Fiesta Bowl: Texas vs Ohio State

Texas:

Brian Orakpo, DE– I think Orakpo was the best DE in college football this year. I think Orakpo is the kind of athlete that can play either a down DE or as a 3-4 OLB. What sets Orakpo apart from the other top DEs is his intelligence. He sets the edge in the run game, maintains outside leverage and pushes plays inside, and he scrapes down the line well on plays away from him. He has great edge speed and mixes his power and speed moves well enough to keep guys off balance. He hustles and chases plays, and gives his full effort. He has a very high floor and little bust potential as a top 10 pick. He could go as high as #3 to Kansas City, but I would doubt he gets past Buffalo at #11.

Colt McCoy, QB- There are some things that McCoy improved on from last year, which was great to see, but he still has some other things to improve next year. It was the right choice to come back for his Senior year. McCoy is very accurate, has a quick release, and is very athletic running outside of the pocket. His arm isn’t as strong as it could be, but it’s strong enough and he can work on that for next year as well. What I’d like to see McCoy continue to work on is not going to the scramble too quickly and finishing his reads, and most importantly, not stare down his receivers. He doesn’t do it al the time, but you can see him do this, and that means any NFL safety can see this as well. What hurts is the primary shotgun offense at Texas, but I’d be willing to look past this. I think he has starter potential in the NFL, but I’m not sold on giving him a first round grade at this point. He can improve though and I will be watching him closely next year.

Jordan Shipley, WR- Shipley reminds me a lot of Wes Welker, and no, it’s not because he’s white and plays WR. It’s because he’s at his best going over the middle, and it’s his quickness that makes him so dangerous. Add to this the fact that he is an impact return man in the punt and kick game. He has great vision to go with his quickness and speed, and he can hit the home run at any time. He’s a bit on the smaller side though. Another year to prove himself and get stronger will only help his cause, but I think he’s at worst a second round pick next year.

Quan Cosby, WR- I really like Cosby as a slot receiver. He’s quick, he has good hands, he runs good enough routes, but I’m concerned he may struggle to get off the jam in the NFL. I’d like him a lot more if he showed this production over several years, but his college football career was shortened due to a stint in minor league baseball. He may need a year or two of grooming to fully develop, but he has the ability to contribute at the next level.

Chris Ogbonnaya, RB- Ogbonnaya is going to slip through the cracks come draft day because he doesn’t excel at any one phase of the game. But he’s very well rounded. He keeps his legs driving hard, so he gets tough yards on the inside. He also has very good hands and caught a lot of swing passes this year. What I liked best was his ability to block on passing downs. He’d be a great complimentary back to get in the later rounds.

Roy Miller, DT- Miller is a scrapper. He’s a disruptive DT who is very solid against the run and pass. He’s probably best as either a 3-4 DE or a 4-3 NT. He can really rush the passer from the inside though, but that’s down to effort more than natural talent.

Ohio State:

Malcolm Jenkins, CB- Lets start with some of the positives: Jenkins is physical, he can tackle very well in the open field, he has great closing speed, and he can even blitz as well. He also showed an improvement in zone coverage awareness, which was something I dinged him on last year. What still concerns me is that I don’t know if he is able to play press man coverage as he played almost exclusively in off man coverage in his college career. I’d still definitely say he’s the top CB prospect in this draft, and unlike others, I think that’s where his future in the NFL is at (and not at safety). These questions make me hesitant to take him in the top 10, but he’s right on the edge of this territory. His 40 and shuttle times at the combine will need to be closely monitored to see if what I’ve seen on film is correct. I do think he’s an immediate starter though, and a team like New Orleans would be a great fit.

James Laurinaitis, ILB- For those of you that did not read my coverage over the past two years, I’m not a fan of Laurinaitis. I just don’t see what everyone else in the media does, and the same problems seem to have carried across year to year in his play. He’s far too passive in his play, and when he does make plays, it’s 10 yards down the field. That is not what you want in a 4-3 MLB. You need guys like Maualuga that play down hill and make plays at the line or behind it. Part of this may be due to Laurinaitis’ size. He gets engulfed very easily over the middle of the field by offensive linemen. He doesn’t seem to have the hand strength to redirect blockers, shed them, and make the play. He almost tries to run around people to make plays, but he’s not fast enough to do that. I made a pretty bold claim last year that I didn’t think he was a first rounder, and now most mock drafts have him either very low in the first round or early in the second. With his production, I think someone will take a chance on him in the late first round. With a good 40 time at the combine, I might be willing to say he could move outside in a 3-4. Otherwise he needs to go to a 3-4 team where he can be paired with a thumper LB next to him who can clog the run game up (as well as a beefy NT to occupy blockers). If he can find an ideal situation like that, then I could see him sneaking into the bottom part of the first round to a team like the Patriots or Dolphins. I’m still very weary of him though, and I think there is a good amount of bust potential there.

Cameron Heyward, DE- Heyward was very impressive physically last year as a true Freshman starting for a team that played in the National Championship game. I didn’t see a huge improvement in Heyward’s game this year, but he still looks very promising. He’s a big DE who is probably best fit as a 3-4 DE in the pros, but he seems versatile enough to play left end in a 4-3 as well. He needs to work next year on refining his pass rush technique, as he’s still relying a bit too much on his raw talent and power. He has very long arms though and knocks a lot of passes down at the line. I still really like Heyward’s potential and see him being a first round caliber player in two years (assuming he stays until he’s a Senior).

