Champs Sports Bowl: Florida State vs Wisconsin

Wisconsin:

Matt Shaughnessy, DE – I can’t seem to put my finger on Shaughnessy. He has a great motor, good technique in the run and pass game, but he just seems to look lost at points. It’s odd because he seems to really know what he’s doing at times, then just completely disappears. He’s only about 250lbs, so he might be able to move out to 3-4 OLB, but he might be a better fit by putting on some bulk and playing DE in the same scheme (since he’s 6’6” and has the long arms to stack the line in the run game).

Mike Newkirk, DT- I like Newkirk’s quickness off the ball. He’s undersized for a traditional 4-3 DT, so I think he may be best fit as a 3-4 DE. He’s a second day sleeper that I will be watching closely at the combine.

Kraig Urbik, OG- Urbik is a very solid OG prospect in a very weak OG draft. That doesn’t mean I think he’ll be a great pro, I just think that Urbik will benefit from there being little depth of talent at this position, thus moving him up. Urbik isn’t bad though as he’s good enough in the run and pass game to be a solid starter at some point in his pro career. If you look at it that way, he’s exactly what you want in an OG. Unassuming, quiet, doesn’t make huge plays, but doesn’t make many mistakes either.

DeAndre Levy, LB- I like his skills moving toward the LOS. He’s a decent pass rusher, and he sheds blocks well with his hands. He’s a bit of a liability in coverage though. He’d be a good fit as a two-down LB, or on a defense that will not ask him to do much backpedaling.

Allen Langford, CB- I don’t think Langford could cover a TE let alone a WR. I wouldn’t draft him until very late, and even then it’s strictly as a special teams player.

PJ Hill, RB- On one hand, I cannot believe Hill would come out early. On the other hand, he has a history of injuries and he takes a pounding as a big back, so I get it. Hill just isn’t special. He’s a big back with limited break away speed. He needs to be used strictly as a change of pace, short yardage back. To me, that’s someone you look for in the 5th round or so. I’m very interested to see who goes first between Hill and Colorado St’s Gartrell Johnson, as they are both very similar backs. Hill will get you some tough inside yards, but he may not be healthy for a full 16 game slate.

Florida State:

Antone Smith, RB- Smith is a no frills compliment back. He has decent speed, he runs with good effort, and he has good hands. He won’t put up big numbers, but he won’t hurt your team either. He’s a good value as a late round pick.

Greg Carr, WR- I wish Carr had a better work ethic because he does have some very good natural skills. But besides his character issues, Carr just flat out can’t accelerate with his height. It takes him too long to get to top end speed, and he has to really throttle it down in his breaks on routes, which allows the corner to make a move on the throw. With his height, long arms, and leaping ability, someone will draft him even if it’s strictly as a red zone player. But I’m just not sure that’s enough to warrant a roster spot for Carr as he’s not going to put in the effort needed on special teams.

Myron Rolle, SS- I don’t need to say much here about Rolle except that I applaud his decision to forgo the draft and go to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. This may be the first and last time that ‘Florida State Football Player’ and ‘Rhodes Scholar’ go together, but I’m very happy for this young man. He may still have a future in football, but being completely honest, I was never fully impressed with his play on the field. He showed some flashes here and there, but he didn’t seem to have the field awareness that matched his intelligence. And because of this, he seemed to be a step slow on the field. Now, maybe it’s because he is actually a step slow for the position, but I think it’s the former rather than the latter. Last time I checked, being a doctor doesn’t involve brain jarring collisions and pays fairly well to boot, so I’d stick with the road he’s traveling right now if I were him.

Graham Gano, K/P- I know, I know, I’m actually talking about a kicker. It’s a shocking development! But there is very good reason for this. Gano has a great leg on kickoffs, was the Lou Groza award winner for the best kicker in 2008, and had three of the best punts I have ever seen in a game. If you did not see this game, Gano put three punts in a row within three yards of the opponents goal line (the first was about on the one inch line). It was an impressive display of punting accuracy for a guy who is technically a better place kicker than a punter. But with his ability to do both, it will help his cause in getting drafted by a team since he can essentially back up both kicking spots with one player. I'd say Gano is the best place kicker in this draft, but still not worth anything over a 5th or 6th round pick.

Everette Brown, DE- Coming in to this year, I was excited to see Brown’s development. Watching him last year I thought he had a chance to be the next great pass rusher out of FSU, and he looks to have proved me right. Brown is a phenomenal pass rusher, and I don’t throw that term out loosely. Most media outlets will talk about his great speed around the edge, but what I like most is his arsenal of pass rush moves and how he sets each one up. Brown does a great job of mixing speed with power and inside counter moves as well. His spin move to the inside is outstanding, and reminds me a bit of Dwight Freeney. The thing is, Freeney didn’t develop that second move until his NFL career started. Brown is as mature as a three year veteran in the NFL as far as ability to rush the passer. He has 10+ sack a year potential, which is what pushes his stock up into the top 15 range. My only concern with Brown is his relatively poor rush defense. I believe the reason he doesn’t excel at this is because he tends to get up field too fast, so he can run past the play, but this is correctable with some coaching. Brown has the ability to play in a 3-4 as an OLB or I think he can even play as a down DE in the right scheme. Whatever team takes him will be very happy with the return on their investment as I think Brown will be an immediate impact pass rusher in the NFL.