start to demand a cut of that money for their participation?

Without knowing what ratings the combine will deliver in primetime, it’s hard to say what the increase in ad revenue would be this year. A spokesperson for the NFL Network declined to comment when asked to estimate additional revenue for the 2020 scouting combine.

One veteran NFL agent I spoke with said it’s an idea he’s heard other agents talk about seriously. Another agent said he could see it being a realistic option. The prospect would have to be a really big name to pull it off, like Joe Burrow in this year’s class. If the ratings increase significantly this year and make the combine more of a moneymaker, the possibility of getting prospects paid will likely gain momentum.

The topic will be on the agenda for the annual agents meeting at the combine.

Another agent who says he has heard rumblings of getting prospects paid to participate said that a holdout would be a shortsighted idea, because the combine is worth millions in terms of potential draft selection. “Teams like the competition aspect of the combine,” the agent said. “The spread from first pick to 10th pick is over $20 million. Each pick is millions. I could see a small number of guys possibly getting bad advice and skipping but I don’t expect it to be a trend.”

This year’s combine will feel different for the agents and teams going through it, and fans watching on TV. For any team employees reading this, Foster has one request. “When the combine is over, I would love to get a summary of what your pains are, and what about your experience was good and bad,” he said. “Because we are going to have a lot of learning coming out of this event that will help us shape the 2021 event.”
 

Cotton

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boozeman

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It is not a coincidence they incorporate all of these new drills the exact same year it goes primetime.
 

Cotton

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Pre-combine NFL Draft rankings: Crowded cornerback group after Jeff Okudah
By Dane Brugler Feb 23, 2020

The cornerbacks who make up the top tier in the 2020 NFL Draft is not a long list: Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah. The former Buckeyes player sits atop the mountain by himself and has a great chance to be the second defender drafted (after his former teammate Chase Young), possibly as early as the top three picks.

But that second tier is a crowded, diverse group of cornerbacks, making it tough to figure out where it ends, and the next tier begins. For most NFL teams, cornerback is a stopwatch position, meaning the combine could alter how these corners are stacked on the board during pre-draft meetings in March.

Here are the top 10 pre-combine cornerbacks:

1. Jeff Okudah, Ohio State (6-1, 200, 4.45)
Grand Prairie, Texas (South Grand Prairie), junior. Age: 21.23 (calculated to nearest 100th on draft day)
A one-year starter at Ohio State, Okudah lined up at left cornerback in defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s press-heavy scheme, seeing extensive reps on an island in Cover-1. The Buckeyes have been a cornerback factory when it comes to producing NFL-level players, but none of them were unanimous All-Americans like Okudah, who led the team in passes defended and interceptions in 2019.

Okudah owns the athletic twitch to attach himself to receivers and make plays on the football, showing a keen understanding of zone, man and different schemes. He learned from three different position coaches in his three seasons in Columbus, and his technique quickly caught up with his traits. Overall, Okudah owns the necessary physical and mental makeup to be a No. 1 cornerback early in his NFL career, projecting as one of the best defensive prospects in the 2020 draft class.

2. CJ Henderson, Florida (6-1, 196, 4.43)
Miami, Fla. (Columbus), junior. Age: 21.56
A three-year starter at Florida, Henderson was the boundary corner in defensive coordinator Todd Grantham’s versatile 3-4 scheme, playing man and zone coverages. He didn’t record an interception as a junior, but he was targeted only 4.2 times per game in 2019 as teams looked to throw away from him (Grantham: “He’s the best corner I’ve ever coached”).

A finely tuned athlete, Henderson often does everything right for the first 90 percent of the play with coordinated movements to blanket routes, but his catch-point skills are immature, leading to early contact and inconsistent plays on the ball. While he has a quick trigger to drive on plays in front of him, his break down and finishing skills are not currently strengths to his game. Overall, Henderson needs to become a better tackler and playmaker at the catch point, but his athletic traits, length and mindset are why he is one of the best press-man prospects in the 2020 draft class, projecting as a rookie starter.

All-22 takeaway: Lined up at the bottom of the screen, Henderson shows off his impressive physical traits on this play against LSU’s Biletnikoff Award-winning receiver Ja’Marr Chase. The Gators cornerback is a tad lax in his technique and pedal at the snap, allowing Chase to gain a step vertically. However, Henderson easily recovers due to his speed, locating the football and using his length to bat away the pass.

3. Jeff Gladney, TCU (5-10, 183, 4.43)
New Boston, Texas (New Boston), redshirt senior. Age: 23.36
A four-year starter at TCU, Gladney was the starting left cornerback in head coach Gary Patterson’s press-heavy scheme, often following the opponent’s best receiver. He registered more passes defended (43) than starts (42) over his career and was one of only two FBS players (along with Amik Robertson) with at least 15 passes defended each of the past two seasons.