Marcus Freeman, OLB- Freeman is a really hard prospect to peg. He’s maddeningly inconsistent, yet the flashes of ability he shows make you want to pick him higher than you should. Some team is going to draft him higher than he should go with the thought that their coaching staff can get the most out of Freeman’s potential. There is not questioning Freeman’s athleticism, size, and speed. He’s what you ideally look for in a WLB in a 4-3 defense. The major issues with Freeman stem from his coverage ability. The minute he’s asked to flip his hips and drop into zone coverage or man up against a TE, he looks lost. Saying he’s horrible in coverage is being kind. But if it’s a run play or a blitz, he’s outstanding. I wouldn’t risk a pick on him until the 4th round, but I could see him sneaking into the 3rd round due to his potential.

Alex Boone, OT- I liked what I saw in Boone last year. In fact, I thought he had potential to be a first round pick last year had he come out early. But Boone took a massive step back this season. It’s that or he just showed more of what type of prospect he truly is. Boone struggled last year in blocking the second level, and he still continues to do so. He’s also very slow getting out of his stance and into his pass pro set. Taking this into account, I would say he definitely cannot play LT in the NFL, and I’d even go as far as saying RT is out of the question as well. But he’s still got value as I think he might be better suited playing on the inside. He gets a good push in the run game, and since his arms look shorter than ideal for playing on the edge, it may be the best move for his career. If you draft him as a guard, he can always play RT in a pinch and probably not kill your team. I’d not look to him until the 4th round range though. That’s quite a drop from last off-season!

Brian Robiskie, WR- I think Robiskie is the most underrated WR in this draft. He comes from NFL bloodlines, as his dad was a WR for the Raiders and Dolphins and is still a WR coach in Atlanta. It shows in his preparation and route running. If you want to know how to play the position, watch Robiskie. He gets all of the little things right, and he knows how to put them all together. The only thing I question is his long speed as he seems to struggle to separate from the DB on long routes. But that’s not where his game is best suited. He’s a Larry Fitzgerald type who will outwork the DB to get to the football. I would take him in the late first round and not think twice, but I’m guessing he won’t run as well as some of these other guys and will go lower than he should. I would take him over Heyward-Bey because he’s more NFL ready at this point in his career. I am hoping and praying he slips to the Bears in the second round, but I highly doubt that happens.

Steve Rehring, OG- Rehring is a decent OG prospect; he’s just not special in either phase of the game. But he’s got the ability to be a solid back up at any of the three interior line positions.

Thadeous Gibson, DE- Gibson is a lot like last year’s top ten pick Vernon Gholston (in a good way). He’s very fast, he looks to be very strong at the point of attack and in the bull rush, and he’s an impact pass rusher. He does struggle to keep consistency though, and he’s had some injuries, so there is some downside there as well. He’s still young though as has time to develop. He’s got very good potential if he can just match this with consistent effort.

Chris ‘Beanie’ Wells, RB- Beanie’s injury history is a major red flag for me, and it’s enough that I would have to swallow very hard if I was taking him in the late first round. Add to this that he’s a bit soft for a big back as well. The perfect example of this is when he runs toward the sideline. Instead of initiating contact and getting extra yards, he’ll pull up and run out of bounds to avoid contact. I absolutely HATE that! I grew up on Walter Peyton, the man with the nastiest stiff arm around. When he ran toward the sideline, he looked for someone to level and try to get a few more tough yards. But there are a number of good things about Wells. He’s a very patient runner who allows his blocks to form then hits the hole hard with good burst for a guy his size. He’s a lot shiftier for a big back than I thought, but he’s not going to run around guys either. He’s a first round talent with a 4th rounder’s medical history. It’s definitely ‘caveat emptor’ with Wells, but a team like Philly would be a great spot to land with the number 21 or 28 pick. To me, RBs this year are last year’s WRs, where teams will feel that they can get better value at this position from the second round onward (so we might see guys like Wells and Moreno slide to the second).

Terrell Prior, QB- As a true Freshman, you have to temper your expectations of Prior. He’s an unbelievable athlete, and he runs like a gazelle for a guy with legs as long as his are. But the biggest problem is also this same positive, his athletic ability and speed. It makes it far too easy for him to tuck the ball and run. As a true passer, Prior is terrible! His arm is not strong enough and his accuracy and touch are plain bad. Having said this, I will go back once again to the fact that he’s a true Freshman, so I don’t expect much more from him than to do what he knows best (and that’s run). He has at least another two years to develop as a QB, but he needs to really show some improvement as a pocket passer or he’s destined for a position change in the NFL.

Brian Hartline, WR- I have no idea why Hartline decided to come out. He took a step back this year, which can partially be contributed to the QB play, so I just don’t get it. With Robiskie leaving, he would have been the primary receiver next year. Going strictly off this year’s footage, I don’t think I’d take him any time before the 6th round. Going back to last year’s footage, I’d still go no higher than the mid to late 4th on him.