2014 Draft Prospects

2014 NFL Draft thoughts and discussion

NFL Draft Scout rankings - top 5 Sr quarterbacks

Tajh Boyd, Clemson, 6'1, 225lbs
Stephen Morris, Miami, 6'2, 215lbs
AJ McCarron, Alabama, 6'3, 214lbs
David Fales, SJSU, 6'2, 220lbs
Aaron Murray, Georgia, 6'1, 212lbs

Time permitting i'll work my way through the Sr class over the next few weeks and post some initial notes on a few of the prospects. I intend to write some regular stuff for the V2 Journal as well.

*Could one of the moderators please sticky this thread and un-sticky the 2013 thread, cheers.

All done!

Not heard of David Fales of San Jose... whats the scouting on him?

He's very much a pocket passer with the awareness, anticipation and accuracy to consistently make throws. Questions about arm strength but I would take him over a lot of QB's that I've seen so far. I think he'll be a Schaub-esque NFL prospect (at this very early stage).

As far as McCarron goes, I don't see it.

Fales hasn't really played against elite competition yet either.

TWITTER STAT:

@justismosqueda wrote:The fact that David Fales was more accurate 11-19 yards down field (78.79%) than between the LOS and 10 yards (71.21%) is amazing.

Fales is smoothest QB in college football imo. And from speaking to him, I thought he was very laid back, maybe too much so. I'd take Boyd over any of them, top player and hilarious, his love for fifa had me stunned big time

I re-watched a couple of SJSU games and i'm not sure the early buzz around Fales is justified, nothing wrong with his completion % but it's mostly short passes and timing throws.

Boyd has plenty of room for improvement as well.

I'm currently writing some draft stuff for the V2 Journal but i'll need the permission things to post. I've been in contact with Derbyblue about it but he's not been active for a bit, don't suppose anyone else could help out? Cheers.

Email Adam D, he should be able to help you out mate.

Link to the first part of a prospect preview series posted in the V2 Journal: http://v2journal.com/19/post/2013/08/prospects-for-the-2014-nfl-draft.html

Brief notes on a few skill position prospects on offense.

Anything on Teddy Bridgewater? He already seems to be the consensus number 1 pick on the 2014 draft boards.

twelve283 wrote:Link to the first part of a prospect preview series posted in the V2 Journal: http://v2journal.com/19/post/2013/08/prospects-for-the-2014-nfl-draft.html

Brief notes on a few skill position prospects on offense.

Cheers. Nice little selection

crazy_dave23 wrote:
Cheers. Nice little selection

Cheers, more to come.

mikeygnfl wrote:Anything on Teddy Bridgewater? He already seems to be the consensus number 1 pick on the 2014 draft boards.

I focus on the senior prospects initially but i've watched Louisville and had a look at Bridgewater. I think he is more polished than the senior quarterbacks at this point if you compare him to Morris and Boyd. He can run and has the ability to threaten the deep portion of the field with his arm but what stands out for me is his ability to move and slide in the pocket. He does a good job stepping up to avoid rushers off the edge and can slide in the pocket to buy time to throw. This is a crucial skill. His touch and accuracy could be sharper and he has a tendency to overthrow and miss high but I think he reads the field well and knows where to go with the football. Although he's a threat to run it's not a big part of his game and some have questioned his size and durability, still the threat to run is often enough and I'd prefer him to work primarily in the pocket.

Link to a preview of some DL prospects: http://v2journal.com/19/post/2013/08/august-21st-2013.html

Love the potential of Hageman, if he keeps out of trouble he has a special skillset. Also will give a mention for Taylor Hart at Oregon in terms of d-line prospects

Colan (niner) wrote:Love the potential of Hageman, if he keeps out of trouble he has a special skillset. Also will give a mention for Taylor Hart at Oregon in terms of d-line prospects

He had something like 11 TFL and 8 sacks last season, so he was productive. Good length. I want to see his play consistently match his production, which it doesn't IMO.

twelve283 wrote:

Colan (niner) wrote:Love the potential of Hageman, if he keeps out of trouble he has a special skillset. Also will give a mention for Taylor Hart at Oregon in terms of d-line prospects

He had something like 11 TFL and 8 sacks last season, so he was productive. Good length. I want to see his play consistently match his production, which it doesn't IMO.

