Alamo Bowl: Northwestern vs Missouri

Northwestern:

Corey Wooten, DE – If Wooten doesn’t get hurt in this game (blew his knee out) I think he should have come out early. He has good speed and knows how to flatten around the corner. But maybe getting hurt will be a blessing in disguise. He could use another year to work on his technique and using his hands to beat the man in front of him. Wooten relies on his outside and speed and stunts to get to the QB, which is fine as it works well, but improving his technique and pass rush moves will make him that much more valuable. I really like his potential though and think he will be in first day consideration for the 2010 draft.

Tyrell Sutton, RB- Sutton’s size injury history really hurt his stock in the draft, but I believe he’s talented enough to overcome this. He’s quick and he runs harder than a lot of bigger backs do. What scares me the most about Sutton though are his small legs. They seem almost too lean, and I’m concerned that will lead to further injuries when bigger guys are always hitting him at the next level. He’s a late round prospect, but I expect he will get drafted.

Prince Kwateng, OLB- Kwateng is an undersized LB that is very quick and hits hard. He’s good in pass coverage, but he can get swallowed up in traffic due to this size. I don’t know if he’d ever be a starter, but he could make a good living on special teams and is a valuable late round pick.

CJ Bacher, QB- He has a decent arm, but his injury history is what will scare teams away.

Missouri:

Sean Witherspoon, OLB- I was very glad to see Witherspoon decide to come back for his Senior year. Witherspoon has great closing speed and athleticism, and he’s at his best when coming forward and attacking the LOS. The biggest problem I have with him is that he struggles to read his keys and his instincts aren’t up to his level of athleticism. If Witherspoon can work on diagnosing plays earlier, he could be a monster. As is, he has the speed and agility to break a step too late and still make the play on the ball carrier. I’d also like to see him be a bit more aggressive in the open field and run through his tackles. It’s a small thing to work on, and if he can show an improvement in the mental side of his game, he’s got the potential to be a top 20 draft pick.

Chase Coffman, TE- Coffman has been one of my favorite TEs over the past three years. He’s an amazing offensive weapon, and I liken him to another man’s Greg Olsen. He’s not your typical inline TE, he’s more of the new breed of TE that can be split out wide to take advantage of match ups in the passing game. He’s faster than LBs who would cover him, and bigger than DBs. I would take him in the early second and not think twice as he’s shown over a period of three years that he can be a difference maker at the next level. He did get hurt in this bowl game, which could affect his draft status, but if I’m a team like Buffalo that needs a TE desperately, I make the move and draft Coffman in the second round. He will be good right away, especially in a pass heavy offense (say the Patriots for example).

Ziggy Hood, DT- Hood really stood out in the games I watched him play this season. It’s hard to consistently flash in games where you notice a lineman standing out, but Hood did this several times. He’s a very active three-technique tackle whose game is built on speed and quickness of the ball. He penetrates into the backfield and disrupts running lanes, and gets after the passer. The only knock I have on him is that he can get washed by double teams against the run, but this isn’t what he’s best at. Teams like Indianapolis or Tampa Bay would do well to grab Hood before he slips as he’d be perfect in those Cover-2 defenses. I think Hood is worth a high second round pick, and with a good combine, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he pushes into the late first round. He’s one of the better DT prospects that doesn’t seem to be getting much recognition.

Chase Daniel, QB- Daniel has gotten a lot of media attention over the past few years for the numbers he’s put up in Missouri’s spread offense. But that’s where the talk should stop and end. Daniel falls into the category of very good college QBs that played in a system that fit them well. Daniel will never be an NFL QB and I wouldn’t even spend a late round pick on him. He’s far too short to see over his offensive linemen at the next level, his arm is not strong at all, and he’s not very accurate either. Couple this with some poor decision making skills at times, and it’s the recipe for an undrafted free agent at best.

William Moore, S- I was really excited about watching Moore after being impressed with his play last year. So it saddens me to say that Moore really took a step back in his senior year. He showed an inability to make proper reads in pass coverage, and really looked like he wanted to only make plays in the running game. When he lined up against slot receivers, it made it clear that he’s not able to play man coverage up on the line. He can’t get his hips flipped quick enough to turn and run with WRs, and I don’t think he has the long speed to recover from this either. He still has good potential as a SS in the right defense though. He’s a very good tackler, and is best when moving toward the line of scrimmage. If he can be paired with a FS that can cover a lot of ground and help make up for Moore’s lack of ability in coverage, he can be successful. He’s a fringe second round pick to me, and I’d feel a lot better about drafting him in the early third instead.

Brock Christopher, MLB- I like Christopher, even though he doesn’t seem to be a very good athlete. He’s not very fast or big, he’s just a smart and instinctive play maker. I think his best fit would be in 3-4 where a speedier ILB can be paired with Christopher to plug the run and the pass. He’s definitely a late round pick, but there is something about him that I really like. He plays the game hard, and is a better football player than an athlete.

Jeremy Maclin, WR- There is no questioning Maclin’s game changing ability. He’s definitely right with Crabtree, battling to be the first WR taken in the draft. He’s a bit rawer than Crabtree is, but Maclin has more potential to improve. His speed is what makes Maclin a home run threat on every play and in the return game as well. He just needs to work on refining his route running in order to really reach his full potential. Because of this aspect, he might not make an impact as a WR right away, but he will make his presence known as a kick returner and deep threat. He’s worthy of a top 10 pick for certain.