Gladney has the athletic movement skills to pattern match from press and instinctively plays through the hands of the receiver. He plays like a junkyard dog, but he isn’t a technically sound player, with a bad habit of grabbing and gripping downfield. Overall, Gladney is a scrappy, quick-footed athlete with an ultra-competitive play personality, and if he can improve his route anticipation and be more subtle with his physicality, he will be a decade-long NFL starter.

All-22 takeaway: The Baylor-TCU tape from this past season featured one of the better prospect-vs.-prospect matchups with Gladney versus wide receiver Denzel Mims. Lined up at the top of the screen, Gladney is playing tight man coverage in the red zone, using his trademark physicality to swarm the receiver. At the top of the route, he shows better reaction skills than Mims, diving and knocking away the pass. This play is Gladney in a nutshell.

4. Trevon Diggs, Alabama (6-2, 202, 4.46)
Gaithersburg, Md. (Avalon School), senior. Age: 22.59
A two-year starter at Alabama, Diggs lined up primarily at left cornerback in Nick Saban’s press-man heavy scheme, occasionally seeing snaps against the slot. He was better known as Stefon Diggs’ younger brother growing up, but he grew out of his shadow and carved his own path, playing his college ball at Alabama instead of Maryland and changing his number (wears No. 7 due to Tyrann Mathieu).

Diggs arrived in Tuscaloosa as a two-way player, and his offensive background benefits him on defense with his ball skills and awareness for what the offense is trying to do. Alabama allows him to be an athlete on the field and he clearly lacks refinement, which can be frustrating at times, but his read/react skills allow him to get away with it. Overall, Diggs needs to clean up his technique and discipline in coverage to reach his full potential, but he has shown improvement in those areas and projects as an NFL starter due to his size, speed and competitive nature.

5. Kristian Fulton, LSU (6-0, 194, 4.46)
Metairie, La. (Archbishop Rummel), senior. Age: 21.64
A two-year starter at LSU, Fulton lined up as the left cornerback in defensive coordinator Dave Aranda’s NFL press-man scheme, also seeing snaps inside against the slot receiver. After his one-season ban and two season-ending injuries, he returned to Baton Rouge in 2019 with plenty to prove, earning high grades in coverage as a senior.

Fulton has a patient process to stay under control in his transition movements, displaying the athletic and mental requirements to match receiver steps mid-route. He shows the instincts and toughness to handle nickel duties, but he must become a more reliable run defender. Overall, Fulton has room to improve his tackling and body positioning downfield, but he stays in the pocket of receivers with his disciplined process, athletic traits and feel for reading breaks, projecting as an NFL starter.

6. Cameron Dantzler, Mississippi State (6-2, 183, 4.48)
Hammond, La. (St. Thomas Aquinas), redshirt junior. Age: 21.64
A two-year starter at Mississippi State, Dantzler was the field cornerback in former defensive coordinator Bob Shoop’s 4-2-5 scheme. Primarily a quarterback in high school, he played cornerback only “a few times” in high school and credits former Bulldogs’ cornerbacks coach and 14-year NFL veteran Terrell Buckley for developing his coverage skills.

Dantzler is quick-footed with slick hips to turn and run on command without losing balance, staying attached to receivers. He doesn’t shy from run support, but his thin frame and lack of body armor are concerns against NFL competition. Overall, Dantzler needs to better find the football and limit his contact downfield, but his reactive athleticism, length and competitive mentality are the baseline traits for starting press-man work in the NFL.

All-22 takeaway: Dantzler reminds me a lot of Kevin Johnson, who was drafted in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Texans. Long and lanky with quick feet, they share several qualities at the position, but one of the reasons Johnson hasn’t lived up to his draft status has been his struggles to consistently turn and find the football. And that also shows on Dantzler’s tape from time to time. Lined up at the bottom of the screen against Louisiana, he does a nice job attaching himself to the route and putting himself in position to make a play. However, Dantzler is late locating and couldn’t do enough to prevent the 30-yard reception.

7. Jaylon Johnson, Utah (5-10, 194, 4.45)
Fresno, Calif. (Central East), junior. Age: 21.01
A two-year starter at Utah, Johnson was the left cornerback in defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley’s 4-2-5 base scheme, lining up both inside and outside. He is a goal-oriented individual who applies a business-like, persevering approach to football, which has paid off for him to this point.

Johnson is a good-sized athlete with the press-man skills and toughness that will attract him to NFL coaches. Although he has recovery speed, his aggressive reaction skills can be a double-edged sword, and savvy route runners will create false steps for him. Overall, Johnson needs to be a better finisher and continue his instinctual development, but he has the athletic traits to ride receivers up and down the field and his competitive mentality will be an immediate fit in a pro locker room, projecting as an NFL starter.

