Thursday, February 26, 2009

Cotton Bowl: Ole Miss vs Texas Tech

Mississippi:

Michael Oher, OT– If you read most other popular NFL draft sites (ESPN, etc), you’ll have hear Michael Oher isn’t as good as the other prospects. If you read a lot of sports book, maybe you’ve read ‘The Blind Side’, which is a book written about Oher’s rough childhood and upbringing and how he made something out of this by getting to Ole Miss. I unfortunately think a lot of people have read this book and are forming an opinion of the player based on this. That’s a shame because I think after watching a lot of tape on all of the top OTs, Oher may now be my favorite. He has long arms, a very good base, and he’s good in both phases. The only flaw I could find in his game is that he can overextend at times, but since he keeps a wide base, he regains control easily. This can carry over in the second level as well, as he can struggle to find the target, but once he does, he dominates LBs. What sets him apart to me is that he is more aggressive than the other top players at this position. In the pass and run game, Oher finishes blocks. He has the feet to play LT, but he could also play RT. I think Oher has a bright future, and those teams that pass on him due to these thoughts that he’s not consistent enough will regret it every time they see him make a Pro Bowl.

Jevan Snead, QB- Snead is a young QB that I think could be very good in time. He’s only a Sophomore, so he still has time to develop, but his raw skills are unquestionable. He has quick feet, he can escape the rush if needed, he has a very quick release, and his arm is strong. He has a gunslinger mentality as well, which is a positive and negative because he can force throws at times. His problem right now is his decision making. It’s very poor to be honest. But this is something that can easily be corrected with experience playing, and he has at least two years left to get that. You can’t teach the tangibles he has, so he just needs to work on his pass drops and read progressions. If he can improve in these areas, we may be talking about him as one of the top QBs in the 2011 draft.

Peria Jerry, DT- I absolutely love Peria Jerry! He is the classic undertackle for a 4-3, and it’s a mistake if you try to put him in anything else. He’s extremely quick off the ball, and he is in the backfield on almost every play. He’s an impact interior pass rusher, and he can disrupt the run game by shooting the gap. He will need to play against a bigger DT who can occupy blockers, but I think he’s as good as BJ Raji. They are two different types of DTs, but both are outstanding. He reminds me of a young Tommie Harris.

Greg Hardy, DE- Hardy almost came out this year and I would not have argued if he did. He definitely would have been right near the top of the list for the top Des in the draft. But Hardy made the smart move by returning to school for his Senior year. There is no question Hardy is an impact pass rusher. He was single handedly responsible for winning the game against Florida with one of the better individual performances I saw all year. My main issue with Hardy is that he’s been hurt and missed games in the past two years. He needs to come back strong, with a bit more muscle on him, stay healthy, and prove he can produce without Jerry playing next to him. If he can do this, he’s got top 15 potential next year.

John Jerry, OT- Jerry is a very solid RT, and my guess is that he will move to the left side next year and replace Oher. I’m interested to see how he plays on the left side next year as I think his pro future is on the right side. He’s a dominant run blocker, and a more than effective pass blocker. He’s definitely one of the top returning OTs next year.

Mike Wallace, WR- Wallace is going to be an absolute beast of a sleeper if there continues to be this little hype about him. He shows great concentration in making some very difficult catches. He’ll go over the middle, he can return kicks, and he’s got outstanding speed. He’s a bit raw in his routes still, but his upside is worth it. He may need a year to develop, but he will be a very productive pro WR.

Texas Tech:

Graham Harrell, QB- I have never been a fan of Harrell. To me, he is yet another system QB to come out of the Red Raider offense. He does not have the arm to play in the NFL, and his accuracy is not as good as advertised. He was helped a great deal by having such an amazing WR in Michael Crabtree. If he even gets drafted at all, it will be very late.

Michael Crabtree, WR- Now here is a player you need to believe the hype on. Crabtree is absolutely the real deal, and he’s the most pro ready receiver since Calvin Johnson. He’s a different player than Johnson was, but he’s just as valuable. Everyone wants to compare him to Larry Fitzgerald, but I personally think he’s got more Anquan Boldin in him. He doesn’t have blazing top end speed, but he’s deceptively quick. He gets separation from corners, he runs impeccable routes, and he has outstanding hands. What I really like best about him is his special awareness of coverage. He has a feel for soft spots in zone coverage and knows where to go to help his QB out. This is something you don’t see in NFL receivers until they’ve played for four or five years. He can come right in and be the number one receiver for a team. I’d take him with the top overall pick and not be upset, but there isn’t a shot the Lions will take another WR that early.

Brandon Williams, DE- I have absolutely no idea why Williams decided to come out early. He showed flashes at times, and had good sack numbers, but numbers don’t always tell the whole story. He’s weak at the point and can’t stop the run well at all. Using this bowl game as point A in why he shouldn’t have come out? Oher flat out dominated him all game. He beat him so soundly that Texas Tech finally moved Williams to the right side to see if he could do anything there (he didn’t). I wouldn’t touch him until the 5th round at the very earliest.

Darrell McBath, FS- McBath is a very interesting FS prospect. I think he looks a bit more like a SS in the league, but if he runs well at the combine, I’d be willing to say he could stay at FS. Late round prospect, but not bad.

Louis Vasquez, OG- It’s very hard to read these Texas Tech offensive linemen. They pass so much that you just can’t tell if these guys can run block or not. Vasquez does not stand out to me. He’s decent, but nothing more than a very late round pick.

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