He won't be a high pick or anything I imagine but just seems like a solid player to me who nobody really talks about

Colan (niner) wrote:

twelve283 wrote:

Colan (niner) wrote:Love the potential of Hageman, if he keeps out of trouble he has a special skillset. Also will give a mention for Taylor Hart at Oregon in terms of d-line prospects

He had something like 11 TFL and 8 sacks last season, so he was productive. Good length. I want to see his play consistently match his production, which it doesn't IMO.

He won't be a high pick or anything I imagine but just seems like a solid player to me who nobody really talks about

He draws your attention at times but he doesn't show up like his stats suggest, I think it might be the way Oregon use him, looks like he has a few different responsibilities. You're right he's not being talked about as much which is somewhat surprising for a prospect with solid production and his size/length.

Keen to see how well AJ McCarron does this year. Alabama have seen plenty of their roster move into the NFL over the past two years so it will be interesting to see if AJ is the real deal or just a game manager.

I think somewhere like New England, Green Bay or Pittsburgh will suit him best.

Think next year will definitely see half a dozen QBs taken in the 1st round if not in the first 12-15 picks.

You look at teams that are likely to be drafting up there with Jax, Oak, Ari, TB etc and the possibility that the Vikes, Titans, Eagles etc may also be in the market for QBs then it's going to be a lot of QB needy teams looking to grab the one that suits their system the best. This may mean teams that have a QB already (Carolina, Detroit, St Louis, San Diego, Pittsburgh) who are drafting in the 10-20 range have ample chance to move down and grab additional high talent players who slide because of a run on QBs and LTs.

My opinion is that the top 10 this year will look something like:
5 QBs
1 DE (Clowney will go top 5)
3 LTs
1 CB

Think the 5 QBs who go first could well be
Bridgewater
Boyd
McCarron
Manziel
Fales
With Carr a close 6th

I really like what I've seen of Boyd

Boyd is my favourite player in next year's draft. Granted I'm bias because I've kept in contact with him and Sammy Watkins but I honestly don't think there is a harder working or more intelligent QB in college football, amazing leader

Work has got in the way a bit ATM but I intend to post more analysis and previews soon, after next week i'll write about some prospects who have impressed over the first month of the season.

No one else really really excited my Manziel?

he's just too annoying a person

granted he's got his faults but I really hope that he sorts this out as he has so much potential

Given the way the league is going he certainly has potential in the NFL.

I don't really pay enough attention to the NCAA to be able to rank prospects (i.e. I only really look at scores, stats and the odd highlight) but from what i've seen I can imagine Manziel being rated above players like say Geno Smith and EJ Manuel in terms of what he has done / will do in college vs what they did when there (experts please don't critique too much!)
I saw the early parts of Bama vs A&M and he just had escapability and this kind of x-factor which should serve him well

I think the fact that Manziel managed to make 400+ all purpose yards against Bama (who were all aware of what Manziel could do given that he ended there perfect record that season) shows the kind of potential this kid has. This QB class looks deep, anyone else like the look of Oregon's Marcus Mariota?

Anybody think this Mariota fella is better than Bridgewater? From what I seen (two games...) I think he looks better

Watch the loss against Stanford. Mariota has had a ridiculously easy schedule. Bridgewater has had an easy schedule too but he's in complete control of his offense, recognising blitzes, changing protections and throwing far more accurately than Mariota.

Seems a bit of a Luck/RG3 scenario .. Mariota seems to stand out more during the season, but Bridgewater still the better NFL player for me

Pr4wn wrote:Watch the loss against Stanford. Mariota has had a ridiculously easy schedule. Bridgewater has had an easy schedule too but he's in complete control of his offense, recognising blitzes, changing protections and throwing far more accurately than Mariota.

In his defense, apparently he sprained his MCL going in to the game so that might explain his hesitancy there. Agree that he's not a top NFL prospect though (unless the Eagles really want him).

