2011 Comprehensive NFL Draft Database

[Dukes and Skins]

I think DE, OT, OLB, QB, DB, and WR are all positions we could do well to draft at in addition to the ones you mention. Nothing is really glaring right now except maybe the DL. We're in good shape in the first round this year because we can go BPA at a number of positions and fill a need with an impact player. Think about it, if we draft in the teens, Chances are that one of:

- Adrian Clayborn

- Allen Bailey

- Prince Amukamara

- Patrick Peterson

- Mark Ingram

- Rahim Moore

- Jerrelle Powe

- A.J Green

- Michael Floyd

- Robert Quinn

- Andrew Luck

- Blaine Gabbert

- Stephen Paea

- Marcell Dareus

- Akeem Ayers

- Ryan Mallett

- Jake Locker

will be available. That's 17 names right there that could all be impact players on our team. This is a stacked draft class. Unless we horribly screw the pooch, we're going to get a great prospect out of the first round this year.

And with that group you just posted Steve I would put it to 5 guys I would want and I'll rank them from 1-5

1. Prince Amukamara

2. Robert Quinn

3. Marcell Dareus

4. Adrian Clayborn

5. Rahim Moore

Now before anyone bashes me go watch Prince Amukamara play football, he is truly the best CB in College Football and I'm not going to lie he reminds me so much of Nnamdi Asomugha/Darrelle Revis someone who you can for sure put on an island and not worry about him in coverage. With the rest of my list you can tell the attention to the D and in particular the DL and OLB positions. If we were somehow able to get Robert Quinn to be an OLB with Orakpo talk about the combinations of blitzes we could run and not have to worry about sending more and more people to get at the QB. Quinn and Orakpo would be just like Harrison and Woodley in Pittsburgh in the pressure and sacks they would produce. I would put him above Prince but right now I can't say I would pass up the best CB in football for someone right now who has some issues going on. The other 3 guys are people who would immensely help our Defense with Clayborn and Daerus being great 5 tech DE's for us and Moore being a great safety option for us. Overall like Steve and I as well as others have stated this is a year where you want to keep your draft picks and use them in this draft with the talent that is available in this draft.

[Oldskool]

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Scouts-notebook-5278.html

The No. 1 overall quarterback prospect is anything but clear-cut

Where do you even begin with Washington quarterback Jake Locker? Locker is a guy who I had as my No. 1 overall prospect last year, banking on a consistent improvement to his game over the next year or so. However, we have seen anything but that, as the guy struggled in week one vs. BYU and now had one of the worst statistical performances ever by an NCAA quarterback, completing only 4 of 20 passes against Nebraska on Saturday. Now, you can make the case that he was going against a really talented Cornhuskers pass defense. However, the fact remains that Locker was playing at home and if he really is a top-tier quarterback prospect with the kind of intangibles needed to win consistently at the next level, there is no way in my mind he allows his team to take a beatdown like this at home with such a punchless effort on his part throwing the football.

Again, Locker has all the talent in the world and does throw some of the prettiest balls you will ever see. But, he still does not do a good enough job recognizing coverages down the field, he forces too many throws into his initial read and worst of all he’s starting to lose confidence. He just strikes me as too much of a project at this stage to feel comfortable with taking him high in round one, as there is simply too high of a bust potential with his lack of overall intangibles in my opinion.

One of the competitors steps up

As for Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett, he’s another guy we keeping hearing about as a prospect who has all the tools, but needs to improve his footwork and overall completion percentage in order to really take his game to the next level. Now, I do agree that there are times where he needs to do a better job resetting his feet, striding toward his target and not trust his arm so much when throwing the ball down the field. However, he reminds me a lot of what Michael Lombardi used to say about Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb.

(Paraphrasing)

“You can never judge McNabb on his completion percentage, more so you need to judge him on the amount of big plays he’s able to create for you in the pass game”

And that is exactly the case I see with a guy like Mallett. At 6-7 it’s tough for him to consistently reset his feet when pressure is baring down on him, as he will throw off his back foot and fall away from this target, causing his accuracy to get spotty. However, watching him vs. Georgia Saturday, he seems to have improved tremendously in his ability to feel pressure around him in the pocket, keep his eyes down the field and throw on the move. He’s not a great athlete, but he’s big and nimble enough to buy time for himself, take proper care of the football and throw strikes through the defense when stepping up inside.

