Holiday Bowl: Oregon vs Oklahoma State

Oregon:

Fenuki Tupou, OT – Tupou played LT at Oregon, but I don’t think he’ll have the foot speed to play the position in the NFL. But I do think that Tupou is one of the better RT prospects in this draft. He has good athleticism for his size, and he’s very strong and physical. He’s outstanding in the run game and gets a very good hand punch which jolts defenders off the line. One thing I am very curious to see is his arm length, as I’m a bit concerned they may be a bit shorter than ideal to play on the outside. If that is true, he still could have a bright future at OG. I’d pick him as early as the third, and he’d be a very nice replacement for John Tait as far as the Bears go.

Max Unger, OC- Unger and Alex Mack of Cal were the two best centers I saw play last year, and after this year, I’d say they are two of the better centers I have seen in some time. Unger is a bit better than Mack in the run game as he gets a good push off the line. He has an incredible feel fro blocks and he rebounds very well if he gets himself out of position. I’d say he has first round talent, but will more than likely get picked within the first five or so picks of the second round. He’s a guy who can start right away and will be a future Pro Bowler.

Patrick Chung, SS- I really liked Chung when I watched him play last year, and he impressed me again this year. He’s a perfect fit at SS, as he’s very good against the run game and equally as good against the pass. His instincts are what sets him apart as he is always around the ball and reads his keys very well. The only question I have about him is his long speed, as he seemed to struggle a bit to recover the very few times he found himself out of position. If he runs well at the combine, he may be the first safety drafted in the early second round. He’s definitely the best SS prospect in this year’s draft.

Jairus Byrd, CB- I think Byrd took a step back this year, as he did not impress me as much as he did last year. He’s a bit undersized, and I’m unsure he has the long speed to hold up in a defense that runs primarily man-to-man coverage. He’d make an excellent fit in a Cover-2 zone defense though. He has a very good knack for locating the ball and can make big plays once he gets his hands on it. He’s a very good prospect that might slip into the third round, which is about where I think his value fits best.

Nick Reed, DE- Reed holds the POA very well and looks strong for a smaller player (Reed is only about 250 pounds). He plays with a high motor, and his effort gets him in on more plays than his natural ability. He’s a decent pass rusher as well, but he doesn’t have elite level closing speed once he gets the corner. I don’t think he’s big enough to play OLB in a 3-4, and I’m not sure he can hold up as an every down 4-3 DE, so I’m really not sure where his value falls. He’s a good football player though, and some team will be happy that they have him in the later rounds.

Oklahoma State:

Russell Okung, OT- I’m glad that Okung decided to come back for his Senior year, because despite what other media outlets listed, he was not worthy of a first round pick at this point in his career. He has the frame and feet to be an NFL LT, he just has poor technique and awareness. He has the tendency to get too high out of his stance and can get pushed into the backfield by bull rushers. So with another year, he needs to work on getting stronger at the POA, and working on the finer points of his technique. If he can show even marginal improvement in these areas, he’s going to be a first or second round pick.

Brandon Pettigrew, TE- Pettigrew is a throwback TE. He’s a very good run blocker, he runs good routes, but he lacks the elite speed you see in the current breed of NFL TEs. He’s an inline TE though, which is much different than what we see in players like Greg Olsen or Antonio Gates. I know a lot of other draft experts will say that his long speed doesn’t really matter and he’s still the best TE in the draft. I’m not so sure about that though. I just don’t see spending a first round draft pick on an extra blocker that can help you in the short to intermediate passing game. First round TEs need to be game changers, and Pettigrew is not a game changer. He’d be a very good second round pick for a team looking for help with an extra blocker on the line that can also help bail out a young QB (like Matt Ryan in Atlanta for example). I like Pettigrew for his throwback style, but just not enough to spend a first round pick on him.

Dez Bryant, WR- Bryant will be one of the better returning players at his position next year. He has excellent size and speed, but he needs to work on catching the ball away from his frame. It’s something minor, but something that I am stickler for. If he can show improvement in this area, he has home run potential and top 15 talent.