Rose Bowl: USC vs Penn State

Penn State:

Aaron Maybin, DE– I’m not as big of a fan of Maybin as most other draft websites are. To me, Maybin was a one trick pony. He’s all speed rush, all the time. Don’t get me wrong, he is very fast around the edge and can get to the QB using his speed, but that’s all he brings to the table. He’s very undersized and will have to make the transition to 3-4 OLB, which will actually help him in the long run. He’s not very physical and can struggle to anchor against the run. He only had the one big year as well, and I’m concerned he’s going to be vastly over drafted based on his speed. I’d be willing to grab him around pick 20 or so because he will more than likely be a situational pass rusher his first year or two in the league. He does hustle to plays that are run away from him, so I will give him that. He may be good in time, but that’s what he needs to be afforded, time to develop.

Daryl Clark, QB- Clark will never be an NFL QB, but he could be yet another college spread QB who transitions to WR in the NFL. He has good speed and running ability, but his arm and accuracy are really poor. He’s a solid leader though, and as another year to prove me wrong.

Derrick Williams, WR- I think that Williams has Devin Hester like ability. His size is a major issue, but the team that looks past this will be getting a very valuable player. He’s a game breaker as a return man, and he’s a very good slot receiver. I’d draft him in the second because of his versatility, but I think he may slide to the third because of the issue with his size.

AQ Shipley, OC- Yet another of the strong center prospects in this draft. Shipley is a very good pass blocker, and is great in the run game as well. He hustles down the field to chase plays, and blocks the second level very effectively. He looks like he might be a bit undersized, but I’d still take him as high as the third round. A team like Denver or Indianapolis would be great fits for a player like Shipley.

Navorro Bowman, OLB- Bowman will be the next great LB out of ‘LB university’. He’s young, powerful, athletic, and fast. With another year or two to work on his instincts and technique, he could be a sure fire first rounder. He can be an impact OLB who is versatile enough to play in any defensive scheme.

USC:

Mark Sanchez, QB- I would have really liked to see Sanchez go back for his Senior year, but I don’t begrudge him for making the move to come out as a Junior. He showed improvement in little things throughout the games I watched of him this year, like where he held the ball in his drops, and that impressed me. That shows that he is aware of what is wrong, he listens to coaches, and he’s talented enough to make changes right away. He has a very good arm, he’s more accurate than Stafford is, and he’s a proven leader. The experience factor is an issue, especially since he’s been surrounded by so much top talent, it’s hard to know if it was truly him or the supporting cast. It’s a toss up between him and Stafford for the best QB in my opinion. There are things I like about them both, but in the end, I’d rate Stafford a bit higher based on seeing more film of him over then past three years. Sanchez will probably slip a bit come draft day, so he’ll be a good value for a team like the Jets at pick 17 or even the Bears at pick 18.

Rey Maualuga, MLB- Maualuga is a complete MLB. He can cover the pass decently, he’s an impact run stuffer, and he shows great timing in his ability to come on delayed blitzes up the middle. He’s the kind of guy who can set the tone for an entire defense. He’s big, but has the speed to cover a lot of ground, and he hits like a Mack truck. My only concern with him is that he takes poor angles to the outside. I think this is more instincts than ability, as his speed is there. Because of this, I think Maualuga may be best fit as an ILB in a 3-4. Anyway you slice it though, he’s a top 15 talent and will be a very good pro.

Brian Cushing, OLB- The one thing I noted on Cushing last year was I wanted to see him put some muscle on, get stronger, and still retain his speed. Fortunately for him, he did all of these things and really improved his draft stock by coming back for his Senior year. I really like Cushing a lot, and I personally think he’s the second best overall LB behind Aaron Curry. He’s maybe not as physical as Maualuga, but he’s more versatile and complete. He’s an extremely safe draft pick no matter where he goes. He can cover TEs very well as a SLB in a 4-3, he has the size and speed to be a force as an outside pass rusher in a 3-4. And he uses his hands well enough to stack and shed linemen that he could theoretically play inside as well. I think Cushing will really fly up draft boards after the combine, and I expect him to be gone before pick 15.

Clay Matthews Jr, OLB- Matthews Jr came out of no where this season. He started his career as a walk on, and slowly worked his way into the starting lineup after playing primarily on special teams. He comes from good NFL genes as both his father and uncle had very distinguished NFL careers. What’s great about Matthews is his motor. He is running full pace 100% of the time. He’s ideally fit as a rush OLB in a 3-4, and teams near the end of the first round would be wise to invest in him. He is willing and able to play special teams, and I think he will be the kind of player who will always work harder to get better. Eventually, he’ll be a Pro Bowler. I really like Matthews Jr a lot and think he’d be a great value anywhere in the middle parts of the first round.

Fili Moala, DT/DE- Moala moved out to a 3-4 DE this year after playing inside with Sedrick Ellis last year at DT. I think this showed his versatility, and he’s very capable of playing in either defensive front. The only thing that concerns me about Moala is his tendency to get overwhelmed by the double team against the run. He’s a good pass rusher, so his first move is to get his shoulders turned. That hurts him in run defense, but that can be fixed with more discipline and coaching. I think a 3-4 team will take him and put him at end, but I think he might be a better fit in a 4-3 next to a big run stuffer. He may come off the board in the second round, which would not be a bad value, but he’ll slip no later than the third.

Stanley Havili, FB- Havili is not a true FB, as he’s not a good lead blocker. He stops his feet on contact as a run blocker, but this isn’t his game anyway. Havili is a very good pass catcher and has good speed for his position. He’s a lot like Le’ron McClain of Baltimore in that he can play some one back, and also be used as a pass receiver in a two back set.

Taylor Mays, S- Unlike most people, I was actually glad to see Mays come back for his Senior year. Mays has the physical tools to be an All Pro safety, but his instincts aren’t quite up to his physical ability yet. I think with this extra year of work, Mays will have the chance to be a top five pick overall next year. He could very well be the best safety to come out of college since Ed Reed if he can improve his reads.

Joe McKnight, RB- McKnight has a sick burst, but he’s allergic to contact. He’s more of a change of pace back at the next level, and not a full time feature back, but he has some great game breaking speed and ability. Maybe not a sure fire first rounder, but he’s in contention.

CJ Gable, RB- Gable is a more complete RB than McKnight or the other USC runners. He really attacks the line of scrimmage, and I like how hard he runs. He’s the better pro prospect for certain.

Keith Ellison, SS- I like Ellison, but he did get hurt half way through the season. He’s a good tackler with good instincts, and he looks like a solid pro prospect. He can cover and support the run equally well, and he’s going to be a very good value pick in the third to fourth round range.

Patrick Turner, WR- Turner has good size for the position, but he’s a bit too raw as a route runner. Someone will take a stab on him late in the draft, but I don’t know if he’ll ever be more than a jump ball guy in the red zone.