Plus, from a mental standpoint, he has also improved in his ability to quickly decipher information both in the pocket and on the move. Now, he does have a tendency to throw blind at times on backside throws and his long, lethargic footwork in the three-step game will get him into trouble. However, I thought he showed a lot of poise in crunch time leading his team to a last-minute victory Saturday while making a big-time read on his last touchdown pass. Deciphering the cornerback’s jump on TE D.J. Williams and throwing a strike into a tight soft spot vs. cover two to WR Greg Childs before the safety could get over — a big-time throw by NFL standards. And if given the opportunity to work off the play-action game at the next level, I feel like this guy could be a productive vertical passer for an NFL team and could be efficient enough underneath to win games for you on Sunday.

A sleeper?

Finally, one quarterback who has made some noise early in the season and showed really well for himself Saturday evening against a disciplined Iowa defense was Arizona quarterback Nick Foles. Foles is a tall, 6-5, 245-pound kid who exhibits nice touch down the field on bucket throws, working well off the play-action game and dropping the ball into tight areas. Plus, he displays a good arm and possesses a nice blend of accuracy and timing in both the short and intermediate pass game. However, what jumped out to me most when breaking down tape of him last year compared to his performance Saturday was the improvement in his overall mechanics. He’s doing a much better job transferring his weight from his back foot to his front foot, generating more torque and power from his lower half and keeping his eyes down the field more consistently. Plus, the game is really starting to slow down for him at this stage, as he looks more comfortable in the pocket, manipulating safeties and quickly get the ball out of his hands vs. pressure.

Now, his footwork still gets sloppy resetting his feet when trying to locate a secondary target and for the most part he’s still a bit limited reading only one side of the field. However, the guy understands coverages and blitz concepts on his pre-snap reads, stays poised and level-headed throughout the course of the game and was at his best Saturday night in the red-zone and in the fourth quarter, fitting the ball into some really tight spots against a very good Iowa defense. I still think he needs some more time to develop at the college level and work toward showing a better understanding of going through his progressions, but if he can make the type of improvements he made following the 2009 season, there is no reason to think this guy can’t be a very solid starting quarterback for an NFL team. Reminds me some of Rams quarterback Sam Bradford.

Live from Penn State

The National Football Post will be live on location at a number of games this season, bringing you the best coverage on the web. This week: notes from Penn State/Kent State played at Beaver Stadium.

Penn State

No second gear

I know I’m beating a dead horse on the Evan Royster issue, but watching him live is even less impressive than on tape. There is no suddenness to his game in tight areas, he’s slow to change directions and exhibits no real burst in any area of the game. He’s the type of back that the offensive line needs to block for twice off the snap in order for him to gain a yard and it is no shock at all to me the guy didn’t see much tick in the second half due to the effort of backup RB Stephfon Green.

Highly rated defensive linemen fail to stack up as well

I also came away really unimpressed with the performances of DE Jack Crawford and DT Devon Still. Crawford is a big, long-armed 6-5, 256-pound kid who certainly looks the part. However, there isn’t a real explosive first step to his game off the ball, isn’t real sudden on contact and he’s simply just a guy who relies on his length to eventually fight his way off blocks. He didn’t start for Penn State this week and was said to have had his best game of the season, and even that was far from impressive in my view.

Still, on the other hand, was a bit better, showcasing some natural power on contact off the snap. However, he looked stiff trying to get out of his stance, wasn’t real fluid when asked to change directions and lacked much awareness when asked to find the football. Again, both guys look the part; they just weren’t real dynamic in any area of the game to be tapped as big-time players.

No linebackers at “LB U” this year

Senior outside backer Bani Gbadyu struggled when asked to set the edge when run at, wasn’t real physical at the point and looked stiff when asked to break down on contact as a tackler. He does display some natural range as a linear athlete once he gets going, but isn’t an NFL-caliber option.

The best of the bunch

DT Ollie Ogbu continues to impress with his ability to fire off the football on time, play with natural leverage and be sudden and violent with his hands on contact. Now, he lacks the power to be real effective vs. any type of double and fails to display the kind of body control/awareness to consistently make a play on the football once he gets into the backfield. However, he can be disruptive as a one-gap guy inside and I definitely think he has what it takes to make a roster as a reserve type lineman.

Kent State

A hidden gem?