8. Damon Arnette, Ohio State (6-0, 197, 4.49)
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas), redshirt senior. Age: 23.64
A three-year starter at Ohio State, Arnette lined up at right cornerback in defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s NFL press-man scheme, seeing extensive reps on an island. Although he wanted to leave for the NFL after his junior season, he returned to Ohio State and became one of the most improved seniors in the country in 2019. (Safety Jordan Fuller: “He’s just a different guy … his whole approach to everything he does has changed.”)

While he cleaned up the panic plays that plagued him as an underclassman, Arnette aggressively rides receivers in coverage and still has room to improve his downfield discipline and ball skills. As an athlete, he shows terrific reaction quickness and enough speed to stay on top of receivers vertically. Overall, Arnette is a charged-up run defender and boasts the athletic traits to stay hip-to-hip with receivers at all depths of the field, projecting as a man-to-man NFL starter if his reported maturation checks out.

All-22 takeaway: On this play from the Big Ten Championship Game, Wisconsin’s formation ensures that Arnette is alone on an island against the receiver. Nose to nose at the line of scrimmage, he wasn’t able to slow the inside route with his left-handed jab, but his foot quickness helped him instantly recover. Arnette not only stayed on top of the slant pattern, but he then showed his catch-point skills to knock away the throw without going through the receiver or making excess contact. Arnette has top-40 talent, but the off-field question marks are why his ranking will differ from team to team.

9. Noah Igbinoghene, Auburn (5-11, 199, 4.45)
Trussville, Ala. (Hewitt-Trussville), junior. Age: 20.41
A two-year starter at Auburn, Igbinoghene was the right cornerback in defensive coordinator Kevin Steele’s man-heavy scheme. Despite not playing on defense since middle school, he made a smooth transition from receiver to corner in 2018 and rarely came off the field, playing 89.5 percent of defensive snaps the past two years.

The son of world-class track athletes, Igbinoghene has outstanding lower-body athleticism and was groomed from a young age to be a high-performance athlete, attaching himself at the hip of receivers. Although he holds up well in run support, his mechanics and recognition skills at corner are undeveloped areas to his game, biting on route fakes and mauling receivers. Overall, Igbinoghene is a traits-based prospect who is a better athlete than refined cover man right now, but his pro-level foot speed and super-competitive nature are qualities NFL coaches will want to develop.

10. A.J. Terrell, Clemson (6-1, 192, 4.49)
Atlanta, Ga. (Westlake), junior. Age: 21.58
A two-year starter at Clemson, Terrell lined up at cornerback in defensive coordinator Brent Venables’ 4-3 base scheme, playing primarily press-man coverage, but also saw reps in off-man, zone and inside/outside. He didn’t perform very well in the final two games of his college career, especially in the national title game against LSU where Ja’Marr Chase dominated the matchup, but his overall body of work shows a talented player, including a pick-six against Alabama a year earlier in the national title game.

Terrell loves to challenge receivers up and down the field, showing the length and athleticism to stay within arm’s length. However, he will struggle against route specialists due to his average speed and inconsistent fundamental transition skills. Overall, Terrell must develop his hip and lower-body mechanics to maintain his balance in coverage, but he is a well-built athlete with the physical and mental toughness to compete for starting reps early in his NFL career.
 

Cotton

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10 potential Cowboys targets to follow at this week’s NFL scouting combine
By Jon Machota 52m ago

It’s that time of year again: Indianapolis is hosting all 32 NFL teams, the top draft prospects and all of their agents. While the annual scouting combine is designed to give teams a better understanding of the top players in the upcoming draft class, it’s also a time for front-office personnel to meet with agents to get the ball rolling on potential free-agent signings and trades.

The Cowboys are expected to have all of their front-office staff, scouts and coaches on hand. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones will sit down to chat with reporters at some point this week. Executive vice president Stephen Jones is expected to do the same. New head coach Mike McCarthy is scheduled to meet with media members on Wednesday.

There should be plenty of opportunities to learn more about the direction the team is headed with their roster and maybe even get a few nuggets about contract negotiations involving Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper and others.

To get you ready for the draft side of things, we’re going to take a look at some of the top prospects in Indy this week who make sense for the Cowboys. Some projection is needed in this exercise. Assuming the Cowboys won’t be able to sign all of their top free agents, this is an educated guess on the biggest positions they’ll need to fill when the draft begins in late April.

With that in mind, here are 10 prospects attending this week’s combine that could be an ideal fit for the Cowboys in the early rounds.