Can't wait for the draft now to be honest, it has so much depth at QB. I think Mariota's going to go top 5 but Bridgewater is definitely the better of the two. Would quite like to see how Manziel translates to the pro game.

I've finally got through enough WR's to feel comfortable posting my top 10.

Sammy Watkins
Mike Evans
Odell Beckham Jr
Allen Robinson
Marqise Lee
Brandin Cooks
Jared Abbrederis
Jarvis Landry
Davante Adams
Jordan Matthews

Anyone got strong opinions on this? I know I've missed a player that a lot of folks have projected as a first rounder.

Jared Abbrederis may raise some eyebrows but his game fits perfectly with my opinions on receivers. Always gaining separation through crisp route running and soft hands that can high point the ball. I love him.

2014 NFL Draft Schedule:

The date by which underclassmen must declare for the 2014 NFL Draft was January 15th - SI.com have the complete list here:http://college-football.si.com/2014/01/13/nfl-draft-early-entry-tracker/

Upcoming:

January 18th - NFLPA Collegiate Bowl
January 18th - East West Shrine Game
January 25th - Senior Bowl
February 18th - NFL Combine
May 8th-10th - 2014 NFL Draft

NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Rosters:http://collegiate.nflpa.com/2014rosters/

East West Shrine Game Rosters:http://shrinegame.com/en/Teams

Dane Brugler of NFLDraftScout.com lists 10 prospects to watch in the EW Shrine Game:http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-draft-scout/24406921/shrine-game-top10-prospects-to-watch

4. CB Pierre Desir, Lindenwood (6-1, 205, 4.56, #3)
A tall, long athlete, Desir has an interesting background and he can flat out play. And it will be interesting to see him matched up against FBS talents throughout the week. A native of Haiti, Desir started his collegiate career at Washburn before transferring to Lindenwood and he now has his sights on the NFL.

I've not had the opportunity to watch Desir, I hope to see a physical DB who uses his length and if he's an athlete as Brugler suggests (fluid and fast) then I'll be intrigued.

Practice Reports from the EW Shrine Game by Dane Brugler of NFLDraftscout.com:

Monday:http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-draft-scout/24408550/shrine-game-monday-practice-report

Lindenwood CB Pierre Desir entered the week as one of my top defensive prospects in St. Petersburg and he did little to persuade me from that thought during Monday's practice. He looks the part with a tall, long frame and he does a nice job staying low and fluid in his stance, backpedal and overall transition. Desir is going up against FBS-level wide receivers this week like Miami's Allen Hurns and Michigan's Jeremy Gallon, but he hasn't looked out of place through one day of practice. He also received praise from the coaching staff for his ball awareness to get his head turned, find the ball and come off his man to pursue the ballcarrier.

Hazel showed tremendous adjustments to the ball and reeled in every ball thrown his way as well.

Coastal Carolina's Matt Hazel reminded me of Lestar Jean, small school sleeper from a few years back, when I watched him. Jean hasn't really done much to this point but he's managed to stick around with the Texans.

Tuesday:http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-draft-scout/24409329/shrine-game-defensive-line-prospects-shine-on-tuesday

Wednesday:http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-draft-scout/24409936/shrine-game-receivers-standing-out-on-the-east-squad


NFL.com Bucky Brooks Shrine Game Practice Draft Stock:http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000314343/article/jimmy-garappolo-helping-nfl-draft-stock-in-shrine-game-drills

The draft season is upon us and the first All-star games are in the books.

NFLDraftscout.com's Dane Brugler lists his top 10 prospects from the East West Shrine game week:http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-draft-scout/24413374/shrine-game-garoppolo-puts-exclamation-point-on-strong-week

3. CB Pierre Desir, Lindenwood (6-1, 205, 4.56, #3)
It was an up-and-down week for Desir, who impressed in a few drills, but also struggled in others. He looks the part with a tall, long frame for a cornerback, but also showed the flexibility and balance you want for the position. Desir struggled at times to flip his hips or recover after false steps, but if he runs well at the Combine, look for Desir to be a hot commodity on day two of the NFL Draft.