I talked about Kent State senior safety Brian Lainhart in my Saturday primer and I came away impressed again with the guy’s overall game. Now, Penn State isn’t real explosive on offense, but Lainhart showcases impressive balance, body control and awareness in coverage and did a nice job cleanly changing directions and closing on his target. Now, he does lack great range sideline-to-sideline, but plays faster than he times because of his instincts and even did a nice job in man coverage, being physical off the line.

Plus, he was asked to play more near the line of scrimmage in this game than I have seen on past tapes and displayed a willingness to work hard and close the back door in pursuit. Now, he still is maturing as a tackler when asked to break down, but has some natural pop and should be able to develop in this area with some more time. He’s one of the most underrated safeties in the entire class and because of his blend of instincts and balance, I think he has a chance to definitely see the field as a nickel guy and possibly fight for some starting playing time down the line.[/b]

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

Thanks for the safety breakdown guys. I've seen a little about Moore but I'm gonna definitely check out Barron and, especially, Sands.

Another question: Does Mark Ingram have a 1st round grade? I was reading some site the other day and they had him in the 40's in their top 100.

[Oldskool]

Thanks for the safety breakdown guys. I've seen a little about Moore but I'm gonna definitely check out Barron and, especially, Sands.

Another question: Does Mark Ingram have a 1st round grade? I was reading some site the other day and they had him in the 40's in their top 100.

If he comes out this year It depends on how well he comes back from injury, how he performs during the season and how fast he runs at the combine. Personally I think he is a 1st round talent, but where from #1 to #32 he belongs I don't know.

[Going Commando]

Thanks for the safety breakdown guys. I've seen a little about Moore but I'm gonna definitely check out Barron and, especially, Sands.

Another question: Does Mark Ingram have a 1st round grade? I was reading some site the other day and they had him in the 40's in their top 100.

That's an absurdly low ranking for Ingram. I think he has impact potential as a RB in the NFL and IMO is the best HB prospect in this year's class now that Ryan Williams' durability problems have reared their ugly head. The more I watch of Ingram the more impressed I get. He deserves every bit of hype he garners. I like Mark Ingram more than any prospect I've seen since Darren McFadden. I like him more than I liked Knowshon Moreno and I loved Moreno. I think Ingram is the rare HB prospect deserving of solid top 15 consideration and I doubt there is much that could happen to drop from that kind of status between now and the draft aside from something like a disastrous knee injury. Ingram absolutely kicks C.J. Spiller's and Ryan Matthews' asses as a prospect and they got taken top 15.

What I like about Ingram is that he has it all. You name a skill set for a RB and he has it. He's got a perfect build for the position with a thick lower half and very low center of gravity. He can lower his pads into contact and get tough yards or he's got the elusiveness to make quick cuts and get out in space. His arms are thick and well developed and he's capable of delivering a powerful stiff arm. He's got phenomenal balance and vision as a runner and breaks as many big plays with his patience as he does with his athleticism. He hits holes hard and looks great running north-south and I love his short area speed to make a single cut and accelerate through the hole once he's picked out where to go. Plus he's really strong in his upper body. He's only fumbled once in his college career.

As a runner he basically has no weaknesses. Some will criticize his long speed but I don't think that'll be an issue in the NFL. He'll probably run around a 4.4 which is plenty fast. Ingram also looks great running routes and catching the ball out of the backfield so that's another area that I think he could excel in. Finally, I think he does a great job picking up the blitz as a college player and will only get better with time. By all accounts he's professional, intelligent, and hard working. He's not quite the NFL prospect that Adrian Peterson was because he lacks Peterson's size and long speed. But he's already more well rounded than Peterson was coming out and hasn't had Peterson's injury issues in college. IMO Ingram represents one of the safest values in the 2011 draft and has the ability to step onto the field right away and make an impact. He'll be a star his rookie season and come out of college as one of the best running backs in the NFL.

[DarrellsMyHero28]

You would classify one hamstring injury as a durability issue?

What about Ingram getting hurt at the beginning of the year?

[Going Commando]

Bunting's thoughts on Nick Foles are very interesting. I agree with him that Foles' footwork could definitely use some more urgency and that he needs some more work going through progression reads. But really, what top QB prospect doesn't? And his footwork is no where near as lumbering as Mallett's. I think Bunting actually undersells Foles' arm strength with a Sam Bradford comparison. Foles doesn't always spin it the best but he can throw darts when he runs through his mechanics smoothly. He can really pressure safeties with his arm and drive the football once he sets. Plus he's been an incredibly efficient passer this year and his intelligence translates well to the field.

