New Mexico Bowl: Fresno State vs Colorado St

Colorado State:

Dane Stratton, RT- Stratton pulls a lot for a tackle, and he’s good at it. He keeps his base wide and can block the moving target at the second level. The problem I have with him is that he cannot block edge rushers. He does not kick slide well enough to the outside to be able to cut off outside rush lanes, and it looks like his arms may be a bit too short. I see his future inside at OG at the NFL level, and he’s worth a late round shot as a developmental prospect at the very least. With his ability to pull, a team that likes to run sweeps often would be an ideal fit.

Tommie Hill, DE- Hill’s game is a lot like Aaron Smith of the Steelers. He plays the 3-4 DE for the Rams, and I think this is his best fit in the pros as well. He’s tall and a bit lean right now, but he uses his long arms well. He has a very good feel for the pass rush game as well, and knows when to get his hands up to disrupt passing windows if he can’t get to the passer. Hill showed he has the ability to drop into the shallow zone on zone blitzes, which makes me even more sure that a team like Pittsburgh would do well to draft him in the 5th round or onward and develop him as the long term replacement for Smith. He definitely needs to get bigger and stronger, but he has the frame to do so. Hill is probably a couple years away from contributing, but his upside is worth the wait to develop him.

Gartrell Johnson, RB- Johnson had a HUGE bowl game. He ran for 270+ yards, and it seemed like every time he touched the ball he broke for a 50+ yard run. Johnson is a big running back that hits the hole hard and is difficult to bring down because of his size. He does not dance behind the line, he just takes the hand off and blasts into the LOS (line of scrimmage). He also caught a few swing passes out of the backfield, so he showed he has the ability to contribute in the passing game as well. His major knock is that he lacks the long speed to break away from anyone. On his big runs, he seemed to almost always get caught from behind further down the field. But I don’t feel this is as big of an issue as others might. He’s not a home run threat, he’s a change of pace guy who will wear defenses down. Johnson’s ideal fit would be with a team that has a shifty/quick running back to compliment Johnson’s bruising style. He can make those runs for big initial gains and still get caught from behind, as those big initial gains move the chains and help your team. Even if he shocks the world and runs a fast 40 time at the combine, you don’t see this on film. So he’s more of a 4th to 5th round compliment back for a team like the Texans or the Eagles.

Mychal Sisson, OLB- Sisson was a Freshman All-American, and he has great potential as a rush LB in this 3-4 defense that Colorado State runs. His instincts and speed can’t be taught, and all he really needs is time to get bigger and stronger. I will be keeping a close eye on Sisson for the next two years because I think he has potential to be a very strong first round candidate (if he can keep improving and stay healthy).

Ricky Brewer, ILB- Only a Sophomore, Brewer will have time to improve right alongside Sisson. He’s more instinctive than Sisson is, but maybe not as naturally gifted. He has first day potential though at a position that is becoming more common in today’s NFL (3-4 ILB).

Fresno State:

Tom Brandstater, QB- Brandstater has all of the physical tools you look for in a QB: Prototypical size, good arm strength, quick release, pocket passer…and that’s where it stops. Brandstater is just missing something, and I don’t know what that is. He is maddeningly inconsistent, and his accuracy is all over the place. He is also not consistent in something as simple as his drops from center. But Brandstater is the type of guy I can see a team taking late in the draft and stashing on the practice squad for two years to work with. He has the things in a QB you can’t coach, and the pieces that are missing can potentially be fixed with good coaching. He’s a long shot and needs work, but I can see a team taking a 6th or 7th round flier to see if they can make him the next Matt Cassel.

Bear Pascoe, TE- Pascoe grew on me the more I watched him. He’s a lot bigger than your more recent pro-style TE. He’s a very good blocker and a short/intermediate pass catcher. He’s lacking the deep speed to make an impact in a spread style offense, but he’s more of your throwback style of inline tight end. He’s consistent and will make some team happy that takes him as their second tight end near the middle rounds of the second day.