Sounds like a mixed bag but the good news is Desir was one of seven players added to the senior bowl roster so I'm looking forward to seeing him in drills for myself.

Eastern Illinois QB Jimmy Garoppolo was another of those added to the senior bowl roster, here is the full list:http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/01/18/senior-bowl-adds-seven-players/

I'm looking forward to doing more work on Garoppolo next week, more than just arm strength (his ability to pass vertically) he needs to demonstrate velocity on the short and intermediate routes.

Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com lists his top 5 Winners from the East West Shrine Game:http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000314845/article/jimmy-garoppolo-was-biggest-winner-at-eastwest-shrine-game

One guy I thought might get positive reviews from the Shrine Game (he did get a mention at the end of Brugler's article) was Rice DB Phillip Gaines. There isn't any press man coverage at the All-star games but Gaines has plenty of experience doing this for Rice.

Others mentioned by Brugler who interest me; DE Ethan Westbrooks (West Texas A&M) - one of my small school sleepers at the start of the season. I know nothing about him but OL Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (McGill) has been getting some praise. WR Jeremy Gallon (Michigan) is limited but is a good hand catcher and is a competitor.


Rob Rang CBS Sports Five standouts from NFLPA Collegiate Bowl:http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-draft-scout/24413534/nfl-draft-five-standouts-from-nflpa-collegiate-bowl

Chris Burke of SI.com 12 senior bowl prospects to watch:http://nfl.si.com/2014/01/20/senior-bowl-prospects-to-watch-2014-nfl-draft/

2014 Senior Bowl: Official Weigh-ins:http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-draft-scout/24414811/senior-bowl-official-weigh-ins

Tommy Hicks of Al.com observations from senior bowl weigh-in:http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/01/size_really_matters_getting_ac.html

Arm length: For the South, McCullers returns to the top of the list, measuring at 35 5/8 while the North leaders are North Carolina defensive end Kareem Martin and Clemson offensive tackle Brandon Thomas at 34 3/8.

McCullers is the weigh-in winner with a 6'7, 348lbs frame, 35 5/8 inch arms and a wingspan of 85 1/2. Good measurements for Martin as well. Arkansas DE Chris Smith is another DL with solid measurements.

Rob Rang The Sports Xchange/CBS Sports 2014 NFL Draft: Senior Bowl weigh-in winners and losers:http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-draft-scout/24414844/nfl-draft-senior-bowl-weigh-in-winners-and-losers

Gil Brandt NFL.com 5 under the radar prospects at the senior bowl:http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000315663/article/brandt-5-undertheradar-prospects-at-the-senior-bowl

Kareem Martin, DE, North Carolina

Some believe Martin (6-5 7/8, 272) should have entered the 2013 draft after receiving a grade from the draft advisory board that indicated he could be taken in the first two rounds. I think he made a good choice; a good week at the Senior Bowl could move him to the top of the second. He finished his senior season with big production (11.5 sacks and his 21.5 tackles for loss were the fifth-most in NCAA in 2013). Has very good pass-rush skills and possesses the traits (4.85 40 and very athletic) NFL teams look for in a 4-3 defensive end. As a four-year starter in a top program, Martin has more experience than most at his position in this draft. He needs to get stronger. Good character. Massive wingspan (84 1/4).

Brandt mentions a few guys I like, when I watched UNC Martin flashed enough to suggest there might be something to work with.

Dane Brugler and Rob Rang observations from Monday North and South Senior Bowl practices:
South:http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-draft-scout/24415146/senior-bowl-10-observations-from-mondays-south-practice

Tennessee right tackle Ju'Wuan James hasn't received a lot of fanfare but he is a smooth athlete at 6-foot-6, 315 pounds. He was beaten on occasion but plays with terrific knee bend and got to the second level during scrimmages.

James has received quite a bit of praise so far and I'm going to mention him in my next V2journal article.