I think Bunting probably has the most accurate assessment of Mallett that I've read. The Donovan McNabb comparison is a good one although I don't think Mallett has McNabb's leadership qualities, intelligence, or mobility. Mallett isn't a statue because he can escape pressure out of the pocket but in general his footspeed is slow. Give him a vertical passing game and he'll star, pigeon hole him in an offense like ours or Green Bay's and he'll struggle. I don't think he offers a good fit for us, but I could see him being excellent for a team like San Diego.

[Going Commando]

You would classify one hamstring injury as a durability issue?

What about Ingram getting hurt at the beginning of the year?

Williams also got hurt last year in the bowl game and IIRC, he missed the entire spring with injuries. I also remember someone on the forums from last year who went to Stonewall Jackson with him talking about how Williams couldn't stay healthy in high school either.

I'm not really worried about Ingram's knee injury. He had precautionary surgery on it and is already back to his old form about two weeks later. I think he could have played if Alabama had really needed him to. It's good that he got his knee surgery over with at the beginning of the year rather than running on it this season, having his effectiveness limited, and then having to get surgery at the end of the year during the pre-draft process this offseason.

[Dukes and Skins]

Thanks for the safety breakdown guys. I've seen a little about Moore but I'm gonna definitely check out Barron and, especially, Sands.

Another question: Does Mark Ingram have a 1st round grade? I was reading some site the other day and they had him in the 40's in their top 100.

Ingram IMO is a 1st round talent and if I were picking I'd take him in the 1st round and if I were in the top 10 I would seriously consider drafting him there as well, he reminds me a lot of Emmitt Smith in his running style. I'm not saying he'll be just like Emmitt but the running styles are very similar.

[ATLredskin]

Well for one we will most likely have a draft pick in the mid 20s so if you guys want all these big name players then we will have to trade some future draft picks and I don't like that. Second I want to use our 2 draft picks on offensive linemen. Remember the RB is only as good as the offensive line. We can't establish the run because our offensive line can't open any holes. You guys think drafting someone like Ingram will cure that problem. And when it comes to drafting RBs you don't draft em in the early rounds. They come a dime a dozen (Arian Foster anyone?).

[Oldskool]

Well for one we will most likely have a draft pick in the mid 20s so if you guys want all these big name players then we will have to trade some future draft picks and I don't like that. Second I want to use our 2 draft picks on offensive linemen. Remember the RB is only as good as the offensive line. We can't establish the run because our offensive line can't open any holes. You guys think drafting someone like Ingram will cure that problem. And when it comes to drafting RBs you don't draft em in the early rounds. They come a dime a dozen (Arian Foster anyone?).

I can very well see this team pulling a NE and trading back into the 2nd round if they are picking in the 20's. And the main concern should be WR and OL. RB's are literally plug and play into this offense when the OL is working as a well oiled machine.

[Dukes and Skins]

I can very well see this team pulling a NE and trading back into the 2nd round if they are picking in the 20's. And the main concern should be WR and OL. RB's are literally plug and play into this offense when the OL is working as a well oiled machine.

I very well could see us doing it as well last year Minnesota got a 2nd 4th and 7th for the 30th overall pick and a 4th, so if we're picking in the 20's or so then we would want a 2nd 3rd and 5th probably for that pick

[theboomking]

Yeah Locker's game was awful. theboomking and I look prescient now in calling out Locker earlier this week. I was more optimistic about Locker's draft stock before, but I questioned his value as a top 10 pick. Now I think he'll go in a more natural second half of the first round range. Whether this game happened or not, he's probably always been a 20's pick and we just hadn't figured that out yet. I think the same is probably true for Luck if he comes out this season. If Mallett's intangibles check out, he seems like the only authentic top ten talent in the group.

I'm not great at picking winners at the QB position, but I'm decent at picking losers. I'd put good money on Mallet never making it as a franchise QB.

