Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs Utah

Alabama:

Andre Smith, OT– Some of you asked me prior to the college football season who I thought was the best returning player. It’s not me to give just one player, but the first guy I would always say was Andre Smith. As a Sophomore, he showed the potential to be a dominant OT. This year I think I seemed to suffer from ‘paralysis by analysis’ with Smith, as I kept picking out things I didn’t like on him. After seeing several games of Smith this year, those negative things just kept showing up. They can all be traced back to one thing, and that’s effort. Smith knows he has top five ability, and he’s absolutely right. But he also assumes he can get by on this talent alone. He has the ability to dominate in the running game, but unlike ESPN has said all year, he DOES NOT dominate in he run game. He gets great initial push off the line, but once he slips off his block, he stops his feet and gives up. Nothing infuriates me more than guys who will stop blocking once they lose their position on the play, and Smith does this far too often. He doesn’t have the killer instinct to lock on to guys and flatten them, and that’s a shame because he has the long arms and size to pancake anyone he wants. He tends to over extend and reach in the pass game as well, and once again this goes right back to his reliance on natural skills instead of relying on technique and effort. I wouldn’t draft him in the top ten now because of these factors. Add to this that he struggles to keep his weight in check, and you have yourself a solid RT or great OG at best. You don’t take those guys in the first ten picks. Now having just panned Smith as a terrible player, I’ll be the first to say that if he fell to the 13th or 14th pick, that I would trade my third round pick if I were the Bears to move up and get him. He has the talent, he just needs someone to be on his ass 24/7 and whip him into shape. If he could focus and really dedicate himself, he can be an All Pro OT. And even though it’s a risk, it’s a risk I take in the middle of the first round.

Terrance Cody, NT- It was a shock that Cody did not come out early, but I’m very glad that he did. This was Cody’s first year at ‘bama after transferring from a junior college, and he showed some serious run stuffing ability. The major issue with Cody though is that he’s almost TOO big! His weight is an issue and he’ll need to keep it in check. It’s so much of an issue that he cannot be an every down player. He has to play in a rotation and take off a series here and there. When teams ran the no huddle at them, he couldn’t hold up. The good thing about Cody though is that he’s a true 3-4 NT in every sense of the word. But he can still be that true, dominant NT with 20-30 less pounds, and he’d be able to play a lot more than he did this year. He’s an outstanding run stuffer and a difference maker that commands a double team to even budge a half an inch. He will be a first rounder next year because he’s too valuable in the current 3-4 laden NFL world.

Julio Jones, WR- Jones was a pleasure to watch this year. Yes, that’s awfully high praise from me, but it’s warranted. The crazy thing about that? Jones was a true Freshman this year! You could see as the season progressed that Jones was improving steadily. He started to understand the difference in the college game from high school, and he adapted and created. Between him and AJ Green of Georgia, it will be a dog fight for the top overall pick in 2011. Jones showed skills you see in first round caliber Senior WRs. His natural ability is unreal, and he has the ideal blend of size, speed, and ability. If he stays dedicated, he can be right there with the Calvin Johnson’s of college football lore.

Rolando McClain, ILB- I was really impressed with McClain last year as a true Freshman, and he did nothing to change my mind this year. He seems a bit undersized, but he makes up for it with his outstanding instincts and field awareness. He’s just a very good two-way LB, and he’s an ideal fit for a 3-4 defense. I would not be surprised to see him come out early next year, and it would be a fine decision to do so. He’s NFL ready from a football standpoint, and I don’t care what his measureables are. He can flat out play.

John Parker Wilson, QB- Yet another poor pro prospect for the Senior QB crop. He’s an accurate passer, but he’s not tall enough and his arm is not strong enough at all. He might be able to cut it as a third stringer or a practice squad QB, but I just don’t ever see him playing in an NFL game (regular season that is). I don’t know if I spend a draft pick on Wilson, but I would invite him to camp as an undrafted free agent and give him a shot.

Rashad Johnson, FS- Johnson is another player where I am not buying the hype. A lot of media outlets love Johnson and I don’t see it on film. He has alright closing speed, but it seems he has to use this too often as he’s a step behind or late on breaking to a play. What bothers me most about him is that he may be one of the WORST tackling FS I have seen! This is the last thing you want in your last line of defense, a guy who can’t make open field tackles. Seriously, some of the attempts he made were laughable, and I watched a lot of Alabama games over the past two years.

Glen Coffee, RB- I’m really not sure why Coffee came out early. It’s not that I don’t like Coffee because I do, it’s just that liking him doesn’t mean he’s a first day pick. He runs hard and has very good hands in the pass game. But that’s where it stops. This is a deep RB draft, and Coffee is maybe the sixth or seventh best RB of the group, so he may slide into the late 4th or 5th round. I think he’ll have a nice career in the league, but he cost himself some money by not coming back next year and improving his all around game.

Antoine Caldwell, OC- I really like Caldwell a lot. He’s bulkier than some of the other top shelf centers in this draft, which is something that teams in say the AFC East and North will be looking at. With most the teams in those divisions running 3-4 defenses, it requires a center who can handle a massive NT on the ball. Caldwell is a very good run blocker, and is a good enough pass blocker. He’s not very athletic, but he has the technique and ability to come in and start right away. I’d see him going to a team like Ravens if they lose their current center, Jason Brown, to free agency. I’d rate him behind Mack and Unger, but he’s still on the fringe of the second or early third round.

Utah:

Brian Johnson, QB- Johnson throws a TERRIBLE ball, has no arm strength, is undraftable, so why am I even bothering wasting my time on him?

Paul Kruger, DE- A lot of people think Kruger will be a 3-4 OLB at the next level, but I think he might be a better down DE. He did play some standing up though, so he has shown he can do this if needed. He’s versatile enough to play in either defense and I like his upside. He’s good against the pass and run, and he won’t last past the middle of the second round at the latest.

Sean Smith, CB- I love Smith’s blend of size, speed, and athleticism. I’m going to be very interested in seeing how he does in the drills at the combine, as I’m not sure he has loose enough hips to flip out of his backpedal and run with guys. He has the straight line speed though, which is a plus in the right column. He can probably play safety at the next level as well, but I’d be happy with Smith in the late first or early second round. He’s versatile and a very strong tackler, which I love to see in corners.

Zane Beadles, OT- Beadles is a LT to watch very closely next year as a Senior. He has very good technique and his instincts are outstanding. His pass pro is very polished, and he has the feet to be a true LT in the NFL. He could get stronger at the POA, but he has an off-season of weight lifting to improve that. Right now, I’d rate him a first rounder based on what I saw this year. If he can maintain or improve this, he could move very high up in the draft next year.

Stevenson Sylvester, OLB- Sylvester absolutely stood out on film and looked a step faster than everyone on the Utah defense. He has great speed and pass rush ability when sent on the blitz, but he can also drop into coverage. He shows good instincts in zone coverage, has good hands, and knows where to go when he gets his hands on the ball. He has good technique in the run game, and he sheds blocks and forms up tackles very well. I really like this guy!! He’s just a very good all around OLB.