1.) Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina. Going off early projections, he’s unlikely to fall to Dallas in the middle of the first round. Kinlaw is considered by most experts to be the second-best defensive tackle in this class, behind Auburn’s Derrick Brown. In 12 games over the last two seasons, the 6-6, 310-pound Kinlaw had 10 sacks and 15 tackles for loss. He turned heads at the Senior Bowl before leaving early with knee tendinitis. Maliek Collins is about to be an unrestricted free agent. Dallas needs to get better up the middle. Kinlaw is the type of prospect who could get the Cowboys interested in trading up a few spots. The combine is key for him, as teams await results of his medical testing.

2.) A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa. Many view him as the No. 2 edge rusher in this class behind Ohio State’s Chase Young. Quality pass rushers are so difficult to find that it would make sense for the Cowboys to have interest if Epenesa is still on the board when they pick in the first round. Over the last two seasons (26 games), he accumulated 22 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss. With Robert Quinn about to become an unrestricted free agent, Epenesa (6-6, 280) could be a nice option to line up at right end, opposite of DeMarcus Lawrence on the left side. His burst has been called into question, so organizations like Dallas will closely monitor how he performs in events like the 40-yard dash and 3-cone drill.

3.) Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama. Since safety continues to be one of the weaker areas on the Cowboys roster, it has been a popular position projected to Dallas in most early mock drafts. In two years as a starter (28 games) for the Crimson Tide, the 6-1, 200-pound McKinney had five interceptions, 15 pass breakups, six sacks, six forced fumbles and 169 tackles. Many consider him to be the top safety in the draft class. If that’s not him, it’s…

4.) Grant Delpit, S, LSU. Another possibility for the Cowboys if they decide to draft a safety in the first round. Delpit (6-3, 203) won the Jim Thorpe Award last year as the nation’s best defensive back. Over the last two seasons (27 games), Delpit had seven interceptions, 16 pass breakups, seven sacks, two forced fumbles and 139 tackles. Although the Cowboys have not drafted a safety in the first round since 2002, McKinney or Delpit could be the best players available on their board at Pick 17.

5.) Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama. If Byron Jones signs elsewhere, the Cowboys will need to target a top cornerback early in this year’s draft. Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis only have one year left on their rookie deals. Anthony Brown is about to become an unrestricted free agent. Diggs has excellent size (6-2, 207) and ball skills. He intercepted three passes and broke up eight more last season. Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah, a Grand Prairie native, is the top cornerback in this draft class. He’s expected to go in the top five. The Cowboys may have their pick of the second-best CB in this class at Pick 17.

6.) CJ Henderson, CB, Florida. Henderson had six interceptions, 20 pass breakups, four sacks and eight tackles for loss in three seasons (30 games) with the Gators. Depending on the draft expert, some have Henderson as the No. 2 CB in this class. He also has good size for the position at 6-1, 202. Of the Cowboys’ last 11 first-round picks, cornerback has been the most popular selection. They have picked three: Byron Jones, Morris Claiborne and Mike Jenkins.

7.) Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU. Another cornerback who could be an option in the first round. In 15 games last season for the national champion Tigers, Fulton (6-0, 200) had one interception, 14 pass breakups and 38 tackles. If the Cowboys go on the clock at 17 and several of these top defensive backs still remain, it could provide an opportunity for Dallas to trade back a few spots, gain an extra pick and still get a top DB on the board. The last time the Cowboys traded back in the first round was 2013. They sent the No. 18 pick to San Francisco in exchange for No. 31 and No. 74. Many wanted Dallas to draft Florida DT Sharrif Floyd, who is no longer in the league. They ended up with Travis Frederick and Terrance Williams.

8.) Curtis Weaver, DE, Boise State. If they’re unable to get a top defensive lineman in the first round, the Cowboys will likely target one in the second or third. The Cowboys obviously like their Broncos, having drafted Leighton Vander Esch, Cedrick Wilson, DeMarcus Lawrence, Tyrone Crawford and Orlando Scandrick over the last 12 years. The 6-3, 265-pound Weaver had 34 sacks, 47.5 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, two interceptions and 128 tackles over the last three seasons (40 games).

9.) Kyle Dugger, S, Lenoir-Rhyne. It would be interesting to see if Dallas would go in this direction, considering that vice president of player personnel Will McClay has stayed away from the small schools early in the draft. But Dugger has gained a lot of attention over the last six months. He was one of the top performers at this year’s Senior Bowl. If Dallas doesn’t target a safety in the first round, maybe Dugger (6-2, 220) is an option in the second round.

10.) Jordan Elliott, DT, Missouri. Depending on what the Cowboys do in free agency, defensive tackle seems like a spot they have to target within the first few rounds. Over the last two seasons, Elliott (6-4, 325) totaled 16.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks for the Tigers. He is ranked as the third-best defensive tackle on Dane Brugler’s pre-combine position rankings.
 

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