In terms of the Locker observations, I'd say they were probably a gimme. I would like to point out that three of our favorite 2010 draftees had huge weekends. I won't take too much credit for Suh, because everyone loved him, but Brandon Graham was also very good this weekend, and Jahvid best was great. I recall that you and I had a running argument about whether Best or Spiller was faster, but both of us decided we liked Best the most because of his receiving skills and downhill running style. I still think he will be one of the top 5-8 players out of that draft class.

Getting back to Ayers for a second, I think you are off base in thinking that he'd be an ILB for us. He's played DE and OLB in college, has got the length and base to play OLB, and is great in coverage. Ayers is also a striker and would add another player with a punishing tackling style. If we are ever going to be in the same league as Baltimore and Pittsburgh, we need to put inflict more punishment in the front seven. I'd also like to note that Clay Matthews isn't a power player in terms of setting the edge, but he's doing okay right now. I think Ayers has comparable speed, and may be better in coverage.

How about Landry and Rocky today? Goddamn if they aren't having brilliant seasons so far. Priotity #2 this offseason (#1 is getting an extension for McNabb) should be getting McIntosh and extension. The guy is a cornerstone to build a defense around and he looks completely in his element in this scheme. He's got everything--range in coverage and pursuit, strength for controlling blockers, nice blitzing skills, and physicality to come up and stick his hat in a man when he hits. He had a really nice pop on Schaub today and was in on 14 tackles. Landry looked nearly as good as he did last week until he got hurt. I think he might have given himself a small concussion hitting Schaub because he looked a little punch drunk afterwards. Then he came back and hit him again on the next play. Let's hope he's alright because he's extremely important for our defensive success as he's one of our only impact players.

The other guy that really impressed me this game was Adam Carriker, who had a big day. He got a few sweet pressures and a nice sack, but he also made a fantastic TFL playing picture perfect containment. He's a good player and I can see why he was drafted where he was. Playing like he did today, he certainly deserves to start for us and I can see him becoming a fixture on our line. Major Kudos to Shanahan and Allen for unearthing him. Let's hope he has several more games like today over the course of the season.

Landry is playing like an All Pro right now. He has to be the defensive MVP thus far. I'm still worried about how long he can last playing this violently. I guess he's been pretty durable thus far in his career, but he's never played so close to the line and taken so many hits before. I can't believe how good a blitzer Laron is.

Orakpo is as dangerous a pass rusher as ever, but I still think he's got a long way to go as a run defender. The more he improves, the better we'll be.

Rak has been good thus far, but not great. Duane Brown actually played him pretty tough, and Rak's one sack was on a play when Schaub failed to step up in the pocket. I'd like to see a little better consistency and a bit more of an outside speed rush.

In terms of his run support, I think the problem is that he actually penetrates too much. There have been multiple instances where Orakpo has left a very significant running crease by penetrating too early.

Anyway those are my impressions on defense. Right now, I see our major need areas as being on the defensive line. We could definitely use a better coverage safety and another cornerback. But most of all, our defense will improve once we add some impact talent to the line. Vonnie Holliday had a good day but he's too old to have a future here. Our NTs were better today, but they still aren't very good. Man, I really want us to draft Adrian Clayborn. As aggressive as our defense is, Clayborn would collapse the pocket so much more consistently and open up clean shots on the QB for our blitzers. I think drafting Rahim Moore or Patrick Peterson could also be crucial for our defensive success. Throw one of them in single coverage on Andre Johnson in the endzone on a 40 yard jump ball and I bet that play ends differently.

CB, NT and DE are definitely all needs. I like Clayborn a lot, but I was really impressed by how well the LT of Arizona, Adam Grant, neutralized Clayborn. Grant handled Clayborn's speed well, but also really seemed to overpower Clayborn. Grant delivered a big jolt with his hands, anchored great against the pass and had a great push in the running game. I didn't know much about him prior to the game, but Grant is a 6'6 325 pound senior. Does anybody know more about his projected draft range? This guy could be a steal in the mid rounds.

Also, does anyone have an update about Robert Quinn's suspension?

[DarrellsMyHero28]

Williams also got hurt last year in the bowl game and IIRC, he missed the entire spring with injuries. I also remember someone on the forums from last year who went to Stonewall Jackson with him talking about how Williams couldn't stay healthy in high school either.

I'm not really worried about Ingram's knee injury. He had precautionary surgery on it and is already back to his old form about two weeks later. I think he could have played if Alabama had really needed him to. It's good that he got his knee surgery over with at the beginning of the year rather than running on it this season, having his effectiveness limited, and then having to get surgery at the end of the year during the pre-draft process this offseason.