6. Given his 6-foot-2, 243-pound frame, perhaps it isn't surprising that Auburn's Dee Ford was the most explosive of the South's pass-rushers but he certainly showed the burst to catch the attention of every scout in the stands. Ford is stronger than his size indicates and carried over the strong senior campaign that helped his Tigers qualify for the national championship game into Monday's practice.

Ford was a prospect I tipped in my pre season previews. Like his game.

North:http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-draft-scout/24415252/senior-bowl-10-observations-from-mondays-north-practice

4. Ohio State OT Jack Mewhort lined up at right tackle and did an excellent job sinking his butt, digging his cleats in the ground and stonewalling rushers. He lined up across from North Carolina DE Kareem Martin (and his long 34 3/8” arms) several times and Mewhort did an excellent job combating hand moves and riding him past the pocket. The former Buckeye is built well for the right tackle position at 6-6 and 306 pounds and has shown consistent improvement from his underclassmen days.

Mewhort is not a flashy player but most of the time he gets the job done.

10. Yes, he plays on the South squad and this is a North practice review, but I feel compelled to mention North Dakota State OL Billy Turner. He lined up at guard and tackle during practice and showed off his quick feet, upper body strength and mean punch to handle rushers. If Turner can learn to consistently sink his hips and not bend so much at the waist, I truly believe there are several Pro Bowls in his future.

Another mention for Billy Turner of North Dakota State.   

Eric Galko and Scott Wright observations from Monday North and South Senior Bowl practice:
South:http://www.draftcountdown.com/features/SeniorBowl/reports/Practices/South-Monday.php
Positive mentions for Arkansas DE Chris Smith, BYU's Kyle van Noy, Will Sutton of Arizona State and more praise for Auburn's Dee Ford.

North:http://www.draftcountdown.com/features/SeniorBowl/reports/Practices/North-Monday.php

Adam Hodge Senior Bowl Notebook:http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/01/20/hoges-senior-bowl-notebook-garoppolo-carr-impress-while-north-qbs-struggle/

What do you think of Kareem Martin? Second round grade? Seems as though he finally played up to hos potential this season.

Pr4wn wrote:What do you think of Kareem Martin? Second round grade? Seems as though he finally played up to hos potential this season.

Funny you should mention Martin as I've just written about him in an article for the journal (I'll link it when its posted). I think he has tools to work with.

Tuesday Senior Bowl practice notes from Scott Wright and Eric Galko:
North:http://www.draftcountdown.com/features/SeniorBowl/reports/Practices/North-Tuesday.php
South:http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2014-01-21/2014-senior-bowl-nfl-draft-scouting-report-derek-carr-dee-ford-daniel-mccullers-will-sutton-south-practice-roster

-Former SEC standout Jordan Matthews had a rough day at the line of scrimmage, struggling to fight through press looks. Matthews is an extremely coachable player, but his lack of burst off the line of scrimmage hurt the timing of routes and allowed defensive backs to stay in the lurch. More overachiever than I expected coming into the event, Matthews finished every reception by running to the end zone. As a route runner, his pad level, footwork and body control out of the break were impressive, but Matthews is more of a backup receiver at the NFL level.

Similar to my own thoughts, don't see Matthews as the focal point of an offense.

-Big Daniel McCullers of Tennessee could have struggled in this environment due to his immense size and question marks about his stamina and motor while in college. While he does still play consistently high off the snap and seems to lack great bend, he was consistently able to over-power blockers with his upper body and hands strength. He’s a work in progress technique-wise, but his natural talent and ability are unquestioned.

Scouts will love the potential.

-The top cornerback for the South squad was Oklahoma’s Aaron Colvin, but he suffered a major setback, sustaining a torn ACL during a drill. Before the injury, Colvin used his foot speed and quick hips to dominate.

Awful news, good luck to the guy in his recovery.

-The corner with the highest ceiling looks like Utah’s Keith McGill. At 6-3, 214 pounds, he moves with tremendous fluidly through transitions and impressed during T-step redirect drills. He’s not a natural hands guy and continued to drop interception opportunities. Nevertheless, the length to affect the catch point is still overwhelming for some of the South receivers he faced. When lined up in press man, he flashed the ability to mirror and wall receivers to the sideline, but will require further development with his hand usage through the release.