I don't know about High School, but he definitely practiced and played during the spring. From what I understand the injury wasn't serious at all but the backups were playing well enough and the game was pretty much in hand so there was no point in risking him.

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

Thanks for the Ingram breakdown guys. You sound like you're flat out in love mcqueen, lol. And I've also read in several places that he's an Emmitt clone.

And one of my manager's actually played with Williams at Stonewall. I think I'll see him Wednesday. I'll ask him about the high school injuries thing.

[Conn]

Just wanted to pop in and say that the info and informed opinions in this thread are great. One of the best threads on ES, was last year as well, and I hope it continues as a yearly contribution.

Keep up the great work, guys.

[Laron Burgundy]

If we can't develop a prospect as good as Thomas, what makes people think we'll have any luck developing a guy like Michael Floyd, Jon Baldwin, or Julio Jones? Safer to go out and spend for a Randy Moss.

I'm surprised I'm the only one who's even mentioned this quote. Thomas was a one year wonder out of college and clearly has had a difficult time adjusting to the pros. Baldwin is probably even more of a physical specimen than Thomas was, and fun fact about him, the second leading receiver on his team is Mike Shanahan, coincidence? Julio Jones looked unstoppable against duke (yeah, it's duke, but it was nasty). The nice thing about these guys is they are the kind of guys who can fight for jump balls. From what I remember of Devin in college, he relied mostly on his athleticism. He usually got so open from outrunning his man that he didn't have to make difficult catches. That works in college but with faster corners in the pros, you've gotta be able to shield off a defender and make the catch. I just don't see any receiver on our team who I count on to win contested throws. That Andre Johnson td was a prime example of what that can do for you. Beautiful pass by Schaub, great placement, but if our guys were in that same position I just don't see them making that catch. Maybe you're right and Devin is a gem waiting to be seen, but we haven't really seen any flashes of brilliance from him in 2 years of playing.

[theboomking]

Robert Sands is an enormous FS prospect and he's tremendously fast. He matches up well against any receiver in the league at 6'4" 220 pounds. He's not a big hitter, but he's a good and tenacious tackler and takes great angles in pursuit. He's also the incredibly active energizer bunny type, just like LaRon. His closing speed is impressive and he has great ball skills. He demonstrates great leaping ability and looks great catching the ball--plucks it with his hands like a WR and has good concentration to hold onto it. I like his instincts and he seems to read his run-pass keys very well. He is a gifted athlete and is capable of making sure tackles downhill and in pursuit. He plays with nice functional strength and can play with power on contact and drive ball carriers down, limiting extra yards upon contact. He's more of a drag down tackler than a strike but that's all you really need from the position when you've got guys like Landry laying the wood. All in all, Sands is my second favorite safety in college and I think he could be a tremendous value pick in the second round if he comes out. It's more likely some team will take a chance on his measurables and coverage skills in the first though. He looks like he could be a star.

My favorite safety prospect in college is definitely Rahim Moore. Moore is the one guy who I think compares to Eric Berry in his coverage skills and instincts and he's a definite first round caliber talent IMO. However, the reason he won't go nearly as high as Eric Berry is because he's not very strong. He's not going to make many plays around the LoS and he needs to be playing deep, sitting back in coverage, making plays on the ball in the open field. He can get walled off by blockers and isn't strong enough to consistently disengage upon contact. He's an athletic hitter but he lacks the leg drive to stone ball carriers on contact. He will occasionally lower his shoulder and lay the wood when he gets an open shot on a runner, but it doesn't happen all that often. He will miss tackles too from over-pursuing on his angles, and right now he lacks the power to make a ton of tackles off of his frame. But he'll be an effective wrap up tackler in the NFL once he grows a little bit more and goes through NFL weight training. At 6'2" 195 lbs., he's got the frame to add plenty of bulk and strength in the NFL.

What makes Moore special are his balance, speed, acceleration, agility, and instincts in coverage. He plays with the perfect pitch of discipline and gamble. He'll go for the big play when it's there but he'll never let the offense make plays behind him. His footwork is textwork in coverage and he looks very comfortable playing very deep in the defensive backfield. I like his closing speed and his long speed is good too. He's not matched up in man coverage often but I think he's absolutely got the athleticism and skill to walk over and man cover the slot in the NFL. I love his fluidity and speed out of his breaks. The guy can hang on a receiver's hip and then beat him to the ball when it's in the air. He's also got some of the best hands I've ever seen at the position in college. He's an absolute ball hawk, has great leaping ability, and times his jumps perfectly to make big plays. In his first two years as a starter at UCLA, he had 13 interceptions. That's even more than Eric Berry had (12) and I think Moore is poised to crush Berry's career interceptions total. Moore is basically as good a pure FS prospect as you'll see come along. The fact that he doesn't carry a lot of value as an in the box safety and a blitzer will probably hurt his value and keep him out of the top 10. It shouldn't hurt his standing for us though because we've got LaRon already. I like him a lot in a potential tandem with LaRon. Their talents compliment each other nicely since they each bring different things to the table. And if we had Moore playing FS on the field yesterday, I guarantee Andre Johnson doesn't make that catch in the end zone that easily.

.

Thanks for putting me onto Sands McQueen. Its very dangerous to scout a safety by his highlight video, but Sands looks to have elite length, and great ball skills and awareness. I'd like to disagree with you about his hitting. He may not be Sean Taylor, but he seems to be a bigger, more physical player than Berry was, and there are plenty of strikes in that video as opposed to drag down tackles.

L0o1xMWqCow

With regards to Rahim Moore, I don't think he has the size you want in a first round pick. He was invisible in UCLA v Stanford, and I don't really like his play in the Temple video below. He makes a couple of nice stops against the run late in the video, but overall, his run support looked terrible. At 1:52, he stays blocked in the back of the end zone for an entire play, allowing an easy rushing TD. at 2:38 his missed tackle is brutal. The entire video features ankle biting shoestring tackles, because Moore is too small to take on a ball carrier. Honestly, I'm not sure his coverage skills and awareness look that great either. His only play in the passing game in that video was an INT off of a throw into double coverage. The only think that I'd rate as elite with Moore are his ball skills. He just doesn't look like the complete package, and will be a liability at times, and invisible for long stretches in the NFL. I'd much rather have Akeem Ayers if we're taking a UCLA defender.

G0sFfFdQ-u0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0sFfFdQ-u0

P.S. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong in terms of embedding a youtube video? I just cut and pasted the url, highlighted it, and hit the 'youtube' Icon under 'go advanced.

[The_Godfather]

P.S. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong in terms of embedding a youtube video? I just cut and pasted the url, highlighted it, and hit the 'youtube' Icon under 'go advanced.

Just use the following "G0sFfFdQ-u0" inside youtube brackets.

[theboomking]

Just use the following "G0sFfFdQ-u0" inside youtube brackets.

Thanks a ton. Fixed it.

[Dukes and Skins]

Just wanted to pop in and say that the info and informed opinions in this thread are great. One of the best threads on ES, was last year as well, and I hope it continues as a yearly contribution.

Keep up the great work, guys.

Thank you Conn we just love College football and how it translates for guys into the pro level. and GACOLB I'm from Northern VA(Loudoun to be exact) and I followed Williams somewhat and I can't really recall any injuries for him although it's harder now to find out HS injuries

[Long n Left]

After two games, one thing that has stood out to me is the Skins lack of presence in the middle at the second level of defense. Fletcher and McIntosh seem to be outmanned in that they don't have the size and strength to take on the inevitable blocks from the OL that 3-4 backers will face. Yeah, Rocky has rung up some tackle numbers, but most of them are occuring 5+ yards downfield, and while London has the heart of a lion, unfortunately he dosen't have the body to match. Fletch is finding a bit more traffic in the interior, and it's posing problems for him to fight and wade through.

Was wondering who you, for guys that follow these recruits so closely, might think the Skins could/should look at as ILB for this 3-4 scheme. I think Riley may be a solid addition, and we may see him sooner rather than later when he gets back to speed. Are there any ILB prospects that stand out to you guys? Players that have the strength and size to take on and shuck blocks from interior lineman, and the speed and tenacity to make plays to the sidelines?

I looked at the two ILB prospects you've already hilighted, and the kid from USC is intriguing, but the OU kid seems a bit undersized for the position at the next level. That kid (OU) may be better served keeping his weight down, and playing SS at the NFL level, if he truly posesses 4.3 speed.