This was one of the more impressive things I noted when watching him play for Utah. I'm going to re-watch some of McGill's games.

Dane Brugler Tuesday observations:http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-draft-scout/24416286/senior-bowl-former-sec-defenders-ford-and-watkins-shine-on-tuesday

Adam Hoge 5 up + 5 down from Tuesday practice:http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/01/21/hoges-day-2-senior-bowl-notebook-top-players-start-to-separate-from-pack/

Mark Inabinett Tuesday practice notebook:http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/01/senior_bowl_south_notebook_aar.html

Twelve if say a team like New England or Pittsburgh or the Giants were looking to draft a QB to work under their veterans for a few years with a view to being a starter, who would you think has the most upside in the mid to low round range

What do you make of the rumours that Jake Matthews may be moved to centre in the pros?

Olly wrote:Twelve if say a team like New England or Pittsburgh or the Giants were looking to draft a QB to work under their veterans for a few years with a view to being a starter, who would you think has the most upside in the mid to low round range

It's an interesting question this year because I think it might be time for us (Patriots) to at least start thinking about a successor for Tom Brady. If it was down to me I'd be looking for QB prospects with physical upside, not game manager types. I guess LSU's Zach Mettenberger, who has size and a good arm, is a typical pocket passer to consider in the mid rounds. I would like to look at prospects with some mobility and before the season I would have said Stephen Morris who I still like for his upside but wouldn't consider him until the latter part of the draft.

BamBam wrote:What do you make of the rumours that Jake Matthews may be moved to centre in the pros?

I've only read that rumour in one place (Lance Zierlein posted it on twitter) so I don't know how much to read into it. I agree with Zierlein that if teams see Matthews exclusively as a center then it will lower his stock, on the other hand if teams believe he's a tackle who could also play center (or guard) then that versatility only helps him. Some evaluations might change once we get accurate measurements for him as I assume the concerns are around the possibility of Matthews having short arms.

From what I've heard, Matthews hasn't impressed at guard in the drills and he looks more comfortable at tackle. I've been reading that scouts think he lacks the frame to add more muscle to his upper body.

V2 Journal article - my Senior Bowl weigh-in observations and some brief notes on four prospects generating discussion over the first few days of practice:http://v2journal.com/19/category/g%20d%20fraser/1.html

twelve283 wrote:

Olly wrote:Twelve if say a team like New England or Pittsburgh or the Giants were looking to draft a QB to work under their veterans for a few years with a view to being a starter, who would you think has the most upside in the mid to low round range

It's an interesting question this year because I think it might be time for us (Patriots) to at least start thinking about a successor for Tom Brady. If it was down to me I'd be looking for QB prospects with physical upside, not game manager types. I guess LSU's Zach Mettenberger, who has size and a good arm, is a typical pocket passer to consider in the mid rounds. I would like to look at prospects with some mobility and before the season I would have said Stephen Morris who I still like for his upside but wouldn't consider him until the latter part of the draft.

What do you make of Brett Smith out of Wyoming? Smaller school guy, but I've seen some good reviews.

What are people's opinions on Teddy Bridgewater and Jimmy Garoppolo?

I have been looking at the QBs quite a bit over the past two weeks, their videos and stats.

Not sure what to make of Bridgewater. His stats are good but the league he plays in isn't too great. Most people seem impressed by him but I am not totally convinced on his game tape. I currently have Johnny Manziel as the top choice QB, Bridgewater at two with a big question mark and McCarron at three. I can't put anyone above that on what I have seen. Two QBs that have made an impression on me are Connor Shaw for this year and Chuckie Keeton for next year.

Haven't found too much on Garoppolo than that he reminds me of Matt Scott from last year.

twelve283 wrote:V2 Journal article - my Senior Bowl weigh-in observations and some brief notes on four prospects generating discussion over the first few days of practice:http://v2journal.com/19/category/g%20d%20fraser/1.html

Just reading this article... Just reminded me...

Not too bothered about Johnny Manziel's height but do you think he will need to 'beef' up a little?