Thanks in advance for your insights.

[Dukes and Skins]

After two games, one thing that has stood out to me is the Skins lack of presence in the middle at the second level of defense. Fletcher and McIntosh seem to be outmanned in that they don't have the size and strength to take on the inevitable blocks from the OL that 3-4 backers will face. Yeah, Rocky has rung up some tackle numbers, but most of them are occuring 5+ yards downfield, and while London has the heart of a lion, unfortunately he dosen't have the body to match. Fletch is finding a bit more traffic in the interior, and it's posing problems for him to fight and wade through.

Was wondering who you, for guys that follow these recruits so closely, might think the Skins could/should look at as ILB for this 3-4 scheme. I think Riley may be a solid addition, and we may see him sooner rather than later when he gets back to speed. Are there any ILB prospects that stand out to you guys? Players that have the strength and size to take on and shuck blocks from interior lineman, and the speed and tenacity to make plays to the sidelines?

I looked at the two ILB prospects you've already hilighted, and the kid from USC is intriguing, but the OU kid seems a bit undersized for the position at the next level. That kid (OU) may be better served keeping his weight down, and playing SS at the NFL level, if he truly posesses 4.3 speed.

Thanks in advance for your insights.

Personally I completely disagree with your part on McIntosh. I think he's been the best LB for us right now, I can't see us replacing him and if anything happens we're going to keep our ILB's the same for a while but when Perry Riley is fully healthy we'll see him rotate in and make some plays for us. In terms of ILB prospects Steve really handled that one well with Galippo and my guy for the 3-4 ILB position is Greg Jones. One guy to watch not now but a year down the road is Vontaze Burfict, looks a lot like Rolando McClain/Patrick Willis he's going to be something special in a 3-4 defense or a 4-3 defense. I'd love to draft him next year with our 1st round pick because he's going to be a stud no doubt about it

[frommd]

That's an absurdly low ranking for Ingram. I think he has impact potential as a RB in the NFL and IMO is the best HB prospect in this year's class now that Ryan Williams' durability problems have reared their ugly head. The more I watch of Ingram the more impressed I get. He deserves every bit of hype he garners. I like Mark Ingram more than any prospect I've seen since Darren McFadden. I like him more than I liked Knowshon Moreno and I loved Moreno. I think Ingram is the rare HB prospect deserving of solid top 15 consideration and I doubt there is much that could happen to drop from that kind of status between now and the draft aside from something like a disastrous knee injury. Ingram absolutely kicks C.J. Spiller's and Ryan Matthews' asses as a prospect and they got taken top 15.

What I like about Ingram is that he has it all. You name a skill set for a RB and he has it. He's got a perfect build for the position with a thick lower half and very low center of gravity. He can lower his pads into contact and get tough yards or he's got the elusiveness to make quick cuts and get out in space. His arms are thick and well developed and he's capable of delivering a powerful stiff arm. He's got phenomenal balance and vision as a runner and breaks as many big plays with his patience as he does with his athleticism. He hits holes hard and looks great running north-south and I love his short area speed to make a single cut and accelerate through the hole once he's picked out where to go. Plus he's really strong in his upper body. He's only fumbled once in his college career.

As a runner he basically has no weaknesses. Some will criticize his long speed but I don't think that'll be an issue in the NFL. He'll probably run around a 4.4 which is plenty fast. Ingram also looks great running routes and catching the ball out of the backfield so that's another area that I think he could excel in. Finally, I think he does a great job picking up the blitz as a college player and will only get better with time. By all accounts he's professional, intelligent, and hard working. He's not quite the NFL prospect that Adrian Peterson was because he lacks Peterson's size and long speed. But he's already more well rounded than Peterson was coming out and hasn't had Peterson's injury issues in college. IMO Ingram represents one of the safest values in the 2011 draft and has the ability to step onto the field right away and make an impact. He'll be a star his rookie season and come out of college as one of the best running backs in the NFL.

This is exactly what I see when I watch him. I really hope he drops and we are able to pick him up. He would be a huge upgrade for us.

[Dukes and Skins]

This is exactly what I see when I watch him. I really hope he drops and we are able to pick him up. He would be a huge upgrade for us.

If we were able to get Ingram we'd better be thanking our lucky stars having him in our backfield would be one of the best things to happen to us, another year for us and another star player we'd draft.